Family Pictures 2017

At the end of 2017 we had some family pictures done.  You can see it above.  It's quite amazing to look back and see how much our family has progressed over the years.  When I first started this blog we were a family of four.  Now we are a family of seven.  Not only has our family grown, but I have grown in my understanding of who I am with out Christ's light.  I have learned that I am nothing.   The book of Mormon wasn't kidding when it said "behold the nothingness of Man".  These past few years have been a time of awaking for me.  I've awoken to the awful state of my own weakness.  I've always had a knowledge of God, and also a belief in Christ, but it's been over these past few years that I've discovered how hard it really is to become a Christian.  Being a disciple of Christ is more than just knowing who he is, and believing that he is the Son of God.  The title of  "Christ" means "Anointed one".  The term christian came from the Greek word "Christos" which means "those of the anointed one".  In other words it means that we belong to Christ.  We belong to him becasue all light and goodness comes from him.   Christ statement was literal when he called himself the "light of the world".  There is no other source for enlightenment.  I by myself know nothing.   So as I look at this beautiful family I realize that I owe it all to Christ the light of the world.  These priceless pictures are all because of him and without him I'd be utterly lost.  Christ is the source of all goodness on this earth.  We are born with the light of Christ within us, and we have a choice to grow that light within us or yield to the natural fallen state of man.  I'm so grateful for the understanding we find in the scriptures that teach us the better way.  I give all credit to the Lord and Savior's gospel.  He is my way, my truth, and my light.  It's is the gospel of Christ that teaches of being forgiving when we wish to harbor resentment.  The gospel of Christ that teaches being good when the natural instinct is to do evil.  The gospel of Christ is to be loving to someone even when they don't love you in return.  The Gospel of Christ is of hoping for things that seem impossible.  The Gospel of Christ is of softening your own heart, when you's rather remain hard.   The gospel of Christ is being patient, kind, meek, and humble.  This gospel is the opposite of my own natural way, but I'm greatful to Chrsit's example of the better way.  It's a constant struggle to overcome my fallen way, but I know that Christ has gone before me.  He is on my right hand and on my left.  He will show me the way.  Raising a family is really about getting your own ego out of the way, and allow Christ's spirit to be with you always, and letting him show you how to raise your kids.  It's kinda humiliating when god shows us our weakness, but he's promised us that his grace is sufficient to make our weakness become strong.  I take zero credit for my children.  God granted me the miracle of bringing life into the world, and now he is the one showing me the way I should teach them.  I just have to pray to find the way, and he's promised that he will show it to me.  So my beloved children Kate, Kirk, Benjamin, Jence, and Kyle if your reading this right now please don't give me any credit for raising you (I'll accept credit for all the bad stuff), but as for the good give all glory and praise to your Father in Heaven.  All goodness comes from God.  Please thank God who loved you so much that he gave his only begotten Son so we could have a Savior, Lord and King to follow.  I'm so grateful for all that our Lord has taught me through his teachings and through his example.