That's not a good idea

Today for family scripture study we read about Lehi leaving all of his gold and precious things and his home to take his family into the wilderness. (1 Nehpi chapter 2) To try and bring it home I asked Glen what he thought of the idea of leaving all of his toys, books, and horses and we left our home with only food and clothes.  He got this look of sadness on his face, like I had really asked him to do it, and said "That's not a good idea."  Then I tested him.  I told him that Lehi was sad to leave too and it must have been hard to leave all of his toys, money, friends and home, but the Lord told him to because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed.  I asked him if he would leave if Heavenly Father asked him to.  His response really surprised me.  He said, "If Heavenly Father asked me to leave all of my books and horses and only take food and clothes and leave my home it would be hard, but I would do it if Heavenly Father asked me to.  And he would help me."
Wow, some times I wonder if Glen has stronger faith then I do.  Would I be able to leave all of my precious things, my friends and my home to go somewhere I had never heard of or been?  Would I complain or have faith?  Sometimes Glen really inspires me to be a better person.  To have more faith, be more forgiving, and kinder.  I feel so blessed to have his inspiring example to help me.  Sometimes I think he teaches me more then I teach him.

The Book of Mormon according to Glen

Glen has developed a great love for the scriptures. Most of the day he can be found carrying around his Book of Mormon story book. He is always asking me to read him the scriptures, he wants stories from his book or from Mommy's Book of Mormon.
When we pull out my copy the first thing he wants to do is look at the picture of Jesus (which is no longer a part of my scriptures but a well loved picture he carries around.) As we read further Glen discovered other pictures.
And I Nephi having been born of Santa...
We have been reading about Nephi recently, Glen loves Nephi. If you ask him he will tell you all about this picture. There is Nehpi, his younger brother Jacob, and their father Santa. (ya, we're working on that.) Glen alternates between Santa and Jesus for Lehi.
The other day Glen was playing in his room when it got really quiet, quiet means touble so I went to check on him. I found Glen sitting in the rocking chair reading the scriptures. He was flipping through the book saying "Esus, Aphi, Jagger, Benja" which being translated means "Jesus, Nephi, Jacob, Benjamin."
I am grateful Glen has such a love for the scriptures. He has helped me have a greater love for them and encouraged (or demanded) me to read more often. The scriptures are an important part of our lives and we have found joy starting, ending, and filling each day with the scriptures.

The Windows of Heaven

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing , that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The Lord has opened the windows of Heaven to our family. Since John lost one of his jobs a few months ago we have slowly been using up the extra food in the pantry and eating away at our saving account. But we want for little, we are so blessed. Over the past few months I have come home often to find something left on our doorstep. A gift, some cloths, food, different things. Each time we have been given what we need when we need it. Rarely more then a day goes by when I think of something we need that we cannot afford before it shows up on our door step. I know the Lord is looking out for us because some times it is an item that no one knew e needed. A few days before the space heater used to warm the nursery broke I found a pair of Blanket Pajamas in Glen's size, an item I had wanted but told no one about. Yesterday I went shopping and depressed at how little I was able to take home. Today two boxes full of food were given to us.
I do the math and there is no way we should be surviving on one part time job at less then $11, but we are. The Lord has truly opened the windows of Heaven and I feel about to burst with the blessings he has poured out on our head.

Determination

de⋅ter⋅mi⋅na⋅tion
/dɪˌtɜrməˈneɪʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [di-tur-muh-ney-shuhn]–noun
1. the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.

Reading in Moroni tonight I was very impressed by one verse in particular. (Moroni 6:3) The word that stuck out to me was "determination" Those who were baptized at this time had a determination to serve Christ to the end. They weren't baptized and then the first trial that comes a long makes them lose faith. A determination to serve Him to the end. I want to put that in caps the way it jumped out at me. I feel that same determination. I will serve Him to the end, the very end. All that He asks I will do, no matter how hard, no matter that it may not be my plan, I WILL follow and serve Him to the end.