Father's Day Part 1: Hero Papa!!

Jackson:  Papa plays fun games with us.  He taught us how to play chess.  He teaches us wonderful things about the gospel.  He knows church history really well.  Every time we come to see him, he gives us a big hug.  He's athletic.  He teaches me piano sometimes.  He is a hard worker.  Every time we visit him, he cleans our van.  He inspires me to love Jesus.  He always makes sure that everybody has what they need.  I love you Papa!

Tyson:  Papa is very active.  Every time we come to his house, he plays kickball with us.  I've never gone to his house and not had fun with him.  We play board games.  We watch TV together.  We roasted marshmallows together.  When I go to his house, he shows me more about the trumpet.  He goes on walks with me to the park.  Papa inspires me to be like him.  I want to be healthy like him when I grow up.  I love him soooo much!!

Jordan:  I love that Papa stays up for us no matter how late we come to his house.  He always helps us, and he plays kickball with us.  He's really nice, and he always plays games with us.  He reads stories about Joseph Smith to us.  He's always very funny.  He always helps us… he fixes the things we break.  I love Papa.  He inspires me to be a missionary.  Papa is awesome!

Mariah:  I love Papa because he plays good games with us like kickball and other board games.  I like to play chess with him.  He reads us stories.  The other reason why I love Papa is because he gives big hugs and kisses.  When we come, right away he runs outside, and he helps us bring our stuff in.  Papa inspires me to do amazing things like serving my mission great.  I love you soooo much!!

Juliana:  Ummm…. Jesus….  He loves Jesus.  He likes food.  He likes Cheetos.  I like to laugh with Papa (as she giggles hysterically trying to talk about him).  I love Papa!!!

Jayden:  Jayden loves Papa!  Papa makes him laugh a lot!

Abe:  Papa is amazing.  Here are a few reasons why:

He plays kickball like a teenager and he is 76.  We just played with him a couple of months ago and he was acting like he was playing in a little kid’s body: running, diving, sacrificing for the team.

He still plays the trumpet so well at his age too. He doesn’t practice, but he keeps his lips in prime shape, and remembers all the notes without any problems.

(Abe doesn't know this, but actually, my dad has just started playing in the symphony again!  In this picture, he's playing funny noises for all the grandchildren. :-))

He loves to play games! When we lived in Missouri, he would ask me daily if we could get together to play games that night. Usually we did, and it was always fun.

 He tells the most predictable, corny jokes, but his delivery is outstanding. Papa is a sweet man, with a happy heart.

He is the grape juice king. I have never seen anyone who loves, adores, promotes, and uses grape juice more frequently than papa.   Whether I am in a good or bad mood, or feeling healthy or under the weather, Papa informs me that simply drinking grape juice will make it all better. Then he will generally spend some time explaining to me why it would be so much better if I drank it.

All these things make up just part of the unique personality of John Anderson. He is  a super home teacher, dedicated husband, relentless missionary, and an awesome father-in-law, Dad and Grandpa! I love you, Dad! Happy Father’s Day!

My Turn:
I wanted to take the opportunity to write just a few thoughts and funny moments that have been running through my mind to add to my story about him in October.

*As Abe and the children mentioned, Papa likes Kickball.  A couple of months ago, we visited my parents in Missouri.  We all went outside to play kickball, and my dad divided up the teams so that all the little kids were with him against Abe and me and couple of the smaller kids.  We kept telling my dad that the teams didn't seem too evenly matched because Abe and I are pretty good at kickball… and young!  (My dad is 76, but you would never know it!!)

The game commenced, and my dad was on fire!  He ran the bases like a champ!  Then it was our turn to kick...

My parents have a huge front yard; but almost every time Abe kicked the ball, it went past their yard and well into the neighbor's yard.  My dad sprinted after that ball thinking he might still get Abe out before he ran around all the bases.  He was organizing the boys to get to the bases so they could get Abe out.  We just laughed and laughed and asked Dad if we could change the teams to make it more fair.  He refused.  My dad's most competitive player- Tyson- also suggested that maybe their team could get some more help.  My dad was determined to finish with the teams as they were and fight to the end.

They didn't win, but they played like champs!  My dad NEVER GIVES UP, and he was teaching my boys to do the same!!!  They learned to be true champions like Papa out there on the kickball field.

*Over 20 years ago, my oldest sister's husband used to work for my dad in his office in his garage.  Everyday they would take breaks to go play ping pong.  I'm sure my dad still has the exact numbers on this, but I believe my brother-in-law won about 1200 games and my dad won about 20.  Despite his losing record, he kept playing, kept tracking his rare wins, and he continued to declare that he was getting better!  My brother-in-law was sincerely surprised that my dad was the one who wanted to keep playing!  Most of us would have quit the game of ping pong after the first 20 losses!

I LOVE that determination in my father.  Who would have thought that at 76, his fighting, lively spirit wouldn't have died down even one iota.  Gosh my dad makes life a lot of fun!!  Most people his age are considered "elderly."  The word doesn't even make sense around my father.  He's fit and trim and full of life.

*My dad LOVES scouting!!  He has helped so many young boys earn their Eagle scout award!  He helps lots of boys who don't have any support from home, and he helps them believe in themselves.  Just this past year, my father received the Silver Beaver Award in scouting.  This award cannot be sought after because it has to be awarded to you by a higher committee who submits your name after recognizing many years of sacrifice and service to the scouting program.  My father received the award at a special banquet held in another city.  He felt shy about receiving the award, but I was overjoyed that he was recognized for his years of service… as a hero to countless young boys in the scouting program.

*When I was a young girl, I used to travel with my dad all over the East coast for weeks at a time selling my mom's cornhusk dolls.  We slept in the van and washed up in gas station bathrooms.  I would go into the bathroom, wait until everyone else left, stick my head in the sink, squirt some hand soap into my hair, and wash away.  I would also bring a wash cloth into the bathroom to wash up the rest of my body.  We did stay in hotels too… just not every night. :-)  My dad kept me down-to-earth for sure!!  Those trips with my dad shaped who I am!  We had amazing talks about the gospel, and we played rhyming games and word games for hours.

*I always loved running.  I remember wanting to go on a run at nighttime when I was home from college.  I was used to doing that while I was away at college, and I felt safe in our small hometown.  My dad was worried about me, so he insisted on going with me.  At first I thought it was unnecessary, as I ran laps on the track for about an hour, I will never forget looking over at my dad thinking how much he loved me and would do anything for me.  I'm sure he had better things to do with his time, and I'm sure he probably wished I could have just gone running in the morning instead; but instead, he supported me and helped me achieve my crazy desires.  My father made me feel secure in his love for me.  I have never questioned that love.

There have been times in my life when I have felt undeserving of love and pretty rotten inside.  It is my father's testimony of Christ and his sensitivity to the Spirit that has brought peace and love deep into my heart when I've needed it the most.  I have never known a person to be as nonjudgmental as my father is.    He lives so righteously, yet he doesn't judge anybody else's choices in life.  He gives them the benefit of the doubt, and he goes to their aid over and over and over again.  His love continues to change me and inspire me… and all of us.

He is our hero… no doubt about it!  What a shining light he is in our lives!!  We are inspired to be better and to do better because of the way my father lives his life.  That makes him our hero.

I wrote a story about my father last October  entitled "John Anderson:  One of a Kind."

He is AMAZING and FUNNY and VERY LOVEABLE!!  Please, please read the link below on him… (I also have more pictures of my GREAT DAD included in that link.)

http://abeandrachelsbeautifullife.blogspot.com/2013/10/john-anderson-one-of-kind.html

Below is the link to a recent story from Mother's Day about my dear mother… his sweet companion.  I love how my father looks at her.  It doesn't matter if she's angry or happy, my dad will turn to me and say, "Isn't she cute?" :-)

http://abeandrachelsbeautifullife.blogspot.com/2014/05/fancy-nancy-happy-mothers-day.html

Our Heroes

We all know the African proverb that says, "It takes a village to raise a child."  I have felt the power of this truth deeper than ever before ever since my husband has had to travel so much over these past several months.  Abe has always traveled a lot and worked late hours throughout our entire marriage, but his current schedule is by far the most he's ever traveled.  We miss him a lot…

Amidst his travels, we have been blessed by many wonderful people.  I particularly want to honor 4 of our heroes today...

My Visiting Teacher

A visiting teacher is a woman who has been assigned to another woman within our congregation to help in time of need- offering spiritual, physical, or emotional support.  The hope is that every woman has the opportunity to be visit taught and also to be a visiting teacher to a few other women within the congregation.

About a week before Mother's Day, my dear, sweet visiting teacher sat me down and presented a huge bag full of really nice things to pamper myself.  I know I took too long opening each and every lipstick, lotion, and cream, but there were amazing things in there that I never even knew existed!  I was in awe that she had taken the time to make sure I felt appreciated and pampered while my husband was away.  My emotions got the best of me many times even after the gift opening was over.  I felt truly loved.

This same visiting teacher prepares activities for the young girls between ages 8-11 a couple times a month.  My little 6-year old, Mariah, saw the older girls doing wonderful crafts while she was waiting for my older boys to finish scouts.  I had just been feeling sad earlier that day that I hadn't had/made time to do more crafts with her.

I never spoke that concern out loud, but my dear, visiting teacher invited my little Mariah into her room to participate with the older girls.  I peeked into the room, and Mariah's little face was just beaming with joy.  That simple act of love and kindness made my dear friend the hero of the home.  She has become so special to us that even my 4-year old daughter, Juliana, named her favorite stuffed animal after her. :-)

Mariah has carefully displayed this special folder of art work on her dresser by her bed, so she can admire it on a daily basis.

This woman not only acted on the promptings she felt as a visiting teacher but also as a teacher to young girls.  She went above and beyond.  I thanked her for including my daughter, and she simply stated her great love for little Mariah.  She became our hero because of love...

Our Home Teacher

A home teacher is called to care for and watch over a couple different families in their congregation.  We've had home teachers whom we never even knew they existed… and then we've had home teachers who have truly magnified their callings… such as the one we have now.

Last week I showed a friend of mine the following pictures of Jackson doing our late night family dance party…

Jackson's only DJ experience is jamming at our family dance parties, but he takes it seriously.  He sets up the speakers and makes a play list.  He even gets his DJ seat decked out with special blankets. :-)

A couple of days later, my friend's husband, who is our home teacher and also a DJ on the side, called me to invite Jackson on a DJ job.  We were so excited!!  I kept reminding Jackson to play it cool!!!  :-) 

I'm sure it wasn't easy for our home teacher to take a child with him on a DJ trip… let alone somebody else's child!!  He has 4 children of his own!  As helpful and kind as Jackson is, it takes extra work and energy to instruct a 12-year old the ways of the business.  It's soooo much easier to just do your job without having to train a young kid along the way!

As I expressed my gratitude to him, he reminded me that he was our home teacher… doing his duty.  What a blessing and inspiration his fulfillment of his calling is to our family!  What a life-changing moment for Jackson… he was given a chance at the real deal!!

Young Mens Leaders

Last weekend, two young men leaders planned an amazing trip to NASA Space Museum!  None of us had ever been there, but we've been wanting to go for quite some time… especially for Jackson's sake.  These two leaders took out almost their entire day to plan this amazing trip for the young men ages 12-18 of our church.

(His leaders didn't know this, but Jackson has loved space since a little child.  In fact, we took him to an evening show of the planetarium at BYU with a bunch of college students when he was only 8-years old, and he raised his hand and answered almost every question about the constellations.)  

When the young men returned from their excursion to NASA, I couldn't believe it.  Only two boys had shown up for the activity.  I felt badly for the leaders, and I hoped they understood how much we appreciated their sacrifices.  I hoped they understood how much Jackson loved that trip.  Jackson and I thanked them over and over again, but it didn't seem like enough.  

As I drove home, I pondered a bit more about these two leaders.  As I thanked God for their sacrifices, I began to cry as I realized that the two boys who did go to the activity had fathers who were gone for long periods of time for their work.  The other young man's father had just left for 3 months!  

The Spirit spoke very strongly to my heart that these leaders were playing very important roles in shaping these two young men while their fathers are away.  I cried as I later thanked them again for magnifying their callings and their duties to the young men's program.  I told Abe about the impression I received about their influence while he's away.  He too felt great gratitude for such righteous priesthood holders serving our young, impressionable priesthood holder of a mere 12 years. 

Our Surfing Hero

Last week I wrote about how Hank from "Hank's Circle of Love" gave the children money when he saw them running, but I didn't write about why my children were extra motivated to spend the money on a surf board.

About 2 weeks ago, my children were watching a video about a surfer who chose to go to seminary instead of his surf team.  Because of his righteous choices, things fell into place, and he was able to compete.  He won the Junior National Championships.  My children love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they love watching surfers.  In their minds, this young man, named Sean Kimball, was as cool as they come. 

(Click on the link below if you want to watch the story that inspired my young boys.  It's definitely worth the watch!)

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/surfing-or-seminary?lang=eng

My boys have watched the above video more times than I even know.  In fact, they watched it again today.  They have gone surfing almost every day since they received the surf board.  They're super motivated to finish their daily chores, so they can get to the beach.  They're passionate about it!  On Monday night, I posted these two pictures of Tyson and Jordan surfing, and I briefly explained on my Facebook post that there was a young man who inspired them because of his choice to follow God even before his passion of surfing.

I didn't mention anything about his religion; but on Tuesday afternoon, a new friend of mine from when I traveled to Utah for my HEFY training in April asked if I was referring to the teenager who chose seminary over surfing.  I said it was the same story!

She said he was her zone leader on her mission!! I couldn't believe it!  Would I actually have the opportunity to thank my kids' hero for his positive, righteous influence on my children?!?!  How WONDERFUL that would be!!

My friend connected us, and I sent him a Facebook message.  I thanked him and asked him if my children could possibly send him a thank you card for being such a GREAT inspiration in their lives.  I sent the message feeling a bit nervous and very hopeful for a response.

I took the kids to the beach; and when we returned, I quickly checked my Facebook messages.  I squealed to all the kids:  "Come down here!  Quick!  Get out of the shower! Look who just messaged you!!"  Oh you should have heard their excitement!  Their eyes were huge!  Their mouths were dropped wide open!!  We were all squealing, and I was fighting the tears.  Their hero had written them a personal message!!  They just kept exclaiming, "I can't believe it!!!"

This amazing man, who is now a return missionary and pursuing professional opportunities as a surfer, understood that God has placed him in a position of influence.  He not only took the time to answer my Facebook message, but he also "Friended" me on Facebook and commented on the boys' surfing picture.  They were ecstatic that their righteous, surfing hero had complimented them on their very own surfing picture.

… and the BEST PART… he offered to Skype with my kids this Saturday morning!!

I believe in miracles.  I believe there are no coincidences.  I believe God is speaking to the hearts and souls of all of us to be a righteous influence on others' lives, and the miracles come when we are willing  listen… to act… to fulfill our callings… to fulfill our duties… to be heroes...

We have felt miraculous love, miraculous support, and miraculous, life-altering moments because God spoke to others' hearts, and they listened.  Those are the true heroes… those who listen to God's message and act on it.

I thank God for sending so many heroes our way to strengthen us and remind us that HE is ALWAYS watching out for the details of our lives.  God is so good to us all… HE is our greatest hero.

Over the next few days, I look forward to writing about three more heroes:  my father-in-law, my father, and my husband.

Pure Joy!!

My kids hadn't played on a slip-and-slide for about 4-5 years!  Tyson and Jordan had bought one for the little children for Christmas.  Today was the day to try it out!  I sat on the edge of the patio to watch them play while I read my scriptures.  I opened my Bible with a prayer in my heart.  I had asked God to help me feel better about some negativity that I had experienced.  As laughter and pure joy erupted from my children,  guess what verse I "happened" to read?

Acts 2: 28 "Thou has made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance."

Oh what a beautiful verse!  I reread that verse about five times!  As I watched their joyful faces, I realized that the Lord's countenance was upon them.  They haven't yet allowed the negative forces and criticisms of the world to overpower their thinking.  They haven't yet decided to stop believing in the goodness of the ways of life.  Rather, they are living in the joy of Christ.  Therefore, their hearts are ready to be filled by HIM.

I sat and watched and felt inspired to do the same.  People's negativity sometimes makes me feel sad inside.  I decided in that moment to cast those thoughts away and simply fill my soul with joy.  It takes practice and hard work to continually push away the negativity of the world…but the joy is oh so worth it!!

I think it's pretty special that God wanted to remind me that I can smile away and laugh away the negative influences that come my way!!  What a WONDERFUL message!!

I 'm grateful for my little faces full of PURE JOY...

Jayden didn't want to stop taking his turns, so he just lay there and soaked in the joy of the moment!

Juliana and Mariah loved doing army-crawls through the water.

Jordan was all about style!  He even did front hand-springs into the water!!

Tyson knew the correct technique to get the most speed.

Jackson had the CRAZY slides!  We always got a good laugh from him. :-)

I included this picture from Tyson's surfing success yesterday.  He's on the surfboard from Hank from the story I wrote last week- not bad for his 2nd day on the water!  Tyson had no training from anybody.  He just believed he could do it, so he tried… and tried… and tried… until he found success.

BEAUTIFUL!!

Jordan's Triumph with God

Yesterday morning before church, my 8-year old son, Jordan came to me and told me this story:

"Satan tried to scare me by making me think that I was going to get kidnapped last night (Saturday night).  So I prayed. When I started to pray, it started to rain very heavy.  It sounded like thunder.  I still prayed. After I prayed I told Satan to leave and then it was calm all around me everywhere.  After I told Satan to leave, the storm stopped and Satan scaring me stopped.  I felt the Holy Ghost.  It felt spiritual.  It felt like the same as whenever I had received the Holy Ghost after my baptism.  I told him to leave because you can't feel the Holy Ghost when Satan is scaring you."

I don't know what more I could add to Jordan's beautiful words… except that I am so grateful he knew to whom he could turn when his fears threatened to overpower his ability to find peace.  

Satan is real.  God is real.  God and HIS followers will ALWAYS be triumphant.  

The eventual triumph may not always seem obvious in the midst of the trial.  In Jordan's young wisdom,  he noticed the intensity of the storm increased the moment he started his prayer (or his fight against Satan).  Also in his young wisdom, he knew to persist in that prayer until the Holy Ghost settled throughout his entire room… leaving no room for the adversary.  

The Holy Ghost is truly a miraculous gift.  Jordan recognized that same calming feeling from when his father placed his hands upon Jordan's head 7 months ago after his baptism.  In that moment, by the power of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, my husband bestowed the Gift of the Holy Ghost upon Jordan.  Jordan knew that gift was his. 

Hank's Circle of Love

Let me tell you a bit about my neighbor, Hank.

Hank will be 89-years old next week.  He has a full head of gorgeous, white hair.  His skin is tanned from working in his yard and from going on his daily walks.  He is very slender and his skin is thin and fragile from battling shingles over the past several years.  After several falls, he recently started using a walker to keep himself steady when he walks uneven areas in the road and sidewalk.  Every time we see him, he reminds us that he doesn't REALLY need the walker.  We assure him that we know he is strong enough to walk without it, but that it's just for his safety.

Hank's mind is active and alert.  He often tells us stories about his years playing professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds.  We all adore him.  If we see him outside on our drive home, my children jump out of our van before we reach home, so they can go greet him.

Yesterday was Juliana's birthday.

In celebration of her, ALL the children were out running together and encouraging the young ones with

" The Winner's Circle."
(I wrote about their winner's circle earlier this month.)

http://abeandrachelsbeautifullife.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-winners-circle.html

Jayden ran a whole mile!

My children have continued to run every morning; and almost every time they run, Hank comes out to walk while they're out there.  Yesterday, Hank gave them all a pep talk about the importance of exercise and loving others.  Hank wishes he could still run, so he loves seeing the children achieving so much.  He believes in their potential and encourages them often.

Looking into my sweaty children's, faces, Hank reached into his pocket, handed me a wad of money and said, "I want to give you all the money I have with me so you can get these kids an ice cream."

He gave them over $50.00!!  I told him that was WAY too much for ice-cream, but he insisted we keep it.  As requested, I bought the children some ice cream bars yesterday with Hank's money… Ice-cream was EVERYWHERE, but it was YUMMY!!

The children put the rest of their money together with Hank's money to buy an inexpensive surfboard we found on Craig's List.  It was still in its original packaging like new!  What a blessing! The children had been wanting a surfboard ever since we moved here.  They had a BLAST last night trying to stand up on their new board.

After an evening of attempted surfing, I sent the kids to bed and made a detailed list to schedule out every hour of our time for the following day.  I awoke this morning feeling determined to move like the wind and accomplish EVERYTHING!

We started with scripture study and our morning run.

While we were outside, we saw Hank again walking down the street.  We all gently hugged him and told him how we used the money he had given the children.

Hank smiled broadly and told them he would support them in anything they needed for their sports.  He gave them another pep talk about the importance of what they were doing to stay strong for the rest of their lives.  He told them the potential he saw in them and how great they were.  After chatting for quite some time, he invited all of us to his house to show us pictures of his life.

It was a peaceful walk to his house.  His pace is a lot slower than we are used to.  We stayed in his pleasant home for quite a while looking at pictures of his wife who has passed on, pictures of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his time in the marines, and his time as a professional baseball player.  I could feel Hank's joy as he shared memories of playing baseball with his father, as he shared stories of his time on the road as a professional player, and as he shared about how much he loves his family.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we learned about the life of this kind, gentle man.

After stopping to talk to a few other neighbors on the way back home, I groaned a bit to myself realizing it was now lunchtime, and I hadn't accomplished hardly anything I had planned on doing for the morning.  As defeat started to creep into my mind, the thought came very strongly, "…but you took time for people, and that is more important."

The thought was reassuring, but I still wanted to accomplish something tangible in my home!!  At lunchtime, I read to the children from President Hinckley's book, Stand A Little Taller.  Tears immediately welled up in my eyes as I read today's message:

"One of the greatest challenges we face in our hurried, self-centered lives is to follow the counsel of the Master 'to do it unto one of the least of these my brethren.'  Take the time today to reach out, to help someone less fortunate, to strengthen and lift a brother or sister in need."

Knowing we were way off schedule and realizing the inspired message we had just received, Tyson exclaimed in disbelief, "Does that really say that in there?!?"  It sure did!! :-)

Hank has most definitely blessed our lives more than I believe we could ever bless his life.  He is such a peaceful, wonderful man.  However, we would not have known him had we decided we were too busy to stop and chat with him.  As Hank feels strengthened by the love the children give to him, he returns even more love.  That's just the way it works; we participate in a beautiful circle of love… "The Winner's Circle"… of LOVE"

The Winner's Circle of Love is what Christ's love is for us.  Christ's love encircles us around and around.  We try to keep up, but we can't.  That's ok.  I believe Jesus is just grateful we're in that circle with HIM.  I'm grateful HE has put kind, gentle people in our lives who emulate that encircling love.  Hank's kindness and love makes laps around us, but I believe Hank is grateful that we're in that circle with him.

So… we just keep running and feeling grateful for Hank's (encouraging) Circle of Love.  I believe God sent Hank into our lives.

Homeschooling Success!

For homeschool, we're doing a review of the things I have taught my children over the year.  In all honesty, I have been feeling VERY frustrated over the last few weeks wishing they had retained more than they had.  Even though they are all ahead of their grade levels for their respective ages, I couldn't believe how many questions they were missing!!  I wondered and asked God if I was doing the right thing for their education… or if I should quit homeschooling them...

On Sunday night, I checked on my children before I went to bed.  When I looked at the bottom bunk,  there lay Jackson and Jordan with their heads pressed together watching something on Jackson's Kindlefire.  Everyone else was asleep.  I peeked at what was on their screen; they were watching a video on the importance of being chaste and clean in their lives. They looked up at me and told me all the other uplifting videos they had been watching from the Mormon channel of videos.
http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages

The next morning, Jackson requested to give the Family Home Evening lesson that very night.  We arrived home too late from Memorial Day festivities, so we planned on listening to his lesson the following night.

We have been a part of dinner parties or had dinner parties at our house for the past 4 nights.  After last night's gathering, we were all exhausted.  Abe would be leaving at 3:30 the following morning for another trip, and he still needed to pack and wash clothes.  We were feeling like an official Family Home Evening would need to be pushed to the back burner again.  However, Jackson begged to hold Family Home Evening, so he and Jordan could share their message with us.

It was 9:30 at night.  I felt foolish for turning down Jackson and Jordan's requests to teach a lesson to the family.  We all "let go" of the unimportant things and sat on the couch as a family.

Jordan and Jackson shared the following videos with us:

"Leave the Party"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n1RnsLbvE4

"Dare to Stand Alone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_92mKlQOlk

After each video, they asked all of us how the videos made us feel and what we learned from them.  Then they proceeded to explain the importance of standing for what's right in every aspect of our lives.

I was in awe at the maturity of my 8 and 12-year old sons as they spoke about the gospel.  As I sat there my heart was deeply touched… then it hit me!  I was not failing them!  These boys understood the gospel on a deeper level than I ever did at their age.  Yes!  I greatly value their scholastic education; but to me, their spiritual education takes precedence over all else.

We spend LOTS of time every morning talking about and reading the teachings of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful the Lord showed me (at the persistence of my children) that I was not failing them at what mattered most.  Their testimonies, love, and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ matter to me WAY more than a few missed math questions.  I thank God for inspiring my young boys' hearts to share their spiritual maturity with our family.  Their lesson encouraged my heart greatly!

That encouragement was a miracle to me.  God answered my prayer by helping me to see the success of their spiritual education.  The thought came to me that I should work harder to teach math and their other subjects with the same Spirit of God that's present as I teach HIS gospel…

I believe the Spirit filled Jordan's heart from teaching and bearing testimony to the family, and a miracle took place within his heart as well:

Last night, I found him sleeping soundly on the floor between all the children's bedrooms.  He's getting quite heavy, so I dragged him back into his room.  This morning I asked 8-year old Jordan if he even knew he was sleeping in the hallway.

He knew he had been.  He said, "I wanted to make sure that Jackson, Tyson, Jayden, Mariah, and Juliana were safe.  I just wanted to be nicer to everybody."

I'm grateful for the tender moments when God gives us a glimpse of the fruits of our labors.  

"The Priesthood Man"

Abe came back into town yesterday afternoon after performing in a concert in Virginia Beach.  On our way home from the airport, he asked me on a date for that night.  Feeling giddy, I announced to the children that I had a date!

Our date turned out PERFECT!

We went to a little restaurant right on the beach.  It was a quiet area with not much traffic or commercialism.  There were only about 8 other people at the restaurant, so we were the ONLY ones to sit outside on the upper deck.

From where we were, we could feel the breeze from the ocean, and we could hear and see the waves crashing.  As I sat there I commented that I was grateful it wasn't too cold.  Abe laughed because he had been thinking how grateful he was that it wasn't too hot!  We've had weather in the 90's here. :-)

Abe has always hated the heat, and I have always LOVED it.  His body is just naturally hotter than the average person- Lol- speaking about his bodily heat. :-)  (Although, I would have to admit he is pretty hot in the other manner of speaking as well! :-)) I have watched steam literally rise from his head during chilly evening performances with his singing group.

Abe has also always hated running, and I have always LOVED it.  Running in the heat and sweating as if I'm on a Gatorade commercial is one of my favorite things to do!  So.. running with my husband is one of my most favorite ways to bond.

One of our runs a couple of weeks ago was particularly special:  We ran on the beach and before leaving the sand, we jumped into the water for a quick swim before putting our shoes back on to run home.  It was AMAZING!

Today as we prepared for our run, I walked outside and felt excited as the heat soaked into my skin; I looked over at Abe and saw him mustering up the courage to face the heat.  All of a sudden the sacrifice he was making hit me deeply, and I felt a lump well up in my throat.  My sweet husband was running in the heat just to bond with me!!!

We had only run a block, and I told him I was trying not to cry because I could feel his love for me.  He gave a loving laugh and said, "You just now got it?"  I told him he was my hero.  He questioned me:  "How am I your hero?"  I responded, "…because you give your all to make me happy."

What a man!  He is trying so hard to make everyone happy on his short visits home that he even ran at noon in Florida's sweltering, upper 90's, heat today… with no complaints and seeking no recognition.

Today, after making me happy as can be, he quickly packed up his bags to take our 3 oldest boys on a Father/Sons Campout.  Our boys were ecstatic to be going with their father on this special outing.

Abe tries so hard to be the man God wants him to be, and I don't always recognize the sacrifices he makes to ensure our happiness.  He's doing a beautiful job, and I'm grateful for his sacrifices on our behalf.  I thank God today for helping me to recognize more fully my husband's greatness as the priesthood holder of our home.

As I pondered on his responsibilities in our home, my thoughts turned to a General Conference talk I read from April 2014's Priesthood Session.  It is entitled

 "The Priesthood Man."

In that talk, First Counselor in the First Presidency of our church, President Henry B. Eyring said: 

"Each of you will be a model of a priesthood man whether you want to be or not.  You became a lighted candle when you accepted the priesthood.  The Lord put you on the candlestick to light the way for everyone who surrounds you…. You can be a great model, an average one, or a bad model…  Those who have been my models of great priesthood holders do not easily recognize that they possess heroic qualities.  In fact, they seem to have difficulty seeing those things that I so much admire in them."

Abe is our hero, and I feel so grateful for his heroic acts of love.  Abe is also a great "model of a priesthood man" to all of us… and especially to our 4 young boys who are learning what it means to be "The Priesthood Man." I trust that God will continue to send miracles into our lives because of the way my husband honors his duties as a husband, as a father, as a child of God, and as "The Priesthood Man" of our home.