Good afternoon family
and friends :)
I wanted to share with
you a wonderful miracle that happened this week.
April, who is getting
baptized this Sunday, November 23, was down to two swallows of coffee on
Thursday when we went to visit her with a member. (Part of entering the
covenant of baptism is living the health commandment given by the Lord called
'The Word of Wisdom'-which includes not drinking coffee) The member is a
convert to the church. She was a huge coffee drinker before she was baptized,
so much that her body had a constant tremor. When she was baptized, she
quit-cold turkey. She gave her a few ideas on what helped her stop and even
gave us something that she uses as a substitute, called Herbal tea dandelion to
give to April. Well, it was Thursday night, we didn't know how we could help
April any further besides calling upon the powers of heaven to fast on Friday
that she would be given the strength to stop drinking coffee to be baptized and
that she would be able to come to church because something that's non-excusable
always prevents her from coming. We fasted. It was her birthday the next day
and we wanted to give her something. We made cookies, had her favorite herbal tea,
made a card, and gave her the coffee substitutes from the member. We quickly
dropped the gift off to her unplanned as we had other obligations to get to,
and sang her birthday songs from the primary songbook.
She absolutely LOVED the
coffee substitution and said she never wants to drink coffee ever again. She
will be showered with blessings that are given to all who live the Word of
Wisdom because she has chosen to give up drinking coffee in order to follow the
Savior and be baptized in His name. All those who live the Word of Wisdom:
"shall receive
health in their navel and marrow to their bones."
"shall find wisdom
and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures."
"shall run and not
be weary, and shall walk and not faint."
April and her two kids
came to church yesterday. Her son Brice was going to be baptized with her but
he wasn't committed as the weeks went on so he no longer had a baptism date.
The youth just scooped Brice up and I could tell that he felt the Spirit at
church. Later on in the evening way after church ended, April texts us
"Brice asked me why he wasn't getting baptized and if he is when would his
be?"
Sister Dixon and I were
of course thrilled to hear that he wants to be baptized! We told her the things
he would need to do in order to be ready to enter in this covenant. She texted
back "He said he would do what is required of him. He said his conscience
is telling him it's the right thing to do." Oh how wonderful it will be
that he is getting baptized on the same day as his mother. I know that's what
God wanted and I'm glad that he followed the Spirit prompting him to be
baptized.
I studied about
covenants earlier this morning. A covenant is a powerful, binding, sacred
promise between God and each of His children individually who commit to obey
Him. It means that we love the Lord so much that we are willing to change
aspects of our lives in order to be inline with Heavenly Father's will, follow
the Savior, and keep our part of the promise to stand as a witness, always remember
Him, and keep His commandments. Baptism is our first covenant we make with
Heavenly Father. It literally represents the death, burial, and resurrection of
the Savior. We are cleansed and everything, if repented of, will be washed
away-the old life is done away, erased. It is pure and complete bliss because
each person who enters into this covenant of baptism is walking in the Savior's
footsteps.
Love, Sister McCook
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