LOOK UP Talk

Notes and thoughts for talk "Don't Look Around, Look Up"

Read the mission acceptance letter

marty’s grandfather

He accepted his mission call

(love)

WITH THE POWER OF THE LORD TO BE WITH ME-

I HAVE NO FEAR

I was ASKED TO USE ELDER CHAA CONFERENCE ADDRESS

Don’t Look Around, Look Up

HE SHARED

When he was a youth

He was unhappy

Heard criticism between people at church

He thought

Maybe I shouldn’t go to church

He said, My father taught me great lesson

“Do not lose your faith because of the people around you, but build a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.

Don’t look around, look up!”

Elder Chaa said

THIS ADVISE   OF MY FATHER

“Strengthens my faith whenever I face challenges in life.

He taught me how to apply the teachings of Christ, as in these words: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”

Elder Chaa shared this advice with his missionaries in the Seatle Washington Stake

I’m not sure why the Bishopric chose this talk, for me 

BUT

Elder Chaa was my grandson Justin’s mission president--Seattle Mission.

So I was super happy!

Justin learned a lot from his mission president

Justin

because it rains a lot in Seattle, President chaas theme

Go out in the rain,

Look up to heaven

Open your mouth and drink it

"look up to heaven and drink the blessings!"

Elder Chaa said

When you look up you will be strengthened to open your mouth to everyone without fear.

1.  Open your mouth and share the message of Jesus Christ

Marty and I will be replacing Andre and Linda Robinson in the Mississippi mission. Linda said

because they wear a missionary name tag,

EVERY DAY someone asks them who they are,. Wow!

What a good opportunity to “open your mouth and share a message about Jesus Christ.”

Brenda Raddy

It’s not always as simple as that?

Another message

Family History work

32 generations

 I am amazed and feel great joy linking our ancestors and our descendants.

Hinkley Columbus Ohio temple

He could see generations that had gone before

And he was

With his children and grandchildren-3 generations with him in the temple

 I suddenly realized that I stood right in the middle of these seven generations—three before me and three after me.

“In that sacred and hallowed house there passed through my mind a sense of the tremendous obligation that was mine to pass on all that I had received as an inheritance from my forebears to the generations who have now come after me.”²

Elder Chaa

importance of doing our part to be a strong link = binding our families for eternity

Quote

“To all those who embark in any service of God, know that you are a solid connection for powerful blessings to those before you and to generations after you.”

Family history work is dear to my heart. I enjoy researching my family line and I even enjoy indexing.

Last week my daughter Leah and I had a wonderful time finding family names for her to do baptisms for in the San Antonio temple.

Several years ago our entire family was involved in doing the baptisms and endowments for a family of 14 in our family tree. Afterwards, our children and their spouses were able to kneel around the alter of the temple for this eternal sealing and it was one of the sweetest experiences of my life.

As marty and I have been preparing to serve a mission

Going through family records

I relocated my grandfathers mission letters

He and my grandmother severed a southerns states mission

Looking historical missions lds church

Located 7 other ancestor - great great grandparents and great great aunts and uncles served missions in the southern states where we will be serving

Along with 8 other ancestors who served in other areas

marty’s grand father Herbert and his grandmother whom he met on his mission

Their willingness to serve the Lord– strengthened the generations to come

“When you find the will of the Lord, you will elevate your thoughts to see yourself as the Lord sees you.

When you look up, you will have hope and you will find the faith to do what He wants you to do,”

We can “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”

Amen

WITH THE POWER OF THE LORD TO BE WITH ME-

I HAVE NO FEAR

Isaiah also taught of His strengthening us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:10).