Shortened Day

I realized I have to email you now or I will miss you. I am again on the way to China for the week. And by the time I am back in a hotel to email you you might be done. 

I went early to Miamisburg ward and heard a great talk on going from muskets to machine guns in missionary work. Members in the past have tried so carefully to one by one load their musket and shoot a healing bullet at someone. Then if is misses the mark (like extending an invitation to attend church and having them say they are busy or whatever) we put the musket back away for some long off future date. 

What we need is a machine gun and we just stay the invitations far and wide. Se will miss but some will hit their mark and turn people more to Christ. And every member needs to use their machine gun in every setting. Not to be flippant or without the spirit but we need to ask more people, invite more to know more about is etc. we don't have to know them and plot the "shot" for months or years. 

I am sad to leave. I like it at home. That is where eternal peace is the strongest. I am so pleased with you and your efforts to serve your best for so long. Keep close to the spirit and regardless of what happens around you, you will be happy and others will be better because of being around you. 

Pray for Gavin to continue on his great path and really turn his inner heart to God. He is so excited to go whenever he is really putting his heart into the eternal future.  

Love you tons. 

Dad

Thanks for being the quintessence of 3 John 1:4

Thought Library

All week as I have been travelling back and forth I have been considering how we receive answers to some of the prayers and desires we have.  I have recognized in my life much of that has come in the form of previous things that I have studied and then come back to me.  So when you study daily, and choose to fill you mind with things that bring eternal progress, you can more readily receive answers to your prayers.  The real key to lasting joy, one that persists through any and all circumstances good and difficult, is to have your mind filled with thoughts that you can be comfortable having regardless of where and when you are.  

I so appreciate the ability to have thoughts of hymns, conference talks, scriptures, good music with lyrics and beat that uplift, to fill my mind and always know good things are stored in the eternal library of my thoughts.

And the other side of this is to have the time to actually have your own thoughts.  Time to remove all the other distractions and allow yourself to have your own thoughts, without the "noise" of the world around us pushing out our ability to freely see what our true thoughts will bring to our mind.  Time to turn off the media, detach from the digital, and just allow our mind to dwell on what we want most, not what we want now.

As we drive through the night last night, I had very little time that I listened to some conference.  I just allowed my thoughts to be apart from the digital and reflect on what is most important to me.  Wouldn't you know my family was what I spent most of the time considering.  I am so pleased with everyone's good choices and the things they do that bring eternal joy.

Allow time to be apart from the digital and begin to find the wonder in the silence around you.

Love you forever,

Dad

3 John 1:4

Father's Day Fantabulous

This was a wonderful day, well, really it was a wonderful weekend.  We went to King's Island Friday night than again on Saturday on the Emerson tickets we get at a steep discount.  We had a great time.  I was so happy because this is the first time Emerson has made it possible to do the actual company day on a Saturday.  It has always been on a Sunday.  So each year I have asked for "good any day tickets" and we have just gone some other day, missing the night before and missing the "picnic" they provide.  This year they had two options, one Saturday and one Sunday.  We saw TONS of people there on Saturday.  I hope it sends a message to make that available to everyone every year now.  We saw all the LDS people I know up there on Saturday.  We all skipped the actual day in years past.

The best part about the King's Island was looking at Gavin, Ty and Alysia with smiles on their faces and bringing true joy to their father's heart.  That was a pleasure for father's day.  

Today was wonderful also.  I love being at church with the family.  And I love being able to have this day be set apart different from the rest of the week.  So I can think about and spend time around family so much.  Ty got sick so I took him home and we are trying to make it good for him while he rests.  Gavin got his temple recommend and that is a joy for my heart also.  Mom made a great meal at my request (since I am always asked what I want) and it was deliciouso,  I love the bread sticks and ate too many.  Then I had hot fudge with ice creme.  The ice creme is just an excuse to eat the hot fudge.

I got a wonderful card from Skjelse and a call from her and Jeff to boot.  An unexpected pleasure.  

And less you think I have gone soft, I also vacuumed, cleaned and checked up on all the cars while I was home dropping off Gavin before going back for Ty and Alysia at King's Island. The cars look so much better. Just to get them cleaned, dirt and rocks out, junk out etc.  And cleaned the wheels from all the brake dust accumulated over the years.  It just helps them last also when you take care of them. 

I had it come very strong to me this weekend that what really makes me happy is seeing my children happy and doing what will help them eternally find joy.  That is what makes me have joy.  I need nothing, I have all I need.  We are so blessed materially and I just want the best for each child.  Just like our Father in Heaven.  He just wants the best for us. Thanks for making my father's day one of joy.

Love you forever, 

Dad

3 John 1:4

Stake Conference

Wow! It was awesome. Elder Fallabella from the 70 was there and he was great. Each of the sessions was a phenom. Saturday afternoon he had all the elders come. And since Ty is on a mini mission he was there also. He spent a lot of time talking about sharing the gospel and how we can improve in that. I remember to open our moths, smile and come and see. Open our moths he had a story of how he just started talking to a restaurant worker where he was eating and it turned into a referral. And later he got word that he had been baptized. Along with his wife and daughter. And for just starting with a smile his wife met a government official who worked with youth to provide scholarships and the like. He as invited  to speak to the youth of a stake and along the time he had been investigating the church. He announced to those youth that he was getting baptized. And he likened the work we as members need to do to be like the Savior. When asked the question he didn't really answer but said "come and see."  So we can invite others into our homes and just be friends.  Those that are prepared will want to know more and will feel the goodness of the home environment. I invited an investigator to come but they were leaving town. Too bad for them. 

Saturday evening Was the highlight for me. Good talks in general but they had a panel of four youth. All through the evening they were asked questions of what they thought. Hailey Z was one of them, and Jessie Mueller was another.   They talked all about the challenges of youth and especially the impact the come follow program of teaching. How it was preparing them differently than before. They did a remarkable job. In the end he talked about the major decisions we make. Baptism, missions, then marriage in the temple and children. If we have five children the. The decisions we make affect them. So he had five people stand up. Then if each of those make those decisions in righteousness then they have five children. Now those four youth could see 25 more people standing. Then if they do the same their "great grandchildren" would be up to another 125. And one more time and he had the entire congregation standing. It was an awesome visual about the impact and importance of our choices. Everyone was there. Gavin, Ty on his mission, Lys and mom and I. 

Sunday morning we had an early special stake council with Elder Fallabella. It was very interactive and a great example of how to council together. We discussed what we can do, actionable items, to better prepare young men and women to be ready to serve.  If you have any good ideas, please share them. Finally we had the general session and had good speakers and talks about setting and achieving your vision. 

After that I got the pleasure of conferring the Melchizedek priesthood on Gavin. That was really nice so he is an Elder now. Wow!

I got the Mercury fixed with Gavin's help on Friday night. It was quite a job to replace the intake manifold that was causing misfires in the engine. Then Saturday I charged up the air conditioning and did a special fix on the side of the seats that were cracked and now it is running and looking so good. I worked some with Gavin again on the motorcycle and we are so stumped. We can't figure what is wrong. It just won't spark so it won't run. We will try some more tomorrow. It will just be Gavin and I since mom and Lys will be at camp. 

Love you forever. I cling to the blessings of the temple. 

Dad

3John 1:4

Old and Young

I reflected again today on the amazing plan God has for us as I saw circumstances this week where old taught young, and young taught old.  He really did plan it this way where we all help each other throughout our lives.  I witnessed a bunch or graduating senior activities and realized how much the old try to teach the young to help them be better than they were them selves. I know that is how mom and I feel about it. We willingly sacrificed things we wanted to try and make it better for you that we could have had it. And we had it good.  We tried so hard to teach you the things that would be of most worth so that you could avoid the pain, challenges, sorrow and other things that come eventually with some choices.  Not that life is without them, but when we could we tried to teach you and apply limits so hashtag you could avoid ones that could be avoided. It may seem at times that we frustrated you, but it is all in the effort to help you be and had it better than we did.  

Much like the Savior and church leaders. They see farther and more clearly than we do and that is why we listen to them and follow. We clearly see that they have a better vantage point so why would I go into a mess when they can se past it and help guide me around it?

And then I also saw the young teach the old. I witnessed some excellent and effective Deacons. Teach a new convert who is retired and much older. They helped prepare him to pass the sacrament for the first time.  What a thing to witness as they calmly and thoroughly showed him all the details and helped him be comfortable with the ordinance. And he did magnificent.  There is so much we can learn from each other if we are willing to open our hearts to learn. And not close them off due to pride, ignorance, stubbornness or other things. 

I had a great Saturday. Frustrating but good as I fixed tons of things wring on all the cars. And as I would fix some, people would drive others and tell me of new problems. Not a good financially sound month as so many things cost to repair, but so much less when I do it myself. I am also learning new things and how to fix them. But we have run out of cash so other things have to wait. 

I always think I can save some extra so mom and I can have a trip for our 25th but that seems to dissolve as soon as I think I am making progress. This time it's so everyone can have transportation to go where they want, when they want. Maybe the trip is not to be.  

I love you tons, and hope you will always remember to not give up what you want most for what you want now. So much in my life has been improved when I have patience to wait upon The Lord for the right thing, not just the immediate thing. 

Dad

3 John 1:4