Baptism

My oldest daughter, Esther, was baptized today. I'm so proud of her. It was a memorable day, to say the least. Things were actually pretty calm getting everyone ready for the service. My son didn't even complain about putting on his church clothes!

Esther was a bit nervous, as she didn't want a lot of people watching her. The Lord was merciful in that regard (isn't He, though, in most regards?), as many of the people who would have come to the baptism were out of town for one reason or another. Also, Esther was the only one in our ward being baptized this month. A friend of hers was originally going to be baptized this month, but waited until next month for family reasons.

So the group of people was small and intimate. Esther, myself, Susie, Jayson, Lizzie, Grandma Chris, Brian and Jennifer Christensen with their children (Caleb, Paige, and Tanner), Brother and Sister Swensen, Brother and Sister Ruiz, Brother Ball, Brother and Sister Stephen, Brandi Snyder (with Zayden and Eli), Bishop and Sister Keele, Sister Goodman, Kristina Pinner, and maybe two or three other people who I can't remember at the moment.

The water in the baptismal font was very warm. I mean very warm. As Esther put her foot into the water, she said, "It feels like a hot tub." We had practiced baptism at home last night. I wanted to do so for Esther to feel more comfortable, and also because I hadn't baptized someone since my mission (other than a couple of times doing baptism for the dead).

I actually had to baptize Esther three times. The first time, her foot came up. The second time, one of her pony tails came up. The third time, all of her went under at the same time.

I felt a little bit embarrased, but the Spirit used it as a teaching opportunity for me (and also for my children). The Lord does expect perfection from us. The baptism ceremony must be performed just so. However, He gives us as many chances as we need to get it right. It is good for my perfectionistic children (especially my son) to learn that. It is also good for perfectionistic me to learn that.

After a quick clothes change, I laid my hands on Esther's head (along with the Bishop, Brother Ball, Brother Stephen, and Brother Christensen) and confirmed her a member of the church, and commanded her to "receive the Holy Ghost." As always, I felt the Spirit as I was blessing her. The best blessings are the ones where I am merely the microphone, and the Lord is doing the talking. He promised Esther that she would continue to develop skills for dealing with people, and also that the scriptures and gospel would be opened further to her understanding now that she has the Spirit with her.

After the service, we went to Bajio for lunch (Esther's choice). We invited those at the service to join us for lunch. I have a fond memory of Jayson, who was sitting at his own table with Eli, Zayden, and Lizzie. They certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We came home, and Esther got her new burgandy (red) scriptures (with her name on them). Grandma Chris also gave her a CTR necklace in the shape of a ladybug. I thought it was a nice and thoughtful gift. Esther isn't usually too much into jewelry, but she did wear her "big sister" necklace today. Perhaps she is becoming more aware of the example she is setting for her younger brother and sister.

And she does set a good example for them. Both of them talked about their future baptism today. In fact, Lizzie wanted to play "baptism" in the pool when she went swimming this afternoon. Cute, but I told her that we don't play games about baptism, as it is a sacred ordinance.

I am so proud of my daughter. It pleases me that there are now three of us in the home that have the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We can have the Spirit with us all of the time, as long as we remain worthy of His presence. Esther is growing into a lovely young woman. It is great to see her grow in knowledge and strength, and to hear her determination to live as Heavenly Father wants her to. She will do many great things to help build the kingdom of God if she continues in her present course.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." -3 John 1:4.

It brings great peace and contentment to my heart to see Esther baptized. I am humbled and honored that I bear the Holy Priesthood, and can do these things for my family.

As we were waiting in the chapel for the baptism to begin, I took a moment to look at Esther sitting beside me. I remembered the day we brought her home from the hospital, and part of the day she was born. It doesn't really seem like it was that long ago when I brought home that beautiful, squawking bundle of joy. She is becoming a wonderful woman, day by day. I'm grateful that my children are growing up faithful in the Gospel. May it ever so be.

Congratulations Esther!

Birthday Thoughts

I turned 37 today. I'm just sitting here thinking through some of the things that I've learned (or re-learned) over the past year.

I've been reminded that true happiness comes through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gospel means "good news". And what is the good news? That Jesus loves us. That He died for us. That He not only took our sins upon Him, but also experienced our pains, sufferings, sorrows, and disappointments. So that He could not only offer us salvation, but know how to succor us in our infirmities. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:15-16).

This week was a poignant reminder of my need for mercy and grace in my life. I am prone to bouts of anger, which I am ashamed to say that I sometimes take out on my wife and children. One need not suppose that I strike them physically. I've never been inclined to do so. But my words and feelings can be very unkind and harsh at times. My wife called me on it this week, pointing out things which I knew in my heart already, but perhaps needed to hear from mortal lips. It was a difficult thing to hear, but needful. I am working and striving to be a more kind and understanding husband and father, which is what I truly wish to be in the first place! I have seen progress in the later half of this week. But surely, I need mercy and grace from a loving Savior to help me stay the course.

We had our ward conference today. One of the things that stuck out to me was that one of the speakers spoke on addictive habits, and how prevalent they are in our society today. I am prone to such with websurfing and computer games, wasting many hours that could be spent in better things. I want to be more wise with my time, and also teach my children the same, as they are prone to the same thing.

It's really amazing how much things change over time. I remember fragments from when I was younger. I remember when my family got our first microwave, and our first VCR. I remember when phones had a cord. Speaking of which, I remember a cartoon in Boy's Life years and years ago. The scouts in the cartoon travelled to the future. The scout in the future indicated that everyone had a personal communication device via satellite, but that the satellites now had to be much lower. They then ducked as a satellite whizzed over their heads. In any case, that is not the future anymore. It is the present, as I look at the prolifiration of cell phones. As the old saying goes, science fiction is fact that hasn't happened yet.

Here's hoping that I may become more like my Savior as I begin the next year in my mortal sojourn.

Highlights

*Blows dust off of blog*

*Chases away moths*

*Removes cobwebs*

Yes, I'm still here, although I wonder if there is anyone left to read this. :) Better infrequent updates than none at all, right? So I am going to post a few highlights of what's been going on over the past few months, in no particular order. Things that I can actually still remember that I want to be able to remember at some point in the future.


* Esther is making great strides in her spiritual development. It is a joy for me to watch my children growing up in light and truth. She has shared her testimony at church twice in the past six months (unfortunately I missed both times, being home sick). She has a good understanding of gospel principles, seems curious about learning additional truth, and asks insightful questions. She also gave a good example of Christ-like behavior earlier this week. Our family was at the school's book fair, and the kids brought their money. Jayson had picked out a book that he wanted, but didn't have enough money for. He started to cry when he realized he didn't have enough, and Susie started to comfort him. Esther came over and asked why he was crying. When we told her, Esther volunteered to *give* Jayson some of her own money so that he could buy the book he wanted! Amazing. Truly amazing.

Anyway, she will be old enough to be baptized in a few months, and I'm looking forward to providing this saving ordinance for her.

* We took a family trip to Ohio to see family in September. Our children really are amazing travel buddies. We look forward to going out there again later this year, as my brother-in-law is getting married.

* Lizzie had a first experience of the not-so-fun kind. One Sunday afternoon in early December, I heard her crying loudly in the basement. I went down, and discovered blood on her ear. I found out later that she was climbing somewhere she shouldn't, and fell onto our wood-burning stove in the basement (not in use, fortunately). The two of us made a quick trip to Instacare, where she got 10 stitches in her left ear. She is doing fine, and the ear healed up extremely well. But four is a bit young to be getting stitches.

* Jayson is finally potty trained! Hallelujah! He took his time getting there, but he has finally "got it". We had a celebration party for him last Saturday at a local place called "Jump On It" (lots of big trampolines), and invited a few of his friends from school. It was also nice for the parents, as we brought a board game for us to play while our children jumped.

* I have been trying my hand at furniture assembly lately. Got some cheap furniture from Shop-Ko at half-price during a sale. It always takes longer than I think it is going to, but the girls have their own room with bunk beds, and Jayson has his room back with a mate's bed. Although they enjoyed all sleeping in one big bed together, they are getting old enough that that is no longer practical.

* I'm still the Cubmaster. I've been doing it for just over six years, and I enjoy it. Two meetings a month (both of them short) and a trip to the Scout Office to pick up awards. We always have a good group of boys and a good set of leaders. I feel very blessed. I'm also starting to feel a bit old. Later this year, a boy named Ethan will be coming in to the pack. I remember visiting his parents in the hospital when he was *born*. Doesn't seem possible that he's almost old enough to be in Cub Scouts.

* As far as feeling old goes, Susie and I are rapidly approaching our ninth anniversary. I'm grateful that she has stuck in there with me, as we have definitely had our share of bumps in the road. The good news is that our relationship continues to get better and better. I am blessed to have her in my life, and I love her very much.


Not much else comes to mind, so I will close for the present. Hope is well with all of you out there in blogland. :)

Fathers and Sons Outing

This last Friday night/Saturday morning was the annual Fathers and Sons outing with my ward. I've gone myself since I moved into the ward, and I've taken Jayson ever since he was born (he was about 9 months old the first time he went). The only year I missed was last year, when I was extremely sick.

How did it go this year? Now that's an interesting question. My son almost fell asleep in the car on the way up there. I awoke him when we got there. He wasn't interested in his dinner (with the exception of the chocolate milk and the toy. Yes, I went through the drive-thru on the way up there. Maybe we'll cook something up there when he's older). He sat in front of the fire, but looked like he was about to fall asleep and possibly go face first into the fire. Since I don't worship Moloch, I'm not particuarly interested in feeding my kids to the fire, not even on their worst days.

So I had him help me get things from the car, and I started to set up the tent. He didn't want to run and play. He wanted to sleep. So I set up his sleeping bag inside the tent and bade him good night.

I enjoyed the remainder of the evening. I had some nice chats with some of the other brothers in the ward. I had two smores, which I didn't need, especially considering the contents of my dinner. I also brought some extra chocolate and graham crackers to share with others. I've mooched a couple of times over the past years, and figured it was my chance to repay the good karma of others. The fire was very warm, as one of the other attendees had brought a large stump to add to the wood supply in the fire pit. The presentation by the bishop was also very well done, and a good reminder of the unique and great power that I have been given. Most celebrities do not have the power that I have been entrusted with, and it was a good reminder for me.

Then came bedtime, and things went steadily downhill. I couldn't find a comfortable position. The ground seems to be harder than it was when I was younger. It rained, which got our tent and some of our stuff wet. Also, Jayson didn't sleep particularly well. A couple of times I was about to fall asleep, and he started talking to me. After going in and out of short sleep blocks until about 4:45, I finally got a decent block.

We woke up late the next morning. The ward was preparing breakfast. Most of the pancakes were gone, but I grabbed one for Jayson (along with a couple of pieces of bacon) before heading off to the restroom. When I came back a few minutes later, all of the pancakes were gone, which didn't make me very happy. We packed up and came home.

So a mixed bag? Certainly. But I will be back next year. Assuming the tent has dried out by then. :)


P.S: I was just kidding on the last sentence. I set the tent up shortly after we got home, and it was bone dry later in the day, along with everything else that got wet.

Visiting the Mouse

It's been over a month, but I'm finally posting some pictures from our recent Disneyland vacation. Yes, I know I said it would be a few more years before I returned, but we decided to go again this year. To make things more interesting, we drove. A few years ago, driving from Orem to California would have been daunting, but after last year's drive to Minnesota and Ohio, it seemed like a walk in the park by comparison. :) We also went solo for the first time. On our other trips, we have gone with at least one other family member or friend.

The drive both ways was uneventful, other than rain and wind on the way down. The weather was beautiful, the complimentary breakfast at the hotel was tasty, and the kids were reasonably well behaved. I was also grateful for my cell phone (a fairly recent purchase, yes I know, now I can join the 20th century), which made it very easy to split up and then meet up later.

Some of my favorite moments were taking Esther and Jayson on a roller-coaster for the first time (both of them loved their first ride, Jayson didn't enjoy the second time around), a brief solo excursion to Tommorowland one evening (including catching part of the fireworks show in the park), and meeting up with family one day and a close friend on another day.

In a nutshell, the trip goes far smoother when the kids are a little bit older. :)

Here are a few pictures from our most recent adventure:



Lizzie enjoyed riding the "ponies."



This picture of Lizzie is almost identical to one taken of her big sister Esther four years ago.



What is this Mickey Mouse operation anyway? ;)



Esther near the carousel in Fantasyland.



Jayson eagerly anticipates the day's adventures.



Lizzie caught in a moment of spontaneous Disney magic and happiness. I had just finished taking another picture while looking the other way. I turned around with the camera in my hands, and was able to capture this priceless photo. Sometimes you get lucky as a photographer. :) I've always felt that the best shots are the candid ones.

Hey, How is Everyone?

October 2009? Ugh! It goes without saying, but I'm not the best at updating my blog.

I'm really not sure what I will be typing tonight. Sometimes things are random like that.

The kids are getting bigger. Esther is more than halfway through first grade. She is learning more about math, reading, writing, and spelling. In fact, her spelling is at a third grade level! Not bad at all. Jayson will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I'm hoping he will be using the potty regularly by that point. Lizzie is three and a half, and is getting much better at using her words to express herself.

I'm very very tired tonight. Not quite fully bone-weary, but that probably has more to do with the short nap I got this afternoon. It has been a very busy 2010 so far, physically and emotionally. In some ways, it has felt like a prolonged ride in a whirlpool (the river kind, not the warm water in a tub kind), or spinning through an endless void. I'm hoping that things will calm down a bit over the next week or two. A couple of the bigger pieces that have kept me spinning have been resolved over the past week or so, so I'm crossing my fingers.

Something that I wish, that I'm not very good at. It seems like most of us put on our best faces, our superman capes, and our fake smiles, and pretend that everything is all right in our worlds. And we don't allow other to help us. I wish that people could be more honest with themselves and with others, and that we could accept and give help to each other. It would make things so much easier. I'm not suggesting that we always stay despondent and down in the dumps. But it would be nice if we could ask for the help that we need, and have others there willing and able to provide that help.

Well, the old grey matter is shutting down, so I guess that I have written what needed to be written. I hope it is helpful for someone other than me. If not, well, I guess you get what you pay for. :)

Reflections from General Conference

It's been an interesting an thoughtful two days. I've learned some important (and sometimes difficult) things about myself over the past two days as I've listened to those the Lord has chosen to lead and guide us, and also the whisperings of the Holy Ghost in my heart.

First and foremost, I feel the need to repent. No one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. The disposition to commit such is not in my nature. But I have not been as dilligent as I should have been. I have allowed anger and fear into my heart and countenance, thus blocking the Spirit from operating in my life as I would like. I have also become casual in my scripture study and prayer. All of these things have affected me, as well as my family.

Feeling the stirrings of repentance, I have pledged to have morning prayer and improve my evening prayer, and recommitted myself to daily scripture study. These two things, prayer and scripture study each day, make a huge difference. There is a noticable difference when I am doing what I should be doing.

I have also apologized to my wife and kids for my poor behavior over the past little while. I have been angrier than is needful, which has lead me to snap at my wife and be a mean Daddy (not in the helpful sense of "mean" either - you parent know what I mean).

I can also bear testimony of the power of the Lord to sustain. About a week ago, we had friends visiting. There was a night where several members of both family were sick and throwing up. I was already on my last legs physically and emotionally, and this rapidly drained my meager reserves. At about the time I ran out of energy, something remarkable happened. I was able to walk back and forth, and up and down, to do what was needful. I was able to be gentle, kind, and loving. In a literal way, I felt carried. The Lord always keeps His promises, and He is always there to lend us strength when we need it.

That is the other thing that I took home from Conference. Even though I have not lived the commandments as I ought to have done, repentance is always available. I can begin today, tonight, this very moment to do the things that I should. I can humble myself and pray for forgiveness. I can listen more carefully for the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, which can direct me in all that I do. For this, I am grateful. And it is available to all, no matter their race, gender, skin color, or age. The Lord is truly no respector of persons, and all are under the umbrella of His love.