Sending a Missionary Out Into the Field

We've been planning it his whole life. He's made all the right choices. 

He got his letter.

We bought the suits and shirts, the shoes and ties. He went through the temple (twice). He received his Patriarchal blessing. He gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting. Everyone wished him well. His nieces and nephews came by to play with him. He went to the movies for the last time. He was set apart.

Then all of a sudden it was the last night. He was packed and I was kissing him goodnight like I did when he was little.

We took him to the airport.






He used his last couple of hours saying good-bye to friends.



A friend who works at the airport escorted us through security so we could be with him just that much longer.



But then they called his flight number to board and we had to leave him.



Now he is in the Lord's hands and is about His business.

I cried all the way home. His dad was excited that he was getting to go on a great adventure.


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Harry's Mission Call

Harry finally got his Missionary Call Letter!

It arrived in the morning.

But he waited until 4:30pm to open it.

He wanted everyone to be there. So we all were.

Mark and Kelly had too join by phone.

Aaaaand... He's going to London!

This is me trying to catch his reaction. he was out of his chair so quickly I couldn't get him. He was/is thrilled to be going to an English speaking mission. And really England is just the perfect place for him. After all his name is Harry, his hair is red, his favorite brand of shoe is TUK, and his favorite clothing brand is Ben Sherman. Truly I believe the Prophet was inspired.

So, Harry will be serving a 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We will miss him, but the people he meets in England will get to know this wonderfully smart, sweet, kind, and spiritual young man.

Hands Which Hang Down

I've been struggling lately.

Every day I have to choose to be obedient to the principles of the Gospel and the tenets of His church.

The world's view of what an OK life is, makes that choice more difficult every day.

And even though I make the right choice every time, I'm getting tired.

I'm tired of being tested. If the lord issues a test it'll have my name on it. Oh and pop quizzes? Practically every day. You'd think I'd get used to it. But I don't.

Then one Sunday as I was watching all the perfect members in the ward being perfect. I felt a little black tornado forming over my head threatening to pull me in and away from choosing the right.

So I opened my scriptures to a favorite:

Doctrine and Covenants 81:5-7

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

7 Behold, and lo, these are the words of Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

As I read it, instead of understanding it (as I usually do) to mean I should help those who need help, I felt something different:

Where is the someone to lift up my hands which hang down? I know that Jesus loves me. I know that His spirit can comfort me. I know He hears my prayers. But this scripture was written to members (specifically Brother Frederick G. Williams) so where are they?

Surely, I can not be the only member who is struggling. Is everyone as perfect as they appear to be? Or do they all hide (as I do) what doesn't fit into the "Perfect Mormon" mold?

I wonder. Was I the only person who had a little black tornado overhead that Sunday?

BTW, I continue to struggle. Tests keep coming. And I keep choosing to be a member of God's true church.

Conference Weekend

I sat on the couch, in my pajamas all weekend and enjoyed General Conference. Here are some things I learned:


There are 14 fundamentals in following the prophet.

Life gives you two precious gifts - time and agency.

Sometimes we must give up something good for something better.

Obedience to the commandments protects our agency.

We don't need to have a perfect knowledge of all things. Faith fills in the gaps.

Life is no spiritual picnic.

Righteous character is more valuable than anything we have or have learned.

Make Jesus Christ the center of your life.

We need to trust in God. That trust comes from knowing Him.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of the most important gifts given to men. He can be the comforter when no one else is around.

To live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.

Worthy Aaronic priesthood holders are needed so they can become worthy missionaries and church leaders.

Parents need to have courage.

It is often the small things that influence bigger things in life. What we say. How we react. Being positive in these things brings peace.

The fence is there to protect us. "Wickedness never was happiness."

Would you think it, say it, or do it if Jesus was there with you?


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This Sunday

Harry gave a talk.



Language

• Bishop found me at mutual this Thursday and told me I would be giving a talk today. I can’t tell you how excited I am :] but, the cool part about this was I got to pick my own topic out of the for the strength of youth pamphlet. So my topic for today is… language.
• I just thought this would be appropriate for a youth speaker such as myself because I experience language in all its colorful different forms, every day due to my being in high school.
• So the first thing one thinks about when discussing language in church is profanity. Profanity just isn’t that cool when you think about it. It’s totally disrespectful. No matter how you stretch it or how you justify it, profanity offends people; otherwise we wouldn’t call them “bad words.” In fact, if you look at the word profanity, it comes from the adjective profane which means irreverent. Also, profanity includes using the Lord’s name in vain. Using His name in vain is breaking a commandment; therefore, it’s a sin. When you’re swearing to God, it should be about something important; not about that guy who just cut you off on the freeway.
• But, my topic is “language” not “profanity.” Language includes everything you say not just the offensive stuff.
• The way you speak says a lot about who you are. When you’re constantly throwing around bad words and profanities, you’re giving the people around you a pretty bad first impression. However, if you can use kind, intelligent words you’re showing how smart you are and that you probably have something to offer the world other than a couple gross jokes. You can be an example to those around you, just by staying positive and clean when you speak.
• Kind words can mean the world to some people. If you’re having a bad day, not many things feel better than having someone compliment you on how nice you look today. Being nice in the way that you speak can make others feel better. You can bless others’ lives by keeping clean speech.
• Probably the most important, and the coolest, part of keeping your language clean is that it can make other people think. When everyone else seems to be saying vulgar, unclean things but you manage to keep yourself positive and uplifting in speech, it makes people wonder what’s different about you. When people notice that you don’t ever participate in vulgar jokes and when they notice that you don’t ever cuss, they automatically wonder why. This is where being an example comes in. Showing others how to be Christ-like by being Christ-like yourself is really effective. In Ephesians 4 verse 29, it says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” This means that we can teach others just by how we communicate with them! We can bring others to know Christ with our speech. Not many people listen when you’re putting them down, but if you lift others up, you can show them Christ and they can listen.
• I’ve actually had people ask me, “Are you Mormon?” just because I don’t use bad words. It’s things as simple as this that show others


I bear testimony of this church. I know that this is the church of Christ and I know that the principles taught within it are true. I know that the language we use can testify of our faith and can be used to uplift those around us. We can be tools in the hands of our God by keeping our speech clean. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.



My Primary Class was especially helpful and reverent while practicing the Primary Sacrament Program today. I was and am so proud of them! It's hard being 10 & 11 in Primary. It's the last 2 years and you're lumped in with 5-9 year olds and you've heard everything before and you're just way too cool. So today, they were good examples and I was glad.

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Sacrament Meeting Doodle

So you know how I doodle when I'm supposed to be listening? Well today was no different. I doodled during Sacrament Meeting. Sister Rupe gave a great talk about the light of Christ. I doodled a little but I also tried to listen. Her talk was short.

Then Bro. Calvo got up to speak-I was uncomfortable. The Calvos went inactive a while back and announced that when we got a new Bishop they'd come back and sure enough when we got a new bishop they were back. Is it me or is that really weird? I wonder what our old bishop did to offend them and how did our new bishop manage to "un"offend them?
I don't understand the whole concept of, "We believe in the church and will live the gospel, but we don't like you so when you're gone we'll come back to meetings."
Enough on that subject.

Needless to say-I was doodling. Bro. Calvo read his talk and I don't really remember much because I was uncomfortable and I was doodling.



I don't know why, but when I go to draw a little boy it always turns out to be Andrew.

Anyway...

The rest of the morning was great so I have no other doodles to share. Both Sunday School and Relief Society were about Prophets.

I am so glad that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he restored the gospel. I love reading about what he was like as a man, a friend, a father, as well as the prophet. I'm grateful to have a prophet who leads us today.
Yay! President Monson!