The Day the Music Died...

  

There are two kinds of people in our household, one that loves jazz music and one that loves the one that loves jazz music. Because I am the latter, I have found myself at concerts I normally would not attend. Recently, I was at a concert listening to Dave Koz play the Saxaphone. I was the one in the audience blubbering. No, not just shedding a tear or even crying, but blubbering - you know, the ugly cry. Wondering where these emotions had come from, I began to recall memories from my childhood.

My dad was diagnosed with Diabetes at the age of 13. Being sick and small in stature, he decided to take up the Saxaphone. His twin brother told me that this brought him much happiness as well as a way to pick up girls. Fast forward many years and dad's health is not good. Most of my childhood memories are of him in and out of the hospital. I remember many evenings where you could hear him playing the Sax in his room. I often would question why and assumed that it was either mom wouldn't let him play out in the living room or that he just wanted to be alone. As I listened to Dave Koz play his new hit entitled, "New Hope" (https://youtu.be/kvO53APyoAs) I had the epiphany that playing the Sax gave Dad hope. It brought him peace and comfort. It was his way of dealing with the struggles he was facing. 

Fast forward a few more years. Dad's health is worse. He is unable to fight an infection in his hand and so they amputate his arm. Looking back, I realize that there was no more Saxaphone in the house. The beautiful sounds from the bedroom had stopped. So many thoughts were running through my head. How did dad cope? Where did dad find hope now? Why hadn't I noticed? Why was I so selfish to not see, or even hear, his need for love, understanding and hope?

In the middle of my blubbering, wondering if it was going to stop, I had another memory. Dad lying on the living room couch every Sunday afternoon listening to his favorite albums. Mom made him store his stereo equipment in the closet so the living room didn't look messy but that didn't stop him from enjoying the music. It was music that gave him hope and when he couldn't supply his own hope, he learned to rely on others to supply the hope he needed. 

I realize that when struggles come my way, I rely on music to bring me hope as well. Many a restless night have turned to peace through my earbuds. It is the Dave Koz' of the world that provide a "New Hope" when the old one no longer works. To those that share their talents, goodness and kindness for the benefit of others - a big Thank You - you never know whose life you are making better, even if it for only a small moment. 

I recently had someone tell me that they are looking forward to meeting their dad, on the other side, one day. I write this with sadness in my heart as I realize that I truly do not know my father very well and I too, look forward to "meeting" him again. And, on that day, I pray that he has his saxophone, and we can enjoy some music in between our conversations together. Who knows, he might even let me accompany him on the piano. What a joyful day that will be!

Joy

It seems like I hear the word joy often. In the scriptures we are commanded to have joy. We are told that we cannot know joy if we don't know misery. We learn that Adam fell so that man could have joy. When listening to the endowment in the Temple you hear the word joy multiple times. When listening to conference last October it seemed like every talk spoke of joy. What is joy? I have contemplated this question for several years now and recently I found the answer. The answer came in a still small voice as I sat in the sealing room with my husband, four children and their spouses. It was reiterated to me as we all sat in the Celestial room together. I was told that I was making it too complicated. I was told that I already know what joy is. I was told it was found in the things I know.

So, what do I know and what brings me joy?

I know that I am a daughter of God and that He knows me and loves me.
I know that my family can be eternal.
I know that my family loves each other and wants to be eternal.
I know that I have a Savior that has atoned for my sins and made it possible for me to return to the presence of my Father in Heaven.
I know that my husband loves me and that we are sealed for time and for eternity.
I know that I will see my earthly father and grandparents again.
I know that the Priesthood is real and that it has incredible power to heal.
I know that there is a Prophet on the earth today to guide us.
I know that the Book of Mormon is true and written for our day.
I know that the Proclamation of the World is an inspired document and the answers to so many questions.
I know the church is true and that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope and peace.
I know that the Lord has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined.
I know the sweet feeling of forgiveness, the happiness of obedience and the assurance of promised blessings.

I know that my redeemer lives.
I know what joy is!

Defenders of the Family Unit

What an incredible week. CJ and his family came up from Tennessee for the week and then Chris and his family came for the Easter weekend. We had a blast. We went to museums to learn, create, experiment, and explore. We went to an aquarium to touch, watch, laugh, question and awe. We stayed home on a rainy/snowy day, all day in our pajamas, where we cooked, colored, painted,  played, competed, cut, glued, sang and ate. On the sunny days we ran, jumped, swung, twirled, hit, threw, went to the zoo and rod in the Jeep. On Sunday we worshiped, prayed, hunted for eggs and feasted. We were family! (minus a few).

The Family; A Proclamation to the World tells us that we need to

defend the family. It states, "Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society".

Satan would have us believe otherwise but the family is the most important unit in God's plan. Families can be forever. I for one am grateful for the family unit and promise to be a defender of it!

Strength Centered Comments...

When our children were younger Chad taught a Dale Carnegie Human Relations and Public Speaking course. This opportunity was a blessing for our family in so many ways. The fact that it helps us financially was an incredible blessing but the biggest blessings came from the teachings themselves. Because Chad would practice these concepts with the kids they learned to communicate, especially with adults. This has been a skill they have used and will continue to use throughout their lives. They also all have the ability to stand in front of a crowd and deliver a well thought out speech. They learned how to memorize; they learned how to use the conversation stack to carry on conversations with others; they learned how to not criticize, condemn or complain; and many others. One of the most enjoyable exercises was learning to give and accept strength centered comments. As a family we would sit in a circle and give a strength centered comment to the person sitting next to us. We did this quite often and it blessed our family with confidence, strength and increased love. It taught us how to look for the good in others and how to accept compliments. The rules for this exercise are as follows:

• Recognize a strength – Identify a positive that you see with in that person. Then let them know why that strength is important and relevant. Say what and why...
• Keep it brief – Try to keep your comment to 30 seconds or less. Being short and concise will allow your message to be more powerful. You will have the person's complete attention during this time. Also, you must have eye contact at all times.
  
• Focus on the person and not yourself – Remember, you are trying to build confidence and uplift others. It is important to shine the light on the person you are giving the comment to and not on yourself. Do not make it flowery or pretend. It must be sincere and thoughtful.
• Response – All you can say is Thank you. Nothing else. Don't try to downplay it or make excuses.

One of the most memorable experiences we had was when our daughter was about 4 and her older brother would have been about 8. Kimberly could not wait to sit next to CJ. You could tell that she had something to say. Her enthusiasm was electrifying. When it was her turn she looked at CJ and said, "CJ, I love you because you are soooo handsome". It was so sweet. I love that our children love each other and have the confidence to tell each other why. What a great blessing to our family.

Love languages...

We are blessed with four incredible children. They truly are our miracle children and we will be eternally grateful for the joy they have bought into our lives. With our first we were very naïve and thought that because our children came from the same two parents and would be raised in the same environment they would all be the same. We were so wrong. We have four different children with different personalities, likes, dislikes and needs. Because they were different we had to discipline and teach them differently. They each have their own love language. Recently my daughter posted on Instagram "updates" on her children. She highlighted their differences, how much they have grown, things they are doing, phrases they had recently said, and things that she loves about them. I thought it would be fun to "update" you on our children.

CJ - The oldest. A father of three. A loving husband. Helpful to his wife. Involved father. Family is his greatest joy. Confident. Faithful. Talented. A great teacher. Works hard/plays hard. Athletic. A coach in many aspects of his life. Loves the gospel of Jesus Christ with all his heart. Outgoing. Effective negotiator. Supportive. Encouraging. Practical. Successful. MBA. Speaks Dutch.

Chris - The second. Also a father of three. Loves his family with all his heart. Calm. Obedient. Humble. Tenderhearted. Thoughtful. Focused. Loves the gospel of Jesus Christ as well. Inquisitive. Studious. Fun loving/goofy/wild side. Athletic. Daredevil. Tallest. Easy going. Faithful. "Punny". Working on his PHD. Speaks Samoan.

Kim - The rose among the thorns. Without guile. Kind. Sure. Compassionate. Full of charity for others. Mother of two. A mother who knows! Teaches, guides and loves her children with Christ-like love. Smart. Creative. Musical. Great athlete. Wonderful wife and daughter. Respectful. Forgiving. Loves the gospel too. Clever. Loves to laugh. "Tech" teacher. Speaks Spanish.

Corey - Is and always will be the baby. Happy. Humble. Newly married and totally in love. Obedient. Affectionate. Witty. Hard worker. Conscientious. Goal driven. Enjoys life. Outgoing. Loves the gospel. Thoughtful. Forgiving. Respectful. Athletic. Smart. Studying engineering. Started first internship. Speaks Spanish.

Priesthood of God.

I have a testimony of many things. I have a testimony of Girls Camp and the incredible spiritual experience it can bring to Young Women. I have a testimony of EFY and the power of influence for good it had on my children as far as scripture study and better music choices. I have a testimony of Seminary and it's value of putting on the armor of God every morning. I have a testimony of the Savior's atonement and the power to forgive as well as give hope. I have a testimony of the power of the Holy Ghost and it's power to bring peace and comfort as well as guide. I found that as I live and experience different aspects of the gospel my testimony in that area grows by leaps and bounds. There are many areas I need to continue to work on like family history. My first testimony in the gospel was when I was a young girl. That testimony is of the Priesthood. The power of God on the earth today. I have seen this power throughout my life and will be eternally grateful for a father, grandfather, brother, husband, sons, home teachers, bishops, etc. that have strengthened this testimony. Of all the incredible Priesthood holders in my life my father stands out most. He honored, loved, and understood the Priesthood. He taught me from a very young age to also honor and respect the Priesthood. He was a courageous example of what a Priesthood holder should be. Dad was quite ill during his life, especially the last seven years. I was a teenager at the time. One time when he was in the hospital, in isolation, Chad was ready to receive the Melchizedek priesthood and wanted my dad to confer that upon him. Dad was so ill that he could barely open his eyes, let alone sit up. We got permission from the Stake President to do the ordinance in the hospital. It was amazing to watch my dad sit up, give an incredible prayer, and lie back down drained. He had the faith and the Lord blessed him. Dad so wanted the Priesthood to be in his home. I know that he understood that home teachers were available but he wanted it there, in the home. At the time my brother to young so it would been a few more years before he would be a Priesthood holder. Chad and I were married in the Mesa Temple and my dad was well enough to make it to the ceremony. He was one of the witnesses. He was in a wheelchair at the time. After the ceremony he leaned over to my mom and whispered, "I can go know, there is a Priesthood holder in the home". The next day was Father's day then on Monday he went back into the hospital and passed away shortly after. There is no doubt in my mind that had Chad not joined our family my dad would have waited for my brother to get the Priesthood. It was that important to him. Since that day I have experienced many wonderful aspects of the Priesthood. I have worked in ward councils, my husband has been a Bishop and in the Stake Presidency, my sons have all served missions, I have seen father's blessings, blessings of healing, babies blessed, baptisms, and confirmations. I have the incredible blessing and privilege of working  in the Temple. And many more, too many to mention. The Priesthood and my testimony of it are one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Mothers who know...

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/mothers-who-know?lang=eng

Sister Julie Beck gave an incredible talk in 2007 entitled "Mothers Who Know". In it she talked about the power and influence of mothers. As I was recently reading this talk for class I was reminded of the incredible mothers - who know - that my daughter and daughter-in-laws are. These loving women, Kim - Alli - Jessica - Michelle, know how important their role as mother is. They are teaching their children correct principles. They have chosen to be home for their children. They love being mothers and never make excuses for their choice. They are daughters of God and they know that they are responsible for helping His children, whom He has given them responsibility for, to return to Him someday.  I love being with them and seeing the joy they have in their posterity. I love that they rejoice in their little ones accomplishments. I love that they cry with them in the hard times; laugh with then in funny times; and mourn with them when mistakes are made. Sister Beck said that mothers who know honor sacred covenants and ordinances. She also said they stand strong and immovable. These four daughters of mine exemplify all of these. I love that they love the gospel. That they love the Lord. That they honor the Priesthood their husbands hold. That they are converted to the ways of the Lord. But even more, I love that they are teaching their children the same ideal. As I look over all the wonderful blessings in my life, and there are many, one of the greatest blessings is having four beautiful daughters that are mothers who know.

Grandma Ida...

PRESTON - Ida Lorene Robins Fuhriman, 95, passed away Monday, April 18, 2011, at the Franklin County Medical Center in Preston. She was born March 6, 1916, in Plain City, Utah, the daughter of Ira Joseph and Irene Folkman Robins. She married Darvel Miller Fuhriman on Dec. 22, 1936, in Preston, Idaho. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Logan LDS Temple.
She was a beautiful seamstress and an excellent cook. She made the best cinnamon rolls ever. She enjoyed sharing her sewing and cooking talents with family, friends and neighbors. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She enjoyed serving as a visiting teacher and as Sunday School secretary for many years. She also served as a temple worker.
She is survived by her daughter, Janet F. Maughan of Scottsdale, Ariz.; her son, Scott D. Fuhriman of Key West, Fla.; five grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and by three brothers and one sister.

Grandma Ida would have been a hundred years old yesterday. Oh how I miss her. The above obituary forgot to mention that she loved her family dearly and they meant the world to her. That she was their rock. That she was the kindest women. That she loved to tell stories - over and over again. That she spent most of her life caring for her sick husband or daughter. That all of her posterity (it's grown by 10 since then) loved her so much that they were all in attendance except the two great-grandsons on a mission. That she was a perfect example of how to love with patience and non-judgment. I am who I am today because of this great lady and will be eternally grateful for her love and example. I only pray that I can be the kind of sister, wife, mom, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great grandmother that she was to her loved ones. Because we are an eternal family I get to be with her again someday and it will be awesome! I love and miss you Grandma Ida. Thanks for everything.

What is your love language?

According to Gary Chapman the five languages of love are:

• Quality Time
• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Service
• Physical Touch
• Gifts

If you go to 5lovelanguages.com you can take a test to find out what yours are. I wasn't surprised to find out that my top two were quality time and acts of service. I love spending time with Chad. It really is the very best. He is my best friend and so much fun to be with. It doesn't have to be exotic and expensive either. A Jeep ride with the music blasting; banana grams; rock band; a walk around the block; or even running errands. Time with Chad is my love language and avenue to happiness. Chad has never backed away from telling me he loves me. In fact, once I actually told him he tells me to much and to stop. Boy was that a mistake - I truly missed it. But one of the best ways he shows me he loves me is with acts of service. Doing the dishes if they are in the sink; sweeping and vacuuming the floor if it needs it; letting me have the towel closest to the shower so I stay warm; letting me lay my head on his shoulder when sad - and letting me cry, just to name a few. This next two weeks I will be working on learning Chad's love language and trying harder to use it. I will keep you updated on the progress but am actually looking forward to showing greater love to Chad so he too can feel as loved as I do.

The Temple is all about Families - Eternal Families...

I have the wonderful opportunity to serve in the Chicago Illinois Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints twice a month. I love working anywhere in the Temple but one of my favorites is the Baptistry. Here baptism is performed, by proxy, for those who have passed on before. I especially love it when a youth group comes to do the baptisms. This past weekend we served with two different youth groups from local wards. The first was smaller and they were baptized for Temple names. Names given to them by the Temple. It was a sweet experience. The next group was larger and they had brought family names with them. Everyone had at least 9 names that they got to do. The spirit was so strong. One of the sisters that had come with the group to assist them had brought her grandmother's name to be done. She quietly asked if she could be the proxy for the confirmation if it wasn't a problem. She didn't want to cause any trouble. Trouble? How could the opportunity for you to do your grandmother's work cause trouble. Of course we will make that happen. So after all the other work was done she was escorted into the confirmation room where she started the work on her grandmother. In time this beautiful family will be sealed for time and eternity. Eternity. Forever together. How awesome is that? Another time during the day I was walking in the hall and noticed a young man all dressed in white walking towards the sealing room with the temple workers. He too was going to be sealed to his family for all eternity. It really hit me that temples are all about families - eternal families. And I am truly grateful for mine! 

Can't Believe It's Been Two Weeks Already!

Other than not updating the blog last week the past two weeks have been awesome. Don't get me wrong, every time I picked up the phone I would go to click Facebook and then I would remember don't do it. The biggest thing that I have noticed over the past two weeks is that I am happier. I haven't read anti-stuff. I haven't read ugly comments. I haven't been bombarded with politics. And not one person has asked me to play a game or help them win stuff. It's actually been quite heavenly. While at work yesterday I actually noticed that I was carrying on a very nice conversation with one of my co-workers. What a novel idea. I am hoping to keep this going. I think I can live without knowing everything about everyone. I can live without the meme's, although many are very clever. I can live without the negativity. But one thing I can't live without - pictures of the grandkids. So, for now, I will not be deleting Instagram. One step at a time, right?

How will I ever make it without Facebook?

Today was the first day of the Provident Living #4 - Media Management. I set a goal to not look at Facebook for 2 weeks. It has been about 24 hours since I set that goal and it has been harder than expected. In the last 24 hours I have realized how many times I look at Facebook on my phone. This is quite often BTW. I have decided to delete the app from my phone because every time there is a comment or post related to our Facebook I get a notice on my phone and I am tempted to check it out. Several years ago my husband taught a Dale Carnegie class. One of the human relations principles taught was Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain. This left a lot of time on your hands so you were suppose to replace it with something good. So now I have more time on my hands by not looking at Facebook so what shall I replace it with? What if I read the scriptures on my phone instead? How far would I get? What if I read general conference talks instead? How uplifted would I be? What if I didn't pick up my phone at all and carried on a conversation with a co-worker? How much missionary work could be accomplished? What if I called one of my children to tell them of my love? How much joy would that bring to both of us? What if I wrote a letter of thanks or called a friend in need? What a novel idea! What if I sent a text to my young women to let them know I was thinking of them? How much closer could we become! All of these will be great replacements and bring much good to me but the greatest blessing that will come from not looking at Facebook will be peace and happiness. Why? Because I will not be reading angry comments, anti-Mormon posts from old friends, or scary news reports. I will not be wasting time on game invites or silly surveys. I will be less frustrated with politics and more in tune with the spirit. All in all I have to say this may be the hardest but most rewarding 2 weeks in a long time. I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Family!

There is nothing that brings more joy than family! I am blessed with a wonderful family. It seems that this family started out with just the two of us a few years ago and has grown to 18 in no time flat. These are 7 of the 8 incredible blessings in my life. You can tell by the looks of things that they were done with having pictures taken. The oldest will be baptized next summer. I am grateful for their parents that are raising them in the gospel. That are teaching them correct principles and preparing them to make and keep sacred covenants that they will someday make in the Temple. I am grateful that their parents made those sacred covenants with each other and strive daily to keep them. When I look at this picture I am reminded of my Heavenly Father's plan and His love for me. I can't wait to be with these guys forever!

Covenants

This week in class we studied Gospel Ordinances and Covenants. I was reminded of the importance of these in my life. I am grateful for the Temple and the covenants I have made with the Lord. I was especially grateful for the covenant of marriage and that Chad and I can be married for not only time but for eternity.

Friday as I was driving to work I was listening to my favorite radio station. It was a couple of days before Valentine's and they had put together a "No-Budget" wedding. It was 7:30 in the morning and a couple was getting married at the radio station. Their family was there to enjoy the morning. They had only learned a week before that they had won this prize. As I listened to this wedding being performed on the radio it was fun to hear the mothers cry, the groomsmen joke, the bridesmaids cheer, and the couple make vows with one another. I was grateful that in our crazy world that people still felt it necessary to make these vows with one another. It made my heart happy. The radio DJ mentioned that she is getting married again and her mother is upset that it is not in the Catholic church. She explained that in order to do that she would need to get her first marriage annulled. She was not willing to do that. She did not want to say that her first marriage never happened. Her first marriage was a big part of her life and she had wonderful children because of it. I was saddened that her first marriage ended in divorce but grateful that is was a good memory.

These two stories made me contemplate the things I had learned in class this week. Marriage is ordained of God. It is between a man and a women. The covenant that we make with one another is for eternity. We can be together forever if we live up to that covenant. I will be eternally grateful for this wonderful blessing in my life. I am grateful for four children that have chosen to enter into this covenant of marriage. Here is a picture of our last one - in the Gilbert AZ Temple - where there were no empty seats!

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

     This semester I am taking an online class entitled The Eternal Family. The purpose of this course is to help deepen our understanding of the plan of salvation and the doctrines and principles found in the Family proclamation. Another purpose is to help our desire to strengthen our marriages, nurture our children and create a healthy, supportive and righteous family environment. And lastly, to work on provident living skills that will help our marriage and family.
     The first provident living skill we worked on was scripture study. I made a goal to read the scriptures for the Sunday School lesson daily, with my husband. This has been a great blessing. Although we are not as consistent as we should be at the daily part, we have been successful in reading the assignment. It has been very helpful when we go to class to understand and participate. I have enjoyed the discussion I have had with Chad about what we are reading and how we can apply them to become better people.
     As we have read the first book of Nephi I have been amazed the lessons taught about the eternal family. We see the desire of Lehi for his family to partake of the fruit and have the ability to be together forever. How hard must it have been for Nephi to see the future, to see his brother's posterity fighting with his posterity and the devastation to come. He knew that the possibility of eternal family was gone because of the choices his brothers would make. But he continued on, being a great example, and worked hard for the promise of his own family being eternal.
     As we read, study, ponder and apply the scriptures in our lives we can be uplifted, edified, and taught by the spirit the things that we need to do to ensure that our families are eternal.


   

"The Atonement is not just for sinners"

-Elder Bruce C Hafen of the Seventy

One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is Alma 7:11-12. In Chapter 7, Alma is speaking to the people in Gideon. In verse 7 he teaches "there is one thing which is of more importance than they all - for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. This was 83 years before the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.  Alma then teaches the people what the Savior will do while upon the earth:

Alma 7:11-13

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

In the margins next to this scripture I wrote...the Lord has 1st hand knowledge. How comforting to me to know that He has experienced what I am experiencing and He knows how to succor me and you. How comforting to know that the Atonement was not just for sin but that Jesus Christ suffered to save us from death too and to help us through the challenges of mortality.

"This reliance upon the merciful nature of God is at the very center of the gospel Christ taught. I testify that the Savior's Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair. From the beginning, trust in such help was to give us both a reason and a way to improve, an incentive to lay down our burdens and take up our salvation". -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Do you agree with Alma that the coming of the Savior is the most important event of all time? I bear testimony that this truly is the most important event of all time. I am grateful for His willingness to come to earth and fulfill His part in the Father's plan. That He was willing to suffer in the garden and then lay down His life for us, making it possible for us to repent and return to our Father in Heaven. To be resurrected and live again. I am grateful for the knowledge of the Atonement and although I am just beginning to understand all it covers I am grateful that it is not just for sinners. That Jesus Christ is there for me during my challenges and will take those burdens from me if I will let Him. I pray everyday that I can repent and become more like Him. Of these things I testify.

The book shall be of great worth.

So much for posting from time to time, more like year to year. It's been quite a whirlwind since my last post. I will update everyone soon on all the changes. One change is that I have decided to go back to school and get by BSN. I am doing an online RN to BSN program through BYU-I. The biggest reason is to fulfill a lifelong goal of getting my bachelor's degree before all my kids get theirs - barely going to make it - probably will graduate with Corey instead of before - but counts!

One of the classes I am taking is the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon and am excited for the chance to read and study it again in depth. "The Book of Mormon is a sacred record of peoples in ancient America" and is another testament of Jesus Christ. Together, with the Bible, they testify to us of our Savior, His mission, His life and the way back to live with Him again.

This week while studying 2 Nephi 28 I was struck with verse 2: And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel. The book mentioned here is the Book of Mormon. In Chapter 2, Nephi, an ancient prophet, is prophesying of some of the challenging conditions in the latter days and warns of ways that Satan will try to distract us from righteousness. This is why the Book of Mormon is of such great worth , to help us know how to overcome the conditions of our time.

A modern day prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, taught how we can recognize the great worth of the Book of Mormon:

"Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations...

"If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, 'Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?'...

Throughout the entire book we find lessons on how to draw nearer to Christ, to overcome temptation, and to resist the power of Satan. President Ezra Taft Benson emphasized this by saying, 

"Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God, to be more like Him in our daily walk, to feel His presence with us constantly? If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book.

"It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives that moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the stait and narrow path. The scriptures are called 'the words of life', and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance."

I testify that the Book of Mormon is of great worth to us in our day. I know that these ancient prophets saw our day and know our struggles. If we will abide by it's precepts we can overcome these struggles. I know that if you study and pray to know these things for yourself, that the Holy Ghost will "manifest the truth of it unto you".

What's in a name?

First, thank you to Kimberly for setting up this blog for me. I am hoping to write my thoughts from time to time as memories resurface. 

I was talking with my older son, CJ, the other day about the arrival of his third child. As we were discussing names he mentioned that he might take my husband up on his offer of $5,000 to the first kid that names a daughter Whitney. I don't know if this because of his love for the name; a love of Whitney Houston, or an old girlfriend; but, Chad is determined to have a granddaughter named Whitney. 

None of the kids have jumped at the chance to have a Whitney and $5,000. Maybe this is because their mother continues to insist that dad doesn't have that kind of money or maybe it is a dislike for the name. So, needless to say I was surprised that CJ was even considering it. When asked why the change of heart, CJ stated that he wanted his daughter to have a "story" about her name. He has a "story" about his name and it has opened many doors/opportunities in his lifetime. It is a great conversation starter and a great way for people to remember him. Why not offer your daughter the same opportunities?

So my first memory to write about is...how CJ got his name:

When I was 6 years old my appendix ruptured, causing me to become quite ill. I ran a very high fever, making it impossible for surgery for a few days. It turns out that I had gang green, peritonitis, and I vividly remember a drain coming out of my right lower abdomen area. I remember the drainage had a horrible smell; but, that is TMI. It took sometime but I did finally recovered. 

Fast forward about 12 years.

Chad and I were married in 1979. We were young and naive but in love. We were both working full-time and enjoying life. We decided that we would love to start a family but after a couple of years we still had not been blessed with children. So we decided to buy "toys" instead. We had a CJ5 Jeep along with a couple of 3-wheelers, a camping trailer, etc. Life was fun but we still felt like we were missing something to complete our family.

It was at this time that I started to see doctors about why we had not been able to conceive. After a couple of surgeries they discovered that my ruptured appendix had caused adhesions to "stick" most of my internal organs together. I underwent a major abdominal surgery to have the adhesions removed. It was at this time that they discovered that one of my ovaries was completely damaged and the other one didn't look to promising. The doctor's gave us a 5% chance of ever having children. I will save the story of our 4 miracles for another blog update.

I went through more surgeries and treatments and in 1984 we were blessed with our first son. These treatments were quite expensive and Chad had just recently lost his job so money was tight. We were worried about how we were going to pay for this new addition. In fact, they insisted that we pay for him before we left the hospital. So we decided it was time to sell the "toys" and become mature parents.

We knew that we wanted to name him Charles Norman Krewson, III, after his father but had not decided on what to call him. We thought of Chucker - Chucker Krewson sounded like he could be a famous football player. We thought of Trey, for the third., but it didn't really fit. We even considered Norman but Cheers was pretty popular then and we didn't want people to holler "Norm" every time he came into the room. 

When CJ was born he weighed 8 lbs, 14 ounces and was only 18" long. He was kind of short and stocky. When the doctor handed him to me he said, "even his toes are fat", "he is built just like a jeep". That was it, we would call him CJ. After our CJ Jeep we had sold to "pay" for him. We would tell people it stood for Chad Junior but we knew the truth; he had become the new love of our life.

We have told CJ from time to time over the years that he could change his name if he wanted too but I think he likes it. We have since had another CJ5 and a CJ7 in our life. They have been fun and brought a lot of joy and memories, but the CJ we will eternally love, the one that came to live with us in 1984, the one that has given us two wonderful grandsons, the soon arrival of a granddaughter, and a beautiful addition to our family in his wife Alli; he is, by far, the best CJ of them all.

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