Sadie's Baptism

I am so happy today, it was Sadie's baptism and it went really well. I was trying not to get too caught up in the "stuff" that needed to be done to pull it off and make sure the important things were focused on, it was tricky, but possible. My grandma made a beautiful new dress fo her to wear, all white, and she looked just like an angel! I really got choked up just taking the picture of Sadie with Mark on the swing, I could really feel both of their spirits so strong! What a great day and I know she was so happy to have her dad there with her. I love them both so much!! Well, how could you not??

The program went as follows:

Baptism
of
Sadie Lamb and Shyla Baldwin
May 27, 2006

Opening Song: 103 When I am Baptized
Opening Prayer: Atom Uda (Sadie's Uncle)

Talk On Baptism: Nick DeRusha (Sadie's Uncle)

Special Musical Number
Katie and Emily DeRusha(Sadie's Aunts)

Baptism of Shyla and Sadie (by their Dads)

Special Musical Number
Kevin DeRusha (Sadie's Grandpa)

Talk on the Holy Ghost: Dianne Lamb (Sadie's Grandma)

Confirmation of Sadie and Shyla (by their Dads)

Closing Song: 74 I Feel My Savior's Love
Closing Prayer: Angela Baldwin (Shyla's Mom)




The musical numbers were beautiful. The song Katie and Emily sang was so pretty and a new one I hadn't heard, but it was very fitting. Then the next song my dad did was "I love to see the temple" and my mom played,the girls sang and my dad played the violin. He had mad a beautiful arrangement and counter-melody. Just really beautiful! Everything went off without a hitch, except for the fact the moments before it started my nephew Dane (5 mos old) spit up all over the front of my Brown shirt, so I had to lead the music with big whitish globs all down my front. Oh well, people thought it was funny. What choice did I have but to laugh about it. I oculdn't resist picking up the baby, he's too cute. Hehehe


Sadie was baptised with another girl, Shyla. Most of her family couldn't come, so thats why we did most of the stuff. Angie(Shylas mom) had asked if I could just take over. I did feel bad, I hope they thought it was good. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful girl! Shes SUCH a good girl! I just love her more than anything!! And I am so lucky to have a good solid priesthood holder to baptize her. I hope Sadie appreciates her dad and how much he loves her. We are SO blessed!!

General Conference

Today we watched the first sunday morning session on Conference. I think my favorite talk was by Merril J Bateman about the Atonement. What struck me the most about what he said was when he talked abour the Savior in the Garden, he didn't just go through pain, he also spent that time learning about each and every one of us and our weaknesses and strengths. He also was able to learn about what each one of us needs to return to live with him. That really struck me. I guess I always think about what Satan knows about us and how he also knows what our weaknesses are and how to tempt us the most effectively. Of course it makes sense that not just out Heavenly Father but Christ also knows, perhaps even more. I guess I never reversed it quite like that. It is very comforting. Then the prophet talked about Forgiveness and told a story abour a woman who was the victim of a guy throwing a frozen turkey (that he'd stolen) Through her windshield while she was driving and destroyed her face and she nearly died. She totally forgave the young man and actually asked for a plea so he wouldn't have to destroy his life by going to prison for a long time. At the hearing they hugged and the man just sobbed and she was consoling HIM. All she asked was that he make a good and worthwhile life for himself. Pres. Hinkley counseled that eye for and eye is NOT the right way, and if this woman can forgive, we can forgive those who have wronged us. I can't think of anyone who has wronged me in an way that I can think of, but I guess it could happen someday. It was just such a moving story.



Mark is reading a booklet called the King Follett Discourse which is actually a talk given by Joseph Smith given and a man named King Folletts' funeral. It is long for a talk but it is full of great insights about our existence and our relationship with Diety. He had me read the other night a part about how if a man does nothing but work, sleep and eat, he is no better than an animal. WHat I take from that is we need to be developing our talents(as is tells us in bible, too) and be searching out spiritual experiences. We should be living a full life, and serving others.

My favorite talk yesterday was by Jeffrey R. Holland. He talked to the young women and he asked them not to dress at church like they were going to the beach. i.e. stop wearing flip-flops and t-shirts to church. We really are supposed to be dressing UP for church, and make it a little more special, not necessarily more high class or expensive, just more dressed up. I was so happy he said that. The flip flop thing is pretty out of control. He also asked the girls(and their moms) to be more accepting of their body shape and stop obsessing about being a size 2 all the time. Everyone is different, and we are all beautiful. If we are too concerned with ourselves how can we be more concerned with helping and serving others? Anotehr sister commented on that too, about how when she had acne so bad as a teen and the best way she got over feeling so self-concious about it was to focus on otehr people and her inside radiated the spirit she felt, and she was beautiful anyway. This is all such VERY needed advice to girls (and women) everywhere. I hope I can teach this to Sadie. I need to be a better example of this myself.

Why we started this blog......

I have been blogging for abour a month now about my life and fitness journey. Today as I watched our semi-annual General Conference, I felt I needed to start this. We have been counseled by our leaders to keep personal journals, and I was feeling a little guilty that I had not been very good about doing that the last few years. However, now that I have been blogging it really seems just like journaling. Why not start blogging our spiritual journey?

So thats it. This will be about our personal and family goals, and believe me we have a lot to work on. For now it will be mostly mine, and my goals and discoveries, and we'll kind of add the fam in as I go. Hope fully Mark will make some entries as well. We kind of hatched this together and I am really excited about it.