Sunday Thoughts

A life-sized copy of this print is currently on display on the stage at Oakcrest Girl's Camp.
It is a great visual for this year's theme: Take His Hand. 

I enjoyed the worship services at church today.  I am grateful for neighbors with whom I worship, who serve my family in many ways: teaching my children primary classes, giving of their time to teach and hang out with my teenagers, providing music on Sundays, giving talks that inspire me, and simply greeting me with a smile whenever I seen them.

I had a couple of thoughts from the talks I heard today.  One brother spoke about testimonies, and he conveyed the idea that our very lives are our testimonies.  I had heard this before, but it struck me again in a different way.  If I made a list of my daily activities, and turned those activities into belief statements (a testimony), what might my testimony look like?  Sadly, some days it might be something like this:

I know that sleeping in is true, and I testify of the power of letting your wife make you and the rest the of family breakfast.  I also know the computer is true, especially the books of KSL Classifieds, Facebook, and BigFishTackle.com.  I love the little black box in front of my bed with all my heart, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Food Network lives.  I am so blessed to have my fishing license so I can go fishing often. . . 

It's not that bad, really; but I can see much room for improvement in my efforts to live a consecrated life.  I can use more moderation in my pleasure-seeking activities and look for more ways to serve others, particularly those in my own home.

I had the opportunity to share some thoughts from the pulpit today; and I chose to focus on my visit to Oakcreast girls' camp this past week.  Among a number of items, I shared how much I love listening to Young Women sing camp songs (and hymns and such).  I have never listened to young women sing without feeling the spirit.  I especially love the song: "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God" -- it's hard to listen to this song without tears, and I always feel a great yearning for the young women of the Church--that they are protected, that they are treated well, that they make good decisions, that they can be strong in the face of temptation and evil.

I am so blessed to have a mother who "walked tall".  And I am also immeasurably blessed to have a wife who "walks tall", knowing that she is a daughter of God, that she is part of His great plan.  I could not be more blessed.