More Fall Color

Sister Johnson prepared a lap blanket that the sisters tied during Women’s Conference and gave to Br. Berry yesterday to thank him for his service. He seemed surprised. We don’t think presentations like that happen very often in a small branch like this one. It is hard for members to get beyond their problems that seem to occupy their every thought. In fact, as I think about it, those problems, self-induced or from outside their control, often keep them and us from being able to feel totally charitable to each other. That is really all that Satan has to do is to whisper, “keep focused on your important problems, (real or imagined) those other people can take care of themselves” or “the government will do it” or “they should be helping me” or any other lie he thinks we will respond to. If all of us would think more of others and less of ourselves the Spirit would be more evident in our lives and the Kingdom would be more quickly advanced. (Service may also be a key to activation for some of the less active members we visit. We will have to think about that some more.)

We don’t know what it was about last week but most of our appointments canceled, not the people, just the appointments. We are sure it was coincidental because the excuses varied so much. We had everything from a double ear ache to I haven’t shot a bear yet and can’t see you again until I do. Even our investigator couldn’t visit with us for very long as he had to get his cat to the vet to have the bandages from its “toe-ectomy” removed. At least the individuals on whom we are currently focused seem to be reading the B of M with some consistency. We count our encouragement to get them to read as a small but important piece of inspiration. In fact when we asked our investigator about his feelings about the B of M, he said it is “probably true”. He keeps “painting himself into a corner” and we need to get to him before the paint dries.

We did in our travels, however, get blown away by the changing colors of the countryside. Note to self, remember to come to the U.P. during October conference for a special treat. What follows is a sampling of the flora and fauna observed during our travels last week.

God's own canopy.

Into the woods

Turkey Poults. The other 4 wandered out of the picture.

Seen about four blocks from church on our way home last Sunday.

In the Father Baraga state park just off the Keweenaw Bay on lake Superior.

Standing on the Houghton side looking across the Portage Ship Canal to Hancock its sister city.
The canal connects the Keweenaw Bay and Lake Superior through Portage Lake.

Chipmunk Creek

In the Nicolet National Forest

Having more fun than mature people ought too,

Elder and Sister Johnson