Fire in the Bones

I am reading a wonderful book about William Tyndale, Fire in the Bones. I am fascinated by this man's life, his overwhelming desire to translate the Bible into English, thus making it available to the common man.
His translation of the Holy Bible paved the way for Joseph Smith to be touched in his heart by the beautiful words of James, and to inquire of God about which church to join. There are many similarities between the life of Tyndale and that of Joseph Smith - they were violently opposed by the religious leaders of their day, they were called heretics, they translated the words of the Lord by inspiration, they were tools in the hands of the Lord in providing light for their fellowman, they were both killed as a result of their service to their God.
There are many statements from this book that I would love to share, I will start with this:

Christ is the cause why I love thee, why I am ready to do the uttermost of my power for thee, and why I pray for thee. And as long as the cause abideth, so long lasteth the effect; even as it is always day so long as the sun shineth. Do therefore the worst thou canst unto me, take away my goods, take away my good name; yet as long as Christ remaineth in my heart, so long I love thee not a whit the less, and so long art thou as dear unto me as mine own soul, and so long am I ready to do thee good for thine evil and so long I pray for thee with all my heart; for Christ desireth it of me, and hath deserved it of me. Thine unkindness compared unto his kindness is nothing at all; yea, it is swallowed up as a little smoke of a mighty wind, and is no more seen or thought upon.
~ William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man

And here is one more:

The nature of God's word is, that whosoever read it, or hear it reasoned and disputed before him, it will begin immediately to make him every day better and better, till he be grown into a perfect man.
~ William Tyndale, "Prologue upon the Gospel of St. Matthew"

Robin's Birthday

Our sweet Robin recently had a birthday.
Years ago my friend Kim told me that I am getting so old that I have to start lying about how old my kids are ~ and that is more true as each year goes by.
But we are so proud of the beautiful, strong woman Robin is.
She has many talents and abilities, she loves life and laughs easily, she is a happy and patient mom, and she brings me and her dad much joy.
Here are some of our favorite pictures of her.

in our snowy yard in Idaho

on a visit to Grandma's house

with little brother Steve ~ I think he prepared her to be the mom of boys.

senior picture

the day she brought Dennison into the family

on a family outing

definitely one of our favorite pictures!
Robin may be our most adventurous child, she has been known to surprise us.

another favorite ~
Robin, we love you and your amazing family!

Making Good Things Happen

A few years ago I learned about creating good.
When I was a child good things just seemed to happen. Christmas was always magical, my birthday was filled with fun and excitement, our family had dinner together every night around our kitchen table, family prayer was a peaceful and touching experience, our home was neat and orderly - even though there were 9 people in the house, my parents always had an answer to my questions, and even the trials and challenges we went through eventually proved to be blessings.

Since having my own home and family, I have realized that Christmas, my birthday, family dinners and prayer, and the consistent feeling of love in my childhood home were the result of the efforts of my parents. I learned - to quote Bishop Larsen- that good things don't just happen. Happy marriages, loving families, peaceful neighborhoods, and successful businesses are the result of someone's thought, patience, sacrifice, selflessness, and hard work.

So it may be fair to say that the amount of good things in my life is a good indicator of my efforts to make them happen. I recently read this quote ~ "Your life is the result of the choices you have made; if you want a better life, start making better choices." I have decided to become more aware of opportunities to create good: to make good things happen ~ my marriage is strengthened when I am more concerned with the happiness and comfort of my husband than my own, I feel closer to my grown up children when I make the effort to stay in touch with them, and I feel happier when I make a point to smile and greet those I come in contact with in my daily activities. Some good things are beyond our control and cannot be forced, but we can set the stage for them to happen. I am more likely to feel the power and witness of the Holy Ghost when I spend time with the scriptures, and I feel the love of my Father in Heaven more when I pray sincerely and thoughtfully.

I am expecting many good things to happen in the future, through my efforts, or those of others -- they will surely be the result of someone's conscious decision to go about doing good.