a special trinket...

So I must come clean, I have a slight obsession... it's huge tiny really. I love jewelery. I know, I know, Why don't you marry it then? I would if I could be married to Preston and jewelery at the same time.  but that's a whole different post for another day.

Anywho, as I have also mentioned before I have a serious soft spot in the ol' heart for things with any kind of  sentimental value. What can i say, I'm a sap.

I have accumulated over the years quite the collection of memorable jewels. My wedding ring, the circle diamond necklace Preston gave me when we were dating, or the diamond hoops that were a first anniversary gift. this mothers day though I was surprised with a special trinket (and by surprised I mean when I saw it I shrieked and told Preston about it. He in turn, surprised me with it on mother's day) 

It's not covered in diamonds, nor did I wear it on my wedding day. This little necklace has a  slightly different reason for meaning so much to me....

Back in 2007 I was still taking generals at ISU, I happened to be in a great institute class that happened to have an even better teacher. It was the week back from spring break in Seattle, I was coming back newly engaged and counting down the days. That class discussion coincidentally was about the sealing power that takes place between couples that enter the temple to be married. Brother Williams brought in a canning jar and explained that when a couple goes to the temple to get sealed they make a covenant with God to be with one another for eternity. Until eternity happens, what occurs? He further explained, our goal here in this life is to fill the "jar" with love, faith, service, and compassion towards one another.  Always striving have a celestial marriage. Then at the end the sealing can occur, like when canning food. The actual sealing takes place when all the preserves are in it.

Brother Williams further explained creating a celestial marriage takes work on both parts, husband and wife. The day we get married is the day we covenant with the lord to do just that. Work to fill the jar. At the end, a evaluation takes place with the Lord and we are then sealed and guaranteed all the promises that were made the day we went to the Temple to be married.

I had never heard temple marriage explained that way. My whole life it was "make it to the temple", "strive to be worthy to be sealed in the temple". Now that I was engaged and that date was set, I thought then what?  This lesson was for me that day. It gave me a blue print, or a game plan for my and Preston's marriage. I told Preston all about my small spiritual epiphany during our late night convo over the phone while admiring my sparkly new ring. He agreed with me and we made a promise to each other that night to fill our "jar" toward a celestial marriage. so we could be sealed to one another forever. Three almost four years later we are still praying every night to have a celestial marriage. Is our marriage perfect? NO. Are we perfect? heavens no (although I'm so close it's scary. :] ha)  but we try. This special trinket is a daily reminder of constantly working hard to fill our "jar" full of love and service towards one another, and that promise we made with each other and the Lord that day. I love it.