President Harvey, Church music, and the Singles

• President George Harvey has been the Stake President of the Wellington, NZ Stake since 2003, and before then he was the 1st Counselor. Because I was the Stake YSA female rep when he was the counselor I had the privelege of working closely with him.  I also worked in the Stake Primary and Wellington Institute and Seminary program, so I've seen his leadership in action many times.  I have always admired President Harvey for his gentleness and humility.  He is a very brilliant and capable man - but he has such a great heart.  I love him!  I think Wellington is so blessed to have him.  Also, his wife is amazing too - so lovely and kind!.... I'm so grateful to have President Harvey in my life, it's men like him that prove to me that there really are great exemplary men.  ...I always look forward to seeing him around the Wellington chapel just to say 'hi'.
• I'm also grateful for the Stake President of my youth, President Mitchell Mackrory.  I remember him because he was always at our youth activities and took the time to get to know all us youth.  He has this amazing family too.  I remember when he was released because his family was moving to the US for work, I cried, like really cried.  He really was amazing!  And he came up to my friend Amy and I and while shaking our hands goodbye, he made us promise that we would only get married in the temple.  Before I got sealed in the temple I wrote to him informing him that I was keeping my promise, and even though I'm divorced now - one day I WILL keep my promise again!
• Sundays is my day that I listen to great church music (okay I listen to church music a lot on other days as well, but definitely always on Sundays).  I'm so grateful for the talents of Mindy Gledhill, Jericho Road, Rebecca Lopez, Jenny Frogley, Hilary Weeks, Cherie Call, Kenneth Cope, David Blasucci, Amy Van Wagenen, Greg Simpson, David Osmond, Dan Cahoon, Janice Capp Perry, EFY music, and of course the wonderful, talented Mormon Tabarnacle Choir!  I love how the music always, ALWAYS lifts my spirit and brings me peace.  I'm so grateful that these very talented group of people have willingly shared their love and talent of music and  their amazing testimonies of the Saviour Jesus Christ with all of us.  Music really uplifts and inspires.  I wish I could thank them all personally for how much they help me everyday, but especially how they uplift my Sundays!  I would want to tell them how different songs touch me in different ways and have helped me out in different moments.  I would tell them that what they do is so worth it!  Because it's touched even one life - mine!  But I know that there music touches more than just mine.
• I love and appreciate the Singles at church so much!!!!  I marvel at their faith, their great, incredible faith.  I don't know a group of people who show their faith more each and everyday.  I know that being a wife (or husband), mother (or father), brings out great challenges that test our faith - but the beauty of being married is that your struggles are borne with your spouse.  Really that takes off a huge load.  Being married gives a sense of purpose and stability to one's life.  Being single - one can float around a lot more.  And that is what happens.  I was once told of a Singles ward (Singles aged 30+) in the US that was closed and the ward memebers were asked to join the family wards.  Apparently between 50-75% of the members just stopped going to church, including the Relief Society President.  They didn't feel like they "belonged".  Since then I have developed so much admiration for the Singles.  And now that I am an older YSA - something I never anticipated, I have had the opportunity to get to know these beautiful brothers and sisters even more intimately.  I know the pain they go through wanting to have a family of their own but not being able to find the right person through no fault of their own, dealing with the odd comment on their marital status - or the pity, trying to fit-in to a family centered church (I've come to realise now that the language we use is even more family-centered even more than the "marriage" talks and lessons), and on top of that, trying to deal with how to plan their lives when they had always envisioned being married with children in tow by the time thet were 30!  It can be all very confusing, so to trust in God, to trust that He loves you no matter what and that He really is mindful of you and that He really does have a plan for you and wants you to be happy - to have that faith even when dealing with singledom, and going through all of lifes ups and downs on one's own is hard.  Especially when the desire to be married and have a family is natural.  It's hard when friends you grew up with are married, having families of their own, and buying houses.  So, when I look at these singles, when I get to know them, I always marvel, yes I marvel at the very reasons why they stay active in the church, how they fully participate and show that they belong regardless of their marital status.  They show their faith no matter and I know that they truly will be blessed for their faithfulness.  I know that God loves them and has a special place in His heart for them, for their great faith.  They truly show that they will be faithful regardless of the trials that God tries them with.  They are my examples and I hope to have more faith like them - reagrdless of whether I remain single or get re-married.  I love them and I am so grateful for their examples. What an amazing blessing it is to be single again and to experience another side to life!