"Blue Breasted Whipper Willow"

Hello Winter!

     This past week was so amazing!! We had the best Halloween Party ever with the members and we had so much fun with our haunted house. Everyone was freaking out. So fun. I am trying my best to be myself even though my companion cannot understand me. For example, this week my companion heard this bird making a way weird noise and he kept saying, "what is that sound?!" I told him flat out, "That's a Blue Breasted Whipper Willow, but they should not be in this part of Japan..." I am trying to keep Brian Regan a part of my life as much as I can. Plus, watching my companion say Blue Breasted Whipper Willow in English will make your day every single time I can guarantee it - very funny! 

     Anyway, it is getting beyond cold up here. I lost one of my gloves which is just so inconvenient. The humidity really takes the wind and cold to a new level I think was not meant for any of the Aiken family I am pretty sure. But I could be wrong. I still have All of November and maybe December up here and I'm so excited!

     But this week I found my spiritual thought when I was actually reading the sports updates from my family. I love sports too much. I could not go 2 years without hearing about BYU football and basketball, Rodger Federer with tennis, Peyton Manning with the Broncos and the Packers for football, the Dodgers for baseball, the NBA, and the occasional Jimmer update. It cannot be done.  In sports, every team works and fights to do one thing early on to win the game. It puts the odds in their favor and puts their opponent on their heels. Setting the tone. They set the tone for the game and run by their pace and by their strengths and often they never look back until the final whistle blows. That is how they play the game to the best of their ability. But how are we playing this game of life to the best of our ability?  Just like in sports, we have a coach in Heavenly Father and He has the perfect game plan! No matter what, in this game our Coach is going to win, so why don't we all win the game?? Because, just like in sports we have to "set the tone", but it is a little different. We "set the tune." You choose to tune in to the spirit or not. If we set the tune early in the game we are literally being radio'd in all of our opponents plays and next moves! With that kind of power there is no way to lose, but so many people do not want all of the conditioning and hard work it takes to be able to set the tune early when it is game time. Too many times we wait til it is late in the game to heed the promptings we are receiving. We do not need to be a second half team. We do not need comeback stories. Though I love a good comeback story every time I see it, if we set the tune early, Satan will have no power over us because we will know his workings and we have been conditioned with practice and we understand the promptings of the Spirit. That means studying the scriptures, or the playbook we have received if you will, and studying the words in our minds, so that we know what we need to do to when Satan sends his fiery darts. Satan will not spend one second being lazy or taking his foot off the gas. If we do not set the tune early and live worthily to have the power of the Spirit in our lives, we will not be able to withstand our adversary in the 4th quarter when the end of the game approaches and everything is on the line. For each of us personally, this game with always be close, the score tied to the very end, but if we follow the guidance of a member of the Godhead and with thanks to our Savior, it will end in a blowout victory when the clock hits zero. I am sorry to stick with sports terms but it makes it so simple! Set the tune!! Now!! For all of us now, we came into this life in the last game of the season and we are all Seniors on this team. We all have our part. I beg of you all to set the tune and heed the Spirit's voice, because he is calling out to you trying to help you return home victorious to our Heavenly Father. We all have the ability to return home to him. Why not go home? Set the tune. We have two options, 1-0, or 0-1. No unclean thing can return to the Kingdom of Heaven. But even though it comes down to those two things, if we tune in, it is not even close to a 50/50 shot. The odds are in our favor 1000000000000/1. The Lord will never lose, so please choosing the winning team. Please choose to heed the warnings of the spirit. Set the tune!  

Love,

Elder Trevor Aiken