Monday 1/30
Thankful for...
Today I was thankful that I could run and comfort O this morning when he woke up screaming 'MOM'!  He is my snuggle bug.  I love that boy and I love that he loves my affection.  I snuggled into bed next to him and held him.  Love that.

Study time...
Alma 5- Alma asks several times in this one verse if the people have retained in remembrance how the Lord freed their fathers, showed mercy to them, changed their hearts, and delivered them.
A couple of thoughts on this... I read yesterday a quote from David H Yarn about being born again.  The part that caught my attention was "...from the beginning of man's mortal existence the wicked on, the devil, has engaged in taking away 'light and truth."  He has done this through men, individually and collectively - individually through disobedience and collectively through the tradition of their fathers." 

It only takes one generation to completely change another, for good or bad.  Just a generation later Alma is trying to help these people remember that their fathers were changed, he had to do that because the whole people had collectively taken on the old traditions.

My other thought is the word remembrance.  President Kimball said, "When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be 'remember.' Because all of (us) have made covenants ... our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day — to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that
(we) 'may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given (us).' ... 'Remember' is the word."

16-18- He keeps asking if the people can imagine themselves.  He is asking them to think, to ponder, to remember, possibly even to have a goal!  He is asking them to imagine themselves hearing the voice of the Lord, standing in front of Him on judgement day. 

When I was in gymnastics our coach would have us lay on the ground and imagine... imagine a perfect routine.  "See yourself do it perfectly".  She would say.  The mind is a powerful tool right?

Just two nights ago I felt my own spirit change.  I have been in a lull with running.  I've only been running a few times a week.  I've lost my motivation, my drive, my push to increase time and speed, to run well.  Gone!  It's now back!  Why?  A goal, a race!  Something I can imagine myself doing!  How does that change my spirit?  That goal, that race, wanting to finish it well motivates what I will do, the choices I will make for the next several months!  Having a goal, imagining the end, motivates the present and what we will do now, to affect the end result.  Imagine yourself...

21- Washed white.  Purified and clean, not perfect, clean.  No unclean thing can enter into His kingdom.  I will still forget about my pot of boiling water.  I will still need spell check!  I will still say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  It is impossible to be perfect, without mistake.  It isn't impossible to be clean, without blemish.  The Savior's atonement is the way we get that time and again as we seek it.

Photo...
Tonight went outside to take a photo... hadn't thought about it all day!  Need to get my tripod out, but had no intention of doing it tonight!

Sunday 1/29
Thankful for...
Snow!  I know it seems silly, but we've been waiting.  It looks so pretty outside!  And, it's nice to be cuddled inside with my family safe and warm.
AND, I'm thankful for some motivation!  Finally!

Study time...
Finished reading Alma 3&4. 
Studied a bit today about the sons of perdition, my interest piqued by our GD lesson today. 
Also our talk of the two separate entities that are present in this life sent me back to Sherri Dew's book for this quote.  She says "There is one thing the power of God and the power of Satan have in common: Neither can influence us unless we allow them to... the kind of power operating in our lives is entirely up to us."
Also talked/thought about the quote in back of my scriptures by Oaks.  Our lives aren't a sum of the things we've done, rather what we've become, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become...  Thinking about how our doing determines what we are becoming.  Life isn't a sum of good and evil acts, but surely those acts have shaped the end result.  How do we get the results we want?  Change our actions so they support, reflect and shape in the better way.

Photo...
My desk really looks like this!  How many study items does one girl need?

Saturday 1/28
Thankful for...
Incentive to try a new recipe.  We went to the Shumway's annual Chinese New Year party.  There was a menu of things to choose from.  I complained at first, I don't cook Chinese, can't I just bring cupcakes?!!  BUT, I found an easy MuShu Pork recipe, tried it, and really like it!  It's a keeper.  So, it's good to stretch!

Study time...
Alma 1 uses the term 'costly apparrel' a number of times.  We see it throughout the BofM, and it is usually linked with pride, wealth and a fall of people who at some point had put God before the world.  The righteous who remained faithful were ...'neat and comely.'  They didn't wear the costly apparel. 
I've thought about this.  Why do we care what they were wearing?  We don't even know what the costly apparel consisted of, surely some version of Vera Wang right? 
Simply put the scriptures record people that start investing more energy and put higher priority on the things that decorate the outside of their bodies.
Do I think it is wrong to be fashionable... hello, it's me!  No way!  BUT, is there a line to watch for in the sand?  Of course.  As we put more emphasis on what the world is thinking of us it can become harmful.  What started as clothing now turns to other areas of physicality.  As we watch other women of the world receiving any type of recognition for their 'costly apparell', or tiny/no bits of apparel, it can affect us, if that is where our focus has mistakenly taken us.
For the righteous neat and comely suggest nice, well cared for, but not emphasized.  Clothing is just clothing, not something used to gain the attention of the world, something used to determine status, something used that creates huge debts for those with crazy habits or little self control!  Clothes are just that... clothes.  Focus remains intact.  Watch the line!  Make sure you can always see it in front of you.

Photo...
Made this today.

Friday 1/27
Thankful for...
A lunch date with girlfriends.  Don't know that I'd have gotten dressed otherwise!  I'd have stayed home to watch the snow fall.

Study time...
The strength and weakness of democracy.  Having a king is no good if your king is unrighteous, and it takes effort and war to dethrone a king.  But, it isn't a bad thing if your king is the Savior, which the scriptures state is how our government will be run when He comes again.  He will be the King of kings.  Democracy can be good because the majority of the people often seek for that which is good.  The warning given, though, is if the majority of the people then turn to iniquity, watch it!  God will then come with destruction!  Incentive for those of us who continually seek good to keep the check in balance!

Photo...
Little O thinks it's great to have a mohawk. I actually really like it on him!

Thursday 1/26
Thankful for...
Again, a run outside!  M went to work at 9 so I got a run in before he left.  I needed it!

Study time...
We talked about King David today.  Really enjoyed, as usual.
Noted again something Brother Simmons often says.  It isn't a sin to be tempted.  It is a sin to make the choice to give in.  When David walked out on Bathsheba he wasn't at fault, but he made a big leap to the other side by inviting the married woman over.  At that point he'd crossed the line, made the choice to sin, apparent clearly by his actions.
Also, this was a GREAT man.  Often we focus on this part of his life, well, and the part where he has Bathsheba's husband killed!  All prior to and after we see great character in him.  He surely lived a life, after he was called to repentance, suggesting remorse for his actions, which we never hear of him repeating.  I will be interested to see what the Lord has in store for him on the other side.  Meaning he was genuinely repentant, but still sinned two very grievous sins, which won't grant him the highest kingdom of glory.  Only the Lord knows. 
The Old Testament jumps characters and huge time periods.  I was looking through, reading the headings for info on David and there is ALOT recorded of him.  Again, this is an area where my study needs to increase, but I see that there is much to learn from him based on how much is recorded.

Photo:What is this lady bug doing alive right now?

Wednesday
Thankful for...
A good home cooked meal.  I have been crafting and our dining room table has been occupied!  Only 4 can fit around our kitchen table.  That is where the kids have eaten the last few nights.  Tonight I cooked us a good dinner and the kids and I ate at the dining room table.  Dinners together are good.

Study time...
Mosiah 26:3 - '... because of their unbelief they could not understand...'  Faith is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you don't believe Him how can you understand Him?
Sherri Dew said, 'Faith is a principle of action. It is our willingness to believe in the Savior that unleashes His power in our lives.'

I appreciate the situation of Alma not knowing how to handle certain church protocol.  Where did he go?  First he went to king Mosiah and tried to get him to deal with it.  But, Mosiah didn't want to, these were church matters, rightfully so.  He received his answers straight from the Lord.  He 'poured out his whole soul' before the Lord told him what to do and how to handle it.  I have total confidence things are handled in the same way today.

ch 27 - King Mosiah finally sends out a decree that basically tells everyone to be nice to each other.  Let people believe what they want w/o persecution.  We have been hearing the same words over the last several years from the Prophet, we are no better than any man.  Be kind to those around us.  We don't want to be persecuted for what we believe and certainly should do the same unto others.

Photo...
Took the kids to playgroup today, shocker!!!  They had a great time at the mall play yard.  We even did lunch and a carousel ride.  We had fun me and my boys.

Tuesday
Thankful for...
A clean kitchen.  It takes time for me to clean everything up after dinner, but I sure appreciate going to bed with a clean kitchen.

Study time...
We figuratively speak about being in bondage and rescued by the Lord, or I guess I should say we speak about spiritually being in bondage, then being rescued by our Savior.  Mosiah 22 and 24 talk about being in the the bondage. 
Limhi's people were in bondage, these were people that lived under King Noah's rule, hadn't heard, or chose not to follow Alma.  After Noah is burned in the wilderness his son takes over.  Limhi, to save the lives of his people agrees to give the L half of everything they possess/make. 
After the little misunderstanding I previously spoke about, things were somewhat peaceful, then the L just get bored and I'm sure figure they aren't utilizing their situation right!?  They start treating Limhi's people more like slaves. 
Apparently just giving half of their all wasn't enough to humble these people.  Now they are really being oppressed and have essentially given up, given into the bondage.
21:14 - And they did ^ahumble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would ^bdeliver them out of their afflictions.

15 And now the Lord was ^aslow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their ^bcries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.

What does the Lord do next?  Maybe a test to see how much they really mean what they cry to him.  Ammon stumbles upon them.  When they find out who he is they are accepting.  Their hearts are tender and he shares the gospel with them.  They accept!  They want to be baptized, but no one has the authority.  They passed the test!

What happens next?  The Lord delivers them from bondage.  The Lord delivered them physically after they had changed spiritually. We see this time and again. 

They were delivered in spirit as they chose to partake of the atonement.  He took it a step farther and physically freed them from the Lamanites. 

What things am I enslaved to?  What things keep me in bondage?  The Lord doesn't just heal and free us spiritually, it crosses over into the physical realm quite literally.  Our physicality changes after our spirit changes.

Photo...
E loves his puzzles.  We had puzzle time just the two of us while O was at preschool.

Monday (1/23)
Thankful for...
Those few moments when O takes care of E, when he plays big brother and sets the tone.  Several times today he helped E out of the goodness of his heart... shared his chex mix, helped him get a drink.  It seems they are at each others throats so many times during the day, arguing over the dumbest stuff of course, that these times really are precious!

Study time...
I got so frustrated at my two youngest today.  I keep telling them the rule, not to play with/ touch the DVD's, I'll get them out.  The several they touch get scratched and then, of course we can't use them.  I got SO frustrated because I have set the rule, implemented consequences when rule is broken, but they still don't get it.  I thought to myself, after yelling, how can I be Christlike?  How does God just not get so mad at us?  Then I thought about where I've been reading.  Oh, he does!  And he will punish the people who openly rebel against him right?  That is what makes me so mad, they know it's wrong, I've asked way more than I need to, I've punished them for breaking the rule...WHY are they still being disobedient?  I don't get it! 
Anyway, of course they are little and still learning, blah blah, but it was a good reminder that God has his limits too before He will lose his temper, per say, and let us have it!

Photo...
Finished this winter wreath...

Sunday...
Thankful for...
Dinner plans!  We went to the Damsteadts for dinner.  I like being fed good food... without having to make it!

Study time...
Mosiah 20 - This all is a big misunderstanding.  The Lamanites love their kids too, and when they go missing, assume it was the Nephites that were at fault, which it wasn't.  Just goes to show what a lack of trust can do.  Neither had done anything to upset the other people, but each knew the 'assumptions' of the other people, based on prior behaviors, stories etc.  Instead of asking first, the Lamanites made an assumption and went to war!  Of course the Nephites saw this coming and, why would they need a reason to fight us?  Lamanites just like to fight, so the N got an early start when they saw the L coming.
Turns out neither were at fault. 
Trust certainly is a big proponent of behavior right?  We act or react based on how we feel about other people, weather or not we trust them.  Am I trustworthy?  Does my behavior indicate that?  If any situation were to arise with my name attached to it, what would the other people involved assume, based on me and my prior actions, behaviors, stories?  Something to think about.

Photo...
I came down from a little nap to find Q and O playing the computer.  She is pretty right?  I'm glad she actually chose to do school computer time instead of art computer time.

Saturday
Thankful for...
A quiet house!  We took the kids to the C's tonight, M is over picking them up right now.  It's so nice to have a quiet house!  I wish it could last a bit longer!

Study time...
Mosiah 18:26 - Love this verse.  A few days ago I quoted Bednar, who turned us to the Bible Dictionary for the definition of grace.  Read it again... The priests didn't get support or payment from the people.  They received grace for their work.  Read that quote again.
I've been asked how someone can 'know' that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ.  This verse tells us how to come to a knowledge of these things.  Grace.  It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means.  Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity.
The knowledge comes as you accomplish things you knew you didn't have the capacity to accomplish on your own, whatever that may be. 

Photo...
G made this lego house today.  I'm proud!

Friday
Thankful for...
My little Q, today is her birthday.  She is my girl.  Heaven bless her!  She helps me, challenges me, teaches me, has things in common with me.  I love her so much and I'm so thankful to have her.

Study time...
Mosiah 11 - the people are clearly upset that someone would come in and tell them that they are living unruly, sinful lives.  Ch 12 Abinidi tells them they will be destroyed by God, but their record will be preserved.  Their hearts would seem to be, what we call hardened, against the spirit of God and God himself.  Abinidi proceeds to clarify the law of Moses that they were supposed to be teaching their people, but weren't (this is how one man could 'cause his people to commit sin...').  He teaches them that the law of Moses is preparation for the Savior and His sacrifice. 
Abinidi surely taught with power and conviction to make these men tremble and feel something. (13:7)  12:30 - Abinidi knows the spirit has touched them, they know that he speaks the truth.
Can a heart like that be turned?  I believe all things are possible with God, but the choice will always be ours.  It is possible to feel something.  King Noah was almost ready to release Abinidi, but ultimately chose his way of life over God.  The Spirit can prick our hearts, but the actions of changing our life are up to us. 

Why was this one man called of God to go give this big sermon, then be put to death?  I think it's significant to see Abinidi prophecy, then watch the prophecy be fulfilled.  His teachings weren't all in vain, Alma heard, Alma felt, Alma changed, then Alma went on his own mission to teach the gospel to many.  And his fruits go on and keep many records, they reestablish the church.  The fruits of Abinidi's words did continue on.  In his very short appearance, he gave great wisdom and clarification regarding the law of Moses that the people would continue to live by. 


Photo...