By now I’m sure you’ve heard The News that Prince Harry was pulled from Afghanistan fighting. For some reason this really upset me. I don’t know why, but it just hit a nerve. Yes, Prince Harry is a privileged person, he’ll inherit millions of dollars one day. But, I found it very admirable of him to go fight there. And two media outlets had to ruin it all. I think it’s such a shame, and those that did leak it should be ashamed of themselves. Wow, they blew his cover, how ambitious of them (heavy sarcasm here).
Erin photographs herself (with Mommy’s Camera Phone no less [grin])
I don’t buy this story, but what the heck here it is anyway:
Click here to see it. It’s awesome, and oh so bittersweet.
This past weekend my Mom went to Cincinnati for a benefit dinner for my brother and his family. The benefit was to help them get back on their feet after the loss of their son, and my nephew Devon. I had planned to go to the dinner, but my own kids ended up sick so I was unable to. I still feel his loss though. I know you’re probably thinking of course you are, but that’s not the point. I know that it’s normal to still be missing him. It’s just such a strange feeling. We’re planning on going there for Spring break so that our kids can play with their cousin’s (Devon’s siblings left behind). In the past whenever we’d do such a thing, Abe, Jessica, and Erin would play with Devon for hours. They played with the other kids as well, but they always gravitated to Devon. He was such a kind and caring soul. He was always kind, and was patient with them given their special needs and impulsiveness at times. When we go for Spring Break though, there will be such a void. We’ll remember the blast we had there last June. The memories will definitely be fresh as they play in the house where Devon lived. I thought about the absolute transformation that their family has gone through. I remember when it was just Jon, Devon, and Corey. Three rambunctious boys. Now when we go there will be Corey, Emily, and Allyson (Jon has moved in with his father back in Michigan). A big change having two girls and a boy from those three boys before. The girls just adore Emily and baby Allyson so they should have a lot of fun, but I know that for Abe it will definitely feel very different. Abe was always the closest to Devon, he and Devon share a common kindness and spirit about them. They connected well. We’ll all make it, and Devon is in a much more peaceful place now, but for those of us back here on earth we’ll continue to miss him dearly.
While we’ve had several of these of late due to ice storms, sleet, freezing rain, and the like this day is special. This is the first “Snow” Day that actually involved the white stuff itself. I’ve been awake since 4:30AM because I just couldn’t sleep (probably contemplating whether today would involve school and all that’s involved with that…i.e. getting everyone up and dressed and fed breakfast, etc.) Well, the call just came in and there is going to be no school today. The main roads are ok, but the secondary roads that those school buses have to traverse are slick and have potential black ice. Since the kids have had so many snow days lately this one probably won’t cause as much glee as some of the others, but we’ll have a good day together, enjoying each other’s company. Erin gets an extra day to do that homework that she neglected to do last night (after much prodding I might add). I hope she “wakes up” and “gets with the program”. Anyway, you enjoy your day…I know I will! 
“With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. ‘Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: “I know that my Redeemer lives!” ’ May the whole world know it and live by that knowledge, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, amen.”
Thomas S. Monson
16th President
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Quote Courtesy: http://JesusChrist.lds.org
We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are so fortunate to have such a lovely and sacred book as our Hymnbook. The songs contained therein are overwhelmingly spiritual. Have you ever heard We Thank Thee O’ God for a Prophet and got goosebumps? I know I have. There are several others that make tingles go down my spine because of the sheer spirituality of them. If you don’t have your own copy, I strongly encourage you to get one (They’re only $5 through LDS Catalog ). And if you don’t, I’d take full advantage of the Hymns off the Church’s Official Website. Also, if you do various searches on YouTube, many LDS Members have put together videos and slide shows with the Hymns as the music, which are also very uplifting (word of caution though: there is plenty of “Anti-LDS” stuff on there as well so just be careful).
Thanks for reading, and have a most blessed day…
Links:
LDS Hymns
Hymns Made Easy(pdf, please be patient while it loads).
The Spirit of God
This talk was given by President Dieter Uchtdorf before he became a member of the First Presidency. I’ve been very intrigued by President Uchtdorf since he was called as 2nd counselor in the First Presidency. I think it’s so awesome that we have a member of The First Presidency from another country other than the United States. What a thing the Lord has done by calling this great man of faith at this time. His English speaking skills are remarkable considering it’s not his native language. Read the following from LDS.org
From a devotional address given at Ricks College (now Brigham Young University—Idaho) on 13 March 2001.
Correct motives and a strong testimony will help guide us through our experience on earth.
As Church members, most of us have the ultimate goal of achieving immortality and eternal life. The Savior has already made provision for part of this goal to be achieved: immortality has been brought to pass for all of God’s children here on earth. Now we are working on achieving the second part of that goal: eternal life, God’s greatest gift to us (see D&C 14:7).
We read in the Book of Mormon the necessary preconditions to reach this lofty goal: “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; … and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. … Then are ye sanctified in Christ” (Moro. 10:32–33).
Each precondition for this transition to perfection and sanctification is no small task. The things we are required to do are challenging. But they are worth the effort. The process is based on the law of the harvest: “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
That law, however, will be divinely influenced to our advantage by our loving and caring Heavenly Father. We are promised uplifting sunshine and nourishing rain in times of slower growth or serious setbacks, if only we stretch out our hand, mind, and heart to receive renewing energy and strength through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Repentance is the handle and forgiveness is the window that will open up the heavens so we may receive nourishing rain and uplifting sunshine.
Always remember to walk tall, for you are sons and daughters of God. Your lives will be fruitful and you can overcome any fear or doubt if you only have the right motives, which will give you the power to stay on the road to true achievement. You can do it!
Motives Influence ActionsLet me share with you a personal experience. After the turmoil of the Second World War, my family ended up in Russian-occupied East Germany. We had fled from Czechoslovakia before the Russian front and lost everything during this terrible war. In the town of Zwickau, East Germany, my family learned about the restored gospel and joined the Church. At that time I was only six years old and the youngest of four children. The Church made an indescribable difference in our then very difficult lives. Even in these trying times, with extreme financial hardship, we were a happy family because of the Church.
Later, as a 10-year-old boy, I attended fourth grade and had to learn Russian as my first foreign language. Initially it was quite difficult because of the Cyrillic alphabet, but as time went on I seemed to manage all right.
When I turned 11, we had to leave East Germany overnight because of the political orientation of my father. He was perceived as a dissenter by the Communist government, and his life was endangered. We were refugees again and had lost everything for the second time.
Now I was going to school in West Germany, and the Russian language was not appreciated there at all. We were in the American-occupied part of Germany, and in school I had to learn English. Somehow I could not learn it. To learn Russian was difficult, but English was impossible. I even thought my mouth was not made for speaking English. My teachers had a hard time. My parents were desperate. And I knew English was not my language.
I agonized through those school years, helped and encouraged by kind and understanding English teachers, but I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t my thing!
At this time, my dream in life was to become a pilot. Almost daily I rode my bicycle to the airport. I could picture myself in the cockpit of an airliner or even in a military jet fighter. This was definitely my thing!
I eventually learned that to become a pilot, I needed to speak English. Suddenly, the resisting condition of my mouth changed. I was able to learn the language. Why? Because of a strong motive!
Our motives and thoughts ultimately influence our actions. Jesus repeatedly emphasized the power of good thoughts and proper motives: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).
In Proverbs we read, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).
Nephi wrote about the struggles he had with his brothers: “And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters” (1 Ne. 17:17).
But Nephi clearly had the right motives and succeeded because he knew “that the Lord … [would] prepare a way … [to] accomplish the thing which he commandeth” (1 Ne. 3:7).
From young Joseph Smith we can also learn that the right motive was crucial for the success of his mission. When the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph and instructed him about the coming forth of the gold plates, Moroni repeated over and over again that Joseph’s motives must be true.
Joseph said Moroni taught that “Satan would try to tempt me. … I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them” (JS—H 1:46).
What a great lesson in doing things for the right reason.
Keys to Success: Our Testimony, Our MotivesOur own prospects for eternal advancement are closely influenced by learning to put in the center of our motives a very personal testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 121).
How did the young Prophet Joseph Smith arrive at his strong testimony? How did he manage this great transition from a farm boy to a prophet of the Lord, to a civic leader, to a man of God?
Let’s use him as our example. He was a teenager when he studied the scriptures. During this time a multitude of unanswered questions arose. He wondered, he pondered, he asked, and he received answers.
Build your testimony the same way: Study the scriptures, increase your knowledge of the gospel, search for answers in the scriptures. If you have doubts or fears, invest the time and energy to find the answers in the scriptures and in the written words of our prophets. Contemplate, meditate, ponder, and pray.
Go to our Heavenly Father in prayer; communicate with Him daily. Draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you. Ask about your studies of the scriptures, about your feelings and your questions, and He will answer. He is waiting, He is real, and He is there. Use the gift of the Holy Ghost. Believe in the power of prayer.
It takes effort and time. Be patient; it is worth it. You can do it. You are not alone in this; others went through this before. Remember, it is easy to doubt, but it is a sure sign of maturity and responsibility to question and then search prayerfully for answers.
In the Pearl of Great Price—what a telling title for a priceless book—we can read how Moses had questions and how he conversed with the Lord and received divine answers:
“And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him. …
“And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying: Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them? …
“… Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content” (Moses 1:18, 30, 36).
The answer to this prayer brought great eternal truth about the work and the glory of God (see Moses 1:39).
During his transition time, the Prophet Joseph Smith worked hard; he did not idle away his time and did not bury his talents because of the fear of man. He had pure, noble motives. He had faith, prayed and studied, repented, showed good works, was obedient, and relied on the Holy Ghost. He was therefore taught from on high.
The law of the harvest worked well for him while translating the Book of Mormon. The translation time took no longer than 85 days. During these 85 days, so many other things happened in his life—including receiving revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, moving to Fayette, and many other time-consuming activities—that only about 55 days remained for the translation (see Russell M. Nelson, “A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 71, 72 note 40). What a miracle! Great miracles can happen in your lives too. But you also need to have pure motives and a strong personal testimony.
What Our Testimony Needs to IncludeTo build the foundation for your own personal testimony, you have to use material recommended by the greatest character builder there is: Jesus Christ. These materials include faith, prayer, obedience, honesty, truth, and accountability.
In building your own testimony, invest your time, your brain, your talents. Be focused, study it out, be in tune with the Spirit, and then find your own Sacred Grove to receive confirmation. Every one of us needs to find a very personal testimony of the following:
• A living Father in Heaven
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ
• The Prophet Joseph Smith
• The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Our living prophet today, even President Gordon B. Hinckley, with authority as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an uninterrupted succession from Joseph Smith
What Is a Testimony Good For?This testimony, or firm belief and assurance in your heart, will be a solid foundation, an overarching motive in all you accomplish in your life. It will be your true and faithful companion during good and challenging times in your lifelong transition. It will be a constant source of confidence and motivation. Your testimony provides you with a reason for gladness. It will help you cultivate a spirit of optimism and happiness and will help you to rejoice in the beauties of nature. Your testimony will help you to choose the right at all times and in all circumstances. It will give you peace of mind, His peace. If God is with you, who can be against you? (see Rom. 8:31).
Your testimony will be the strongest motive to select the right path and direction in your educational and vocational endeavors. It will help you to not live below your privileges and possibilities.
Your testimony will even help you to choose your eternal companion, if you have not already done so. The transition from being single to married will be well grounded because you will base your preparation and decisions on true values and feelings.
You are to do the choosing here and now during this exciting and wonderful transition time on earth. Moral agency, the freedom to choose, is certainly one of God’s greatest gifts next to life itself. We have the honorable right to choose; therefore, we need to choose the right. This is not always easy.
We are blessed to live in a time when we have a living prophet—President Gordon B. Hinckley—just like during the times of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young. The words of the prophets help us make the right choices of our own free will during this earthly transition time.
As we refine and solidify our testimony by listening to the prophet’s voice, we will joyfully follow his counsel and guidance. In the scriptures we read, “For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith” (D&C 21:5) and “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
The Lord will bless you as you follow His counsel and guidance given through prophets. Go forward and become the valiant men and women of Zion you were prepared to be. The Lord has a great work for each of you to do. “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (D&C 115:5). He trusts you, and He calls and relies on you to stand taller and shine brighter in these challenging but wonderful days.
Let’s Talk about ItMost Ensign articles can be used for family home evening discussions. The following questions are for that purpose or for personal reflection:
1. Why is it crucial that we have proper motives? How do our motives affect our actions?
2. How can our testimonies help us as we make decisions?
3. In what areas does your testimony need to be strengthened? How can you work on these areas?
I’m really upset right now, so I figured I’d re-post a message I put up 5 months ago…I believe it’s a great thing to read when you’re particularly upset about something someone has done to upset you.
If you’re interested in watching it for the first time, or a repeat Click Here For The Audio, and Click Here for The Video.
It was absolutely beautiful…
This is just heart breaking, I hope that in some way our Government works out some arrangement to allow the He family to stay in the United States, especially these circumstances.
From ABC News 20/20
At first glance, Anna Mae He is a typical American 9-year-old girl. She thinks Hannah Montana is cool (but can’t tell you why); she skates around on retractable roller skate shoes, and at every opportunity she pulls out her Game Boy. She likes to read, is a straight-A student and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
But behind her shy smile and expressive eyes, there’s a little girl who is torn between two families, two cultures and two countries. The centerpiece in a bitter custody battle, Anna Mae saw her world turned upside down last July when the Tennessee Supreme Court, in a stunning decision, ruled that she had to leave the family who raised her and live instead with a family she barely knew.
On Jan. 28, 1999, Anna Mae was born to Jack and Casey He, a young Chinese couple who had recently come to the United States so that Jack could pursue a doctorate at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.
American Dream Crushed
Several months before Anna Mae’s birth, a female student accused Jack He of sexually assaulting her on campus. Although later acquitted of the charges, Jack He lost his position at the university and his student visa was revoked. The couple’s income dropped to about $400 a month.
When Anna Mae was born a month premature, the Hes worried that they could not pay her medical bills. They needed help and sought a family who could care for their daughter while they tried to resolve their financial and legal difficulties.
The Hes contacted Mid-South Christian Services, an adoption and family services agency who introduced them to Jerry and Louise Baker, a Christian, middle-class family raising children of their own in the Memphis suburbs.
The Bakers agreed to care for Anna Mae for 90 days, but when the Hes, still facing financial hardships, weren’t ready to take her back, they agreed to sign a consent order awarding custody to the Bakers. According to the Hes, it was a temporary arrangement so that Anna Mae could have health insurance. According to the Bakers, both families had agreed that the Bakers would raise Anna Mae through adolescence.
The Hes’ weekly visits to see Anna Mae became more and more tense. “When [Anna Mae] was having her second birthday, we went to visit her at [the] Bakers’ house,” said Jack He. “We had agreement to take her to [a photo] studio for picture taking. The Bakers refused. The Bakers called the police to remove us.… Ever since then we could not see our child.”
But according to the Bakers, the Hes were creating a disturbance in their home and the police simply escorted them outside.
Drawn-Out Custody CaseA month later, the Hes tried to reclaim custody of Anna Mae, hoping to send her to China to stay with relatives until they were able to care for her themselves.
“The Bakers were convinced they could offer Anna Mae a better life in Memphis. They filed a petition to adopt her, and to terminate the Hes’ parental rights, alleging willful abandonment It was the beginning of a battle that would last more than six years.
“We had [the] American dream before we came here,” Jack He said. “We thought that America is a country of freedom, human rights, democracy. We thought equality — everybody the same, equally treated. In our family the American dream was broken by this story. Crushed — American dream.”
Desperate, Casey He often hung around the Bakers’ neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of her daughter. Sometimes she even picketed.
“She was holding a sign in front of the Bakers’ house saying, ‘Mr. Baker, give me back my child,’” Jack He said. “Sometimes the Bakers might take Anna Mae out for a walk. So she was trying to see.”
On Feb. 7, 2002, a no contact order was issued barring the Hes from having any contact — direct or indirect — with Anna Mae.
The case moved through the courts, and in 2004, Tennessee Circuit Judge Robert Childers delivered a devastating blow to the Hes. Childers ruled that the Hess had abandoned Anna Mae and that she was “in a strongly bonded, deep-seated, healthy relationship with the Baker family.” Childers said that breaking the bond with the Bakers would cause Anna Mae substantial harm and that terminating the Hes parental rights was in her best interest. Childers ordered that the Hes’ parental rights be terminated and gave full custody to the Bakers.
“Jerry sat down and cried, and I started jumping up and down,” said Louise Baker.
But the Hes had quite a different reaction. “We could not believe it,” said Jack He. “We were shocked…. This is just the beginning of the battle…. We are determined to fight one year, two year, three years, until justice comes.”
It took more three more years, years in which Anna Mae bonded even more closely with Bakers, and the Hes worried that they might never see their daughter again. Finally, on Jan. 23, 2007, just five days before Anna Mae’s eighth birthday, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued a stunning decision. It determined that the lower courts had erred and that Anna Mae belonged with her biological family.
“I [will] always remember that day,” said Jack He “I said justice prevails. Justice prevails.”
“We were unprepared, which is foolish, but we were,” said Jerry Baker. “We just knew that no one could ever remove this child from our home, and we were wrong.” (CLICK HERE to read the Bakers’ letter to the Tennessee Supreme Court).
A Wrenching Transition
The Bakers struggled with how best to tell Anna Mae that she would have to leave her home to go live with a family she barely knew. “The night that we told her … she crawled up in my arms,” recalled Louise Baker. “And she said, ‘Hold me like a baby, Mommy.’ And I put her in my arms and held her, and I said, ‘I love you, Anna.’ She looked up at me and smiled. She said ‘I love you, too.’ And tears just started rolling down her face.”
“When the decision was made to move Anna … she was inconsolable, because she had no control, she had lost every bit of control in her life,” said Debbie Grabarkiewcz, a child advocacy specialist with A Child’s Best Interest, who has worked with Anna for the past three years. “And that’s what these courts do to these kids …. Anna will pay the greatest price.”
In July of 2007, Anna Mae was reunited with her biological parents and her little brother, Andy, and sister Avita. It was a transition that both the Hes and the Bakers found heartwrenching.
At first, Anna Mae seemed angry and withdrawn, refusing to eat, drink or sleep in her bed. She said she was afraid her birthparents were going to poison her. She also told the Hes that she was afraid of going to China. “She used to think that China was a remote, foreign or weird country,” said Jack He.
But then, a turning point. According to the Hes, Anna Mae had secretly drawn a picture of two little girls holding hands, standing in a bed of flowers. It was a picture of Anna Mae and the Bakers’ youngest daughter, Aimee, who had been Anna Mae’s closest friend and companion for most of her life.
When the Hes found the picture, they had a talk with Anna Mae. “We love you…. We want to make you happy,” said Jack He. “You want to see Aimee? If you miss Aimee…we encourage that. We understand that. So we are going to make arrangements for you to see Aimee.”
From Reunion to Separation
Aimee was invited for a visit and then sleepovers, and from that point on, say the Hes, Anna Mae began to trust them and to open up.
“[Anna Mae] came to me while I was eating my dinner…. She asked me how to say ‘mommy’ in Chinese and ‘daddy’ in Chinese,” said Jack He. “I said, ‘In Chinese, daddy, we say, baba, baba. Mommy is mama.’ And in a couple of days after that, she began to address us as Baba and Mama. And I think that’s the most amazing moment.”
Jack He realized that instead of maintaining the wall that existed for so long between his family and the Bakers, it was important to open a window so that both families could love Anna Mae and she would no longer feel torn between them.
“I think for the best interest of a child,” Jack He said. “You know, Anna loves the Bakers. And if I say something or do something negative about the Bakers, it means I’m holding [back] Anna. And I don’t want to do that. We just move on and take care of the child.”
Last month, the Hes extended an invitation to the Bakers to help them celebrate Anna Mae’s ninth birthday, even though the Hes had not celebrated a birthday with Anna Mae since she was a year old. They asked only that the Bakers try to contain their emotions, and not to refer to themselves as mommy and daddy, but rather respect the Hes’ parental rights. The Bakers agreed.
“What’s happened in the past is in the past,” said Jerry Baker. “We’re very grateful to the Hes for allowing us the opportunity to start a dialogue with them.”
But even as Anna Mae was experiencing the love of both families for the first time, she was facing another dramatic change. The Hes, who had been granted temporary permission to stay in the country until the custody hearings were completed, were facing deportation back to China. Instead of waiting to be deported, they decided to leave the U.S. voluntarily.
For the Bakers, it was as if they were reliving a nightmare: Having just reunited with Anna, they were about to lose her again. The Hes are planning to leave for China on Feb. 9, and once out of the country, there’s no guarantee when, or even if, they can return.
“What we’re hoping is that … American people might step up and the Hes should be allowed to remain in the United States,” said Jerry Baker. “They should be allowed to earn a decent living…. Our hope is that they will be allowed to return.”
The Bakers, who once fought to have the Hes deported, are now asking the government to find a way to let them stay.
“I truly do believe that you have two mothers that love the same child,” said Jerry Baker. “I truly do.”