Uchtdorf's Message

Saturday was the General Women's Meeting for the women/girls of the church.  I went to the broadcast and had a hard time concentrating, to be honest.  Well, until President Uchtdorf spoke.  I think most people will say what stood out the most is his analogy of the rain pooring down on us and how it can be like Heavenly Father and how He sends us blessings.  Yet, sometimes we get out our umbrella's and block those many blessings that He wants us to receive.  It was a great visualization of just how much our Father in Heaven really wants to make our lives easier here on Earth.  That His commandments are not to push us away from happiness, or what we think will bring us happiness in this world.  He knows best and He knows what will bring true joy.

Yes, that was a great lesson tool but something tugged at my heart so much more.  He said, "Do you suppose it matters to our Heavenly Father whether your makeup, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? Do you think your value to Him changes based on how many followers you have on Instagram or Pinterest? Do you think He wants you to worry or get depressed if some un-friend or un-follow you on Facebook or Twitter? Do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the One who created the universe?

“He loves you not only for who you are this very day, but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become.

“More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny — to return to your heavenly home in honor.”

I am so passed looking pretty all the time.  I have been for quite some time now.  It took some life changing events to make me realize that makeup, my weight, my clothes... only make me feel better when it is exactly the way that I picture it should be.  What I picture it should be is not even close to what Heavenly Father actually cares about.   I'm so grateful President Uchtdorf addressed this issue that so many women deal with.  We are our own worst enemies most of the time and that is so sad.  I know I have been guilty of it.  But progress has been made and I pray that it continues.

Rooster Whisperer

David left for Texas last Thursday and is coming home tonight.  He and Stephen flew there to help their brother, Rob, on his house.  As I have mentioned before with them always having to do something when getting together, this was no different.  Those Adams boys sure are hard workers.  But I miss my hard worker and really want him home tonight.  His presence has certainly been missed.

One of the first nights while he was gone, he called and I told him to make sure he got a picture with him and his brothers.  Then I thought about it for a while and told him to get one with the chickens that Rob and Erin have.  At first it was because I want chickens but then I remembered how I call him the Rooster Whisperer.  Long story.  You'll have to look back at a past post to get those details.  

So yesterday I got a picture from Erin on my phone...

My husband is so awesome!  And his brothers are pretty cool too :)

So Blessed

I just got back from walking around the park that is right by the elementary school that the boys go to.  Usually I go to the gym but Brigham is home with strep throat and I didn't want to wander to far away if he needed me.

While I was out walking, some of the kids from the school were outside playing (it was around lunch time).  As I would circle around, I would search for Levi or Hyrum.  During my last lap I saw Hyrum and he was waving at me.  I waived back and felt like something might be wrong.  So I started walking toward him.  Sure enough, by the time I got to him I could tell he was close to tears.  He  told me that no one would play with him.  That, of course, will rip at any parent's heart.  

During the summer we got to know a few of the boys around our home and church that are his age and go to this school.  So I asked him about them.  Only one of those boys were there today and I guess he wouldn't play with him.  So I sat down with him and we just talked about his day, trying to distract him from thinking about not having anyone to play with.

When the whistle was blown and he went inside, I was reminded how very blessed I am.  I am blessed that my husband works hard and allows me to stay home so that I can be there for my children when they get sick and can't go to school.  Or when no one will play with them at school and I can just sit with them and talk with no time restrictions.  Or that the school is mindful enough that soon after I sat down with Hyrum outside, a teacher's aid was right next to us to make sure I was a parent.  Or that yesterday was September 11th and was reminded of the great country in which we live in.  So great that terrorists attacked us 13 years ago all because of their jealousy of our freedoms.  Or how I have a responsible son in Levi that I know that as he and Hyrum walk home from school today, that he will protect his brother.  I could just go on and on.  I am so blessed.

Friends of Brigham

 I worry sometimes that Brigham puts more effort into his friend relationships than he does with his brothers.  But I also know that I was the same way as a child.  My friends have always been very important to me.  So much so that some of them have truly felt like family to me and I have treated them as such.  So, I can see where he gets it from but I still worry.  I guess I just want him to have just as good as a relationship with his 2 brothers as I see David with his.  

But I do love Brigham's love for his friends.  He defends them.  He wants them around all the time (which means a houseful of boys most of the time).  And he's just a good friend. 

The other day I was volunteering in Brigham's class and this boy came up to me and said, "Brigham is a good friend."  Not, "Hello, my name is David and I'm Brigham's friend."  I was so proud of Brigham in that moment for two reasons.  First, because he obviously had enough impact on this boy's life that he would come up to me and say that before I was even put to work in the class.  Second, because this boy is Black.  If there is a kid of color in any of his classes, it never fails that that child becomes close friends with Brigham.  There have been times that I have had more Indian, Hispanic, and Black children in my house than White and that is not an exaggeration! 

Moving around has definitely exposed my children to different races and culture.  For that, I am very grateful for all our crazy moves.  I love that my children don't show signs of prejudice.  When they were little, if I saw a person or family in a store that was obviously from a different country or culture, I would walk up to them with my children and ask them questions.  I know that sounds odd and honestly at times it was uncomfortable but I wanted my boys exposed.  And I think I know why I did that.

I will never forget the first time I walked past a group of young black boys, them trying to get my attention, and me quickly walking away because I was uncomfortable.  I didn't voice this situation for years because I felt I was being prejudice.  I was ashamed.  

Years later, I told my friend Bin and his response was, "Prejudice is only the fear of the unknown."  It is a moment in my life that I will never forget.  We all get uncomfortable at times around certain people, whether it be because they are of a different culture, race, personality type, religion...even clothes that they have on can make someone uncomfortable.  But Bin taught me that it is really that we aren't used to it yet and that is ok.  It is only wrong when you treat them poorly because of it.

So, I'm proud of my Brigham.  He is my social butterfly and I'm grateful he was placed in my life.

Unstoppable

This morning I woke up feeling pretty yucky.  I got the boys headed off to school and decided I was going to take it easy today.  So I laid in bed, turned on Netflix and found the documentary Unstoppable by Kirk Cameron.  I'm so glad that I did.

While I didn't agree with his interpretation of everything that he got from the Old Testament, I gained much from this film.   A film created by a good man who wants the world to know that even though God lets bad things happen to good people, He loves us very much.  

Kirk Cameron talks about the tragedies of the Bible, mainly the Old Testament.  There are so many tragedies that God let happen like Cain killing Abel and the great flood that wiped out almost all living, land creatures.  But He uses tragedies for our experience.  The only thing that I wish this movie would have touched more upon is that He uses these experiences BECAUSE He gave us free agency. 

I have talked about this before on our family blog.  I personally, for most of my life, have never really got the concept of free agency.  Mainly because I have the personality type that would rather be told what to do.  I don't like to make mistakes.  I would rather learn from some one elses experience than mine own.  I hate that guilt felt after a bad choice is made and I hate that suffering that seems to last so much longer for me because I have such a hard time forgiving myself.  It was only a few years ago that I finally was able to say that I am grateful for ALL my experiences in life.  I am grateful for my sins and other's sins against my spirit that lead to my life's lesson of love.  Because I know my Father in Heaven loves me through these mistakes, I know I can and should love others.  All of these experiences have built my character today.

This is my favorite quote of the movie:

"...I have peace about that.  Because I've already seen my God use the most horrible, horrific, tragic events of history for the greatest things in the world.  He was there at the fall, He was there at the flood.  He didn't take his hands off the wheel.  He was there in the crucifixion and the worst most tragic thing that has ever happened to the most perfect and pure and innocent person (speaking of Christ) turns out to be the greatest thing the world has ever seen.  It brought the salvation of God to the world.  And so I have hope that every tragedy in my life and in yours, every future tragedy and every future pain and struggle and suffering and death, God can and will use those sufferings for His greater Glory and for our good because that's what He has been doing all along. Through all of the pain and suffering and the grief, God is working out the same unstoppable purpose for you!  He's forming in you the character needed for the assignment He has for you."

I pray that God will continue to have faith in my spirit to make better choices in the future as I continue to learn that He has a purpose in all of this.  He gave us free agency for a reason and because of that reason, He will not interfere with the choices that I make or of that of others around me.  And I am ok with that.  These life experiences are exactly what gives me true hope now.  True love.  And true purpose.