Brag on Bryce Week Continues

Today was a good day.  

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This morning was our Ward Conference.  For the second hour meetings, all the adult ward members met together while Stake leaders and volunteers took over the primary.  When we got home from church, I received the following email:

Brother and Sister Winters,

This morning I had the privilege of sitting next to your son, Bryce* in Primary. If our "Friend" magazine had a picture of a primary youth who demonstrates reverent behavior it would be a picture of Bryce.

In addition to reverence Bryce has a true spirit of brotherly love and compassion. At one point the Stake Primary Music leader handed the adult volunteer teachers medallions in the shape of shields with the letters "CBR" on them. "CBR" stands for "Caught Being Reverent", with instructions to present it to the child who was demonstrating reverent attributes. Bryce absolutely was the most reverent child in the entire primary. Not that others were not, just that Bryce was the poster child.

Immediately, and quietly, Bryce leaned over and up to my ear and asked me to please give the medallion to someone else, not him, because he had received it before. He also mentioned that Braeden had previously received it, and therefore recommended I select the young boy at the end of the row.I was emotionally impressed with the quality of this young boy, your son. Thanks for all that you have done, and do, to teach and raise your children.

Warm regards,

Brother Bean

Stake High Council

*Brother Bean misheard Bryce and thought he said his name was "Price."  I changed all the "Price" references in the letter to Bryce.

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In addition to the email about Bryce, Aubree also gave a talk in Primary.  She's given talks before, but usually does so grudgingly.  Last Sunday however, when she brought home the slip indicating she'd been selected to give a talk, she gushed, "How did they know I wanted to give a talk?!"

That evening she asked, "Instead of reading to me, can we work on my talk?"

She already knew exactly what scripture story she wanted to use as the basis of her talk.  I sat at the computer and she dictated exactly what she wanted to say (I only suggested the idea for the very last line).  

When I Repent, I Can Be Forgiven

Jonah was a prophet of God.  God told him to go to the city of Ninevah and tell the people to repent.  Jonah didn’t obey because he didn’t want to go to Ninevah.  He did not want to tell the people to repent. 

So, he got on a ship that was sailing to another city.  There was a storm with really big waves.  Jonah was asleep and the Captain of the ship woke him up and told him about the storm.  Jonah told the Captain to throw him overboard and the storm would stop.  They didn’t want to throw him overboard, but Jonah convinced them that the storm was because he didn’t obey God.  They threw him overboard and the storm stopped.

Heavenly Father sent a big fish and it swallowed him! Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights.  He prayed and told Heavenly Father that he was sorry and that he would go to Ninevah and tell the people to repent.  The fish put him on dry land and Jonah went to Ninevah and taught the people. The people listened and  Ninevah became a good city. 

Because Jonah repented, he was forgiven.  It is the same way for us.  If we do something naughty or bad, we can repent and Heavenly Father will forgive us.  We can pray and tell Him we are sorry, just like Jonah.  And hopefully we won’t have to be swallowed by a fish to know we should repent!

I was teaching my primary class when she delivered her talk, but Mark and others indicate that she did a marvelous job, with inflection, humor, and gusto.

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Immediately after church we hurried home for lunch.  Aubree said the prayer and when she finished, Thane piped up, "Me learned about reverence in nursery, and then me WAS reverent!"

Not only had he remembered what he learned in nursery, he applied it (and being reverent during a prayer is not a common occurrence for him)!

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And the icing on the already delicious cake... 

I got a text from the parents of one of the boys in my primary class thanking me for being his teacher and making a positive difference in his life.

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I'm grateful for days like today that give me hope that we're on the right path.  When things are hard and go wrong (as they often do) and I want to throw up my hands in frustration, I'll think back on these moments and press on.

I'm also reminded how important it is to take the time to acknowledge and express appreciation and admiration for those around us who influence us for good.  

Brother Bean didn't have to make the effort to send Mark and I that email.  We'd never met him before and possibly won't cross paths again.  

My primary child's parent didn't need to send me the text, I'm sure they were busy this afternoon.  

But both efforts were meaningful to me and our family.  I need to try and do better at that.