The (Spiritual) Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round

I put this picture here, because
when Glo sent it to me, I just
felt such gratitude that she keeps
on trying to do all that is good
and smart and kind...while wearing
her new Darth Vader sweater ;-)

Since receiving the exhortation from President Nelson to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, along with the challenge to increase temple attendance, and to be a light, life has been busy for the Kennedys.  I think I feel the most sympathy for my student children who already have so much to do, and for Rebecca, who is a full-time, 24/7 mom who is still nursing a baby.  However, in so many ways, they are stepping up to do what they should be doing.

I have been surprised to hear that other women and youth are not doing the Book of Mormon challenge, and that's been difficult for me to process.  I have always hated the fact that people mock the ancient people who didn't listen to the prophet (Noah, Moses with the brass serpent, Abinadi), but then turn around and don't think they need to listen to our modern-day prophet.  I have seriously heard every excuse in the book:  I'm already reading it, I don't have time with kids, I don't find the scriptures very interesting.  Really?  Are you going to let the snakes bite you and die versus looking, or are you going to drown in the flood?

Little Baby has been memorizing scriptures.  To put this in perspective, my kids weren't even talking by age three, and Baby can recite scriptures in their fullness.

Ethan and Rebecca have the Washington DC temple just minutes from their home, but because it's being renovated for two years, they drove to Philadelphia to go to the temple.

Johannah and Glo are following a reading schedule for reading the entire Book of Mormon by the end of the year.  And I haven't heard one complaint.

And in the hopes of encouraging our Young Women to complete anything that President Nelson has asked them to do, I taught a lesson on what it means to be converted, and to join "God's Army" or "the Lord's battalion".  Glo, my fearless artist, created a phenomenal drawing for me of what a YW could look like, fighting Satan and sin and temptation which I then passed out to the YW.

Zoom in on this picture and look at the shield.  It's unbelievable.

And Mark leaves us early on a weekend so that he can get back to help Allison teach their Sunbeams.  We're being asked to do more and be more.  The question is:  Will we do it?