messenger

I had an assignment to speak in another congregation on Sunday, and while I didn’t feel especially nervous, I noticed my hands were shaking when I tried to take the bread and water for the sacrament. As I took and returned the small cup, the tray rattled with my efforts so much that it made some noise. I said, “I’m sorry,” to the young man holding the tray for me, to which he whispered, “It’s okay,” and the words immediately had more meaning than an 11- or 12-year-old could know. Isn’t that the whole meaning of the sacrament right there? We come, flawed and sorry, and sometimes broken, ill-composed, and making a mess, and it’s a time when the Lord can just say to us, “It’s okay.”

With those simple words, I knew that the rattling was okay, but also that I was okay with the Lord at that moment. He used a kind young boy to teach me that, and it felt so very sweet to hear it from a child.

Rustles of Spring and Bugler’s Holiday

Mark and his piano teacher, Natalie Arcilesi

Mark played Rustles of Spring by Sinding tonight in a piano recital. It’s a piece I hope he never stops playing. Earlier in the day he played the piano accompaniment for a trumpet trio called Bugler’s Holiday at a Regional solo and ensemble event. They qualified for State. He had quite a day, and I got to attend both events. You should totally Google these pieces. They are sparkly.

In an acceptable time

I am grateful I got to see our Tim speak in sacrament meeting in Canada today via Zoom.

I finished reading Saints volume 2, and it had a LOT about opening the missions of the South Pacific in the mid-1800s. One takeaway is that the Lord had specific people in mind to introduce the gospel to the Pacific, and He even used them multiple times throughout their lives. I know the Lord loves all of his children and He has a plan for gathering them.

Timothy’s grandfathers served missions on isles of the sea, in Samoa and Puerto Rico.

I keep a list of scriptures about the promises to the isles of the sea, as I continue to pray that missionaries can return to areas that are currently closed.

“In an acceptable time I have heard thee O isles of the sea…and helped thee, and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people.” (1 Nephi 21:8, Isaiah 49:8)

“Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea.” (2 Nephi 10:21)

“I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea, and will bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth.” (2 Nephi 29:7)

Of course, Jacob considered the Americas an isle of the sea, so Canada counts, too. (2 Nephi 10:20)

Goodness

I admit that I have felt so weary of winter lately, but this crocus was a hopeful sign this afternoon when we stepped out for a walk.

Our new neighbors were awake this morning when I opened my kitchen blinds at 6:45 am. They made no effort to hide their morning routine framed by their vast uncovered windows. I find it comforting to see serenity and life in that house, at last.

I had an anonymous friend send me gifts throughout 2021. She mailed me themed monthly gifts, anniversary and birthday gifts, and basically overwhelmed me with generosity. She made a difficult year easier. As I read her final card to me, revealing who she was and why she did this kind thing, she told me about another gift she had given. Every day of 2021, she had prayed for me by name, which really means a lot to me. Last night she gave me a last array of gifts, not via mail, but in person: my favorite candies and a gift card to my favorite restaurant. I gave her the handmade doll I had wrapped and waiting in the closet for the day when we would meet. Goodness, so much goodness.

Thank you, Candy Bomber

I was sad to hear of the passing of Gail Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber. We attended the same ward in Arizona for a few years. Our children heard him speak about his experiences during the Berlin Airlift many times, and it was nice to see a hero among us. He was always so outgoing and happy. I was looking through some writing from my Arizona years today and found this little detail: one evening I was washing dishes at the church and Brother Halvorsen walked into the kitchen and started drying the silverware. You guys, the Candy Bomber, celebrity and hero, chose to help me with the dishes!

I will remember how Brother Halvorsen showed everyone that small acts of kindness really matter.

anytime you do anything that helps anyone…

One of the sweetest experiences happened recently when I was feeling sorry that I wasn’t better at family history work. I have a goal to work on family history research each Thursday for a certain amount of time, but perfectionism paralysis keeps happening when I search for family names. So, lately I have been indexing records on Family Search to fill my goal quota of time. It feels mostly like a defeat when I turn to indexing instead of working on my own family line. Fear of entering my family names wrong has really been chasing me.

So, I prayed about it, and said I was sorry I wasn’t more brave. I expected some direction from the Lord about how to fix my paralysis, but instead, I felt unreserved love. Also, I felt assured that I am doing family history work that I hadn’t thought to claim. I may need a guide to help me with my Finnish family line, but there is plenty I can do without assistance, and lots of things that I AM doing to help.

“Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” worldwide devotional for youth, June 3, 2018.

Video chats

some recent video calls

I take a screenshot of each video call with our missionary, but I don’t let on that I am doing it. So, these are regular, unposed expressions. With Daniel, we experienced missionary life without phonecalls and texts, and it was in the last part of his mission that the rules changed, allowing missionaries to contact home via text, a phonecall, or video call once a week.

It probably goes without saying that there is a big difference between the experiences. Our sons haven’t always felt the need to connect with a call each week, but it is nice to know they can. I like to see their faces, and these calls show me how they are really doing. I also see how they interact with companions. This week on our video call, Tim was a passenger in a car, and he showed us what the landscape looked like as they drove home. It helps me place him in my thoughts a little better. I think we hear more details about missionary work during a call because it doesn’t have to be typed and edited. It’s just real. I think it probably helps our missionaries to see that we are still very interested in their lives and can offer personal counsel.

I hope the weekly call doesn’t go away. It was an inspired change.

Ski Fridays

The school district has scheduled many remote learning Fridays due to Covid, and there isn’t much for Mark to do on these days. Richard and Mark have used the time to ski. I think that in this less than ideal situation, it’s an excellent solution to the dilemma of how to cut down on screen time. They come home good pals, and then we get takeout for dinner. Good times.

Picnic ready

I have a few friends with whom I meet to sew, usually around once a month. As we sew quilts or other individual projects, we explore vast conversations on many topics. These are some of the fastest hours of the month for me. I don’t often sew outside of these tiny gatherings, but I have made progress on several projects and learned from the wisdom of women I truly admire. This week I finished a quilt I began sometime last year. It’s ready to take on a picnic…once the ground thaws.