life is like a primary program

The squirrels are getting real fat, the trees are mostly bare, and the air is getting more and more brisk! Winter is coming but thankfully it's been a pretty warm fall here in Boone. I walked the three blocks here to the library and didn't even have to wear tights! It's in the 50s and beautiful (which probably sounds freezing to those of you in California).

The other day we were teaching a group of people we met on the street just a block away from the train tracks... As Sister Beattie was teaching about what a prophet is a train roared by blaring its horn! Sister McKinstry and I just laughed. After the alarming and brief interruption the lesson went well and they became investigators! Boone problems. 

Our main man, Robert Lundy, is preparing to be baptized on the 21st of November and is doing great! He loves church and it is so fun teaching him. He's older but we can really get him going when he talks about his hot rod building days and street racing against old grandmas! He's a hoot. Pray that he can give up smoking and be prepared to enter the waters of baptism!

Like I mentioned last year, I'm sure, people in the Midwest love Christmas and aren't afraid to show it. People have their decorations out already while others are struggling to take down their Halloween decorations. It makes Boone look like the town in the Nightmare Before Christmas, really. But I am beyond stoked for the Christmas cheer to get going even more here in the next few weeks!!

Yesterday at church was the primary program for the Boone Ward! It had a little bit of everything, bottom lips quivering, yelling into the microphone, tender moments of the spirit, and of course those poor 11 and 12 year olds in the back looking too cool. It was great!

Something that I really learned though came in Gospel Principles though, as the teacher said "life is really like a big primary program!" We look at the children up there in their different stages of life, some yelling the words to the songs and others looking less enthused. But really, we are proud of all of them. It doesn't matter where they are in their development, they are up there and trying. That is the way our Father in Heaven sees us. We are all performing the tasks of life at different levels. But he loves us. He is proud of our efforts. He seeks to see us smile and be happy. We can all look at ourselves and those around us a little more like we look at those children on the stage. We can be more understanding, more appreciative, more loving. 

Love y'all,

Sister Skaggs