To our trials, adversity and to what life hands us...

Thursday September 27, 2012

 Life in general is full of trials and adversity, that's how we are stretched right?  Without barriers put in front of us or stumbling blocks to conquer over how would we ever grow...I've found that life goes in spurts of everything "fine and dandy somewhat calmness" (well as calm as life can be with a house full of kids) then the storms usually hit to mix things all up again.  The sailing through the waves become much more challenging.  My blogging is a simple glimpse into our lives, the times I want our family to look back on to hold onto the memories of life as we knew it through our journey. Our posts are our reality but very surfaced in publishing.  I don't tend to blog too deep or in depth of the negative aspects of life or the tough or trying times, focusing on the positive happy times are far more fun to blog about. So in other words, I don't want anyone getting any crazy ideas that we have this picture perfect smooth sailing family, home, school, health, work and everyday life. 

 Through our marriage, we have certainly learned that Satan really knows how to dish it out! Sometimes more than not and during these trying times the simple truth of the matter is that life generally get more challenging before it gets any easier.  We all know when it rains it pour. The test is how we will deal with it all and the important questions are: where will our faith be, where will our hearts be, will our foundations stand firm? In our family scripture reading we are reading from Helaman, such a great prophet of wisdom! In our readings a few nights ago, we read the council we gave his sons:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil will send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwinds, yea when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock which upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men are built they cannot fall."  

Another seminary scripture mastery if I'm recalling correctly :) 

So we can't predict what our future holds or what life will be ready to hand us next but what a great promise we have, OUR ROCK OUR SAVIOR and sure FOUNDATION!  One of our primary songs this year is the "Wise Man and The Foolish Man" that has always been a kid favorite, with the hand movements "the rains came down and the floods came up."  As a child, I only remember picturing the literal meaning of building a home on the sand next to a beach and then a home built upon a big rock on a hill. Nobody wants to be like the foolish man who build his house upon the sand and has his house come tumbling down when the rains and floods come in.  That's exactly what Satan wants though...he will deceive you into building your home upon the sand but will be no where in sight when the rains and floods come crashing in and your castle comes crumbling down.  Quite the opposite for our Savior as the hymn "How Firm a foundation" so eloquently states:

2. In ev'ry condition - in sickness in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design,

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.