I know I am part of such a wonderful family. I can't believe all the good and wonderful achievements my family is doing. Jacob is delivering babies, Michael studying law at Gonzaga, Adam receiving the award for best student ever to be born west of the Mississippi, Josh saving the New York homeless. I really do feel so much pride to be apart of our wonderful family. I am very happy to be a Calvert.
In the conference of October 2010, a General Authority said to shake someone’s hand that you don't know every Sunday. Even if you "ought to know that person's name" but you don't or forgot, ask for it again. Relationships are so important. Love leads us to righteous action and committed service and obedience. When all of our zeal is focused on obedience and service it is wonderful. But a higher motivating power is love. Love for God and people. It is strange with transfers coming because I am quite sure that I am going to leave. I have had a wonderful time in this ward. I am so grateful for the wonderful things I have learned. I will treasure my friendships and lessons from my time here in Freguesia do Ó.
I was touched by a scripture this morning, 3 Nephi 18, Jesus speaks about the importance of the Sacrament. He says that those that do more and less than these things build their foundation upon the sand. I thought of Helaman 5:12 and a scripture in Matthew 5 of the rain on the just and the unjust. 3 Nephi 18 speaks of rains, floods, and winds. As I pondered these scriptures, I thought of the rains, floods and winds differently. Winds of doubts, criticism raining, and floods of temptation rising. For some, these winds, rains, and floods, could be the destruction of worlds possessions. My mind thought of windstorms and a tree falling and damaging our home. That, in and of itself, does not have any effect on us. But the way we react to our personal storms, is the determining factor. The rains, floods and winds are inevitable, personal, and frequent, but they only have the devastating effect when we use our agency, putting aside the Lord and deciding we don't have time for fervent prayer, or scripture study, and we need time to "put our life back together" on Sundays. We are free to act in the way we choose to the rains, winds and floods. We remove ourselves from the guaranteed protection the Lord has promised us when we begin to build on a weak foundation.
Finally, a thought this week that really hit me; "Am I waiting, or am I living?" Maybe we all ought to ask ourselves this question more often. I love you all.
Love, Elder Calvert
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