I can do all things...

Last week I sat and listened to the General Relief Society broadcast to the women of the church. The concluding speaker was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of the church. He spoke of the flower the Forget-me-not, how simple and unpretentious it is, and how easily its beauty could be overlooked in a garden filled with larger, more intricate, and flashy flowers. Perhaps, he mused, that is where its name is derived – from a plea not to overlook it. He then tied this simple beautiful flower, with its five petals to five principals which we should strive not to overlook or forget.


Forget not:

…..to be patient with yourself

…..the difference between wise and foolish sacrifices

…..to be happy now

…..the why of the gospel

…..that the Lord loves you


He beautifully explained and expounded on each of these points, and as I took notes I felt that familiar warmth of the Spirit wash over me. At the same time thoughts flowed through my mind of events that have taken place in the last two months, and the last two years of my life…and the life of my family. As I pondered on the thoughts that came rushing in, I could see the particular importance that the principal of forgetting not to be happy now, and especially that of forgetting not that the Lord loves you have played in the last two years of my life.


The last two months have been rather emotional ones. They have been filled with highs and lows, beginnings and endings, and frightening unknowns looming before us. In the last two years, we have faced trials that I do not exaggerate in saying were some of my worst fears made reality. Trials which I was certain, if I ever had to face, would cause me to crumple under their weight and shatter into a million pieces. And for the first few days of those trials, I was sure they would do just that, but they didn’t. They drove me to me knees, pleading with my Heavenly Father to strengthen me, and guide me, and help me and my family to get through. My thoughts were filled with questions of Why this?, Why now?, and How will we ever survive this? I have not yet received answers to why (or perhaps I have just not recognized them yet), but the Lord showed me the how as He poured out peace and comfort and guidance. He provided me with the strength that I lacked on my own, and then showed me how to continue to find joy and laughter and happiness even in the midst of frightening trials. I learned for myself the truth of Phillipians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Because I know that it is only through Him that I, and my family, not only endured, but grew as individuals, and grew closer together. Faith and testimonies were deepened. I learned things about myself, and finally found the answers to why of previous trials, because I turned to the Lord for help through these trials. I don’t know that I can say I would choose to repeat the last two years, but I am grateful for the lessons that I learned from them.


I know that with the love of my Heavenly Father and of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and with the guidance of the Spirit I can do hard things…I can face any trial…and I can find joy in even the most difficult parts of the journey.

Extended Family

What an amazing day! The chapel was filled for Christopher's farewell talk. It felt so wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends that we consider family. When Bro. Gavin from the stake high council spoke he commented that one of the best indications there is of how well a missionary will do in the field is the amount of support that he receives from home, and that based on the number of people crammed into the chapel to be there for Christopher, he would do very well. He also spoke of the amazing ward that Christopher grew up in, and the tremendous influence the people of that ward had on him. He was absolutely right about that. The interesting twist is that he assumed the ward Christopher grew up in is the ward in which we live now. He assumed that all the extra people in the chapel today were primarily our (biological) family. What he didn't realize is that most of the extra people at church today are from the ward where Christopher did most of his growing up. The ward where he started as a toddler and left as a teen. The ward that truly became family to us. Many of us have moved to other wards now, but we have stayed a family. They are the people who have had our backs, laughed with us, cried with us and been through every kind of thick and thin for the past 16 years. And they were there today, to continue showing there love and support of our family. I was overjoyed to have them all there, and grateful for the blessing of having them in our lives and helping us raise our children.


Now, so you don't get the wrong idea, and think that I am somehow dismissing the influence and amazingness of our ward now, I want to say this....It was tremendously hard to leave our last ward, we were certain we could never find another group of people as great as the ones we were leaving, but we were wrong. Bro. Gavin wasn't wrong when he spoke of what tremendous people they are. This ward too has been an incredible blessing and support to our family. We have made great knew friends, and they have been great influences on and examples to us for the past 5 years. I commented to a sister at church today that if we could somehow merge our old ward and our new ward, we would be an unstoppable force for good. I think that would be pretty darn close to heaven for me.

So sitting in church today with members of the family I grew up in, and then surrounded by members of the family I have acquired over the past 16 years, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for filling our life with so many people who love and care for us, for extending our family to include so many. I truly hope that in the next life we all get to live close to each other, because I can't imagine eternity without all of the people who make this life so good.