The Most Spirit-Filled 24 Hours

I've been so spiritually edified in the last 24 hours that it's hard to describe.

Last night, I went to the temple with Casey and Ehren as they went to receive their endowments and attend the temple for the first time. It was incredible watching this young couple take this very important step in their lives. It was wonderful seeing them after the session was over and the happiness on their faces.

As I left temple that night and drove home, I thought a lot about the evening. I was so happy to be able to go to the temple with them and to be able to feel the Spirit that night. While I was there, I also received my own personal revelation about something I've been thinking about a lot lately. It truly began to help me in dealing with a number of recent situations in my life.

I got home and C had made us a yummy steak dinner. I was very grateful that he had done that because I really did not feel like having to do that this night. We ate dinner and visited a bit, then watched some television and I quickly fell asleep on the sofa. We finally went to bed and the next morning I got up to get ready to head back to the temple for Casey and Ehren's sealing.

As I left that morning, I was a little late in leaving so I knew I would have to hurry, but I was worried that I wouldn’t make it on time because they’ve recently installed a TON of speeding cameras on the freeways all around the valley and they are close enough together that you can’t really jack rabbit in between them without getting nailed. I know…it’s my fault that I left late, but I really didn’t want to miss this special event. I said a prayer that I would get there in time, that the traffic would be light, and that I would find a close parking spot so I wouldn’t have to walk so far on my bum foot. As I started out, it seemed that everyone was out for a lazy day ride. I was getting so frustrated. Then, I remembered it was my fault for leaving, not anyone else’s and if I missed the sealing, it would teach me a lesson about being on time.

As I finally made it to the freeway, things started to look up. Traffic wasn’t so bad and I was able to progress down the road pretty well...until I got to about 51st Ave on the 10. I had checked the schedule for the weekend freeway closures and unfortunately this section was one that I had read about, but any other way would have taken far longer to deal with so I decided to just endure this one’s detour. Luckily, I had my new GPS system in the car and boy, was I ever grateful! It lead me right to the temple from a different direction and lo, and behold, I got there 30 minutes prior to the start of the sealing! Plus, I got a parking spot just 1 spot away from the closest spot there could have been! I was so grateful to my Heavenly Father for helping me!

I went inside and waited in the chapel for a few minutes, then we were seated. It was so sweet watching this couple be sealed for not only time, but more importantly for ALL ETERNITY. Then, their children were brought into the room and they were all smiles. It was so wonderful to know that this family would be together forever and that the tiny baby Casey was carrying inside of her would automatically be theirs for eternity now.

After the sealing was done, I said my congratulations and I decided to go. I headed over to Deseret Book and the Food Storage store right next to DB. Picked up some PETE containers for the herbs and spices I recently got through the co-op and the new CD from Hillary Weeks to listen to on the way home. I just love her. Stopped at Filiberto’s for a pollo asado burrito – total yum – and jumped back on the freeway to head for home. Got home and cut some more vinyl for Brenda and then designed a couple samples for "someone" while I waited for Brenda and her mom to come over to pick up their order.

At 5:45, I left and went over to the stake center for Brenda’s husband’s baptism. Oh my, what a wonderful way to end the night. His testimony of the Spirit was so inspiring. I started to tear up as he told it. How wonderful to have such a strong witness of the truth! He was just all smiles the whole evening, even more so though after he came up out of the waters of baptism, being washed clean and whole. He couldn’t stop smiling! How wonderful, to be in your 30s and be completely clean of sin! Oh to be able to go through that! I know there is repentance for sin after you have been baptized, but how wonderful it would be if you could be baptized again!

I headed home, just in awe of the wonderfully spiritual weekend I’d had. Sure, I’d missed doing all the things I needed to do around the house, but it was SO worth it! Today is now Fast Sunday and Kris is going to be confirmed today so that will add to the spirit today as well. Hopefully, the rest of church will be spirit filled too…