A Simple Book

Yesterday we were having Family Home Evening with Steve, Hannah, and Max using Skype. For those of you who don't know what Skype is, pretty much it's a video phone conference. Every Monday we do our lessons together, even though we are states apart. This week we were talking about how different we are all, but how we all together make up a wonderful family. We each went around and shared some different things about ourselves. When it was Ellie's turn one of things she said was how she is reading the Book of Mormon. I felt so proud of her and her choice to read this special book.
The kids have been missing their dad a little more lately than usual. I am sure missing their dad comes from a combination of me getting married, the anniversary of his death, and Easter. Ellie came in my room one night and seemed very upset and sad. I told her when I am sad, I start reading the scriptures and then I start to feel peace. I asked her if she thought reading the scriptures could being her peace. She said yes and went off to start reading. Well for the first week, she carried them around with her everywhere, reading whenever she had a chance. A couple of weeks later I asked her how was her reading going. She said that it's been kind of hard now that she was in 2 Nephi. I just had to smile and tell her, lots and lots of people find 2 Nephi hard to read! She than went on to say, before when she read the scriptures, she was just reading the words not really thinking about what she was reading. But now she was actually thinking about what she read, which made it easier to read.
Yesterday was a very rough day for me! The monkeys had spilled water on my laptop, which now no longer works! This put me into major stress mode! Ellie just started to take over and help me. She got the monkeys ready for bed and picked up the house for me. I have noticed lately a positive change in her as she consistently read her scriptures. I see her want to be more of a peacemaker than a trouble maker. She becomes my little helper and knows exactly what to do to make my life easier. As I was reading the Ensign this morning a wonderful thought came into my mind. Without the loss of Ellie's daddy, would she be reading the scriptures right now? Would she has such a tremendous desire to feel the spirit? Would her faith be growing? Not, that I would wish any trial on any one, but are we growing from what life is trying to teaching us? Do we take the trials in our life and become a better person? I hope Ellie will discover for herself the importance of reading the scriptures everyday. She can start a pattern now in her life that will be a tremendous support, no matter what situation lays ahead for her. She is such a blessing to me. I love my boobalicious!