Week 16

Hermana Lutze,

I hope you've had a good week. We've had some highs and lows... Hannah officially received word that she passed the CNA exams and is enjoying her job at Ashford. Natalie's hair highlights and cut look really cute on her. She donated her hair and fifty dollars to the Locks of Love. Jakob is enjoying basketball. His team won in double OT on Friday night. The girls and I along with Marissa met the Weights up at the Ice Castles in Midway Friday night. We had a fun time crawling in tunnels, scooting sideways through slot canyons and sliding down the ice slide. Natalie and Hannah along with Ben and Caleb went with Cami to the Draper temple for the first time on Saturday to do baptisms. We then all went together-Weights, Millers, Lutzes, and Papa to the Provo City Temple Open House. It is beautiful and they've really kept it according to its original time period in the furnishings and design. (We'll have to go together when you return from your mission.) We ate at Zaxby's prior to the temple and then had some ice cream at the Creamery on Ninth afterwards. Sadly, they were out of Graham Canyon! While there we received word that Kyle has come home from his mission. Marissa is really struggling right now with that news. Kyle was actually going to stick it out longer but the mission president after speaking with the mental health nurse about Kyle decided that Kyle needed to come home. He was released with a medical release. Please pray for their family right now. They could all use your prayers during this hard time.

I've thought a great deal this week about the peace the Savior brings to each of us and the importance of keeping our lives centered on the Savior. In Matthew 14 when Peter sees the Lord walking on water and hears the Lord say, "Be of good cheer; it is I ; be not afraid." It is then that Peter decides he wants to walk to him and the Savior responds to him by saying "Come". The Lord knew what was about to happen but He still invited Him to come because Peter needed to learn. We don't learn unless we are 'failing forward' like you've talked about. Initially Peter did walk on water. It was not until he took his eyes off of Christ when he saw the boisterous winds that he became afraid and started to sink. Nor did Jesus fail him at this point. He stretched out his hand and grasped the drowning disciple with the gentle rebuke, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?" I know this is true... that we must stay focused on Christ by using the Atonement and strengthening our testimony of Him on a daily basis.

A few scriptures on peace...

Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (This is so true as we have our minds stayed on Christ because we trust Him then we feel the peace that surpasses all understanding.)

Isaiah 57:20-21 "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

Peace was on the lips and in the heart of the Savior no matter how fiercely the tempest was raging! (President Howard W. Hunter)

In this world of confusion and rushing, temporal progress, we need to return to the simplicity of Christ. (President Howard W. Hunter)

It is my firm belief that if as individual people, as families, communities, and nations, we could, like Peter, fix our eyes on Jesus, we too might walk triumphantly over 'the swelling waves of disbelief' and remain 'unterrified amid the rising winds of doubt.' But if we turn away our eyes from him in whom we must believe, as it is so easy to do and the world is so much tempted to do, if we look to the power and fury of those terrible and destructive elements around us rather than to him who can help save us, then we shall inevitably sink in a sea of conflict and sorrow and despair. At such times when we feel the floods are threatening to drown us and the deep is going to swallow up the tossed vessel of our faith, I pray we may always hear amid the storm and the darkness that sweet utterance of the Savior of the World: "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. " (President Howard W. Hunter)

We love you and pray for you always!

Love,

Mom