Remembering Jacob

In April our family will celebrate Jake.



It is the month he was born and the month he died.

It is often the month of Easter and the earth shows signs of new life, renewal, and spring.

I love April and have always considered Jake's birthday to be the best day of the year because it is the day my favorite person came into earthly existence.


And I am grateful that this month we can choose to celebrate, to remember and to honor him.



I know many of you heard or read the talk that I gave at Jake's funeral explaining the balancing wheel- the tool he used to set goals and keep himself balanced, growing, and becoming more like the Savior.

It comes from the scripture in Luke 2:52 which states:

And Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favour with God and man. 

Jesus increased. 

Jake called these categories Physical, Spiritual, Intellectual and Social and he and I would often sit together and make a chart where we would set two or three goals in each area for the month. It was a good time to check in with ourselves and each other and make a few goals for improvement.

And as I've been thinking about ways to remember Jake this month the balancing wheel keeps coming to mind- to make and share Jake's balancing wheel.



So here is a copy of his balancing wheel for you to print and use.

The kids and I will fill one out this month and invite you to join us.

You can fill it out on your own, or with your spouse, or with your children or in whatever way works for you. We hope that honoring Jake by making goals to bring our lives into balance will help us remember him well.

I continue to be profoundly grateful for my husband who taught me to live like Jesus, and I hope to spend all of my days increasing until I become like them.