Monday, May 16, 2016 – Work, Clean rain gutters, Spiritual Thought before “Rendezvous”

Monday’s are always busy for Sis. Johnson and I. We put in a full day’s work on the grounds of the Carthage Visitor’s Center. I was on the lawn mower all morning as well as weed eating and blowing sidewalks. I also hauled a load to the dump/burn pile.  

Sis. Johnson did her usual sidewalk cleaning which takes her a couple of hours each day but now she has the added duty of hand watering all of the flower beds and the 50 terracotta planters. In addition to all of that, this morning she had to replant a couple dozen bedding plants that got washed away in last Friday’s huge storm. Like I said, it was a busy Monday.

Well, Elder Bass and Elder Stevens had problems; the hoist/cherry picker they brought from the maintenance yard was very difficult to position close to the Jail. While they were maneuvering the truck and hoist they managed to destroy one of the bushes by the jail. They also took out one of the concrete benches with the truck’s bumper. They weren’t having a good day. They finally had to quit, having cleaned none of the gutters. They will have to come up with a plan “B” and try again another day.

This evening Sis. Johnson was assigned to give the spiritual thought and opening prayer before our “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” show. She gave a very good message. President Gordon B. Hinckley was famous for his quotes and Sis. Johnson loves them all. One quote that Sis. Johnson has kept in her car for the past 15 years says: “Things will work out. Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out!” When times are difficult and she needs a boost, she always sees the laminated card with Pres. Hinckley’s quote right there on the front panel of her car and it reassures her that everything will work out.

As Sis. Johnson gave the Spiritual thought to her fellow cast members, she told them she still has the original faded laminated card with the quote in her car to comforts her. She pointed out that life hasn’t been any easier for her now that she is on a mission.  Singing and dancing four nights a week in front of live audiences is way out of her comfort zone. But she is reassured, “Things will work out!”  It was a very good spiritual thought. She did a great job.