Missionary Mom

I received a letter this weekend from a missionary.  It made me so happy.  There wasn’t any bittersweet to it.  There wasn’t any hurt or wishing things were different.  It surprised me.  He’s Ian’s companion.  Yes, that’s what I said—Ian’s companion.  He told me he has a photo of “Elder Gleason” in his scriptures;  He told me he feels him there;  He told me he heard Ian’s voice when he went through the temple; and he told me his motivation for going at all was Ian.

How can I feel anything but excitement?  Pride?  Love?  He  told me he’s serving not only so his mom can be a missionary mom, but me too.

I got to raise the coolest son—I will finish that job someday, and I’m so glad that he is still influencing people.   I can’t really put into words how I feel.

Lucy Wins; Team Doesn’t

 Today was a full day.  We picked up another member of the Venture Mock Trial Team and had to be at the county courthouse downtown by 7:45am.  First trial of the day started with my daughter behind the attorney table.  She argued Miranda Rights in a felony hit and run case.  Can I just say, she smoked her opponent.  Smoked.
Usually, by the time the trial is over the scoring officials—most from the D.A. or public defender’s office have completely forgotten the pretrial motions and give no feedback on what was said before the actual proceedings began.  Not today.  At the close of the case, my daughter was told that her argument would be used the next time Miranda Rights was being argued.  The judge even tossed the confession based on Lucy’s monologue.  That is, after he interrupted and asked her a million tricky questions.
That trial put them in the finals.  Unfortunately for them, they were assigned the prosecution side of the case and it is the weaker side, by far.  Lucy doesn’t participate on that side.  She was off the hook and just had to watch with the rest of us.  It was close, but the team lost.
At the awards ceremony later in the day, our team took home 2nd prize.  Lucy brought home a plaque for outstanding defense attorney.  It’s hard to be too disappointed when you get accolades from professionals and an award from your coach.  I’m very proud of my daughter tonight.  I’m also very happy she is still out with friends.  She needs some good friends.  I wish they weren’t all seniors, but beggars can’t be choosers.
She’s such a good girl.  She really knows her stuff.  She’s wallpapering her room with posters from all the universities that say they want her.  She looked beautiful today in her suit that is now hanging off her hips.  Overall, great, great day.
Footnote—I haven’t mentioned I have to take her shopping for a prom dress.  Prom is on her 16th birthday 2 months from now and she already got asked.  The stars are aligned for her right now.  Maybe I should write a braggy Christmas letter tonight while I’m still feeling it!  Nah!

Tender Mercies

It’s really quiet most days at the institute.  I’m there with few people and few interruptions.  Most days I have to turn on some music.  The lady who trained me said I could listen to the radio but I decided that if I’m going to be in that environment, I should keep it appropriate.  I’ve discovered Pandora and have a channel or 2 that I listen to.  One is titled LDS worship.  I don’t really understand because a lot of things come up that aren’t LDS and aren’t necessarily worshipful.

There’s a song I like the melody to and the words of the chorus sound pretty good so I googled the lyrics.  It’s got a good message especially for people who are sure that every prayer gets answered.  (that didn’t come out right.)  I believe that prayers are answered;  I also think that there are an infinitesimal number of  conditions that determine how, when and where prayers are answered.

Here are the lyrics—they are more beautiful set to music.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

The name of the group who sing it is Mercy River. 

Oh, I just looked at YouTube to see if I could find a link and found out that if I was a good little Mormon girl and went to time out for women, I would have seen this trio.  I have to add—being part of  the Deseret Book Selling Tour disguised as a church endorsed meeting turns me off a little.  When I’m an author and am approached by that marketing machine, I’ll have to change my tune.