Tag: angels

  • Leedy Wedding

    Leedy Wedding

    I wrote this at the hotel, a couple hours before officiating Matt Leedy and Sam Simpson’s wedding.

    It was such an honor being asked to do this.  For me, it’s a bit symbolic of how far I’ve come and transitioned from what I used to be.  When did I become the religious friend trusted to officiate a wedding?  I did this for my sister, but this will be the first real wedding I officiate.  My sister’s was more of a ring ceremony after their sealing in the temple.

    It is pretty cool to change to the point that people trust and ask you to play a part in what is one of the most sacred things. 

    At their wedding, before marrying them, I shared a three-minute thought.  In the moment, I didn’t use notes but rehearsed from memory.  But here is roughly what I shared at Matt and Sam’s wedding:

    “Matt and Sam, look out over all the faces here.  Take a moment, hold to this moment, remember this moment.  All these people are here to celebrate you, because they love you. 

    Something extra special is happening here today, though.  Nobody is here to celebrate you, Matt, or just you, Sam.  Some in the audience may even think they’re here for just one or the other, but that’s really not the case.  Every person here is to celebrate YOU, a unit, a new powerful team, one.  That is what makes this day so special.  Two people becoming one.

    On a day like today, we marvel at all the blessings we’ve been given.

    Remember who you just looked over.  Parents, grandparents, loved ones.  How blessed we are.  On a day like today, we also remember the ones we miss.  A grandma, a father, with a seat reserved.  It feels like yesterday that some loved ones had to leave us.  I think it feels like yesterday because something deep within us knows those loved ones never left us.

    I’m a firm believer in angels.  I’m a believer in angels that wouldn’t miss this day for the world.  So as you look out over those that you can see, I believe, there are some, many even, that are present that you can’t see.  Those loved ones that wouldn’t miss this.

    Matt’s father, Don, left us unexpectedly 18 months ago.  At that time, I got to witness something amazing happen.  I saw Sam love Matt.  I saw Sam protect Matt.  I saw Sam uplift Matt.  I saw Sam support Matt in the most difficult time in his life.  When life is the hardest, we find our foundations.  And when we find our foundation, or someone that does those things for us, it becomes our duty to love, support, uplift, and protect that person for the rest of our life.

    So, Matt, Sam, I encourage you to remember that the greatest challenges in life can result in the greatest blessings.  And with each other, as a unit, loving and supporting one another, you can get through anything this life tries to throw at you.

    We love you.  And we celebrate this day with you.”

    How grateful I am to have gotten to be a part of Matt and Sam’s day. 

    How grateful I am to feel worthy, and clean, to stand before God and a group of Matt and Sam’s loved ones and get to do that for them.

    How grateful I am for a Savior that allows me to be clean and feel worthy of that moment. 

    Thank you to Matt and Sam for trusting me and allowing me to be a part of something so important.

    We love you.

  • He Hears your Prayers

    He Hears your Prayers

    When I go through difficult times, for whatever reason that might be, I often find myself thinking to myself a lyric from the song “A Child’s Prayer.” 

    “Heavenly Father, are you really there?”

    I was recently having one of those difficult times and was thinking this phrase.

    I went to church that Sunday and said a prayer asking that if there was some guidance I could receive, that I’d hear it.  It was a particularly distracted day with Ivy in church.  Quick side note, it’s amazing how distracting a toddler can be in church.  Ivy is really good in church, and yet I still find it so difficult to focus on the speakers while also making sure she’s ok and entertained.

    Despite the normal distractions, I caught a speaker mentioning, “Heavenly Father, are you really there?”  I can’t remember in what context.  I believe it might have been the youth speaker.  I perked up, but that was it, the moment passed.

    It was a thoroughly uplifting Sunday that day and I found myself feeling in much better spirits.  Still, there were those lingering “difficulties” in the background.

    The next day I was with Ivy in her room.  I am more and more convinced that Ivy, and probably all children, are still at least 50% angel.  The coincidences Ivy causes in my life are too perfect.

    I was in her rocking chair on my computer reading and doing stuff while she played. Suddenly she came over to me which isn’t unusual.  I put my computer away and pulled out my phone instead.  I wanted to look up the songs we had in church the previous day because I had a song stuck in my head but didn’t know it’s name.  I pulled up Youtube to play the sacrament song and confirm it was the one stuck in my head.

    We listened to the song and then Ivy reached for the phone, again, not something out of the ordinary by any means.  She started tapping it with her finger.  I saw her click a couple recommended videos that were on the side of the screen and then she pulled her hand away.  A video started playing.  I didn’t recognize the song (at first).  It had a long introduction and then there were images of children with their parents.  Children praying with their parents, being tucked in, coloring, playing. 

    Suddenly it started.

    Heavenly Father, are you really there?
    And do you hear and answer every child’s prayer?
    Some say that Heaven is far away
    But I feel it close around me as I pray

    “I feel it close around me as I pray” is the part, during times of difficulty, that I struggle with.  Because in those times I don’t always feel heaven close around me as I pray.

    I started to cry.

    The song continued.

    Heavenly Father, I remember now
    Something that Jesus told disciples long ago
    “Suffer the children to come to me”
    Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee

    I looked at Ivy.

    Then the song continued.

    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, the kingdom of Heaven

    It had been so long since I’d heard the full song I truly didn’t remember that part. And when I heard it, it was so clear.  It was so clear.  In moments of challenge I remember the part, “Heavenly Father, are you really there?”  But I’d forgotten the part, “He is there.  Speak, He is listening.  You are His child.  His love now surrounds you.  He hears your prayer.”

    I remembered.

    Sometimes it’s so hard to hear Him.  Sometimes it’s so hard to remember He is there.

    Then He reminds you. 

    I want to remind everyone reading.  He is there.  Speak, He is listening.

    The world can yell at me that it was a complete coincidence that Ivy somehow brought up that song that I’ve never listened to before on Youtube.  I say, that’s ridiculous.  I needed to be reminded that my Father was there and listening, and so he reminded me.  Through my angel.

    I’m grateful for Him.  I’m grateful for all my angels. 

    I know He is there.

  • Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

    Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

    We’ve been having a difficult time with Ivy’s sleeping the last couple weeks.  This morning I woke up and Beth was awake.  I asked if Ivy got up during the night.

    Beth laughed.

    Not a good sign.

    Beth said yes Ivy did get up during the night.  She said she was rocking Ivy and could tell that Ivy was not going to go back to sleep.  So she did something drastic.

    Warning: this strategy is not recommended, and we know full and well this is NOT a good idea. 

    Beth said she GOT IN IVY’S CRIB WITH HER.  My first thoughts, it didn’t break?

    I looked at Beth and said instead, “…is that ok?”

    Beth responded that of course no, it’s not ideal.  It’s not safe and the crib could have broken.  All bad things.  Like the title of the post says, Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures. 

    Beth continued to tell me that after a while she got out of the crib and successfully returned to our bedroom. A hero had slain the dragon. A cute little booty-up-in-the-air-dragon, but a dragon nonetheless.

    She said she got into bed and Ivy started to stir and cry.  Beth asked me if I remembered in the middle of the night her saying, “oh no.”  Beth told me I then started patting her on her back.  I vaguely remember this.

    But then a miracle happened!  Ivy went back to sleep.  Hallelujah.

    After hearing Beth’s tale, I started to meditate to prepare for the day. My mind drifted to this story as the mind is wont to do during meditation. I thought about that moment when Ivy cried and very well should have continued screaming until one of us came to get her.

    A past successful night of sleep resistance. The smug face of a champion saying, “I’m the boss here,” cross-legged and all.

    The coolest visual came to me as I was meditating. You see, that night was the first time in months that I slept a night without getting out of bed. MONTHS.

    This is the visual that came to me. Ivy started to cry, and God said, “someone do something!” And a legion, thousands of angels came pouring out of heaven to comfort and console Ivy back to sleep. Heavenly Father was like, “give that man one full night in his bed.”

    It was a true miracle and that’s the only possible explanation.

    So I say, thank you Heavenly Father, I sure needed that.

    After a good night’s sleep

    Sleep training here we come.

  • Satan’s Story Continued: What I learned from the Qur’an

    Satan’s Story Continued: What I learned from the Qur’an

    In Satan’s Story, I explored the origins of Satan before we came to earth.  This was back when we knew Satan, in the premortal existence.  This was when he was attempting to (mis)lead us.  It was an interesting revelation for me to learn what led to Satan’s revolt.

    If you haven’t read that post, you can click the link (Satan’s Story) above to read it.  It’s not required to understand this post.

    In this post I’d like to explore a little more about the Father of all Lies (John 8:44).

    I’d like to give the same sort of disclaimer I gave in the first post.  My interest in studying Satan is to further my testimony of One person.  That is Jesus Christ.  By studying Satan, I am studying the exact opposite of all that Jesus Christ is.  By studying Satan, I hope to understand him better only to avoid the same traps he is laying today that he laid in the premortal existence.  Those traps led to 1/3 of our brothers and sisters coming out in full rebellion to the light and love that created us.

    First, an update.  After I finished writing and had posted Satan’s Story (part 1), I started a book called Islam by John Alden Williams.  This book contains a quick historical overview of the beginning, development, growth, laws, and customs of Islam. 

    The book started with reviewing portions of the Qur’an (Koran? Quaran?).  While reading, I came across some interesting text about Satan. 

    I’ve found there are many translations of the Qur’an, similar to our modern day Bible. This was the text provided in the book (my own emphasis and commentary in parentheses added):

    “We created you, then we shaped you,

    then we said to the angels: ‘Bow yourselves

    to Adam’; so they bowed themselves,

    save Iblis (Iblis = Satan)-he was not of those

    that bowed themselves.

    Said He (God), ‘What prevented thee to

    Bow thyself, when I commanded thee?’

    Said he (Satan), ‘I am better than he; Thou

    createdst me of fire, and him Thou

    Createdst of clay.’ (God created Adam out of clay)

    Said He (God), ‘Get thee down out of it;

    It is not for thee to wax proud here,

    So go forth; surely thou art

    Among the humbled.’

    It goes on to provide other interesting details about Satan being cast out of heaven.  I find it interesting that so many of the world’s religions and especially the many sects of Christianity have such unique views on Satan’s story.  I think the mythology and legend of Satan in all cultures goes to show the significance of Satan on all of us here. 

    Another noteworthy item from the above, notice the first two lines. We created you. We said to the angels. Who are we? If it is only God, why is he referring to we? Joseph Smith taught and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints theology teaches us that we is referring to Jesus Christ and God.

    That portion of Satan speaking in the Qur‘an I found to add somewhat to the idea that Satan ultimately revolted because he was jealous of Adam and prideful, feeling he deserved the honor that Adam received. We see that pride is the great detriment to all souls. Pride took Satan from “an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God” to one called Perdition, who fell, who the heavens wept over. (Doctrine and Covenants 76:25-27)

    The book goes on to say that Adam inherited the earth with his wife.  While there “Satan whispered to them…And he swore to them, Truly, I am for you a sincere adviser.”

    So, we see that Satan was a liar and has always been a liar, “from the beginning” (D&C 93:25, John 8:44).

  • Love has Afforded Me Much

    Love has Afforded Me Much

    Ivy is the first grandchild on both sides.  Ivy has 13 aunts and uncles.  She has two sets of grandparents who, while around her, make no qualms about her being the princess of the universe and most important thing to ever come to earth. As I watch her with family, I’m blown away by the amount of love.  She is loved so much.  Beth and I love her so much.  See The Greatest Moment of My Life Every Day for further evidence.

    I wonder how much this love positively impacts Ivy’s future.  How much does it impact the person she will become?

    As I watch her, something occurred to me recently.  I was surrounded by this same love growing up.  I wasn’t the first grandchild on either side, but I was surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents that loved and adored me.  Love was poured out upon me without measure as a baby.  Not only was I loved by those I could see, but I was made to know that God and so many I couldn’t see also loved and cared about me.

    While watching Ivy, it occurred to me how lucky and blessed I was to be surrounded by all that love.

    How much was I positively impacted by the love I was surrounded by?  How much did it shape who I am today?

    Not all children are given this great gift.

    It was a humbling thought.  It’s humbling to consider all that I’ve been given.  If I ever get prideful about any good qualities I may have, I can quickly look at all the attention, direction, and love I’ve been given in my life and realize there is nothing to be prideful of.  I have been afforded much.

    And to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48, D&C 82:3).

    This used to be a daunting scripture.  Now it is a great responsibility, and a great blessing.

    As I’ve gotten older, I have become more aware of how blessed I was to be raised with the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.  That is why I write this blog.  That is why I try to talk to friends, family, coworkers, etc. about the Book of Mormon.  That’s why I share my testimony of Jesus Christ.

    I am grateful for The Family A Proclamation to the World for what is teaches authoritatively and without reservation about the importance of the family unit.  My family unit has blessed my life in so many ways.  I wish every child could be loved like I was, like I still am, like Ivy is.

    God expects me to share the love I’ve been given.  Not in a prideful way, but with a humble recognition of how lucky I truly am.

    The two great commandments are to love and to love.  When you receive love, you must give love.  That’s what God asks from us.