Robert writes home #110 Essay on trusting the Lord
Dear Mother,
Last night we had the ward talent show. It was pretty good. My daughters, Heidi Jo and Megan did their "Santa Baby" routine.
Our weather is nice. We have had some rain, but no frost yet.
I'm still loving my seminary teaching assignment. It's not that I'm doing that well, but I just feel excited about the call. It buoys me up spiritually. I know it's important. And, I like the kids. They don't seem to respond much, but I still like them.
Thanksgiving morning at 7 AM the men are playing the boys in the ward "turkey bowl" football game. It's a fun ward. We have great activities. We have great leaders, bishopric, Elders quorum pres. and UM, UW, etc.
Daren Nielson (Stan and Linda's son) entered the MTC this week. He's headed for Michigan, just in time for winter.
We still haven't bought a new car. I'm driving a friend's car while he fixes my Lincoln, which I plan to sell to Heidi. My BMW threw a rod through the block. I may just forget it.
I hope everything is going well for you.
Love,
Robert, Janet, Sam and Heidi Jo
PS Here's another essay:
Jacob 4:10
When I was a little boy, about eleven years old, I had a crush on a girl named Betty Lou. Saying, "Hi," as I passed was the extent of our conversation. I don't know if she even knew I liked her. I kind of worshiped her from afar. I would pray that Heavenly Father would make her like me in my prayers at night.
One time, I sent in a request to the local radio station to play a song for her from me, thinking this would be a good way to let her know that I liked her. I was eleven years old and I still can't figure out how my mind worked. I must have thought that if I played my favorite song for her that it would make some kind of sharing connection...send some kind of romantic message. My favorite song was "Water Lou," done by Spike Jones and his City Slickers. They were a musical group noted for their satires of classical and favorite songs and wack parodies. They were competent musicians and would start playing, classically, for about 4 bars and then going crazy with wackiness and horns and hiccups and goofy lyrics. The lyric of my favorite song was about the singer's girlfriend who was a reformed alcoholic who was on the "water wagon" now.
The next day at school, Betty Lou was livid with anger. She glared at me and wouldn't speak to me. I didn't know why. Later, one of her friends told me that her father was an alcoholic.
Most comedians, at that time, had a drunk routine. To a boy like me who grew up in a good Mormon home where no one drank alcohol, drunkenness was mainly a point of humor. I didn't give it any serious thought that it might be more than that to Betty Lou. She thought I was belittling her family and was really offended. I din't know how to apologize. Now at this stage of my life, I would have written her a note of apology, if she wouldn't talk to me. But at eleven years old, I din't know what to do. I just lived with it and that was the end of that relationship. She never spoke to me again.
Now, I think if I had just requested, "I love you truly," I would have probably been okay. At least the message would have been right. But the point I wanted to make was, I was counseling the Lord when I prayed. I was telling him what to do instead of seeking counsel from him. If Betty Lou were praying for Jimmy Jones to like her, while I was praying for her to like me, while Sally Brown was praying for me to like her. How was God supposed to deal with that kind of a request pattern? It doesn't seem reasonable to me that the ultimate intellect governing the universe should be taking orders from dummies like me on how to run the world. It would be a disaster if he did. I should be going to him for advice on my life. You may remember that he finally told 3rd Nephi (son of Helaman) that he had attained a state of spiritual development where God could tell him that what ever he asked for would by granted, because God knew that he would not ask for anything that wasn't right. He was living a life in tune with the spirit so that he was getting guidance from the Holy Ghost in everything he did, thus he wouldn't ask for anything that wasn't in harmony with the will of God. That's the kind of spiritual maturity that we should be string for.
If I had been in tune with the spirit and prayed to know if I should request "Water Lou," I probably would have gotten that "stupor of thought" that goes with a no answer. Then I could have tried again until I came up with a song or idea that would work out for the best good of all concerned.
As I got older I came to realize that I had better be praying for His counsel in mate selection instead of telling him how to make matches. I started praying to know if the girl I liked was right to marry. About 12 years later I found the girl that when I prayed to know if she was the one I should marry, I got a definite "yes" confirmation. It was just a smooth, confident assurance. The doubts that usually accompanied that prayer, associated with previous "heart throbs" were gone and I knew it was the right thing to do. Her name was Janet Miner. I married her and have been glad I did ever since. Our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other. WE have the same goals and values and are great friends and lovers.
When we have access to the smartest mind in the universe, who loves us, it's dumb to treat him like a "genie of the lamp", expecting him to blindly do our bidding. We should be asking him to tell us what will work out best...give us advice and counsel. We make too many stupid decisions when we do it our way...like requesting "Water Lou." I hardly ever ask God for any material thing or whim anymore. I just pray for him to do what he thinks is best and take care of me...give me the experiences that will grow me into the man he wants me to be. I trust him to know what will be best. I know I'll like what he chooses for me in the end. As it says in Jacob 4:10 "Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he sounseleth in wisdom and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."
That's a profound piece of scripture.
Last night we had the ward talent show. It was pretty good. My daughters, Heidi Jo and Megan did their "Santa Baby" routine.
Our weather is nice. We have had some rain, but no frost yet.
I'm still loving my seminary teaching assignment. It's not that I'm doing that well, but I just feel excited about the call. It buoys me up spiritually. I know it's important. And, I like the kids. They don't seem to respond much, but I still like them.
Thanksgiving morning at 7 AM the men are playing the boys in the ward "turkey bowl" football game. It's a fun ward. We have great activities. We have great leaders, bishopric, Elders quorum pres. and UM, UW, etc.
Daren Nielson (Stan and Linda's son) entered the MTC this week. He's headed for Michigan, just in time for winter.
We still haven't bought a new car. I'm driving a friend's car while he fixes my Lincoln, which I plan to sell to Heidi. My BMW threw a rod through the block. I may just forget it.
I hope everything is going well for you.
Love,
Robert, Janet, Sam and Heidi Jo
PS Here's another essay:
Jacob 4:10
When I was a little boy, about eleven years old, I had a crush on a girl named Betty Lou. Saying, "Hi," as I passed was the extent of our conversation. I don't know if she even knew I liked her. I kind of worshiped her from afar. I would pray that Heavenly Father would make her like me in my prayers at night.
One time, I sent in a request to the local radio station to play a song for her from me, thinking this would be a good way to let her know that I liked her. I was eleven years old and I still can't figure out how my mind worked. I must have thought that if I played my favorite song for her that it would make some kind of sharing connection...send some kind of romantic message. My favorite song was "Water Lou," done by Spike Jones and his City Slickers. They were a musical group noted for their satires of classical and favorite songs and wack parodies. They were competent musicians and would start playing, classically, for about 4 bars and then going crazy with wackiness and horns and hiccups and goofy lyrics. The lyric of my favorite song was about the singer's girlfriend who was a reformed alcoholic who was on the "water wagon" now.
The next day at school, Betty Lou was livid with anger. She glared at me and wouldn't speak to me. I didn't know why. Later, one of her friends told me that her father was an alcoholic.
Most comedians, at that time, had a drunk routine. To a boy like me who grew up in a good Mormon home where no one drank alcohol, drunkenness was mainly a point of humor. I didn't give it any serious thought that it might be more than that to Betty Lou. She thought I was belittling her family and was really offended. I din't know how to apologize. Now at this stage of my life, I would have written her a note of apology, if she wouldn't talk to me. But at eleven years old, I din't know what to do. I just lived with it and that was the end of that relationship. She never spoke to me again.
Now, I think if I had just requested, "I love you truly," I would have probably been okay. At least the message would have been right. But the point I wanted to make was, I was counseling the Lord when I prayed. I was telling him what to do instead of seeking counsel from him. If Betty Lou were praying for Jimmy Jones to like her, while I was praying for her to like me, while Sally Brown was praying for me to like her. How was God supposed to deal with that kind of a request pattern? It doesn't seem reasonable to me that the ultimate intellect governing the universe should be taking orders from dummies like me on how to run the world. It would be a disaster if he did. I should be going to him for advice on my life. You may remember that he finally told 3rd Nephi (son of Helaman) that he had attained a state of spiritual development where God could tell him that what ever he asked for would by granted, because God knew that he would not ask for anything that wasn't right. He was living a life in tune with the spirit so that he was getting guidance from the Holy Ghost in everything he did, thus he wouldn't ask for anything that wasn't in harmony with the will of God. That's the kind of spiritual maturity that we should be string for.
If I had been in tune with the spirit and prayed to know if I should request "Water Lou," I probably would have gotten that "stupor of thought" that goes with a no answer. Then I could have tried again until I came up with a song or idea that would work out for the best good of all concerned.
As I got older I came to realize that I had better be praying for His counsel in mate selection instead of telling him how to make matches. I started praying to know if the girl I liked was right to marry. About 12 years later I found the girl that when I prayed to know if she was the one I should marry, I got a definite "yes" confirmation. It was just a smooth, confident assurance. The doubts that usually accompanied that prayer, associated with previous "heart throbs" were gone and I knew it was the right thing to do. Her name was Janet Miner. I married her and have been glad I did ever since. Our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other. WE have the same goals and values and are great friends and lovers.
When we have access to the smartest mind in the universe, who loves us, it's dumb to treat him like a "genie of the lamp", expecting him to blindly do our bidding. We should be asking him to tell us what will work out best...give us advice and counsel. We make too many stupid decisions when we do it our way...like requesting "Water Lou." I hardly ever ask God for any material thing or whim anymore. I just pray for him to do what he thinks is best and take care of me...give me the experiences that will grow me into the man he wants me to be. I trust him to know what will be best. I know I'll like what he chooses for me in the end. As it says in Jacob 4:10 "Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he sounseleth in wisdom and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."
That's a profound piece of scripture.
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