Sundays are a sanctuary for me and today was no exception. We were late to church after I slept in from a deep and nourishing night of sleep. Clarissa was a mess in sacrament meeting, and I was exhausted, so I took her to the nursery room which caused me to miss Emma Freestone’s mission farewell talk, which apparently was unbelievably amazing and all about loving people as Jesus would love them.
I really enjoyed Elders Quorum A LOT. It was deeply nourishing to me to think on how Christ modeled love for us. While being spat on, insulted, whipped and even crucified, he stayed focused on His mission, which was to save everyone, in many cases, the very people that were directly wronging Him.
Today I had a lot to do as the financial clerk, so I didn’t get home until 2PM, when Clarissa had already woke from her nap. I still slipped in some rest and then went out to get some fresh air with the three youngest kids. I’m so eager to have spring here, and the weather today was decent, so I couldn’t help myself going to the park again with the kids. We fed the ducks again too!
Here is a video of Clarissa going down the slide.
At home, we ate INCREDIBLE tortilla soup that Lily made and we read and discussed the first half of the Sermon on the Mount as a family. That was maybe my highlight of the whole week. Everyone participated and was engaged (except maybe Ammon and Clariss), and there was such good learning and discussion happening. The Sermon on the Mount is (in my opinion) hands down the most compelling sermon ever given. I loved chewing on it with my family 🙂
After dinner, my brother Jere came over. All the kids except for Lydia were in bed. We all worked on a puzzle and chatted together. Lydia went to bed after an hour or so, and then Lily, Jere and I talked until 10:30 as we finished our puzzle. Puzzling has been such a major discovery for me. It is such a peaceful, calm and fun way to socialize with people. It gives my brain something to do, but not so much to do that I can’t also be engaging with people. It is very calming for me. Lily and I LOVED talking with Jere. He is so interesting, thoughtful, smart and talented, yet very humble. Just a truly enjoyable time.
Above is the puzzle we made with Jere
A bit of Sunday Testimony:
Entry 2: God Loves You
In my last entry, I testified of the reality of God, based on a personal experience I had while I was on the mission. Today I want to testify of God’s love for me, for you, and for all of His children based on 2 Nephi 26:24-28.
I have defined love as: “Desiring the happiness for another so much that you are willing to sacrifice personally for it.” Within the context of my working definition of love, consider the following scripture:
“He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye end of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price. Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.” -2 Nephi 26:24-28.
This scripture has played an important role in assuring me of God’s love. In moments when I feel unworthy or unconvinced of God’s love, His help, or His blessings, I can read this and remember that no matter who I am, or what I have done, and no matter what I’m feeling from life’s situations, God loves me (as evidenced by the laying down of His life) and He wants only for me to come and partake of His goodness and salvation. My behavior and failures will not change those facts. Other people doing hurtful things will not change that. Nothing can change that. This awareness inspires me even when life feels hard and cold, even when I am in sin and even when my anxiety and perfectionism tell me I’m not good enough or not worthy enough for God. This scripture cuts through all of the lies and reminds me that always and forever God loves me, and His invitation is constant: “I love you. Follow me and partake of my goodness.”