Happy Birthday Camden!

Camden turned four today.  He was really sweet and let us celebrate early before Sarah came back for chemo.  It's pretty sad not being with him today, but we have had a few little birthday celebrations already so he thinks his birthday was a couple weeks ago. ;)  He is an awesome brother. Sarah giggles  whenever she sees him.  He prays everyday for Sarah to get better, and he takes good care of Hannah while I'm away.  We are so blessed to have him in our family!!

Sarah is doing pretty well.  She likes wandering the halls in the cancer unit.  She makes a new friend every day.  Some of the sweetest people I have ever met have been kids in this unit and their families.  One of them is Sarah's dear friend Oliver.  He is so kind.  The Spirit is so strong when you are near him.  Sarah adores him.  We are so grateful for him, and the many other people we have met to help guide us through this.  We see Heavenly Father in the details of our every day lives...sometimes it's through the kindness of others, a feeling of overwhelming peace in a difficult situation, or a hug and a shoulder to cry on.  We know He is never far away.  

I've been thinking a lot about Heavenly Father.  I've always known Jesus suffered more than we can comprehend and I have been so grateful for Him.  But I am seeing things from another perspective as I watch my daughter suffer.  I wish I could take her place, I wish she didn't have to go through this, I wish there was another way....But there isn't.  I can't even begin to comprehend how much Heavenly Father felt these same feelings for His Son.  He watched His son suffer beyond anything we can understand, and He did it for us.  

                                                

"Salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that we have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. We have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

We are proud to say we are disciples of Christ, and we are, but mark my words---that means you must be prepared to walk something of the path He walked, to feel something, something...a little of the pain He felt to at least occasionally sometime during your life shed one of the tears of sorrow that He shed.

Now, please don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, we will have to pay a token of that same price.

I don't believe life has ever been easy.  I believe it's supposed to require something of our soul.  If Jesus could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, 'Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,' then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn't an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn't an easier way, and for Him there wasn't.  So perhaps for us in token symbolism there won't be an entirely easy way either.

If you can come to love and appreciate it, the Atonement will carry you.  Know that when you struggle the Savior and Redeemer of the world knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. And for a moment or two in your life you will understand what He went through for you."  Jeffery R. Holland