Dear Ethan,
Hands down, best ever Mother's day talking with you for almost three hours!
How was that three hours?
It went by like five minutes! So great to see your radiant smiling face! as well as some of your other expressions we have missed.
What I love about talking to you is getting more understanding of what you are really experiencing, it really helps me be more specific in my thoughts and prayers for you and those you are working with. For this purpose I wish we could talk weekly, although I know it would need to be kept to way less than three hours. It is really great though to have the fluid conversation. And it was so much fun for the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to see you and connect with you, glad we could iphone a few people into the skype call. We live with cool technology. Wonder what it will be like when Eli and Joel are on missions.
That was sort of funny to hear about your "prospects"--perfect missionary lingo. I guess it took us two hours of skyping to hear that. Glad you are enjoying some profit and hope the communication will always be edifying and strengthening to the work. So great for missionaries to share and support each other.
I'm proud of you for your patience and understanding. One of my favorite talks on patience is by Elder Robert C. Oaks (seventy) and he talked about patience being a virtue necessary for charity. This is an excerpt from the talk, Power of Patience
"The Book of Mormon provides insight into the relationship between patience and charity. Mormon... name[s] the 13 elements of charity, or the pure love of Christ. I find it most interesting that 4 of the 13 elements of this must-have virtue relate to patience (see Moroni 7:44–45).
"First, 'charity suffereth long.' That is what patience is all about. Charity 'is not easily provoked' is another aspect of this quality, as is charity 'beareth all things.' And finally, charity 'endureth all things' is certainly an expression of patience (Moroni 7:45). From these defining elements it is evident that without patience gracing our soul, we would be seriously lacking with respect to a Christlike character" (Ensign, Nov 2006, 15–17).
It is easy to see how The Savior's image is shining more brightly in your countenance. Amazing really how you are meeting so many different Children of Heavenly Father, our brothers and sisters of so many walks of life. I am glad you are getting a small town OK experience. Okie's really do have their own unique culture. It is easy to see how to love them by the way you talk about them. I'm grateful you have been blessed with a love for the people. I hope they will feel your love, especially those in your ward and those that are less active in the ward, I do believe so much of your work is strengthening members, finding and inviting the less actives to come back, as well as teaching, finding and baptizing new members.
This week I was reading in Alma 2, where Alma slays Amlici with the sword. Alma 2:31 He was strengthened by the Lord to do this, 28-31. But as I read this I thought about Alma and how at this point in his life he is fighting with the sword, but later in his life Alma 31:5, he has devoted himself fully to missionary work. "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just-yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them--therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
I liked this because if gave me a glimpse into way Alma's life experience shaped his knowledge of the power of The Word. He knew the power of the Sword and had used it, but he also knew the power of the Word--especially that it had a more powerful effect on the minds of the people and led them to do that which is just…
This makes me think of the lessons Bobbi Reasch and I have been having with our new member, Jessie. The adversary has been working very hard on her. It makes me think to warn her of the need to daily nourish herself with the "good word of God" the power of the Word will strengthen her mind and help her make good choices.
The adversary wants to do everything possible to thicken the veil, blind our eyes, and draw us from Christ. One of his greatest tactics is to lull the mind into thinking it doesn't really matter, discount and dampen the experiences with the Spirit, perhaps borrowing words from Pink Floyd….getting people to the state of "comfortably numb" In this state agency is not very active…at least people are not actively choosing to come unto Christ, rather by not choosing they are getting lulled away, the veil gets thicker, eyes get darkened. Lazy in Agency….Lack of utilizing atonement.
It is so important to teach, "press forward…feasting" 2 Nephi 31:20. With out this active agency there is no growth. Agency requires the atonement, a keener recognition of our need for God, His enabling power, His forgiveness, His Atonement. With out agency there is not growth. Agency is key in thinning the veil, heightens our senses through the gifts of The Spirit, seeing with spiritual eyes, seeing more clearly Father's Plan, His love for us and all His children, and instead of comfortably numbe we are "anxiously engaged". I pray I can use this gift of agency to receive the atonement and be more anxiously engaged. Missionary work enlivens me! I feel so grateful for the blessing of having a missionary son!
Ethan, so great to visit with you yesterday. I love you and I am so proud of you!
It was such a great Mother's Day, Dad cooked me a gourmet breakfast--that was so bountiful I ate the rest for lunch, Dad planted pots for the Grandma's and he bought all the flowers for our window baskets, but has not been able to plant them yet because it has been too cold here….you would love it…it is that crisp spring air…a little cold for me but brisk and beautiful. Dad also dipped strawberries and berries for the grandmothers and me---he has become the family chocolatier. Eli and Joel went to the church at 8am to go wrap flowers for all the mothers in the ward and they made me cute cards. They did a good job passing out the flowers...Jessie our new member thought it was great that she also received a flower. She is in her thirties, never married, super sharp and smart. I hope she can find someone to date. Joel did a great job passing the sacrament for the first time, that was so fun to see both Eli and Joel passing together and to know you are devoted to The Lord Full-Time. Not a better feeling for this Mom. I felt so GRATEFUL AND STILL FEEL IT!!!
Bethany had a bridal shower Saturday at Isaac and Megan's new home it was for the Paulsen side. It was lots of fun and they scored on getting some more great gifts. They have two more showers this week--and then we are done with showers. Our big task this week is to get these handmade invites completed, addressed and in the mail.
In a few minutes we are headed to the catering tasting and Bethany is going to try on her wedding dress at Grandmas. Jason's mom helped Grandma sew it--Bethany purchased two of the same dress at Anthropologie and they have turned the two into one!
This Saturday we will be in Filmore, for the Finlinson Reuinion, it will be celebrating Great Grandma Finlinson's 100th Birthday! Hope to get some good photos for your…of course you can probably imagine that senior citizen center in your mind..doubt much has changed :)
Funny I still had so much to say even after talking for three hours.
What a blessing to visit and see you.
Please Please thank Sister Richards for me with the note and treat I sent you.
I love you dear Ethan!
Mom
