Family Fun on the Trampoline

We celebrated Wesley's birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The highlight is always jumping on the trampoline with his siblings and cousins. Thankfully the weather was warm enough to permit us to be outside without bundling up.

The whole gang!

Emma and Autumn

Maryann!

Spencer and Wesley

Maryann and Mommy

Anti-Christ is antifamily

I came across a powerful talk given by Julie Beck August 4, 2009 at a Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Satellite Broadcast. I share just a few small portions below from the nine page talk. Let me know your thoughts.

...There are media messages everywhere that are antifamily, and our young people are very connected with media—Internet, television, the things they receive on their phones, all electronic devices are delivering antifamily messages to them every day. Increasingly, our youth are seeing no reason to form a family or get married in spite of all the teaching you give them. They are being desensitized about the need to form eternal families.

...They don’t even know what they’re being taught in the messages. It’s just seeping in, almost through their pores. Because Satan can’t have it, he’s luring away many women, and also men, and they’re losing confidence in their ability to form eternal families.

Korihor was an anti-Christ. Anti-Christ is antifamily. Any doctrine or principle our youth hear from the world that is antifamily is also anti-Christ. It’s that clear. They need to know that if it’s antifamily, it’s anti-Christ. An anti-Christ is antifamily.

The Easy Life

I came accross the following quote by Boyd K. Packer I wanted to share.

"We are indoctrinated that somehow we should always be instantly emotionally comfortable. When that is not so, some become anxious - and all too frequently seek relief from counseling, from analysis, and even from medication.

It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.

Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.

There is great purpose in our struggle in life."

The complete text is well worth reading. “That All May Be Edified” [1982]

Re-roofing Our House

It was a long week, and a lot of work, but small leaks contributed to the need for us to replace the roof. He are glad Joseph and Melina are here for the summer and were able to assist along with the several others from the ward who stopped by to help.

Favorite Quotes

The best way to inspire people to superior performance is to convince them by everything you do and by your everyday attitude that you are wholeheartedly supporting them. – Harold Geneen
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Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. – President Gordan B. Hinckly
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Our families are not yet ours. Heavenly Father has given them to us to see how we will treat them. – President Gordan B. Hinckly
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"Dads, there truly is a dad-shaped hole in the souls of your children that they desperately need you to fill. Filling this hole will cost you dearly in humility, time, and all-out effort. But, the price you and your children will pay if you don't do it will be devastatingly high." Mike Potter, "There Are Holes in Their Souls...In the Shape of Their Dads!" Parenting Teenagers, April 28, 2003.
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“I’ve had a hard life, but my hardships are nothing against the hardships that my father went through in order to get me to where I started.” - Bartrand Hubbard
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“To obey means to follow and to accept direction. Our prophet today has given us a direction to ‘lengthen our stride,’ to extend ourselves, to stretch forward and to seek goals which require extra effort to achieve. If we are obedient to this direction, we will find ourselves achieving things we never thought were possible. I was impressed by the remarks of Elder A. Theodore Tuttle of the First Council of the Seventy, when he asked a young man if he was preparing to go on a mission. The young man replied, ‘I don’t want to go on a mission.’ Elder Tuttle’s response was, ‘What does that matter? The Lord wants you to go.’ This is a perfect example of how the law of obedience should be exercised” Keith Brian Rutledge, in Conference Report, Melbourne Australia Area Conference 1976, p. 18.
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Wherever you live, whatever your occupation or focus in life, you will be drawn into the battle for the souls of men and women. Be valiant in that struggle. It is waged on the basis of character. Satan and his troops have defined their character by resolute opposition to the will of our Father and consistent violation of His commandments. You solidify your character by consistent correct choices.

Neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only you can do that through disobedience. That is why Satan is so intently focused on tempting you to make decisions that will undermine your character. Satan is an accomplished master at making devastating choices appear attractive, even reasonable. So be careful. The decisions you make will profoundly affect life now and for eternity. Make them wisely. Richard G. Scott, “Living Right,” Ensign, Jan 2007, 10–15
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"The powers of heaven are available to everyone through righteousness," said Young Women Gen. Pres. Janette Hales Beckham at the October 1995 general conference. "Mormon teaches that 'every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ.' (Moro. 7:16; italics added.)

"Revelation concerning power was given to Joseph Smith when political power had turned against him and he was a prisoner in Liberty Jail. His first plea to the Lord was for help to avenge his enemies. His prayer: 'Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies.' (D&C 121:5.) Our Father in Heaven responded with a greater blessing: 'My son, peace be unto thy soul.' (v. 7.) Then He made a promise if Joseph would endure and be faithful: 'God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.' " (v. 8.)

Pres. Beckham said it was in that prison setting that God taught Joseph Smith about priesthood power. " 'No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.' (D&C 121:41.) Priesthood power is used to minister, to preach, to teach, to baptize, to ordain, to heal, to seal, to restore, to bless, to prophesy, to testify, to do good,” she said. Powers of heaven available to all; LDS Church News, Sept. 6 1997

Children's Museum

Vernal Rodeo

This was a rest stop outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The weather was warm, around 70 degrees, so we decided to spend a little time before heading to the much cooler Vernal and Provo.

Ben and I had the children while the women went to the Andersen Family Legacy Conference. We decided to have a rodeo with the calfs. Wesley actually stayed on for a few seconds. He walked around with dirt in his teeth afterwards, but had a blast getting it there.