I cannot believe 25 years have passed, and I knew the day she was born that it was not her first moment of existence. Paige carried a distinct presence, bright and thoughtful, that continues to grow. It is a joy and privilege to be her mother.
I testify that your own personal journey as a child of God did not begin for you as the first flow of earth’s air came rushing into your lungs, and it will not end when you take your last breath of mortality. May we always remember that each spirit child of God is coming to earth on his or her own personal journey. May we welcome them, safeguard them, and always love them. As you receive these precious children in the Savior’s name and help them in their eternal journey, I promise you that the Lord will bless you and shower His love and approval upon you.
Elder Neil L. Andersen, “The Personal Journey of a Child of God,” Liahona, May 2021.
One son in high school means that I am going to be driving him to school most of the year. Lucky me, I really like doing that. Mark seems fine to be off to school again. He likes his time with friends and his excited energy made for a companionable and talkative Mark last night after dinner. We all gathered (Richard, Angela, Paige, Michael, Daniel, McKenna, Timothy, and Mark) for a meal and to view the photos and videos of our trip. We saw around 15 waterfalls, but based on the number of photos, it probably seemed more like 300 to those who weren’t on the trip, but politely listened to us talk about our adventures. Our dinner question was, “What did you learn last week?” The answers were really good.
With travel, a camp, and a family reunion during the last month, I am counting it a win that we are just one (long) section behind in the Come Follow Me study schedule. School forces a routine, so better days are ahead for focused effort on spiritual things.
Tim’s mission shopping list is so much shorter than Daniel’s. He won’t even need a suit, and certainly not winter gear. I told myself I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I made with Daniel when I was shopping for mission gear. Since the list is different, I will certainly make new mistakes this time. I am not really firm in the reality of this mission yet. This time of year I tend to go through the mechanics of school prep and season change in a fog. Change is challenging, and I react by retreating into my thoughts that have nothing to do with the life that is calling me to action. Only writing seems to bring me back to reality.
This week is about reading less news and doing more family history work instead. I will print the mission to-do list so I can make a schedule for getting it accomplished, and I will prepare for training two groups of Primary leaders and teachers. Here we go.
Each house has been unique and special on this trip. We are near the Columbia River Gorge in a cottage which boasts of alpacas and a small creek. Blackberries line many roadways and paths.
I took this photo just before bed last night from our living room. I was too tired to step outside after a day of flights and weeks of too much of everything. My body is rebelling at the pace I’ve been running. But we are here. Oregon is a new state for all of us.
A lot happened in the two years since we gathered at the Weber cabin with the Sanchez family. The kids are all taller, smarter, and more confident. I am an observer in a group, so I saw many encouraging things about my family. I heard a recurring theme: things had been really rough for our teens during the past couple of years. From my vantage point, they are doing better than they know, and they have steady friends in their cousins. These friendships will continue to be a real source of strength in their lives. And those challenges they’ve faced? These have given them a new depth and maturity.
photos by Susan and Richard Jaussi
Our family moved from Arizona to Utah 9 years ago. We don’t see extended family as often as I thought we would, but living here makes it possible for us to be there for the little things. Life is made of little things like a shared meal, a group project, listening to music together, exchanging books, babysitting, and being available to come over and visit. I loved living outside of Utah, but I couldn’t do the little things when we lived away.
Today I am feeling a little longing for the family that we used to be, but I know it was good that we traded almost complete independence in Arizona for a more connected life in Utah.
The boys earned their Eagles about 18 months ago, just before the pandemic. We wanted to do a court of honor with family at the Weber, so we waited a long time for this. We gathered on a Sunday evening at Pines Ranch during the reunion, and I just love a mountain backdrop for this event. It was a special evening.
Our Cub Scout and Girl Scouts helped with the flag ceremony.I really like how the little cousins wanted to be in the middle of things.Richard and I made a slideshow of each boy, and Richard took some time to reminisce about Scouting with Tim and Mark.My dad pulled out from storage his uniform and presented the awards. We dug deep into our closets to find the Scout things we have neglected for 18 months. I remember picking up their Eagle awards in February 2020 (it feels a lifetime since then) and crying as I drove away from the Scout office for the last time.Their cousin Ray just completed his Eagle project, so while we couldn’t award him his rank, we honored him with a slideshow just like we did for Tim and Mark.A wild eagle flew overhead as Mark was presented with his Eagle.I was delighted, as you can see.singing with GrandmaMy boys (singing)The end.
Photos by Daniel Ross, Michael McLaughlin, and Richard Jaussi
His message was not “Stand back. I’ll handle this.” Rather it was “Come, follow me.” He inspired, invited, instructed, and then trusted His followers “to do the things which ye have seen me do.” In this way, Jesus Christ built up not only His Church but also His servants. -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
These are two of my favorite women at church. We served in a Relief Society presidency together for 3 years, and now we serve in Primary but rarely see one another. Our assignments don’t allow us to mix as much as we’d like. Today we found ourselves in the hallway together. Woot!
Have you ever considered the type of giver that God is?
Perfect, intimate, anonymous, modest, wonderful and humble are a few words that Elder Gene R Cook used to describe His giving.
Do any of these words surprise you? the word “modest” surprises me at first, but then makes sense. He doesn’t shout in our ears and compel us to see Him, but surrounds us so completely in beauty, people, and opportunities to grow that we don’t always notice His influence.
This idea inspires me to look a little deeper at my surroundings, including the challenges and the people in my life. What gifts are actually being offered by their presence? What do they teach me about the Giver and myself?
This quote was part of a BYU devotional given my Lisa Valentine Clark this week. Here is the full speech:
