Miracles Have Not Ceased

             Our Relief Society lesson last week was taken from Shayne Bowen’s talk on miracles, angels and priesthood (here).  The same talk was used for one of the talks given during sacrament meeting. An inactive member made the comment that she was meant to be there that day as the message was given twice.  It was a good lesson and I reflected on miracles past and present.  Miracles happen every day. Some are obviously more powerful than others.

            When Jaime was still a baby Richard and I had been called as ward missionaries.  Primary baptisms were done at a stake level, but if for some reason only one ward had youth being baptized when the head position was out of town, the ward missionaries were asked to fill the font.  The font took roughly two hours to fill.

            One Saturday I had forgotten my assignment of filling the font – which normally I did as Richard always seemed to be working.  I don’t even know who called to ask if I had the keys to the stake center.  When I arrived there were about forty or so people waiting outside and I was crying.  The font filled quicker than it had ever done – I’m sure due to the prayers of those who had stood around waiting.  That was a miracle.

            About six months before my mom passed I had taken the car into a transmission place.  I paid for a diagnosis test and learned that fix the damage would be roughly 6,000 dollars.  We did not have that much income or credit.  Fixing the car wasn’t going to happen – and yet I needed something to drive. I prayed over that car more times than I care to admit – before driving Jaime to school, before driving out to see my mom . . . you get the gist. It was the car I drove as Richard used the Saturn.

            Four days after my mom’s funeral I took the Saturn as it was behind.  I knew that Richard had an appointment to take my oldest son to inquire about another car.  I was visiting with my sister-in-law when I received a phone call about the other car – the one I had prayed over each time I left the house or wherever I was at.  The car was dead.  No big surprise to my ears.  I left my brother’s house and returned home.

            The following day my eldest son pushed the car to the transmission place around the corner.  Now, in Utah (in my experience with most dealers in Salt Lake) once you have paid the fee the history of the car is wiped out from the files of the dealer (mechanic, whatever) but in this case the guy not only remembered me but was able to look the diagnostic up.  He asked me how long it had been since I had replaced the fuel pump.  I didn’t even know what he was talking about.  I told him that I hadn’t replaced anything or did any kind of work since the diagnosis six months earlier.

His jaw seemed to drop to the counter as he unbelievably asked, “How have you been driving around all this time?”

“Prayer”

Recently Richard and I went and saw “Unsung Hero”.  It is a remarkable story full of miracles. The filming also consisted of just as many miracles as explained here. So awe inspiring.  All of it.               

         Miracles take place each time I drive or walk out the door and don’t fall as I cross my yard.  Plant life is a miracle.  Cooled down weather is a miracle.  Thoughts shared on facebook that I may read at just the right time.  A loaf of baked bread. 

I am grateful for all the miracles large and small. 

I Hope the Lifeguards get/got a Raise

         The workout and pool activity here in Myrtle Creek has always been more than reasonable. When they raised their prices this year it did not seem like such a big deal.  In fact, the attendance has increased within the class.  We have never had as much as 8 people show up the first week (or sometimes even the entire first month) let alone 11.  Of course most of us are getting the pass deal – which really is a deal. 

          A few years before the pandemic there was a fundraiser created to help build added features to the South Umpqua Memorial Pool.  The fundraiser (here) took place in both 2018 and 2019.  I don’t know what happened to the money that was raised or what improvements were made.  I don’t see that anything tangible was added. 

          Initially we were told that the money would be going towards a splash pad – but that never happened.  An electric pool cover would be more beneficial I think.  I didn’t think about it so much until this morning when I saw all the hard work that goes into taking off the giant tarp and probably more work putting it up as we have had the challenge of the wind the last few days.

          The pool is normally uncovered by the time I get there, but I watched in both admiration and unbelief as I watched two female life guards moving and handling the sandbags and then pulling off the tarp.  I watched as the instructor joined them in removing the cover that has been keeping the pool warm this year.

          In years’ past once the pool gets uncovered it remained uncovered until the end of the season – but this year I was told they decided to save on energy and heating expenses.  I wish they would have thought about that the last two years as the pool had always felt cold.  But it really has kept it warm – at least for the morning.  But the wind does seem to cool it down rather quickly.

          It has also been more clean though not totally free of bugs and debris – there’s definitely not as much.  I remember lifeguards scooping out unwanted guests with a giant net.  They haven’t had to do that this year.  And I know the year has just started.

          I would like to see the lifeguards spend less time setting up and taking down equipment and focus on what their purpose is for being there.  Thus far I have not seen any that have had cause to jump in and save someone.  Aside from the class they seem to be babysitters as far as reminding patrons of pool rules.  Walk, don’t run.  Don’t perform unwanted acts. Common sense stuff.  They also teach swim lessons.

          In years past the pool seemed to have a good amount of lifeguards.  I’ve been told that this year they only have six.  That’s not good.  I don’t know how many are used at one time.  Two are needed for the morning class.  I don’t know how many for open swimming.  I would think all of them.  Probably have to limit the amount of people that are let in. I usually only do morning class.  And Jaime prefers the uncrowded river  as opposed to the crowded pool. 

          I had heard that is why the pool was built in the first place – to keep the youth out of the river.  I was only a year old when it was built and living in Utah.  I had no incline of its existence until we moved here in 2015.  I am grateful it is here.  I am grateful to the community who support it.

Home at Last

 Jaime's last week in Ashland

Final Thursday and we will

pick her up on Friday.

I am certain that I am more

excited than she is.

She would like to stay in

Ashland

Opposite of a Bear

 Bears hibernate during the winter 

                            when it's cold

I hibernate during the summer

                            though it actually isn't summer yet

I am preparing ahead of time

Group Texts

 

          The opportunity of blowing up my phone

and wearing down my battery

I get it. 

I get the group text thing. 

Why it’s done. 

It’s convenient for the sender –

instead of sending out 10 plus texts

that say the same thing:

                                        Emma’s Blessing

                                        Service Activity

                                        Pool Information

and so forth.

 

For the most part I don’t even

recognize the other 12 numbers

that are coming up. 

Sometimes I don’t even know

the other people that the numbers belong to.

It’s just annoying to have ALL replies

                              come to me when I know

they are not meant for me

but the

initial sender. 

Meanwhile my battery dies down. 

Use my email

or messenger 

 

PLEASE.

Reminiscing Baptisms and the Spirit

             We had another convert baptism in our ward today.  Two of his cousins were baptized over a year ago.  Their mom is a member but does not attend as English is not her native language and so she does not always understand what is being said.  All of her children are bilingual.

          The member who gave the first talk felt prompted to bear his testimony in Spanish.  The Spirit was louder than his words (for me) and tugged at my heart strings (which evidently are wired directly to my tear ducts) and I was touched.  I think the family was as well.

          I thought about many primary baptisms I’ve attended in the last ward I was in – all of which I have mentioned in various posts.  The bishop’s son made a paper airplane out of the program which reminded me of the most irreverent baptism I’ve ever attended.  I was also reminded of two baptisms I had attended when the Spanish ward was in charge of the program – Jaime’s being one of them.

          Translators were provided for the speakers who presented their messages in one language or the other.  With the first baptism it was the same brother that had translated from English to Spanish with the first talk and then from Spanish to English for the second. 

          I had noticed that the English speaker would say only one or two sentences and would allow the brother to translate those one or two sentences to the end of the talk.  The Spanish speaker seemed to start out her talk the same way but then continued speaking without stopping – which I did not understand until the translator stood at the microphone and said something to the affect that one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost is to bring things to your remembrance. I don’t remember if she was through with her talk at that point.  I think that she was and the translator had told us that the speaker had concluded her talk providing him with the opportunity of showing us how gift that worked. I thought it was very powerful.

          When Jaime was baptized each of the speakers brought their own translator.  The sister who translated for the Spanish speaker didn’t seem to have a large English vocabulary as far as translating all of it accurately.  Those that were in the crowd that had a knowledge of a second language (for example my brother who served in Belgium who knows French) could make out more words than those who spoke only English – but the Spirit was felt as the initial speaker poured her heart into it. 

         I don’t think I felt the Spirit quite as much then as I did today.  I remember watching Jaime who understood it all.  I was so proud of her for knowing what was being said.  I still am proud of her today.  She truly is my sunshine.

The Circus Comes to Myrtle Creek

                Richard and I had a date on Saturday.  We went to the circus.  I did not get any pictures of the lions – female liger?  The back door was open which gave an appearance of silhouettes within a cage – at best.  My photos really weren’t turning out and so we took pictures with Richard’s phone.  

          I don’t think I’ve been to a circus since I was in junior high.  It wasn’t bad.  Richard sat behind me so that I could lean on him.  My pictures, of course, don't our outing justice.  

Elks sponsored C&M circus Saturday May 18