President Hinckley

Well I had a really great Sabbath today (despite a few situations). Braxton and I got ready and went to church. I had forgotten his toys - so he had nothing to do. I'm so impressed with him more and more. Lately the last few weeks he has recognized that during the sacrament everyone is quiet. So about the last 3 or 4 weeks, he stops playing with his toys, folds his arms and comes and sits on my lap. It is so sweet. He doesn't mutter a word. Not a one. This time he had to do that for an hour and ten minutes straight and he did. I'm am so blessed.

It was ward conference today. We had wonderful speakers who prepared awesome talks for us to listen to. But, I was so happy when we started sustaining our church leaders. I distinctly remember feeling how privileged I am to be able to lift my hand in support of the President of the Church.

The Sunday School lesson was on "Teaching & Learning; No greater callings." The guest teacher from the Stake did an excellent job. He said when we are teaching, there are 5 things we need to do in order to be a good teacher: 1)Prepare 2)Think about who we are teaching (adults, teenagers, children) 3)Decide what we want to teach 4)Decide how we would like to teach 5)Testify. He asked us to discuss to our neighbor what characteristics our favorite teachers had. Someone mentioned that they loved listening to President Monson because he inspired us and it felt like he was lifting us up to be edified - that he never felt like we were being talked down to while he was teaching us.

Our combined R.S./Priesthood class the lesson was on Enduring to the end; Perserverance; Being Steadfast. I tell you, I swear that it was being taught strictly for me. I think it's amazing how the spirit can work. I am so glad that I was able to attend church today. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to since I had that accident last night at soccer.

After church - I was able to get my Temple Recommend renewed. What a gift that is as well. To be able to go to the House of the Lord and be taught the things that have real meaning. Leave the world behind and be surrounded by goodness.

I was headed home to get Braxton fed and then I'd have to run back to the stake center in about 15 minutes to be interviewed by the Stake President. As I pulled up to my parents house, I saw that my step-sister's car was in the driveway. Didn't think anything of it, started to turn into the drive, and just as the nose of the car got on the driveway, I saw the reverse lights come on. "OH DEAR!" She started backing up and the only thing I could think to do was to gun it. I was expecting to feel an impact - but I did hear the sound of side-swiping. I pulled up a bit. She stopped at the end of the driveway. I started moving my scriptures and manuals off of my lap - got out to assess the damage and then she took off in her car. I was like, "Uh, hello?" So, I see some green pain from her car on my car - really, all in all not too bad. Then my heart sank. I saw the carbon copy of my temple recommend blow under my car. MY TEMPLE RECOMMEND! It had been on my lap and when I moved the stuff I forgot about it - jumped out and dumped them to the ground. I started flipping out. Looking under my car - looking on the floor of my car - looking everywhere. I said a quick prayer in my heart to please help me find it ... and thought to myself, I better start walking down the street. After about 10 minutes of searching, I'm happy to say, that I did indeed find it and surprisingly it wasn't even damaged, not even a 'lil bit! :)

That's just like Satan isn't it? Let's see what kind of crap I can pull to make it a bad day - so that she can't get her recommend. Well, "neener, neener" :P that plan didn't work out well too well, did it mr. devil!

Then the news came tonight about President Hinckley. My mom called to tell me. My first reaction was of course, to cry. But, I then got an overwhelming sense of comfort. He did so much good for the church and for the world and the Lord needed him. It's not death - it's a re-birth. I can only imagine how happy he is to be with Marjorie again as well. Then I thought about how it was neat - I renewed my temple recommend today. It's a fresh start for me and things will be ok.

I will greatly miss the loving, gentle, humorous prophet that we had in President Hinckley. But, I'm sure the Lord will not leave us empty-handed. How blessed we are to have the fullness of the Gospel and have loving leaders to guide and help direct us as we journey through this life.

"We thank thee oh God for a Prophet, to guide us in these latter days. We thank thee for sending the Gospel, to lighten our minds with it's rays. We thank thee for every blessing - bestowed by thy bounteous hand. We feel it a pleasure to serve thee and love to obey thy command."

D&C 21:1-5
Mosiah 2:41