Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh how I love this photo...maybe it is because of the cute patient face of the little boy or grandson! He looks like he can't wait for Grandma, Aunt or some dear to him, to finish this perfect pie and get it in the oven soon! :)

Here is another cute face, that is excited for her and Nana's pie to get finished. She liked the mixing the best. She would stir then eat some of it, and then stir again! Hope she doesn't have any germs...or at least that the heat of the oven kills the germs ( if there is any ).

My favorite part is to watch her smell the spices and then have her say "Umm...it smells like Christmas!"
My heart is missing my other kids and grandkids. Would love to have them here cooking and sharing with us!

Yet, I realize how blessed I am...there are many, many people out there are lonely or suffeing. Maybe their loved ones have passed away, or live too far away. Or they have suffered a divorice and or illness.
I rememeber well 7 years ago after my mastectomy, it was Thanksgiving. Lee and Lauren were home but we weren't making a Thankgiving Dinner because I was hurting so much from my surgery. Our dear friends brought us dinner from a company. It was so sweet of them to think of us and yet, I was so sad still from my surgery and the fact that everything had changed...and all. I could do was cry when they left! I still was so worried about the future... or if there was going to be a future!
So my heart goes out to all those who may be hurt, lonely, sick or sad this Thanksgiving holiday!



May we all take a moment to stop and say a prayer for all those who's hearts are hurting!
Good Night and Happy Thanksgiving dear friends!

Beautiful People!

I saw this quote on a friend's face book page. I loved it! Isn't that true? Don't we all know people like this and aren't we all grateful for these beautiful people who come into our lives? I know I am. I think what I like the most... is the countenance on their face, confidence in their smile and gratitude in their eyes. They have lived a lot of life, they have experienced much and they truly understand why they are here.
 Yes, there are a lot of beautiful people in the world... and I am not talking about the ones that the world thinks are beautiful...but the ones that are not only survivors of the trials of life...but the ones that are thriving and making the world a better place just by their beauty and example!
Thank you to all those beautiful people in my life, who have taught me so much!

Suffering ceases to be suffering when...

I heard a quote on the radio yesterday, it didn't say who the quote was by. I loved it though, it went like this..."Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning", I first thought it said "Suffering cesases to be suffering when the lesson is learned". I guess they both have the same point. Some of the greatest lessons that we have learned in our lives, have been during some of the hardest times in our lives. When a tragedy happens, such as something that really stops everything else in your life and it takes all you have to handle it. I have also found at that moment,  things quickly prioritize themselves. You know longer worry about the every day things and even doing some of those every day things either is a struggle to do, or nothing compared to what you are trying to endure or overcome.
Yes, lessons in life are hard and yet...the suffering does seem to end when you are finally understanding why this trial was given to you. It takes a lot of FAITH to find the meaning in suffering. It takes a trust and hope in your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Hoping and praying that they will not let you have any more than  you can handle. Having the knowledge that Christ has already suffered for all of our sins, and has experienced all that anyone of us will have to experience. Gives us someone to go to in our times of need. Knowing full well that HE has been there and will be there with you to help give you hope, comfort and Peace! What a blessing to know that suffering doesn't have to be forever. Everything in life has a purpose. It is important to pray and ask what that is...so that we can learn the lesson and find the meanings.
Yes, life is hard ...but it wasn't meant for us to go through it alone. We have the Savior, our families and each other. Thank you for being there for me and my family, when we needed you the most. When our suffering seemed more than we could handle. Your thoughts and prayers were a blessing to us! Thank you again dear friends, and good night!


"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be."  ~Grandma Moses

What to say or do?

There are many things in life that happen to others, and if we haven’t had the same experiences we don’t really know what to say or do. As I have looked through articles ( one by Summer Thorp ) about this very thing, there were some comforting words to remind me… that I can’t change the situation for them and I can’t heal their broken hearts but I can do something! The list that was in one of these articles helped me out some,  and I hope they will help you too if you have a friend in need.

Here’s what we CAN do…

Respect Others’ Privacy…not everyone is comfortable sharing when they are hurting so bad. Some people don’t want others opinions at that time. Some don’t know how to handle this in their life, and may not feel like sharing it with others. We need to respect that.

Don’t Minimize the Loss…when I had cancer, someone said to me right before my mastectomy “at least you are only losing one breast”. Some how… I didn’t feel better and that comment hurt, even though I know it wasn’t meant to. When bad things happen, we will feel sorrow, pain and our heart will really hurt. But grieving is an important part of healing. If you have never been there, then don’t try to say something great, just remind them that they are loved and you are there, if and when they need you.

Recognize That Both Parents Experience Loss… When problems happen as a couple, we may tend to just try and comfort the Wife and Mother, yet the Father is hurting just as bad. Remember to be considerate and compassionate to him also. If he ever needed a friend… now might just be the time.

Ask How You Can Help… Many times, when you are going through a tough time, it is hard to know what to tell others they can do to help. But if they know you are really there, night or day…I think that helps and continue to offer some help. One day they just might take you up on it.

Support in Simple Ways… Some times it is the little things that are the hardest to accomplish when you are struggling or hurting so bad. Cooking, cleaning, doing little errands like grocery shopping might seem like a huge task at the time. I don’t think it hurts to do some of these simple things to help out. Just leaving a dinner by the door, not going in to talk, because some times retelling the story makes  you feel like you just keep opening the wound. So maybe a meal, a note in the mail…just some reminder to them that they are loved and thought of. Plus, remember them in your prayers. Prayer is a very powerful too in calling down the powers of Heaven to help. Never under estimate the power of prayer!

Last but certainly not the least, is to remember the Savior’s Example… The scriptures are full of examples of how the Savior took care of those who were hurting. He knew when to mourn with someone, and He knew when to help. After Lazarus’s death, Christ  traveled to Bethany to be with Martha and Mary. To Martha He offered His testimony of life after death and asked her to reaffirm her testimony. When Mary expressed her grief over the loss of her brother, the scriptures simply state, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
The simplest acts can mean the most to your loved ones who are suffering. Let us be more like the Savior and help ease their pain.

 

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”   ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Yet another road...

Our son Lee, has been suffering from severe muscle cramps. This has been going on for years and we finally thought we had found out what it was. We weren't sure if it was some internally or not. For the past year and half, we have been in and out of the Doctor's office, Emergency room, Specialist's office, Chiropractor and Hospital for CT scans, X-rays and Ultrasounds. All of which haven't really given us specific solutions.
I wrote on Mother's Day that we thought we had finally got a diagnosis...Psoas Muscle Spasms, we were thrilled to at least find out what it was and go forward. The problem is, although it looked for sure that this was our problem and an easy fix...2 months later, we are realizing, the attacks aren't going away and we still are not sure what is causing them.

Two weeks ago, Lee went to a church youth camp for 3 days. During that time, he had 3 attacks, 2 small ones and 1 big attack. The doctor and nurse that were there, witnessed them and promptly told Jeff and I that they did not think this was muscle attacks that Lee was having and suggested that we take him in for further testing right away.

Am I scared? YES! I am struggling with the NOT KNOWING what it is, so once again we are going down another road in search for the right answers. It has been hard on Lee, he has not been able to get a job because of this and many other areas of his life are restricted and have been put on hold, until we get this figured out. He is more frustrated than scared, I am glad about that. I pray that soon we will find the right answer and more importantly...be able to find a cure for this. It is hard watching your child suffer. I would rather it be me any day, but that is not how life works.

So we will continue going down road after road, until we finally find the right answer...please keep us in your prayers, we could sure use them.

"I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."  ~Author Unknown

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts."  ~K.T. Jong

Long Day!

Today even though it was the Sabbath, has been a long day. Our son Lee had 6 muscle spasm attacks. Two of which were longer than normal. It is just nerve wrecking to watch your child hurt sooooooooo much, and really not being able to do anything about it. I am sad to see the toll it is taking on his sweet spirit, he is getting really anxious about the next attack and when and where it will come? He is frustrated that we can't get this figured out and discouraged at how much of his time and energy this whole thing is taking.

We will continue to pray, watch, study, search and do all that we can, but oh how amazing it is that time seems to have stood still for most of this day. How thankful we are for family and friends who are keeping him in their thoughts and prayers.

I need to go to bed, good night dear friends!

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."   ~ Helen Keller

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."  ~ Helen Keller

Hard times

My son had to work on a project tonight on his computer, and so I am just now getting him off to bed and sitting down at my computer. Teenagers...you gotta love'em!

I am so tired that I believe instead of staying up to the wee hours of the morning, I will share a couple of quotes that have helped me along my road of hard times.

I was talking to a young friend of mine tonight, who was home so that she could have surgery on her shoulder. She told me about all the pain and trouble she was having with it and how it had finally got so bad that it was time to come home and check into surgery. After listening and truly understanding how hard times feel when you are right in the middle of them, she asked me..."so how are you doing?" I couldn't believe it, but I said..."I am doing great!" It still shocks me to hear myself say it. For soooooo many years I have been fighting either cancer, pain, pneumonia, and fatigue. All I can remember saying for the past 3 -4 years was " I am really tired".

Now tonight I am really tired, but that is because it is late. Now that I am sleeping 8-9 hours a night, I am doing amazingly well! I still have my back and neck pain, but even that feels better. The fatigue has changed a lot. I still take a nap during the day, but when I am awake, I just feel better!

Silly as it seems, I am grateful for the hard times that have taught me so much!

If you are going through your own hard times, please remember to never give up and keep the faith!

“Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.”       ~ Stephen R. Covey 

“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.”  ~ Moliere 

Service and gratitude

   My youngest brother Ty works for the Humanitarian Department for our church. He is an amazing man and one with great compassion, which makes him perfect for the job. He also is very well educated and speaks many languages.
   When he was a small boy, I used to have him help me with my homework ( that's sad...I know, but a girl has to do...what a girl has to do ). Never mind that he is 10 years younger than me! Shhhh...we don't want that to get around! :)
I have always looked up to him, even though he is younger. He is strong in his faith and lives exactly what he believes, you don't see that often enough, in today's world.
   He just recently went to Peru, for one of the humanitarian projects, and I asked him when he got back, if he would send me photos or information about what he did. Mainly so we as a family, could share in his experience. Here is the article that he sent me. It made me feel grateful for all my many blessings, plus it also touched my heart to see such amazingly strong and faithful people.

Service and gratitude fueled recovery in quake-weary Peru

By Jason Swensen
Published: Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010

PISCO, PERU

Church members in Pisco, Peru, and neighboring cities will tell you they've lived two distinct lives: before and then after Aug. 15, 2007. On that date a massive 8.0-magnitude quake devastated several cities in southern Peru, claiming hundreds of lives and thousands of homes.

Photo by Jason Swensen

Church Welfare Services worker Ty Johnson, far right, speaks with members Eduardo and Sonia Torres outside their new home in Chincha, Peru. The Torres' lost their 2-year-old daughter, Jessica, in the 2007 quake. Their home was also destroyed.

The quake remains a defining event for members here. They look back on the catastrophe with equal parts grief and gratitude. Grief for those who were lost. And gratitude for the many who enlisted faith, service, hard work, priesthood principles and Relief Society resourcefulness so others might endure and emerge, both physically and spiritually, from a monumental disaster.

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/60265/Service-and-gratitude-fueled-recovery-in-quake-weary-Peru.html

"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? "  ~ Leo Buscaglia

"There's no disaster that can't become a blessing, and no blessing that can't become a disaster"                  ~ Richard Bach

"Knowledge is going to make you stronger. Knowledge is going to let you control your life. Knowledge is going to give you the wisdom to teach their children. Knowledge is the thing that makes you smile in the face of disaster."  ~Avery Brooks

Sometimes a little rain must fall!

Well, today and last night were rough. I guess I over did it at Physical Therapy yesterday, and I didn't sleep much at all last night because of the pain. I have to admit, since I have been sleeping soooooooo much better, I am spoiled ...I want to keep sleeping! I was shocked at how most of the morning was over when I finally stopped hurting enough, to get out of bed. Half of the day was wasted...yuck, these are hard days. My hands have been bad all day too, even typing is really hurting so I will leave you with an appropriate photo to go with the appropriate poem. Sometimes a little rain MUST fall!  :)

 
" Be still sad heart and cease repining;
Behind the clouds the sun is shining,
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life a little rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."   ~ Longfellow

 

"Pain is only valuable once you know that you've learned from it."

I say that trials and tests locate a person. In other words they determine where you are spiritually. They reveal the true condition of your heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts.-- John Bevere

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape. --Charles Dickens

Another Mother

Today I felt an incredible desire to help another mother that I have never met. Her name is Stephanie Nielson, she and her husband were in a plane crash 2 years ago and I have just been following her blog and all the news report. Her story has been all over the world and it is through the kindness of so many strangers that they have been able to make it financially. I first learned of her story a month ago when I was in SLC to do some motivational speaking.

I read the whole story today from the day of the plane crash to now, what a hard, incredible, terrible journey and yet she is still making it and grateful for what she has learned. I have included the web-site with her story, many of you have probably already read it. It is inspiring to say the least!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/stephanie-nielson-chapter1-120609.html

Today I worked on MONSTERS all day. I had read that Stephanie and her husband Christian were back in the hospital for more surgeries and once again they had to be away from their children. I could only imagine how hard that is for all of them but especially the kids, with both mom and dad being gone. At church I teach the 8-11  year old girls, and today was there day to come over and to a service project. I decided to have them watch Stephanie's story that has been on the news. They were very quiet and then I told them about my idea of the monsters and would they like to help me do that and make cards for the kids? There was an enthusiastic YES... from each of them. It was interesting watching them work on their cards and wonder what to say inside. They comments were sweet and you could tell, they directly related to the Nielson's kids. We took photos of the girls with their cards and tomorrow I will try to get the monsters done, then pack them up to travel to their new home... the Nielson's home. I pray that maybe, these monsters will help those kids in some small way to continue to be brave and have hope. Yes, it was a great day, because even though I was in a lot pain with my back and neck ...it seemed like nothing after reading Stephanie's story. Life is all about perspective isn't it? I have much to be grateful for. Good night dear friends.

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."   ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."

“Each Journey is a work of Art!"
- ANONYMOUS

Problems

When I was a little girl my grandmother used to always say..."If everyone's  problems were hung out on the line, you'd take yours and I'd take mine". She then explained that no matter how bad you think your problems are, if you just stop to look around at someone else's problems then ours don't look so bad. I found this story that has the same theme. So instead of telling you how bad I feel today and how I worried I am that I will always be sick like this... I will leave you with this inspiration story of the Sorrow Tree.

Good night dear friends.

The Sorrow Tree

---

So it was that when the Hasidic pilgrims vied for those among them who had endured the most suffering, who was most entitled to complain, the Zaddck told them the story of the Sorrow Tree. On the Day of Judgment, each person will be allowed to hang one's unhappiness and sufferings on a brach of the great Tree of Sorrows. After all have found a limb from which their miseries may dangle, they may all walk slowly around the tree. Each person is to search for a set of sufferings that he or she would prefer to those he or she has hung on the tree.

In the end, each one freely chooses to reclaim his or her own assortment of sorrows rather than those of another. Each person leaves the Tree of Sorrows wiser that when he or she arrived.   by: Brian Cavanaugh, T.O.R., The Sower's Seeds