July 25

Am teaching a lesson on dating tonight.  It wasn't going well.  As of last night I had no lesson.  Today Scott and I were talking about what I could do.  One of his suggestions led to an idea.  I went to our bishop and our stake president who work here in the Service Center.  I asked them about their concerns for the YSA in their care.  Minus the accent it could have been any bishop or stake president in the U.S.
Does this sound familiar?  YSA are hanging out instead of dating.  They want to have their education finished  and a good job before they start to seriously look.  They are waiting way too long to get married.  They lack faith in marriage.  One of the men said, "They need to be more spiritually minded."  I asked what their advice would be and I was surprised when both said that a young man and woman should go on two dates and then head for the temple (alone) to pray about marrying that person.  Two dates?  I thought about it and realized that Heavenly Father knew the heart of the one praying and the one prayed about and He could say what was right and it would be right.  Simple.  Why do we complicate things?  Why do we lack faith--either faith in Heavenly Father or faith in our ability to hear Him.  It reminds me of the scripture that says something about lean not unto thine own understanding. (close?)

We found the gecko again!  We put him/her out again! (3X) This time Scott tossed him across the fence into the neighbor's yard. We have a bet.  Scott thinks he/she will be back  in a week.  I say we will see him/her before this week is over.  Stay tuned.

One good thing about the gecko is that it is creating a wonderful conversation with Tori and Ammon--especially Ammon who thinks having a gecko in the house a wonderful thing.  Boys!

It has rained so hard the last three days that I can't write on my lined paper.  It is too soft and damp.  Really.  Even my Book of Mormon tore this morning when I was underlining a passage.  Got to stop using a pencil or a pen.  My bath towel was still damp this morning when I showered.  Hopefully it will stop raining enough to let everything dry out.