July 4, 2008; Independence DAY on so many levels...
Hailey was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 4, 2009. While celebrating our nation's Independence, we also celebrated an amazing choice made by my dear, sweet Hailey! I had so many emotions as we prepared for her baptism. I encouraged, and admonished Hailey to pray, study, and seek the truth for herself. I really wanted her to KNOW, really KNOW what she believed, and be prepared to stand by her beliefs. Becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a small thing. It means being a disciple of Christ, which takes constant nourishing, and patience.
This year I decided to plant a garden and some flower pots for my young women's faith project. This experience has really taught me what it means to have faith, and what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ. I have learned that planting a garden takes effort, and that same kind of effort is needed in gaining and maintaining a testimony. A garden needs nourished every day with water, and sunlight just like a testimony needs nourished every day with prayer, and scripture study.
How has my garden survived? It hasn't. I didn't put forth the effort of daily watering, and weeding that was required to produce vegetables, and beautiful flowers. In the beginning my plants were amazing. I remember stopping in my driveway just so I could look at my beautiful flower pots. In the beginning, I would find someone to water my flowers, and garden when I was leaving town...just to keep them nourished, and safe from the summer's heat. As the summer wore on, my plants got less and less attention. I found myself busy with swimming, church, family outings, and by the end of the day, I neglected my duties to my garden. The end result...--I no longer stop to admire my plants, or my garden. In fact, I sometimes deliberately shut my curtains just so I do not have to "admire" the dead foliage. I stopped nourishing, watering, and weeding, and the end result was a wilted, dried mess. So what was my lesson in regards to faith and testimony? I truly believe that gardening has extreme parallels to testimony, discipleship, and faith. Faith takes time. It is not something that will blossom in the beginning, and continue to blossom if it is left to itself. A testimony (faith) needs to be nourished each and every day. Life is busy. There are constant distractions that can pull us away from what matters most. If we do not make our testimonies a priority, then we will lose all that we have gained. I never want my testimony to resemble my garden. I never want my children's testimonies to resemble my garden. I hope that my family will learn from our "parable" of the garden, and nourish our testimonies always. I also hope that I can act as an instrument in the Lord's hands on my children's behalf's, and guide them to maintain, nourish, and flourish their testimonies, and through their independent choices they will always seek to be a disciple of Christ!
~My garden box with plants that can't be eaten~
Another thought...my garden didn't have room enough to stretch its roots. In Alma 32:28, it states "now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me...Now, behold, would not this increase your faith?" Drawing another parallel from this garden box and this scripture...my garden box did not allow the plants to swell, and therefore, the plants were not good. If we do not allow experiment upon the word, we will not allow the word to swell, and therefore, our testimonies will not have room to grow.
So, how does this have anything to do with Hailey's baptism? Making the decision to be baptized is a lifelong decision. I know that there will be bumps along the way. We all have struggles... I do believe; however, that if a decision is our own, then our ownership of that decision will bless our own individual garden of decisions. Let me explain... If we "own" our decisions, then just like my flowers started out beautiful, because they had proper soil, sun, and water, then so will that decision be beautiful, because it was made through thought, prayer, and personal revelation. It is my hope and prayer that Hailey made this decision based off of her beliefs...not mine, not Bryan's, not anybody else. If Hailey's decision to be baptized was based off of her individual testimony, and I think it was, then her "soil" for life will be well prepared. Through her own testimony she will have the strength to resist the trials that may beset her, and her garden will flourish. If she was baptized on a borrowed testimony, then when the trials come, her testimony will not stand against the summer's heat, and the parable of the garden will come to pass. I know this is not the case with Hailey. She has an amazingly strong testimony of her own. I believe that she will withstand any force that may beset her, and when she meets her Savior, she will blossom just like a watered garden. It is my hope that Hailey will always remember this day, and remember to keep her testimony watered.
~ Hailey and Bryan just before Hailey's Baptism~
~Hailey and Bryan after Hailey's Baptism~
~Family Shot~
~Hailey and Grandma~
Hailey received several gifts with symbolism on her baptism. One of those gifts was this quilt that Grandma Jo made for her. The quilt symbolizes the warmth of the Holy Ghost. Just like a blanket can warm you on the outside, the Holy Ghost can warm you on the inside. Bryan and I gave Hailey an "Eight is Great" book, which held all of the testimonies and thoughts of those most dear to her. Whenever Hailey struggles, she can turn to this book, and seek guidance from those who love her (along with the scriptures). We also gave her a movie, which depicted her life from birth. And finally, we gave her a white dress with matching white jewelry. The color white symbolizes purity, and it will hopefully serve as a reminder to Hailey to keep her self pure, and clean, and unspotted from the world.
Grandma Elkington gave Hailey a new set of scriptures, and Aunt Sheri, Piper, Eric, and Uncle Layne gave Hailey a scripture case.
Aunt Andrea gave Hailey and INDEPENDENCE willow tree angel, which will remind Hailey of her amazing decision to get baptized.
I had the opportunity to give a talk at her baptism, and I found an idea on-line that paralleled a tarnished penny to baptism and being clean and unspotted from the world. In my talk, I demonstrated that a tarnished penny can become "clean" if baptized by the right authority (right authority meaning priesthood; i.e. salt and vinegar). The once tarnished penny was then removed from the waters of baptism clean and pure. We then talked about how clean and shiny the "baptized" penny looked, and how it represented how God wanted us to live our lives. We talked about how baptism makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven and our "tarnish" removed. After baptism, we are as clean as a new penny. The children were then presented with a new 2009 penny to always remind them to remain clean and untarnished by the world.
~Mom and Dad Kiss~
After a family dinner, we ended our day by setting off a few of our own fireworks, and then going down town to watch the city firework show.
~I love Hailey's eyes in the picture!~
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~Hailey in front of the Boise Temple~ 
~Stephanie Wilkey's family was also visiting Utah, and they were able to go to Jill's birthday party too.~
Rattlesnake Rapids was our favorite ride by far! We had so much fun trying to dodge the water! Our "dodging" almost got us into trouble when I almost fell out of the boat! Our stomachs hurt from laughing so hard!
The GIRLY GIRLS with Grandma...Karen was unable to come, and she was missed greatly!
~MILLER FAMILY PORTRAIT~
When I first married Bryan, I do not think I appreciated the value of this tradition, but as the years have passed, and memories have been made...I wouldn't miss this tradition for the world! Someday I will have to ask how this tradition was ever dreamed up, but for now it suffices to say that it is a simple tradition in which we all choose "boats" (i.e. sticks, pine cones, cow pies, weeds), which we then throw into the stream, and cheer like crazy for our "boat" to persevere! The winner is always the most talented boat (of course)...except when my boat is behind, and then is mere happen chance that someone else's boat won. Actually..., this is the first year my boat was even in the running...but, boy did we have fun!
SECOND PLACE with SHOOT 'EM UP...I think that's what I named it...we all give our boats names too...it's good for cheering purposes!
