Last Saturday Scott and I were able to go to our stake Family Expo. We both learned a lot of really helpful things on how to build strong families in times of uncertainty. The one lesson that stood out to me the most was the parable of the apple tree, taught by our former bishop, Bishop Bartholemew. It is so EASY to get caught up in the worldly perspectives about what is important in life and what is considered successful. I really needed this lesson to help me refocus my perspective and realize what really is important in this life and where I should be focusing my time.
Here is a copy of the parable of the apple tree. I PROMISE it is worth taking the time to read!
Perhaps the phenomenon of confusing our condition with our identity can better be illustrated with a parable. We will compare God to an apple tree. As his offspring, we will compare ourselves, in our fallen mortal condition, to the apples growing on the tree. The seed inside the apple could be compared to the part of us that has the potential to become like God. No one in mortality can see through our apple exterior to our inner seed except for God. Therefore, the truth about our divine potential remains hidden and covered by our temporary apple exterior.
If the apple tree were growing in a place where it could be untouched by human hands, eventually the apple would fall to the ground. As far as the seed is concerned, the purpose of the apple in that fallen state is to nourish the seed until it gets root and grows into a tree—or, in our analogy, becomes like God.
Our divine destiny and purpose is not to become apples, but to become apple trees. However, in mortality we do not resemble an apple tree at all, or even the seed of an apple tree—all we or other people can see is our outer shell—the apple. Because of this, it is sometimes hard to remember that our divine potential—in fact, our only potential—is to become an apple tree. It is equally difficult to remember other people's seeds, or divine potentials, because all we can see are their apples as well. This phenomenon leads to one of the most cunning deceptions of the adversary—an inordinate focus of time and energy on making our apple as attractive as possible, or even worse, more attractive than the apples of those around us. This is a cause of pride both ways (looking down and up) and is a great distraction. Satan seduces many to spend more time improving the outward appearance of their temporary apple nature than to developing the seed with infinite potential within. When it is all said and done, our apple will do the same exact thing everyone else's apple will do—it will die and be laid down to rest in the "dust" from whence it came. Our seed, on the other hand, which has the potential to become like our Father—can become a tree that can produce other trees, through the seeds of the fruit of apples, into the eternities. Whenever we judge ourselves or others based on what we can see—the temporary, external apple—instead of what we cannot—the seed—we become victims of the same satanic deceptions the two sons in this parable fell victim to. We either lose hope in the prospects of ever becoming a legitimate and worthy son or daughter of our Heavenly Father, or we are deceived into basing our perceptions of our own "goodness" on the temporary fallen condition of our brothers and sisters.
Saturday was such a fun memory for Scott and I because we were able to spend the whole day together! We realize that we need to take advantage of being able to spend time alone with each other because in about three months that will be a lot more rare and hard to do. After the expo was over we went on a walk to Bridal Veil Falls, and then we took a nap by the river. It was so nice! The weather was perfect, and there was lots of pretty leaves on the ground. After our nap we got to go to the temple. That was one of my favorite and most memorable temple experiences. While I was there I wondered why it is so hard to make the time to go to the temple sometimes. It often keeps getting pushed to the next week, and then the next week, and before you know it the month is over and you haven't been to the temple yet. It seems like a burden sometimes to make the time to go, but once you get there it is the farthest thing from a burden, and you realize there is nothing else you would rather be doing with your time. I realized it would be so easy to make time to go to the temple if we just remembered how we felt while we were there.
Something else that was talked about at the Family Expo that was really helpful for me was the 5:1 ratio. There have been studies done that say for every one negative thing you say or do to your spouse you need to say or do five positive things in order to keep a healthy and happy relationship with them.
He weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 inches long.
Scott and I got to go up to Logan three days after he was born and hold cute little Alex. I can't believe we will have one of our own in just 11 weeks! We saw how many clothes and blankets babies go through in a day. I think this was his third outfit of the day, but we were only there for about three or four hours.
Such a sweet face
The proud big brother Ethan. He will be two at the end of December.
Ethan is so fun and entertaining now. He already knows his ABC's and his favorite letter to say is du-du-dubawoo! He gets a reaction out of everybody whenever he says it because it sounds so cute and funny, so he goes around trying to find W's in books, on keyboards, and wherever he can and then he excitedly points them out. He also loves clocks and is obsessed with them. Whenever he sees a clock, or a watch he points at it and says "A Qwock!" Jessica can even get him to stop crying by pointing out a clock to him.
Here is Scott getting some practice. He is so excited. It's so cute!
Grandpa Billings with Alex. He will soon have three grandsons as his payback for having three daughters.
