This Bus On Red

Sometimes people ask me what I've been up to lately.  I know people are just trying to make conversation, but I am busy and can never remember what I've done lately so it sounds like I just sit around all day doing nothing.  I remembered earlier this week what I have been up to lately.  Shoveling snow.   I shoveled twice in one day and it took me an hour or longer to dig out what the snowplow dumped at the bottom of the driveway.  This winter I think it has snowed at least twice a week.  Don't ask me what I do the other days.  Then I will be forced to give a very boring tedious list of everything.  I will keep track of every minute and post it.  Then you will be reminded of all the little things you are supposed to be doing too that you aren't.  Or maybe you are doing them and don't need a reminder of all the boring things you do.  Okay, so sometimes I'm bit stubborn and indignant.  Maybe that explains my fondness for this sign- or maybe if you are stuck staring at something for a long time you either start to like it or hate it.  I found it oddly artsy this week.

My kid's did great writing and giving their talks in church.  I did not get asked to surprise speak in case you're curious.  Here's their talks- longest to shortest, oldest to youngest, most adorable last.

#1's talk for Sacrament meeting
  ...I have been asked to give a talk on strengthening family through family home evening.  Family home evening for my family is when we spend time together on Monday nights we have an opening prayer, a song, spiritual tidbit, a lesson, closing prayer, and snack. Spiritual tidbit is when we share what we learned in class that week a scripture, something spiritual that we did and so forth.  In the book true to the faith it says that “in 1915 Joseph F. Smith and his counselors began a church wide effort to strengthen the family.  They called on parents in the church to gather their children once a week for a home evening.  Families were to take time to pray and sing together.  Read the scriptures, teach the Gospel to one another and participate in other activities that would build family unity.”  It also says that “in 1970 Joseph Fielding Smith and his counselors designated Monday night for family home evening.” Ever since the church has not scheduled activities on Mondays so that families can spend that evening together.  Latter-day prophets have promised that our dedication to this program will help protect our families against the evils of our time and will bring us abundant joy now and throughout the eternities.  Families come in all different sizes.  Some families don’t have children, but they can still have family home evening with each other.  Some families have one person, but they can get together with friends to have family home evening. 

Elder David A Bednar shared a story about family home evenings with his family in a general conference talk in October 2009.  He said, “As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.

Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.”

I like that story because it shows that it’s not always important what you do for family home evening as long as you spend time together.  As we have family home evening we are painting a beautiful picture one stroke at a time.

Some favorite family home evenings of mine that I remember was when I was 8 right before I was baptized my family learned the lessons that my dad taught when he was a missionary.  These lessons strengthened my family by teaching us what we believe and helped me want to be baptized.  Another one of my favorites is when we played a game from the Friend with each other and had lot of fun.  This strengthened my family because we learned to work together to solve the riddle.  I enjoy family home evening because we always spend time together no matter what we are doing.   I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

#2's talk for primary
THE TALK
Hi my name is (has been omitted)  I have been asked to give a talk about the scriptures are the word of God.  This means that the scriptures are God's words that he told the prophet to write.  This means that even though they were written by different people than God they are still his words.  Every time we read the scriptures we are reading what God said not the prophets but what the prophets wrote down.  In the 8 article of faith it says we believe the bible to be the word of God as long as it is translated correctly we also believe the book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Since the scriptures are the word of God it is important to read them.  Sometimes when you pray you are answered when you read the scriptures because they are the word of God.  The scriptures are like a map that God made for us to follow and come back to live with him.  Some times if you read the scriptures they will tell you what to do if you're stuck in a bad situation.  I've read the scriptures lots of times and about every time I read them I hear the Holy Ghost tell me that the scriptures are the word of God.  I'd like to bear my testimony that I know this church is true and that the scriptures are the word of God In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

#4's
The Scriptures are the Word of God
I like to read the scriptures.  I like reading the scriptures at church.  I like reading the scriptures at home.  I like looking at the pages in the day and I like reading them with my family at night.  I like reading the scriptures because they talk about Jesus.  I feel good reading the scriptures.  My mom tells me I feel good because the words in the scriptures are true.  The scriptures are the words of God.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

He drew a picture to go with it (he's reading the Book of Mormon; it's so cute!)