"... how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings..." (3 Nephi 10:6)

This past week my parents paid for their family members that lives close by them to all go to Lagoon, an amusement park. It has kind of become a family tradition. It is a lot of fun to spend time with family, cousins, in-laws, children; these have become my friends. I enjoy the time we spend together. In a way, it is a gathering of our family. We create memories and binding relationships. Our son, Slade, could hardly wait to get there to be with his cousins. My mother has a great way of gathering her family around her. She has taught me, through her actions, the truth of this statement from the family proclamation: "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Being together as a family at Lagoon, for me, has become a "wholesome recreational activity". What great memories we have created through the years.

Interestingly, this particular visit to Lagoon there was a mother peahen (a female peacock) walking around with her baby peachicks. She had three peachicks. The peahen was very attentive and protective of her little ones. That evening, as we were headed back to the pavilion to gather our children to leave, there upon the roof of a small cabin was the mother peahen with her three peachicks all tucked under her! It was an incredible sight to see how she had gathered them for the night. I haven't figured out how she got them on top of the roof, but they were all there. It made me think of this scripture when the Savior says: "O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart" (3 Nephi 10:6).

Slade, Lara, Ethan, and Stockton. How I love my children and want to gather them oft! 

(from left to right) Stockton, Slade, Lara, Ethan, Grandpa Bonney, Grandma Bonney, me, and Jeff. So grateful for a matriarch that gathers us often and in love!

My beautiful daughter, Lara, and me. It was so good to see her!

Me with the love of my life, Jeffrey.

Grandma and Grandpa Bonney waiting for the train. So grateful they gather us and help us create great memories.

This is the mother peahen with two of her peachicks. The chicks look like rocks. They are more at the front, look closely and you will see them.

This is the mother with her chicks on a roof of a small cabin. You can see all three chicks: one has it's head tucked in and you just see its tail feathers, and you can see the heads of the other two.

Christ does and is gathering us. As we listen and follow the promptings of His Spirit and our prophet, we will be led and protected in our daily lives. It doesn't mean we won't have challenges, or difficult days. But for me, I know I will have peace, joy, and be filled with the calmness I need a midst the storms of life. Christ is calling us, gathering us to Him physically and spiritually. What a blessing to follow Him and receive His protection and guidance, just as this peahen protected her little ones, and as my mother has continued to gather us and lead her family by example.

"...The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Last night, for Family Home Evening, or FHE (click here to learn more about FHE) our 12 year old son said he had a good idea and wanted to be in charge of it. He was well prepared and we gathered rather late (9:40pm), but it was well worth it. His idea was to have everyone share a talent, 2 minutes or less. We opened with a Primary song (you can find many to choose from here) and said a prayer to begin. This is what the talents were: Dad- flipped a coin on his wrist. Also demonstrated how to twirl numb-chucks using a towel. Mom- blew her nose and can make it "honk" and then danced to "I will Survive", a 30 second short.  Our 9 year old son- walked "weird" on his knees by tucking his feet into his pants. He did many variations of this unusual talent. He tried to show off his belching talents but that happened during his older brothers talents. Our 15 year old son- demonstrated his talent of yo-yo-ing. (Pretty complicated stuff! You can view his video on YouTube here). He displayed some new tricks. Our 12 year old- did boon-doggling or plastic string without looking for 2 minutes and completed a key chain with his younger brothers name on it. And our soon to be 17 year old daughter- showed off her talent of making her head disappear into her sweatshirt, twice. We all laughed and laughed. We had so much fun together. It felt so good to spend this time together and enjoy each other's "talents". We ended with another song, a prayer and sited the scripture, "O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God" (Alma 37:35).

The feeling in our home when we were finished was incredible. We were filled with joy and love for one another. The power that comes through having Family Home Evening was tangible. It strengthens ones family. It brings in a spirit of joy and happiness. We are taught by our prophets, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities" (The Family Proclamation italics added). When we have good fun together, the Spirit is present and brings the "fruit of the Spirit" which are: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). These feelings from the Spirit feel so good. What's so wonderful is "...all things which are good cometh of God" (Moroni 7:12) and "that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually...every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve Him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13). This is how we can strengthen our families, how we teach them, how we guide them. We invite them and entice them to do good continually. We don't manipulate or coerce them. Christ's way is charity, and "charity never faileth" (Moroni 7:46). We love and lead and invite. We show them the good that is in Christ by the way Christ does everything for us, through love.

The "fruit of the Spirit" can be felt anywhere when we are choosing the good. You don't have to just be in church or some "spiritual/religious" activity. We need to understand that "all things unto [the Lord] are spiritual, and not at any time [has He] given unto [us] a law which was temporal" (D&C 29:34). Everything that is "good" draws us closer to Him and allows us to feel His Spirit more.

The Lord wants us to "come unto Him" in all things. What better place than in our homes, with our families, having a good time together, for us to "feel after Him...[for] He is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). President Monson said, "Family Home Evening, we cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program" (Constant Truths for Changing Times). When we have FHE on a regular basis our homes will be filled with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). This is Christ's power that will strengthen, lift, and help nurture, and protect our families. This I testify.