Joy in the Journey

Wow, it feels so good to sit down and blog once again. I have missed blogging so much, I know that sounds really dorky, but I love to sit down and write down what my frusgrations, exciting moments, feelings of my heart, or just about the ordinary events of everyday life (like that happens when you have a 17 month old (going on 2) and a 3 yr old (going on 16)).

Life is wonderful for us. We are loving our new home in Asheville, N.C. Asheville is BEAUTIFUL!!!! The weather is perfect, the scenery is breath-taking, Cory is loving the challenge of his new job, and the people here are great. Is there anything else you could ask for? Well, actually there is...I just wish my whole family could live here with me. We have made some great friends in our ward and we have also made some friends who are not members. I have also once again been called to the greatest calling ever...primary music leader. The other day I was talking to one of my friends in the primary presidency. She told me that they had known it was time for a new music leader but they didn't know who to call. They had been praying about who it should be and then...guess who moved in the ward...that would be me. I have had a couple of weeks to prepare as to allow the current leader to continue up until the program (in 2 weeks). I have really been debating about what songs to teach after the program. I have never had this calling without having to frantically teach the program songs. It is wierd to not have any specified songs that I need to teach, but I am looking forward to it.

This Sunday, Cory and I have been asked to speak in sacrament meeting. I am speaking about enduring to the end. I am really having a hard time preparing my talk because it is such a broad topic. I have done so much studying and now I just need to condense it all down to what the Lord wants me to say. Gene R. Cook has a great talk-tape called "Teaching By the Spirit", he says that when preparing to preach (you are not teaching, that is what the spirit does) you should study it all out in your mind and then go up to speak relying on the spirit to guide you as to what you should talk about on the subject matter you have studied. I am not so sure that I am to that point. I would love to be able to get up there and do that but I feel so inadequate even thinking about attempting it.

Anyways, it has been such a wonderful subject to study about. I love the scriptures SO MUCH!!!! I love the gospel SO MUCH!!!! I am so grateful for all of the knowledge that we have about the plan of happiness. I feel that it would be hard for me to patiently and happily endure the trials and disappointments of this life without knowing about the pre-existence and the eternities to come. One of my favorite quotes is..." In this life we are put in the refiner's fire to see if we will be burned to ashes or refined into gold." I am not sure who said it but I do know that Job talks about his many trials refining him into gold. I read the book of Job this week. I cannot read that book without thinking about Dad. When I found out that Dad had diabettes, I was so uspet and I just wanted to be with him. When I was talking to Mom on the phone one time, she was telling me how Dad was in so much pain and just having a really hard time. The story of Job immediately came to my mind and I realized that this is probably going to be one of Dad's biggest trials that he will have to endure. I knew just as I know now that he would endure it well just as Job did. Job never once lost faith or hope. My favorite verse in Job, a mastery scripture, is chapter 19 vs. 25-27; "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." I also love 27:5 "...till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me." What a great example of somebody who endured to the end. Sometimes when I think of the word endure I think of just grudgingly waiting it out, but in the footnotes of the scriptures it always has perseverance and steadfastness accompanying the word endure. I think that enduring to the end is having faith, hope, conviction, and joy in the journey.