I LOVE Church

This last week at church was great. I have been going through a really strong desire to study and read my scriptures and lessons for Sunday. It has been wonderful. I have made it a goal to keep up on Sam's Sunbeam lessons so that I can talk with him about what he is learning and reinforce it. I have also been reading a nursery lesson each week and planning it as my Family Night lesson. Seth has always really been good about getting our lessons read for Elder's Quorum and Relief Society, but I haven't ever done my reading and studying for Sunday School...that is until now.
This year we are studying the Old Testament and believe it or not I am VERY excited about it. I feel like the Old Testament is so foreign to me because it's not scripture that I can jsut sit down and read. I have to really study it and link it with other standard works and modern revalation.
Our ward just called a new teacher and he is amazing. He's the type of teacher that you always wish for because you can tell he prepares, knows his stuff, relys on the Spirit and sticks to the scriptures.
Well, I sat by my new good friend Melissa, who was just baptized this last year and I learned a lot from her. She too had her scriptures out, her lesson guide, and pen. Wow! I thought. Here she is just a "new" member and she knows better than I do how to prepare. I was so grateful I had prepared and that she was able to teach me a great lesson that day. How quickly we forget what's really important and how we should be using our time!
So class was the best I've been to in years. Even though the teacher didn't read all that was assigned, he talked about what we should be getting out of the lesson. It was so nice to know what he was talking about and to be able to contribute because I was prepared. And because I was prepared I was able to gain spiritual knowledge and confidence. That was the best part.
After class I had a few comments about what perspective I had. While this was a compliment, it was a little odd too because I knew that it was just me expressing what I had learned from preparing for the lesson. I know I have gained a lot of knowledge this last week and I want it to continue, so I have to continue to prepare. After all, if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.

Another fun thing happen on Sunday. I don't know why this always happens, but it seems like all ward choristers go through a phase of wanting to sing Hymns that are not well know. Well, that's what happened. Out closing Hymn was a doosy! I am usually really good about singing even if it's not familiar to me, but I gave up after the first verse. Then Seth and I looked up at the Bishopric and all 3 of them and the High Council rep were all up there repressing giggles and trying to sing. It was so funny. We got their attention and didn't help the fact. It was a fun moment of sillynees together!