Keeping ALL The Commandments

After listening to General Conference this weekend and then seeing today that the FCC is considering allowing the F-word and non-sexual nudity on regular television, I feel the need to take a stand within the walls of my own home. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke on obedience and mentioned that our society still takes 4 of the 10 commandments seriously, but the other’s we have deemed obsolete. How can I encourage my children and myself to keep all the commandments at all times and in all places when I allow the breaking of them to constantly enter my home? And I’m not just talking about “bad tv.” What about all the Disney Channel shows that show the kids constantly lying, stealing, disobeying their parents, taking The Lord’s name in vain, etc.? Sure, they aren’t killing anyone, but they are most definitely breaking the commandments!

I have seen many times the phrases and actions my three-year-old displaying as direct replications of what he has seen or heard. Often times he sings along with the radio. Sure he doesn’t know what he is saying when he belts “This Girl Is On Fire!” in the back of our van, but he knows the words and he sings them.

I am an adult, I know what I believe, and I don’t think that these tv shows that show other lifestyles are affecting me any. But they are. How often on tv do we see two faithful spouses who have love and respect for one another at all times? RARELY if ever! Why are the husbands displayed as being dumb cheaters who are good for nothing? And why are the wives demonstrating caddiness and gossping? These are not the ideals. This is NOT NORMAL! I want wholesome, honest, true-to-life entertainment in my home! Even for myself.

In order to get it, we will probably have to stop watching most of our shows. So be it!

Will my children be sheltered? YUP! Isn’t that my job as their mom? To raise them in a safe haven, where they are taught the gospel and the teachings of Christ? Why is it a bad thing that we don’t want our children exposed to all the sins and wrong doings? I don’t get the mentality that our CHILDREN should know of all the horrible things in the world – and yes, even the not so horrible but still wrong things.

I created this picture that I’ve printed and laminated and put next to my TV to remind me when I am watching. Feel free to print it out for your home if you want a reminder as well.

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The Things You Say

Having my kids all so close in age has generated everything from snide remarks about birth control to gawking in awe as we walk by. It’s weird to me that so many people around here (Idaho Falls) act as though they have never seen kids that close, despite it not being that uncommon.
For those of you who don’t know, my three children have a total of 35 months, to the day, from oldest to youngest. The spacing is 16 months between my first two and 19 months between the second and third. The first two came when they were supposed to despite our best efforts to prevent them (and we are so happy they did) Our youngest came when we planned except he decided to still have things his way and came five weeks early. With three little ones, our house is always a zoo!
Picture this: two weeks worth of grocery shopping to do, my two year old strapped into the seat of the cart, the baby in a front carrier on my chest, the three year old hooked to a leash that is attached to my belt loop, two separate checkouts and unloads needed. Yup, that’s how I go grocery shopping. And I do casual shopping as well. We can get unloaded, in and out if a store, and reloaded into car seats in less than 10 mins if needed.
Our system works, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I’m living in a loony bin half the time.
I know when my kid is throwing a fit that it bugs other people, tough I’m not going to give in to his wants just to appease you. Yes, I can hear my baby crying and I have tried several things. You’re right, he probably is hungry, but all I need is that one gallon of milk! He’s not going to die in that amount of time and your annoyed glares and snide comments really aren’t helping any! Despite what you think, my two year old talking loudly non-stop is MUCH better than the alternative.
So please stop being so rude world!
I met a lady the other day who couldn’t believe I was taking all three of them out by myself let alone shopping. She was nice and commented that she thought my kids were remarkably well behaved and I seemed very put together.
Thanks, but really?!?!? You would just stay home??? No wonder postpartum depression lasts so long for some people. I am going to get out, get moving, KEEP LIVING!
Today, however, for the first time, I had an older lady comment on how full my hands are (ummm duh!) but she went on to tell me she remembers. She had three kids in three years long ago. She smiled and talked to the kids. It was the last few words that made me smile. She told me to keep my head up and keep moving forward. Remember those few precious moments that we do have and forget all the other crap that comes with the territory. Don’t wish their childhood away, but it DOES get better…until they all start dating each others friends. Ha ha!
She really made my day. I’m stressed because of my kids and I’m blessed because of my kids. I am so glad they all have come just the way they are!

The True Meaning Of Easter

It’s funny how commercialized our world has become. I am the first to admit that I love going over the top and probably do it too often. One of the perks of designing parties for a party company is being able to design any party I want whenever I want. However, I still think it is important to stop and talk about each of the holidays both the commercial side and the historical/religious side.

And so, when Ryker approached me this evening with questions about the Easter Bunny, I decided that was my opportunity to teach him about Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the true meaning of Easter.

Ryker already knows who Jesus is and so it was pretty easy to get started. Although he was very frustrated because he could not understand what Jesus had to do with the Easter Bunny (my point exactly). I proceeded to tell Ryker that Jesus was killed and died on a cross by men who did not like him. “Bad guys” as Ryker put it.

Ryker then asked me, “Did he die like the iPad or like the deer?” This was in reference to late last year after Justin and Jordan had shot two deer. When Ryker saw them, he wanted us to help them because they were bleeding. I tried to explain to him that they were dead – to which he responded by telling me to plug them in. That was a whole different lesson in and of itself.

Back to Ryker’s question about Christ, I responded by telling him that Jesus was dead like the deer. Meaning completely and totally dead.

Its moments like this that I wish my eyes could take pictures to share. The look on Ryker’s face was classic. The blood drained as he turned white. His eyes were even bigger and rounder than normal. And his mouth suddenly dropped in shock.

“DID WE EAT JESUS????” He exclaimed!

I couldn’t respond for a minute because I was laughing too hard. Of course, I informed him that we did not eat Jesus…although I’m not sure how he will react the next time we talk about the sacrament and how the bread and water symbolize Christ’s body and blood…

I love the innocence of children and how they are constantly trying to make connections in their lives. While I appreciate knowing that we did not eat Jesus, I would love to be a little more innocent and see the world the way my kids do.

Haidyn’s Turning TWO!!!

I’m really excited about Haidyn’s birthday this year. We are keeping it pretty simple with just immediate family invited. However, I still let her pick the theme. She wanted a pink fairy party. We are just doing cupcakes and ice cream and then going out to dinner. Here are her invitations for her party! Let me know what you think!!!

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Budding Artist

Now that we have turned our new found drawing/writing skills to paper, Ryker has started making fairly intricate drawings for us. Today he drew a spider named Topder and an octopus. Notice he wrote the spider’s name above it. Also, the octopus has exactly 8 legs and is surrounded by the ocean. He didn’t believe me that spiders also have 8 legs :-) Not too bad for a kid who is only 3 years and 3 months old!

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Topder, the spider

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The 8-legged octopus in the ocean

Ryker And The Purple Crayon…

It is more like Ryker and the many different markers. We first read the book, Harold and the Purple Crayon, about a week ago. My kids loved it and wanted me to read it to them 3-4 times a day. Thinking I was being an awesome Mom, I gave in and read it to them many times. Each time we read it, Ryker and Haidyn would sit, intensely paying attention, studying each picture and hanging on every word. This was the first time they enjoyed a book so much together. I loved it! That is until last Sunday….

Our children go to bed at 7:30 every night. We put Haidyn to sleep in her bed and Ryker goes to sleep on the couch and then we move him to his bed after his sister is asleep. This is the solution we have found works the best for all parties. Last Sunday, after Haidyn had fallen asleep, Ryker asked in a very sleepy voice if he could just go to sleep on his bed instead of the couch. Seeing as Haidyn is the problem when they try to go to sleep together, we agreed and put Ryker in his bed around 8.

Their room was silent.

We assumed they were both sleeping.

Around 10:30 we heard a slight noise at the door of the kids’ room. Assuming one of them had woken up and were trying to come out to get us, Justin went to their room to see who was up. Just as he entered the room he saw Ryker dive onto his bed, under the covers, and promptly pretend to be sleeping (not bad for a 3 year old!). However, the light to their closet was on. While walking over to turn off the closet light, Justin discovered our own little artist had been busy at work for probably the entire time he had been in the room.

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Just ONE corner of the walk-in-closet…the WHOLE thing was “decorated” this way!

Of course we were MAD! Thank goodness Ryker hadn’t colored the carpet or any of the clothes. The dresser and toys wiped off easily (it was a dry erase marker) and the walls will just need to be repainted. And the one box of toys he and Haidyn had earned back for good behavior was promptly taken away again as were all multimedia entertainment (movies, tv, ipad, leappad, phones, etc.)

The worst part was when Ryker looked up and Justin with tears in his eyes and said “but Daddy, I just wanted to draw you a picture!” Just about broke my heart, but at the same time DRAW ON PAPER!!!!

And so we went along the rest of the week. Ryker explained to several people that what he had done was wrong and he knew better. He also told people that he had his toys taken away because he made a naughty choice and drew on the wall instead of on paper. HE UNDERSTOOD what he had done, what he should have done, and what the consequences for his actions were.

On Wednesday night, of the same week, I was up very late getting ready for a trip that the kids and I would go on Thursday morning. We needed to be in the car by 9am so I packed and cleaned the night before with the intent that the next morning would simply be eat, change, and leave.After only a few hours of sleep and way earlier than normal, I awoke to the sound of giggling children. Anyone who has or has had preschoolers/toddlers knows that children who are “hiding” from parents and are either being quiet or giggling are most likely getting into trouble. And so I jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen. What I discovered was AWFUL!

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My kitchen floor, refrigerator, and walls “decorated” with permanent marker!

Ryker had discovered the ONE marker I forgot to put away the night before and colored all over my kitchen. The walls, refrigerator, and floor were colored. His pajamas were colored. My packing list was colored and ripped so I couldn’t see my list. And Ryker’s hand was black (his MO when coloring “illegal” items is to also color his left hand)

All I could do was say “NO!” over and over and over again. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, honestly I wanted to beat his little butt. However, I knew that I was too angry at the moment and I refuse to spank when I’m mad and uncertain of how in control I might be. And so I just said no again and again. I sent Ryker to his room and went to work trying to get the marker off.

I only had about an hour that I was able to work on the marker before it was time for us to get ready, finish packing, and leave. The few things we had at home (small dry erase marker, hairspray, nail polish remover, clorox wipes, and baby wipes) did not even touch the marks. We had to leave them. Unfortunately, Justin was so busy while we were gone that he also wasn’t able to really get to work on the marks until Saturday, three days later.

With a lot of advice and some elbow grease, we were finally able to get the floor and the refrigerator clean.

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CLEAN KITCHEN! WAHOO!!!

What ended up working for us were the following steps:

  • NEW dry erase marker over the top of the permanent marker (the skinny older ones we had didn’t work – not sure why)
  • Mr Clean Magic Eraser WITH doTerra Lemon Oil to remove remaining shadow marks (individually these did not work, but when the lemon oil was put ON the magic eraser and then used it worked like MAGIC!)
  • Mr Clean Magic Eraser sans doTerra Lemon Oil for any additional residual dry erase marker spots
  • Damp cloth to clean and remove anything else

I did have a few people suggest that I lock up all the markers or get rid of them. (And any other writing utensil since these just happened to be what he found) First of all, these people have obviously never had MY children in their homes. Things are locked up, gates put up, child proof drawers and doors, high hanging shelves, I could go on. My children find a way to get into things when they want to. If I forget even ONE item for half a second someplace I can guarantee to you that my children will get into it. They have radar for “do not touch” items and it is set on expert!

Second, I still want my house to be a HOME. I don’t want to ban all writing utensils in my home because my children are…children.

Is it a pain, yup! Am I constantly balancing on the fence of being admitted to an insane asylum? Absolutely. Would I trade ANY of this for anything else in the world? Nope, not permanently anyway. Although a kid free weekend every once in a while would be nice ;)

At any rate, we are just keeping pushing forward and Harold and the Purple Crayon will probably be fading from our library until the kids are a little older.

Until the next adventure…

Changing Habits

I have recently come to the realization that I am a conflicted person. I WANT a clean, clear house. I WANT everything to be in its place and for my home to be welcoming at any point. However, I can’t seem to get myself to have my home be this way. I can clean my home very well. Well enough that it could pass a white glove inspection. I cannot seem to maintain a clean and orderly home though. I’m not looking for a perfect, show ready home at all times, but what I have is borderline disaster at all times. I am embarrassed by the way I live and I do not want to keep it this way.

WE ARE MAKING A CHANGE!

Thanks to my loving and supportive husband, we are about to embark on a change of habits to try to make our home a healthier, happier, cleaner, more peaceful place. The real question now is how are going to do this?

So far we have come up with a couple of solutions. First, we are making rules. Lots and lots of rules for ourselves. For example, we now have a rule that you cannot get one clean dish out of the dishwasher. If you need something out of there, you must put away the whole load. Really it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to put everything away. Also, we will now be putting dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher and starting it if your dish is the last one to fit.

Second, we are creating reminder cards and putting them EVERYWHERE. If you come to visit anytime in the next couple of months you will notice an abundance of new “decorations.” The cards have reminders on them such as “Put it away, not here!” or “Throw away the junk mail” and “Close the cupboards” This may seem ridiculous, but we need it. Also, if you do come and visit and you notice we have a “put it away” sign sitting in front of a pile of stuff – make fun of us!!! Thanks :)

Third, we are creating “definition cards” that will be placed in each area of our home. On these cards we have the definition for what that area requires in order to be considered picked up (daily), cleaned (weekly), and scrubbed (monthly). I remember my mom having these as part of our chore charts growing up. We may have not followed them, but there was no question that we knew what was expected.

Finally, we are going to put together a schedule for when each of these things need to be accomplished. This is more for the weekly and monthly things as the daily ones just have to happen throughout the day.

I am a total nerd and excited to start working on getting my house in order! It will take a little bit longer at first as we are going to be doing some major dejunking as well. If you have too much stuff and don’t have room for it, it is just going to be chaos no matter how hard you try.

Here are the charts that I have put together – if you have anything to add please tell me! I very easily could have missed something!!!

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New Parenting Techniques

After getting into a screaming battle with Ryker (not my best parenting moment) I decided that it really is time we start looking for a better parenting style – or a style in general. I have tried Happiest Toddler on the Block, I loved Happiest Baby so I thought this should work as well. WRONG! It works really well if you have a toddler who isn’t communicating very well. However, Ryker is speaking full sentences and Haidyn is not too far behind him. They both have thousands of words in their vocabularies and know even more. The results from Happiest Toddler just ended in very upset toddlers who still want to do what they want.

I grew up in a home where I got spanked. I am NOT opposed to spanking. I wasn’t scarred by it, I don’t have social or emotional abuse from it, in fact for the most part it worked. I also don’t ever remember getting spanked when I didn’t deserve it. HOWEVER, the biggest downside to spanking is that I have no other tools to combat my highly independent stubborn children. Despite it’s would-be effectiveness, I also don’t think taking your child and saying “don’t hit” as you smack their little hands does much good.

We do not beat our children, hands down promise, guarantee. But we must spank them more than I realize because they have started spanking each other or other children if they don’t agree with what is currently being done.

TIME TO PUT ON THE BRAKES AND CHANGE DIRECTIONS!!!!

I saw a friend post a brief message on Facebook about an incident with her boys and mentioned that she uses the Love & Logic parenting. I’ve heard of this style, but hadn’t done much looking into it. So I figured, what the heck, let’s see what I can learn!

Of course, I am in the middle of reading the “Parenting with Love & Logic” book and am by no means perfect. Okay not even close to perfect. But I am already seeing some changes.

The first change I noticed was how much less frustrated I am getting with my kids. The very first time I gave Ryker choices I wish I had had a camera. The look on his face was hilarious! It was time for him to take a nap so I told him he could either take a nap in his bed or my bed. He got this very confused look on his face and told me that he didn’t want to take a nap. I explained again that he had two choices, to take a nap in his bed or my bed. His confusion turned to a scowl and slowly he responded that he wanted to take a nap in my bed. Remarkably he got up on his own and walked into my room where he proceeded to climb into bed. WHO WAS THIS KID???

Granted all of our interactions have not been that nice since trying this. However, when he has made decisions that resulted in consequences he didn’t like it was very obvious that he knew that he had made a choice that wasn’t as desirable as a different option.

This morning was a bit of a struggle for me. I was making pancakes for breakfast and the kids were at the table drinking hot chocolate. Ryker has been informed several times over the past 3 months to sit either on his bum or kneel on his chair. He knows that he is not allowed to stand on his chair. So the first time I caught him standing on it, I informed him that he could either sit in his chair for breakfast or he could play in his room. He proceeded to stand back up at which point I told him that he could go play in his room and set him down. Boy did that not go over well. He went to his room but he was ticked!

After Haidyn had eaten 2 pancakes and Ryker had been calm for a little bit, he slowly came to the edge of his room and informed me that he made a bad choice. He wanted to eat pancakes and would sit down at the table. I know that this is where I’m a little gray on the parenting technique as I don’t think 2 year olds should have to go without breakfast especially if it has been more than 15 hours since they last ate. So I let Ryker come back to the table. He sat on his bum for the entire breakfast time and ate politely. In fact, he ate all of his food before drinking his milk – which is unheard of.

It’s tough. We are having to change our entire thinking and approach. The hardest part is not making the second choice a consequence in the way it is phrased. (this morning I wanted to say you can sit and eat or you don’t get breakfast – but changing the second choice to something other than the result of not choosing the first choice is better)

All in all, we are working on it. This is going to be a LONG road – but it was already long and draining each and every day. So what the heck, let’s try something else and see if we get different results!

 

The Sacred Ordinance Of The Sacrament

The hours that lay immediately ahead would change the meaning of all human history. It would be the crowning moment of eternity, the most miraculous of all the miracles. It would be the supreme contribution to a plan designed from before the foundation of the world for the happiness of every man, woman, and child who would ever live in it. The hour of atoning sacrifice had come. God’s own Son, his Only Begotten Son in the flesh, was about to become the Savior of the world.

The setting was Jerusalem. The season was that of the Passover, a celebration rich in symbolism for what was about to come. Long ago, the troubled and enslaved Israelites had been “passed over,” spared, finally made free by the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the lintel and doorposts of their Egyptian homes. That, in turn, had been only a symbolic reiteration of what Adam and all succeeding prophets were taught from the beginning – that the pure and unblemished lambs offered from the firstlings of Israel’s flocks were a similitude, a token, a foreshadowing of the great and last sacrifice of Christ which was to come.

Now, after all those years and all those prophecies and all those symbolic offerings, the type and shadow was to become reality. On this night, when Jesus’ mortal ministry was concluding, the declaration made by John the Baptist when that ministry had begun now meant more than ever –

“Behold the Lamb of God.”

As a final and specially prepared Passover supper was ending, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to his Apostles, saying, “Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.” In a similar manner he took the cup of wine, said a blessing of thanks for it, and passed it to those gathered about him, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which was shed for the remission of sins. This do in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

The Lord instituted the sacrament, as we know it today, during this Last Supper. In one sense, it was the last supper, but in another, it was the first supper – the beginning of many spiritual feasts.

The resurrected Lord instructed the Book of Mormon people:

“Ye shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name. And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done.  And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.”

The moving tenderness and deep significance of this transcendent event are still available to us today. But we must do as they did and follow the doctrine of Christ, which is to believe in Jesus, rely on him, repent of our sins, take his name upon us by being baptized in His church, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and faithfully follow Christ all of our lives.

He knows that we need much help to do this, so he provides that the ordinance of the sacrament be repeated often.

This invitation of the Savior to come unto Him is issued regularly and is universal. Everyone is included – men, women, and children. Old and young alike participate. None are barred except by themselves.

The Lord said “And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me.”

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It should focus our attention on the Atonement and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is essential that we renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament. When we do this with a sincere heart, with real intent, forsaking our sins, and renewing our commitment to God, the Lord provides a way in which sins can be forgiven from week to week. Simply eating the bread and drinking the water will not bring that forgiveness. We must prepare and then partake with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The spiritual preparation we make to partake of the sacrament is essential to receiving the remission of our sins.

So then, how can we prepare spiritually to partake of the sacrament?

Elder Dallin H Oaks taught us in the October 2008 General Conference that members of the Church should prepare themselves to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament through the following:

We are seated well before the meeting begins. “This is not a time for conversation or transmission of messages but a period of prayerful meditation as … members prepare spiritually for the sacrament”.

How we dress is an important indicator of our attitude and preparation for any activity in which we will engage. If we are going swimming or hiking or playing on the beach, our clothing, including our footwear, will indicate this. The same should be true of how we dress when we are to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament. It is like going to the temple.

During sacrament meeting—and especially during the sacrament service—we should concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities, especially from behavior that could interfere with the worship of others. Sacrament meeting is not a time for reading books or magazines. Young people, it is not a time for whispered conversations on cell phones or for texting.

The music of sacrament meeting is a vital part of our worship. How wonderful when every person in attendance joins in the worship of singing.

President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “This is an occasion when the gospel should be presented, when we should be called upon to exercise faith, and to reflect on the mission of our Redeemer, and to spend time in the consideration of the saving principles of the gospel, and not for other purposes”

When we do this, we are qualified for the companionship and revelation of the Spirit. This is the way we get direction for our lives and peace along the way.”

For those of us with young children, the simple task of getting to church seems hard enough. It may seem as though it would be impossible to prepare spiritually once the kids are all fed, dressed, lessons prepared, “entertainment bag” packed, and you get to the church house relatively close to on time. I am definitely not an expert on adding spiritual preparation for the sacrament to the list.

A sister in Mesa, Arizona recounted a similar experience.

“One year when my children were quite young, I was trying to cope with a new schedule for sacrament meeting, a newborn baby, two preschool daughters, and a preschool son. At the time my husband worked on Sundays, so I was left alone to handle my four children during Church meetings. I did my best to prepare for the Sabbath as well as I could by laying out clothes the night before and packing a bag with special quiet activities and books. While the preparation helped, I still felt frazzled and frustrated at the end of each sacrament meeting.

I felt desperate and discouraged, and I was about to give up when I decided to take my problem to the Lord. After I fasted and knelt in earnest, heartfelt prayer, the sweetest feeling came over me. The Spirit of the Holy Ghost whispered that my efforts in going to church each week were not in vain—that my most important duty at that time was to teach my children that church is where we should be on Sunday, even if I never remembered a word of a talk or lesson.

Then an idea came to mind: we could have “quiet time” at home every weekday at about the same time the sacrament meeting was held. I talked to the children about my idea, then rearranged our daily schedule so that most days we could be at home at that time. At the appointed time, I set a 15-minute timer, then played some soft classical music. We all sat on the couch, folded our arms, and listened to the music. After a few minutes, I would let them quietly play with the items usually reserved for Sunday.

The children eagerly looked forward to “quiet time” each day. If the children became noisy, I gently removed the items they had been playing with, put a finger to my lips in a silent “shh,” then returned the toys when they were quiet again.

After two weeks of doing this daily, I was amazed at the change in church. During the passing of the sacrament, my little children sat quietly, and I was able to worship and feel peaceful. I was deeply grateful for those few moments each Sunday. They were enough to give me the spiritual nourishment I needed to be able to be happy the rest of the day.

And during the week, I began to look forward each day to “quiet time” as much as the children did and often used it as a time to read from the Ensign or the scriptures. We were careful to keep it consistently to 15 minutes because their attention spans were short. At the end of each year, when our meeting time changed, we rescheduled a new quiet time, and within a few weeks our children adjusted to the change.

I’m very thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who taught me how to cope during those years of teaching young children to be reverent. He truly understands our needs and helps us with our problems if we do our best and go to Him in prayer.”

Spiritual preparation needs to occur throughout the week. For some it may come through teaching your children about the sacredness of the sacrament outside of church. For others it may be through quiet scripture study and personal prayer asking to be more fully prepared. All should review their deeds over the past week. As President Manwaring has taught us recently, we all have things to repent of each and every day. The moment we think we have done nothing wrong, that is the moment the adversary has gotten us.

The renewal of our covenants by partaking of the sacrament should also be preceded by repentance, so we come to that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Then, as we renew our baptismal covenants and affirm that we will “always remember him”, the Lord will renew the promised remission of our sins, under the conditions and at the time he chooses. One of the primary purposes and effects of this renewal of covenants and cleansing from sin is “that we may always have his Spirit to be with us”.

Please bear with me for a moment through my next story. I am not trying to be irreverent. However, I spend my days with a two year old and a nearly one year old. And so I try to see the gospel even in the world that is my life.

I overheard a conversation between our two year old son and his father while having his diaper changed. Initially, Ryker refused to have his diaper changed. He cried at just the thought of doing such, even though he needed it badly and was complaining about the pain. Apparently Ryker had a bad diaper-rash and so the act of having his bottom cleaned was very painful. As Ryker finally submitted and laid very still for the cleaning, tears ran from his eyes. With each wipe, our boy would whimper or cry out and then immediately say “Sorry Daddy, Sorry.” This continued through the entire change until finally Ryker was clean and his wounds were dressed. Upon completion, Ryker immediately stood up and said “Thank you Daddy” before giving him a hug and a kiss and then running off for his next adventure.

The pain that our son was going through caused his father much sadness and he wished that he could make it all go away instantly, but only time and vigilant cleaning would eventually result in the dismissal of pain. In some cases wiping and creams are not enough and a good bath is essential.

I wonder how often we choose to sit in our own mess, wallowing in the pain that it is causing but hesitant to have it cleaned because we know that the very process will most likely result in more pain initially? We even begin to rationalize that we really like our current environment, that we just don’t have time to change, or even worse we are just going to do something else so why bother?

The Lord has provided a way for us to clean up our messes. Through the act of baptism we are given that all too important bath that really cleanses the soul. But alas, we will sin again. And so we were given the gift of the Holy Ghost to act as a cream and safeguard to our souls.

Unfortunately this gift does us no good if we will not submit ourselves to the vigilant cleansing and allow our Father to dress our wounds on a regular basis. We must come to the Father, and though it may hurt and we may cry out, sincere apology and an attempt to do better is necessary. It is through the weekly partaking of the sacrament that we are able to bring our sins to the Lord and have his help in cleaning our souls.

Much like my little son, we cannot clean ourselves. It requires the help of our Father, our job is to simply come to him and submit ourselves. And most important, again like Ryker, we must be thankful for all that he does for us.

I have a strong testimony that the sacrament is one of the most important covenants we make. It is one of the only ones in which we participate with our entire families. From the time we are little children we can partake of the spiritual cleansing and feel the spirit each week.

My brothers and sisters, I solemnly witness to you that these doctrines and principles are true. In view of these truths, I plead with all members of the Church, young and old, to attend sacrament meeting each Sabbath day and to partake of the sacrament with the repentant attitude described as “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”. I pray that we will do so with the reverence and worship of our Savior that will signify a serious covenant to “always remember him”. The Savior himself has said that we should partake “with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins”

I pray that we will also partake of the sacrament with the submissive manner that will help us accept and serve in Church callings in order to comply with our solemn covenant to take his name and his work upon us. I also plead for us to comply with our solemn covenant to keep his commandments.

To those brothers and sisters who may have allowed themselves to become lax in this vital renewal of the covenants of the sacrament, I express in words of the First Presidency that you “come back and feast at the table of the Lord, and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the saints” Let us qualify ourselves for our Savior’s promise that by partaking of the sacrament we will “be filled”, which means that we will be “filled with the Spirit”. That Spirit—the Holy Ghost—is our comforter, our direction finder, our communicator, our interpreter, our witness, and our purifier—our infallible guide and sanctifier for our mortal journey toward eternal life.

Any who may have thought it a small thing to partake of the sacrament should remember the Lord’s declaration that the foundation of a great work is laid by small things, for “out of small things proceedeth that which is great”. Out of the seemingly small act of consciously and reverently renewing our baptismal covenants comes a renewal of the blessings of baptism by water and by the Spirit, that we may always have his Spirit to be with us. In this way all of us will be guided, and in this way all of us can be cleansed. That we may qualify for these precious blessings is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.