2014 with the Maxey's
So
much has happened this year but I'll just hit the highlights because
when pondering on the last 12 months, Lenayah is the only thing that
comes to mind. She is the center of our world! Even with that being the
case, so much was involved to make this year the best of our lives.
We
faced so many trials but allowed each of them to make us stronger. The
beginning of the year seemed engulfed in 2 things. Grad school
applications, and our growing baby. Applying to school allowed our focus
to change. After a series of interviews and prayer we felt inspired to
go to one school and got accepted to the other. Because of our faith in
answers to prayer, Myles considered looking into other career options
since we felt so strongly that we needed to be in Logan, UT. Shortly
after we accepted that our plan wasn't what God wanted for us, Myles
received a call from Utah State University who invited him to be a
part of a BS to PhD program, studying Family and Human Development.
They told him that upon acceptance, he would be the recipient of a
scholarship fund which would allow him to go through his entire 83
credit program and only pay for 13 credits. Not only did they offer him
the funding, but they wanted him to be a part of their program so badly,
that they told him he would be given a job on top of all that! We knew
that our prayers were answered and now that he is in this program, he is
loving it! So much more than he would have loved the Marriage and
Family Therapy program he originally applied for. Thank goodness God
knows what is best, because we would be lost without him.
In March we were privileged to take a trip to Oregon to see Les Miserables starring my awesome sister, Hannah. Mom also helped to direct the production. It was a great experience to be able to go! April brought the opportunity to fly down to New Mexico to celebrate Mariah's Birthday. Both were quick trips but we were glad to see our family.
In March we were privileged to take a trip to Oregon to see Les Miserables starring my awesome sister, Hannah. Mom also helped to direct the production. It was a great experience to be able to go! April brought the opportunity to fly down to New Mexico to celebrate Mariah's Birthday. Both were quick trips but we were glad to see our family.
With
USU set in stone the search for housing options led us to the decision
to buy. That was a terror in and of itself. Buying a house is a very
stressful process, I assume for everyone who ventures into it. After a
lot of hiccups, including a water damaged wall in our almost house, we
closed and signed the papers the day before Lenayah Lorraine arrived.
In
June we did the annual sand castle building contest with the Jessops. I
was 33 weeks pregnant and trying not to take offense to the many
comments of spectators. "Wow! How pregnant are you?" "Are you going to
deliver soon?" "Don't you have that baby on the beach!" To their credit,
I did look like I was nearly 40 weeks pregnant because of my
Polyhydramnios. As a team we won 3rd place!!! This was the first time
for us to place in the Master's (aka Professional) Division!
My
sister Hannah came to help us move to Logan and it seems like yesterday
that we got into our now house and started unpacking. Now our humble
abode is the place we call home. Myles started his PhD program at the
end of August and was eager to get back into the swing of school and
learning, especially since this time school would be focused in on his
area of interests. He quickly selected his major advisor/mentor for the time that he is in the program and was happy to be working as a teaching and research assistant! 
September
brought the blessing of our angel Lenayah. We had both families drive
and spend the weekend with us. The day of the blessing brought a full
house. It was a wonderful experience for Myles to be able to bless our
little girl and there were many amazing blessings and promise pronounced
upon her. 
Myles continues to work high school football and basketball, which he loves. He refereed his first high school football playoff game this season and it was fun. Lenayah and I traveled with him most Friday nights, making it a family affair!
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| Lenayah Ready to Ref with Daddy |
We went to Oregon for Thanksgiving. That was our first holiday with them since we got married so we were pretty excited to be there. We even got to do a "mini-Christmas" with them. Good times were had by all.
Myles finished the first semester of his program with a 4.0 and loved ALMOST every second of it.
You
may have noticed that I have titled this with the ever popular hashtag,
Share The Gift. I have been thinking a lot about sharing the message of
Jesus Christ. I am serving as the Choir Director in our church
congregation and Myles as a Sunday School teacher. Because of my calling
I was asked to put together our ward's Christmas program. The
experience of praying for direction and following through seemed so
intimidating to me, but I know the result was a strengthened testimony
for me, and I hope those who participated. I wrote this program from the
perspective of a women who experienced the Saviors birth, and life from
afar. I imagined that she might tell this story to her grandchildren.
Christmas in Zerahemla
S: I have heard
of the signs in the scriptures since I was a child, I had faith that they would
come as prophesied, I was humbled to witness them come to pass, but I never
dreamed that I would have a personal relationship with this man called Jesus. I
am here to tell you of the very first Christmas; Christmas in Zerahemla.
Each night as my
parents taught me the history of my people, I was filled with hope and wonder
with each reference to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Even from the
beginning of our time in this land, Nephi prophesied and saw visions of his
coming.
B: Yea, even six
hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the
Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior
of the world. (1 Ne 10:4)
S: Having been
blessed with a loving mother, I can imagine with the help of Nephi’s words the
beauty and spiritual strength the Saviors’ mother had.
B: And it
came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also
other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I
beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. She was a virgin, most
beautiful and fair above all other virgins. And an angel came unto
me and said, “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son
of God, after the manner of the flesh.” And it
came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after
she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake
unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld
the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. (1 Ne 11:13-20)
SOFT, SOFT (Choir)
S: I loved to
gather around with my brothers and sisters and listen to my parents teach us
about the prophecies of the Christ-child and the many miracles that would be
fulfilled through His life. My favorite was the teachings of eternal life and
salvation made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
King Benjamin
taught his people:
B: And lo, he shall suffer
temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man
can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore,
so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his
people.
And he shall be called Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all
things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary
And lo,
he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even
through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a
man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify
him.
And he
shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the
world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might
come upon the children of men. (Mosiah 3:7-10)
S: Jesus Christ
was going to be killed for my sins, for the sins of my family, and for the
entire world. He was going to bleed from every pore in his body for me. They
were going to hang Him from a cross so that I can live again as He did. Jesus
Christ is the ultimate example of love.
Alma teaches us
something more of our Savior:
B: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions
and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which
saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death,
that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take
upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according
to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people
according to their infirmities. (Alma
7:11-12)
S: Not only was
Jesus going to save us from death and sin, but from every infirmity, both
spiritual and physical, will he succor us. The word succor means, “to run to”.
Jesus Christ truly is merciful. I have experienced his mercy first-hand. His
birth was the miraculous beginning to a lifelong example of love and service.
O HOLY NIGHT (Meidell)
S: I remember
that when I was a child, Samuel came to prophesy unto the people of the birth
of Christ. Although the people rejected his message and threw rocks and shot
arrows at him, Samuel was protected until he had delivered his message.
B: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh,
and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on
his name.
And behold,
this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold,
there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he
cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if
it was day.
Therefore, there
shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no
night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising
of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that
there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be
darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.
SAMUEL TELLS OF BABY JESUS
(Senior Primary)
B: And it came
to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as
though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning
again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that
the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given. (3 Ne 1:19)
S: My family,
and all the other believers in Christ had been saved from the wicked people in
our city. The signs had been given. The Christ-child was born that day. Through
the years, my faith and testimony in Him increased, however there were many
people who were disobedient to the commandments of God. Now we looked to the
signs that Christ had been crucified by the people of Jerusalem.
SILENT NIGHT/PEACE PEACE
(Choir)
S:
The great storm came,
the signs of His death were upon us. The earth did quake and tremble and
although I was now an adult, my heart and soul did fear and yearn for the
spirit of the Lord to be upon my loved ones and me. Entire cities disappeared
into the sea, buildings crumbled, the land north and south became
unrecognizable, and the people of God were spared.
B: And it came to pass that when the thunderings, and the
lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did
cease— …all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of
three hours—and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land.
And it
came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land,
insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor
of darkness;
And there
could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches;
neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood,
so that there could not be any light at all;
And there
was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the
moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon
the face of the land.
And it
came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no
light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the
people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the
darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them. (3 Nephi 8:18-23)
S: Later I would
look back and understand the significance of this severe darkness. The earth
itself truly did mourn the loss of its King. The Light and Life of the world
had been taken, both physically and spiritually and the earth made it known.
When the darkness dissipated those people of faith who had been protected began
to regroup and rebuild.
And twice we
heard a voice whose language we could not understand, even so the spirit of God
burned within me.
B: And
behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it
said unto them: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I
have glorified my name—hear ye him.
And it
came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven;
and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a
white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of
the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths,
even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an
angel that had appeared unto them.
And it
came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people,
saying:
Behold, I
am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And
behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that
bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in
taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of
the Father in all things from the beginning.
And it
came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to
the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that
Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.
And it
came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto
me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the
prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the
God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins
of the world. (3 Nephi 11:6-14)
S: My
husband, my children and I went forth and did feel the wounds in His hands and
His sides. We knew for ourselves with a personal witness that Jesus Christ
died, and lives again. My family and the rest of the people were filled with so
much Love, Joy, Peace, Redemption and Testimony that we shouted hosanna’s to
the Lord, and fell down at his feet to worship him.
JOY TO THE WORLD (Choir)
More pictures from the year:
