Happiness is a Mission Call!

Monday December 29, 2014 is a day I will always remember!  I landed in Salt Lake City about 8:00am on a flight returning from Montana where I had gone for a visit with my sister, Amy Jo. Brent picked me up at the airport and we headed over to the Church Office Building to meet a friend of ours, Heidi Hatch, who works for the missionary department.  She had called Brent the day before to tell him our mission packet was on her desk.  If she mailed it we would get it in a week or we could come and pick it up from her. It's nice to have friends in "high" places!  Later that night our family gathered for the big announcement.  It was fun to be the ones opening that white envelope after watching our children have the same experience as their missionary calls arrived. We read, "You have been called to serve in the Olongapo, Philippine Mission. You will enter the MTC March 16, 2015." Whopee!  Our friends Sheralyn and Denis Dahle are the mission president (and wife) in that mission.

Ever since I can remember I have wanted to serve a mission for the Lord.  I have always had a desire to help build the kingdom in a far away land. To be able to serve a mission with my husband is the sweetest feeling. I feel excitement but mostly I feel peace.  What an adventure it will be!  How much I will learn!  Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for this amazing blessing!

The Good Shepherd

Happiness is following the Good Shepherd. Recently in my life, I have been feeling a great need for more of the Spirit and have been thinking about the difference of when I feel it in great abundance and when it is that I feel quite alone, without direction, cross and irritated with my life. Of course, there are many reasons why the spirit must leave us and there are very purposeful things that we can do to bring the spirit to us. Reading the scriptures is one of the best ways I know to feel the spirit. There is great power in The Word and the Holy Ghost must be present when they are read because they are truth. In an effort to capture some of that spirit today, I was reading in Alma 5 and felt so strongly that the Good Shepherd is calling after me and wants me to separate myself out from the world and become part of His fold.

Alma 5:57 "...all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things."
Alma 5:60 "...the good shepherd doth call after you and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commmandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

So how do I separate myself from the "ravenous wolf"? What does that represent in my life? I noticed a little note written in the margin of my scripture referring me to Elder Holland's talk given in April 2010 General Conference. These are some of his quotes that related to Alma 5.

1. "Above all, start by separating yourself from people, materials, and circumstances that will harm you."

2. "Exercise more control over even the marginal moments that confront you. If a TV show is indecent, turn it off. If a movie is crude, walk out. If an improper relationship is developing sever it. Many of these influences, at least initially, may not technically be evil, but they can blunt our judgement, dull our spirituality, and lead to something that could be evil. An old proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so watch your step."


3. "Whatever your thoughts are make sure they are welcome in your heart by invitation only."

4. "Cultivate and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Make sure that includes your own home, dictating the kind of art, music, and literature you keep there. If you are endowed go to the temple often that his holy angels may have charge over you."

I need to work a little harder on the marginal moments like not watching TV that undermines the family or the work of my Savior. I need to follow voice of the Good Shepherd. Where does He lead me? Safely home.

Happiness?

Lisa said to me the other day, "Why are you so stuck on that manner of happiness thingy?" I love thinking about "living after the manner of happiness"! It means that we live in the Lord's way--richly aware everyday of His many great blessings. It means we keep the commandments with intent so that we feel His love in our lives. Living after the manner of happiness will ensure that we are HAPPY. I want, more than anything, for my family to feel this eternal happiness which is so opposite of anything the world has to offer. It can only be found in the covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ--so I say to you, my dear family, LIVE AFTER THE MANNER OF HAPPINESS!

Happiness is temples....

Friday night after a hectic, hurried week, my husband and I met at the temple for a date. It started out rocky as I was in the bathroom when they took the others into the session and someone had to come and find me and tell me to hurry because I was holding everyone else up. Then when I sat down I was hit with one of the worst hot-flashes I have ever experienced and almost passed out. Through it all I kept thinking how happy I was to be sitting in such a peaceful place with my husband. The session passed in a blur, my mind was darting around thinking of so many things that I have to do for my son's wedding, and my family. Then suddenly, I was at the veil, talking to the "Lord" and stilling my mind to soak in those holy words given to me by way of covenant from my Heavenly Father who loves me. He spoke to me and he said, "Dear Lynne, you are troubled about many things but be not afraid, put your trust in me and all will be well. I love you....I appreciate you...I require nothing from you but to allow yourself to feel deeply my love and drink from living waters that will sustain you through all things." I felt his love in a deep place in my heart where only He can go. Thank you dear Father, for reminding me that all is well, all is well. Thank you for your miraculous gift of infinite love when I need it most! HE LOVES ME! This I KNOW......

Happiness.......

The Taylor family gave me the best Valentine's present--a digital picture frame with all of their Disneyland pictures. I put it in the family room, down where all the kids can see it. They LOVE looking at themselves!
It makes me smile everytime I look at it--thanks family for all the great memories........


All of us at the beach on our last day.........

Mags watching the Buzz Lightyear parade

Dave, Gavin, Mickey, Iliana and Tyler

Discovering pirate treasure on Tom Sawyer's Island

The Taylor family-Caleb, Jon, Cameron, Braden and Cathy

Lisa and Denis still looking and acting like newlyweds

Cousin crunches....

Jack and Braden with Brer Fox

Gavin couldn't get enough of the Winne the Pooh ride

What did you write in the margins?

For a year Mike has been telling me about his fabulous Institute teacher, Bro. Hunter, so I decided to attend Mike's class with him on Tuesday nights. We have been studying the parables of Jesus. Am I loving it? Is he an amazing teacher? Yes! It's not because Bro.Hunter is showy or loud or entertaining--it's because he lets the Holy Ghost teach us--and that is a rare quality in a teacher. He talks very quietly, so quietly that sometimes I strain to hear him. And he uses the prophets to teach us, he uses truth to teach, he uses the Holy Ghost to witness to us. Bro. Hunter speaks Greek and Hebrew which helps us to unlock words and meanings in the parables. He gives us piles of handouts every week which allows me to study for the entire week the one parable that we have talked about. He encourages us to listen for the whisperings and impressions of the Holy Ghost that come into our hearts and minds. He tells us to write our impressions in the margins or on whatever we can find because they can be fleeting as our mind moves on. At the end of the first class that I attended, he asked us to share what the Spirit had taught us. He asked, "What did you write in your margins?" Oh, the things that I had felt, that I had written, that were flooding into me, how strongly I felt the influence of the Holy Ghost. Every person that shared a feeling or thought had been taught something different that night.

That phrase has been running through my mind, over and over again, what will be written in my margins of my life? What marvelous teachings have been written on my heart? Holy thoughts, sacred impressions, that can come only from a loving and kind Heavenly Father who cares for His children in an unfathomable, compassionate way. Thank you Mike, for taking me to Institue with you! I am filled with gratitude for the teachings of that most precious, and often unrecognized member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost.

Love is a blessing.......

This morning I called a dear friend who is dying today to tell her I love her. I asked her if the sun was shining at her house and she replied, "Not yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. And you know, that today I will be seeing so much light! I can't wait for the chance to walk toward that light." We talked about how blessed we are by the gospel and how excited she was to see her husband and be with him again. She spoke of a blessing her Bishop had given her where he said that as she went through the veil the Savior and her husband would be waiting. I asked her, " If, by any chance, you run into my boy, John Gardner, will you take a minute to give him a hug from me? Would you tell him how much we love him? " She said, "I will make it my special mission to find him for you--it will be my privilege."

How grateful I am for those three words "I love you"! What power they have to touch our hearts and bring us to the Savior. To each of you, my most dearly loved, you are hearts of my heart--and I love you!