Week 17 – Introspection!!

Dearest family and friends!!

This has been a fairly uneventful week, mainly filled with temple service. I love my work here whether it is working with patrons or with other temple workers. It is rewarding service that we do here. On Monday was a sweet experience. It started at the beginning of the day with one of the sisters sharing her insights about one of the ordinances and she had us all in tears. I was a patron then, and again in a sealing session with Grandad where we were able to do work for many of our family members. Finally, I was patron on the last endowment session. I had a precious experience when I found that Grandad was at the veil. I have to admit I was in tears…again…. I know that surprises those of you who know me best ;)!

I have been reading “The Infinite Atonement” by Tad Callister as part of my personal gospel study. This Wednesday, I read: “The fall of Adam necessitated the Atonement. Accordingly, we cannot hope to understand the Atonement without first understanding the Fall. These two doctrines are inextricably bound.” As soon as I read that, the temple came to mind and my mind expanded with new ideas. Then, that day during another endowment session where I was acting as patron, I watched for connections. I was humbled by the things Heavenly Father taught me through His Spirit. I wish I was always in tune with the Spirit and could always learn things in that way. How often do we go to the Temple and struggle with fatigue and distractions!? I know I will continue to do that but I also hope that I will try to be more diligent in having my mind focused on things of eternity.

On Thursday, we went to the Palmyra Historic Society Museums. Granddad has shared a bunch of stuff but here are some things that I wanted to share.

 It is simply terrifying when you see toys you had as a child in a MUSEUM!!!!!!

My first skates!

Raggedy Andy Dolls

 Shirley Temple Dolls

 My Yahtzee Game

 Mini playing cards....do you remember those, Linda?!?

 Paper dolls!!!  I loved to cut them out more than play with them!!!

 I couldn't resist taking a picture of this....it is celery jello!!!  Can't even imagine what that must have tasted like!!!

 These spices looked so familiar even though they were from the 1940s.

Friday, I subbed again for a sister who was ill, giving me an extra shift and a back-to-back double. So tiring but I was happy to help her out.  We always have back-to-back shifts on Saturday but to have two in a row is exhausting. I worked in the office on Saturday afternoon which was physically less demanding but mentally draining!! So, I was very, very tired on Saturday evening as we got things ready for our Sunday School lesson and then kicked back for awhile.

Today was a bittersweet day. We felt impressed during the week to have our Sunday School lesson on Teaching and Learning in the Home. We didn’t know that it would be three of our students’ last day there. One girl, Rebecca, we knew was leaving but we didn’t know until today that her mother was inactive and that she and her sisters go on their own to Church during the school year when their dad is in New York (They live in Virginia) half the time. The other two kids, Abby and Caden, are going back to North Carolina and their mother is bitterly opposed to the Church. Anyway, the lesson took a turn, through the prompting of the Holy Ghost, to talk about what youth can do to bring the light of the gospel into their homes.  Kalista has a strong family but they are new to the gospel and she told us that they don’t have FHE yet.  Cameron, the Branch President’s son who just started coming to our class is the only one still left at home. It was a GREAT discussion and I really felt the Spirit comforting these three youth and guiding the other two, opening their minds to what they can do to stay strong in the Gospel and encourage their families. We also talked about the absolute necessity that they always show love and respect to their parents. It was so wonderful!! I am so thankful for Heavenly Father and for the opportunity that we have to be a small instrument in His hands in serving a few of his precious sons and daughters. We love them so much!! Here is a pic of them:

Front row from left to right: Cameron and Caden
Second row from left to right:  Me, Rebecca, Kalista and Abby
Bringing up the rear: My amazing companion!!







Well, dear ones, if I could encourage you to do one thing this week, it would be to gather your families around you and LOVE them and TEACH them.  Help them to feel the Spirit and learn to heed His promptings.  Teach them to love the temple and to plan now to go there, first when they are 12 and then when they are ready to make more covenants with Heavenly Father.  Our lesson in RS was on the Priesthood, as was most of yours.  As we read that the Priesthood has power that whatsoever they bind on earth is bound in Heaven, my heart was filled with joy!!  What a blessing that is, that through the covenants we make we are first bound to our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son in a covenant relationship and then, as we make the highest covenant of all, we are bound to our beloved families through all eternity dependent upon keeping those binding covenants!!  How blessed we are!!  Teach your families these things!!  Please!!!
Love you all so very much!!!
Mom/Grandma/Sandy