My Church Friend

 It must have happened shortly after

she was taken to the doctor for a

different medication.  I hadn’t seen

her for a few weeks.  I called and left

a message.  I had more than once. 

People were starting to worry.  Her

family hadn’t let us know that she

was gone. 

We could have offered our assistance.  Why

didn’t they tell us she had been called home to

our Heavenly Father?  She passed two

months ago and I am just learning about

it today.  Perhaps the family didn’t know

how to get in touch with us just as we

don’t know how to get in touch with them. 

At least I didn’t.  I didn’t know her for long. 

What an impact she has made.

Watership Fawns

 

              

               Between exit 112 and 110

 I see a couple of deer quite

close to the shoulder of I5 and I

think of the doe who tried to

outrun us in this post and wonder –

do these deer not see the cars as preditors?

  For the most part I have seen fawns – perhaps

teenagers making a dare – going for the most

luscious grass near the shoulder

(which I don’t believe has any vegetation worth the risk) 

I always think of “Watership Down”

only deer instead of rabbits.

car is moving to quickly to take an accurate

picture.  I see them only on the return from

Roseburg – never toward

Feeling Inspired

                In April I was asked to outline the RS lessons to correspond

with Come Follow Me lessons. 

I had only my notes and the titles of the 2020 “Don’t Miss This” Episodes.

It was right after general conference and so I didn’t have the titles of

the talks we had picked,

only the speakers.

Of course I prayed for inspiration on where to put the 11 or 12 conference talks that

we had picked for our lessons. 

There were six that were definitely set in stone but wasn’t quite certain

how to place the other talks. 

This week’s theme was spot on as the reading in Come Follow Me was on the Strippling Warriors (starting here) and the RS lesson was from this talk.  

Summer Mind Melt

 

               I have had ideas for posting 

– but have not made the effort to 

            communicate what’s in my brain to 

my fingers to type out what I thought.  

        It’s usually gone before the 

computer has booted.  I am so out of it during 

                        the summer.  Either fatigued 

due to the heat or knocked into 

a coma by the wind, fan and/or air conditioning.  

            Summer came early this year.  

            It was in May.  

 And now it’s August, but it 

                            feels like fall.  

I have been more alert this week.  

Not so tired and in a trance. 

            This morning I got up to turn on

the heater.  What is up with that?

Perfect Weather

 

        It has cooled off severely. 

High today is supposed to reach 67. 

How awesome is that?   

I wish that were the high all year long.

Pool Party Cancelled

                Since moving to Oregon I have taken a fitness each summer except for 2020.  The class has averaged 10 – 16 people except for this year.  Mass turnouts.  Each week we have had an average of two to six people who are new to the class or haven’t attended for several years.  If everybody that came to class at least one time this year were to show up for a pool party, I suspect we’d have between thirty and forty people (I am guessing closer to forty) Fortunately not everybody who has attended all summer long turns out every day because that is a lot of people for a workout group.

        I don’t recall which year the instructor decided to introduce the “pool party” idea that would take place the last Saturday before the lifeguards returned to school and the pool closed.  I have only gone to two.  Last year the pool party was closed due to the hazardous amount of smoke in the air. 

    

        Yesterday it rained ALL day.  Poured.  I hadn’t seen (or felt) rain that hard in Oregon since Easter of 2015 – before we had even moved to Oregon. It was pretty apparent that we wouldn’t have the pool party before it was even announced.  No big deal in my opinion.  I’d much rather be rained out than smoked out.  And we really needed the rain more than the pool party. 

 

I Didn’t Wish to Jinx it

                I have been quite lame about posting to my blog this summer.  The weather wipes me out.  Either I am so hot that I can’t think or I’m being sent to a coma by the a/c or fans . . . . or winds.  I have been feeling blessed with the lack of smoke that we have seen this month – although the last two days have brought a haze that I can barely see.  Richard and Jaime can smell it but I cannot.  I’ve had the windows open and just thought it was overcast.

               I’ve been checking the fire map and have not noticed any fires along I5.  Richard says this is blowing from the east of us and is the worst fire in all of Oregon history.  All the fires have been given names – usually after the area it is burning.  This one is called the Durkee Fire – just west of Boise, Idaho (here).  Oh, my heck! 

               We did have a fire in the neighborhood quite recently.  I missed my window of opportunity for taking pictures.  I did that on purpose hoping that it could be maintained and I we wouldn’t have to evacuate.  I heard the fire trucks and new it was close – but not so close that those who live in the adjoining neighborhood wouldn’t be able to get through on our street and would have to park their cars at the base of the hill.  I had never seen so many cars parked or people outside in the neighborhood since we moved in 2016.  But then again we didn’t have most of those neighbors before 2020.  Weird.

               I did not see the fire.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen the flames from any fire – only smoke.  White smoke at that – the water sprays were the same white color and the fire was out. I don’t know what happened but am very grateful that it was out shortly after the trucks arrived.  Perhaps I’ll create a follow up post if I should hear about what may have happened.

Growth and Shrinkage

           The last ward we attended in Utah was called Granger 14^th.  Boundaries were exceptionally weird, but we did have enough activity that there were two adult Sunday Schools. I don’t recall anyone having multiple callings.  It was a good ward.

          We had only been here for a couple of years when we returned to Utah for my late daughter-in-law’s funeral.  We had been invited to stay for a linger longer at the Granger 14^th.  A lot of people had moved out of the ward in that two years time.  A LOT.  I asked someone if a lot of members were on vacation.  Looking around she claimed that most of the ward was in attendance.  The ward had shrunk.

          When Jaime and I had gone back for a visit last year we were told that the Granger 14^th had dissolved. That's too bad.  Understandable, but still sad.

          The other day I received a phone call from my sister updating me on the boundary changes that had taken place within their stake (first area where Richard and I had moved to).  She, for one, was grateful for the change as there has always been an overwhelming amount of members who were not active and so did not have callings.

          Our current ward has had a lot of inactivity as well.  I have never lived in a ward where I couldn’t walk from one end to the other.  I don’t know how many miles the ward boundary covers.  I know there are some who if they visited others would take over an hour just to arrive at one another’s houses. 

          We have had six or seven convert baptisms just this year.  Most are still active.  There is one who is slipping and two that have received the discussions but have not committed to baptism – rather have listened to those who are against having them baptized.

          There is growth – such as having only six wards in our stake after we moved in.  We now currently have seven. There is also shrinkage. 

Lift Where You Stand

 

According to my Cryptogram puzzles Pope Francis said “God Never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving . . .” referring to the gift of Christmas, but I took it to another level and posted the following to the RS page:

“God never gives us gifts that we are not capable of receiving. He never gives us a calling that we are unable to fulfill. If we are willing and ask in faith for His loving guidance we can perform as an instrument in His hands. We can go from an unpopped kernal to desirable popcorn that we were meant to be.”

The last part of the quote comes from Ben Wilcox “Come Follow Me” lesson for next week (here)

          I know that there are people who struggle with their callings as they feel inadequate in the position due to their lack of knowledge or being able to relate to those they serve or those they serve with.  I do not foresee that in my current position or presidency, but I know when I was initially called back in 2018 there were some challenges that were in attendance.  I’ve served with three different presidents now and think we are at our best this year.

          Some presidents have delegated with no problem, others don’t seem to know the meaning of the word.  Sometimes the calling we are given is to serve those have trouble with delegating or handing the reigns to someone else.  Sometimes for those we serve.  Often for ourselves. 

          My mom accepted all callings she was asked to fulfill – often with a lack of enthusiasm or self confidence.  She had taught in primary, nursery, cub scouts and Relief Society and was diligent in her calling and always prayed for guidance.

          One year when my brother was about eight or nine she had been called to teach his class.  She had one rebellious youth who challenged her as he needed discipline and she seemed to focus on that aspect of her calling.  She made an appointment to see the bishop to ask if she could be released.  And then something amazing happened . . .

          Now this is in the day of landlines and long distant calls – costly at that.  She received a call one day (before her appointment with the bishop) and it was another student from her class.  She had gone out of town to attend the funeral of a family member and had been having a hard time with her emotions but then remembered something my mom had taught her in primary.  She was still out of town when called my mom (long distant) to thank her for teaching her about the Holy Ghost.  It was a confirmation to my mom that she needed to stay put in the primary class and not focus so much on the poor behavior of one student when there were several others who were learning.

          My mom often compared herself to others saying that she didn’t have the talent to lead music as well as Bro. Smith and felt mortified if ever he walked by while she was leading music.  Or teaching.  She didn’t have the same theological understanding of the scriptures as our neighbor Peggy for instance.  I would get upset with my mom and lovingly scold her because she was called to lead the music perhaps for her own growth – and I doubt that Bro. Smith ever thought, “I could do this better.  What was Heavenly Father thinking allowing her to lead music?”

          We all have our own talents and abilities.  We can’t all reach every single person in the same manner that someone else might.  I, for example, prefer the simplistic teaching as opposed to the theological scholars who speak in four syllable words and I have no idea what they’re talking about.  My brain is not that complex.  Nor was my mom’s.

          One day she was teaching her lesson and scolding herself for not knowing the lesson inside out, forwards and backwards and with her eyes closed.  At the end of her lesson a member who had not been to church for several years came up to her and thanked her for her simple lesson.  It had been easy to understand.

          “See,” I told my mom.  I don’t recall my exact words but I reminded her that we all have talents – some aren’t as polished as others, but that’s okay.  We are all here to learn and grow together.  Some might need a nudge to get going.  We all have potential.

        The title of my blog post?  I got that from a talk I read this morning.  Elder Uchtdorf's talk to the general priesthood October 2008 here

Another Death

           Our Saturn was such a good car and I hated to see it in non-driving, special (and expensive) repair state – especially after all the money we sunk into it.  Brand new tires.  Our cars have a way of getting “killed” right after the tire investment.  So unfair.

          Our Saturn was a very good car.  Outlived its 22 years I think.  We put many  miles on that car going from Utah to Arizona and back.  Climbing hills of Nevada and Oregon.  Roseburg and back.  Medford and back.  Many miles. Over 100,000. 

          In my mind I can hear “taps” being played.  My eye sheds a tear for our beloved car.  I’m sorry that you’re gone now. 

My mom is the Saturn's original owner.  Today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, mom.  Miss you.  Look forward to reuniting with both you and dad when the time is right.

Another June Passing

            One of my uncle’s funeral is tomorrow.  He passed away on the 12^th. It is in Utah, thus I won’t be attending.  I feel bad that I am unable to attend as I look back on the year that we had moved to Oregon.

          I had another uncle pass away on the 6^th of June.  He had been battling cancer off and on and finally decided to throw in the towel. My cousin had wanted to have one last Christmas in July party.  She told everybody it was because Richard and I would be moving to Oregon – and who knew when we’d return.  But it was really for her dad – who had passed the week before the scheduled event. 

From what I remember more than half the family would be out of town due to other commitments.  And yet the day of his funeral all of the family returned even though so many had said they’d be out of town that day.  Every family member was represented as I recall.

It didn’t appear that any of my dad’s children would be there tomorrow.  But I do have one brother who made arrangements to catch an earlier flight in order to be there.  For that I am grateful. 

Hacked

           Someone hacked the facebook account of a friend of mine.  The person than changed her profile to the name of another.  The account that was hacked belonged to a married sister.  The change made was that of a male with profile pic and location created.  That is far as I got.  I didn’t know him but the friend section said that we had two friends in common.  Before taking the opportunity to inquire of each of them I got the word that the account had been hacked.

In the RS page a guy’s name was coming up on things that she had posted or commented on or liked.  I deleted a lot of it but some of the likes still remain – I don’t know how to change them.  Meanwhile I have blocked him and sent the word out for my friends NOT to accept any friend requests.  I had tried to report the incident to facebook but couldn’t seem to get passed a certain step. 

Why do people do that?  Why go in and mess with someone else’s account?  What is the purpose? 

I do NOT open messages if I don’t know the person – or sometimes when I do and they are messaging me out of the blue.  I hate to be suspicious – but I have reason to be.  Facebook is a form of communication that can reach multiple people.  It’s a tool.  Hopefully a useful tool.  But there’s always a price.  My good faith has turned into judgment and suspicion.

The other day I was in another group page in which an individual made the claim that he loved being in the church and would soon be baptized.  I congratulated him and he came back with a request for me to send him a friend request.  That did not set right with me.  I really didn’t want to be second guessing what I believed was wonderful news into doubt. 

His post has since been removed – which seems to confirm my suspicions.  Why?  Is it a tool of Satan?  I don’t even know how to feel.  Angry? Sad for those individuals who are trying to sabotage and target others?  What is their purpose behind that method of madness?  Why are there some who feel the need to tear others down instead of building up?  Tell us who you really are.