Tithing... letting go.

I have a testimony of Tithing. And yes this is new to me. I have been a member all my life and have paid my tithing whenever we get money. But this last month has been a little different. My husband got a pay cut and so things have been a little tighter then we all would like. Just last week we were getting groceries and other things we needed and I realized in my head that we hadn't paid our tithing or at least hadn't put it aside to pay. And my dear husband told me no we will be ok, we paid it.I took it out. I'll I could see was the numbers adding them and subtracting them in my head. It just didn't work in my head. I even got mad at him. But that night I just finally got down on my knees and said I can't seem to make it all work but Lord I know you can. And I know this doesn't happen all the time but the next day I went to the mail and there there was two checks for us that we never knew where coming. I learned that sometimes we can't see the bigger picture or what is going to happen next but our loving Heavenly Father can. I am greatful to have my husband a worthy presthood holder in our home he is such a great excample to me.

Parenting Advice from the Scriptures

In Jarom 1:7-12, I found some great parenting advice. In verse 7 we see that their "leaders were mighty men in the faith of the Lord." Being mighty in the faith of the Lord must surely be a mark of a great leader. The same verse tells us that these leaders "taught the people the ways of the Lord." How will our children know of Christ and be expected to act like Him if we haven't taught them.

If we are faithful and good teachers as were those leaders, our families can withstand the trials that come from the adversary. The Nephites were able to withstand the Lamanites by using this method. The leaders prepared their people by teaching them about all kinds of things and because they were "prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us."

There is a bit of a catch, though. It isn't enough to teach them once or twice. We must "labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence." Also, those leaders "did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance." There is nothing more powerful than the word of the Lord to make a difference in someone's life.

By doing all this great work, the leaders were able to preserve their people. When I try to apply these scriptures to my own life, I am inclined to believe that I must not be weary in teaching and guiding my children continually. I can also believe that if I do my part, my children will be able to have the know-how to deal with trials and temptations that come their way. This seems worth the reward. :)

Read all the verses in full to see if you have more insights to share on this section!

FHE Does Wonders!

Last week was one of those survival-mode weeks for our family. Everybody was in a bad mood all the time; there was yelling; there was disrespect. It was just an awful week all-around!!

Then came Family Home Evening last night. My husband decided to do a lesson on obedience (something our kids had been lacking all week). In the middle of the lesson, I had the thought that we needed to do some role-playing, so they could understand the concept a little better.

So we decided to ask the kids a question, and they had to respond in the wrong way, and then in the right way. So I'd ask something like, "Will you please put that coloring book away?" Then (amid giggles!) she had to answer, "NO!!!" with a huge scowl and stomping her foot. My two-year-old thought this was hilarious! She would try, but would never be able to finish the tantrum because she was too busy laughing. Then, we'd try again, and they'd do it the right way: "Sure, mom!" and run off to do it.

It was the simplest thing! Yet today has been wonderful!!!! At one point, my oldest was starting to get a little attitude, and I'd say, "You're not doing it good enough! You have to scowl really hard and stomp your foot like this!!" That would break the spell, and she'd start giggling.

I'm so glad that we have Family Home Evening!! I know I would have never thought of this idea to role-play if we hadn't had FHE last night!

"The Church has established two special times for families to be together. The first is centered around the proper observance of the Sabbath day. ... The second time is Monday night. We are to teach our children in a well-organized, regular family home evening. No other activities should involve our family members on Monday night. This designated time is to be with our families."

-L. Tom Perry, "The Importance of the Family," Ensign, May 2003, 42

Angels

Here are a few of my angel favorites!

2 Kings 6:14-17 There are more with me than against me.

Jeffrey R. Holland's The Ministry of Angels talk. He handles "all about angels" so well here. He uses stories and explanations that encompass the topic in a beautiful way.

Dallin H. Oaks talks about the Aaronic Priesthood holding the keys of the ministering of angels. He explains what this means.

If I Were an Angel on Christmas Night angel song. Here's the video with pictures of many angels that dwell in our own homes.



May angels be round about you during this Christmas season.

The Great Camp of the Lord

Joel 2:10 reads in part, "the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great". In reading that this morning, I was reminded once again how wonderful it is that not only can we have the Lord with us, He will go before us. This terminology is used fairly regularly in the scriptures. I think it is significant because God knows what is coming up ahead and can guide us through the rough spots as we allow him to do so.

Verses 12 and 13 give a good reminder as to how we can join/remain in His great camp. I was glad I read these scriptures today to remind me to watch and listen for the Lord's guidance as I go througout my day rather than stumbling around on my own and not finding the best way. Perhaps the Lord has some rock climbing equipment or an airplane to help me navigate through/over/around the obstacles that I can see.

Right In Front of Us

In the middle of 2 Ne. 9:41, it says, "the way for man is narrow. but it lieth in a straight course before him..."

What a simple phrase! There may only be a small number of things that lead us to Christ (comparatively), but it's all right there in front of us. We know the way. It's just a matter of doing what we know.

New Understanding of the Atonement

Today I was reading from the Topical Guide again. This time it was Jesus Christ, Atonement, through. There are a lot of great scriptures there, but one in particular completely changed my understanding of the Atonement. I don't know if I'm right with this, but it helped me understand it a little more.

The end of Hebrews 2:9 says, "that he [Christ] by the grace of God should taste death for every man." I've always understood this to mean physical death. But perhaps it means spiritual death. Maybe Christ suffered so much because He felt what it was like to be separated from Heavenly Father forever. Being His only Begotten Son, that must have been so painful for Him! To literally feel what it was like to be separated from His Father forever. We can always try to imagine what that's like, but Christ, with His understanding of God's Plan, really felt the weight of that - the devastation of that.

The Atonement to me has always been more of a physical thing - He suffered our physical pains, such as sickness, anger, sorrow. But it was SO much more than that! He literally felt that separation from God. And He knew that if He didn't go through with everything, that we would all feel that same way forever. He loved us so much that He didn't want us to feel that despair. He died for us, so that we wouldn't have to suffer like that.

Yes, Christ suffered for our physical pains. But He also suffered for our spiritual ones. Most importantly, He took away the pain that we will never have to feel - separation from God (like that of Lucifer). He suffered it so that we will never have to.

What Will Your Children Learn From You?

Reading about king Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2 today, I found some interesting things. First, king Nebuchadnezzar was "into" sorcerors, magicians, and astrologers. Then when Daniel interpreted his dream, he worshipped Daniel instead of the Lord.

After this, Nebuchadnezzar makes an image of gold. In verse 19, we see that Nebuchadnezzar was "full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed" because he was so angry that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego wouldn't worship the image. When he saw that the fiery furnace had no effect on them, he changed his thinking again. He made "a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." (Wow! Try to top that description!)

Nebuchadnezzar sounds like a very flamboyant person, very volatile and dramatic. But, he is willing to make changes. In Daniel 4:37, he decides, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth..."

I wonder if this decision, to worship the true God, came rather late in his life. It seems that what his son Belshazzar learned was the very same thing that Nebuchadnezzar began with. In Daniel 5, we see how Belshazzar, "cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers..." Looks like things came full circle in this family.

This makes me want to pay special attention to what my kids are learning from me. I have to ask myself if I am being teachable. Am I learning lessons quickly? Am I wading through some untruths that may seem completely obvious to others? Do I take the time to truly get it, or am I floundering around from one wrong thing to another when the truth is staring me in the face?

The Lord is Over All

I read Ephesians 4 this morning while still feeling a little discouraged. Verses 4-6 reminded me of the fact that God is in charge. Verse 6 tells me God is above all, through all and in all. This is the perfect thing to remember until "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God" (vs 13). That we are not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine through cunning craftiness (vs 14). Other verses talk of love and of learning of Christ. Is that not what we all need? Verse 32 says that we are to be kind and forgiving as Christ is.

Perfect, perfect. All of it. Just what I needed. It doesn't matter what is going on in the world around me. I need to be an example and help others that have yet to learn of Christ. I need to promote righteousness where I can. The word of the Lord is more powerful than anything else and can bring more change to this world than anything else.

I love the scriptures. There is always help to be found in them. :)

True Friends

"And now, Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art the servant of Laban; nevertheless, thou has been brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son, Nephi, forever." --2 Nephi 1:30

This verse made me think. Am I a true friend?? Would people say that they know I'll be a true friend to someone forever? Then I started thinking about what a true friend really is. That led me to the Topical Guide, under Friendship.

I think this verse defines what a true friend is: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." --John 15:13

I don't think that means to literally lay down our lives. (Obviously, it could, in some circumstances.) But I think it means to put our own "stuff" aside when a friend really needs us - even if for an hour or two, or for a short phone call. Being a true friend is to put that person first whenever they need it. And if they're a true friend, they'll do the same when you need them.