Baseball or FHE?

Today my husband called to inform me that Joshua had a baseball game at 6:30. I thought for a moment “don’t they know it’s Family Home Evening?” Then I remembered that “they” don’t care. Surely life would keep us busy enough consuming our days and our children’s days doing worthwhile activities. My mind reflected on a talk given by Julie B. Beck about prioritizing our time into 3 lists ( I have blogged about this before probably because it weighs so heavily upon my mind). The categories are essential, necessary and nice-to-do’s. I contemplated this concept so much this weekend as we went to stake conference and heard Elder Gene R. Cook (emeritus seventy living in our stake) speak in the Saturday Evening session. He spoke for 1 hour 45 minutes on key doctrines in our church that we need to teach our children so they can internalize them, so they can be apart of them. I wondered how on earth am I going to teach my children all that they need to know to be deeply grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ if I skip out on Family Home Evening for a baseball game? There is not enough time in a day to do it all, something has got to give. I remember years ago when we had to choose between a ballroom dance performance for Brittney and Family Home Evening. Do my children know what I stand for? What is important to me? I am making an essential, necessary and nice-to-do list for our family so we “never let those things that matter most be at the mercy of things that matter least”. I’m glad I have the opportunity to make hard choices, it defines my character.

Polish & Chisel

About a week ago I went to the doctor to have part of my scalp removed so they could perform a biopsy on it for possible cancer. Today I received the good news that my noggin shows no signs of cancer. However, during the week of waiting, I have to admit that I spent some extra time with introspective thinking.

I read the talk by President Henry B. Eyring from this last general conference, Mountains to Climb, in which he tells a story about his mom. He said:

"My mother fought cancer for nearly 10 years. Treatments and surgeries and finally confinement to her bed were some of her trials….One of the speakers at her funeral was President Spencer W. Kimball. Among the tributes he paid, I remember one that went something like this: 'Some of you may have thought that Mildred suffered so long and so much because of something she had done wrong that required the trials.' He then said, 'No, it was that God just wanted her to be polished a little more.'”

This reminded me a lot of our good friend Stacy Geppert who is now in a full scale clash with cancer. At most, she just needs a little more polish. She is among the most Christlike people I know. We don't know what Heavenly Father's will is for her, but we pray for her. She has demonstrated faith and courage, and she is an inspiration to our family.

During this past week, I certainly hoped I wouldn't have to begin a fight with cancer. The thought came to me, and the Spirit seemed to confirm, that I still needed a whole lot more than a little polishing. In fact, I am still very much in the chiseling phase of life. I have a whole lot more molding and carving to do before I'm even ready for that polishing stage. I was reminded of what C.S. Lewis wrote:

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains fixed and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on -- you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you're not surprised. But [then], He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and doesn't seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The answer is that He is building quite a different house from the one you had thought of -- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage -- but He is building a palace."

I am always inspired by those who just need a little more polishing. I'm a long ways away from that point, but am thankful for the opportunities we all have to progress -- wherever we are -- along the path that will help us accomplish the purpose for why we came to earth.

Thanks be to the 2 men who married our 2 daughters

We are so thankful for two men who are each willing to help their wife with projects around the house.  John is digging a big hole for a trampoline that Angela wants, and Randy is moving lots of dirt and doing landscaping that Brittney wants done.

I’m also thankful for our other sons who are willing to help their sisters.

We feel so very blessed to have our family, and are grateful for those two wonderful sons that married our daughters.  We are grateful to Gordon & Wileen Henderson for raising Randy in the way they did, and for Alfred & Jo Ann Liddle for raising John the way they did.  How blessed we are!