Challenges

This past year has been a year of challenges for me. You wouldn't know it by looking at me. My marriage is strong and secure. We have jobs and income. I have a beautiful family and 11 grandchildren that fill me with joy.

My challenge is not outward or external, but inward and personal. I've decided since I no longer have the primary duty of raising children, which was always my joy AND my challenge, I need other methods to help me grow.

Because Heavenly Father wants and EXPECTS us to continue to grow, challenges and trials are HIS way of helping us to become a better person. This is one of the most basic principles taught by the missionaries. We were spirit children in Heaven, sent to earth to have trials and grow!

I am verbalizing this because I still continue to struggle and yet I have the faith, knowledge and desire to grow through my trials and become the person Heavenly Father wants me to be.

I know I'm not the only one that has these feelings. I hope that this will encourage you to continue in faith and growth through your trials, whether internal or external.

"....know thou, my son (daughter), that all these things shall give thee ^eexperience, and shall be for thy good." D&C 122:7

There are few places where the spirit is more strong than at a convert baptism.

David and I have been involved with two of these baptisms since we have been in the Ellsworth ward. Both were non-member women married to less active husbands. As the husbands became active, the wives followed, changed their lives and were baptized.

I keep thinking of the husband baptizing his wife, the children observing. As the wife emerged from the water, she reached up to her husband and gave him this amazing look and hugged him. This said it all. The room was electric with the spirit. They had gone through this journey together and arrived at the same place. Lots of love and lots of sacrifice. Lots more to come.

It is a poignant reminder of the blessing the gospel brings to our lives and never to lose sight of it.