Ben in Texas for the summer!!!

As Dad and I were coming back home from the proselyting and dinner, along with Ben, we met this lady on the subway who was excited to show us her fingernails and toenails freshly done! She talked excitedly about her nails, her work and other things. She eagerly took Dad’s pass along card and gave him her business card. But it made me think of another woman who I met a little earlier on the subway. I watched a woman as she waited just a moment before getting on the subway. This woman was dressed in a cute outfit, from head to toe. So when she got on the subway I tried to tell her I liked her outfit; but it was hard for her to understand me. But as she was getting ready to get off at her stop she made it a point to tell me to have a good day/goodbye. Dad was able to pull out a pass along card to give to her. Dad was able to share five cards with people that night.

Ben left for America last Friday in the afternoon and arrived in Texas late Friday night. Blake Kennington and his dad, Mike, picked him up from the airport. Ben said they stopped by Whataburger on the way back to their house. Dad and I felt weird/missing Ben/don’t like growing old and moving into the "empty nester" phase of life.

Dad and I went for a bike ride on Saturday. First Dad told me we were going on a long hike. Then he said we were riding 7 1/2 miles. After we rode about 4 miles he told me we were riding 7 1/2 miles ONE WAY. Sneaky! There were different stops along the way with beautiful flowers but we stopped just once to show this heart shaped flowerbed. We don’t have a little bike bell to ring (ringy dingy) but we could hear other people ringing those. It was a beautiful day with great weather so lots of people were out biking, walking, playing badminton along that same trail we had our 5K run with the missionaries last year.

 We saw this woman carrying her package on her head as well as a package in her hand and had to take a picture. I was amazed at how she could balance that package making it look easy, smooth and fluid, even with lots of traffic coming at her.

We went down to the walking path (where we held the 5K run) to play badminton this morning. There were two middle school age boys(15 year olds/friends) who were there playing and let us play against them. They were funny to watch/listen to. We tried to get the highest number of volleys but our record was 10. On the way back walking just before crossing over on the blocks we saw this bird trying to eat an eel (I think that’s what it was).

Pics from when Ben was in Texas!

I was reading from an article titled How We Preach of Christ in Our Home, from the June 2015 Ensign. I liked some of what was said as it made me think of some of my own thoughts from our mission.

“Let’s say that you are teaching the importance of prayer. You might use doctrine and Covenants 10:5, where we are instructed to“pray  always,” or Nephi’s counsel that the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray” (2 Nephi 32:8). These scriptures teach the doctrine of prayer powerfully. As you discuss them, let’s say you ask something like “How did the Savior pray?” or “What were the Savior’s prayers like?” If you have younger children, you might ask, “What do you think the Savior’s prayers were like?”

Take a moment to think of how you might personally answer this question by considering the scriptural accounts that come to mind. I think immediately of the Saviors visit to the Americas, when “he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written. ..Eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father” (3 Nephi 17:15-16).”

We have morning prayers, prayers over meals, and then when we go out someplace (like Costco) we have another prayer. Sometimes I feel like we have already covered ourselves with enough prayers! But then I remember that we are supposed to pray always. So when we have been with the assistants and one of them has prayed I was impressed by their sincere prayer—not rushed or irritated. So my question is this: Do you have an experience when you prayed that changed the way you think about prayer or that changed your life? Did something happen that made you feel a deeper conviction as to the power of prayer? I’m hoping that returned missionaries will think back to their missions and reply/speak up/share/write a response. I would love to hear how prayer helped someone from your mission; an investigator, companion, member, or you.

But you don’t have to have served a mission in order to have had an experience with prayer to share with me. I’d love to hear from anyone; a mom, child, student, athlete, in any setting.

Another part of the talk that I liked was about having a reminder in your home/room that would help you remember the Savior:

“A few years ago, while sitting with our children at tithing settlement, our bishop invited our 10-year-old son to take a small picture of the Savior and decide where in our home to place it, where it would be a constant reminder of our family’s commitment to follow Him. After returning home, he placed the picture on the front door, where, our son said,“each of us would see it the most.” This has been a great blessing and constant reminder to all of us every day in a small but powerful way of our promises to follow Jesus Christ.

Regardless of where pictures are placed in your home, it would be worth the effort to note the pictures on the walls and the messages you are sending to your children. Is the art in your home portraying the message that you are committed to following Christ?”

This idea of having pictures of Christ up in our home also made me think of including pictures ofthe temple. When our missionaries go home we have a nice traditional dinner that Sister Lee prepares. After dinner we sit together in the living room and each take a turn sharing answers to two questions Dad asks: “What has been harder, on your mission, than you thought it would be?” and “What do you know, now, that you didn’t know before?”. Just this last time of talking with the outgoing missionaries did one of them answer the way that I thought Dad intended the question to be understood. This one missionary shared his testimony—what he knows, now, that he didn’t know before his mission. He got it! It is a big change/difference for him. He finally knows!

After going around the room each taking a turn to share, Dad points out the different pictures/paintings we have hanging up around the living room area, and what they represent. Above the piano we have the same painting we had hanging up in our house in Texas (interestingly the Gilbert’s had the same painting) of the Stripling Warriors titled “It Is True Sir, All Present and Accounted For”. We have a picture of the Jordan River Temple, the same temple Dad and I were sealed in. We have a family picture, from when Alex came home from his mission. There is a painting of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove, with a painting of Christ in His red robe nearby when you first enter the mission home. Each painting and picture reminds us of Christ in some way whether through ordinances and covenants or the scriptures. I hope that everyone who comes into our home can see that we are committed to following Christ.