Learning how to blow

Nathaniel's learned how to blow. Enjoy this demonstration.

(video complete with fake giggles, and scrunchy faces)

Submitting to what is inflicted upon us

Mosiah 3:19

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

When I first became acquainted with this verse as a teenager, I thought that "inflict" seemed like such a painful word. What father would inflict things upon his child?

But as I've gotten older, I've realized that the Lord inflicts things upon us because he knows they will help us grow in the right ways.  Scoliosis and a back brace was inflicted upon me as a teenager. Not the funnest thing I've ever had to cope with, but it shaped me in profound and important ways.

Since then, other hard and sometimes painful things have been inflicted upon me. Things that were completely not my fault. Things that were unfair. Things that caused heartache, and tears, and soul searching.

Am I willing to submit to such things?

Are you?

My answer to the first question, is a firm, "yes". It may be hard, I may be brought to my knees with sorrow and tears or simply from a burning desire to understand, "what am I supposed to be learning from this?" But I say, Yes. I am willing to submit.

I have faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that he is “an high priest of good things to come.” I believe that all of the afflictions I experience will be for my good. That they will help me become a saint through the atonement of Christ.

As for the second question, only you can answer that. But I believe that there is peace and joy found in this journey of submission.

Nathaniel is one!

Someone had a birthday!

Nathaniel loved his new blocks. (Good choice, Daddy!) And that green soccerball-looking-thing behind him is one of his other favorite gifts. It's easy for him to grab and he loves throwing it.

Grandma Kimi, Grandpa Steve and Aunt Isabel all came down for the weekend to celebrate his happy day. (And Great-aunt Tine, Great-grandma Nancy, and Great-grandpa Quinten came down on Saturday for a little birthday picnic)

This was probably my favorite picture from the weekend.

Grandpa Steve and Nathan having fun!

In other news, we got Google Fiber internet, and are loving being able to watch General Conference at home. It is glorious. Join us tomorrow for two more sessions at 10:00am and 2:00pm here

It'll be worth it. Come and listen for yourself.