Remembering

I have a hard time remembering words sometimes. I always have when I am nervous so I find the next closet word to the one I mean. My mind going blank becomes a problem sometimes when I meet someone who I have know for awhile and forget their name. And I tend to rename people and call them that until I find out that I'm calling them the wrong name. One time I had a friend who I had met and I renamed her for a whole year. She never said a word. I called her Sharon for a year and finally was telling someone that I was going to do something for Sharon and she looked at me with a blank look. "Who is Sharon?" she said. I described 'Sharon' and funny but she knew who I was talking about. "Oh," she said. "You mean Lorraine." My face turned red and I imagine I looked like I had a real good sunburn. Lorraine never said a word to me when I spoke to her or called her Sharon. I profusely apologized to her and she promptly forgave me. I now poke her everyday on facebook and remind myself to call her Lorraine.

So last year I began my Seminary class with nametags so that I would call the students the right names. I was bound and determined that I would not embarrass myself and call them by the wrong name. I made it until the end of the month and was so proud of myself not to call them the wrong name.

Okay so this must sound like I am looking at every fault that I ever had. Sometimes peoples faults are so obvious. Like mine with the names. Remembering things becomes a problem especially when people tend to forget so fast. I have read over and over again in the Book of Mormon how the people forget the Lord and the covenants they have made really fast, unless the people have gone through the harrowing process of repentance and stick to it. Alma the Elder and Alma the Younger were both like that. They both had to repent and both retained the remembrance of the awful pains they had gone through. They remembered the Savior. How can we remember the Savior in our every day lives?

Kerry and I have tried to remember Him through putting reminders of who we are throughout the house. We put pictures of the temple up on our walls to remind us of the covenants that we have made in the temple with each other. We have pictures of the Savior on the wall to remind us of the covenants we have made at baptism and when we take the Sacrament every week. It's important to remember. By creating an environment in our home that will help us remember helps us everyday to be honest with the Lord in keeping our part of the bargain.

Jenessa wrote to me recently about being grateful for my blessings. She is right that I have been abundantly blessed in this life. I have five wonderful children and a husband who loves me. My children have been and always will be my greatest blessing. They have married wonderful spouses who love them. That is another blessing. What more could I ask for? I have food, shelter, and clothing. I have the gospel of Jesus Christ and the scriptures. I have had wonderful parents who have continued to be supportive and I am greatly blessed every week with the spirit. I love my family, the gospel and the Lord.