That was crazy. The same day I put out a plea for help, it arrived. Big time. With your kindness, a great deal, and my savings, I will be able to pull the trigger and replace my broken computer. I am thrilled.
I was also overwhelmed. The vast majority of the comments were kind, and supportive – and I thank you for that. It was very humbling to be on the receiving end of such kindness. It was flattering, and humbling, and uncomfortable – all at the same time.
I want you all to know how grateful I am to each of you, and that I bear no ill will to those needed to let it be known that they disagreed with what I was doing.
To those of you who have books coming, I will get them out ASAP.
No Sabbath post for tomorrow, and no regular post until next Thursday, but I do have a thought – On Friday night, I posted the following:
What followed was a thread of over 130 comments that were inspiring, uplifting and wonderful. They made my heart turn towards gratitude, after a difficult week.
Perhaps that’s what we might continue with:
I’ll start: I discovered I have a whole bunch of digital friends that I have never even met, who care about me, and help me, and love me. I feel blessed.
Your turn: Ready? Go!
My wife and I dropped off our son to the MTC on Wednesday the 20th of March. As a RM from 85 to 87 I know the highs, the lows and the dedication required to be a good missionary and I am excited for him. He goes to Rome, Italy and he is so ready and excited. For me though, it is the best of times and the worst of times. I feel a deep and real loss, a hole in my heart. It is time for my wife and I to start becoming empty nesters. I figure I am morning not having kids at home and both are hard. I cannot wait for the first email though.
On another subject, I have always accessed your blog through google reader, which is going away on July first, do you have an alternative suggestion for me and your other readers?
One of our sons got his mission calll this past week. He’ll be going to the Mexico Monterrey East mission. One of our other sons (on a mission right now) got to call home for 10 minutes to see where his brother was going. They will miss each other on the coming and going, but I am so thankful they have chosen to serve!
My Mom who is mostly wheelchair bound was able to make it to the RSL (soccer) home opener on Saturday. It is one of her favorite things to do and I’m glad she was able to muster the strength and determination to make it down and up those stairs (she won’t give up her regular season seats for wheelchair accessible ones).
I was extremely worried about my son, a return missionary. He was dating a girl who was not good for him. He had let go of some of his standards. I prayed that this relationship would end. My prayers have been answered. It ended and he is healing and coming back. I feel so blessed.
I was sitting at an airport on Saturday, reading a digitally-loaned book from the library about Disneyland…wondering when I could possibly go again. Then it donned on me. I have a whole week in April that I know that I will be home from work…and a short flight from Phoenix will get me there. Free hotel rooms with hotel points: check. Call my Mom…she is IN! And so is my fourteen year-old brother, who loves Disneyland ALMOST as much as us.
So we are going there in April! It will be perfect crowds, perfect weather, and (did I mention) crazy cheap! Five days in paradise with two people whom I love dearly.
Can’t beat that! Now…if only I could stop thinking about Disneyland so I could actually get some sleep!
It’s nothing new, but the thing I keep thinking about is I got to read the Book of Mormon every day this week and it was a huge blessing each day. I take the scriptures for granted too much.
My 20 yo son told us that he wants to go on a mission. Yeah!
I had number EIGHT grandchild. (Seven living) That makes 5 boys and 3 girls for us.
I think the best part of my week was knowing that a trial I have had lately is coming to an end. We have had a bedbug problem lately (we don’t believe it came from us) and the landlord was not willing to help us. We searched and searched for a company that would be reasonable. A college student can’t pay a lot. We found a company that learned quickly that we shared common beliefs in being mormon and are willing to help us for a quarter of the cost. I have felt like I have had mosquitto bites all over my arms and legs for months now and I am done with it.
I am a college girl with a severe problem with asking my friends for help (despite their best efforts to get me to just ask) This last week, I was practicing something or other, and fainted. I came to long enough to text them for help, because I had hit my head and was unable to support my own weight. They spent the next hour helping me. My best friend gave me a blessing. I was so blessed to have those people around to protect me.
Today I listened to my sweet wife speak about the blessings of serving a mission to a group of motivated youth at a fireside. She helped them to feel the Spirit and better understand the importance of serving as a full-time missionary. I was reminded, yet again, of the wonderful wife I have. Also a member of our ward was kind enough to babysit so that we could attend the late evening fireside.
all these comments have been so uplifting!!
My husband has been recognized at work after all his hard work for our family. We now have the opportunity to better provide for our family!
Emily
AuntSue
Spent Saturday afternoon and evening with my two beautiful granddaughters, 12 and 5 months. We visited my parents, fetched well water with Great Grandfather, learned a new song on the piano, made an Easter card, walked the dog, visited with neighbors, laughed at a movie and snuggled to sleep. What a joy in posterity day.
My husband and I spent the entire weekend purchasing plane tickets, booking hotel reservations, and making plans for a 2 week trip around China. It was EXHAUSTING but it is all done and we are so proud that we got it all done and so excited to take this trip!
My husband gets to go to Germany every two years as a Chaperone on an exchange trip. I don’t ever get to go because it would just cost too much. I remember praying several months ago that I would be able to go, knowing that the Lord could grant such a request, but not expecting that he would. I just found out two days ago that there is a spot for an extra chaperone, so I can go for free! I feel so blessed!
My husband and I attended the funeral of a man who was our bishop back in the late 70’s and early 80’s when we first moved to WA state. He was missionary focused through and through and his stake president told of his dedication in the face of dying. He had been released from his mission leader calling a week before he passed on. Such a great example of enduring to the end.
I went to the grocery store with my last twenty dollars.
bought a carton of eggs so I will be able to eat for at least 12 more days. I even brought home change, I am so grateful for all that God does for me. It is a beautiful day.
My husband’s 6 month MRI was Tuesday and we found out that the CyberKnife radiation worked and his brain tumor is dying and going away. It was what we had felt was happening but to see the image and get that confirmation was amazing. What a tremendous blessing it is to feel the hand of the Lord in your life!
Wonderful, fantastic, lovely news!!!!
Two of my sisters had their baby girls on my dad’s birthday this past week. It was awesome!
Also, Sundays at church are really hard because it’s nap time and there’s so much going on my baby will NOT take a nap. If she isn’t busy, she’s mad. The dear sisters in my ward were so kind to let my little girl play with their kids’ toys to keep her busy. (Apparently her toys are boring.) And, one sister who has a baby in the NICU right now kept holding, playing with, and retrieving my baby. The last two blocks were back to back simple acts of service for which I am so humbled and grateful. It was indeed miraculous to be the recipient of such sweet service.
I got to go to my grandmother’s birthday dinner. I’m the only active one in my family, so I think I have let that separate me too much from the inactive members of my family. So involved with my life two hours away from them all, I never let spending time with my grandma and aunts and uncles this week become a priority. A mistake, I’ve realized. Lately I’ve made an effort, so last night I drove three hours to get to said birthday dinner at a fabulous So Cal restaurant, and laughed and talked and grinned for hours. Grateful for the new (and right) perspective. I’m turning 30 this year, and I am thankful to leave my 20s behind. An adult woman emerges! So, this week I rediscovered how great it is to be with family.
I felt deathly sick one evening but I have a newborn that I need to take care of (i.e. feed every 3 hours). Between fever and violent chills I knew I wasn’t up to it. I prayed fervently for healing that I could care for him and my other 3 kids the next day and over the course of the night my fever broke and I felt right as rain the next day. As a mom to little kids, a blessing of healing was a huge miracle.
Got a text from the Bishop that my son’s mission assignment has been made. Now just waiting for the letter to come!
My baby–number 4, our little leprechaun–turned 2 today. That was a beautiful blessing in itself, but it made me think about what a joy she has been every step of the way. My mother in law has often said of children, “You get the ones you need when you need them”, and this girl is almost all goodness. During a very dark time in our lives, she was a bright ray of sunshine: happy, easy, surprising unselfish and quite accommodating for her age, a phenomenal sleeper right from the start, generous and obedient. She was our link to sanity during a very hard time, and we were better parents to our other wonderful kids during that time because of her presence.
My best moment this week was when my husband kneeled down on the 10th anniversary of the day we got engaged to propose again, with our 4 kids clamoring around us. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
I flew home to the states for my father’s funeral. My life in China has been a little boring lately, so every time I saw a show about skiing, I dreamed about trying it some day. While I was in Utah for the funeral, I decided to head up to Sundance where my son works as a “liftee” on the ski lifts. It was my first time skiing. I did terrible. But I did survive, which is more than my family thought would happen. I asked my son to show me where the “bunny hills” were. He thought I would learn better by doing, so took me to a harder course. Luckily my fear is greater than my sense of adventure, so I walked down the steep parts, and went to the real bunny hills for awhile. Next time I’m staying on the bunny hills the whole time… Just that weekend, my sister had been walking across the lawn in the snow and fell and broke her ankle. This made me nervous about my upcoming skiing adventure. Then the thought came to me, “My sister broke ankle walking across the lawn. Am I going to stop walking across the lawn now?” I decided that fear is a silly emotion, and I pursued my skiing dream. I had fun, and I think I will try it again some time.
Today I watched my daughter say pray and fold her arms during sacrament meeting. She is 2 1/2 and has Down syndrome. It was great to see how amazing my daughter is and how much she understands.
I was able to attend the funeral of a young man (21) who has been fighting cancer for the last three years. I had not associated with him but his Dad is my cousin and a FB friend. To hear of his life, his courage, his struggles and the inspiration he had been to others was so uplifting and heartwarming. I actually cried real wet tears this time. Tears of both mourning and of joy.. The second great thing this week was to watch as your friends rallied in your behalf, reminding me that we are all children of a loviing Heavenly Father that has placed us here to help and lift one another even when we don’t even know who you are, other than our brother in the Gospel.
I had baby #3 last Saturday and all this week we are being spoiled with love from Heaven, and Grandma–which is a form of Heaven on earth.
I got to listen to Elder Bednar speak in my Sacrament meeting today. I’ve been busting at the seams for a week wanting to tell somebody he was coming! Great comments – so glad he came.
I have this new friend who in his time of need and being a little desperate, reached out to others for help. This isn’t his normal way of dealing with adversity and it felt awkward to him. However, he sent out a plea and gave others the opportunity to help him – and they themselves received blessings for extending their love, concern, appreciation as well as monetary help. I only wish I could have been on that list of helpers – it would have been my great pleasure. Thank you, friend for setting the example of how we can receive graciously and give generously making life work the way the Savior has taught us. Without receiving, there can be no giving. What a world that would be!
Love your comment, cc. 🙂
Love your comment, too. I’m grateful for people who live what they profess. I needed to see that.
Love this. :0)
I spent two hours in the family history library and found the next step in a family line that was stuck…not only the parents but the siblings as well. It was AWESOME…technology is so cool. That would have taken me several weeks of research 20 years ago.
Bonus note: I was really sick last night and my sweet husband got up with the baby even though he had early morning church meetings 🙂
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interact with a bunch of digital friends, who make me laugh, but at the same time showed me the power of good each of us has in each others lives. MMM – you weren’t the only one blessed. And isn’t that the real beauty of it all? Yes. Yes it is.
I confirmed yesterday that I am unexpectedly, blessedly, pregnant with baby #6. Still trying to wrap my head around it as my youngest is 4 and I have NO baby gear or maternity clothes left. Haven’t even told my husband yet, though I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.
Hey sweetie, if you read the comments today…surprise!
Don’t worry Kelly, if the Lord sent the baby, He will also send the stuff. We had a surprise #9, our youngest was 7. All the baby stuff and maternity stuff had been passed off long ago. We had everything we needed plus.
Congratulations!!
I had the opportunity yesterday to spend four hours being taught in a leadership meeting by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Elder Donald Hallstrom and Bishop Gerald Causse. Best Church meeting I’ve ever attended, and I’ve been fortunate to attend some very good ones. That was awesome, but it was only the second best part of my week. I was finally feeling well enough this week after a long illness to get out in the yard and play baseball with my sons and show my love for them that way. A very good week, all-in-all.
I think I already shared with you, I am so over joyed that I will just share again. My husband is home from Washington DC and he is alive and in one piece. He was out there for work and had a stroke, the long term damage could have been really bad but it isn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. That was a weird and unpleasant feeling to have my heart in two places. Things do have a way of working out sometimes!
I am SO happy for you Missy! You’ve been on my mind!
I gave birth to my 4th child this week! All my other baby’s births have involved doctors yelling at me and being rather mean and nasty, so this time, after much prayer and deliberation, I chose to give birth at home with a midwife. Everything went beautifully, and after only three hours of labor and a few minutes of pushing, I had a perfect little son! What greater blessing could I hope for?
I live in an amazing neighborhood with amazing neighbors!! We have a very active Neighborhood Watch. On Friday night a car theif ditched his car in our cul de sac and tried to jump a couple of fences. He ended up in our next door neighbors back yard. He tried to get the guy, but the thief jumped over the fence into a neighboring apartment complex and got away. A short while later, while my neighbor was taking our kids to school, he saw the guy again. He ran after hom, in bare feet, and talked him and held him down until the police got there!! What a blessing to have wonderful people around us who protect not only their families, but their neighbors as well! A true Samaritan!!
I attended a conference for young and youngish at heart widows and widowers. I was reminded that we are never alone. I was reminded that Heavenly Father knows me and loves me. http://Www.ldswidowsconference.com
We have a Facebook page too. Membership has a high cost, but I learned a phrase yesterday that will be the title of my new journal “Compensatory Blessings”