September 26th 2014

It is our anniversary today.  WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 39 YEARS.  I want to express to each of you why our marriage is so wonderful.  My husband comes from a very righteous family who grew up in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He honors his priesthood and does everything in his power to do what is right. I came from a very righteous family who grew up the same way.  We love the same things. We love to hike, we love being together with our children, we love to share a meal, we love cleaning together, we love canning together, we love preparing a meal together, we have always been together in taking care of our children, when my young daughter got in a bad car accident and I couldn't be at the hospital because of work, my husband was there. We are very supportive of each other and help each other through difficult times. I can't express to everyone out there how important is to marry into a family that is exactly like your family.  So many problems can be solved, because your children will become like their mother or father.  I don't care what you do or how many promises you make.  I believe your past will catch up to you through your children.  Look at yourself and the choices you make, they are a direct result of your parents. The Lord knows that what goes around comes around that is the only way we can truly realize the mistakes that we have made, that is if some one we love makes those same mistakes. Then we can really realize what we put other people through.  Other wise we can't learn that lesson. Our Father in Heaven knows what he is doing.  We have to learn to return to him.

September 25th 2014

I am sitting in the quiet of my own home.  I love the silence, as I sit here I have come to understand how important our lives are and yet we seem to hurry through them, instead of sitting back and taking time to really cherish each moment.  Cherish moments with our family, cherish moments that make us laugh with them, cherish moments that make us cry with them and cherish moments that bring the spirit of our Father in Heaven so strong in our family that we wonder if He might be sitting right beside us. At a special Priesthood meeting called by our stake president, the temple president told an amazing story.  A lady had written him about the fires that raged through the hills a couple of years ago, my brothers small shed was burned, his family had many fond memories up there.  A lot of people lost there cabins, but this lady was in the temple at the time.  When she went to her home that was in the mountains it was still standing.  She prayed and wondered why her home was spared. That night she had a dream, in the dream she saw hundreds of people holding hands circling her home and property.  In the dream it was made know to her that these people were the people she had done temple work for and they were all there to help her because of the temple work she had done for them. I know that the people who have gone on to the other side are right by us concerned for us and helping us. I have felt that so many times. My children are circled about by angels because of  temple work, these angels help them make the right choice in everything they do. There are so  many wonderful people who are our family and ancestors that care about each of us. It isn't all about my children's choices it is about generations of wonderful people who are hoping and praying for us because we effect many lives, many generations back and many generations forward. Everything we do there will be an eternal consequence that is why it is so important to include family when making a choice. Some have been on this earth a very long time and they know what is best for us.  That is why we have a living prophet and many apostles, because they know what is best for us, they have lived through so much and they understand so much.  We shouldn't be listening to anyone else expect those wonderful men whom the Lord put on this earth. Because other people can twist things so that it really sounds good but we need to understand that the prophet and apostles and parents are the only voice of reason for us.  Families are forever and they are put on this earth for us, the family is of God.

Sept 12th 2014

Throughout my life I have learned so many wonderful things, that can improve and help my life.  Our lives are so important, when things we have been taught our whole lives suddenly become unimportant, and the not so important things become too important, then we are being manipulated. The adversary is very manipulative and cunning. He can make us believe good is bad and bad is good. He can preoccupy our minds with things to take us away from the righteous desires that our Father in Heaven would have for us. When we are taught righteousness, purity, morality and goodness, someone who doesn't have these qualities and has repented of those things is very apt to do those things again, because they have been weakened, so they need to safe guard themselves.  That means strict obedience. Especially when it comes to staying out past midnight, being alone in a parked car or making out in an inappropriate way.  Not only that but people can persuade us to do things we wouldn't normally do because they want us to feel guilty just like they do, and then they have us bound. It all starts with little things, by not telling the truth or being deceptive.  Satan knows he can get you by starting you out doing the small things that are wrong. Being a good member of the church does not pertain to just Sundays or when we are at seminary or institute, or in an important spiritual meeting, it means at all times and in all places. Remember you are being watched, you may think you can hide, but the most important person knows.  Once again Satan can make you believe its not that bad.  Be aware he is very deceitful.

July 17th 2014

It is another great day at the Bosch Kitchen Center. I did a class on oatmeal and rye breads.  The breads were delicious. I very much enjoyed doing the class and had a great turn out. Great questions were asked, which always makes the classes so fun. My girls are gone to Lake Powell, it was a miracle they could go.  I am excited that they got to go. They are incredible young ladies. I love them and want the best for them. I pray they will think and be careful in Lake Powell, but I am sure they will, because I know they were suppose to go. I hope it helps them reflect on how important they are to each other, and how important every decision they make needs to be the right one, one that will make their friendship together grow even stronger.

July 16th 2014

I was searching for some papers that my girls needed to get their drivers licenses renewed.  While I was going through these papers I found an article written by Boyd K. Packer called the Unwritten order of Things. In the talk he talks about the order of things in the church. He says one of the principles in the Church is authority does not go vertical, which of course we all know. But this is the way he put it. A Bishop who is trying to solve a problem will not get revelation by counseling with another bishop from another ward or stake to who he is related or with whom he might work in the office.  My experience has taught me that revelation comes from above, not from the side. However more experienced or older or however more spiritual someone to the side may appear to be, it is better to go up through the proper channels. The prime attribute of a good leader is to be a good follower. In a meeting with bishops, a new and struggling bishop once asked me. "How do I get people to follow me? I have called nine sisters to be President of the Primary and none have accepted.. I told him that if he had earnestly prayed and counseled with his counselors as to who should preside over the Primary, the first sister would have accepted the call. If that many sister turned down the call, something was out of order---the unwritten order.

Because there was such a good spirit in the meeting, I said to him, "Bishop , I know something else about you. You're not a good follower, are you? Aren't you the one that is always questioning what the stake president asks of his bishops?" The other bishops in the room started to chuckle and nodded their heads---he was the one.  I said, "Perhaps that is the reason your members don't follow their leader is because you don't follow yours. That is just the order of things.

Another illustration: There is an order of things as to where we go for counsel or blessings. It is simple---we go to our parents. You suppose that someone in a more prominent position will give a more inspired blessing. If we could get this one thing taught in the Church, great power would rest upon us.

July 14th. 2014

I have been lucky this week to attend my mothers 81st birthday dinner celebration. I enjoyed being there with family. It was fun.  I will cherish these times with my mother because I never know when she will leave this earth.  I love her and even more than ever I realize what an incredible woman she is.  We have a family reunion at the very end of this month.  It is at Neil's parents ranch.  I hope it turns out to be amazing. Michelle is helping me and has made a lot of phone calls, as a matter of fact it has been continually. When you have 16 brothers and sisters plus parents. My parents have about 110 grand children and about 100 great grand children, but  I think we finally have a count. Now the big key is to have enough money. We only asked $10.00 a person 3 years and older, it should have been $10.00 a person 2 and under.  I think that is what was initially decided.  I don't know how it changed, but it makes things rather difficult. I just pray that everything will come together.

I have learned a lot over the past few months.  I think the thing I have learned the most is the principle of obedience. My father in  law was teaching us about types and shadows, they are referred to a lot in The Book of Mormon. They are a teaching tool.  We had the opportunity for a couple of years to attend a institute class in Dad Cravens home. It always amazed me at what an awesome man he was. He believed in strict obedience, especially when it came to his responsibility in the institute program, he was a teacher, over many states as a coordinator, then at the church office building over the seminary and institute program for years.  The last few years he wanted to teach, he was sent to Hawaii, and Fiji. But he never taught his own children so we asked him to teach us.  It was fun to sit in his home and listen to him. My husband is doing a blog now,  that he is passed on to the next life.   I had the opportunity to read one of the lessons he wrote that he probably brought to our attention in that institute class, but I just can't remember it. But he compared men that were fathers to our Heavenly Father and his children to our Savior Jesus Christ. Our Savior was in strict obedience to his Father, he was even crucified for all of our sins because our Father-in-Heaven asked him too. These kinds of stories are all over in the scriptures. It is amazing to me that so many people don't listen to their fathers. Lehi was a goodly man and a father, Sam and Nephi listened to him, Laman and Lemuel did not. After Nephi and his brothers went to find food with there bows and arrows, all the bows and arrows broke. The families were starving so Nephi felt as though he needed to do something about that, so he fashioned his own bow, everyone was mocking him and he still went to his father to get directions on where to go for food. Because he loved and respected his father. There are so many stories that teach us to follow our fathers, they know best because they have been on this earth much longer than we have. They are stewards over us for a reason, especially when they are seeking the Lord in everything they do. I love my father and I am grateful for the wonderful man that he is, I am also grateful for a good husband who has helped teach his children correct principles which can sustain them through life. I hope each of my children know that their father is there for them and will listen to them and help them find the right path for them.

We belong to the true church where we follow leadership. It starts at the top with our prophet, we are all blessed with a wonderful family that The Lord  puts here on earth to be our example and to give us help along the way, that is why we are here. I feel sorry for anyone who does not believe that simple principal .

JULY 5th 2014

I am so grateful that I got to go to the stadium of fire last night with my family. It was not at all like past years. I felt as though  they have lost a lot of the wonderful patriotism that they have had in the past, but to be there with my family was a treat. I felt like the fireworks and the music at the end were incredible .I don't think I have seen such wonderful fireworks. There were so many. But besides that I am so grateful to live in the United States of America, in Utah where we are striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so fun to be a part of a large family growing up. I remember the fun we use to have. The fireworks we use to watch up on the big hill in Oakley. The rodeo we use to go too. I am grateful for the memories I have with my own children. Especially I am grateful to have married in such a wonderful family. Because each one of my children have grown up with a wonderful example of  how to pattern their lives. They don't even have to question what is right and wrong, they have had wonderful examples through out their growing years. Something I prayed for my whole life, to have an amazing extended family. And I certainly was blessed with that blessing. I was hoping throughout my life that I would never have to live with or rely on my in laws but I did. I miss them so much and yet I know they are right there helping me as they always have been. Kimberly made mention of one of the songs that Carrie Underwood sang at the Sadium of Fire and it reminded her of her grandfather. It was amazing, I hope that we all make choices that Mom and Dad Craven would be proud for us to make. I am certainly trying a little harder.