Week 18 - He Lives (Dec. 26th)

I appreciate all the warm notes and emails that i have received this wonderful Christmas season. This week was a wonderful time to look outwardly and help others around us and ill cherish it for years to come! it makes me sad to think ill only be able to go through that experience one more time! It was wonderful to see my family Christmas night.. Crazy as usual!  Alot happened to Elder Shoemaker and I! We had Christmas Conference where half of the mission came together and we enjoyed songs and each others company! I was able to play the cello for us all using a members cello up here, which is awesome! I also had an exciting thing happen where i got permission from the mission president to bring my cello up from Las Vegas so ill be able to play for the mission and my wards more, which is something im super excited about! The spirit is so strong through music, which is why i enjoy sharing my talents! simply so the spirit can manifest truth for others! Something that was pretty crazy that happened this week was that We turned into a trio Elder Mata, Elder Shoemaker, and I will now be togeather for the rest of the transfer! This was a answer to Elder Shoemakers prayers haha because we are in a car for the rest of the transfer haha! So know we cover 5 wards! Which is all but two wards of the Meridian East Stake! So its going to keep us soo busy i wont even be able to think right! but its going to be awesome! I just wanted to share my thoughts from my studies this week. As i was reading my scriptures i asked my self the question " what does it mean to council with the Lord?"  This thought stems from 2 Nephi 28:4 & 2 Nephi 26:20 where we read about our day and we read about " contending voices" and "stumbling blocks" because of they preach by their own learning and their own wisdom. As I thought about this i came across some interesting scriptures! We learn in Alma 37:37 that we are to counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the lord.  This lead me to psalm 34:10 where we read ".. they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing" and was also lead to Proverbs 13:25 " the righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked shall want" which finally lead me to the last two scriptures 2 Nephi 9:50-51 "come quench yourselves... stop laboring work that doesn't satisfy, Hearken Diligently  1 Samuel 12: 20-21 "dont turn aside from the lord but serve with all your heart if we turn aside we will be going after vain things and they wont profit us" I found this study to be particularly enlightening that when we council with the lord in all that we are doing we will know we are being lead by him and that we will be satisfied! I hope you are all doing well and i appreciate and love you all We can be quenched when we council with the Lord! (sorry i ran out of time to finish my thought)

Keep Smiling ... Elder Gerrard