Nov 27 (Wednesday)
*** and *** arrived last night, which makes it feel like the holiday has officially started. I did better yesterday at not watching too much TV or phone videos, but It wasn’t perfect because I suggested to Jenn that we watch the new Jim Gaffigan special. It was actually disappointing. we’ve always had the impression that he is pretty clean. Compared to many he is, but there were still many parts that we would have rather not heard.
I have been working to get used to video in my business marketing. I have gotten over some hurdles but now need to start creating videos that are more relevant to business, and that will have more lasting power. I got a handful of ideas from chatgpt that are pretty good, and will last me for a while.
*** went to McCall yesterday to fish with *** and ***. The girl can not settle, but I hope she will at least be safe. *** said the roads were clear. I wish she could feel settled and content, for her sake.
And, the biggest news of all, we found out yesterday that *** is officially engaged. They seem to be a good couple, and I hope they will be able to weather the storms together well.
It causes something that I can only describe as cognitive dissonance in my head to think about what I hope for our kids versus what they choose. I wish for certain choices they would make, feeling that these choices hold the greatest chance for their sustained happiness. At the same time I realize that we never really know what life will bring, and there are plenty of examples of people who lived there life in what appears to be the right order who’s life ended up being, at least for a time, a shamble. And also, just as a life that appears to be in perfect order can fall apart, a life that appears to be in a shamble can be re-ordered into something wonderful. If there is some sort of moral or spiritual lesson in that, it would be to never give up on people or Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father can change the hardest heart, and we can never know when someone will want to make a change.
I’ve been thinking about ministering a lot. We have not done well this quarter with our ministering interviews. I think I want to start doing surveys to gauge where we are and what we can do to improve our wards engagement with ministering.
I would like it to be only 2 or 3 questions that can be answered fairly quickly. Some ideas..
How Important to you is regular contact from your ministering brothers and/or sisters?
Do you know who your ministering brothers are? Do you know who your ministering sisters are?
Do you know which families you have been asked to minister to?
Do you know who your ministering companion is?
Come Follow Me
I read today about Ether, faith, and the new Jerusalem. Having a strong sense of how these things apply to me is elusive.
It’s about the general breakdown of society. It’s easy to envision how our society might break down. It feels like it already is. It would be easy to say Trump has stoked the contention that exists between factions of our society, but I wonder if he has simply tapped into a sentiment that is already simmering. Another way to say that might be does he create that division or give voice to the feelings of division that are already present in our society. Either way, I think our country may have gotten the president we deserve. I wonder if the next 4 years will tear the fabric of our community or bring it together.
GRATITUDES
I have a terrific family. Out of all the things I am grateful for, they are the ones I am most grateful. I am grateful to have Jenn as a pillar in my life. I am grateful for the blessing of my family having health and relative success in this life. I am grateful that they seem mostly happy. I am grateful that I can make a living doing real estate. I am grateful to have so many people that bring light into my life. I am grateful for the diversity of my profession. I’m looking forward to this holiday season, and the connections I can make with people that will bring light into my life and theirs.