085 Tuesday to Tuesday (Dec. 2-8, 2015)

May I just say how much I love Christmas? I love Hallmark Christmas movies, I love blue Christmas lights, candy making, the smell of Christmas trees, wreaths on the door, lights everywhere, special foods, friends to share with, music, music, music, Santas, and so much more. I believe the thing that is the most special for me though is hearing the Christmas story. I get so emotional when the story is presented. I am so touched by anything the Church puts out about it. Each year I think they have outdone themselves and they won’t be able to do it next year, but they do. The Christmas video was so beautiful, and I was so touched by it. On this night, we had FHE with the Armstrongs and showed them the video. I felt the Spirit, and I hope they did also. It is hard to tell if Virginia is there with you, but I believe that she is.

In my Scriptures, I read that Lamoni and Anti-Nephi-Lehi were brothers. Did you know there was a person with that name? If I did, I sure didn’t remember it. It’s amazing what I learn when I pay attention. 

On the 3^rd, we had Pathway. Only two more classes after this one. The Jepsons (the Office Missionaries) will be taking over Pathway when we start back. We decided that it would be best if they have the whole semester rather than come in after we left. I feel kind of sad that this will happen, but we realize it is for the best. We truly have a testimony of this program, and we are looking forward to good things for it in the future. Maybe Craig and I can be instructors for a class?????

Elder and Sister Jepson, 15 Oct 15

On Friday, we went to the Temple. It was a wonderful experience and helped me remember the covenants and promised blessings associated with it. We are doing endowments for those whose initiatories we completed last month.

Beautiful day for the Temple, 4 Dec 2015

 My reading for Saturday showed me that the Anti-Nephi-Lehis did not stay always in the land of Jershon. They actually left and I believe it was because the Nephite army needed the land to meet the Lamanites who were coming. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis had been moved to a safe land away from the Lamanites.

I had to make a casserole that day to take to the Church that evening to donate to a shelter that needed food that could be frozen and given to people who came to the shelter. I had bought a chicken pot pie. It was beautiful until I messed it up moving it (not being frozen, it went sideways in the pan). I had to move it to another pan anyway, so I took off the top pastry covering, tried to slip it into another pan, and replaced the pastry. Not too bad, but maybe not the best. I hope it was ok when they got it.

At 4:00 we had our Christmas party. We had especially invited Meta Thompson and her husband Chris Johnson (don’t know why she doesn’t go by Johnson). She is in our Pathway group, and we wanted her husband to meet other members in the Ward. Lots of people came up and introduced themselves. He is a biochemistry lab director at UWM so several of our members (who are doctors in the making) got along well with him. After a while though it was obvious that he was overwhelmed, and they had to go home. She is a beautiful person and was inactive for 5 years before coming back with Pathway. Her brother in Madison had taken the program and encouraged her to do so. She has told her husband how much she loves Pathway and how much she loves coming to Church. She sits with us every Sunday. 

Meta Thompson Johnson, Such a Sweet Person in Pathway

Sunday we had an Elder Scott (one of the 70) from Chicago come to our Stake. He met with Meta and with Virginia Armstrong. Don’t know what he said, but he was marvelous at our meetings. Keeping the Sabbath Day holy was his message. He told us that the Brethren in Salt Lake had stated that they have never seen this country go south as fast as it is going. They have felt strongly impressed to tell the people to keep the Sabbath Day holy in order to thwart the adversary. That’s why the message is being spread throughout the Church.

That night we had the Christmas Devotional. We were able to stay at home and listen to it. They had no plans to show it at the Chapel, but I think some people got a movement going to say that it should be shown there, some did not have any other means to see it.

On Monday, we were invited to a luncheon with the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society at the home of one of their leaders, Arlene Brachman. I can’t remember her name at the moment, but I thought she was a member of the Church. I can unequivocally tell you now that she is not. Especially not after witnessing her desire to drink all the champange before anyone else realized what she had. There was a man who sat by her whose express job was to keep her glass full. She is very smart, and from the looks of her home, she has traveled extensively. She is very sarcastic and funny. Her home is full of antiques. She has lovely family pictures on the wall in very ornate or just nice frames. Some of them aren’t her family, but she picked them up at antique shops because she liked them. We enjoyed the with those we have worked with for a couple of years. We told them how much they had blessed our lives and how much we appreciated them helping us and encouraging us to come work with them.  They are good people who know not the Gospel. We try to put in our two-cents worth every chance we could, and maybe someday it will produce fruit. We feel they were left with a good impression of the members of the Church. We told them that we hope there will be others who will come and help them this next year.

Arlene's Home in Bayside, WI

Beautiful antiques everywhere

Good friends

Screened-in back porch

On Tuesday, we had no District Conference because of a Zone Conference on Friday. So we went to the gym, got some stuff packed up and mailed home (Halloween stuff), and Craig had to get his hair cut. I took care of the laundry also that day. Believe me when I say how much I hate to do the garbage.

Our Scripture for December:  Alma 32:41

But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to 
grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward 
to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing 
up unto everlasting life

Elder and Sister Lenhard