Chapter 6 Of Fear and Faith

Fear sucks the very life out of hope, rendering us helpless--frozen captive in a state of never-ending pain. Once we can recognize what we are really afraid of, our faith can help us summon the courage necessary to move us from fear to hope.

Hope is often the smallest light that keeps us alive just enough to take the next step, which then feeds our faith and gives us even greater courage to pick ourselves up from the darkest tragedy, and march forward over the most difficult mountains, towards that light.

These are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Chapter 5 How dark is evil?

Dark enough to shut out even the light of the moon.

As a mother, I felt so strongly that I needed to warn my children of the evil that is out there in the world. I'd heard of it, seen it and felt it. I knew it was real. I wanted them to understand just what we were "fighting." But I don't think children ever really understand until they too have seen it, or felt it for themselves.

How would I describe this evil? -- Chapter 5 is a start--absolutely merciless! Can anyone stand to fight it? Some may think they can, but--No one is strong enough to face it head on alone and win! (No one but the Savior!) Sometimes we just have to run! Run with every bit of strength you have and more. Hold on tight to your family and whatever will carry you to safety and never look back.

But, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Obedience-Living under the protection of the Lord

In D&C 82:10 The Lord promises, "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

This does not mean that if we keep the Lord's commandments He will protect us from any and all difficulty. The whole purpose of life includes the necessity of opposition in all things.

It does mean, however, that while you are traveling through your mortal journey, difficult as it may be, if you follow the Lord's counsel, and keep His commandments, He does protect you from everything that is not necessary for your life's experience on earth--literally pouring out every blessing that He can give you, till you have no more room for more.

I have experienced first hand, how when you disobey God's commandments, he has no alternative, but to withdraw his hand and let you experience the destruction of the world full force. UGH! The most horrific thing I have ever experienced is to stand alone, facing the merciless Arregaithel's of the world without the protection of the Lord!

Keeping the commandments, and knowing that I am in the hands of the Lord, allows me great peace when I do get hit with another trial--It helps me know that for some reason, for any reason, I need to go through this one. It also helps me to turn to the gifts my Father has given us to help us through this life. (represented by the box that was given to Rachel and Samuel).

I have far to go in my journey, and much to learn, and although weak and vulnerable to pride and selfishness, I struggle to be obedient; for the Lord's hands is the only place I ever want to be.

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Chapter 3 About courage

I'm chicken when it comes to many things. I would rather play a game with my kids around the table than fly off to New York to see a Broadway show. I don't like the dark, snakes, or spiders, and I really freak out about the thought of uncontrolled fire, but the scariest thing in my life is to "fess up" when I do something wrong. So I'd rather just not do anything wrong, thank you. lol. Yah, that doesn't happen.

So I've learned a lot about courage over the years.

True courage doesn't come from being brave, or strong. It doesn't come from gritting your teeth and just getting through it. It doesn't come from practice, or wearing a super-hero cape.

It comes, instead, from the soft side of your soul. Surprisingly enough, Courage comes from humility. It comes from the love that you feel from your Heavenly Father, from the Savior, or even from your parents or your friend-whoever you need to "fess up" to, and it grows with the love that you share for them in return.

When you feel this love, humility melts the ice that was "protecting your heart" and you become free - you become strong enough to get through anything!

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Authors notes for Chapter 2 - Waking up to reality

Have you ever done something you know you shouldn't, but then pretended that you didn't-- thinking or even hoping that it would all just go away.

You can actually feel fine for awhile. You can eat, laugh, smile, joke, work, . . . but there comes a time when reality hits. Truth will not stay buried. And when it hits you with something you were trying to hide, it sucker punches you in the stomach rendering you so sick that you wish you could just vomit and make it better, but it never works that way.

Honesty is the only thing that will bring peace to your stomach.

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Authors Notes - Rachel

Rachel represents another group of us who, unlike Samuel, not only love the life they have, but that very life feeds them with energy and pure joy. They feel a deep gratitude for all that is good each day, and show that gratitude by serving others and taking advantage of every good gift.

The irony appears when it happens, as it often does in life, that those who push the limits in order to find their dreams affect- sometimes destroy- the lives that are soo enjoyed by others.

Although, it looks like this is the tragedy, it later becomes evident that it was necessary for the greater good. Which actually is one of the points of this whole story. We each have our agency. and maybe one choses something that hurts another, but the consequences of these choices are significant, and made to be an important, even a necessary part of life in order to bring about our greatest joy. The greater tragedy would have been if Samuel had stayed in the valley and never reached out to answer the call of his soul, and Rachel had been allowed to live her "perfect" life, never to feel or experience anything greater than what was imagined in her "dream life."

Although Rachel thinks that Samuel has ruined her life by his "stupid" choices, he has in effect opened a path that will lead to a joy that is greater than she can even imagine.

It doesn't matter what life we have, whether we are the Samuel or the Rachel, it's all a journey!

Authors Notes - Samuel

Have you ever felt unsatisfied with normalcy? --stuck in the day to day, looking at what you have ahead of you, feeling like you were meant to do more? become more than what you could imagine? It's an itch that cant be scratched, a yearning that cant be identified let alone satisfied.

That's what Samuel is feeling when he turns 14. He feels trapped by their little valley, trapped by superstition, and trapped by too many rules. Although he cant define it, he feels the greatness lying dormant within his soul and aches to identify it and answer its call.

Not really planning to go over the edge, he is simply given a taste of freedom, and lets it take him beyond the limits of safety, one small line at a time until it is too late.


 His life, and the lives of his family members, as well as everyone around him for miles around, will never be the same again.

Feb 16, 2020 - Today in Sunday School we were studying the Fall and the Atonement.

They shared the  following quote: The definition of transgression is to go beyond the limits - the formally prohibited boundries that have been established!

Samuel's choice to go beyond the establish boundaries could represent Adam and Eve's choice to step beyond the boundaries that were set for them. Each situation set in motion a turn of events that were filled with both pain and joy beyond what they could ever have comprehend before.

characters

The characters in this story don't necessarily represent my children per say, and I'm certainly not saying that my children have experienced lives similar to, or representative of their counterpart in the story, but the characters in the story do each hold certain characteristics of my children's individual personalities.

For example . . .

GLEN (SAMUEL)

. . . both Glen and Samuel are strong characters who will not be pushed. They have a fierce desire to fight for the right and protect the underdog. They both live a life based on rules and standards, and don't waste time with silliness. They seek out adventure, only because of the incredible drive they have to live up their full potential. They were born to greatness and they know it.

RACHEL (RACHEL)

Both my Rachel and the Rachel in the story are very sensitive to peoples feelings. They drink deeply of the joys of life and the love around her, but also feel just as deeply its great sadnesses, and the pains experienced by others.

They are kind and quiet, and feel complete when they are needed, but have an incredible stubborn streak if they begin to feel intruded upon, or attacked in

any way. Having grown up without knowing their sisters, their happiest moments on earth are when their sisters come home, or include her in one of their adventures.

SEREN has no real counterpart in life. I just knew she needed to be a part of Rachel's life in the story. Caring for others has great power to lift us out of our own sadness. Seren is the answer to Samuel's prayer when he needed something to take back to Rachel. Seren symbolizes hope.

ARIEL (FIONA)

Both Ariel and Fiona were born to spread joy. No challenge will get them down. Although they have had many trials, they know it will all turn out, and their faith brings peace and strength that they easily share with others. Their gifts bring stability to their families during hard times. They both love music, singing, dancing, and playing games. And even with the teasing and the games they play, they love their husbands with a deep and profound love that will never die.

BRIAN (GAVIN)

Both Brian and Gavin were the first to join the family after the trials that had been thrown at us. They were instantly recognized as the missing piece to the family puzzle, and immediately stepped up to the plate with their confident leadership, faithful example, and wild sense of humor, to fill necessary roles for younger siblings. They both love their wives and treat them with tender affection and devotion. They are both enthusiastic, kind and respectful, incredibly creative, love camping, entertainment, and making people laugh.

JACOB (KENDRICK)

Both Jacob and Kendrick are an imaginative and adventurous sort, always climbing, jumping, running, sometimes getting hurt, but always thrilled with the excitement of it all. They both have memories of chasing after big brothers, and learning from them how to tease. They both have a quiet side though, love to sing, play music and sometimes just talk about life. They've learned through life, how to listen to that still small voice and are dedicated to doing what is right and to helping family.

MICHAEL (MIKEL)

Michael and Mikel are both tall and strong--muscles bulging everywhere. They love adventure, fighting for freedom, running, chasing bad guys, and locking them up. Their strength runs deeper than muscle though. They have great courage and fortitude to overcome any obstacles that might stand in their way to success, but have a gift for sensitivity that is incredibly disarming. They both love to tease and joke with a quiet unassuming smile that makes you laugh. They both love their wives with a tender, kindness and would lay down their life for her without blinking an eye.

NIKKI (CIARA)

The newest member of our family was a fiance' when I started this story. The way Michael looked at her with his heart on his sleeve, I knew she would play a special part in this story. Nikki and Ciara are both every bit the princess, tall and graceful, kind and thoughtful. Elegant and softspoken, but decisive and full of confidence. They both love each member of their 'crazy' new family with sweet sincerity. They are patient with Michael and Mikel's forgetfulness and silliness, and love their husbands with a sweetness that cannot be compared.

AMBER (NARANYA)

From their earliest memories, both Amber and Naranya knew their missions would involve sharing in the hurts of those around them and doing their best to relieve those pains. Both started out in life filled with the joys of growing up. The older they got, and the more they felt and experienced, the more they desired to pull away from the mainstream of the typical expectations of others. Pulling from their deepest desires, they search for answers to bring light and peace into the lives of those around them. When the security of home crumbled from beneath them at 15, they both turned toward what they knew, studied health sciences, and became strong, creating their own secure environment where they could bless others.

NATE (NOLAN)

Also new to the family, both Nate and Nolan are just as intuitive as their spouses. They have the same desires to create a world of peace and help anyone within their ability and sphere of influence. All four of them have a special love and desire to protect their world and live from the energy that it provides them. Both Nate and Nolan have an open, honest, and gentle love for everyone they meet, and also have a subtle humor that I hope I can learn to include in this story.

Their love for their spouses and Amber and Aranya's returned love for them is deep and one of a kind, meant to last forever.

MELISSA (MIRANDA )

Melissa (Miranda) is our Joan of Arc. As children, they were both filled with joy, soaking in every beauty of life, experiencing all they could, with never a fear. Both Melissa and Miranda share an incredible fire in their souls that burn for family, freedom, and what is right. They are powerful leaders, organized, efficient, and strong. They know what they want and they don't stop till they hold it in their hands. They were both 17 when difficulty struck their family, but they were unstoppable, and fought hard for success. They don't let anything pull them down, laughing through the pain, always striving to pull family together. They each have a hilarious sense of humor, exaggerating the pains of life till we are all laughing hysterically at the craziness of it all.

Once upon a Time . . .

Pres Uchtdorf -told us in YW conference 2010 - " 'Once upon a time' promises something: a story of adventure and romance, a story of princesses and princes. It may include tales of courage, hope, and everlasting love. In many of these stories, nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil. But perhaps most of all, I love it when we turn to the last page and our eyes reach the final lines and we see the enchanting words “And they lived happily ever after.”

Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?

Today I want to draw your attention to something very significant, very extraordinary. On the first page of your Young Women Personal Progress book, you will find these words: “You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose."

Sisters, those words are true! They are not made up in a fairy tale! Isn’t it remarkable to know that our eternal Heavenly Father knows you, hears you, watches over you, and loves you with an infinite love? In fact, His love for you is so great that He has granted you this earthly life as a precious gift of “once upon a time,” complete with your own true story of adventure, trial, and opportunities for greatness, nobility, courage, and love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a gift beyond price and comprehension. Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest gift of all—eternal life—and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own 'happily ever after.' "

This is the story of my "once upon a time." Like Pres Uchtdorf said of most fairy-tales it is a story of adventure and romance, a story of princes and princesses, of courage, hope, and everlasting love, It is a story of the journey that we all travel--the journey of life, with all it's joys, it's sadnesses, it's lessons, it's tragedies and it's triumphs.

PLease feel free to leave comments. Hope you enjoy it.

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