Missionary Grandsons

I haven't posted for quite a while. I'm not sure I'm even going to keep the blog up but I wanted to post about Logan, my oldest grandson.  After a lot of contemplation he decided to go on a mission.  He is in the Tennessee Nashville mission.  He reported to the Provo Utah MTC on October 23rd so he's been out a little over 2 months now.  He is doing so great in spite of the fact his girlfriend Dear Johned him already.  I know he was confused and upset at first but he's losing himself in the work.  It's probably for the best. He's still in training and his emails are all so positive. 

 

We were able to Skype with him and Justin on Christmas.  How wonderful that was! I'm so proud of these young men. Logan has already had experiences that are wonderful, starting in the MTC. The MTC President asked him and his companion to visit with a gentlemen that all the missionaries had  trouble making a connection with.  While Logan was talking with this gentleman, he (Logan) realized by some signs such as scuff marks on the gentleman's shoes that he skateboarded.  Well, that is one of Logan's loves and also one of the things that almost kept him from going on his mission.  Anyway when the gentleman realized Logan was a skateboarder he gave his full attention to Logan.  They spent about 40 minutes together, longer than anyone else was able to.  We don't know at this point what has happened with that gentleman but it was a great experience for Logan.

 

I've been trying to write them and have at least accomplished 1 letter a month or more.  I'm not a big emailer or letter writer or blogger for that matter so it's a challenge for me.

 

It's wonderful to see them both doing so good!  I love this picture! How great it is to have the gospel in our lives!

The Ta Da Principle

I found this article on Facebook that a friend of mine posted. I think the woman's first name that wrote this is Jody.  It was posted in www.ldsspiritualthoughts.com.   It is an excellent article. Enjoy!!

Years ago, when I was a stay at home mother with 5 small children, my days were often filled with 100's of things to do daily. I don't suppose that is any different these days for those brave women who still choose this profession in life. I found myself with projects that needed to be done and I would plow along and work to accomplish these endless tasks. The endless laundry, the three meals a day, getting the kids off to school and then picking them up.. on and on it went.

Every day was filled with lots to do and lots of things accomplished and most of it unheralded in the world or by my family. There was no plaque for employee of the month, no paycheck, no pats on the back, no lunches out with the boss for a job well done.. unless you count all the crusts of PB and J sandwiches I could ever wish for!

For example I do not ever remember anyone ever coming up to me and tell me "Great job mom for completing 20 loads of laundry!" Or remarking that the kitchen stove looked particularly lovely after I spent an hour and two fingernails scrubbing off the burned on yuck! Nope most of my work was not noticed by the outside world or even those close to me.

That was until I created the "TA-DA" in my life.

It started one day when my sweetheart came home and asked.. like he did most days.. "so how was your day today?" I decided that I wanted some gold old fashioned praise for my hard work that day. So with much drama I walked to a hall closet, which I can only describe as a junk closet.....you know the ones where you open the door throw in an item and hastily close the door hoping something else does not escape! With the flinging open of the door I threw my hands in the air like one of those magicians at the conclusion of a great illusion and, shouted "TA-DA!"

My sweetheart was shocked and we both giggled and he looked into the closet, probably expecting a rabbit to appear, and saw that it was no longer the junk closet but it was now all organized and beautiful. Now to his credit he took the cue and spent a couple of moments telling me how great it looked and wonderful I was!

And so began my love affair with the "TA DA" principle. When I would can 25 quarts of peaches.. at the end of a long day as my sweetheart would come into the kitchen I would position him in front of the pantry… fling open the day and shout "TA-DA!" When I would make a new cookie... I would put the plate in front of my kids and shout "TA DA!"

Now you may think this has stopped in my life… after all I am older and now I have accomplished so much in my life that surely there is no need for this to continue.. but nope. Just last month I got a new wireless speaker for my home. And after reading the instructions I figured out all by my little old self how to get it to work with my computer AND my cell phone!!! TA DA!!! I could not wait to tell my techie son how cool his "ancient" mother still is because she could do something techie!

Now there is a point to this story. There is much about our lives that is praise worthy. It may not be praised by the world but it is praise worthy none the less. It is a good thing to be learning, growing and accomplishing. In the 13th Article of Faith it says that we are to be seeking after things which are "lovely, of good report or praiseworthy." We read of TA DA moments in the scriptures for those that stayed the course or accomplished hard things. For example we can look at the story of the Stripling Warriors as they volunteered to go to battle against the Lamanites. In Alma 57:26 Helaman wrote:

"And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe--that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power."

These young men had been taught to believe and not doubt by good mothers... TA DA! These young men had "exceeding faith in that which they had been taught"… TA DA! God had preserved their lives "by his miraculous power" ... TA DA! Not one single young man was lost event though a thousand around then had died. .. TA DA!

In our own lives there are TA DA moments, big and small, if we would just take a moment to acknowledge them. We completed 100% of our home teaching. .. TA DA! We went to the temple this month... TA DA! We did not yell at the driver who cut us off in traffic... TA DA! We did not overspend our budget this month ... TA DA! We completed our taxes… TA DA! With the help of the atonement we overcame one of many weaknesses and made it strength... TA DA!

We should celebrate those TA DA moments in our lives and look for the TA DA moments in the lives of those around us so we can celebrate them together. And if helps just a little to celebrate I invite you to throw your hands in the air and shout "TA DA" for yourself and for those you love when you see the little and the big accomplishments of in our lives. It is my belief that as we continue to strive in our lives and we should recognize that our TA DA moments are moving closer to our Heavenly Father and we are becoming more like him… step by step… precept by precept… until we are worthy to enter back into the presence of God and I believe that will be the best and most humbling TA DA moment of all!

Missionary Plaque

My grandson, Justin, now has his missionary plaque hanging at our chapel.

I can't believe he will be reporting to the Missionary Training Center in England on April 18, 2013.  These last couple of months since he received his call have gone by so quickly.  I knew they would because I've lived long enough to know how fast time can fly.  We are looking forward to sharing Justin's mission experiences with him via email and letter.  He has such a strong spirit. We are proud of him as we are all of our grandchildren. I expect exciting and wonderful things to happen to our family as we support him in so many different ways while he is gone. He will be giving what is termed his "farewell" talk on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013. It's been fun and exciting to watch him grow into the strong young man he is today.  His girlfriend, Shelby, is very supportive of him.  They both know this is what he needs to do even though they will be apart for 2 years. It will go by quicker than anyone realizes.  I remember when Drew, my oldest, left in July of 1989.  2 years seemed like forever.  But now I look back and that was almost 24 years ago! Now he has a son ready to serve.  I couldn't be more pleased.

We are concentrating on boosting the missionary work in our Stake.  Our Stake President, President Shields, has challenged the whole Stake to read two chapters a day out of the Book of Mormon.  What a privilege this is and what blessings we will have as individuals and as a Stake!  We are already in 2 Nephi.  We are expected to be done sometime in July.

I am so grateful for my life and for having the gospel of Jesus Christ in it. How blessed we are to live in this day and age for so many reasons!!

A Mission Call

My 2nd oldest grandson and granchild, Justin Leavitt, received his mission call for the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints. He is going to the England Leeds Mission. He reports to the Missionary Training Center in England on April 18th.

As everyone entered our home to hear him read his call they were given the opportunity to mark where they thought he might go on a map that was posted on a wall in our entrance way. It was cute the way his parents set the map up.  Everyone was give a little flag to mark their guess.  This picture was taken a couple of days after so all the flags are removed and the little "Justin missionary" was placed above England.

This picture is of everyone waiting around for Justin to open his call. We probably had about 40 to 45 people at our house to witness the opening.

 

 

This next picture is right after reading the call.  His mother was overjoyed as you can see by the picture of her and others clapping their hands.  I feel the spirit testified to everyone in our home that this call came from the Lord. If you haven't guessed by now, this is a big deal to us.

We are so proud of Justin's decision to serve on this mission for 24 months.  For those who might read this and are not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, most young men and some young women choose to go on missions for the church when they reach a certain age.  Young men can go at 18 and young women can go at 19.  This just recently changed since October of 2012. The age for young men used to be 19 and young women 21. The age change was announced in the General Conference of the Church.  There are 2 general sessions on Saturday and 1 Priesthood session.  Then on Sunday there are 2 more general sessions.  The announcement was made in the 1st session on Saturday October 6, 2012.

There's a lot of preparation involved even before the call comes.  Some preparations include going to the dentist and sometimes having your wisdom teeth removed.  Justin was one of the lucky ones to have his wisdom teeth out.  Another thing they have to do is get a physical.  And there's a lot of  "paperwork" to fill out.  Mainly everything that is submitted is submitted via the internet.

I read on the internet that just two weeks after President Thomas S. Monson, President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, announced the change in age, Church headquarters saw an increase in applications go from an average of 700 per week to 4,000 per week.  Can you imagine how busy headquarters must be processing all these applications?

These young men and women choose to spend two years of their lives preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are ready and willing to listen.  I will be anxious to see how the church membership increases over the next couple of years because of all these missionaries going out now. 

Justin has always been the strong, silent type. He carries a strong spirit with him.  He gave a talk a couple of weeks ago in church.  You can tell he has a strong testimony.  He is so anxious to get busy with the work.  He has a lot to do before April 18th. He has to get a visa, passport, clothes and so many other things need to be done.  It's a little overwhelming.

I know that he will do a great job and have great experiences in that great country. He also has a lot of ancestors that come from England on both sides of the family. And they have a beautiful temple in Preston which is close to the MTC.

 

I'm so grateful for this great and wonderful church I belong too.  And I am grateful for my family, for the choices they are making.

Be Soft and Love

"Do not let the world make you hard. Be soft. Do not let pain make you hate. Love. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place." — Kurt Vonnegut

 

"God  has a reason for allowing things to happen. . . We may never understand his wisdom but we simply have to trust His will. . ."

 

These quotes were posted on Facebook.  The second is from a page entitled "Words to Inspire the Soul". 

 

This time of year makes me contemplative. It is a time when we are ending one year and looking forward to beginning another. It's kind of like a new beginning.

 

I know we all have challenges in this life.  Some may feel they have more than their share but I do believe what these quotes have to say. Things happen for a reason.  We can't let them make us bitter or unforgiving.  When we forgive and love the world is a better place not just for us but for everyone else. Wouldn't you much rather feel good about life instead of letting the negative stuff get you down? I know I would. 

 

Sometimes I simply, and it can be simple, just take a deep breath and force myself to smile.  This actually does wonders.  Especially if you smile at yourself in the mirror.

 

Too many people in this world cannot let go and forgive.  Forgiving doesn't necessarily mean forgetting.  I think we remember things for a couple of reasons.  One, so we don't repeat our mistakes and two, it's in our nature to remember these things at least for a while. We may a reach a point in our lives when we can forget. At least until something comes up that reminds us.  But that doesn't mean we can't forgive. I feel all these experiences shape and mould us.  It depends on our attitude as to how they shape us.

 

I like the words "be soft".  It tells me to be kind and gentle and understanding. That's how I want to be although I fail at it often. 

 

One thing I know, I will keep on keeping on and never give up on becoming the person I'm supposed to be.

 

 

 

Longings, change and hope

There's something about Fall that stirs a feeling in me.  I'm not sure if it's longing or hope. I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm not even sure what causes it. Maybe it's longing for cooler days. Maybe it has to do with the upcoming holiday season.  Maybe its missing people that have been taken out of my life in one way or another.

I don't have the same feeling for the other seasons. I don't necessarily have negative feelings about the rest of the year. I just can't describe it.

I know I miss those who have passed away, mainly my son and my parents.

I didn't get to share the holdiays with my second son. He was here for a short 5 months. He passed away suddenly from a condition that we had no clue he had. That was in 1972 so he would be 40 now. I often wonder what kind of a man he would have been, what he would look like or who he would take after, me or Dean.  Or maybe he would have a completely different look, something that he would have pulled from our ancestors before us. I have so few pictures of him. So I like to look at my other sons and take a guess at which one he would have resembled more.

I miss my mother a lot.  Don't get me wrong, I miss my father too. But my sisters and I were extremely close to our mother.  She was our best friend. Both my parents passed away in 2001 within 5 months of each other.  What a blessing for them but how hard for us left behind! But I still want to call my mom and talk to her and tell her of the important milestones in our lives or just simply talk.

I miss the people I worked with at the credit union I worked at for 15 years.  It all ended so quickly,

I also feel bad for people that I've hurt througout my life. I was reflecting the other day and realized that I've had a lot of selfish moments in my life. How I regret any hurts I have caused! I wish I hadn't hurt anyone.  But I have tried to repent of what I can, as much as I can. Will I ever hurt anyone again? I hope not.  Not on purpose anyway. I would like to think I've learned from my past mistakes. However, there's always something new around the corner and I have to be prepared to deal with it.

Maybe I never had closure on these events in my life.  Maybe that's what this is all about. How does one get closure? I'm not sure. If the lack of closure is the real issue what do I do about it? Maybe nothing. Maybe I just need to keep moving on looking forward to the new day, the new season, the new year and looking forward to enjoying the people in my life now and meeting new people and having new experiences.  Wow! That was a long sentence.

Or maybe change is hard on me. I've contemplated what I've been through, the good and the bad, being happy and sad, and how all this has made me who I am today. Change is inevitable but there have been times in my life that change has been harder than others. Each day brings changes, some bigger than others.  Each day we grow older.  Some days I feel very old and others I feel like I'm a teenager.

Under the picture it says, "Change is the essence of life.  Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."

I wonder how many other people feel this way?  Am I an oddity or are these common feelings?

I am truly grateful for those who are in my life now.  I have a wonderful, supportive, kind, forgiving, caring, gentle and loving husband. My children & grandchildren accept and love me unconditionally.  The people I work for and with are good people and we get along well.

So maybe I do have longings but I also have hope.  Hope for the future because I do have wonderful people in my life whether I see them every day or every so often or communicate only through email or Facebook or some other means of communication.

And I have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  They are the ones I lean heavily on.  They are the ones that will always be there no matter what. And for all this I am truly grateful.

Granchildren Chapter 9

Technically this should have been Grandchildren Chapter 8 but somehow I missed my oldest grandchild's birthday post.  What is wrong with me? :-( Logan Williams Leavitt is our oldest grandchild. He turned 18 on August 8, 2012.  I can't believe I have an 18 year grandson.  I did a graduation post with pictures of him in his graduation gown. I'm going to repost some pictures of Logan from the past year. I wished I'd been more on the ball and taken some pictures at his birthday. 

Logan on his graduation day with his parents.  He is now not only taller than me but both of his parents too. I remember him waiting and waiting to be taller. He made it!

From a Lamar and Betty Leavitt family reunion a couple of years ago.

Here he is having breakfast after his Eagle project. He technically has his Eagle.  He just needs to have the Eagle Court of Honor to received the award.

 Last year at his Senior prom.

At the same family reunion mentioned above. He still had some growing to do then.

Logan is the only grandchild that I was able to see born.  He is the one that made us grandparents.  He has a confidence about him that I admire. He will always give me a hug when he sees me, doesn't matter where we are or what's going on.

He has a full time job now. I can't believe how grown up he is.

I am so proud of Logan and I love him very much. He sets a wonderful example for his younger brothers and sisters.