Category: Motherhood

New places

In mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I had never before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

1 Nephi 11:1

I’ve heard it said that when the Lord has something to teach you, he needs to separate you from what you know. This has been true for me.

Removed from the familiar and the comfortable, we are in a position to level up in our understanding and even our joy.

So often I catch myself praying for my family to be protected from pain, when I should be praying that they will know God better because of their experiences.

Work in progress

I am getting pretty close to finishing this little project, which is based on a very famous painting. I know what it will look like when it’s finished, but it’s still a mystery to me how this is all going to come together. What a metaphor for my life.

I planning for a few months of ward conferences, so despite winter telling me to rest, I have a very full season ahead. My first counselor, on whom I depend so much, is carefully watching over her husband in his final days on earth. These years of serving in our stake callings have not shielded us from life’s challenges. My second counselor Susan passed away suddenly in 2022. Among the women in my presidency, which have changed over time, we have faced milestones along with the challenges. We’ve sent 5 missionaries into the world, had 3 children get married, and had 1 grandchild and one great-grandchild born. We have led during a pandemic and experienced two major surgeries with long recoveries. And now, my counselor’s husband is in hospice care.

There are some challenging days ahead, but if I have learned anything through my service, it is that my Heavenly Father will give me the strength to do what he has called me to do. He is doing the same for my presidency and for you.

Lessons from a mission

We listened to Tim speak in church, and here are a few lessons that I wrote down from his talk.

Righteous examples are important.

Prophets are important guides to help us find joy.

And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy,

Mosiah 3:13

Joy comes from inviting people to Christ.

Focus on the rulegiver, Jesus Christ.

Remembering personal and family spiritual experiences can help us during trials.

Spiritual preparation helps during physical trials. He saw people who lost everything in a typhoon, yet they trusted in God and remained strong.

The temple is a beacon of hope.

The Church is more than a building or a unit, it is the people. One one island where he served, there were 3,000 people, and only 5 members, and the Lord was with this tiny gathering of Saints, working miracles in their lives.

The Lord blesses us as we turn our lives to him.

As we give more of ourselves to the Lord, we will have joy.

A glimpse of each day

Monday: My birthday dinner
Tuesday: A practice recital for an upcoming competition. Mark is playing a Chopin Impromptu. ❤️

Wednesday: I finished another one of these.
Thursday: Book Club at our house
Friday: temple trip

We are in a very full season of life with so much going on and so many things I could share, but I can’t seem to sort these things into words.

Wishing you the best,

-A

Family quotes that matter to me

The most extraordinary thing in this world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.

G.K. Chesterton

The end of all activity in the Church is to see that a man and a woman with their children are happy at home and sealed together for time and for all eternity.

Boyd K. Packer

Many who knew her, thought it a pity that so substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another, and be only known in a certain circle as a wife and mother. But no one stated exactly what else that was in her power she ought rather to have done…

Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature…spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life.

George Eliot, Middlemarch

Sights of the week

I came across this model that Mark created of his old bedroom. The stacks of books, the curtains, and furniture placement are accurate and made my heart flip.
The eclipse wasn’t the most exciting thing to me this week, but the light was so eerie and we noticed how it made the air feel cold.
Some kids in the neighborhood have a jeep like Tim used to own. This scene reminded me of him. ❤️
I tracked the typhoon as it passed near Saipan thanks to live satellite images.
Richard and I were able to see Itzhak Perlman perform. We had wonderful seats and it was a remarkable experience.

Fitted to their talents

President Emily Freeman quoted Churchill last night in a devotional for youth, leaders, and parents about education.

I think the Lord taps us on the shoulder many times throughout our lives to help others based on our gifts and preparation. President Freeman’s words caused me to reflect on the times I needed to step up to do something special, unique to me, and fitted to my talents. Here are some of the things that came to my mind.

Mothering Paige, Daniel, Timothy, and Mark

Teaching homeschool

Speaking to congregations as a sister leader

Leading church and community groups

Writing family stories

Using my gift of listening

What positive things does this quote bring to your mind about your own unique contribution to the world?

Typhoon Bolaven

This week as we talked to Timothy, he was in a long line of cars waiting to fill containers with drinking water. Saipan is in the path of a typhoon, and the islanders were busy preparing for the emergency. As we continued our conversation, we were interrupted by the rumbling of power tools as someone drilled plywood over his apartment windows.

It has been four months since Typhoon Mawar pummelled the island of Guam, where he was serving at the time.

I am not worried, but maybe a little weary from his great adventure. 😅