Swimming Time Again

Ah...swimming time again!

Warm days laying by the pool.

Dragonflies lazily skimming by.

Floating along on a blow up raft.
Listening to the waterfall.

The splashing of little feet and hands.

Cannon balls and water gun fights.

Ah...swimming time again!
Pool toys scattered all over the yard.
At least 10 loads of wet towels to wash.
Popsicle wrappers on the patio and in the water.
Wet foot prints and puddles on the floor.
"Don't run!" shouted 100 times a day.
Screaming and dunking and choking and crying.

Ah...swimming time again!

Hold to the Iron Rod!

This week I've been thinking about choices and the consequences of those choices. How do we know we're making the right ones?

When you're young you don't realize that even the smallest choice you make can have a huge impact on your life when you're older.

Who to be friends with? Whether or not to do your homework? Alcohol & drugs or soda & Doritos? What cute outfit should I wear today?

Once you've made your choices how do you live with the consequences?

I remember sitting in my Stake President's office (he'd been a friend of the family for years) and crying over the bad choices my kids had made, the consequences they were suffering and thinking I would never have them back.

He told me to stay faithful, be a good member, and a good example and they would come back. How far away that seemed at the time.

But I stayed faithful (not always easy) and tried to be a good example, and a good member. And most of all I kept loving my children. I would share what I learned in Sunday School or Relief Society. I kept inviting (sometimes demanding, sometimes guilting) them to come to church with me. I suffered their consequences with them and kept moving forward. Then one day it started to happen. They began to return.

So, how do we make choices that yield good consequences? And how do you make it through the consequences that aren't so great? HOLD TO THE IRON ROD. I held on until my knuckles were white.

I'm still holding on.