A Hymn Testimony and an answer to Prayer

Week of May 19 - 25

Zone Conference Week.

I was called on to share my Hymn testimony at Zone Conference.  A Hymn testimony is a your testimony using only lines from the Hymn's.  It was actually harder to do than I thought it would be.  But here's mine.

There is Sunshine in my Soul today

for I am a Child of God

I know my father lives and loves me too.

My heart shall triumph in my Lord

I know that my redeemer Lives

I stand all amazed at the Love Jesus offers me

Once all things He meekly bore

I tremble to know that for me He was crucified

He has risen

Christ has won the victor

I'll worship Him with all my might

For Jesus is my Light

Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer

I need thee every hour

Constant He is and kind

for one brief moment heavens vies 

Appears before my gaze

My Savior to my aid will come

Until at the glorious throng I kneel at His feet

Praying daily in our homes

God hears my secret prayers

We'll feel His Love divine

Leading to our home in heaven

Where we want to stay

I believe in Christ

He is God's Son

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

An answer to a prayer...

May has been a month of struggles and wondering what I'm doing here.  I have felt alone and wanting to go home.  I cried every morning for a couple of weeks.  I was assigned the Spiritual Thought for next Monday's Staff Meeting.  I felt completely empty.  No thoughts at all about what I would share.  I prayed all week for something, anything, but no thoughts came. On Saturday we went to the Temple with a Sister from our Ward in Fairview Heights.  It was her first time and she invited us to come.  We asked Madelyn to join us.  After the Session, Madelyn went out to lunch with the two of us.  She shared some really sweet experiences that she was having as she prepared for her Institute lessons each week. All I could think about was, "Why aren't I having those kinds of experiences?"  As I was sitting in Relief Society on Sunday listening to the lesson, a very strong impression came to me, "Stop complaining and Repent"  Wow, I guess I had been complaining alot in my head.  Was complaining a sin?!  YES.  Was the very distinctive answer I got.  Still with no Spiritual though in mind, I got up Monday morning and read Sister Johnson's talk from the April 2025 General Conference.  It really hit me that I was acting like one of the 5 foolish virgins.  I was in the right place, maybe even doing the right things, but where was my testimony.  Was I growing it?  Was I letting my light shine?  Was I doing things for the right reason?  So many thoughts started going through my head.  These 5 virgins weren't wicked, they were foolish.  Was I using up all my oil foolishly and not adding any more to the lamp by complaining in my head all the time.  Since then I have started repenting everyday about the thought that go on in my head.  And amazingly, they aren't there very often and I feel so much happier.  Mission Life is great again and I am loving all the hard work we get to do.  What a sweet lesson I learned all because I needed a Spiritual Thought.  The Lord is in the very details of our lives.  I am so grateful for the Love that He shows me.