They will lead them...

(PC to me)

From your fellow latter-day saint in the pews with you.
Stop praying that your friends, family members, and loved ones will return to the church.
Instead, pray that they will be able to feel Divine love in a way that resonates with them.
Stop praying that your loved one will be led to the specific place you think they need to be.
Instead, pray they will have confidence to recognize & courage to go wherever God is leading them.
Stop praying that your loved one will understand God and God’s plan for them exactly as you do.
Instead, pray that you will have faith and trust in a loving God’s perfect, individual plan for them.
Stop praying that your loved one will follow you on your path back to God.
Instead, pray to know how you can walk with them on their path back to God.
Stop praying for opportunities to show them the truth of your way.
Instead, pray for trust that none are ever lost to God, who is The Way.
Stop praying that your loved one will experience God the way you do.
Instead, pray that they will share the ways they experience God with you.
Prayer is powerful.
But it has been hijacked into a method of asking God to impose what we think is best on others.
The true power of prayer is in asking God to help us see, love, & walk with others as they are; not asking God to make others what we want them to be.
I know prayers offered asking God to bring loved ones back to church are given in full sincerity and love.
These prayers asking for specific outcomes too often act as a wedge between us and those we pray for.
Rather than listening to their experiences and seeing God in their lives, we push for a specific path that may or may not be what God has in mind for this person.
So rather than praying that others will be led to where we are, let's pray that they will feel Divine love, see Divine presence, and follow Divine guidance, without assuming we know what that will feel like, how it will look, or where it will lead.
Our Heavenly Parents know each of Their children. They love them. And They will lead them.
Our job is to love and walk with them as our Heavenly Parents lead them.

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Three grands!

 And then there was baby Grey to make three grands!

No imperfect harvest...

“Regardless of how insignificant our efforts may seem, if we are sincere, the Savior will use us to accomplish His work. …
“The Savior stands ready to accept our humble offerings and perfect them through His grace. With Christ, there is no imperfect harvest. We must have the courage to believe that His grace is for us—that He will help us, rescue us from the depths when we falter, and perfect our less-than-perfect efforts..”

—Elder Vern P. Stanfill (“The Imperfect Harvest,” general conference, April 2023)

 “And What Is Left Will Grow,” by Colby Sanford

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Colby!

A stroll around the temple with Colby. He didn't know you are not suppose to pick the flowers! 

More from Jakarta...

Christopher wrapped up his meetings in Jakarta and is now back in Manila. He stayed at a beautiful hotel in Jakarta. He's been very busy and had quite the adventure.

My favorite season...

Fall is absolutely my favorite season, I hope it's a long one. I love the colors and enjoy putting up all my Fall decorations.

Cash and Colby painted these wreaths for me and I love them.

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

Our love... Our labor...

“OTHER THAN OUR LOVE, OUR LABOR IS ONE OF THE MOST SACRED GIFTS WE CAN GIVE.
WHEN YOUR LABOR IS YOUR LOVE, LIFE IS SACRED” 

- Tony Robbins

30 years...

In a few months I will be the same age as my Dad when he died. I have wondered many times what that would feel like. It still seems too young, too premature, and I wasn’t ready to say good bye. While I was holding his hand at about 5:00pm this very day, my Dad took his last breath. That was 30 years ago, I have dearly missed him for all of those years. After Dad found out the melanoma had metastasized, he told me that he wished God would give him a few more years. He had finally met the love of his life, sweet Alice. They were only married for about two years and were so happy. They had dreams of traveling around the United States in Dad's camper.

Ivan Lester Federer worked hard all his life, honored his parents, gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, forgave even when it was difficult, was always helping others, and had great faith.

Referring to the sorrowful Friday on which Jesus’s followers grieved His death and then to the glorious Sunday on which He was resurrected, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

“But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

“No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.”

Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come,” Ensign, Nov. 2006

How I look forward to the day when I will be with my Dad again.

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Not having it...

The boys have been good sports and let me take bench pictures through the years. But Grahm was not having it last year! I still love this pictures of Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm. 

He cute!

Grahm got a haircut from Tiffani and he looks so handsome. I stopped by just when Tiff was finishing up, so Grahm and I went for a celebratory treat! Grahm gets cuter everyday!