Father's Day

We were able to celebrate Brian on Sunday.  He is a wonderful father: kind, patient, helpful, a good example, a hard worker, funny, spiritual.  We are very blessed to call him ours.  We had a little celebration before (home) church at 11:00.

Don't mind Parker's non-expression.  At 10:45 he still wasn't quite awake. He gave Bri some Red Vines.

Aubrey made the cutest booklet/card and gave Bri a package of Coke Zero.  Here is a picture of her working on the card the night before.

Tanner backed up to Brian and said, "My gift is best because I'm the only one who took time to wrap it."  He then had Bri lift his shirt.  Crazy boy.  Bri laughed and said the last couple of Twix bars were for him to keep!

Brinley wrote a sweet note on a homemade card and also ordered a cooling towel.  Just in time too because it was 107° today and Brian had to work outside all day.  When I texted to see how he was holding up in the heat, he sent this picture:

(Isn't he so cute?!)

We gave him a gun that shoots salt to kill flies.  Lately he's been casually mentioning the need for a real gun for our home.  I teased him we could see how things work out with this one first.

After gifts, we moved into the kitchen table for church.  We are trying a new set up.  We felt like some of the kids were getting too casual with church on the comfy couch.  It was getting to easy to slip into lounging rather than sitting, and then hard for us to kindly correct because we were on Zoom with a group.  

Also, we loved our Zoom church with my parents and a few friends from the ward, however, we decided it might be best to just do it in person for now.  It got a little complicated and maybe not as engaging for our teens at times.

Aubrey gave a great talk on The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  She really is a natural teacher and can put together an outstanding lesson or talk in thirty minutes or less.  It's impressive.  I loved the topic she chose.  She spoke about the importance of marriage being between a man and a wife.  She also pointed out how the proclamation was given in 1995, years before gay marriage was a big issue here, and noted how blessed we are to have latter day prophets to guide us.  She talked about what one can do if they feel attracted to the same sex, and how we should love everyone.

I was the other speaker.  I prepared a talk on scripture study and then realized I had a great opportunity to speak about fathers instead.  Because it was just our family, I was able to point out the many ways we are blessed by Brian. (See list at the top of the page!)  I looked up the father's blessing he had given the kids at the beginning of the school year and read the notes I had jotted down for each blessing.  Remembering the counsel and guidance given brought a special feeling.  I noticed, and I hope the kids did as well, how much of that counsel was spot on for their school year and still so applicable.  Both their earthly and Heavenly Father know them and want to bless and guide them.

I mentioned how lucky Brian and I were as well to have faithful, kind and loving earthly fathers.  Not everyone has that in this life, but we all have a loving Heavenly Father.  

I shared some of the lyrics to A Child's Prayer and then three scriptures that help us know of Heavenly Fathers love.  

Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

                        Pray, he is there;

                        Speak, he is list’ning.

2nd Nephi 32:3 "...feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."  

He gives us scriptures to guide us.  

Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 

God has given us prophets in the past and today to lead us.

And of course, God provided a Savior for us.  He sent his son to show us the way and to provide a way for us to be forgiven of our sins.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Hope you had a blessed day as well!