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Monday, January 21, 2013

Who is He In Yonder Stall?

I just finished watching a TV show that made a very strong impact on me. I won't disclose the name of the show for the fact that there is a lot of filth in the show, and I have resolved not to watch it any more (it's second season just ended and won't start up until this September----after which I will have had a baby and we will have just moved :)

However, I do want to share some thoughts from finishing the second season.
1) Love is the most powerful emotion that I have ever felt. I have felt lots of anger in my life, but love trumps it all. I wept last night at the side of my husband for the fact that I love him more than words can ever express.
2) Deep connection is what part of what the marriage covenant is based on. Ron and I talked about the need to keep connected, and I am in AWE at home many people never connect on the deepest level of themselves, let alone share it with someone. I am grateful to a husband who is aware of my "sensitivities" and is gentle with them.
3) The more I experience Mortality, the more I come to understand the depth of the Atonement (Sacrifice) of Jesus Christ. That is why I entitled this post "Who is He in Yonder Stall?". There is a man, Jordan Kimball Fowers who taught me just the beginning of the Sacrifice and love of the Savior. When he passed away, I was privileged to attend his funeral and I wept at one of the songs the Men's Chorus sang.

http://youtu.be/uhJ0WeVTZBY
Here are the lyrics:

"Who is he in yonder stall?
At who's feet the shepherds fall?

'Tis the Lord, Oh wondrous story
'Tis the Lord, Oh King of Glory.
At his feet we humbly fall
Crown Him, Crown Him Lord of all.

Who is he who stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?

'Tis the Lord, Oh wondrous story
'Tis the Lord, the King of Glory.
At his feet we humbly fall
Crown Him, Crown Him Lord of all.

Who is he in Calvary's Thrones
Asks for blessings on his fold

'Tis the Lord, Oh wondrous story
'Tis the Lord, the King of Glory.
At his feet we humbly fall
Crown Him, Crown Him Lord of all.

Who is He, who from the grave,
Comes to seek and help and save

It is the Lord, Oh wondrous story
'Tis the Lord, the King of Glory
At his feet we humbly fall
Crown Him, Crown Him Lord of all. "


I never listen to this recording without literally weeping. I love Him, I love all that He has done for me. I am grateful to my Father for giving Him to us.
Words fail me, but that is as much as I can write.

I am excited to see them one day. "Soon" relatively speaking. I wouldn't want to see them prematurely, but I am excited to see them. Along with lots of other people.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is restored, and the ultimate blessings that God wants to give his children are here. I love Him for his gratitude in giving such gifts and making them available today.
 -Hannah
  


Monday, January 14, 2013

Life is Weird...

(First of all, I want to clarify that everyone's life experiences are different and the following is just a generalization of my personal experiences)

Life is weird...

As children we so much ahead of us. We can, for the most part, do anything we want and be anyone we want to be. Even when we are just playing around we dream and play as Doctors, Lawyers, Superheroes, etc. We spend those first 5 years learning how to do the basics, then spend the next 10-15 years figuring out who we are. We go through high school and go through the most influential period of our lives to that point. Every little detail about our lives seems to matter and not getting what we want is devastating.

It isn't until after high school (Generally speaking) that we find out that our small and petty problems are nothing compared to many many others in the world who go through much harder trials. It is usually at this point that we start to understand life for the first time. We are not completely there yet, but we are starting to get it. We finally start to leave our selfish little world of our mind and explore the idea that others have just as many, if not more, problems then we do. Keep in mind that this does not make our problems disappear  but it does help make them lighter.

After we finally start to come into our own and accept ourselves we finally are able to accept another for who they are and find that we, in fact, where never whole without them; thus, we get married. Since this is really as far as I have traveled on the road of life I can't really say what the future holds. What I can say is that marriage brings on all sorts of new challenges and joys.

Ultimately, despite what experiences we have throughout our life we always, at any given time, think that we know about what it has to offer, and although I contradict myself because I too am in a stage of life as I say this; we never truly know what life has in store for us. It is full of ups and downs. It turns and meanders unpredictably, and although we can't predict the road we take; we can always determine where we are going.

I'm sure you're wondering, "Where did that come from?" I think it mostly came from the ever present changes that Hannah and I have experienced in our marriage. In our year and a half of being married we have moved 4 times and are contemplating moving again. So i guess I am just saying life is weird and you just cant predict it. :)

-Ron