September 27, 2015
Re: Letter 43 of 3
Dear Riley:
Well, one of the more exciting things last week was the arrival of the first new bicycles. Cambry and Aleah got theirs, and Elise’s should be ready in a week or so, Parker’s in maybe 2 weeks. Up to this point, your mother didn’t see the need for a single rider bike for herself but was almost convinced after she tried out Aleah's. (I’ll continue to work on her, though tandem is still clearly her preference.) Such beautiful bicycles and I didn’t fully appreciate how far technology has come until I tried out Cambry’s. After all, these are just bicycles right? What room for improvement on bikes could there possibly be? Well, for starters the gears and shifting between gears is like silk. The brakes are extremely responsive, even the handle grips were more ergonomic than anything I had previously ridden. Materials of construction are stronger and lighter. Larger tires give a new concept of speed and responsiveness… Overall the handling is a pure delight.
Your mother and I have put nearly 140 miles on the tandem in the past month. Yesterday we rode out to H on the MC trail and put about 32 miles on the bike in two hours. I haven’t felt that my physique has changed much, though I can tell I’m more conditioned for rigorous fast riding. Someone today commented at church they thought I had lost some weight. I guess that makes sense because I haven’t been eating more, and I’m clearly burning more calories. Since I don’t have anything to lose, I guess I need to eat more if I’m going to be biking regularly. We’re still having fun accessorizing to our preference and expect that when the weather turns nasty, I’ll be tweaking the bike so it’s ready to go and more like we want it in the spring. Oh, I nearly forgot! I installed a back seat for Josie which she thoroughly enjoys. Try that on a tandem. It’s not so much the extra weight as the fact that subtle shifts in the mass require quick adjustments in your equilibrium to maintain balance. Josie hasn’t quite got the balance thing down and even though she sits pretty still, you can certainly feel the difference. Anyway, it’s been great fun for the whole family and the anticipation in the air has been reminiscent of Christmas.
This time of year also brings the work of the harvest. I am always filled with gratitude and wonder at the law of the harvest and the bounty it provides. While it wasn’t the best year for certain crops, it seems to have made up for the short fall with other crops and I anticipate, once again, not having room enough to receive it. Loads of grapes are ready on the vine, and the Golden Delicious apples are perhaps a week from their prime with the Red Delicious close behind. This was a good year for apples and the flavor is already intense. I’m sorry if this makes you a little hungry for a piece of home. I always think of Riley whenever I eat a great apple, especially one from our tree.
We had a little bit of a hard week with family dynamics. Parker has been especially difficult and brooding. I think at least part of what we’re dealing with is anxiety that the load he’s carrying may be too much, and then there’s this thing with depression and medication which he doesn’t want to take, and hasn’t been taking since midsummer. Couple this with other strong wills of siblings and overall it’s made home life a little unpleasant and volatile. Yesterday there was a softening and a different spirit in the home. This was punctuated by the entire family watching the Woman’s General Conference broadcast, followed by a story of two brothers 5,000 days in the making. I had seen bits and pieces over the years, but never the entire story from their young childhood, through High School, and on to missions. It was so touching, and the evening culminated in a wonderful spirit which permeated the home and carried through to this morning.
Today was the Primary program and it was wonderful. The Spirit was strong and the message sweet. There was lots of music and the children sang their hearts out. Your Mother did a wonderful job with the singing portion and I was moved to tears numerous times throughout the course of the program. Truly God uses children to teach, and this was evident today.
I also had a remarkable experience today with the power of the fast. There was a situation in the Ward in which emotions were high and deeply entrenched positions well established. By virtue of my position I found myself in the middle trying to resolve a contentious situation and prevent further offence. This has been escalating since the middle of summer, and I was finally able to coordinate numerous schedules so a number of people could sit down together and clear the air. I really didn’t know what was going to be spoken or how this situation could be resolved. I didn’t have a script or any time constraints, but had prepared by fasting specifically for guidance, and to be instrumental in repairing the breach and restoring paths to dwell in (Isaiah 58:5-12). It took nearly 80 minutes, but I was amazed at how the Spirit took over and worked to lower defenses, soften hearts, and replace anger, frustration, and resentment with love, forgiveness, and humility. I came away filled with gratitude and wonder at what had transpired. I couldn’t help but consider that these are the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to catch a glimpse first hand of what the world would be like, if even half of its population could be so moved to lay aside petty grievances and instead extend to one another in a spirit of love and understanding. The Spirit is the great balm for what ails the world and truly a wonder to behold in action.
Well, time is just flying by and it’s hard to believe yet another week has slipped by. The family is doing well, we’re being abundantly blessed, and enjoying the beautiful weather. The Church is true. We love hearing about our missionary and it’s readily evident you’re being blessed and utilized as a tool in God’s hands. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Dad
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