Caleb is so cool. He gets up every morning with his alarm, gets dressed, comes and gets breakfast and is ready to leave (hair combed and teeth brushed) by 7:10 each morning. He either has choir practice or math tutoring every morning at 7:20, so he's up and at 'em early. He's such a self-starter and I've been so pleased with his initiative. His first choir performance was on Veteran's Day and I loved seeing him blend his voice for this effort. What a cutie! I hope he'll keep singing…
Caleb was also accepted to be a member of the KC club this year – based on his answers to certain questions and teacher recommendations. The "Kindness & Compassion" Club does some fun things and he is so excited.
It was so fun to run the Gary Burns 5K with him – he only has two speeds, walk or sprint. So it was fun to try to corral his energies during the run. He kept saying "mom, tell me when I can go!" (we had a designated meeting spot because he wanted to sprint to the finish and beat me). With about 100 yards to go I "released" him into the wild and lost sight of him as he dodged and weaved to beat 25 people at the end of the run. So cute.
He seems to be complaining of a new ailment or bump/scratch EVERY day…he lives up to his toddler nickname of "Boo-Boo"!
Jacob says this about homeschool…"I love it!". He has adjusted so well to the new routine and I'm really proud of his attitude. We see a big difference in him already…pleasant, happy, content.
He gave his first talk in church on Sunday. He was asked to give a 3-5 minute talk on the subject of redemption. Redemption?! I admittedly felt like the topic was a little heavy for a brand new deacon. BUT…in reality, redemption isn't that heavy after all. And Jacob developed a beautiful talk (with a little help from me) and delivered it beautifully.
Here it is for posterity…
When you look up ‘redeem’ in the dictionary some of the definitions you find are:
- To buy back
- To recover
- To get back
- To rescue
- To set free
- To sacrifice for
When I see these words I think of the Savior and how He gave His life and atoned for our sins so that we could be “set free” from sin, “rescued” and so that we could “get back” to our Heavenly Father with His help. This is why the Savior is also referred to as the Redeemer. He literally “redeemed” us from the effects of sin.
2 Nephi 2:6 reads “Wherefore redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah for he is full of grace and truth.”
Mosiah 16:6 says “And now if Christ had not come into the world…there could have been no redemption.”
When God sent us to earth He knew we could not come back to him without help…as “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10:21). So He sent His only begotten to come to earth and put our sins, burdens, pain and death upon Himself. He sacrificed Himself for us not only because of His obedience to the Father, but also His love for us. But we have to repent of our sins, be baptized, and try to keep the commandments in order to qualify for this redemption.
In his talk entitled “Redemption”, Elder Legrand R. Curtis said:
“Through His suffering and death, Christ paid for the sins of all mankind on condition of individual repentance. Through Christ, people can and do change their lives and obtain redemption.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley once told a story about “a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.
“Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school, the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with ten rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’
“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response.
“A day or so later, the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.
“As little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’
“The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking.
“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked.
“After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’”
Just like Tom in the story, Jesus took our punishments upon Himself. And just like Jim, we should love Him forever. Also, like death, the rod broke over Tom’s back. Jesus broke the bands of death.
I am very grateful for what Jesus did for me. I know it’s possible for us to go back to our Heavenly Father through Jesus’ Atonement.
It's been awhile. I had to post SOMETHING so that we no longer had to hear about Mormons being Christians. Because I'm so OVER that now. But we are…just to be clear. 🙂
And well, October was a HUGE month around here. Two travel destinations (for me anyway) and a birthday (also for me) and Halloween (which was for the kids, but also ME). And my sweet husband got me a new camera to replace my old one that broke (because Mer without a camera is an unhappy Mer), so I have lots of new-camera pics to share.
AND…I pulled my 6th grader out of middle school today (like, signed the paper and everything) and he is a "bonafide" (that's the magic law word used in the state of TX) homeschooler. It's only the first day – but we're oh so happy and peaceful about it. Of course, it took months and years to get that way, but it was worth it. It's the right thing for now.
So lots of news on the Smith front.
And because every good post needs a picture…here is one of my new favorites. Aunt Mer and the Reid-er (6 and 1/2 months) on my birthday:
I had a great time making the boys' costumes this year –
Samuel was a spider! Grandma Sherry had given him a toy spider that had purple rings on the back and legs, so he wanted a black AND purple spider. Derek sewed fishing wire through the "arms" so they would all move with him. He walked around raising his spider "legs" all night! Samuel proves that spiders are smart (they read books) and that spiders are great dancers!
Caleb was Frankenstein. We were pretty excited about his costume, but the excitement waned after an hour in the costume because he said the hat hurt his bed (it was heavy with those bolts). It was cute while it lasted though – we took old shoes that a neighbor gave use and cut out the toes, and we painted and covered a shoebox with black hair and side bolts. Caleb especially enjoyed the Trunk-or-Treat.
Jacob was a Mummy. Well, for at least one event he was a mummy. I tore strips of muslin and tea-dyed them in my bathtub to create this costume. It was very cool for the moments we took the picture, but as he moved around and drove in the car it slowly started to fall apart, plus it "itched" him. So for the trunk-or-treat he was a mummy. But for Halloween night he made his costume and went as a boxer.
And then there was me…I badly wanted to dress up for the ward trunk-or-treat, so when I found this idea on-line I couldn't resist. When I look at the pictures I think "probably not my finest hour". BUT it was pretty popular and got lots of compliments…so…I guess it was worth it. :) I was a BAG of JELLY BELLY's!!
Also for the trunk-or-treat I made candy corn sugar cookies and hot chocolate. It was a fun night with a great turn out.
For Halloween night, we had our traditional pumpkin-chicken-wild rice soup with sourdough bread. Auntie Audra joined us to see the kids off (and help with face make-up!). And then we took the boys trick or treating. Jacob was thrilled to be able to go off with his friends by himself.
This is my favorite picture of the night – taken across the street, watching kids come up to our house for candy. Love it!!
You might have seen recent news stories based on the remarks of Dr Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas.
I address some of his claims in my own way in a letter to him…you can read it here.
Dear Dr. Jeffress:
I was recently struck by your comments to the media following your recent address at the Value Voters Summit. While your comments are not necessarily new, they hit a chord with me. While I do not profess to be a theologian, like yourself, or to have any type of acclaimed religious training, I am a practicing Mormon. And I disagree wholeheartedly with some of your recent comments. I would like to address them for those of my friends and family who would like to hear what I believe. My expectations for this response are small – only to hopefully allow those who are unclear about what we believe, or who might be persuaded by your comments, to take an inside look into the mind and heart of a Mormon mother and perhaps, question your claims.
1. I’ll begin by addressing your cult comment. “When I talk about a cult I talk about a theological cult, as opposed to a sociological cult. Theologically, a cult is a religion that has a human founder vs. a divine founder. Joseph Smith is the founder of Mormonism vs. Jesus Christ whom we look as the head of our church.” (Dr. Robert Jeffress, CNN interview)
You also mention “I know that term is a loaded one”. Precisely. The word “cult” is used to incite fear, doubt and confusion. And it is unnecessary. Anyone who knows or has spent time with a practicing LDS family knows that the modern use of the word cult is inaccurate. The accusation implies threat – and I do not see the Mormons as any threat.
When Christ was on the earth, he called apostles to help lead, guide and direct His church…specifically men like Peter, James, John, etc. We believe that prophets and apostles continue to be called upon to direct HIS church – the first of those, in modern times, being Joseph Smith, who we believe was called through ministration and direct visitation from Christ himself. We never have and never will claim that Joseph Smith is the head of our church…only a vessel and leader who faithfully fulfilled a call to serve and restore the original church – the church of Jesus Christ. While I appreciate the theological vs. sociological distinction, I do not appreciate the reference to us as “evil” when you say very clearly that your job is to “push back against evil”. My practices, my faith, my family – none are evil.
2. The second point you made “is that cults tend to look to other religious texts outside the Bible for religious guidance” (CNN interview with Andersen Cooper). It is true that we DO look to other religious texts – the Book of Mormon, as scripture. We very literally believe Christ when he stated “other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” (John 10:16). We believe that the Bible is an inspired text that witnesses and records the dealings of God with his people and that reveals the teachings of Jesus Christ and His gospel. But we believe that other texts were recorded that also reveal the dealings of God with his other people (and even you must admit that there are many…people that is), and we believe that he continues to reveal His word to His people (personal revelation to those who seek answers or guidance, for example). You state in your speech “that we need Christian leaders who embrace Biblical principles” (implying that Mitt Romney would not embrace Biblical principles). Every week I prepare and present a Sunday School lesson to 15-18 year old youth. The topic of study for the 2011 lessons is the New Testament. Each Sunday I prepare and teach the youth about the Sermon on the Mount, the parables of Jesus, the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ, the teachings of Paul to the Corinthians, the Thessalonians, and the Colossians, etc. I teach that “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15.13). Biblical principles are weaved into the fabric of who I am as a Mormon and what I teach my children every day.
3. Mormonism has “never been considered as a part of historic Christianity”…I recognize what you are saying, because we are a “modern, American” religion based on our restoration/founding in the early 1800s in Palmyra, NY. BUT, I believe that Christ did not “historically” establish multiple sects, religions, understandings, translations, interpretations of His church and His principles either.
4. And finally, you mention getting a phone call from a woman in Virginia – “a woman called me from VA and said, ‘I want you to know that I grew up in a Mormon home, my father was a Bishop in the Mormon church and everything you said is true…it is a cult…we depend on you to tell the truth’” (sermon given at First Baptist, 10/9/11). While I did not grow up in a Mormon home, I did grow up in a Bible-based, faith-promoting home (in which, some of my time was spent in a Baptist church). I believe that each of us has a divine right to choose – and with that right, I chose my religion based on personal feelings and conviction. Now, I am trying to raise God-fearing and faithful Mormon children. And my husband happens to be currently serving as a Mormon bishop. There is no mystery associated with those who lead our church…there is no veiling of the truth. The world does not depend on you to tell the truth about Mormonism…it relies on us…those of us who claim it as our own. While I know that many disagree with the tenets of our faith (and I stress, that’s OK), I would hope that if they have questions or curiosities about it they would turn to those that they know who hold these beliefs…that they would go to the source. And I would hope that those of us who claim Mormonism to be our religion would not shy away from the tough questions or the curious seeker of truth. Mutual respect and understanding should be shared by all who profess Christ as our Savior…and I profess Christ to be my Savior…my Redeemer…my Advocate with the Father…my only hope…my friend.
I would warmly invite anyone who believes us to be a cult to come to our home…to see how we worship, to watch as we kneel to pray, to view us partake of the sacred emblems of the sacrament (reminders of the blood and the body of Christ), to hear us sing our hymns, to watch us try with all our might to instill Godly principles in our children…faith, hope, charity, etc. It is the Book of Mormon that teaches “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” Our Church bears its name for a reason…we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You said in your remarks to your congregation on Sunday that it is your “responsibility to point people to faith in Christ – point out that being a good person is not enough, that we all need Christ as our Savior…” Dr. Jeffress, I agree. And I hope that instead of going toe-to-toe in that effort, we could stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
Those who have questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and what we believe and profess should visit www.mormon.org .
Jacob celebrated the big TWELVE last Thursday. He was pretty excited, but also pretty bummed because his birthday wasn't a "free-for-all" (i.e. he still had lots of homework). But lucky for him, Nana came over to make it a little more special. Derek had been traveling all week and flew in just in time for dinner (and cancelled a meeting he had that night so he could be with us). We had hamburgers (at J's request) with hash brown fries, corn and fruit salad. And he wanted a coconut white cake (just like his Dad!). He added an "a la mode" request as well. And the best surprise was his present for us – a PHONE! He was really hoping but not expecting that from us. He's one of the last of his friends to get one (ironically) and was so excited (see picture!). p.s. I wanted to see how many parentheses I could fit in one paragraph!
On Saturday morning we hosted 12 of Jacob's friends for a breakfast and football game at the park. These are well-mannered and good boys and it was fun to have them. We had 4 dozen donuts, 20 breakfast sandwiches that I made (TX toast, eggs, sausage or bacon and cheese), waters and capri suns. They were so cute about all the food – that's certainly the way to these boys' hearts. It was fun for us and for Jacob.
Attendees, clockwise from the back: Tariq, Cooper and Caleb, Josh, Brock, Boston, Cooper, Lance, Will, Austin, Jacob and Nyle
On Saturday night he played his guts out in a heartbreaking game against the 3-time division champions (Hawkeyes). They beat us in the last minute of the game. It was so tense and exciting the entire game and we were so proud of our guys. Fun to see this kid shine on the field – and boy does he. I had a dad of one of our teammates talk to me about how impressed he is with Jacob – how he gives 100% in everything they do and how he hits HARD all the time. It's been fun to watch him excel in this sport.
But the BEST part of the weekend was getting to watch Jacob receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained as a deacon. What a neat occasion. He has been so excited about this for 4 years – the opportunity to be a deacon and be in the Young Men's organization. He is most excited about getting to pass the sacrament each Sunday. He told me he was a little nervous about his interview with the Bishop (living with the Bishop might add to that), but he came out with a big grin on his face and said "He says I'm ready". That made me smile. Nana joined us for his ordination. He was ordained along with two friends, Boston Chappell and Josh Price - Jacob was born on the 22nd, Josh on the 23rd and Boston on the 24th.
I hope Jacob will always remember the Spirit that he felt as worthy men laid their hands on his head to confer upon him the power of God used to bless and lead His children. I hope he will strive to always maintain a pure heart and clean hands so that he can recognize the "power of godliness" being made manifest in his own life (D&C 84:20-21). We believe that this Aaronic priesthood is a "lesser priesthood" and by definition "holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; which gospel is the gospel of repentance and baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments" (D&C 84:26-27). The priesthood is only used to bless, never to serve oneself…it should never be trifled with or taken for granted. I hope that Jacob will always consider this gift a precious treasure. He can look to Derek for help in how to operate and use the Priesthood with honor and integrity.
One thing that helped Jacob prepare for this responsibility is a program called "Faith in God" – a program that consists of goals, activities and assignments that children ages 8-12 do. Jacob successfully completed this program which also included memorizing all 13 Articles of Faith. He was recognized in Primary two weeks ago.
What a birthday! I love this kid with all my heart and am excited to see what the future holds for him.
Samuel is in the "Dalmations" class at preschool. Each class has its own name. So, it only makes sense that his class should have a dalmation mascot! (Actually a few!). The class dog is named "Bolt" and each weekend he gets to go home with one of the students. They keep a diary of words and pictures of everything they did with Bolt. We happened to have a pretty busy weekend — and Samuel's mom happens to carry her camera everywhere she goes, so this assignment worked out pretty well for us. Lots of Samuel and Bolt adventures!!
Friday: playgroup and parktime (football practice)
Saturday: Jacob's birthday (park again), J's football game and Double Dip for ice cream
Sunday: church and a little piano practice
Monday: Costco (buckle up!), doggie lessons from Maggie and lunch with friend, Landon
As you can imagine, Bolt needed a bath after all of that! 🙂
We wear crazy hairstyles to try to mix-up the normal Summer of '11 ponytail…
We take after-church naps in our Sunday best…
We have Sunday evening "still" art sessions…
We wait patiently for our boys during Scouts…
We run out of gas on date nights…
We snuggle with babies…
We roadtrip…
We watch great young men go to the temple…(Christian Hicken, Aug 5 2011)
We celebrate birthdays of beloved family members (Auntie Audra, Aug 6th)… This picture could also say "we go shirtless…" which is very typical Sunday evening attire for them.
We join the Sivley's for FHE fishing and treats…
We fall asleep in church (New Orleans Ward while on vacation)…
We steal Mom's Iphone so we can take pictures of our creations…(this one is a temple with C3P0 as the Angel Moroni)…
Blogging seems like such a chore these days…probably because I'm so behind. I never should have let myself get that behind! Or maybe I've been so busy living, I don't have time to record it. Seems like a shame, though.
Life is interesting these days. Quiet, mostly. I feel a little like it's "Groundhog Day" every day – a repeat of the day before. The boys are each at 3 different schools. Middle School is challenging Jacob and as a result, Jacob is challenging us. :) Too be expected I guess…but we brace ourselves for time spent with him these days. It makes me miss the ease and happy days of summer. Caleb has a great teacher and class for 3rd grade. Things seem to be good for him, but you never know what you're gonna get mood-wise. Samuel LOVES preschool on Tues and Thurs – so much so that he's disappointed on MWF when I tell him it's not school day! His teachers are (according to him – and me!) SO, SO nice. Evenings seem a little hectic with everything we have, but do-able too. Then I get up and start it all over again the next day. Parts of the routine are comforting to me, other parts of it are just plain annoying. 🙂
I have a bunch of taped episodes of Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. I remember watching it everyday with a newborn, Jacob. Such a wholesome show. I enjoy watching it again as I fold laundry.
The 10-year anniversary of 9/11 was sobering. For weeks I knew it was coming but didn't want to "go there" as far as watching shows about it or reading about it. I knew it would take a certain amount of emotion and dedication to review the events of that day. Last Friday though, I began recording shows on the History channel that document the befores/during/and afters of the day, and I found myself transfixed and baffled, all over again. The same anxieties and fears and emotions come rushing back. Such a sad, sad day in our nation's history.
I enjoyed speaking at the F6 ward Relief Society meeting last week – they asked me to give my same "Women's Conference" lesson that I gave for the stake back in May. It's amazing the sisterhood that exists in this organization of R.S. I felt a kindred friendship with these ladies instantly, despite not knowing most of them. That's a relief when you're going to be standing in front of them teaching for an hour.
Maggie turned 2 on Sunday. She feels like part of the family now…it wouldn't be the same without her (despite her flaws).
I still enjoy teaching the youth in Sunday School…this week I taught on the law of chastity and sexual purity – yikes. But it went well and was well-received. I love rubbing shoulders with these kids.
Tonight I'm taking a meal to a family of 8. They're son is on Jacob's football team. The mom is pregnant with her 7th and is struggling with pre-term labor. She has to remain in the hospital for at least 6 weeks. The same week that she was admitted, the dad lost his job. Such a sweet and faithful family. Sure puts things into perspective. And makes you grateful for what you have. Also tonight, I'll go snuggle a newborn baby girl that our friend's the Chappell's welcomed last week. I love the smell of a newborn baby!
We swam a LOT this summer. And since it was the hottest summer on record anywhere, anytime (70 days of 100 degree days) - it turned out nice that we had a swimming pool to retreat too every morning and evening (and times in between). These pictures are just fun pool shots…
Coming up for a breath – he's become quite the fish this summer.
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