It is Halloween, and I hope that you are happy. Do Elders do anything to celebrate? It is a Christian holiday, you know. Perhaps parading around to people's door to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ is a better way to celebrate than parading around in costume, asking for candy? Nevertheless, I'm going to have a blast trick or treating with the kids tonight. I just have to figure out a way to make the husband look like Obiwankanobe rather than a shepherd. But, way to celebrate the true meaning of Halloween, by spreading the word of God. I sure love you.
Well, I attached some pictures I thought you would enjoy. I hope your email lets you see them...they may be kind of big, but I just couldn't resist, since it is Halloween and all. And, speaking of people unexpectedly knocking on your door, yesterday while I was getting ready for dinner at Mom and Dad's house, Cardozie came by!!! We had been talking about him for a while, wanting to get in touch, wondering what he is up to, and suddenly there he was, on our doorstep--with his fiance no less. He seems very happy. He and the husband had a great time talking about their Russian missions and the experiences they had. He is a good guy, and his fiance is so sweet--a very kind young lady who served a mission in Russia as well. She glows with the light of Christ-and she plays the guitar and speaks Russian. Cool gal. He said that you don't write him back....or at least that you two haven't kept in touch very well. You should definitely drop him a line. I think he's planning on sending you a letter soon, as well. He has great goals--wants to be a professor in Anthropology--and I hope the best for him.
Speaking of awesome young ladies, it is Allerina's bday! She is awesome--one of the toughest chicks I know. She's definitely a lot more brave than I was when I was her age. And, she's only a couple of inches shorter than me now. Seriously!!! And, Dalliwag might just pass you up by the time you come home. That would be rather comical. :) His voice is even changing into a good solid tenor. He thinks it's weird when I draw attention to it. Mom bought Allerina an ice cream cake with Cinderella on the top. She is going to be a beautiful Cinderella in two weeks. I will give you the full review.
My family is just pushing along with our routine. The kids were both sick and puking last week. Yuck. Nothing worse than puking kids. Poor things. Atrain spent the night in the bathroom, and I slept in the hall. He would wake up every couple of hours and hurl whatever was left in his stomach--which wasn't much, by the morning. I'm glad we're past that. It is hard to be a momma of sick kiddos. Your heart just aches for them, and wishes you could trade them places. Especially poor J. He's such a cuddly little bug. Some of the things he does remind me of you when you were a baby--you would lie your head down on my belly and go to sleep. That seems extraordinary now that I think of it---I can't imagine many babies being that calm and content to lie their head down and fall asleep on their sister's bellies. It was so sweet. I'll always remember my little brother JD.
But here you are, serving a mission. Good work, buddy. I hope all is going well. I have been thinking about you a lot--a lot a lot. I have no idea what is really happening with your gal back home, but I wish the best for you and for her. All I know are perimeter details, and even then they're a little sketchy. I don't need to know anything more, really. You probably don't need any advice about missions and relationships, but all I know is that the best thing for the husband was to tell me he didn't want to know anything about anything that was happening between me and the boys I dated at home (and I dated a lot), he just knew that if it was right, it would work out when I got home. And, it did. I think I was a pretty good catch. But, you know what is best for you. And, more importantly, God knows what is best. He won't instruct us on every detail, but He will empower us as we humbly appeal for his help. Faith is the key to a strong relationship--Faith in God, faith in your love and faith in his/her love for you. If that someone you love is someone who makes you want to be a better person, more diligent and devoted to the Gospel and our Heavenly Father, you can't go wrong.
Anyway, enough of that. The best thought I have for the day comes from a talk given by Brother Wilcox, "His Grace is sufficient," of the Sunday School presidency: when we think of the atonement of Christ, and his grace, we should not focus on, "have you been saved by grace?" we need to continually ask ourselves, "have you been changed by grace?" It's not, "what has God saved us from?" it's "what has God saved us for?" Finally, we are not "trying to earn our way to heaven," as many evangelical Christians mock us for. We are "learning our way to heaven." We will never want to reside in Heaven if we have not learned to be heavenly. No unclean thing can reside in the presence of God, and no unchanged thing will want to.
A lot of those lines are from His talk--just notes I took. But, incredible reminders that we are not in this alone, brother. God has paid our debts in full--and no matter what we can do, there is no way to "repay" him for all He has done. He wants us to take it--to take his atonement and be changed by it--the same way a mother pays for a child's piano lessons *in full* even before the child begins practicing. Why does she do that? For the hope that the lessons will change that child, will help them to see how full and enriched and full life can become as we learn the instrument. We are learning to be instruments in the hands of God, my dear JD. Don't be too hard on yourself. God does not expect us to play full concertos right now. He just wants us to keep practicing, keep taking the lessons--keep going. To keep taking the atonement into our lives, each day. He loves us so much. I know that He lives and that He took upon himself my sins, brother. I know that he wants me to come back to Him, and to be changed by these lessons we are going through in this life.
I love you. Thanks for your example. I pray for you, and thank you for your prayers for me and my family. Heaven knows, I need them!!!
Love,
MJ
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For anyone who wants to listen to the talk, here is the link:
http://byutv.org/watch/
It was the best 30 minutes I've spent in a long time.
