This year Katelyn was asked to play the piano for the song I Am A Child of God. She worked hard and practiced until she got it down. She was super nervous to play in front of everyone, but she did so good. I was one proud momma! While she was learning the song, there were a couple of parts that gave her quite a bit of trouble. Even when she was practicing last night, she had a hard time getting them. But today she aced those measures and flashed me a smile in the middle of the song. I had a hard time holding back the tears as I listened to her succeed after putting in so much hard work. She had a small part to say into the microphone, but that felt easy to her after playing the piano in front of such a large crowd.
Dallin waved to us no less than 20 times during the program. He looked so cute standing up there in the choir seats, singing his heart out, and making his cute facial expressions. He knew his part perfectly, but because everyone else was asking for help he did too. His little voice is one of my most favorite sounds right now.
Jacob is known in our family for his eyebrows. He can work those things like know one else. Today as he was standing up there singing, he had his eyebrows furrowed and sang every word with a gusto...there was no doubt he was giving it his all. Somehow his tie ended up backwards and he ate his shirt for a good portion of the time, but those are the kind of things that make the primary program so fun. Jacob was able to memorize his part about 30 seconds after getting it and he stood up at the microphone and said it perfectly. He never ceases to amaze me with his abilities!
In case anyone thought we had a relaxing sacrament meeting because we were only left with one child to tend, you'd be wrong. I love Kinlee more than life itself, but man is she a busy body. I swear there are 6 kids worth of work inside her! She kept saying, in a not so quiet voice, "Where's Da? Where's Da? There's Da! There's Da!"...pointing to her brothers and sister in the choir seats.
Today's lesson in Relief Society, "Doing Good to Others", was just what I needed to hear. The beginning of the lesson said this...
We are of the same Father in the celestial worlds. … If we knew each other as we should, … our sympathies would be excited more than they are at the present time, and there would be a desire on the part of every individual to study in their own minds how they might do their brethren good, how they might alleviate their sorrows and build them up in truth, how [they might] remove the darkness from their minds. If we understand each other and the real relationship which we hold to each other, we should feel different from what we do; but this knowledge can be obtained only as we obtain the Spirit of life, and as we are desirous of building each other up in righteousness.2
When I read that part earlier this week, the line "if we knew each other as we should" gave me the chills and made me stop and think. I have 4 sisters who mean the world to me. I love them, I worry about them, I miss them, I hurt when they hurt, I celebrate with them in their accomplishments. If there is anything I can ever to do help them, I want to do it because I want them to be happy and have what they need. Then the thought came to me that we are all brothers and sisters to each other in spirit. And when I think of people in that relationship, I feel differently about them. Obviously, this is not new information, but something clicked in me this time that hasn't before. And I've been doing my best know others as I should and do good to them.
Another one of my favorite thoughts from the lesson was this...
We should have before us a strong desire to do good to others. Never mind so much about ourselves. Good will come to us all right if we keep our minds outside of ourselves to a certain extent, and try to make others happier and draw them a little nearer to the Lord. … When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.6
I need to print this out in size 200 font and post it where I can see it all the time. Then when I get going on a pity party or start to feel sorry myself, I can remember the cure for it. I'm so thankful for the gospel in my life! It is my life! I'm grateful for parents who raised me in it and taught me the right way to live...through their words and their examples. I'm grateful to be surrounded by so many people, everyday, who make living the gospel easy. I know my Savior lives, and I love him! And I know that the only way to be truly happy is to live his teachings!
It really was a good Sabbath.
And because a post isn't quite as fun without a picture, here's one from a couple of Sundays ago of Katelyn and Emi drinking Diet Pepsi and reading the blog books
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