Love One Another

Here is a short but beautiful little video about the power of kindness and love.
I hope you enjoy it!

Love One Another

God is good

A family in my mom’s neighborhood have a 15 month old baby who drowned in the bathtub two weeks ago. Another family farther away have two little girls, ages 4 years, and 15 months, who were overcome by poisonous gas which was meant to rid their yard of pests.

I don’t know either of these families, or any more about them than what I have shared here. But my heart aches for them, for the unbelievable sorrow, regret, and horror they have endured and will live with for the rest of their lives.

One of the hard lessons I have learned in my life is that my prayers are always answered; not always as I would like, but always for my best good. Some things I have prayed, and pleaded, and wept for have not happened - and they were good things, things that would have brought happiness to many. I am left to wonder if I left anything undone, or if my Father, who knows more and sees more clearly than I, has a different plan than the one in my head. So I pick myself up and go on, trusting that what my Father wants for me is always better than what I want, and that submitting to his will is always the wise choice.

I remember thinking as a child that faith in my Savior can do anything; that if I have sufficient faith and pray enough, no good thing would be denied me. I still believe in the remarkable power of faith, I know it is real and is one of the tools our Father and his Son use to bless our lives and move us along the path to becoming who they desire us to be. But what about the times when my faith and prayers don’t produce the desired result? What about the fasting and faith, the pleading and praying, the worshiping and weeping, that have been answered with a loving ‘no’. Was my faith lacking? Were my prayers not intense or constant enough? Why are some of our pleadings mercifully granted while others seem to be unheard?

Yesterday I learned that the baby who drowned is doing remarkably well in the hospital, it seems he has turned a critical corner and will recover. (You can read the remarkable story on their blog ~ http://stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/). This morning I heard on the radio that the younger of the two girls has now followed her sister and has passed on. What made the difference? Certainly many were praying for all three of those babies, why is one family now filled with joy as the other plans a funeral for their two daughters?

God is good. He loves us. He is filled with compassion and mercy. He weeps when we weep, he knows our sorrows and grief. He is all knowing and all caring. It is difficult to understand why some are spared when others are not, why we all, at some time or other, experience heartache and bitter disappointment, why we may sometimes feel forsaken, forgotten, even abandoned.

Yet in his mercy our Father always sends comfort. Even when it seems our lives are damaged beyond repair - that our hearts will never be healed or whole again, there comes the sweet assurance that our Father and our Savior love us beyond our imagining.

I love this statement from CS Lewis:

...little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle.

Scott

I keep wondering how it is possible that my kids are getting so old!
But what sweet memories I have.
I woke early today thinking of Scott and the day he was born.

Happy Birthday Scott!

as you can see, Scott loves his birthday!

And he was such a fun boy to have around.

a favorite picture of Scott and Rachel

our three boys

he is such a fun dad

I told you he is a fun dad.



yet more evidence.


an all time favorite picture

last 4th of July

I like this fishing picture best because of fishing buddy Bryar.

Scott loves to ski!

He loves his family.

I love this picture!

I read this quote recently and thought instantly of Scott.

Life should not be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving safely
in an attractive and well preserved body;
but rather, to skid in sideways,
body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out,
screaming, "Woo Hoo, what a ride!"

I'm so glad to have shared this ride with you Scott, I love you.

No-Knead Bread recipe

Robin called and asked for this recipe today, how did I forget to include it in that post???
So...if you were wanting it, here it is.

No-Knead Bread

adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: about 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising time

3 cups all purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70º.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with your finger.
At least one half hour before dough is ready heat oven to 450º. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: one 1 1/2 pound loaf

A beautiful poem

Yesterday was ward conference in Dave's ward, so we both spoke in sacrament meeting. Our theme was 'Come Unto Christ' and we had a great week thinking, reading, and praying for inspiration about what we should say regarding the constant offer given to all of us to draw near to our Savior.
I love the story of the prodigal son, its tenderness and the hope it inspires. It is easy for me to identify with the son--his idea that what he wanted for himself was better than what his father wanted for him. No matter how far I have wandered, how much I have disappointed him, nor how many times I have needed his atoning sacrifice for my sin, our Savior has always welcomed me back as I have turned my heart and life back toward him. I have experienced the merciful forgiveness of the Savior, I know of his love and grace. He brings peace and satisfaction to my life that is unavailable from any other source.
I closed my remarks yesterday with this beautiful poetic rendition of that parable.

“To Any Who Have Watched for a Son’s Returning.” by Mary Lyman Henrie

He watched his son gather all the goods
that were his lot,
anxious to be gone from tending flocks,
the dullness of the fields.
He stood by the olive tree gate long
after the caravan disappeared
where the road climbs the hills
on the far side of the valley,
into infinity.
Through changing seasons he spent the light
in a great chair, facing the far country,
and that speck of road on the horizon.
Mocking friends: “He will not come.”
Whispering servants: “The old man
has lost his senses.”
A chiding son: “You should not have let him go.”
A grieving wife: “You need rest and sleep.”
She covered his drooping shoulders,
his callused knees, when east winds blew chill, until
that day . . .
A form familiar, even at infinity,
in shreds, alone, stumbling over pebbles.
“When he was a great way off,
His father saw him,
and had compassion, and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”(Luke 15:20)
[Ensign,March 1983, p. 63]

a new bread recipe

I tried a new bread recipe for dinner tonight. We almost forgot to eat our stuffed shells ~ the salad and bread were so good. I used my camping dutch oven to bake it in; my total cooking time was about 40 minutes. I started it last night about 9 and it was perfectly done for dinner today at 6.
We especially like the texture, and the taste was more developed than that of a quicker loaf.

the shaped and rising loaf, about 18 hours into the process.

just out of the oven

Try it and let me know how you like it.

Dave and Liam

Two more birthdays in the family.
Dave and Liam, two of my favorite men.

Liam a few summers ago at the water park with us.

I love this picture of Liam, he is such a tease.
But I love his tender heart and desire to help others even more.


A favorite picture of Dave, he is such an outdoors guy.
I so appreciate the way he provides for his family.

Another one that shows what a great worker he is.
I am so happy that Liam and Dave are part of our family.
I love you both; Happy Birthday!