I asked my sister Susan to take photos with my phone so we could have some candid shots of the wedding day. I think these photos can be more fun and can tell a story better than professional photos.
Eventually we will see the professional photos, but the day after a wedding, I am anxious to relive the day in my mind. These candid snapshots are a blessing to me. Thank you, Susan!
Another reality about the day after a wedding is that I awoke this morning on the couch where I had collapsed the night before. But look! My hairstyle was still intact!
Instead of, “Bow to your partner,” my brother Paul the caller said, “Pose for the camera.” 😂
Our family reunions are over, there is one week until the wedding (pray!), Mark is on Pioneer Trek (pray!), and Timothy flies to Guam in two weeks to begin his missionary work there (pray!). I have exerted so much mental labor over Mark’s piano teacher dilemma and school schedule dilemma that I must have burned some calories with those mighty thoughts. Also, I am laboring to find a new counselor in the stake Primary after Susan’s passing. This is difficult spiritual work.
I have been reading in 2 Chronicles this week. I am trying not to be overly worried or stressed about all that is going on, but sometimes I just swim in concerns. When I read these scripture verses, the words center me a little.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [completely] toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15
Each member of my Primary presidency brings something unique and strong to the team. Susan brought enthusiasm, humor, and great quotes. Shelby brings warmth and resolute testimony. Anne brings evidence of her deep thinking and a faith that has been tried and fortified. I could list many more things for each person, and Anne also consistently brings music to our meetings. This week, as we met without Susan, and with the shock of her sudden passing still with us, Anne played this song. ♥️
“But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
1 Samuel 30:6
David was in a pretty bleak situation, and people around him were grieved. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
This is my personal scripture phrase of the week.
1. I can encourage myself, and not wait around for someone to fix things.
2. I can trust the Lord’s strength, not my own.
Last week, my favorite scripture phrase was,
“I perceive that ye are weak”
3 Nephi 17:2
The Lord does know that I am weak, but I find comfort in this: the same “weak” people who couldn’t understand all that the Lord had to share, Jesus also told them they had “great faith.” (3 Nephi 19:35)
I love when people are described by really different adjectives in the scriptures. Everyone has a lot of dimensions to their character, and the Lord understands this about us. He knows we are not perfect (complete) and being weak doesn’t mean we can’t have greatness in other areas. Being weak can also be the impetus for great faith.
Art like this brings back memories of hearing these stories for the first time in the 1970’s from records and my mom reading from the illustrated Children’s Bible.
The story of Gideon is my favorite in the book of Judges. When I taught seminary, I remember shocking my early morning students by smashing a clay pot in my living room where we met, just like Gideon’s army smashed their pitchers. With trumpets, shattering pottery, lights, and voices, Gideon’s 300-man army surprised the host of sleeping enemies, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” and their enemy was destroyed. This might have been the only day my students left seminary more awake than when they arrived, except maybe the day we cast “stones” at a life-sized mural of Goliath.
This week as I studied Gideon’s story, I focused on two contrasting verses during the exchange between the angel of the Lord and Gideon about his call to deliver Israel, verses 12 and 15.
The Lord sees Gideon as a mighty man of valor, while Gideon sees himself as poor and unimportant. Pretty much my only takeaway this week from Bible study is enough: God knows who we truly are, who we were before we came to earth, and who we can become. He sends messengers to remind us that He is with us.
I have had a few messengers in my life who have helped me live with courage. One was a friend named Jody who told me that I had the capacity to homeschool my kids. Bishops and stake presidencies have also been messengers of the Lord’s confidence in me, and reminded me that the Lord would be with me. Perhaps the most common messengers are the people who trust me to listen to them and help them. When a friend opens her heart to me, I see this is as a call to valor. Today, we help rescue Israel one by one
I thought of this quote by William Tyndale as I studied Deuteronomy this week.
This is a book worthy to be read in day and night and never to be out of hands. For it is the most excellent of all the books of Moses. It is also easy and light and a very pure gospel that is to wete [know], a preaching of faith and love: deducing the love to God out of faith, and the love of man’s neighbor out of love to God.”
William Tyndale
Some of my favorite words from Deuteronomy:
“Fear not, neither be discouraged.” (Deut. 1:21)
“God so nigh” (Deut. 4:7)
“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
“Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice.” (Deut. 4:36)
“Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deut. 6:5)
“Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…talk of them…in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deut. 6:7)
“Love ye therefore the stranger.” (Deut. 10:19)
“Open thine hand wide unto [thy poor brother].” (Deut. 15:7-8)
“Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee.” (Deut 26:11)
“Choose life…for he is thy life.” (Deut. 29:19-20)
“But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deut. 30:14)
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deut. 31:6)
“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help.” (Deut. 33:29)
Do you have a favorite passage from your study? If you like, you can share in the comments or send me a message. I love to swap favorite scriptures.
We’ve reached a moment of decision in the Old Testament curriculum this year. Before now, we studied every chapter, but recently, we began to move ahead more rapidly, with only selected chapters to read. I had to ask myself, “Will I read all, or just the assigned chapters?” I have decided to read ’em all, because I can.
So, today I studied Leviticus 26, even though it wasn’t on the list. If you have a minute, Leviticus 26:3-13 is really worth reading. It’s basically a list of promises to covenant Israel.
Take a look at the Hebrew footnote “a” in verse 9. It says the Lord will “turn unto” his covenant keeping people. This image is beautiful. All of these verses teach me that he is attentive, protective, and wants to walk among us.
I love that the Lord promises he will “walk among” us! To me, this indicates the need to be with other covenant people. If I surround myself with people of faith, this also increases the Lord’s influence on my life. For if he is inspiring me, he is inspiring others of faith. This is one reason I attend church. The most important reason, though, is to maintain my personal covenant relationship with God.
When I think of the Lord walking with me personally, I think of the steep roads I must climb. He is there. I think of the times I get hurt. He is there. I think of the confusion I feel sometimes. He is there, teaching me. After all, what is a walk without conversation?
My hope is to be able to hear him and notice him better among those of faith, and in my own private reaching. It’s not a question of him being there or not. It is whether I will recognize him. He keeps his covenants.
I answer the same questions again and again about our missionary, and find comfort in people asking. Yes, Tim is doing well, and he remains in Canada for an indefinite time. He doesn’t write each week, but we video chat every preparation day.
We were able to see Tim speak in stake conference via YouTube. He and the other elders in his apartment made a video and showed it as part of his presentation. It made me smile even bigger than his mission leaders, seated behind him, to see him at work as a missionary.
Each year during Holy Week, we repeat our tradition of reading scriptures and setting out objects to remind us of Jesus Christ’s last week.
This year, my thoughts kept returning to Peter’s three denials of Christ. He really messed up here!
On Easter evening, we listened to the words of John 21:15-17 in a song,
15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
In perfect mercy, Jesus allows a great reversal, offering Peter the opportunity to affirm his love for him three times.
With each “Yea, Lord,” and, “Thou knowest that I love thee,” the denials are overcome, one by one.
In the days following Easter, I want to remember Peter’s story of denial, and his story of reverting to fishing when Jesus left. Most of all, I want to remember the reversal that Jesus made possible for him. Peter’s story could be anyone’s story. No one is perfectly loyal to Jesus. Everyone can accept Christ’s mercy, repent, and get (back) to work feeding the sheep. That is just what disciples do.
