Just Doesn't Get Any Better

We were back again in the lovely newly remodeled stake center this morning bright and early....well early for the meeting.  There was a choir concert at 10....we arrived at 9:30.  Stake conference was at 11.  It was well worth it to be early.  We were in the chapel and listened to the choir practicing for a half hour.

The director is very musical and very good at coaxing the best out of her singers.  I enjoy watching her conduct, and to the singers sing, and to the pianist play.  Music to me is such a divine gift.  The pianist is a young sister missionary, who was called to play for the choir just a couple of days ago, and who was amazing with all of the accompaniments.

I grew up in a home where there was always music....between my sister and my mother it seemed that someone was nearly always playing the piano or organ or singing.  So I love to hear it, I love to listen.  It is indeed unfortunate that I did not inherit any of the ability to make music of any kind...but it is truly a blessing in the long run.  It has occurred to me that anyone with musical talent almost always has a desire to share it.  That is where I come in.  Musicians love an audience, and I am it.

The choir sang some beautiful hymns....and it set the tone for the conference so well.  Elder Detlef H Alder was the visiting authority.  He and his wife are from Germany and each spoke today.  Both of their talks were inspiring.

Sister Alder spoke about the importance of studying scriptures...especially in families.  She said it was a challenge for them....a huge challenge, but that ultimately it paid off.  She thinks it is a little humorous now to see her adult children struggling with the same challenges as they try to gather their own little families to read scriptures daily.

Have you ever read a scripture that jumps off the page at you....and you don't remember ever seeing it before?  She called that  "Harry Potter" scripture.  She says two months before it wasn't there and then it magically appears when you seem to need it.

Her husband cited a prophecy by Spencer W. Kimball forty years ago.  He said the future of the church would lie in the East, in Russia and Korea.  I can't remember exactly all the places, but at the time Elder Alder thought "That can't be..."  But now he says it is a miracle to see what is happening in all of those places.

He also talked about the power that comes with fasting....and the promises.  I am always inspired - again when I realized what a marvelous thing fasting is for us.  He promised that if we fast with faith and purpose we will come to realize better what our mission here is, and we will come to feel the love of the Lord in our lives.  Too often we fast and ask.  Perhaps, he said, we ought to fast as an expression of gratitude.  The bottom line question to ask ourselves is "Is our fast bringing us closer to the Lord?"

We saw so many of the YSAs....they are there for their meetings....they are so good!!!!  One of our young sisters just got a mission call to Ukraine.   She said the mission president's mantra is "Yes, You - kraine!"  Cute.

We got together with Elder and Sister Thorne, Sister Hamblin, and Elder and Sister Johnson (from Bornholm - they came in for stake conference) and at dinner together....and sat and talked for a couple of hours.  It was very nice.  It made me realize how insulated our lives are here.  We touched on many topics that will become more important to us when we return to our homes in the states....but each of us also at one time or another recounted the sweet blessings of serving here in Denmark.

It has been a lovely Sabbath Day.