Adios

Well this is fun! I have felt daily that I am walking through a minefield. It’s called my living room. Along the wall is a row of packed boxes, baskets waiting to be packed, and a cat that is finding all kinds of new places to take her nap.

Along the way I found treasures that I don’t remember bringing with me. One was the October 2002 conference issue of the Ensign magazine. I enjoyed a quote by Elder Eyring.

There will be times when you will feel overwhelmed. One of the ways you will be attacked is with the feeling that you are inadequate. Well, you are inadequate to answer a call to represent God with only your own powers. But you have access to more than your natural capacities, and you do not work alone.

The Lord will magnify what you say and what you do in the eyes of the people you serve…What you say and do will carry hope and give direction to people far beyond your natural abilities and your own understanding.

I know this is true for I have experienced it. I have felt His influence in writing the things I do for church to fulfill my calling. I hope you have felt some of the Spirit I tried to capture. 

As you read this I am heading to new adventures, starting over, reinventing myself. I will miss the friends I made. I hope I can consider you one of them.  A good friend of mine will be taking over and I know you will enjoy getting to know Ingrid.

Sometimes we wonder if we have a testimony of the goodness of a religion any more. I thought of this as I watched a new pope being elected. I listened to the people being interviewed. Some were unwavering, some curious, some Easter and Christmas Christians. I remembered a song written by Janice Kapp Perry a few years ago. I liked it and it says how I feel about my testimony. To paraphrase it

I know God lives.

I know He loves me.

I know He listens to and answers all my prayers.

He is my strength

And my salvation

This is my testimony

 Another song I like is God Will by Connie Smith

 God will walk with me down the streets where no one else will walk
God will talk with me bout things of which no one else will talk
When no one else will walk and no one else will talk when no one will, God will.

God will bear with me the little worries no one knows are there
God will care for me whenever there is no one else to care
When no one will be there and no one else will care when no one will, God will.

God will think of me when friends forget and fail to understand
God will strengthen me when I am weak and need a helping hand
When no one understands or lends a helping hand when no one will, God will.
When no one will God will

Adios Amigos