Reunions!

We have been thinking about our family this weekend. Five of our children & their families are at a family reunion. There are 30 members of our posterity that are together! We would love to be with all of them but we are hoping that our grandchildren will remember that we were serving the Lord on our mission. We always hear that if we serve the Lord we will receive blessings. Our greatest hope is that we will be able to set a good example for our grandchildren & that our blessings will be transferred to our children & grandchildren. (For future reference, our sons & daughters-in-law are automatically our children. Thank goodness!)

We are not working at the desk this month. Our assignment is to work from 11 - 5, doing ordinances. Last week we were so busy. On Friday they asked us to be the shift coordinators. That means to organize all of the workers & tell them what to do when & make sure that everything runs smoothly. I have always said that I was glad I didn't have to do that job. Before the shift started, I was literally sick because I was so nervous. We didn't have as many workers as we were suppose to but everyone was so sweet & helpful. We had a wedding, a new endowment & a baby in the nursery. I was glad when the day was over & everything went well without too many glitches. Rod did much better than I did & he wasn't even nervous. He handles stress a lot better than I do.

I had some special experiences last week that I would like to share. One time I was sitting by the chapel reading the scriptures. I was the only one around & it was so peaceful as I was listening to the quiet music in the chapel & reading. All of a sudden the song playing caught my attention. It was, "I Have A Family Here On Earth". The peace that filled my heart was amazing. That was the song that we sang as we surrounded Nathan after dressing him & that we sang as a family at his funeral.

Another time I was sitting in the Celestial Room by myself. It is my favorite place to be. I was thinking about the previous experience the day before & as I picked up the scriptures I wondered if I would ever have the experience of just opening up the scriptures & there would be something just for me. I opened the scriptures & read, "And they that have slept in their graves shall come forth". I burst into tears. As soon as I composed myself I finished reading, D&C 88:97. I know that I was suppose to read that scripture. I always think of Nathan & I can see him preaching the gospel but to have such a forceful reminder that I will be able to hug him again is a great comfort.

We went to church on Sunday & this was the spiritual thought in the bulletin. Ensign, Aug. 2008, "May We So Live", by Pres. Thomas S. Monson.
"How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, "What are we doing with today?" If we live only for tomorrow, we'll eventually have a lot of empty yesterdays. Have we been guilty of declaring, "I've been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step tomorrow"? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do some things about them today. As the familiar hymn teaches: "There are chances for work all around just now; opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying, "Sometime I'll try", but go & do something today."

The last night I had with Nathan, I was SO mad at him for something, & I thought, "I just won't talk to him all the way home. He has got to learn to pay attention." Well, when he got in the car he was so happy & talkative & I couldn't stay mad at him. We had the best talk for that 20 min. ride. It was the last time I ever talked to him. I will be forever grateful that I didn't let that opportunity slip by.

Don't let those special moments pass. Take advantage of them. Let those around you know you love them & do what our Heavenly Father wants you to do so that we can all be together for eternity.

We love the gospel. We are grateful for the blessings that it brings in our life. We are grateful to be serving a mission for the Lord & we are especially grateful to be serving in His House, the Temple. We look forward to an eternal reunion!

We send our love to everyone.