strands of rope

Hey! Its Brantley.  I am blessed to be in a Book of Mormon class at BYU-Idaho and for an assignment I have the opportunity to share on a blog a part of a lesson we have been learning.  So here goes!

Recently, I took a trip down memory lane and was able to watch one of my favorite childhood movies: The Three Ninjas. The premise of the movie involves 3 young kids who are training to be skilled ninjas from their grandfather. Every year, they spent their summer learning from their grandfather new moves, but more importantly learning from his wisdom.  One piece of wisdom he shares with them is that between the four of them, they represent four pieces of rope, which separately are not very strong but together, can hold the heaviest of burdens.

I related this to my marriage (to the breathtakingly perfect Claire Brooks). I am so grateful that we have a strong  marriage. However, I learned a lesson this last week that I hope to never forget. Things were good, as usual, but on this particular night we decided to discuss our marriage. We began talking and as time went by, the conversation got deeper and deeper. We both shared things that we adore about each other and things that had been weighing on our souls. Before we knew it tears were flowing and we embraced realizing that talking to each other and seeing from each other's point of view is one of the best ways to bring us together.

After this experience, I was reading the Book of Mormon.  I read of Lehi and Sariah when they were put in a difficult situation.  At first glance, in 1 Nephi 5, I was almost sad to read that Sariah was murmuring when they were in such a difficult situation. But the truth of it is, she was asked to give up a lot of things: her spacious house, her wealth and riches, her friends that they left behind in Jerusalem.  And now what does she have? She is living in a tent? she does not know if her four sons will ever return from her journey?  Of course she would voice her concerns! No mortal can experience that amount of trial without feeling some measure of an overweighing burden.

Sometimes in life, we have a tendency to judge others for their lack of faith or "dignity" in hard times, but that is not our place.  We are not aware, fully, to what people may be battling inside.  Only our Savior who died for us and took the place for our suffering knows. We have no place to judge or to look down upon others when we do not understand the trial that has been placed upon them.

Striving to understand people's feelings will add an extra strand of rope to our relationships with our husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, parents, etc.

-Brantley

sentimental

I am just feeling so super sentimental right now.  Its incredible how amazing life is and how amazing progress is. Just wow.

My wonderful Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law are coming tomorrow to visit us in Rexburg.  Brantley and I decided that such an honored visit deserved a clean kitchen.  We started to sweep and clean while singing 80's songs from the movie Guardian's of the Galaxy. (we love that movie)  While I was finishing sweeping, I looked around. WE ARE SO AMAZINGLY BLESSED. When we were applying for apartments in Rexburg, our best bed was a tiny studio apartment for $550 a month, which, by the end of two semesters,  would be almost all of our pelgrant money, leaving us with very little wiggle room. The day we decided to sign with them, Brantley's friend from work offered us a room in his house in exchange for only 10 hours of work a week.  At the time, I realized it was a blessing and an amazing opportunity, but I never thought about how it was a DIRECT blessing from our Heavenly Father.  I am awed at this beautiful place we get to live for such a little sacrifice. It is amazing

Then, I looked on Facebook and saw one of my best friend's mom post a blog about her adventures as a missionary.  My friend, Sister Knapp, is serving a mission in Scottsdale, AZ.  She and I used to talk for hours about being missionaries and getting married. I skipped the mission and went straight for the marriage.  I am so proud of her for going and being such an amazing missionary.  I miss her so crazy much.  I read her blog post and bawled.  She has been an example to me for as long as I can remember. If anyone needs a spiritual uplift, click here to read her amazing testimony. 

After I started missing Savannah, I started realizing how much I missed Kansas and my parents and my brother. (I see my sister everyday but now I miss her too right now!-haha) I have been so blessed to be raised in such an amazing family.  Wow I love them! They are the perfect amount of goofy, humble, wonderful, and happy.  Its amazing how amazing they are! I miss my Freebys! 

I am grateful for a million other things: byui (I LOVE THAT PLACE) a wonderful new family, my incredible husband who would do anything for me, and just the fact that I have the gospel and I can look forward to being better as I go.  Life is a wonderful thing. 

Surprise

Happy anniversary to us! 5 whole months! Found this little guy in my backpack this morning:)