August 14, 2017

Life is so good!

Days like today makes me wish I was going to stay in Ohio forever (although my mom would probably have something to say about that!). I received some good advice to not miss the snow in the summer and miss the sunshine in the winter. Life is too short to be wishing it was the next part of life. Enjoy the summer for the heat and the lemonade stands and the Vitamin D and then enjoy the winter's offering of snow and opportunities for hot chocolate and sledding! Right now is the best right now we will ever have. I am so excited that I get to be here doing the Lord's work right now.

The families that I know are the best part of being out here really. We love going over to the Weidner's, the McCauley's, the Dawson's... just to name a few! Each time I go to a new area, that is my favorite part! They are just such quality people. And I often reflect on the people that I have met in other areas also...Tony Miller, the Spaulding's, the Smith's... It is so cool that we are in each others lives for such a short time, but literally I think about them all the time even if it has been years. I think that we will find that the impact that we make on others goes far beyond what we can see. 

As my mom taught me since I was kid, when you throw a stone in water, it creates ripples. I think of Alma when he ran from King Noah's courts. That was kind of a turning point in the Book of Mormon. Alma's decision to run from those courts allowed him to follow God and teach his son. Because he taught his son when he was young, Alma the Younger was able to remember those words and have a change of heart (Alma 36). Because Alma and the Sons of Mosiah went out and taught the Lamanites, there were thousands directly baptized by their efforts and we could go on and on. When we look at the bigger picture our thoughts, words, and actions have the ability to change everything. In D&C 58, the Lord teaches us that the power is in us, and when we use our agency to follow His will, we are able to bring a lot of goodness into the lives of those we love! It is all about the little things.

I am thankful for the little ripples that you have made in my life, it has helped me to be where I am now. And I LOVE where I am now!

Elder Mark Howland