I love the fall!

I love the fall! It may not be as brilliant as usual... I'm not sure as I've never seen a fall out east before. However, it is beautiful and slowly the season is beginning to change. I am so impressed with the beauty of the Earth and the wonderful way that God shows his love for us by His creation of this World. The changing of leaves shows a passing of time.... Time is so precious. We only get wonderful moments that make up a lifetime. I have come to really see the importance of making each of those moments count.  We often get so caught up in the material things that don't really matter. Then, something happens, whether tragic or just a moment of beauty, and we take time to notice... We feel a sense of peace and calm and reality.








 What matters most is not the money you made or the powerful positions you have held... it is the people that you have loved. You can see the best memories are made by sharing love and service with people. Making others happy or noticing the happiness God is trying to give us... there is nothing better. 
My invitation to all of you is to notice the small stuff, to pay attention to the beauty, and to share it with someone else.

Love you all so so so much,
   God be with you till we meet again.
Love,
  Sister Gordon

Support and Encouragement

What a wonderful place to be! I love it here and I love the work that is going on. This weekend our mission is helping to support a local stake in a mini mission for the youth! The youth will be going out and helping the missionaries to contact new people, teach and everything! There are even going to be a group of young women at the Visitors' Center! It is going to be the neatest thing ever. Especially after hearing from Elder Bednar this last conference. INCREDIBLE!

 I just wanted to touch briefly on how important it is that we are kind to others. We have the ability to strengthen those around us and to lift them. It is easy and sometimes even popular to make fun of or hurt the people that we know and sometimes those we don't know. It seems to be funny to pick on someone or to play mean tricks. How sad to see that this is normal and seen as humorous. I myself have seen that "playing tricks" on someone to make others laugh is a sarcastic humor that almost always is a cause of frustration or sadness on the other side of that trick. We are all travelers in this journey of life. Our goal should not be to hinder the path of others by putting up obstacles or by tripping them up. Our goal should be to help make that pathway clearer. To provide support and encouragement. To lift those who are in need and especially to love those that fall behind.
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My invitation for each of you is to find ways that you can serve and love your fellowmen more often. I know that as you do there will be more peace in your daily lives and that you will see your relationships grow stronger and your friends to be more true.

I love you all with my whole heart,

God be with you till we meet again.

Lessons I Learned as a Boy

Tribute to White Oaks

I must pay tribute to the White Oak ward for the lessons that I learned there and for the people that I have met. What a wonderful place to have served! I am especially grateful for the teaching opportunities I was able to be a part of. Both young and old, member of the church or not. My time there was simply amazing and enhanced by all who I came into contact with. It was just a phenomenal experience and taught me so much about myself and about others.

The lessons the Lord has to teach us are often not recognized until looking back. I imagine myself my first transfer of the mission and realize how far I have come. I don't really feel that I've changed... I mean, I am still the same person; I'm energetic, I love people, I like new adventures... I just realize that I have greater depth. I guess that is what happens when you do something new that takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you discover what you would do in a new situation. You naturally will grow, especially when it deals with your spiritual nature.

We were on the metro the other day and I overheard a conversation where it sounded interesting and the group of people talked a lot. When they left I just felt such a sense of emptiness... I didn't know who they were. The things they talked about didn't help me to understand their experiences or anything really about them. I was just baffled at how that could be an exciting conversation, or how a friendship could be based off of such superficial things. I was so grateful for a greater understanding of my divine nature as a daughter of God. Knowing that changes everything. and truly understanding that helps me to be a better person. 

I am so excited for General Conference this weekend! There is nothing better than a worldwide meeting that can be watched by everyone at the same time where a prophet and apostles come together to speak to us. AMAZING! Their counsel is priceless and can help anyone of any age, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. What great love the Lord has for us to send us inspired leaders to guide us and to testify of Jesus Christ!

I'm a litte nervous as I take on new responsibilities this transfer. I will be asked to grow and stretch more than I think I even realize. I am memorizing D&C 121:34-46 to help myself remember what I am striving to do. (not that I have the priesthood because I don't) I am striving to lead the way that the Master would. Out of sincere love for those I lead, in an attitude of service, and with the intent to lift, inspire, and bless. It is a big call... but charity never faileth. As long as I'm trying to do what the Lord wants I know it will be alright... so, I'm going to pray. A LOT!

Keep the faith. God is there and He loves you. Do what is right and nothing will ever permanently go wrong. And remember your reaction to small things determines your health in the long run. So when something happens that frustrates you and you feel like you can't handle it just ask yourself, "is this going to give me high blood pressure 20 years from now? And if so is it really worth being mad about?"

Transfer! Splendid.

TRANSFERS! My new companion is Sister Lewis. She is from California and she is absolutely wonderful. I'm the Senior companion and I am in.... DC 2nd Singlles Ware. I  will miss White Oak but I am so excited! Also, I have been called as a Visitors' Center Trainer. I'm very excited about this and I hope that I live up to the Lord's expectation of me in this calling. I will be in charge of new sister training for all of the newer sisters at the Visitors' Center. (helping them to learn the resources and encouraging them and getting to know them.) I am so excited! I just love all of the Sisters so so so so so so much! They aregreat and I know I'm going to learn so much from them! SPLENDID!

Preparing For Storms In Our Lives

Many of the areas surrounding us were affected by the storm. I also heard that a few people died because they were out wandering in the storm. These people knew that the storm was coming... they had the information and the time to prepare but they didn't take it. They left the safety of their homes to wander out for what I'm sure they thought would be a fun and cool experience.

 

So it can be with ourselves. We know that we need to make preparations. This is true on a temporal level as has been taught by modern prophets. We need to prepare food storage and have money saved up so that when hard times come we are prepared and we have all that we need. This is also true on a spiritual level. We know the commandments God has given us. These are not cages or a list of do's and do not's. They are guideposts to keep us out of harms way and to give us direction to a happier and better life. How often do we ignore the warnings that a storm is coming and decide not to prepare for it. How often do we decide that we can read our scriptures later or that we are in too big of a rush to pray... so that when the temptations come we are not well enough equipped to be able to overcome them. How often do we decide that the experience of a hurricane might be fun or exciting? How often do we look at sin as an exciting or fun experience that we do not want to miss. Are we willing to risk our lives for such experiences? Are we willing to seek instant gratification and momentary happiness or fun at the sacrifice of lasting happiness? I think that it is very easy to look so closely at the now and what we want instead of focusing on the long term. The big picture is so much more important! When we lose sight of that it is easy to  walk in the storm but when we see the lasting effects of each choice that we make we will be determined to move forward with not what is most rewarding in the moment but what is actually better for us long term 

"nothing will ever permanently go wrong when you are doing what is right."

 

This is my  invitation for each of you. To look at the lasting effects of the decisions you make. To choose the better part. To do that which will have lasting happiness and not just a moment or two. Heed the counsel of the Lord and of the Prophets. I know that as you do this you will see the blessings that come and you will experience lasting joy.

 

God be with you till we meet again.

Love,

 Sister Gordon

Adventures in D.C.

Nikki is doing well in D.C. She has been through recording breaking heat, an earthquake, and now hurricane Irene. Lost power for a few hours, but anxious to get out and help with service projects to help others.