January 2023, Week 5

*Today at church the talks were about forgiveness and conversion.  It's amazing to me that topics that I have been taught since I was in Primary are still so relevant and essential for me to still learn about.  It's not that I haven't learned my lessons yet; it's that I am constantly developing.  Life happens every day.  Challenging people and situations and ideas present themselves every day, and every day I get to decide how to react to them.  I am an agent in my choices.  I don't always get it right, but I know how to fix it when I get it wrong.  I am grateful for both forgiveness and conversion and to know these are not one time events but lifelong experiences.  (Made possible, of course, by my Savior Jesus Christ.)

*Today at church our Primary class was a little more...comfortable with us, so it was a bit of a challenge to get them to listen.  I think I was able to get their attention by the end, as I testified about the Holy Ghost working in my life.  I need to remember that the most important thing that I do with those eight-turning-nine-year-olds is to testify.  I also gave them chocolate bears to remind them of the "Three Bears" of  their baptismal covenants (Bear His Name, Bear One Another's Burdens, and Bear Witness).  That gets attention, too.

It was a delight!

January 2023, Week 4

*Today at church  I appreciated the speakers' invitations to "Love, Share, and Invite," as the Stake and General Church leaders have asked us to do.  I think I'm decent at the loving part, and sometimes it leads to sharing, but very rarely do I extend invitations.  I feel I need to expand my circle again to meet more people outside of church.  But there are those in the church who need loving, sharing, and inviting, too.  I just need to stay ready.

*We sang "The Lord is My Light," which was the "Come, Follow Me" song for this week, and the kids recognized that.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love the "Come, Follow Me" program?  I love it so much.  Our scripture study together at home is so much more productive and insightful, and I'm glad that everything is reinforced in Seminary, youth classes, and Primary.  This is the first year that we've repeated a volume of scripture since we started this four years ago, and I had to get the book out to see what we were talking about then, and I was so surprised when I saw that the lessons were exactly the same as this year.  It felt as though we had been doing different topics then.  I'm grateful for those who have created these lessons that still feel fresh four years later.

It was a delight!

January 2023, Week 3

*Today at church I was there with only Caytie and Tessa, since Ben had Benson and Gracie with him at the Frozen Foot campout.  (They did try to get home in time for the 1:30 church session, but they just missed it.)  Emma was at her singles ward, as usual, so the three of us had the big ol' bench to ourselves.  One of my preschoolers usually sits behind us, and I wore a flower clip from Hawaii in my hair that he had given me for Christmas.  He was appreciative. ☺

*Today was our Ward Conference, so our Bishop and Stake President spoke to us about sharing the light of Christ with others.  Light brings warmth, safety, comfort, hope, perspective, certainty...  How can I not want others to have that, too?  I pray to recognize how I can give it to others.

*Today my friend substituted for Ben in our Primary class.  She was a great help, and I appreciated her insights in our shortened lesson.  We talked about Matthew 2 and Luke 2, so we reviewed the Christmas story (and now Christmas can be officially done for the season!) as well as Jesus's childhood.  I let them choose a challenge to increase in wisdom (a riddle), stature (jumping jacks), in favor with God (share a favorite scripture story) and with man (give a compliment).  All but one chose a riddle, so we had fun trying to figure those out.  (One of my favorites for the day-- What invention lets you look through walls?  A window.)

It was a delight!

January 2023, Week 2

*Today we had Fast Sunday, due to last Sunday being the first day of the year.  Our testimony meeting was particularly beautiful, I thought.  We had joined in fasting for a family that is unemployed.  The father is in the Bishopric, and he bore his testimony of the blessings of having two missionaries serving together now.  The opportunities to speak of spiritual things is multiplied.  He invited everyone to share their Christ-centered testimonies, and so many people did.  A sister who is a nurse shared about a scared patient, who was afraid she was disappointing God by being sick.  My friend was able to help her see the miracle of even just believing in Christ, and how that can change her life.  Another sister/friend who is dealing with a mom with cancer and a dad who committed suicide testified how Jesus fights her battles with her.  Another sister had to cut off communication with abusive family members, and had a lot of hurt and mental health strain from that, but has been able to turn it over to Christ, and through Him she can find joy.  A brother shared some of the names of Christ that mean a lot to him and why.  Others shared some tender mercies they had experienced recently.  We are studying the New Testament in "Come, Follow Me" this year, and I am so excited to review and recognize how I find Christ in my own story.  For now I'll say what a lady in Walmart told me when she helped me get an extra good deal on a camera for Scott's mission--"God is good."  He is.  I see it every day.

*Ben and I started co-teaching in Primary today!  We have the Valiant 8 class (those who were baptized last year), and there are seven boys and two girls.  We know most of the kids pretty well already, and I think it will be really fun to be with them with Ben.  (I already miss my Sunbeams and teaching with Cecilia, though!)

It was a delight!

January 2023, Week 1

*It's New Year's Day!  Today at church we started this brand new year away from home.  We took a little trip to San Antonio to use our Six Flags passes one more time on the last day of December.  (Ben's brother Devan and his family were there, too!)  We found out that our nephew Drew (Elder Parker) had church at noon in the suburbs of Austin, so we drove up and joined him.  The church building was so cute, with a stone exterior and all decorated for Christmas, but of course it's what was inside that matters.  We took the Sacrament and listened to the speakers and felt the hope that comes with a new year.  This is the third time we've seen Elder Parker on his mission, which is three times more than I thought we would!  He's headed home next month, though.  It's fun to have connections with family, even out here away from the Utah hub.  "Life is good.  Life in the service of the Lord is good.  It is beautiful; it is rewarding." --President Gordon B. Hinckley

It was a delight!

December 2022. Week 4

*Today is Christmas Day, and we got to celebrate at church!  It is really the best place to go on Christmas.  My girls and I sang in the choir (we are not a professional bunch, but I believe we were able to help the Spirit be there), and we enjoyed other musical numbers and thoughts.  My family is together, my brother Joseph and his family and my nephew Jarret and his wife and baby are coming for dinner, and everyone is happy.  Well, almost everyone.  My friend Amy was alone on her bench.  It took her some time to come back after COVID restrictions, and none of her family joins her on Sundays, besides her husband when he's not at work.  I see she has some pain from that.  Our choir director wasn't very pleased that we messed up the ending on the last song.  She covered it well, but I felt bad that she looked disappointed.  There are heavy hearts and hurts.  But isn't that the message of Christmas, too?  That He came to save us, to lift us up, to comfort those in need of comfort and to fill in all the gaps?  Joy to the world--the Lord is come!

It is a delight.