We finished the book "Our Search for Happiness" today on our way back from Church. It is amazing how much time can be utilized while traveling to and from meetings, etc. (I truly recommend this book if one has questions about why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places so much emphasis on missionary work.) We have received our October Conference CDs' so will start listening to them now as we travel. I so appreciate the counsel we receive from our Leaders and look forward to hearing their words again and again.

There were 6 missionary couples that got together Thanksgiving Day at the Mission Home where we ate good food and enjoyed each others company. It helped us all not miss our families quite as much. On Saturday, our children and their families (except Nathan's family)were all together for a Thanksgiving dinner; That day worked out best for them to make this happen. We were able to see and talk with them on skype, which is truly remarkable technology. I was able to contribute to their dinner clear from Texas in an interesting way. Jason's family had been asked to contribute the Avery tradition of a unique cream style corn. He called me and wanted to know where he could purchase the corn for this dish. When I explained that it was corn that had been cooked on the cob, cut off the cob, put in a dehydrator, before eventually reconstituting and making into the completed dish, he groaned because he had promised everyone he would have it. Well, I happened to have two bags of corn that I had done the previous summer, so I sent him one of them and needless-to-say, he was relieved and grateful. Mothers have a way of coming through don't they!

I enjoy reading the Mormon Times paper that comes with the Church News, which I also enjoy reading. Several articles I expecially enjoyed: " Our whole sense of the world changes when we see through spiritual eyes and not our natural eyes" Elizabeth Barrett Browning said it well, "Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. And only he who sees takes off his shoes." We must understand how to become spiritual beings because as President McKay said, "Spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self." Another article spoke of Joseph and Hyrum Smith as Gentle Men with the ultimate Gentle Men being the diving Father and Son. With all the pressures and harshness of an ungentle world, we are admonished to be gentle men and gentle women. Just as we have been given a legacy of grace and truth from these Gentle Men, we too can become a legacy of grace and truth. Another article was on "Spiritual" self-improvment, which is quite a bit different from the self-improvment of learning to play the piano or balance a checkbook. The focus of spiritual self-improvement is on serving others rather than focusing on ourselves. Just as flowing water is cleaner and brighter than standing water, when the spirit moves through us into the lives of others, it cleanses and brightens us as it passes through. We must be careful to not become as the Pharisees---obsessed with our own worthiness and spiritual well-being. When you bless the lives of others, you will get unseen results.

I so enjoyed the speakers in church today as we attended the McAllen 1st Ward. Their topic was on conversion and they used the scripture accounts of Alma and Amulek and their experience with Zeezrom and also the prophet Abinidi and the one priest, named Alma, who listened to his words. This couldn't help but make a difference with Abinidi when he was sentenced to death by wicked King Noah. He knew his words were not wasted and that the work of the Lord would carry on. For the 5th Sunday message, we watched Elder Bednar when he gave a talk at BYU Idaho on the Sacredness of the Body and how all this CyberSpace stuff is Satan's tool to turn our focus from what is real about us and our bodies and who we really are, to something that is so unreal and disconnected from truth. It is really a serious problem and I so appreciate his wisdom and warning, which I will have no problem heeding. It is always uplifting to meet with the saints as we learn and grow together, and to renew covenants each week. I am so grateful for the Sabbath Day and the command to keep it Holy.

With love,
Los Averys