Defenders of the Family Proclamation

This month's visiting teaching message is we can choose from any of the conference talks from April! I'm choosing one from each Conference session! Defenders of the Family Proclamation!

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson speaks on three points of boldly defending the Lord's doctrine pertaining to Marriage, families, divine roles of men and women and the importance of our home and sacred places.

This is from the Women's conference! 

Oprah Winfrey had Maria Shriver on her show and Maria shared a story of what it was like to be in her home! it hit me as poignant and something that I was going to implement in my own home. She had mentioned or wrote in her book about being the only girl with four brothers and coming from a highly competitive family in everything but her father was adamant about when they walked through those doors they would only be kind to each other. That the world tears you down but in their home, in those doors was their safe place, a haven. I knew I wanted that too. I knew how cruel and hard the world is on you, and the negative feed back our children are fed daily from music, friends, teachers etc, even church. But, in the walls of our home they would not have that! I have tried and I have failed somewhat as well, but it has been an active goal to accomplish! 

I honor and love being a mother! It is my most aspired career! anything else I labor for and get paid for is a just a job but motherhood is my career! I educate myself in how to decorate our home, make whiter clothes, cook, clean every aspect of my career my goal is to excel. I want to be respectful of my husband's job and the money he earns! I don't want to spend it frivolously. I want him to be with us and for our children to find happiness in moments and not in things! I am glad that Mr. Incredible has set our divine rolls as nurturer, mother and father as his top priority as well! 

The choices I have made for and behalf of my family are mine and not all have worked but all were made with the intentions of doing what I felt was best. There is not one plan of what works for one will work for another. We are so different and such individuals who have different strengths and weaknesses! We need to be prayerful and turn to the Lord for inspiration and guidance so we can align our will with His. 

Attributes of Jesus-Long Suffering and Patience

For the Month of March the visiting teaching message is learning Long Suffering and Patience! You can read more about here!

I really loved the words by President Uchtdorf this month!!
Patience is often thought of as a quiet, passive trait, but as President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said, “Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

These words in bold are so true we don't just sit back and say what comes will come! and not just enduring it but enduring it well! I know that we have had to be patient in waiting on the Lord and that I had to have enough faith that the Lord knew I had to trial to become a better stronger me! I'm so grateful that each trial which at times have seen overwhelming that I plowed through it, endured and was able to see the sun and the bigger blessing!

President Uchtdorf continued, “Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19]. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”¹

Patience to stand firm and steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord. I have often felt like a duck on water. I may look calm and peaceful but underneath you are paddling like heck to stay afloat! I tried to always be strong for my children and others when inside I was anxiously waiting for the Lord to attend to me. Paddling like heck to do the daily tasks and fulfill callings, being ACTIVELY patient on the Lord. Continuing to do the things I knew to be right, to serve willfully and to give openly, even when it is hard to do. To be submissive to the Lord and knowing that in His time he would take care! I have heard many ask me how did you get through that, how did you do it? I still have no answer and sometimes I think did I get through it? But, the answer is You have no other choice! You just do it. You see what has to be done and you do it! You don't have time to sit and wait for someone else to take care of it and the number one thing that has gotten me and us through everything is FAMILY and sticking together. We are united in purpose and like a flock of geese is one injured we rally around them honk to encourage them and we are the wind beneath their wings. If you have never learned of the formation of geese as they fly you should read it, it's quite incredible!

Visitnig Teaching JAN 2015

I'm going to back track a bit because I want these on my social media sites and I want these on my blog! Now, that I can finally blog after 5 years of sparse entries! So, some pictures will be a back track of things and memories that I remember from the pictures! I want to capture moments, feelings and memories again! The hand out came from Marci Coombs

WE are focusing on the attributes of Christ and this month it is Obedience! I love that these messages are to strengthen and make us better and more Christlike! The message can be found here.

The scriptures teach “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:21). Our spiritual growth takes place as we draw close to God through obedience and invite the power of the Savior’s Atonement into our lives.

“As we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenant with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life. … Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create.”²

I've had to work on being willingly obedient! I may obey but at times I do it begrudgingly or because I am suppose to or because it is expected to me! It has been great to do it because I truly want to! To do it because I decided to and it has been nice to feel that as I let go of the natural desires to be selfish to see the attribute of true obedience bless my life! Willfully obedient! Life is good and the gospel of Jesus Christ is so empowering and liberating! Would you like to know more? Please check us out at lds.org!