Emerging Hope - The Simple Woman's Daybook~

For Today

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I am thinking - This past year has been challenging for everyone. It became even more challenging when my dearest husband became ill and was hospitalized for a few days in January. Luckily, he didn't have Covid, but he did have bilateral bacterial pneumonia. I am very grateful that he is up and about doing what he loves to do. I know that he was blessed to have a Priesthood blessing before being admitted to the hospital, along with fasting, prayer by many, and his name on our Temple Prayer Roll. I was given a Priesthood blessing too, and I received peace, and knew that he would be OK. 

One of my favorite things - Believe it or not, I have started playing the piano and learning some new pieces. I have always loved music and enjoyed the piano. I always let other priorities come into my life, and I left that wonderful experience slip by the wayside. Right now, it is bringing me great joy. 

 I am creating - Look at me, I'm creating a new blog post. The last one was on December 24th, 2020. I have been wanting to write one for a long time and have had many life interferences. I'm excited to be doing one now. 

I am reading - This year, we are studying in our Sunday School a precious book of scripture; entitled "The Doctrine and Covenants." In this book, our remarkable Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, and other prophets received many revelations through the latter-day years. This book is powerful and helps my understanding of The Book of Mormon, and reveals many instructions from our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, as the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unfolded. 

My husband and I have been listening to a book entitled: "Insights From A Prophet's Life" by Sheri Dew. It is a biography of our living day Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. It is an outstanding book that I wish everyone would read. He is a remarkable man. Before having leadership positions in our faith; he was a well-known Heart Surgeon. He helped develop the heart-lung by-pass machine. He was a leader in innovative surgery of the heart. The story of how he did many of these things are in this book. Our hearts have been touched over and over when reading his life story. He didn't always have an easy life; in fact, he and his wife sacrificed a lot over the years. They are parents of 10 children, and he had 9 daughters and 1 son. When I was an ICU nurse at the LDS hospital in Salt Lake, I had a chance to meet him. He has always been an unusual physician in many ways and credits his success to the spirit, helping him know how to do surgeries that hadn't been done before. It is a fantastic book to read. 

I hope that the Covid 19 Vaccine will be effective and that better treatments for severe cases will be found. Mostly, I am hoping for the pandemic to lessen enough for our Temples and Missionary work to open up even more. I feel blessed to have two Grandchildren serving missions; Sister Abilene Workman in the Arizona Phoenix Mission and Elder Ethan Williams serving in the California, Los Angeles Mission. They do a lot of their missionary work online and are both having baptisms. It's a miracle that the work continues in a different way.  I look forward to being able to attend our church without masks and physical distancing. It will be nice to see everyone's faces. 

My dear husband has been blessed to work at the Jordan River Temple in Phase two. He is the coordinator for the Saturday morning shift. I have been able to return to the temple and work about 4 times, which has been such a blessing in my life. I find great peace within the walls of the temple. It is a place to go and receive personal revelation from our loving Heavenly Father. The work that goes on within the temple is sacred. I love being part of it all. 

 I am learning - I feel like I am learning more on how to hear the spirit of the Lord in my life. My husband and I have a morning time devotional where we are spending time studying the scriptures and other worthwhile books. Through these studies, I am learning many more things about my loving Heavenly Father, Savior, and myself. 

In My Kitchen - I hate to admit this in my kitchen, I haven't been cooking. For the last several months, my sweet, endearing husband has been doing the cooking. I have been busy with other projects, so he took over my kitchen. He is an excellent cook and loves to make up recipes and different types of meals. 

Well, he got sick, so I am back in the kitchen. It's been fun but challenging since I almost forgot how. I still think he flavors dishes better than me. I think I will convince him to share the cooking with me. 

In my garden - There isn't anything in our garden right now, of course. Last year, my husband planted and tenderly cared for a medium-sized garden. Our harvest was good. I'm hoping we will have another garden this year; if we can find the seeds. 

Pinterest Board and link - I'm dreaming of this chocolate cake. When I was a Home Health Nurse in Las Vegas, Nevada, I worked at the Nathan Adelson Hospice. They had a cafeteria, and I loved getting a piece of this kind of chocolate cake. I really do need to make it again. 

Chocolate Cake Recipe from Pinterest -

Post Script - As I think about this past year and the many struggles and challenges that have come, I want to share with you what I learned from it all. I learned to rely on my faith in Jesus Christ. I have worked hard to keep my focus on Him. I have drawn closer to Him and had many spiritual insights into why these kinds of events happen In our lives. I have had answers to my prayers and felt the spirit provide comfort and peace to my soul.

 I believe there is purpose in all that we go through. We are here to gain a body and have earth-life experiences. Through those moments, we learn many lessons that help us grow and develop into better human beings. I have learned to love others even more. I appreciate the good people surrounding me in my church, neighborhood, and especially my family. Our family has grown closer. My relationship with my husband has become even more tender and sweet. We are together in all things. 

I have learned to be more patient with mankind. With the many political upheavals that are present and on-going. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us, and if we reach for Him and our Savior, they will be there. They want us to look for the positive and leave the negative behind.  They have a plan for this earth, and it will go forth. Satan may rule the day, but the Savior will ultimately win. 

I have had more time to study the gospel and other good books, which has enlightened my mind and heart with positive thoughts and good things to come. 

I have learned that I can continue on in a different way to fulfill the calling that I have and to continue to work in the temple when I can. 

I have learned that wearing a mask and social distancing is difficult but doable. I believe it is following the commandment to love one another. We should all be willing to do whatever it takes to protect each other from this dreadful virus. To me is a privilege to wear a mask. 

I am deeply grateful for my husband's medical care and all the advancements in medicine and technology. I believe these advancements have been spirit directed. I wish I could hug all the wonderful medical personnel that has given hours and risk their lives to care for the many who have had Covid. I have prayed hard for them. I have family members that have been on the front lines. Having been a nurse, I am even more sensitive to what they have had to deal with. I know they will be blessed for doing all that they have done. 

 Shared Quote - 

A moment from my day - I love this man of mine. Tomorrow, we will celebrate his 75th birthday. Every day, I am grateful that he is my eternal companion and that I have one more day with him. I have a testimony that we will be together forever. He is one of the best of men, and I love him with all my heart. We are unified in everything. 

{share a picture with us of your daily-ness}

Closing Notes - May you all have an emerging hope in the future. I know that things will get better, and I pray for us all to be happily engaged in good works.