3rd Article of Faith

We believe that through the ^aAtonement of Christ, all ^bmankind may be ^csaved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.


So what does this meant for me?


It means that I know and am grateful for Christ Atonement in my life.  I am in no way perfect.  But as I strive each day to be better, I am grateful for the Atonement that Christ did for me that helps me as I make mistakes and get over things I am full of regret over. 


I love that this Atonement is for all mankind.  Not just me.  Not just my family.  Not just my friends.  But all mankind.


But the last part.  By obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.  That is so important.  To know that we need to follow rules.  That we do need to participate in the Gospel and to be obedient so that the Atonement can work for us.


The Atonement of Christ is the only way to return to our Father in Heaven.  I am grateful to have this in our lives.  I love being happy in the Gospel and look forward each day to learning more about the world around me.

Rollercoaster Ride

Well, emotionally this has been a few weeks living on a roller coaster ride of emotions.  How grateful I am for a loving husband and a knowledge of the Gospel.


I am not sure what I would do if I didn't have the Savior to walk beside me and to know that I will see my nephew Tyler again one day.  I know that one day we will meet again and he will run up to me and say Hi, Aunt Patricia, Love you.  The joy I will feel saying the same back keeps my spirits up.


So what do I believe, Well on Week one of my adventure of saying what I believe I did the First Article of Faith.  Today is number 2.


We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.


I am so glad to know that when I see God and Jesus Christ and am judged, I am only judged for what I have done.  It is hard enough to know that, but to think that I would be judged for ancestors transgressions that go back to Adam is terrifying.


Most of my immediate ancestors were wonderful people, but who knows what lurks in our family tree that we have not discovered yet.  To even contemplate that we could be punished for things we did not know seems unfair some how. 


I like to think of a parent.  Would you punish your grand child for things your child did when he/she was little?  I bet not.  Then why would our Father in Heaven punish us for those who came before us.


For me, returning to Heavenly Father is full of hope, love and joy.  If I had to worry about all things before my life, I am not sure if I would have the hope and knowledge to expect love and joy in that meeting.


How grateful I am for a testimony that tells me of the great love and joy our Father in Heaven has for each of us.

Dedicated Blog

Well last week I said I was going to say what I believe.  Maybe some of that will come through this week, maybe not.  Little did I know the tragedy that would strike my family in the week to come.  On Wednesday February 26, our dear Tyler passed from this world.  So I am dedicating this posting to him, rather than to my original plan.


To start out let me say, Tyler had some problems and maybe some choices he made disappointed me, but I always loved him.  I ALWAYS LOVED HIM.  He was as precious to me as every other niece and nephew and I always prayed that he would find himself and all the things he could become.  So my heart aches with his loss.


As I have moved through the days since his pasting I have been on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.  But the last few days had me remembering:


How he helped Kevin one sunny afternoon hang siding on my house in Michigan.


How the first time I heard that giggle when he was just a little guy.


How he loved that part of the Toby Keith song where he says me in 3 tones.


How when he was a teenager one afternoon we sat on the coach and laughed about this story:
     So he was maybe 7 or 8 and  I was watching all 5 kids at night while Kate and Kevin were at work.  Well everyone in my family knows, I am so not a morning person.  Soooo, Tyler wore the same shirt to school every day for 3 days.  When I got there this night, Kate says, "look, he needs to wear a clean shirt tomorrow!"  I not noticing what he had been wearing said ok I am on it.  So the next morning, Tyler not a morning person either, and I butted heads.  He wanted to wear the shirt and I said no, you need a clean one.  It went on so long that I told him I was going to come up and dress him like a 2 year old if he didn't hurry down and drive him to school and tell his class how his day started.  He came down in a clean shirt! 


When he and I talked about this a couple years later he looked and me and said I could so see you coming up and doing that, you were too funny.


How about when he and Thomas spent the night.  It was like I had 3 boys in the house, Keith, Thomas and Tyler.  They played video games, talked about comic books and other boy things.


I could write books on happy memories I have of him, but for now I will say, I just miss you terribly Tyler.  I know you are in heaven and that our Savior is there.  I will always be grateful for our last conversation.


Most of my family does not know about this conversation.  I know I never shared it.  It meant to much to me.  But he is gone now.  I am hoping sharing this conversation will help my family know a little insight I had.


It was a couple of years ago and I was visiting Michigan.  I went to my sister home to see her and those at her house.  Tyler was there (I think he was staying there with them for awhile).  He walked into the living room and we were alone.  As he usually did, he came over to me and gave me a big hug and said Hi, Aunt Patricia, love you.  I hugged him back and said I love you to.  He looked at me for a minute and he said probably not all the time and started to walk away.  I grabbed his arm and said: "Tyler, I may be disappointed in choices my nieces and nephews may make at times, but I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THEM, and I love YOU!  He just looked at me for a minute and said thank you. 


I will never forget the moment that day.  I did love him so.  From the moment we met to forever.


Tyler, this blog is for you.  You were well loved.  You are well loved.  You will always be well loved and I will see you again.  I can hardly wait to hug you and say once again, love you.  I know you will hug back and say love you Aunt Patricia and it will mean as much as it did every other time to me.  I can say no more, because I am beginning to cry just a little too much.


Love you, Tyler......