Newsletter to You

Italicize the "You," because this is just for us to share. Usually this time of the year prompts me to write a family newsletter that I save, but never get mailed. It kind of sums up our year and how the family's doing. With us, it mainly focuses on the "kids" getting schooling or jobs, marriages, and the birth of babies, besides Mark's career highlights and my health low-lights, lol. The main reason I type one up, though, is just to get a sense of where we are and where we are heading. This past year (and maybe this December!) brought the birth of two darling little girls into the family, a job and location change for Mark, a location and job change for Seth, deployment halfway around the world for Phillip, a new career path for Ben, and Linda expecting a little sister for Josh, ajob change (a comin' one of these days) for Justin, Kattie's marriage and new work with Mark, and Dallin finishing up his degree and looking around the country at job opportunities. Whew! People have moved (thank you for your help!!) and we've all been pretty well, for the most part. I think we've all felt blessed. But what I am most happy about and want to write to you about is a more all-encompassing blessing that I have noticed and been so grateful for. It's a settling, an acceptance and an acknowledging of effort as an accomplishment to ourselves. I've seen an over-arching faith in Heavenly Father's timetable and plan, regardless of what threatens the world or us individually, and a strength and flexibility and grateful peace and enjoyment in our lives, rather than fear or over-analysis or over-planning. My own testimony has been added to in an indefinable way. I don't wonder whether we are happy or good so much anymore. I just know that God is good and loving and that we are surrounded by blessings I feel more aware of the veiled world around us and I sense the support of family members on the other side. I feel their overwhelming joy. I mentioned something in my last post, and that was the opportunity we have to serve one another. That is a great thing that is unique to this existence, in that it will never be more meaningful. Every little thing we do, every word of encouragement and every small moment of teaching, thoughtfulness or understanding that we offer, has a real and lasting impact in this world and in the eternities. Those moments should be accompanied by a sound of resonating thunder. They are that important. You know, so much of what Jesus did and taught, His greatest lessons, were accomplished in small moments, often occurring on His way to something important. Funny how that worked. He always stopped when the Spirit told Him to He always listened He always felt such love for the creations of His own hand. He walked the earth with reverence and power. This Christmas, let us be aware of the real glory of Jesus Christ and why He came to earth: That we might have joy. Bless you! xoxoxo