Today I was thinking that it would be impossible to list all of my blessings, from the small and simple things to the things that are monumental and provide even the very structure of my life.
But.
It would be easy for me to tell you what tops my list.
My faith! Faith would be #1. My faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
This past weekend we had the opportunity to listen to a prophet of God. For our family, as for many others, these two weekends out of every year are steeped in tradition and wrapped in warmth for me. For any of you that don't know, conference is held twice a year, the first Saturday and Sunday in April and October. People all over the world are invited to listen in and be blessed by the counsel of prophets in our day. Do you know we have prophets on the earth today, teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ, just as was done anciently?
While I would say that my faith and belief in the Savior tops the list, today I am especially grateful for prophets, because they lead me and light the way, strengthening my faith in Jesus Christ. I treasure this with all of my heart, and cannot possibly convey with adequate language how profoundly grateful I am for this truth.
As with any of our other tradition days/holidays throughout the year, we have yummy food, too. Saturday morning we were with extended family and had Belgian waffles with freshly whipped cream and sliced peaches. After the second session, Scott headed off to the priesthood session, a special conference for all the men and young men where the prophets give specific counsel to them (we similarly have a conference for the women of the church where we receive counsel from our own female presidency, as well as counsel from one of the prophets, and the young women of the church have their own special conference each year, too). While he was gone, I read my book, slept, and made raspberry jam.
This morning we had banana chocolate chip muffins and got to smell a roast cooking in the crock pot while we listened. We went to feed the ducks as a family in between sessions, and then came back to get the kids bathed and potatoes peeled before the last session started. Afterward, we enjoyed a lovely meal as a family.
We were counseled about all sorts of things in conference: the blessing of scriptures, personal revelation, new temples!, promptings by the Spirit, motherhood and parenthood, time management and the importance of spending our time and efforts where it matters most, repentance, sharing our beliefs, covenants we make at baptism and the blessings of the Book of Mormon, waiting patiently on the Lord, family history work, being a good father to your daughters, morality, the 10 commandments, covenants, the Savior's atonement, and focusing on nourishment for eternal life.
Breakfast muffins
Table set for dinner
Time together around the table
Dinner: roast beef with homemade mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, salad, and homemade biscuits with homemade raspberry jam.
Lounging and listening ;)
Listening to conference on the radio
It was a spiritual feast, and I feel so blessed. It was particularly sweet (and at times, funny), as I listened to my children mention things they had heard.
As I sat listening to Sister Elaine Dalton, who gave a beautiful address to fathers about how to be a good father to their daughters, she mentioned the importance of giving their daughters priesthood blessings often. Benji was listening, because right after she said something about that, I heard him say,"When I have a baby, I'll get to give it a blessing, too," already learning about his role to bless others as a priesthood holder.
I'm sure it will be obvious to some of you who he was referring to, but Isaiah showed a picture of one of the Quorum of the Twelve to Scott today and said that he knew his name. When Scott asked him who it was, he said, "Elder Mallard."
And when, at dinner, I asked them who their favorite speakers had been, we cracked up at Mia's response. She said she liked Pres. Uchtdorf's, and then followed it up with, "He is so handsome."
If you want to hear the prophets, and the lovely and inspiring messages from this conference, you can go here to listen and study and download and read. I promise you will hear truth.
I promise you will feel something (or many somethings) in your heart.
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