The Savior's Early Ministry on Earth

             About ten years ago we read the New Testament as a family for the first time. The funny thing is, I tried to read it when I was ten years old, but only made it through the first couple of books...if that far. The important thing is, the desire was there, right? Thinking about it, I suppose it was because of my love for the New Testament that, when I was a child, I really wanted to name my first born son Peter. But fast forward to ten years ago when I truly fell in love with the NewTestament. Since then, we've read it another or maybe even two more times as a family and, as always, I've gained new insights and my testimony of, and relationship with my Savior has increased. This must be why I was so excited to sign up for the New Testament class at BYU-Idaho where I am taking online courses to get my degree. This past week we studied the beginning of the 4 gospels where we learn about the Savior's baptism and the importance for all who desire to enter the kingdom of God to make those saving covenants and receive that sacred ordinance. Through studying this story, I also recognized how important being baptized by one who truly holds the proper priesthood keys is, and how powerful that power is from one who keeps the commandments and honors their covenants. One of my classmates pointed out this powerful insight and helped me to recognize how the strength of that power varies according to how worthy an individual is.

Jesus is Baptized by John the Baptist: Picture Source

           We also studied how Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by Satan when He would have been at His most vulnerable state, but was able to recognize the influence of Satan because of the blessings of the fast, as well as resist that influence. As any story of the scriptures, there are many lessons to be learned and much inspiration to be gained through relating the events that occurred. We are taught how to respond to Satan by the way Jesus responded to him. How to recognize that he does have power and does exist, and that the spiritual veil is not there for him, he remembers us and knows our weaknesses, but that we have the ability to overcome those weaknesses through obedience to the Lord's commandments and our diligence to stay in tune with the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus is Tempted By Satan: Picture Source

         It was after this experience of temptation that Jesus began His ministry, an interesting point another one of my classmates pointed out in remarks to a post I submitted about the power of the priesthood and the strength gained through obedience. He said that he found it interesting that it wasn't until after the Savior's fasting and temptation that He began His ministry. A key point was that through overcoming temptation, He was given greater power and ability to exercise His priesthood power. This power was what gave Him the ability to heal and bless so many, casting out devils and healing the lepers, giving sight to the blind, and so forth.

Jesus Heals the Leper: Picture Source

           One of my very favorite stories is that of casting out devils.The greatest reason for this is that those evil spirits who possessed the bodies recognized the Savior, they knew who he was and begged Him to leave them alone. I was struck by the realization that as we learn in the scriptures that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ, that for those who are close to the spirit and for those whom the veil is not drawn, do know Him, even those that followed Satan and will never have a body. When the presence of the Lord is near, evil cannot stay because they know who He is and cannot stay in His presence. How powerful!

New Testament: Picture Source

         Through my studies and discoveries this past week, my excitement for learning in this class has only grown. I have a great love for the Savior, the scriptures, and the power of the priesthood. How grateful I am for the knowledge of a loving God who gave us such a perfect example of obedience and the protection of keeping His commandments to  lead us back to Him one day. I look forward to sharing more as I learn.

Michael holding the Alder baby, Sunday October 1, 2018

          In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this picture of Michael with Ramona, a sweet baby who is a triplet. We hold her through our three hour meeting block to help her parents. They have a toddler and the triplets, so it can be helpful to hold one of them and give them an extra hand. She has been a great blessing to our family. The children look forward to holding her each week, and I won't lie, I have found great joy in it myself. Michael is always asking to hold her and she is very content with him. How precious!  

  

Rhino Man

Justin is a joy. There is no other way to describe him. 

From the moment he entered this world (my first and only cesarean) he batted those long curly lashes and my heart strings started twirling around his little finger with so many layers that they will never break free. 

He is the child that doesn't ask for much. He is considerate and kind. Polite and sincere. His prayers are like an angel speaking to the Lord, so thoughtful and genuine.

Yet he is fun and silly too.

With a witty sense of humor that can't be imitated or contrived, it's just real.

So when he put this helicopter seed from our maple tree in the backyard on his nose, I just purely enjoyed it...and had to get some pictures of what became Rhino Man.
Children grow up too fast.
This life is such a blink...
I'm grateful for pictures that capture special moments.

Spring is Working Out

Sooo...I starting working out again this week. 

Yep.

 It's been a good thing. I really started back at the gym 2 weeks ago,

 but then it threw me off when I got sick. 

I was miserable. 

 Being sick + exercising= greater misery. 

Trust me, it was better just to rest it off. I found a health coach to back up my equation. 

So I waited it out. I stayed home. Rested. Worked on projects. Caught up on housework. Slept as much as possible. 

Now I'm back to the grind again. 

I've gotta say it feels great. But I'm sore. In all the right places. And now I'm tired again. I'm sure it will get better once the clouds disappear. 

On a happier note, my daffodils are up and smiling at me each time I look through the kitchen window. 

They literally look like they are waving at me each time I take a peek out there.

Then there's this planter by the front door where we have smaller daffodils that smile happily and seem to say "hello, and welcome!" each time we come home. 

I swear they have smiles on their cute little daffodilic (don't look it up, it's a word) faces. The ground hog saw his shadow, so the story goes. 

So guess what? 

That's why my daffodils are cheering me up these days. 

Thank you Spring!!

Being Sick

It's never fun to be sick. I was at lunch with some friends the other day, and one of them confessed that she was so last year, that she hoped she would get sick.
Really?! 
When one of us asked, "did you?" She responded, "Why yes, I got strep throat. I was down for three days." When we all gasped she stated, "I was so happy. It was worth it!"
I wish I felt that way.
I wish I felt like I had an excuse to stay home.
Instead it just so happens to be on the week that my sweet honey is out of town, so I have extra running around to do. So I just run around feeling like Muck.
Yep, Muck.
You spell that M-U-C-K.
You know, like the stuff they shovel out of horse stalls.
Yep.
I look like it too.
But at least my family is getting where they need to be, when they need to be there....even though I just long to be in bed.
My children are happy, because I lost my voice. No ability what-so-ever to raise my voice.
Funny thing is, they listen better.
So the secret to combat selective hearing, is actually a secret. How about that?
Apparently looking like muck isn't an appealing image you want to remember, because there is not one blessed picture of the whole past week to share. So I will share a few pictures from my practice with our new lens filters instead.

I don't know what the heck I'm doing with them.

 
 But many thanks to Justin who let me practice until I got a good fit.

Much better. Captured a clear pic of his "funny face".

They Forgot Their Lunch

Most mornings we get up early. We're on the ball. Lunches are packed. Children are eating breakfast, everything is going smoothly. On schedule, we head out the door and wait in front of our house where the bus stops to pick up the children. Then they're on their way. 

Easy. 

Should be, right?

Then there are days like today. 

We get up early. We're on the ball. Lunches are packed. Children are eating while finishing homework and taking a practice spelling test one last time. I'm watching the clock. 

Then, somehow, we lose track. 

The bus comes. Pulling up right in front of our house where the bus stop is. 

We are late. 

How did that happen? 

Where did the time go? 

Everyone shoots out the door with a desperate grab for me to give a hurried kiss. 

They all piles into the bus in a hurry. 

As I breathe a sigh of relief and walk back into the house where I begin tidying up...

...there it is. 

There's always one. 

A lunch box waiting to be carried away. 

Only, it was was left behind. 

A sweet somebody forgot their lunch. 

What They Say Wednesday

On Sunday night we sat down as a family and watched what was labeled by Bryon and Tyler when they were little, as "Mommy and Daddy get married". It's a video of us when we came out of the temple and then our reception following. Steve had wanted us to watch it together because he realized that none of the little ones (Justin, Alyssa, and Amy) had ever seen it.

 That night after the children were all settling down, Amy was in our room talking to us and vocalized her thoughts, "Mommy was pretty and Daddy was handsome, then you grew up and, well, it didn't work out".

We're still laughing. It quickly became one of our catch phrases.

She Loves Color

One of the things I love about Alyssa is her love for anything having to do with drawing and art. 

She is always coloring, practicing her words, writing a letter, or teaching Amy to her letters. 

 One day I walked in to find she had fallen asleep coloring and I had to get a picture.

How appropriate! 

Alyssa is AMAZING!!