Hey Dad!
I am so excited for you and your new job opportunity. I am so surprised that happened, especially with you making the new break room, but I guess that it makes sense since they wouldn't give you promotions for any of your people. I will be praying for you and your company to start succeeding. I know that the Lord will support you.
I think one of the most important reasons that people are sent out on missions is to build a habit of scripture study and prayer. I can honestly say I have never loved the scriptures as much as I do right now. I hope that you cherish the time that you spend with the scriptures every single day of your life! I want to tell you a bit about my dream.
I have learned about marking scriptures on my mission, and how important it is to do that. It helps me to get so much more out of them, and turns it from a book to a treasure chest of knowledge that I just have to unlock with the key of the spirit. Everyone can do it, especially if they have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Have you been turning the lock (remember, it will resist a little. You can’t just expect it to slip into place) to open that treasure chest recently? I have loved marking up my mission scriptures. But, I have a dream. When I finish the standard works and come home, I am going to buy a new set, a cheap one. And I will start again. I want to read the standard works all once a year, and the Book of Mormon at least once, if not twice a year. And then I am just going to store them in a box, with a whole bunch of different questions and topics and marking systems, and on Sunday I will select a set through prayer and take them to use during Sunday. :) and then when I am rich someday, I want a normal sized house, but a big library. And one section will be completely devoted to scriptures. And my kids will just be able to go and read from the different markings that we have made in our scriptures, and be able to add their own scriptures. I love the scriptures. I am so grateful for them.
Along with that, we need to have good prayers. Do you pray with full intent? Do you commune with your Father in heaven? One thing I loved that someone said last Sunday about prayer was that it was communication with God. Communication can not be one way. The definition of communication requires for it to be two way. I love that. God wants to answer us and help us. I hope that you pray with your whole entire heart, and that you listen during your prayer, not just after. It is so important to listen to His counsel as we talk with Him. We will miss some things that He desperately wants to tell us and bless us with if we just through our blessings shopping list.
I hope that you are studying the scriptures personally and as a family. I also hope that you do this in your best time, not the scraps of time you scrape after work, school, house stuff, etc. Put Him first and all other things will drop out of your life or fall into place.
That is the real purpose of a mission. To give people the opportunity give up their will to the Lord. That is such a sacred experience in am learning more and more how to do it here in Japan, but I know that as I continue to grow, I will give my will more to Him. When we can do that perfectly, then we will be endowed with power from on high. We will be given direction from on high. We will become, as Christ was, one with the Father. The Holy Ghost will be able to perfectly talk to us.
I love you so much, Dad. You are the best example! I love you so much! Have a great week and push forward with faith! Put the Lord first. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all things shall be added unto you.
Love, Elder Livingston
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