Caleb and Jacob:
Good morning Elders! I hope you've had a great week full of finding and teaching.
Summer is drawing to a close and Fall is upon us. The nights are getting cooler and the days shorter. I love Northern Utah for many reasons but primary among them is the fact that I'm able to get out there and enjoy living in the great outdoors.
I went on a couple of bike rides this past week and went for my first night ride of the year. Night riding is interesting because of all the nocturnal animals that are awake at night. The Common Poorwill sits on the trail and flies just before you get to him. The bugs are all over, rabbits are eating, there are all sorts of sounds of animals that exist and make sounds just beyond eyesight in the darkness.
Even though it's the same trail that I ride in the daytime, it's a different experience to ride it at night.
Think about your missionary efforts. You are essentially doing the same thing day in and day out? So then, are you really alive when you are engaged in finding? Do you seek for, and find, different experiences as you go about your day?
Earl Nightengale speaks of the self-actualizing adult as someone who can find beauty in whatever circumstance they are in. He talks of going golfing with a buddy and having this person pause and stare into the trees. When asked what he was doing, the friend replied to the effect that he was simply admiring the depth of the colors in the forest. Earl goes on to say that he would've golfed his entire life and never noticed the deep colors of the woods but now that his friend had noticed, he would never golf again without noticing the forest and thinking of his friend.
Put this in context of your life. Challenge yourself to always find new and interesting beauty in the world around you. Look for the beauty in others and appreciate them for their diversity. By so doing, you will find that they will appreciate you and respect the message you share.
Keep the faith and remember that I/we love and pray for you,
Dad
PS. Yesterday Paul Richins and I did a "dawn patrol" ride of Stump Hollow. I've ridden it many times and I love the trail. The trail starts across the street from the Beaver Mountain turnoff and heads up the ravine due South. It climbs until it comes out on top of the mountain range above Peter Sink. To get to the West side of the sink there is a series of forests and meadows the trail follows.
As we were riding to Peter Sink, Paul noticed a trail that peeled off to the left. We've never seen or taken the trail before and decided to take it... Revelation! Wow. We rode the trail and came out on the East side of the Sink and then dropped Burnt Hollow to the summit road in Logan Canyon. Burnt Hollow is my new favorite ride. I was reminded that no matter how often I've done something, I should keep my eyes open and observe the world around me. If I do, the world is a much better place.
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