Piano, Mitt Romney, Martin Luther King, and the Wizard of Oz

On Saturday, Katelund and Cloey will be performing in a city-wide talent show that they auditioned for a couple of weeks ago. They will both be playing the piano. Katelund is playing Book of Mormon Stories (a simplified version) and Cloey will be playing Counting to Christmas. When they first told me they wanted to audition I was a little hesitant. I was afraid that they didn't know the songs well enough and that they would be too afraid to perform in front of a big audience, but then I remembered what keeps coming to my mind over and over again....I NEED TO TEACH MY CHILDREN TO HAVE COURAGE. So they auditioned, they made it, and their debut performance is in two days. I am so proud of them. I am so proud of Katelund for trying out and making a club at school where she is involved in doing the daily announcements (she rotates between being the news anchor, the weather girl, or the producer....it's SUCH a great club and I'm loving the experience she is having). I believe that of all the things that I can and should teach my girls, courage is right near the top of the list. Courage to do hard things. Courage to choose the right. Courage to stand out. Courage to be different. Courage to say no. Courage to stand alone. In the world that we live in, courage is an attribute that is essential.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yesterday was a hard day for many people as our dreams and anticipation for a new president were crushed. I believe that Mitt Romney was definitely the man for the job and I'm so disappointed that he won't get that opportunity. Some may feel that his campaign was a failure or that he failed by not getting the majority vote. No, he did not become the new president, but I believe that his campaign was a success. As he stood in front of hundreds of thousands of people all around the country and as he debated on live television, he stood out because he had courage. He had courage to stand up for what he believed in, even when he must have known that it would lose him votes. He had courage to declare his beliefs. As he stood there and declared to all the citizens of this great country that we are all children of God and that the only way to eliminate violence is in the home with a mother and a father, I couldn't have felt prouder. He didn't tell people what they wanted to hear (in fact, he told a lot of people what they didn't want to hear), he told the truth and testified of doctrine. He had courage.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just as Martin Luther King had a dream, so do I. I have a dream that my children and their children's children will have courage. Courage to make a difference in the world, even and especially within the walls of their own homes. Courage to stand up for truth and testify of doctrine, even when they are standing all alone. Courage to do and try hard things as they remember that success is not determined on the product as much as in the process. The process that shapes and molds character. I also have a dream that my children's courage will not only show them the way but will also become a source of light for others to follow. That as they courageously stand up for the right and boldly testify of Christ, their influence will be felt upon those who are afraid or who are searching for a better way.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The other day I was thinking about the movie Wizard of Oz and all the truth and symbolism within it. We are also on a journey back to our home. As we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and hold onto the iron rod of His word, we will find ourselves on the yellow brick road. The road that will lead us to where we want to go. The road that will lead us to He who is the giver of all gifts, even the gifts of of wisdom, courage, and love. And eventually, the road will lead us to our heavenly home and we will rejoice together as we remember that truly, there really is no place like home.