Faith, Hope, Charity

So this isn't a baby update. That is in a week and a day. But there have been many things on my mind and I wanted to write them out. It's kinda long. Basically, It is a part of my witness (testimony) of truth! Read at your own risk.



I have a boss, K, who came out and did annual inspections with me on Thursday. (Quick update: I am an apartment manager for a 51-unit complex). After a long day (like from 9 to 3 straight) my boss left. I told her we (Ron and I) were going on a date to Lake Oswego. She wished me luck. I didn't tell her that I was going to the Temple with my husband because I didn't feel like explaining what it was all about. While we were doing inspections we came across a good handful of religious people (the decor in their homes were a dead give away). I asked her if she was religious. She answered no. During the endowment session all I could think about was my boss. She is a single 32 year old woman who lives alone and works super hard. I thought about what would happen if she joined the church. I thought about how being a single adult in our church is really hard. Anything outside of the "normal" is hard. With all that being said, the answer I kept getting was "Hope". The Savior brings Hope to all of God's children. As long as we are making and keeping covenants, we have hope, and we are not lost. We are known to the Great Shepherd.

Which brings me to my next thought: I want to make it home. And the only way I can do that is by following truth and eternal laws. Today I went to the library and before going in, I was stopped by a couple of people asking if I supported Same-Sex Marriage in the state of Oregon. I had to stop and think about what they were asking because I was rushing. But this is how I responded: "I believe in equal rights, but I also believe in the institution of Marriage." I love that in a simple, non-offensive, but straightforward way, I was able to share my beliefs with others not of my faith. Too often I find it hard to "open my mouth" and share the knowledge that I have gained through personal experience. I know that Marriage is ordained of God and that anything that goes against eternal law (in this case the Law of Chastity) is not what I want.

Which brings me to my last thought: the annual general Relief Society meeting that occurs every last Saturday of September. Tonight they especially focused on making and keeping covenants and how our love for Jesus Christ is indicative of our love for him and Heavenly Father. It has become clearer to me how much God really loves His children and how he has made it possible to return to live with Him. In the endowment session with Ron, I felt the love of Heavenly Father and how important it is to him that all of his children who choose to live with him, come back to him.

Like so many other times, words fail me this evening. I have been greatly edified by the Spirit and its personal teachings to me of what this life is truly about, of how I want to get back to Heavenly Father and how to go about help others who want to return to him, return to him.

These are some of the things I KNOW:
-I am a daughter of God.
-I can return to live with him someday.
-There has been a plan given so I can become like him.
-He loves me more than any words can express. And he loves all of his children that way.
-I love him and I show him this love by making and keeping promises with him to live the way he has commanded me to live.
-The promises I have made are real and binding. They bring me peace and hope and courage to endure to the end.
-I want to live my life in a way that people can tell I love God and that that is what will bring them most happiness in this life.
-I want to shout it from the rooftops that I know God lives and loves us and has given us a way to be truly happy and return to live with him FOREVER.

These are just SOME of the things I know. I believe all things, I hope all things, I have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, I seek after these things.

-Hannah Richins Beck

Shane: 1 month update

One of my best friends posts when her kids have significant milestones. So I am going to try and follow this format. I really like it and it causes me to have to reflect over the past 4 weeks to see how a little person has grown so much.

Hope you enjoy!

The day he was born.

This is where we started out!

Mama holding him in the operating room.

 

In the recovery room. Our first family portrait.

Still in the recovery room. Look how tuckered he is. He just got yanked out of his mama. I would be tired too.

His second day here! With some of the visitors that came. We were lucky to have just the right amount come and visit. Thanks to all who came and were conscious of the time you stayed. His mama really appreciated not having to kick anyone out for overstaying their welcome. (Love you all!)

Peacefully slumbering in our room.

The real audience catcher. Seriously, how can he looks so cute so early?!

Papa Mark!

and Minky! (Yes, you can call him Tre)

The day we got home. It was our 2nd anniversary so this is Shane and us. Please don't mind the puffy face. Because I had an IV with tons of fluid and salt, it took a couple of days for my puffiness to go down. Nanny and Poppy arrived the next day.

 He was blessed on 6-16-2013. He was 9 days old. The members of his blessing circle were: Ronald D. Beck Jr. (he gave the blessing, this is is Daddy), Kelly Fielding (Bishop), Laron Fisk, Mark Temperini, Ronald D. Beck Sr., Robert J. Richins Jr. It was a simple, sweet blessing. We are very lucky to have this little man in our presence. He has a great work to do.

Daddy getting him ready for the big day.

Everyone in the Family. (Missing Papa and Nana Miller, but they were there in Spirit)

Nanny and Poppy Beck

Sweet expression.

 And the party after the blessing..... More like lunch.

3 generation picture. Maybe we can photoshop Grandpa Larry Beck into the picture.

Minky is holding him.

Minky and Papa. Love it!

Poppy is holding him. 

We didn't really take pictures after Nanny and Poppy left. Mainly because Hannah is a photographer, but doesn't always think about taking the camera out.

So, these are the latest ones.

Love you all! Excited for this next month and all the adventures that are coming.

Afternoon of the 4th of July. We had the sliding glass door open and he slept through all of the noises.

And this is today: July 7th, 2013. Happy 1 month old baby. Sorry for the poor resolution. It was from my camera phone that is old school.

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
  

"Christmas Time is Here"

I am sitting in one of my friend's house (we have been house sitting since last Wednesday, I like it, Ron is excited to go to our home) and listening to Sarah McLachlin and her Christmas album, trying to decide what I want to make for dinners and what I need to buy to make those things and where to buy them.

I had goals this Christmas, things I wanted to become traditions. I hope that I can still accomplish them before the actual day of Christmas.
-Make  a gingerbread house with my love.
- Drop off goodie plates/bags to a handful of people who I have come to love much in this mortal journey.
- See my best friend (she gets here on Thursday, hopefully) and her family
- Attend the temple before Christmas
- Ponder and make a decision on what my gift to Christ will be this next year.

Writing about these things makes me feel that I can actually still accomplish what I wanted to. Hooray for adjusting expectations. It is one of the best qualities a person can possess and I think I am starting to accomplish things.

On to another note:
I taught Relief Society yesterday and it was so poignant. The lesson was titled, "Righteous Living in Perilous Times". There were two people there that are not members of my congregation. I hope that they were able to feel of what the message was: We can have peace amid such wickedness. It will be hard to maintain, but it is not unconquerable. It means making and keeping commitments. It means in essence living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have thought about the hard things that have happened in the world this past couple of weeks: two shootings, one school stabbing are just some of the big headlines. We haven't heard about the person who was murdered in our city or the various people who passed away tragically, unexpected, finally after long bouts with cancer. There is much sorrow in the world it seems. I don't wish to dwell upon them, not because I want to block them out, but because I wish to dwell upon goodness that is still going on amidst such wickedness. I was watching a talk show the other day (haven't watched it until or since that day) but they were discussing transgender children. There was a child on there, who is 7, and has male genitalia, but looks exactly like a girl. He believes God only messed up on one thing and that was his reproductive organs. He wants and believes he is a girl. His parents have given in and treated him like a girl. But there was something that came to mind when I was watching this along with reading an article written by a mother of a 13 year old boy who struggles with lots of things. I have a best friend who has a son like this, however he is only 4.5 years old. Super smart, but has lots of breakdowns.

I think about the challenges people face in this mortal experience. Some things are so hard. Some things are not. But I find that the only real thing that brings sense to it all is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is not just doctrine, it is PERSONAL SPIRITUAL HABITS. Every day contact with Deity. Checking in, talking with them, talking with the person you made a covenant with (your spouse). If you don't have a spouse, it is finding people to talk to. It is becoming clearer and clearer that one cannot solely rely upon their previous witnesses to help them ride out the waves of life. It is reaffirming those witnesses everyday, and when the Giver of those experiences gives those reassurances (after much asking usually) we express deep gratitude for them. My heart does weep in its silent chambers for the sorrow of man. However, my heart rejoices because of the deliverance of the Almighty, who is full of grace and truth. We will make it out of here alive, if we choose to.

Christmas time is here. Happiness and cheer. Even though the real Christmas is April 6th, I am grateful for a world that still has goodness in it. Be of Good Cheer my friends. Our future is as bright as our faith.

-Hannah