Everyone has two stories, let us remember to tell the best story more often!

This was an amazing story and one that I personally thought was inspiring!
I love to see people with such great courage and strength!
Good Night dear friends!

36-year-old terminally ill father says everyone has two stories

Paul and Joni MoorePaul Moore, 36, of Farmington, Utah, sits across from me on an oversized couch with his head resting against a pillow.
“We all have two stories to tell,” he says, stealing a glance at his wife, Joni. “I choose to tell mine in the best way possible — with grace.”
I observe closely and take notes on my laptop, balanced on an ottoman near him.
Moore’s face is thin, but his eyes are wise. He has a large lump at the middle and top of his chest that’s visible through his lightweight, pull-over sweatshirt. His arms are wiry and his legs are tired.
I type the words:
Paul Moore is dying. But his spirit and faith? They couldn’t be more alive.
In February, at the insistence of a close friend and neighbor, Moore and his wife visited the emergency room with questions about what they thought were cysts and pulled muscles in his shoulder and neck. He’d been working long hours renovating a spare room in their home and suspected he’d simply overdone it.
Tests revealed something much more serious. Doctors discovered approximately 40 tumors of various shapes and sizes, including some on his skull.
Over the painful weeks and months that followed, Moore underwent half a dozen surgeries, including kidney removal and a complete hip replacement that nearly killed him. To survive the surgery, Moore was given 16 units of blood.
He’s also endured radiation, a fractured back filled with cement to keep from collapsing and drugs that even guinea pigs would resist.
“And none of it’s worked,” he says, without a bit of bitterness. In fact, in August. Paul was told he has perhaps two more months to live.
Our long afternoon discussion moves leisurely, like a pleasant Sunday stroll, and at times I have to remind myself to take notes. It’s easy to become hooked on his faithful outlook in the face of certain death. And though Paul and Joni’s approach is awe-inspiring, it’s hardly surprising to those who know them best.
The couple met at Utah State in 2003 and Paul slyly describes his pitch for a second date. “How can I be with you tomorrow?” he said as the night ended. Naturally, Joni agreed to another date and to many more tomorrows.
Married in 2004 while attending Utah State, Paul remembers the morning he dropped this conversation bomb on Joni: “So, what do you think about moving to Indiana?”
“OK,” she said effortlessly, as if agreeing to share an American Grand Slam at Denny’s and not to a move across the United States. In the end, they settled on Texas, and Paul attended graduate school at Texas A&M.
With a promising career in corporate human resources, the Moores moved on to job opportunities in Kentucky, Connecticut, North Carolina, Colorado and Nevada before feeling strongly prompted to relocate in 2013 to Farmington.
“As soon as we walked in, I knew this was the house,” Joni says. “I could have made an offer from just inside the front door.”
With that bold statement, we explored their feelings about friends and community in the face of such trials. “We were led here,” Paul says. “It’s become like a mission for all of us. There’s such a fire here in Farmington. I’ve witnessed it.” From the people to the city itself, the Moores are humbled by the outpouring of support.
That support has come in private, anonymous ways, and in very public gestures. A foundation has sprung up to support the family, but founders hope its vision will long outlive all of them.
The Paul Moore Foundation was founded by four women in the family’s neighborhood with a deep desire to help ease the financial burden of Paul’s terminal illness. Their initial efforts will support the Moores, but their goal is to meet needs of other families with a terminally ill parent. “It’s surprising to us,” Paul says, “that more help isn’t available for families where the breadwinner is terminally ill.”
Not surprisingly, Joni becomes emotional discussing the love that surrounds them. “The goodness of people? It has no boundaries,” she says, wiping tears and looking at Paul. “Our gratitude just rises up and up and up every day. Sometimes people use words like ‘amazing’ and ‘awesome’ too casually. For us, we see these actual definitions at work. We are truly amazed by what people are doing for us.”
Later in our visit, we lead our discussions to the Moore’s two daughters, and Paul speaks lovingly of Ellie, 5, and Reese, 3. Both are on the autism spectrum and Paul admits to worrying about what they’ll remember about their dad. “I’ve written letters to them and we’re making videos,” he said, wiping tears from both eyes. When he’s done, Joni grabs his hand.
“They won’t forget,” she whispers.
Paul confides that he’s not scared of dying, but he does wonder and worry about his Joni and the girls. “I wonder … where will it happen and when? How do you know? I can’t imagine just not waking up some day and then the kids seeing me taken out.”
Again through tears, Joni promises the girls will be protected from the more challenging moments of the days to come.
Like a stiff breeze pushing away dark clouds, Paul’s smile returns. “Great things come from trials,” he says. “I’ve learned the depression doesn’t get me anywhere. I consider myself one of the luckiest guys on Earth. What a blessing to have time to prepare, even to mentally prepare to see what I will see and to be worthy of the other side.”
All of it, he prays, will have a positive impact on his family until they’re reunited. This principle of eternal families is something even his daughters understand. “Ellie knows what’s happening. She shares a lot, maybe even too much,” Paul says, as he and Joni both smile. “She says to people, even in the grocery store, ‘My daddy has cancer.’”
More importantly, Ellie also shares that he’ll soon be gone, but that one day they’ll be with him again.
Before we say goodbye, Paul takes time to thank his brothers and in-laws for their support and to offer a message of hope to those that will never meet him, but may hear his story. “Please quit wasting time with negative thoughts. Let your perspective change. It’s worked for me. There are so many good people all around you. I’ve had to let those thoughts go and start driving in the slow lane. You can do this, too.”
Paul Moore is right — everyone has two stories. We could have spent the afternoon discussing sickness, treatments and heartache, or used the time to talk about inspiration. With their remarkable candor, the Moores are taking a chance that Paul’s journey to the other side might inspire someone else.
“Make a choice,” Paul says. “And always tell the most inspirational story you can. I view what I’m experiencing as a privilege and a blessing. That’s the story we want to tell.”
They’re doing that and so much more. Paul Moore has lived a grateful, faithful life, and he’ll die the same way. And while the timing may not be his to determine, he’s living and telling his family’s story on his terms.
And he’s telling it with grace.

Read more of Jason's articles HERE:

Happy Birthday dear Bradley!

Yesterday was our son Bradley's birthday. I didn't post about it yesterday, because I worked and then it was Date Night. But I didn't want to forget sharing a little about this amazing son of mine. 

Brad was our 2nd child and he was born 3 years after his sister Amy. He and Amy were always be great friends. He (like Amy) from the time he was little... loved to draw, and they used to watch a drawing show each day. Now years later, this handsome son of ours, is a Graphic Designer for BRAVE THE WOODS, you can look at his work HERE:

Glad to see that he put all that drawing and sketching to good use! Now he is doing what he loves everyday! I could only wish that for all my kids, and for all of my family actually.

He is married to his best friend and together they have just bought their first HOME in Texas.

Brad just became a new Father again. He now has Miss Oakley Ann in his arms. He loves being a Dad and it is sweet to watch him with his family!.

He also the Father of Kai,  who is truly his shadow. He is a sweet little man and loves to be anywhere his Daddy is!

Brad along with my other kids have been encouraging me to start teaching my Quilting and Sewing Classes online. It has been so fun watching all of them helping me develop my own business called... LynnMade. He got me this necklace when I was in Texas last week. It has a button, ruler, scissors and pearls on it. He said it was a congratulations for finally starting LynnMade!  How fitting!

Fun to have grown up kids and watch how they continue to bless your life! Brad has truly been a blessing to all of our family! So grateful to be his Mother! Love that boy!
Happy Birthday dear Bradley!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Jeff's Birthday! I am very grateful that years ago... this boy from Michigan just happen to be visiting in West Virginia so... that this girl could meet him!

Here is a photo of us for our 1st Christmas card ( I was pregnant with Amy ...just barely.)

I am so excited that we have had this time together as Empty Nesters. We started our family early so we didn't have a lot of time together as Newly Weds...so this time has been a real treat!
He has turned out to be an amazing Dad, and now an even better Grandfather ( Poppa )!

Here is some photos of Amy and Jeff when she was born, turning one, showing a T -shirt we made to say she was goin to be a Big Sister and then one when she was Three! She still looks the same but without those cute bangs! :)

He may be getting a bit older but...he has always been young at heart!

Hope you know how much we love you Jeff! 

And we hope you have the best year ever!

Faith and Fitness

What a great story of Faith and Fitness!
Read it for yourself...
Good  Night dear friends!

• .

Summary

Ron Williams grew up without a family, bounced around and battered. He found God at a point of crisis and never looked back. Now the nondenominational Christian minister and coach shares what he's learned about family, faith and fitness.

..

Ron Williams is talking about fat: How it sometimes seems impossible to defeat, clinging stubbornly to bodies despite exercise and calorie control and even prayer.

The latter is an important point, because Williams is not just a fitness instructor and body builder with international titles. He’s also a man of God, pastor of a nondenominational Christian church who taught himself to read by studying the Bible after he wearied of his way of life and found God in his late 20s.

Recently, standing before the congregation of the Community of Grace Presbyterian Church in Sandy, Utah, as a guest speaker, his well-defined musculature hidden beneath layers of a three-piece suit, he explained the “soul wounds” that send people to food for comfort, as well as the preservatives and other chemicals in foods that make the battle to stay trim a hard one.

He has written a book about lasting weight management called “Faith and Fat Loss” and has been teaching its principles, based on such scriptural truths as self-control, restoration and healing. Ever since Adam ate the apple, he said people have had a complicated relationship with food.

“It’s not entirely your fault,” said Williams, speaking to those who are overweight. “But it is your responsibility.”

That is a statement that could apply to most aspects of his own life. Taking responsibility for change is how Williams has become the man he is today. He has chosen transformation and renewal, moving past early hurts and embracing health in his physical habits and in his relationships — with people and with God.

Rough childhood

Abandonment was the first of Williams' “soul wounds,” which he describes in interviews and in the foreword to his book. He was born in Indianapolis 52 years ago and grew up in a poor neighborhood. His father, who never married his mother, dropped him off at a baby sitter when he was 3 years old and didn't come back for him.

Williams was too young to understand all the details of his abandonment, but he remembers bits and pieces he overheard: The woman on the phone, asking his father to come get him because she already had her own eight kids to feed. When he was a little older, he heard the woman’s husband, then dying of cancer, tell her to raise the boy because no one else wanted him.

Williams stayed mostly with that family, knowing that his was another appetite they could ill-afford. As a result, he developed an eating disorder. Sometimes he was pawned off on others briefly; along the way he was sexually and physically abused. He grew up feeling unloved and, he was certain, unlovable.

By the time he became an adult, he was desperately lonely and sometimes pondered suicide..
You can read the rest of his story HERE:

.

Expectations!

One of my favorite sports as a kid was playing basketball. I was the only girl in my family, I had 4 brothers so...no one was surprised when I came out a Tom Boy. But I really loved basketball and can remember practicing on our basketball hoop that we had near the drive way on our farm in the evening till it got dark. It wasn't adjustable, but sometimes I wished it would have been.
Then when Jeff and I got married and we started having kids we bought the Little Tykes basketball hoop, they loved that. By the time they made it to Jr High, we bought the adjustable basketball hoop to put in our drive way too!
 Loved this analogy by Jason Wright of the basketball hoop and kids!
Hope you do too...night dear friends!

Should we lower the hoop for the kids?

After a lengthy and well-orchestrated campaign by my two young sons, I finally purchased a basketball standard for the driveway. It’s the typical rolling model with height adjustment for the rim and a large base to fill with water or sand.

The rim is a bit small — it seems to clunk out more of my 3-pointers than other hoops I’ve used — but that’s another column.

One recent evening, my youngest took advantage of being home alone with me to shoot around without having his older brother there to block his shot. As I mowed our front lawn, he two-hand heaved from every angle. The rim was at regulation height, 10 feet, and most of his attempts barely brushed the bottom of the net.

After a few passes with the mower, I took a break and lowered the rim to its lowest setting. We played together for a few minutes and I showed off my soaring, rim-thundering, ground-shaking LeBron dunk.

I also demonstrated how to miss that dunk, but for instructional purposes only.

Soon I was back to mowing, and each time I crossed the driveway, I watched him make at least one attempt. After several minutes on the side of the house and out of view, I passed back in front and spotted my son standing on the base and straddling the pole. He’d released the latch that secures the rim and backboard in place and was pushing up as hard as he could.

I quickly killed the mower. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get it back to the top,” he answered without looking away from his project.

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

It was an odd case of father-son question-and-answer role reversal.

“Because I want to shoot at the regular dad height.”

I approached and helped him remove the pin that would allow the hydraulic mechanism to raise the hoop. Then, I did exactly what any thick-headed dad would do — I told him he wouldn't make many shots at the regulation height.

“That’s why they make it adjustable, bud.” I tussled his mop of sweaty brown hair.

Reflecting on the exchange, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment he quit listening to me.

“Look,” I continued, “it has different heights so you can shoot at the kid levels until you’re bigger.”

All right, maybe it’s not so hard to pinpoint the exact moment he quit listening to me.

He galloped into the yard, retrieved the ball and began taking and missing shots at the 10-foot height. He missed from close, he missed from far away, he backed all the way down the driveway and took a long and winding road to a layup. His eyes were locked on the rim and he carried the ball most of the way, running fast and stopping a few feet from the rim.

He missed.

Eager to make another “dad mistake,” I offered to lower the rim for him before returning to my yard work.

“Nope,” he said before missing another shot, and another, and another, then one more.

I smiled and stepped back to the mower. But before restarting it, I turned and watched another shot. He launched with both hands and we heard the unmistakable clank of the ball hitting the rim.

“Almost!” he shouted, and his head swung around to check whether I’d seen it or not.

Finally, for the first time all evening, I did something right.

I invited him to keep shooting and promised not to leave until he’d made one. I chased his misses into the garage, the yard, the neighbor’s yard, the bushes and the road.

Some were close.

Some hit him in the head.

Then, with all his might, he aimed for the square on the backboard and pushed the ball from his chest with every ounce of little boy energy he could muster. The ball hit the square and nearly every inch of the rim. As it fell through the net, he raised his noddle arms high over his head.

I raised my arms, too.

“Yes!” we shouted together and I raced to give him a high-five. But he was already chasing the ball down for another shot.

Back at work, I watched my all-star miss many more shots that night than he took. But I smiled knowing he was shooting at the ‘dad height.’”

Later, as we said goodnight, he thanked me for playing basketball.

“You’re welcome,” I whispered. “But you did a lot more than play ball.”

That night a son taught a dad that lowering the hoop, or personal expectations, may be a missed shot for giant success — 10 feet higher than expected.

You can read more of Jason's articles Here:

Love my Mother!

It's almost Valentine's Day, and I found this video about how vital a Husband's love for his wife...is to his daughter.
Get some tissues and go watch it
Here:

A Father's love and commitment!

I just loved this story, probably because I love to write notes and cards. I do think they make a difference, this story proves that they really do!  Read it ( but have tissues near by).
Have a great day dear friends!

Father with cancer communicates with 14-year-old daughter through napkins. 

                  

For Garth Callaghan of Glen Allen, Va., writing simple notes on napkins for his daughter’s lunch did not initially seem like an important component of her meal, but nine years later, he feels differently.
“[When Emma] started public school, either my wife or I would put a note in her lunchbox from time to time. It wasn’t a daily occurrence, and it was just really simple, like, ‘Have a great day,’ ‘We love you,’ ‘Good luck on your test,’ really basic, simple things,” Callaghan said in an interview with the Deseret News. “(But) as she became older … she started treating the napkin notes as if (they) were a required part of her lunchbox. She would often check in her lunchbox, and if there wasn’t a napkin note written, she’d come by with a lunchbox in her hand and kind of open it up and say, ‘Napkin note?’ That told me that there was something there, that there was something that was just as important as water in her lunch.”
After recognizing his now 14-year-old daughter’s positive reaction to his napkin notes, Callaghan began putting more effort into the messages.
“Between work and school and homework and sports and all these other things that are in our lives, we only have a couple of times a day that we can actually connect,” Callaghan said. “There’s the time that we drive her to school, we’ve got five or 10 minutes in the car. We have hopefully meal times, so we have hopefully half an hour or 45 minutes together as a family for dinner. And then we always make time with her at bedtime … so creating that additional moment of lunch, of her opening up her lunchbox and thinking about her dad, thinking about something that I’ve written, because she knows that that quote or that saying … generally has a purpose, even if it’s only a micro-moment … it’s really, really important to our family.”
But the role of napkin notes became even more meaningful when Callaghan was diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago.
“I have been battling cancer for a couple of years now. … I’m not going to die from it, not this time, I mean. I may eventually, but not this time. But things like this just solidify my belief that as a dad, for myself, I owe it to my daughter to do whatever I can to impart wisdom, my philosophy on life, how to be a good person in the world, whatever I can, and one of the ways she’s receptive to it is napkin notes,” Callaghan said.
“If I sit down and talk with her about how to be a good friend, it’s a little bit of a more difficult conversation than if I write a couple of sentences on a napkin on how to be a good friend.”
As the primary lunch-maker in his home, Callaghan believes that when parents include “napkin notes” in their children's lunches, the notes can make a positive difference.
“It’s such a simple act, it just takes a few seconds a day, but if I can get one parent more to do this, I’m convinced that that relationship between that parent and that child is going to be a stronger relationship,” he said.
Emma Callaghan also values the napkin notes. She began gluing the notes from her father in a book to keep them as a physical reminder of her father.
“The reporter (with the Richmond Times) asked (Emma) why she had been saving the quotes … and putting them into a little book, and she said, ‘My dad was really sick and I was trying to save a piece of him,’” Callaghan said. “She had never expressed that to me, and it just completely blew me away.”
For Callaghan, the physicality of the napkin notes resonates with his daughter more than an email or text message.
“I know (writing out napkin notes) sounds crazy because I’m a computer guy, and I love apps, I love texts and I love iPhones and everything like that, but there’s absolutely something humbling and down-to-earth about writing a real note,” he said. “It’s tangible, it’s something she can hold, and, frankly, she turned it into her own thing where she started saving them.”
Since sharing his experience, Callaghan has received positive feedback on his Napkin Notes Facebook page.
“You are going to ROCK 3rd grade! We love you. — Mom & Dad,” Ariane Herrholz Grabill wrote for her child on the Napkin Notes Facebook page. “It’s not poetic, but it’s the first of many,” she wrote about the napkin.
After realizing the power a note can hold for someone, Callaghan began sending napkin notes in the mail to people who could use some encouragement.
“I don’t believe that this is the solution to all the world’s ills, and world peace isn’t suddenly going to come about because parents are doing napkin notes, but maybe our individual relationships will get a lot better,” Callaghan said. “I am very purpose-driven with this. I really feel that this is something that is so simple, and so easy to do, and will make such a difference in their child’s life.”

I found this wonderful story HERE:

A Father's Love!

This is an incredible story of the love between a Father and his daughter.
 Watch it and see!
 

 You can find it here:
Good night dear friends!

Happy Birthday Bradley!

Today is our oldest son Bradley's Birthday. I can hardly believe that he is so grown up now and a husband and a Father, where did that time go? I still remember his birth, he was born on LABOR DAY, how appropriate was that? I remember Jeff going right out (when he saw how much hair Brad had ) and bought a comb, so that he could comb his hair over with a part. Then he took a photo and shared it with our family saying  "Here is our all American Boy!" He was a happy baby and just a treat to have around. He was loved by his older sister, and they became fast friends. As Brad grew up, he continued to watch out over his younger brother and sister who joined the family. Now he no longer towers over them but still keeps close tabs on them, and shares with them his Older Brotherly Advice...free of charge of course! :)
In this photo Lee is on the left and Lauren on the right. ( And of course that is Brad in the middle )



Now here is a photo of Lee on the left still and Brad on the right ( but this time there isn't as big of a height difference ), then his son Kai is bending over and collecting shells with his cousin Jenny. We have no idea who those 2 people walking are...in our photos!


I have always loved the quote for parents that says " My job is to build you up, so the world can't ever tear you down"
When Brad was placed in my arms 27 years ago, on Sept 4th, at 9:40 in the morning, weighing in 9lbs and 4 ounces and his temperature was 94.9.... I knew he was special! I had the strongest impression, that I would need to do all that I could to raise him to be the boy that the Lord wanted and needed him to be. I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I would have to fight his whole life to protect and teach him, and I really have tried to do that to my best ability.



I look at him now as a great husband and a sweet Father and realize that he is making it in the world, and that it didn't tear him down. The world is actually a much better place, because he is in it! That was what I always dreamed for him...to be safe, to be a great person, to make a difference in the world and to do the same for the next generation...his family. And he is doing it!




Jeff and I just got back from helping them move into Austin, Texas. They enjoyed their time in Boston, but now he is off and on a new adventure...starting his own business ... BRAVETHEWOODS.COM. Yes, he and Krystal have worked hard to make this dream of owning their own business come to pass. They are doing great!
 I hope on this Birthday, that he remembers not only how blessed he is, and that he is grateful for his talents, but especially remembers ... how loved he is by all of us!
It truly has been an adventure for us to have you as our son. And we are so excited for you! Happy Birthday dear Bradley!

 You can find out more about Brad's business HERE:

Gossip or True Concern?

Loved this article by Jason Wright. A lot of good healthy advice for body and soul!

 Wright Words: I’m not dying — I’m just skinny!

The questions started a year ago. “Are you sick? Are you dying? Are you well? Are you losing weight?”

The answers were no, no, no and yes. I explained with building frustration that I was simply losing some of the pounds I’d found over the years in fast-food bags, ice cream cartons and by visiting the Milky Way with my friends, The 3 Musketeers.
By the time I hit my wedding-day weight of 160 pounds — a loss of 46 pounds from my all-time high — hardly a day passed without someone asking about my health.                           

Because my father died of cancer at a relatively young age, my well-meaning mother launched a full-scale campaign to get me into the doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. I gave in just before she started running television commercials.

The questions started a year ago. “Are you sick? Are you dying? Are you well? Are you losing weight?”
The answers were no, no, no and yes. I explained with building frustration that I was simply losing some of the pounds I’d found over the years in fast-food bags, ice cream cartons and by visiting the Milky Way with my friends, The 3 Musketeers.
By the time I hit my wedding-day weight of 160 pounds — a loss of 46 pounds from my all-time high — hardly a day passed without someone asking about my health.
Because my father died of cancer at a relatively young age of 50, my well-meaning mother launched a full-scale campaign to get me into the doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. I gave in just before she started running costly television commercials and online banner ads.
I made an appointment with the wonderful Dr. Regina Bray of Fairfax Family Practice in Fairfax, Va. Over the course of our visits, she checked me for everything imaginable. She tested my blood, kidneys and bones. We discussed exercise, family history, career, stress and diet.
She introduced me to a new term: sleep hygiene. It’s the promotion of better sleep habits by going to bed and rising at a consistent time, avoiding the use of phones, laptops and television in bed, and even resisting the urge to read a good book while you drift off. I pledged to do better with all of the above.
Dr. Bray also asked me to keep a food diary and record everything I ate. Because I wanted to be a good patient, and because my mother couldn’t fly the airplane banner over my home forever, I agreed to keep studious logs of every single thing I ate or drank on seven random, non-consecutive days. Meanwhile, my weight remained steady between 158 and 165 pounds.
What was the doctor’s first reaction on my next visit? “Mr. Wright, are you aware that gummy bears are not on the food pyramid?”
After all the tests and questionnaires, I was finally given a clean bill of health last week on my final visit with Dr. Bray before she takes a new job in the Midwest. With a smile and the kind concern of a good doctor, she looked at me and said, “I feel pretty confident I can give you my blessing. You’re not dying.” She paused and laughed, “Not today, anyway.”
We shook hands, I wished her well on her new adventure and we said goodbye. Then, as soon as I stepped off the elevator, I called my mother. “Hey Mom, guess who’s not dying? This guy!”
As I made the 70-mile journey home, I thought about all the people who’d wondered both privately and aloud about my health. I considered their bold assumptions and how I’d lost patience with the constant queries.
Friends, neighbors and church pals had all assumed the very worst. Or was I the one making assumptions?
I'd chosen to imagine that every comment, question and furrowed brow must have come from Gossipy Curiosityville. I didn't permit myself to ponder, "What if they're all just concerned? What if everyone who stops me on the street or at the mall is genuinely worried? What a blessing!"
All these months passed with me assuming that everyone else was assuming the very worst. Whew, that's a lot of assumption! Isn't there an easier way to live?
What if I'd accepted that folks were asking out of sincere concern? What if I gave them the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe they had the best of intentions?
After all, they didn't create my frustration through action; I caused it from reaction.
With my mother satisfied and my doctor ordering me to avoid all doctor's offices for 12 months, I'll make a new pledge. I'll try harder to always assume the best.
So next time you ask if I’m all right, I’ll thank you for checking on me and answer with a patient smile. “I’m not dying — I'm just skinny.”
You can read more of Jason's articles here:

Believes verses unbelieves!

Today our lesson in church was about our believes. I will share some of my notes, and if you scroll down to the bottom you can see the link if you want to read the article yourself.

On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a blessing for his son, but they were not able to provide it. With the boy still gnashing his teeth, foaming from the mouth, and thrashing on the ground in front of them, the father appealed to Jesus with what must have been last-resort desperation in his voice:

“If thou canst do any thing,” he said, “have compassion on us, and help us.

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

This man’s initial conviction, by his own admission, is limited. But he has an urgent, emphatic desire in behalf of his only child.  With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.”  I can hardly read those words without weeping. The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, “Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don’t know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything—a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy’s mother every day of her life.”

“If thou canst do any thing,” spoken by the father, comes back to him “If thou canst believe,” spoken by the Master.

“Straightway,” the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but “straightway”—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” In response to new and still partial faith, Jesus heals the boy, almost literally raising him from the dead, as Mark describes the incident.

Observation number one regarding this account is that when facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: “Lord, I believe.” I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”  The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.

The second observation is a variation of the first. When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.

Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.

You can read Jeffrey R. Holland's talk
 here:
This talk really reminded me to hold fast to the believes that I do have!
Good night dear friends!

Tips... from a concern Father!

Wright Words: 20 things to embrace this summer besides a summer romance 

 

You remember the summer romance, don’t you? Your neighbor invited a cousin to spend the summer from Savannah. A friend brought their BFF from Fresno to band camp. You met a foreign-exchange student from Georgia — the country, not the state.

WOODSTOCK, Va. — Schools are closed — pools are open. Busses are parked. Parks are brimming with bikes, kites and basketballs.
Welcome to summer, 2013. It’s time to stock up on charcoal and ice, Popsicles and Pop Rocks, sparklers and sprinklers, bubbles, bubble gum and Kleenex.
Yes, Kleenex. Because if it’s summertime, it’s also time for those red-hot romances that start with sparks and almost always end with tears.
You remember the summer romance, don’t you? Your neighbor invited a cousin to spend the summer from Savannah, Ga. A friend brought her BFF from Fresno, Calif., to band camp. You met a foreign-exchange student from Georgia — the country, not the state.
You said, “Hello,” exchanged smiles, felt the flutters, and before you could run the opposite direction, you were living in a Bryan Adams music video. But the odds were never in your favor, and by the time Labor Day hit, your romance ended like a Nicolas Cage movie — with a thud.
Take it from someone with a doctorate in adolescent puppy love. Summer romances are like hot peppers. They seem like a good idea at the time, but usually lead to heartburn.
As a teenager, I had several of these short-term, county-fair hand-holding, diving-board show-off summer romances. My parents warned me not to fall in like with the girl I met at the lake or the movies or mini-golfing. But what did they know?
Plenty, it turns out. Each of those summer romances ended with an awkward goodbye, promises to keep in touch and hours of listening to my “Richard Marx Greatest Hits” tape in my basement.
A few years have passed and somehow I have two teenage daughters of my own. So it’s my turn to dish out advice on matters of the heart, right?
Right. To the Wright daughters and teenagers everywhere, I offer 20 things to consider embracing this summer besides a summer romance.
1. Read the entire Nancy Drew series, all 56 of the originals.
2. Write three-page book reports about each of the volumes in the entire Nancy Drew series.
3. Volunteer at a nursing home.
4. Learn a new sport.
5. Learn to use an iron.
6. Take an online class.
7. Read the Bible cover to cover.
8. Learn Spanish.
9. Read the Bible cover to cover — in Spanish.
10. Become a certified lifeguard.
11. Write in your journal.
12. Invent your own language.
13. Interview your grandparents.
14. Learn to safely use a lawn mower and WeedEater.
15. Start a business.
16. Write a short novel.
17. Make friends with someone different than you.
18. Watch the news and ask your parents questions.
19. Learn to make your parents' favorite dinner.
20. Start a YouTube channel teaching kids the lost art of crochet.
This summer, more than anything, I hope my kids and yours make pleasant, colorful memories that never fade and I pray they enjoy their childhoods as long as they can. Life will present plenty of opportunities for love and drama — what’s the rush?
Hey, kids, go get started. Play safe. Be smart. Don’t fall head over heels for the new guy or girl that just moved in from Lithuania. It will only lead to heartbreak.
But if you do, I just might let you borrow that Richard Marx tape. Are you going to need it? Sí.

To read more of Jason's work here:

Last song

Jeff and I watched this movie the other night, the message was really good and it was pretty darn clean. Those aren’t easy to find any more. I guess what I loved about it the most was, how the daughter and father made up with each other before it was too late. The parents in this story had divorced and it was mostly about how divorce effects everyone in the family…but especially the children. I have to admit, that I am very grateful that I knew my Mom and Dad loved each other, it just seemed normal but now a days… Divorce is the normal. I have met many people throughout my life who are the children from a divorce, it takes quite a toll on them and leaves some really nasty scars.

The movie made you think about how much power a parent has over a child, I don’t mean physical power, but the emotions that are tied into a Mother and child relationship and a Father and child relationship. I think what I liked the most about this movie was the lessons that were learned by the daughter, so maybe she will live her life making different choices, and not repeating the same mistakes. I tell my kids all the time that they should be better husbands, wives, Mothers and Fathers than we are. Although we are truly trying our best, our kids should keep getting better each generation, learning from their parents mistakes.

I was never really close to my Dad, how I wished I would have been. He has passed on, but still I wish we could have figured out how to have a Father –Daughter relationship that was good, uplifting and healthy.  I know he did the best he could but… still I think every girl would like to have a Dad to love, cherish and protect her, I think every girl needs that.

I feel grateful each day for Jeff, he is that type of Father to our kids and they know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their Dad loves them. What a blessing that is. Our oldest son and his wife are expecting their first baby in March and I can’t wait to see him as a Father, he will be great. He is a righteous man and has such a loving heart, he will be a good Dad …and his children will be well loved!

So if you are looking for  a good tear jerker movie that is pretty clean, this I is a good one for you.
Good night dear friends!

 

"People make mistakes, even the ones we love. We forgive, and keep moving forward."

 

"Love is Fragile and Sometimes were Not The Best Caretakers."

“Sometimes you have to be apart from the people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes it makes you love them more.”

“The love of a family is life's greatest blessing”

Prayer…what a gift!

I am grateful to have been taught the importance of prayer since I was  a little girl. I always believed that I was a child of God, and that my Heavenly Father really loved me and knew me. Many of you already know that I was abused as a child, by my grandfather. After I was married and had my first baby, I finally broke the silence of my abuse and decided that the next generation ( my children ) were going to be safe. The generational chain of abuse finally was broken. It has been going on for at least 3 other generation, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of my kids being hurt at all… and so I prayed hard to be strong enough to stand up and speak out against it. Now from that time on, I have spoken to, counseled with, and encouraged many other victims to become survivors. I am always sadden when I hear someone say “ how can you believe in a God, who let you get hurt like that?” I never really saw it like that. I do know that hard things and bad things happen to everybody…rich or poor, good or bad and so on. But I know that my Heavenly Father was well aware of me throughout those years, and gave me the strength to not only survive it… but to grow and be strong enough to break the chain of incest! I never for one minute thought He didn’t love me or had forgotten me. My prayers were something that gave me hope and strength and to this day…it has been a blessing and a gift in my life, and the life of my family.

I read this article today about prayer and wanted to share part of it with you tonight. Partly because it shows that nothing is too little or too silly, or unimportant to your Heavenly Father. He loves us and wants us to be happy, that I know for sure. Anyway, I hope after you read this, you will remember how important you are to your Heavenly Father, and that you will be ever grateful for this gift we call Prayer! 

Good night dear friends, and thank you for all the prayers that you have sent Heavenward in my behalf! I felt them, and they did make a big difference in my life and the lives of family!

The Privilege of Prayer  by J. Devn Cornish

“Prayer is one of the most precious gifts of God to man.

God our Father is not a feeling or an idea or a force. He is a holy person who, as the scriptures teach, has a face and hands and a glorious immortal body. He is real, He knows each of us individually, and He loves us, every one. He wants to bless us.

Jesus said:

“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

“Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:9–11).

Perhaps a personal experience will help to illustrate the point. When I was a young resident physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, I worked long hours and traveled between the hospital and our home in Watertown, Massachusetts, mostly by bicycle since my wife and young family needed our car. One evening I was riding home after a long period in the hospital, feeling tired and hungry and at least a bit discouraged. I knew I needed to give my wife and four small children not only my time and energy when I got home but also a cheery attitude. I was, frankly, finding it hard to just keep pedaling.

My route would take me past a fried chicken shop, and I felt like I would be a lot less hungry and tired if I could pause for a piece of chicken on my way home. I knew they were running a sale on thighs or drumsticks for 29 cents each, but when I checked my wallet, all I had was one nickel. As I rode along, I told the Lord my situation and asked if, in His mercy, He could let me find a quarter on the side of the road. I told Him that I didn’t need this as a sign but that I would be really grateful if He felt to grant me this kind blessing.

I began watching the ground more intently but saw nothing. Trying to maintain a faith-filled but submissive attitude as I rode, I approached the store. Then, almost exactly across the street from the chicken place, I saw a quarter on the ground. With gratitude and relief, I picked it up, bought the chicken, savored every morsel, and rode happily home.

In His mercy, the God of heaven, the Creator and Ruler of all things everywhere, had heard a prayer about a very minor thing. One might well ask why He would concern Himself with something so small. I am led to believe that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because He loves us. How much more would He want to help us with the big things that we ask, which are right? “

“To those who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace. Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer”  ~ Thomas S. Monson

"As we pass through the trials of life, let us keep an eternal perspective, let us not complain, let us become even more prayerful, let us serve others, and let us forgive one another. As we do this, 'all things [will] work together for good to [us] that love God' (Romans 8:28)."   ~ James B. Martino

"He [the Lord] will always hear your prayers and will invariably answer them. However, His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened."  ~ Richard G. Scott

Embassy of Hope!

I like this story, I think it shows you that LOVE WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY!

Enjoy and good night dear friends!

Embassy of Hope

When Mark was five years old his parents divorced. He stayed with his mother, while his father enlisted in the armed forces. As Mark grew up he occasionally had recollections of the brief time he shared with his father and longed to one day see him again, but as Mark became an adult the thoughts of his father began to subside. Mark was now more into girls, motor cycles, and partying.

After Mark graduated from college he married his high school sweetheart. A year later she gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby boy.

One day when Mark’s son was five years old and as Mark was preparing to shave his face, his son looked up at him and laughed, “Daddy you look like a clown with that whipped cream on your face.”

Mark laughed, looked into the mirror and realized how much his son looked like him at that age. Later remembered a story his mother had told him of him once telling his own father the same thing.

Mark began thinking about his own father a lot and started quizzing his mother. It had been a long time since Mark spoke of his father and his mother informed him that she had not spoken to his father in over twenty years and all her knowledge of his whereabouts ceased when Mark became eighteen.

Mark looked deep into his mother’s eyes and said, “I need to find my father.”

His mother commented that his relatives had all passed away and she had no idea where to begin searching for him but added, “Maybe, just maybe, if you contact the United States Embassy in England, they might be able to help you.”

Even though the chances seemed slim Mark was determined. He called the Embassy and the conversation went something like this.

“U.S. Embassy, how may we help you?”

“Ahh…hi, my name is Mark Sullivan and I am hoping to find my father.”

After a long pause and the ruffle of papers.. “Is this a Mr. Mark Joseph Sullivan ?”

“Yes,” Mark says anxiously.

“And you were born in Vincennes, Indiana, at the Good Samaritan Hospital on October 19, 1970?”

“Yes… yes”

“Mark, please don’t hang up.” The man makes an announcement at the embassy. “Everyone listen… I have terrific news… Lieutenant Ronald L. Sullivan’s son is on the phone… he found us!”

Without a pause Mark hears a roar of a crowd clapping, cheering, laughing, crying, and praising God.

The man returns to the telephone and says, “Mark we’re so glad you have called. Your father has been coming here in person or calling almost every single day for the past nine years, checking to see if we located you.”

The following day Mark received a phone call from his father. His father explained to him that he had been traveling to the United States every six months trying to find him. Once even went to a home where the landlord had explained that Mark and his mother had moved out just two weeks prior and left no forwarding address.

Mark and his father now see each other as often as possible.

… David Like, Florida

(This is a true story, though David changed the names and location

 

“All things are possible until they are proved impossible and even the impossible may only be so, as of now."  ~Pearl S. Buck

“Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us.”
Muhammad Yunus

Quite a tribute for a Father, Husband and Friend!

]

Today Jeff and I drove an hour away to a dear friend’s funeral. He and his family moved from this area quite a while ago. Even though we haven’t kept in touch with them a lot throughout the years, we had common friends and they always let us know what they were up to, or when one of their kids got married. Twelve years ago, one of our friends mentioned that this dear friend of ours… had a brain aneurism and from then on has never been the same. His sweet wife and also a dear friend of ours, faithfully took care of him these past 12 years, which not only brought problems from the aneurism, but he also became diabetic and had cancer. He lost his battle with cancer and passed away just a few days ago. We knew we wanted to be at that funeral for him and his dear family.

He had three boys and two girls, and nineteen grandchildren…what a legacy! His three sons spoke and it was probably one of the greatest tributes that I think I have ever heard from children to a parent. Their Dad was amazing and the lessons and values he taught them were obviously a part of their lives, and something that they were passing on to their young families now. It was an honor to be there, his wife and our sweet friend seemed very touched that we came and we were so glad we did.

Time kept changing while we were sitting there during the funeral. When his girls sang one of the musical numbers …time seemed to slip to the past and I can remember those girls when they were just teenagers and now they are each a Mother. When the sons spoke …time slip back again and I could see in some of their features their Dad, they had the same expressions and mannerisms. Then at one point during on of the beautiful musical numbers…time pushed ahead and I wondered if Jeff and I need to talk more about when and if the time comes for us, have we shared our wishes for our funeral? Have we taught our kids and grandkids all that we know about life and do they know…like these kids …how loved they are? Then after the funeral we were able to talk and visit with other friends that we haven’t seen in years…time went back and forward then. Back because the same love and friendship we had with them, you realized is still there and yet just by looking at all of us …time has gone by and we all are a bit older, and wiser I hope?

Coming home Jeff and I spoke about where we wanted to be buried, what we wanted for our funerals and bottom line how we hoped our kids have learned to know and love the Lord. These kids did and that made all the difference in their lives. Their parents taught them about God and that they never had to go through anything alone. They had a testimony of Christ and His Atonement. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, where their Dad was and that some day they could be together again!  That is what they are striving for and working towards to have as they say…’No empty chairs in Heaven’.

Yes, it was quite the tribute to a dear friend, quite the tribute to the Memories and Love they shared, and quite the reminder for Jeff and I …that life is short and precious and we need to EVERYDAY, make the most of it! It was a tough day emotionally but my heart is full and very grateful tonight.

Good night dear friends!

“Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

”While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil.”  ~ John Taylor

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens.”  ~ Helen Keller

LOVE will find a way!

Years ago when I inherited some money, I decided that one of the first things I was going to do, is buy something for Jeff. Jeff has worked hard for over 20 some years, he has been a wonderful husband and Father and never really taken any time to do something fun for himself. I know many men who have always enjoyed their toys ( boats, cars, vacations, hobbies ) but Jeff really hasn't. We decided when when we were engaged, that as soon as the children came along, I would be a stay home Mom. Since Amy was born one month before our year anniversary, that immediately meant sacrifice for both of us with just one income. Jeff has never complained, but I knew that there had to be something that he would really like to have. Before I even got the question out about what he might like, he said a motorcycle. I was shocked, he had never even mentioned that he like motorcycles...so that is what I got him. 
Now many people have told me how crazy I was, and that they would never let their husband have one but...I guess I am coming from a different perspective because of my cancer. Life is short and when we do things that we love, then we are just healthier, happier people. I have never seen anyone so grateful for something in all my life!  Jeff can hardly wait to get up in the morning to check the weather, to see if he can ride his motorcycle to work. Yes, he truly loves the feeling that he gets when he rides that motorcycle. He said it gives him a sense of peace, freedom, gratitude for the beautiful place we live, he said it even moves his soul, not too many of us can say that about things that we love to do. :) Of course I always say a quiet prayer when he leaves but I try to leave the worry out of the picture, and I am just grateful that he has found something that he really loves to do. 
Since Lauren was home (and the one who rides the most with him), she wanted to do a photo shoot with him and his bike. I am very glad she did, I love it! I love him!

 

P.S. I would have Lauren take a photo of me and my sewing room, with my sewing machine but...I just don't think that would make the best photo...you know what I mean!

 

"The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome."

"Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go."

"Cars move people, but motorcycles move...SOULS!"

How do you say good-bye?

We had a friend of ours pass away just recently. He was a son, husband, father and friend. He was in his early 50's, he had a lot of health issues that he had been battling for quite some time. Recently he got diagnosed with cancer and by the time they found it, it was too far gone. I remember when we first got the news, we knew that they had a daughter getting married soon and wondered if he would even be still here for that? He did, then passed away,soon afterwards. I worried about my friend's wife, how do you prepare and plan for a wedding,when you are trying to prepare to say good-bye to your husband? How do you handle all the emotions that come with learning something like that?  Will there ever be enough time to prepare? Can you ever be ready?

I remember someone saying once " there is no good time, to say good-bye to a loved one. It's hard if they go suddenly and you didn't get to say good-bye, it is hard if they linger in pain and suffering for a long time, and you keep saying good-bye over and over again. I don't think there is ever a good way, or an easy way to say it.

Having had cancer twice in my life, I have definitely thought of saying good-bye to my loved ones, on more than one occasion. I wondered how you could ever help the ones that you leave, the ones that are left here on earth to continue to try to live on without you? The void will always be there , no one will ever be able to take their place. But I loved this poem by Gordon B. Hinckley, which was so hopeful.
I also like the later poem, I believe it is for those who find it hard to go on with life. Grieving is a natural process, no one can tell you how long it will take, it is a very personal thing, but I do think the second  poem was a reminder to us all, that the loved one we lost, would like us to keep going on with out life. To keep living and yet still remember them.  We will be together again someday, that knowledge alone...is a healing salve.
So our prayers go out to our friends and their family. And I will close tonight with this positive and hopeful poems.

What Is This Thing That Men Call Death?

What is this thing that men call death?
This quiet passing in the night?
‘Tis not the end but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light

O God, touch Thou my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change
With recompense for vict’ry won
The gift of Him who loved all men
The Son of God, the Holy One.  ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

"YOU CAN SHED TEARS THAT SHE IS GONE,
OR YOU CAN SMILE BECAUSE SHE HAS LIVED.
YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES AND PRAY THAT SHE'LL COME BACK,
OR YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE ALL SHE'S LEFT.
YOUR HEART CAN BE EMPTY BECAUSE  YOU CAN'T SEE HER,
OR YOU CAN BE FULL OF THE LOVE YOU SHARED.
YOU CAN TURN YOUR BACK ON TOMORROW AND LIVE YESTERDAY,
OR YOU CAN BE HAPPY FOR TOMORROW BECAUSE OF YESTERDAY.
YOU CAN REMEMBER HER ONLY THAT SHE IS GONE,
OR  YOU CAN CHERISH HER MEMORY AND LET IT LIVE ON.
YOU CAN CRY AND CLOSE YOUR MIND,
BE EMPTY AND TURN YOUR BACK.
OR YOU CAN DO WHAT SHE'D WANT:
SMILE, OPEN  YOUR EYES, LOVE AND GO ON."    David Harkins