My favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon is visit some of the people in the neighborhood...tonite's visits included:
SA - whose daughter is battling drug and alcohol addiction....it reminded me that we each carry heavy burdens and we should not feel like we are the only ones suffering.
DC - who spoke in church and gave the most incredible talk about patience. She is always an inspiration to me with her amazing faith and knowledge of the Gospel.
DB - just dropped in to see if she is feeling any better...she has health issues and is recovering from colon cancer. Her husband is on dialysis. It reminded me to be grateful for health when we have it.
SS - is on her way to see a neurologist in SLC tomorrow. She suffers from pain and cannot get any relief. Aside from being in a wheelchair, she now has this debilitating pain which she is hoping the doctor can help her with. It reminded me to be grateful for mobility.
RMJ - oh my heck, what a great way to end the visits; which were all pretty short. She is from Brazil, beautiful, talented, classy, and just fun. And a talker. But, such a fun, delightful person. Visiting her was a great reminder of the many wonderful people who come from all over the world.
All in all, I realize there are so many good good people in our neighborhood; many with challenges, ALL with faith and HOPE.
I do love Sundays.
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
3.25.2012
11.17.2009
Attitude Adjustment
Dangnabit! I said to myself. In addition to my regular Monday housecleaning chores, I have this huge to-do list of errands:
As I was driving to the high school, I thought of Sylvia.
I knew that she would love to be driving down the road running errands. But, she is wheelchair bound. When I visited her last week, she said, (not in a complaining, whiney voice...just matter of fact tone), "Yeah, sometimes it gets tiring just sitting in this room all day."
E*P*I*P*H*A* N*Y moment!
Suddenly, I wasn't dismayed at my list of to-dos. I was so grateful to be out on an incredibly gorgeous day. I looked around at the trees changing colors. I smiled at the beautiful, healthy high school students.
I was GLAD to be able to run errands!
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this moment in time.
Things may change, fortunes may turn, health may deteriorate; but for those moments, I was so thrilled to drive down a road, to walk into a building, to pick up something with my hands, to visit with Amanda in the store.
And, thank you, Sylvia, for your patience in affliction and for reminding me how blessed I truly am!
High school (to retrieve something left behind..wasn't there)
get gas
grocery shop for company coming to dinner
health office to pay for shot (they wouldn't do it by phone)
Costco (Christmas present before they run out...there were 2 left...I needed 3)
post office (mail package to my brother for 60th birthday)
As I was driving to the high school, I thought of Sylvia.
I knew that she would love to be driving down the road running errands. But, she is wheelchair bound. When I visited her last week, she said, (not in a complaining, whiney voice...just matter of fact tone), "Yeah, sometimes it gets tiring just sitting in this room all day."
E*P*I*P*H*A* N*Y moment!
Suddenly, I wasn't dismayed at my list of to-dos. I was so grateful to be out on an incredibly gorgeous day. I looked around at the trees changing colors. I smiled at the beautiful, healthy high school students.
I was GLAD to be able to run errands!
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this moment in time.
Things may change, fortunes may turn, health may deteriorate; but for those moments, I was so thrilled to drive down a road, to walk into a building, to pick up something with my hands, to visit with Amanda in the store.
And, thank you, Sylvia, for your patience in affliction and for reminding me how blessed I truly am!
8.08.2009
Friends: Life's Great Blessings
A lot of years ago, Allen said that he loved to see people having a good time; it is really fun to see people we love enjoying life.
Here are just a very few of the many friends who have helped me love and enjoy life; thank you dear, dear friends, for your great influence in my life!
4.13.2009
Beautiful Easter Sabbath
Easter started in Abbots Bromley with the chimes ringing. It had been a long time since I've heard bells; going back to Rexburg and the carillon bells at Ricks/BYUI. It was a lovely sound early in the morning.
As we headed to church in Lichfield, about 12 miles away, we saw church-goers walking home after their Easter services. I love little towns.
Favorite quote from Sunday School:
Comment from member quoting Neal Maxwell - "Sometimes we find ourselves in the thick of thin things."
Sacrament meeting was about to start - a very tall, dark, and handsome young elder asked if the seat beside me was taken? I asked him where he was from. Then I started to laugh out loud; Elder Bedford is from St. George, Utah. When we compared addresses, we learned that we live only about one mile from each other in the big city of St. George, Utah. I told him I'll contact his mother when I get home.
The other elder, from Sandy, Utah, has a winter home in St. George. He told us he had spent many times in Southern, Utah. He, too, lives a short distance from our home and from the home of his companion. We had a good chuckle over that.
The coincidences (are they really, though) don't stop there. After a wonderful testimony meeting, I thanked a lady for her beautiful and sincere commitment to the gospel. She asked where we were from; when we told her we were from St. George, Utah, she asked us if we knew...Royal Stocking.
(Now, bear in mind, that Allen and I have only been in St. George for a relatively short time.) Ha! Do we know him?!?!? In our former ward, his new wife and I were visiting teaching companions. "In fact," I said somewhat rather unabashedly, "my husband and I are responsbile for his meeting and marrying his new wife after his first wife died."
(Just a side note here: Allen and I are always trying to line people up. It doesn't usually work: but we have had 2 success stories, and one of them was the very person she was asking about!)
It seems that Royal (the man he knew from Utah) and his wife had worked for the church in England many years before, and Brother Manners (the man in England) had worked with him.
I am still amazed at how often we visit wards far from home, and meet someone whom we know or who knows someone we know. It's such a small world in the church! (The farthest I've been from home and met someone I knew was in St. Petersburg, Russia, and met my former babysitter from many, many years beforehand...that was astonishing that she was at the same church meeting I was!)
But, our Easter Sabbath was not complete yet.
We had been invited to dinner by Tony and Patricia Jayes; a lovely couple that are friends of the people whose home we are staying in. Tony and Patricia are classy, elegant, charming; just as you would expect an English couple to be. She couldn't believe that we don't drink tea. She can't live without her several cups of tea a day.
What a delicious and delightful meal she had prepared. Their home is so lovely and filled with china, pottery, knick knacks, etc., that she has collected from her travels all over the world.+edit+j.jpg)
A beautiful ending to a beautiful Easter Sabbath. I give thanks for our blessings and this opportunity.
As we headed to church in Lichfield, about 12 miles away, we saw church-goers walking home after their Easter services. I love little towns.
Favorite quote from Sunday School:
Comment from member quoting Neal Maxwell - "Sometimes we find ourselves in the thick of thin things."
Sacrament meeting was about to start - a very tall, dark, and handsome young elder asked if the seat beside me was taken? I asked him where he was from. Then I started to laugh out loud; Elder Bedford is from St. George, Utah. When we compared addresses, we learned that we live only about one mile from each other in the big city of St. George, Utah. I told him I'll contact his mother when I get home.
The other elder, from Sandy, Utah, has a winter home in St. George. He told us he had spent many times in Southern, Utah. He, too, lives a short distance from our home and from the home of his companion. We had a good chuckle over that.
The coincidences (are they really, though) don't stop there. After a wonderful testimony meeting, I thanked a lady for her beautiful and sincere commitment to the gospel. She asked where we were from; when we told her we were from St. George, Utah, she asked us if we knew...Royal Stocking.
(Now, bear in mind, that Allen and I have only been in St. George for a relatively short time.) Ha! Do we know him?!?!? In our former ward, his new wife and I were visiting teaching companions. "In fact," I said somewhat rather unabashedly, "my husband and I are responsbile for his meeting and marrying his new wife after his first wife died."
(Just a side note here: Allen and I are always trying to line people up. It doesn't usually work: but we have had 2 success stories, and one of them was the very person she was asking about!)
It seems that Royal (the man he knew from Utah) and his wife had worked for the church in England many years before, and Brother Manners (the man in England) had worked with him.
I am still amazed at how often we visit wards far from home, and meet someone whom we know or who knows someone we know. It's such a small world in the church! (The farthest I've been from home and met someone I knew was in St. Petersburg, Russia, and met my former babysitter from many, many years beforehand...that was astonishing that she was at the same church meeting I was!)
But, our Easter Sabbath was not complete yet.
We had been invited to dinner by Tony and Patricia Jayes; a lovely couple that are friends of the people whose home we are staying in. Tony and Patricia are classy, elegant, charming; just as you would expect an English couple to be. She couldn't believe that we don't drink tea. She can't live without her several cups of tea a day.
What a delicious and delightful meal she had prepared. Their home is so lovely and filled with china, pottery, knick knacks, etc., that she has collected from her travels all over the world.
A beautiful ending to a beautiful Easter Sabbath. I give thanks for our blessings and this opportunity.
3.10.2009
Gratitude Attitude
Today while running errands, I was overwhelmingly grateful for 4 things:
1. Health - at this time in my life. I went to the hospital to visit my cousin Karole, who has cancer, and other health problems. Seeing her so weak and helpless made me realize - again - that every day we can walk, talk, and breathe is a gift.
2. Food - particularly fast food when I'm in a hurry. I hadn't eaten breakfast; it was noon - I was hungry, so I drove through Taco Time. (Our daughter, Kristi, once made up the best song ever about Taco Time. We all used to beg her to sing it to us...something about the food makes you want to smile and the cheese stretches out about a mile...) Ironically, while I was waiting for the very few minutes for the food to be processed I was reading an article about Pioneer life and Pioneer meals. This verse was in the article:
1. Health - at this time in my life. I went to the hospital to visit my cousin Karole, who has cancer, and other health problems. Seeing her so weak and helpless made me realize - again - that every day we can walk, talk, and breathe is a gift.
2. Food - particularly fast food when I'm in a hurry. I hadn't eaten breakfast; it was noon - I was hungry, so I drove through Taco Time. (Our daughter, Kristi, once made up the best song ever about Taco Time. We all used to beg her to sing it to us...something about the food makes you want to smile and the cheese stretches out about a mile...) Ironically, while I was waiting for the very few minutes for the food to be processed I was reading an article about Pioneer life and Pioneer meals. This verse was in the article:
"Rabbit young, Rabbit old,
Rabbit hot, Rabbit cold,
Rabbit tender and Rabbit tough,
Oh please, Dear Lord,
We've had enough."
from Pioneer magazine, Vol. 56, page 9
WOW, I was so struck with how easy I had it, and the incredible variety of foods that we can choose from. I drove through TT with my car and picked up something to eat. Tonight, I'll thaw some fish from the freezer and bake it in an oven...how easy is that? My errands took me to the grocery store where I bought some boneless, skinless chicken. I'll stir fry that another night with some veggies that I also picked up at the store.
I've got it easy...and I'm very, very grateful!
3. Deseret Industries - great place to drop off items that I no longer need, but that are still very usable; like a great pair of running shoes that got to be too tight for me. That, and other still-good items. I love that someone will be so excited to get a pink sweater that is new, but didn't fit me! Or, a very lovely formal blue dress to wear on a cruise. Oh, I dropped off some good stuff. Someone is going to be glad they went shopping at DI today!
4. Family History Center - I am so grateful for our 2 missions there. I dropped by to visit Elaine Booth and get some advice from her about something to do with family history. I saw several people who were there when we served our missions. They are the best people and it was fun to see them. I'm very, very grateful for that opportunity that we had to serve.
Of course, I'm grateful for lots more, but those things were in my head today.
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