Sister Syd: Canada Week 65: Peace be still

Hello my wonderful friends and family! It is December - I think it is super crazy! Hopefully everyone is hanging in there and finding the simple in life that will make you smile! God is all around us despite what the world makes us feel.

My week consisted of member lessons upon member lessons, a few investigator lessons, store contacting, virtual exchanges, playing with the cutest puppies, BEAUTIFUL skies, and Christmas tree hunting! Some cute members let us pick out a tree on their property and then they cut it down and brought it to us. They handed it to us over our balcony so we could be 6 feet apart with masks. It was quite funny and awesome! The lessons we have been able to teach have been wonderful. The spirit is a beautiful thing! God truly does inspire us to know who we should reach out to. He knows who needs a little extra love, especially during the crazy times right now. Everyone needs extra love - even if it is virtually!

We had a combined District council this week and it was wonderful! It was so inspired and so spirit led. We discussed the talk "The Challenge to Become" by Elder Oaks in October 2000. IT IS SUCH A GOOD TALK! Give it a read! He said that the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. THIS IS SO TRUE! God's whole purpose and plan is for us to grow and progress and we all have the opportunity and destiny to do so. The part that impressed me the most was about the process of becoming. It isn't easy - it isn't always fun - It is hard. It is going through the refiners fire - changing from coal to a diamond. Coal has to undergo a lot of pressure to become a diamond, likewise, God knows what we need to go through to become the diamonds He sees in us. We are also all on a DIFFERENT journey - no two of us are on the same journey. God has individual plans and ideas for each and everyone of us. Satan also LOVES to feed off the negativity and comparison he puts into our minds. We need to look from the inside out and recognize that our plan is different than others. Our trials are different. We are all on our own journey to become. Thankfully our loving Heavenly Father will be there every step of the way helping each of us to create the life that's right in front of us.

Another thought I want to share this week comes from a message that we got to be a part of with some members. They do an advent candle activity, and this week the candle was peace. Peace is something I have loved recognizing, reminiscing in, and remembering. It is beautiful, and like the atonement, it is individual to each of us. It touches us in unique ways, and helps us in ways that God knows will be best for us. Peace comes in many shapes and forms, BUT Christ's peace passes all understanding and is unlike any other peace life offers. It works from the inside out and then allows for us to find that peace in others and other things. It helps us to see the good. With our tranquil faith in Christ, we can feel that peace more abundantly in our everyday lives. Others may see this and wonder how we are able to stay peaceful during turbulent times. We can respond by bearing witness that we are not afraid because we have peace in Christ, and because we have peace in Christ, we can share it with others around us. One of my favorite scriptures illustrates this beautifully in John 14:27 --

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Thanks for all the prayers and support! I'm hanging in there and finding peace in Christ. I hope you can too. I love and miss you all!

Love, Sister Merrill