August 26, 2016 - Friday in Nauvoo

Here we are entering the last weekend as missionaries in the Nauvoo Mission.  After last nights successful Rendezvous, I did not get to bed until 10:30pm.  It was about 3:30am when I first woke up this morning having had a few good hours of sleep.  But over the last few months I don't think I have had more than six hours of sleep in any one night.  I expect to be catching up on my rest over the next few weeks!  Is that possible to "catch up" on missed rest??

Levi is giving grandpa an idea......

Granny and Grandpa can't be going to see PopPop first! - Bad dream!

Mom and I began our early morning with our prayers and our devotional.  We then began our usual early morning walk at about 5:10am.  It was still dark outside with lots of clouds.  By the time we had walked a mile, we started seeing lightening in the horizon and made the decision to cut our morning walk down.  We took the shorted path and got home about 6:00am.  

Mom was assigned as the second wagon narrator and had to be at work by 8:00am.  I had the late shift at the Family Living Center and reported for work at 11:45am.  I also had a rehearsal at the Cultural Hall at 9:30am.  I thought that I would ride the wagon with mom for her 11:30am wagon ride, but I had to go back home to get mom's purse, after the rehearsal, so she could drive the van home after her shift.

This was the last narration assignment for mom and it was a fairly slow day.  It was the same in the Family Living Center just adjacent to the wagon ride depot.  We only had 89 visitors come in during the entire day.  I got a lot of visiting done with some of our fellow missionaries.

Elder and Sister Lowe

After mom finished her assignment as the wagon narrator, she came home and gathered  all the 1840's clothing we have been wearing, this past 18 months, and took them to the sewing room as a donation.  The only remaining 1840's clothing we now have is what we will wear tomorrow on our last day of site service.

We will then wash those clothes at the end of our shift tomorrow and donate those to the sewing room workers.  Things are now winding down rapidly as we finalize our preparations to leave the Illinois, Nauvoo Mission early Monday morning.  Unbelievable!

As mom and I look forward to our family reunion and to the upcoming Christmas season, I wanted to share this message;

First Corinthians 13, Christmas Version

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
But do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
Baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
Preparing gourmet meals
And arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
But do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,
Carol in the nursing home
And give all that I have to charity,
But do not show love to my family,
It profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
And crocheted snowflakes,
Attend a myriad of holiday parties
And sing in the choir's cantata,
But do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.  Charity never fails!

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust ... but giving the 

gift of love will endure.    Claire Jordan

Now, thinking about Christmas and the message this poem brings, why should we wait for Christmas to act on this message?