Attribute #10 - Intelligence

A couple of years ago, I received a phone call wondering if I could read a story to Brooke over Skype. There were still a few minutes before Daddy came home from work and she was going a bit stir-crazy. It was a wonderful fun tradition to start, and I'm so grateful Cody was inspired to call. I'm also grateful for the technology (even if it "never works") that allows us to feel close to our family members half-way around the country, or even the world.

Since that day we've ready many stories long-distance, and I've started stopping at the children's section of the library on a regular basis. Here are some of the fun new books we've discovered recently:
        If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
        The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na
        Toys Galore by Peter Stein

Bonus picture of another cute granddaughter experiencing joy - and not from a distance!

Reading books is a great way to increase your intelligence, and these particular books have great messages as well.

I originally had "wisdom" as the attribute for Brooke, but decided that it takes some time to develop true wisdom, and that's not probably a good way to describe any five-year-old, no matter how smart she is. (And ours is pretty smart, just like all her cousins!) However, intelligence is something we're born with and we have a responsibility to develop that innate gift to our highest potential.

Intelligence: capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.; manifestation of a high mental capacity

D&C 93:36
The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. 

Emulating light and truth as an angel last Christmas.

Here's the conclusion of an excellent article explaining the above scripture:

Thus, the glory of God is his intelligence, meaning, in other words, his truth and light, which are his knowledge and comprehension, his power and divinity. These are elements of God’s very being that his children are to seek if they are to be like him.

I love the symbolism of stars at Christmas time. I like that in addition to reminding us of the sign of the Savior's birth, and even the actual Light of Christ, they can also be a reminder of his inherent intelligence. And I'm grateful for Brooke's example of being excited about trying to be like Jesus and learning new things every day.