December 4- Good Friends

Today was Fast Sunday. How grateful I was for this. I need all the help I can get. I bore my testimony in church about my challenge. Another family came to me and said they they were inspired by me and decided to have each member in their family give out a Book of Mormon. That reminded me of President Hinckley's challenge for everyone to read the Book of Mormon. Many took the challenge and I believe there was a lot of good accomplished that year. Maybe we should do that with giving out the Book of Mormon. It would be a great follow-up.

I had an idea who I wanted to give it to today and when my family suggested the same family I knew that was that. This couple were one of our first friends in NJ and they lived across the street from us in our old house. We've both since moved and are still just a few houses away. Eric and Jenna were attracted to them like bees are to honey. They love Brad and Stacey. So much so that if I couldn't find Eric in our house I knew he would be at their house. Stacey a couple of times would come downstairs to find Eric sitting on her couch. (He was 2 1/2 or 3) I'm grateful they laughed it off and didn't call the police for my negligence. I had to buy doorknob coverings to keep him from running off. And if the kids weren't in their house they were standing on their doorstep peeking in waiting to be noticed and invited in. They like them that much.

When Jason was deployed I was dealing with stress and a bit of anxiety with our Illinois home troubles. A friend gave me a blessing and in my blessing it mentioned the importance of exercise. I had been struggling with this because of tendinitis that kept me from running for 6 weeks and I hadn't gotten back into my routine. Brad is a certified Crossfit instructor and runs group workouts in his gym for free. Basically my own personal trainer. So I started and the intensity and difficulty of the workouts relieved the anxiety and stress and I was able to cope better. Jason and I now spend our early mornings with Brad working out and getting fit. And a because of that time together we have a better friendship.

I had a thank you card that read, "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot help keep it from themselves." Inside I listed the multiple ways in which Brad and Stacey have helped us out this past year. I really wanted them to know how much we appreciated them. Then I shared my testimony and wrapped it up with the Book of Mormon and some mint brownies. Before we took it over Jason and I already discussed that we weren't going to have them open it up in front of us. I wanted them to read the card first in private. But then Jenna yelled for Brad to open it and I had to stop him. Later I received a text from him with the message, "Thanks for the card and book. We really appreciate it! See you tomorrow"
YAY! They still want to be friends. :)