The Strongest Sermon You Will Ever Preach is the Way you Live your Life...

I love getting the emails from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the message of their Broadcast- they are usually very uplifting and inspirational no matter what your faith. I loved this weeks message... and it was such a good reminder to me in so many ways...

"A young student sat at his desk, beaming as his teacher praised his perfect score in front of the rest of the class. But when the tests were handed back, he realized he had actually made a mistake and didn’t truly deserve his perfect grade. He debated with himself whether to tell the teacher or just let it go.

His conscience won out, and after class, he told the teacher. She was so impressed with his honesty that she let him keep his A+. That evening he told his mother of the inner battle he faced once he realized the error. He was so proud of his perfect score that he was tempted to remain quiet.
But then he remembered, a few months earlier, riding with his mother as she drove back to the grocery store to return a few coins the clerk had overpaid her by mistake. Once he remembered his mother’s act of integrity, the battle was over, and his decision was made.¹

The way you live your life is the strongest sermon you will ever preach. Our children tend to repeat our actions whether we like it or not, just as a mirror reflects our smallest detail. If we want to change what we see in the mirror, our efforts are best spent not on trying to change the mirror but on improving ourselves. It follows, then, that if we’d like our children to be more courteous, patient, or selfless, we must strive to make sure those qualities are clearly visible in our own lives.

Of course children make their own choices—some of which seem to have no clear origin in their heredity or their upbringing. But it’s also true that the best advantage a child could ever have is the loving example of a parent who—though imperfect—is honestly striving to model virtuous living. Someday someone may say to your children, “You’re just like your dad” or “just like your mom.” And if you’ve done your best to set a good example, it will be high praise indeed."

Love that principle and love that first story- how the boy knew to be honest about his test score because he had seen his mother, not just tell him to be honest, but be honest herself. I am still learning how to SHOW my children patience and love and honesty and kindness and everything else... not just tell them to do it. Even as young as Allie is, she copies everything we say and do! The kids are realizing that and recognizing they need to be better examples to her too. A personal story to illustrate this? Last fall we headed to well checks... a little background info... booster seats are not required by law, but highly suggested until age 9 in Arizona. Of course my kids were bailing out of carseats of any kind by age 5! In past well checks the Dr goes through all her questions, and I have looked like such a bad mom as all my kids have answered the Dr, "No we aren't in a carseat!" Then I get the lecture from our Dr... who I really like actually... but it is a lecture nonetheless. :-) So last fall as we drove to the Dr's I said without even thinking about it, you can just tell the Dr you are still in a carseat so she doesn't think I am such a bad mom!" I kind of laughed... but Colby didn't think it was funny. He piped up from the back, "So Mom! You really want us to LIE to her?!?" BAH! I felt horrible! I changed my mind in one instant, apoligizing to them and telling them we should always tell the truth. They of course did tell the truth to the Dr and I didn't mind her lecture so much... it was way better than hearing my kids shocked.. and dissapointed... at the fact that I would tell them to lie to someone! Lesson learned. This is one of the reasons why I love being a Mom so much.... I'm constantly learning new things from my kiddos every day and becoming a better person in the process. :-)