Week 58 - Spiritual Feast, Ditches & Prayers

SPIRITUAL FEAST - a receptive state of mind toward all spiritual good.

This past week has been a spiritual feast! We were blessed to hear from Elder & Sister Bednar, Elder & Sister Kearon (England), and Elder & Sister Gadoy (Brazil)... several times. It was truly a feast of spiritual goodness!

We were asked by our mission leaders, President & Sister Beeson, to read and study 6 talks previously given by Elder Bednar. By doing this, I recognized a couple of things. 

• Elder Bednar always invites the Holy Ghost to be present, to bless, edify and teach us as he is speaking and we are listening.  
• He generally defines the principle first, then gives guidance and counsel. 
• He also draws comparisons between principles and how they connect and support each other. (Ex: Testimony and Conversion)

I enjoyed seeing this pattern of his speaking and teaching style. I realized that my spirit really resonates with this method of instruction.

Rather than detail who said what, I just want to share some of my favorite take-aways from these experiences and what the spirit whispered to me as I was listening.

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Whenever you have upheaval in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants. 

In contrast to institutions that want us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ wants us to become something. 

In 1964 there were 13 temples. We now have 335 temples in operation, announced or under construction! 

The work of the Lord will grow and prosper, but Satan will rage to thwart the progress. There will be great opposition. We need your help to prepare the world for more temples. 

One of our greatest gifts is the Covenant Connection we have with the Father and the Son. 

Our Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for us. Jesus Christ atoned for us and is our Savior and Redeemer. These are the truths that matter most. 

Don't pray for what YOU want. Pray to know what GOD wants for YOU!

A testimony is not an exortation or story-telling moment. Make simple, clear, short statements of truth. It is the role of the Holy Ghost to testify of truth. Bear witness, bear pure testimony.

Strive to be worthy to receive spiritual gifts. We receive spiritual gifts when our desire is to use these gifts to bless someone else.

Make a solid commitment to do a little better each day. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about change. Stop worrying so much! Just be good and do good and go forth! You are that you might have joy!

Sure loved being in the presence of 2 apostles and their wives and other amazing leaders. Here is a little newsroom blip from this week...

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DITCHES

All this goodness reminds me how fast we can get derailed by the advesary! Don't let him win! Fight your way back to the light! 

And stay out of the DITCH... like this poor guy across the street from our apartment. 

Several logs, a small hydraulic jack and 4 hours later, the big dump truck was back in action. 

PRAYERS

Romans 1:9

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Sending lots of love from Ghana! 💖💛💚

Week 57 - Anniversary, Special Visitors & More to Come

Anniversary

We were married on February 14, 1981. We celebrated our 43rd anniversary this week! How have so many years passed? It is kind of mind boggling actually. 

We had a nice dinner and good conversation with a few senior missionaries at The Persia. So grateful for an amazing companion who influences me to be a better person in so many ways! 💘 Here's to eternity!

 

Special Visitors

Yesterday was the beginning of 10 days of awesomeness! We have special visitors! Elder & Sister Bednar, Elder & Sister Kearon, and Elder & Sister Gadoy are here in the Africa West Area (AWA). 

 

Their first stop was in Lagos, Nigeria for a devotional where they spoke to the Young Single Adults (YSA) and other YSA groups from all over the Africa West Area. There were no prepared talks. Instead, they fielded questions from the YSA. Our AWA Presidency also attended this meeting: Elder Nielsen, Elder & Sister Klebingat, and Elder Kyungu.

Here are a few thoughts from this meeting.

How do we know if the Lord has forgiven my sins?

(Elder Bednar) When we sin, we withdraw ourselves from the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Ghost begins to have influence over our lives again, we know that we are forgiven. There are consequesnces to sin. You can become clean again through repentance, but there will always be consequences. 

Repent Daily - Pres Nelson says to do better every day. We must initiate change to be better.   

(Elder Klebingat) Mosiah 4 - apply the atoning blood of Jesus that we may receive forgiveness... the spirit of the Lord came upon them and they received peace of conscience because of the exceeding faith they had that Christ should come. We should be actively watching for the feeling of knowing that we have been forgiven. 

(Elder Kearon) The intent of our Heavenly Father is that we will return to Him. It is not His intention to keep us out. It is why we have the Plan of Salvation. It is because of and through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can feel true repentance. Heavenly Father wants you to be happy. Don't worry so much. Please stop it. Part of becoming the new creature is coming to a clearer understanding of just how loved you are, even with your faults, frailties and anxieties we have. 

How can we live our gospel standards without offending others?

Continue to quietly live your beliefs. Be accepting of others and don't demand they live your standards. Continue to live the gospel and influence others by the way you live your life. Don't push your standards in the face of others. It takes time to share the gospel and consistently teach the gospel and standards we believe in.  Live the gospel!

Can you give advice to someone who is looking for an eternal companion?

(Sis Kearon) Sometimes our expectations make it difficult to find a companion. There is no such thing as a perfect person, but there is a perfect person for you. If you are looking for someone with certain characteristics, you need to cultivate those same characteristics in your life. You need to be the type of person that would attract the person you desire to marry. 

(Sis Bednar) Do not become discouraged in your effort to find an eternal companion. Keep looking. When you are not actively seeking a companion, you are frustrating the very purpose for which the world was created. 

(Elder Bednar) You are not looking for the perfect person, you are looking for someone with whom you can work together to make sacred covenants and create a celestial companionship and family. You are looking for someone with whom you can share your love and devotion to Jesus Christ. 

More to Come...

This coming week we will be able to hear from these inspired leaders at least 2 more times. We look forward to the messages to come.  

Tro-tro wisdom photo Dump...

 

Sending much love from Ghana! 💘💛💚

Week 56 - Sun & Moon Perspective - Think Celestial - Hymns

Today, we had Trade Fair Ward Conference. The messages were powerfully focused on the theme of, "Think Celestial!"

Thoughts from our Bishop - Borngreat Dogbey (isn't that a great name!)

"Please think about this story of a young boy asking his father why the moon shines in the night. The father told him...

The sun shines brightly during the day. While the sun shines, the moon exposes itself to the sun and gathers light. After the sun goes down, the moon can then give light while the sun doesn't shine. 

Proverbs 23:3 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

The way we think, influences everything we do. Think Celestial! Try to think about celestial things instead of worrying about what you aren't doing or what you don't have. As we think celestial, we are motivated with all the energy in our body to do celestial things. Prayer, forgiveness, keeping our covenants with God, temple attendance...

In everything we do, let us Think Celestial."

Thoughts from our Stake President - Pres Adjei

"Remembering means repetition. So I will speak on Think Celestial as well. 

As Bishop Dogbey mentioned, the moon is designed to gather light from the sun. 

When there is darkness and opposition in our lives, the amount of light we have gathered will make all the difference. Think Celestial!

Our choir just sang, Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer. Please listen to verse 2 again:

Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, We are weak but thou art strong;
In thy infinite compassion, Stay the tide of sin and wrong.
Keep thy loving arms around us; Keep us in the narrow way.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, Let us never from thee stray.

Please study the hymns. Many are prayers to God. Here is another prayer unto the Lord found in Redeemer of Israel, our only Delight:

Restore, my dear Savior, The light of thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing For thy holy place
Bring hope to my desolate heart.

Please buy a hymn book. Pick a few hymns and learn about them. Learn about who wrote them. When we study the hymns, we will Think Celestial. Singing the songs of Zion dispels darkness and brings peace and reverence. As we do this, we will be...

1 Nephi 14:14 - ...armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

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Personal thoughts:

Like the moon gathering light from the sun so it can shine upon others when there is no light...

We can personally gather light from the Son of God and share that light with others when there is darkness, sadness, frustration... in their lives. 

Over the past 2 weeks, we haven't seen the sun, except through the Harmattan haze. Many of the Ghanaians even feel a bit "cold" without the intense burning sun shining upon them. 

I captured some pictures of the glorious sun this past week. A zoomed in perspective could almost suggest we are looking at a painting. It is only with the side-by-side full picture, that we can appreciate the reality of, fullnes of, or lack of LIGHT, and where it is coming from.  

Sometimes we get so hyper focused on something, we forget to step back and look at the big picture.

President Russell M. Nelson: "When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow." 

Stephen R. Covey:  "To achieve the life you want, you must start with the end in mind. This means identifying the big picture — the life you want to lead, the character traits you want to embody, the impact you want to have on those around you — and then ensuring each daily action is in line with your ultimate goals." 

Sending much love from Ghana! 💗💛💚

Week 55 - Naming Ceremony & The Best is Yet to Come

Today in church, we had the blessing of a new baby. A little background first. This sweet family now has 4 children - 1 teenager (boy), 2 young elementary aged boys, and now a new baby boy. The mother's name is Precious. The blessing today was given by 3 priesthood holders, called up by the bishop to officiate. The father was not in attendence. We have never met or seen him. My heart ached for what he is missing. As we listened to the beautiful blessing, it was obvious God is aware of this wonderful little baby. He will grow up and bless the people here. 

I love listening to the "naming & blessing" given to newborns (or sometimes older children) in our church. The child is held gently or surrounded by authorized Melchizedek Priesthood holders. Then one acting as voice for the group, addresses the child and gives a blessing as directed by the spirit. They generally speak of the future, of characteristic traits to be developed, hopes and desires for the child. Each blessing is different and unique, just like each one of us. Heavenly Father is so aware of what we need to make it through this journey. Our bishop then said, "We warmly welcome this new precious angel in our midst!" 

We met Precious and her family the first Sunday we arrived in the Trade Fair Ward, exactly 1 year ago next week (our first Sunday was spent in the Cantonments Ward, prior to being assigned to our current ward the following week). Precious was teaching the Gospel Doctrine class and it was obvious she was a strong, independent woman with beautiful and active children. She seems to be an incredible mother, raising these children "alone" in the church and at home. Her husband works 9 hours away and only commutes home a couple times a month to be with the family. Sacrifices must be made to support a family.  

Richardson is her oldest son and like his mother, has been growing his hair since birth. It is pretty rare and quite beautiful. He was sitting directly in front of us today.

It isn't often to see "real" hair being grown out, as most women braid synthetic hair extensions into their fairly short "real" hair and men keep their hair very short or head shaved. That said, the hair styles here are incredible!! Absolutely stunning!

NAMING CEREMONY

In Ghana, an Outdooring is the traditional naming ceremony for infants (not to be confused with the "day of the week" name they also receive at birth depending on day they are born). 

Traditionally, this ceremony occurs eight days after the child is born, where parents bring their newborn "outdoors" and give the child a name. Cultural beliefs dictate that after eight days, the infant was likely to survive and could be provided a name. In addition to the day name, Ghanaians frequently give children the name of an elder relative, either living or deceased. During the Outdooring, male infants would be circumcised and female infants would have their ears pierced. Currently in Ghana, many of these practices including naming, circumcision, and ear piercing are done after birth within the hospital, and the Outdooring serves only as a symbolic ceremony and celebration of birth.

Although there are slight variations among the tribal Outdooring ceremonies, the practices are mostly similar and focus on welcoming the baby. Among the Akan tribes, babies would be raised toward the sky three times as an introduction to the gods and earth. The Ewes thank God, giver of life called Mawu Sogbolisa for the new gift of life.  Among the Ga and Ewes, the elder drops water first, then dips their finger into alcohol and places the finger on the child's tongue to symbolically let them know water represents good and alcohol represents evil. Libations (a ritual pouring of a liquid like alcohol or grains such as rice) are given as an offering to a deity as protection over the child. 

After being given a name, friends and family provide gifts to the baby which is then followed by a feast. Seems like all good things have food!!

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

New life always gets me thinking, especially here in Africa. What is to come for this child? Will they be cared for properly, loved, encouraged, given opportunities for growth and learning? What changes might they influence, or contributions will they make within their family and community?

Speaking from personal experience, I can truly say, "The Best is Yet to Come!" 

I may not have had the best upbringing, the best chance for success in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the best chance to make anything good out of a difficult home life, etc. I struggled as a teenager to believe anything good could come to me, given the circumstances I faced and choices I made. There were some very difficult days ahead. I left for college, started to find Jesus Christ and then married an amazing man. However, we struggled and life was not easy. We had two very different upbringings, which created our vision and paradigms in life. 

Long story short, it took us quite some time to figure things out, all while raising 3 amazing boys who taught us some of the greatest lessons in life ever. I will be forever greatful for these incredible humans who were patient with me while I was learning how to navigate life. And now they have amazing companions and children who continue to teach me every day, as they quietly go about living their lives of kindness, service, hard work, determination, continued education and zest for life!

I'm currently reading, "Live Life In Crescendo: Your Most Important Work is Always Ahead of You" by Stephen R. Covey and finished by his daughter Cynthia Covey Haller. I love the message I am hearing! To me, Crescendo is a gradual increase of goodness in your life and ability to contribute to this life in a meaningful way, with everyone you meet! 

Yes, The Best is Yet to Come!!! We are trying to live our best life, honoring our children and grandchildren in everything we do and say. Giving all glory and honor to God above, His Son Jesus Christ and His powerful gift of the Atonement to each of us. 

I remind Jordan that we beat the odds, and continue to hang in there even when life throws unexpected curves and swerves in the road.  

Thank YOU for YOUR influence in my life along the way also! If you are reading this, our paths have likely crossed somewhere and I'm so grateful for YOU!

Sending love and admiration from Ghana!!  💓💛💚

Week 54 - Anniversary, Looking Back & Reflection

Well, it's hard to believe, but this past week on Jan 23rd, we hit our 1 year anniversary of when we started this crazy adventure - mission life!  Wowza!  Seems like an eternity but also yesterday. In one more week, we will have been in Ghana for 1 yearr!  Time truly flies!

LOOKING BACK & REFLECTION

I've been thinking about things I've learned so far while being on our mission in Africa.  Soooo many things come to mind, but here are a few...

1. You can acclimate to just about anything, including hot and humid weather, whether you believe it is possible or not!  I'm surprised at how we feel with the heat and humidity now, compared to 1 year ago. Getting off the plane, we thought we might die. The first few days, weeks and months felt so heavy and hot. Over time, our bodies gradually adjusted, and every day seems less brutal, even though conditions are essentially the same!

Reflection 

When we submitted our mission application, we requested all cold locations and no office assignments. Obviously, that did not happen. We came to the hottest place on earth and sit in an office all day. I cannot tell a lie, there are definitely difficult moments that can make you question your decision to leave everything behind and navigate a foreign land and experience. There are moments that test us to our limits. We miss our children and grandchildren dearly, but we know why we are here and our purpose for these 18 months. We press forward every day, doing the work we are called to do. Some days are easier than others. All in all, we feel we have acclimated quite well!!! We are also completely aware of and grateful for the many compensatory blessings our family has already received and continues to receive while we are on this mission.

P.S.  Harmattan (a very dry, dusty, northeasterly wind on the West African coast, occurring from December to March) is back with a vengeance!! AQI today was 334 = Hazardous. The air quality index doesn't lie. It was a hazy hazy day.

 

2. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.. you may just get it!  We have noticed a trend here in Ghana. People will ask for what they want, with a clear hope that the request will be granted. They are not afraid to ask, even if the query is unreasonable and seemingly ridiculous. When you have very little food, shelter, clothing or money, any request is worth the ask. It is not uncommon to be asked for money or food here, several times a day. While driving, we encounter SO many people (adults and children) on the street, begging for anything. They wait on the sides of streets until the light turns red and the vehicles come to a standstill.  We carry crackers and snacks in the truck and where possible, hand them out. Sometimes it gets crazy though, with more than 20 kids surrounding your vehicle and hanging on every part of it. So we are judicious about which intersections we hand out food, and where we just roll down the windows and talk with them until the light turns green. They love feeling the air conditioning vents with their hot little hands. Life is not always FAIR! At times, it is hard to hold back tears when you see the conditions and level of poverty here.

Reflection

Be kind, be generous, be reasonable. It doesn't really help a young couple already struggling to pay their bills, to honor a reqeust for money to install an air conditioner on their rental shack, and then put them further in debt to now pay more in utility costs. Doing our best to teach them some skills that can bring in additional money seems like a better option. There are no easy answers. 

3. Patience is a virtue. Nothing, and I mean nothing is fast here in Africa. The road congestion leaves you sitting in traffic jams regularly. Shopping should only be attempted when you have sufficient time and energy to brave the crowds necessary to search for the items you want. Waiting for receipts at the check out counter can seem like an eternity. Trying to drive 36 miles out of town to see a new place can take 5 hrs. We have learned to sit back, relax, and listen to a podcast or good music while traveling. I mean really, why not take advantage of all that together time and have a little fun!  

Reflection

Learn to embrace the moment. Look around and enjoy the people and culture, find opportunities to learn. We certainly don't have the answer to many of life's dilemas, but embracing another culture and celebrating the differences makes us less anxious and more open for growth! 

 

The Power of Reflection

"Through self-reflection, we find calm amidst the chaos. It allows us to thoughtfully contemplate underlying issues and devise mindful resolutions. Self-reflection is like a mental sanctuary, engaging our logical minds when emotions threaten to overwhelm us. Yes, it might be painful at times – looking inward often is. But the clarity it brings is worth the discomfort. It's like cleaning a wound; it might sting initially, but ultimately it promotes healing."

More on Patience...

"There is also a dimension of patience which links it to a special reverence for life. Patience is a willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance. Put another way, too much anxious opening of the oven door and the cake falls instead of rising. So it is with us. If we are always selfishly taking our temperature to see if we are happy, we will not be.

When we are impatient, we are neither reverential nor reflective because we are too self-centered. Whereas faith and patience are companions, so are selfishness and impatience. It is so easy to be confrontive without being informative; so easy to be indignant without being intelligent; so easy to be impulsive without being insightful. It is so easy to command others when we are not in control of ourselves." -- Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Anniversary to us!!!!  Sending much love from Ghana!! 💗💛💚

Week 53 - Beaufort & Bofrot - Dealing with Change

BEAUFORT

Over the past month, there has been talk of moving all senior missionaries from Beaufort (Bo-firt) to a new location.  The reason: Beaufort apartments are older, things are gradually falling apart, repairs need to be made, but the owners (each apartment is individually owned) aren't very excited about putting money into keeping their units up to par. This is frustrating for the senior missionary in charge of our housing, and for the church employee at the Area office that oversees our leases and troubleshoots these problems. It's a huge job no matter how you slice it.

Our personal apartment has been the source of many frustrations. First, it was not a previous senior missionary apartment. As such, it didn't have many of the necessary items already stocked up and inherited from a long line of previous senior missionaries rotating in and out of the apartment . However, it didn't take long to start purchasing items and setting it up for success! Another issue was dealing with many of the repairs the apartment needed in order to get updated and functioning properly.

Our front door was eaten by termites (front door replaced - with non treated and non cured wood - which then shrunk to the point that the locking mechanism would no longer reach the hole - but not to worry, a piece of wood was inserted under the lock plate to push it closer to the lock and we are back in business - albeit the large spaces that now exist on either side of the door so we can see daylight and feel the warm air flowing (as of yesterday, more wood added to door to fill in some of the gaps), the washer/dryer drum fell apart on the inside after we arrived (new washer/dryer unit purchased), the plastic shower floor pinched our feet and leaked quite a lot while showering (new tile floor installed, leak slowed down but still runs freely even though caulk is in place - it's a mystery), AC unit leaked for months, dumping water regularly all over the desk and floor (we finally got smart and moved the desk), until after several visits and about 1 month ago, a new technician moved the AC unit up about 4 inches and voilà (TaDa!), the water dumping stopped (who knew water couldn't run uphill to drain when the unit was placed too low for gravity to do it's magic?), the hard as rock double bed was impossible to sleep on even after purchasing a 3 inch foam pad to make it more bearable (new kingsize bed purchased and we've slept like babies ever since!), having 4 dining room chairs that you can't really sit on because the seat falls through the hole (Jordan found random scrap boards, cut them to fit the chairs, and installed L brackets to hold the boards in place - and voilà... we don't fall through anymore!). The list goes on, but the good news is, after almost one year, we are close to having the apartment in tip top shape! 

And now they want us to move?? What?? Well, since we only have 6 months and 3 days left on our mission, we asked/begged to stay! Please let us stay! Who knows what the bed situation will be in the next apartment? Or the AC? And thankfully.... we were granted our wish! We will be staying in Beaufort until our mission ends. Wahoo!! 

There are several senior missionaries that aren't so lucky, but the new location called Genesis has lots of new benefits: water filtration system on the roof that delivers filtered water right to your tap (whoa! revolutionary for here - at Beaufort we must use special filtered water from another tap for everything, including dish and vegetable/fruit washing, also brushing teeth), the apartments are only 2 yrs old so everything is still in good condition, large swimming pool and nice workout room, dishwasher in the kitchen, larger storage areas in 2nd bedroom, etc. So hopefully, the pain of moving mid mission will be swallowed up in the positive aspects of the new digs! We will miss them here with us.  

BOFROT 

Bofrot (Bo-froat) is an African street food, seen and heard around town every day and night. This tasty little deep fried donut dough ball is a regular staple across West Africa. It is called something different in each country, but the origin is the same. Bofrot’s actual hometown is in Holland. The Dutch colonists taught the Fantes (local tribe located in central Ghana) how to make Bofrot. The Dutch call it OLIEBOLLEN. Cute huh?  

How is it "heard" you may ask? Well, once the Bofrot are made fresh each morning, young men load them into glass cases (warmed by the sun), and the glass case is attached to a bike or push cart. The bike or push cart also has a small freezer box, which holds a small container of vanilla ice-cream, to be eaten with the hot Bofrot. This awesome little cart contraption has a small horn attached to the handlebars (or the young man holds it in his hand mostly). This horn is the old fashioned honker that is activated with a firm squeeze of the rubber bulb at the end of the horn. Young men walk or ride up and down the streets, honking their own little special rhythm, which is very identifiable to everyone within hearing distance. Like the familiar "ice-cream-truck-music" heard in other parts of the world, this sweet honking sound brings everyone running, especially around 10 pm as the Bofrot guy swings past the Highschool right next to us for one last honking call!  "Bedtime snack anyone?" They are a unique and tasty treat, one we aren't afraid to eat, from the street. So far, so good. Yum!

DEALING WITH CHANGE

I don't know very many people who like change. Change can instill fear and anxiety in us because of the unkown. Change involves effort, sacrifice, giving up something comfortable for something possibly more difficult. We may see change as a problem instead of an opportunity for growth and learning.  

"We can respond appropriately to change by being prayerful, humble, and teachable; by accepting new opportunities or assignments with a positive attitude; and by being willing to try new approaches or methods with a sincere desire to improve."

Sending much love from Ghana! 💘💛💚

Week 52 - Constitution Day, Doing our Best & Personal Constitution

This past week we had another Ghana holiday - Constitution Day.  We are always excited to have a day off and sleep in!  It is quite a luxury these days and we love it!

Constitution Day is to commemorate the establishment of a new constitution for the fourth republic of Ghana in January 1993, popularly known as the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. After the first three constitutions were made meaningless by military coups, the fourth constitution was adopted after a referendum held on April 28, 1992, and established on 7 January 1993. This day is thus celebrated each year to celebrate the effort to maintain and sustain the fourth republic over the years and the birthing of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.

It is sometimes ridiculously easy to take for granted the rights and privileges we enjoy because of the blood, sweat and tears of many who have gone before us... paving the way for a better society and life, all around.  

Living abroad continues to open our eyes and improve our vision! These experiences make us really see and appreciate the many freedoms we have and hold on a regular basis, something others do not enjoy.  

Lessons we can learn from the creation of the US Constitution

“We the People”, one of the most important declarations ever written. Seldom has a phrase engendered so much positive feeling and emotion for so many people...

for people around the world. It begins a process of defining individual freedoms and liberty, over oppressive forms of power, which has defined governments."

It feels good to be part of a "people" who are doing something good in the world! Trying to support one another, love one another and do our best to understand each other.

One in Christ - Elder Christofferson

"Unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony. We can have our hearts knit together in love, be one in faith and doctrine, and still cheer for different teams, disagree on various political issues, debate about goals and the right way to achieve them, and many other such things. But we can never disagree or contend with anger or contempt for one another."

"Lesson - there are times when just doing what is right, at the moment, given the circumstances, is far better than doing nothing or doing something for all the other reasons one could come up with, including being politically correct which was not a concept our founders were familiar with."

"Lesson - the creators of the constitution were aware that they were not designing a perfect or flawless document for all time. They would do their best with the knowledge, experience, intuition, and foresight they possessed at the time. Today, we have 20/20 hindsight and it is far too easy to criticize them for what they did or did not do."

Be Ye Therefore Perfect - Eventually - Elder Holland

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … in heaven is perfect. With that concluding imperative, we want to go back to bed and pull the covers over our head. Such celestial goals seem beyond our reach. Yet surely the Lord would never give us a commandment He knew we could not keep.  Except for Jesus, there have been no flawless performances on this earthly journey we are pursuing, so while in mortality let’s strive for steady improvement without obsessing over what behavioral scientists call “toxic perfectionism."

I believe it is all too easy to beat ourselves up, discounting the good things we do, because we didn't do them perfectly. We are all trying and doing our best! We will make mistakes, but we just get back up and do better the next time! It is way easier to show grace, kindness and love than to criticize, blame and destroy. 

Personal Constitution

"Much like the Constitution helped shape the future of America, your personal constitution will help shape your future. Do for yourself what the founding fathers did for this country.

Personal Constitution - a pathway built on the values that you refuse to compromise on, and it moves you in the clear direction you’ve chosen.

To this day, the US Constitution is the one document that holds everything together. When other aspects of the law can’t figure something out, the Supreme Court will make their decision based on this foundational and hard-to-change document.

Imagine having something like this for your own life: A set of values and goals you hold yourself accountable to and cannot compromise on.

When you face the tough decisions we always run into as we manage our careers and develop our personal lives, you can always base your decisions on the contents of your personal constitution. Written well, it will help to guide you toward the right decision and ensure you don’t step off the right track."

I have written and re-written my own Personal Mission Statement. It will always be a growing, changing statement. There are some elements that will remain very constant, and other elements that will be improved upon, as I grow, change and hopefully improve myself every day. Thank you for the grace you show me, I as learn to do and be better a better me!!

Much love and appreciation for your influence in my life!! 💗💛💚

Photo Dump...