A special daughter of God

What a great week this has been! My companion & I have been giving lessons to a lady & she accepted when we ask her if she would be baptized? Wow it was awesome so last Saturday she was baptized & confirmed today in sacrament meeting. She has just been glowing all week. It was such a fun experience to be privileged to be a part of. I learned a lot from this experience & hope to get another one before I leave.

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Talk about a wonderful time I'm sure the Lord would have a smile on his face to have another special daughter come into the fold. She is a wonderful woman & I will always love her for letting us be a part of this special day of hers. Now someone said Christmas is coming this week, I don't know where the time is going but it is going to fast.  A poem this week by Mary O'Connor "New Rhythm"  Today my worries bore me down with tons of weight, I wore a frown until a bluebird found a limb outside my window! I turned to him, and in his happy morning song I found new courage to make me strong. For in each rhythm he had the key: The joy of giving his song to me. And so I pondered and suddenly knew I too must offer a gift that is true. And in my giving I forgot my cares in drawing nearer to THE MAN UPSTAIRS. My scripture Alma 7:6-16. Good night & have a great week with all your festivities. Love Sister Putnam

May the Lord be with you

All is well in this neck of the woods as far as the missionaries anyway. Another shooting or something went on at the park but all we hear is just people talking about it. We don't listen to the news or any tv so we really don't know what's happening unless someone tells us. I was walking early one morning a few days ago & heard a lamb I went to the brick wall but I couldn't pull myself up to see over it so I just stood & listened it made my heart so happy. I found 2 pennies as I was walking this morning & that made my heart happy so I guess you could say I'm the happiest girl in the whole USA. I've caught myself singing this song lately, I used to sing it everyday as I walked to work then my life went a little crazy & I forgot it but it's came back. It's another day already & I didn't get this sent but I woke up this morning to a sliver of a moon so I walked & oh what a beautiful morning. I thank the dear Lord everyday for the beautiful world we live in, the sky is always a painting of clouds, sunsets, sunrises, rain, thunder & lightening, sun, stars & oh my favorite of them all the moon. I'm so thankful I learned at a early age to look up & see. We have district meeting this morning & we're doing a training on members being the missionaries. Pres. Hinckley told us that back in 1998 that members can do much more than the missionaries in keeping these converts in the church. I guess we all have our jobs cut out for us. Goodness another day so I'll wrap this up with my thought for the week: sometimes, it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people & things that come to your mind when you hear it. I love songs & always have one in my heart or head, music has got me through some very rough times on my mission as well as all through my life. I thank the Lord for music & so thankful that I can hear it. MY scripture: Alma 26: 26-28. I love all you folks out there & may the Lord be with you & your family this holiday season. Sister Putnam

 looking out my bedroom window

 My living room & some beautiful flowers sent to me from some granddaughters.

 A very dear friend who feeds us every fast Sunday. She's an excellent cook.

Just got my computer to get pix off my phone so here's a few things going on in my life. Don't know why there's 2 fish but oh well. This lady bought my lunch for my anniversary. Life is good here in Mexquite Texas.

48 years

Forty eight years of married life today, wow where did all that time go & why did it go so fast? It doesn't matter where I'm at on my special day whether in Tx, Ut or the moon my thoughts are with Danny & all our memories we made together. I loved him when I was way young & I love him more today, I loved him when he was on earth & I love him more in heaven. Okay I just had to put down a few of my thoughts tonight. The moon is out here in Mesquite yes, that would be Tx not Nevada so I've had a great day I got to see the sunrise this morning & the moon tonight doesn't get any better than that. I had a most unusual day last Sunday, I spoke in a sacrament mtg & then went to the mission President's fireside Sunday night up in Plano. President Taylor had all the missionaries stand up then out of the clear blue sky he said, "Sister Putnam" I looked around thinking there must be another Putnam there, he said, "you come up here please & bear your testimony" it was a long way up to the pulpit & just as I got there he said lets all the missionaries sing first so I stood with Sister & Pres Taylor with all the rest still standing & we sang Redeemer of Israel then it was my turn. I now know what it means to open your mouth & the words will come. This fireside is for non members, in actives & for the missionaries to be able to go you have to take non members. The members are invited to come with in actives also. It was an awesome sight with so many, even the overflow about full & to think some of these people were in our church for the first time. As I looked at all the people I knew a lot of them because I've served in Plano for 18 of my 19 months. I have truly been blessed to have rubbed shoulders with all of the people I've served there. My thought for the week. "In matters of style, swim with the current, in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Scripture 1 Nephi 13:36-37, hope you're fast asleep with angel kisses on your pillows. Love Sister Putnam

Heavy heart

My heart is so heavy tonight & I'm just plain sad for the passing of another friend from Randolph. I just know how is dear wife & family feels tonight & it hurts me to know they're hurting. If you guys from Randolph & the surrounding communities don't slow down on the dying end there's not going to be many left by the time I get home. I've been reliving lots of memories that Danny & I had with Charlie back in his younger years. He's helped us brand cows, roundup  & haul cattle back home & just come to the ranch to visit us. We've been snowmobiling  with him quite a few times or would run into him on our journey. I took the garbage out to the dumpster for the night, we have to take it out every night or the cockroaches take over the apartment, but there was an airplane beacon & that always brings to me a lonely feeling I think that some plane must be lost or gone astray in the thick dark clouds, the same with the sound of a Jake brake as a little girl I would be laying in bed at nights & could here them as they came around the bend in Woodruff & one more sound when we lived in California as a little girl when we heard the fog horns blow I would always think of some lost ship trying to find its way home. Well enough of lonely sounds but that's what's in my mind tonight. Sorry the elders came over & I didn't get this finished last night so I'll just close with a thought for today. "My God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain; show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant. Praise Him for your roses, thank Him for your thorns. When the going gets tough, the tough seek the Lord. My scripture is 2 Nephi 22: 2-3. Sorry to ramble but I felt like rambling last night but todays a new day however another day of clouds, rain & cool but I will go & do. Love Sister Putnam

Not that it doesn't hurt !!!

I have a down day today because of my companion having mouth surgery yesterday it was a 31/2 hr ordeal so we've been icing lots but she never went to sleep until 5:30 am this morning, not cause she was in pain but just couldn't sleep. The sun is shining today & that seems good it's been pretty rainy the last week or two & more rain tomorrow. I've heard people saying Houston has had lots of damage but where I'm at it's been good. A jogger got murdered last week & then a couple of days later his wife committed suicide she couldn't live without him. It's made me think a lot about our beliefs & I'm so thankful for the foundation that I have. Not that it doesn't hurt & there is suffering that goes with loosing someone you love but we know it's not the end just a little bump in your road of life & you will see your loved ones again someday. There's been two more people attacked also this week so things are pretty active down here in Texas or at least where I'm planted. We don't watch tv so we just hear it from different people we visit with. I've met more people who have roots in Rich County & most everyone I've met knows or has been to Bear Lake, it really is a small world. Someone told me Thanksgiving is coming right up, I can't believe how fast time flies & my time is really slipping by. So many thoughts & emotions go through your head as I think about home,friends, family & quiet but then I think of all the wonderful people I love here in Texas & I'm torn. I have so much gratitude in my heart for all the Lord has taught me, it all hasn't been easy but he's been very patient with me. Lets everyone out there just stop for a few minutes & count your blessings & thank the dear Lord for the good & for the hard things in our lives cause that's where the growth comes from. My thought for the week. On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possible endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100% & that's good. My scripture is D & C chapter 4 all missionaries are supposed to memorize this section I love it, have a great week & we'll see ya when the roses bloom. Sister Putnam

Return with honor

I'm now living in the heart of freeways, one major one right by our apartment & 2 or 3 others right here also so send your prayers my way so I can soon get them all figured out because we're on them just about everyday for different people we visit. This work down here is totally different than Plano. We do a lot of teaching so more growing pains & stretch marks for me. I'm out of my comfort zone, oh ya forgot I've been out of it for 18 months. It's all good cause I'm doing things I've never done before & I really am learning, growing & trying to fill the measure of my creation. I know Heavenly Father knows more what I can do than I know myself so if I be patient we'll see what happens. Moving was terribly hard to leave my dear friends in Plano but we were able to go to a wedding in Plano on Friday with 2 of my favorite people who have let me be a part of their journey from baptism to their wedding they already have 2 children & a long story between them. I dearly love them. I guess they're no different than lots of my other friends & I haven't run into anyone I haven't loved. I think I told ya about the young girl that got killed they found the man this past week so that helps a little with the tension that everyone has been feeling. It's Zone Conference this Friday & interviews with the President so that's always a great day to be in the presence of everyone especially the young elders & sisters. Some of those that went home last transfer came up to me to tell me goodbye & then they said, "Sister Putnam, see ya when the roses bloom" that brings a smile to my face. I love these young people & have learned so much from them. My thought for the week: I know God has a plan. I pray for direction to follow it, patience to wait on it, & knowledge to know when it comes...Heavenly Father bless me too love others who sin differently than I do.  author unknown. My scripture is Moroni 10:7-18. My heart is filled with love tonight for all mankind & my prayers are that we may forgive one another & turn our hearts from hate to love & remember we're all working to return to our heavenly home with honor.  Love Sister Putnam