These past few weeks have been super powerful for our family. First, Andrew has been called into the bishopric for our congregation (the bishopric consists of 3 men who act as leaders in the local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The call didn't come as a complete surprise (Andrew had a prompting a few weeks ago nudge him to the possibility of this call). Still, it is a big calling and a big responsibility and some added time away from family. I fully support him in this call, and yet I also have struggled as I have experienced the tough stages we are at with our daughters. Grace is practically impossible to get dressed in the morning without a huge fight. I have officially given up on doing her hair (there are only so many battles I will fight with her), but changing out of princess pajamas is a must! So, needless to say, I am not looking forward to tackling Sunday mornings on my own. But even in the midst of those difficulties, I have received witnesses myself that this calling will be a great blessing for our family. I am excited to bond with the other bishopric members and their families, and I am excited to get to know the members of our ward a lot more. Already there have been ladies who have come up to me and offered to help with my kids if I am having a tough time. I know the Lord will bless our family for our faithful sacrifices. One huge blessing that came right before Andrew was set apart was that we were able to attend the temple. The temples have been closed for over a year now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They now are open, but are only for use for people going through for the first time and a few members of their families/friends. Well, my Granddaddy has been ready to go through for the first time for a few months now. We had scheduled a time to go in December, but then an increase in COVID cases caused the temple to be closed again for a time. We finally were able to schedule a new time, and it just so happened that it was the week right before Andrew embarked on the new, big responsibility at church. It was so nice to be able to feel the peace and direction of the temple instructions. Granddaddy had a great experience and is anxious for the temples to open more so that he can attend on a regular basis. In August, he will be able to be sealed to my Namma (who passed away last year). Their marriage will be sealed not only for time on the earth but for eternity. This is a huge blessing of the temple and one that I am so grateful for. There is such comfort in knowing that family bonds can continue after this life. And finally, I taught Gospel Doctrine for the first time this past week. When I was called to be a Sunday School teacher, I was really nervous. But as I planned my lesson, I was grateful for the knowledge I have as a former teacher and how I was able to use those skills to help me focus my thoughts. We talked about witnesses of the Book of Mormon and about being witnesses of truth ourselves. During my lesson, my personality came out and I felt comfortable teaching again (although it was very strange trying to teach over the Zoom video program). I felt the spirit confirm what I was teaching, and I hope the other members of the class felt it too. In the end, I gave them this invitation: Bear your witness of truth this week. It can be your testimony of the Book of Mormon, insight you received as you studied in the Come Follow Me manual, or your feelings about how you have seen the hand of the Savior in your life recently. Bear your witness with faith, and the spirit will be there to testify of the truth of your words. So this is me bearing my witness to the world through my blog :)
Whether you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, I testify that God lives and loves us. He loves YOU! He is aware of us, and He will support us and love us in our trials and weaknesses. The Book of Mormon is a true record of ancient origin, and I know that Joseph Smith truly translated it by the power of God. The Book of Mormon, along with the Bible, give us a clear picture of Christ's gospel. Temples and priesthood power are a part of God's plan to enable us to return to God's presence along with our families. Also part of His plan are our personal agency to choose faith, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure by following His commandments. There are living prophets on the earth today that help us endure and follow God's instructions for our modern-day trials. I am so grateful for this knowledge that I have gained though my own asking, study, and prayer.
1 Comment
GrandDaddy
3/1/2021 08:05:53 am
What a beautiful and meaningful blog. I love you.
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