The Other Side
March 22, 2009 at 12:42 am | Posted in blessings, challenges, family, Florida, life's ups and downs, love, meditation, open door, prayer | 3 CommentsTags: death, eternity, faith, family, hope, Jesus Christ, loved ones, Mormon Temples, optimism, Orlando, sense of humor, trials
I’m going to depart a bit from my normal silly self tonight and share something very personal and dear to me. Most of my friends know that over the past couple of years or so several members of my family have joined our dear ones on the other side of this life’s veil and my son has on two occasions come very close to joining them as well. In the fall of 2006 my darling dad passed away. Two weeks later Chad came way too close to death’s door with aspiration pneumonia and two weeks after ending our 3 week hospital stay with that Chad’s sweet brother, Curtis, died shortly after having gall bladder surgery. In 2007 we came to realize the seriousness of my baby brother, Brian’s, illness from which he died in February of 2008. Summer of 2008 began with Chad falling and having a spiral fracture of his upper left arm, which was very incapacitating for him and as he was just about to get over that he developed severe gall stones and had to have gall bladder surgery almost exactly 2 years from the day that Curtis had his surgery. The surgery went well but he again developed aspiration pneumonia and our intensive care stay seemed endless.
People often comment to me that I seem to take these things in stride and have a good outlook about everything. Some wonder how I do it. There are two very special things that help me to keep my perspective up and give me hope. Please allow me to share them with you.
One of those is my sense of humor, which I hope comes through in my blogs. There is always something humorous to be found in even the very worst of situations. I like what someone once said about the opposite of this condition. I believe it was either Dallin Oaks or Russell Ballard that said, “no situation in life can be so horrible that it can’t be made worse by complaining about it.” I actually paraphrased that and I’m really not quite sure who originally said it, but you get my drift.
The second thing that keeps me looking up is my faith. I cherish my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I cherish the teachings of Jesus Christ which I learn there. It is those teachings which give me hope and which continually strengthen my faith. Our Temples are in many ways a symbol of our faith and I’d like to share the following video to help others understand something of the peace the Temple brings me and the great help it gives me through life’s difficulties. Please enjoy this short video about our Temples. Perhaps you will begin to understand the strength of my faith and perhaps, too, it will take some of the mystery out of the “Mormon” fascination with Temples.
Hmmmm…………I think I feel a Temple Trip coming on…..! 
Mama and Daddy outside the Orlando Temple
Those two old love birds!
Memories of Christmas Past
December 26, 2008 at 3:25 am | Posted in challenges, Christmas, Cute, family, Holiday, humor, life's ups and downs, love | 4 CommentsTags: adversity, hope, I got you, love
Love at Home
Today was a lovely Christmas. We gathered at my sister Barb’s house and had a wonderful dinner and beautiful entertainment from nieces and nephews. My how our family has grown from the “starter” family pictured above: Daddy, Mama, me, Becky and Barbara. Was that the Christmas I had the mumps on both sides? Hmm….those chubby cheeks could just be BABY FAT!!!! In the few years that followed this picture, Linda and Brian joined our family and boy did life get exciting then! The excitement just keeps coming!
I was touched by a unique gift prepared by my niece, Natalie and given to me by Mama. It is a book Natalie made entitled Hello Darling, Love letters of Vernon Allen and Doris Spears, 1950-51. It consists solely of letters written by my parents to each other during the time they were dating and Daddy was teaching in a neighboring county. They apparently saw each other on Wednesday evenings and on the weekends when Daddy made the long trip back home. At first it was hard to read love letters written by my parents to each other. I felt like I was peeping around the corner and eavesdropping on their lives and feelings for each other. After awhile I got past that and realized that my dad was a much more affectionate man than I ever realized. As he got older and became a school principal he became very business like in his letters and phone calls (at least to us kids–of course he wasn’t DATING us!)
Another thing I realized which was a big shocker was that before they got married Mama called HER mama “Mom” and Daddy called his mama “Mother.” I can honestly say I never ever heard either one of them call their mothers anything but “Mama” my whole entire life. Another shocker was that Daddy actually talked to his mom about dating Mama. Evidently he and Mama had gone for a drive one day and the car got stuck in the sand and Uncle Edward had to walk a long way to help them out. Grandma Olie was amused and asked Daddy if he and “Doris” were glad to get out of the sand. He told her he thought Doris was but that he kinda liked being stuck with her. I just can’t imagine Daddy and Grandma Olie having that conversation.
I was really impressed with all the I miss you so much’s and l love you’s and I’m lonely for you’s. Who ever knew my dad was such a sentimental romantic. I sure never guessed! Of course the years of having children and trying to provide for them and trying to be on the same page about everything took their toll. Being stuck in the sand with a car full of chattering children was less of a thrill and more of a “Well don’t that just beat everything!” Murphy’s law was frequently in full force in our lives and I think the romance dwindled a bit.
But time is kind, as I think eternity will be. During the last year and a half of my dad’s life the romance was re-kindled. He and mama were just like the couple writing those sweet letters over a half century ago. They held hands, spoke of love, read together, spent time together and being with them was so sweet that I couldn’t wait to go over and spend some time with them and hated to leave when I had to be getting back home.
I think I’ve discovered what was missing in those in between years. The love letters. Mama and Daddy seemed to be able to work through some of their problems by writing down their feelings to each other, saying “I’m sorry,” and stating the ever present truth: “Darling, remember that I love you. I can hardly wait to see you.” Perhaps writing some more of those letters would have eased the burdens the in between years brought. I’m glad their love is strong and that they stayed by each other through the hard times. Daddy has passed on but I know he is waiting for Mama. I know he would love to say to her, “Remember I love you and I can hardly wait to be with you again.” And I know he will be. And a happy time will be had by all–forever and ever and always and always.
Vernon and Doris, the old love birds!
The following is my favorite quote from “The King and I:”
"I believe in snow!"
……………….and God bless us, everyone! Merry Christmas.
Peace. Be still.
August 27, 2008 at 6:06 am | Posted in challenges, life's ups and downs, meditation, prayer | Leave a commentTags: adversity, be still, faith, healing, hope, Savior, storms
Master, the Tempest Is Raging
Fervently
31243, Hymns, Master, the Tempest Is Raging, no. 105
1. Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threat’ning
A grave in the angry deep?
[Chorus]
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.
2. Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control!
3. Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.
Text: Mary Ann Baker, ca. 1874; Music: H. R. Palmer, 1834–1907
”Be still and know that I am God”
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