WHAT'S NEW WITH YOU???

Ok, I am so bored that I have been changing all of the blogs I have with new backgrounds and etc. I am so amazed how easy and fun it is to do. 

This week has been difficult for many reasons; but the main ones are that I am sick of being sick. I am even more sick of looking at gray clouds and snow on the ground. This is spring; this weather is pathetic. We should all be out walking in the sunshine enjoying nature. This however does not mean that I want to be out working in the yard since that is what I am blaming my pneumonia on. I am so anxious to hear the sweet songs of a birds as I wake up and see and feel the sunbeams as they spread across my bedroom. I would even like to hear the crickets singing their love songs at night.

Meanwhile, my dearest husband has worded home most of the week and taken excellent care of me. He should have been a nurse. He is forever kind and thoughtful; what a blessing he is in my life. 

I of course have spent much time in prayer over those of you who are having health issues. I can't believe how true it is that events come in three's; so I basically hope that is all we have for now. 

Ok, I haven't been on the computer all the time. I have been reading my scriptures and other good books which have lightened my load. I love to read uplifting and encouraging books. I greatly recommend the book: "On The Bright Side - Feeling Good When Things Seem Bad" by Ed J. Pinegar & Richard J. Allen. It was one of those hopeful books that I love to read to lift my soul. Perhaps I need to re-read it; that isn't something that I normally do so that means it is very good.

I have blubbered long enough so I will leave this thought - WHAT'S NEW WITH ALL OF YOU???
What I really need is CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE AND CHOCOLATE!!!

"TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART -

" Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths". Proverbs 3:5-6
Right now there are some heavy struggles going on with some of my children and grandchildren.
This is one of the first scripture verses that I memorized. There is a story behind it. I dated my eternal companion while we were in High School. After our High School graduation we went to the University of Utah for a year. He then left on a two year mission for our church to the Northern California mission. Two years was such a long time; but with letters and occasional phone calls I waited for him to come home.  While he was gone I immersed myself in Nursing school. The wait was hard for both of us because we really wanted to be together forever.
When he came home I decided not to go out to the airport to meet him. I felt he should be with his family first. This was really a hard decision for me; I wanted to see him so bad. I remember well the day that he came home. As I finished school and drove home; I got out of my car and heard the plane go over my house and I was pretty sure that was his plane. It was around 2 pm. in the afternoon. I thought he would come to see me within a couple of hours. I changed my clothes and waited. The wait was longer than expected and I then started to be concerned about him not coming at all.
Finally, around 6 pm I started to read the scriptures and found this one. I spent some moments memorizing it and then I went for a long walk repeating this over and over and trying to relate to the words being spoken. I have always prayed a lot; but that afternoon my prayers were even more earnest . I tried to have a heart of faith that all would be well between us and that he would come soon. I returned home around 7pm; changed into some more casual clothes and tried to keep my mind occupied; along with repeating this scripture. Finally the door bell rang and my parents answered. I knew it was him. As I stepped into the hall and walked rapidly to him; he gave me a huge hug and I then knew all would be well. It was as though he had never left. The reason for him taking so long was because he wanted to get released from his missionary calling by the Stake President before he came to see me.
It was worth the wait. We have now been married almost 43 years in June.
Since then; whenever we have difficult struggles and trials; this is the first scripture verses that I go to. I have repeated this verse many times throughout the years; too numerous to number. Right now I have been repeating it again.
May we all put our trust in him whom we worship as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THREE TRIALS - BRING THREE BLESSINGS

Have you every heard about the rule of three? Sometimes trials and disasters come in threes; it just an interesting thing to note.

Often times life throws a curve ball. This time we have had three strikes. However, I know we will win the game because of prayer, priesthood blessings and faith. 

First Strike: To start with my oldest son Sean wanted to get a better life insurance plan. He had an EKG that came up with an abnormal reading; so he had another one in a Physicians office.  At this point they mentioned that they thought he might have what they call a Incomplete Bundle Branch Block and they wanted to see if he had any artery blockage.  He then had a treadmill which also showed a possible heart problem. He had an MRI which showed up a possible Sarcoidosis of the heart. I myself had a lung Sarcoidosis about 41 years ago that went into remission and I have never had a problem with it. He was scheduled for a test and we had a family fast and he receive a Priesthood Blessing. I know all will be well.

Strike two: In my last blog post I mentioned my yard work. A day after doing the yard work I started with a different kind of cough. My sweet daughter Tiffani and her family came one day early for a visit. We had such a good time together. Tiffani and I went shopping until we dropped. On Saturday we had our Grandchildren for the afternoon; Michael 10, Sarah 8, Kaitlyn 6, and William 4. We took them to lunch and out for Ice Cream and had a great time. That evening I had a fever so I went to the Urgent care and I now have a case of Pneumonia. I had a priesthood blessing so I know that I am doing well and already feel much better.

Strike 3: Yesterday, my son Travis was taken to the ER for a questionable heart attack. He had an abnormal EKG with the same things as my oldest son. The blood test came out normal; but they kept him overnite until they could check enzymes again and have him do a treadmill. He had a Priesthood blessing. We prayed for him and I just felt peace that he would be ok. His test came out normal. He does have the Incomplete Bundle Branch Block. He considers it a priesthood blessing; I do too.

As a side note my second son has the very same heart problem as the other two have. Luckily it isn't anything for them to be concerned about. I guess we will chalk it up to genetics; although we have no family history of it.
I have great faith in the blessings of the Priesthood and I know that the Lord's will; will be done and we all will be all right. I have peace in my heart over all of this. I know beyond doubt that miracles do come after faith. I believe in prayer, priesthood blessings and faith that bring the miracles. I myself have been healed many times through the years from  priesthood blessings as have other family members. These were miracles; blessings from heaven. Perhaps I will share a few of these miracles on another day.

DID ADAM AND EVE REALLY HAVE TO LEAVE THAT BEAUTIFUL GARDEN?

This is not going to be a doctrinal message just a thought on the Garden of Eden. My title question is valid though. First off; I was raised on a farm. My father grew hay, alfalfa, corn and potatoes on about 300 acres of land. I loved to ride with him on the plow and other farm equipment. He would also let me sit on his lap and steer the equipment and especially his old truck. I remember playing for hours on the farm when I was young. I loved to play Cowboys and Indians and it was even more fun if I happen to have a friend to play with; but if I didn't have a friend I would have my imaginary friends. I would make my own bow and arrow and pretend that I was an Indian Princess or Annie Oakley. I always wanted an Annie Oakley Pop Gun and I will save that thought for another post. I also loved to look at the big ant hills and I was fascinated by how organized they were. I would note that some of the worker ants would carry a larger item than their-selves up the hill and into the nest. Some of the little ants were like soldiers marching along in a line with their load on their backs. I was very scared of the red ants because they could sting me so I liked the black ants best. My brother would sometime destroy the Ant hill; which made me cry. However, within a short time the ants had built up another hill. The ants just endured and started over. Sometimes, my older brother John would play with me which I loved him when he did. However, at other times he would tease me so much that I would cry or he would scare me and I would run to find my Dad.
The harvesting of potatoes brings back memories. My Dad would hire Navajo Indians to pick potatoes. I would try to pick the potatoes with them. It was hard work and I didn't last for long before I just wanted to play again. They would sometimes bring some of their children to help too; so we had fun working and playing together. At that time of my life I didn't mind getting dirty; I even loved the dirt. Getting water from the irrigation ditch and making mud pies and squishing my toes in the mud was the best fun ever.
My dear husband loves the outdoors. Its therapy for him to go out and work in the yard. Basically, I just love watching him work the best. We have had a few gardens through the years but I have never really enjoyed digging in the dirt and pulling weeds like I did as a child.

Just the other day I decided to help my husband by going out into the yard to weed around some bushes and mow the lawn. Now this is when I posed the question.  Did Adam and Eve really have to leave that beautiful garden and go out into the world of weeds? I have pondered that thought for some time. I know the doctrine behind it all. I know that I would have loved the Garden of Eden where I could enjoy all of the beauty in the Garden and all the beautiful, gentle animals, birds, and creatures that Heavenly Father had created. I would have loved not having to work in the garden to maintain it. Did Eve have any idea of what it meant to be cast out of the Garden into the lone and deary world? I know that they desired to have children and I suppose that is the big key. I pondered deeply on the fact that they were also privileged to walk and talk with Heavenly Father and the Savior. That one fact would have made it extremely hard to leave the garden.  Being cast out into the world where there is just a lot of hard work to have a beautifully landscaped yard and a flourishing  garden would have been a stumbling block for me. I can't imagine what they must have felt like to walk out of that garden facing their harsh world. I hear all the time individuals say; I love working in the yard, weeding and getting down into the earth. 

I hate weeds; I hate digging in the dirt! However, I do love children, and grandchildren. I guess that thought alone would have been incentive enough for me to leave the garden.  I am sure for Adam and Eve they too desired to be with their Heavenly Father and the Savior and they had enough faith that if they obeyed the commandments and endured to the end they would return to live with them again in a beautiful Celestial world. I too desire to live a good life; develop a firm relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior so that my family and I can return to live with Heavenly Father and the Savior in what I picture again a beautiful Garden of Eden where there are no weeds and no need to dig in the dirt to plant are sow.  Perhaps I need to learn to love digging in the dirt and trying to beautify my little spot on earth while I sojourn here.

The Miracle Of The Lilac Bush -

 OUR LILAC BUSH AND FLOWERS

This is the story of the miracle of the Lilac Bush. This story occurred at the end of September of 08. I am blogging this story due to seeing some pictures of beautiful Lilac Bushes and it reminded me again of the miracle.
I was feeling sad that my Lilac Bush was dieing. It had not grown well and had never had any blossoms. It is the only bush that I had requested to be planted in our backyard. Lilac Bushes always bring back memories of my childhood and especially my Grandmother's yard and her Lilac Bushes. I have always loved the fragrance of Lilacs. We had planted it next to our back porch area.
When Willie our beloved cat of 18 years passed a way in the spring; we buried him under the Lilac Bush with a few other flowers surrounding it. When our dear little Dollie was ran over we buried her next to Willie under the Lilac Bush on August 15, 08. At that point the bush didn't look like it was thriving at all. Even the plants by the Lilac Bush were not doing very well. During the month of September the bush looked like it was going to die. The leaves were turning brown and falling off the bush. The flowers were also not doing well. One day towards the end of September; I said a silent prayer that this bush could be saved in remembrance of these two pets that we have loved. We had been watering the plants and bushes on a routine basis; but I promised to water them daily. Lilac bushes do not bloom in the fall; they only bloom in the spring and rarely in the Summer. As of the first part of October the Lilac Bush has a few blossoms and the other flowers are looking good too.
As I have told people of this story they are very amazed. I have had some friends who have been over that I have showed this bush to them. They marvel at this miracle. I know that Heavenly Father answered my simple prayer and we were blessed to have this bush blossom to tell us that our sweet pets are doing well. I have always believed in miracles; tendar mercies from the Lord. 

A FEW THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY!

I have been thinking a lot today about adversity in our lives. There has been a few moments in the last couple of weeks when I have felt that Satan was working overtime in the lives of loved ones. I was so gratefuf for conference weekend and felt my cup filled; but within a week's time I need more living water. Our Sunday started off good and I felt the spirit during the meetings and my testimony lifted; but by afternoon I was feeling very thirsty again for the comfort of the spirit in my life. We had a visit that left me very sad.  It's funny how one minute you can feel so good about a moment in time and then within seconds that can all change. Life is good one moment and then life can be sad the next.
 I do have one statement in my blessing that is so reassuring to me that I will share. Be humble, prayerful, active and zelous in church work, be optimistic and cheerful, and I promise you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you shall find joy beyond compare. Your heart will overflow with gratitude; your spirits will be high, and your aspirations in life will be attained. What more could one ask for. I need this on my refrigerator in our home; to remind me of my side of the promise.
This morning I was riding an exercise bike which also exercises my arms. I can use one hand to do that and with the other one I can hold an Ensign magazine and read. I was reading a conference report from last November. I had been praying to have a better understanding on how to help one of my children and one of my grandchildren. As I completed one article; I felt inspired to look back in the other articles and I was so thrilled to find an answer to my prayer. I am so grateful that I was in tune to find this. It brought comfort to my soul. 
Also, a talk that I recently read by Elder Snow of the Seventy in the May 09 CR called "Get On With Our Lives";  gave a few comforting thoughts. I will share a few of these. 
How can we best prepare for the changes we must inevitably face as we progress through life?  First, follow the prophets. Second, keep an Eternal perspective. Third, have faith; move forward with faith as spoken by President Hinckley. Then Pres. Monson has counseled us that; "faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Fourth, be of good cheer. "Be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you.( D&C 61:35). Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught how to respond to adversity: "The next time you're tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable. Laughter and a good sense of humor can soften the bumps along life's journey. I know that a key in my own life is to remain optimistic and cheerful and continue to thirst for living waters. 

WHAT AN EASTER FEAST!

I came to the table thirsty and hungry and I was fed and what a feast it was. I knew at the time that my lips were parched and I needed living water. My cup became full and my hunger was satisfied. How I wish that the feeling could stay forever; but that is not to be. I must continue myself to seek for the living waters and never give up doing so.  Now it is up to me to keeping filling my cup full of living water and then share it with others who are thirsty too. There are so many within my reach who are hungry and thirsting. Is there a neighbor next door who is starving and or dieing of thirst? Is there a child of mine that also is thirsting; and I am not aware. I pray to know.

Every message of General Conference has added more meaning to every thing I want to do and accomplish. How grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus Christ; so many beautiful messages and testimonies borne of the Savior Jesus Christ.

It is true that the table of believers was at the Last Supper. Now we come to the Sacrament Table each week to renew our covenants with the Lord. To me that sacred moment is time to reflect on how I am doing in my life. Am I continuing to thirst to know the Lord and to make his atonement effective in my own life. 

At the table families were instructed on how to prepare for the feast and how to receive the food from our Savior. Families must be forever; there should never be an empty chair at our tables. 

I had many of my children and grandchildren at the table this weekend. Hopefully they too felt the spirit and had their own thirst satisfied. I pray for them to hunger and thirst for the true living waters.

How important is the kitchen table? Can it be a place for us to be filled with living water and a daily feast? Like many of you I am sure that when you have family present or friends that the kitchen often becomes the center of activity. What a place for teaching moments. Hopefully, there were lessons learned at my table this past week. How I loved listening to my children and grandchildren talk with one another and feel the joy of being in their presence. How important is it to gather at the table as families on a daily basis. Perhaps, it is more important than we might think. Sitting together as a family for a formal meal has been discussed among many because it has been lost in many homes. The table is a place to be filled and to learn and grow closer in our relationships.  

Henri J. M. Nouwen, the Christian Moralist wrote the following: 

The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, "Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, don't be shy, enjoy it," we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurtures us. We desire communion...Strange as it may sound, the table is the place where we want to become food for one another. Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another.

I pray that my family was fed. 

I love the following thoughts from Jerry Earl Johnston in a booklet entitled "A Woman's Worth:

"I can imagine a grand dinner table in heaven -a table like the long, sturdy banquet table. Hundreds of people are sitting at the table, along with Deity. The only food allowed would be food for thought. The only meat would be "meaty" discussions. And it all would be served up on words - words of heartfelt communion."
Our family motto is: "No Empty Chairs". We want no empty chairs at our table.

Well perhaps there could be a little dessert of Chocolate!!

Our Easter moments with our children and grandchildren.