I Want TO BE

Imagine my most dramatic voice when I tell you that...."I have just recently found the 3 components to a satisfied life."  They are, in no particular order, my NEW COOKBOOK, my NEW FABULOUS HAIR STYLIST,  and my ROKU player.  I would love to expound on 1 and 2 if given (or taken) the chance.  However, today it is all about the ROKU. 

A while ago I decided that I had had enough of paying a lot of money to watch 2 channels of TV and putting up with pornographic commercials.  The bad finally overcame the good and in disgust I called and cancelled my subscription.  In turn, we quickly subscribed to Netflix and purchased a ROKU to play it instantly on our TV.   The Netflix has been good but the real prize from this entire transaction was the $60 ROKU player.  Not only does it play Netflix, but a host of other FREE channels.  Such as Pandora (where I listen free to my favorite commercial free music all day), or KBYU (Yep!, the same KBYU that you are paying for) and the Mormon Channel.  I LOVE THE MORMON CHANNEL.  We can now watch the church videos on Sunday, the MORMON MESSAGES for Family Home Evening, and I can listen to random things as I iron (as was the case yesterday) all at my fingertips, on my tv, for free.

So back to yesterday.  I was ironing and listening to a "Conversation" between Sherri L. Dew and Elder Jeffrey R. and Pat Holland. FABULOUS!  Jeffrey R. Holland is an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Speaking of this, he said, "It is a bold thing to declare that there are apostles on the earth again, but we have a bold message to declare." (surely you know by now that when I quote things, I quote how I remember them in my mind, this memory is pretty accurate :)  I would like to add my testimony to this as well.  As surely as I know that the sun will rise, I also know that these men are apostles and prophets of the Lord!   I treasure every word that I hear them speak!

I have always had a really soft place in my heart for Elder Holland.  It may be that he is an INCREDIBLE teacher.  It may be that he talks as LOUDLY as I do when I get excited about a gospel topic.  It may be that I feel like he loves me like a grandfather, although I have never met him.  However, I think the credit goes to a simple story that I heard YEARS ago. 

The story:  Brad Wilcox was serving as a mission president in Chile when Elder Holland was assigned to go there.  At the time, Brother Wilcox had a young daughter named Whitney.  As she was working on her school work one day she found a math problem that said the following, "Yesterday it took Jeff Holland 1 hour to get to work.  This morning Jeff drove to the train station in 20 minutes, waited for the train for 7 minutes, rode the train for 12 minutes, and then walked for 15 minutes to get to work.  How long did it take Jeff to get to work this morning."  Finding it humorous that it had Elder Holland's name in it, she sent it to Elder Holland with a note asking him to "please help me with homework."
Elder Holland quickly wrote back the following response, "Dear Whitney, I was pleased you discovered my day job.  I regularly submit problems for text books and sometimes I just don't know whose name to use I think I will use yours next....(If Whitney Wilcox has 5 boyfriends in Provo and gains 1 a day for 14 days in Chile, how many of them will be baptized, go on missions, and want to marry her?)  Thanks for being here.  I am immensely proud of you! --Jeff Holland (Read it yourself, it is about 6 minutes into the talk).

During the "Conversation" that I was previously talking about, Sherri Dew asked Sister Holland to tell us about Elder Holland.  One of the things that she said was, "He has a Gift to make every person he meets feel important."  I think I already knew this about him.  It is a quality that I have always wanted.  In fact, I am adding it to my "TO BE" list, I just don't know how to phrase it.  It is easy to say I want TO BE KIND, but this is a little different.  I want TO BE the kind of person that makes you feel that you are always worth their time, effort, and love.  I want to be like Elder Holland.