Beautiful Sabbath

Today has been a beautiful day. I had a wonderful time attending church in Fayette. Right before the Sacrament was passed, the bishop of the ward stood up and said something like, "Think of someone who has trespassed against you, and lay that on the table as you renew your covenants with the Lord." The first thing I thought of was the bitterness that has been trying to creep into my heart regarding the poor care and treatment Ryan sometimes receives at the facility he is currently in. Nursing that bitterness and anger only hurts me. I know it will be a continual process, but I definitely felt a burden lifted from my shoulders as I offered that to the Lord today and asked for His help in forgiving others for their shortcomings and mistakes.

Here are some other things I learned while worshiping the Lord at church today:

• You can feel closer to the Lord in His holy temples.
• All that occurs within the walls of the temple is uplifting and ennobling.
• Doctrine and Covenants 138 teaches amazing truths!
• We can feel in our lives the influence of people who have passed on. Respect them. Learn about them. Serve them. Don't speak ill of them. Be mindful of them. Love them.
• The only way we can overcome the consequences of our wrongful choices is through our Savior and the sacrifices He made for us.
• Love is a choice, an action (or series of actions) of service. How do we make love greater? Focus on it, strive to develop it, become more like Christ. Don't be quick to judge or quick to be impatient.
• We are all part of God's marvelous work! It doesn't matter which calling we hold; if we fulfill our callings as best as we can, we are doing His work!
• We need to consciously make choices to pull ourselves away from the culture of shame that is so prevalent in society today! Everyone is different, and we have no right to judge their choices; we don't know their whole story.
• Focus on improving yourself and your family. How do you fill your time? Do your best to act in love and encourage unity in those around you. Don't look for ways to divide or separate people and things.

Ryan spent some time outside with his mom today, and had a visit from his dad. The girls and I can't wait to see them again this week! Hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday we'll have a better idea of the timeline for Ryan's transfer to Idaho Falls. In the meantime, I'm sure he'll continue working hard! 💜