Week in Review - August 17, 2014

This Week in Review

Thankfully this has been a relatively quiet week, which also means that there is little to report.  Our dinner with the missionaries went well.  Ben kept them entertained with his stories and explanations.  Monday night we had dinner with friends and Friday my visiting teachers and their kids came over for a visit.  We’ve been working on reorganizing a few things which has been a particularly slow process, but will hopefully make a big difference when it’s done.

Our Cute Kids

Yesterday after Ben woke up from his nap he came over to talk to me and very seriously asked if I thought he was getting bigger.  I informed him that I thought he was growing up too quickly.  He then informed me that he didn’t think he was growing up at all.  He said that he had been waiting all day and he still wasn’t as big as daddy.

Thoughts

As we’ve been working our way through Alma, we reached chapter 7, which is one of my favorite chapters.  Alma talks to the people of Gideon about the Savior.  Verses 11 and 12 are what make this chapter so important.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

I am grateful to know that our Savior, the one who will stand as our advocate with the Father, know everything that we have been through.  He has felt our sorrows and understands our tears; he knows and understands our pains and weaknesses.

When I was in high school I got hurt playing basketball.  I went to doctors and specialists and none of them could fully determine the problem or offer a solution other than time that would fix the problem or reduce the pain that I felt.  I often remember thinking during these times that even though no one else seemed to know what I was going through, my Savior did.  Since then and hopefully through the rest of my life, I hope to always remember that when life gets tough and no one else seems to understand, there is one person who does that I can turn to whenever I need help, guidance or assistance.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk while I was in college that helps illustrate this point.

Consider, for example, the Savior’s benediction upon his disciples even as he moved toward the pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary. On that very night, the night of the greatest suffering the world has ever known or ever will know, he said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

I submit to you that may be one of the Savior’s commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord’s merciful heart. I can tell you this as a parent: As concerned as I would be if somewhere in their lives one of my children were seriously troubled or unhappy or disobedient, nevertheless I would be infinitely more devastated if I felt that at such a time that child could not trust me to help, or should feel his or her interest were unimportant to me or unsafe in my care. In that same spirit, I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments.

Let me quote the marvelous James E. Talmage on this matter:

Into every adult human life come experiences like unto the battling of the storm-tossed voyagers with contrary winds and threatening seas; ofttimes the night of struggle and danger is far advanced before succor appears; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken for a greater terror. [But,] as came unto [these disciples] in the midst of the turbulent waters, so comes to all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer—“It is I; be not afraid.” [Jesus the Christ, 3d ed. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1916), p. 337]

Brother Talmage used there the word succor. Do you know its meaning? It is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care for and attention to us. It means literally “to run to.” What a magnificent way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf. Even as he calls us to come to him and follow him, he is unfailingly running to help us. 

Week in Review - August 10, 2014

This Week in Review

This has been a busy week.  Walking is quickly becoming Zachary’s preferred method of moving around, it’s exciting to watch how quickly he’s improving.  We got to spend some time with cousins this week.  We saw Stanley and Henry on Tuesday and spent Wednesday and Thursday with Clara and baby Bradford.  We had a lot of fun playing.

We took advantage of the tax-free weekend and stocked up on some of our craft supplies, Robert helped a family move and cleaned the church this week and today we are having the missionaries over for dinner.

Our Cute Kids

One of the things that I really love that the kids do is how they watch out for each other.  Don’t get me wrong, they still argue and fight, but they also try their best to be protective.  Rebekah Mae loves to tell me that Zachary is her baby and she wants to hold him and take care of him.  Both Benjamin and Rebekah Mae remind me when one or the other is about to get in trouble for something, “Be nice that’s my sister” or “Be nice that’s my brother.”  It’s just wonderful to see how much they care.

Thoughts

We’ve been reading in Alma Chapter 5 this week, where Alma teaches the members of the Church in Zarahemla and reminds them of the covenants that they once made and asks, “I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” (Alma 5:19).

I guess what I find particularly significant about this chapter is that Alma isn’t talking to those that are not members of the Lord’s church, but those that are.  How often do we get caught up in everything that we have to do and forget to include those things that will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father?

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk several years ago entitled, Good, Better, Best that I think best illustrates this point.  He said, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”

“The First Presidency has called on parents ‘to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles. … The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place … in … this God-given responsibility.’ The First Presidency has declared that ‘however worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.’”

My hope is that I can do my best to always remember to put the most important things first because foremost in our mind should be doing those things that will help us to remain an eternal family.  Although sometimes it’s hard to maintain a calm, peaceful and spiritual home, I truly believe the Lord gives us credit for trying and will bless our efforts and our homes.

Week in Review - August 3, 2014

This Week in Review

We’ve had a stray cat wandering our neighborhood ever since we moved in to our house.  It appears that it recently had kittens and our neighbors to the back have kindly taken them in.  We know about them because they are curious about all the noise we make when come out to play.  They have apparently been using one of the fence posts as a scratching post and managed between scratching and digging underneath to create a hole big enough for them to come through it.

Bekah Mae has informed us, “I just love them.”  She does have one major concern that she frequently asks, “Where are the Mommy and Daddy cat?”

I’m not a cat person, but I don’t mind too much that the kittens make the occasional visit.  They’re curious about the kids, but a bit nervous so they never get too close and it makes the kids happy to see them.

Zachary’s walking is continuing to improve every day.  Bekah Mae had fun playing with her Minnie Mouse dolls, she has been having them going to parties and it’s been fun watching her imagination work.  Ben is still excited about playing Batman.  He has a shirt with a cape and enjoys trying to watch it fly when he’s running and swinging.  I try to remind him it’s best to look in the direction he’s running instead of behind him because he does have a tendency to run into things.

Our Cute Kids

Ben has been really good this week at reminding us to read scriptures and then he is the first to volunteer to say family prayers. 

We’ve added another big box to our cardboard box town and Ben and Bekah go from playing in the Batcave, to an elevator and a house.

Zachary has done his best to wake up from his nap as soon as the older ones to go sleep and he and I have had some enjoyable one on one time this week.  He’s got so much personality.  Though I’ll probably regret this statement later, I do love the face he makes when he gets frustrated that I’m not doing exactly what he wants when he wants, he’s so dramatic.

Thoughts

For Family Home Evening we talked about the pioneers and how the children listen to their parents to stay safe and how the pioneers listened to the Lord and then how important listening is in everything we do.

I remember when I was younger the wards used to have Pioneer Day celebrations.  I remember dressing up in a bonnet and participating in a talent show and another year pulling taffy.  Now it just seems like it’s simply a day that goes without recognition except for maybe singing a few pioneer songs during the Sundays surrounding it.

Both sides of our family have pioneers who crossed the plains and I know and have heard some of the stories many times, but like we have been told frequently in General Conference, pioneers aren’t only those who crossed the plains, but those valiantly stand up for Jesus Christ no matter the year of their birth.

So this Pioneer Day, my thoughts went to my Grandma Lynch (my dad’s mom).  At a young age, she was encouraged to marry who was less than pleasant and made great sacrifices to take care of her three young children.  After she divorced him, she met my Grandpa Bergquist, had my dad and his younger brother and when my dad was two, they were introduced to the missionaries and he joined the church.  Due to some of my grandpa’s poor choices, she found herself once again divorced.  She later met Stan Lynch and shortly after they started seeing each other informed him that they would not be able to continue their relationship unless he joined the church.

I feel like it is that situation that makes her a great pioneer example.  The question we each have to ask ourselves is, how important is the church to us?  What are we willing to sacrifice to sacrifice to remain true to our covenants?  There are so many things in the world that can pull us away from our knowledge of the true and everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.  In a CES Broadcast several years ago, Elder David A Bednar spoke about the iron and the different groups of people who held onto it as they moved towards the Tree of Life.  He says that the final group, those who were continually holding fast to the rod, made it to the tree and never fell away. 

In his words, “In verse 30 we read about a third group of people who pressed forward “continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.” The key phrase in this verse is continually holding fast to the rod of iron.

The third group also pressed forward with faith and conviction; however, there is no indication that they wandered off, fell into forbidden paths, or were lost. Perhaps this third group of people consistently read and studied and searched the scriptures. Perhaps it was diligence and devotion to a seemingly “small and simple [thing]” (Alma 37:6) that saved the third group from perishing. Perhaps it was “the knowledge of the Lord” and “the knowledge of the truth” (Alma 23:5, 6) obtained through faithful study of the scriptures that yielded the spiritual gift of humility—such that this group of people “fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree” (1 Nephi 8:30; emphasis added). Perhaps it was the spiritual nourishment and strength provided by continually “feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20) that enabled this group to heed not the scorning and mocking of the people in the great and spacious building (see 1 Nephi 8:33). This is the group you and I should strive to join.

Nephi’s brothers asked, “What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

“And [Nephi] said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction” (1 Nephi 15:23–24; emphasis added).

What, then, is the difference between clinging and holding fast to the rod of iron? Let me suggest that holding fast to the iron rod entails, in large measure, the prayerful, consistent, and earnest use of the holy scriptures as a sure source of revealed truth and as a reliable guide for the journey along the strait and narrow path to the tree of life—even to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life” (1 Nephi 11:25).

To conclude my story, my Grandpa Lynch met with the missionaries and soon after joined the church.  Several years later, before my dad left on his mission, they and their family were sealed in the temple and they still serve faithfully in the Lord’s church.  So thank you Grandma for the example you’ve set.