I want to wake up early and spend time with the Lord before I spend the day with His siblings. I’ve struggled with this desire my whole adult life. I like the idea of “early up” when I’m “up,” but many a morning I battle against “early up” ‘because I’m “down” snuggled in my covers. This morning ... Read More
“Help” – Step 11 and Prayer
At my coxing Esther wiggled out of her mother’s arms and crawled over her daddy’s legs onto my lap. She soon recognized that her Grandma was ill prepared with the standard equipment traditionally used for entertaining toddlers during Sacrament Meeting, ie. Cheerios, Sippy Cup, board books etc. I ... Read More
Phone Mail Treasure, More Than Please and Thank You – Prayer
My mother recorded a prayer I said independent of her prompting when I was two and a half. These were my words, “We thank Thee for this nice family night and for the gospel and for the Holy Spirit with us and for the good in our hearts, the smiles in our hearts, and that I’ll get better, and for my ... Read More
“Pray As If…” Step 3 Trust In God
There’s old saying goes something like this: “Pray as if everything depends on God and then get up and go to work as if everything depends on you.” The point of this adage is to remind us that we shouldn’t pray and then simply sit around and wait until God takes action. I get the point, and I don’t ... Read More
“Good Job Grandma!” – Step 12 Service by Example
I’ve spent a lifetime teaching children about doing good and then keeping a careful watch over them. I’ve taught children all about prayer, who we pray to, the reasons we pray, and the parts of prayer, how to open a prayer, and in whose name we pray. I’ve listened to their prayers and whispered ... Read More
“Who’s Character Is In Question?” – Step 7 – Humility
Recently, while I was on my knees speaking to my Heavenly Father I was struck with a thought that made me pause. It seemed to be a call to rethink the kinds of things I say to the God of the Universe. What came to me was that often in my prayers I pray for Heavenly Father, the perfect Father of my ... Read More
“______ ! The Herald Angels Sing” – Step 11 – Personal Revelation
Ethan, at age five, had his own version of the traditional Christmas Carol, “Hark, The Herald Angles Sing.” I find his rendition instructive any time of year. As he could not relate in any way to the word “Hark,” he filled in with a word that rhymed and also made perfect sense to him. Ethan simply ... Read More
“Jesus Answered My Prayers For the Very First Time!” – Let’s Get Specific!
It was almost two years ago that I was in the delivery room with my daughter and her husband. A beautiful baby girl was delivered. To make a long story very short this was a very different of experience for our family. We had never had a baby born with any kind of physical problems. Minutes after ... Read More