Fall, We bid you Adieu

This week we had a big wind storm, and the leaves started to fall.  It's a good thing we had the Cider Festival when we did, because now all the beautiful red leaves are on the ground!

In years past, the leaves falling to the ground has given me and unbelievably sad feeling.  This year, I didn't feel that.  I wondered why?  And the answer was pretty clear.  There is so much to be happy about!

Reason #1 to be happy this week:

This book of scripture, which is indeed "Another Testament of Jesus Christ", as the title proclaims it to be, I was able to give away this week to a client that has come twice to see me, Randy.  As we finished the treatment this week, I said, "Now I am not charging any more, because I want to talk to you about some of my religious feelings."  And began by explaining that we have a Father in Heaven that loves us, and that we lived with him before we came here.  I shared with him that our Heavenly Father prepared a plan for us to come to earth to gain experience and progress, a plan which included a Savior.  After sharing about the Savior's role and the Atonement, I handed him a Book of Mormon, and read to him from 1 Nephi 8, about Lehi being in a dark and dreary waste (which is a similar description to what he saw last week), and how Lehi found the tree and partook of the fruit that brought him joy.  I testified that the Book of Mormon contained the word of God, which would bring that joy.  When I was turning pages, the book fell open to Moroni 10:3-5, because I had placed a mormon.org card there.  So I showed him those verses that I had marked.  I started to read them, and my voice caught, and I couldn't go on.  I was too emotional.  So after a few attempts he said, "Do you want me to read them?", and I said yes.  He read them through, twice.  "Wow", he said, "that is powerful."  Interestingly enough, another friend of his had given him a Book of Mormon only a few weeks ago.  He said, "He gave me this Book, and now here you are giving it to me.  I'm open."  I have been praying for him since then, that he will be honest and genuine in seeking to find answers, because if he does, he surely will find them.  I left with sharing with him what a wonderful, honest and gentle spirit he has.  "Do you really think so?" was his reply.  I assured him that I did.

What a great experience to share the gospel, the light of Christ, hope, and faith.  There is joy to be found, there is the tree and the fruit, amidst the dark and dreary waste!

Reason #2 to be happy this week:

At the end of October, I had 101 active distributors in my Young Living Downline!  Yeah!  This shows 108, because that's how many we've added in the last two days.  The reason this makes me happy is because I think of 108 people who have Young Living essential oils in their home, many of them using them on a daily basis and finding as great of benefit from them as we do.  This makes me fell good all over.  :)

Reason #3 to be happy this week:
Peter had a choir concert this week!

 He did great.  Mary and I both agreed that their 7th grade choir sounded better than any we've heard in a long time, if ever.  Peter's choir teacher said that sometimes he had to tell Peter to tone it down, because he has such a strong voice and can sing out.  This is not an easy thing to do when you're 13!  Way to go Peter!

Reason #4 to be happy this week:
Happiness comes from something as simple as having a prayer answered to find a part to a Halloween costume.  This may not sound like a big deal to someone else, but it is to me!  And Heavenly Father knows that, and helps me in countless ways.  So we had these two cute costumes going on this week.

 To be sure, this is not a costume for Peter - it's pretty much what he'd rather be wearing all the time.

 Grandma and Grandpa came over and got the pumpkin carving started.  Mary, Peter and Libby had fun with that.

 We went over to our Ward Trunk-or-Treat.  You can see Mary off to the side in her 80's costume (which she pulled out of my drawers).

 This is one way to light the Jack-o-Lanterns!  Most people just use a lighter or matches.  But when you have a torch, why not use it?

 Libby went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood with Hayden and Ragen, and afterwards they had a "candy swap" over at their house.

 Jesse went on a date with Brennan.  His uncle loves Halloween, so he has a big spook alley event every year, which they went to.  They are dressed as the music major nerds that they are!  ha ha

Bruce and I went on a date with our friends and neighbors, Randy and Lori.  They made a fabulous dinner for us and then we played Masterpiece.  It was a lot of fun.  We have been going on some double-dates with friends lately and look forward to it all week.

On Saturday afternoon, I rode up to a town about two hours north of here with my friends Karen and Krissi, and we did a Young Living introductory meeting.  There was a great turn-out and we had some excellent results. This is one of the reasons that I love doing the business so much - the fact that I get to meet new people all the time.  I thrive on that.  And also because I am constantly learning new things (and teaching them), and working with health at the same time - I just can't imagine anything else that would be more fun and fulfilling (besides being a wife and mother).

We had the missionaries over for dinner last night.  We ended up with the usual round of having them try NingXia Red and chia seed, and I gave each of them a Foot Zone.  We didn't give them kefir - we'll have to wait for another night on that.  ha ha

So that's why I am happy, even though we are settling down into winter once again - not my favorite time of year.  But I am actually looking forward to evenings around the fire, playing games and enjoying holidays.  Bring it on!

The Bittersweet

My life is full of bittersweets right now.
I love these Young Men and Young Women, and the rest of the Spanish branch members so much. Les quiero para siempre.

Last week we were released from our calling in the Spanish Branch. We will speak in the branch next Sunday, and that will be our last week. This is bitter.

But that means that we will back in the Ward with wonderful people like Tammy, Jacob and Becky,
and Craig and Sondra. (And time to get some more current photos too!)
This is sweet.

We went to 7th ward (used to be 4th ward) today for Carly's farewell talk, and I cried for the first ten minutes I was there because I felt such a deep love for the members, a welling up of emotion. I have had to seal that off somewhat for the last two years, and today it was opened up again, overwhelmingly so. Yes - this is sweet!

Another sweet:
But the thought of winter coming on, and saying good-bye to this for another seven months is bitter.

Also, living in our home, and enjoying how wonderful it is - this is sweet. Knowing that we'd be much better off financially if it had sold is bitter.

I'm half way through my long-term sub position at the High School. I had the most wild class of my tenure (ha ha- that sounds funny) this week on Wednesday with paper airplanes flying around the room. I made them leave their backpacks at the back of the room the next two days. They were really mad at me, but it solved the problem. On Friday after school, one of the staff members pointed out 6 different examples of graffiti that were gang signs. She told me I had to put a stop to it. Hmmm - not quite sure how to do that. And the swearing. I'd love to hear something really old fashioned like dang, or Oh my heck! Ha ha. The fact that I will leave all this in three weeks is sweet.

However, I'm also starting to REALLY care about these kids and their future. And I really do quite enjoy teaching, and knowing I'm making some money to contribute to the family (besides the fact that it's really needed). The fact that I will leave this in three weeks is, you guessed it, bitter.

Nothing bitter about this, though!! This is all sweetness!

Libby's Halloween Costume is the caterpillar from James and the Giant Peach, which they are studying (and dressing up for) this month at their school. The fact that we had this costume sitting in the costume box (thank you cousins) is a tender mercy of the Lord, and a nod to my husband's persistence.

Through all the bitter and the sweet, the hand of the Lord is evident. I, with Sis. Worthlin, say "Come what may, and love it."