My thoughts

Today was our Ward Conference.  I love these events because we really hear some great talks.  Today my kids did really well in sacrament.  Wanna know why? Because all of them fell asleep sacked out on the benches.  Owen was awake but pretty content so it was nice to sit and actually listen.  Our theme was on Jesus Christ.  In Relief Society, our lesson was on  the Grace of Jesus Christ to clease and strengthen us.  One interesting quote from today's lesson was from George Q. Cannon and I quote " If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for that gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections?  I am full of them.  What is my duty?  To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections....  God has promised to give strenght to correct these things and to give gifts that will erradicate them...."   Isn't it interesting that we seldom ask for those things that would make us perfect? At least for me it is.  My prayers are far from those.  It made me rethink where I need to be in order to reach my goal of perfection.  I am a million miles away from it but I can only ask and the Lord is bound to do what we ask if we are obedient to His Laws and Commandments.
I have been trying to study more about the Atonement in my personal study of the scriptures. It is a very complicated subject for me.  There is so much to learn and comprehend that I get overwhelmed and quite and give up thinking I already know a lot about it and usually end up satisfied that I have done my researce on the subject.  In our lesson today we discussed this very subject.  It gave me great insight and a deeper desire to study even more.  Merrill Bateman said this " Jesus not only took upon Himself our sins but also our pains, afflictions, and temptations.... Jesus took upon Himself our sicknesses, death, and our infirmities... For many years I thought of the Savior's experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon His shoulders...... however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sind, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt our infirmities... The Atonement was in intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.. He learned about your weaknesses and mine.  I testify that He knows us.  He understands the way in which we deal with temptations.  He knows our weaknesses. But more than that, more that just knowing us, He knows how to help us if we come to Him in faith."
I just loved that quote. I am going to put that up on my mirror to read each day.  I am grateful this evening for a Heavenly Father who knows me and who loves me for me regardless of my many faults. 

Our friends in our ward lost their brand new little baby boy on Friday.  They went in to be induced and excited to welcome their second little boy into their family. He was perfectly healthy and fine and when delivery came the cord got wrapped around his tiny little neck and killed him.  I couldn't believe it.  All those feelings of what we experienced came over me.  It is hard to get over that.  It is hard to move on and to live life. But somehow we did live and we did survive and other children came into our family and we feel so blessed. I remember for many days I would just cry and cry and it was hard to just focus and do things to distract my attention.  They are in my prayers tonight.  I hope to make a visit with her this week.  I pray for that young family.  I know how it feels and yet with the knowledge that we have it somehow helps just a tiny bit.