Apostles Stickers & Vision Boards

Good morning, friends!

It's Friday morning of General Conference week, and I'm exhausted from running around yesterday trying to "get stuff done", so that means it's time for me to slow down and rest so I can be re-energized for Conference this weekend.

I am happy that the spirit guided me to these two activities for my kids to do before, during, and after General Conference.

The first activity is to be started BEFORE CONFERENCE.  

I made stickers of the apostles (and the three female auxilliary presidents) for the kids to use in their notetaking notebooks this time around.  However, I want them to do a little work beforehand so I left off the names.  This activity requires them to use our Apostles name board (pictured above) to write the correct names on each sticker. That's it!  Then they can use their prepared stickers during the sessions and not have to ask "what's his name??"  And they'll hopefully be better prepared.

I shared the apostle stickers HERE & HERE.  There are two pages.  You can print them on 2x4 mailing labels OR just print them on regular paper or card stock to cut out and glue or tape on.

The booklet is a "bare book" that I bought at Target in the $3 aisle.

And the second activity is from the new Child & Youth program.  As I was wandering around Walmart yesterday, the image from the videos we saw on Sunday popped into my mind of children creating "vision posters" of ways they want to grow physically, spiritually, socially, and intellectually.

So I thought let's listen for promptings on how we can each grow in those areas while we watch General Conference this time around.

I asked them to just "start" their posters, so they could fill them out during conference, but Honor's excitement for writing just could not be contained.  She promised me that she still has room to write this weekend!

She also told me, "Mom, I just love drawing a picture of it (my goals) because I don't have to use my imagination about it anymore, it's like it's real!"

Every time we do General Conference, our approach to it looks a little different.  It makes things fresh & fun and useful as we can immediately start applying the things of General Conference to our lives NOW!

OK, THAT IS ALL!

Fall is here.  General Conference is almost here.

My floors are not clean and probably will not get cleaned, but the things I think are most important are done.

So, let's go!

If you're looking for some last-minute ways to engage your kids this weekend during Conference, please check out my General Conference Ideas Page!

Have fun!

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General Conference Warm-up!

As I mentioned on my FB page, I quickly made a little open-book quiz for my family to do as a review of the last General Conference/warm-up for this Conference.  Half of the questions are fill-in-the-blank and half are fill-in-the-name-of-the-speaker.  I wasn't planning on sharing it, but someone asked for it!  So enjoy and let me know how it goes...It's tailored to my family and probably full of typos, but good luck!

I plan on gathering some tiny, fun little prizes to put in a prize box, so they can pick something for every correct answer. :)  I've copied it in the body of this post for quick access, but a more printer-friendly version is linked HERE. 

******

This is an open-book activity.  These are all quotes from General Conference April 2019.

For each correct answer, you can choose a prize from my treasure box.  These truths are treasures!  Search for them, live them, and put them in your heart!

Fill in the Blank:

“The best teacher is a good  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ __.” -Ulisses Soares

“There is a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ way and a casual way to do everything, including living the gospel.  As we consider our commitment to the Savior, are we __ __ __ __ __ __ __  or casual?” – Becky S. Craven

“We can know the things of God as we seek them spiritually.  We see the spiritual things of God through the perspective of an __ __ __ of __ __ __ __ __.” -Neil L. Andersen

“All Heavenly Father asks of us is to do the __ __ __ __      __ __ __ __ we can each day…Do the best you can do day after day, and before you know it, you will come to realize that He loves you..you will be filled with joy and peace.” -President Ballard

“…families can become sacred sanctuaries only as we repent early and sincerely…and when [in family prayer] the person who prays mentions those who are kneeling in that circle __ __   __ __ __ __ , and all can feel love for them and for each family member.”

 -President Eyring (not an exact quote)

“Nothing is more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .”

Brethren, we need to do __ __ __ __ __ __ and be __ __ __ __ __ __ , because we are in a battle.  The battle with sin is real.  The adversary is quadrupling his efforts to disrupt testimonies and impede the work of the Lord.  He is arming his minions with potent weapons to keep us from partaking of the joy and love of the Lord.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ is the key to avoiding misery inflicted by the traps of the adversary.

The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression.  But He does expect us to become increasingly __ __ __ __.”

 – Russell M. Nelson

“Sharing the gospel is based on a great ___ ___ ___ ___ for all of Heavenly Father’s children.”

“All members can show our love for the Savior and our brothers and sisters through out the world by making __ __ __ __ __ __  invitations.” - Quentin L. Cook

“The gathering of Israel is the most __ __ __ __ __ __ ­­__ __ __ ­­­­­­ thing taking place on earth today.  Nothing else compares in magnitude, importance, or majesty.” – D. Todd Christofferson

“Our homes are fortresses against the evils of the world.  In our homes, we come unto Christ by learning to follow His commandments, by studying the scriptures, and praying together, and by helping one another stay on the covenant path.

We are at war with Satan for the souls of men.  Your testimony of Jesus Christ is your

 __ __ __ __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ __ __ __, the security for your soul.”

– Ronald A. Rasband.

Who said it?:

“We are to remember in as personal a way as possible that Christ died from a heart broken by shouldering entirely alone the sins and sorrows of the whole human family.  In as much as we contributed to that fatal burden, such a moment demands our respect.  Thus, we are encouraged to come to our [Sunday] services early and reverently, dressed appropriately for participation, in a sacred ordinance.”

 ______________ __ _______________

“You are bearers of the holy priesthood of God.  Your commitment to hold firmly the iron rod will transform you into the eternal being who you were created to become.”  ___________ __ ______________________

“We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best…Take the long view.  What is the effect on our future of the decisions we make in the present?  Remember the importance of getting and education, studying the gospel, renewing our covenants by partaking of the sacrament, and attending the temple.”   _______________ _ ________

“You do not ‘earn’ blessings – that notion is false – but you do have to qualify for it.”  “…small acts of faith are required to ignite God’s promises.”  ________ __ __________.

“Making our homes sanctuaries where in we can ‘stand in holy places’ is essential in these latter days.  And as important as home-centered and church-supported learning is for our spiritual strength and protection today, it will be even more vital in the future.” ____________ ___  ___________

“Our Good Shepherd rejoices when we exercise individual moral agency with intention and faith.  Those in His fold look to our Savior in gratitude for His atoning sacrifice.  We covenant to follow Him, not passively, blindly, or “sheepishly,” but instead desiring with all our hearts and minds to love God and our neighbor….”  _____________ _ _________

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Eye of Faith by Elder Andersen

So, life has been rough for me the last two years with my oldest son being diagnosed with oppositional defiance disorder.  We're trying to work with him and love him, and keep him safe while simultaneously still creating a loving home for all of our other children to enjoy.

It's been rough.  I'm not going to sugar-coat it.  And I'm only sharing, because I think maybe it would help other people to know even in seemingly "perfect homes" there are trials, very difficult, depressing, overwhelming trials that we just don't see coming and can't always prepare for.

But I have faith, and I have realized more and more recently that the Lord is giving me a gift through my son, allowing him his agency and ME my agency to choose to grow through the process and to develop spiritual gifts that I have not previously focused on.

We pray for Guy every day.  It is a roller coaster ride, every day.

But just know that I continue to do my best over here in my personal life, and if you don't hear lots of joyous updates from me, that's because, I'm just in the thick of it.  Just doing my best, just like all of you!

One thing that sometimes happens when your world is rocked is you start to fall out of routines.  The changes that Come Follow Me brought were good HOWEVER, for me, they knocked me out of other good routines that I have previously loved and relied up0n.  So I'm working on bringing those routines back....such as actively studying General Conference with my children.

Studying General Conference has always brought me such strength, and I feel we're in a good place whenever the words of the prophet are taught in my home.

So this morning, we started by discussing Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk "The Eye of Faith".

I had studied it the night before and knew my children would enjoy the imagery of eyes & seeing with spiritual eyes to understand the words of the prophets.

They also love any reason to wear glasses, so I printed off these free glasses coloring pages and we colored and assembled them together this morning while we discussed how spiritual things are understood...with an eye of faith.

I used a slightly scary example that if I asked my older daughter to run out and get my youngest son Coy out of the road...if she delayed action and instead demanded to know why instead of just trusting me that I needed her to act immediately, there could be dire consequences for our family.  

However, if we act with an eye of faith, we obey quickly, and trust that even if we don't understand right now, answers and understanding will come in due time, we will enjoy a much happier outcome.

The same is true for us as we follow the prophet (or as Elder Andersen uses as an example in his talk...as we uphold and live the truths of the Family Proclamation), we can really only do so successfully through an eye of faith.

I loved this quote/promise from his talk:

"Prior to being the President of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson said: "Prophets see ahead.  They see the harrowing dangers the adversary has placed or will yet place in our path. Prophets also foresee the grand possibilities and privileges awaiting those who listen with the intent to obey." (I love that!)  Let's teach our children to listen to General Conference "with the intent to obey"!  Happiness will follow!

I also like this one:

"Should we really be surprised when the Lord's prophets declare His will and, for some, questions remain?  Of course, some reject the voice of the prophets immediately, but others prayerfully ponder their honest questions--questions that will be settled with patience and an eye of faith...One purpose of prophets is to help us in resolving sincere questions."

Twice in the talk, Elder Andersen gives us five keys to obtaining spiritual/absolute truth:

"The scriptures, our prayers, our own experiences, modern prophets, and the gift of the Holy Ghost bring us the spiritual perspective of truth necessary for our journey here on earth."

I am seeking that spiritual perspective to make it through my current challenges as a mother, and I wish it for all of you as well.

May we all find it as we seek with an eye of faith!

Thank you, Kate at Picklebums!  I've used this printable before and my kids have really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your talents.  

And anyone looking to start General Conference prep, check out my General Conference Ideas Page for some inspiration.

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General Conference - Oct 2018 - a Review

With General Conference upon us once again, I decided to sit down and look at my notes from last General Conference's talks and write out the gist of what each Apostle spoke about for my own review purposes.

I'm sharing it hear to help anyone who wants a quick review of the talks going in to the next General Conference this upcoming weekend.  Here are some notes/points to refresh us.  If any part of my notes spark your interest and you want to learn more, click on the link of the talk that I have included next to each name below:

Pres. Nelson:  "The Correct Name of the Church"

-Use the correct name of the church...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

-When we discard the Savior's name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us--even His Atonement.

-If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.

-For much of the world, the Lord's Church is presently disguised as the "Mormon Church."  But we as members of the Lord's Church know who stands at its head; Jesus Christ Himself....We are not Mormon's disciples. We are the Lord's disciples.


Pres. Eyring: "Try, Try, Try"

-Life is not meant to be easy, but a loving God who allowed these tests of mortality has also designed a sure way to pass through them.

-You are entitled, through your worthiness, to receive REVELATION.  Through Faith & Prayer you can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God.  There are many nearby right now who are waiting for our help.  The spirit will tell each of us who they are.

Pres. Oaks: "Truth and the Plan"

-Choose sources carefully (especially when trying to learn about spiritual matters).

-Spiritual truth is obtained by study and by faith.

-As members of Christ's church, the Plan of Happiness requires us to: honor agency, be missionaries, support marriage between a man and a woman, oppose abortion, oppose changing genders, etc, to bear children with joy, to contend for the best conditions for children.

-Opposition is PART OF THE PLAN.  The work goes forward despite constant opposition.

Pres. Ballard: "The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead"

-We can be comforted as we study what happens after death.

Holland: "The Ministry of Reconciliation"

-Re: MINISTERING - Don't wait for many more instructions.  Just jump in and swim.  Head to those in need.  If we seek the Holy Ghost to guide us, we cannot fail.

Uchtdorf: "Believe, Love, Do"

-We overcome "Weltzchmerz" (discontent with life and the world) when we "believe, love, do".

-Ministering takes on so many forms, including: missionary work, temple work, living the poor/needy, inviting others back to full participation in church, extending grace to our fellow imperfect saints.

Bednar: "Gather Together in One All Things In Christ"

-The gospel is not a "checklist" but a way of drawing closer to the Lord, Jesus Christ...This is the purpose of everything in the Gospel.

Cook: "Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ"

-The new curriculum can create a deep and lasting conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help parents make their homes a place of joy & happiness and a center of gospel learning.

Christofferson: "Firm and Steadfast in the Faith of Christ"

-The Gospel must become the defining FOCUS of our LIVES & Character
- OUR GOAL: a conversion so complete that it cannot be undone
-We do not need to wonder about what is true - personal revelation through the Holy Ghost is available to each of us. 
-No one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind.

Andersen: "Wounded"

-Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
-The healer of our souls, in His time, and in His way, will heal all your wounds.

Rasband: "Be Not Troubled"

-FEAR IS NOT NEW/How to dispell fear:
1. Follow/Stand with the Prophet
2. Love Christ/His Gospel
3. Seek the constant influence of the Holy Ghost
4. Stand in Holy places (temple, church, home)
5. Be engaged in His work/Set aside worldly influences
6. Trust in the Lord/Love what He loves (temple ordinances, etc.)
7. Seek revelation
8. Trust His promises

Stevenson: "Shepherding Souls"

-Who is a shepherd?
-Every man, woman & child.  No calling is required.
-From the moment we immerge from the waters of baptism, we are commissioned to this work.

Renlund: "Choose You This Day"

-Our Heavenly Father's goal is not to have His children DO what is right; it is to have His children CHOOSE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT & ultimately become like Him.

-Obedience is not blind.

Definitions:
1. sin: choosing to get off the path
2. punishment: consequences of our choice which result in decreased blessings and decreased joy
3. repentance: choosing to get back on the path via Christ's Atonement
4. forgiveness: once we get back on the path, it is like we never were off (paid for by Christ)

-This process is HOW we ENDURE to the END.

Gong: "Our Campfire of Faith"

-Remembering the dawn/campfire of our faith *(or what kindled our faith in the first place) can bring joy, encourage us to minister to others in new, creative ways, help us to seek to love the Lord and others, help us establish patterns of righteous living, and remind us to seek perfection through Christ, not worldly perfection.

Soares: "One in Christ"

-When we are ONE, we are as strong as the Amazon river. 
-We can and should do much better in welcoming new friends into the Church.

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The Power of Reading the Book of Mormon Daily

Well, it's September already!  And General Conference is just four short weeks away!  It's one of those years when the Saturday session falls in September, so it's sneaking right up on us!

With President Monson's brief remarks ringing in my ears, we've been working hard as a family to get back on track with family scripture study this summer.  With our move and my husband not being around quite as much as we are used to, it was hard to get back on a good schedule. 

I didn't want to be hit or miss on scripture study anymore, so we decided to set a goal of reading the scriptures together every day without missing for the entire school year...starting September 1st (although we don't go back to school until Sept 5th!)

Here is the scripture reading chart that we made, ready to be filled right up with little stickers each day that we read together.

We made the chart on a large poster board so we wouldn't be tempted to forget the most important part of our day!

Do you remember the promises that President Monson made to us during his talk last General Conference?

Let's refresh:

Speaking of The Power of the Book of Mormon, President Monson said, "It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.

"My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Who of us doesn't need these promised blessings?:

When we study and ponder the scriputures daily, we in a position to:

1. hear the voice of the Spirit

2. resist temptation

3. overcome doubt and fear

4. receive heaven's help in our lives.

We've got 28 days to prove the Prophet by trying out his words.  Are there other principles taught last General Conference that you'd like to employ in your life?  I'd love to hear about it!

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Making the Sacrament Count

I enjoyed teaching Relief Society in my new ward yesterday. I am the new TFOT teacher, and the lesson was about Elder Peter F. Meurs' October 2016 General Conference talk "The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy".

To start off the lesson, I had written "Easter Every Sunday" on the board. (Which is a concept I learned from my Seminary teacher who shared some of her ideas about that right here.)

To begin the lesson, we talked about what special preparations we each made for Easter Sunday (last week).  Answers such as: we made special food, wore our best/new clothes, talked about the spiritual significance of the weekend, and made sure we were at church on time, were given. I asked if Easter were every Sunday would the world go out of its way to do these things or would it become old hat?  

I then suggested that we do celebrate Easter every Sunday when we take the Sacrament. Has the Sacrament become routine and old hat?  There are, compared to Easter celebrations, relatively small/inward spiritual preparations that we should be making each week, but are we doing those things?  Or have we become relaxed and complacent about the Sacrament because it happens every week and not once a year?

I asked the class to think about what they love about partaking of the sacrament. We listed their answers on the board, which included: feeling new, opportunity to repent, to think about Jesus, and review the past and set goals for the coming week, singing the sacrament hymn, the feeling of coming to Christ and being a part of His fold.

I then asked the class to think of their best time taking the Sacrament, a time when the Sacrament was most spiritually impactful for them personally.  What factors made it so?

I then asked them to think of a time when it wasn't so spiritual or potent for them.  What factors caused this to be the case?

The class easily lead into the first of Elder Meurs five points which was personal preparation for the Sacrament.

We spent time talking about his points as follows.  In order to make partaking of the Sacrament a more powerful experience, Elder Meurs suggests trying the following:

1.  Advance Preparation (pray & repent)

2.  Arrive Early (listen to the prelude music/do not text)

3. Sing and Learn from the Sacrament Hymn

4. Participate in the Prayers

5. Ponder the Emblems

As I was preparing the lesson, I felt prompted to do two things, which we did during the lesson.  I focused on helping them appreciate that Sacrament hymns, which when sung and pondered can teach us powerful doctrine about Christ and put us in the right state of mind to partake of the Sacrament. 

I printed off copies of the Sacrament hymns and asked each sister to take a few minutes to review the hymn and then share doctrine they learned from the song as well as any testimony they might want to share.

The second thing I felt prompted to do was to create a "Sacrament Journal" using the five questions Elder Meurs asks us to consider for the sisters to use for the next month to track their Sacrament experience.  I will share that journal below, if you'd like to use it.

Elder Meurs asks us to consider these questions:

1. What will I do this week to better prepare for the sacrament?

2.  Could I contribute more to the reverence and revelation that can accompany the beginning of Sacrament meeting?

3. What doctrine was taught in the Sacrament hymn?

4. What did I hear and feel as I listened to the Sacrament prayers?

5. What did I think about as the Sacrament was passed?

I presented the women with the option of accepting 1 of 2 challenges in the coming week, which I also wrote on the back of their journals.  They could either keep their Sacrament journals for the next four weeks and either report back or journal about it--or-- they could memorize the firsts verse of one of the Sacrament hymns and then take the Sacrament the next week and journal about their experience.

Sorry this is just a quick synopsis of the lesson, but I wanted to quickly share it with you guys. I will be printing off journals for my kids to use and we will be using this for our family home evening lesson tonight!

Journal Instructions:

1. Print the journal double-sided.
2. The first page is the outer cover.
3. The second page is the inner pages for recording your thoughts.
4. Fold them in half the tall way and nestle one inside the other. Very simple.

I encouraged the women to read the sacrament prayers as they are being said and to fill in the journal each week (not necessarily during sacrament, but after).

This journal activity can be used for an extra YW Faith experience, if desired.

Download below:

Sacrament Journal Meurs by Jocelyn Hatch Christensen on Scribd

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Elder Keetch: Blessed and Happy are those who keep the Commandments of God

Happy President's Day, everyone!  I hope you're having a happy day off with your children!  

Last night, as part of our Sabbath Day observance, we had a lesson/activity about Elder Keetch's General Conference talk "Blessed and Happy are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God."

I loved the story he tells about the surfers who are angry because a barrier is preventing them from surfing big waves on a once in a lifetime trip. An older, local surfer pulls out binoculars and lets them see that the barrier is the only thing keeping them from being destroyed by sharks.

After church, my children and I made sharks out of paper plates and surf boards out of card stock.  As we finished up, we listened to Elder Keetch's story and talked about how the story relates to our lives.  We also watched some professional surfing videos.  Today, sharks were actually in the news again...the story said with the warmer weather coming, sharks were found closer and closer to shore and with a big surf tournament coming up they were doing what they could to keep the sharks away from the surfers!  One crew pulled a 10-foot shark out of shallow water!

Of course, Guy had to go his own creative route with his shark, but you can see the process we used to make the sharks here.

And that's all the time I have to write for now.  Have a great day!

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Protecting Religious Freedom Elder Hales

Continuing our General Conference Review Lessons, we took on Elder Hales' talk "Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom."

When I pondered how to teach this talk to my children I decided that if they are to protect and stand up for religious freedom in their lives, it's important that they know and understand what Elder Hales calls the "four cornerstones of religious freedom."

He explains them as follows:

"There are four cornerstones of religious freedom that we as Latter-day Saints must rely upon and protect.

"The first is freedom to believe. No one should be criticized, persecuted, or attacked by individuals, or governments either, for what he or she believes about God. It is very personal and very important.

"The second cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to share our faith and our beliefs with others. The Lord commands us, “Ye shall teach [the gospel to] your children … when thou sittest in thine house.”¹¹ He also said to His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”¹² As parents, full-time missionaries, and member missionaries, we rely on religious freedom in order to teach the Lord’s doctrine in our families and throughout the world."

"The third cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to form a religious organization, a church, to worship peacefully with others. The eleventh article of faith declares, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” International human rights documents and many national constitutions support this principle."

"The fourth cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to live our faith—free exercise of faith not just in the home and chapel but also in public places. The Lord commands us not only to pray privately¹³ but also to go forth and “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven.”¹⁴

Prior to our lesson (which we discussed over dinner), I made little origami boxes to serve as our "cornerstones."  It was a rush job, so my boxes weren't perfect, but they are very easy to make and a tutorial can be found here.

When the family came to the dinner table (the Elders were over too) they found these four "blocks" sitting on the table in a random pile.  My kids were pretty quick to figure out the "puzzle."  

When they stacked the boxes on top of each other in the correct order, it spelled "religious freedom" down the side.

  

After finishing our "puzzle", we asked the children to define religious freedom.  For help with this definition, we relied on the "cornerstones" of religious freedom, given in the talk.  We talked about each one individually and shared experiences from our own lives that applied to each principle or cornerstone.  We talked about why living and defending these freedoms in our daily lives helps ensure our religious freedom.  We talked about what would happen if we failed to stand up for these freedoms.

Since my boxes were not perfect, balancing them on top of one another required a delicate touch. When speaking about experiences we've had in the past, we talked about how we felt compelled and sometimes restrained by the Spirit to walk a fine line in defending religious freedom, while also respecting/protecting the agency of others around us and avoiding contention.

Because of experiences that I have had, I have a first-hand testimony of what is required to defend religious freedom: what is required is that we do it in the Lord's way...not our way and not the world's way. 

The Lord's way is in love.  The Lord's way is based in sound doctrine.  The Lord's way is without contention or contempt for those who would oppose us, but with empathy and love.  The Lord's way is by relying on the spirit, every step of the way.

I have been given a glimpse of the love that the Lord feels for his children...even His children who currently oppose His plan.  At the time that I was given this glimpse of His love, I was really taken back and humbled at the Lord's great capacity, at how much he really does care for each one of us.  And I have felt a desire to try and get closer to having that kind of love for others every day.  I'm still trying, but I know that as we follow the Spirit, ever so closely, in our interactions with others, we will walk safely in a path lit by His love and power.  I hope over the next few years, I will be able to pass this understanding on to my children as I believe their generation will need this knowledge and wisdom most of all.

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