They arrived Saturday around 4 Pm. Brady brought down the rock band equipment from his bedroom and they started to play. I had to snap a couple of pictures of the family.
Maurice is watching, Kyle on the drums and Brady and Porter on the guitars. They were really rocking and rolling to the beat - ha ha!
I was uncomfortable, I haven't seen Maurice in person for 8 years. The last time I saw him is when he came to baptise Brady a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 8 years old.
Sunday morning they all gathered around Brady playing his DS game that he received for his birthday. It must have been pretty funny because they kept laughing and laughing. I was making breakfast before we all got ready for church.
When Brady became a Deacon and a Teacher in the Priesthood, he wanted his Uncle Kelly to ordain him. So Maurice didn't come during either ordination.
However, during this past General Conference April 2010, Boyd K. Packer gave a talk on “The Power of the Priesthood.” In this talk he gave a few examples of fathers giving blessings to their sons - here is one:
During the Vietnam War, we held a series of special meetings for members of the Church called into military service. After such a meeting in Chicago, I was standing next to President Harold B. Lee when a fine young Latter-day Saint told President Lee that he was on leave to visit his home and then had orders to Vietnam.
He asked President Lee to give him a blessing.
Much to my surprise, President Lee said, “Your father should give you the blessing.”
Very disappointed, the boy said, “My father wouldn’t know how to give a blessing.”
President Lee answered, “Go home, my boy, and tell your father that you are going away to war and want to receive a father’s blessing from him. If he does not know how, tell him that you will sit on a chair. He can stand behind you and put his hands on your head and say whatever comes.”
This young soldier went away sorrowing.
About two years later I met him again. I do not recall where. He reminded me of that experience and said, “I did as I was told to do. I explained to my father that I would sit on the chair and that he should put his hands on my head. The power of the priesthood filled both of us. That was a strength and protection in those perilous months of battle.”
Here is another story from the talk from Boyd K Packard:
Another time I was in a distant city. After a conference we were ordaining and setting apart leaders. As we concluded, the stake president asked, “Can we ordain a young man to be an elder who is leaving for the mission field?” The answer, of course, was yes.
As the young man came forward, he motioned for three brethren to follow and stand in for his ordination.
I noticed on the back row a carbon copy of this boy, and I asked, “Is that your father?”
The young man said, “Yes.”
I said, “Your father will ordain you.”
And he protested, “But I’ve already asked another brother to ordain me.”
And I said, “Young man, your father will ordain you, and you’ll live to thank the Lord for this day.”
Then the father came forward.
Thank goodness he was an elder. Had he not been, he soon could have been! In the military they would call that a battlefield commission. Sometimes such things are done in the Church.
The father did not know how to ordain his son. I put my arm around him and coached him through the ordinance. When he was finished, the young man was an elder. Then something wonderful happened. Completely changed, the father and son embraced. It was obvious that had never happened before.
The father, through his tears, said, “I didn’t get to ordain my other boys.”
Think how much more was accomplished than if another had ordained him, even an Apostle.
After sitting through that talk last April, we knew Brady needed to ask his dad to come and ordain him to a Priest.
Porter, Kyle, Brady and Maurice
When Brady introduced his family in Priesthood meeting he said:
This is my Dad Maurice, my half brother Porter and my half brother's, half brother Kyle. Such a soap opera.
Brady is Maurice and My son.
Porter is Maurice and his ex-wife, Shar's son.
Kyle is Shar and her ex-husband's son.
CRAZY LIFE!
Brady and Kyle - same age. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Brady and Porter together.
I wanted to take a few pictures outside.
Hay look, I actually handed the camera to someone else and had a family picture taken.
Sondra, Brady and Maurice
It was funny to me, because I was not a complete "shorty" like I am with Jason and his dad. I always felt like I was shrinking and getting shorter when I am around my boys and brothers. But I'm not - LOL! Still in line with Maurice... It was weird to see him again. I still feel it was the right thing to divorce - it's been 14 years. I have some anger in me against him - but I was nice (I think).
All the boys - Priesthood boys.
I even let them stay at my house. Thank goodness I have enough places for everyone to sleep - with blow up mattresses. It was a quick 2 days and trip for Maurice. I'm glad we asked him to come and do the ordination for his son. I guess it will be two more years until I have to see him again.
It's weird because most divorce people see each other all the time when there are children involved. Not us, since I moved away. I just put Brady on a plane and he sees his dad once a month. It's been great :-D
4 comments:
Great pictures. I really loved Elder Packer's talk and his story examples. Neat! Glad to hear that Maurice came to do it.
Congratulations to Brady!
Great pictures.
Sondra I think it is neat that you could have Maurice and his other boys here for Brady. You are very gracious and family is important to you.
I loved that talk in General Conference and you made the right decision - it is special and important for Dad's to be able to ordain and support their sons. It will be a blessing in Bradys life.
It is also a blessing to him that you and his Dad can be on these good terms - it really makes a difference.
I haven't been divorced but I am a child of divorce and feelings definately trickle down.
Kudo's to you.
And Congratulations to Brady!
Loved reading about Brady being ordained as a priest by his dad. My husband isn't a member so my sons haven't had that privilege. My eldest was ordained a priest a couple of weeks ago and then was able to perform the ordination of Teacher on his brother who turned 14 a week later. Congratulations to Brady (oh and I struggled working out all the complex relationships - lucky you explained them so well)
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