November 21, 2012 - Gratitude

Thanksgiving. A time for thanks and a time for giving. I bet that's real original huh? Anyway before I go off on my Thanksgiving spiel (is that how you spell spiel?) I need to announce the big news! I got transferred again! What? Huh? Really? No? You're kidding? Are you serious? YES I'm serious! I enjoyed my week and a half stay in the Bowie area and ward but I am onward and southward in Calvert area! I cover the whole of Calvert County on the eastern edge of my mission next to Chesapeake Bay. My new companions are Elders N from St. George and M from Sugar City, Idaho. Another threesome?! Yep you betcha my third one so far this mission haha. But Elder N  is actually going home next week (something to do with the departure rules of missionaries) so it'll be Elder M and me for most of the time. This area is gonna be siiiiick I can't wait to get working. On Saturday there's a wedding and on Sunday we're supposed to have 4 baptisms! So pray for the B family to make it all the way! I know they can do it!

Anyway in response to your question Mom about Carson I feel that school was easy in elementary so I understand what Carson feels like. I think that if given the option to move up a grade earlier in elementary (like in first, second, or third) I would've done it. So proud to hear about Dakota! And sounds like the whole family is doing well. I'm so thankful for the awesomest possumest family that I have.

 

In the Bowie area they were very nice to me and hopefully I get a chance to go back there. It was a very nice area and the members are super cool. My companion there Elder Meserole was from Washington, Iowa.

Well Mom I'm glad to have joined the family too! I didn't know that about myself. I guess the blessing did prove to be prophecy about a strong boy who would become a missionary.

 

Here's my thoughts on Thanksgiving. Well more on an attitude of gratefulness that should be prevalent the rest of the year but seems to come out more strongly amongst people in general during the holiday season. It all started when I realized that I will never be good enough. I do not qualify for anything that the Lord gives me. I can never come close enough to the Lord to be worthy of blessings. Everything that He gives me is because His grace is sufficient for all men, His mercy and love and tenderness are the only qualifications there are. It doesn't matter how hard I work in an area or how many doors and hours I tract the Lord can still choose to withhold blessings as a test. But I will still do it. I will still tract doors on end and hours on hours because that is what He wants. He has given me the gift of life, the gift of family, the gift of a mission, the gift of everything I've ever had and there is no way that I can repay Him. I can only be grateful and continue on in that which He has gifted me to do. It's not about you, and it's not about me, it's about Him. This is real life, to know God, the very Eternal Father, through the mercy and merits of the Redeemer and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ. This is real life, and it is the only life. There is no life without the Christ. He is the Life. And for that I am thankful.

LOVE you all my family and friends, to the edge Elder Schoemig