Mothers

As I was sitting down to write a Mother's day card yesterday, I was suddenly "visited by the muses", or as we would say in the church, touched by the Spirit, and I began to write.  I ended up with a Mother's day poem that grew out of my own life's experiences, living with and observing my wife for twenty years, and some very difficult challenges that we have had lately.  It is a tender mercy of the Lord to us, and it has  strengthened us and touched our hearts.  May it do the same for others.

What is a mother?

A mother is a woman, who,

Creates bodies for God's children,

And carries His spirits to this earth,

She the only path from there to here.

A partnership in creating life,

A gift, from Him to His daughters.

She is then entrusted

To raise them as her own.

Pain, Sorrow, and Disappointment

Are her frequent companions, but

The gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity

Are her Heavenly helpers.

He alone understands the depth of her Sorrow,

Or the fullness of her Joy,

And because of her willing Sacrifice,

He will give her the great desire of her heart:

Her children in righteousness,

And her family in eternity.

Amen.

Easter

One of the things I don't have the opportunity to do right now is fight my kids during sacrament meeting. My wife may not believe it, but my heart aches for her as I watch her fight kids each Sunday, and I can't help her. It also means that she usually doesn't have a great spiritual experience during sacrament meeting. Her sacrament meetings are measured by how well the kids behaved, or how many times the baby had to be taken out, or whether or not the youngest managed to grab a handful of the sacrament bread as it went by (it happened). I want her to know how much I appreciate her for what she accomplishes with our children, and for what she sacrifices for them. Whether it is giving up her spiritual sacrament meetings, or giving up something she wants so the kids can have new shoes, I recognize what shes does and am grateful for her loving kindness.

On an Easter note, I wrote the bishopric message for April, and took the opportunity to testify of the Savior and his atonement. I love my Savior, and want to grow to love him even more. I put it here as a way to share my testimony with anyone who reads it.

"Today is Easter Sunday, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As I have pondered my message for this newletter, I remembered the numerous conference talks given last week that spoke of and testified of the atonement. How beautiful it was to listen to the testimonies of the general authorities! I encourage each of you to review those talks, and to allow the Holy Spirit to testify to you again of the truthfulness of their words. I wish to add my testimony to theirs, and to yours, as I know that you, too, believe. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that he brought to pass the atonement, and that he took upon himself the sins, the guilt, sicknesses, and pains of each of us, and that He did so because of his love for us as individuals. He knows our great worth, and wants us to take advantage of the succor and the forgiveness that He extends to us. I testify that Jesus Christ can and will do those things that he says He can do, among which are give us comfort, strength and peace during our trials, and make our garments clean and white through our repentance and his forgiveness. I testify that He was resurrected from the dead on Sunday morning, and that through His resurrection we too will live again after we die, and that by way of the covenants that we make and keep we will be with our families eternally and receive the fullness of joy and happiness that God himself enjoys. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."