Two of our kids are coming home from their missions this year. I’ve been thinking about the importance of their growth and happiness that they’ve experienced on their missions. As I reflected on how much they both learned from companions, investigators, using their strength each day to walk and talk and meet people I realized that when they come home, the struggle will be in maintaining the spiritual further, even though their lives are not 24 hour proselyting are teaching.

Then my thoughts led to how many times we as humans want to get healthy and lose weight. We start working out. Many times we are able to set goals to lose weight and get fit and we accomplish that goal. We feel really good. Then when we get to that golden desired place, we need to go into maintenance phase. Meaning, we will need to set goals and boundaries that make it so we don’t return to our old habits. Finding a healthy way to stay in maintenance. That to me is the hardest part. It’s really not that difficult to decide to lose the weight and do the things you have to do to get there. It’s maintaining what you’ve accomplished. Your growth really came in the experience of getting to that goal. Learning and growing in the gospel can be the same. We gain knowledge, we serve in callings, we have spiritual experiences, we get answers from God, we see miracles happen in our loved ones lives, but for some reason we forget and don’t focus on the maintenance. We go in to our old habits and behaviors and forget to focus on God and his bountiful blessings. Join me today as I share some thoughts on MAINTENCE!

"An introspective look may reveal that we too and our families could benefit from our doing some needed maintenance and renovation work, even a seismic upgrade!" Gary E Stevenson, 2020

Definition of maintenance with machinery:

The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure

1.Functional CHECKS

2. SERVICING (Getting oil changes and proper servicing for our vehicles)

3. REPAIR (repair our headlight in the Avalon)

4. REPLACE of necessary DEVICES

5. EQUIPMENT

6. MACHINERY (the working parts of a machine or instrument ; 3 · the organization or system by which something is done or carried on)

7. BUILDING infrastructure : (the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.)

We look around us and can see suffering.and heartache. That leads me to ask myself questions of why, when, how and what. Why do some things happen to certain people? When we they get answers and peace? How long will they have to endure? What am I to do with this experience and trial? Human nature can have us asking these questions. In ttoday's episode, I share some personal personal struggles I am witnessing or have witnessed and how I am exercising my faith in moving forward.

Elder Renlund, April 2021 "When faced with unfairness, we can push ourselves away from God or we can be drawn toward Him for help and support.” “Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better. Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ."

After taking a break from podcasting, I’m ready to jump back in! Today I share with you a little of my WHY about returning to podcasting and how good it feels to be back!!

• "Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it." — Andy Rooney