Christmastime Thoughts (along with House Purchasing Thoughts...)

Once again it has been way to long since my last post, but I have a good excuse...ish. The move! It was crazy and stressful. Thankfully it is over and the last few weeks have been relatively nice and smooth.
One problem with all the stress is that I was having a really hard time focusing on the time of year.
Since things have calmed down, I have really found a great appreciation for Christmas time. School, while a little crazy the weeks after Thanksgiving, was really fun due to the excitement in the air for the holidays. Nothing can energize me like students who are young and excited. I really love the students I have in my class and those from previous years who stop in and visit. It seems that around Christmas time those students are more prone to stop in and say hello. I can't describe how happy it makes me when someone I have invested time and thought into stops by to say hello and chat for a minute.
At home things have been really fun. Our new home here in Orderville has turned out quite nice. There was some crazy remodel work and two days that were insane. I can't say it was all bad though. I did lose about 10 pounds in two weeks. Hopefully I'll keep that off! It was also fun knowing that because we own the home we can make any changes that we see fit. Of course if any thing goes wrong we have to be responsible for that also!
Having our own home around Christmas has been a great experience. As much as we have more responsibility as homeowners we also have more freedom attached. I have noticed that as we move through the stages of life and take on more responsibilities our "talents" increase and the Lord gives us more. He give line upon line in earthly responsibilities as well as in knowledge. Having these earthly items (homes, cars, bills, etc.) teaches us how to organize ourselves. While there is organization that must happen, these responsibilities add to our joy. This is something that has been impressed on me lately. The Lord states in D&C 111:11, " Therefore, be ye as ^awise as serpents and yet without ^bsin; and I will order all things for your ^cgood, as fast as ye are able to receive them." (lds.org) I really like this scripture. As we are wise and stay out of sin, the Lord will "order" things for us. To me this releases a lot of stress in my life. I do my part, the Lord prepares things for me. This requires that I wait on His time table, but if I can trust Him by waiting on him and doing my duty, He'll open the doors for us when we are ready. He determines that readiness! Not us.
Anyway. I say all this because the house worked out so well for Jenna and I. Jenna did do much of the work, and I am grateful for that, but things worked so smoothly that it could be nothing but a miracle.
Well, anywho, our family is doing really well. Our kids are healthy and happy. With the Christmas break I get to spend a lot more time with Jenna, Dallin, and Allison and that is so much fun. Allison is really developing a funny personality and can be so much fun. Of course she is MY little girl! Jenna and I are excited to treat them to a fun Christmas with family and friends. I am glad to spend more time with Jenna! After the stress of our move we need the time together! She has been really good during everything AND she always finds good ways to make the holidays enjoyable.
I hope everyone's holidays are full of joy. I also hope we get a chance to reflect on the Savior and his blessings in each of our lives. I am sure we will. Merry Christmas!

Faith and Trust pt. 2

So. How's it going? It has really been a while. If blogging was a religion, I would be inactive. Thankfully it is not. I don't have any real reason for not blogging lately, just that I haven't. I would say laziness, but I don't think that would be completely accurate (It could be related to Mario...) ANYWAY!
Our family is doing really well. Our kids have had their bout with the "flu". Jenna is doing such a good job with them as a mother. She is great, I married very well. I am grateful I listened to the Lord and my dad. Of course it was my decision, but I know I didn't do it alone. I don't think I would have been as happy if I had.
We have been pretty busy with the house purchasing process lately. It has worked out so well that it can only be the hand of the Lord. I got some information at school about USDA loans for rural development, typed a few things into the internet, was contacted by some of the workers of this place. Had a house here in mind and it has just flowed. One of the other things is that this home we are buying just fell into our laps. It is too perfect to have been anything other than divine assistance. I know the Lord has a sense of timing and blesses us according to our readiness to progress. I had been holding back on a lot of things until this summer, and when I finally decided to commit to getting my Master's degree in Educational Leadership and get really organized in my teaching, things started to fall into place.
It is interesting that the blessings didn't come until a certain time. I really believe in the time table of the Lord. We often in our human impatience try to rush things along. If we will but trust the Lord, we would avoid a lot of our mistakes. Frustration can lead us to rash decisions, rash judgments and mistakes we would otherwise avoid. I don't believe the Lord creates stress for us, He is the one telling us to "trust in [him] with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding." (Prov. 3:5-6) If our hearts and lives are in order "all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly" (D&C 100:15). "Be still and know that I am God." (D&C 101:16).
It is interesting to me that we spend most of our lives stressing, when the Lord instead is telling us to "hold on thy way" (D&C 122:9) He wants us to continue down a strait and direct path. We know our goals. He knows our hearts. We go straight. We aren't to be troubled. D&C 123:17 is one of my favorites: "Therefore dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed." (emphasis added)
These are a few things I have learned the hard way, but I feel like maybe I am starting to learn them. It is a long journey for all of us, and I believe that the journey is to teach us to become like God. It is a training, a lesson, a class, and a test. All the different events we face, worldly pressures, oppositions, doubts, buffetings, and fears are to "prove [us] to see if we will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]." (Abraham 3:25) I am not saying I pass every test. I fail quite often, but I have seen that when I doubt or fear things pass me by. It happened to Oliver Cowdery. He was counseled in D&C 6:36, "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Oliver was told in D&C 8:10, "Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith". Oliver didn't prepare or exercise enough therefore when the time to translate came...he couldn't do it. D&C 9:11 says it clearly, "Behold, it was expedient when you commenced; but you feared, and the time is past, and it is not expedient now." Oliver missed an opportunity for a blessing due to his fear and lack of preparation.
I am not condemning Oliver Cowdery for this, for in his experience I have seen myself many, many times. Opportunities waiting for me and my family that I didn't take because I didn't prepare and I doubted. I know I am not alone in this.
There was a point with this house where I was about to do like I usually did and say, "Well, maybe we should wait." But then I felt strongly, even though I was tempted to quit, that I should see the process through and see what happens. I guess I had to exercise a little faith. Things are working for our good. Things are being provided as we move forward. The Lord wants our family to have a home. We want to serve the Lord in this area as much as possible. We are not perfect in this, but we desire it. I know the Lord blesses us for that, and makes up for our weakness. God is sure. He is constant. If he promises, it will come to pass. His time table is perfect for us. If we will make the steps to improve ourselves, to do the "hard" things, life will become easier. Because we will know in "whom [we] have trusted" (2 Nephi 4:19) and when we know that God will NOT let us down, we will no longer fear.

Dallin and Allison

Jenna loves to get the kids pictures taken. While posing children may not be my idea of a good time, I am always happy she does it. Her friend, Anne Hepworth, here in Orderville does such a good job. So, here I am posting some of my favorite shots from the last session.
I love seeing the the expressions on their faces, how Allison is so happy and Dallin can be so funny. The more steps I am taking along the path of fatherhood, the more grateful I am for the opportunity to be a dad and a husband. When the Psalmist wrote that "children are an heritage of the Lord", it wasn't just a nice thing to say, or something that sounded good. It was and still is the truth. Nothing has helped Jenna and I to grow more and bring us closer than our kids. We worry about them, we talk about them, we live for them. Sure we still have the things we were interested before them, but I think our perspective of what truly matters in life has changed.
Some people worry about finances and things, which is a real concern, but I am of the belief that things work out. I see it all the time around me, when people of faith have the faith to have a family, the means are provided for them. The Lord intervenes when he must. I believe He deserves a lot more credit for our well-being than we realize.
Anyway. These are our kids. Jenna is such a great mother to them. Maintaining children is a lot of work, and Jenna does more than her share. I am gone most of the day and she has chosen to be with them during that time. I know this is a lot of work on her part, and it is often without a lot of reward. But she does such a good job. I do not think anyone could do better. I know she realizes how valuable she is to our children. I also know she needs a break once in a while. I get to come home from my students in the afternoon. For her, many days there isn't any break, until I take them for an hour or a few minutes.
Well, If there are any reasons our kids are so cute and great I would say the responsibility likes mostly with my wonderful wife who takes the profession of motherhood very seriously and loves it. Thanks honey bear, I love you!

Still Around

Just checking in real quick. I have been thinking about different things to write about, but nothing has settled in long enough.
Things are going really well so far this year with school. I have an excellent group of students and really enjoy them. I took some extra time to get more organized and it is really paying off.
I have also been getting things together to begin my Master's in Educational Leadership this Summer. I am really excited about starting it. It took the Lord giving me a pretty major kick in the behind for me to get rolling on this, but ever since I "opened the door", EVERYTHING has been falling smoothly into place. I know this is the Lord opening the way before me.
Our family is being extremely blessed, our babies are healthy, Jenna is doing so much as a mother and wife and I love her so much. I am very grateful that I married a woman with the same ideals as myself. She was a good choice. Very good. Once again the Lord directed my path.
It seems the more I allow Him to do so, the better things go. Always. My only problem is the hard-heartedness I have in thinking I am more wise than the Lord. This is obviously not true as He has the clear blueprint for what He needs me to be. Perhaps I should be more open minded to the possibilities.
Anyway. Things are going well and doors really seem to be opening. There are times of trial, but there is always light in the Narrow Path.

Getting Ready! Mostly...

Well. I think I have officially hit the point of summer where I am starting to get excited about school again. This last year was pretty stressful, I had some very interesting class dynamics going on. It was all a bit crazy. Between the group of kids (The combination was phenomenal! It was wild and crazy, but I enjoyed them immensely!) I had and a constant stream of people through my classroom (aides, SPED, whoever else felt like it...) I was pretty worn down by the end of the year. I probably would have written more about it, but thinking about it was somewhat painful...
ANYWAY.
I am now getting to the point in the summer where it is all about the future and looking forward. I think that there are many things I will do the same, but I have been working more on some of the mechanics of my class, my procedures for students and my expectations. I have taught these things over and over to my previous classes, but I believe I will put even more emphasis on it this year.
Education is a tricky thing. The actual planning, teaching, and relating to students is very enjoyable and quite simple. The expectations, communication, and measuring up are somewhat difficult. Especially for the teacher, not to mention the students. I suppose interpersonal relationships can be the hard part. I am more afraid of disappointing an administrator than of being a bad teacher. The hard part of an administrator's job is that they have too much to do, too many teachers, too many papers, and too much to report. This of course carries down to the classroom where, instead of being able to enjoy teaching and building student relationships, stress comes into play and unrealistic expectations are put upon all involved. Teachers are worried about reports, tests, and performance. Students are worried about reports, tests, and performance. Administrators are worried about reports, tests, and performance. We should have these things. Reports. Tests. High Performance. They are crucial to measuring progress. But, somewhere in all this achieving, we lose something.
How do you get it back?
I think being organized solves a lot of these problems. I do not feel that I am a poor organizer or manager, but I realize I can improve. Classroom structure sets a precedent for kids to follow. They want to know what is expected. I want them to know what is expected. I believe teaching and learning should be fun, that it should really apply to life. Just like life, there are consequences at times, but if I can teach them to go through my class and learning to follow our class procedures they are learning success patterns for the rest of their lives. My most successful students are those who give their all. If my students are struggling with a concept, verbally lashing them is not the answer. Pulling them back to my desk is the answer. Having an aid assist them is the answer. Gentleness. Meekness. Love Unfeigned.
I guess in all of this it is about people. If we lose the trust of the people we are responsible for, it is very difficult to get it back. Reports, tests, and performance are important, but I feel my main responsibility to my students is to be a trusted adult that can offer some guidance. Not just on their math, or language arts, but in their lives as well.
So. I am getting ready for a new year. I have been organizing a little more. I have been planning different things to do. I think it will go well. But please remind me if I start freaking out about reports, tests, and performance, that this whole education sphere is really about kids and helping them be ready for the future.
It's interesting to me that in the course of my teaching thus far, the Lord has been teaching me many, many lessons and giving me insights I wouldn't have gained otherwise. It is about people and kids and service. A teacher has a responsibility to give their all for these kids. They may be a little crazy at times, but so is there teacher, and I wouldn't trade the opportunity I have had to teach any of them! (Just make sure you ask me on the right day!)

Marriage and Divorce

I realize I have been in the habit of posting a lot of videos lately. You may have seen this one already, but I really think it is valuable. Very valuable. It's really short, so if you haven't seen it take a couple minutes to watch. The part that hit me hardest was where Elder Oaks says that repentance is part of solving marital problems. I have experienced that first hand! I hope you enjoy this video.

4th Anniversary

Tomorrow is our anniversary!
It has been four years already and a lot has happened. I am grateful for her and her putting up with me. I think she is a wonderful girl. She is good with our kids and awesome with everyone around her. Mostly she is good to me and everything I ever wanted and want!
So that's it. Happy Anniversary Jenna! I hope it is great for you...though it will be pretty busy, eh?

Testimony

Well. Jenna and I are giving talks in church this Sunday. The topics are Joseph Smith and Testimony. Jenna's going to cover Joseph Smith and I am going to address Testimony. So of course, as soon as this assignment was given, my mind started trying to organize thoughts about testimony and just what it is.
First. I think that there are two parts to testimony. (Well, AT LEAST two...) First we all think about the question, do I have a testimony? Is it strong enough? How should I share it. Part of testimony is a very, very personal thing that involves the gaining and sharing of it. Not only do we need to gain the testimony but the testimony needs to be of truth. We go about gaining a testimony much as Alma described in Alma 32. We plant the seed-the idea. We nourish the seed through study and obedience to the principles we are working on. If the seed is good it grows. Simple right? I have seen this process work on any number of gospel principles. Tithing. Fasting and Fast Offerings. Repentance. Missionary work. Faith. Temple Work and Ordinances. Chastity. Charity. Baptism. Celestial Marriage. All of these things have proven to produce good fruit in my life and as long as I continue to nourish them, they stay healthy and strong and guide my life.
The second part of testimony that I probably don't think about as much but is crucial to its development is listening and heeding the testimony of others. Especially those ordained as our leaders. Prophets. Apostles. Seventy. Stake Presidents. Bishops. Relief Society Presidents. Our teachers. These persons have been given authority in many instances to teach us. Those who bear powerful testimony of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith, as well as other gospel principles are adding strength to our testimonies. The responsibility we have is to be hearers of the word and then doers.
I find myself worrying often if I am keeping my testimony strong enough. I think the reason this is such a concern is because a testimony is alive. When I get busy with life, sometimes I feel like I haven't given it the attention it needs. Feeding it and nourishing it every day will keep it alive. Sharing it with others will keep it alive and nourish another's testimony. I have noticed that those who lose testimony have usually done something or aligned themselves with someone or something that is contrary to gospel principles. They begin to question and apostatize. I believe it is okay to ask questions. That is how we learn. But the intent of those questions must be pure.
Anyway. Some thoughts for me to ponder. I hope the talk goes well, if not at least I learned something!

"Hope Ya Know"

Maybe some have already seen this, it is from the church web site. I thought it was really good.

This one is also great.

Happy Birthday Jenna!

Today is my wife's birthday. She is a great, great wife and friend. So. I just wanted to post about that. I really can't believe I actually survived for 25 and a half years without her by my side. She has made everything I do better. She even helps me think straight when I get frustrated, "anxietied", or over-worried. She takes wonderful care of our children and me. She teaches them the gospel and proper and upright things and I couldn't have married anyone better. She is beautiful. She is loving and caring. She is a perfect companion and keeps me doing the right things. I love you honey!