come listen to a prophet's voice

This weekend was General Conference which is basically one of my favorite times of the year.  Seriously, it is up there with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my very own birthday.

If you have no clue what I'm talking about (which is totally okay) check out the link above.  My favorite description I've heard is in an article comparing General Conference to a series of TED Talks where the topics are religious and most of the speakers are older.  If you are looking for some amazing inspiration, check it out.

Every time I watch General Conference, there is always at least one talk that seems to be directed completely to me.  It speaks to the issues I am facing and leaves me feeling comforted, uplifted, and motivated to be a better person.

All of the talks I listened to this weekend were wonderful.  They all spoke of eternal truths that I know to be good and right.  But, after the last talk of the last session, I realized that I had not heard that one talk that gripped my soul and left me fighting back tears.

And then I remembered this talk.

Okay, I have been trying to figure out a way to upload or embed this video for like the past hour and a half.  Here's the link.  Link

And I realized that I didn't really get to listen to it.  I spent this twenty minutes of General Conference sitting in the dining room corner with Katelyn who was in a time out.  I didn't really hear much over the sounds of a time out tantrum.

So I watched it online tonight.  And this was the talk that was meant for me.  This was the message that I really, really needed to hear.

I have to explain that there really isn't anything going that wrong in my life.  If you listen to this message, you might wonder, "What trial is she going through that she needed to hear this?"  The embarrassing thing is I am not currently going through any major or newsworthy trials.  But I have been sad.  I've been sad for the past few weeks and I just don't know why.  I've spent hours out of every one of the last several days trying to dissect my life and current situation to figure out why I am sad.

This is what I needed to hear.

I'm not sad.  I've been ungrateful and that, I think, is worse than sad.  That means I have some serious work to do.  I sat on my living room couch watching this talk and cried tears of shame and guilt and hope and joy.  After it ended, I just sat there for a few minutes, finally grateful, especially for my Heavenly Father reminding me how to not be sad.

I have a testimony of the Gospel.  I believe in Jesus Christ and everything He did for me.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and answers my prayers.  I know He loves me even when my prayers have become litanies of whiny complaints and my requests for blessings have greatly outnumbered my expressions of gratitude and praise.  I know that happiness is found by being faithful to God and not by a nicer house, a bigger bank account, or more stuff.

I know all these things and I did before today.

But I still needed to hear it again.

this weekend, i feasted

We spent the afternoon at my grandparents' house enjoying steaks that were almost as big as our dinner plates.  The Diet Coke was flowing freely and we ended our meal with apple crisp and a new treat of cinnamon roll cake.  (Dave has insisted that I get the recipe from my uncle.)  It was a wonderful meal.

But, as great as that meal was, most of the feasting I did this weekend was in the form of a spiritual buffet called General Conference.

The two weekends a year that we enjoy General Conference are probably my favorite of the year.   My family gathers together around the TV for spiritual enlightenment.  The feeling I get lounging around the living room with the people I love is reminiscent of an infamous hurricane scare where everything shuts down, no one goes to work, and we all stay indoors and, often, in the same room.  There is a feeling of heightened safety in the midst of destruction outside.  Even though we are aware of the perilous spinning storm somewhere out in the gulf, we are all together, safe in our home.

It isn't too surprising that General Conference gives me a similar sense of security.  Except, in this case, the spiraling maelstrom of evil is right outside my door and every other day, I find myself having to venture out, clutching the umbrella of the Gospel and trying to protect my family from the danger.

I really appreciate the respite for a weekend.  I feel safe and secure and we have a good time.  We eat good food.  We enjoy being together.  We gather together in the safety of our faith.

During one of my favorite talks, a prophet of the Lord spoke about the divine role of women in the home and I felt reassured of the decisions I am making in my life with my family.

As he was speaking, I just happened to be getting Katelyn out of the kitchen sink.  She had eaten a lunch of brisket and sweet potato fries and had covered herself in ketchup.  I brought her into the living room to dress her and comb her hair.  I listened as he spoke about the world needing women who were gentle and kind and suddenly, sitting on the floor combing a tangled snarly nest of toddler hair seemed more noble than usual.  I was reminded of all the ways I could be more loving and Christlike and committed to be a better mother. And then to top it off, when I had finished tending to Kate, she stood up, turned around, and kissed me before she ran off to play.

I almost burst into tears.

I am so grateful for the words I heard this weekend.  There were so many things I needed to hear.  There are so many ways I need to be better.  After such a wonderful conference, I'm ready to step back out and brave the storm.

princess kate is growing up

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea there would be a major milestone in the Robertson family.

Our church has a nursery for children aged eighteen months to three years.  Nursery takes place the second and third hours of church and when a baby goes to nursery for the first time (especially your first baby) it's kind of a big deal.  Usually it means two hours of freedom for the parents.

Katelyn is just a bit older than fifteen months so we were not expecting to take her to nursery for another three months.  But today after Sacrament meeting, I was asked if I would accept a calling in the nursery.

Which meant Kate went to nursery for the first time today!

I wondered how she would do in there with all the bigger kids but SHE LOVED IT!  We walked into the room and she gave me a look that was if to say, "You mean to tell me that there is a room full of toys and friends and you've been making me go to Sunday School?!?"

I was a little worried about how she would do with some of the more structured times of nursery.  Sitting still isn't something she's known for.  She thought singing time was great though.  After every song, she clapped and clapped and clapped.

Snack time was also a great success.  She loved sitting at a little table in a little chair with all her friends.  She didn't even try to get down or dump out her sippy cup of water.  You could tell that she really thought she was cool stuff sitting at the big kids table.

 I think Kate is going to get used to this kind of Sunday fun.