Angela – Page 22 – Letters from Home

Update on our grown children

Child is a word that applies to any age when a person is linked to a parent. Even though they are independent and strong, I am glad that I am still allowed to think of Paige, Daniel, and Timothy as my children.

I haven’t written about our older kids in a long time because they are living their own lives, very independent from us. But in my journal of tender mercies, any day that I get to talk to one of them, it makes the list of blessings for the day.

Paige and I have a phone appointment each Wednesday morning. It is something I look forward to each week.

Paige and Mike bought a house in Alabama this spring.

They both work from home. Michael is an accountant, and Paige works as an illustrator, and she has done a lot of digital art for the online Investopedia magazine. She mostly illustrates financial concepts, but she has also done some medical illustrations and more. This summer, her work was featured in a printed version of Investopedia magazine. She also did an illustration for the January 2023 Friend magazine.

Paige and Michael serve in the Primary organization at church. We will visit them later this fall, and it will be our first trip to Alabama.

Daniel lives nearby, and he begins his senior year at BYU this week, studying electrical engineering. He did an internship at L3 Harris (Richard’s company) this summer, so Richard talked to him quite a bit during the past several months.

After graduation next spring, Daniel will pursue a masters degree, and L3 Harris has offered him a job. Daniel and McKenna are quick to serve wherever they are needed. Daniel plays the organ in sacrament meeting and piano for choir, plus he serves in the elders quorum as service coordinator. McKenna served as assistant girls camp director this summer. Both of them help their local grandparents with all their hearts.

Timothy, our missionary, is on a new island, Saipan, a Northern Mariana island. This is country #4 where he has served during his mission, so I bought a new flag to display in the yard. He is excited to be on Saipan, and he and his companion are very busy teaching people. He is happy, as you can see.

He alternates with other missionaries to fly to a small island called Tinian on weekends to support a tiny group of members for church services. Here is a picture of their sacrament meeting last Sunday on Tinian. Oh, my! ❤️

We have a video call with Elder Ross each Sunday in the late afternoon, which is Monday morning for him. I have a hug scheduled with him on November 1 when he arrives home.

Ask

Maybe it’s the waning influence that I have during a child’s 18th year, but it feels like I am welcomed into a pretty exclusive club when I am asked to help with a dance invitation.

Paints, brushes, adhesives, poster board, and markers covered our kitchen surfaces on Friday afternoon and late into the evening. It’s an “Up” themed invitation, and Mark painted a little birdhouse in all the pastels from the movie.

We delivered the invitation late at night, as one does. I have become a slick getaway driver.

Fresh and clean

Hooray for fresh and clean new carpet!

😀

Focus

I appreciated President Nelson’s words to new mission leaders, so I made this reminder to put in my kitchen.

This was the article if you want to do an Internet search for it:

Annual Presidents’ Luncheon

Each summer, my presidency hosts a luncheon for the ward Primary presidents. I told a new president that no one in the world understands what she is experiencing like the women in this room. They talked, and talked, and lingered. After hosting this luncheon for several years, I wasn’t surprised by the wisdom of the women. What surprised me was that they wanted to stay longer than usual this year.

A new piece of art in our home

Mercy Claimeth That Which is Her Own by Jonathan Linton, 2002; oil on canvas (This image does not show how beautiful this painting is in real life.)

What stands out to you in this painting?

For me, it is the woman’s sweet face and attitude.

Here is the artist’s statement,

This painting is a personification of justice being satisfied by the gift of Christ, symbolized by light, and of mercy claiming the penitent man. This stands for the grace extended to all such souls who put their faith in Christ. “For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:24; 25). These figures are complex, multifaceted symbolical elements in the composition. Further elements include a large spacious field representing the world, the sunset representing the end of the earthly life that each person eventually faces, and the balustrade separating mortal life from the next stage of existence.
from the Church of Jesus Christ website

The original painting is on display in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, and I ordered a canvas print of it from the Church History Museum gift shop.

I love what it teaches without words about Jesus Christ, justice, and mercy.

A glimpse of Mark’s FSY conference at BYU

Mark came home really happy from the For the Strength of Youth conference. Registering for this event was a challenge, until suddenly it wasn’t. I really think the Lord directed us to a great session that Mark would love.

Mark met an institute teacher that inspired him. He had good times with new friends, and roomed with his friend Jack. I am glad that Mark was able to do this!

Steady

I’m celebrating that I finished a goal to do a deep study of the Doctrine of Covenants. I dedicated one morning a week for about a year to watch videos, read, and write about these modern day revelations.

I chose the same morning each week for my study sessions because it is when I do our laundry and I am scheduled to be home. Study sessions looked like me sitting between baskets and piles of clothing with videos playing, scriptures open, and books stacked. I read and wrote in the gaps between folding and loading loads of laundry. In other words, accomplishing this goal looked like nothing special. In fact, it was messy.

But now I have a notebook full of new insights, several new reference books, and I no longer feel out of touch about the subject. That is a nice feeling.

Senior

Some favorite pieces during the past few months

I have enjoyed many pieces introduced to me by this book. Here are a few that I am playing on repeat. I don’t expect you to listen to all of them. I just felt like gathering some within a post for easy reference.