Christine Kane

I've really enjoyed reading her blog and I've felt myself stretching a bit inside when I read. She has caused me to think about what I'm thinking and how that affects my life and my accomplishments.
She also has some great music that is uplifting.

http://christinekane.com/blog/

a father's blessing

We believe in receiving blessings from our Heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Ghost and the laying on of hands by a worthy priesthood holder.

A priesthood holder can give a healing blessing, which requires two worthy priesthood holders and consecrated oil.

A worthy priesthood holder can give what is sometimes called a comfort blessing. This involves only one worthy man. And oft times is a husband or father to the person receiving the blessing. And thus at times this blessing is called a father's blessing.

Some families have a tradition of giving a father's blessing at the start of every school year or other traditional times that can bring stress and worry into our lives, such as before a wedding, heading to college or going on a mission.

Growing up I received blessings from my father at times when I really needed them. I am so grateful for this chance that we have for us to receive direction from Heavenly Father through our father (or other close priesthood holder). But we did not have a regular set tradition of receiving them as I grew up.

So as a parent now, I forget to offer that to our children. To remind them that they have access to our Heavenly Father's great wisdom and love. I actually do not remember the boys receiving this type of blessing, although I think the older ones may have once or twice. So I wasn't even sure they knew what this type of blessing was and that they could ask for it.

For some reason while I was in Michigan in April I felt very strongly that our boys needed a father's blessing. Well it took until the first weekend of May for me to finally have everything align where we had the time to do it, I remembered about it and Brent was here to do it.

While we do have a lot going on at the moment (possible job change requiring a move across the country, making over our house, adding in new activities as our kids are maturing and just a general business), none of it is particularly stressful over all. The kids all seem ok, they are acting normal, well as normal as any kid ever is. So it seemed a bit odd to me that I would have such a strong feeling. But I did and I was determined to follow up on it. I feel so at peace that I followed that prompting.

Brent was able to give a blessing to each of the four older boys and to me. He was leaving town for several days and that was part of why I wanted it done, just in case. Not that I thought something would actually happen. But because I knew that if something did happen and I hadn't followed up on this prompting and he died without doing it, I would have a very, very hard time forgiving myself for not getting this done.

The blessings were so reassuring, at least to me....I haven't asked the boys what they felt/thought. Next time I hope I remember to write down the blessing or the gist of it at the point it's happening. As most of what I remember at this point of their blessings is just a feeling of peace and how "right" their blessings were for them.

The blessing addressed their strengths and in one case for sure, a worry about moving, and were just what they needed. In my humble opinion.

My blessing was along the same thing. Just a beautiful reassurance that we're headed in the right direction with our efforts to purge/downsize the house and fix it up and other general things about raising the boys. And interestingly enough a comment about selling our property and that it would sell with out any major issues.

Now I have had concerns about things with this property. One is, did we make the right decision to sell it? Another concern is whether some of the things we did, that are off the beaten path, are going to come back and bite us, such as the compost toilets? However, I have not spent much time/energy on these concerns. Just the occasional thought here and there. The occasional conversation with others. But I did not FEEL stressed over this.

So the reassurance on these was wonderful, but this wasn't what was on my mind when I sat down to receive the blessing!

For me it was a major affirmation once again, that Heavenly Father knows us each individually and knows what we need, even when we aren't aware of that need ourselves.

"In a priesthood blessing a servant of the Lord exercises the priesthood, as moved upon by the Holy Ghost, to call upon the powers of heaven for the benefit of the person being blessed. Such blessings are conferred by holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which has the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church (see D&C 107:18, 67).

There are many kinds of priesthood blessings. As I give various examples, please remember that priesthood blessings are available for all who need them, but they are only given on request.

Blessings for the healing of the sick are preceded by anointing with oil, as the scriptures direct (see James 5:14–15; Mark 6:13; D&C 24:13–14; D&C 42:43–48; D&C 66:9). Patriarchal blessings are conferred by an ordained patriarch.

Persons desiring guidance in an important decision can receive a priesthood blessing. Persons who need extra spiritual power to overcome a personal challenge can receive a blessing. Expectant mothers can be blessed before they give birth. Many LDS families remember a sacred occasion where a worthy father gave a priesthood blessing to a son or daughter who was about to be married. Priesthood blessings are often requested from fathers before children leave home for other purposes, such as school, service in the military, or a long trip. "

Dallin H. Oaks, “Priesthood Blessings,” Ensign, May 1987, 36

James 5:14 Is any ^asick among you? let him call for the ^belders of the church; and let them ^cpray over him, ^danointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

D&C 68: 4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the ^aHoly Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the ^bpower of God unto salvation.

quieting the noise

I currently teach RS twice a month. I teach the out of the current manuel. Last year was the one on Joseph Smith and I so appreciate the chance I had to learn about him. And I'm excited to be doing Gospel Principles this year.

We have a very small RS, we usually have 5 women and it's a big group if we have 10! Even with the smaller numbers we have some really, really great discussions. And we can often feel the presence of the Spirit. I'm so grateful for these women and the insights that they bring to our lesson.

For the last couple of months there has been a trend in my lessons. We've had great discussions on the topic, and there has also been a continuing thread running through it all, every time I teach for the last couple of months. And it has centered on reducing the distractions in our lives, being aware of the role that tv, internet, txting, and such are playing in our lives.

So I must need this reminder!

I know that we have a better quality life when I am more concious of the media in our home. I know that we get more done and that we can feel the spirit more easily when we limit our time in front of the TV, on the internet and playing electronic games.

When the boys aren't plugged in on a regular basis we see less fights and more creativity. When I'm not plugged in, I get more done, imagine that!!

Today, I went back over some of my notes that I took last year during sacrament meetings, Gospel Doctrine classes, Relief Society and a Stake Conference. I noticed a talk by our Bishop last year. And some of his comments also reminded me that I need to quiet the noise in our home too.

He made the comment that listen and silent have the same letters in them. That really struck me. He recommended that when we ride in the car we turn off the radio. I have been doing that off and on. Not that I am alone in the car that often...... I do know that by turning off the radio I am able to hear the direction of the Spirit easier and I have had a few experiences with having the spirit teach me directly while I've been driving.

One was a realization (and yes this is elementary, but rocked my world, because I have SUCH a problem with being judgemental) , I was taught that where ever some one was on their path in their life, Heavenly Father loved them, just as much as he loved me in all my failings and that I needed to let go of the judgement and just love those around me. Of course learning it and implementing it, are two vastly different things, as we all know!

For a scripture that speaks to me I chose D&C 88: 118-119


118 And as all have not afaith, seek ye diligently and bteach one another words of cwisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best dbooks words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

119 aOrganize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a bhouse, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

To me this speaks about what we should be doing, instead of letting all the "noise" in our lives distract us.


"Is Friday evening a frenetic flight to see where the entertainment and action will be? Could our society today produce an Isaac Newton or a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Can 85 channels and uncountable DVDs ever fill our insatiable appetite to be entertained? Do any unwisely become addicted to computer games or Internet surfing, thereby missing the richer experiences of great reading, conversations, and enjoyment of music?
I don’t know whether our heavenly home has a television set or a DVD player, but in my mind’s imagery it surely has a grand piano and a magnificent library. There was a fine library in the home of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s (1910–2008) youth. It was not an ostentatious home, but the library contained about 1,000 volumes of the rich literature of the world, and President Hinckley spent his early years immersed in these books. To be well-read, however, it is not necessary to possess expensive collections of literature, for they are available to rich and poor alike in the libraries of the world.
President David O. McKay (1873–1970) was inclined to awaken daily at 4:00 a.m., skim read up to two books, and then commence his labors at 6:00 a.m. He could quote 1,000 poems from memory. He referred to the grand masters of literature as the “minor prophets.” He was a living embodiment of the scriptural admonition to “seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom” (D&C 88:118)."

Our Refined Heavenly Home
Elder Douglas L. Callister Of the Seventy

money

One of our stk. conferences last year was a broadcast. I'm not sure if every stk had a similar broadcast around the world, but I do know that the Midwest stks "attended" this broadcast.

One of the speakers was Elder Oaks. He had so many good points and in reviewing my notes I had to chuckle as I reread this from him. I can't remember his exact words, so I'll paraphrase him, I know it's close though.

"Sisters, there are 4 things I want you to remind your husband to say to you. I love you, I'm sorry, yes dear, and we can't afford it." I got a chuckle out of his comments and yet it hits very close to home for us.

I was young and had lot to learn about money when I got married. My poor husband had a lot to learn about telling me NO!!!

So I managed to dig us a big ole giant hole of debt. We've spent the last three years getting serious about filling in that hole......and it's taken three years to really get serious about it. But last year we really got serious and we're finally making progress.

I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing our efforts. He has directed our foot steps to the resources we needed as we needed them. He also has blessed my husband's career and not only have we been able to take on the care of my mother, but we've been able to pay down on debt at the same time.

I wish I had taken the scriptures and prophets to heart and not dug this hole in the first place, but the light at the end of the tunnel is that our children are learning to manage their money and we've managed to stop using credit and to make progress in paying off debt.

Elder Oaks talked about yesterday's luxuries becoming today's necessities and the fact that we need to really differentiate between true needs and rampant wants. That has often been a struggle for me, but now I can see the progress that I've made and it is spilling over into my family.

My husband brought up waiting on getting new cell phone this month, even though he's really been looking forward to it, but he said, he knows he doesn't need it and we can use the money in other places. The boys often will ask about alternatives to save money, such as picking up a sandwich from Wal-mart's deli vs fast food when we find ourselves out and about without our usual bagged lunches. It has been such a blessing to see this growth in our family.

Elder Oaks also brought in the phrase "make it do, use it up or do without". I still have a ways to go on this, but my husband and my mother are such great examples of this to me and the boys and I so appreciate that.

As we start this new year, we are so grateful to Heavenly Father for our progress and for the success we've had to this point. And we've set some ambitious goals for this year and are confident that as long as we keep our focus on what Heavenly Father wants us to do, we will succeed in them.

President Grant once said: “If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live within our means. And if there is any one thing that is grinding and discouraging and disheartening, it is to have debts and obligations that one cannot meet” (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941, p. 111).

“And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:18–19; italics added).

We are forgetful beings

Today at church I managed to take notes all three hours. Something I've been trying to do consistently and have been very hit and miss. I had to chuckle as I read through last years notes, I noticed that I had written a date, the meeting, the speaker and the topic, and that was it..... I chuckled, cause I remember wanting to hear that speaker, and her husband, as they were new to our ward and we had really connected and I looked forward to getting to know them better......

I remember that our younger two boys had a challenging sacrament meeting that Sunday and I wasn't destined to take any further notes. I chuckled because I know it's life with young kids and that it will pass. They won't always be this young, and some days that's a sad thing, and some days that's a really , really good thing!!!

But I've gotten off track. One of the notes I read was on a talk given by Elder Snow. In the talk he stated that we are forgetful beings. That the scriptures exhort us to remember and they do it repeatedly. That was such a relief for me to hear!! I'm so hard on myself, something I'm working on, and it was like he was giving me permission to forget!!!

As I read over the things that struck me today out of the meetings, I kept thinking.... hello, these aren't new things, what is your problem that you can't seem to keep track of these!! And then I flipped through my older notes and THERE was the answer. We're forgetful beings.

He's not saying it's ok for us to forget on purpose, but that if we do slip, as long as we're doing the best we can, it's ok. And if we are reading our scriptures and attending our meetings, we'll be reminded! Over and over again.....thank goodness.

Elder Snow talked about the need to record our experiences so that we could look back at our spiritual experiences and draw strength from them. I'm so grateful for the repeated reminders of this! I know I need to do it, and yet I let it slip to the bottom of my priorities. So the repeated reminders keep encouraging me to do it. And that is one reason I'm so grateful for this list. It's a prod to keep me at it.

I'm also grateful for this list for the spiritual boost it is to me. I treasure all the insights that are passed along and yes for all the reminders that happen as I read of others experiences. Thank you so much for your generous sharing of your experiences and insights.

The Inspiration of a Family Record
By Elder Theodore M. Burton
Of the First Quorum of Seventy

"Your personal history may be one of the most persuasive witnesses of the gospel your family will ever hear.

Let us respond to the plea which has been made of us by our leaders to write our personal histories and thus pass on to future generations our own resolve to stand steadfast before God because we know and love him. Our descendants, feeling our love for them, will stand firmly and steadfastly in their places as sons and daughters of God. In this way we pass on the torch of faith and love for God and feel in turn his love for us and for those who will follow us. "

Helaman 5:6
Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

a thought from stake conference

We had Elder Christofferson speak at our stake conference in March. And while he had many wonderful and enlightening things to share with us. What I remember most and what gave me the most hope was this sentence. "All you have to do is pray, read and serve." It was such a light bulb moment for me! Like a lifting of a weight.

It simplifies it all for me. Boils it all down to three parts. Pray. Read. Serve. It just hits such a cord with me. If I do these three basic things, all else will follow. I don't need to stress, or worry or fidget. What I am to do will come to me. I will learn it through reading, praying and serving others.

All else are to be done after these things. These are my priorities to focus on and let the other parts of my life fall in line. The dishes, the laundry, the schooling of the boys, the animal care, everything. If I am in tune with the spirit, he will guide me in what I need to be doing. If I am serving others, I will loose myself, to find eternal life and THAT is why we are here. Not to gain earthly glory, but to attain eternal glory.

I find that it's been easier to take a breath and stop the worry and redirect my thoughts, now that I'm focused on prayer and reading. I've got a ways to go in regards to serving, but I am trying and perhaps one day I will feel like I am truly focused on serving, instead of being hit and miss with it. I do feel that I am serving on a daily basis within my family, but I could be doing much more.

And for that additional more, I'll rely on the spirit to help me see ways that I can serve. I know that if I continue to try, it will come.

Autn:reference - Magazine_2734b5658af22110VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Daughters of Heavenly Father

Susan W. Tanner

Often the Spirit speaks to us when we pray, read the scriptures, ponder upon the Lord’s mercies to us, receive priesthood blessings, serve others, or feel loved and affirmed by others.
Ensign, May 2007

Autn:reference - http://scriptures.lds.org/2_ne/32/8#8

2 Nephi 32:8

For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

2 Nephi 32: 3

3 ^aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, ^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do

Mosiah 2: 17

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

remembering and renewing spiritual experiences

I finally found a format that really appeals to me for getting my spiritual experiences written out. They are called Life Lessons and you write out the story and then you tie in two scriptures and a quote. I love it.


You can learn more at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lessons-of-Life/