Thy Pow'r Throughout the Universe Displayed

After a heartbreaking weekend for members of my faith, I consider the glorious sunset we had yesterday to be a tender mercy. Sophie ran outside with my camera and captured it.

Finding Strength

I had the opportunity to speak in church yesterday. I knew I was going to be the second speaker, which is always an exciting game because you never know if the speaker will use all their time or part of their time or all of their time plus some of yours. I wrote my talk with that in mind, knowing in advance which sections would get cut.

A few minutes into the first talk, I figured out how it was going to go: she was going to end really early. I quickly looked up an additional quote to lengthen my talk. I also paced it a touch slower than I'd practiced it. I finished at just the right time.

I told my kids that I'd be mentioning all of them and I told Phoebe and Peter that I would be quoting them, but I didn't tell them which quotes I was using. Several members of the congregation told me afterward that it was fun watching my kids' faces while I spoke about them.

I think my favorite compliment came from Cooper. He said it was the best talk he'd heard me give, and that it made him cry. Cooper has pretty discerning tastes, so that was high praise.

Jesus Christ is the Strength of Parents

On June 17, 2010, I wrote the following on my blog, which functions as our family journal. Two things to remember: at the time Peter was four and Cooper was two and when I say timeout I mean sitting on a cushion in a corner of their room for a few minutes to give them a chance to cool down. Ready?

“We've had some trouble with bathroom words. Mostly in the I'm-saying-something-I-shouldn't-just-to-get-a-reaction-out-of-you kind of way. After toying with a handful of different consequences, Bryan and I feel like, at least for Peter, we've found something that works. (We're still trying to find something effective for Cooper.)

…After each timeout we talk with the boys about why they were there, about what action brought on the timeout. While Cooper ALWAYS knows why he was in timeout, sometimes Peter has a hard time remembering what it was that landed him in the corner.

This conversation took place yesterday afternoon.

Me: Peter, do you know why you were in timeout?

Peter: Yes.

Me: Why?

Peter: Because one of the 12 commandments says "Thou shalt watch your words."”

In his April 2023 General Conference talk “Jesus Christ is the Strength of Parents”, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke about the role that parents play in the lives of their children. He said, “Our Father in Heaven, our Divine Parent, surely rejoices when His children are taught and nurtured by their parents on earth. Parents, thank you for everything you’re doing to raise your children. And children, thank you for everything you’re doing to raise your parents, because as every parent knows, we often learn as much from our children about faith, hope, and charity as they learn from us!”

This has proven true in my not quite twenty years of experience as a parent. Some of that learning comes on good days from the insightful things they say, like the deep doctrinal questions Cooper asks and the gospel connections Peter makes. Some of it comes from watching their examples, like how naturally Topher shares and how sincerely Phoebe and Sophie support each other. And some of it comes on the hard days from the fervent prayers I’ve offered when I’m exhausted and overwhelmed and out of patience.

Elder Uchtdorf continued with words of encouragement: “My message to all parents is this: The Lord loves you. He is with you. He stands beside you. He is your strength in guiding your children to make righteous choices.”

But how?

Elder Uchtdorf taught that the Savior can magnify two specific parental attributes: our love for our children and our small and simple efforts.

Regarding the small and simple offerings we can give as parents, Elder Uchtdorf said, “Your efforts may seem small compared to the loud voices your children hear in the world. At times it may feel that you’re not accomplishing much. But remember that “by small means the Lord can bring about great things...” (T)he consistency of small and simple things, day after day, nourishes your children much better than an occasional flood… Every moment is a teaching moment. Every word and action can be a guide for making choices.”

About our love for our children, he said, “Sometimes we might wonder if someone else might be better qualified to guide and teach our children. But no matter how inadequate you may feel, you have something that uniquely qualifies you: your love for your child… Your love for your children creates a rich environment for teaching truth and building faith. Make your home a house of prayer, learning, and faith; a house of joyful experiences; a place of belonging; a house of God.”

I added that last quote right before I went to bed last night. I had about half my talk written, but the flow of inspiration stopped, which I took as my signal to close my computer and go to sleep. I woke up this morning ready to write the second half of my talk and saw the news that President Nelson had passed away. I decided to detour from my talk writing to read the article that he wrote for Time Magazine on the occasion of his recent 101st birthday. 

There he said, “Each of us has inherent worth and dignity. I believe we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. But no matter your religion or spirituality, recognizing the underlying truth beneath this belief that we all deserve dignity is liberating—it brings emotional, mental, and spiritual equilibrium—and the more you embrace it, the more your anxiety and fear about the future will decrease. Life can be terrifying, and I have watched many—especially young people—struggle with anxiety about whether they belong or have value. But a heart that knows it is loved and remains focused on its purpose beats with steadiness, confidence, and hope no matter what is happening—or not happening—in life.”

As parents, we have not only the opportunity, but also the obligation to be the person that shows our children that we love them, that they are loved children of God. This looks different for each person, but I hope that it always includes the words “I love you” and that those words are supported by our actions. Please think of these next words that President Nelson taught, as quoted in the release from the church announcing his passing that was published late last night, in regards to how you engage with your children.

“Brothers and sisters, we can literally change the world — one person and one interaction at a time. How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue,” President Nelson said. “If you are serious about helping to gather Israel and about building relationships that will last throughout the eternities, now is the time to lay aside bitterness. Now is the time to cease insisting that it is your way or no way. Now is the time to stop doing things that make others walk on eggshells for fear of upsetting you. Now is the time to bury your weapons of war. If your verbal arsenal is filled with insults and accusations, now is the time to put them away. You will arise as a spiritually strong man or woman of Christ.”

I’ve spent a lot of time in the last week and a half pondering about how Jesus is the strength of parents, and about how I personally draw on that strength. This has led me to study the life of the Savior. How would He respond if He were in my parenting shoes?

A few specific stories and scriptures from His life keep coming to my mind. 

One of my daily tasks is ensuring there is something to eat. Making food stretch and ends meet is something I’ve had to do as a parent. Jesus understands that. He fed people, even on the Sabbath. He was able to make so much food with so few supplies. 

I love using books and stories to teach my children. Jesus did that too. He often taught doctrine through parables.

How many times have I been awakened by children that needed something RIGHT NOW. Jesus experienced that. In chapter 8 of both Matthew and Luke Jesus and his disciples were traveling across the sea in a ship when a great storm came up. Jesus was asleep, but that didn’t stop His terrified followers from waking him up. And whatever residual weariness He felt didn’t keep Him from stopping the storm. 

I regularly, though not as often as I should, take a deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth before I respond to yelling or screaming or whining children. My kids can attest that one of my most often repeated phrases is, “Who are you in charge of?” when they come to tattle on what a sibling has done. Jesus set the example for me to follow in these situations. In John chapter 8 we read the story of the woman taken in adultery. When her accusers brought her to Jesus they demanded immediate justice. What did He do? He paused. He drew on the ground with his finger. And then, instead of condemning her, He asked each of the scribes and Pharisees that were before Him to look at their own actions instead of hers. When they all left, “being convicted by their own conscience,” Jesus said he wouldn’t condemn her and told her to “sin no more.”

 I have wept over my children, for their joys and their pains and sometimes their choices. I have wept over my many parental shortcomings. Tears are often close to the surface, but it’s okay, because Jesus also wept. Elder Garrit W. Gong said in April 2025, “When we cry out in grief or joy, Jesus Christ understands perfectly. He can be present in the moments when we most need eternity’s great gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, restoration.” He listed several times that Jesus wept. He cried in compassion when Mary and Martha mourned their lost brother Lazarus, then raised Lazarus back to life. He wept in sorrow that he was unable to “gather His people as a hen would her chicks.” And He wept with joy when He blessed the children of the surviving Nephites and Lamanites.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ see us for who we are and who we can become. Do we look at our children through that eternal lens? 

On July 15, 2020, I wrote this about Peter, who was fourteen at the time. “Here's something that I think is amazing: I can have a conversation with Peter and see his nearly 6'2" frame that almost outweighs me and hear his deep, close-to-adult sounding voice, while simultaneously seeing newborn Peter taking in the world around him, and fifteen-month-old Peter when he was sick and only wanted me to hold him, and three-year-old Peter who always had a silly joke to share, and five-year-old Peter who was continually creating scenes out of paper and crayons, and nine-year-old Peter who was so insecure and aware that he was different from the other kids at school and wanted to talk out those feelings with me long past bedtime. I can see him in all of these stages, remember experiencing them with him, and yet still be aware of this moment that we're in now. I wonder if that's how Heavenly Father sees us, our past and present and future added in, all rolled into one complete picture of who we are.”

Elder Uchtdorf spoke of the parental gift of personal revelation: “As you are prayerful and sensitive to the Spirit, He will warn you of hidden dangers. He will reveal your children’s gifts, their strengths, and their unspoken concerns. God will help you see your children as He sees them—beyond their outward appearance and into their hearts. With God’s help, you can learn to know your children in a pure and heavenly way.”

As parents and leaders of children and youth, it is our responsibility to live and love as the Savior did. We heard a stunning musical number today. These are the words of the song they played. 

1.

I feel my Savior’s love

In all the world around me.

His Spirit warms my soul

Through ev’rything I see.

2.

I feel my Savior’s love;

Its gentleness enfolds me,

And when I kneel to pray,

My heart is filled with peace.

3.

I feel my Savior’s love

And know that he will bless me.

I offer him my heart;

My shepherd he will be.

4.

I’ll share my Savior’s love

By serving others freely.

In serving I am blessed.

In giving I receive.

On February 2, 2015 I wrote the following entry on our family blog.

"Miss Phoebe gave her first talk in Primary yesterday. She was asked to speak about the Savior. Last week I asked for her thoughts about Jesus. "I love him," she said. Why? I asked. "Because he's kind and loving."

That sparked a conversation about being kind and loving in our family. I took the things we talked about and typed them up, added a story about Jesus, and printed it out… Here is Phoebe's talk.

I have a baby sister named Sophie. She is so cute and I love her a lot. I try hard to keep her safe. She’s little and doesn’t understand what is safe and what is not. I pick up little toys that she might try to put in her mouth and I watch to make sure she doesn’t crawl up our stairs. I want to be a good big sister because I love her.

We all have a big brother who loves us. He wants us to be safe and happy. He knows that we sometimes get hurt or make mistakes. Because he loves us so much, he made it possible for us to repent. That’s a fancy word that means to erase the mistake we’ve made.

Jesus is our older brother. Before he died, he went to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane and said a special prayer. During that prayer he felt all the pain that we’ve ever felt and all the pain that we’ll ever feel in our whole lives. He did that so we would never be alone when we’re hurt. He did that so we can repent and someday live with Heavenly Father again.

Jesus Christ is my Savior and I love him."

I add my testimony that these things are true. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, they love our children, and they provide the strength and support required to be the parents and leaders our children need. And it is up to us to love as they do, so that our children can feel that love.

One more quote from Elder Uchtdorf, “My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, building faith in a child is somewhat like helping a flower grow. You cannot tug on the stem to make it taller. You cannot pry open the bud to get it to blossom sooner. And you cannot neglect the flower and expect it to grow or flourish spontaneously.

What you can and must do for the rising generation is provide rich, nourishing soil with access to flowing heavenly water. Remove weeds and anything that would block heavenly sunlight. Create the best possible conditions for growth. Patiently allow the rising generation to make inspired choices, and let God work His miracle. The result will be more beautiful and more stunning and more joyful than anything you could accomplish just by yourself.”

It won’t happen overnight, it might not even happen in a lifetime, but it will happen.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

When Life Gives You Lemons

Tonight I attended a lemon party. What is a lemon party, you ask? It was an excuse for my friend to throw a party. She decorates her whole house with lemons during the summer and she wanted to have a celebration before putting away the bright, happy decorations to make room for fall and Halloween.

We were all asked to bring a lemony dish to share. I googled "gluten free lemon recipes" and found this one. It turned out pretty well. It kind of had a strawberry lemonade taste.

Making Faces

Topher the Builder

As soon as Topher arrived home from school today he got to work. He built this "gingerbread" house out of graham crackers and cream cheese. He was quite pleased with his creation.

The Story Lady

I was asked to help with a ward activity on Saturday. Our old ward did a family history activity and I got to be the story lady. I read three books I particularly love that connect with family history: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (each person's story matters, we should keep journals), Some Dogs Do (there are talents and traits that are passed down through families), and Owl Moon (family traditions are meaningful). I had a pretty steady stream of audience members coming to my storytelling station, including one little boy who only wanted to hear stories and was quite put out when his mom tried to move to another station.

I love that I got to be part of this activity by doing something that brings me joy.

Brothers

Called to Serve

Peter got a very special, much anticipated email. With his permission, I'll share most of it here.

Home Again, Home Again

Bryan flew out to Utah on Sunday and spent most of the week driving home with Peter. They arrived just before 3:00 this morning.

Topher is especially happy that they're home.

Figuratively, Not Literally (I Think)

We attended our old ward on Sunday (in addition to our current ward) to hear one of Peter's friends speak about his recently concluded mission. We stayed for the second hour and it just so happened that Topher's favorite primary teacher was subbing that day. She took him by the hand and walked him into the primary room, which helped calm the nervousness he was feeling.

At bedtime that night I asked how primary was. 

Topher: It was good, did you know that Sister D was a sub?

Me: Yes, I think Sister K is the regular teacher.

Topher: Oh yeah! She is. 

And then he told me why Sister K wasn't at church that day.

Topher: Her friend in North Carolina lost her mom and she went to help find her.

And as soon as my brain caught up to what he said I had to stifle a gasp. I'm pretty sure that's not what was meant by lost, but since I haven't confirmed that, I have yet to correct his interpretation.

Faster and Faster

Cooper had another cross country meet today. He continues to do well. He ran an 18:54 and placed 15th overall, 6th from his school. We arrived just a few minutes before the race ended, but we were there to see him cross the finish line!

A Full Social Calendar

We had a weekend full of events.

Friday night we went to a Hobbit party and ate and visited until late.

Saturday night we went to a Ukulele Orchestra party and ate and visited and played music until late.

Sunday night we went to a missionary homecoming and chatted until late.

And that led to Topher asking this morning, "Do we have another party tonight?"

We did not.

Only homework and sleep.

And that's okay.

One Year Closer to Driving

Phoebe is 15! The week of her birthday I asked if she wanted to invite some friends over to celebrate. She said yes and this fun group came over in advance of her actual birthday for games and pizza.

That meant she got multiple days of birthday awesomeness.

But she still just got the same batch of birthday cupcakes for both.

 Happy birthday, Phoebe!

Glee Club Rehearsal

This season, in addition to our full choir numbers, we added small group songs that included costumes and choreography. I played this song for my codirector when we were in the planning stages and she immediately loved it. But we knew this one would take a lot of extra work. The solution? We put our own kids in it, that way we didn't need to make space for it in our rehearsal schedule, we could just have several playdates/rehearsals to work on it. And that's just what we did.

I was standing in the back of the house next to the sound booth (aka Bryan sitting at a folding table with the sound board) when I realized that Linus' mic was turned off. You can see the moment that Cooper saw me frantically motioning for him to reach over and flip the switch on the mic pack. Charlie Brown was the hero of this number.

Phoebe lost most of her voice the day before the concert. Thankfully, she had enough for her low solo line in another song and for her duties as Snoopy.

See that skirt Sophie is wearing? She and her friend spent at least an hour on Saturday making those fluffy tutus. I think they really completed Sally and Lucy's looks.

Love Note

Topher left me a sweet message with his afterschool snack today.

Picture Day!

Organized Chaos

We had our summer concert for our kids choir tonight. We added some new performance elements like costumes and wireless mics. It's was chaotic, but it turned out well overall. And I took zero pictures of the actual performance because my phone was being used to run all the audio tracks. I do have these pictures of what the space looked like today after we finished setting up. And hopefully the other parents will share the videos and pictures they took.

Also, Topher was so excited that he set out his choir clothes before he went to school.

To Go Inside Someday

Cooper and Sophie both gave talks about the temple on Sunday. Cooper jotted a few notes, but didn't write the whole thing down. He did a great job, I just don't have the talk to post here. Sophie also did a great job and she wrote down what she was going to say. And now you get to enjoy it, too.

“I love to see the temple I’m going there someday. To feel the holy spirit, to listen and to pray.” A few weeks ago I had the privilege to go to the temple. I love going to the temple, every time I go I feel so peaceful and calm. I love that I get to go with Phoebe and Cooper. When I was too young to go to the temple I was always sad when my older siblings got to go in but I didn’t. I remember waiting in the foyer of the Manhattan meeting house-which is in the same building as the Manhattan temple-waiting for them to be done, it felt like forever. I wanted to be inside, I wanted to see what they were doing and I wanted to help as well. The words of I Love to See the Temple described the way I felt, I wanted to go inside someday and be there with my siblings. Now that I am old enough to go inside, serving in the temple goes by so fast, I wish it lasted longer. Whenever I hear that there is an upcoming temple trip I am overjoyed to go. I can’t wait until Topher is old enough to go inside. I bear my testimony that going to the temple is important and it is a very positive experience. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Voice of the People

On Tuesday afternoon Phoebe told me that she felt really strongly that she needed to throw in her hat for a student government position. The application and video (less than a minute about why her classmates should vote for her) were due at 8:00 that evening. She worked out what she wanted to say, practiced, I recorded her, then she uploaded everything. The time stamp on the message with the video was 7:59. She literally did not have a minute to spare.

And guess what?

Tonight she found out that her peers voted her in. She's one of seven students representing the freshman class at all planning meetings and events.

Congratulations, Phoebe!

Up and Up and Up

Cooper had another race today, this time at Sophie's school, and we went to support him. Cross country runs are 5Ks, so we had some time to wait for him to finish. Thank goodness Sophie's school has a playground.

Also, Cooper shaved 30 seconds off his time and crossed the finish line at 18:42!

The Harvest

We spent Labor Day having a very long dress rehearsal for our next kid choir concert. When the singers went home and just us directors and our kids were left, we had a picnic on the back lawn of the church building. Topher and his friends took it upon themselves to start cleaning out the church garden. They insisted that they were picking wheat and were going to make bread.

It was not wheat. But I don't know what it actually was.

In related news Topher came home very itchy and needed a shower. 

Barely There

Topher asked me last week when he would be old enough to shave. I said maybe when he was Cooper's age.

I should have recognized his question for the warning it was.

During his Saturday evening shower, Topher took a little (cough*almost all*cough) off the top of his right eyebrow.

I wonder how much it'll grow before picture day.