Remember this post?  It’s {past} time for the continuation…

John Tanner’s sons were described as “generous, plain-speaking and long-lived”.  All good qualities in my eyes.  🙂  Leonard J. Arrington, a Church Historian, studied the history of the Tanner family.  He says “Each has a separate story to tell, but in the activities of the family as a whole, we can see their contribution to the Church. They consistently contributed to the growth of their communities; they served long and faithfully in their local wards and provided children and grandchildren who sat in the highest councils of the Church. Consistently devoted and hard-working, they gave their families economic and spiritual security and left an honorable legacy of commitment that has not decreased with time.”  What a blessed legacy!

Spiritual and economic security for my family?  Sounds like good goals to me.  How does one go about insuring that?

Some things we are doing now to help provide spiritual security:

* Family Home Evening

* Personal and Family scripture study

* Personal and Family prayers

* Sunday evening interviews – complete with setting goals.  We currently interview two groups – older children/younger children every other week.

Spiritual security – definitely something we’ve been working on and will continue to do so.

Economic security?  Not as much.  How does one do that?  I think a lot of it comes down to the example we set as parents and the skills we teach our children (much like the spiritual security).  Where are our priorities?  Do we always pay tithing first?  Do they know we set aside savings?  Do they see us budget and know money is spent in different categories?  Do they see sacrifices being made now and realize it brings blessings later?  I have some work to do…

While studying more about the Tanner family I came across two examples with qualities I want to emulate.  May I share?

[Read more…]

I had some thoughts I wanted to blog, but it really needs some background first.  Hence, a three part series… on the topic of fortune.

Some of my favorite stories growing up were family history ones.  I loved hearing about John Tanner, my fifth great-grandpa and his conversion story.  He lived in upper New York and was one of the area’s leading entrepreneurs.  He probably would have stayed there permanently  if he had not met the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  John was a Baptist lay-minister who went to hear the missionaries speak – from what I understand, he wanted to protect his Baptist brethren from false doctrine.  He had open sores on his leg that could not be remedied, but was stubborn (a family trait – perhaps? maybe we’ll go with strong-willed…) and told the doctor that he would rather leave this world with his bad leg than have it amputated.  So, that evening, he propped his leg up in his cart and went to hear the missionaries speak.  John left that evening with a Book of Mormon and a desire to know the truth.  A few days later one of the missionaries (Jared Carter – the other missionary was Simeon Carter) visited his home.  Jared “administered to John, and commanded him to rise and walk in the name of the Lord.  [John] never used his crutches again.”  He was baptized that very night, along with his wife.  He walked three quarters of a mile to do so – after months of not walking on that leg.  (all quotes from “The John Tanner Family” by  Leonard J. Arrington, Church Historian, March 1979 Ensign)

John’s story is full of generosity and consecration.  He sold his farms, hotel, orchards, thousands of acres of timber and an island and proceeded to give his all to the church.  Some in loans, some in donation.  The large things he helped with were the Kirtland Temple and the church-sponsored bank, the Kirtland Safety Society.   Before he left on a mission in 1844  he met  “Joseph Smith on the streets of Nauvoo, he gave the Prophet his note for $2,000, signed in Kirtland in 1835 to redeem the temple land. The Prophet asked what he wanted him to do with it, and Father Tanner said, “‘Brother Joseph, you are welcome to it.’ The Prophet then laid his right hand heavily upon Father Tanner’s shoulder and said: ‘God bless you, Father Tanner, your children shall never beg bread.’”

I remember my mom claiming that blessing and prophecy – knowing it was intended for generations.  And it has been fulfilled – many generations over.  We never went hungry growing up.  We had a bountiful garden – my grandparents a flourishing orchard and farm – and a whole section of our basement always filled with food.  We were and continue to be so very blessed.  I have to wonder if perhaps this promised blessing is not one of the reasons my family so throughly loves food.

When I was younger I imagined what it would be like to be wealthy.  To have our own island (because, of course, we would have inherited it) and to live a rich life.  Especially when I found out that the property John Tanner owned back then is now worth more than $250 million dollars – that’s a huge sacrifice.  Then I thought about the blessings we would have missed out on if John Tanner had never heard the missionaries.  The abundant life that the gospel brings.  To know the joy of family and the purpose of our life here.  The knowledge of eternal families, a living prophet on earth today, temple worship and the peace it brings.  To experience serving and loving others – there is no comparison.  Once again I thank my Heavenly Father for a generous, big-hearted great-grandpa that knew where real treasure lies.

{Gedeborg Family – July 2011.  We’re in the middle.  ;)}

Lauri, one of my favorite ladies in the whole world – a beautiful mixture of elegance and spunk -, taught the lesson in Relief Society last month.  She taught from President Uchtdorf’s talk, “Your Potential, Your Privilege”.  It was wonderful to discuss a talk from the Priesthood session and apply it to our lives as women.

I adore this quote:  “As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your priesthood privileges. Don’t let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit.”

Personal revelation is a blessing we can all seek.  Lauri asked us to each finish this thought:

“If you want a spiritual experience  _______________________________ .”

We then shared ideas and I loved the variety!  Here are quite a few:

* go to the temple

* pray

* go for a long run

* read and study the scriptures early in the morning

* really listen to your children

* do something hard

* ask for a Priesthood blessing

* bear testimony

* act on a prompting

* listen to beautiful music

* stop being busy – just stop…and listen

* read your Patriarchal blessing

* do Family History

* ponder

* acknowledge the goodness of our Heavenly Father

* pray after reading scriptures for truth

* express gratitude in prayer

* give service – especially to the handicapped

* notice beauty and be uplifted

* create something beautiful

* be still

* have more faith and less fear

* remember why challenges are there

* spend time with your children

* create harmony in your home

* sit by a campfire alone

How would you fill in the blank?

The sister closing the meeting mentioned how wonderful it is that the Lord knows us and can reach out and communicate with us individually.  I agree.  What a marvelous blessing!

There are so many thought-provoking ideas – and more out there.   Definitely enough to do at least one daily – and many are things I do daily or would love to do daily already.  I just need to remember to look for those opportunities and then act on the promptings that come.

“The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us to “liken them unto [ourselves],” not for reading or hearing only. Too often we attend meetings and nod our heads; we might even smile knowingly and agree. We jot down some action points, and we may say to ourselves, “That is something I will do.” But somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our “do it” switch gets rotated to the “later” position. Brethren, let’s make sure to set our “do it” switch always to the “now” position!

…Let us earnestly seek the light of personal inspiration. Let us plead with the Lord to endow our mind and soul with the spark of faith that will enable us to receive and recognize the divine ministering of the Holy Spirit for our specific life situations and for our challenges…” – President Uchtdorf

{Seeing as it is Fast Sunday, testimonies have been on my mind.  Besides the sacrament, the things I miss the most from Sacrament Meeting, when I’m home with sicky little ones, are all the testimonies that are shared.  I have had a lot on my mind the last few days and wanted to put part of it in writing. For our family and friends, for future family, and for myself.}

One of my resolutions this year is to read C. S. Lewis everyday.  It has been one of the easiest resolutions ever.  I adore his writing.  I do not have any trouble starting my morning study time with Jack.  I read that is what his family and friends called him.  I want to be in that group.  Which leads me to the next question – Do you think there will be a huge line in heaven waiting to meet him?  I imagine so.

The easy part is being motivated to read his writings.  The hard part is sometimes understanding.  His writings are a lot like Elder Maxwell‘s to me.  I read a paragraph or two over four or five times.  And then I feel like I might be catching a glimpse of what they are describing.  And the glimpse is so worth the effort.  I read “Mere Christianity” a few years ago and adored it.  “The Four Loves” is waiting on my headboard.  What I am reading now is “A Year with C. S. Lewis” that Jim Bob gave me for our anniversary.  It is a few paragraphs a day from various books that C. S. Lewis has written.  Perfect for me.  It leads right into my scripture study time.  With these excerpts, my wish list of books is growing.  I love his style of writing and sense of humor without overdoing.  I would be happy to read a few paragraphs of C. S. Lewis every day for the rest of my life.  And that is a sign of a good resolution.  🙂

Last Wednesday I read an excerpt from C. S. Lewis’ last sermon (1956):

“For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. … He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failures; I know no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise.  …For He claims all, because He is love and must bless.  He cannot bless unless He has us.  When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death.  Therefore, in love, He claims all.  There’s no bargaining with Him.”

While reading Enos this week I realized how his story applied as well.  In verse 9 it tells how Enos “…did pour out [his] whole soul unto God…”  His whole soul.  He didn’t hold anything back.

Jim Bob taught in the Elders Quorum today.  The talk was Elder D.Todd Christofferson’s “Reflections on a Consecrated Life”.  I read it this morning.  The whole talk is wonderful and fits right in my thoughts for the week.

“True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives –that is, our time and choices–to God’s purposes.  In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny.”  Later in the talk he says, “A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”  Does that not sound like a mother?  I need to focus on the last half.  Yes, my work is sometimes repetitive and menial, but I am improving, ordering, sustaining, lifting, ministering and aspiring.  Ooh, I love it.  I love all those verbs.  A consecrated life is full of action and recognizing that action.

Elder Christofferson also quotes the film, Man’s Search for Happiness. “A prophet of God has said: ‘Men are that they might have joy–a joy that includes a fullness of life, a life dedicated to service, to love and harmony in the home, and the fruits of honest toil–an acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ–of its requirements and commandments.”

While reading that quote I realized that a fullness of life only comes after we fully give ourselves to God.  I feel as if I am in a constant chrysalis state.  Just learning and developing.  Changing and refining.  Big changes, little changes.  I think that is partly what this life is for.  I am thankful for my Savior that makes those changes possible.  Sometimes it is hard work.  I need to remember – the end result is so promising!

Can you imagine though, if that caterpillar decided to go into a chrysalis, but not quite all the way?  Just leave out a little bit of it’s “old self”?  I’m not sure of the science involved, but I think the transformation would not take place.

I want to fully give myself.  To consecrate my life to God’s purposes.  And to someday fly.

{chrysalis photo by Christian Meyn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net, butterfly photo by Federico Stevanin, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net}