Today in sacrament meeting we had a great speaker. I'm not sure if he was high council, I'm afraid I wasn't paying enough attention. But at the beginning of his talk he said how he noticed all of the parents having to take out the 5 & under kids. He said how he loved the principle King Benjamin taught in Mosiah. Chapter 4 verse 24 says, "...I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give." Verse 25, "And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless." Anyway, he said that he has noticed that so much in his church life. How he would be busy with meetings and wishing in his heart that he could be home with his family. He said the same thing applies. His family is blessed as if he were there, just like the poor who can't give to the poor are blessed if in their hearts they would give if they could. He applied it to young parents who wish they could pay attention all the time and get so much more out of church meetings and appreciate the sacrament. If they really feel that in their hearts then they will be blessed as if they could. It was just so nice, because some days I come home from church and think, "Did I learn anything today?" (Okay, who am I kidding, that is pretty much every Sunday.) And I've had the thought before that we're blessed even if we aren't able to listen. I just felt as he said it that it was true. That's one of the things I got out of church today.
Jason and I have new callings. I teach the 8 & 9 year olds in primary, and after teaching Sunbeams for 1 1/2 years I have to say that is the perfect age to teach. They're old enough to read and follow the lesson, but not old enough they realize they don't have to listen. They're such a fun class. Jason was called as a Cub Scout leader and the boys in my class are Cub Scout age. Funny how things work out.
Love you all, hope you had a nice weekend.
HISTORY
A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.
From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.
In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.
Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.
Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.
We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.
As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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3 comments:
I was just talking to my dad last night about how I love going to church but I just hate going when Colin has to work and I have to wrestle Jack by myself being 8 months pregnant. Thank gooness Mia is okay on her own most of the time. I was thinking during the sacrament "How am I going to take care of these two kids and have a nursing baby and be by myself some Sundays?" It should be interesting but it's not like it hasn't been done before right Dana and Becky? My Dad said it was important that I still take them, regardless of what I get out of it because that is where they are supposed to be and they are learning that. I know it seems obvious but it really helped to hear it. Thanks Dana for sharing what you learned
These are the kinds of messages I don't get to hear in a singles ward, so I really appreciate you sharing. It's so interesting to me how the church is the same everywhere, yet they still manage to fit the principles to apply to whatever situation the ward members are in. It reminds me of how deep the Gospel really is - any one truth can apply to such a wide spectrum of situations and experiences. It's one reason I love visiting other wards when I'm out of town - you can learn so much about the makeup of a ward by the messages that are shared.
dana,
thanks for sharing that too. wow. it is something to write down so i can always remember. i'm glad you heard that much. hang in there all you moms. it is so so so worth it.
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