a father's touch.

today is father's day.
how i love the fathers of my children....
both their earthy father and their heavenly father.

as a young child i came to depend on a heavenly father because he felt closer than my earthly father.
i sang our primary father's day songs to both my fathers.
when singing "i'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as i can be!" made me feel sad,
i would imagine the day when i would return to a loving father in heaven.
how excited he would be to pull me onto His knee and hold me tight.
i felt his love easily as a young child.  and, i feel Him near me still.


i watched this video recently, about Christ's visit to America.
this is probably one of the biggest differences between our church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and other Christian religions.
We believe that Christ not only came to Jerusalem, but that he visited "other sheep that he had that were not of that fold."
Including a visit to those native Americans on the American continent.
This has ALWAYS felt right to me.
There are traditions passed down through the American Indians of a 'white God.'
Christ was that God.
Today, we have the record of those people, the Book of Mormon.
We use it as another testament of Jesus Christ... hand in hand with the Bible.
The Book of Mormon is a gentle, peaceful book... like the Bible.
It does testify of Christ.
It persuades men to do good, to believe in Christ, to come unto Him.
It is not the devil's book.
It can not be... a house divided against itself cannot stand.
the devil can not deceive men into doing good.
Not only do we believe in the Book of Mormon, we believe that we have a prophet on the earth today.
AND we believe that there are other books of scripture-- others on the earth who Christ visited after leaving Jerusalem.
Scripture that hasn't been revealed to us yet.
There is ONE God.
Christ is not just the God of the Jews... He is the God of all men.
And I believe this with my whole soul.

As I watched this video of Christ in America, i learned much from the Savior's example.
Let me share with you what i learned...
Sometimes i feel overwhelmed with all those that i want to love and serve.
i worry that i am not enough.
i was impressed that
1. Christ loved and healed and left peace with every individual he touched.
He ministered one by one and left each person filled.
2.  While Christ was ministering the ONE, there were MANY who were NOT being attended to.
They watched and were blessed by seeing His interaction with other people.

1.  I want to have the Master's touch.
I want to hold my children (and other people's children) in my hands and minister to them.  Love them.  Heal them.  Help them to feel my love and His love.  I want my touch to bring peace and joy.  I want to look into their eyes and be filled with love for them, so they can feel that love.  I want to take more time with them when they come to me... so they don't feel hurried or unimportant.  I want to be more like Him.  I want my husband to feel my love for him in my touch.  I do love him so much.

2.  And, I don't need to worry about ALL if I'm focused on ONE.  They will be OK.  They will be blessed by the feeling in our home.  They will be healed and comforted and loved as they watch me love their siblings.
They are loved by their Savior.  Angels surround them daily.  They will be held while they are waiting for their turn.
As i serve those around me, my family is blessed.

Today, i am grateful.
For my heavenly father, for my earthly fathers, for the father of my children
My husband is so kind.  My children are so lucky.
We are all so lucky.
We do have a Savior who loves us, who finds us, who comforts us and who is with us every day.
i know it.
i am grateful for Him today.
it is indeed a Happy Father's Day!!

Here is where i gush about my sweet husband.
Here is where i talk about last Father's Day and why Father's day is sometimes hard.