A new heart.

Today as I was reading in Joseph Smith's history he relates the experience of Moroni's visit during the night. Moroni quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah and not being immediately able to recall it's content I diverted from Joseph's account and looked it up.

It talks of the second coming of Christ, describing the state of the earth at His coming.  I continued to read and then was stopped cold at the end of verse seven. "...and the lion shall eat straw like the ox." I pondered that for a minute and I realized that when the Lord, the Creator, came, He would change the very nature of the lion. We know everyone and everything will acknowledge Christ the Lord when He comes again. And every knee will bow, every tongue confess, He is the Lord. So as the lion gives his heart to the Lord, the Lord changes it!  No longer the carnivore- the lion now eats straw. No longer the predator- the lion no longer hunts and kills and eats his prey. The lion is harmless towards all others. I find that remarkable!  The Lord has the power to change the very nature of His creations. He can also change my nature, if I give Him my heart.

If I am willing to acknowledge Him as Master of my soul, and humbly give Him my heart, no matter it's condition, He will heal it, and make it new again. He will meet me wherever I am in my journey of life, and lift me to a better place by changing my nature, giving me a new heart. A heart that loves all people, a heart that knows and acts upon good, a heart that shuns evil in every form. A heart eager to learn more of Him and His restored gospel. A heart that is quick to forgive, deserving or not. A heart, through my own journey of pain, that can now lift and help others. A heart that can be an example of faith-filled endurance. A heart that can be filled with gifts of the Spirit. A heart that allows the Holy Ghost a place to dwell. Oh that I had such a heart! 

As this new year begins I marvel at the similarity of emotions we are surrounded with in our world today. As I read Joseph's description of the emotions surrounding him as a 14 year old boy, it is achingly familiar. The discord. The fiery conversations. The dividing of beliefs. And I already know the lengths others went to shut Joseph up. To extinguish the truths he shared. To halt the work of God. I draw courage and strength from knowing the results, to this day, of those efforts of the young Joseph Smith. Millions world-wide faithfully follow that obscure farm-boy's example in seeking Jesus Christ. In this season of unrest we are in, of voices calling 'truth here' and 'truth there' it can be very confusing to one such as I who is ignorant of the sciences, and other worldly knowledge- trying to know who is right. I learned at the beginning of the Pandemic the only places to confidently know I am hearing truth is from the Lord and His anointed apostles and Prophets. They know the truth and as long as my words and actions are in sync with them, then I have peace. 

And so I step forward into 2021 and work daily to give my heart to the Lord, to receive back my new, changed heart. I follow the counsel of our Church leaders on every level to the best of my ability. And I give gratitude to the Lord for the peace in my heart. It's the only way I can live. 

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:27

The warm peace in Christ.

A new year. 2021 has finally arrived. And, while we would all be delighted if all the chaos of 2020 disappeared as easily as turning the calendar to this new year, month and day...we also know that will not be the case. I for one actually feel a bit better prepared for this new year than I expected to feel. Great have been the blessings I have received in 2020. 

As is the custom the first Sunday of each month, we have the opportunity for any member of our congregation to stand before us and testify of our truths in the gospel. Today however my sweet friend Elizabeth, started to make her way towards the front when the meeting was called to a close. She sat quietly in a row where she was. The spirit whispered to me, "You need to ask her to share her testimony with you." After the meeting concluded I made my way to her and we sat quietly in the back as she shared her testimony, her truths, tears and love. She told me her very frail father had covid. This I knew. One morning her sister asked if she had seen the text from their brother, she said no. And suddenly felt a cold chill sweep through her whole body. She decided to talk to Heavenly Father first. So she knelt down and poured out her heart to Him. Almost immediately she felt the warm peace of Christ fill her whole body. She knew her Dad was going to be ok. And he is. She said I realized how powerful the peace Christ gives us is even amidst the chaos of our world. 

Two thoughts immediately came to my mind. First, I had never consciously given thought to the two polar opposites of cold and warm in the context of the Spirit. Then the thought popped into my mind, "But I have never felt cold peace."  That made me think of other times and people that have seemed cold to me, maybe they were without the warmth of Christ's peace! 

Then I thought just like my mission in London nearly forty years ago, there were lessons I learned there that I still draw upon today. Some have referred the mission to a mini-life of sorts.

Maybe this Pandemic is a little bit like that. Ever since President Nelson was sustained and set apart as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, without us even realizing it, he has been preparing us for this chaotic time. He made changes to the way we did things. The home centered, church supported curriculum. Subtle changes to Temple procedures. He and the other Apostles taught us boldly and purposefully that we needed to immediately prepare ourselves both temporally & spiritually for the coming days. There seemed to be a real sense of urgency behind their powerful instructions. Now in retrospect, nearly three years later, I see again he was divinely inspired.

Those who chose to follow the Prophets counsel, have been blessed, and have felt their spiritual confidence grow. I am one who has felt the warm Peace in Christ while much of the world is in utter chaos. So now I am wondering, if this Pandemic, in part, is to wake us up out of our complacency, both spiritually & temporally. I think my perspective has changed. I knew from the beginning this Pandemic would prove challenging to all. I just don't think I realized the depth of the lessons to be learned during this Pandemic. 

As I was getting ready for church today, I pulled out my notebook, and immediately felt impressed to grab a different notebook, which I did. When I opened it before the meeting began I was stunned at some of the things I had written nearly seven years ago.

Joseph Smith was prepared to act on his answer before he ever entered the Sacred Grove. Am I prepared to act upon my answers to prayer with the same level of faith & commitment?

Another nugget, Joseph Smith, though he didn't realize it at the time, during the first vision-saw the fulfillment of the Plan of Salvation in the resurrected and perfect and glorified bodies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The Witness Trees in the Sacred Grove, some are 350 years old so they were present when Joseph had the vision there (200 years ago) However there is an underground brook there, which meant the roots didn't have to go very deep for the life-giving water they needed to grow with-so when a windstorm came through many of them fell. Just like these Witness Trees, if our spiritual roots aren't deep, then we are in danger when the winds and trials come our way.

So as I contemplate my personal goals for 2021 I am reminded that I need to focus less about the outcome and more about the journey I am on. (Thanks Gary Little) and I need to look at trials as if they are gold mines (Thanks Jake Hoyt) sometimes we have to go through a lot of stuff to find the blessings/treasures/gifts from God. 

So maybe this 2021 will be one of my best years ever! I'm going to hold hope in that. And hopefully I will make the choices that bring the warm Peace in Christ into my life more often. May each of us look upwards, realize who we really are, and act the part of choice sons and daughters of God. And may we remember to treat everyone we meet as if they are also sons and daughters of God, because they are too!  Let the chaos rage around us, but within I choose the warm peace of Christ. Happy New Year.

Tears, but joy in the morning.

I was so looking forward to the possibility of sleeping in this morning. With no work scheduled I was in desperate need of sleep and a slow, lazy start to my day. Apparently the Lord had other plans for me. 

I began to read in 3 Nephi 28:6 where the Savior is discussing with the Twelve their desires, after His eminent departure. It reads as follows, "And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me." Even though I know exactly what is coming, something gave me pause today. I went back and read it again. And then the Spirit gently washed over me and said, "Just like Laurel." 

Ten days ago one of God's sweetest angels, Laurel Blomquist, had what now appears as her final, massive, stroke. She is currently clinging to the last moments with her beloved Keith and their incredible family. By all accounts she should have already slipped through the veil. However they are lovingly keeping vigilant watch as they are " shedding tears...laughing...singing Broadway music and hymns that she loves." until the Lord says, "It is finished thou good & faithful servant."

Their complete transparency about this painfully private experience has allowed so many of us to share this sacred, tender time from a far. We have joined our love, prayers, fasting and hope with her family. Laurel came blazing into my world when she answered my plea for help at work. She was always one of my favorite life-lines as I navigated difficult waters during my job. Her distinct voice, tone and laughter always made me feel as though I had just phoned a friend. She was so kind, reassuring, and helpful. As we all work from home, it is rare that we ever actually meet in person. But some, like Laurel, have impacted me so deeply I truly consider them the dearest of friends. She used to live near me in Lindon so I have popped in and been readily embraced into her world, regardless of who is there or what is going on. I have watched as her sweet, kind, Keith and her daughters have lovingly cared for her since this journey began. Often the blows to Laurel's health would have laid the rest of us out flat, however her unconquerable spirit, her laughter, and her twinkly eyes have been an amazing inspiration on handling adversity.

So it is with great tenderness, gratitude for having known her, and amidst many tears, that the reality of this 'Terrible horrible no good very bad day' as Lindsay so aptly described it yesterday, is weighing upon my heart. 

So as I read this morning I realized I don't remember ever hearing or reading Christ's own description of His death like this before. He states that He was "...lifted up..." I certainly wouldn't describe His brutal, agonizing death as being lifted up. And before today I always thought it referred to the physical lifting up on that awful cross. But His recently resurrected state certainly entitled Him to a vastly different perspective than mine. And while it is not usual for us to be able to see beyond the veil, I have had several experiences where I have had the privelage to see the scene as some step through the veil we call death. I am no longer surprised at the pure joy radiating from those eagerly awaiting their loved ones, as they warmly embrace them with tears of joy. I am not even capable, even if I was allowed, to describe these scenes. Nevertheless I know it is a reunion unlike any other!

I find the only comparison I have experienced is both leaving home to go on my mission, and then leaving my mission to return home. In each the exquisite pain and joy feels almost impossible to bear. The simultaneous emotions seemed to war within my heart. I wanted to both go and stay in the same heartbeat.

So now knowing how Christ viewed His death as being 'lifted up' helps me to try and view this pain through His eyes. We love, and we have to let go. We weep but are promised joy in the morning. We remember because we love so deeply. 

May His peace, as only He can give, come to each of Laurel's family and friends. I know her legacy of love will continue on through the lives of her children and husband. May we each honor her great goodness and life, by choosing righteousness, kindness, gentleness, unselfishness and love unfeigned. May we each know we are better for having known Laurel. May we each love and lift those around us and those who pass too quickly from our view. And may we each learn from, and follow, our Saviors examples in life and in death. 

Till we meet again, Laurel, God be with us all. Farewell my friend.

 

Oh the bittersweet of it all.

Bittersweet. It's an interesting word. I have seen it play out before me many times, leaving for my mission to London is one. Returning from my mission, another. Some examples have a great distance between the two intrinsically linked experiences. However yesterday they were separated by only a breath and a heartbeat as my Bishop was released, and my new Bishop was sustained. The words suddenly collided forcefully in my reality.

Six years ago, at our first ward party after moving into this home, Steve & Heather Stewart (whom we'd never met, although we did realize much later that our daughters Kylee & Whitney, and Amanda Ricks knew each other from school) made us feel so welcome as they chatted with us, introduced us to many of the ward members and honestly sealed-the-deal for capturing our hearts. I have never forgotten that initial meeting of hearts. And a year later even though Steve had a deer-in-headlights look about him that Sunday, he humbly accepted the call to be our Bishop. And since that moment til yesterday morning, he has never laid down the torch. He has served with such love and devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and by extension he has ministered to a very large and diverse ward as a true disciple of Christ. Kindness, gentleness, love, strength, and yes even joy, lots of Joy! He has led by righteous example, and showing us he was very mortal and continued to learn and grow. He was willing to do whatever was asked of him. He set aside his own desires to serve others whenever and wherever he was needed. And then when it was also asked of him, we watched as that mantle of God-given authority gently lifted from his shoulders and was placed on another disciple of Christ.

The spirit had confirmed my belief, just moments before as we drove into the parking lot, when I saw Brook & Val Blackhurst step out of their car. This was the newly called Bishop and his sweet wife. My church callings over the last five years had brought these two into my life in close and tender ways. When Bishop Blackhurst took the stand to share his feelings it was a visible witness to me that the mantle had just come to gently rest on his shoulders. Remarkable. And it was in this moment, between hearing former Bishop Stewart's testimony, followed by newly-sustained Bishop Blackhurst, that the bittersweet moment registered in my brain.

It was bitter, in one way, to be losing the loving leadership of my trusted friend Steve, but sweet in almost the next heartbeat, to have this incredible man Brook to be stepping into this sacred calling. Time after time I had watched Brook speak to, and associate with, our Stake youth, he was the High Council representative for us in the Stake Young Women Presidency. I recalled with ease one particular occasion. Something hadn't gone to plan during a Stake Standards night and we were left with some extra time. I was sitting with Jodi on the stand when we realized the situation. Brook was also on the stand with us, and prompted by the Spirit I said to Jodi- ask Brook to bear his testimony. She said no I couldn't do that. I repeated, ask Brooke. So she did, and we sat in awe listening to him teach and testify to the kids, he totally nailed it! Saying exactly what we had hoped the kids would be hearing that night. I quickly learned this was going to happen every time he was with the youth. His love for the youth was/is legendary.

And then I realized with the new focus of Bishop's callings- with the youth taking center stage,  Bishop Blackhurst, was exactly where the Lord wanted him. And I knew already that he would do exactly what the Lord wanted him to. And I knew my dear friend Val would be the perfect Bishop's wife (just as I had seen sweet Heather be for Steve) Val is all heart and lots of fun, and one of my favorite people, and she would continue to be the amazing Matriarch in her family. And now I know why she was on my mind so much this last two weeks.

Then we were thrilled to sustain some of our other favorite people, Matt Beck & Jake Hoyt as counselors to Bishop Brook Blackhurst. (B³ and his posse!) It will be a dynamic and powerful youthful and youth-focused Bishopric!  

And so after a veritable spiritual feast yesterday the bittersweet of the heart is fading into joy both past, present and future. God is good! And my prayers will again be to sustain God's chosen Bishop today. And added blessing...we still get to have Steve as part of our lives.

Pandemic Miracles..if only...

In the pre-dawn stillness, the pull to write was strong. Words poured into my heart as sleep fled in the face of such light. The ever-present personal hesitancy of not knowing what would evolve in this experience, was replaced by the desire to be obedient in the use of His gift of language to bless others, and myself. In the darkness I heard Him and quietly made my way downstairs and began to write.

I had awoken from a vivid dream about my friend Lynne Bentley. She is currently serving with her sweetheart as companion in the Presidency of the Chile Santiago North Mission. She has been on my mind a lot recently as I have watched them dig deep into their faith and lead their precious missionaries through circumstances no one could have imagined two years ago. You see their call was changed from California to Chile, just prior to their departure. No one was more surprised than this powerhouse couple. Yet in obedience, faith, and strength in the Lord, and standing shoulder to shoulder with her best friend, she has taken on every challenge before her. Two months and 5 days ago I followed the Lord's direction, and feeling a great urgency, I put together a package of home baked goodies and an unusual print I stumbled across of the Savior's hand holding the gloved hand of a physician. I knew immediately it was for President Bentley, formerly Doctor Bentley, who was now ministering to the spiritual bodies of those he was called to serve in Chile. Within  days of shipping my little package, I was surprised I hadn't heard from Lynne. We began to message and I told her what I had done. She hadn't received the packaged and assured me that my offering and subsequent messaging came at the perfect moment. She knew her prayers had been answered, she knew her Heavenly Father, and His Son, were aware of her and her needs in that moment. I was stunned, as I often am when I think something was my idea, only to take a step back and see the Lord's Perfect Plan working. 

I was however more focused on why the delivery was hung up in customs, especially since a previous package just about six weeks earlier arrived to her within two days of my shipping it. And so for two months now I have been fighting with FedEx to get the package delivered, to no avail. It is exactly where it has been, undelivered, for these last two months. As I came out of the dream this morning, I wondered at it's meaning. I recalled in my dream, that I was with Lynne, in Chile, and I was delighted to be helping her prepare for the visiting authority, who was coming to minister to her and President Bentley and their precious missionaries. We were busy making sure everything was ready, and my heart was so happy to be assisting her. 

Then this morning as I was walking through the dark to my computer, suddenly my mind was filled with His light and the meaning was clear. His miracle had been delivered two months ago! It wasn't in the now-moldy sweet bread inside the package. It wasn't the painting that I knew wasn't for President Bentley. (I remembered explaining in the accompanying note that I wasn't sure who it was for, but that President & Sis Bentley would know.) In the very moment Lynne first knew about the package, she had her miracle. She didn't need the package, just the moment she knew her prayers had been answered. That was His miracle for her. He had heard her pleas, He had provided a miracle for her to know He had heard her.

Yet in these last two months I have been on so many phone calls, pursuing the delivery, completely missing the miracle that was right in front of me. Lynne had told me that first conversation, that just knowing the Lord was aware of her was all she needed in that sacred moment. And so this morning I am repenting of trying to make the miracle happen, when it had already been made manifest to the one who needed it, and the one who recognized the true miracle in the very moment the Lord delivered that miracle to Lynne.

So just ignore me over here thinking I know what the true intent of that experience was. I know the Lord has a good sense of humor when it comes to me. Stay calm and carry on. He's got this! And when I get out of His way, He kindly shows me His Perfect Plan. And I get better at repenting!

I have learned that years ago as my memories of my sexual abuse came to light, there were many who ridiculed me because they didn't believe my truth. As I healed I took comfort in knowing Heavenly Father & my Elder Brother Jesus Christ, knew the truth. I also came to know truth is not dependent on someone's belief of it, truth always stands alone. And I realize now, amidst the chaos of the world, again truth stands unmarred, alone, and eternal. We may not have the full understanding of what is true about this pandemic now, but in that day when all truth is revealed to all people, we will see His Perfect Plan unfold. I realized recently, this simple act of faith, has for me, brought early, undeniable peace. I didn't fully understand why I was given such a gift of peace when literally the world was falling apart around me. But throughout these last five months, even when I was criticized and ridiculed for recognizing truth, I knew peace. I still know peace, and I am grateful for that gift.

My list of Pandemic blessings is growing. I love to see the Lord's hand in my life. I love to #HearHim. Hearing Him in the chaos of our new 'abnormal' because I am determined to grow my list has been such a joy. The latest one came in the life-altering broken leg of my grandson Paul, in his first football game of his high school experience. All the things that happened to line up perfectly for him to receive the very best care possible. Not the least of which is the Pandemic blessing of both parents working from home who can adjust their schedules to care for him as he is immobile for this first week. The many prayers that were answered before our eyes, as this horrific drama unfolded. And then yesterday, because of the Pandemic, I am not working (because of the dismantling of my industry during this chaotic time) and was able to take Kylee to her Doctor appointment. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, I was able to feel her little Princess move for the first time! Oh what joy! I couldn't contain my excitement and may or may not have screamed out loud! I am still in awe of her existence. I never expected to have another grand daughter! 

And so it goes, miracles everywhere, if only I open my eyes and remember how much He loves me! If only I remember to look for His Hand in my daily life. If only I continue to acknowledge, and give thanks for His miracles, I will continue to #HearHim. He lives!  He loves!  He blesses! He guides! He protects! He answers every prayer, very often through others, and in His timing! God is Good!

The Lost Doll

Last Friday we headed out for an overnight stay to celebrate our 38 years of marriage. We arrived with a couple of hours to kill, so opted for some outlet shopping. We parked near the most likely stores we would visit and began. We had been on this seemingly spontaneous and rather random adventure for about an hour, when we discovered a little Frozen doll on the ground. Clark picked it up and I noticed it still had it's tag on it, so we assumed she had just been purchased. We continued on, passing up one of the stores I thought for sure we would go in to.

Then we realized there was a little girl ahead of us crying, probably about three or four years old. Occasionally she would stop and look at her knee. As the crowd kept moving around her I suddenly realized she was alone!

Still following her closely, I passed one store who was restricting numbers of shoppers I quickly said to the employee standing at the door, "Call Security, she's alone! Please call security quickly!" I realized I couldn't wait for security to arrive-I had to act NOW, I walked faster catching up to her and bending down I said, "Did you hurt yourself?" She said yes and I asked where is your Mom? She began to cry harder and said "I don't know." Clark held out the discarded doll and I asked her if it was hers, she looked confused and then looked at the empty bag she was carrying. And we all knew it was hers. I recognized the store it had come from, and thought to myself...hmmm that was one of the stores we passed that I thought I had wanted to go into...

I said "Come with me I think I know where your Mommy is" I turned around and we headed back- as I took her hand and made small talk with her. Suddenly I looked up and a very frantic woman was rushing towards us. She was obviously terrified, and embarrassed, and her tone was ready to give her daughter a total scolding, so I said to my little charge, "She's not mad at you, she's just very scared."

And that was all it took as this Mom folded her little girl into her arms and the damn of tears broke. She cuddled her daughter as tears streamed down her face. Then she looked at me and said, "Oh my gosh you are my angel today, thank you!" over and over as the tears continued to fall. 

We both were kinda quiet as we walked away and then suddenly it hit us both at the same time, and we both said, "Apparently we were meant to be here for this little family today." While we thought we'd made this random decision, we had picked one store to go into, and suddenly we could see that everything we had done in those preceding hours lined up perfectly for us to be present to step into a terrifying, and potentially dangerous situation, literally becoming instruments in His hands.

We were His hands in those few moments.
He knew where we'd be and when.
He was also watching out for that little girl.
He was also answering fear-filled prayers of her Mother & Grandmother.

We quietly walked the remainder of the stores as we both pondered what had just happened. I could relate, I think losing a child in a public place is every parents worst nightmare. I thought back to the time we were in a Hotel with our Texas Mosses and Kenton ran ahead and jumped into the elevator as it closed. He was alone and we had no idea which floor he would get out on. I knew exactly what I had to do as I sprinted up one side of the building stairs and stuck my head out the stairwell door on every floor, until i reached the top floor...which was ours. He apparently knew which floor we were on and had even gone to our room and was found by a neighbor as Kenton knocking on our door-alone. And decided to stay with him til someone came!
I had been given a warning through a very vivid dream the night before and had been sick about the thought of losing Kenton. And while I couldn't have prevented his actions, I was prepared to think clearly about the plan of what I needed to do. And so I could act immediately.

This experience has continued to press upon my heart. I doubt I'll ever forget it. But again I marvel that we can be instruments in His hands whenever He needs us. I am always amazed when it happens though. It was such a simple thing. A simple kindness. But in comparison it may well have been the most important thing to that Mommy that day. 
And it may have been the most important thing that day for me too. 

We often talk about how we "Hear Him" and hearing Him does come in many different ways, the fact that we continue to try to Hear Him is very significant. Within 24 hours of this experience Clark then heard two divine directives about something completely new to us. He was listening. And He heard Him. What if we hadn't had the little girl experience, would Clark have been as willing to Hear Him? I'd like to think so, but we'll never know. But we do know that as we prepare ourselves to hear Him and then act upon these experiences we are blessed with more. 

#Godisgood
#HearHim
#HappyAnniversarytous
#Iamproudofus
#Thejourneycontinues

4EVRBLU

It has become increasingly harder, to live without the opportunity to go wherever, whenever, as this Pandemic has grounded us all. This image spoke to my soul this morning and sealed the deal for me. I have come to a new level of peace as I have been praying and weighing, my personal options about my job. Through the myriad of emotions these last few days, gradually my decision to stay with JetBlue has come into focus. I am putting great faith and trust in my nine and a half year goal of retirement in May next year. Much as I have loved my job, the airline industry (like many others) has forever been changed by our world circumstances. I opted to take the Summer Off without pay in doing my part to ease the financial bleed forced on JetBlue by the Pandemic. And I was faced with a very difficult decision, as the Opt Out Options were unveiled, as my airline scrambles to reinvent themselves as a much smaller company to survive this financial devastation. It has been a mentally exhaustive experience. Added into the mix, my heart has been badly bruised as I have lost my Darling Declan privileges also. With Clark working in Texas until next month, and Bryce on a temporary suicide watch again, feeling a little overwhelmed likely would be not just an understatement...but a big fat lie! However the Lord has not left me comfortless, His loving support to lift and carry me is beautifully evident yet again. I am so richly blessed! 

 As I have humbly turned over the next few months into the Lord's most capable hands, gently as the dew from Heaven, my peace has come. Sweetly. Softly. Completely. And by degrees my happiness has returned. 

I have found my smile again. I find joy in the smallest things. I am seeing beauty in my home- and beautiful yard particularly, as I have had the time ( and physical ability) to care for it again. I have seen so many miracles as the Lord has blessed me with strength beyond my own, helpers who appear as answers to my prayers, doing the things I physically cannot. As I have responded to the promptings of the Spirit when to stop, I have been blessed. I am not one to stop midway through any project, my compulsive nature wants to rush unwittingly toward the finish line, so this has been a whole new experience for me. I will be working away outside, and gently the Spirit whispers, "It is enough." And I return to the house, rest a little, cross-stitch a little more, and then later return outside to pick up where I left off. It has been remarkable. And now as I am seeing the fruits of my labor the jungle is slowly being tamed. I made the decision to break up this acre lot into more manageable size projects, as I view each "area" or project I see progression. Once I have completed one area, I happily move on to the next, no longer drowning in my to-do list! And while there is still much to be done, without work or Declan I know I have the time, and I can breathe and try out my new level of patience. 

In the stillness of these summer mornings I can reflect on my many blessings, I can look ahead with faith, not fear. I can see the Lord's miraculous hand in my life, and know with surety all will be well. How that 'well' will look I couldn't exactly say, but for today there is peace and joy within my heart. God is good!