Lindsey Unedited: Reflecting on Life

I am so ready to have this baby! The doctor said he could come at any time now, even though I'm not due until April 12th. To help pass the time my calendar has stayed full of activities such as this cute one below. It was our Relief Society birthday activity at the church. They decorated everything with candy and the theme was "seek the sweet". We had a delicious dinner and desert and got to enjoy some amazing speakers from our own ward. It was a spiritually uplifting night and a nice break from the kids.

This weekend is the General Relief Society Meeting broadcast. I am looking forward to it! Our stake is putting on a dinner this year right before and it's the first time ever the church has invited daughters eight and older to come also. Too bad Paisley is five. My mom is coming up this weekend, so if I haven't had the baby yet and am not in the hospital, we'll be there getting spiritually fed. I love that the meeting is broadcasted world wide on TV, satellite or internet and in all languages.

I am even more excited for General Conference in April. With everything that has been going on in the world - including signs from the scriptures coming to pass and prophecies being fulfilled, I look forward to hearing from our prophet and his counselors just as much as ever. I have been preparing myself and my family over the past few years for the days that are ahead, both temporally and spiritually. We know difficult and scary times are just around the corner (all throughout the world) but it is so comforting to know that we have a living prophet guiding us. With faith, there is no room for fear. I didn't intend for this blog post to be of a spiritual nature today but the Holy Ghost has been prompting me to share these thoughts. I know that the Savior Jesus Christ will be returning soon and if we are prepared it will be a glorious day.

I'm thankful for the gospel and all that it has blessed me and my sweet little family with. I'm thankful for the knowledge I have of where we came from, why we are here and where we are going after we die. I'm thankful for the recent testimony I have received that our life here on Earth isn't about what we gain from the world. We can't take our money, our cars, our house and our status with us when we die. None of that will matter. All that will matter is what we did to serve and help others and how we treated our neighbors and family. We take our love with us and our knowledge with us. The more knowledge we gain in this life and the more time we spend feeding our spirit, the better off we will be in the next life. We will be so much further ahead.

So why do we get distracted in this life with trying to climb the ladder of success? Why do we spend so much time trying to earn more money, receive more praise and recognition, have more things, gain more friends and become more loved by the world? It's a big waste of time. None of this will bring us closer to God or bring us eternal happiness. The more we have and the more we seek to have, the more we become distracted from what's really important and the further we drift away from God.

He wants us to know Him better and to have a relationship with Him. If it means sending storms our way and challenging trials, then that's what He will do to get us to turn to Him. The world has forgotten Him and time is running out.

I have made a big change in my life and I challenge you to do the same. To protect my family from the storms that are coming I have set aside all the things in my life that just aren't important and I have let them go. I focus on praying more with my family, reading the scriptures more with my children and teaching them about God's plan for them. We play together more. I spend more time talking to them and helping them grow more love for their Savior Jesus Christ. They know who their Heavenly Father is and they know who the Savior is. They know that anytime they are troubled, scared or need something they can use the power of prayer to open the heavens and talk to their Heavenly Father. They know who He is and they love Him. He blesses them and they recognize all of their blessings.

My kids are strong, they have amazing faith and they love the gospel. Sometimes I feel like they are older and wiser spirits trapped in tiny bodies. They teach me and my husband so much. I know that they were reserved to come to the Earth at this time where they will have a significant role in building the Lord's kingdom here on Earth. They have amazing talents, gifts and personalities and I am humbled to be their mother.

I am blessed and happy to have a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food to eat. But I am even more blessed to have the knowledge that I do about the gospel and to have the blessings that I receive from the covenants I have made and kept with my Heavenly Father. My family and I are blessed and we share those blessings with others. We give to the Lord and we give to His children. I know that I am nothing without God. Everything I have is a gift from Him. There is nothing that I gain on my own in this life, it all comes from Him - even my ideas. I thank Him everyday for all He gives me. The more I thank Him, the more I am blessed.

We live in a wonderful neighborhood and ward. Everyone is so willing to help and serve each other without being asked. I have over 300 people in less than a one mile radius who I can rely on if I need them. We are a big family. We all take care of each other and love each other. My husband and I are truly happy. We have a wonderful life and so much to be thankful for. I have asked God many times to use us as tools in His hands and He has. With all He does for us, it isn't difficult for me to give my time to Him and to serve Him.

It's amazing to me, how many people visit my blog from all over the world. I felt it was important for me to take the opportunity today and write about the thoughts that are burning in my heart. I hope that you watch General Conference and that you pray to find any answers that you are searching for. I know if you do this, that you will find those answers in the words spoken by the prophet and the apostles and your life will change.

Here is the link for General Conference https://www.lds.org/church/events/watch-april-2014-general-conference?lang=eng You can select your preferred language at the top of the page.