A Blessing

I am so embarrassed that I haven't taken the time to share our experience blessing Martie this past fast Sunday. It was wonderful. It turned out that the day most logical to bless Martie was one year to the day that her Grandma Connie Verniece, the one she is named after, passed away. Though it was a difficult day, we thought it would be a great way to honor and remember her.
Peter did a great job blessing her with strength and wisdom. I thought that is was so special that he blessed her with wisdom. Peter's favorite scripture is in Mosiah when King Benjamin says, "O be wise, what more can I say." We are intelligent beings and we have the capability, and the help from our Heavenly Father to make wise choices. We just need to remember that and do it. Among other things, Martie was also blessed that if she lived righteously and desired to, she would be able to serve a mission, be married in the temple, and raise children of her own. There was a wonderful spirit there and it was a special day for us to remember.
Sitting in the congregation, I was thinking about how it is tradition for moms of newly blessed babies to share their testimony. It suddenly struck me that sacrament meeting wasn't about who shares their testimony, how well I did Julia's hair, weather or not I ironed the boys shirts. It is about worshiping the Savior. Our purpose is to come humbly before the Lord, seek his forgiveness, and commit to do better. I knew this before I just hadn’t consciously thought about it. Sacrament is about the Savior, not anyone in the congregation.
That said, I did end up sharing with my children and others in the ward some of my thoughts. A brother in our ward had commented on the number of people that had come to show their love and support for his family. I too noticed how many people had come to support our family. Then I thought about the loving family that we have spread throughout the state in other wards (Rengs, Olsens, etc.), throughout the country (the Gotbergs and Peter's other siblings), and even on the other side of the veil. People that we remember, and people that we have temporarily forgotten, are all cheering us on. They want us to make righteous choices and return home to our Heavenly Father so we can all be together again. That is what life is about. We are here to get a body and prove to the Lord and ourselves that we want to be with him again. I think if each of us only knew how many people were waiting for us our lives would be much easier and we would make better choices.
After sacrament, family came over to our house to play games, mingle, enjoy the weather, and eat. Since I'm fairly certain Martie won't remember much of the day, the following is a list of family that attended her blessing:
Great Grandpa Harward, Grandpa Harward, Grandma Harward, Grandpa Jim, Grandma Linda, Aunt Sherrie, Uncle Kelly, Aunt Gaylene, Uncle Les, Taylor, Madison, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Karen, Kamille, Kendal, Aunt Marti, Aunt Vixie, Paige, Morgan, Aunt Rachel, Aunt Elizabeth, Aunt Hinckley, Uncle Dean, JoElle, Timothy, Uncle Clint, Aunt Katrina, Adam, Amanda, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Jeff, Bradley, Easton, and Sewart.
Thanks to everyone who came and to those who didn't but had us in your thoughts.