Lady Cady

Faith * Family * Life

Faith

Remarkable

Is there perhaps someone in your life you think is remarkable, but you don’t always appreciate like you should? Let this be the year you change that! Everyone deserves to hear from time to time how much they are appreciated. It lifts the spirits. Lightens loads. Renews strength to keep pushing on. But if you are the one who feels burdened down, unappreciated, or unloved, – take heart. You mean more to us then you will ever realize. ❤

Do you know your reach –
How much you’re loved by those you teach?
Do you know your smile,
When hard to give is still worthwhile?
Do you know your hug
Always gives my heart a tug?
Do you know your good
Is a thing I wish you understood?
Do you know your service
Always has amazing purpose?
Do you know your intelligence
Also shows such humble benevolence?
Do you know your worth –
That you were born of Noble Birth?
Even on your hardest day,
When overcome with great dismay,
Your value is beyond compare
And God listens to each humble prayer.
For to Him you are His Precious One
But you also mean so much to ev’ryone.
We may not always share we care
But we’re so glad for the Burdens, you help us bear.
You are a light within our life.
You give us strength amidst our strife.
You’re someone we can’t help look up to.
You are remarkable, through and through.

The Beauty in a Mountain Pass

I grew up in a desert climate, but I’ve always loved the mountains. We frequently drive over the beautiful Cascades to visit my husband’s family who live a few hours away. Even though we have taken that drive more times than I can count, I always find myself in awe of how beautiful they are each time we take that drive. (Also keeping my eye out for Sasquatch 😉 ) How lucky we are to live in such a beautiful world!

As I drive the Mountain Pass
I contemplate the things that last.
My heart refilled with gratitude
As I appreciate the altitude.
I soak in the beauty all around.
Find answers that, here only found.
Watch an elk as it wanders by.
Watch a bird fly through the sky.
Admire the complexity of a waterfall
And watch its paths – the big and small.
Breathe in the fresh clean mountain air.
Let the breeze mess with my hair.
Wonder at the majesty
And humility beneath each tree.
Enjoy the stillness faraway
From the hustle of my day.
Once again, my soul renewed
As I enjoy this solitude.
Grateful for each mountain high
God sought to make, personify.
With beauty that’s beyond compare.
God’s touch is clearly everywhere.
How blessed we are by this great earth.
How blessed we are to see its worth.

I’m On the Right Road

The past few years have been challenging for many. Our family included. The thing with life is – it will always be challenging at times. So why not learn from each challenge and trial that comes your way and choose to lean on Christ to get you through.

Today I received some startling news
And now I am left standing at a place I must choose.
One path is anger and bitterness too.
Resentment and choices I can’t ever undo.
The other is narrow and incredibly straight –
I’m not sure my sorrow can even fit through the Gate.
And if, somehow, I manage to take it,
Do I have the strength to full undertake it?
Do I have the power within to do what it takes?
To fully forgive, let go, my sorrows forsake?
How much easier it’d be to simply hold on –
Hold onto the pain till my life is all gone.
But, oh, how heavy – my sorrows to bear.
If I don’t make it through with the right kind of care.
So, with that in mind, I’ll choose the straight road
With kindness, forgiveness, and love a la mode.
For Jesus is there waiting to greet.
To help and to lift these travel worn feet.
And I’ll pass on to him this new heavy load
And with peace I will know – I’m on the right road.

Drawn In – Our favorite Come Follow Me Resource!

It’s time to jump into a new year of Come Follow Me scripture study. Can you believe it? Where did 2021 go?! As a mom of four and former Primary President, I know this is an area that can bring many blessings but can also be a big struggle to implement. Especially with kids! (Trust me, with my four kids, I’m right there with you). As a family, we have tried several different approaches to our family study through the last several years. Between my husband and I, we’ve been through many callings that have kept us crazy busy too – Bishopric 1st councilor, early morning Seminary teacher, and now Bishop for my husband and Primary 1st Councilor, Primary President and now Nursery Leader for me. (Okay nursery leader isn’t so busy but every Sunday I kind of become Single Mom by default. 🙂 ) After much trial and error, we discovered that Sunday evenings is Our Time. This is the one day we’re home and it just works best for us. I know that it’s different for everyone and that’s okay!! What matters is that we’re studying the scriptures as a family, right?

The second half of successful Come Follow Me study we’ve discovered is finding something that works, that keeps all the kids engaged, that teaches us, and is easy for us parents! I hear stories about amazing but elaborate things families do for their family Come Follow Me and at first, I felt a bit of Failure Syndrome creeping in to eat me up, but eventually I got over it. I love to keep things simple, it works, end of story.

I was called to be the Primary President in 2019, that first year of Come Follow Me, when we studied the New Testament. I began looking for different resources out there that families were using and passing them on to the Parents in our ward in an email each week. At the end of 2019, one of our favorite authors, David Bowman, announced he was going to start doing videos for Come Follow Me starting in 2020 too. We were excited! We signed up right away and have loved every single one! They have been a huge blessing to our family. David does an amazing job of teaching the concepts for each lesson and making them fun and engaging for all ages. He does it in a way that helps my kids get what the lesson is trying to teach them, often better than my husband and I teaching the lesson from the manual. There have been so many episodes my kids have asked to watch over and over on their own. When my daughter is asked to give a talk for Primary, she now will watch the video for the week and is able to write much of her talk on her own. My husband has even admitted to looking up a video or two for ideas on how to teach a particular concept/story to the youth. We usually go through the lesson in the manual as a family and then watch the video when we’re done. Sometimes though we do have those weeks where we just watch the videos and call it good… Life is real Ya’ll. I am especially grateful for this option as we plunge into the Old Testament!

David has a lot of great books for kids and teens as well as beautiful artwork. He did a thing for a while called “Teancum’s Warriors”. He stopped doing this for now to focus on his Drawn In videos so somehow, I need to figure out how to get my youngest two kids included in the group someday. 🙂 The package included a cute picture he drew of each kid and an assigned number of which one of Teancum’s Warriors they were. They also got a beautiful picture of Christ of their choosing and a fun headband. My kids are #26 and #27. My daughter has her picture hanging on the wall surrounded by some of her favorite scriptures.

We have loved David’s books as well. (Not pictured below – Dude, Don’t be Lemuel simply because it’s lost somewhere in a teenage bedroom….) We read the Who’s Your Hero series over and over when my oldest two were younger. We still occasionally say “Natural man – scram” when someone is needing a reminder to behave better.

If you are interested in finding out more, (which I recommend!) you can go here. You will find samples of videos, what’s included in your subscription, pricing options, etc. This is one Come Follow Me resource you won’t regret adding in each week!

Always Be Loved

We recently celebrated the two youngest Cady Kids birthdays. (They share a birthday which is so fun!) It’s hard to believe how fast the time is going and how big they are already! Of course, my babies growing up caused me to reflect on life, where they’re all going, and who they’re becoming. Each of my kids is so unique in their personalities. I know each will go different places in life and do great things but for now, I’m going to love as many moments as I can – even through all the crazy, blue paint episodes. 🙂

One by one my babies grow.
Where they’ll go – I don’t yet know.
But this I guarantee to you
Each will be loved through and through.
Through each broken picture frame.
Through each family night board game.
Through each forgotten set of chores.
Through each trip to the grocery store.
Through each night while sick in bed.
Through each silly thing they’ve said.
Through each crazy sibling fight.
Through each crazy Halloween night.
Through each homecooked meal uneaten.
Through each card game that I’m beaten.
Through Sunday evening scripture study.
Through wet gloves and shoes all muddy.
Through lots and lots of piano practice.
Through all the little things that distract us.
And yes, perhaps even through
The times my walls are drawn on in blue.
And through it all as they grow
I’m grateful for one thing I know –
No matter what may come to be,
Our family is Eternally.
What a blessing, what a gift.
How much the knowledge gives a lift.
For this little clan of mine
Is a part of God’s design.
And though one by one my babies grow,
They’ll always be loved – this I know.

In Faith I Serve

Are you ever weighed down by your trials in life? Do you ever find it hard to serve others? Been there done that right there with you friend. It’s not always easy. I think it was meant to be that way. Anyone who has ever been served during their own hard times (hopefully) can understand the value and appreciation of service to others. Never fear what you may be sacrificing when you serve others, for when you serve you share the Savior’s light and that is always worth it.

Sometimes I wonder just “Why me?”
And if someday I’ll ever be
More than lost within the fray,
More than what I am today.
Will I have more strength to bear?
Will I have more love to share?
Then someone kindly reaches out,
And stays with me all throughout,
And again, I feel the Savior’s love
That strengthens me to let go of
The hurt, the pain that weighs me down.
The feel of being complete broke down.
And in the place where pain once filled
I feel strength and love have been refilled.
Gratitude, humility,
And faith with a bit more unbreakability.
My eyes then open – see the worth
Of these hard times I’ve had while here on Earth.
Of the person that I am
Of the strength of that lowly Lamb.
And I realize what he needs of me –
To strengthen others on bended knee,
What his followers try to convey,
What we each should try to portray –
Kindness, love, humility,
And a great willingness just to be
His hands to those who feel run down,
His hands to those who feel weighed down.
To serve with great tenacity.
To love with great capacity.
When we understand these things
We’re lifted up on angel’s wings.
So, with this faith I go to serve –
Maybe more than some deserve –
But in the end, it’s all alright
Because I shared the Savior’s Light.