{knowing}

one of the sweetest assurances I have is that I am a daughter of God.

{storm}

i love the way the big dark blue thunder clouds roll in from the west. i love the excitement of the big wind that moves the storms i love the smell of the rain i love the smell of the wet dirt i love the little spot that i live because I am surrounded by big trees and blocks the wind so when you walk out side you hear the wind but al you feel is a soft warm breeze. i love to feel the storm coming. i love to see the lightening. i love to hear the thunder, I am always sad when the storm is short. i love after the storm is gone. i love seeing the sun come out bringing its warmth i love the smell of the fresh air. i love the dark clouds in east seeing the storm leave i love the big puffy clouds that still linger over head the seem so heavy sometimes they are so low it feels like i am in a glass dome everything seems to liven up and everything even to the little tiny flowers growing in this desert seems to be refreshed. when I was a little girl I remember sitting at the table of my moms house looking out her west facing window. That spot always was a comfort spot for me. I would put my feet up on the floor heater as my mom prepared dinner. I loved looking out the window watching the big summer storms roll in. I loved watching the first crack of lightening then listening to the thunder counting the seconds to how close it was. I remember watching moms face as the thunder boomed; her eyes wide and her lips pursed. Mom never really liked storms, especially the windy ones. I remember watching the hail and listening to how hard it would pound on the roof or how hard the rain would feel the gutters so quickly that there would be pools of water at the ends of the streets I remember loosing a new birthstone ring in one of those pools of water. in the middle of the night i would wake up because of the lightening I remember climbing into bed with my parents and my dad being awake to watch the storm with the windows open and we would lye their watching the lightening until I went back to sleep. I don't know if it is because we live in the desert where rain is sparse and when it is hot it is hot and dry. everything seems so brown and depressed. i wonder if i am the same way. so drained and sleepy. but when it raining even just a little bit i seem to liven up a little. summer storms will always be a big part of my favorite memories

{wonder}

I think a lot, I would say daily I think about what the second coming will be like. I don't know if anyone else thinks about it. But how could we not. The signs are all around us that the Lord is Hastening His work. Even though life seems normal and the same we have to know that eventually its not going to be the same.

I love the scriptures in Alma 5. Basically the whole thing. But the part where Alma testifies in verses 16-22. I can actually see myself there.

V 19: can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you,

can you look up...

v14: Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this might change in your hearts?

I think of how it says in the scriptures that all wicked will be burned at His coming. I was thinking of this I was picturing a great fire and people burning and maybe that is what it will be or maybe it will be, because the Light of Christ is so bright, just like Joseph said "“His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun.

I think if we are going to be able to endure even a particle of His light we must do His work so we can have his light in us. I don't know if this makes any sense. But light takes on light, darkness to darkness. The light chases away the dark. So if there is darkness in us what will happen at His coming. I am so sad that in these mortal bodies it is so hard to not have some kind of darkness in us. I do believe my greatest darkness is Pride. And that is the worst darkness. I am glad that I recognize this because I want to try hard to correct it. Pride is an awful thing. And it then says in

Alma 5:28, Are ye stripped of Pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

I think I have some work to do...

loves

{question}

the question is...

What manner of men(woman) ought ye be?

think about it. Then tell me in a couple of days

love brookie

lull and pacify

In 2 Nephi 28:21 it says this:

And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

I have been thinking....again! Sometimes I wonder why I think so much, but that means if I am wondering then that means I am thinking you get the picture. I guess that is why we were given brains is to think. So awhile ago while I was preparing to speak to the ym/yw of my ward I came across a scripture that struck me so deeply that I have not ever forgotten it and I feel its warnings often in my life. I would like to apply it to others lives and see how they are doing wrong but that is prideful. 2 Nephi 28:21 applies to me and the people in my home.

Would you suppose that the people that are being spoken about in the verse are people who are struggling deeply with addictions of Word of Wisdom, or failing marriages, or addictions to pornography. Or have chosen to fight against the word of God. Or cheat, steal and lie.

No. Well maybe to some extent it does.

I believe the verse is a warning to those who are living there lives, going to church, have good kids, who try and every once and a while read their scriptures, and have family home evenings. But this family sounds like they are doing everything right. They are doing what is right. I am this family. We try to read scriptures together, we do have family home evening and we try and teach the gospel in our home. But, there is something about myself and my husband that erks me.

It is facebook.

I want to start a clock to see the amount of time that is spent in my home and work on facebook, not just that, TV, blogs, forums, shopping, gaming. I would be there is atleast between all of us including the kids 4-6 hours a day spent. As us adults 2-3 could be clocked.

I ask myself when I go to just to check what others might be up to, is there something better I should be doing with my time. Did I even spend 4-5 minutes on my knees asking our father in Heaven for the strength I needed for the day to be a mother. Or prayed for my kids well being and happiness, or prayed that I can be a servant to him this day, that I will be someone he could count on to listen to the spirit and be guided to those who might need me. No, I do not. And even if He was trying to get through to me, my mind is being lulled and pacified to the enticings of...facebook. Leaving no quiet thoughts to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Did I open my scriptures? Did I receive the guidance from the scriptures that I KNOW are so detrimental to or spiritual health in these Last Days. I do know and believe that we need that now! But, I am checking who just played Mafia Wars, or are you smarter then your friends quiz. Oh and the Farmville, someone just send me some chickens!

How in trouble am I. If I don't stop this course of actions I will find myself saying All is well in Zion, for Zion prospereth. No, it does not. For a chain of addiction to just checking the facebook is being wrapped around my legs. Time is running short and my kids are growing. I am so interested in my shows that I don't often read stories to my kids. I say maybe tomorrow. I should be ashamed.

It says in the beginning of the chapter ..... And others he will pacify. I am the others.

Its funny, the day that I chose not to facebook, guess what happened I was intune and was able to be guided to someone who desperately needed me. If I would of wasted my time on facebook the opportunity would have been gone. I could not be trusted by the Lord.

I am from this point forward to do the right things first. TO only spend a limited amount of time on Facebook, I really do enjoy it. and a lot of my clients contact me through it so I can't get rid of it all together or I would. But just because I have it for my business. I can't let that be an excuse.

Brooke.....use your time wisely. You are on the Lords time!

love ya!

Lord I would Follow Thee

This is a topic Travis and I often butt heads on. I have come to the conclusion that someday he will realized that I am right ;D wink wink. And maybe I am not right but I do want to share my thoughts on why I think I am right. We all know the story of the Good Samaritan right? There was a man that was beaten, robbed, bruised and left for dead on the side of a road. One man passed by and did nothing to help he went on his way, then another did the same and did nothing. But the third, the samaritan found and him he took care of him bandaged him, clothed him and found a place that would take care of him and help him back to health. Ok, who told this parable? Jesus Christ. The words of the Hymn "Lord I would follow thee" are some of my most favorite. Savior, may I learn to love thee, Walk the path that thou hast shown, Pause to help and lift another, Finding strength beyond my own. Savior, may I learn to love thee- Lord, I would follow thee. So there is a lady here in town who is struggling quite bad financially, emotionally and especially spiritually. She smokes, a lot. I heard that one of her kids said that they don't have very much food at home. My first thought was oh no that is so sad and I picture myself stocking her cupboards full of groceries and everyone is happy. I am happy the people are grateful and happy. And then I see her someday coming to church and living a life that she thought she could never had. That is my lala land. Usually it is never this way. Although they are grateful. , usually. But, I would love to leave my imaginary happiness in tact and believe that something like this is possible and that as we are serving others and showing the true love of Christ. I call it planting seeds. :D As I suggest to Travis the people that we should help and the possibilities of helping someone that I think can't right now help them selves, who think they might be falling into a pit of dispair. He says well I don't really see it that way, because if they can spend all that money on buying cigarettes, then they should be buying food for their family. I see His point. But then, this is the time to put of the natural man and remember that we are all Children of our Heavenly Father, The Good the Bad and the Ugly. We make this promise at baptism: And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens,

that they may be light; 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

This is another one of those do we Believe Christ moments?

If we did do we do what is logical, and make them learn their lesson. And why do we even think that is in our control, we are teaching people a lesson by not showing our love for them? I think we teach more lessons by loving them.

Savior may I learn to love thee. In everyway I believe that as we help those who least deserve it. We ARE doing the Lord work. We ARE on the Lord errand.

Back to the Samaritan. One sunday in Sacrament meeting Trav gave a talk on the Samaritan but he put it in the view of someone who is "spiritually beat up" He made the statement. Helping spiritually is what we must do when it comes to keeping the Second greatest commandment.

Love thy Neighbor as thyself.

So, in my defense this is a time when someone is lying by the road, spiritually beaten down. It is time to take action. Whether or not, I am on the Lords errand. I may not go and stock her cupboards full of groceries. But I am good at making casseroles.

I hope that she can feel the love that I have for her and she will have a seed planted in her heart that someday she will act on and it can grow.

Charity is the True love of Christ.

Savior, may I learn to love thee, Walk the path that thou hast shown, Pause to help and lift another, Finding strength beyond my own. Savior, may I learn to love thee- Lord, I would follow thee. Who am I to judge another When I walk imperfectly? In the quiet heart is hidden Sorrow that the eye can't see. Who am I to judge another? Lord, I would follow thee. I would be my brother's keeper; I would learn the healer's art. To the wounded and the weary I would show a gentle heart. I would be my brother's keeper- Lord, I would follow thee. Savior, may I love my brother As I know thou lovest me, Find in thee my strength, my beacon, For thy servant I would be. Savior, may I love my brother- Lord, I would follow thee. Text: Susan Evans McCloud

Welcome 2009

I hope to be good at posting on my blog this year so I can keep up with all of the silly things that my kids are doing. They are growing TOO fast, I know this will sound a little silly; but, I am sad that ty ty is going to be a sunbeam. He's my little guy. And my tiniest one, Peyton, I call him my tiniest one is already 6 1/2 months old. Aysia will be 6. Only 6 more short years she will be going to young womens. Ah, how do people just have one kid? I don't know. I just can't imagine not having little tiny people in my house! I love them so so much. This year, I hope to be a better mom, I have made a goal to take better care of myself. That sounds kinda selfish, but, when you don't take care of yourself then everyone else suffers. Then you loose your hearing get dizzy and have to lay in bed for Three weeks. That is no fun for anyone. BOO! I enjoy life, I love the life that my father in heaven has blessed me with and I feel as if I have been given so so much. Because I have been so so blessed it is my goal to serve others more and try being closer to my father in Heaven so I can do his work here and invite Him into my home, my families lives and my life more fully. I hope I can remember these goals all year long. If I am slacking....will you let me know! brookie