Wedges

April 17: 

I started the day confident and feeling like a bit like an attorney.

It didn't take long though, to realize that perhaps I should go to law school before endeavoring again to engage in semi-intelligent arguing.     I left the experience feeling disappointed and a bit stupid. 

Luckily I enjoyed the talks at church today and felt inspired by this story of the hidden wedges that one of the speakers shared.  

"Where do hidden wedges originate? Some come from unresolved disputes, which lead to ill feelings, followed by remorse and regret. Others find their beginnings in disappointments, jealousies, arguments, and imagined hurts. We must solve them—lay them to rest and not leave them to canker, fester, and ultimately destroy."  

The issue that I was arguing has been ongoing for a couple months now and I just need to realize that it's not going to be resolved the way I hoped it would.  One person still holds way too many cards in this situation (and it ain't me).  At least, though, concessions are finally being made.  I have to acknowledge that it is what it is and I need to make efforts to remove the wedge of bitterness (at feeling like this issue is being left only partially resolved) from my own life.  Me continuing to beat what has clearly become a dead horse is not hurting the horse a bit.  I'm the one needlessly expending energy and effort where it has ceased to be effective.   

And with that I will curse the stinking federal government one last time for robbing us blind this tax season and bid you a good {wedg(i)e free} night. 

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FHE….Ellie Style

  Ever since the kids were tiny, we've reserved one night a week--usually Sunday or Monday--for  learning the gospel and spending time together during family home evening (FHE).   We usually sing a few songs, talk a little about our week, then have a short lesson and a treat.   The lesson is not usually very long or very profound, but it is meaningful time we spend together week-after-week that brings our family closer together.

When the kids were younger, I went to great lengths to engage the kids in the lessons.  I used flannel board stories, puppets, and creative games to help make the learning more meaningful to them. As they've gotten older though, the lessons now  are more often iterations of lessons I've either heard or given to the Young Women or discussions about some topic that's been on our minds.  I guess we may have have gotten a little boring around here, because Ellie practically begged to take over the lesson yesterday.  We readily agreed. 

And believe me when I tell you, that things were a lot livelier last night than during our average family home evening.  We still had the sullen teen who kept muttering under her breath about all the homework she had to do, but the rest of the lesson was all dramatics and giggles, and I do not mean that in a bad way.

Ellie was the narrator, costume designer, and stage director for an amazing lesson about Esther.  

She had learned about Esther during Primary on Sunday and was so excited to share what she learned with the rest of us.  It was one of the most memorable FHE lessons we've had in a long time and made me grateful for inspired teachers who so lovingly prepare lessons for my kids each week and also for inspired leaders who encourage us to take time out of our busy schedules to devote to our families.  

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The Writing on the Walls

Someday, in a few decades, someone is going to decide to redo their kitchen and maybe...just maybe...if they decide to replace the drywall too, they will get just a little peek into the family who lived in that house a long time ago.

They will get a glimpse of who they were and what they believed...

They will see in whom they put their trust...

and know that they were not ashamed of His Gospel...

They will see that they believed in a God that is loving and forgiving...

and who will always lift them up when they are weak.

When they lift their eyes and notice the writing on the doorframe, they will see the 23rd Psalm and know that theirs was a family that looked to Christ for their redemption...

and were seeking the treasures of a better world.

When they look down at the raw floors....

and at the beams over the patio door,  hopefully they will also see that they were a family that tried to have a bit of fun...

whether in their attempted scriptural humor   ↑ ↑ ↑

or in spending an evening together....

filling the very walls of their home...

with words of love and trust...

and faith in God.

Although drywall may cover the words for now, it is my prayer that every person who enters that house in the years to come will know that, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 

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Thanks to my friend, Shawni, for the inspiration for doing this.