Abiding in Him

In John 15, scriptures 6-11,  Jesus talks about what happens when we abide in him and what happens when we don't. I looked up the word "ABIDE" in the dictionary and this is what it says: "accept or act in accordance with, to obey, observe, or follow". 

So for me it seems very simple... if I accept and try to act in accordance with what The Lord asks of us then, we are abiding in his love? But then I have to accept, obey and to follow and sometimes the actions of others causes me to act not in accordance with the Lord. I have always tried to teach my boys that just because someone provokes a reaction from you, it is still your choice whether that reaction is going to be positive or negative. And much like other things in my life it is often easier to tell someone what to do than to teach them by example. So is it really that simple to abide in his love always.... NOT FOR ME!

THANK GOODNESS FOR REPENTANCE!!!!!!!!!

Drawing Strength from Family & The Lord

In the first five verse of John 15 it talks about the strength of the vine and the branches. Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are like the branches, if we bare fruit then we are blessed and given strength to bare more fruit.

With yesterday being Thanksgiving, I can't help but feel like my Family is part of my fruit and in return they also give me strength. I lean on them and learn from them everyday. Good or bad we lean on each other for strength, wisdom and self discipline. I think we also lean on the Savior for a lot more things than we realize. He is there for us always in spite of the things we do and say.

Yesterday was also my Brother's birthday, now a grown man with many health issues on his plate due to the
handicaps left over from the birth defects he faced when my mother came down with German measles three months into her pregnancy.  His trials in life often seem to be so much easier than others around me, I watch him co-exist in a world with no sound and not much color for him to visualize.  And yet I know, with out even calling home, that today he will be exchanging all his Fall decorations out for all his Christmas ones. by next weekend, my mothers yard will be lit up with thousands of small colored lights of awe and wonderment. The other thing I know for sure is that in the center of all the worldly lights and Christmas cheer, he will have the almost life-sized Nativity Scene that stands out for all passerby's to see and shinning high above the manger you will find the brightest light (star) of all. I have often asked him through the years, "how did you get that light up so high?" He just shrugs his shoulders, grins big, nods to the light on the pole and says "Jesus!"

Thankgiving 2013

Very grateful for the chance to share today with my awesome family. We were missing a few... . But they were never more than a thought away. Other than eating late due work schedules, sick people and our car getting broke into, our day was filled with traditions, family stories and fun! One of our traditions every year is to try a new recipe... This year, I decided the recipe would be the breakfast treat to share while we watched the parade. (Another family tradition!) 

SOOOOO, I decided to make homemade "Salted Caramel Bacon Donuts" I keep hearing rave reviews about bacon & salted caramel this and bacon & salted caramel that. Anyway, after searching for several months for good recipes, no luck! I came up with my own, Here are the results.... They were delicious!

Week 2 ~ Studying John 15

This week we are encouraged to study John 15, 

"Jesus is the vine; His disciples are the branches—He discourses on the perfect law of love—His servants have been chosen and ordained by Him—The world hates and fights true religion—He promises the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth."

As I started to read and study this week I very quickly begin to realize I was going to need to think about this a little bit through out the week. Some of the a things were are suppose to ponder this week are...

• From whom do I get my Strength? 
• Am I abiding in Christ? 
• How can I bring forth much fruit Lord? 
• Can He call me a Friend?

National Cake Day

Today is a good day.... Today we eat CAKE!

We had fun here at our house. WE celebrated in a variety of different ways...




FIRST - we made a very yummy cake all home made.
See the recipe and details on our food blog at The Pantry Life

Second we made cards, invitations and scrapbook pages to high light the day...You can find the instructions and details for these on our craft blog at Annie's Pantry

 And the we had a CAKE PARTY!!!!!

Ponder & Reflecting - Week 1

Today is Monday and we are coming to the end of our first week. Today is the day we get to ponder over the things we have studied this past week. Our question was to Ponder: Am I seeking the Lord's help in all I think & do? How can He help me overcome my weaknesses?

I just want to share with everyone, what amazing week this has been... Two things I have truly gained a better testimony of this week are 1. Faith without sincere works are / is dead and 2. The principals and ordinances of the gospel are the easy part, applying them in every thought and action is the hard part. I feel very blessed and very greatful for the testimony building experiences that I have had this week and as I ponder the question above, it reminded me of a story I once heard entitled...

"The Cracked Pot" 

A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, "As we return to the mistress's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?“That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress's table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house."

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.
But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. We've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There's a lot of good out there.

Chris Cullen's Missionary Homecoming

Not feeling good today, but I knew I had to go to church today. Chris was giving his mission homecoming report. He talked about how much he had grown and how important being a member missionary is. He shared a couple of experiences with us that made me homesick for Toa and his family feasts, our red brick home on the hill in Provo and all our friends that taught me the true meaning of being there for each other.

I remember when Chris left and all the struggles we had had with him in the past, both in and out of our home. But I do feel like he served a good mission and his heart is in the right place. I know his road has been hard and he has a lot of work to do still. But I think I have grown and I have become a better person for knowing him. He gave a great report and will be returning to Salt Lake City, I wish him luck in all his endeavors. I love his quote "even though it was not the best two years OF  life, it was the best two years FOR my life"