Tuesday, January 8, 2013

When Life Gives You Lemons... LISTEN

Hola todos!!
I dont have a lot of time once again b/c we are going to Boone to play some basketball in their building! Finally some sports!!! Its been freezing outside and the snow covers everything so this will be my first time playing since November.
Anywho, things are going great out here in good ole Iowa! My companion (Elder Arellano) and I have been teaching a lady named Debby for about 2 months now. She is great friends with a family that was recently baptized and joined the Church and she wants to baptized and confirmed too. So we have taught her and she will be baptized this Saturday, the 12th! She is way excited and happy! We are too.
The subject is what it is b/c there has recently been a lot of difficulties and struggles here in the Perry Branch. People are going through hard financial times and other issues, but they still keep their head up, are happy and kind to others, and still strive to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and live the way He would live. This has helped me realize the power of prayer and of reading the scriptures. We all, everyone in the world, has problems and difficulties. They are all different, unique, but seem to come with the same persistence to each of us. So I was wondering why these people can be so happy and hopeful, while so many others become depressed, feel sorry for themselves, and let their circumstances overcome them. In other words, there are those who act and those who are acted upon. Those who turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer for guidance and others who isolate themselves and even blame God. Those who find comfort and direction by studying the scriptures and those who sit and sulk, waiting for another to pick them up.
When we were younger and all growing up, we had many questions and queries. We were curious about this and that, sometimes out of necessity and other times out of want to know. We turned to our parents and older siblings for answers, knowing they had the answers, were willing to help us, and that we would then apply those answers and use that newly gained knowledge. It is the same with the lemons of life. We are children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows all the answers. He has given us many through His chosen servants, prophets and apostles, who have written His word down in sacred books (scriptures). Some questions we have, we simply must ask Him, like we would our parents. This is done through sincere prayer, knowing that the answer we receive will help us and that we must ACT on that answer! God speaks to us today! He wants to listen to us and He will always hear us, but we must open our mouths and pray to Him. Then, He can answer our questions through the Holy Ghost, His Spirit. He will tell us what things we should do by the feelings in our hearts and the thoughts that come to our mind. He loves us.
I love you all and hope you are those who act and are not acted upon.
Call upon God for direction, LISTEN, then act with faith!
Love Elder McGinn
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Elder Seth McGinn
8515 Douglas Ave. Ste. 19
Urbandale, IA 50322

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