General Conference Pictures

This past weekend was general conference.  Like many of you that listened to it, there were a few talks that I needed for me.  What a great blessing to be able to hear from the prophet and the apostles every six months!
And true to tradition, our semi-annual "general conference pictures"!

If you can't tell- Liam loves dandelions (especially making us blow all the seeds)!

Now, completely unrelated to the above pictures, I just wanna share a little of what's been in my heart.  The Lord is continuing to teach me through this waiting period.  And if you don't mind, I'm just gonna do a quick copy & paste from my journal (because I'm too lazy to rewrite what I've been learning).

"Well, I'm still pregnant despite continuing contractions.  And the Lord is still continuing to teach me through this experience.

The last few days I've thought about the onset of labor and the second coming.  I don't know when this baby will come, but my body is saying it  will be soon.  Similarly, I don't know when the 2nd coming will be, but the signs of the times indicate that it too will be soon.  

A little while ago, Chad had a patient that made some remark to him along the lines of, 'Aren't you afraid to bring kids in this world?'.  And this patient went on to talk about how scary things lie ahead with the 2nd coming being so imminent, etc.  Chad's response was something along the lines of how he look forward with hope to the future and how good things also lie ahead.  I've thought about that patient every once in a while.  How sad to look at the future with such a perspective!  

But maybe I'm more like this patient than I'd like to admit.  You know, my anxiety to have this baby sooner than later has built up again.  I've tried to remind myself to 'be here until I'm not', but sometimes it's hard not to get excited for the arrival of this baby.  I can't wait to see him!  At other times, I get nervous about the pain of childbirth that awaits me.  'Will I make it to the hospital in time for an epidural?  Will I be strong enough to handle the pain if I don't?  Will I be one of those ladies moaning & screaming in pain as her husband speeds away to the hospital?'  

I've thought about the similarities with the 2nd coming.  We look forward to the coming of Christ, yet at the same time, we have to continue living in the present.  "Be here until we aren't".  It can also be easy to get a little scared when thinking about the difficult times that are prophecied to come.  There's all that stuff in the book of Revelations or the command to be prepared with a year supply.  What awaits us?  What's going to happen before Christ actually comes again?  Will it be terribly painful?  Can I endure the pain?

Well, my conclusion with childbirth and the 2nd coming is this-  I've been trying to remind myself to find joy in the present and not always look forward to some future event (although those future events will be joyous).  Yet, I've strived to be prepared.  Every day I make sure my house is in good order (who wants to bring home a sweet new baby to a messy house?!).  Everyday I get myself ready (I wanna look as presentable as possible for pictures).  I have my bag for the hospital packed and a bag for Liam ready.  I've made all the necessary arrangements with the hospital and with family to watch LIam & be at the birth.  I'm ready.  

In what ways is my "house in good order" for the coming of the Lord?  What am I doing to make my spirit beautiful?  What things do I do daily to prepare for the coming of the Lord?  Prayer…scripture study…taking time to commune with the Lord and to be in tune with his spirit by having times in my day where I'm not preoccupied.  All things I've been pondering.  

Well, this morning Chad, me and Liam had our family scripture study.  We're in 3 Nephi 29.  Guess what it talks about.  Yep.  Things that will happen prior to the 2nd coming.  Among other things it says this- "…and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel".  At the time of reading our scriptures as a family, I didn't think much of the content. 

After Chad left for work I flipped the tv on.  It was still on BYUtv- Discussions on the Pearl of Great Price was playing.  I was originally going to flip the channel to Disney to preoccupy Liam, but I paused.  This would be a good way to start out my day.  Man was I surprised to hear them comparing the 2nd coming to a pregnant woman that knew her time to deliver was soon!  I listened intently.  They discussed things that I'd been thinking already regarding the 2nd coming of the Lord.  They also talked about how Christ has said he will come as a "thief in the night", but this is more for those in the world who aren't prepared.  For those that are prepared, they will be like the pregnant woman that knows her time is soon and is watching and waiting for the signs that she's ready to deliver.  

As the scripture discussion came to a close, one of the commentators shared one last scripture.  DC 51:17, "And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good."  The exact scripture that I'd come across just a few days prior!  Coincidence.  I think not.  

I'm sooo excited for this baby to come…but until then, I'm so grateful that the Lord is teaching me these priceless lessons through this waiting period."