"His hand is outstretched still"

Yesterday I had the most wonderful feeling. As I was watching the last session of conference, I was overwhelmed with a wonderful feeling as I listened to Elder Holland testify. The pure truth of what he said about the apostles giving their life, the tired yet sincere look in his eye, the urgency of his voice ignited a fire that I felt needing kindling!! Then as we all began to sing "We thank thee O' God for a Prophet". . . they panned the Conference Center and everyone began standing up. The prophet himself said that his life was not his own, but all of ours. As I sang, I knew because I could feel it entirely that he IS THE prophet of God. For a few moments, I felt like the world was uniting. I could see in my minds eye faithful members in white shirts and ties in Nigeria, in Chile, in Mexico, in Europe, in Russia and those I taught in LA, all singing "we thank the oh God!" I could feel that our Heavenly Father was pleased with us. Brian told me that on his mission to fiji, the missionaries got up to go to conference at 3am and walked to the chapel, expecting to find it empty. They arrived to a full chapel. Entire families and children were dressed up and waiting reverently for conference to begin at 3am on the other side of the world. That is indeed what president Hinkley talked about, Faith In Action.

While I was waiting in line to enter conference, I ran into Rick (my BYU-I boyfriend. . . remember??) I don't know how to describe it other than to say it pleased me to see him. He was married and his wife was pregant. He had moved to South Dakota and joined the US Airforce. He was active in the church. It was actually a witness to me that Heavenly Father loves all his children-- and he doesn't give up on them. Rick seemed like a "deadbeat" as Grandma Collette always said, and eventhough I'm SOO happy that it wasn't ME with the belly and ring, it was nice to know that in the end (or the middle) everything works out. He never gives up on us.