Prayer!

I have not written for a long time on this blog. But here is one section of the dedicatory prayer for the Panama City Temple. I found this on a past issue of the Church News. I think that the words are so beautiful and President Monson speaks as one who really knows of the reality of eternity and the way he prays to heavenly Father is a testimony of his divine calling as a Prophet.
The prayer is little touching for me. The words are really inspiring.
Prayer is something that some times I lack on it. I need to pray more, we all do.


We seek to be like Thee; we seek to pattern our lives after the life of Thy Son; we desire righteousness for ourselves and our children and our children's children. We plead with Thee to make us worthy to inherit the fullness of those blessings found only in Thy Holy Temples — even those blessings which grow out of a continuation of the family unit forever.

We seek Thy help, Father, to make our homes havens of peace and happiness. In our families, may we pause to pray and think to thank.

As we dedicate this sacred edifice, we rededicate our very lives to Thee and to Thy work.

Shield us, we pray, from selfishness or sin and provide the power that we might rise above all that is below the dignity of Thy children.

May we, Thy children, merit Thy bounteous blessings and Thy watchful care, we pray, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, even the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, Amen.

Alma , the Younger and his Father!

I have being studding the story of the conversion of Alma the Younger. Mosiah 27
I have to say that so many things have come to me in study this chapter. Jim and I have been studying and talking about it.
So many points have come to us.
1st. the father Alma - One can say that we can't judge the parents by the behavior of their children. The truth is we should not judge anyone , anyway, because we have being commanded not to. the Savior himself did warn us about the dangers of judging others. The fact is , we know that in this case Alma was a just man who was faithful and had raised his son in the light of the gospel, Alma , the son, chose to be wicked, it was his choice. Many parents are not like that, they feel the battle is to great and choose not to fight in hopes that things will work out at the end.
In the Old Testament, there is another story , like that , 2 fathers, the high priest and the Prophet Samuel. Both had sons that did not choose to follow their father's example. Both fathers where told to take care of the situation, Samuel, the Prophet did called his sons to repentance, The High Priest just let it go, so he was called to repentance by the Lord.
Both fathers saw the terrible destruction of their sons.
So, the parenting challenge is to make a difference in pointing the away to our children, if we fail to stand strong I'm sure we will have to answer to the Lord for it, but if we do our part them we can not only stand before the lord spotless but collect the blessings.
So, yes, let's not judge one another, but let us be mindful that we need to Stand for what we believe even to our kids. That , in my opinion, is the kind of father Alma was, and that, in my opinion is why the Angel came to help his son.
The bottom line is, are we going to judge or being like the good church members in Alma's ward who saw that the only good thing to do was to pray for the boys?

Hopefully we are the one praying...
Hugs

A New Prophet of God!

"to whom the Lord Calls, the Lord qualifieis."

This is the quote that my mission President had in his office as we walked in.

Yes is from President Thomas S. Monson, our new Prophet.

It's my favorite quote from him.

Have to say that when I told the kids in the car after school, that we have a new porphet, and told them is President Monson, they imediatly start to sing the words to "Latter Prophets" to include President Monson at the end. So sweet , since this is the Prophet they will follow for the next couple of years.

Hope we all have the desire to do our part in our coner of the vinhard.



Hugs

Carmen

"Steadfast and Immovable, always abounding in good works"

Well, as I attended my daughter's young Women new beginnings and ponder on the theme for the year a came home and decided to read the entire scripture. I have to confess that I have read the Book of Mormon so many times and passed buy this verse, but just last night it has come with great power into my heart.

Here it is: Mosiah 5:15


15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

What a great scriptures, the words of a great man, King Benjamin has being one of my hero's. Someone with so much spirituality in his life and so close to the Lord. In reading this verse it just came to me the realization of how much king Benjamin knew the Lord in his mortal life, and how much the dedication to help other and to serve and have the good works, has blessed his life with the knowledge of the Savior's true character.

So I have taken the time to seat down with my girls and explained to them that when we learn about the life of King Benjamin we understand what he meant by this scriptures. It is the good works, what we do for our fellow men that brings us all this things. This verse has great promises.

If we stay; 1. steadfast ( firmly fixed in place)
2. Immovable (incapable of being moved) ( no shift in values)
3. have Good Works ( abundantly) ( a lot)

Them we will: 1. Be sealed as Christ's children ( the Lord God Omnipotent)
2. be brought to heaven
3. have everlasting (indefinitely) salvation
4. Eternal Life
5. know the : a. wisdom of God
b. power of God
c. justice of God
d. mercy of God

How is that for a promise? I just love this verse and all the words of King Benjamin. I have a great desire to , one day, know him personally.
This scripture to me illustrate the life of the Savior who lived to serve, to do Good Works.
Our Heavenly Father has said that ti is his work and Glory to bring us immortality and Eternal life. this verse illustrate who this can be done. Be consistent , persevere and serve.
What a great example of service, dedication and steadfast our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley has being to all of us. A life in the service of His God and his fellowmen. he will be greatly missed, and will live in our memories forever. May we never forget our goal. To Eternal Life with our Father.

Hugs

Carmen

It's not enoug to have them join the journey!

Happy New Year to all!
Today is the first day of a new year and I decided to not end the day without some scripture study. Starting the new year in a great way.
Our Sunday School study course this year is the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon to me is a precious gift from our Heavenly Father, his mercy , in giving us this book,is unlimited. After the gift of his own son, this is the second greatest in my opinion.
I have to say that the book of Mormon took a new meaning in my life after I became a parent, as specially after i became the parent of a teenager.
I have become to understand that the Book of Mormon has a great impact in helping us raise our families and the role that the Saviour Jesus Christ and his prophets have in the process.
So I decided to write about one of my learning experiences in reading the Book of Mormon and being so inspired as a parent.
A few years a go I found myself teaching seminary, I loved . I learned a lot from my students and all the training we had from General Authorities and our CES leaders in Brazil. In Brazil a seminary teacher is a Stake calling.Each ward has it is own teacher and after we are sustained and set apart we are all turned over to CES to be trained. Once you are called there is no way to tell how long you'll have that calling. I was also called to teach institute at one point. I loved every minute of it.
One thing always bothered me. When I had a student who did not wanted to be there, in class .
Most of the time they had a not so good behavior and were very disruptive to the rest of the class. Our course of action was to always talk to the parents first.
many countless times I heard the phrase"at least he/she is there , in seminary!"
Many timesIwanted to say and I believe I did said a few times: "no, your son/daughter is not there." Truth is they were everywhere but in class. I and my colleges felt powerless, what could we do?
Time went on and I no longer teach seminary, but I still hear the same Fraze, even in a different language.
In study the Book of Mormon, after i became a parent, my heart always feel so heavy for the prophet and father Lehi. When I read his words to Laman and Lemuel, oh so many times. Like:
1Nephi 2:12-13 -

12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.

So many times this same thing happen. When I was younger I found myself thinking: "who wants to take this 2 guys on the trip, just live them behind". But that was not the heart of father Lehi. This was more like him.
1 Nephi 2:14

14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.

That is more like Father Lehi. " Filled with the spirit".
For father Lehi it was never enough that Laman and Lemeul join them in the journey, he made sure they knew all about it. He thought and exhorted them all the way. The final decision to rebel was theirs, but never because the did not new where to look for salvation, but because they did wanted too.
For Father Lehi it was never enough that they were on their way to the promise land, that they join the family on their journey, that they are at least on the ship, no that was never enough
1 Nephi 2: 8-10

8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.

9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!

10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!

That is the lesson I learned and I wish I had it back them when I was a seminary teacher.
The lesson that is not enough that they are at least at seminary or at church. Just like Laman and Lemuel it's not enough for them to join the journey to the promise land. If we don't take upon our shoulders the responsibility the Lord has given us, to teach them, they will eventually be distracted by the great and spacious building and go after the world. No, sorry, but is not enough to be there, they need to hear what is said and they need to here from us, the parents, first.
So when we hear our leaders in general conference directing us to teach doctrine, gospel, in our family home evenings, we need to remember Father Lehi, and his example of never give up.
I would not have left any of my kids in Jerusalem either, I would have taken them all with me and like Lehi I would have said, it is not enough that you came. Now listen to what I have to teach.
It is not enough to be together we need to be nurtured by the Good word of God.
So let us ponder the words of a great parent.
2 Nephi 4:5

5 But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.

May we never said "at least", may we say instead, "we'll talk about it at family home evening tonight."
May we never think that is enough for our children to join us in the journey, may we teach them a long the way, the power of the word of God, so they can hold tight to the rod and eat the fruit with us and may we all seat together in the kingdom of God.


Hugs to all
may 2008 be a great year...
Sorry about all the grammar mistakes, it's late...

Carmen

Children : Believe in them!

Thinking about Family all day, I decided to find some quote before going to bed, so here it is , from Henry B. Eyring, To Draw Closer to God: A Collection of Discourses, p.177 - 178.

We must find other ways to convey our legacy of testimony, but the process of teaching, testifying, and living the truth will be the same. The scriptures, living prophets, and common sense tell us where to begin. We need to start with [pagebreak]ourselves as parents. No program we follow or family tradition we create can transmit a legacy of testimony we do not have. We must start where Alma started, so that our descendants can know that we testified from the same ground from which he testified. Here are his words as recorded in the Book of Mormon. It is what we must be able to say: "And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." (Alma 5:45-46.)


I have a great legacy from my parents in many different aspects of life. Their dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ made all the difference in our lives. When I talk about dedication, I talk about really living the gospel and holding on to it with all they had.
I also have the legacy of them always believing in us, no matter what, always telling us that we could do much better.
I remember all the encouragement during my youth years. Like Pres. Hinckley's children said, they always believed we would turn out just fine. I guess faith does proceed the miracle.
My mom has since passed away, I miss her encouragement. But she left enough for me to live on and to pass to my own kids.

So, that it is, the legacy of believing in my children, and using much faith to see the miracle. never taken my eyes of the miracle.
Like Alma the father, asking the Lord for his intervention. Given it to him. Coming unto Christ and let him be a part of the process.

Mosiah 27:14

And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.

At the end we can see our own children speaking like Alma the younger spoke, in the scripture quoted by Pres. Eyring, yes Alma the younger, who like me, was blessed with parents who never gave up on him, who had Faith in God to see the miracle and knew that conversion only come from the the Holy Ghost, from within.


Hugs
Carmen

The Youth!

Our family is studding the Joseph Smith History for the past couple of days. We are reading from the Prophet's words on his own History and we are amazed of the many things we have learned. We stop at every point we want to talk about.

So last night we read verse 22-23,
22 I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me.

23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.

Joseph's life would never be the same and from this point on he will be persecuted until he is killed.
One thing came to me last night when we read. Our Youth, our children. Maybe to the world they do seam very normal and of no importance, but Satan know how important they are and what they can do to frustrate his evil work. As time comes to a close and the second coming is near, Satan knows he has one last chance, to drag as many as he can down with him. he has done this before.
So here is Joseph, facing the same problems our kids face.
What is today in yours , and my, kids life that is causing them to go away from what it could be the greatest work of their life. sure many will not be called as a prophet of God, but any little good thing they can do counts and by eliminating their influence, makes it easy for the enemy to work his purposes.
The enemy will always tempt us with things He knows is very hard for us to overcame.
Well, How they can stand firm? Well, you have to read the rest of the story... (hint, verse 24).
But this I have to say, even at age 15, Joseph was one of the strongest men , spiritually.
He had sorrow for all that was happening but no fear.... Verse 24 tells where his strength came from..
Let me know what you think it is...

Hugs
Carmen