Shout out to my amazing SIL, Janalberries and daughter, Malia I have photos to upload again.
Oh man happy happy day!! I love that I have people in my corner that I can count on. I am truly a blessed soul. Speaking of blessed, wait till you hear what we have been up too, blow your mind awesome sauce I tell ya.
Because Malia is on Seminary Council she was asked to participate in the Institute Choir and guess who was the upcoming speaker?????? The one and only Jeffery R. Holland, only one of my favorite speakers. Malia had several practices in preparation for this grand event and all the sacrifices were worth it.
I don't know how one can deny this man is a prophet of God. When he walked into the gymnasium, I wasn't even looking as I was helping Bria and Ada get situated with their coloring books and dolls and I just felt it so I looked up and sure enough He, Elder Holland, was entering. The gym became stone silent and everyone stood in reverence. He smiled at us and waved us to sit down and he even blew a kiss, so cute! There was a distinct spirit that entered with him and I am grateful I was lucky enough to feel it and my girls as well. Before Elder Holland spoke a member of the Seventy spoke, Elder Bjorn. He spoke of his son as an artist. When an artist is painting his master piece he puts the most important items up front and less important items in the back usually they fade in the background. He discussed with us as we are all painting our own individual master pieces what are we choosing to have upfront. Family, Friends, Career, God what are the most important things in our life. Loved this analogy it helped create a great visual for my brain and helped me to ask myself what is in the front of my painting. Do I need to make any changes, if so, what? Deep thoughts to ponder and realign my priorities with what is most important for me.
Elder Holland spoke on what it means to be a good friend.
He began with a personal story of when he returned from his mission and thought he was too busy to squeeze an institute class in but after a few long talks with leaders, he felt in his heart he needed institute. He made a promise to himself to take an institute class each semester. It was in his institute class where he felt the urge to change his major and career path and pursue the church education system. He firmly believes institute put him on the path to being an apostle. This April he will be a general authority for 29 years! Interesting how one decision can impact so much of our life. For good or bad. The choices we make can create life time differences.
He shared how we often will venture out in our life and sometimes find ourselves in rough water maybe even sinful water. When our hearts turn to repentance and we are rowing our boat back in from the rough water sometimes we are ahead of our peers in the returning process. We each have a boat, oars, and life jacket. By the grace of God some of us make it back to the shore safely and we look out and see others rowing to shore as well instead of encouraging and helping them we go out and beat them with the oars and try to dump their boat. Why? Why do we hold people back because of previous choices, especially ones we are guilty of making as well. He said we often don't believe we can change and no longer be the mistakes we once made. That is why we dump others boats because we don't allow others to change from their past. A true friend lets the past be the past. We would be wise to greet people each time we see them as if its our first time meeting them. This resonated so deeply with me as I feel like my boat was tipped and I have been beaten with oars because of past choices. What a wonderful thing to hear people can change and if we are true friends and followers of Christ we must allow others to change. No judging. He said friends help thats what we do we help others. Elder Holland said he spent a lot of time with students in his office confessing their transgressions and believing they were lost forever. The message from the Savior is simply this without minimizing the seriousness of mistakes we can come back through the Atonement of Christ. The Devil wants us to believe we can't change but we are not rag doll beings. We need help to change, we can't do it on our own but we can change. We will not live forever as guilt ridden and miserable beings. Alma, in the Book of Mormon, made serious mistakes. He sought to destroy the church. He was a very vialous man and he changed and came back. So can we.
We are like Peter. We pledge our loyality to Christ and then the pressures come with social or personal appetites and there's a weakening of the will. We cry and say why why why did I do that again. Peter denied Christ but came back He took command and preached to a small community about Christ. Peter rose above his mistakes. He became a mighty defender and helped build the gospel. You can come back.
He shared the dreaded board and nail analogy often shared in lessons about repentance and how you drive a nail in the wood and then when you pull it out there is still a hole. He said he will never forget being taught this lesson in primary only to be scarred by it for years. He said the principle is true we can remove the nail but the mistake comes in describing the board. We get a new board, a hole free board when the nail comes out. Oh how wonderful the Atonement is. Let's not be the friend who keeps the hole in the board for others. Let's not dump our friends in their boats as they make their way to the shore or beat them over the head with an oar. See them as Christ sees them as well as ourselves as our Father in Heaven sees them. If we have been that friend who is not letting go of the past we can ask for forgiveness, say you are sorry. In some cases friendships can't be granted but forgiveness always can be granted. We all have need to repent. We all have the need to forgive. Genuine friends will help each other do this. True friends forgive and forget the transgressions. We have the truest friend of all in the Lord Jesus Christ. Greater love hath no other than to lay down his life for his friends.
Love him. Love others. Love ourselves and leave the past behind. True friends will always help.
The gang is kind of reunited everyone but Hallie. Jamie, Malia, Emily and Ryker(non-member) I miss this gang in my house every weekend. Time sometimes needs to stop so I can have my happy moments again.
What a wonderful evening we had. Made for a late night but sometimes schedules must be set aside and throw caution to the wind.
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