Happy New Year!

Dear family,

This is the end of the most unusual year ever.  I suspect we are in for at least six more months of similar restrictions, but am hopeful that by summer the vaccines have been distributed widely enough to bring the risk level down to a level that we can resume gathering and worshipping normally.

I am happy to get to do things with you and hope you know how important you are!

Love,

Dad

Thursday, December 31, 2020
9:51 pm

Ooh, we're only nine minutes away from New York New Years!  Then can I go to sleep?

This morning before work I went to the store to get some groceries so Julie wouldn't have to go out.  Isaac was awake, so he came with me. It was nice to spend a little time with him.  Strawberries were on sale so we got four packages as a special New Year's Eve treat.

I think I got everything done at work that had to be finished to close the year.  Unless something unusual happened this afternoon, we will close the year over $50 million in assets for the first time.  The next round of COVID stimulus funds arrived today, bringing $700k of additional deposits.  Assets have grown this year by 20%, and deposits by 24%.  That kind of growth is unheard of.  If we could only keep loans growing similarly, we'd be in good shape.

This evening David, Lisa and their kids came down to visit.  We had spaghetti for dinner then played the "cootie snowman" game, ending up with some funny looking snowmen.  Abbie made us zucchini ginger cupcakes with ginger cream cheese icing.  They were very good.  Then we watched David light some fireworks to celebrate the new year.  After the pyrotechnics, the Woodwards left and we headed for bed.

Thankful: Spencer and I played some ping pong on a folding table this afternoon, and it was lots of fun.  We played a "best of five" series, and he beat me by 2 points on game 5.  I'm glad when we do fun things together.

Ministering: I spent some time on the phone this afternoon counseling with a ward member.

More later…

Snowman art in process.

Poke poke poke...

Dear family,

I feel bad that Mom had to get so many needle-sticks today to check her blood sugar.  Even Bombay House for dinner doesn't make up for that experience.  But hopefully it makes it a little better.  And for those who didn't get stuck, it's a reminder to honor mom! :)

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, December 30, 2020
10:17 pm

I'm not sure how to describe today.  Julie had a three-hour blood sugar test at the doctor today.  Abbie watched the kids while she was gone, and everyone was good for her.  Poor Julie had to have her blood drawn four times, and it took two sticks each time.  Eight sticks – gross.  We'll have her results back on Tuesday.  To thank the kids for being good and to offer condolences to Julie/praise for making it to the end, I got the Bombay House for dinner tonight.  As usual, it was fabulous.

Work today was interesting.  I really struggled this morning to make progress on some marketing I was writing.  I had some good ideas regarding the vision of where I want things to go in the next year, but translating that vision into action is going to be the challenging part.  The afternoon felt much more productive as I worked on some data analysis; that's easier for me to engage with.

We had a meeting with the Young Men advisors and specialists tonight to talk about our vision for the YM program.  We are going to begin holding each quorum meeting separately on Sundays when priesthood meeting is held.  These meetings have been combined for most of this year.

Thankful: I am thankful when the Holy Ghost teaches me things I need to change.  Sometimes that learning process isn't terribly pleasant, but like removing a splinter, I feel so much better after the change.  See D&C 1:24-28.

Ministering: I tried to serve my family today, wished Sister Bird a happy birthday, and had two nice interviews tonight with ward members.

More later…

I didn't take this photo, but love to think about the temple.  It has been nearly a year since I was able to attend the temple.  I haven't gone this long without attending the temple since I was in South Africa.  After doing a couple temple recommend interviews tonight, I feel this absence especially keenly.

Short note

Dear family,

Tonight's note is pretty short.  There's not a whole lot to tell about today, so....

Love,

Dad

Tuesday, December 29, 2020
9:13 pm

Work today was much less strange than yesterday, and I got a lot done.  The end of the year is racing towards me, and I realized today that I am going to have to delay the launch of a new video banking service we are implementing.  We just won't be ready on January 4 as I hoped.  Fortunately we haven't done any public promotion yet so we won't look bad delaying the launch until mid-month.  I made progress on several other projects.

Thankful: I'm thankful that everyone slept pretty well last night.  I slept well too.

Ministering: I visited with Pres. Brinkerhoff today about some issues that need my attention.  I also tried to encourage some of my employees in their efforts to learn new skills.  I'm afraid that's about all for today.

More later… 

Apparently someone found my phone...

   

Strange Monday

Dear family,

It was an odd day at work.  That's about all I can say about the day.  A very high-level overview follows.

Mark, it was so nice to talk to you today. I'm glad you COVID symptoms are minor and hope you make a full recovery quickly and can get back to "normal" work on January 1.

I love you all!

Love,

Dad

Monday, December 28, 2020
9:59 pm

It's getting late and I still need to go slice a pineapple that I got a couple days ago and that is ripe today.

Work today was interesting.  I talked to several people who want loans, and it seemed like several of them had unique circumstances.  One vehicle sold that was titled to the ex-wife but driven by the ex-husband until he was arrested for DUI.  Talked to a dealer who is being investigated for fraud but who claims he can make us whole.  Also talked to someone who caused us a loss a couple years ago but is back on his feet and wants to repay us and take out a HELOC.  And talked to our regulator about a problem with the IRS that was caused 65 years ago when we were first chartered, but no one knew about until I discovered it earlier this year.  And on and on.  It was just a strange day.

FHE tonight was nice.  We worked on memorizing D&C 5:16, visited with Dad W via Zoom for his birthday, and played a (slightly irreverent) Church-themed game someone gave us for Christmas.  The game wasn't my favorite, but the kids enjoyed it, so I'll gladly play it again.  We had chocolate-raspberry cupcakes for dessert in honor of Grandpa's birthday.  They were wonderful.

I had a nice visit with Mark during lunch.  He is doing well and making the best of his quarantine due to COVID.  He found out that he tested positive for COVID, so his quarantine is legitimate.  He's feeling pretty good and looking forward to being released on January 1 to go back to normal missionary work.

Thankful: I am thankful for Jesus Christ.  I am thankful for what I am going to learn this year studying the Doctrine and Covenants.  I got part way into section 1 today, both during my personal study and in studying with the kids, and really enjoyed it.  I have a feeling that my study of the D&C this year will be more meaningful than any previous study of this book of scripture.

Ministering: I reached out to a couple ward members today to let them know I am thinking of them.

A gem from a couple days ago.  Notice the goatee of toothpaste on Isaac's chin. This is what happens when you're not paying attention and Dad startles you.  It scares the toothpaste right off your toothbrush!

Ice cream by candlelight

Dear family,

Read on for today's thoughts.  I sure love you all and hope you know how important you are to me.

Love,

Dad

Sunday, December 27, 2020
9:43 pm

I feel good about what I accomplished today, but at the same time I don't feel like I was as prepared as I should have been.  My personal scripture study has been lacking.  I still read the scriptures every day, but it's only reading, not anything deeper.  I need to improve my efforts to study the scriptures consistently.

I am happy that we called Calvin Crandall as our Priest Quorum Advisor today.  In the eight and a half years we have lived in this ward, Calvin has had a stake assignment the whole time.  I feel strongly that we need his leadership, experience, and love to direct the Priests in our ward.  With this calling, I think we may have our young men's program staffed with all the right people.

This is a critical time for our youth.  A dozen years ago we had the Great Recession.  In many parts of the country this led to a "baby bust" as couples delayed having children.  The education system is now dealing with this decline in student populations.  Mark Bernards and I talked about this a little yesterday, and the fact that this will hit college campuses in the next five years.  It occurred to me today that COVID may have a similar spiritual effect on today's youth.  If they are spiritually malnourished as a result of the restrictions we have dealt with this year, we may experience a "valiance bust" in coming years.  I feel a great responsibility to help reinforce the teaching our youth receive at home and provide meaningful support to parents and youth.  In addition to a testimony, we all need to be converted to the Savior Jesus Christ.  That doesn't happen without concerted effort and a plan to do all we can to bring the grace of God into our lives.

This afternoon I met with the missionaries by Zoom to discuss those in our ward who are less active or not members.  It was amazing to me that I knew something about almost every person they asked about.  I guess attending Ward Council nearly every week for seven of the past eight years gives a pretty good feel for who is here.

After dinner today we tried a new activity that worked out quite well.  I put a dozen or so random props in a bag, then drew out one prop at a time to use in acting out the nativity story.  Some of the situations were really funny – sunglasses came out just in time for "the glory of the Lord shone round about."  Then we enjoyed ice cream by candlelight for dessert.

I finished reading Charlotte's Web to the kids tonight.  Neil is especially excited to start our next book. For Christmas I got Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM.  Neil has never read it before (gasp!).  It will be fun to read him something new.  I think I may have to hide the book during the daytime! 😊

Thankful: I am thankful for scriptures, for prophetic teachings, and for the opportunity to recommit to making these things a priority in my life each day.

Ministering: I interviewed several young men today to be ordained or advanced in the priesthood and submitted two patriarchal blessing recommends.

More later…

Spencer was very proud of Nathaniel's "turban."

Dessert by candlelight

Happy Boxing Day

Dear family,

I enjoyed spending time with you today and look forward to a worshipful Sabbath tomorrow.  Thanks for being wonderful!

Love,

Dad

Saturday, December 26, 2020
9:53 pm

And so my week of Saturdays comes to an end.  It has been really nice taking this week off. 

Today I worked with Neil to put together one of his Christmas presents.  He is building a desk lamp out of what looks like an erector set kit.  We didn't have much time to work on it, but we did complete two of the steps.  I think there are 60-ish steps.  This is going to take a while.

Spencer and I drove for a while today running errands.  He is doing a good job driving.  This evening Julie and I got take-out from the Bombay House and had dinner and games with the Albertson's.  We played Zero Down, Skippity, and Rummikub.  Jessie and Abbie led the babysitting crew here at home, including watching Quinn and Lila.

Neil has a baby tooth that needs to come out.  It broke somehow; tonight I pulled the smaller piece that was loose but stuck.  The larger piece is hardly loose and refused to budge when I tried to pull it out.  Neil has the assignment to wiggle it as much as he can so it will come out.

Thankful: I'm thankful for good friends.

Ministering: I called Mark Bernards today to wish him a happy birthday and enjoyed visiting with him.  I also talked to Jesse Ward.  It was nice to catch up with them.  I didn't really minister to them; it was more of mutual ministering to each other.

More later…

Breakfast for Emma and Camilla served on two of Mom's fancy new dessert plates.  And when the girls couldn't finish them, I was there to do my dad-ly duty! :) 

Two-for-one entry

Dear family,

I have to get to Walmart before they close to get more diapers for Nathaniel.  Love to all!

Love,

Dad

Sunday, December 20, 2020
11:05 pm

Time goes so fast.  Yesterday I ran errands in the morning.  Got snow tires on Bertha; have an appointment to do the same to the Odyssey tomorrow.  Picked up some Christmas gifts at the mall on my way home.  So glad Julie thinks of good gifts for our children.  In the afternoon Julie and I went together to Seagull Book to look for more.  I pushed Nathaniel around the store in a stroller while Julie shopped.  Divide and conquer.

In the evening I worked with Abbie on a history paper she wrote.  Of course I couldn't start helping her until bedtime, so we worked on it until almost midnight.  Isn't that when the best editing is done?  I really enjoyed spending time with her working on the paper.  It reminded me of when Dad and I used to do that to my papers, and then I did the same with Jessie and Mark.  She had a very good rough draft, and I think she has a very solid paper now.

Today was full as all Sunday's are.  Because this is the Sunday before Christmas, we didn't hold Ward Council the morning.  That let us push Bishopric meeting off until 8:30, which was really nice.  Next year Bishopric meeting begins at 6:00 am.  The Christmas sacrament program went well.  Bro. Heiss wrote the parts.  He gave an introduction, then a young couple from the ward read parts for Mary and Joseph.  I concluded with a reading on the manger.  They were semi-dramatized readings describing how things could have gone.  There were 131 people in attendance, just a bit over our 99 person limit.  (Oops.)

Part of the large attendance came from a baby blessing for the Beagles. I stood in the circle, and quickly realized my arm was at an uncomfortable angle.  A few minutes into the blessing I realized the discomfort came because little Ivy was slipping.  How can eight grown men not hold a baby?  I moved my left arm off the shoulder of the man next to me, hoisted the baby back onto our hands where she belonged, and everything ended just perfectly.  Our wives never would have let us live it down if we dropped a baby during a blessing!

After church I had a couple of interviews with some members needing help.  I am grateful for the resources of the Church to help, and for inspiration that comes through the Holy Ghost to know what to do.  I felt thankful for some positive feedback from some of the Church's counseling resources that my recommendations and the counsel I gave "seemed wise."  That wisdom doesn't come from me.

More later…

Monday, December 21, 2020
9:59 pm

Nathaniel would not go to sleep last night. I finally took him downstairs at 1:00 am and walked with him until he settled down.  We lay down on the couch, and I was reminded that we need to replace them.

Today was nice.  Started the day at Discount Tire to rotate snow tires on the Odyssey.  Remembered that two of the tires are at end of life and need to be replaced.  Decided to do all four so they stay matched and (hopefully) wear out evenly next time.  Wilbur Smith, the son of Wayne and Nikki Smith from our old ward in Spanish Fork, works there and gave me his "friends and family" discount, saving nearly $100.  That was unexpected and such a kind thing.  I'm grateful for those small acts of goodness.

Did lots of laundry and pickup around the house today, but also enjoyed playing Settlers with the boys.  Spencer won one turn ahead of the turn when I would have won.  It was a fun game.

Not good news tonight is that Dad and Mom both tested positive for Covid.  I think they're not feeling horrible, but can tell they're sick.  Hope they are able to recover quickly.

Fun thing tonight was looking at the "Bethlehem star."  Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction tonight, the closest they have been for 400 years, coincidentally on the first night of winter.  Last time they were visible this close was 800 years ago.  We pulled out the binoculars and could see them together, including one of Jupiter's moons.  A neat thing to see.

Thankful: I'm thankful for the comfort and prosperity in which we live.  When we need to spend money for new tires, we can do it without having to figure out which "budget" the money will come from.  I checked the value of our homes and was astonished by the appreciation they have experienced.  The SF home is now worth approximately $40k more than we purchased our Springville house for.  The SF house is worth 250% of what we bought it for, and our Springville home has doubled in value in the last eight years.  Amazing.

Ministering: I am working to minister to Mike.

More later…

Feeling the baby during FHE.

Watching Peter and the Wolf.  The kids had never seen it and loved it.

Is it bedtime yet?

Dear family,

Time to go driving with Spencer.  I love you all!

Love,

Dad

Friday, December 18, 2020
9:38 pm

Today was so full.  I ran an errand for Julie in the morning and got to work about 9:30.  I tried to get lots done t work, then left at 1:00 pm to help with Neil's Christmas party at school.  We played "snowman Cootie" where the kids roll a die and draw a part of the snowman based on what number they roll.  Surprisingly, none of the kids had heard of Cootie before.  Their teacher had!  Then I taught them how to fold a napkin to look like a Christmas tree.  I was impressed by how good the kids were.  In spite of being excited for Christmas break and wanting to have fun with their friends, they were well behaved and never got out of control.  It was nice to be with them.

Poor Nathaniel woke up with a bloody nose this morning, then fell and bit his tongue a little later and made it bleed.  It was still bleeding off and on when I got home at the end of the day, but I think it's finally done.

I didn't leave work until 6:30 tonight, trying to get everything done so I can take next week off.

I didn't sleep too well last night, so I hope to get to sleep before it is too terribly late.  More later…

Christmas napkins

Neil and his friends with their snowman.  This was the least impressive snowman that was drawn.  You can tell there were no girls in their group.

Here's a photo of a better snowman...

It's snowing!

Dear family,

I need to deliver a 12-days of Christmas item before it gets any later, so I'll paste and run.

Much love to all,

Dad

Thursday, December 17, 2020
9:36 pm

How is it Thursday already?  How is it a week before Christmas Eve?  How??

Today was another productive day at work.  I tried to help my employees learn new things when they asked me questions.  Suzanne and I put words to a problem we have been trying to identify for a while.  Rather than addressing a specific issue – no insurance on a vehicle loan, a piece of returned mail, a missed loan payment – we need to address the needs of our members.  That will require a shift in how we think about our jobs.  When dealing with any of the single items listed previously, I want all of us – myself included – to take a step back from that specific issue and look at the overall relationship.  How can we use this interaction to positively impact our members' impression of us?  It will take work, but if we do it successfully, we will do a much better job serving our members.

Tonight Reid and I delivered gift cards to some members of the ward who are in need.  It was humbling to distribute the generosity of others in the ward.  It was also good to help orient Reid to who in the ward lives where.  And because it has been snowing since late afternoon, I took Jessie's car – the only one with snow tires.  I remembered how much I like those tires in the snow.

Thankful: I'm thankful I finished writing our Christmas letter today!  It probably won't get to everyone until the week between Christmas and New Years, but they will arrive eventually.

Ministering: As Reid and I delivered the gift cards I learned about some additional needs in the ward that I want to proactively address.  I am thankful for the experiences I have had that are now helping me in my service as Bishop.

More later…

No photos today, so here is one from the archives.  I don't remember what we were preparing to celebrate, but it looks tasty!  And these are some of my favorite people.

Miracles

Dear family,

Today was a good day.  I am on my way to read scriptures with Abbie and Spencer.

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, December 16, 2020
 9:41 pm

Thankful and Ministering: I need to start with this today, because I felt humbled and grateful for the kindness and generosity of others.  I witnessed a miracle today through another person listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

As we are nearing Christmas, several ward members have contacted me wanting to help provide Christmas for families in the ward who are in need.  Last night in Bishopric meeting we identified five families that we thought could use additional help.  This morning I reached out to the individuals who wanted to help, and they all were so gracious.  The five families we identified will receive generous help from anonymous friends in the ward.

Late this afternoon I received a call from Pres. Kent.  A non-member who lives in our ward boundaries is dealing with some mental health challenges.  His power was disconnected today and he had no food in the house.  A police officer helped him get some food from a local food pantry, and somehow he made the connection with Pres. Kent.  He and I agreed to meet at his house this afternoon to see how we can help.

On my way to that appointment, I stopped at the house of one of the anonymous Christmas helpers.  As she was giving me the gift cards for the five families, she told me, "There's one extra in there because there's another family in our ward who needs help.  I don't know who it is, but there's one more."  I had to blink back the tears as I told her that I was on my way to the home of someone that I did not know needed the help when we talked this morning, but God did, and he had used her to provide for this man.  She was touched, saying, "That never happens to me."  She had heard the Holy Ghost and acted.  Lives are blessed.  I love being involved in God's miracles.

In other news, work today was good.  Tonight we went to the art museum to listen to Abbie play with the orchestra as chamber music to add to the experience at the museum.  Spencer joined in a duet with Abbie.  It sounded really nice.  I enjoyed the time there, walking with Nathaniel.  Then Spencer and I went driving.

More later…

Abbie and Spencer playing

The family

My art appreciation buddy

Long entry w/ some scripture

Dear family,

I love you all.  This email is long enough that I'll just get to it.

Love,

Dad

Tuesday, December 15, 2020
10:51 pm

Yesterday was very good.  Got lots of "little rocks" done in the morning, then had Board meeting in the afternoon.  The meeting went very well.  I'm grateful for a good job and for a Board that trusts me.  Iin the evening we had FHE and did the Christmas store.  I played with Nathaniel and the kids that weren't in the "store" with Julie.  It felt nice. 

Today was a busy day that went incredibly fast.  I made good progress on several items at work, and that felt really good.  The morning was especially productive.  Enjoyed a leadership webinar this afternoon.  The speaker talked about the power of stories, and recommended that every leader should identify four true stories from their life they can share with others.  The stories should be in the following categories:

1.       Power – A story of significant achievement.

2.       Pain – A story of unmitigated pain.

3.       Promise – A story of absolute potential.

4.       Purpose – A story of unbridled hope.

This was part of a webinar series, and was one of the best sessions I have attended yet.  I'm glad I took the time.

I also talked with the FBI regarding a situation that happened a couple years ago.  We caught someone engaging in fraud and submitted a report.  It has taken two years for them to investigate, and they told me today that this was much larger than anyone anticipated, involving hundreds of accounts across the country.  Many people have been arrested and indicted in conjunction with the case, and a guilty verdict is not in doubt.  They thanked me for my report; I got the feeling the information I provided was particularly valuable in their investigation.  I just feel bad that these bright, talented law enforcement officers have to devote so much of their time to stopping bad guys.  Imagine what they could contribute if instead of having to focus on stopping bad, they could create good.  Some day…

Tonight I "finished" tithing settlement interviews, but will make phone calls to several people that didn't come in that I would like to talk to.  We also delivered Christmas gift boxes from the Kiwanis Club to ten families in the ward.  That was a good experience.  There is so much sadness in the world, but also a tremendous amount of kindness and goodness.

Thankful: I am thankful for the ideas that came to me during scripture study today.  I studies Moroni 10:3-5 and gained several insights.  I was happy for that.  I am also thankful that Mom came over tonight to help put kids in bed while I was doing Bishopric stuff.  That really made a difference.

Ministering: I loved being able to visit with lots of ward members today, both in person and online.  It was a good day.

More later…

Notes from today's study of Moroni 10:3-5

Thoughts on verse 3

Moroni's promise is some of the most important verses in the Book of Mormon. Thoughts on the meaning of the phrases in these verses:

Wisdom in God - The fact that we have this book is a blessing from God. Generations have lived without the knowledge and testimonies contained herein. For some reason, God saw fit in His wisdom to allow me to have these words. Don't take this for granted.

Remember how merciful the Lord hath been - The scriptures recount God's ongoing mercy for His children. Regardless of their disobedience, he continues to reach out to them with an invitation to repent. The Book of Mormon is another demonstration of God's mercy for His children.

From the creation of Adam - The Book of Mormon contains very few stories outside the Nephite civilization. This is a direct invitation from Moroni to ponder the teachings of the Bible.

Ponder - It is not enough to read, or even to read carefully. We need to ponder the things we read. The definition of ponder includes to "think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion." God doesn't just want us to think about the Book of Mormon; He wants us to reach a conclusion about the book. (More on this in verse 4.)

Thoughts on verse 4

When ye shall receive - I think the word "receive" here is used the same way as the command to "receive the Holy Ghost." It is something we actively take into our lives. It's not enough to have the Book of Mormon, or even to read it. We need to receive, or accept it.

Ask God...in the name of Christ - All prayers are to be in the name of Jesus Christ. That is especially important in the case of this book which is another testament of Jesus Christ. He would be anxious to testify of the truthfulness of this record.

If these things are NOT true - Don't ask, "Is this true?" Instead ask, "It's true, isn't it?" or "Isn't it true?" This phrasing includes an implicit assumption that it IS true.

Sincere heart and real intent - To receive an answer, we have to really want to know for the right reasons and intend to take action on the answer we receive.

Faith in Christ - We don't ask with faith in Joseph Smith or the current prophet or our parents or youth leaders or anyone else. We ask this question with faith in Jesus Christ.

Manifest the truth - He will make the truth plain or clear, but it may come in a way that is unexpected.

By the power of the Holy Ghost - This is how the manifesting will happen. It (likely) won't come by direct angelic visitation, and it won't come from a friend, neighbor, missionary, minister, or website.

Thoughts on verse 5

Know the truth of all things - Once we receive this answer and act upon it, we will be able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. As our constant companion, the Holy Ghost then can continue to teach us the truth of all things. While the Holy Ghost serves as the "light of Christ" to all people, having His constant companionship gives us the opportunity to accelerate our acquisition of truth. It is our responsibility to learn to recognize how the Holy Ghost communicates with us and cultivate that relationship.

The awesome t-shirt Jessie got from Grandpa and Grandma

A holy day

Dear family,

Sunday is a day of rest, but it is the busiest rest I can fathom.  I loved the time I got to spend with you for different parts of it.  I've got a couple more responsibilities before sleep tonight, so I'm signing off.  Love you all!

Love,

Dad

Sunday, December 13, 2020
9:18 pm

I love Sundays.  Today was completely full, but I felt like I used it well to worship God and to serve others. 

This evening Spencer did most of the work on mulligatawny soup for dinner, and he did a great job.  We tweaked the recipe just slightly to leave out the butter and flour to make it gluten and dairy free.  It was delicious.  Using smoked turkey stock as the soup base makes it even better.  It was fun to work with Spencer in the kitchen; he's well on his way to becoming a fully competent cook.

After dinner we watched about half of The Chosen Christmas Celebration.  It included lots of contemporary Christian artists singing songs of Christmas praise.  The songs are different than what we use in our Sunday worship, but they were uplifting and a fun change. 

Abbie and Spencer joined an online fireside with the missionaries in our area (the Spanish-speaking Elders in a threesome and the two Sister missionaries assigned to our stake).  They were talking about how missionary work is taking place online today via social media.  I only saw bits of it, but it seemed like they were engaging the kids.  Neil and Isaac joined them.  Meanwhile, I read a couple Christmas stories to Emma and Camilla.  It was a pleasant evening.

Final stop, Christmas devotional, scriptures and bedtime.  As usual that was a bit of an adventure, but we got everyone in bed.  Part of the distraction was Nathaniel discovering he could play peek-a-boo with Isaac's bedroom door.  He was infernally cute doing it.  In just a couple minutes Spencer and I are going to drop off the first of the 12 Days of Christmas gifts that we help Marie Fisher with each year.  Julie pointed out that this has been a good driving-lesson opportunity for many years.

Thankful: I am thankful for the love I feel for the members of our ward.  I recognize the direct revelation of the Holy Ghost making this possible. 

Ministering: Today I met with and ministered to many people in the ward.  I recognized at least one distinct prompting of the Holy Ghost and acted on it, leading to a tender and uplifting experience.

I didn't take any photos today, so here is another from Randy's birthday yesterday. He is happy to have lots of stamp pads now ... to stamp.

Let it snow

Dear family,

It was a nice day with you.  Thanks for being part of our family.  I love you all!

Dad

Saturday, December 12, 2020
9:21 pm

Happy birthday Randy!  I got several projects done today, and that felt really good.  Spencer and I started the day helping gather food for the Kiwanis Club food drive.  Abbie helped unload at the drop-off spot.  She said there was an astonishing amount contributed, and that the folks running it said this was among the most generous responses they had seen.  What a blessing to those in need.

We got a couple inches of snow last night, so the kids had fun playing in it while we shoveled the driveway and walks.  We enjoyed lunch with Dad, Mom, and Randy to celebrate his birthday.  It was pleasant.  Then we came home and cleaned things up in preparation for some of Spencer's friends to come spend the afternoon.  The house got cleaned and Spencer had fun with his friends.  That's a win.

Marie Fisher came over to visit with Julie for a while.  I got the kitchen mostly clean while they chatted.  We had dinner, dipped pretzels, and did our Christmas devotional.  Sadly, we learned tonight that Diane Miller passed away in the last day or two.  I don't have Dennis' cell phone number, so I can't reach out to him directly tonight.  I'll track him down tomorrow when it's not so late.

Thankful: I'm very thankful for my children.  They aren't perfect, but they are good and I love them.  It is a privilege to be their father.

Ministering: I reached out to Lupe Rodriguez, my former employee, to wish her a happy birthday today.  I also helped with the food drive this morning and had a nice visit with Mike Allman, the previous bishop in the SF 17^th Ward.

More later…

Isaac wrote a message in the snow for all to see.  Amen, Isaac!

Nathaniel wants to get better with a fork.  He's getting some practice on Spencer.

Randy singing himself a birthday rap!  (Actually, I don't think he did a rap, but it sure looks like it in the picture!)

Baked oatmeal is tasty

Dear family,

I'm a lucky man.  And if I'm lucky, I'll get eight hours of sleep tonight!

Love,

Dad

Friday, December 11, 2020
9:51 pm

Yesterday was Nathaniel's birthday.  Amazing that he is already one year old.  He needed a little help to open his presents and his older siblings were much more excited to play with his toys.  He got a set of magnetic animals that are interchangeable, so the tiger body can have crocodile legs and a giraffe head.  Very cute.  Grandpa and Grandma got him a cool bulldozer toy that spits a ball out the front, scooped up by the scoop and dumped back into the top to recycle the ball, all while you push it across the floor.  Snazzy.

Yesterday I attended a virtual retirement party for Marilyn Pearson.  I've been associated with her for about half her 36-year career in credit unions.  She has been such a great person to be associated with.  A special memory I have with her is from a trip to GAC in Washington DC.  Several of us took a trip to the temple in DC to do an endowment session.  Marilyn and I served as the witness couple.  That was the first (and possibly only) time she had that experience.  As a single woman in the Salt Lake temple district she had never had that opportunity before.  It was neat to be able to share that with her.

Today I spent a lot of time getting ready for Board meeting on Monday, including finishing the preliminary budget and working on salaries for next year.  I also dealt with a grumpy person who refused to provide some needed info for us to accommodate his request to cash a very large check.  I spent longer than I intended troubleshooting a piece of hardware that broke.

Tonight we visited with Mark, ate baked oatmeal for dinner, and sang a hymn and read a story for our Christmas devotional.

Thankful: I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that brings peace in spite of turmoil around us.  There are so many people who are so angry about so many things, but the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost bring peace.  I try to cultivate the ability to receive the Holy Ghost and be patient when there are things I don't understand.

Ministering: I discovered a birthday report on the Church's Tools app that lets me see easily whose birthday it is every day.  With just a couple taps I can send them a text message birthday greeting.  I've started doing that each day, and it feels good. I hope it makes a difference for others.  Today is Mike Coyle's birthday.  I also texted with the father of an inactive 29-year-old sister in the ward who had a stroke this week.  She's doing okay.  I hope this will be an opportunity to help her feel Jesus' love and the ward's support for her.

More later…

Opening presents yesterday.

Reading Go Dog Go with Nathaniel tonight

Donuts and good night

Dear family,

I hope you all had a great day today.  I'm ready to read scriptures and go to sleep!

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, December 9, 2020
9:14 pm

Yesterday was a busy day at work.  I finished the financial statements for November and sent them to the Board.  Also discussed some of the configuration for our video banking service that will launch next month.  No one signed up for tithing settlement yesterday, so we just had Bishopric in the evening.  It was productive and I am happy with what we accomplished. 

Today I worked a lot on a budget for 2021 and a rough financial outlook for the next five years.  Forecasting is always hard, and the additional uncertainty of COVID is making it especially difficult.  I tried several times to get reasonable results and finally got something livable just before leaving.  I need to review and rework those numbers again tomorrow.

I left work a little early today to help the Young Men pass out bags for a food drive this Saturday.  We had a good turnout of Deacons and a couple Teachers.  None of the Priests made it; both my active Priests were working.  They were rewarded with donuts, which they enthusiastically accepted.  Tonight Andy Hjorth and I made a few visits to less active families with youth.  One visit went quite well, one did not.  It was sad – Daniel Condie doesn't believe the doctrines of the Church, but studies the bible deeply.  Unfortunately, he studies so deeply that it seems to me that he can't accept simple doctrines.

Found out today about a ward member who (I think) comes from an active family but is not active herself who suffered a stroke yesterday.  She is only 29 years old with two small children.  Her dad gave me a call this afternoon to let me know and ask us to be ready to help when she comes home.  This will be a good opportunity to reach out and make a difference.

Thankful: I am thankful for warm cars when we need to go places in the cold!

Ministering: I tried to minister to several people today, letting them know that they are known and important.

More later…

I filled mom's van while running an errand this evening.  Using some saved fuel points at Smith's made the experience pretty inexpensive!

What I learned from an apostle and his friends

Dear family,

It's kind of fun being the luckiest dad on the planet.  When I talked to Mark today I mentioned that I had a couple missionary-related impressions from the leadership meetings this weekend.  Here are some extracts from the notes I took:

Elder Dance on the importance of centering everything we do on Jesus Christ:

Don't teach faith.  Teach faith in Jesus Christ.

Don't teach repentance.  Teach repentance through the atonement of Jesus Christ and relying on Him.

Don't teach the plan of salvation. Teach the Plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

People need to feel the redeeming power of Jesus Christ in their lives.  This takes conscious and consistent effort.

Elder Gong answering a question from a Bishop about how we can deal with the challenges others face, hearing their confessions, and not become soiled or overcome ourselves:

A key to dealing with unpleasant issues that we have to help others with is our own daily repentance. Not that we have chosen evil, but it comes upon us.  Rely on the power of our covenants and let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly.

Elder Dance on obedience and leadership:

The degree to which you follow your leaders influences the degree to which you will be followed.  (Lesson Elder Dance learned from Pres. Hinckley)  Never let my faithfulness toward our leaders be hard to discern.  We are all volunteers doing the best we can.  And it's enough!

Elder Gong quoted John 15:1, that Jesus is the true vine and the Father is the husbandman.  As he said those words I was overwhelmed with the feeling of God's great love. He loves me, my family, my ward, and everyone in the world, with a love that is so powerful and deep that we simply cannot comprehend it.  I wish I could put that feeling into better words.

Sister Jones taught us to make the Savior Jesus Christ the center of the lives of the rising generation.  It's about receiving personal revelation, not completing a list of requirements.

Pres. O'Riordan (Provo mission president): It is a blessing for our sons and daughters to serve missions.  There are miracles available as they make promises to others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Elder Gong: We don't have to minister by bucketfuls; we can minister by the spoonful.  

Elder Dance drawing an analogy to learning to ride a motorcycle: We go where we look.  If we are focusing on our fears, we will end up where we don't want to be.  If we focus on Jesus, we will end up with Him.

Elder Gong promised blessings to those of us who come with specific questions and concerns, specifically mentioning sons and daughters serving as missionaries.

And here is my journal entry for tonight:

Monday, December 7, 2020
8:55 pm

Today was a pretty normal day.  This year we are changing the way we account for employee benefits.  Today I spent lots more time than I anticipated getting that ready.  It needed to be finished today to be ready for our December payroll since that will accrue for the expenses in January.

Another thing I did was devote some time to creative thinking.  That was a commitment from my last coaching session.  I turned my phone and light off, closed the interior blinds and opened the exterior ones, and worked on the couch at the west end of my office.  It was a change of "scenery," hopefully helping me think differently.  I think I came away with a good start, but the ideas are still pretty rough.

I enjoyed a short-ish visit with Mark this afternoon.  He said he's actually enjoying basketball on p-day; I want to know what he did with my son. ;-D  It's nice to visit with him and hear how he is doing.  His experience is similar but so different from my mission.  His and Jessie's missions are hard, but in different ways than mine was.  I am grateful for the experiences they are both having.

Tonight the missionaries joined us for FHE and shared a thought for the lesson.  They introduced the concept of "spiritual CPR" and asked us to guess what the letters meant.  I was so proud of my kids; they came up with lots of great ideas for what gospel-related concepts could start with those letters:

C – Choice, commandments, covenants, church

P – Promises, priesthood, power, prayer

R – Repentance, return, revelation, restoration, read (scriptures)

Thankful: I am so grateful that the gospel is a part of our culture.  Heck, it IS our culture.  Each of the kids had good answers for the missionaries' questions and participated in a good discussion.  What a blessing.

Ministering: I did some Bishop stuff today to try to bless our ward.

More later… 

Look who found a sucker!

   

Hugs from Heaven

Dear family,

I hope you felt the Spirit of the Sabbath Day and rejoiced.  I love and pray for each of you.

Love,

Dad

Sunday, December 6, 2020
9:02 pm

Good day.  Fast journal to go driving with Spencer.  Meetings this morning were productive.  Ward Council ended four minutes early.  That never happens.  Decided not to do the hayride w/ the youth next week, even though all of us want to.  Guidance re: COVID from Church leaders requests that we only meet in groups for religious purposes; can't figure out how to make a hayride through the Festival of Lights "religious."  Grateful for the Ward Council that shared opinions freely, then all sustained the decision we made.  I think that's how councils are supposed to happen.

Chuns blessed their son Anthony this afternoon.  Was nice to be with them.  Did some tithing settlement, extended a few callings while my counselors did a bunch more.  So grateful for my counselors who sustain me and do so much work so I can focus on the things only I can do.

First Presidency Christmas Devotional tonight.  It was delightful.  Felt the Holy Ghost and inspired to be more Christlike, not just at Christmastime.  Watched a little of the Lauren Daigle special following.  I prefer Tab Choir, but it was nice.  Cheeseball was tasty.

Thankful and Ministering: See above.

More later…

How our family watches the Christmas devotional

Channeling my inner Mark

Dear family,

Good day.  Read on.  I love you all.

Dad

Saturday, December 5, 2020
9:35 pm

Today went so fast but was really nice.  I started at church for the Priesthood Leadership Meeting with Elder Gong, Sister Jones, Elder Schmutz, and Elder Dance.  It was very good.  I took quite a few notes on my responsibilities and some ideas that came to me.  I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to fulfill this calling the Lord's way; to focus where He wants me to focus; to do what He wants done.  It is so easy to treat this calling as a job, especially since I am the President at work.  I identify what I think needs to be done and do it the way I think is best.  That's not how the Lord's church works, especially not as a Bishop.

After leadership meeting I came home and helped with lunch, then tried to clean the house with the kids.  Today was one of those days when it would have been easier and faster to do it myself, but I'm more interested in having children who know how to work than I am about having a clean home.  We ended up getting a fair amount done.  The upstairs looks pretty good because we focused on getting everything off the floor so we could run the Roomba.  That poor machine is trying to figure out where it is.  I hope if we leave the base where it is it will get more efficient.

Nathaniel is getting better at walking, and it is so much fun to watch him identify what he wants and go for it.  I know it was this much fun to watch the other kids go through this stage too, and I'm looking forward to getting to do it once more.

Tonight we put up more Christmas decorations.  Camilla helped me put the garland and lights on the banister going upstairs.

I found out today that Brother and Sister Mortimer have COVID.  Lyle is getting better, but Sheila is still really sick.  I added their names to the temple prayer roll and will add them to my fast this weekend.  The Cluff's also were diagnosed with COVID.  The increasing case counts are starting to hit closer to home.

Thankful: I am thankful for the teaching I received today from Elder Gong and those who were with him.  It was a wonderful morning.  I am also thankful for the Christmas season.  I love the lights and decorations, the tradition of singing Christmas songs before bed, and reading about the Savior.

Ministering: I wished Calvin Crandall a happy birthday today, prayed for the Mortimers, and am trying to prepare to be an influence for good tomorrow.

More later…

Getting dressed after meetings today I wanted a short-sleeve shirt.  This is what I chose.  The kids all said they thought I was Mark.  Quite the compliment!

Long entry!

Dear family,

I love you all!  Read on...

Love,

Dad

Friday, December 4, 2020
9:20 pm

Ouch, no journal entry for three days.  Schedules change as responsibilities change.  On Tuesday evening I had tithing settlement and a counseling interview.  I also got to do the baptismal interview for Kiana Tabarez which was nice.  She has a good understanding of what baptism represents and why she wants to be baptized.  Her parents are divorced, and dad will perform the baptism.  They have a good relationship, and it was nice to visit with them.

Wednesday I had some meetings at work, including a Quantum Group conference call with colleagues from other credit unions.  Someone asked about Courtesy Pay programs, and I'm afraid I got on my soapbox and preached.  I feel very strongly about those programs and think we should not offer them.  They take advantage of those who can least afford to pay the fees, and I feel like the way they are promoted is not really ethical.  In hindsight I may have gotten a little too passionate, and I sent a follow up email the next day to the leadership at the Association asking if they got any negative feedback from my rant.  They hadn't, and I'm not sorry for what I said, but maybe next time I can say it a little better.

In the evening we had bishopric meeting until 10:15 pm, taking all my journal time.  I was really happy with our meeting and felt like we discussed things that mattered and made some good decisions.  I'm grateful for that.

Yesterday morning I joined a webinar to learn more about a reporting program we have at work.  It is amazingly powerful and I don't even scratch the surface of what it can do.  I'd like to get better at using it, and make time to find good questions I can ask that it can help me answer.  In the evening I tried to figure out how to configure the new Roomba robot vacuum I got as a thank you gift from the Association.  Our plan is to make it the upstairs vacuum – if the kids will keep their rooms picked up it can clean the entire upstairs every day.  That would be SO NICE.

Today was really productive at work. We are getting ready to implement video banking to enable us to video chat with people.  That will be really helpful during Covid, and once we get the Springville branch open we plan to use it between offices to facilitate language needs.  I am glad for everything I got done today.

Tonight we enjoyed a visit with Mark.  Actually, Julie is visiting with him with Jessie and Spencer; I'm on guard duty outside the bedrooms where the little kids aren't sleeping yet.  It has been fun watching Nathaniel get much better at walking this week.  He gets better so quickly!  He has a sound for "gross," which is what he says when he throws away his diapers.  He also participates in singing Popcorn Popping, which I have designated the diaper-changing song.

Thankful: I'm very grateful for so many things.  For feeling good after getting enough sleep.  For the ability to be and do better today than I did yesterday, and to make tomorrow even better.  I'm thankful for a good job and for cars that work well and for our prosperous circumstances.  I'm thankful for my great counselors and for their desire to do good.  And I'm thankful that the Lord helps me in my efforts to help others.

Ministering: I've visited with several people in my Bishopric responsibilities, trying to remember people who have needs and help them feel God's love.  One other thing I'm trying that I identified in my coaching call this week – when I get home I am parking my cell phone before dinner, and I leave it there for 90 minutes so I can focus on people, and not checking texts, headlines, email, etc.  I can still see via my phone if a call comes in or something is urgent, but it helps me be more focused at home.  I think that is a combination thankful/ministering item.

More later…

You can make up your own caption for this picture! :)