God Our Maker Doth Provide

Thanks Be To God

Today will probably be my last day to post for the month of November.

I am leaving in the morning to join my family for the holiday.

We are going to have a Thanksgiving feast and a new baby.

The feast in guaranteed and, according to Lee's doctor,

our new granddaughter should arrive in the next couple of days.

But I wanted to make sure that it was understood that I know

where my blessings, grace, miracles and tender mercies come from.

I thank my Father in Heaven for everything in my life.  I look back

on my life and wonder why he has been so generous to a soul

such as me.  I am indebted.  And I can never repay him for all that

he has given me.

I am grateful for his son, Jesus Christ.  To know that I am mortal

and so prone to making mistakes but through Christ I am not

condemned by those mistakes.  I am amazed at the strength of his

character.  He did what he was sent here to do and he

will do what he said he will do for us. 

My Thanksgiving is to them.

FAMILY

Family

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.

                                                  I am so thankful for my family. 

They are my joy.  They make me laugh.  They make me cry.

They make me whole.

It is in family life that we learn to reach

for our Savior.  It is in the struggle of human

relationships that we learn to grow and lift others.

I could not imagine life without them.

They are in my every prayer...and most of

my thoughts. 

I am thankful for the binding ordinances

of the Temple that make us a Forever Family.

My Forever Family.

What more is there to want.

There is so much to be thankful for.

"Thankful"


Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for


Sung by Josh Groban



The boys of fall

Semi-final football game.

Blue Ridge vs Florence

Saturday afternoon David and I drove to Paradise Valley to watch this

big match up.  Or what we thought was going to be a big match up.

Final score 49-7

We went for a "good" game but it became obvious early in the

first half that it wasn't.  Maybe next week....definately next week.

It was fun when we got there.  There were so

many people we knew and everyone was in a good

mood. 

The game started at 4:00 so we got to see a

desert sunset.

I love those purple and gold uniforms.  They

have some cool uniforms but they only come

out on certain occasions.  Maybe next week.

The famous BR band....all fifteen of them.

In their defense they sound pretty good this year.

Jean Lee.  David's first cousin.  She sat behind us.

She came for the BR game and the one following with

Show Low and Snowflake.  She had family on

all three teams.

Roger and Sharman Toronto.  I understand Roger's

interest in all things sporting but I am always amazed

at Sharman.  She is such a girl but she is always at

the games and knows as much as anybody else.

This is Austin Jones.  He is an icon at BR.  He has been

in a special program for years.  We heard that he was

getting to the age where he would have to move on but

I think the school and community have accepted him

as a forever student.  I tried to get a better picture of

him but he is always busy.  Here he is cheering the

team on.

BR played really well.  Even though we are not

emotional involved anymore we still like to see

BR win.

Jay Cox.  This is kinda funny.  He sat behind us to the

right.  He started yelling after the first kick off.  I couldn't

tell who it was because he was filming the game.

But after a while it seemed obnoxious and a bit over

the top to me.  I was surprized when I asked David

who that man was and he told me it was Jay.

I had to laugh.  Then it came back to me that

that is how he was when he coached Junior High

football.  You could hear him across the field.

He settled down as the game went on.

We love Jay.

Jim and Patty Crampton.  We had kids in common.

I don't think we have seen them for 10+ years.

They looked good.  And as Sharman said, "ya,

another couple that has stayed married".

After investing all those years you ought to

stay married. 

                                      And finally us.  I hope we look like we were having a good
                                                            time because we were. 

Sunday 21 November 2010

Sundown

So tonight as we wind down what is left of the weekend

I paused to think about the night settling in.  I am thankful

for the night.  I am thankful for rest.  I am thankful for

this time that is shared with David. 

I always liked the night time when, as a family, we

would sit down and eat dinner.  OK,  not every night

was fun but overall when I would get kids bathed,

help with homework, or read stories and tuck kids

to bed it felt good.  They went to bed with dinner

in their bellys and warm blankets to sleep under.

That felt good.  Those were night feelings.

Well tonight my belly is full and I am looking

forward to sleeping under warm blankets.

I am thankful for the night and for peace

in my home and my homeland. 

May it always be so.

Friday 19 November 2010

I am thankful for neighbors...all of my neighbors but today I wanted

to post about my neighbor Deedo.  ( I took a picture of her and told

her I was taking pictures of everyone...hee...hee....sorry, Deedo.)

Just the other day I took something over to Deedo and we ended

up talking a half hour about the stuff of life.  I left there thinking

that I have been really blessed to have such a good neighbor.

Deedo and her husband, Brad, have been our neighbors for over

20 years.  I was trying to think how many years they  have lived here

and I know it is at least 22 BECAUSE Deedo knew I was

pregnant (with Lee) before I did.  When I found out I was pregnant

I told Deedo and she said she had thought I was.  She said she

could see it in my eyes.

Lee is 21 now so that was 22 years ago.  People aren't neighbors

that long anymore.  So we have been blessed in that regard.  Our children

grew up together so we have an interest in their adult lives and that

is nice.  And we, of course, have memories from years ago.

A couple of things that I like about Deedo and her home.  They really

decorate for Christmas.  It is beautiful every year.  When it is not Christmas

and I visit her I always leave her home and want to do better in

my home.  There is a good spirit there and it is clean and homey. 

I like that.

She and Brad have an ongoing romance.  It is so nice to see

a couple so pleased to have found each other....30 years later.

We think alike when it comes to living in a forever home.  How

good it is to have a neighbor like that.  We may grow old

together.  Well, we already are.

And I like it.

And I am thankful for good neighbors.

                                                 

Thursday 18 November 2010

Eb Lewis




Today I am thankful for Eb and Jerry Lewis.  They are both gone.  Both died too young.
They were huge in my life.  Their daughter, Kim, was my best friend and I
spent alot of time around their family.  They influenced me for good....always for good.

Show Low was a good place for a child to grow up.  There were good people
who were so adoptive and interested in the kids in town.  The Lewis' were some
of those people.  At least they were to me.

You can go to the Show Low Historical Society Museum and find
Eb there.  He was an icon.  No one before or after had so much personality.
He wore a black derby and never minced words.  I loved his
straight talk.

I will always be grateful to them for helping me feel like I mattered.
They were tender mercies in my life.
Today I thank God for them.

 

Wednesday 17 November 2010

I am thankful I can run.  (This is me....in my dreams.)  I am not running like last year.

But I still enjoy the running I do.  On Monday I ran to the Post Office and got the

mail then ran down the road (to make a real run out of it) and then came back

up through Pinetop Hills.  I just enjoyed it.  I enjoy that my body can do it.

I have to admit that I see myself running fast and looking strong.  I know that

that isn't how it really is.  But it is a fact that I run. 

I was encouraging my daughter, Lee, to continue playing volleyball

in someway even if she is married and has a baby.  And my argument, in part,

is that it gives a measure of confidence to have a skill and using it.

It just adds to who you are.  There is more to you.

I feel that there is more to me.  I am thankful that I can run.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Today I am thankful for friends who send me forwards that

make me laugh out loud.  Maybe you will be thankful too.

MOnday 15 November 2010

Michael

Mikey came and stayed with us a couple of days last week.  He really seemed

to enjoy himself after he got used to being the only kid in the house.

As with all of our grandchildren he made us laugh.  And it was nice to

have him fill our home with warmth.

So today I am thankful for Mike.

Watching TV first thing in the morning.  Boo was happy to have

a bud to lay around with.  We put these pajamas on Mike at

night.  Our nights are alot colder than his.  He called them

his "Pinetop pajamas".

He really liked the one on one attention.

He does the funniest things.  This was a face he pulled for grandpa.

I kept calling him Benny (his little brother's name) but would quickly say something about that
and make sure I called him Mikey.  The morning we were packing up to meet his mom in Globe
I called him Ben and didn't correct myself.  I had asked him to grab something.  He stood there
for a minute and then looked at me and said, "say Mikey".  He never missed anything.

So today I am thankful for Michael. 

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

In about 10 days, less if my daughter Lee gets her way, David and

I will be the grandparents to TWELVE grandchildren.

I know you wish you were us!

We love them so much.  They are in every prayer we pray.

And in most conversations.

And in our thoughts always.

Sunday 14 November 2010

Temples

The last time I went to the Temple I was reminded that the Temple is the

closest place on earth to our Father in Heaven and that the home is the second.

That says alot.

The ordinances of the Temple are made for families.  We are blessed with

power from God when we leave the Temple.  That power will bless

our homes and families.

Today I am thankful to Heavenly Father for those sealing

ordinances that bind my family together. 

I believe it with all my heart and give thanks to God

for his loving kindnesses towards me and my family.

Here are some of the blessings that we can receive by

faithfully attending the Temple:

1. A man would become mighty, and a woman powerful.

2. It would serve as great "insurance protection" for your marriage.

3. The blessings of the eternal God will be called down upon you,

and great spiritual growth will be yours.

4. Unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when Satanic forces tempt them.

5. Your families will draw close to the Lord and there will be

no empty chairs in the Celestial Kingdom.

6. Your children will go on missions.

7. Your children will get married in the temple.

8. The veil will be thin, you will have spiritual growth,

and many spiritual experiences will distill upon you.

9. You will be prepared for exaltation-with a celestial body,

 a celestial mind and a celestial personality.

10. You will become receptive to divine guidance and receive spiritual

perception to help you grapple with your problems and cares.

11. You will see clearly how to make critical decisions that weigh heavily on your mind.

Vaughn J. Featherstone



Saturday 13 November 2010

Today I am thankful for my sisters and brother.

(I just realized that my brother, Jeff, has on a pair of my reading

glasses.  He makes me laugh!)

The older I get  the more I want to draw closer to these

people who share the same parents as me.  I know I am

getting older but I forget they are getting older too. 

 Our time together means more these days. 

We are all we have when it comes to what binds us together.

This is better....Jeff. 

May the Good Lord Bless and Keep Them.

The family table is the center of the Universe.

Here are some thoughts from a talk I heard tonight.  If I were a

young mother I would love what was taught tonight.

The sister who gave this talk began by telling us an experience of hers.

When she met her husband and they decided to get married, he took

her home.  She said that his family was big and his mom was a very

busy taking care of the family and particularly the dinner table.  She

fixed dinner for the whole bunch and after dinner the plates were cleared and

the games were brought out.  They spent the evening around the family table.

From that she began her tradition of the Family Table.

And this is what she has done:

KEEP THE TABLE CLEAN.

She makes sure her table is clean.  Children are attracted to the

clean places in your home.  A clean table will attract them.  The family

table has jobs beyond eating:  homework, crafts, games, etc. 

But it needs to be clean.

SET A PLATE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.

Make order when serving your meals. Set a place for each family member.  

 At her home her husband serves

the food.  He sits at the head of the table serves up dinner.  The first

one served is the oldest person at the table. Her mother lives with

them and she is 90 so she gets served first.  (This can be awkward when

company comes because every one has to tell their age.  Ha. Ha.)

She suggested also that the girls could be served first or the

youngest.  But this helps those who wait their turn to have patience. and

respect.

MAKE TRADITIONS AT THE TABLE.

This is where you can say family prayers.  Her mother said that her

family always prayed at the table.  They turned their chairs around

and knelt down  before dinner.

Your family table is where your family council can be held.  She suggests

that you always bring cookies and milk to family council.

Birthdays and other special events can be celebrated at the table.

But if you do it for one do it for all.

IF YOU FEED THEM THEY WILL COME.

Your teens will bring friends home if you have food to share.

She told of a mother who always made tacos.  She always kept

stuff to make tacos and her teens could count on her to have

tacos for them and their friends. 

The friends come for more than the food.  You can sit them

at your family table and influence them for good.

Be willing to invite your children's friends to your home and table.

P. S. Keep Ice Cream in the freezer and P&J on the counter.

KEEP YOUR FAMILY AT THE TABLE.

After dinner, when possible, keep the family at the table.

1. Bring out the games.
2. Start the talk.
3. If you talking and laughing at the table you will be more inviting than the video games in the basement.
4. These moments cross generations.  Include grandparents .

Preparing dinner is a sacred duty.  Heavenly Father cares about these

"small" family things.  It is by "small" family things that

"great" family things are brought to pass. 

IT IS A VERY GRAND THING.

WHAT YOUR CHILDREN REALLY WANT FOR DINNER IS YOU.

FRIDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2010

Today is Friday.  I am glad for Fridays because David gets a break.

He works so hard all week.  The appraisal industry has changed  and

it is more complicated and, at times, more frustrating.  Weeks can be

long.  People can be so pushy.  Thank yous are few and far between.

David has worked at this business for 30+ years.  And he has done it

to provide for his family.  He gets up every day and goes to work.  But

come Friday and he closes the door to his office and is free for the

weekend.  I am glad for him to have the weekend.

Today I am, once again, thankful for David. 

Thursday 11 November 2010

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

I am thankful for Veterans today.

God bless them and their families.



Wednesday 10 November

Books

To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.....And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God. DC 46:18-26

I am thankful for people who are wise and have knowledge and use those gifts for the benefit of the children of God. Children like me.