Christ inspires confidence

I always seem to have several books on my nightstand I'm working on at once, and usually one of those is a parenting book.  I got one recently about raising confident kids, and they have a few exercises I've been working with the kids on.  One morning, we did one where I asked the kids about a hero; someone they looked up to who stood tall and think about some of the things they admire about them.  Before I could tell them not to shout it out but close their eyes and visualize, Cal immediately blurted out "Jesus!"  Like Cal, I am grateful for Jesus Christ, who is the perfect exemplar, and because of Him, I can be like Him and do anything!

As I was taking the sacrament at church that Sunday, I was pondering a little bit about our exercise.  I thought of how Jesus wasn't just automatically amazing because He was chosen.  He was chosen because of who He was and what He'd do.  He was able to complete the atonement because He knew who He was and because of all of those little choices He made along the way, in the pre-earth life and during His mortal journey.  Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."  From the time he was a young boy, he prayed, he learned, he served.  All of those things led to him leading, teaching, performing miracles, serving as he grew.  And all of these things led to the miraculous atonement which blesses us all!  He couldn't have just done it without all of His preparation and the belief in who He was and in His mission, nor could He have completed His sacrifice without the relationship He had with the Father.  Just like Jesus, we can do amazing things and we can do hard things, but it takes remembering we are children of God, learning, growing, and working to be able to do so and someday all things will be possible for us to accomplish.

Thinking of these things also reminded me how although parenting books are great, and every little trick you can get that works for this child or that is good to know.  But the best parenting books out there are the scriptures.  I'm thankful for the Word of God in my life and the revelation I receive for myself and my family as I search them.  I'm thankful for my Savior, who is my hero.  The one I look to and long to be like and hope our kids will all look to as the ultimate hero & friend!