Just some good family time...

I was reading a friend's blog the other day. She mentioned how she had been advised to not post religion on her blog because it turns the readers away.

So sad that that is the feeling out there in the blog world. I have been following several blogs lately that include religion. They are not of my faith.... but they are about faith. I am uplifted by them. I find hope and inspiration from them.

So if I turn off readers by talking about my religion then there is nothing I can do about it. Because my religion is ME. And I can't be genuine or true without writing about it.

So I hope my blogger friends know that I come in peace. When I write about my religion I never mean to offend or preach or debate. I just want to tell my story. And I want to hear yours. No matter what faith you are or even if you may not be a believer at all. I want to hear you and I want to be heard as well. Aren't we all the same?

A few nights ago, I was a little proud of myself because I mustered up the energy to have FHE*. We haven't had it for a few weeks since my surgery. Rhett was in charge (to pass off one of his church goals) of teaching us about Joseph Smith. Because of his reading dyslexia he showed the pictures he and Justine colored and I read. I was so overcome with the sweetness and truthfulness of the story that I started crying and had to have Corey finish reading. He laughed because there was only one line left.

Here is the super quick version in case you are curious...

"As a young boy in 1820, Joseph Smith wanted to know which church was true. As he searched the Bible for help, he read...

...that he should ask of God. Acting on this counsel, Joseph went into the woods near his home and prayed. Suddenly, a light shone above him and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. When Joseph asked which church he should join, the Savior told him to join none of the churches then in existence because they were teaching incorrect doctrines. Through this experience and many others that followed, the Lord chose Joseph to be His prophet and to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church to the earth." LDS Official Website

Strange? Not to me.

So anyway after the lesson from an embarrassed and grumpy Rhett, who mumbled all the things he was supposed to say (see? We are totally normal!), we played a memory game on prayer,

and played Joseph Smith's favorite old fashioned stick pull game. It was full of the usual fun and fighting and of course one person has to cry or it isn't any fun. That's what I always say.

I love Kate trying to help Bo pull win...

We also discussed prayer. And how Joseph's prayer was answered and so are all of ours. Even if we don't recognize it. Or like the answer. Or understand. Of feel alone still. Sometimes the answers will be great and sometimes they will be small. And sometimes the answer is to wait awhile. And sometimes the answer is no. (It was when Christ prayed that maybe there would be another way then for Him to be crucified and suffer in Gethsemane) But we just need to trust. And trusting is a choice. If we don't feel like trusting we just need to say we are going to trust anyway and do it. And shun those thoughts of doubt. I have to do that sometimes also.

So Rhett did his teacherly duty and asked the family if anyone would like to share some experiences on prayer that they have had. I thought I'd document for our families sake. And some of them really are like "WOW" that HAS to be an answer to prayer!

Corey was skiing with the wonderful: "Cousin Scott." They were doing jumps in tons of powder snow. Corey had his cars keys in his front shirt pocket. It was the last run of the night and the ski resort was closing. On the jump Corey hit his hand on his pocket and FLUNG the keys out of his pocket and into the DEEP powder snow ....some.where.....out.there.

Of course they couldn't find them. Who could? So they knelt in prayer and found them INSTANTLY!.....No way!!!! Has to be answer to prayer. How else could you get so lucky?

Justine was standing in line at Lagoon amusement park. She had been invited to go with a friend.
Want to know what crazy, EVERYTHING SCARES you TO DEATH looks like.... ??

This is it! She is scared of everything! She is me. Just younger.

Anyway....so of course she is standing in line, SCARED TO DEATH, waiting for a ride that goes high and flip you up side down. She didn't want to go but was too scared to tell her friend. You know...because she is scared of everything.

So she prayed while in line for the ride to get cancelled because of mechanical problems so she wouldn't have to go. That cracks me up!!!!! But GUESS WHAT!!!!!! Right before her turn....the. RIDE. WAS. SHUT. DOWN. FOR. MECHANICAL. PROBLEMS!!!!!!! NOoooo WAY!!!!

Does HEAVENLY FATHER love her or what!!!!!!

Kassidy was walking to our post office box with our mailbox key. She must have been like 10 years old. Of course.....she loses the key. She was distraught looking for it and in tears. My friend drives by and feels prompted to stop and help her. Kassidy finds the key! Miracles, I tell ya!

I was in my bathroom at the cupboard and I had a broken phone in my hand. The other one wouldn't turn on and I couldn't figure it out and it had been frustrating me for like a WEEK! The phone kept saying "handset 2" on it. I had/have no idea what that meant/means.

So I said "Ughhh!!!! Heavenly Father just help me figure out what is wrong with this stupid phone!!!!!" And in my mind came clear as day, the thought to take off the back and plug in the battery. So I did and the phone was fixed. Come on now....ANSWERED PRAYER!

After my surgery I had some pains that were very painful. I have it in my head that I shouldn't pray for help with things like that because the suffering in the world is so GREAT that I should be able to handle a little pain. But after a few days of it I had had enough. Also I was having some other painful issues on top of the normal pain and I was getting super stressed out. So I finally prayed for help. The very next day, when I thought I couldn't take any more, I woke up and the one painful issue was completely gone. Allowing me to deal with the other painful issue that went away soon also! I was SO thankful for help!

Now! Here's the thing. Why would Heavenly Father care to help me fix a silly phone when children are dying or other prayers that are more important go seemingly unanswered. Or not answered the way we want? I don't know! I just don't! But I know that in times of trial and heaartache, that is when we are the most humble and the most teachable. And that is when the spirit can reach us the most. So we just have to trust.

Do I have any readers left? Too much religion? I don't care.

Love you guys.

*Family Home Evening From Wikipedia
Family Home Evening (FHE) or Family Night, in the context of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, refers to one evening per week, usually Monday, that families are encouraged to spend together in study, prayer and other wholesome activities. According to the LDS Church, the purpose of FHE is to help families strengthen bonds of love with each other as well as provide an atmosphere where parents can teach their children principles of the gospel.*