Everett's creative writing

 

Doughnut boy and the flying tissue box

By Everett Roemhildt

There once was a cloudy and tornado-y storm that sucked up a tiny little squirrel from his nest that laid on a branch of a cardboard house. With a whirling tornado like wind, the squirrel fall into the house's window. Which was also spinning mixed up in the tornado. The Squirrel found a spinning tissue box inside the cardboard house and managed to climb into the tissue box before being chucked out of the cardboard window once again.

Five miles away there was a boy was playing outside reaching for a doughnut his mom brought to him, when out of the blue, flew a tissue box and landed in his hand. Not surprised at all that his reach for a doughnut was redirected, his calmly reached into the tissue box and pulled out the squirrel. Now he was surprised, for a flash of a moment, but then he took the squirrel out of the box and chucked the tissue box under the basketball hoop, Then he throw the squirrel into the basketball hoop and the squirrel landed back in the tissue box. After the squirrel landed safe and sound, the tornado came over to where the squirrel was and sucked up the squirrel leaving the tissue box and the boy behind. The squirrel was once again in the eye of the tornado and he climbed back into his nest that was on the branch of the cardboard house.

Meanwhile mama squirrel saw the tornado pick up the cardboard house, the branch, their home and her baby and grew powerfully angry. With normal mama squirrel anger she ran towards the tornado with an eye fixed on the cardboard house and punched that cardboard house, branch and nest clear out of the tornado. Landing safe and sound where is belonged.

Safe at last, Mama squirrel climbed into her nest and snuggled baby squirrel back to sleep.

The End.

Elizabeth's sacrament talk

 

Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ

Emily Belle Freeman

Sister Freeman shares her experience walking “the Jesus trail| in Israel with a broken foot.  And how she needed to tether herself to others to help her finish the hike. 

When she got back home she began to listen more closely to the conversations around her regarding covenants. (quote) “I noticed people asking “Why do I need to walk a covenant path?  

Do I need to enter a house for making covenants? 

Why do I wear the holy garments?  

Should I invest in a covenant relationship?

Sister Freeman continues: The answer to these good and important questions are simple:  

It depends on what degree of relationship you want to experience with Jesus Christ.  

Then Sister Freeman Said

“Each of us will have to discover our own response to those deeply personal questions.”

Sister freeman went on to share her own declaration regarding the why

Listen closely to each line.  I’ll try to give you a moment to take in her response.

I walk this path as a “beloved daughter of heavenly parents,”19 divinely known20 and deeply trusted.21 

As a child of the covenant, I am eligible to receive promised22 blessings. 

I have chosen23 to walk with the Lord. 

I have been called24 to stand as a witness of Christ. 

When the path feels overwhelming, I am strengthened25 with enabling grace. 

Each time I cross the threshold of His house, I experience a deeper covenant relationship with Him. 

I am sanctified26 with His Spirit, endowed27 with His power, and set apart28 to build His kingdom. 

Through a process of daily repentance and weekly partaking of the sacrament, I am learning to become steadfast29 and to go about doing good.30 

I walk this path with Jesus Christ, looking forward to the promised day when He will come again. 

Then I will be sealed His31 and lifted up as a holy32 daughter of God.

This is why I walk the covenant path.

This is why I cling to covenant promises.

This is why I enter His covenant house.

This is why I wear the holy garment as a constant reminder.

Because I want to live in a committed covenant relationship with Him.

Perhaps you do too.

End of quote

As I listened to Sister Freeman’s conference address a flood of memories washed over me.  I wish to share these memories and impressions with you today, but: (insert disclaimer here) the spoken language is not my strength.  So I apologize now if you find yourself needing the gift of tongues to make any sense out of my talk.  

Let’s step back in time for a bit. 

During the 2019 October Session of General Conference President Nelson gave a talk called Spiritual Treasures.  In his address he extended an invitation to the relief society sisters to Study the Priesthood for the next 6 months.  

“I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power.”

“I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts, because I believe it will change your life.”  

“The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do.”

“This process is neither quick nor easy but it is spiritually invigorating.”

And so I began a journey to learn all that I could about Priesthood power.  

At the time of President Nelson’s invitation Sister Freeman was a seminary teacher and was sharing come follow me study videos on youtube.  When she heard president Nelson's request for the RS sisters to study the priesthood she felt an “inkling” to start an online study group, where women could study the priesthood together.  

The next six months of my life were filled with beautiful spiritual conversations and personal revelation as  I studied alongside Sister Freeman.  

I am so grateful for Sister Freeman’s guidance. She shared books about the priesthood, offered questions to ponder and gave me a platform to share my own thoughts. 

For some reason, as I studied the scriptures President Nelson shared with us,  I kept having a distinct thought that “if I could just know my heavenly Mother better I think I'd be able to better understand my role in God’s priesthood.”  Anytime I had this thought, I would  immediately start to doubt the impression.   I thought that we didn’t know much about heavenly Mother and that if I went down this rabbit hole I'd get off track.  But still the impression persisted.  After the first few months and the 78th spiritual nudge,  I worked up the courage to ask my much wiser older sister what she thought of my desire.  

With excitement she cheered me on, and even gave me a starting point.  In a sense, she gave me the courage to  reintroduce myself to my Heavenly Mother.  With new understanding and faith over fear I started to see my Mother’s presence all around me. 

 I could hear her name as I sang “Come to Zion, Come to Zion and within her walls rejoice.”  

I began to see her gentle beauty in the temple endowment, and in my quietness She would sit with me.     

The more I studied the scriptures president Nelson recommended studying, the more familiar my mother’s presence became.  I began to feel “truth registering in my Heart”.  I could see my life was forever changing and the treasures of heaven were opening up to me.  

Do you want to know the most surprising thing that I learned through this process?  

I came to love Jesus more.

It felt as if I was introduced to my heavenly Mother through Jesus Christ.  It felt as though He was the one who encouraged me to doubt my doubts and exercise a particle of faith to seek Her.  It was His words in the scriptures that pointed my spiritual eyes to my Mother.  And as I sat with Her, felt her calm and powerful presence, my love for my Savior grew.  I felt a love for my savior like I have never felt before.   I think I got to feel a glimpse of Her love for Him.  

One day, I was thinking to myself, or maybe more accurately, I was basking in a feeling of  awe, when I asked myself; “If finding my heavenly mother has made such an impact on me why isn’t everyone being called to look for Her?”  

And you know what.  The Holy Ghost replied with the best answer.

He said.  Elizabeth, all truth can be circumSCRIBED into one whole. And then with clarification He continued.  I pictured a large circle with everything that the Gospel of Jesus Chist encompasess was inside.  It reminded me of an image of a swirling universe.   I could see music, scriptures, nature, and family.   And I got it.  For me finding my Heavenly Mother brought me closer to the Savior,  but anything and everything can bring us to our Savior.  

If you have a desire for music, He will meet you there.  

If you find the scriptures to be a delight, he will meet you there.  

If you find comfort in nature,gardening,Exercise,

or even if you are just open to hearing Him, 

He will meet you there.   

We are all invited to walk a covenant relationship with Christ.

We too can be like Sister Freeman and tether our lives to Christ.  

I found my why in 2020 and as Sister Freeman shared her “why” in her conference, the Spirit reminded me of mine. 

I extend Sister Freeman’s invitation and encourage you to ponder your Why?  

Why do you attend church?  

Why do you strive to walk a covenant path?  

Should you invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord?  

 I encourage you to take some time today to re-read Sister Freeman’s words, or watch her talk.

 Then, with President Nelson’s advice, try to (quote) “think celestial” about your why.

 

Here is my own declaration.  The words are borrowed but they mean so much to me.

I walk this path as a “beloved daughter of heavenly parents,”19 divinely known20 and deeply trusted.21

 Because of my Heavenly Parents I want to walk this mortal life tethered to my beloved brother, my friend, and my Savior Jesus Chirst.   

Each step I take I take in faith.  

I look forward to the day when my eyes will see my Savior in the flesh, and I will be reunited with my eternal parents.  

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Notes if I need to go in a different direction

 

I was asked to speak on a conference talk from this past October session. Usually I take notes while I listen but this past time  I decided not to take notes. Hehehehe. Thankfully even without note taking the Holy Ghost gave me three impactful impressions on my heart from three different talks that have helped nourish my testimony.  

1. Gary E Stevenson’s talk Promptings of the Spirit- The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost blesses our lives.  

1. Wow, look at us!

2. We are awesome

3. We are children of God

4. He knows us

5. He loves us

6. We are gifted

7. Gifted with the constant companionship of the holy ghost

2. Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ

1. Any virtuous desires we feel impressed to pursue can lead us closer to Christ.  Tethering our heart to Him

3. Tithing Opening the windows of Heaven.

1. We can ask for the blessing of “wanting not” as we faithfully strive to pay an honest tithing.

Promptings of the Spirit 

by Gary E. Stevenson

Many of you start your day by standing in front of a mirror. Tomorrow, this week, this year, always, pause as you look at yourself in the mirror. Think to yourself, or say aloud if you like, “Wow, look at me! I am awesome! I am a child of God! He knows me! He loves me! I am gifted—gifted with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion!”

By Elder Neil L. Andersen

My mother has taught me that there are temporal blessings and spiritual blessings that come from paying our tithing. My mother taught me that if we always pay our tithing, we will want for nothing. And President Andersen, we want for nothing.”

choosing goodness

​It makes me happy to see so much good in the world.  It makes me understand I’m not missing out on anything because there is so much goodness to choose from.

There is goodness in girls camp but there is goodness in family vacations too.  

There is goodness in public school but there is goodness in homeschooling too.

There is goodness in movies and books and I don’t have to feel like I need it all in my life.  I can choose the goodness right for me and not feel like I’m missing out.  

definition in all things

​Putting Edgar to bed I asked: “are you cozy?

Edgar: what is cozy?

Me: it means you’re comfortable.

Edgar What is comfortable?

Me: It means you’re relaxed and happy.

Edgar: what is happy?

And it goes on and on.

Edgar Arlo ago 4

Meet Jr Hot stuff.

​ 

I put Edgar in a sweater for church and on the way to church I told Edgar if he gets hot we could take off his sweater.  He quickly declared he was already Hot.  

Gwenevere jumped in and agreed.

“Yes, Edgar you’re really hot. She went on to explain “Hot means you’re pretty.”  

Edgar excited by this new understanding starts declaring everything as hot.

  “Look at those hot flowers.  

Look at that hot store. Look the road is hot. And he did that all the way to church.  😂

James’ nicknames are The warm-y Guy and HotStuff.  I think we might have a Jr  HotStuff on our hands

mommy burnout

​I get asked often how I can handle homeschooling and being a stay at home mom.  “Don’t you ever get burnt out?”  Yes. 

 When Everett was 1 and we just started homeschooling and life with three littles was emotionally draining there where times when I felt burnt out.  I remember the Spirit telling me to take a year for myself.  My workouts came before homeschooling, park days came before laundry.  I took time to rest and I felt so much better.  I took a whole year to heal from burn out.  My kids watch more tv that year and that was ok.  I wanted life to continue this way forever.  However,  unsurprisingly and also surprisingly, almost a little over a year later I felt impressed to do more.  Make my kids education first priority and home care second with lots of breaks as I needed them in between.  The change wasn’t as easy as I had hoped but within time I realized I needed far less me time than I thought.  To this day I feel that way.  Self care can be as simple as resting without your phone by your side or cooking a meal with music playing.  

I will be the first the point out staying at home and homeschooling my kids is made much easier with James’ flexible work schedule.  Some weeks I’m grateful we works four days in a row.  He’s days off tend to be used for family fun, errands, and even me time. James only works 4 days a week and it provides lots of flexibility.  But it’s also nice when he works 4 days in a row and life is filled with routine of schoolwork, laundry and cleaning.  I love the balance in my life.  I love watching my kids grow and become more emotionally regulated and independent.  I love seeing their brains and bodies grow and develop.  I love seeing the cycle of growth on a larger scale.  The phases you see in a baby and toddler continue on.  Parenting doesn’t get easier, but with all things, the more time you put into parenting the more growth you get out.  

So now I have days of burn out but I don’t let them stay for long.  

That’s my long winded answer to the common question I get asked.  

Grace Goes to the Temple

​Yesterday Grace and I went to the temple to do family baptisms with our ward youth.  It was Grace’s first time and I am humbly honored to have witnessed it.  

Our ward isn’t the most organized and when they planned a youth temple trip the very first weekend of January I figured they’d also be setting up temple recommend interviews too,  but no.  🤪. It was so frustrating and I wasn’t going to try to go since it felt like the youth program wasn’t going to be much help but at the last minute I messaged our ward secretary who contacted the bishop and he gracefully agreed to interview Grace 30 minutes before the departure time.  

I felt bad putting Grace on the spot and with such short time to prepare.  But she read through the questions and got dressed and away we went.  While she was reading the temple recommend questions I got in family search and printed out four family names.  

We invited Gwenevere to Tag along with us and away we went to Portland.  

Gwenevere stayed in the car since she wasn’t feeling good.

Grace followed instructions asked questions and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  She was one of the last to be baptized.  

When we came out of the temple Grace immediately said “I wouldn’t say it was fun, but I liked it.”  We took a few pictures and then rushed to the car to meet up with Gwenevere.  We drove to ikea and dinner and spent and hour planning and dreaming of a kitchen remodel and a game plan to convert the school room into a spare bedroom.  

In our way home we picked up milkshakes and pretzels at sonic (Gwenevere’s favorite) and arrived home tired at around 10pm.  

I hope to never forget the sweet moments in the temple watching Grace so beautifully demonstrate her testimony as she participated in the gathering of Israel.  

For our family records I wish to record the names of our family members Grace stood in proxy for.

Gertrude Fagg

Ida Fagg

Margaret Clifford Moore

Ella Snider