Lessons learned and finding joy

Monday the weather was amazing! We hit 55 so I walked home from work and it was wonderful! There were blue skies, the sun was shining and it felt great to be outside and not freezing! That was the calm before the storm. We also had a snow storm this week and the temps dropped into the single digits again. The cold and humidity make it super cold! 

I had a really special experience this week with President and Sister Dalton. If you read my letter last week, you know how special the Community Outreach Committee is to me. We had found a need and were organizing a drive. When we sought the ok, we were basically told no. After some emails back and forth,  President Dalton set up a meeting with the committee. I had time to gather my thoughts and I had fighting words that I was going to use to convince him that we needed to continue on like we had been. When we arrived at the meeting, at the Mission Home, I was ready to fight. Well, the prayer was said and it was asked that the spirit of the Lord would abide in the meeting. When that was said, I had such a peace and calm come over me and the desire to use those fighting words totally left me. To put a long and enjoyable meeting into a nutshell, President Dalton had taken the time to really seek out what we were, by mission rules, allowed to do and then he went even further and met with local leaders as well as his leaders to see how we could serve and how to proceed. Even though the Community Outreach will be run totally different then before - we can no longer donate items but can do service - I have a love and admiration for President Dalton that I didn't have before.  I love that he took the time from his busy schedule to find answers and that he didn't just say no and leave it at that. I think about my life and how many times I didn't take the time to really listen, research, and find out what other options there might have been. How many times have I jumped to conclusions without knowing all the details? I hope that I can learn from this experience that I had this week.  

Happy, joyful news!!! Starting tomorrow, Monday Feb 28, all Covid restrictions are lifted and the mask signs are coming down!!!

In Conservation, we had the opportunity to clean Carthage Jail. After we were done, I had a minute by myself in the room where the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. There is such a special spirit in that room. I'm grateful that I was able to help clean it.

Lesson learned this week - baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable! Haha! I made waffles from scratch and let's just say, lesson learned! 

I received a text from my cousin Friday letting me know that my Aunt Francis had passed that morning. I will miss that spunky aunt of mine. I was able to travel (she lived about 14 hours away from me) and visit with her a few times before we came on our mission. On one trip, we went through volumes of pictures. I spent many hours that night adding them to Family Search. She even recorded some details on Family Search about some of the pictures. What a treasure! Give my parents a hug for me, Aunt Francie!

Elder Morgan, of the Seventy, spoke briefly in Sacrament Meeting today. He spoke of having joy. It reminded me of this quote, from a woman who was on America's Got Talent. She died this week from cancer, same as my aunt. This is her quote:

"You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy" Jane Marczewski, Nightbirde

I think we can all learn from her. Even in our hard times, we can find happiness. It isn't always easy, I know. 

I'd like to share a few scriptures on Joy that I really like. 

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24

"Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; ...glad tidings of great joy" D&C 128:19

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25

"And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy;  3 Nephi 28:10

One last one - "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness." Mosiah 2:41

May you all find reason to be joyful this week. 

 

When it snows, they park a lot of the fleet vehicles in

the warehouse to keep the parking lot empty for the plows.

I saw this shortly after I heard of my aunt's passing.

I took this picture through the bullet hole in Carthage Jail

 showing the window that Joseph Smith fell through.

I don't check this very often, but thought I would on

this day. I didn't realize it was our day 500 and 75%.

I'm so glad that we extended. Although I miss our family

greatly, I know we did the right thing!

I love this horse in John Taylor's home and the story

associated with it. Nothing like the love of a parent.

The ice is breaking up on the Mississippi and gathering 

on the shoreline. It's pretty cool looking!

We had the "Hurrah for Israel" shout for E/S Koop Sunday

after meetings. It's always a sad day. Sister Koop was the first

missionary that I met, even before we arrived in Nauvoo.

We met over Facebook via our mutual friend, Maryjane Wadley. 

It was nice to see a familiar face when we arrived.

The eagles were out! We must have seen over 100

on our way to Carthage. I can't get enough of them!

We are sprucing up homes, getting them ready for new missionaries.

I call this one the "I shalt not covet" house. Haha! 

This home is really nice and the view of the Mississippi is amazing! 

👇The Mississippi off the back deck