Learning From Unexpected Others

This week I had a long week travelling for work.  I was getting sick, making it worse.  We had great meetings, and it was worth the effort for what we did, but I sure like coming home.  I always have so much to get done, and not enough time to do it, but this week I was able to at least use the long flights to do a marathon work session.

As I went through the week, I pondered upon things I had been studying.  As I did so I had opened to my mind the realization that I had learned an important lesson from an unexpected source.  A while back an investigator was at our house to watch the CES fireside.  As the Sisters spoke with him after, they asked what he thought of the talk.  As he explained his thoughts (and as I pondered upon this this past week) I realized that he taught me a great lesson.  He was viewing it from a purely analytical, earthly education viewpoint and yet I watched the entire time seeing and hearing the message on a spiritual plane.  I was listening to the truths in my heart, but not really trying to process all of it in a secular learning type of way.  

This really hit me this week as I realized how important it is that we "let" the spirit teach our spirit, and not just our intellect.  When we have this kind of teaching moment, we can have a teaching sink into us that will have a longer and more reaching impact than any worldly learning.  It is spirit speaking to spirit and that will always be more meaningful and life altering than anything else.

So I learned a great lesson from an investigator.  We always have to be ready to learn from any source.  Truth will always be available to us if we will "allow" it to be taught to us.

I just got done with a training session with the ward mission leaders in the south part of the stake.  It was great.  They had such good insight and so many questions.  They really are trying to do their best to follow the Lord's guidance as given through the spirit.

We also have had a new high in number of converts baptized this month in the stake.  So many people are inviting others to learn more. It is exciting to be a small part of it and to be around the great work.

I am excited for this coming week (assuming I can get feeling better, just the cold season blah sickness but it is so draining).  I get to be around Mom so much and that makes me happy.  When I got home finally Friday night (delayed flights etc) I was plastered.  I got up Saturday, helped fix Snelson's home again, then went and helped Gavin and Ty on their remodeling job they are doing.  They are focusing on a bathroom remodel and replacing the flooring with tile in a entry/laundry area of the house.  We tore out the bathroom and all the floor, then laid down the cement board.  They also removed tons of carpet in two other rooms and removed tack strip, staples etc.  Tomorrow they will begin to patch the drywall and lay down the tile.  They know so much.  Then I went with the Elders to teach an investigator and that went great.  She is a mom of two, and very religious, but is having a hard time reading the Book of Mormon.  So I showed her the Gospel Library app and helped her download it so she could listen to it.  Then she actually listened to the General Women's Meeting last night.  That's great.

I hope you were able to listen/watch the Women's Meeting.  It was amazing.  I loved it.

Love you forever.  Don't ever forget that.  

Dad

3 John 1:4

Ward Mission Leader

This next week I am having a ward mission leader training. I am happy because you recently shared an example of how the WML had picked up your day after some hard times. This is the 2nd time I have had missionaries from the stake say things like that in a letter. This is fantastic to me as I really believe that they can have such an impact on the missionaries. Their role is to quarterback the work. But along the way their experience and wisdom, their faith and support, can make a huge difference in the lives of the missionaries serving in their units. Thank you for sharing.

The mission leaders in our stake are amazing. They do such a great job of meekly sharing their time with the full time missionaries, with supporting the investigators, and just providing a great leadership example. This week we had two different families get baptized. One in Kettering and one in Miamisburg. It was so amazing to witness the confirmations of huge Miamisburg family. Brother Gibbs (an elementary principal) did the blessings and it was amazing to listen to how each was so different and each was so personal. It was a great thing to see a family recognize the truth in their lives and desired eternity together.

I spoke in Miamisburg today. It was great to be there. So many familiar faces and people. They are a great ward. I spoke on the topic "when thou at converted". I used the example of Noell Pikus-Pace who is an Olympic medalist in Skeleton. I think I sent that to you before. I am still amazed that she spoke directly to the youth at such a pinnacle of her career. Then spoke about the work of salvation principles that we can use to strengthen each other. Like missionary work, convert retention, work with less actives, temple and family history work, and gospel teaching.

I am now on my way to Europe for meetings. I will be in Aachen Germany again for 3 days, to Mikulov Czech Republic for 1 day, then back home. Very full days as our agenda is loaded with much to cover.

Recently I had had to work through various topics at work that do not have a prior path defined. New things around variable speed that just have never Been done here before. It is somewhat fun to help define a new way to accomplish something, listen to challenges to what I have proposed, have lively debates, and in the end still go with what I came up with. That is because I work to understand all affected parties and their ends long before I make a final proposal. So when others begin to debate, we just discuss the wide ranging need of all and they discover for themselves that's the proposal is the best compromise and path. It is fun to "win" after doing so much work to ensure we have good solutions.

Do the same in your life. Be willing to listen to everyone around you before you take final action. Consider their needs and act accordingly. You will always be happy when you are serving others even if it is not your first choice.

Love you tons, I always enjoy hearing from you.

Dad

3 John 1:4

Decisions determine destiny

So I determined my destiny at work for the next few years this week.  I struggled and prayed daily to determine what to do. There were two good options for my career and I had a hard time deciding what to do.  In the end I pulled out of the new position and am staying where I am for another few years. I am still getting new challenges and I worked with my boss to line up others that will help my career. I should still get a promotion soon and another in about 1-2 years from that. It would have been the same with the new job as well.  

In the end I listed to what the spirit had been telling me all along.  Talk to many people, consider what they say, educate yourself more on both options, use this opportunity to get an increase due to your diligence to help you get out of debt faster, but in the end, both are good and both will serve you well if you put God first in your life.  So that is what I did. I pulled out on Friday and late Friday night they set up interviews.  Just in time to not waste people's time. 

It also has been a busy week doing regular work. Lots of meetings at a high level I am getting ready for globally, major program reviews that we have to clear approval for before we can move to the next major step, and big agendas for upcoming trips to Europe and China.  

Saturday was a special day.....  Last week we discovered a major oil leak in the Mazda. I was very concerned.  That could be more than the car was worth. Not what we wanted.  I took it to the shop and they wanted to do nearly $2500 worth of repairs. Even when I whittled it down they still wanted over $600 for  just the most major items. I am grateful for the gifts God gives me in knowing how to, or being willing to try other things.  As you might guess I bought the parts myself, had the Elders over who one of. Them has done a lot of engine repair, and we did the work for $130 flat. We changed the valve cover gasket (oil leak that was the worst) and replace the brakes and rotors on the front.   I actually had to use the sledge hammer on the old rotors they were so rusted on. I banged and banged so hard but eventually they broke loose. If they are not that bad they will just come off after 

you remove the caliper with just a few hits with a regular hammer to free it up.  What a blessing. 

I also fixed a zip line brake to be more smooth and less jerky, pulled out a bunch more honeysuckle, replaced some zip line blocks that they neighbor did not like how they "stuck out" whenever they looked out their window to some logs that matched the color of the truck (they are happy now, it does look much more natural), fixed our light and Lys light that did not work with the remote, washed and waxed the Mazda and Truck (the others were gone) and cleaned out the furnace filter. It was a productive day. 

Ty won first place in WIDI at the regional science Olympiad tournament and he was very happy. He got 3rd and 5th in the two others he did. He is awesome. State is next but he will have to see if they put him on the team that goes. Probably not since he is still a sophomore and mostly seniors and juniors go.  But he is amazing. He loves it. He also took another higher level math exam (voluntary and only 2 people from Centerville HS qualified to take it at this level, one of them being Ty). He said he answer 6 of 11 questions and the exam was 3 hours. I would not find that fun but he was very excited. It is designed to be very hard so he actually did well to answer 6 of them. 

Gavin tried out for a smaller version of forte and hopes to make that for the rest of the year.  And Friday nit he went to a lock in at the school for symphonic choir. They stayed all night with activities etc.  then of course he came home and slept. I think most exciting is he met with Bishop to start his papers for his mission.  Very cool. He is also doing so good. 

I love you tons, and always want the best for you.  

Dad

3 John 1:4

As you could guess I send this same letter to Skjelse also to share my spiritual feelings  and such to keep her knowing I love her and want her to be with us forever, but she has to decide.  So usually I just send the same to both of you, I will do the same for Gavin, and I use this as my journal also.  But today, you get a bit more.  Thanks for telling us of the struggles as well as the awesomeness of the mission.  Keep the positive attitude and telling the good, but when you are a bit down, tell mom and dad.  We love you and pray for you daily, multiple times daily really. I am soooooo proud of you. You will eternally be grateful for what you are doing. And you have already had so much more success than I ever had. Way to go!  

On the challenging motivation of companions. I had one just like you described. Not rebellious, but difficult to motivate.  He listed to the same tape from his girlfriend daily if not multiple times daily, whined about home etc.  when I look back the thing I remember the most, and wish to change the most is, I wish I had worked harder.  When she is challenging, plan more work,  try to get more appointments, even with members, strengthen them and you will also be happy.  See if you can get appointments when she tries to be on the phone. Mom gave you great advice, use the distraction of conversation to turn it to more positive topics.  And above all love her and let her seeing you try to go above  and beyond what is required. You will NEVER be sad for doing more. Even if have more sometimes is only in your apartment. Study more, plan more, pray more. Do your daily and weekly planning with more depth and ask her things like how she thinks you can reach xxx better when you talk about such and such a principle. You probably do, but do your own plan, then ask her open questions about very specific topics so she turns her mind to those you serve.

You will do awesome, keep it up.  And know if you are doing your best, you are successful  as a missionary!

I love you so much, you epitomize 3 John 1:4!  Thanks. 

When you are on the Lord's errand...

Saturday is a special day...(keep singing!) but this Saturday was pretty great.  I got up fairly early because I slept pretty good.  I went over early to Lowes to get some parts etc to fix a few small things.  I fixed the water heater door, mounted the electrical meter box back tight against the concrete (after they put a new main to our house, they never fixed it so I finally did), Pulled honeysuckle and mom and Gavin helped me get all the branches to the truck and the roots to the garbage, replaced a bulb in the bathroom, helped mom clean the house, re-aligned Gavin and Ty's door to shut properly, bumped out a dent in the Mazda that happened a long while back, now you can hardly tell, fixed some fluids on the Mazda with Ty's help, repaired the zip line bungee brake and added another line to make it better.  

 Among a good day of just misc things, Ole called.  It turns out Trent is being called into the Bishopric in his ward in Midland, MI.  He wanted Ole to ordain him a high priest but they were having a hard time finding flights, especially for any reasonable fare.  They called to check if they could not find a way, would I be willing to drive up so Trent could still keep Grandpa Smith's line of Authority.  I was of course willing, but knew the best would be if Ole could.  So I decided to check what my Diamond Medallion status could do.  I didn't think anything would be available because I usually have a hard time finding just what we want (as you know when you have flown home or such in the past) and in this case, Ole had to leave that day, get to MI that day, and return back the next.

Well, when you are on the Lord's errand you are entitled to the Lord's help.  And amazingly there was low mile required flights, direct to Detroit Saturday evening and return Sunday evening.  And they were available for me to get for him.  And when he got on the first flight it was jam packed.  Every seat full.  That just doesn't happen.  They don't make seats available for frequent flyer redemption on flights that are full.  But to serve His will, and the desire of a parent, he made it possible.  Truly a miracle.

I am very glad that we had "excess' to share to help enable this great event.  It was a small payback for all the things Ole has done for us as a family over the years with his influence at BYU.

Earlier in the week we went to Ty's OMEA preview concert (and then the real thing) and they did great.  It sounded wonderful and they were fun songs.  Then later we went to Gavin's preview.  Each of the choirs had a song, an "odd song" like Gavin's group did a latin word song, then they did an old testament spiritual.  This one was Daniel, Daniel servant of the Lord.  So we are listening along and suddenly a solo bursts out.  Loud, clear as pure tones, just amazing.  And blow in the face to Dad, it's Gavin!  He never told me.  He was amazing.  Just totally amazing.  It was a nice low bass part that fit him so well.  And he can get lower than just about anyone.  It was so neat to hear.  And the crowd loved it.  Extra standing ovation for the song and for Gavin's solo.  

I still have not decided if I want the new position at work.  This is really hard.  I can get promotion in salary and title either way.  There are good and bad to each.  I have talked to many people (included the new "boss" if I did it) and my current boss.  In the end either one is OK for the career, growth etc.  I just need to decide.  It is hard because both have such good things.  But prayer has also told me that either one is OK, they both will help our family so both are OK.  I just need to choose. 

I really hope you turn to the Lord often in prayer.  It is amazing how he constantly answers small and large needs.  Even when we are so blessed already.

Love you tons forever,

Dad

3 John 1:4 

Firly and Logess

Alysia was begging me to tell her a story this week as I tucked he in bed.  I didn't do the fun story, my brain is not as sharp as it was when you were younger. Maybe I will refind it for my future grandchildren.  But it was fun to think of those times telling the stories that you helped to tell.

I have to tell you that the temple is just a phenom to me. It just gets better and better. We went on Friday and it has never been better. I was quite amazed this time as I both heightened and deepened my understanding because of an article I read in the New Era. There is so much truth all around us. 

We also got to see the new new movie. Each time this is updated, it does not change, but adds new insight to me that continues to expand my wonder of Gods plan for us. 

I might have a new opportunity at work.  A guy in planning is leaving and it might be a good fit for me. It would be a promotion if I decide to go for it and if I was selected. Same role as today but expanded and enlarged.   I have been pondering this pretty hard the past few days. After the temple I know that either way will be good for our family. 

Friday and Saturday we volunteered at forte events so we heard them both nights. I ushered doors and sold tickets. It was very low key work. Forte did 7 songs and 4 of them we're lead singers from the ward. They do great. And Gavin is miked so well that he is easy to hear and provides such a foundation for the songs. It is really fun to listen to him. 

Love you forever,

Dad

3 John 1:4