Over Hill...Over Dell...Off To Joey's We All Go...

While we were in Alaska we received a phone call from Joey.  He had just been interviewed and called to serve in the bishopric of his Ward.  He was wondering how much longer we'd be in Alaska and if we could come to Alabama the weekend we got back...all of which we were only too thrilled to do.  Our week home was crazy busy so we left after Rich got his Nucala injection Friday.  Our goal was to meet at the Birmingham temple for the 8 p.m. session, head down to Joey's, Rich to ordain him a high priest on Saturday morning and his stake presidency member to set him apart, watch the BYU football game, go to church this morning and head home.  Hey!  We managed to do all of that!  Rich wasn't feeling very well all Friday afternoon...coughing his head off...so he elected to just head to joey's and I stayed with Joey and Carlie for the session.  The 200 miles from Tennessee to Joey's is crazy humid and hot.  I think that was much of the difficulty, but he's still hacking tonight.  A call to Dr. DiMeo is in order tomorrow morning.

Joey and the member of the stake presidency gave Rich a blessing before they ordained and set Joey apart.  I was grateful and I think it was really helpful while we were there.  

Rich set Joey apart and blessed him with strength, courage, and compassion and love, with the desire and ability to be a shining light to others.  It was beautiful really and I was struck by how right it is that he has always chosen to be an example to others and is a righteous influence for others.

The Stake Presidency member blessed him with the power and desire to study doctrine, church government and procedures, and the people he serves so that he will know how to serve them.  He blessed him to seek the spirit and follow the many promptings he will receive and that as he does that he will have many more opportunities to be trusted by the Lord to do his work and minister to His children.  And he was blessed with strength and peace and the spirit and love and his family was blessed similarly because of his service.  

 After the blessing we all headed to a Chinese buffet for some lunch, watched the BYU game (they won against Portland St.), Joey headed to a special meeting in Birmingham with the rest of the bishopric for some training with two members of the seventy, Carlie and I looked at some genealogy and Rich and I ran a couple of errands.  Today we attended sacrament meeting an then headed home.  It was a really long trip.

I was struck by how grateful I am for the church and its restoration, and for the gospel and its covenants.  It is not to say that everything's always goes smoothly or that there aren't challenges...but knowing that the Lord is in charge really is everything.