Experiences, Thoughts, and Feelings of a Latter Day Saint (LDS)

One of the best games I have ever seen. Talk about a comeback..thanks grampa Morley for the awesome seats.

Today my sister in law Melody Hillam took the stage at the Smart Women Smart Money conference. They first showed a video of her to the entire crowd and then brought her up and they (Zions Bank) gave all of her kids scholarships. Congratulations Mel. You are a smart woman, being smart with her money. Nice job.

This is a photo of her being interviewed for the news. See the KSL interview here. Check out KSL this morning at 6:00 a.m. to see Melody talk about the experience.

You ask, “How can this happen?” Don’t most people get locked out of their houses? Yes most people do lose keys and get locked out. This is actually the fourth time that this has happened at our house. Nicole, had just walked out into the garage with Malia and was trying to get back in. She thought that I was playing a joke on her by locking her out. For us we have had a string of faulty locks. The front door lock I have replaced twice and the doorknob to the garage I have also replaced once before. I unscrewed the casing and saw that some of the metal pieces had broken in two. Because, the pieces inside snapped I had to disassemble (ok, break it apart) it from the inside. The whole escapade only took an hour. I will go to Home Depot and exchange it tomorrow.

Hooray, I’m free.

Tonight, I am watching my son Isaac play soccer. He is such cute kid with an amazing heart. Every game he hopes to fill the star position – goalie. The coach has his favorite four that he rotates into the position each game. Today was different.

Today the coach breaks from tradition by sending Isaac in to replace the keeper. Isaac’s excitement is contagious as he pulls the special jersey over his head and the padded gloves onto each hand. He gets into position with his arms spread wide and a slight bounce in his legs. The ref blows the whistle and the red team progresses the ball down the field. Isaac defends against a well placed kick from a scrappy little guy with a quick step. Isaac takes the ball runs to the edge of the goal box and kicks the ball back out to mid field where, unfortunately, the red team again takes control of the ball. Once more, Isaac successfully blocks the ball from going in the goal. He takes the ball and boots it again but this time it doesn’t make it to mid field but instead veers off of Isaac’s foot to a group of red uniforms about ten yards from the goal box. All converge on the ball while Isaac realizes the situation. He advances to the ball just as a red cleat lifts the ball into a gentle arc two feet above the head of the Green Tornadoe’s newest goalie. A backward leap is not enough to stop the ball from dribbling across the white line.

The game is now tied 1-1. Thus ends Isaac’s three and a half minutes in the most coveted position on the team. Isaac is quickly replaced by Shane. The look of disappointment is as real as the prior excitement. He pulls the gloves back off and with much chagrin transfers them to the new goalie.

The coach yells for Isaac to go to the “Forward” position. He runs to his new assignment. Although I know his discouragement, he seems to embrace the new challenge with determination. I am feeling more disappointment than I’m sure he is. I love this little guy so much I want nothing but the best for him.

The whistle blows again but this time it is our turn to take the ball out. Isaac pulls out to the outside while the ball jostles between his team mates. There it is — the perfect pass. Right to my little buddy. He is past the first defender. The rest of the red team is converging. I don’t know how but he makes it through. He kicks and…………………………………he scores. His first goal of the season.

What a blessing that he didn’t get another chance at what he thought he wanted – being goalie. How often does God put us in the right place rather than in the place we thought we should be?

How often do we think we know what is best for us only to have God put us where we are supposed to be?

“Mormons just follow anything blindly. They believe anything and will just go along with anything the Mormon religion says.”

I read this the other day as a comment on a blog about “How to know if you have the spirit in your life.”

To this I say a resounding, “YES”. Mormons are sheep because we are led by the Good Shepard. Mormons follow the Shepard that will lead us back to our Father’s presence. I am proud to say that I am part of the flock that is shepherded by the Son of God, who himself is called the Lamb of God.

Being a sheep doesn’t mean just following blindly. Every member of the LDS is challenged to ask God if the teachings are true. Every one of us has to know for ourselves and to ask the maker Himself.

In the last chapter in the Book of Mormon it states,

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and I didn’t have to take anyone’s word for it.

Neither did Daisy Chou

The Family (sans one little bear) watching the play Marry Poppins at the Capitol Theater. I love this play.

My favorite plays in order are:

1. Shakespeares Tempest – A message of forgiveness and love. Plus I had over-the-stage balcony seats to watch Patrick Stewart in NYC. I could have reached out and shined his head I was so close.
2. Wicked – Saw this with Nicole in Chicago about 5 years ago. Music is awesome, effects were amazing.
3. Mary Poppins – Saw it in NYC and SLC loved both. My favorite thing about this play is how much it focuses on the family and balancing work and life. Heaven knows I need to balance.
4. Phantom of the Opera – Again in NYC. Saw it with friends from the Manhattan 3rd Ward. The music…
5. Les Miserables – Bring Him Home.
6. Little Mermaid – Saw this play this summer with the family at my favorite theater in the world – The Tuacahn