The worth of all souls

I have a habit of sharing a lot of personal things with my friends and family on-line. I have always been comfortable with that because the people who read my blog or my Facebook updates, are literally people I love, that I am close to. So that being said, the experience I am sharing now, is very personal but I feel impressed to share it because, sometimes we all need to reminder about how much God loves us. Last night, I said a prayer and it was answered. Not in God's time but in my time. When I needed it. Did I receive an answer because I am worthy or special or righteous? No. I received an answer because I am a child of God and he loves me. He loves me and all of us, as a parent loves a child. As a Mother, I am more able to understand the kind of love that is unfailing and unrelenting and without an end.

Lately, I have been feeling like it was time for me to change. Time for me to be better than I was yesterday. I knew that God's answer for me was in the Scriptures so I said a Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ for me to understand what God wants from me right now and I wanted to understand what I needed from Him. I also wanted to know if The Book of Mormon was really true. My testimony of the church has been weak. I have been doubtful at times, discouraged at others but always sure that for some reason, this church was the path that my Heavenly Father wanted me and my family to be on so I was compelled to stay. 

After I closed my Prayer, I opened my Scriptures, turned to The Book of Mormon and THIS my friends, is the first thing I saw and what I read. THIS was God talking to me: THIS is what God wants from me and for me. That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye give thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

 

Yea, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing. Alma 34:38-39

 

That was God talking to me when I needed His Tender Mercy. His Guidance. I love every part of that message. Every bit of it is meant for me for where I am now. I especially loved the part that said - worship God in whatsoever place ye may be. To me that means, when I am in darkness, or doubt or light, doubt or pity, high or low, that I need to worship Him. That I need to give thanks for all my the many mercies and blessings that God bestowes upon me.

During that same scripture study, I also found this:  Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.  And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

 

Small and simple things - Prayer, Scripture study, church attendance, obedience to the Comandments.

 

So thankful for the Love, Mercy and Guidance of our Father in Heaven. Thankful for answered prayers. Thankful, that our Heavenly Father sees the worth of all souls, even when we don't.

 

 

A Marathon Post

So it's been a while. A really long while. So I'm just going to do a rundown of the past oh 4 months....

. One minuIn October, Halloween night to be exact, we found out that we are going to have another baby! We have since found out that the baby is a boy and he should be here around The 4th of July. One of my all time favorite holidays so I am pretty excited!!! An Independence Day baby. Swim party Birthdays, fireworks, watermelon and lots of friends and family. This little boy must be quite a force because he has put up a good fight. For nearly 15 weeks of the pregnancy, I was so sick and so tired (part of the reason for the blog hiatus) Sick to the point that one time, I even threw up while shopping at Wal-Mart. One minute I was fine, the next minute, I couldn't make it to the bathroom. In fact, a bathroom has NEVER been further away. I ended up throwing up a little bit in my purse, a little bit in my shirt and a lot in the ladies room trash can because that's as far as I could make it. So enough about me.

Christmas was awesome! John and Anna got matching BB Guns from Ryan. Anna's was pink and John's was a red rider classic from that movie A Christmas Story.

Anna sat on Santa's lap for the first time without crying and the picture i got with my phone just melts my heart. My how those tow kiddos have grown.

In January, John and I went on his school field trip to the Science Museum of Oklahoma.

We signed Anna up for her first team sport ever -  soccer.  Th season starts in two weeks.

And last but not least, yesterday or as Anna would say Yeshterday was mine and Ryan's 16th Wedding Anniversary.

16 years of marriage and exactly half of my life has been spent being married to and loving my husband. We have had a thousand laughs, a hundred tears, a few I want to quits and many more I never want this to end. Lots of mistakes, tons of happy memories and even more of we will get through this together. Two beautiful kids, one more on the way and many more happy years to come. So thankful for this wonderful, happy life that we have shared. Thankful that Ryan loves and takes care of our family. Thank you for still surprising me with sweet gifts, fun days out and random up all night watching movies and eating fried rice.