Just Let The Savior In~

I know beyond any doubt that we have a very loving Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. They desire for us to reach out to them for our everyday concerns and needs. Since the passing of my sweet Aunt Della and my dear brother John, I have been praying for peace of mind and comfort. I have received that comfort and peace through prayer. I realize that our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us frequently. He doesn't just want us to say a trite prayer but he wants us to pray to Him with all our deep concerns and also of our gratitude for His blessings. 
In order for our dear Savior to come to us; we must open the door and let Him in. That door is opened through prayer; a true prayer from the heart. Sister Chieko Okazaki in her book entitled, "Lighten Up" she said the following: "Heavenly Father doesn't want to hear only nice prayers. He wants to hear real prayers, honest prayers.....He doesn't want polite platitudes. He wants you! All of you!. He wants to be the center of your total life-the worried you, the mad you, and the sad you, as well as the inspired, happy, obedient, loving you". Remember you can pray any time, anywhere about anything. Just let the Savior in.
Sister Sheri Dew in her book entitled; "If Life Were Easy, It wouldn't Be Hard" stated: " Is there anything too insignificant to discuss with the Lord? Is any heartache too petty? Is any anxiety or worry too trivial? Is any weakness too insignificant to deal with? The Lord doesn't seem to think so. He has invited us to weary Him with our requests and needs. Just let the Savior in.

Will You Let Him In~ 

He is waiting Patiently 

at the door of your heart

He has knocked, once again

Will you let Him in,

Accepting God into your life

fostering a relationship with

our loving creator,

Our Savior, stands

At the doorway of your heart

Let Him in.

During the last few weeks my heart has ached but the Savior has walked with me and I know that He Lives and Loves me and you and that comfort and peace has come through Him. 

Just Let The Savior In.

Remembering Our Mothers & Our Heavenly Mother On This Mother's Day~

Happy Mother's Day To All you Awesome Mother's out there~

My Beautiful Mother~ Leone

As I was exercising this morning I was tuned into the, 'Today Show'. There was a sweet segment on Mother's and Daughters. All of a sudden my eyes filled with tears and I thought to myself. I want my Mom. These moments come unbidden but I really miss my  dear Mother. There are days that are really hard and I want to go to the phone and call my Mom. I guess if I were to have my Mom still here; I would talk with her and visit her more often than I did when she was a live. Since my Mom passed away in 2006; I have recognized more than ever before how much she really loved me and was always doing things for me. I think I took my Mother for granted. As a youth she sewed practically everything I wore. She made all of my prom dresses and my wedding dress. Whenever, I went to girl's camp for a week in the summer; I would come home and find that she had re-decorated some aspect of my room. As I had each of my precious children she and my Dad came to help me for a week to 10 days. I really miss my Mom so much.

 

                                             My Sweet Mother In Law~Nyal

I also miss my sweet Mother in law. She was such an example of faith, and perseverance. She had a lot of health issues and experienced great pain; but was always brave and true. She was gentle and kind and I loved her very much. I miss her too.  I will love these dear mom's of mine  forever and I know I will see them again someday. 

A Special Happy Mother's day wish to some of my favorite Mothers!

 These are my very own daughters and daughter in laws and granddaughter in laws.  What marvelous mothers they are and examples of true motherhood. 

      Back Row - Mary, Daughter in law; Jessica, Grand Daughter in law; Jenni, Daughter; Dana, Grand      Daughter in law:  Front Row - Christina, Daughter; Amanda, Daughter in law; 

Tiffani, Daughter; Amber, Daughter in law ~ 

I also believe I have a Heavenly Father and A Heavenly Mother~

First enjoy this rendition of "O, My Father by my daughter, Tiffani~

The verse I love the most states the following: 

I had learned to call thee Father, 

Through thy Spirit from on high, 

But, until the key of knowledge

Was restored, I knew not why.

In the Heav'ns are parents single?

No, the thought makes reason stare!

Truth is reason; truth eternal

Tells me I've a Mother there!

Words by Eliza R. Snow (LDS Hymn book pg. 292)

Another beautiful verse for this hymn is written by Warren P. Aston as a 4th verse.

You can find a beautiful article  entitled Remembering Our Mother In Heaven written by Warren P. Aston here.

O my Mother, thou who dwellest

with my Father up on high, 

There beside Him, not behind Him, 

Now revealed to thy children's eyes. 

Shall we know then thou wast nearby?

See the Pattern for our race?

As thou standest there, together

We gaze at last into thy face. 

I believe with all my heart that we have Heavenly Parents. I am sure our Heavenly Mother too sent us forth to this earth with the desire that we return once again back into her arms. 

Another beautiful hymn about our Heavenly Mother was written by Chase Harrison (1852-1936), entitled, Our Mother in Heaven. (Juvenile Instructor, March 1, 1892). You can read this lovely hymn as found in the article by Warren P. Aston. Take a moment to read this one; it is lovely.

Enjoy this special Hymn entitled: "Oh, What Songs of the Heart" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir~ Listen carefully to the last verse.

May we all know that someday we will return into the
 arms of our Heavenly Parents. 
I believe this to be true.

Other Articles and Quotes On Heavenly Father And Heavenly Mother~
Decisions For Eternity -
Quotes from President Harold B. Lee - 
The Lord A Role Model For Men and Women -
 Becoming Like God- 

Simple Woman's Daybook Entry~ Back To Blogging, I go!

Be sure and drop by other Simple Day Book Entries Here. 

Enjoy reading and perhaps join the fun!

Outside my window.....it is a partly clouded lovely day. It is a little cool but not bad. I am too busy today to get outside but it has been nice to not have rain for a few days. However, we continue to need the moisture. 

I am thinking...that I have missed reading the blogs of so many dear friends for the last two plus weeks. I really miss you all. It is amazing how you can get so close to so many through writing and commenting on blog posts. I have met some amazing women. They inspire and left me on many days. Everyone has struggles and I am astonished at the faith
and perseverance that my friends have. Also, I enjoy reading about their talents and love when they share pictures and thoughts about their family and friends. I love when they share pictures of their home environments, and places they visit. I love learning about their faith and how it helps them deal with life pressures. I find that when I am in the middle of a crisis of my own they are there to lift, comfort and pray for me as I also pray for them in difficult times. I hope they all know how much I love them. A special thank to those of you that left such loving comforting comments when my Aunt Della and my Brother John passed away recently. Those comments and prayers meant a lot. You know who you are, so love and hugs to you all. 
I will be back reading your blogs and still posting my own; but maybe not as often until I can finish what I originally planned on doing.

I am thankful...for the knowledge that I have that there is more to this life than just our earthly experience. I know that I have a lovely Heavenly Father and I feel also a Heavenly Mother along with my Savior Jesus Christ. I have felt the loving arms of my Savior reaching out to me and walking with me during the last several weeks. I believe in Eternal families and the knowledge that one day I will be with my earthly parents and both brothers and also my own Eternal Companion and our posterity. We are a forever family.

Knowing this has helped me pass through stages of grief that we all will experience in some way. Tears fall but only because I will miss them  and I know that it is not over; there is no end. I also feel at times that they are near me. Perhaps, we all have a guarding angel or two that are near. I would like to think it is a family member from the spirit world. 
In the kitchen...I think I will fixed grilled steaks and salad. Doesn't that sound good? I will need to thaw out the steak soon or it will just be grilled cheese sandwiches. 

I am wearing....a blue house dress and slippers. It is late here and I haven't got dressed yet. This is not really me; but I have just been busy catching up with a dear friend on the phone and then a sweet conversation with my daughter who is living in Texas. 
I am going...to finish this blog and hopefully read a few posts from the blogs I love to read. I then have my temple schedule to do and hopefully get to bed early for our temple shift tomorrow. 
I am wondering.....how our up coming family reunion is going to turn out. We have commitments from all our children; so I am praying they can all come. As a mother I can not stand the thoughts of any Empty Chairs at our reunion. 
I am reading.... The Book of Mormon as always. The good news is that I finally finished 2 Nephi and I am now in the Book of Jacob. It has been a long hard study of 2 Nephi; but I learned so many things that I didn't know before. I especially learned to decipher some of the writings of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and Bible. 

The Visions of Isaiah~

I am continuing to enjoy; "The Triumph of Zion, Our Personal Quest For The New Jerusalem. I am on the last chapter in the book. It is entitled: "Obtaining Zion".I have learned so much about Zion and becoming a Zion person. It is true that in order to have a Zion society one must first be a Zion person. I continue to discover many things about Zion that I did not understand or know before. 

 I am also reading a book entitled: "Refuge and Reality - The Blessings of the Temple by John H. Groberg. This book has many sweet temple experiences that Elder Groberg and dear wife had while serving as the Temple President and Matron of the Idaho Falls Temple.  Elder Groberg was also the author of the book: "In The Eye Of The Storm";on which the movie entitled: "The Other Side of Heaven" was made. It is about his experiences of serving a full time mission in Tonga. Anne Hathaway played his wife in the movie. I would recommend this movie; is was stirring and heartfelt movie. 

Here is the Movie Information~

I am hoping...that I can get my life back to normal. When I originally decided to take a blog and face book vacation for a couple of weeks it was for me to get more organized with a few things in my life. Instead, I ended up spending time with my treasured brother before he passed away. I will cherish every moment with him and his family. I miss him so much.  

I am learning...that often times things don't turn out the way you picture them. In fact, it is probably more true than not. Life does have it's twists and turns; those unannounced moments when things just come along to disrupt your life and put you in a tailspin. Life just happens and we can choose to be happy or sad and I choose to be happy. 

Around the house....I am trying to catch up on a lot of badly needed house work. Next week I will be getting things ready for my oldest daughter to come and stay for several weeks. Her family is moving to Australia mid July. They have to be out of their home by Monday the 10th. They are coming here and then her husband is going to Australia for a few weeks. She will be here with her 5 children. I am of course anxious to have them here. When they move I won't see them as often and it is rather expensive to travel to Australia. I will hope that we can go there while they are there. 

The sweet grandchildren that will be visiting us.

Abbey, Sariah, Levi, Faith and April~ 

I am pondering...nothing. I don't have time to ponder today.

One of my favorite things....to do is go swimming. I haven't went swimming for a very long time. When I was young I went to a swimming pool in our town every day. Later on I had this vivid imagination that I would swim across a lake in Utah called Fish Lake. One year my parents told me I could if I wanted too. I was very excited. However, once I got in the cold lake water; I immediately realize that it was not going to happen in my life time. Of course, I know my parents knew that all along. 

 Fish Lake, Utah

We have fished there many times - lots of good memories~

A pet Peeve.....This is a gross one. I hate it when people don't flush the toilet after using it. I hate outhouses and have used a few through the years. I have even had dreadful dreams about outhouses. 

Something new about me....I have discovered that I really like the color pink. When I was little my mother would dress me in a lot of red and pink. Through the years I have wore more black, gray, white and other deep colors. Now at this age I think I will go for pink. However, my favorite color of all is blue. I love blue skies. Yesterday we went to the temple and as we came out it was so beautiful. The sky was a perfect Pink and Blue. 

Jordan River Temple~

One of my guilty pleasures...popcorn, yup that is a big one. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Temple schedule - Temple Shift - A Rugby game tomorrow. I have never been to one before - A sweet quiet lovely Sabbath Day~

A  Favorite Picture to share......

This is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite Prophets -

 President Gordon B. Hinckley

Be Grateful for the Ride~

Blessings and hugs for all~

Eternal Families - " Because Of Our Savior Jesus Christ"~

If one was to have a perfect season to pass away; Easter would be the time. As I watched my brother slowly slip away there was a sweet peace that filled the room. He died at 6:45 am on Sunday, April 13th surrounded by his loving family. It was truly a beautiful Sabbath Day, orchestrated by a loving Heavenly Father. My dear brother was free for the pains he had suffered, free from the daily cares of this life. He left to go into the spirit world; the next step in his Eternal Life. At that moment of time I knew that he was being greeted  by our dear parents and older brother. All my family was now together with ancestors that had passed on before.
Just think about our Savior Jesus Christ; He died and three days later He rose from the tomb. He  broke the bands of death for us all. We will be resurrected; we will live again. We can be an Eternal Family; # because of Him.
We buried my sweet brother yesterday. Again, it was a beautiful day. It was a day of sadness, a day of healing and a day of peace. Truly it was a day of remembrance of his life and a day to honor him.

 This is my oldest brother, Mac's family- He passed away at the of 74 in 2010

This is my family and my brother John's family on his Funeral Day
He too was just 74 years old~

Each of his 5 endearing children shared poignant thoughts about their individual relationships with him. Each bore testimony that they would see him again and be together as an eternal family. We all felt his spirit near. His lovely wife was at peace and felt overjoyed with all the loving thoughts her children expressed about their Dad and Mom.  The meeting was sweet and tender; the feelings of the spirit were there.

This is my brother John's wife, Gloria and their children~

A few of the children and the Bishop who closed the service shared some thoughts from a resent message given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in our recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His talk was entitled: "Grateful In Any Circumstances". Here are a few statements from this talk. 
"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances-whatever they may be.
When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ's Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace.

 Jesus Christ in Gethsemane

 Our Beloved Savior on the cross~

Our Resurrected, Savior of the world~ 

Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.
True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will.
In any circumstance, our sense of gratitude is nourished by the many and sacred truths we do know: that our Father has given His children the great plan of happiness: that through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can live forever with our loved ones; that in the end, we will have glorious, perfect, and immortal bodies, unburdened by sickness or disability; and that our tears of sadness and loss will be replaced with an abundance of happiness and joy, "good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."
There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings...........Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny. The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruption--temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful. 
How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."
What as so wonderful about this talk was that I was with my brother when we were watching it on TV. It was one of his last days of being alert. He watched this session with his eyes opened; so I knew he was hearing it. I knew this message was bringing peace to him. All of us that were watching this together felt that the talk was just for them. There was a deep peace in the room that day. 
I am deeply grateful for the time I spent with this precious brother of mine. I know that we are sealed to our parents and brother for all eternity. I know that my own family is an eternal family and it is #Because of Him. 

"Because of Him" - My Brother Will Live Again~

# Because of Him

My dear brother John was recently told that his cancer was back. It had metastasized into his spine and brain. He was given about 2 months to live. In actuality he only lived two more weeks. I feel so blessed that I was able to be with him and his loving family for a few days while he was still able to communicate.

 My husband, Roger, Brother John and Me~

Here is my brother John, his wife Gloria, his three daughters, wife Gloria 
and their precious grandchildren~

Within a few days, he slowly slipped into a coma  He passed away peacefully, early in the morning on a beautiful Sabbath Day. I felt so blessed to be here with his family. 
Grieving is hard work. Having been a hospice nurse for 7 years I am familiar with the grieving process. The emotions are difficult at times. I even had brief moments of anger because he is the last from my family. However, because of Him our Savior Jesus Christ I know he will live again and I know that I will see him again. I know that he is sealed to my parents and brother Mac. We are an eternal family. I know that #BecauseofHim my brother had a wonderful reunion in the spirit world with my sweet father, mother and brother along with many other relative that have gone before. 
This Easter is the time to share our thoughts on our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Let's spread the hopeful and joy filled message of Jesus Christ~ 
Here you can find stories and videos on "The Meaning Of Easter".

Come Listen To A Prophet's Voice~

Although I am still on a Blog and Face Book break; I thought I would post the following information on the upcoming General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that begins tomorrow. 
We believe in a living Prophet and 12 Apostles. They  along with other assigned general authorities and Woman  leaders over the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society programs will be delivering messages of  faith in Jesus Christ, hope, love, service, missionary work and etc. over the next two days. 

The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints~

The 12 Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints~

The General Relief Society Presidency~

The General Young Women Presidency~

The General Primary Presidency~

Here is the information for how to view this conference. 
Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, 2014. The Saturday general sessions will be at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. MDT. Sunday sessions will be on 9:30 a.m., which includes "Music and the Spoken word," and 2 p.m. The general priesthood meeting will be held in the Conference Center on Saturday, April 5, at 6 p.m.
You can find more information on the Church and it's Leaders here.here.

WATCH, LISTEN

General conference is broadcast via satellite to church meetinghouses throughout the world, and it is available through television, radio, the Internet and other media.

Go to bonneville.info and click on “General Conference” for a complete list of TV, radio or satellite reception options for all 50 states, plus Canada and Bermuda, or call 1-800-537-3063 for general conference inquiries.

On the Web: Live broadcast will be available through conference.lds.org (video and audio), Facebook.com/LDS, LDS General Conference YouTube Channel, BYUtv and BYUtv International as well as through the Mormon Channel (app, website and Roku Channel).

What is General conference ~

I will be back in a couple of weeks to catch up on your blog posts.
Blessings, love and hugs!
LeAnn

Simple Woman's Daybook - Prayer Needed Today~

Be sure and drop by other Simple Day Book Entries Here. 

Enjoy reading and perhaps join the fun!

Outside my window.....It is a very dreary day. Yesterday there was a hope for spring and now we are back in the rain with the temperatures in the low 40's. We are in drought conditions and need the snow and rain. I would say our prayers are being answered. 

I am thinking...that it would be nice right this minute to take off to a movie or maybe a mini vacation; sounds wonderful. It's not going to happen; but I will put it on my wish list for sometime soon. 

I am thankful...today for the simple and wondrous daily moments when I feel that I am being watched over and blessed by a loving Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for prayer.  I do have a true testimony of the power of prayer. I know I have discussed this before but I am grateful to know that I can pray anytime and anywhere. For the past several days I have been wearing holes in the knees of my pants as I have keeled and offered intense prayers in behalf of my husband, my brother and his family, my children, grandchildren and a dear friend. Each of my children are carrying heavy burdens of care. My dear brother has been in the hospital this week and his cancer has spread to his Spine. He is my only sibling left.  My sweet husband has not passed his kidney stone yet; so he was back to the doctor today. A dear friend has had so many health issues since she was in a severe car accident 3 years ago. My heart has been saddened by all of these difficulties. My prayers have been more fervent and tears have wet my pillow. 
After taking with my brother I felt great peace. He has a positive attitude and plans to live his life to the fullest. With his positive thoughts my spirit was lifted. I do believe that faith proceeds the miracle. Prayer does bring me peace. I know that my Savior is near and walks with me. I am grateful for this precious gift of prayer. 
I am grateful for the temple. At the temple I receive comfort and peace. I have often received answers to prayers while in the temple. I have also felt close to those who have passed through this life. I have had some sweet spiritual experiences within the walls of the temple. 
Here is a picture of the temple I serve in. 

You can read more about temples here:

In the kitchen...I was going to cook something simple tonight. However, my dear husband had to run an errand so he said he would bring back some salmon sandwiches for dinner. Yeah!

I am wearing....black pants, teal silk blouse, black socks and shoes and a black sweater. Today we are back to sweater weather. 
I am going...to finish up this blog and do some journaling. I am a bit behind on my journal. 
I am wondering.....how my dear grandson is doing in the MTC. He did email his parents on Monday; so they forwarded it to me.  It was such a wonderful email telling his family how much he is enjoying being in the Missionary Training Center. He is learning so much and is so filled with the Spirit. He is excited to be learning how to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so proud of him. 
I am reading.... The Book of Mormon as always. I am through with the writings of Nephi in The Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi: 7-26; which was about the prophecies of Isaiah. I learned so much more about the writings of Isaiah. The study manual I am using had me cross reference with the writings of Isaiah in the Bible.  I have spent a lot of time in these chapters. 

The Visions of Isaiah~

I am continuing to enjoy; "The Triumph of Zion, Our Personal Quest For The New Jerusalem. I have learned so much about Zion and becoming a Zion person. It is true that in order to have a Zion society one must first be a Zion person. I am discovering many things about Zion that I did not understand or know before. 

I just started reading this book and I am loving it. The  challenge in the book is to do What a Holy Woman would do. The author asked several woman in different stages of life to act upon 

what they think a holy woman would do in their day to day life experiences. Their stories were compelling. 

 I am hoping...that those I love can have life a little easier. I am hoping that prayers will be answered. I am hoping that I can accept the Lord's will in the lives of others and myself. I  learn many lessons from my day to day life experiences. Usually, the hard times are just more blessings in disguise.  I do know that the difficulties of life cause me to reach for our Savior more often and my prayers are more focused. I become more humble and teachable. 

I am looking forward...to spring. I will be so happy to see the sun peek out from behind the clouds as it warms the earth. 

I am learning....more about what is really important in my life. I want to know what is the most important thing to be doing with my time and energies.
Around the house..I am not doing all that much. I do need clean my house. In fact, I am planning on starting some spring cleaning soon. 
I am pondering...upon going on a technology break. I need a blog and face book vacation. I plan to do this for a couple of weeks. I may peek into your days once in a while during this time. I love to read your posts. You need to know that you are true friends and I love you and enjoy following your thoughts and life experiences. I am not sure I will be able to go on this vacation for very long. There is a slight addiction with this. I will miss you all!

One of my favorite things....is visiting with dear friends either in person or on the phone. 

A pet Peeve.....I am really tired of not being able to actually talk with people on the phone anymore, especially family and close friends. With face book and texting we don't communicate on a one on one basis. It makes me sad, I like to hear the sweet voices of those I love. 

Something new about me....is I love art. I wish I could draw or paint. We have several lovely paintings in our home. My favorite is a picture of the Savior entitled; "Walk With Me" by Greg Olsen.

I also have a lovely picture of the First Vision that my children gave us us a few years ago along with their written testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

First Vision by Leon Parson - If you want to know about the First Vision you can look here.

One of my guilty pleasures...I love to take naps and I need one right now. I don't take naps very often. Sometimes, on a Saturday afternoon after our temple shift, I fall a sleep for a while. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Do my temple schedule - catch up my journal - My son's family is coming tomorrow to stay overnight. They are flying to San Diego for fun in the sun - Saturday, the temple of course and then Sunday is just always sweet.  

A  Favorite Picture to share......

Enjoy The Moments! 
Blessings and hugs for all~