Jackson Family Theme 2017

I spent the month of December reflecting on the past year and planning for the year ahead. Each member of our family is working on establishing small but significant habits this coming year.  Some we are excited about doing, and others we are more excited about the results of future discipline. On Saturday as we were sitting down to dinner a flash of inspiration hit: we need a family theme to carry us through.  I pulled out the scriptures while Andrew served up the food, reading several passages from Alma 37.  After a little discussion everyone nicely went along with my idea to declare Alma 37:6 the Jackson Family Theme for 2017.

I hope this scripture will be written on our hearts as we live the principle this year.  I hope we will be encouraged and strengthened by the words as we do the little things each day.  I also need a reminder for me in the day to day to be buoyed up in this phase of life with little kids.  The days are full of small and simple tasks.  Sometimes I feel frustrated with the lack of progress and lack of energy.  Yet the time I spend loving, nurturing, teaching, encouraging, coaching, cleaning, scrubbing, soaking, washing, fixing, finding with and for our kids is the most important work I will ever do.  I often feel the joy and gratitude that comes with being a mother, but when I don’t I want to turn to these instructive words.

I pulled out the Liahona I got in Israel for another visual reminder of Alma’s teachings about small and simple things.

“And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it…And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works…For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land…And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.” (Alma 37:38-45)

I designed a print for our front room where we can look at it all year.  I would love to share it with you – click here to download.