Sleep Deprivation

I know all of you practice this regularly and function just fine.  I, however, am NOT practiced at this and don't function well when it happens.  And I performed this activity to a new extreme for me this week.  I got up early on Wednesday in China and had long meetings at the factory of Ruking.  After 6 hrs of meetings I traveled to the airport to fly home.  I began to work on the flight and spent most of that time on working on pressing items for work.  It did not do well for resting.  I tried, I really did, but at best I had short of two hours.  It was an uneventful flight but I was really tired.  I got home around 11:30 and got to bed around 12:30.  Up for work the next day at 6.  So another short night for me.  Then after a long day at work (but needed since I left again the next day for youth conference) I did stuff at home and we went to bed around 10:30.  Seems great, except I woke up at 2:30 and could not go back to sleep.  I tried and tried but finally got up and worked on some church stuff, then mapped out how to get to youth conference.  I drive for many hours, stayed up until lights out, did my personal study, and at 11:30 went to sleep.  A fitful night due tot he heat and noise next door and back up at 5:30 and another day at youth conference.  By the time we got home it was 10 PM and I was plastered.  Up at 6 for bishopric meeting and I was grateful this week we didn't start at 6.  A great day at church, BYD, and now I am ready to CRASH.

How do you do this????????????

We had a great day at church, sacrament was all about the music of the gospel.  I had a missionary from the ward suggest that it was an important topic and after counseling with the ward council, we used it for sacrament meeting and will have a lesson day on it also.  Thanks Gavin!

Tonight's BYD was answering more of the youth questions and they helped to answer them.  They sure are smarter than I am.  It was an uplifting night of goodness.

Youth conference was wonderful.  We went to Kirtland and toured there plus had other activities.  I really liked the school of the prophets and the spirit there.  I did think of Kieren because the last time I was there, we met Kieren on her school tour and her group.

I love you all, so does He.

Dad

3 John 1:4

Peaceable Things

As I travel again and have myself amidst a strange land, I see again the the things that bring lasting peace are ones that are of eternal worth. I had a fantastic sabbath day here in China. I spent the morning seeing some new material on the church sites, then made my way to church on the other side of Shanghai. It is amazing to see quite a few faces that I still recognize and most especially to feel the peaceable spirit that domes from being in the Lords house for the day. Even when that house is a conference center in a business high rise building. 

I also had a wonderful trip to Suzhou after church where I had many revealed thoughts come to me as I prepared a talk for a few weeks from now. 

Finally I really had a few phrases from the last chapters of Jacob really stick out to me. I especially like when he encourages us to "feast upon his love". I have previously liked when it says to feast upon the scriptures, but I like this more as he says to feast on his love. What great peace that will bring to ourselves and those around us as we live like the Savior did. Full of love for all mankind. 

It has been really fun  talk with mom and others each day via FaceTime. It's nice to stay close when so far away. A couple of the days mom and I even "had" breakfast together as I ate while we talked. I know I have been to that hotel too many times when they bring me my bill and my room number is on it but they ever asked me what room I was in. It's getting embarrassing. 

I did experience quite the event this weekend. Super typhoon Chen-ham come to land right over Shanghai. My meetings were cancelled Saturday for safety and I just watched and admired the storm through the day. The wind was amazing as it drove the monstrous rain completely sideways. It reminded me of storms in Norway when the umbrella was straight as my back and not overhead because the rain was horizontal due to the wind. That is the times I poured water out of my shorts as we got home. I have ever been more water logged.  I am amazed my suit survived but it lasted like a champ. 

On Friday we had a celebration for the launch of our 2nd generation products (the China part). Traditional celebrations include dumplings (which were actually really tasty) so this is what they did. To capture the Chinese celebratory feeling. But to make it fun they had four teams compete to see who could make the most in 5 minutes. I got recruited ( because I am a guest, not that I had any talent) but my team won!  Then they took them all and cooked them right there. Afterwords everyone ate them along with other foods. It was a nice time that all enjoyed. And an experience I will sure never have again. To make dumplings and then eat those I made right there. Pretty neat. The nice looking ones are definitely not mine. 

This is an amazing life to be a part of. The plan is so perfect if we will just trust in Him and do our best to follow the plan. Challenges arise, troubles brew, but amidst it all if we build on the rock of our Redeemer then our foundation will never fall. 

Love you forever,

Dad

3 John 1:4

Rest and Weary

Now we know it is supposed to be no rest for the weary.  But this weekend had been rest and weary.

It was a wonderful extra day off work on the 3rd, since the 4th fell on Saturday.  Mom and I drove up to Tiffin to pick up Alysia at 7 AM so we went the night before, I traded hotel points, and we stayed the night.  It was a fun evening and it made it so nice to be only 5 minutes away.  After we picked them up (incl Sarah Emmaly's daughter that went to EFY with Lys) we went back to the hotel, ate breakfast, then left to drive home.  We got home too late for the parade but we did have time to drop them at the festival and I spent most of the day in rest.  It was really nice to do little.  I did run another HDMI cable to the TV, and we did some weeding and mowing.  I even picked poison ivy for mom since she is nearly paranoid of going even close to it.  

Friday the day off I did have a little fix it therapy.  The mower was "smoking bad" according to mom and I knew it had done that, but since it also had a flat tire it was in the garage.  It leaked and smelled sooooo bad.  We had to open windows etc in the house.  After some more digging I found what appeared to be a leak in the crank housing.  I ended up pulling the engine from the rider, and that made it easier to see.  I found it was leaking from the gasket that is between the oil pan and crank/piston side of the crankcase.  But with it off the mower, I found I could remove all the bolts, bought a new gasket, carefully pulled the pulleys and seals, and for a mere $2.16 was able to get it back together, adjust the choke and throttle better than ever, and it mowed wonderfully.  Add to that I just used "slime" in the tire and it sealed it up nicely.  Poof, great running riding mower for still ultra cheap.  It's old, but it works.  Now I just need to find a free seat so it does not make my rear wet every time I sit on it.

Enjoy the musical extravaganza of Kieren and friends from the branch on the bells.

Then Sunday was a great day, but given this is the first week we started at 9, I had to be at church at 6 and that caused me to be weary all day.  I had challenging but good interviews and I hope the people will take the council the Lord has for them and make small changes in their lives that will lead to big happiness increases.  It does drain me alot with some interviews and leaves my spirit tired, but happy.  It's an amazing thing to witness the Lord guiding my life.  Even amidst the turmoil around us, the peace is constant and the comfort is there.  I am so glad I can trust Him to be with me.

Pray for each other.  We all need special help in our own ways.  Family is the first line of defense after we petition God.  I am happy we all can know we have the opportunity to be together forever.

Love you forever.

Dad

3 John 1:4