2 May 2010 - Bishop's Training

Joanne says this picture makes me an uber-nerd. I added a map of Middle Earth (top) to my Map of the World, ca. 1580 (bottom) in my office at W&J. I'm comfortable with who I am.
Joanne took this excellent action shot of Madeline at her soccer game. I didn't get to see it because I was in Harrisburg.Bishop Fails and Bishop North at the Priesthood Leadership Training Conference in Harrisburg, PA, May 1st, 2010.
Karl was set apart as bishop of the Newark 1st Ward (Delaware) on Tuesday evening, April 30th, just in time to be invited to this special training meeting. Seated on the stand were:

• Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve
• Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy
• Elder Robert B. Smith, Area Authority Seventy
• President Earl C. Tingey, President of the Washington D.C. Temple and formerly of the Presidency of the Seventy
  
• President Lane Summerhays, President of the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission
• President Michael Murray, President of the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission

The audience was comprised of branch presidents, bishops, and stake presidencies from seven stakes stretching from Ohio to the Atlantic and from West Virginia to New York. I think the first counselor in my stake presidency put it best when he said that it was one of the spiritual highlights of his entire life, on par with attending the temple to receive his own endowment. I felt much the same, it was a powerful spiritual experience, and to have been able to share the experience with Karl, who has been my friend for 18 years and my brother-in-law for 14 of those, is something I can't adequately express in words, and probably shouldn't even try to on a blog.

It wasn't all church meetings in Harrisburg this weekend though. Knowing that we'd both be there for the leadership meeting, Karl and I decided to meet Friday afternoon to play a round of golf and spend the night at a hotel near the Harrisburg Stake Center. I was pleased when I arrived at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course to see the stacks of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant (as seen in this picture), just beyond the trees. You may need to click on it to see them. The two on the right (that aren't smoking) were subject to the partial meltdown in 1979. We played 18 holes and my hair hasn't fallen out yet (bonus!).
My trusty Toyota truck turns 19 years old this year. This week the odometer rolled past 171,000 miles and still running strong! I love my little truck.Though the weather on Friday and Saturday was gorgeous, the Sabbath brought heavy rain, and a collage of umbrellas outside the front door at the church.
I am grateful for what I've experienced this week. I am grateful for my family, immediate and extended. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for Joanne, because without her support I wouldn't be able to accomplish or experience most of what I do.