 |
It's been really foggy the past week, and the sun goes down at
2:30 pm right now, so we haven't seen the sun in about 8-9 days.
It has it's advantages though! We got to drive halfway to
Skellefteå ut an hour and a half north of Umeå) for exchanges
this week, and the drive was absolutely incredible.
|
On Saturday we got to teach a couple, Therese and Thommy, who have three kids. Elder Simmons tracted into them about 2 months ago, which was a complete miracle. Due to some strange circumstances, that was the only door they knocked on that evening in the whole neighborhood, yet it happened to be Therese who was interested in learning more about the church because her husband's parents are members in the branch. As we taught them about the restoration of the church, their youngest daughter, who's five years old, had quite a bit of energy which made it difficult for them to give full attention to the message. However, right as we were about to teach about the first vision, their daughter found something to do, which allowed the parents to focus fully on what we were teaching, and the spirit was highlighted by the peace and calm that had entered the room. They could clearly feel the spirit as we spoke, and they eagerly accepted the invitation to pray for a knowledge of the truth for themselves.
Yesterday morning I made a smoothie for breakfast, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) it turned out to be a lot more than I had expected, so it couldn't all fit in one glass and I had to grab a second. As I later washed my two smoothie glasses, the scripture Malachi 3:10 came into my mind, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." While this scripture specifically talks about tithing, the principle is extended to each commandment the Lord gives us. As I thought on this, I was immediately filled with gratitude as I realized the great blessings the Lord is eager to bestow upon us, yet our inability to receive them all, just as my glass was unable to hold the smoothie I had prepared.
Just a few minutes after this experience, I got a text from a counselor in the branch presidency asking me to give a talk in sacrament meeting that day, and telling me that I could choose the topic. As I prayed about what I would speak on, the spirit brought the smoothie to my mind, and I became aware that the Lord had already prepared me for what I would speak on.
I spoke of the blessings God has in store for us and the gratitude that should fill our souls, but I also thought to share the key God gives us to expanding our spiritual glasses. He tells us in D&C 130:20-21, "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." When we keep the commandments of God, the blessings no longer stream past us, but we are able to obtain each one He would give us.
Äldste Sirrine
 |
The cheese slicer. Fun Sweden fact, people love their
cheese here, and everybody has a cheese slicer. It
should honestly be the national symbol of Sweden.
|
