Keep Your Chin Up

Dear Familia & Friends,

It has been a hard week, every imperfection is thrown in my face on all the things I need to change & it hasn't helped that I had some scary experiences this week. Poor Sister Kenagy had a horrible migraine that lasted 5 days & she's still recovering from it but we're back on our feet working. So it wasn't a very work fulfilled week but it was good for me, Heavenly Father was teaching me how to breath & not get depressed or discouraged & I was reminded of His love.

Before I go on, parents please don't read this to the little ones I don't want them to be scared & I am keeping it simple because I don't want any of you to be scarred either.  Monday night I had a nightmare & in it an evil spirit wanted to kill me & was taking over one of my past investigators from my last area who I loved dearly to tell me they were going to kill me.

Not a fun dream, so Tuesday we went to institute & after we were talking to Sister Pincock the institute teacher & she is so inspired & was definitely in tune to the spirit because she shared a very sacred experience she had had once when she was doing family history & the
adversary was not happy with her & got uncomfortably personal with her. I'll have to ask her if I can share the dream experience she had because it is powerful. From her dream she realized how little power the adversary really has & he can't do the things they show in Hollywood but he wants to spook us in thinking that he can. There are angels so much stronger truly protecting us & Sister Pincock described how comical it is with the devil, she compared him to the small little dog that chases us & then a bigger dog/the Priesthood or angels come & the devil is like a scared little dog with it's tail in between it's legs running away. It's truly comical & the love of God is so much more powerful. Her words were very comforting to me & very interesting when she said, "I don't fear what they can do, I fear more about his temptations, discouragement, & the depression he sends more than fear." It really helped me & I shared my experience with her & she was awesome about it & said that the adversary really can't do anything but to feel better to get a priesthood blessing. We didn't have time that night but Wednesday night I got a priesthood blessing from Brother Behmer's & it was nice but unfortunately Wednesday night I had another nightmare. It was a creepy old lady & I won't go into details on that one & it stunk because I had the nightmare & was waking up in the middle of the night from it & my bed jerked. :( Not cool. And then I felt so strong & distinctly a finger poke my right shoulder. I am not lying or making it up & it sounds hilarious, but I thought Sister Kenagy had touched my shoulder but nope, she was sound asleep. Luckily it didn't scare me horribly bad & I was able to pray & fall back asleep & it was sweet because in my dream the Mo-tab choir was singing/blaring in my head, "How Firm A Foundation." I know that was God's way of comforting me & helping me remember the strengthen hymns really do have in warding off any bad spirit. That morning after working out as I was getting ready I was a little scared but I remembered the hymn & I was just singing away hymn after hymn while I was showering & getting ready & woot it worked!

I talked to Sister Kenagy about it & I got another Priesthood blessing from Brother Pincock after talking with him & Sister Pincock. It was powerful & I love their family sooooooo much!!!! She helped a ton because I was able to be reassured that I wasn't crazy because she has had the finger poke happen to her twice in her life & she said it is just the adversary's way of trying to intimidate, it's hilarious. All he can do is "poke" us like a Facebook poke? Ha ha! Anywho, so everything is good now & the blessing was cool. Oh & coolest thing, I told
Sister Pincock about "how firm a foundation," & she said that's the hymn that is Super significant to her & her experience that she had, she said to read the whole hymn & holy cow I did & wowza when I can tell you about her experience your jaws will all drop to the floor
with how significant that hymn is!!!! Stunning! Anywho, I love the Pincocks & I love the power of God.

Elder Holland's talk, "The First Great Commandment" from Oct 2012, on the remaining 11 apostles being left to teach the gospel after Christ left. Wow how little the church was & the apostles must have wondered what do we do now. Peter, do you love me? I need disciples. Did you love me? The Crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty. The call is to come & lend a faithful hand. A returned missionary is to be charged commissioned of Jesus Christ. We will never look back. What will we do this week to show Heavenly Father we love Him?