Micah just went into primary as a “Sunbeam” this month and on the same day Quentin went into nursery at church! It was a good transition because I was afraid to let Quentin in nursery when there were like eight boys that were a lot older than him. Here is a picture of their first day:
All the older boys went into primary and now our primary is huge! (Well only compared to the other wards in our stake… it’s actually only like 35 kids but our room is small and it feels like a lot of kids.)
The new kids in primary got a Book of Mormon to take to church every week. I decided to make Micah a scripture tote. I remember seeing missionaries make these scripture covers out of cereal boxes for their Bible and Books of Mormon.
It was super easy. I just cut off the top of a cereal box and taped it up all around to laminate it. Then I punched two holes and tied a ribbon so it would be easier for him to carry. Micah keeps all his church stuff in it along with his new Book of Mormon.
I got this Elmo Cereal at the store because Micah insisted that it was the one he wanted. The cereal really really gross but it made a cute box! (It was definitely good marketing on their part…. the cereal is way plain… it’s like dry cardboard.) The scripture tote works pretty good! I don’t know how long it will last though. 🙂
Dallin is still in the bishopric and I’m still a primary chorister. We’re having fun! Here are two cute pictures of Micah and his friends at church.
This is a picture of the Rexburg Idaho Temple at sunrise taken on Thanksgiving morning 2013. One unique thing about this temple is that there is a big wheat filled in front of it. There is also a bunch of wheat in the temple garden and wheat carvings in the architecture. Wheat is a symbolizes the righteous people being gathered together in the Parable of the Tares in the New Testament.
I haven’t felt like blogging the last couple of days because I lost about 300 gb of data while I was backing up my pictures. I accidentally unplug my 1TB hard drive during a massive data transfer. When I plugged it back in the computer went ahead and tried to fix the corrupted files but instead half of my pictures/videos disappeared. I was emotionally distraught for a few hours before I could stop moping about it but actually do something about it (I need to get over my picture addiction… haha!). Over the last week I’ve been able to recover around 15,000 files after consulting with my family and friends. I also read lots of online forums. A lot of the files I found were corrupted but I’m grateful for the ones I did find. This experience has been a blessing in disguise. First, because I did have a back-up of most of the pictures so I didn’t loose too many… just about 4 months worth of pictures. Second, I got to use the skills I learned studying computer science in school about data storage and data deletion. Third, I learned NEVER to use ctrl-x for video or picture transfer. Fourth, it made me more humble and also grateful that only half the files disappeared and not all the files. Fifth, I am never letting that happen again!! I’m so grateful I found so many files but it is going to take days to organize the files and check for duplicates. It would have been much easier if this never happened but of course, life doesn’t always work that way. God does want us to learn from our mistakes.
I was able to recover pictures I took back in November when our family took a trip up to BYU-I in Rexbug, Idaho for Thanksgiving. I prayed hard that I would find these temple pictures because I knew I only had one copy of them. I felt confident that I would find this folder but all the methods of data recover I tried didn’t work or the files I did find were corrupted. I guess my faith was tested.
Finally, last night I found these files while searching through ~121,000 possible deleted files using Recuva.
What a big blessing! I know Heavenly Father answered my prayer. He really didn’t have to but I know God is very merciful and full of grace if we are willing to pray to Him and have faith.
My husband is really good at making me feel really loved on my birthday. His gifts are always perfect but his words are what means the most to me. I have yet to have a birthday without tears of gratefulness.
Today, on my birthday, my husband shared with my his testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ because I’ve been wanting to learn more about the atonement recently. Being a convert to the church (4+ years and counting), sometimes I feel embarrassed when I don’t know the simple stories of Jesus. When the Sunday school teachers says “Everyone knows the story of ____ “… I am usually the one who does not know that story but is too embarrassed to raise my hand. I admit that I have not studied the bible as much as the modern revelations of the church. My husband is very well versed in gospel doctrine and I feel blessed whenever he teaches me or answers my questions. However, it always comes down to the fact that I have to read, learn, and gain my own testimony.
I realized in order for me to better understand the atonement of Jesus Christ I need to study the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the words of the prophets, attend the temple, and also receiving personal revelation. If I only choose one of the sources, it is not comprehensive enough to understand the importance of this great event. Understanding the atonement is a lifelong process and it’s ok that I don’t know everything right now.
I’ve been studying and watching the new bible videos made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are absolutely amazing and they make it simple enough for me to understand.
Here are 10 interesting things I’ve learn about the atonement:
Jesus Christ suffered in Gethsemane “the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.” (2 Nephi 9:21) He also suffered “temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great [was] his anguish.” (Mosiah 3:7)
The suffering in Gethsemane was so much pain that Christ pray to God saying: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36)
Jesus Christ was also denied by his own disciples, who were his friends, during his greatest time of need. Christ took three of his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. The entire time that Christ was suffering in the garden, the three disciples fell asleep. (Matt 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:47-48, John 18:2-3)
After suffering for all the pains of the world in Gethsemane, Jesus Christ was denied, mocked and spit upon by government leaders (Matt 27:2), chief priests (Matt 27:41), and a multitude of people (Matt 27:20). They all wanted him to be crucified. (John 19:6)
Jesus Christ was beaten 39 times with a Roman whip (Mat 27:26). Roman whips had “had pieces of bone, glass, or metal on the ends of it to tear the flesh”. The reason why he was beaten 39 times is because anyone who survives 40 whippings are released from their punishment. (2 Cor 11:24) After whipping they put a crown of thorns on his head. (Matt 29:29)
Jesus Christ carried his own cross to Golgotha to be crucified. (John 19:17)
Jesus Christ allowed wicked people to crucify him after all the horrible events that have already happened to him. The unbelievers drove nails through the palms of his hands, wrists, and feet. (Ps. 22:11–18) Being in the position of crucification is the most horrible slow punishment and death anyone could ever experience. (Crucifixion)
While on the cross Jesus Christ said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. (Luke 23:34)
After being on the cross Jesus Christ, He said “it is finished” meaning the atonement was completed. He gave up the ghost which means he chose to die a mortal death. (John 19:30)
Jesus Christ was resurrected and we will all be resurrected because of His atonement. Everyone who is willingly to have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, are baptized in His name, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and confirmation into Christ’s Church” and endure joyfully to the end will be received into celestial kingdom. Those who repent will not have to suffer what Christ went through and be able to have a happy life. (The Atonement of Jesus Christ)
What a great birthday it is to learn more about the greatest gift anyone can ever receive!
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