Don't Worry, Be Happy!!

Loved Ones,

Thank you so much for your love, letters, and emails! I am filled with love and happiness right now, and that is a priceless gift that I owe to each of you and to our Heavenly Father. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just love you all so much. I wish I could express it more fully and demonstrate it more regularly. I am thoroughly convinced that my family is the greatest family in the world. Hands down. No other submissions will be accepted for consideration :) I love you guys! Thank you so much for all that you do. I was delighted to learn that everyone had a good week. It sounds like it was full of adventure, excitement, and spiritual nourishment. Mia, congratulations on losing your first tooth! That is exciting! I actually have a pretty good relationship with the tooth fairy, so I'll be sure to put in the good word for you. Actually, I'm sure she's already stopped by, so I hope she delivered! Also, I'm glad that everyone survived the bee/June bug invasion. When figs are involved, you never know what might happen. I personally don't blame our winged friends one bit. Knowing their partiality to figs, I would be sure that you don't leave Fig Newtons anywhere that is accessible by bees or June bugs. If these bugs are anything like me, there would be an infestation beyond reason. When you love Fig Newtons, nothing gets between you and the Newtons. So be cautious :) But anyways, I had a great week as well. It seems like each week has a theme. The Lord teaches me something new that I need to know, and then that lesson seems to be emphasized over and over again. I'm grateful that the Lord works in this way. There is so much for us to learn, and if we took on everything at once, we would just have a system overload and break down entirely. The Lord teaches us line upon line so that we can progress gradually. Though growth may seem slow at times, as we patiently wait upon the Lord, we will be amazed as we look back and see how far we've come. Little seeds grow into tall trees.

I'm going to be honest, it was weird to work on Facebook last week. It will take some acclimation, but I know that this wonderful tool will be such a great benefit in the work of salvation. One thing that I thought was interesting was how it made me feel to plug back into the information barrage that we have come to take for granted. I want to say that technology is definitely a good thing, but we just need to be wise with how we use it. We can fill our minds nearly instantly with shocking amounts of information, so we need to remember that it is important to take time to be still and to focus in on the best things in life. I believe it was T.S. Elliot who said something to the effect of, "Where is the wisdom that is lost in knowledge? And where is the knowledge that is lost in information?" Life comes at you fast in the 21st century, so it's important to be cautious about how much we gobble up. Moderation in all things is a wise way of life. I'm working on that. 

So, I had a realization last week. I came to the conclusion that it is so important to have fun and enjoy life. That's not a very ground-breaking realization, I know, but it's what I needed to learn. Sometimes I get caught up in stresses and responsibilities and fail to remember that "men are that they might have joy." I feel that President Monson is a great example of mastering the balance between work and play. He is a powerful leader, and a spiritual giant, but he still maintains his fun-loving personality and his joy for life. That is something I've been working on. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by the expectations set before me, and I become a bit too cautious because I feel like I must constantly do everything perfectly. In discussing this topic, I want to be careful, because the balance between responsibility and enjoying life can easily slip too far in either direction. But, I feel that if we just try our hardest and also maintain a good attitude and a love of life, then we aren't going to get ourselves into trouble. Part of this life involves making mistakes and growing up, and I'm grateful that the Lord gives us a vision of perfection that we should work towards without demanding it immediately. I find great comfort in knowing that the Lord looks on the heart and that He is patient and forgiving. What I think is interesting is that doing our best and doing things the Lord's way gives us the fullest measure of peace and happiness. So, we don't have to choose one or the other. The commandments, "Be ye therefore perfect," and, "Be of good cheer," are not in opposition to each other. It is in the spirit of loving life that I would like to mention a few of the reasons I'm happy:

1. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous
2. School is back in session, leaving more computers open for me to use for emailing
3. I have some Ben & Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream in my freezer
4. I have the wonderful opportunity to serve as a missionary in the capital of the world
5. And last, but certainly not least, I have the greatest family in the whole, wide world. 

That's all for today, folks. I must be off. Thank you again for all that you are constantly doing for me. I love you all so much. Please have a most excellent week  and smile a lot - it makes you happy! 

Love,
Elder McDonald

Elder Cutshall, Elder McDonald's last companion

Mission goal: Accomplished!!!