Facing the Future with Hope

"One of today’s great challenges is learning to conquer fear and despair in order to overcome trials and temptations. It takes only a few moments for us to open a newspaper, scroll the web, or hear a news broadcast on radio or television to be confronted with distressing accounts of crime and natural calamities that happen every day.

Understanding the promises in scripture concerning how the Lord will conquer evil and how truth will conquer error can help us face the future with hope and optimism. In today’s world we see war, natural calamities, and economic crises. At times these events are not just things we observe from a distance but are things that affect us personally.

There is no need for us to mourn lost worldly possessions or to fixate on the temporal, for those things can rob us of the joy of the simple, sublime things of life.


We should all face the future with hope because we know that the forces of evil will be overcome. We should all maintain a positive outlook as we face challenges because today we have the scriptures, the teachings of living prophets, priesthood authority, temples, and the support of each other as members of the Church. We should all “come off conqueror” because of prayer And most important, we should have hope in eternal life because of the Lord’s perfect atoning sacrifice.

When our priorities are right, we will live a richer and more abundant life. Putting the Lord, His kingdom, and our families first will give us the hope we need to face present and future challenges."

It really helped me to read this article in the Ensign this week. I have struggled with all of the devastation from the recent wild fires and also from the Colorado shootings. It is easy to live in fear and despair with all that is going on around us. This has helped remind me how blessed we are to have the knowledge that we have and the support that we each have in our circles and especially in our family. We have lots of reasons to be positive. We need to have hope and faith.

It also is no surprise that I am a bit of a perfectionist and (ever so slightly) OCD. Haha! I really struggle with being patient with others that are breaking my stride or putting out minimal effort. I get frustrated when things get overly complicated and I have to put out extra effort because others are slacking. This article also helped to remind me that I need to focus on doing for the right reasons and in the right order..also to be more patient with others that are in different places and different commitment levels.

I hope that we can all have more hope, faith and patience with ourselves and with others this week. If we do the basics...the small and simple things...we will be blessed! If we focus on the eternal things(the things that truly matter) and not focus on the temporal...we will have a richer and more abundant life!

Happy Monday! Love you all!

-Deidi

We All Have a Purpose

Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny--he or she has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally--you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. Our Heavenly Father intends to do something through you.

As I pondered what I was gonna do for the message this week, I thought about singing, or bearing testimony and then 10 minutes ago I decided to look up spiritual quotes. This one has some power behind it. I changed a few words to it to make it better but I've always found this a truth, and I've thought about it for years. 

Heavenly Father has a purpose or many purposes for us on this earth and it is our job to find out and seek out those purposes and then fulfill them. 

We have all fulfilled many of his purposes already but there are more and will always be more. 

I know that as we strive to fulfill his purposes and act in his name and as a disciple of him we will be blessed beyond measure.

I love you all and am so grateful for this gospel and the knowledge that I can be with each of you for eternity if we fulfill our purpose on this earth. 

Eternity wouldn't be eternity with Aspen or Felix or without each and every one of you. Love you all so much. Have a great sabbath!

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

I know most of you have read this or seen this but encourage you to read it again! it is amazing. families are the most important thing! it is the very reason we are here on this earth life would be nothing without family, Eternally, that includes all our brothers and sisters in the world and our Heavenly family, father and Mother

The Family

A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. 

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

The family! what more can i say i am so grateful for mine you truly are the best fit for me, i think it was meant to be this way! we were all born into a family and chosen to be a part of this one! Catelynn and I would like to add another challenge with the upcoming reunion! YAY!! we would like everyone to share there favorite moments together as a family. it can be a reunion we ve had or a time when we were all growing up together:) I will start it off...

I actually have two times if thats legal.. the first time im sure many of you remember is when mom left the house in denver and we all got together all the mattresses in the whole house and piled them out back and were jumping off the roof and doing tricks and just having a good time as a family. we were all breaking the rules but at least we were doing it together, it was good times! the second one was a trip we made to gillette. i think i was fourteen. We decide to go but a bunch of fireworks ( roman candles etc..) we went out to the gravel pits and were shootin them off, i went out to check on a defective one and all the sudden i caught fire!! i didnt know what was goin on but pretty sure i used some fowl language, ran into a brick wall and diving into the bushes i do not recall this but thats what the brotheys tell me:) come to find out i was bein shot by the P with flaming balls no pun intended:) anyways even tho it was scary and crazy that was one of the funnest weeks ive had and most memorable love you all please share!

Quality of Love

In our society today marriage doesn't seem like a big deal.

Marriage, n. The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress and two slaves, making in all, two. AMBROSE BIERCE

Look at all the couples who get married and divorced in the matter of months. Its made to look and be ok. If it doesn't work just get a new one. But this is not how it should be,

The quality of love and the duration of a relationship are in direct proportion to the depth of the commitment by both people to making the relationship successful. Commit yourself wholeheartedly and unconditionally to the most important people in your life.
~Brian Tracy..

Marriage takes time, effort, sacrifice, patience, selflessness and lots and lots of love! You have to commit yourself wholeheartedly! We're all familiar with the quote, "the grass is greener on the other side"; We recently found one that is much better. "The grass is greener when its watered" We need to nurture and take care of our relationships so that it can be green and we can be happy.
I know life gets busy sometimes with kids, jobs, chores etc. Sometimes we can lose track of each other as a couple and we may not put as much effort into one another. Let us make the time daily to continue to get to know our spouses. With that said we have another challenge :) Take at least 15 minutes a day as a couple, either playing a game, or just really talking about your day or even just making a dessert or doing a chore together. As long as its a focus on one another it doesn't matter what you do. Just take the time to do it.
We Love you all and hope you take this challenge to heart. Have a great day!

Love Toby, Cate and Eme

The Difference

I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn't show me;
He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence,
I used all the keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.

Toby and I wanted to challenge everyone one for the rest of the week, if your not already doing it to pray the beginning and end of each day, and anytime during the day you have questions or need help.He is there to help us. All we need to do is ask and we shall receive, maybe not now or in the way we always like it but he is here to help us. On Friday post in remember, remember if you have noticed a difference in your attitude, thoughts, or daily actions.We love you all and hope this can help us all grow closer to our Father in Heaven and as an Eternal family.

Love Your Enemies

Good Morning Family:

I know I have talked about this before, but it seems be something I need to continue to focus on.

As you all know there has been a person in my life that has been a thorn in my side for many years. It takes all that I have sometimes to even be pleasant to this person. I imagine it will take me years and years of continued struggle to do what we have been commanded to do, as stated in Matthew 5:44-45

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Recently, I had a run in with this person and he/she was saying some things about me and my family that were less than pleasant and actually hurt. They stirred up some anger in my heart and I knew immediately I needed to get down on my knees and pray for the strength to follow the guidance in these verses.

I discussed it with Ryan, and you all know him well enough to know that he wanted to confront this person and was angry about what he had heard. I told him that we should just let it be and know who we are and not worry about the hurtful words that were being said. I told him we needed to turn the other cheek to avoid adding fuel to the already blazing fire.

Once I asked Heavenly Father for comfort and realized I had forgiven this person I felt an instant relief. I am so grateful to have the ability to communicate with our Heavenly Father and for his constant guidance. I am grateful for this gospel that gives us that truth and knowledge.

I love you all and hope you can love your enemies just as much as you love your closest friends and family.

Love, Jenn