Great Joy in Thee Already :)

AUGUST 14, 2016

Dear Elder Caden,

Whaz up Buddy????

It's been crazy knowing you are in New York but not knowing where.....and then yesterday I saw you updated your facebook profile and it said you lived in Plainview New York!

So I'm excited to hear who your companion is and all about the area you are in. WHATS YOUR ADDRESS??? What is New York like??

I know you probably have tons of emails to read through since you didn't get a prep day this last week so I won't make it way too long. 

Girls Camp was amazing though and so spiritual. Everything went really smooth and we didn't have any problems!!! Of Course it was The Lord in charge so what did we expect, right. The Young Women from all over the stake have been baring testimony over and over of the Iron rod experience. Even today our youth speaker spoke of it and how she had to go through areas where there were trees and logs in the path and she had to climb over them but held to the rod and that those trees were like trials in life. The crazy part of that testimony was what we saw from the other side. We told these yw at the beginning if they ever go to a spot that they weren't sure about or anytime at all they could just raise their hand and someone would help the. BUT THEY DIDN"T. This yw who was talking about the difficult journey could have raised her had at the beginning of that area and someone would have directed her to the other side of the Iron Rod where there was less obstacle and an easier route for the rest of the time. But most girls just pushed through the difficult path and kept going without even raising their hands.  That was probably the hardest thing to watch as you relate it to prayer and getting help from the other side. Knowing sometimes we don't stop and ask or we aren't listening and life could be a lot easier if we do. 

I also love how many people have come up to me and told me how amazing my words were that I shared on the last fireside. The coolest part was that it was the words of the Spirit. I love how I can be an instrument in The Lords hands and know I have helped his daughters in their lives. This opportunity for the past almost 5 years of bearing my testimony to so many has been what I crave. I crave to serve the Lord in this capacity and I fear it is going to be taken away soon. Dad and I have been asked to meet with President Hogge on Tuesday. I fear he is going to release me. :( But I am so very grateful for the opportunity to feel the spirit in the capacity I have been given and to know that what I have been willing to do and say has helped others. I'm so jealous that you get to have that feeling and POWER that The Lord can give you to Testify of our Savior. I got to talk to the yw about figuring out Exodus 5:22 "Why is it that thou hast sent me?" I challenged them to ask their Heavenly Father and to really listen so they could know what their Heavenly Father wants them to do at this time in their life. 

I just LOVE how I have had the opportunity to write many talks and testify so many times. I love how it all comes together and then it ends up being the exact thing that someone needs to hear. What a Blessing. 

I just want to share with you the words Alma shared with his son Shiblom. It only took 15 verses for Alma to share what he felt Shiblom needed to know before he sent him out to serve. His other sons took more chapters maybe because they needed more support or weren't as righteous. We talked about this in Sunday school. Caden, You are a Shiblom. You don't need much advice because you are Highly Favored of The Lord, meaning you are obedient and already have such a desire to do what is right. But here are the words. If you don't have time to read the chapter right now, I encourage you to look it up tonight in your study. But know these are the words I would share with you my son.......

***************

Alma 38
1 My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence.
 2 And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.
 3 I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.
5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day. (RAISE YOUR HAND)
 6 Now, my son, I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things.
 7 But behold, the Lord in his great mercy sent his angel to declare unto me that I must stop the work of destruction among his people; yea, and I have seen an angel face to face, and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth.
 8 And it came to pass that I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul.
 9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.
 10 And now, as ye have begun to teach the word even so I would that ye should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things.
 11 See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength.
 12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.
 13 Do not pray as the Zoramites do, for ye have seen that they pray to be heard of men, and to be praised for their wisdom.
 14 Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy—yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times.
 15 And may the Lord bless your soul, and receive you at the last day into his kingdom, to sit down in peace. Now go, my son, and teach the word unto this people. Be sober. My son, farewell.
***********
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH Caden! I believe every word of this scripture. I KNOW that if you keep your self Humble and as you are given this amazing POWER when bearing your testimony if you will always give GOD the credit he will continue to give you that POWER. It feels amazing to be told how awesome you are and how you are the best at something, but remember it is not you but the SPIRIT in you. But continue to share that special spirit The Lord has given you. As long as you continue in righteousness he will continue to bless you.

You are so loved! I believe in you my son! I know you have so much to offer New York through the Spirit. I am so grateful for this knowledge that I have in my life and that it is the only thing that is helping me get through trials. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is there to save me and to make sure things turn out the way they are supposed to. I don't have to have that burden on my shoulders and neither do you. I pray you won't have any fear, but will embrace the Joy in the Journey. 

I'll let you know what happens at our meeting with President Hogge. All I know is that I will serve wherever The Lord needs me to serve because he will make me who I need to be to accomplish it!

Love you Buddy!!!!!

Love Mom





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time Flys Fast!

June 25, 2017 Hey buddy!!! How are you? Hows the weather been? Still crazy rainy? It's been way hot here. I loved your video of the rain. That was crazy sauce.  This week has been good. Not too crazy, just working and spending time with Dad as much as I can. Today is our 25th Anniversary, crazy! Life really goes by so fast.  We are watching the drum corps right now. Cool but they will get better with time. It's still really early in the season.  We had a way long trek meeting today but really feel like the Lord is guiding us and we have so many amazing people who are helping to plan it. It was pretty cool last night when I was praying in my closet, I prayed that my ancestors will help plan trek and help make sure that everything goes well. I felt the room grow with people. My closet seemed to no longer have walls and I could feel the expansiveness of all our ancestors pulling for us. There are so many. Not just a few but people beyond count, I felt like ...
Read more

YO YO YO ONE YEAR!!!!

Image
July 16 2017 WOWZERS!!!! I can't believe you will have been on a mission for 1 whole year on the 20th........ CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! This world is flying by so fast and I can't even keep up. I can't believe we are already going to be going on trek in 10 days. Any you have been gone almost 365 days.. WHAT... Well, I can't wait to hear all about your new opportunities. I pray you are looking to the Lord to help you do everything. I was thinking about that today and it's something I'm going to share with they youth on Trek. It is easy to get so overwhelmed with everything that is coming at you and all the responsibility that seems to pile up. Sometimes I just want to go in my closet and cry. I think, no way, I can't do one more thing. And then guess what? I pray to My Father in Heaven and somehow he makes things work out. I pray for strength to meet the challenges and I pray for peace to know I can do this. I've imagined this week as being called to...
Read more

Testimony of Trek

Image
August 6 2017 Hello Buddy!!! Wow, these weeks are flying by so fast!!! I started writing my Trek book and it's about 6 pages now and I am only on the first trekking day. Ha Ha. Ya, probably too much details that I am putting into it but I will give you a quicker version.  I had already told you how we were setting it all up for gear drop off and how we were getting everyone to the stake center that morning. Well, the night before I heard the rain and thunder...... oh man. I went into my closet to pray that I know Heavenly Father needs us to learn something on trek but I did ask if it be his will would he temper the weather. Ha Ha, here I am asking for the weather not to be too hot and also not to be rainy.  So at drop off we had many youth that didn't show up and ended up not coming and some that said they will show up in the morning. We also had a Ma and Pa decide not to come and didn't tell us. We didn't know until the night before we left. WOW. It's...
Read more