Thought to Share:
Decided to share the following words from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson (another one of my "daily messages"that come by e-mail each day), particularly with the holidays coming and all the demands upon us to participate in them. I believe that you are all doing this; wish I had learned it a lot sooner in life:).
"I urge you to live within your means. One cannot spend more than one earns and remain solvent. I promise you that you will then be happier than you would be if you were constantly worrying about how to make the next payment on nonessential debt."
Of course the article it is from goes far beyond this, it is called "True to the Faith" and gives us counsel on emergency preparedness. Wise counsel.
Mission Notes:
The week past was busy and I really took no notes to refer back to as I write this. Have had a lot of fun Facetiming with some of our wonderful kids and grandkids - I really like that part of my phone. Thanks to Holly for sharing with me how to point it at something while talking with her and see what she is seeing on my side of the phone:). All of the things to learn on this little phone are a little intimidating...I just keep telling myself babysteps - babysteps. And so I am learning:).
One of our sister missionaries was asked by the president to send home for her violin and then use it to serve the Lord here in the mission. It arrived on Friday and we were privileged to enjoy a concert of sorts with her playing her violin and her companion singing. Made me wish another mission president had asked Steve to do that - perhaps then he would be using that talent now to still serve the Lord:)! It is never too late, so think about it son! (who probably doesn't read the blog...). Thanks to all of my children for your musical talents and efforts; it meant the world to me when you were still at home practicing and I hope you find a way to use those talents in your adulthood:).
There are a multitude of things to do in the next 3 days in the office; tomorrow the elders are going to help me package up the supply orders (all 28 boxes of them, as pointed out by the FedEx deliveryman). That we are even able to do so is a miracle and a blessing to me. President Young moved their leadership meeting from the first week in December to this coming Tuesday when I just put the supply order in on Monday, so I thought it was going to be impossible to have the supplies ready for the leadership meeting when all the zone leaders come together. Then, on Friday, the boxes came! So that is our Monday work - along with mail and referrals:).
I wanted to share with you something written about prayer by our APs as a message to our missionaries. It applies so well to them, but I think applies to all of us in our everyday lives too...so here it is:
"Prayer is not ever limited.
"When we pray we are not limited to the things we ask for. A study period does not have to begin and end with a prayer. Why not pray during? Days we can not feel the Spirit while reading, pray to really receive revelation. if we do not feel it the first time, pray again. The Lord did not put a cap on our our number of prayers. Speak to the Lord while on the street. Before a lesson, after a lesson, pray in your heart during. Pray after a rough conversation. Pray in thanks after a good one. The Lord wants us to ask for his help. Pray always. Seek for guidance. Although remember. When we a pray we are having literal communication with our Father in Heaven. So many times as prayer becomes a habit, each of us begin to form patterns. We hear something fancy in a prayer given by someone else and we start to use the same wording. Before you know it, all your prayers sound the same and become insincere. Rather than recite your daily, hourly, minutely prayers that your know so well, hink of your investigators. Think of the family you ate dinner with last night. Think of the person you will meet in 5 minutes at the bus stop. Pray Often and with real intent. "
An interesting sidenote to this...I was struggling with the need to make new pages of mailing labels for a number of the addresses of our missionaries. Up until Tuesday I think, it was an easy process; then, because of working on my computer with someone in SLC to fix a different problem, he apparently reset or deleted a lot of the default settings on the computer and when I went to print mailing labels it was totally goofed up. Tried talking with a different person in SL to try to find the cause; that didn't work so I gave up for that day. Next day tried looking at everything on the computer, had everyone in the office that was more experienced than I look at it and try everything they could think of. No results. I called the previous president's secretary; no results. Even called back to Salt Lake City and talked to a third person; no results. Went home very sad, after having handwritten a number of addresses that I needed new pages for. Next morning I decided to try once more, this time with a prayer preceding and during my efforts...the result was I learned a way to make them work once again. A prayer of gratitude was immediate. Guess I need to learn to ask more quickly. The Lord does hear and answer our prayers.
Family Notes:
Well, I guess I don't have a lot to report since I didn't take notes when I was talking with people. I wonder if I will be able to remember things better when I don't have all the missionary stuff to try to remember too...hoping so. Jim is still working hard and handling things well in Texas, Christine seems to be holding down the fort pretty well at home. I think she told me that Ammon had won his basketball game that she was driving home from. Sara and Patrick are up to possible big changes in their lives, but I have to let her tell you all about that. Emily and Adam are still hard at work; Stephen too I believe, Charlotte is still in New Zealand - enjoyed the pictures posted on Facebook, but then they seemed to stop, so now am wondering about them. Mary is also hard at work...and will be joining us on Thursday in Wyoming:). So we 'll see if I can do better with this next week.
A sad note: On Thursday I believe I had a missed call from Judy Jacobson's daughter, Shirley. As I called back I did so with trepidation, fearing that I would learn that she had passed from this world. It turned out that she had a fall on Sunday last week which landed her in the hospital; they sent her back to Callahan saying she was just bruised and needed to just rest up. Shirley ended up demanding x-rays, which were done then and they discovered that she had broken her hip, but said that, because of her age, there was nothing they could do about it. The end result is that she is now on hospice, they've moved a hospital into her bedroom and she is bedridden. When Shirley talked to she said she wasn't eating and was sleeping a lot. Fearing that she might be gone by the time we return from our Thanksgiving trip, I asked Dad if we could go down and see her after church today. In some ways she was better than I expected; the door was not locked, we went in and she was sleeping, but when I told her we were there she opened her eyes and did her best to carry on a conversation with us. She was so happy to see us and reached up to give me a hug and kiss. We didn't stay long, but I was so glad to be able to see her. If you could add her to your prayers I would be so grateful. And anyone who would like to send her a card or note, that would be wonderful too. Her address is: Judy Jacobson, 1801 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Apt. 228; Roseburg, OR 97471.
Kind of along the same lines, since we are not going to be here for Thanksgiving, a little Thanksgiving note to your Aunt Linda (particularly since she will be without any family for Thanksgiving) would be very appreciated too. Her address is : 624 West Rainbow Street; Roseburg, OR 97401
We are headed back to Eugene and I am glad I got at least this much of a blog done. Sorry no pictures...maybe next time:).
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