There is nothing as constant as change! We had the wonderful opportunity to talk with family on Christmas Day. Wow, there is a lot going on with everyone, as is probably the case with all your families. Grandchildren are growing and changing and doing good things - there are newly arrived babies and babies expected yet to miss. Thank goodness for photos passed through modern technology. 'Don't forget to post the photos! We congratulate all the grandchildren on their achievements and growth. Mostly we are proud that you are the people you are. We pass on our gratitude to the parents of these our wonderful grandchildren for your love and care of these precious people. And we pass on our love and devotion to all our friends and family, individually and collectively. We have come to learn that what is really important in this life is the people you know, the people you have known, and the people you will come to know. Some of our favorite people are in our families!
Speaking about what is really important, that brings to mind a recent talk by one of our favorite people, President Thomas S. Monson. He said,"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important - and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. . . . we will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us".
We express our thanks for all of those that pray for us. We have been richly blessed by our experiences here. And, "our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings". It has been a great opportunity to work with the military, the chaplains, the wounded warriors, the young single adults and our fellow travelers along the way.
We are blessed to know the answers to life's greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? This we know through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are grateful for Him.
May your new year be one of no regrets. "Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family". As the in musical Music Man, there is a caution to the librarian, "You pile up enough tomorrows and you'll find you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays". One day each of us will run out of tomorrows. Tell those you love out loud that you love them, today. Express that love in word and deed. We will try harder to do so.
With all our love,
Elder and Sister Karn
