We have spent the last two Sundays in Palmyra because of the snow. Unbeknownst to us, Palmyra Ward was having Ward Conference on Sunday. As I looked around at the people who were attending as well as the Stake leaders, Erik and I realized that we know many of these people. It was beautiful to meet together for the purpose of renewing our baptismal covenants.

I was overcome by the strength of the congregation renewing our baptismal covenant through partaking of the sacrament. We were one in Christ. Then I thought about all the saints world wide doing the same thing and was reminded of the great strength there is in doing so. What do we covenant at baptism?

We renew these covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament.

1. Come unto the fold of God (become a member of the church of Jesus Christ).
2. Be called His son or daughter (take upon me the name of Christ).
3. Bear others’ burdens, that they may be light; mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those in need of comfort (help others).
4. Stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places (testify of Christ and set a good example at all times).
5. Serve God and keep his commandments.

When I keep my baptismal covenants the Lord covenants to:

1. Forgive my sins.
2. Pour his spirit more abundantly upon me (give me the companionship of the Holy Ghost).
3. Redeem me that I might be numbered with those of the first resurrection and have eternal life (permit me to enter the celestial kingdom to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ).

Can you imagine the power that is available on earth when we collectively renew our covenants? I loved thinking about this while sacrament was being passed to the congregation.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are a covenant making and keeping people. In both our Relief Society and Priesthood meetings, we had discussions about the covenants that we make in our lives with God. The feeling of unity was beautiful and it made me think of the life that we have developed and lived the past year. We have made so many new relationships with hundreds of people. The first month of our mission brought a feeling of being overwhelmed for me because I love to meet people and learn all about them. I was thrust into a new situation and was trying to process how I was going to accomplish the integration of all these people into my brain.

Last week, I looked back at the year and am thrilled with all my new friends and love to greet them by name as they come to the temple. One sister arrived on a Thursday for an initiatory session. Then I saw her again with youth from her ward to do a baptistry session. She was surprised to see me and said, “Are you always here?” I told her that, “Yes, we are here at the temple nearly everyday”.

I always think that we work with the best people at the temple. Temple workers are trying so diligently to live up to their covenants and thus we feel so blessed to be together. They truly are kind, sweet people who love to serve and be in the Lord’s house.

I had the opportunity to visit with a young lad (approximately 14 years old). He is one of a set of quadruplets. His other siblings had come the previous day but he had the opportunity to come by himself with other ward members. We had a great discussion about the Savior and I shared some experiences that are sacred to me with him. The following day, a sister that I was working with filled me in on some background of that young man and it quickly became apparent that God had put him and I together the day before. There are no coincidences in this life. Our experiences have a purpose and we need to pay attention to understand what the Lord has for us.

So, it seems that winter has followed us to New York. While our western friends are living life in the balmy breezes well above freezing, we have actually reached minus 20 Celsius. Whenever the groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter, I usually think that, of course we do, it’s Canada! Hopefully in a month, it will look a little different here in New York. Erik has been plotting out our route for going home. We are heading south to avoid the blizzards that will be streaking across the continent. The first thing that Erik found to do, is bass fishing in Guntersville, Alabama. We do have other things lined up first on the recommendation of our friends. Stay tuned for those adventures!

This week I managed to get all the quilt blocks done for a quilt. I can hardly wait to see this quilted. Then I am on to table runners. My sewing machine still has two more weeks at the “spa”. I’m very grateful for my loaner machine!

This past week, I was prompted to do an endowment session in another language. I ended up doing a French session and it was delightful. I have never done a French session before and I was surprised because we have been attending a Spanish branch and my Spanish has greatly improved by doing so. I have been working on my French for a few months and it went very well. I am also working on my ASL skills and I’m so tickled to be able to keep learning new languages.

I am selecting recipes to try for my sweetheart. We enjoy our chocolate so I will try this one.

Paleo Chocolate Torte (Flourless, No Bake)

https://bakeitpaleo.com/paleo-chocolate-torte

I can testify of this! We are absolutely walking different paths. Working together makes this life easier.

I was thinking about the city of Enoch. They were all taken up. No one on the earth has been perfect save the Lord, Jesus Christ. I think of this city and in years past, I thought that they were taken up to the Lord because they were near perfect. Now, I think the important thing is that they were all facing the same direction. Having our hearts knit in unity with Christ is important. We are all so diverse and facing different challenges, yet, we can be unified by facing towards Christ.

So, let us walk upright before God and with one another. We will receive help from the other side to give us succor on our journey. As we continue in our imperfections and foibles may we be ever blessed with help from each other and from our savior, Jesus Christ.

I love to give gifts and this past week had me reflecting on gifts of various types. Do you ever wonder about the gifts you have been given and want to know more about your gifts and abilities? I have been thinking about the gifts of the Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can be blessed with gifts of the Spirit. These gifts are given to those who are faithful to Christ. “All these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God” (D&C 46:26). They help us know and teach the truths of the gospel. They will help us bless others. They will guide us back to our Heavenly Father. To use our gifts wisely, we need to know what they are, how we can develop them, and how to recognize Satan’s imitations of them.

The scriptures mention many gifts of the Spirit. These gifts have been given to members of the true Church whenever it has been on the earth. (Mark 16:16-18).

1. Gift of Tongues: I think about this and rejoice in my ability to learn languages. It does take effort and I am quite happy to practice and learn more.
2. The Gift of the Interpretation of Tongues: I have experienced this while sitting with people whose language I do not know well but yet, I receive the message. It’s miraculous!
3. The Gift of Translation: I think about my mom for this one because my mom is a rock star in genealogy. She prepared nearly 1 million names for genealogy. She told me how she specialized in German and specifically Old German Script. My mom could look at the script and translate it while to others, it looked undecipherable.
4. The Gift of Wisdom: Of course, I immediately think of Solomon who was blessed with great wisdom and was world renowned for it. The first scripture that comes to my mind is from James 1: 5-7. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.“ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”. The Lord said, “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you” (D&C 6:7).
5. The Gift of Knowledge: The Lord revealed, “If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:19). One day I was sewing a complicated set of pillowcases for my sister. I struggled with the order of the sewing. The pillowcases had ties, ruffles and layers. That night I had a dream and the Lord showed me the method of creating the pillowcases. I got up in the morning and followed His instructions and they went together perfectly. I immediately gave thanks and said, “Heavenly Father, you REALLY do know everything!!”
6. The Gift of Teaching Wisdom and Knowledge: President David O. McKay taught: “It is given unto some, says the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants, to know by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Son of God and that He was crucified for the sins of the world [see D&C 46:13]. It is to these I refer who stand firm upon the rock of revelation in the testimony that they bear to the world”.
7. The Gift of Believing the Testimony of Others: By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things. If we want to know whether someone else is speaking the truth, we must ask God in faith. If the thing we are praying about is true, the Lord will speak peace to our minds (see D&C 6:22–23). In this way we can know when someone else, even the prophet, has received revelation. Nephi asked the Lord to let him see, feel, and know that his father’s dream was true (see 1 Nephi 10:17–19).
8. The Gift of Prophecy: Those who receive true revelations about the past, present, or future have the gift of prophecy. Prophets have this gift, but we too can have it to help us govern our own lives (see 1 Corinthians 14:39). We may receive revelations from God for ourselves.
9. The Gift of Healing: Some have the faith to heal, and others have the faith to be healed. We can all exercise the faith to be healed when we are ill (see D&C 42:48). Many who hold the priesthood have the gift of healing the sick. Others may be given a knowledge of how to cure illness.
10. The Gift of Working Miracles: The Lord has blessed His people many times in miraculous ways. When the Utah pioneers planted their first crops, a plague of locusts nearly destroyed them. The pioneers prayed that the Lord would save their crops, and He sent seagulls to devour the locusts. When we need help and ask in faith, if it is for our good the Lord will work miracles for us (see Matthew 17:20; D&C 24:13–14).
11. The Gift of Faith: Moroni promises, “Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him” (Mormon 9:21). I love that promise and I believe that it can happen!

The Lord has said: “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby” (D&C 46:11–12). I always wonder how I can help others with the gifts I have been given. Of spiritual gifts, the Lord said, “They are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do” (D&C 46:9).

Our Patriarchal blessings are a font of knowledge for our lives. I remember our Patriarch from the Calgary West Stake giving us instructions on how to receive more knowledge and wisdom regarding our blessings. It was fantastic because it taught us to open ourselves to direct communication with God.

As we start the year, it’s a great time to reflect on what we would like to accomplish and better ourselves in. Are there gifts of the Spirit you would like more of? Are there skills you would like to learn?

This past week has been so wonderful with all the birthdays and anniversary of my parents. They celebrated their 61st Wedding Anniversary. My mama has had so many struggles in her life that this many years together is an incredible blessing.

I like to sing birthday songs to my children and grandchildren. I record myself and then send it to them. The Primary birthday songs are so fun and personalized. I also give them a little message of love. One granddaughter turned 4 and their family has a delightful tradition of each member carrying a lit birthday candle into the birthday person’s bedroom to awaken them on their birthday. The birthday girl woke up and blew out all her candles; it’s very precious!

I was very grateful for all the messages and notes to wish me a happy birthday. As I think on each person, I love remembering our times together. This is a banner year; turning 63 and being born in 1963. Good things should be happening!

Yesterday, I sat beside the Espinoza family during compartir. They have three little boys, 8 years old and under. Those boys told me so much stuff; I learned a lot about them and their family. The oldest boy likes vegetables more than meat. The two youngest are not fans of veggies but love their meat. When their dad let them have some cake, the middle son, takes a bite and says, “It’s okay (chocolate cake) but carrot cake is far superior!” He turned to me and placing his hands on either side of his head, says, “My first time eating carrot cake…it blew my mind!” So, so cute to listen to them and get to know them better.

My sister-in-law shared a great recipe with me on my birthday.

https://www.everyday-delicious.com/herring-salad-with-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-9612

Renate told me that her and Hans eat this a lot. It’s a quick and easy recipe with delicious taste. If you aren’t a fish person (oh, well, hahaha). You could also substitute smoked salmon in the recipe. I am now on my third batch of the Russian Pickled Cabbage salad. I’m not tired of it yet. A loaf of bread was baked today as well, a batch of almond flour is in the oven, dehydrating.

Oh, the day to day striving! My big take away from the Come Follow Me lesson was that God didn’t create the world in one day or the snap of His fingers. It took days and in our time thousands of years. I shouldn’t get frustrated when I don’t achieve my goals in a short time. Line upon line and precept upon precept will get us there. Enjoy your week; stay healthy and chin up. Stand in holy places keeping your eyes on the prize.

We went through a snow day and then a no-snow day, then rain, then more snow and then more rain. It melts away as the temperatures are still above freezing during the day. The groundskeepers put these fiberglass stakes on the edges of the lawns and islands in the parking lot. I think it’s a smart idea to not run a snowblower over the lawns or run a snow plow into an island. This week, our groundskeeper at our house also pounded stakes into the edges of the lawn. It also frightens me that we could possibly receive enough snow to warrant these stakes. The ones around the island are great because they also have reflective tape on them to warn people coming into the parking lot.

I bought Erik some merino wool leggings to wear under his pants for his winter excursions. They are midweight and for now the temperatures are still warm enough that light weight would be better. We are enjoying the cooler nights and are able to leave a bedroom window open instead of running the air conditioner at night while sleeping. The European way (and Scandanavian) is to bundle your baby in lambs wool fleece and put them in their prams for an afternoon nap outside your house or a cafe where you may meet up with friends. The fresh air is excellent for them and helps to boost their immune systems and promotes healthy sleep habits.

I can attest that being cocooned and then having fresh air blowing over me makes for a great night’s sleep. Personally, I love the connection to nature and it’s healing power.

Being on a mission is all about service. Years ago, our daughter, Leah said to someone that her parents were very hardworking people who love to help others. It’s true, we do try to jump in and give a hand where we can. Being on a temple mission is definitely about service because we help people everyday as they come to worship in the house of the Lord. We are fortunate to have the skills to help out in whatever area we are needed. It was a lovely surprise and joy to see members from our Spanish Branch come to the temple. They are our family here and what joy fills my heart to see them.

I met a gentleman this past week who knows a friend from Alberta. He asked me where I was from and I usually tell people, “Western Canada.” “Yes, but where?” he asked. I told him that our home Stake was Red Deer now. He told me that he knew someone from Olds. Imagine my surprise when he mentioned a dear sister’s name? He has known her for decades. I didn’t know that she was from New York! Our connections are incredible and I feel blessed to know so many people from all the places that we have lived.

This past week, I spent time in the celestial room again and I had specific requests and questions for the Lord. I feel extremely blessed to have those requests answered and dealt with as well as knowing what we are to do when we get home. One of my friends told me, “Cheryl, people aren’t like you and how you receive such specific direction from the Lord. They don’t receive answers like you do.” I was surprised when she told me that because I have been blessed my entire life to have my questions and pleas answered and I thought that it was the same way for everyone.

Erik and I had the priviledge of performing a sealing ordinance for his great grandparents on the Latvian side of his family. His great grandparents are Anton and Marija. As I knelt, I felt Marija put her arm around my shoulders as she knelt next to me. Immediately, the tears started flowing and I felt her love for the service that I was providing. It was a great experience!

We received our assignments for the missionary Thanksgiving dinner. Each couple is to bring a couple of dishes. I agreed to bring a vegetable dish and a dessert. Thus far, I have come up with a spiral veggie tart and pecan pie bars. The next week will determine if any changes need to happen to my plan. I might need to practice beforehand. My children will say, “That’s never stopped you before! You always practiced on our guests!”

I am going to try the recipe from: http://www.bunsenburnerbakery.com

This recipe that I am trying is from: http://www.wellnessbykay.com

My eating style now is grain free so I look for recipes to fit the bill or that I can adapt.

This is what I baked today, Keto Cranberry Orange bread. It turned out well and is a go-to for fresh cranberries.

I’ve decided to sew Christmas pillowcases for the youth and children in our branch (there’s only 7 of them).

There are a variety of poems that you can print and attach when giving them as gifts. I looked on Pinterest and found a few that were appropriate. Here is one:

December brings a magical time, with all sorts of colors, smells and rhyme. Sugar Plum fairies will dance over your bed if you put this special pillowcase under your head. The reason it’s special as you will soon see, is because it’s made with LOVE for you from me. Dreaming of candy canes, Santa and family. Magical times to celebrate daily.

But my favorite is:

This is the poem that I attached to the pillowcases that I gave. So many to choose from!!

I have a quilt with the long armer now. I am excited to get it back and put the binding on. Oh, oh, Erik pressed two bindings for me today. I told him that I’ll make a quilter out of him yet, hahaha! He did say that the binding seemed to go on and on, hahaha!

Don’t you love this? Sometimes it’s hard to get out and give service physically but this quote by Cheryl Esplin shows us that service goes beyond that. Simply doing these things is service. I remember that shortly after getting married, I wanted to set a personal goal and it was to become more patient. I know that you’re all laughing now because you know how that goes. The Lord puts patience testing times in front of you to teach you patience. It didn’t take me long to recognize what was going on and that I was learning. “Oh, I see what you did there, Lord!” seemed to be a familiar thought that was going through my mind. Well, patience was learned.

Maybe pick one thing that you know you could work on to improve. It’s fun to see how the Lord helps you to learn a skill to be of service. Remember that old dogs can learn new tricks; they just have to have the desire to do so and receive the reward of a job well done. To be told by the Savior that I have done a good job is the reward that I look forward to.

Enjoy your week! Stay safe in wintry conditions and put a smile on your face. With a smile on your face, people will wonder what you’ve been up to. I know that my friends choose well, and I love you for that!