I know not what the future holds

Well it's been quite a week to say the least, we've finished the B O M in 40 days as a mission reading the last 3 or 4 verses together in a meeting with Elder Russell M. Nelson who came and spoke to all the missionaries in our mission. We also recited the Living Christ to him & he was ask the question how it came about, "he told us it was started with Pres. Hunter" so that was quite a while before they gave it to us. We had our picture taken in 3 groups with Pres. Nelson & Elder Lynn G. Robbins who also shook each of our hands, looked us in the eye & smiled. I didn't realize Pres. Nelson is in his 90s.  Now to tell you how he came to be here. He told us they received there assignments 6 months in advance & Texas was not on his scheduled visits but he happened to have a granddaughter prayer that her grandpa could come to Texas & speak to us before she leaves off her mission here. He said, "she prayed me here."  It was a once in a life time for me, I'm sure,  but it sure was a great experience. The spirit was strong & being in the presence of all the young Sisters & Elders is always a good thing. I ran into an elder from Montpelier, Idaho who I just happened to know his name from my past life in the ranching business. It was his grandpa I knew so it was like seeing a little piece of home & he knew a lot of people I know. It truly is a small world we live in.  It is raining cats & dogs here tonight & for some reason I always feel lonely when it rains but not as bad as when the wind blows. That brings back lots of memories (good & bad). We attended a funeral today of a man who was coming back to the church after being gone for a number of years.  He told the Bishop he needed to get straight with the Lord & wanted to go to the temple & be sealed to his wife who had passed away a couple of years ago.  He attended our family home evening group so I got to know him some. He was a very educated man with attending all kinds of universities & getting lots of degrees however you would never have guessed it. Today I realized how my book of  life has lots of different pages & chapters with everyone of them being totally different. Some of the characters are in most of the chapters but not all. I was thinking I sure hope I've got my life straight with the Lord & ready to meet him who knows when. I'm thinking of home tonight so I'll end with my thoughts for this week, "I know God has a plan. I pray for direction to follow it, patience to wait on it, and knowledge to know when it comes... I know not what the future holds but I know who holds my future--authors unknown.  My scripture Ether 12: 27. Love ya all  Sister Putnam

Seek Beauty

It's been a bit since I've updated & I've been very sad with the news of the passing of my cousin ReNae Call, so hard for me to wrap my mind around it. I thought of her all day on her birthday but I just didn't get her called that day. I've thought a lot about receiving a package from her when we were at the Huntsman & living in Salt Lake, it had coloring books, crayons, word puzzles, candy, licorice & it was all came in very handy & some tough days. Well for the happier side of my life the last couple of weeks. We went to a member's house last night, beautiful place, a boy opened the door & we went in when the mom came to us & had the strangest look on her face, I said "I think we might be in the wrong house" she said yes but invited us in for a glass of wine. It gave us a good laugh when we got outside again. It's warmed up a bit so we've been able to sit out in the car when we get home at nights & watch the airplanes fly overhead. We look at planes down here & stars at home, I sure do miss them. We had to go to the airport twice in the last couple of weeks & needless to say it's quite a nightmare out there. I looked up & there's a big jet driving right over top of us on a bridge I've never seen anything like it. It was an amazing sight & my companion had just put her camera away so no picture. Today we were able to go with some other sisters who brought a non member to the temple, it was so fun to visit with her, she's been coming to church for about a year but her family are all Catholics & Church of Christ so she's a little nervous over them but hopefully it won't be long till the spirit helps her take the step. My dear friend, Betty Ford, has just had another surgery to remove some more cancer from her liver so we've helped with her dog. We had to load her & her cart in my car & take her to a hotel for 3 days.  Now Phyllis is her name & she can't walk so it's a little more than a circus & especially in a dress but we made it & picked her up yesterday for the return trip except we got some elders to help us lift her. She had a hair cut while there so she was 10 or 15 lbs lighter. It was just all in a days work! It's been a beautiful day today starting with a little frost on the windshield this morning but I went for a walk tonight for the first time in a couple of months. Life is good & time is flying by fast I've been out 9 mts already. We're wrapping up the 40 days to read the Book Of Mormon. The last chapter we will read together with all the missionaries at a church the Elder Russell M. Nelson is coming to speak to us for a couple of hours. We've been looking forward to this for a few weeks. Hope all is well in your world. My thought for this week. When you seek beauty in all people and all things, you will not only find it, you will become it. My scripture 3 Nephi 12: 3-16, I love you all & miss you lots. Sister Putnam

It's in the valley I grow

January 10th was my dear Grandma Eastman's birthday & my mom & Dad was in a terrible wreck, I always remember these two events each year. I loved my grandma very much & spent a lot of time with her as a little girl. I was 13 when the wreck happened & they came to school & got me out of Mrs. Frazier's class. Isn't it funny how some things just stay in your mind for a long time & then as Putter would put it, you can remember what I did wrong 25 years ago but you can't remember to put a spoon in my lunch bucket. It always brought a smile to my face & even sometimes a good laugh. We're still reading & studying the Book Of Mormon to get it done in the 40 days we are just about half way. I'm learning a lot of those hard names I would just skip over in the old days. Still cold here in Texas, still wearing long johns & thanks to Danalee I have a new fuzzy pair that I'm pretty proud of. I'm keeping them pretty close to me. We attended a baptism this morning & I love them. He was 11 yrs old. A little boy about 9 yrs old talked on baptism & he gave one of the best talks I've ever heard. I felt like he should be on a mission, he will be an outstanding one someday. One dear sister that we visit often fell and broke her neck, she has been operated on & now recovering still in hospital. Another gentleman that goes to our over 60 home evening group, the missionaries, found him dead by the side of his bed. It's been a strange week. Had a great dinner last night with a couple of elders at a non member home. I met this woman when I very first got here & we connected, I love her, she is from Hong Kong & a very good cook. Hope all is well out there in your neck of the woods & please know I think of lots of you often & it usually always brings a smile to my face. I was able to talk to my dear neighbors on New Years Day, they are fighting cancer also & my thoughts & prayers are always with them. Got a card from some people who went through stem cell with us & they said they're doing great right now. I always love hearing from them, they're not members of our church but she taught me so much during our stay in Salt Lake, I'm so happy that they're still trucking onward. She stays in touch often & I appreciate that. My companion saw ice for the first time in her life, she was so excited we took her picture so she could send it to her children. She is the one from Australia, where she lives it never gets below 70 & she's never seen leaves fall from trees so she had to walk through them & loved hearing the crunch beneath her feet. I received a lot of thoughts this week but the one I chose was from a lady with M S, she is in a rest home & has been for years. We visit her every week & we ran into her at the temple last Wednesday. I was able to do 30 baptisms that day so she was my highlight of the day.  IT'S IN THE VALLEY I GROW: Sometimes life seems hard to bear, Full of sorrow, trouble & woe. It's then I have to remember, that it's in the valley I grow. If I always stayed on the mountain top and never experienced pain, I would never appreciate God's love and would be living in vain. I have so much to learn and my growth is very slow, sometimes I need the mountaintops, but it's in the valley I grow. I do not always understand why things happen as they do but I am very sure of one thing, my Lord will see me through. My little valleys are nothing. When I picture Christ on the cross, he went through the valley of death; his victory was satan's loss. Forgive me Lord, for complaining when I'm feeling so very low. Just give me a gentle reminder that it's in the valley I grow. Thank you for valleys, lord for this one thing I know the mountaintops are glorious but it's in the valley I grow!!! Author  unknown. My scripture is Alma 12: 21-24.

Happy New Year 2015

I've been wondering what 2015 holds in store for us, guess it's maybe better we don't know. One thing for sure there will be changes, some good, some not so good but all a learning experience. I just looked at the temperature 35 & humidity is 94%. I don't know but it's either cold or I'm getting wimpy, however it's not 24 below so I'm not complaining. It's been raining here all night & all day & still coming down. They're in a drought so this will certainly help them. You could only water your lawns 2 times a month last summer so hopefully we can water a little more next summer. We've been in all day studying the Book Of Mormon we are on a 40 day program from the Mission President so we've been reading & also writing down all the precepts we find. It's helped me to understand a little better how great a book it really is. It will change lives if you will let it, just read, pray & see what happens.  I was in bed early like 7:30 last night I needed some rest bad, I woke up & the new year came in without me, oh well just as good. Things really do change, if anyone would have told me a few years ago I'd be in bed at 7:30 a little lone in Texas on New Years Eve, I'd never have believed it. Thanks again to all family & friends for everything you've done for me in 2014. My thought for tonight...And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!" And he replied: "Go out into the darkness & put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light & safer than a known way." author unknown.  May we all work a little harder each day to find the light of Christ & to accomplish our New Years goals. My scripture:  2 Nephi 31: 18-21. I wish each one of you a very happy & prosperous new year & pray for the Lord's most choice blessings to fall upon you & your loved ones. I love you all & think of you so often.  Sister Putnam