ULTRA SOUND PICTURES OF LIA

So here she is, the sweet little girl that is going to be joining our family in just over 4 weeks. Her Birth Mother was kind enough to give us these pictures. They are from a couple of months ago but it is so fun to have a picture to look at. Since I am not carrying her it is hard to feel like it is real and having these pictures to look at every day will help it seem more real to us. I just cried when I saw this first one of her sweet little profile. She had it in a cute frame for me and it is now sitting on my desk. We just love her so much already!!! I also love the picture of her cute little feet and bum. She has her legs bent and her feet resting on her bum. Are those the cutest little toes or what? We are counting down the weeks until our little Lia gets here. I still have so much to do so I am sure it will go by fast. I have a shower next week and I am so excited for it. Girls really are so much fun!!!

Things are going really good with her Birth Mother. She is a sweet heart and we love her so much. She is still on bed rest but doing really well. She will be 32 weeks this Fri. and they are going to deliver her at 36 weeks. Lia is measuring really big so they are going to take her early as long as her lungs are developed. They will be doing a amniocenteses to make sure and if things look good she will go in for her C-Section. We are so excited to hold her and kiss her sweet face!!!

LIA'S DR. APT.

We got to see our sweet little Lia for the first time yesterday. It was so neat to see her and hear her heart beat, it made it feel even more real. The Birth Mother had to do a test for gestational diabetes and it and came back normal, which was great news. They are still concerned about her delivering early but she is now in the "safe zone" at 30 weeks. We were relieved to see first had that everything is okay and that she is doing good. They are hoping to get her to 37 weeks and then they will deliver the baby C-section. So at most we have 7 weeks until our little miracle is here. Is that just CRAZY!!! Two weeks ago there was not a spec of pink in our home and now that is all you see. I am trying to control myself cause I have two showers that my friends and family are giving me. It is so nice of them cause we have a LOT to buy. It is like starting all over again and it is so much fun. Jon and I feel so good about everything and have complete confidence the Birth Mom will place. She brought me a gift to the apt. yesterday. She gave me two little dresses and a pair of the cutest flip flops you have ever seen! She also gave us a sweet card expressing her gratitude for us and giving this baby girl a good home. She is heaven sent and we just love her. She is in a hard situation and has three children under 4. She knows that she can't give her baby the life she deserves and loves her enough to give her more. It is truely the most courageous, unselfish thing a person could do. She is on full bed rest until the baby is born which I'm sure is so hard with three small children. She is amazing and we just pray the Lord will watch over them. We will be going to her apt. with her in two weeks, so I will update you on her progress. In the main time keep her in your prayers!!!

THE FULL STORY......

So I just wanted to share the full story of what has happened. 2 1/2 weeks ago we got a phone call from our case worker asking us if we were okay to be shown to a birth mother who was in the hospital with pre-term labor at 27 weeks. They knew there was a good possibility the baby would be born early and they just wanted to make sure we were okay with a preemie. We with out hesitation said YES!! We knew we would just be one in many profiles she was looking at but we took the opportunity that Sun. to fast and pray for her and her sweet baby. We got a phone call the next day that she wanted to meet with us. They also let us know we were the only couple they were meeting with. The Birth Mother said she felt a strong connection with us but wanted to meet us first to see if that connection was real before she selected us. We were so excited to meet her and the birth father and felt that it would only confirm their feelings. It was an amazing moment walking into that room. We all hugged and the spirit filled the room as we began talking and getting to know each other better. She told us how her and the birth father took the files home separate and both with out knowing who the other had chosen chose the same file. They then took the files home to their families not telling them who they had chosen and each of their families chose the same profile.....which was ours. It was just another confirmation to all of us that this was meant to be and that the Lord had his had in what was happening. We cried and shared our lives with each other. Before we knew it it was time to go. I just started to cry as we left and called our parents to tell them how well it went. Our parents cried with us. We knew that this was our baby girl and we knew they knew it as well. The next day we received an e-mail from the Birth Father asking us to call the Birth Mother. I hurried and picked up the phone and called. She wished me a happy mothers day and went on to tell me that they had chosen us. She expressed how she knew from the day she found out that she was pregnant the baby wasn't meant to be hers, and how she has been in so much turmoil with how to place her for adoption. She has three other children who are under 4 and is not in a position to take on another. She said that when she found our profile and for sure when she met us that this was her answerer. She expressed how happy she was and that she finally felt peace with her situation. She then invited us to her appointments and the birth and told me she wanted us to be as involved as we wanted to be. It really is a dream come true for us. We are going to her Dr. apt tomorrow and we will be able to hear her heart beat and see our sweet baby girl for the first time. I have been on cloud nine ever since. It is like breathing new air!!!!! When our IVF failed a piece of my heart was lost. I was so sad and wondered why I had to endure such a heartbreaking trial. The past year has been so hard for me. I love my life and my amazing family, I am so blessed. But I just felt a piece of me was missing. A couple of months ago I finally came to a place where I was able to let that pain go and know I had done all I could and the rest was up to the Lord. I came to accept the whole in my heart and was okay that it would not be filled until our next child came. I knew the Lord would bless us with another child I just didn't know how or when. I started living my life again....I signed up for two bike rides, planned on getting Lagoon passes and having a fun summer with the boys, and was looking forward to all of our family get aways. I had the summer planned out!!! Little did I know this miracle would come along. So this summer will be even better than I thought. The boys are so excited to have a little sister and we are ecstatic to have a daughter. She is the final piece to our puzzle. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to know we are DONE!!!! She is the icing on the already perfect cake! I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who knows what we need to learn and grow and if we but endure will send us amazing blessings. My heart is so full I have a hard time finding words. I just want all of you to know how grateful we are to have such amazing family and friends. Your prayers are what have helped us receive this blessing. And to my sweet husband who has spent countless nights consoling me and never letting me give up hope, I love you!!!! We are going to name her Lia Diane, after my mom. My mom has cried all my tears with me, so it means a lot to me to be able to name my daughter after her. I hope that this can give others in our situation hope. Miracles do happen. I wonder sometimes what I have done to be so blessed. All I know is that Jon and I have done what ever it has taken to get our family here. It has not been easy but it has been worth everything we have sacraficed to have these sweet children in our home. I would do it ALL over again. The Lord loves us and has a plan for us all!!!!!!!

Any way this is a long post and more for me as a memory, but I thought I would share. I will let you know how the Dr. apt goes!!! Never done that before, it should be neat!!!

A BABY GIRL!!!!!!

I just wanted to inform all of you that we are getting a baby girl!!!! We have been chosen through LDS family services for a third time!!! We are still in shock that this is even happening. I never thought in a million years we would be chosen again since we already have two. When our IVF didn't work we put our papers in because it was the only option we had left. It has only been in the last few months that I have felt hope in adoption and now I know why!! We have met the birth parents and they are awesome. We met them last Sat. and she called me on Sun. (mothers day) to tell us they had chosen US. It was the most precious Mothers Day gift ever. We are so excited to have a little girl around our home and feel so blessed to have this miracle of another child. She is the missing piece to our family and we can not wait to meet her. She is due July 31st but the Birth Mother has had some pre-term labor. We are praying she can make it as long as possible. She has invited us to the birth and we are so excited about it. It will be so neat to see one of our children come into this world. Words can not express how blessed we feel right now. Thanks to all of you for your love and prayers and for putting a link to our adoption web site on your blogs. You have all been a huge part in this process and we are grateful for your support through all of this. We LOVE you all!!!!!

MY 30th BIRTHDAY!!!!

Well it is official I am now 30!!! It was the best Birthday ever and I will never forget it!!

The boys surprised me by giving me a necklace and they took me to lunch and bowling. It was such a fun day. Later that night Jon took me to dinner at Corbin's. It was so yummy. After we were suppose to go to a movie but got a call from our babysitter that she had a family emergency and needed to go home and help. I totally bought it and we headed home. Jon acted so irritated that we had to cut the night short. He did such a good job at fooling me. I told him not to worry and that we would figure something out. I called my mom but she wasn't home, so then I tried my dad on his cell phone. He told me he was out in the barn but to bring the kids over and he would watch them. So that was the plan to take the kids to my dad and we would still be able to go to the movie.

Well you can see how surprised I was to walk in and find all my family and friends at our house. This is not the greatest picture of me but I laugh every time I look at it. I really had NO idea Jon had planned a surprise part for me.

It was the nicest thing he has ever done for me. I can not believe he went to that much work to surprise me. He was so happy to see me so surprised!!! My sweet sister in laws made me a book. They had everyone write things about me and put it in a little binder for me to keep. It was so sweet of them and everyone else to take the time to right down their thoughts of me.

I love my hubby so much. He makes my life so wonderful and shows me so much love. I don't know what I would do with out him!!! Thanks Jon for the best 30th Birthday ever!!!! My dad was so funny on the phone. He did such a good job making me believe he was home in the barn. Thanks mom for making the cakes!!!
Jon's family did so much to help him. Thanks guys for helping me celebrate my 30th Birthday!!!!

It was so fun to have so many people come. I have the best friends and family in the world!!!!

I WILL MISS MY SWEET GRANDPA!

My amazing Grandpa Max passed away on Friday. He has suffered with Alzheimer's for the past two years and had a stroke on the Wed. before he died. We were all able to be with him before he passed and say our good byes. I don't think you are ever quite ready to let someone you love so much and who has always been there go. But he is in a better place and is happy and whole again. It was such a spiritual experience for me to be there when he was passing. It made me reflect on life and what it is really all about, and that is FAMILY. Life passes us by so quickly and I want to make the very best of it. My mom and her siblings told of what a great Dad he was and all the fun memories they have with him. I want my kids to have wonderful memories that they can hold on to.

I have so many wonderful memories with my Grandparents and I am so grateful that we have always been close. It has been amazing to see my Grandma, my mom, my aunt and my uncle all take care of him for the past couple of years. It is because of my sweet Grandma he has been able to stay in is home and pass there as well. What a great example of patience and enduring love she is to me. My Grandpa adored her and I know he is so grateful for all she did for him the last years of his life.

We had such a wonderful last Christmas with him. Me, Jon and the boys went to see them on Christmas day. We all stayed in our Pj's and hung out. It was so special to spend that time with him. He was so alive at our family Christmas party this year. He loves to dance so we turned on the music and he danced one last dance with each of his grand daughters. What wonderful memories we have that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

The funeral today was so nice my mom, aunt Cindy, and uncle Mark all did such a wonderful job. It really was the perfect funeral. We will miss him but I am so grateful of the knowledge I have that I will see him again some day!

HAPPY TEN YEARS TO MY HUBBY!

I just wanted to post a little love note to my sweet husband. Thanks for the best TEN YEARS of my life........

Well can you believe it, we have been married for ten years! It feels like only yesterday I opened my front door for our first date, and yet I cannot remember life without you. I just wanted to let you know how much I love, admire, respect, and adore you. You are such an amazing man, husband and father. I look back on my life and how you became a part of it and I know without a doubt the Lord had his hand in it. I fell in love with you on our first date sitting on your couch watching the wedding singer. Something inside told me I was in the right place. Ever since then my life has felt secure and in place. We have faced some hard times and through it all we are still here and more in love than ever. You have helped me through some of my darkest hours and have always been my guiding light. Because of you I have two sweet amazing boys and the joy that comes from being a mother. I cannot imagine my life without you and the boys. Everything I do is for you and our family and I know you feel the same way. Every day you serve us with your patience, love, understanding, compassion, and hard work. I am so proud of you and all that you have accomplished in the last ten years. You are where you are today because of your hard work and dedication. You work so hard to provide for our family and for that I am truly grateful. You are not only the provider but the patriarch as well. You bring the spirit into our home and make me want to be and do better. You teach the boys about the gospel and how to be leaders! I know they will grow up to be great men someday because of the example you are to them. You also bring fun and laughter into our home and show your love to the boys by playing with them. I am so grateful for all the times you keep Cade and Jake busy so I can get away or get things done. You take care of us in every aspect of life. Words cannot express my love and gratitude for what you have done for me. You have made all of my dreams come true and keep me believing in the ones yet to come. Thank you Jon for everything. You are truly my very best friend and I am grateful every day God led me to you!

Happy Ten Years Sweaty!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Can I just say I LOVE this time of year! I remember the year Cade was born and I was so excited to hang a third stocking on the mantle. Now I hang four and can I just say I am so grateful for those little names that hang beside mom and dad. Having kids has made Christmas even that more meaningful to me. I love that we get to play Santa and see their eyes light up when they see what Santa brought. This year is going to be the best year ever!! This is going to be one of our poorest Christmas' because of all the money we spent on fertility and Jon's job change. BUT can I just say it is going to be a special one. Don't worry the kids are still going to be spoiled but it has been nice to forget about what I want and focus on what really matters. There is a special spirit in our home this year as we are trying to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. I am starting the 12 days of Christmas tomorrow for our boys and I am so excited about it. As my kids get older I feel this desire to share with them what Christmas is really all about. I want them to gain a testimony of Christ, his birth and the wonderful gift he is to us. It is fun to make traditions and this is one I am super excited about. I think it will bring more meaning to Christmas and help us to have more family time. Christmas as a child was always so wonderful and I want my children to have those same warm feelings as they remember their Christmas'.

THANKS ISR!!!!!!!!!!

Well this week is the start of a new adventure......Jon started his new job at Surgical Principles. After a grueling interview process Jon is the man! This is an industry Jon has wanted to get into for a long time. He has enjoyed his job at ISR so much that it was a tough decision to make. But we both felt he needed to take this opportunity if he was given the job. My cousins husband Casey is the one who refereed Jon. He thought Jon would be a good candidate since they were looking for someone WITHOUT medical sales experience. Which is rare. Jon felt he had nothing to loose so he applied for the position. To be honest we did not think he was going to get the job. I believe all things happen for a reason and we feel that this is a huge blessing for us in our lives at this time. It just goes to show you never know what can happen. I really believe that Lord was directing us to where we need to be. It has been sad to say good by to so many wonderful friends at ISR but we know those friendships will continue. (Thanks to blogging for making that possible!) ISR has been nothing but supportive of Jon's decision. I am amazed at how wonderful they have been to both of us during the past almost five years. We have enjoyed wonderful vacations to Mexico, Easter egg hunts, Christmas parties, dinner out, and lots of other get togethers. I think it is rare to find a company that #1 has so many great employees and #2 all get along so well. ISR has always focused on not only the employee but their families too. That has meant a lot to us and I don't think we will find that anywhere else. But life is all about change and this is a HUGE change for us. Jon is in Park City all week for training which means I am all alone with the kids. FOR A WEEK! I know it is not that long but it already feels like it has been a week. I am excited for what this new adventure will bring!!!

OUR ADOPTION PROFILE

Well I have been working hard to get our adoption stuff done. We are close to being approved which means we will be in the waiting process. We are really excited about adopting again but also know it is not going to be easy. It is not very common for a Birth Mother to place with a family with two or more children. But we are being optimistic and hoping for the best. It is a long hard process but worth it. It took me hours to do our collage....I am a little OCD when it comes to this kind of thing. It looks simple but I tried lots of different lay outs until I found one I loved. So here is the finally draft. I wanted it to be clean and crisp not too much cute stuff. I think it looks a little better cause you can focus on the pictures more. I wanted lots of up close pictures showing us doing the things we love to do. What do you think.....I need feed back?

This is the family picture we decided on. This will be our first impression so I hope it's a good one. I like that it is up close and you can see our faces good. Thank goodness the boys were smiling. I think they look so cute. I have to tell my mother-in-law thanks for taking our pictures. She did such a great job. With a little bit of editing they turned out awesome. We still have a few more things to finish like our Letter, home study and interviews. But we are on our way and have most of the difficult stuff behind us. Adoption is just an amazing process and I find myself feeling so good about this option. I was so sure we would not adopt again, at least not right now. But I can't help but feel there is a reason for all of this. Who knows the Lord works in mysterious ways!!!!!!

10 YEARS AGO TODAY!

So it was ten years ago today that me and my sweet hubby were set up on a blind by my BFF Jayme. She was truly inspired to set us up! Jon took me to a Buzz game for our first date and then back to his house to watch the Wedding Singer. (what a great movie!) He didn't waist any time and held my hand that night. He left the next day to Flaming Gorge. I thought about him every second he was gone and wondered if he would call me when he got home. Me and Jayme decided to go and find his house. We had to stop at the taco time there in Centerville to look up his address. That was fun wasn't it Jayme. We were so silly back then. Jon came home from his trip and we saw each other every day from then on. We dated for about a month and decided it was true love and that we should get married. What a fun time that was.

Now here we are and I am more in love than ever. For those of you who know Jon you know what an amazing person he is. He has made me who I am and has always been my best friend.

I love you so much Sweetie and I am so grateful Jayme was inspired to set us up. We were meant to find each other and spend Eternity together. Thanks for being the wonderful husband and father you are. And for always being right beside me through our Joys and sorrows. My love goes deeper than I could ever express with words!

I LOVE YOU!!!

CADE'S BIRTHDAY

Today our sweet Cade turned FIVE! It was a fun day full of lots of excitement. He was up around 7:00 wanting to open presents. You would have thought it was Christmas. He got a new Optimus Prime Transformer bike. Jon stayed up late the night before putting it together. Cade was so excited about it. Later that day we took him to Classic Skating. Cade got so many fun gifts from all his friends. Cade is lucky to have such great friends! Later that day Cade's primary teachers the Porter's came over to wish him a Happy Birthday. They are so wonderful and Cade just loves them! We love Cade so much he has brought so much Joy and Happiness to our lives. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, handsome, loving boy for our son. Happy Birthday Cade!!!!!

BABY OAKLEY IS HERE!!!

So today my little sister Mikelle had her baby girl. The name they chose is Oakley. Me my mom and Nikki were all able to be in the room when she was born. Me and Nikki were front and center while my mom stood to the side. Can I just say what an amazing thing birth is. It was such a spiritual experience and neat to share with my mom and sisters. Mikelle almost lost her life giving birth to her son Austin because of e-clampsia, but this time she had no complications. I am so proud of her she did so good!!! Thanks sis for letting me be a part of your little miracle!! This may be the closets I ever come to experiencing birth so I am grateful my sisters have shared their moments of child birth with me. I love them both so much. Don't worry Bro I love you too its just a girl thing!

Some of you may wonder, isn't it hard for me to watch that knowing it may never be me? The answerer is Yes it is kind of hard and sometimes I wish I could know what it is like to give birth. But My sadness has nothing to do with how happy I am for my sister. I have two little miracles tucked into bed peacefully sleeping. And after today I realized it is not so bad having them placed in your arms two days later all clean and beautiful feeling like a million bucks. Yes I wish I could have seen our boys be born but I get to watch them grow! I am so happy for my sister and her husband Cory. Congrats on your new baby girl I might have to steal her every now and then! Maybe even just a smell here and there. Love you guys, she is beautiful!

WHAT A BLESSING!

So I don't know what I have done to deserve such great friends and so much love and support. This whole blogging thing has been such a blessing to me. Really we are not as wonderful as you all think we are!! But it is so nice to have so much encouragement. Thank you all so much for your sweet comments it means so much to me. The past 5 months have been some of my hardest times especially when our IVF did not work. I am so grateful to all of you and for the strength you have given me to get through this. Who knew this is what blogging would bring to my life other than a new obsession. I hope someday I can return the the favor if ever needed. Honestly it is so amazing to me to see how many people really care. Jon and I thank you so much!!!!

HOME FOR SALE!!!

Well it is official our house is FOR SALE! Jon and I have made yet another HUGE decision and have put our home up for sale. Two years ago we built the home of our dreams. It isn't the biggest or the best out there but it is defiantly a nice home. We customized it to us and our needs and we absolutely love it.

So here is the reason why.......

Since our failed IVF we have felt so hopeless in our attempt to add another child to our family. We have looked at all of our options the few we do have and even if one felt right we have no money to pursue it. Over the past 7 years we have spent about $35,000.00 on trying to have a family. That is a lot of stinkin money. Not that you could even put a price on Cade and Jake . We would have spent what ever was needed to get our boys here. But our dilemma now is not wanting to go into dept any more than what it absolutely necessary. Jon and I have been so blessed to have been able to afford to adopt, do IVF and still have a beautiful home, trailer, descent cars etc. So now we are looking at another $13,000.00 to adopt and that's if we go through LDS and at least $20,000.00 for IVF. Again that is a lot of money and we have spent all we have in our savings and fear it will take us for ever to save enough for another child. And for us time is not a luxury.

So we are choosing a family over our beautiful home that we love so much. So really the decision was easy but not without sadness and tears. It doesn't seem fair to have to spend so much money on trying to have a family.......BUT it is worth every penny and then some. We also feel that it is a good time to down size since our family is still small and wont be growing any time soon.

To be honest for the first time since our IVF failed I feel HOPE again!!!!!! I feel that even though the decision to sell has been hard that we have some direction in what we should be doing right now. In the long run it will help us get into a better financial situation and ultimately give us the money we need to pursue our options for another child. I was at my grandmas house today and the kids wanted water with ice.....well she had to go to the freezer, get out the little ice trays and break out the ice instead of just pushing a button. It just made me think of how spoiled we are these days. We have way more now than my parents or grandparents ever imagined at our age. I never even had AC or swamp cooler until I was 18. We never went on fancy trips or lived in a huge home. But we had all we ever needed and we appreciated the things we had. I think we forget sometimes how blessed and lucky we are to have what we have. After all it is just a house and I would give it up in two seconds to have more children. I can take them with me, to the eternities!!!!! So if you know of anyone who is looking for a beautiful home send them our way!! Don't feel sad for us, like I said I feel hopeful of the future and what the Lord has in store for us!!! I feel more peace now than I have in a long time.

P.S. Don't forget to leave me your e-mail so I can invite you to view my blog....since I am going PRIVATE!

"THE TATTOO"

Well I knew that this might get some attention because I am so not that type! So here is the scoop..... I was 18 in beauty school and felt the urge to do something CRAZY! A tattoo seemed like a good idea. I told no one except for my friend from beauty school. She is the one who took me to get it. About two minutes into it and a lot of pain I had a thought that maybe this was not a good idea. But I couldn't change my mind at that point. What was I to do have half of a flower....that would not be cool. I did regret it shortly after I realized wow this is here for the rest of my life. Then I thought it was cool and I loved it. Now I wonder why I didn't do something less permanent. It is of a Daisy on the small of my back. It is actually kinda cute!(for an 18 year old) Now I am a mom and it is not so cute. Cade and Jake have both discovered it and think that it is a sticker. They try to peel it off all the time and will soon realize it is not a "STICKER"! But for now that's my story and I'm sticking to it. At least till there old enough to really want to know. Then I don't know what I will tell them???? I pray they never want one!!!

GREAT TALK.....THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE

So our good friend Dustin sent us this talk. He is in the YM with Jon and his wife Lauri and I worked in the primary together. Any way they are just great people and wonderful friends. Jon printed this out last night for me to read. I can't tell you the peace and comfort it gave me. I have been wondering why we have to endure such difficult trials and if our desires are good why doesn't the Lord bless us. This answered all of my questions and let me know once again how much the Lord loves us and wants to be here for us. We just need to trust him and have faith especially when life is hard. Thanks Dustin for sending me a tender mercy. It came at the perfect time!

Dennis E. Simmons, “But If Not …,” Ensign, May 2004, 73
Men accomplish marvelous things by trusting in the Lord and keeping His commandments—by exercising faith even when they don’t know how the Lord is shaping them.

As a young man, I returned home from an eighth-grade basketball tournament dejected, disappointed, and confused. I blurted out to my mother, “I don’t know why we lost—I had faith we’d win!”
I now realize that I did not then know what faith is.
Faith is not bravado, not just a wish, not just a hope. True faith is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—confidence and trust in Jesus Christ that leads a person to follow Him.
Centuries ago, Daniel and his young associates were suddenly thrust from security into the world—a world foreign and intimidating. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow down and worship a golden image set up by the king, a furious Nebuchadnezzar told them that if they would not worship as commanded, they would immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. “And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
The three young men quickly and confidently responded, “If it be so [if you cast us into the furnace], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand.” That sounds like my eighth-grade kind of faith. But then they demonstrated that they fully understood what faith is. They continued, “But if not, … we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” That is a statement of true faith.
They knew that they could trust God—even if things didn’t turn out the way they hoped. They knew that faith is more than mental assent, more than an acknowledgment that God lives. Faith is total trust in Him.
Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, His is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego knew they could always rely on Him because they knew His plan, and they knew that He does not change. They knew, as we know, that mortality is not an accident of nature. It is a brief segment of the great plan of our loving Father in Heaven to make it possible for us, His sons and daughters, to achieve the same blessings He enjoys, if we are willing.
They knew, as we know, that in our premortal life, we were instructed by Him as to the purpose of mortality: “We will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”
So there we have it—it’s a test. The world is a testing place for mortal men and women. When we understand that it’s all a test, administered by our Heavenly Father, who wants us to trust in Him and to allow Him to help us, we can then see everything more clearly.
His work and His glory, He told us, is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” He has already achieved godhood. Now His only objective is to help us—to enable us to return to Him and be like Him and live His kind of life eternally.
Knowing all this, it was not difficult for those three young Hebrews to make their decision. They would follow God; they would exercise faith in Him. He would deliver them, but if not—and we know the rest of the story.
The Lord has given us agency, the right and the responsibility to decide. He tests us by allowing us to be challenged. He assures us that He will not suffer us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand. But we must understand that great challenges make great men. We don’t seek tribulation, but if we respond in faith, the Lord strengthens us. The but if nots can become remarkable blessings.
The Apostle Paul learned this significant lesson and declared, after decades of dedicated missionary work, “We glory in tribulations … knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed.”
He was assured by the Savior, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul responded: “Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. … I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” When Paul met his challenges the Lord’s way, his faith increased.
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.” Abraham, because of his great faith, was promised posterity greater in number than the stars in the heavens, and that that posterity would come through Isaac. But Abraham immediately complied with the Lord’s command. God would keep His promise, but if not in the manner Abraham expected, he still trusted Him completely.
Men accomplish marvelous things by trusting in the Lord and keeping His commandments—by exercising faith even when they don’t know how the Lord is shaping them.
“By faith Moses … refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. …
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. …
“By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land. …
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.”
Others “through faith subdued kingdoms, … obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
“Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight.”
But in the midst of all those glorious outcomes hoped for and expected by the participants, there were always the but if nots:
“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, … bonds and imprisonment:
“They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about … being destitute, afflicted, tormented; …
“God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect.”
Our scriptures and our history are replete with accounts of God’s great men and women who believed that He would deliver them, but if not, they demonstrated that they would trust and be true.
He has the power, but it’s our test.
What does the Lord expect of us with respect to our challenges? He expects us to do all we can do. He does the rest. Nephi said, “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
We must have the same faith as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not … . He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not. … He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not, … we will trust in the Lord.
Our God will see that we receive justice and fairness, but if not. … He will make sure that we are loved and recognized, but if not. … We will receive a perfect companion and righteous and obedient children, but if not, … we will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and in His way, be delivered and receive all that He has. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Is that GREAT or what!!!!