Not my will, but thine...

This Sunday I was sitting in sharing time listening to a member of the Primary Presidency talk about the Atonement. She was showing the children the picture of Jesus kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane, you know the picture I'm talking about, we have seen it a million times.
We have heard this story a million times.
You know how when you hear something that you have heard over and over and over and then one day...
it just sinks in?
Well that happened to me.
When Jesus got to the Mount of Olives he left his disciples about a stones throw away. He fell to his face. He did not stumble because of a rock or bump, He stumbled because of the weight of our sins. Heavenly Father sent an Angel...
..."And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him."
Jesus prayed to His Father..."Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not My will but Thine, be done."
Now that is the part of this story that I have glazed over all of these years.
He prayed those words to His Father not only once, but THREE times.
I always think of the Atonement in how it affects me. And all Mankind. And I have always thought about the physical pain that He had to endure. But I can't say that I have thought a lot about the emotional pain that He was going through for HIM. He didn't want to have to suffer and die. He didn't want to leave the people He loved. His Mother, Joseph, His Apostles. He had a broken heart. Not just for us, but for Him too! It makes the atonement so much more real to me. It makes HIM so much more real to me. The fact that He understands my pain so perfectly. He has to; He suffered so much more than I will EVER suffer.
I want you all to know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He suffered, died, and left His own family and friends because He made a commitment. He is a man of perfect character. He LOVES each and every one of us. He understands our pain, our sorrow and our loss.
I love you all.
Read the accounts of His last week in the New Testament. Prepare yourself for Easter morning. Not with eggs and bunnies, but with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Make this week Special!

Sheep

Conference was amazing, as usual.
I had to work Saturday afternoon so I just watched that session of conference yesterday. There were a lot of wonderful talks. I wanted to put one of my favorite poems in my blog this week. Richard J. Maynes quoted it in his talk "Establishing a Christ-Centered Home".

The Echo
by: C. C. Miller

'Twas a sheep not a lamb
That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,
A grown up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:
They lead the lambs astray.
Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong,
It won't take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.
And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when the sheep are lost
What a terrible cost
The lambs will have to pay.

Being a parent is no easy task, and it sure isn't for sissies! We are told that if we don't teach our children correct principles then the sin will be on our head. No matter how old our children get they always need us. Our responsibility to parent them never goes away. I think that when we are young and in love and we are so excited to start a family, it just doesn't sink in that these cute little babies will grow up to be teenagers, and then young adults. Pretty soon we have to let go and allow them to make their own decisions and that is so hard.
The very best help we can get is from our Heavenly Father. They were His children long before they were ours. We have a sacred obligation to Heavenly Father to raise them the way He wants us to.
We need to be good sheep, and we need to listen to our Shepherd.
My prayer is that we will learn to recognize His voice.
I love you all.
Make this a good week.