and then Primary! Honestly I am so in love with this class! 2 cousins moved into the Ward so I now have 8 boys and 2 girls! I see their greatness and their potential and at this age, 11-12, they sort of fly under the radar as kiddos but that is not my take on them. I see the largest Priesthood quorum in our small Ward happening in October ...8 Deacons. Next year they will add one more Deacon, late in the year. At some point there will be 9 Priests and they will do it all-serve/prepare/pass the Sacrament. Maybe we will suddenly get an influx of people and that will change the numbers but for now...these are my heroes and I project out and see greatness.
Again...they are so capable and I think somehow or other, more emphasis in the near future, is going to be on teaching them at a deeper level. When we saw The Sound of Music at Leavenworth, and Maria was kneeling by her bed and praying for all of the children by name, I felt like her as I pray...and please bless Trenten and Trevor and Noa and Ava and Wyatt and Alex and Russell and Brandon and Kenyon and Analiese! Not neglecting or overlooking the two heroines that are both on the Personal Progress path. Equal rights and equal love for all 10!!
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I have been so blessed with greater understanding of the Holy Ghost and His influence in my life in my recent quest. I have kept those 8 ways in my mind, as mentioned by President Oaks of how the Holy Ghost communicates. I have watched for those methods, acknowledged and expressed appreciation as I've seen and felt and heard and received some great experiences during my relatively brief but intense/focused sojourn through study for specifics. I'm so thankful!
I have been taught a lot...reminded of a lot...had lots of confirmation on things...received guidance/direction/assurance/comfort/peace and acceptance on many levels. My desire is to recognize the guidance/blessing of revelation and express gratitude. To acknowledge and to thank. Those 8 things listed by President Oaks have been a great guide in focusing.
There have been lots of reminders/recalling incidents and Scriptures and principles and quotes from talks.
It has all been very comforting/reassuring/faith-promoting and a lessening or even leaving of some fear on different levels of my life. A new way of looking at things but in actuality is not new, just not being lived fully.
I want to live in gratitude and confidence and courage...present moment living! Not a rehash of old news from the past or crystal balling the unknown future. To embrace and absorb and live to the fullest-- this very moment! this moment when there is nothing to fear...nothing amiss...when things are as good as they can be and all is fine, at this very exact moment I am safe and feel serene and faith-filled.
I had found myself really reading the Shoulda/Coulda/Woulda book and the companion volume entitled...but what if???? Plus the fill in the blank, single volume regret book ... IF only I had done or had not done ___________! You can see I was pulling from self-authored books previously thrown away but retrieved and new binding beckoning and put in my line of vision by Mister D. Evil. He is cunning & clever! Much like Alice in Wonderland, I munched and consumed and overate, edibles not meant for consumption thought-wise. Not faith-promoting! Falling into a pit with no cushion to soften my landing.
But as we used to sing in my Baptist Church...Love Lifted Me. I found the Statler Brother version. Our Pastors wife played the piano like this but no other instruments. Just had to put this in the
blog-mix here Stepping back in time!! can't resist this congregational singing it here
So...as I was saying... sharing one experience...condensed version! Terry's health is not good and he cannot help on things around here. I do it and I started feeling burdened and overwhelmed and frustrated and not having good feelings. Lack of faith? fearful? unsound mind? feeling sorry for myself? could not find gratitude in the situation and on and on playing that Lack of Spirit tune.
As a direct result of my study/prayer/Temple attendance/concentrated effort/longing/desire... this beautiful thought came to me. True, you have to do everything. But...be glad you have the ability to do it. Be grateful/thankful that you have the health/energy/ability to do these things. It was so tender and so beautiful and so simple and so true and at that moment I felt like in the Book of Mormon where they asked for their burdens to be lifted and they weren't lifted but they could not feel them. Everything was exactly as it had been and yet nothing was the same! It was and is so real to me. It has stayed and is a part of me now.
It has been a marvelous time and other things came to me also but I wanted to share that one as it was so powerful and so helpful and so appreciated.
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Revelation by Dallin H. Oaks here
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