Today is a day that makes me remember why I don’t want to live in northern Utah for the rest of my life. Winter can be very bleak here. I have been rejoicing that the past two weeks have been so bright and sunny. It made the exit from Christmas so much easier. The shining sun and snow-less days almost felt like summer. (Not spring, because Utah springs tend to be just more winter, at least lately.) But today is snowy and gray.

We have been making snowflakes for our homeschooling and reading Snowflake Bentley. As I pondered this picture book classic I thought of the idea I had presented in Family Home Evening on Monday night. We talked about the article in the January 2012 Ensign about God’s plan for each of us, and how that relates to the Book of Mormon. http://lds.org/ensign/2012/01/the-book-of-mormon-and-gods-plan-for-us?lang=eng God has an overarching plan, the plan of salvation, and then within the plan He has a plan for our daily lives, in terms of what to do with the scriptures, the Sabbath day, caring for the poor, what to eat, whether to live as an individual or as a family, and more. Then He has a plan for each of us that fits within those two plans. And on it goes. The Ensign article points out that the Book of Mormon has scriptures with a plan for each of those things.

Then to conclude the lesson I presented this video from Mormon Messages (if I find it I will post) about how important it is to look around you always to notice the beauty, and and not take it for granted. In other words, to live in thanksgiving daily as you live all of your plans (and have them disrupted by toddlers, money problems, natural disasters, etc.)

Wilson Bentley was a farmer in Vermont who did just that. He noticed the beauty in each snowflake and was the first to take actual photos of snowflakes. Here’s his story. We watched some other videos about him. (As a side note I will add that I think it’s so cool that his mother homeschooled him until his teen years. Would he have turned out differently if he had been forced to sit at school all day in his younger years?)

So that make me wonder, what is the beauty all around me for me to notice, even when I am going through hard painful times? Why does Heavenly Father put such beauty into snowflakes when they for the most part go unnoticed and melt away? What does that teach me about His plan? Is there far more beauty in this life than I even know?

Just watching these snowflakes below makes my heart ache with pleasure. God gives these snow crystals to us every winter. It’s so cool to see how within many of the snowflakes you see little snowflakes, and then smaller ones would appear on those if you could get closer. Those are tessellations. Tessellations are God’s way of telling us that there are lots of little plans for our lives within His big beautiful plan of salvation. It reminds me of trees too and family history. Within every tree there are little tree networks, and then even smaller networks in those. Same with families.  God reveals his beauty and love in repetition and order, but then there are little surprises when you look closer.

My sister sent me these pictures of her kids playing with rainbows, pretending to eat them or have them be mustaches. Seeing them reminded me of another article in the January Ensign. http://lds.org/ensign/2012/01/rediscovering-a-wonder-of-the-world-and-avoiding-the-dangers-of-spiritual-apathy?lang=eng

I will sum the article up here. It’s about how an LDS tour guide to Machu Picchu in Peru has noticed that some people come on tours to the place thinking they know all about the lost city of the Incas. People can get that way with the gospel. He points out that scientists continue to discover new things about Machu Picchu. And there’s always more to discover about your life.  If you are feeling bored or apathetic, especially about life in general or the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s time to rekindle the wonder in your life.

How do you do that? The articles tells us:

!. Know that there is always something more God wants you to know and that you need to know to be happier.

2. Know that in order to know it you must have the Holy Ghost.

3. Know that in order to know it you must put forth effort on your part. In other words, you have to ask and work for the answer.

I just love loving knowing that there’s always more to know. No matter what I know about the gospel, or mothering, or breastfeeding, or attachment parenting, or gardening, or NFP, or homeschooling, or ANYTHING, there’s always something more to know. Always another unit in the tessellation.  For some reason it makes me feel safe and happy. I guess it’s like knowing that God has an eternal treasure chest that will constantly flow with beautiful, wonderful treasures. It’s my choice whether or not I am humble enough to receive them.