We Are a Happy Family

Hello readers! :) I'm back!

To fill you in on my activities, I've been chillin' it up with my family. That's right, ALL of my family. Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, all of them. Only two missing from the bunch. It was absolutely amazing!! We rode segways, four-wheelers, helicopters, and had all sorts of great food and fun! :) It's amazing how rejuvenated one can feel after being around such strong support. :D

As the hour grows near, I've been contemplating/planning serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I knew there were some spiritual and temporal preparations to be made but my goodness! There is so much to do and so little time given to do it. I've decided to work myself into a regular sleep, exercise and eating pattern, mostly for preparation for a mission but also just for my own personal health. I've come to learn for myself that personal health is important in a life's work. When we are healthy, we perform more effectively in all the tasks given us.

It never ceases to amaze me just how mindful the Lord is of us and our circumstances in life. I had some questions weighing heavily on my mind and I didn't know where to look for the answers. I had tried prayer and scripture study but the answer just wasn't coming. I finally received my answers today and you know what? I don't think I could have received those answers any better if they had come earlier. I'm grateful that the Lord answers our prayers on His timetable. Otherwise, I wouldn't grasp the full implication of what was said to me and would be lost in the dark with all this information I don't know how to use. Isn't it wonderful that every situation in life is presented to us with a specific purpose? War or peace, there are lessons to be learned in every place in our life. The question is, will we listen with the moment of teaching comes?

We talked about the Prodigal Son in Sunday School today. I have heard this story at least a hundred times in my life but yet again I was able to learn something new from it. The point was made that even though the prodigal son came back and got the fatted calf and celebration for his return from riotous living, the righteous son retained his inheritance. The prodigal son could come back as a servant and try to earn back his inheritance (as evidence of the ring on his finger and the robe on his back) but the righteous son will receive all that the father hath. The comment was made that sometimes we don't always see the blessings we have because we are so used to the constant downpour of blessings in our lives. For those of us who have grown so accustomed to constant blessings, it comes as a flowing river. For those of us who have not experienced that constant blessing or who have gone away from it for a while, the effect is more like a waterfall. Either way, both get wet.

I could continue but the hour grows late and there are pressing matters to attend to in the day to come. I bid you all a fond goodnight! =)