Comfort and Joy

I miss my husband. I miss the comfort of having him beside me. I miss having someone to share everything with. I miss that confidence that comes from knowing there is someone who has my back, someone in my corner, through good times and bad. I know he isn't really so far away, but I miss the hugs and kisses and proximity of my very own spouse. I miss his computer skills, I miss his sense of humor, I miss talking to him and having him talk back. And since being on this mission and seeing so many happy couples serving together, I miss the mission that we planned to serve together. Sheldon would be loving this mission. With his skill with computers, interest in family history, and gregarious nature, Sheldon would have loved every minute of this family history mission.

Little Purple Pansies

Beautiful weather the past 2 days! We had a little "frozen mix" (read wet snow, or icy rain) that cleared the air, and temperatures in the mid 30's for a couple of days. What was left was incredible blue skies with a few puffy white clouds floating about. When the sun doesn't shine for weeks on end you forget how blue the sky can be.

So I had occasion to walk to a few locations on the other side of temple square and I saw all these beds full of pansies, blooming. WHAT ARE PANSIES MADE OF?!! It is about 20 degrees at night and we had about a month where it never got as warm as 20 in the daytime. And, these flowers have been under snow for about 3 months. I remember watching the gardeners planting pansies last October and thinking they were really wasting their time and money planting flowers just when the weather was getting cold, but I guess they know something about pansies that I don't. Can't help but admire a flower that can bloom in such conditions.

New Family Search

Years ago, faced with the problem of tremendous duplication in family history and temple work, President Hinkley got together some of the best computer minds to create a program to reduce and eventually eliminate duplication. The result of their labors is New Family Search. Almost everyday in the family history library I am called upon to help someone who comes in frustrated or confused by this program. Being new to it myself I am sometimes challenged to answer all their questions and help them solve their problem. What I am discovering is that even though some people are having trouble with it, New Family Search is really wonderfully inspired, albeit a work in progress.

I don't pretend to understand why family history is so important. I just know that it is. I don't know why we aren't just given all the information we need to redeem our dead. Why does it have to be so hard? I am lazy by nature and I'm pretty sure I would never thought of a plan that required so much effort, but I'm equally glad I'm not in charge.

So, here is my point and my testimony. The Lord wants us to do this stuff. He surely could do it himself, but we wouldn't learn much from that. So like a parent teaching a wobbly toddler to walk, He patiently gives us tools and makes us use our minds and bodies, and a lot of faith, knowing that we need the experience that will help us someday be like Him.

When you are given an opportunity to learn about New Family Search, don't be reluctant or afraid. Be grateful for this amazing tool that will help us to be involved in this great and important work.

Top 10 reasons to live with an elf

10. Elves love to decorate for Christmas. (less enthusiasm for putting it all away)

9. Non stop Christmas songs. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

8. You get invited to all the best Christmas parties

7. All that red and green breaks up the monotony of missionary black and brown.

6. Your bed gets made up magically while you are in the shower.

5. Even your horses dress for the season.

4. You fall asleep each night to the happy sounds of a Christmas movie, Elf, The Santa Clause (1,2 or 3), Jingle All the Way, Mr. Kruger's Christmas, etc.

3. Every day you are asked what you want for Christmas.

2. December is the shortest month of the year

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO LIVE WITH AN ELF IS:

1. Elves love to snuggle

New Year's Resolution

Our Family History Library has been pretty quiet during the holiday season, but still a few people come in needing help. One quiet day last week I was sitting by the entrance to the Family Search area with three other missionaries. They were also waiting for someone to help. Finally a lone woman entered and I whispered to the elders, "Shall we fight over her?" Graciously they allowed me to assist our lone patron. What a blessing that was to me.

My young woman was from Sweden. She was in town for a short time and wanted to do the temple work for her mother who died a few years earlier. As she talked I got a feeling of the great love she had for her mother as well as her assurance that her mother was ready and waiting for the ordinances. The Spirit was strong and I was inclined to agree with her.

I got her registered on New Family Search, gave her quick instruction on finding and adding ancestors, quickly added her mother's information, printed her card and sent her on her way to the temple across the street. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited to do temple work. She fairly glowed at the prospect of sharing with her mother the ordinances of exaltation.

So as the new year arrived and I thought about resolving to make positive changes in my life I decided to love the people I serve (living and dead) a little more. I resolve to serve with more of the faith and enthusiasm I saw in that young swedish woman.