I will

Last year, I was a Sunday School teacher for youth ages 14-15 at my church.  I loved the calling, and I still miss it.  Occasionally, I go to the lds youth link on the church's main website to keep current with that age group.  Among so many awesome resources, there is a nice compilation of uplifting music that can be downloaded.  I was especially touched today by a song I found called I Will by Hilary Weeks.

In this song, Hilary Weeks says simply, "In a world where so many will not, I will."    

Isn't it a beautiful thing to have the opportunity to choose?  I can choose to obey, I can choose to be strong, I can choose to follow the Prophet, I can choose to have courage, I can choose to listen.  And in these final days before the Second Coming of the Savior, I can choose to part of the hastening of the work.

I have felt recently the need to do my work as a mother more completely.  I may not always love all the daily routine things about being a mom, but I love teaching the gospel to my children.  I will teach with power.  I will bear testimony of the Savior Jesus Chirst.  I will help my children know that repentance is real.  I will prepare them to make covenants with their Father in Heaven.  I will create a home environment where the spirit can be felt.

I will.

Family Visit!

Ezra, Maren, and I are just back from a two-week visit with my parents.  It was a lovely time for all, but I think Ezra especially benefited.  My five siblings who live near my parents were all able to visit both weekends we were in town.  I feel so grateful that my children are so loved by my family!  My sisters are so affectionate and cuddly.  They are warm and attentive, and more than willing to read stories, go on walks, play with cars, and listen to my animated little boy.  My brother Aaron is an awesome uncle too.  He is silly, fun-loving, and a big tease.  He and Ezra engaged in a good bit of playful banter whenever they got together.

 Grandpa taught Ezra how to play Marble-works.  They worked on the sprinklers together, they played at the park together, they watched movies together.  Grandpa, Ezra, Maren, and I took a road trip to northern Utah and had a picnic in front of the Brigham City Temple and Tabernacle.

Grandma was always available for Ezra.  She dressed, bathed, tickled, cuddled, fed, and loved my little sweetie.  She took Ezra on outings, read him stories, tucked him in bed, taught him, played with him, encouraged him, and made him feel special.  Grandma and Ezra rode a Ferris wheel together, they had chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream cones together, they worked on home improvement projects together.

Ezra and Aunt Kristen snuggles

Ezra telling Aunt Emily all about bulldozers.

Ezra and Uncle Aaron helping Grandma open her Mother's Day presents.

Brigham City picnic with Grandpa

All the sisters and Miss Maren.

Grandma and Maren--all smiles.

Family picture plus Molly's fiance (!!) John

     

My Family Tree

In the most recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Quentin Cook shared this story:

A 36-year-old mother of young children recently exclaimed to me, “Just think—we have gone from microfilm readers in dedicated family history centers to sitting at my kitchen table with my computer doing family history after my children are finally asleep.” Brothers and sisters, family history centers are now in our homes.

 I really resonate with that story; the advancements in family history research are truly miraculous!

My first exposure to family history work was in my mid-teens.  When my family was living in Salt Lake City, I went with my mom to the library downtown on Friday nights to search records on microfilm readers.  Later, as a student at Brigham Young University, I took several family history classes, and did my research the same way.  After graduating and moving to Atlanta, I sometimes requested a family history "project" from my mom, and she gave me the name of a deceased ancestor to research.  My research in Atlanta required me to go to a local family history center in a church building, find information that looked promising, order the microfilm record from Salt Lake City, and then wait several weeks for it to arrive.   It was an exciting challenge, but progress was often very slow.

Last summer, I requested another family history research project from my mom.  This time, however, I searched census records, marriage records, birth records, and death records at home on my laptop.  The huge reservoir of on-line records is incredible!  After several weeks of searching, I found many more family members, linked them together in family units, and made some exciting discoveries and connections.   The crowning blessing was then to take those names to the temple.  I have felt my heart turn to my fathers; I want them to receive all the blessings of the gospel that I now have.  This is the purpose of family history research.  

In the last few weeks, I have also added photos to the family search website.  I feel more connected to my deceased family members as I upload their photos; they seem so much more real to me now.  Ezra and I look at the "grandma and grandpa" pictures together sometimes too.  A portrait-style family tree is so much more meaningful to him; he loves pictures.  What a beautiful resource to connect our children with their ancestors!  Have you tried it yet?