Day 8 - Happy (busy) Sabbath

I’m ready for a great new week!  

Not going to lie, it was tough to get up this morning, but I’m up.  (from about 3:30 am, I kept waking up.  I’d check the clock, see it wasn’t 5 yet, and go back to sleep…  that meant that when it finally WAS 5am, I was not feeling super rested and did not want to get out of bed.  I finally reluctantly rolled out of bed at about 5:15.)

Yesterday was a good day.  I got the kids and I to church pretty close to 8:30, so they could all help set up chairs.  As I was sitting there waiting for the meeting to start, I heard that they had made changes to ministering routes and tried to look mine up.  I did not have my phone with me, so I was using my computer.  Couldn’t find what I was looking for, but found a page I had never seen before that said it that the 6th ward “Ward Conference” was scheduled for that day, at 9am.  In my capacity as Stake Music Chairman, I am encouraged to attend each ward conference.  I hurried and left MY building and went over to attend that meeting instead.  (This meant I missed Cat Herrera’s mission report, which I feel bad about, but I believe I was where I was supposed to be so it’s all good.)

Then I hurried back to our building, where Tim & I attended class with Caleb.  They were having the “Priesthood and Temple preparation” class for those youth turning 12 this year.  (Used to be called Priesthood preview and was just for the boys, now it is about both the priesthood and the temple and is for all of them, boys and girls)  It’s exciting, and a little strange, to think that in as little as a week or so, Caleb will be able to attend the temple with the other kids.  I hope that someday soon, Aaron will have the desire to return to the temple, and we can all be there together.  My favorite thought from the meeting was when Sister Goodwin shared an insight she had had while preparing her message.  She was thinking about how great it is that there are SO many more temples throughout the world.  They are so much more accessible.  And now they are accessible to the youth at a younger age…  Then she had the thought that there is good reason for this.  The world we live in is increasingly wicked and challenging.  We all - especially these vulnerable youth - NEED the refuge and protect that the temple offers.  That is so true.  For youth and adults.  We NEED to be in the temple often, to keep ourselves centered and our focus clear.  We need the protection and peace that the temple provides.  

After church, I drove the kids home and dropped them off, then went back over to church to attend the 14th (Spanish) ward.   There is a young lady in that ward named Luz Kaouk.  She spoke in church today and will be leaving for the MTC on Wednesday.  (She will be serving a mission in Japan.)  I just love that girl!  I first met her when she was about 8 years old.  She sang in the children's choir that I was asked to direct for stake conference.  I met her way back then, and I have loved her ever since.  I am pretty sure she was in every youth choir I ever helped put together, she often sang in the stake choir, and I would see her periodically at stake functions or as we randomly crossed paths in the building...  that was it.  But every time she saw me she'd smile her beautiful smile, and excitedly say hello and give me hug.  The name Luz means light in Spanish, and there is no more fitting name for that girl.  She exudes light and love and goodness.  She exemplifies JOY.  She will be a wonderful missionary, because she cares more about the people around her than she cares about herself.  People will WANT to know what she believes because they will be able to SEE that she has a light and a joy that they are missing.  

After that meeting, I went home and got dinner prepped and in the oven (made a beef stew that would take 5+ hours to cook), then at 2:00 we headed over to Highland to be there for Landon’s priesthood ordination.  (Landon is my 11 year old nephew, two months older than Caleb) We visited there for a little while, then back over home by 4:30 so I could turn around and attend a scout committee meeting.  We went through each of the boys in the troop to check their progress, see what they need to do to advance, and what we needed to sign them up for at the upcoming powwow and summer camp.  This meeting went about 2 hours, but I think we have a pretty good handle on where each boy is and where to go from here.

I got home about 6:30, we ate dinner, had our family “Come Follow Me” discussion, then I worked on some music stuff for upcoming stake conference.  Sent everyone else to bed, then I sent out a mass email to my missionary email list.  I didn’t get to bed early, but was in bed soon after 10pm.

That was my day.  Not “Relaxing” at all,  but a good day.  No big plans this week, but will be working to get music plans set and in motion for the upcoming stake conference.