The Amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ

Today in our Gospel Essentials Sunday School class, our lesson was on the temple and the work that we do in the temple. One of the blessings of the temple is the sealing power. When most people marry, they marry "til death do we part". In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those who marry in the temple are married for time and all eternity. Through the Priesthood power held by those with authority from Jesus Christ, we are sealed and bound to our families for eternity if we live righteously.

As we discussed this in our class, an older man who had never heard this doctine before was very quiet. We then began to talk about Baptism for the dead and why we as members of the Church baptize those who have passed on. Heavenly Father loves all his children and wants all of us to return to him. Those who never had a chance to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life are taught in the Spirit World. Because baptism is the first important ordinance in returning to live with Heavenly Father (we sometimes refer to it as the gate to eternal life), we do baptisms by proxy for the dead so that they too may have the opportunity to live with Heavenly Father.

This older gentleman's eyes began to light up as we discussed this. Finally, with great amazement, he said, "Do you mean that if I got baptized in this Church, I could have my mother, who passed 15 years ago, baptized and we could be together forever?" Yes, oh yes. That is what this means. The gospel is so simple and so amazing. I love how the Spirit opens our eyes to understanding!

Getting on with life

So it is May. Where did the past two months go? My brother wanted to know the answer to the mystery of the gate (previouse post) so I will attempt to explain it. WE DON'T KNOW! But here are some of our hypothesis: A cougar (chasing the deer full speed down the hill, catches it as they both hit the gate at the same time, causing the gate to bow... but that doesn't explain why it happened three times in a row--or does it?) The next door neighbor has two wolf hybrid dogs who's electric fence was not working, and there were dog tracks leading back to the neighbors house, maybe they chased the deer. A moose, but why would a moose knock over a gate when it could jump?

At any rate, spring has arrived more than 3 weeks late here. On Mother's day, I got my traditional breakfast in bed, which in theory sounds delightful, until you try to balance a cutting board full of food with a glass of OJ and a glass of milk on your knees, sitting up in bed with a 3 year old bouncing around every where. The point however, is that there were no lilacs to pick for my boquet on my tray. In fact, there were no flowers blooming. It is a really late spring. The lilacs still haven't bloomed, although the bushes have finally budded.

Both Robbie and Dallin have been running on the High School track team. Dallin's fastest mile time is 5:10, Robbie is about 5:20. Both boys have got summer jobs. Robbie is working at Subway and then installing sprinklers with our neighbor again this year. Dallin got a job at the U-Pick farm down the road, where he will be picking rocks (yes, the "grow"), moving sprinkler pipes and planting Christmas Trees. Jordon will be taking over Dallin's mowing jobs to the tune of about $40 a week.

Jordon is playing 6th grade football (which is flag) and is really enjoying it. Next fall he will have to decide whether to run X-C or play football. I think his heart is more into football! He gave up playing banjo and has taken up the guitar, which he also really loves.

Robbie's band, 3 Years Later, is nearing signing a record deal with a small company in Spokane. They have 10 original songs they plan to record and then hopefully will play at several gigs this summer.

Dallin and his friends are playing Hoopfest again this summer. It is the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world (so they say). Last year, his team won all their games, but forfeited to Sunday games, because playing on Sunday is not a way to keep the Sabbath day holy :)

Cadie is attending a volleyball camp this month and is learning more skills toward her dream of playing volleyball in High School. Cadie also won 4th place in her school poetry contest. I will be coaching both Charli and Cadie in fast-pitch softball this summer so that I can be a good "Collier" and pass the tradition on to my children. The girls are also putting together a talent show skit involving very boring poetry reading and aliens. It should be funny.

The girls and Jordon are taking lambs to the fair this summer. We will pick up our babies in the next week or so and see if we can get them fat enough to show!. Charli and Cadie are also enjoying learning to ride the horses and both seem pretty much at ease on them.

Cami is loving her school. In fact, this morning, she came to me and said, "I ready a-go to schoo now". Unfortunately, there is no school on Fridays. She is learning lots and knows her colors, shapes and is learning letters. She still needs intense speech therapy and physical therapy for her stiffness. They want to integrate her in to a regular preschool next year, where she would still receive her therapy, but would be mixed with other children without developmental delays. Her eating is improving. She is still afraid of most fruit, unless it is pureed and any new texture in her mouth she will spit out. But she is eating most things I cook, if they are soft (noodles, chicken pieces, mashed potatoes...)

Troy is at a Livestock Judging training this week, learning to judge livestock at fairs. One more life goal checked off his list! He is also enjoying having his own business and farming on the side. He is putting in an acre garden (oh how that dredges up memories) at the farm and is planting potatoes and onions mostly.

I just hang on for the ride, where ever it may take me, trying to keep everyone's schedules under control, do the laundry and make dinners. A guy did call and ask if I would be interested in writing for his website, LDS Spokane, which he'll be launching the first of next month. Life is beautiful!

Oh Deer... the mystery

So, the deer in our town have never seen so much misery. In the half mile walk from my house to the horses, nearly every morning produces a dead deer, usually hit by a car. This morning, there were three on my walk. Yuck. In all the time I've lived at Newman Lake, I've never hit a deer. In fact, in all my life, I've never hit a deer (or had a deer hit me). Until this winter... My poor car has never seen so much front end damage. This year, I've hit 2 deer, my husband one. When we moved to Newman Lake, the "old timers" told me I wouldn't be a true Newman Laker until I hit a deer. Eight years later, I guess I belong. So this brings me to the mystery:

Out where the horses are, there is a gate at the far end of the pasture. We don't use the gate and the horses don't go down there because there is still two feet of snow on the ground. Saturday morning, when I went to feed the horses I saw that the gate was flat on the ground. What? How could that be? Because I was in my running shoes and didn't want to wade through the snow, I sent Robbie out to set it back up. He said the metal post was bent flat on the ground, but he was able to set it back up. This morning, I walked out there again, and the gate was again flat on the ground. I walked out to investigate. (Turns out, the snow is a frozen crust, so I could walk on it in my running shoes!) There was fur all over the ground, the chain link portion of the gates was bowed in and the post laid flat on the ground. Next to the gate was blood and further down, under the trees a partially eaten dead deer. Sad.

So, why was my gate pushed over two nights in a row? And what is pushing my gate over? Will it happen tomorrow? I don't know the answers. By the way, I checked for tracks, but the snow is too deep and melting to quickly. There were deer droppings and moose droppings... and lots of gray fur...

Just a Thought... or two...

Today, in church, a young man named Jordan spoke. He is leaving on a mission to Mexico and his assignment was to talk about the Christ-like attributes necessary for a missionary. He spoke about the ability to love all people and how that was an attribute he wanted to work on. He began praying for help to develop the ability to love all people. He described how the answer to his prayer came one morning as he was waiting in the dentist office for a root canal. He said he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone and so found a chair in a corner away from other patients. He noticed a mentally handicapped man in a wheel chair, being very loud and boisterous and talking to other patients. Jordan tried to ignore him and read. Soon he realized the man was wheeling his chair toward him. "No", he thought, "Go away, I don't want to be bothered." But the man came anyway. He pulled his chair right up to Jordan and began asking him questions. "Why are you here?" "For a root canal." "Do you go to school?" "No." "Do you work?" "No" "Why not" "I'm leaving on a mission for my church." "Do you have a girlfriend?" "No" "Why?" "Because I'm going to be a missionary." And so it went. Then the man lifted himself out of his wheelchair and sat in the chair next to Jordan. He lay his head on Jordan's shoulder and said, "I love you." As Jordan shared this experience, I too learned the lesson that Jordan learned about loving our fellowman. We all need hearts as pure and gentle as the handicapped man. We all need to feel that love for those around us.

Currently, my job (calling) in the Church is as a Ward Missionary. That means I help the full-time missionaries (those guys in dark suits) in teaching the gospel. A man we are teaching was telling us how his uncles were very concerned that he was studying with the Mormons. This man has really enjoyed learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ and is making changes in his life that are more in harmony with the gospel. Nonetheless, his Uncles are concerned and have been spending great amounts of time with him,trying to convince him that he is headed down the wrong path. As the man told us about this, he paused. Then he wondered out loud: "Why are they so concerned now, when I am making changes for good in my life. Why weren't they concerned like this when I was blowing coke up my nose? Why weren't they there trying to lead me away from bad friends and drugs when my life was a mess? Where were they then?"

The gospel of Jesus Christ is so simple and so easy. The more we learn about Him, the more we learn about ourselves and our potential. Who are we? We are literal sons and daughters of a Heavenly King. This life is but an instant in our eternal progression. We lived with Heavenly Father before we were born and if we live Christ-like lives, we will live with Him again. When you truly know and understand that, it's not as hard to give up the worldly ways and live as Jesus has taught us too... With compassion, love, charity for all, peace, forgiveness.

I Wonder When He Comes Again...

Cadie took this picture at the Portland Temple last weekend. It is the angel Moroni. A statue of him is on every L.D.S. temple and the statue always faces east. Why? Because when the Savior comes again, He will come from the east. I always think about that when I see the sun rise.. I actually see the sun rise quite a bit, because I go for those early morning runs when it is still dark when I leave. I love to watch the sunrise, because first there is a glimmer of light and then it grows brighter and brighter. Sometimes I imagine that this will be how it is when the Savior comes again too. We will be looking towards the east and first there will be a glimmer, which will grow brighter and brighter until there is no mistaking His coming. Will the world be ready? Will I be ready? All He asks is that we strive to become like Him as we live in this world. Sometimes it is hard. We get angry over petty things. We are selfish. We want "Me" time. But in the scriptures we learn, "I give men weaknesses that they may become strengths unto them." Who gave us our weaknesses? God, Himself. Why? So that we could master those weaknesses and become like our Savior Jesus Christ, who mastered the temptations of the devil and who showed us how to return to our Heavenly Father. I wonder when He comes again?

Thing One, Thing Two and Thing Three

Thing One is Cadie, my gentle sweet first born girl, also know as Twin A. She loves to cook, is very smart and likes to play jokes on people. She plays the fiddle very well and keeps her room very messy. Thing Two is Charli, aka Twin B. She is a little miracle, as the doctors said she would not make it. She is tiny for her age, but very big in spunk and spirit. She loves to play basketball and likes to write stories. She is not much neater than her sister, thus the Thing One and Two labels! Thing Three is Cami, our amazing caboose who has decided her job in life is to entertain us, boss us around and make sure we all know what is going on. She will want to show us a trick she has learned and will go around the room with her bent little finger pointing into each face, saying "Watch me" to each person there. If someone says, "Bye Mom, I'm leaving," she comes to me to "tell me", "Robbie's going to school Mom." "Daddy's going outside Mom." When she wants you to play with her, she won't let up til you sit down. "Cami, I'll play with you in a minute." "No, you play with me now. Sit down, right here. You play with this doll." "Cami," I say, "I can't play with you yet. I'll be there in just a minute." "No," she answers back calmly, "You play with me now." Thing Three, the terrorist!