Family Home Evening Thought - Aug 31

Just as the Continental Divide marks the dividing of the watersheds (either the water flows east or westward) on the North American continent, we all stand at a "divide" in our lives each day. Our attitude about what happens determines which direction we "flow" - towards happiness and peace or sadness, anger, discouragement, all the negatives. Decide which direction you will flow!

Old Faithful erupting, Yellowstone Park

Photo from Rob and Katherine, Aug. 2009

(Just liked the picture)

My last Monday night before school starts. I have mixed emotions about it all. The summer has been absolutely marvelous, but there is so much I have not done. I will confess to a bit of a negative attitude about going back. Yesterday at Sacrament Meeting, one of the speakers said something that made me think. He said our happiness is all about our attitude. Our perception of our situation has a huge effect on our happiness. So, I put together two small photo albums (expanding on the one small one I took to the reunion), and decided that my attitude should be about how wonderful my summer was and how blessed I was to have accomplished as much as I did. I won't make you tired with a list (of what I did or what I didn't do).

My thought for the day is to take Paul's example as a way to live our lives. "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:11, 13)

I'm working on an "attitude adjustment." I recommend it for all.

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug. 24, 2009

Names on the wall, members of the Hunt Wagon Train. Names in white are those who arrived in the Valley. Names in yellow are of those who died on the journey.

The Family and Spouses

The Sweetwater River

One of the monuments to the young men who carried pioneers across the Sweetwater in the snow and windy weather.

Martin's Cove - the pioneers were taken here while they waited to leave for the final push to the valley. The sand hill in front provided some shelter from the elements.

As I read the Ensign today, I thought of the experience I had on the way to the family reunion. Ben, Marilyn, and I stopped at Martin's Cove. I have felt a great desire to walk that area where our ancestor, Hans Ulrich Bryner and family walked in the snow with the Hunt Wagon Train. In the Ensign, I found an article which discusses that very event. "On the Saturday before general conference on October 1856, Elder Franklin D. Richards and a handful of returning missionaries arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They reported to President Brigham Young that hundreds of pioneer men, women, and children were scattered over the long trail to the valley, facing the early onset of winter. The people were hungrey, and many carts and wagons were breaking down. People and animals were dying. all of them would perish unless they were rescued...In his [Brigham Young's] address, he said: That is my religion, that is the dictaion of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people...I will tell you that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains." In the midst of snow and wind, those rescuers sought out and brought in the pioneers still on the Wyoming plains. What a wonderful experience it was to walk where they walked, to feel the spirit that exists there, to see the hills they saw, now barren of snow, but windy still.

Though times have changed and the journey from Europe to the Salt Lake Valley is but a long day's flight, the truth of Brigham Young's statement has not changed. "Remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple. (D&C 52:40) We are commanded, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 22:39).

I challenge each of you to do something for someone this week - something you don't have to do. Visit someone, send a letter, bake a treat, provide a meal, call someone, do something to show your willingness to be His follower.

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug. 17, 2009

In my studying this past week, I read again about the "whole armor of God." This scripture always bring to mind knights, arrayed in their protective (and heavy, bulky, difficult to wear) armor, entering into a joust (often to the death). The armor of God is not heavy, bulky, or difficult to wear, but as all things with God, the burden of wearing His armor is light and easy to wear. It is even more important than the armor worn by the knights of old, for they battled only for their physical life. We are engaged in a war for our spiritual life while we walk upon the earth in mortality.

My challenge for the week is to read of the whole armor (Ephesians 6:11-18, D&C 27:15-18) and take upon yourselves this armor:

Loins girt about with truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God

There is great joy in wearing His armor.

Love, Mom

Family

Family Reunion - We are all together.

Brave and Valiant Ancestors

Martin's Cove, Wyoming. My ancestor, Hans Ulrich Bryner, was with the Hunt Wagon Train. They took shelter here while the rescue party worked to get them to Salt Lake City.

Four Generations - Family

Four generations, adoption finalization day -

Matthew, Great-grandma and great-grandpa, Grandma, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug. 10

My theme this week is gratitude. I have spent the past week with family in Utah, Wyoming, and here at home. In nine days, I drove 2700 miles. What gratitude I feel for the technology that allows me to travel that far and still have time to visit with loved ones. I am grateful for the freedom to travel, for the economic ability to do this, for loved ones who also traveled to be at the reunion, for the beauty of His creations, for valiant ancestors, and for His protecting hand in all things.

What are you grateful for?

Love,
Mom

Family Home Evening Thoought for Aug. 3

I have thought much this week about the importance of family. While at Yorktown, I thought of the soldiers who were there. I don't know what the British soldiers feelings about fighting there were, but I know the Patriots, those colonists who had left their mother countries (not all were English), were fighting for a vision of something different, a land where they were free to determine the destiny of their lives. I recently finished reading the series, Prelude to Glory, which tells of the struggles, not only the Revolutionary War, but the great struggles as the convention convened, supposedly to amend the Articles of Confederation, but in the end, to through out that document and forge a new document, one which united the previously separate colonies into one great nation, preserving for each colony (state), many rights of self-government. There isn't time for me to tell all I learned, but I did learn that each of the delegates there was forced to look deep into his beliefs, and each had to give up something they thought important and compromise.

Familes are like that convention. We are all working together for a common goal, to be an eternal family. Sometimes we don't see the vision. We disagree with some, we let our memories of past events influence our progression. The family is under attack on every side. Yet the family is spoken of from the beginning. Adam and Eve established a family. Although we hear of only three sons, we know there were other children. Abraham was told that "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Not all families are traditional in their makeup. But there is a larger family, that of your ancestors and your descendents. Remember them. The stories and experiences they left behind are inspiring, for they perserved through many hardships, but also had many great joys in their lives. Consider leaving something for your posterity - a journal, pictures (with labels), and memories. Someday, descendents will be grateful for your efforts.

While traveling in Virginia, Mom told me something I don't remember hearing about Grandpa in Sweden. They lived in Eskilstuna, right down on the water. During the winter, even as a young boy, he would go to get water. When there was ice, they would chop a hole in the ice. The corners of the hole were marked with branches to show where the ice was thin. He was only 9 years old when he came to America, so he did this as a little boy.

From that simple story, I learned that in his life, warnings were posted to avoid danger. The branches remind me of the scriptures, given us as a warning for "where the ice is thin". Find a few minutes each day to read the words of warning given us.

Remember, Abraham was told all families of the earth would be blessed through him. My second challenge for the week is to record something about your experiences to bless future generations.

Love, Mom