"Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3)

My awesome husband had asked me for several weeks to remember to turn the cold water off in our shower so it wouldn't drip. I kept forgetting. I finally asked him to leave me a note. This is what he left me:

My husband loves me and leaves me little notes...

It is a simple way to help me remember to turn off the cold water "a little more" after showering. I have learned that even though the note is right in front of my face on the mirror, unless I take the time to read it, I don't remember to do it.

I need "notes" to help me remember to do small things that make life better, to accomplish tasks, or to help my children (just to name a few items of which I need help remembering). I am always telling my family, "Leave me a note or I won't remember".

As I was looking at the various notes I have stuck everywhere from my children and my husband to help me remember things I need to do, I realized that God leaves me little notes, too. The trick is, I must read them. These little notes from God are throughout the scriptures. I love getting notes from God. Here are just a few of the notes that have come to mean a lot to me:

" For the natural man is an enemy to God...unless he yields to the enticings of the holy Spirit..." (Mosiah 3:19)

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)

"For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37)

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27)

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" (D&C 6:36) 

"...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..." (Alma 37:6)

"If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30) 

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33)

We all need help remembering, but to be reminded with a note only helps if we read the note. I think Nephi said it pretty well: "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3). God is talking to us, we just need to read His words and then "go and do" (1 Nephi 3:7). This I testify.

One reason why I would ever want my children to serve missions

This Christmas I get to receive an incredible gift. Our daughter is coming home from having served a mission in the England, Birmingham mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past 18 months (read about her adventures here). I am so excited to receive her smiling, happy face into my arms- I can hardly contain myself.

I also have been able to give a gift. One of our sons is serving a mission in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South mission. As I write this he has been gone for almost 3 months (you can read about his adventures here). He will be gone until September 2017. I will be able to see his face and chat with him through skype on Christmas Day, but that is the only voice contact we have until Mother's Day when I will get to talk/chat via skype again. For the past little while I have had both of these children out on missions. To be totally honest, I have really missed them immensely. I wouldn't want my children to be anywhere else even though I feel like I have a hole in my heart when I think about them too much. So, I choose to focus on the why I would ever want my children to serve missions.

This Christmas I realize even more why I am willing to do this. I love my family more than anything and I want to be with them forever. I know that families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan and I want other families to have this same gift of an eternal family. Because of this joy of eternal families, I am willing to send my children to foreign countries to share this "good news" (see Bible Dictionary: Gospels), even "glad tidings of great joy" (Helaman 16:14). It was proclaimed by an angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). These "glad tidings of great joy" are for all to hear and all to receive, not just for my family.

Heavenly Father's plan is to bring home all of His children who desire to come back and live with Him through faith and repentance in His Gift to all of us, His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Gift we get to receive! Heavenly Father was willing to give His Beloved Son (see Moses 4:2, Mark 1:11, JS-H 1:17) so that we may all live with Him again. That is an incredible gift to give...your child so that others may also receive gifts- even the gift of an eternal family.

This is the reason why I am willing to give my daughter and my son to others of God's children for 18 or 24 months...that they too may receive the Greatest Gift. 

(Enjoy this short video: He is the Gift)

"Stand therefore, having...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:14-15)

Having been dealing with foot pain for several months now I have come to realize that perhaps I may have to deal with this pain for a long time. I did finally go to the doctor and find out that there is a problem with my feet and it's something that may not go away on its own. It was a relief to identify the problem and a little scary to learn it might not ever clear up. What can help give some relief is to have the right footwear and to make sure I am not inflicting more pain by being fashion conscious and wearing unsupported, or flimsy shoes that will make the problem worse. There's pretty good footwear out there to help alleviate the pain but, I have found the best "footwear" to be in the gospel.

Paul told the Ephesians, "Stand therefore, having...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:14-15). Shod means the past tense of shoed or simply put, shoe. So, put on the shoe of preparation of the gospel of peace. It's not the gospel of stress or anxiety, but of peace. I love this! Wearing the shoes that are taking me down the path of preparation and peace is very comforting and comfortable. In modern revelation we are taught, "...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). I think it's a good question to ask, "what am I preparing for?" I know it's a good idea to prepare for those opportunities that come to "stand in the office which [God has] appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D&C 81:5 see also Hebrews 12:12; Isaiah 35:3). When we have on the right shoes, we are able to serve and help others on their journey, thus finding "joy in the journey" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson), forgetting our own pain and helping others with theirs.

To be prepared with such shoes, when we are given the correct footwear we must "bind on thy sandals" (Acts 12:8). Binding our  sandals or "shoes" on our feet is being ready and prepared for the opportunities to serve, lift, and go forward in faith. If we have them sitting in the closet and do not have them on we may lose out when we are called to serve or feel unprepared and inadequate when we are called. I love what Pres. Howard W. Hunter said about having on the right footwear:

"May I say once more to the youth of the Church (and may I add all the adults of the Church)- prepare, believe, be ready, have faith. Do not say or do or be that which would limit your service or render you ineffective in the kingdom of God. Be ready when your call comes, for surely it will come...The Lord would say to you..what the angel said long ago to Simon Peter: "Arise. ...Bind on thy sandals. ...Follow me" (Acts 12:7-8). 

So, as I deal with foot pain, and getting the right shoes on my feet, I know that we will be wise to have our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel", it truly does bring peace and it is the most comfortable footwear out there. This I testify.

 Great idea to "bind on thy sandals" to be prepared when the waves or wind come, for they surely shall come. 

"...let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you" Alma 34:27

At this time I have two children serving missions. My daughter is serving in England and my son is serving in Argentina (you can read their emails here and here). I get to hear from them through email once a week while they are on their missions. I can't tell you how excited I get to hear from them, hear how they are doing and all the good and hard things they experience each week. It is such a great feeling to read their letters and see how happy they are while serving Jesus Christ and teaching others of Him.

The other day, as I was praying, I wondered if this is what Heavenly Father feels like when we pray, or communicate with Him. He wants to hear from us, daily- always! We are taught over and over: "Pray always" (for example: Luke 21:36; D&C 19:38; D&C 88:126; 2 Nephi 32:9; 3 Nephi 18:15). When we pray always we draw closer to God, we open ourselves up to His protection and direction. He wants to hear from us!

Heavenly Father wants to hear how we are doing and what we are doing. I think that Amulek said it best about what we should be talking with God over, for, and about. He taught:

"Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields...over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. ...Cry unto him against the power of your enemies. ...Cry unto him against the devil, who in an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. ...and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you" (Alma 34:19-27)

As a parent who gets to hear from my children once a week while they are on their missions and the joy that I have in hearing from them, I can only imagine the joy that Heavenly Father has as He hears from us, for we are physically apart from Him, just as I am separated physically from my children.

When my children email me, they will ask for items, support, prayers, and encouragement. They ask for things that are temporal and spiritual. Heavenly Father wants us to ask him for those same temporal and spiritual things that we need in our lives that will help us and lift us. A prophet taught that we should be "asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive" (Alma 7:23). Our Father in Heaven cares about us more than we can imagine. He wants to help us, and it is made possible when we ask.

As a parent I find great joy in hearing from my children. I know that our Father in Heaven wants to hear from us too. "Pray, He is there; Speak, He is listening. You are his child; His love now surrounds you. He hears your prayer; He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom... of heaven" (A Child's Prayer). He's waiting to hear from you daily. I know that praying not only brings great joy to our Father in Heaven, but also to us as we feel his love surround us as our prayers are answered. This I testify.

My daughter- serving in the England Birmingham mission

My son- serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires South mission

"...clothed with power and authority...and to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that [are] in darkness" D&C 138:30

I wash and fold  mountains of laundry, which I do pretty much on a weekly basis. Sometimes it's so much laundry that I take pictures of before and after. Kind of funny, but hey, sometimes I just gotta record how much laundry is done, for some reason it makes me feel better when I see what I have accomplished. 

The mountain before washing

A few years ago when I felt like I was drowning in laundry and knew that the laundry was always going to keep coming I needed a new view. This is the view I got: "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil" (Mosiah 4:14).  When I first read this I knew that I needed to make sure my children had clothes to wear. It was a symbolic gesture to make sure they were "clean" and that I was teaching them correct principles about modesty and caring for their own bodies. Doing laundry, or clothing my children is more than just teaching them to have clean clothes. I also have the vital responsibility to make sure my children are clothed with power, charity, even the armor of God. 

Christ has organized his work to be done by the righteous, those who are clothed in His power and authority. "But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead" (D&C 138:30). I know this scripture is talking about when Christ went to the spirit world to teach those who have passed away, but I feel that it also applies to us (see 1 Nephi 19:23). 

Mountain after washed, but not folded

As a mother I have the responsibility to help prepare my children to go and "carry the light of the gospel to them that [are] in darkness". This is an amazing plan- I learn truth, teach my children, and they go forth to serve and teach more of His children, and they teach their children. Doing "laundry" is part of that great plan. It has become a great blessing for me in my life and the life of my loved ones to do "laundry" and help clothe the world. 

We also get to teach our children to "clothe [themselves] with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace" (D&C 88:125). We clothe them and ourselves with charity as we serve them, love them, and are a good example of kindness, goodness, covenant keeping, honesty, and all other Christlike qualities.

So today, as you work on the mountain of laundry that never seems to be conquered (even if it's just your own laundry), remember, you are doing a "great work" (see Alma 26:3; D&C 138:48; D&C 64:33) - you are helping clothe the world in charity and light and truth.

Mountain climbed...all washed and folded