This past weekend was General Conference. If you are unsure what General Conference is, click here. ☺ I always look so forward to this! It comes around twice a year, but man, I sure do wish it was more. I listen and feel so inspired. I am always eager to get my Conference issue of the Ensign. I have huge intention to study and devour each and every talk. Well, truth be told, I do read some of them. But I hardly ever DEVOUR them in the way I want. A week ago or so now I had the opportunity to substitute teach in Relief Society. As the Relief society secretary I am pretty much off the hook as far as teaching. Pretty much. And thank goodness for that! I know public speaking is not hardly any ones favorite thing to do. But for me, it ranks right up there along with my fear of snakes!! And that I'll tell ya is pretty HUGE! This particular week I was filling in for was our monthly lesson on one of the recent Conference talks. Since the April Conference had not taken place yet, they were chosen from the October 2010 conference. There were actually two of them. "The Three R's of Choice" By President Monson and "Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life" By Elder Hales. What a BLESSING it was to teach these talks! I in fact did devour them. I feel I utterly dissected them. That's the kind of study I wish I would do for each and everyone of the Conference talks. I feel they are truly masterful works! The two talks I mentioned above worked perfectly together. Complimenting each other beautifully! As we know and were reminded in Elder Holland's talk yesterday, none of the speakers are assigned topics. They prayerfully consider what they will talk about. It is remarkable the way they are inspired and all of the talks REALLY work in harmony with each other. That in itself is testimony building. Going back now to the morning I was to deliver my lesson I was BEYOND nervous. I was nauseous and visibly shaking. I had substituted in Relief Society once before about two or three years ago. I studied hard and had a lot of good information. The room was full and there were tons of eyes looking right at me and I felt so inadequate and extremely uncomfortable. I walked away from that lesson feeling horrible. I would actually get sick about it to think of it months and years later! I did not want to feel like that again. The morning of this recent lesson I knew what I needed to do, above and beyond my praying...Oh how I had been praying! I felt I needed to ask my husband for a priesthood blessing. I asked him, even though I was nervous. I thought he would think I was silly. But ya know what? He didn't. He said he'd been wanting to ask me if I wanted one. It was beautiful and perfect. With tear filled eyes, I began to calm down. And remained fairly calm (compared to how I was! If I would have stayed in that state I fear I would have fainted, or threw up!) You know what the best part was? I don't even feel sick to think of it now. I think it went ok. I really don't know. But what I do know is that I learned a lot. And I am happy I was able to study those talks so thoroughly. P.s. I love my husband with all my heart. More than you can imagine.

So as far as this past conference; it was GREAT! I could never--no never pick a favorite talk. It's amazing how you can get something out of each and every one that will enrich you life; weather the topic directly relates to you or not. There were two talks in particular that made me really chuckle in parts.

The first one was by: Elder Robbins

His talk was largely about parenting. He has seven children! I come from a family with seven children. I can tell you it's a lot. I have two myself and I can tell you it's a lot. I love my children more than I love my own life. I am always keeping my mind open to ways to be a better parent. Elder Robbins talk had some AWESOME advise. (click) Here is the part that made me chuckle:

" A sweet obedient child will only enroll a father or mother in parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the enth degree, you will be enrolled in parenting 505! ( crowd erupts with laughter) Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving; you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and an opportunity to become more God like yourself. With which child your patience, long suffering, and other Christ like virtues most likely be tested, developed, refined. Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?"

So let me just say here. I know my children are only 4. And when they are 14 I will wish they were 4 again, or so I have been told. I think my hardest years are a head of me. I hope not--who knows. Anyway, they are good kids. But every mother and father--mostly mother ;) has hard days. I always think my kids are a little bit more hyper or adventuresome than other kids. Maybe this is true-- maybe it's not. I love who they are. I'd rather them be this way than bumps on a log. I couldn't help but think of myself as needing to be enrolled in parenting 505! I know there are children out there who have serious problems; be it physical or mental or emotional. Maybe the class of parenting 505 be reserved for them. ☺ I am so fortunate. Fortunate to have children in the first place and fortunate that they are healthy and happy and BEAUTIFUL! I want them to stay that way, so parenting 505? Sign me up! ☺ My mom said I need parenting 202...haha. I think because I have two kids. They are little and I will certainly need the 505 in years to come!

So I guess she needed/needs parenting 707. Lol.

The other talk that made me giggle was Elder Hollands. It is not easy to pick out a favorite apostle. But ok, if you were twisting my arm, I'd probably say Elder Holland. Ok, no probably about it. He is so humble. So wise. He speaks with conviction and passion and I LOVE it! I don't know him, but man do I love him! If I could sum up his talk in a few words, he was speaking about conference its self. At one point he spoke about how all the topics may not pertain to you directly, but they DO pertain to someone. He said, The voice of the lord will be heard one way or another. Elder Holland

His whole talk was moving an impassioned. (click)

But, here is the part that I found funny:

"If you are trying the best you can; if for example, you keep trying to hold family home evening in spite of the bedlam that sometimes reigns in a house full of little bedlamites...Then give yourself high marks!"

So, bedlamites...that made the crowd erupt with laughter as well! I sure do love my little bedlamites. None of this may transfer well taken out of the context of the talk, and more importantly the spirit of it. So if you missed it, I'd encourage you to watch. Reading is great too, but I love the expression and the spirit of it you get when hearing their actual voice and expression. What I love is when I read it I can then hear their voice and expression in my head.

I am grateful for Conference and the marvelous way it touches and uplifts all of God's children, if they let it. Grateful.