Life is crazy!!! This morning our entire house began to shake and we were freaking out. We had all experienced our first real earthquake. It was a 5.7 Epicenter, 3 miles from Magna, Utah. Is it normal to be excited about the fact that you just felt an earthquake?
Friday, Ashlynn and I made a HUGE mess planting flowers in the greenhouse. I was nervous about the condition our plants would be in. They were in perfect condition. I am optimistic that they will grow. It is clear from the mess we made, we do not have a green thumb:).
I love how with everything going on in the world, the Prophet and Apostles are always one step ahead of the game. JD and I were able to do an endowment session on Thursday right before the temples all started closing. I am thankful for the blessings we receive from the covenants we make in the temple. A few weeks ago in Come Follow Me we were studying the last few chapters of 2 Nephi 31-33. I find so much of it relevant to what is going on in the world today. Nephi is telling us the Lords doctrine and the simple steps we need to take to endure to the end. The simple steps that when taken we need not fear. We find in these verses Nephi addresses hearing the Father and the Son. He has come to know their voices. I believe one of the ways Nephi has come to know Them is his faithful ability to obey and trust, even in his trials. Nephi knows how to recognize/identify revelation. This is a gift we all can have. Elder Bednar recently said, "Your daily life is not divorced from revelation, it is part of it. You are living in the revelation. You are always in it." Remember the sacrament prayer says, "to always have His spirit to be with you."
Britton made us all Jambalaya for lunch. You can tell he
was excited to visit with the family while we were eating. He spent most of the day making a cage for a bunny, or a goat. We are not sure which...LOL
We cleaned out his closet today and gathered stuff to take to DI.
Too bad DI isn't open because of this virus.
Ashlynns teacher sent her all her homework today on a video with google drive. The way her teacher explained it all and set it up was brilliant. I loved that the teacher had the students mark each assignment done and told them over video chat, she would check in each day to see if they were doing the assignments. Ashlynn did 3 hours of schoolwork without a single word from me.
I have to say although most of the day went well, the evening had some rough moments. The kids anxiety towards how long this quarantine might actually last started to set in. Britton is upset over the fact that he isn't doing track and misses hanging out with friends. I tried to use this weeks come follow me, Jacob 5 to fix the mood everyone was in. I frustrated Britton even more as I tried to convince him that this is a good situation. We are in the Lords Vineyard and must trust Him. HE WAS NOT CONNECTING WITH THE ALLEGORY!
Suddenly I felt impressed to share one of the essays Daxon wrote for BYU. We discussed the essay and how our greatest trials in life often produce our greatest growth. The moments when patience and faith are required, turn out to be the times when we learn how the spirit speaks to us.
This essay is perfect for keeping perspective in these crazy times.
"I have always loved the outdoors. One of the first big goals I set and accomplished was running
a half marathon. This set the pace for many of my other goals as I learned the work that goes
into achieving them. From there I ran a few more half marathons but I always had a desire to
expand my interests.
As a fourteen year old I decided to start road biking. I fell in love with cycling and I still love it to
this day. I have many other hobbies I am passionate about, such as fishing, hunting,
racquetball, camping, and hiking. I have loved developing these skills and passions because
they have helped me cultivate a pattern of hard work. I have been blessed throughout my life
with good health, which helped me accomplish my goals and develop my talents.
In the beginning of my senior year the tables turned when after weeks of excruciating
headaches, the doctors found that a life threatening infection had made its way into my brain.
That day proved to be life changing; I immediately had an emergency surgery and spent over
two weeks in the hospital. After leaving the hospital, I spent ten more weeks on Antibiotics taken
through a permanent IV and had weekly visits to the hospital to check on my recovery. Because
of this, my senior year was far from normal. It took me away from my hobbies, friends, and
academics.
I did not know why this had to happen and why my senior year went the way it did, until one day
it all came together and I realized that God had given me this trial so I could learn what is
important in life. My relationship with God grew and I learned that Jesus Christ is always there
for me. With the testimony gained from this experience I was motivated to serve a full-time
mission. Here, I have learned the Persian language, to follow the spirit, and how to help others
grow closer to God. All of my experiences have shaped me into the person I am today."
Daxon Phippen
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