The Silver Lining--A Mormon Woman's Journey

I DO Believe in Miracles!

2012-01-11T18:39:00.000-06:00

I do believe in miracles. Today I spoke to my doctors nurse on the phone about my echo cardiogram results. She told me how proud she was of me. She said that my echo shows that my heart is now NORMAL! It was enlarged with edema and showed that I had LVH from high blood pressure a year ago. Now it's resolved with weight loss and my HCG updated diet plan!

Losing the weight was the only thing that would save my life. How I fought! How I prayed and asked for angels to attend me. We all can when it's necessary. Remember this! I feel it was key in my own recovery. How loved we are. Father wants us all to succeed! We can do anything with His help.

How grateful I am for all the help and heavenly intervention I've had along the way. My heart is so full of joy today. I am so happy! This grandma is going to live for many, many years to come. I will live to see all my grands and great grands born.

Thank you all for your love and support during this very difficult journey I've been on. How I love you! Now, back to helping other people do what I've done. LIfe is such a gift! Live it to it's fullest and love the ones you hold dear with all you have. Not one of us knows when we'll be called home. Lets do our best to ensure that we don't speed up the process. Lets all make better choices. Start today. Start small, but do it. I know you can do it. We can all do more than we think we can. That is key in overcoming so many trials. Have faith in your Father above.

Now, back to packing! I can do this! We are moving to a farm in less than 20 days! I'll write more about the past few months in the days to come. It's time I shared more with you! Life is wonderful! I plan on living it to it's fullest yet!

Freedom from Bondage via Scooter

2011-10-20T18:36:00.001-05:00

Last week we arrived home from a whirlwind trip to Utah. It was a turning point in my life. You see when we left Minnesota, we had placed many things for sale on Craigslist.com . Things like the Suburban parts from our wrecked truck and some new tires. The thing I wanted gone the most of course was still staring at me.....my old blue scooter. I had that in place of a wheelchair several years ago when I suffered through a time with left side paralysis. That scooter represented bondage and freedom combined, during a period I often remember as a enormous stepping stone in my life.

I remember that time vividly. It's the only reason I pushed myself to become a writer. I remember laying there, feeling sorry for myself day after day and finally, I asked God what I was going to do with my life if the numbness didn't get better.

The answer came swift and clear, "Get out your scriptures and start reading, the answers will come." What do you say to an answer like that. Well, I did what I was told to do. As I turned the pages with my right good hand, I found scripture after scripture that had to do with Gifts and Talents! Surprisingly many of them told me what would happen to me if I didn't use my gifts and talents God had given me.....it gave me food for thought for sure. It made my mind turn to what I had wanted to be when I grew up when I was a girl.

I had wanted to be a marine biologist at first. Until I realized I had no talent or love for math. Although when I was a sophomore, I'd taken a research class and had written about farming the ocean---aquaculture. The teacher had been angry that I was taking a Senior class. The final grade she'd given me was a B+....and the writing on the page said, "Good for a Sophomore!" It was the highest grade she would allow me to have due to my age.

Surprisingly, I gave up marine biology, not the dream of becoming a writer! I had just neatly tucked it away for later dreaming--or in this case action. Now as I lay there in my sick bed I prayed for inspiration to grab hold, and it did! As the prayer ended, more answers to my prayers flowed into my damaged brain. I couldn't believe it! I still wanted to write! I knew I'd find a way to work on becoming a writer or author or whatever they called it nowadays-- and do my utmost to make it happen.

I was filled with hope as I went on the internet and started searching. I found a website for Christians who wanted to learn to write in a good Christian environment. It spoke to me like nothing else on the web. I was a little fearful. I know that many people don't consider Latter-day Saints to be Christians. I'd felt the sting of persecution many many times in my life since joining our church. Still, if the site lived up to it's promise, I'd be welcomed. I was for about 2.5 years as it turns out. Even though in the end I was run out on a rail so to speak, being curse as a demon, those who knew and loved me knew I wasn't. I was a Christian a Latter-day Saint and I was an honest writer who's skills grew with each piece she wrote. So I had to leave. I'd overstayed my welcome.

I have so many people all over the world, to thank for blessing me with their friendship during that time in my life. They prayed for me and corrected my grammar. I was given hope and friendship and felt so loved by my Savior Jesus Christ. Even though I left the site heartbroken and bruised, it was worth it. Every minute I learned and grew and stretched myself helped me in both mind, body and spirit to heal. In the end I was walking, thinking, moving, keyboarding, feeling and setting goals in my life and for publication.

The best part of all, I was walking again.

This week my old blue scooter went to a new home. I hope they feel the freedom I felt the first time I was helped into it. We went for a walk as a family. I passed them all up and let out a squeal as I felt the freedom of speed and the wind in my hair once again!

It is always about the Silver Lining for this Latter-day Saint woman, even in that moment so long ago...

The Most Amazing Trip and a Sweet Grandson's Birth! Part 1

2011-10-13T07:42:00.004-05:00

We just returned from Utah. It was the most amazing trip!

My husband and I have now officially become grandparents. We are absolutely thrilled! Logan Edward Otis was born over a week ago on a Monday at about 4:30 PM. His mom Julie did great! She is a wonderful Mommy and our son Jason is the most amazing dad! He takes such good care of Julie and Logan. We have been so pleased to see his kindness, compassion and generosity shine. It makes being a parent of sons such a blessing to witness.

I was captivated by the miracle that Logan truly is only minutes after his birth. His eyes were open wide and I'll never forget the love I felt for him so immediately. This is our first grandchild and I was pleased as the memory of his own fathers birth and subsequent childhood swept me away and rushed in to fill my heart once again. Such sweet memories of the baby lotion, baby chortles the nursing noises and the warmth of our grandson in my arms that felt so comforting and oh so familiar. How I had missed these sensations as a mother! What a joy it was to finally feel it all once again.

The most amazing part is that I was alive to enjoy it all. How many times I had wept in the past praying I'd be here for this moment in time. Now I can look beyond this birth to the next birth expected in February when our son Matthew's sweet wife gives birth to our second grandson! I can hardly wait! By then I hope to have the final pounds off once and for all. I'll be able to do so much more to help our girls while I'm out there when I do. Staying healthy is my goal with this weight loss. I can't wait to start lifting weights this month. Living a long life is the byproduct of my HCG protocol. I know my clients understand this concept as do many of you out there who are trying to get strong and healthy. My gratitude knows no bounds when I consider where I was a year ago and where I am now...

Our trip was about Logan, but we were also excited to do quite a few more things while we were there due to the perfect timing of his birth.

We stopped in a town down below Vernal before getting to BYU-- to see some missionary mom friends. We missed them by an hour! How sad I was! But Patty found us in town and took us out to lunch. I was so glad to see this dear sister! She is so sweet! We enjoyed her and her girlfriend's company and a lovely lunch. When we parted ways I knew I'd see her again in the future. Plus we do have our MM group. It's wonderful to hug a friend who's shared so much of herself with me online. What a blessing to see her.

When we got into town, we went straight to the BYU campus and onto our son Matthew's mission reunion. We were able to meet his mission president and his wife and many of the Elders and sisters our son served with in Yekaterinburg Russia. It was a blessing to be able to participate in. The food was wonderful and meeting these great men and women was very refreshing. I had actually never considered that I would be able to attend one of these events. This was yet, another miracle.

After we left the reunion, our son took us to the lab where he works on campus. I was like going back to the 1940's or 50's. He seems right at home there. He informed us that he works in the only building on campus that isn't earthquake proof as well....He works in the basement. I try not to think about it. I placed him firmly in the Lords hands when he served in Russia. I think I can handle an old building now. ha ha!

Matt works for an Entomologist. His major is in conservation biology with an emfasis on entomology--I think I got that right. He has changed his major a few times as do most young people. He will be finishing up there at BYU in a couple of years and I think wants to get his PHD eventually. His wife Jelly is graduating in April with a degree in psychology. Then they will be coming home to the University of MN for graduate school. At least that's the plan for now. Things always seem to change though, so we are just waiting to see what the Lord provides.

When we finished up at the lab, they took us to their new little home in Mapleton. They live in a basement apartment of a family home. I was able to meet the sweet family they rent from. I'm so grateful our kids live with such a kind hearted family. With the worsening economy and the ushering in of the last days, it is truly a comfort to have our kids living with such good families. It makes it all the more bearable to picture this in my minds eye. It makes the ache a little better while they are away simply knowing they are safe. I'm sure some of my readers understand.

We said our goodbye's with the promise that they'd spend the weekend with us and go to conference with is the following weekend, and headed from Mapleton to South Jordan. Our son Jason and his his very pregnant wife Julie, were living in a basement apartment of her parents family home. It was so wonderful to be able to stay in her families home. Julie was absolutely radiant and beautiful!

end of part 1

"You're Skinny Mama!"

2011-06-21T11:43:00.004-05:00

The day I finally weighed less than my husband was such a huge relief! I didn't realize how much it had bugged me to outweigh him. Now, he can even pick me up off my feet! Yikes! Not sure I like that much, but it was fun when he did! I think he enjoyed hearing me squeal! lol!

Some of the things that are easier to do these days are very simple. I can kneel and pray by my bed each morning and night without hurting. I can bend over to weed my garden. I can stand long enough to cook a meal--or two or three! I can tie my own shoes and give myself a pedicure. Yes, all those things used to be difficult. Now that I've lost over 100 lbs, life is fun again!

When you're obese (hate that word) your life slows down. You don't have the energy to keep up with the world that seems to be passing you by. If you do manage to keep up, it's exhausting. I don't know how many time I made excuses, sometimes very legitimate excuses not to go to social functions. I was easily tired, sore, short of breathe and self conscience about my weight. It was hard. I was lonesome and sad a lot. I felt like a bad mom and a bad wife for letting everyone down. Thank goodness I was a nice person or they may have just given up on me altogether. But they stuck by me and loved me despite my medical issues that brought me to this point.

Why am I sharing this? Because I understand this kind of pain. My calling in life now, is to alleviate this particular type of suffering. Through the HCG drops that I sell and the updated protocol Doctor Stockwell has developed, I can help. It's amazing! First I helped myself though. My own weight loss is ongoing. I have 40 or so lbs to go!

My son, the missionary, was shocked to see my most recent photo's. His comment was, "You're Skinny Mama!" Well, I don't know about skinny, but I am healthy now. I feel great, I am happier than I have been in 20 years. My dad says I look like I did in High School. Not sure about that either, but it sure was a boost for me to hear his opinion.

I can walk for miles without being tired. I can wear pretty clothes---real sizes off the rack! Wow! I actually enjoy shopping now. I dig in my garden-- relishing each moment I can work the soil and soak up the sunshine!

In September I get to welcome our first grandson into our family! I'll get to watch him grow and learn and play now. It is such a blessing!

Blessings come in all shapes and forms during a lifetime. Right now my blessing is in helping others do the same thing I've done since October. Life is amazing! Do like I did and start living it again! You will be amazed at what you've been missing!

Ain't Life Grand?

2011-04-05T09:24:00.007-05:00

I've been so busy! New clients, a new calling as the Relief Society Secretary and it's spring! What can I say, I love it when the deep snow gives way to green grass and freshly mowed lawns. I can hardly wait for the flowers to bud out and release their amazing fragrance! Then I 'll know it truly has arrived!

I often feel like a butterfly emerging from it's chrysalis . I'm shedding the weight that has weighed me down in body and in spirit. This new me takes some getting used to. I'm glad to be doing this with my sweet husband Terry. He has shed quite a few pounds too. Glad I'm secure in my relationship and in his love for me. He's been getting some double takes lately. If I were a jealous woman, this might be an issue. ha! But no, I'm not and I'm just so happy for him and for myself.

There is something wonderful about being able to hug your husband closer without the fat between you. It's not just a physical thing, which is nice by the way. It's more of a spiritual thing. As human beings, we need that closeness.

As we dance around the kitchen to the song my husband loves to sing to me--it takes me back to the first years of our marriage. Gone are the years of pain and suffering, they've melted away into the past where they belong.

I'm loving this return to the real me! I'm 95 lbs lighter and loving my life again because of HCG Docs Stimulus drops! I am also glad I'm a practitioner for this wonderful product. Helping others reach their weight loss goals is a blessing. I'm able to speak to women all over the world, just like myself, who have struggled with obesity and are now triumphing over their own personal adversity. It's amazing to be able to make a difference!

As you can imagine, my heart is healing on so many levels. Emotionally, I don't feel anxious about my weight or looking good, as I enter a crowded room. Instead I feel like myself again. I'm confident, freed from a bondage only someone who is overweight can understand. Gone is the fatigue, the restless nights of insomnia and the food cravings that used to control me with the ensuing depression left in it's wake. My spirit feels free again and it's the most amazing time of my life.

I'm learning to play again. I wonder what new adventures lay in store for us in the future....Oh yeah! A wedding in June and a Grandbaby in September! Ain't life grand? I'll be around for years to come. I'll be holding those sweet babes and chasing toddlers and watch my family grow. I'll travel and garden and do whatever else I wish to do in life. Perhaps I'll even get to go back to school and continue with my writing career.....Time will tell what Valora will do. I'm excited to know the future is now possible for living my life to it's fullest potential. What an amazing blessing!

If you want to try our wonderful HCG product that has an UPDATED diet plan with more balance and more calories and more protein than traditional HCG diets. Docs Stimulus Drops and our plan is for you. Write to me at valora.otis@gmail.com and I'll give you a call and explain our program in detail.

I feel like running! Running?

2011-02-23T13:44:00.006-06:00

Here I am again! Those pants I had to lie down and zip up are now falling off of me! Yes, I'm heading into a size 14 now. That may not seem like a huge deal to a lot of you, but hey, I haven't seen the other side of a 14 since I was 30! ha ha! So, it's time to celebrate! I'm doing the happy dance for sure!

I've been combing thrift shops for good name brand clothing that I can shrink down into. I've found amazing things! I think I have jeans in every size I need to get down into a size 9 again. I figure I can take in a lot of my tops and skirts until then. I just don't want to pay good money for something I'll shrink out of so quickly. Yeah, I tend to be a frugal one:)

I'm so proud of all my clients! They are doing so great! I have one amazing lady who runs half marathons and has lost so much and is sticking to her protocol. Her husband is not going to recognize her when he gets of the ship! Can you even imagine how much easier it will be for her to run a marathon without the extra pounds? She is my hero for having done it at all before her HCG weight loss. Perhaps she'll find herself in the winners circle or what ever they call the top runners group these days....I'll be cheering her on for sure!

For those ladies who want to lose the weight so they can conceive. This is possible now with HCG. I know so many women who are told to lose a few pounds and perhaps it will help them. Then only to be disappointed when they can't lose the weight due to thyroid issues. I'm here to tell you that I am seeing that success now in two of my clients. They are winning this battle with their thyroid. Despite thyroidism, they are losing weight successfully! You are amazing women and I'm so proud of you! I pray a baby will bless your lives soon!

For the people out there who were like myself. There is always hope. Never give up! I'm living proof that you can regain your health through weight loss. Gone are the excuses for my ill health as I've shed the pounds. It was truly all about what I put in my mouth over the years. I admit it. Now that's a milestone eh? As a religious woman, I accept my part in my own illness. Circumstances caused injury, but in the end it was about food and not fully understanding about nutrition.

I am stronger and healthier and happier than I have been in years. I had no idea how good this would feel! To be able to sing, to walk...fast, to sleep 8 hours without hurting and to have the energy to walk the dog is wonderful. The list goes on including dancing with my sweetheart. I dearly love to dance.

I'm thankful for simple things, but oh, so important things in my life. For instance, the seat belt in the car doesn't hurt me anymore. My husband can wrap his arms around me fully and with room to spare! ha! The energy I feel bubbles over sometimes and I actually feel like running! Running? Did I actually say that? Perhaps I should try that soon? Just one second, I wonder if I can? What a concept? Wow! Take note of that one for the future, readers!

I DID IT!

2011-02-08T09:27:00.005-06:00

Hi Everyone! I'm here to tell you today how much I love my job and how filled with gratitude I am that my health has returned!

Yesterday I decided to try my oldest Goodwill find on....When I purchased these jeans, I'd noticed they had no give, no stretch fabric in them. Just good old fashioned denim. I remember thinking, "when you get into these pants, it will be the real size, it will take a while to get there Val."

Well, yesterday I got them over my hips! I thought, "NO WAY!" When I was a size 24+ I never thought I could lose this much weight. Now at nearly 70 lbs lost, I lay on my bed, buttoned those jeans and swiftly zipped them up! WOW! I did it! In about a week they will fit just perfect! Holy Cow! Is this even possible?

The best part of losing the weight is that I'm not in pain anymore. My joints aren't screaming for relief! I can take stairs two at a time. The most significant thing is, my edema is all but gone and my liver doesn't pain me in the middle of the night when I roll over any more. Just the memory of that pain keeps me moving forward. I pray each time I eat that I can continue to lose and get to my goal and be healthy. I ask for Fathers help in this, because I know I can't do this without his help.

I also pray that I can continue to help others do the same thing I"m doing. I'm sincere in my efforts to help them and I can't tell you what a blessing it is to be there for them.

Life is such a blessing these days. I used to do my best to help others. Now, I can physically help myself and my family. No more being an invalid. I've gotten a second chance at life and I"m embracing it with all my heart and spirit.

How am I doing this? Well, I'm a practitioner for Doc Stimulus Drops--homeopathic HCG drops! I help others do what I am doing. I help men and women lose weight every day with the aid of the drops and a low calorie diet. I know how it's done first hand. I feel what you're feeling each day. I love cheering others onto their personal goals. Send me a note if this is something you're ready for and I'll help you too! Invest in your health and in your future. The main thing is to be kind to yourself and continue to have hope and belief in that silver lining! I'll be there every stop of the way helping whenever I"m needed.

Look for my new website. It's being built and I'll post here when the grand unveiling will be. I'm so excited! Have a fantastic day everyone!

PS....Earn a free bottle of HCG by coming up with a new website name for me! here are some insight: It will be a place of healing, natural medicine and supplements, recipe's , inspirational creative writing , nutrition information, tips for staying on and being successful on a HCG diet, Tools for success and wellness, organic gardening and more.

Hope you all have a wonderful day. Never give up on your dreams and your goals--there is always a way. You can do hard things too. We all can!

Bliss

2011-01-09T14:22:00.003-06:00

I was just asked to accept a new calling. Oh boy! I've been the cannery manager for our Ward for a couple of years. I guess it's time to learn new things. I'll let you know after next Sunday what it is. It's something I've never done before. It's always a big adventure for sure!

Our son Elder J. Hunter Otis is in the mission field in Lone Pine California. He is doing wonderful things there and we are so pleased with his individual progress as well. Missions are a wonderful thing for a young person. You learn to help others instead of serving yourself. The Lord is put first in their lives and it is wonderful to see the growth they experience!

Today Terry and I got to hold our favorite little guy in church. His name is Noah and he's 16 months old. How I love that sweet little boy. Fills up my arms and makes me miss my boys less than usual. In two weeks though, he goes home with his mommy and two brothers to Hawaii. I'll miss them all so much.

My weight loss is going well. I lost 8.5 lbs last week. I stopped losing a couple of days ago because the sugar free drink I purchased at Arby's must have had sugar in it. Blasted sugar! I just can't eat out for a while I think. I'd rather eat fresh organic anyway. Packing lunches while traveling is going to be important i think. So, tomorrow I'm having a fast and then eating an 8 oz steak for dinner. It's all good and I'll get back on track. It was a good week though. This week should prove to be even better.

My HCG business is doing well. It's a joy to help others lose weight. Many of my old childhood friends have looked me up and we are doing this hard thing together. I so appreciate each of them more than they know. If I can keep just one of them from suffering what I have gone through, it makes me so happy. What an amazing job to have. I thank Father each and every day for His blessings.

It sounds like our kids are happy after the wonderful wedding after Christmas. Jelly is so fun and sweet and adorable. I know our son is very happy. They are now in Utah in their little nest and going to college together. What wonderful memories they will have when their kids are all grown and gone like mine.

Life seems so blissful for the moment and I'm savoring every second.

The Lord Provides a Way

2011-01-06T08:33:00.003-06:00

It has been a long time since I've visited my blog. So much has happened! I think that the wedding of our son Matthew to Christina "Jelly" Roushar is the biggest event to write about!

They were married in the St. Paul MN Temple on December 30Th. It was a beautiful wedding. The sealing room was full of family and dearly loved friends. We are so pleased that so many wished to attend. They had to bring in chairs because there were upwards to 60 people in attendance. The spirit filled the room as the priesthood holder spoke to Jelly and Matt. In that moment as I sat beside my son, my heart became so warm with love and of the spirit. It was the most amazing feeling.

The week was full of festivities. I provided two meals for the families. One was the grooms dinner. I made Hawaiian Haystacks, a favorite of our family. I had two friends make authentic egg rolls and sushi to go with them. It was a hit! The next day I made soups and salads from the leftover veggies and meat. Many friends made bar cookies to go with the meal. All the extra bars we had went to the reception. It all worked out amazingly well.

There was one hero amongst us that I must mention. Karissa Showalter, the newly baptized girlfriend of our third son Ryan. She , being a new member could not attend the wedding. So she spearheaded our luncheon, helped prepare food right along side us for several days before both meals. She was amazing! We dearly love that sweet gal. I think we are all hearing wedding bells for her and Ryan in the future. Well, they talk about it all the time, but have not actually become engaged yet. lol!

Our son Jason and daughter in law Julie flew in the day of the grooms dinner. My parents JoAnn and DeWayne Hess flew in the day before that. Everyone was here except Hunter who is on a mission in Lone Pine CA! I missed my sisters, but totally understood the things that kept them away. Perhaps next wedding they can make it. I can only pray that it will be so.

I did go off my diet for the two days leading up to the wedding and for a couple of days afterwards. It wasn't hard to get back on track. I was so sick of rich foods! Bleck! I have no desire to go back to that way of eating again. After I'm done with HCG I will be going into the Zone Diet way of eating for the rest of my life. You balance protein with Carbs. It's a way of life for me. I never want to get sick because of what I put in my mouth again. I'm in control of my appetites now. I no longer have food cravings and they not longer rule my life! It's amazing! I am no longer in bondage to the natural man. I'm prayerful every day that I can stay the course and do this hard thing. I am winning! To date I have lost over 50 lbs! I'm measuring myself this Saturday and I'll be able to tell you how many inches I've lost. I know it will boggle your mind. It sure has boggled mine!

Life has taken on a different luster for me. I have some pain in my back due to the accident a year ago. But, I don't have all over body aches any more.

My mind is clear of the "fibrofog" that I used to experience with my fibromyalgia. I sleep deeper. I can do so much more since I lost 50 lbs. My joints don't hurt when I walk. My hips stopped popping out the joint.

My chiropractor is amazing and keeps me going as my body changes. I need adjustments every other week to keep up with the changes because I'm losing so much weight. I welcome this. It's a great tool to keep moving due to my medical history. My blood pressure is perfect! My liver continues to heal and I have not had pain in my right side for weeks now! YES! That is such a relief!

My kids noticed right away how much more energy I have. We used to have to park near the stores so I could go in. I was weak and in pain and they were so considerate. When we shopped, not only could I go all day, I could park way away from the doors and walk quickly and keep up with them and was not winded in the least! It was truly a milestone.

This has been a wonderful, happy, busy, spiritual, uplifting revelatory Christmas season. I am so filled with gratitude for all I have learned about my spirit, my body and my own inner strength. I can do hard things with the Lords help. I can call down angels to protect me from the adversary as I go through this process and I have on the tough days. No longer are the voices whispering in my ear that I can't accomplish this program. I pray each time I bless my food that I can keep going until I reach my weight loss goals and beyond. I know that angels attend me and attend you when we have righteous goals. Make sure you ask for their help. The Lord provides a way for us to do what is right. This is one of those things.

Jump Started!

2010-12-10T08:14:00.005-06:00

Since I'm having such success losing weight with the HCG diet I decided to approach Doctor Stockwells office and see if I might sell their product. They said yes! So now I have another important milestone! I now have a job helping other people to lose weight and be successful at keeping it off! I love it!

I now have several clients I counsel and they too are having great success! It is the most amazing feeling to help so many people, just like myself to regain their health. I feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful program.

My first client has lost an amazing amount of weight and it's so exciting to hear about it.

I think back at all the years that I was at such a loss as to how to get my metabolism jump started. Now that I know how the pounds are just melting away. Taking Krill oil supplements is a must when you are losing so quickly. Let me know if you need your Krill oil and I'll ship them to you right away!

This Christmas I'll post pictures of the healthier me. Last Christmas I was so sick and had edema so bad. It was an effort to smile through all the pounds. I did despite feeling so unwell. The pictures don't lie. It was bad....This year is a new year for me! I'm on my way and I"m so excited!

Life is good and getting better the closer I get to my weight loss goal. If I feel this good now, how will I feel when I get to where I'm going? I simply can't imagine that yet! I Thank God daily for His blessings. I only pray that I can help as many people as possible to feel this way too.

Have a wonderful day everyone! Make it a good one!

WE CAn Do Hard Things!

2010-11-18T11:58:00.004-06:00

This is a big day! It's another milestone in my weight loss journey. I've lost 31 lbs total so far. I can now walk 45 minutes on my treadmill. I sleep more than in the past because I don't hurt as bad. I am in control of my eating and my blood pressure has returned to NORMAL!

Yes! I made a big dinner the other day and had enough self control to eat my chicken, salad and cup of veggies! I did it! I feel like I passed some unseen test of will with the universe! I have super powers now! Ha! Ha!

Seriously, if I had made a chocolate cake a month ago I would have dove in with two spoons and not stopped until I licked the pan clean! Just kidding, but you know the emotion. I didn't lick the sweet chocolate goodness from a single finger tip! I sang out loud as I doused that bowl in soapy water! It was a moment.

How grateful I am for my Savior that hears my prayers for strength! The desire to live a long life, to see my sons as fathers and grow old with the sweetest man on earth--drives me forward!

I can indeed do hard things! I'm keeping my eye on my goal of allowing that little person inside of me emerge. She has been locked away for far too long.

I pray every day that I can be equal to the task at hand. I pray as I ask a blessing on the food I do eat that I will be strong and not be temped by the adversary to fall. There is no choice! My liver was failing before I started this journey. Now, how quickly it has been healing! It was unimaginable to me back when I was so sick. How it pained me while I tried to sleep.....The pain I suffered from for years, is all but gone. A miracle? I know it is!

Since I first posted about my weight loss, I haven't been sharing as much as I should have. I've finally been busy doing things healthy people do. What a concept!

I view the world with new eyes looking toward the future, and it is such a happy time for me and my husband. I can see the relief daily in his eyes. We are both recovering from my long illness. He was and is my dearest friend. He took such good care of me for so many long years. Now, he has a wife who is more like her old self with each passing day.

I'm now selling the product I'm taking. It felt like the right thing to do. It's a homeopathic form of HCG. It's safe, not injected and has literally saved my life. Now, I'll be trained to help counsel others and they too can see for themselves what permanent weight loss can do for their lives and those who love them.

I plan on walking each and every person I sell this product to, through the entire process. I'll cheer you on and give you suggestions that will keep you on the right path. I'll also be praying for you to hang in there like I have when you have tough days.

This is a wonderful time in my life. I have so much to look forward to today. Do you? Let me know if I can help you out. Our plan allows you more calories than most. After you have lost the weight, you'll step down with the help of the Zone. I'll help you as long as it takes.

((((HUGS)))) from Valora

Like the Children of God We Are!

2010-11-17T12:25:00.007-06:00

"Those that learn best, have the capacity to learn from others." Yes! Every person you meet , whatever their condition in this life-- is someone we can learn from.

They are all my brothers and sisters and I love them. If the Lord sees the most humble persons divine potential, so must I. I'm so glad He has seen my potential, even when I didn't see it myself. He sees more clearly my divine heritage and I'm so grateful!

"The greatest learners expect resistance and learn to overcome it"--says President Eyring. So many famous people have lived through one discouragement after another, only to step right up and be determined to work through it and get it right the next time!

Oh, we complain sometimes. Life is a test, isn't it? I've learned not to complain so much these days. To look for hope instead of discouragement is my goal. The greater the test, the greater the compliment from Heavenly Father. Heck, we should all be so grateful he thinks so highly of us all! He knows we can overcome so much more than we realize.

What trials lay ahead for me? I'll never know. I've learned to see that we will all face difficulty in the days and years ahead. But we know that Heavenly Father will give us no test without a way to overcome it!

We need to stay determined in our righteous desires of our hearts. We need to expect the place of those things that bring humility and the power to learn. It transforms our lives. We need to act like the Children of God that we are! What would He do in our circumstance. Do what you have been prompted to do and do it today! Don't doubt the Holy Ghost after you have asked for help from Him above. He loves you! You are not forgotten!

"Seek correction, work hard, get through the daily adversity life throws in your path." You can do hard things. We all can!

I testify that you are a child of God. Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer. I know that we have a Prophet of God on the earth today. We have the power to rise up to the privileges that God wants to grant each and every one of us. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

* Thoughts based on a talk I listened to by President Eyring today. Amazing and inspiring!

"That's Enough Happiness With the Dog!"

2010-11-07T08:43:00.005-06:00

Today is an interesting one for me. My husband has gone hunting for the week. My kids are all grown up and gone... It's an odd state to be in after all the years of happy hub-bub of our home.

I remember times that I actually wished for days like these. Oh, you know what I mean. Those days when all the kids are up all night with high fevers. or in the hospital with things you can't fix or take away...

There was one moment I wish I could take back.

Our kids had two of their best friends over for lunch. I was exhausted and sleep deprived. One of our sons decided to be extra sassy that day.

I remember grabbing the family size bottle of ranch dressing at one point and fighting the impulse to hose him down with the dressing!

I placed the bottle firmly on the table, in order to resist the temptation. Some of the kids went silent.

Then, Ryan said yet another sassy remark to me... Before I knew what I was doing, I had that plump bottle back in my hands and growled while a guizer of white dressing shot across the table. I hosed him from head to toe with the white, sticky mess!

Finally, the nasty look was off his face replaced with horror. I too was horrified at what I had done. As the empty bottle fell limply from my hands to the table top, I wished I could go back in time.

All was silent for a moment. I heard a snort and then giggles from the other boys and then outright laughter. Ryan, ran from the room in mortification.

I sat heavily in a chair. I realized I'd never done such an awful thing to my kid. I felt crushed with guilt.

A few minutes later he came out and ate his lunch with more respect that I had ever witnessed. An unusual calmness washed over me as I apologized to him in front of the others.

Yes, moms do make mistakes. Our son often brings up the story and hugs me and tells me how much he loves me. All is well thank goodness! My son realized he was a handful back then. There are days that try our very last nerve as parents. There are times we feel repentant as well.

Do you have moments when your heart feels like it will expire, because it's filled with happy moments it might pop? I sure have.

One of those such happy moments could be when I happened upon our youngest, now serving a mission. Hunter was playing with our golden retriever in the living room. The young dog was bounding from the couch to the floor and back again. Hunter was giggling, silky blond hair shining in the lamplight as he twirled to keep up with where the dog landed. He was tossing a ball on the couch as the dog followed. They both looked so happy I couldn't bring myself to scold them for throwing a ball in the room and jumping on my best couches! So I watched quietly and felt their joy, if only for a moment.

Suddenly Hunter reached out to the dogs collar, knelt down on one knee, then placed both his chubby hands on either side of the dog's face and said these memorable words...

"That's enough happiness with the dog now." Then he walked away.

Such a simple way of telling the dog and himself it was time to settle down. Happiness was the feeling I'd gotten from the childlike scene I'd witnessed. It's a moment I draw from when I miss my boys.

After 25 years of being a stay at home mom and wife, I revel in the joys that are mine to keep in my heart during these times I'm enjoying now.

This season in my life is a time for reflection until things pick up again. I'm sure they will when all our kids are done with college and return home once again. I'm looking forward to those years with anticipation.

Happy "Fat Loss" Dance!

2010-11-05T09:54:00.004-05:00

I just have a minute to write something real quick! I am doing the happy "fat loss" dance this morning! I stepped on the scale and realized that I'd lost 10 lbs since starting the HCG protocol! How in the world is this working? It's amazing! It hasn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it has certainly been worth it!

I have so much more to go. At some point I'll have to come clean about how much I weighed before I started. It's hard to even imagine it myself. I have always had such a good self image despite the weight, so I don't think of myself as weighing that much. When I see photo's of myself, I'm shocked--because I don't think of myself that way. Does that make sense? Oh boy! I'm sharing a lot today.

I think that by being grateful to be alive and living life the best I could when I was so ill, made me focus on my spirit more. I know that our Savior loves me and is mindful of my struggles. How I love Him!

I've had to reach outside this big shell and find joy in my life despite my pain and suffering. It has been something I strive for daily. I've tried to learn from these experiences so I can help others. It's hard and sometimes lonely. But, every season in life brings such blessings.

I'm looking forward to spreading my wings and soaring! After just 10 lbs lost, I feel so much better! So much healthier! I am ready to keep going now! I won't give up!

Pardon me while I go and eat my half a cup of Cheerios and half a cup of milk for breakfast! YUM!

For all of you on the HCG diet, keep going! You can do it if I can do it too!

I start walking today! Yeah, if you live in my neck of the woods and you see a fluffy red faced red headed woman struggling to get up that hill, please cheer her on!

Burning and Churning Calories Baby!

2010-11-03T10:49:00.004-05:00

Today, I've been doing really well on the HCG diet again. Yep! I'm doing it! Now, waiting for the weight to melt off of me. I can hardly wait. I'm ready for this!

I'm waiting for our Elder J. Hunter Otis to call home from the airport on his way to California. I hope he has time to call. Otherwise we'll wait until Christmas to hear from him. Either way it's all good. Just the life of a missionary mom I guess.

Yesterday I took advantage of the sunshine and worked in the yard. I pulled all the weeds and cleaned out all my petunias. I love those purple beauties! I'll miss them as winter gets closer. It's been a lovely autumn though. I can't complain.

Last night I had talapia for the first time. It's a white fish. We made a foil dinner out of it. I rolled out a big piece of heavy foil first. Then I placed the pieces of fish in the bottom. I sprinkled it with a pinch of salt and ground some fresh pepper over all. Then I grabbed some of my home dried oregano and basil and sprinkled the fish with that. I also added some garlic powder.

Next I placed freshly rinsed and trimmed asparagus on top of the fish. On top of that I added caramelized onions and mushrooms. I added another pinch of salt and pepper. Then I added a splash of lemon juice and sealed up the whole thing and put it on the grill.

25 minutes later we opened up the foil to the most amazing foil dinner! YUM! How I love fish!

Along with my 5 oz of fish and half a cup of veggies I ate a handful of yummy salad! I sprinkled it with the most amazing balsamic vinegar! As I hummed through my dinner like a happy lunatic, my husband grinned! So not only was I the cook, I was the entertainment at dinner last night! Ha! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a meal so much.

I stuck with the plan though. But, I forgot to eat my fruit! Yikes! Duh! How could I have missed my between meals med. apple? Oh yeah, I was outside pulling weeds! Goodness!

Now I can say that I've survived 5 days on the HCG diet. I know what it's like to have a fire in my belly now. It's burning and churning the calories baby! Finally, my body is working how it was meant to work--and doing it right now!

I'm Five Days In--and I'm going to WIN!

2010-11-02T07:24:00.007-05:00

Well, I've joined the ranks of the starving dieters....yep, I'm trying to lose weight! I had no idea how tough the first few days would be. So from here on out you are going to need to cheer me on. I'm five days in and I'm going to win!

A few months ago I was told that if I didn't lose the weight and cut back my fat intake drastically, I would end up with cirrhosis of the liver! I had been ill for over a year and had finally gone to a kidney specialist to rule out kidney disease. He was the one that finally diagnosed the problem. He was horrified to find in my chart that my family practitioner had known about this condition six month previous and had not given me any instruction. Insert more horror here!

I quickly changed family docs and found an internal medicine doctor/sleep doc. She had a long waiting list in years past, and I had not been able to get in with her. Now she had openings! She was amazing! We got started on a low fat diet right away. I found out that I had been striving for this for quite some time, but had kept going back to the cream soups and hot dishes I loved. Bad girl!

I had done one thing very right, I'd been organic gardening for years. Probably saved my life too! I had to eliminate all chemicals and additives and preservatives from my daily diet.

I got rid of the nasty habit of drinking diet mountain dew! Yes, my name is Valora and I'm a Dew Head! Ha! Years ago a doctor had told me to drink something with caffeine in it to combat migraine headaches. Great doc eh? That had to be the hardest hurdle for me to get past. I did it! Check that off my list!

In the midst of all of this enlightening news and information, I thought I was having a heart attack...well the doctor did. She had talked me into taking blood pressure medicine. An Ace inhibitor and chased that with a flu shot! I reacted badly to both! I was hospitalized and stuck and probed for the next 24 hours! All because I was scared and went against all the spirit told me to do and took that shot and med! Never again! Now 500 dollars poorer from co-pays, I was back on track!

A few days later my new doc told me that I'd be a good candidate for natural medicine. Oh really? They won't be giving me either meds ever again. Whew!

On the advice of a herbal medicine doctor, that I now admire greatly, he suggested I move from Dew to Sobe energy drinks and then off of them all completely. It worked! The ingredients in Sobe are less harsh and more natural. No one with a heart condition or other health conditions should go off of caffeine cold turkey. Or off of artificial sweeteners either. Wean yourself off slowly--but do it asap! If you are healthy, go for it and take Tylenol for that awful headache you'll get. But do get off of the horrid stuff!

The human body doesn't need caffeine. It's really bad for your health. Your liver can't take it over time! Boy did I find out the hard way.

Hey! I don't drink alcohol and they said that If I didn't eliminate the trans fats from my diet and get rid of the caffeine, I was going to develop cirrhosis of the liver--like a bad alcoholic! Why don't nutritionists tell you these things? I'd seen a few over the years. Not one that I'd ever paid good money to see, had brought up the possibility!

I realized quickly that weight was the main issue causing all my health problems. My sleep apnea had brought it on slowly over time. Now that I was sleeping, my mind was alerted to the fact that I was not going to live long with the fatty liver or enlarged heart and I felt like I was sinking into fat quicksand!

"Oh help!" I cried out loud as I thought of all the things in life I would miss! I lost a lot of sleep over this whole thing and prayed day and night for answers. How was I going to do this?

The answer was simple. Find a way to lose the weight quickly and safely. The faster I lost weight, the quicker I could regain my health and do all those things in life I was meant to do.

After much prayer, I found Laurence, the master herbalist. He's a deeply spiritual man and a member of our church in Idaho. I found him through a missionary mom friend that I trusted and I wasn't disappointed. He told me like it is. Straight talk with a punch. He hit me up on the whole caffeine thing. Oh boy! Satan didn't want me to give it up. Satan kept telling me I couldn't live without it. Now, that made me hopping mad! I hadn't thought of it that way. Now that I did, I couldn't go back.

Moving forward and fighting this fight to lose weight and live became all consuming. I'm a believer in Jesus Christ after all. He is supposed to be the center of my life. The one thing I've never been in all my life is a hypocrite! So I had to re-evaluate where I was at in my life. I turned it around quickly!

So, now I"m on this journey with the HCG diet and later the zone diet to maintain that which I've lost. I pray hourly sometimes. I am struggling, but writing all of this down has given me renewed strength. Today is a new day and I'm praying for strength. I have a healthy sense of humor as I try to enjoy my new found sense of self. I have a very strong testimony in the fact that God does know us and He wants me to live.

Cheer me on as I get healthy and re-claim my life. I am filled with gratitude in the knowledge that it is not too late and that our beloved Heavenly Father will be here for me in my hour of need! How I love Him! I can win this battle.

Money Will Buy a Fine Dog....

2010-10-17T10:21:00.006-05:00

As I read the posts here I realize that my sense of humor is not coming through. My spiritual side however does. So, in the future I'm going to be showing both sides of myself. I hope you enjoy this quirky part of me.

My kids are cringing from across the miles! I just know it! Ha!

I have found the humor in my own trials in life. I can laugh about nearly anything that comes my way. Having lived through so many health scares and seen the blessings of my healing on so many occasions--I know that our trials are often temporary. Those that aren't need to be triumphed over spiritually. I've been given the gift to see the lighter side of things. I think it helps get me through constant adversity.

I love harder, laugh often, find joy in the little things and have a life filled with joy! It's the coolest thing ever!

I wasn't always this way though. I went through my dark years. Many times I thought I was being punished. When I finally came to my senses it was when I nearly gave up the fight. One of my children saved me. While I was praying and pleading to be healed from beneath the comforter, a little face appeared over the end of my bed. I knew I was needed. I knew as I gazed into his green eyes, that I was so loved and worried over. I chose life in those moments.

Being happy is a choice for some of us. It doesn't come easily until you have practiced it for so long that it becomes a way of life! Choose to smile in the face of adversity! Choose to love those around you no matter how awful they can be. Choose to find the humor in the ridiculous and devastating things that come your way. Don't wallow in your sorrow. Hey! Yes! I'm talking to you and to myself. I slipped into that dark place off and on the last six months! It happens. I forgot to find joy. It nearly overcame me as I struggled, until I remembered my blessings and began to, yes, count them one by one. It's important to re-evaluate your life sometimes and repent and move forward.

When we give up the fight to find joy in our lives, and allow the darkness and worldly things overcome us--we lose so much more than we realize. "Man" was meant to have joy!

A funny aphorism was sent to my gmail today. "Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail." This jumped out at me, big time! I strive to be kind to all I meet. Why? Well, it's what Jesus would do. It's how those who were cruel to my family were not. It's a way to move past that treatment and rise above it. It has been the biggest blessing in my life! I get a little lift with each smile that is returned, each simple kind act that is preformed. Those are blessing people. Try being kind today. Start with a smile, it's free and it's amazing!

Always Be Yourself....It's a Good Thing!

2010-10-17T09:33:00.005-05:00

I found this in my drafts folder and realized how far I've come over the past year. Life continues to amaze me! I hope you enjoy this and continue to read about my journey. Elder Otis has been out for over a year now. I can't wait to speak to him at Christmas!.......This was written a year ago.

Recently, our youngest son entered the Mission Training Center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is now beginning a two year mission as a full time missionary. We are so happy for him.

I haven't been writing very much here or anywhere for that matter. I'm trying to correct that starting today. I've been caught up in a trial of my heart, and the healing of my body that has been all consuming--The past six months or so deflated my spirits and made me feel very sad. It has be alleviated by getting healthy again and our youngest son entering the MTC and serving a mission. All is well now. I feel like I can move forward at this time. It's wonderful!

I belong to a women's group for missionary moms. I love it! It makes me realize how loved we are by our beloved Heavenly Father. I see their struggles and their faith and my own spirit soars. I'm able to help where I'm needed and that service heals my own spiritual wounds. Service is so key in moving outside ourselves and our pain and suffering. I know it's true.

This week I've conversed with women all over the world whom I have come to love. They cheer me on and I am able to respond in kind. It's a blessing in my life to be able to help in some small way.

We are all so different and yet, so alike in our struggles as Latter-day Saint women! We are really not ever alone. Heavenly Father most often works through others who don't even know they are helping to have our prayers answered.

I've been so blessed with the sweetest daughter in law in the world! We all love her dearly and soon our second son will be marrying an equally amazing woman. Two daughters in one year! Wow! I'm overjoyed to be so blessed! This is a very happy time of my life indeed. Jason and Julie's wedding was last May and Matt and Jelly's wedding will be on December 30Th. I can't wait to see our kids! How I've missed them as they attend college!

A quote really struck me as true this week. "Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter!" So true! In my younger years I remember feeling stiff and even superior with excess pride.To my regret, I often judged others.

As my life progressed and I matured, I loosened up and had many life lessons that made me realize that pride was baggage. That is was painful. As I set it aside the blessings began to flow into my life. I learned to love myself and others more fully. How blessed my life became! Those blessings continue as I can see the love in the things others say and do and don't take offense so easily. It's a good thing too.

Teach , Guide, Calm and Comfort

2010-07-14T15:37:00.005-05:00

Teach, Guide, Calm and Comfort.....This is what the Holy Ghost does for me. Sometimes I forget to listen and that is when I get off track in my life.

Frankly I'm a bit haunted by the fact that I've forgotten this recently in my dealings with one of our sons. I was reactionary instead of a good listener.

It's not fashionable in our day and age to submit patiently the purpose of our life and relationships to the Lord. But the sweet spirit of the Holy ghost prompts us well if we are patient and are unfettered by so much emotion and distraction in our daily lives.

I began to understand what it meant to be more patient this week as I paused to pray and seek answers and to be still.

I had to adjust my thinking and learned to wait on the Lord for the answers I was seeking. I needed to "be still and know" like Brigham Young once told us. Oh boy was that enlightening! It was amazing to hear exactly what I had been needing to hear on a woman's conference tape today.

Hopefully I can stay on track now. It's not easy being a mom or a wife some days. It is worth it though. Life is a blessing again. I'm ready to listen again.

A Wedding!

2010-04-25T12:58:00.006-05:00

Our family is on that wonderful journey we all go on eventually. That of watching your son fall in love and get married to his eternal companion. We are so excited that soon we will have the daughter we have wanted for so long.

As a mom of four sons, I knew that one day I might be blessed with four daughters who would love our sons and marry they for all eternity in the temple one day. We are about to be blessed with such a moment. May 15th our son Jason Edward Otis is planning to marry Julie JoAnn Flink in the Jordan River Temple. It's so exciting!

We are in the midst of planning and praying our plans will go through without too much opposition. To date the opposition is strong, but we are overcoming the obstacles the adversary is plying us with so liberally. It is making us stronger and wiser. It is something we expected and have been prayerful as to what to do about it all. I guess this is good practice for the other sons getting married one day.

I am working on my faith right now. Renewing the faith to give my youngest son over to the Lord for safe keeping as he makes choices. The rules are tried and true in our home and his older brothers have thanked us for having them during missions and when they came home. We don't wish to compel any of our sons to do things our way, but as an adult the choice to stay under our roof does come with a standard set of rules. The choice is theirs to stay or go, but we hope they are prayerful in those choices and not driven to choose differently by someone who would influence them for reasons of their own. It's tough being a parent of single adults who do come home between semesters. For the most part it's rich with amazing blessings. I'm grateful for every moment we have until they are married and on their own 100%.

Life happens quickly. I remember being 19 and getting married to Terry. I thought I knew everything until I was 3 months pregnant and on an airplane with my childhood Island below me. We were leaving all I knew and loved for the Island of Hawaii. It was a time to cleave to my sweetheart and proved to be a huge blessing in our young lives. We had to work all our problems out together and to pray together and learn together. It was one of the happiest times of my life.

I'm excited for our son and his soon to be wife and all the adventures they'll have along the way. I know they will have a ball and that they will be prayerful together. I"m sure other weddings will soon come our way. It's like waiting for Christmas to come. You know it's coming, but not quite sure what surprises you will get. It's all good in the end. I'm a strong believer that the Lord will never give any of us something we cannot handle--with the Lords help.

So, just a couple of weeks before I get on the airplane for Utah! The invites have been mailed, the reception planned and now we get to prepare the house for guests and try to balance planting the garden, cleaning the house, packing and getting every needful thing ready. Amazing what you can get done with a family working together.

"Give Me The Strength to Hold On Just a Little Longer"

2010-02-02T13:26:00.006-06:00

There is always someone who needs us in this world. Anytime I'm hurting I ask Heavenly Father to send me someone I can help, so I can stop feeling sorry for myself and lighten my own burden. Without fail, He always comes through for me.

I love how He works miracles in our lives! The key is to recognize the miracle and go with it when it happens. Or perhaps go one step further and act on that knowledge and bless someones life and your own, by helping them out.

As I've been reading all the articles about Haiti, I'm blessed by the stories of fortitude, service, faith and the inner strength of the members of the LDS church. How I wish I could hug a sweet sister named Charles Marie Murielle. Her words and description of the quake and destruction touched me deeply. Most of all, the way she described the spirit and how calming it was when others were screaming and crying, comforted me in my own personal battle with pain.

Her words, as quoted by Meridianmagazine.com were as follows, "Give me the strength to old on." I had the spirit whisper to me, in addition to that, to add another quote by a great man of God President Dieter F. Uchtdorf-- "Hold on a little longer". I put them together for the title of this article. It was magic to my ears as I read it out loud! The spirit comforted me and gave me strength to keep going today. The reason? Today was a painful day for me. Now my spirit is a little lighter and willing to keep going. I'm grateful for this little miracle today.

I wish I could hug that sweet sister I quoted, bring her into my home and share everything I have with her and her family. I would if it were possible. I pray she is safe, and can be a nurse like she wants to so badly one day. What a comfort she is and will be for so many. I feel it's true.

I pray for the Saints and all the good people of Haiti-- to heal and have shelter, food and clothing. I pray for the volunteers to have strength and to hold on a little longer when they want to lay their heads down and sleep from exhaustion.

Heavenly Father is well pleased, when His children help each other and give of themselves unselfishly.

Sister Murielle, I wish you knew that you made a difference in my life today for the better. I'll be praying for you and your country, in the years to come. May God bless you and keep you safe.

**************************

After you read my blog entry, please go to the above link and read about our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Don't forget your Kleenex, you'll need it. Then read the following article talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. You won't be disappointed!

"DELIVERED" HAS ARRIVED!

2009-12-31T13:10:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year Friends and Family!

My long awaited book Delivered is finally ready for pre-ordering! Below is a brief description of our group effort. I know you won't be disappointed if you order a copy. My chapter is nestled between those of other wonderful Christian authors--and dear friends of mine. Contact me here if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Spread the word if you can. If not, celebrate with me here. This is an exciting day!
Have a very Happy New Year everyone!

Blessings,
Valora A. Otis
*****************************

Delivered
by Peculiar People
. . . . .
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Paperback, 228 pages

$17.12
Ships in 3–5 business days
An immigrant and her young daughter, struggling to reach their dream…a special needs child, searching for hope…a newly released ex-con, seeking forgiveness. They have one thing in common—they’re about to be touched by God in a way they never imagined.

All through a simple postcard.

Brought up in a strict Muslim home in London, Sulafa has recently experienced the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Now, despite fear of discovery and its consequences, she knows she has to spread the good news. In an act of bravery, she sends out postcards with a single message: Let me pray for you. Her simple postcard request impacts lives and brings hope in the midst of hopelessness.

The second of many anticipated books.
--

A Call for Articles and Recipe's

2009-07-31T07:34:00.009-05:00

This is an official call for articles. You don't need to be a professional writer either--although you are very welcome to submit if you are. The content of your story is what is important. I'll help you with the rest. Please read further down for details.

It is a comfort to be prepared for unemployment, long term illness, foul weather and a failing economy. But I want to go one step further. I want to promote hope. Hope buoy's us up and keeps us going in hard times like these.

I am asking for donated articles about food storage. Uplifting stories about miracles and about how having food storage has helped your family in times of need. I'm also in need of recipe's using food storage to place between the pages. All stories need to be less than 750 words. Some exceptions will be made of course--especially with regards to recipe's.

If you are interested, e-mail me at valora.otis@gmail.com . The deadline for this has been extended to November 1st 2009. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

He Will Prepare a Way

2009-06-10T12:27:00.005-05:00

"No matter how bleak the chapter of our lives may look today, because of the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we may hope and be assured that the ending of the book of our lives will exceed our grandest expectations. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ' "

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 22–23

I love nearly anything I read that President Uchtdorf has written. The words all seem to flow so beautifully and yet that isn't why I love his words. The reason, I feel the truthfulness of what he writes as the Holy Ghost testify's to me of it's truthfulness. It's a blessing to have that feeling and that knowledge in my life.

I've found that if I pray before I read the scriptures, answers to my daily problems seem to unfold before my eyes. I can open up the Bible to any page for example, and find that answer to which I'm seeking. It's amazing, even miraculous when you think about it! My children have all had this happen to them in their own lives during their studies as well. I'm grateful for that knowledge. Prayer works!

I love Heavenly Father. I'm so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. How He loves us! When I think of the ending of the book of my life, I pray I will be equal to the tasks at hand. That I will live up to the greatness that is within in me. I pray I can prepare my children for that which is to come. I feel like I've done my best--and it feels wonderful. I also know that I've repented along the way for my shortcomings. We all have them. Thanks to the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and start anew. I'm so thankful!

As my children are searching for jobs right now, we're praying for gainful employment for them. I know that sometimes things come in Gods time, not in ours. It has been frustrating for our oldest son as he tries to find that job after serving a two year mission for the church. We are all trying to be more patient now. God will find a way to bless him in due time. So, for now he has been keeping busy helping me around the house and in the yard and helping others with heavy work they cannot do themselves.

A good example is that Jason and his younger brother Hunter (who is also looking for work) are going to cut wood for an elderly couple this afternoon. It will help them this winter as the cost of so many things has risen. It feels good to see them giving service where it's needed.

I have found that good old fashioned work cures many ills that befall us. I wish I could remember President Hinkley's perfect words, but I can't. So I'll paraphrase. Please forgive me for doing so...When you are sad, work. When you are heartbroken, work. When you are lonely, work....and so on.

When I've been the saddest, I've given service and all that I was sad about seemed to fall away and look so small. The person I was helping came to the forefront of my mind from that moment--making my problems melt away. I think that is what "work" is meant to do. That is what President Hinkley was speaking about. Find something outside of ourselves to give of ourselves to. It's a blessing when times seems to hard. Become selfless instead of selfish. It's a wonderful sensation. It might be something new to a few of you out there. Try it out, it won't hurt. Focus on what God would want you to do. He will prepare a way for you.

Catching Up and Counting Blessings

2009-05-27T09:08:00.004-05:00

It has been a very long time since I last posted here on my blog. My life has been such a joy in recent months. As you know, our two Elders came home. Matthew arrived in January from Russia and Jason came home from Los Angeles Spanish speaking mission in March. In between we sent Elder Ryan Otis off on his mission to Everett Washington and cheered on our Senior Hunter Otis in his play Les Miserables. It was a whirlwind to say the least.

It is a joy to have our oldest sons home. They have grown to be fine men and so helpful as always. Matthew plans to attend BYU in the fall and is working at his old job making windows for the summer at Anderson Windows. He lives with friends in Cottage Grove during the week and comes home on the weekends to spend time with us. He is also the Ward Mission Leader.

Jason is still seeking employment. Please remember him in your prayers if you can. While he is looking he's helping me in both our gardens and brushing up on his fishing skills. He keeps our freezer full of fish and I couldn't do without him in the garden. He has made the work so much easier. Now that it's planted and the hot wire is up, he can put all his efforts into his job search. He wants to attend BYU in the winter session.

Hunter has his last concert in High School Choir this week. He has his senior recital on Saturday and his Seminary Graduation on Sunday. He finished his Eagle Scout service project on Saturday! Way to go Hunter. He graduates from High School next week! Wow! He plans on going on his mission next February! We are so pleased he has chosen to serve the Lord.

Ryan is serving the Lord in the Everett Washington State Mission. He is serving presently on Camano Island. It is directly accross from his childhood home in Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island. He is doing great!

Terry has nearly fully recovered from his accident last October. WE thank God each day that he is still with us. He just completed his very first solo project at work and I'm so proud of him. He is such a joy to our family and we love him dearly.

I am now the canning manager for our ward. So much to do and so little time I'm finding. I'm prayerful about preparing our ward for hard times ahead. I'm teaching the sisters how to garden, and store food. I am also teaching bread making classes. In July we'll have a cannery class brought to the church to show everyone how to put dried goods in #10 cans for long term storage. I'm excited about this. I pray that all those sisters involved will gain much needed knowledge that month to prepare every needful thing during these trying times at hand.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. I pray that you all are happily gardening and enjoying the warmth of spring. Tomorrow I post pictures of our beautiful garden as it's first budding out. Soon we'll have green beans! Hooray!

Jason E. Otis is Home At Last!

2009-03-13T16:17:00.004-05:00

For a week I had dreams that our oldest son, Elder Jason Otis, had been forgotten at the airport! I would toss and turn at night feeling like I'd forgotten something important. Then some nights Elder Otis would mysteriously appear in my dreams--arriving on my font porch with a big grin. I've heard sometimes this happens with moms who's sons have been on missions. Two years is a long time to be apart after all. This was a first for me to have these dreams. I was glad when it was finally over!

Elder Jason Otis arrived in Minneapolis on March 4th 2009 without incident....Well there was that one thing... We were all standing there with a large banner which read Welcome home Elder Banov & Elder Otis! I had a sinking suspicion that they might just sneak up on us all from behind. We waited and we waited....no Elders. Then suddenly we heard a big whoop from behind! They had snuck up on us all! They had arrived! We were all so happy to see them. Both so tan and our son so tall and happy. It was memorable. We were finally reunited and it was a great evening for us all.

The next day we went to see the Stake President so Elder Otis could give his mission report. It was amazing to hear such a maturity in his voice as he accounted for his two years of missionary service. Elder Otis was released as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that evening. I am so proud to be his mother--so pleased about how hard he worked and how much he loved the people he served.

He has been home over a week now and is fitting in nicely and will be looking for a job soon. He's still tan and he's still tall, but sounding more and more like a Minnesotan all the time. This weekend he's acting like one too! He's off at Keigo snow camping on a lake--driving snowmobiles and ice fishing like he loves to do!

Jason Edward Otis is home at last! Gosh how we've missed him and how we all love him! Welcome home Jason!

Elder Jason E. Otis is coming home!

2009-03-04T09:39:00.004-06:00

Today will be another one of those memorable blips in time for our family. Elder Jason Edward Otis is coming home from Los Angeles tonight! He's been serving a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two full years.

As a family we have seen amazing personal growth in Elder Otis. He has become a spiritual giant of sorts. He's gained personal self esteem in many areas of his life including his gift as an accomplished singer. We always knew he had it in him to be amazing! It's nice to know we were all so right!

In the previous months, Elder Otis has been a zone leader and has done a very good job from what I hear. He is on top of the world and has loved every minute of his mission. He loves the Lord dearly and takes each day in stride.

His letters home have been filled with joy, fun and a depth we love to hear in his written voice. He has found his gift for writing and has begun putting his pen to paper while writing a book. I have to say that makes me a very proud mom!

The thing I've heard the most from people who write to me across the miles-- is that he makes people weep as they listen to him sing. He has such a pure voice and such a spiritual depth to his presence, that it is a joy to listen to in a congregation. Personally I think his testimony of Jesus Christ rings true through his music. I feel this fact to be true. I can hardly wait to hear it myself very soon.

As we've written back and forth through the past two years, I've gotten to know my son a lot better. I have come to respect him and love him a great deal more. Gone are the childish antics of days past. He has matured and become a giant among men. It's a blessing to hear from perfect strangers about the good he has accomplished.

I have laughed right out loud when I've read his letters. His playful banter and description of the moment when he was being persecuted by one homeless man and defended by another after Prop 8 was passed-- will make for great reading for years to come. His new found spiritual maturity will serve him well in the years to come.

Gosh I can hardly wait for the plane to land tonight at 9:07pm! We will be the rowdy, expectant family, smiling from ear to ear-- while waiting at the base of the escalator for the first peek at our return missionary. My heart jumps at the thought and I know that many others are feeling the same way today.

They do come home. I'm so grateful! We all love him so much.

Cherished Dimples in Time...

2009-02-08T03:48:00.007-06:00

I can't believe it's been nearly a full month since I last posted an article here. Our lives have been full this past month with the arrival of our son Matthew-- fresh from the mission field.

It was an amazing experience welcoming an adult child home from the mission field in Russia.

One of the things I puzzled over before he arrived, was a sadness I felt when I realized that I was reading his very last e-mail before he left for home. It might sound strange to you as a reader that I would feel that way, so allow me to explain...

For two full years we have only had one e-mail a week from our son in Russia. They have a P-day where they take care of personal things such as laundry, grocery shopping, a group activity and letter writing and e-mailing home. We anticipated that letter each and every week with thanksgiving and excitement as we turned on the computer. Often we read about adventures and near accidents and joy. Other days about uplifting spiritual experiences only found while helping and teaching other children of God and giving compassionate service to the sick, the old and the lost souls they found. There were times of personal sorrow and illness where we were able to pray fervently for our sons and encourage and uplift them as well.

Following my husbands accident, I was able to keep our sons updated on Terry's progress and I know both our missionary sons were grateful for those letters and anticipated more news each week about his recovery. I tried my very best to do so in a way that wouldn't overly worry them and found that I became more positive and hopeful myself for the experience.

Over time I prayed more, studied more and gained a deeper perspective of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I learned about myself as a mother and how deeply indeed I loved my sweet sons.

I became mindful of how our Heavenly Father listens to and answers our prayers. Miracles came our way as a family before, during and after Terry's accident and I recognized those miracles for what they were...

I cannot help but think that our sons willingness to serve allowed me to grow to a depth I knew I wouldn't have found, had they chosen not to serve. Their service was far reaching into lives of so many and I'm forever grateful for their personal sacrifice of two full years of their lives.

It's amazing how simple obedience to a promise to write home to mom and dad each week, caused so much growth in us all. We pray more, we write more, we study with more dilegence than we did two years ago. We ponder deeper meaning in our lives and in our faith. It has brought extended family closer as we pray for our sons well being and success in finding souls to bring to Christ. Some of those might have been so lost, had it not been for the prayers said on their behalf.

Missing a weekly e-mail now for me has been replaced with something even better this month. I'm blessed to sit face to face with a young man, my son, who is now a grown man. We've spent hours catching up on all the things we didn't write about in our letters to each other. I've cherished every moment, gotten to know the man who's face has changed in subtle ways. Gone are soft plains of youth I knew so well. Although the cherished dimples I so love, remain the same. Thank goodness!

The quiet wisdom he gained in two years of full time service as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set well on my sons shoulders. I'm excited to see what is in store for this quiet man of faith in the years to come. Soon I'll be doing this all over again when his elder brother, Jason, comes home in three weeks. Oh how how I revel in the love I have for all my children. What a blessing it has been to cherish each of them for so long. My life is so full and so rich. I'm so grateful to a Heavenly Father who gave me so many cherished memories of their youth and future so full of hope and love. It's an amazing feeling!

Next post I'll write about his homecoming and post the photo's after I've gathered them from relatives. Have a great day everyone. Take time to hug those kids tight! They grow up far too fast and it's important to take advantage of each moment. I know this mom is so glad she did. Dimples aren't the only things I've cherished. I thank Heavenly Father daily that their lives have been my blessings.

Elder Otis says goodbye to Russia!

2009-01-12T10:51:00.003-06:00

Elder Otis in the home of President and Sister Allen before leaving for the airport. I bet he has mixed emotions about leaving Russia...Next the homecoming and happy photo's of family and freinds!

The Cutting of His Tie!

2009-01-12T09:56:00.003-06:00

Sister Allen, the Mission Presidents sweet wife--sent our son on his way after cutting his tie--to the mission. Now he's on his way home! Thank you Sister and President Allen for all you do for Russia and the missionary effort. You are so loved!

2009-01-12T09:53:00.000-06:00

Elder Matthew D. Otis

A Son Returns!

2009-01-12T09:26:00.006-06:00

The photo to the left is of Matthew as he left for the MTC two years ago. I'm not sure I trust myself to write today. I'm filled with butterflies at the thought of my son Elder Matthew DeWayne Otis returning from Russia. He's been serving a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. He has now fulfilled his obligation and is returning home.

It's a very long trip home for him. He had to drive 6 hours from his city in Kurgan to the Mission home in Yekataringburg Russia. Then he was able to spend the evening with his traveling companion, his wonderful Mission President Allen and his sweet wife Sister Allen.

I have never spoken to a more kind hearted, thoughtful and spiritual man. I'm grateful to have been able to place our son in President Allen's care while serving in Russia. I always knew he had our sons best interest and safety in mind. Our gratitude as a family knows no bounds.

I'm posting several photo's in progression today. I pray they come through. The first ones will be of Matthew in the MTC and then the last the ones as he is leaving the mission field and having his tie cut off, as is tradition, by the Mission Presidents wife. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as we did seeing his happy face.

Thank you Matthew, for your service, obedience, courage, long suffering, faith, hope and positive attitude while serving the Lord full time for two years! You are amazing!

Love Mom

Pure Joy!

2009-01-08T09:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a huge day in the life of Elder Ryan Spencer Otis. Elder Otis entered the MTC in Provo surrounded by his cousins and my dear friend and fellow missionary mom, Nancy.

It wasn't easy for his dad and I to put him on the plane alone without us. This is what he wanted months ago when he received his mission call. I knew that eventually he would regret that decision. We had to respect his wishes and did so as bravely as parents separating from a child for two years could. It was really tough.

I knew that we had done the right thing though when he called us from Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Nancy and her dear family had taken him out to lunch in a famous resturant at the top of a building in the city. I'm sure the view of the city was breathtaking. Then the were off to temple square where he called me from. His first breathless words were full of warm fuzzy emotions.

He said, "Mom! We're really here! All the sister missionaries knew I was going to be a missionary tomorrow! It was fun!"

I asked, "So, I was right about Nancy, right? She's a real sweetie!"

"Yeah Mom, she's awesome!"

I could hear his tone soften as he mentioned my dear friends name. All his nervousness had fled about going to a family whom he had no prior relationship with. Just his mom being a missionary mom friends with her. Which he had been sarcastic about on occasion. Now, he was happy to be with them. So happy!

That night her family had a buffet for all who wished to say goodbye to Ryan. His cousins showed up and family called him all evening. Gosh I'm so grateful for dear friends!

Then on Wednesday he was surrounded by his cousins and eternal family once again as he entered the MTC. His sweet married and expecting cousin Nikki Shea pinned his name tag on and gave him a motherly hug that she later told me, was from his mom. How sweet and so thoughtful for her to do this.

Nancy had arranged for Ryan to be presented two letters while he was in the MTC. One was from myself and the other from his father. Two letters telling him how much we love him and how pleased we were for him to be so willing to serve the Lord.

So now we have three missionaries serving the Lord full time. There are no words to describe how full my heart is this week. The only words that comes to mind is Pure JOY!

Strive To Be Kind...

2009-01-01T16:43:00.002-06:00

This is the beginning of a new year and I've decided that this is the first day of the rest of my life. It's a new beginning to try and be the very best person I can possibly become. I need to prepare for my eternal life. Joy and happiness is my goal for the year. This is what each of us really wants after all. It's good to take the time to think about it.

This is another big week for our family. We'll be saying goodbye to Ryan for the next two years as he leaves for the mission field in Everett Washington. We'll also be saying welcome home to Matthew six days later! It's exciting!

I have to admit to bitter sweet feelings about our last e-mail from Matthew in Russia this coming Monday. How excited and happy we are that he's coming home--but we will miss the e-mails full of news from a foreign land. The spirit has been so strong as we've read his letters home. It's been quite an experience praying for his specific needs. A blessing to know he is doing so much good in the world. Now we'll have Ryan and Jason to write to. It's all good in the end.

One of the things I'm striving to do better at, is being kind. In a world that's become so harsh and heartless and so monitary, it's important that we instead try to bring a little kindness into the world. It's not easy to do some days. If you make up your mind to do your best, it's easier to strive to meet your goal of self- improvement.

I love this quote that was sent to me recently.

"The righteous man strives for self-improvement knowing that he has daily need of repentance for his misdeeds or his neglect. He is not so much concerned about what he can get but more about how much he can give to others, knowing that along that course only can he find true happiness. He endeavors to make each day his masterpiece so that at night's close he can witness in his soul and to his God that whatever has come to his hand that day, he had done to the best of his ability. . . . he is clear of vision, keen of intellect, and strong of body. The breastplate of righteousness has given him 'the strength of ten---because his heart is pure'" (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 169-170).

Latest Letters from our Elders....

2008-12-30T08:14:00.003-06:00

Jason after Christmas!....
Hola a todos!

Happy new year everybody! It was great to hear from you all! I'm especially glad I got to talk with Matt. It's always kinda strange talking with the family. Although I do have to say that I'm glad for email. It seems like I'm still pretty up to speed on everything going on over there. So I'm not learning any crazy things about you over the phone hehehe. We're separated but we're still united!
It is crazy to hear about Nikki though! Holy crud man! That has got to be one of the weirdest things ever. I remember playing with her as kids at MamaJo and PapaDe's house. I know it's a bit cliche but.... IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY! So what does that make her kid to us anyway? Mom is a Great Aunt and all but will it be like our second cousin or something? Just wondering ; )
Anyway, It's gonna be awesome when Ryan goes into the MTC! Ryan you have to write me one last email before you go in man. I gotta hear from you. I guess this letter I have for you will go you you in the MTC. I'm terrible at sending these things off!
You will meet a lot of missionaries in the MTC and in the field that don't like to be obedient. You may be companions with one or you may get to be friends with some. Above all, do not let anyone make you think that disobedience is okay. You have the potential to do great things in your mission and I want to see you reach that potential. Wake up on time every day no matter how hard it is. Do your studies every morning. You'll never have that much gospel study time again in your life. Excercise in the mornings too. Honestly that will set the tone for the rest of your day. It'll also keep you from gaining weight. (Obviously this Elder was lacking in that at the beginning of his mission ; ) I can never say enough to BE OBEDIENT!!!!! Otherwise you'll just be one of those missionaries that is just there, coasting until the end. Love ya bro.! Good job on your farewell talk. Keep up the good work!
Anyway, I'm going to buy a camera right now!!!!! I love you all a bunch! Thanks for the money! Glad to hear that Holton is doing so well! Yay for serving missions!!!!!! WHOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!

Elder J. Otis

By the way mom, that story of Pushing The Rock was awesome. I always enjoy the things you send! Thanks!

***************
Dec 22nd Matt...
Hey Mom,
So, I'm feeling kind of lazy today(well I didn't sleep much last night and had about 12 hours of train riding) and since I'm going to be talking to you in a few days, I'm going to keep this email short. So I would like to answer your questions.

So, you have some investigators? We do, but we don't have any that are really going anywhere at this moment. Our one "golden" investigator fell off the map. We just can't get a hold of him, he only gave us his home number and his mom told me to never call back again. So I think his parents probably talked him out of getting baptised/meeting with us. He is by no means young, he's 29 but lives with his parents (Russia is a whole different world lol).

How is that going? Trying to find more right now to give my companion a good start on the next transfer.

Do you have a better bed to sleep on in this apartment? Well, I sleep better on it, but it's just a mattress on the floor.

Do the Elders run your branch in Kurgan? No, we have a Branch President, he just has a hard time giving people callings and has us do way too much (we are working on that right now).

How did your zone meeting go? Really good. Christmas zone conferences are a lot more relaxed and are just really spiritually uplifting. I was asked to bear my testimony (it was my last zone conference so it was my last testimony). President Allen of course spoke to us, but we didn't do practices or anything. Instead we watched a slide show of pictures from the mission, it was a lot of fun. Then afterwords we went out to eat at a restaurant called "Casa de mia." It was pretty good. Then we went back and we had our interviews with President Allen, and we watched the movie "The Ultimate Gift." I highly recommend seeing that movie, it was amazing and really makes you realize how much of a gift this life is and what we can do with it.

Well, I hope you have a very merry Christmas, I can't wait to talk to you! I love you all so much, and can't wait to hear your voices again.

Love,
Matt

p.s. Please send my number to Jason so he can call me. Thanks.
- Show quoted text -

Mondays letter...

Hey Mom, Hey Family!
That's pretty crazy that Nikki's going to have a baby! That's exciting news, and it's also exciting that Ryan is heading out pretty soon! Just about a week eh? You'll do great on a mission, just follow the advice I gave you and the advice in that story you sent me. All I can say about that story is AMEN, it's 100% true. That's pretty much the story of my mission.
So my companion and I had a pretty good week. On Christmas the sisters had a baptism. So that's what the pictures are of that I'm sending you today. Also there is a picture of our district. So the baptism went really well, the lady that got baptized is the mom of a really strong member who just recently got back from her mission in Novosibirsk. So she was really excited about her mom getting baptized. Then we had our Christmas activity. It went really well, but unfortunately the missionaries planned it and did it all. I'm trying to work on that right now, we do way too much in this branch. But anyway, on Sunday my companion did confirmed Zoiya. He was really nervous and scared but he did a great job and I was proud of him. Also on Saturday, we went caroling...all day long! We went caroling with the sisters and walked all across Kurgan visiting members and investigators and it was really cool. I think we lifted a lot of hearts, the members had never had carolers come before so it was a new experience for them. And all their neighbors heard (we sang in apartment buildings) so we might have done some missionary work in the process. So it was a great day, I thought my feet were going to fall off by the time we got done though, we walked a ton! =).
But I think that's pretty much all I have for you today. I'm just trying to do all I can with the time that I have left. I'm going to try and buy everything I need today and get that out of the way. Well, I'll write to you again next week, it'll be my last one. I wish you a Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year.

Matt

Push Against the Rock!

2008-12-29T07:26:00.003-06:00

Christmas was interesting in our home this year. We all ended up catching the bug that was going around. Not a single gift was purchased until Christmas Eve day. It's amazing what you can get done under pressure. All the gifts were purchased quickly and the food as well after a trip to three different stores in a few short hours. I've learned, less is really more these days.

I have learned over the past few years to simplify my life. To be thankful for the little things and be surprised by the gifts life brings. I am so glad I have learned this well. We all need to embrace our trials and hardships and look at what we can learn from them and how we can become better people as we struggle. When you can do no more, Heavenly Father opens a widow and lets the sun warm our hearts again. He is always there for each of us, we just have to remember to include Him in our daily life.

Yesterday our son Ryan gave his farewell talk in church. He leaves next week for the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah and later to Everett Washington. He is so ready to serve the Lord. I am so pleased with the young man he has become. His inner strength is a testiment that each of us can press forward and accomplish anything with the Lords help.

Up until a few weeks ago he was terrified of leaving us and not seeing his brothers for four years. Their two year missions overlap and he is leaving as they are coming home. I was at a loss of how to help him overcome his fears until our missionaries calls home at Christmas. They had all the answers to calm his fears. Elder Otis in Russia simply told him that we give such a small part of our lives to the Lord full time when we serve missions. We will have all eternity together as a family. His brother in Los Angeles said much the same and now he's ready. So simple, but so important were the words of those who he trusted and could identify with.

I'm posting the following story that Ryan related during his farewell talk at the pulpit. I have no idea who wrote it but it's amazing. I hope you enjoy it too.

"Push against the Rock!"

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with bright light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This, the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down with his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind: "You've been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You're never going to move it" -thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

"Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that'll be good enough." And that's just what he planned to do- until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord" he said, "I've labored long and hard in Your service, putting all my strength to do that which You've asked. Yet, after all this time, I haven't even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What's wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately,

"My friend, when I asked you to serve Me- you accepted. I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength- which you've done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me- with your strength spent, thinking that you've failed. But is that really so?"
"Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscular. Your back sinew is mighty. Your hands are callused from the constant pressure;and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you've grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you've done. I, my friend, will now move the rock."
At times, when we hear from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants. What God ACTUALLY wants is just simple OBEDIENCE and FAITH IN HIM. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it's still God who moves the mountains.

Ryan felt like he'd been pushing against the rock for a long time--not fully understanding why he was doing so. Now, through his faith in Heavenly Father and willingness to serve the Lord, he's willing to let God move the rock for him.It has been a blessing to watch him grow and struggle and triumph over adversity to become such a fine young man. Now, we give him over to the Lord for safe keeping for two full years and we do it with such joy!

Have a great day everyone!

"Cultivate Within You, The Attitude of Gratitude"

2008-12-01T07:08:00.008-06:00

Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. My parents joined us for the first time in many years and it was memorable for us all. We also had the blessing of taking our son Ryan to the temple for the first time. He was such a ray of sunshine that day. So happy and so grateful to be with us in the house of the Lord. I will never forget that day.

This was a week of Thanksgiving like no other for our family. We are all deeply thankful that our dear husband and father of my children, Terry Otis is still with us after his unfortunate accident in October.

Today is his first day back to work. I felt such an ache in my heart as I sent him back into the world. It's been two months since his accident. It's been a time of fear, pain, suffering, elation, spiritual healing and gratitude for us all. So many emotions have been shared. So many miracles have been acknowledged during his convalescence.

We have learned something important. We know that there are no coincidences--only miracles. The more you become aware of these miracles, the more you see them. It's amazing! Start giving God the credit and you see more. Try it and your eyes will be opened today. Then be thankful in your prayers and the spirit will fill you too.

Our family has seen miracles from the moment Terry was hurt to this very day. This day is a miracle when a man who was in a motorcycle accident returned to work so quickly and nearly healed from all his injuries. I am filled with thanksgiving that he is whole and happy and getting back to the day to day task of supporting his family.

When I think of miracles, gratitude fills me and I know what my evangelical friends are so fond of expressing is true. God is good!

This mindset didn't come to me overnight. After the initial shock of the accident wore off a few weeks ago, I felt myself falling into despair as I became angry and even felt vengeful. I'm human right?

When I thought of the woman sitting at home unharmed after turning her SUV in front of my husband who was on an errand to pick up medicine for our son. I was angry because Terry was in excruciating pain after his hand surgery-- which she caused. I couldn't seem to get the pain under control with several medications the doctors had given him. This is a kind hearted man who always goes out of his way to help others and was never angry at the woman once!

I had to work through my feelings with the help of our beloved Heavenly Father. I begged for the anger to be taken from me. It didn't happen overnight either. I prayed daily. Some time after asking for help, information found it's way to me about the woman who had hurt Terry...

She hasn't been able to drive herself to work since October 3rd, the day of the accident. She has been shaken to her core by fear of hurting another person. Her daughter was cut by flying glass and is healed quickly, thank goodness! We found this out innocently by renting a rug cleaner at our local rental store. The clerk is the neighbor of the woman was the driver of the SUV.

We could have gone to the other rental place in town that day. I feel we were meant to gain comfort with the knowledge we innocently gleaned from the rental clerk at her insistence. Such tender mercies swept all pain from our hearts as compassion filled us up for this woman who was suffering so much. I pray for her daily now. We all do.

There is so much good in the world today. It would be easy to get derailed by this unfortunate accident our family experienced. Instead we choose to see the good now and not be changed forever by the bad. It's a choice we must all make when bad things happen to us in our lives.

This week I read a quote from President Monsen that I'm posting below. I hope it touches you as it has touched me. I pray you have a very good Monday.

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues"
President Thomas S. Monsen. Ensign, May 1992, p. 54

What a Long, Strange Trip......An Evangelical Christian Bridges the Gap!

2008-11-17T16:55:00.008-06:00

When I first joined my church as a fourteen year old, I lost all of my friends. My history teacher scoffed and laughed at me. I was constantly under attack and later chose to eat my lunch in the school library. The kids found me one day. They formed a prayer circle around me and prayed for me to see the the light and be saved! I was mortified! I just wanted to crawl under the table and cry.

Many kids thought I was so smart....bookish even. I became weary of the constant persecution and only wished to eat in peace. Those were lonely times for me.

The one thing that kept me going was the fact that I knew what I believed in was true. I couldn't deny it. Spiritually I felt more whole and happier than I had been in my entire life.

I often prayed that my previous childhood friends could see that I was happy and agree to disagree and be friends once again. I prayed they would want to find common ground with me instead of trying to save me. I was still the same person after all. I still believed in Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible.

Today I found the following article in my e-mail and I cried! Cried tears of joy! Finally, some of our brothers and sisters are seeing us for who we are and what we stand for. Perhaps it's a bridge--a beginning. We do care what happens to our country. We do care about our constitution.

Time will tell, but this article below is something I have personally prayed for since I was a young girl of 14, when all the local pastors and priests in my little town told their kids not to speak to me again. I was alone. So alone and yet I wasn't for the very first time in my life! I knew with a certaintly that God lived! I was filled daily with the Holy Ghost and had never felt such joy and it sustained me through many lonely years. God is good! He never shunned me. He loves me still and he loves you too. Never forget it.

Enjoy this gift below. I am so grateful for the contents of this evangelical Christian blog entry, who understands how it is to be a true Christian. May God bless you well Mr. Schroeder.

The following article is by John Schroeder who is a well known Evangelical writer and blogger. He writes his feelings in this article (from his Article 6 Blog) on the Mormons, Prop 8.

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been Posted by: John Schroeder at 07:09 am, November 6th 2008

"Proposition 8 is now a part of the California constitution!

That is probably the best news from an otherwise difficult election for conservatives and Republicans. In very large part, we Evangelicals must thank our Mormon cousins for that fact. They, along with our Catholic brethren, were better organized than us and that pro vided a base from which we could ALL work together to get this job done. What more, as we have chronicled here, Mormons took the brunt of the abuse, derision, and even threats of physical harm that came with this effort.

And like us, they have given thanks to the Almighty that is ultimately in control, even if their understanding of that Almighty is a bit diffrent than ours. I cannot help but wonder how much more thankful we ALL might be today if we had been more willing to embrace these religious cousins a few months ago - but alas, politics is always about governing today and looking
forward to the next election.

Said John Mark Reynolds:

In the battle for the family, however, traditional Christians have no better friends than the Mormon faithful. It would be wrong if that support were taken for granted. We are intolerant of the false attacks on Mormon faith and family. We stand with our Mormon friends in right to express their views on the public square. We celebrate the areas, such as family values, where we agree. A heart felt thank you may not win points from other friends who demand one hundred percent agreement from their allies, but it is the decent and proper thing to do.
Thank you to our Mormon friends and allies!

Hard to do better than that. The "Ruth Youth" ministry proclaimed yesterday "International Mormon Appreciation Day." Very appropriate, yet still inadequate.

In addition to our thanks, Mormons deserve our protection. They have been oppressed in ways during the Prop 8 campaign that this nation has not seen since the 1960's and the civil rights movement. ; The rhetoric has been deplorable, but moreover. we have seen instances of vandalism, property destruction, and some leaders in the fight currently find themselves with armed protection because of the threats made against them and their families. Our nation will not and cannot tolerate this sort of behavior - it is incumbent on all of us to stand against it, and the best way to do that is to stand between the Mormons and the forces that would perpetrate such evil.

"Now I am sure the Mormons can, and probably want, to take care of themselves, but as a Christian, it is my duty to protect the innocent and free the oppressed. To turn a blind eye in this circumstance is not only ungracious, it is simply un-Christian.

Make all the theological distinctions you want, but in the political arena we are yoked with t he Mormons (he said borrowing some religious imagery) and it as darn well time we started acting like it. Absolutely, positively thank the Mormons - but don't stop there. Stand up and be counted against the evil that has been perpetrated towards them in this campaign. As Christians we can do no less."

One Nation Under God.......please protect us

2008-11-14T08:13:00.008-06:00

(Above, picture taken by Jason E. Otis of the Provo Temple in Utah)

My emotions have been all over the map this morning. I woke with a simple feeling of joy in my heart as I realized that our financial concerns as a family will be over in a months time. It is a comfort to know this when Terry is unable to work. I was filled with gratitude for Heavenly Fathers concern and blessings, for all His children. Gosh He amazes me sometimes!

Then I received word from a dear friend and fellow missionary mom. My chest tightened. She told of how there were letters sent to Salt Lake and LA temples, laced with mysterious whit powder. One was also sent to the Knights of Columbus, which is a Catholic organization. Then another was sent to the FBI in Salt Lake city ; as I later found on the internet.They seem to think it's connected to Prop 8. No workers have become ill, yet. How I'm praying for them!

My friend says that, "I KNOW even if it were Anthrax or some thing terribly dangerous, the Lord can protect the temple workers."

I am so proud of her and her faith! We each need to have more faith than ever before while the world around us goes nuts. I refuse to hate. The members of our church are the same. We will forever, forgive and pray for those who wish us harm.

Matthew 5:44-46

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?"

I pray my sons will be protected with so much hate being sent our way for standing up for what is right---for what we know to be true, in this free country we live in. Though persecution is something we know all too well, we can continue to pray for those who would do us harm.

Terrorism is never the answer to a disagreement or the passing of an amendment! I pray that those who are offended by our views can stop the boycotts, stop the loud obscene marches on innocent towns and cities. Stop the hatred.

We are not haters of men. We love our brothers and sisters. Below is an excerpt from Elder Otis's latest letter. I will not be posting his full letters here on my blog anymore. To keep him safe.

"We all need to do everything we can to be worthy and to share the gospel. The only thing that will never change in all this, is the Lord. "Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth will go on boldly and nobly" just like Joseph said.""

No matter what, faithful people of the world won't give in to terrorism. We won't give up, or give into threats against our beliefs. We will continue to remain faithful to our beliefs and our Heavenly Father.

We love the sinner and hate the sin, it's as simple as that. It is what we know to be right and true. It will not change. This country continues to remain One Nation Under God. May He protect us all from each other. I pray for the hate to end.

Erroneous Information--Not Taken Lightly

2008-11-08T21:37:00.006-06:00

In response to my husbands cousin, whom Terry cares a great deal for, I'm posting the following two articles.

Although, I think many will choose not to believe either one. I suppose is your choice. Hey, America is a great place where we can all agree to disagree without fear of imprisonment. Though many in the past have been tarred and feathered for less--a very painful condition by the way. Something about having your skin peeled away with the hot tar just doesn't seem like something Joseph Smith looked forward to when he restored our church. It must have been horrific. I'm glad they stopped doing that to our fellow saints back in the 1800's.

The recent statement about how much money our church has given (sorry cousin;) is not true in the least. The church didn't give a cent, the members of our church did give of their own means and of their own time-- as many on the opposite side of the issue did. This is a moral issue and one we will continue to support as members of the church.

Below is a statement that our church has presented to the public. I hope this helps clarify the situation.

Church Issues Statement on
Proposition 8 Protest

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SALT LAKE CITY 7 November 2008 The Church issued the following statement today:

It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election.

Members of the Church in California and millions of others from every faith, ethnicity and political affiliation who voted for Proposition 8 exercised the most sacrosanct and individual rights in the United States — that of free expression and voting.

While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process.

Once again, we call on those involved in the debate over same-sex marriage to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other. No one on either side of the question should be vilified, harassed or subject to erroneous information.

Catholic Bishop Decries Religious Bigotry Against Mormons

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SACRAMENTO 7 November 2008 (This news release was issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento) The following statement was released today by Bishop William Weigand, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and former Bishop of Salt Lake City, in response to attacks on (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for supporting California’s Proposition 8, defending the traditional definition of marriage:

“Catholics stand in solidarity with our Mormon brothers and sisters in support of traditional marriage — the union of one man and one woman — that has been the major building block of Western Civilization for millennia.

“The Protect Marriage coalition, which led the successful campaign to pass Proposition 8, was an historic alliance of people from every faith and ethnicity. LDS were included — but so were Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox, African-Americans and Latinos, Asians and Anglos.

“Bigoted attacks on Mormons for the part they played in our coalition are shameful and ignore the reality that Mormon voters were only a small part of the groundswell that supported Proposition 8.

“As the former bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, I can attest to the fact that followers of the Mormon faith are a good and generous people with a long history of commitment to family and giving to community causes.

“I personally decry the bigotry recently exhibited towards the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — coming from the opponents of Proposition 8, who ironically, have called those of us supporting traditional marriage intolerant.

“I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words — and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8.”

This will be my last entry on this particular subject. This is not what my blog is about. I have been nothing but kind to anyone in our family or community that is lesbian or a gay. We love our family, we love our neighbors. We would never attack any of them, desecrate their temples, churches or call them names or harm their property like my friends have had done to them in CA.

I pray for my sons safety. He is a missionary in California. He has been welcomed, into homes of gays, lesbians and trans-gender people alike. They have thanked him for his kindness and his help! This is how my husband and I have raised our kids. This is what our church teaches. By the way, we do have people who have same sex attraction within our church who are faithful members.

We also know the difference between right and wrong and marriage is between a man and a woman and has been that way since time began. I'm sorry if this seems harsh, I don't mean it to be. This is something that God has decided, not man. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't speak the truth. That is one thing you'll learn about us, we try our best to be honest.

Personally I really don't care one way or another a person wants to enter into a civil union or a contract with another person. That is your choice and your right. You do have rights under the law. Anything less than that would be inhumane.

As a church, Mormons do believe that eternal marriage is a sacred covenant entered into between a man and a woman and Heavenly Father. A covenant is a promise between man and God--not something we will ever take lightly.

I really don't thrive on conflict like this. You'll find that most Latter-day Saints didn't enjoy holding signs in public or making calls or leaving their families open to harm and religious persecution. Yes, we are no strangers to being persecuted. That doesn't mean we enjoy it, or invite it. Enough said.

The Key to Happiness

2008-11-08T07:30:00.009-06:00

"When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to 'love one another; as I have loved you' (John 13:34), He gave to them the grand key to happiness in this life and glory in the next."Love is the greatest of all the commandments--all others hang upon it. It is our focus as followers of the living Christ. It is the one trait that, if developed, will most improve our lives."

I learned a while back, that I am in charge of my own happiness. What a concept! My husband can add to my happiness as can my children--but ultimately I am in charge. Since realizing this amazing concept I have searched for the keys to happiness and found them in what Jesus has taught us. He lives and loves us so much and does want each of us to find joy and to be happy.
Recently I read an article in which they stated that those who have hope and are not clinically depressed, can find their way out of depression without medication. I was one of those people. Hope seems to be the key. Jesus Christ gives us that hope over and over in his teachings, both in ancient and modern times.

When we love one another, we give the other person hope through our love. Hope that whatever ails us can be lessened. Hope that we can help bear each others burdens and we are not alone in our affliction. We mirror what Christ feels for us through our actions. Hope does proceed the miracle. The miracle is that life will improve during hard times and that we can hang on if our life is difficult.

When all else fails and we are truly alone, our Savior holds us and comforts us as he is willing to do even when our lives are full of loved ones! Never forget that we are never alone.

Allow the Savior to give you comfort and solace during difficult times. Remember to share your lives with your loving Heavenly Father during good times as well as bad. You will feel His love if you allow yourself to do so prayerfully. The more you exercise your spiritual muscles the more you will feel His love for you during your days and your nights. You will be amazed at how you are in charge of ensuring that you feel the spirit as you strive to bask in it's light. What a blessing it is to know this to be true!

Many people have been calling the members of our church "haters". If you know members of the LDS or Mormon church, you know this to be so untrue. We have been taught to love our brothers and sisters no matter what color our skin is, what religion we are-- or even if you are heterosexual, gay or lesbian.

We are all brothers and sisters and children of a loving God. We are not taught to hate. Hate is a choice individuals make on their own when they stray from the path Christ has taught us.

Our Savior taught us to obey the commandments and to love our neighbors as ourselves. My neighbor is so different from myself. When I first met him he had tobacco stuffed in his lip and he used the Lords name in vein. His wife works in a liquor store and wears revealing clothes. I may have been a little shocked at first, but I didn't allow this to cloud my vision of who they are. I saw past all of that to see what good people they were and have been so blessed!

When my husband got into his car accident, Mike was the first person to help me. He drove me to the accident. He has since fixed our car and brought us food. He has called to check on my husband and how he's doing. I'm grateful we've developed a respect and friendship for each other despite our differences. I would have missed out if I had stood in judgment of this good man.

To stand up for righteousness and goodness and truth is something I teach my own children through Christs example. He taught us to have hope and to pray for those who might offend us. Hate was never in his teachings. So we must also not be haters of men. If we can develop love for our neighbors, we will improve the lives of others, as well as our own. Hope is a natural by- product that I have felt through our most recent experience with Terry's accident. All because so many reached out to us with so much love from places all over the world.

Thank you dear friends. Your love has been amazing!

Joseph B Wirthlin, "The Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 30 31

Elder Otis Returns to Russia!

2008-11-04T06:41:00.006-06:00

Thank you all, for your prayers and well wishes for our son in Russia. He has safely arrived back in Russia from Sweden! He has had a great adventure and I wanted to share it with all of you. He was Branch President before he left for Sweden a month ago. Now he's a trainer and District Leader just like his Elder Brother Jason. Gosh is this ever exciting! Such a n honor as well. I hope you enjoy Elder Matthew Otis's latest letter below.

"Warning: Huge Email

Hey family,

How was my trip back? Well, Elder Peterson summed it up pretty well in our weekly newsletter. Here is his story of what happened on our trip back.

Six Hour Miracle
After serving for a month in Sweden, we were grateful and excited to be heading back home to "the Russia Motherland." We left our temple friends at 9:00 am Saturday morning and headed to the airport on Sweden's celestial commuter rail. All went well and we got all fourteen of us into the airport, passed probing security, and boarded onto our Scandinavian flight to Moscow. It all worked like clockwork, perfect and smooth. It seemed almost too good to be true…
We landed in Moscow's Sheremyetevo airport at 17:30--and with a 6 hour layover ahead of us, we strode into passport control with confidence that we could easily make our flight connection at the Domodyedovo airport. Now, for those of you who have never traversed the urban jungle of Moscow, Sheremyetevo is on the north side of Moscow―Domodyedovo on the complete other side of Moscow in the South. Our flight was scheduled to take off at 23:10, so we all felt confident that we could make the transfer without problem.
Landing at 17:30 we then stood in lines at passport control for about two hours waiting to get "processed" by the officials. Because of the delay we missed our express train which we were supposed to go on. Frustrated, rumpled, and tired we exited the airport and after following several poorly given instructions we located and headed towards the Express train which would take us to the metro.
Remember―14 people with luggage, running through Moscow, at night, and half of us have never been there.
So we get on the 19:50 express train and head off at a painfully slow pace. After a 40 minute stress filled ride, we jump off, run out of the vokzal, frantically find the metro, stand in a ridiculously long line (so typical of Moscow), grab metro coins, and then head on a Metro.
Remember―14 people with luggage, running through Moscow, at night, and half of us have never been there.
So, we head on the Metro and after a couple stops we get off and try to switch lines. Well, I've never made a metro line switch in my life, so I head off to the right, praying that we are going in the correct direction.
Miracle 1: As we are heading right, a man stops me. His cheeks were red, so I assumed he might be a little tipsy. He asked me if I was looking for something, in short he pointed us in the right direction. Why a miracle? 1. Possible drunk man stops me and doesn't ask "Вы иностранцы что ли?" 2. He asked me if he could help. That never happens. 3. This happened in Moscow. 4. His directions were actually correct.
So all 14 of us get on our new metro line and head to our stop. We jump off, leave the vokzal, find the Express train vokzal, and run in and buy tickets. By this time it is 21:15. Well it turns out that the next train was at 22:00. Which meant that we would get at the airport at 22:40. Our flight was at 23:10. Those times don't add up for checking in.
As we realize the probability of missing our flight, Elder Reynolds ran over to a random counter and started speaking with an attractive young lady attendant (see Miracle 3).
Miracle 2: This young lady told us that we would need to take the metro further down the line and then get on a shuttle. This would help us to get there faster. She also called the airport and let them know that we were going to be a little late and told them to wait. This provided to be one of the HUGE reasons we didn't miss our flight. She truly was a ministering angel for us.
Miracle 3: Elder Reynolds admitted that if he were to come back to Russia to marry someone, it would be her.
So we run outside the express train vokzal and hurriedly, frantically try to find the Metro again. We asked several people who told us to the left. However several people told us to the right. We quickly followed the counsel of the hymn "Choose the Right" and headed off to the right which actually turned to be the right direction.
Heading downwards into the metro, we again went through the process of buying tickets for all 14 of us. And then to our dismay we crammed ourselves into a completely stuffed metro car. We then traveled for a half hour trying to keep eye contact between all of us in order to get off on the correct stop.
After that half hour of grueling shoving and pushing we all stumbled out and ran up and out.
Remember―14 people with luggage, running through Moscow, at night, and half of us have never been there.
As we ran out, we found a shuttle, loaded, and headed out. That was at 22:00.
Miracle 4: It was a sheer miracle that we found an airport shuttle right off the bat, with just enough space for all of us to squeeze on with our luggage. Not only that the driver was nice about it.
So to make this long story short, we travel for half an hour and get at the airport at 22:30. We all run out, rush through check in, almost lose Elder Larsen, rush through security throwing belts and jackets off and on, rush to the gate, and jump onto the shuttle bus.
Miracle 5: We made it on our flight with literally only two minutes to spare. Remember―14 people with luggage, running through Moscow, at night, and half of us have never been there. By logic and reason we should not have made that flight. Miracles happen.
-Elder Peterson

So that's a pretty incredible story. It didn't really end for me either. The next day after going to bed at 4:30am I got up at 9:00 and I needed to get to Revda to get my luggage. I was trying to find someone who would go with me but no one wanted to. I understand since everyone who was with me had served in ekat and they wanted to go to church where they served, and not in Pervouralsk. So the only ones left in the apartment were Elder Finch and Rosel, and they had stuff to do, so they sent me off to Pervouralsk by myself.

Missionaries are stretched pretty thin right now, so a lot of people have had to do some weird transfer stuff. But it wasn't a big deal, I made it to church without a problem and even got there in time to take the sacrament. Just kind of weird flying solo. Testimony meeting was great though. I was able to bear my testimony to them one last time. Getting to see everyone again was really great, It was kind of like going back in time. I got to say goodbye to everyone and I got some numbers and email addresses. Then we went to take the sacrament to Baba Anya, so I got to see her one last time and I took one last picture with her. She was glad to see me and really sad that I wasn't coming back. She cries pretty much every time we leave though, so that's not a change.

Anyway, after that Elder Magleby, Stark, and I went back to Revda to get my stuff. Once we got there we got a call from Elder Finch that I had to be at the train station in Ekat by 6:00, so that meant that when I got back to the apartment I had to call a taxi and leave pretty much immediately. So I hadn't eaten anything, didn't have time to make anything, and was about to be going on a 4+ hour train ride with no food. Not to mention the fact that I barely ate anything yesterday. So I decided that I needed to buy something so I wouldn't pass out.

So I did, and they loaded up my stuff in the taxi and I headed out to the train station by myself again. They said that there would be people waiting for me to help me with my baggage(I was concerned about it since my baggage doesn't really function anymore so I need multiple people to help me), but I got dropped off in the parking lot so I had to get my luggage over there anyway. So I put the grocery bag with the juice and crackers and stuff in it around the handle of one of my bags, and I gery-rigged the rest so I was able to move them. I got through the parking lot and then needed to get them over the curb, then I had some issues. I had taped the handle back on the suitcase that had the grocery bag on it, and it decided to rip off when I tried to heft it over(my bags are pretty heavy), so it fell on the bag pretty hard, but I picked it up and kept going a little ways. Then I looked down and realised that my bag was dripping, my juice exploded, and filled up the plastic bag, which also soaked my crackers. So I was able to salvage my super snickers, and that's the only thing I ate the whole day. So then I waited there by myself for about an hour, and they finally got there and helped me get to the platform and on the train. So they helped me get my junk into the train, but then once I was in I couldn't figure out where my seat was, I was in the right section, but I couldn't find the seat number. Then they said they had to get off, so they left me not knowing what to do, with 3 disfunctional suitcases.

So I asked a guy next to me what to do, and I showed him my ticket. He said he didn't know, just pick an open seat, so he told me to sit next to him, so I did. When they checked out tickets I found out that I was supposed to be in 3rd class, and I was in 1st class, so if I wanted to stay there I had to pay about 10 dollars more. I didn't have any cash on me though, since I used it all on the taxi to the station. So I told her that I only had a card, and of course its Russia and they don't use cards anywhere so that wasn't going to work. But the nice lady took pity on me and told me that I could stay there, but if anyone else came and wanted to sit there I would have to move.

Luckily no one asked me to move, so I got to ride first class the whole way(first class on an electrishka isn't all that great though, but its way better than sitting on a metal bench for 5 hours), so I lucked out with that. But the guy I sat next to was a nice guy, his name was Ruslan. He actually lives in America, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife. His wife is American, but they were both born in Russia, and he mostly just speaks Russian. He said that where he lives in LA he doesn't really have to speak English, there are a lot of Russians there.

But anyway, I didn't really talk about the gospel with him because he told me he was atheist and didn't really want to talk about it. But he was nice and he helped me get my bags off the train, so he helped me out a bunch. Then I met up with my new companion Elder Dewey, but we are actually in a threesome right now with Elder Mizin also, because his companion(Elder Thompson who is my old companion) is in Kazakhstan and won't be back for 3 weeks. So we might be together for a while. He is Russian and doesn't really speak English, so I guess I'll be getting a lot of practice with the language for a few weeks.

So that's my situation right now. Wow, that turned into a long story, but its been a pretty wild ride the past few days, and just wanted to share it with you. Kurgan seems like a fun place. It's pretty Podunk, but its big and has some good members and a great meetinghouse. There are 2 companionships in Kurgan, a pair of Elders and a pair of Sisters, so that makes things pretty interesting, and p-days pretty uneventful since we can't do anything together. But the Sisters here are really good ones, so it's going to be great. I'm also going to be the District leader, so I have to work that now too. But it's going to be a good transfer, things are a little wacky right now, but things will settle down soon.

Well, thanks for the email. Glad you guys liked the stuff that I sent. Have a great week!

Elder Otis

"The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected!"

2008-11-04T06:09:00.005-06:00

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:
Isaiah 11:11-12

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt . . . and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth."

"That ensign was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was established for the last time, never again to be destroyed or given to other people. . . . Following the raising of this ensign, the Lord sent forth his elders clothed with the priesthood and with power and authority, among the nations of the earth, bearing witness unto all peoples of the restoration of his Church, and calling upon all the children of men to repent and receive the gospel . . . and they are still preaching the gospel and gathering out from the nations the seed of Israel unto whom the promise was made" (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, p. 254-255).

It is a comfort to me during my hardest days to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will never be taken from the earth again. As my sons preach the gospel on separate ends of the earth I feel such a deep sense of gratitude and love for our Savior for all He has done for us. It inspires me to strive to do much good while I am here. It is the same for my sons. The following is a letter from Elder Otis in CA. Tomorrow I'll post the follow up letter from Elder Otis in Russia.

Keep religious freedom alive in California everyone! If you don't live there, speak to someone who does. The family unit and religious freedom are under attack in that state. Pray hard for our brothers and sisters who have had their cars keyed and their homes violated while standing up for what is right!

Our Weekly Letter From Elder Otis in Los Angeles:

"Talk about a spiritual smack in the face!

You know I don't think there is a thing that I can write to compare with everything you guys have written this week. The miracles never end it seems.
I guess I'll just write how my week is going as I usually do ; ) I got a new companion! His name is Elder Brantly and he's straight from the MTC. So on top of being a district leader I get to train as well. Life is good. Elder Brantly is from Murray, Utah which is about 10 minutes south of Salt Lake City. If there ever was a stereotypical greenie he is it. hehehehe Talk about greenie fire! He's got a lot of really good ideas and I'm doing my best to direct them and point him in the right direction. I'm grateful for the chance to train a new missionary. My trainer wasn't all that great so I know I need to do the best I can. President Blackburn has stressed the importance of this calling. He said "Right now you 5 missionaries (the trainers) have the most important calling in this mission. You are the ones to show these missionaries how to act and how to work. What you teach them will affect this mission for a long time to come. You're the best this mission has got and I expect only the best from you." NO PRESSURE MAN! Yikes! So mom, when you say to keep working hard to the end of our missions you don't have to worry. I won't have the chance to slack off even if I wanted to. President has a funny way of making sure of things like that.
I just have to say how absolutely amazing it is that the Lord has taken care of our family the way He has. Everyone always says that the Lord has blessed them for serving a mission. I know I can say the same and list the examples. I also know that we will be blessed far into the future for serving the Lord. I know the gospel is true and I know the Lord is watching out for us. As long as we stay faithful we won't ever have to worry. There will be hard times to come but we will always be able to get through. I think we are at something of a turning point. I know that I have a greater desire to serve the Lord and I think the rest of you do as well. Because of that our lives have changed. We are all going to have opportunities to serve the Lord well after our missions are over. I remember a blessing that you once received mom. Something about your sons having great callings in the church. I know the Lord has qualified me thus far so I don't think I need to worry much. I'll just serve Him the best I can and He'll take care of the rest.
Things are heating up in politics around here as I'm sure they are around the country. Right now we're all praying that Proposition 8 will pass. Thousands of hours have been put into it by the members of the church here. The prophet has asked us all to pray today. It's getting down to the wire and everyone is working hard. The opposition hasn't been kind. People have had their houses graffitied and their cars keyed for having prop 8 signs up. Along with all of their signs being stolen. You can actually see a lot of it on Youtube apparently. It just shows you what kind of people are on the other side of this. And somehow they call us the bigots. These really are the latter days.
Anyway, I'm so glad to hear about that check coming in. And dad I'm praying for you to get better soon. I really hope you get the settlement that you're working toward. Whatever happens, the Lord will take care of us as you've said. You're all in my prayers. I'll keep working hard so the Lord will bless us. THE STANDARD OF TRUTH HAS BEEN ERECTED!

I love you all.
Have a wonderful week.
Elder Jason E. Otis"

Elder Otis in Russia and Update On the Otis Family

2008-11-01T11:30:00.006-05:00

"Dear Val!

Your child will arrive tomorrow morning.

So this visa trip will be finished at least. Don't worry.

Love,
Elya"

I've used Elya's nick name instead of her full name for privacy. Elya is my dear friend who works in my sons mission home in Russia. When we first met, I had no idea she worked in the mission home. She has been such a good, dear friend and I am thankful every day for her generosity and her words of comfort. The above was just one more kindness she passed onto me as a missionary mom and friend. Thanks so much Elya!

Yes, Elder Otis is back in Russia tonight! Thank you all for your prayers on his behalf. He is so excited to be able to finish his mission in Russia. He will miss the branch he was Branch President for though. He was there for 7 or 8 months and loves the people of those two cities he served in Russia.

He told me once that he knew he wasn't serving in that area to baptize new members, but to strengthen the Branch and the members who lived there. I think was very successful. He was able to teach them about Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching. They are very important to know in our church. They both help fellowship and strengthen the members and teach families each month.

I think the most wonderful contribution he made while he served there was to teach the members to love one another and fellowship the new members appropriately. I'm sure that they won't soon forget his kind hearted example and his love for each of them as individuals. I know he'll never forget his time serving there.

President Ezra Taft Benson described twelve ways in which we can overcome sorrow disappointment and depression. One of them was that "the fellowship of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless...we should you seek to become the friend of our Father in heaven and our brothers and Jesus Christ." I know this is needed in Russia just like it is here at home in America.

Now Elder Matthew Otis is off to a new city! He is going to be a senior companion to a younger missionary. His name is Elder Dewey and the city they will be serving in is Kurgan. So, he's off on another adventure, and we are all so excited to hear about it on Monday morning.

Elder Jason Otis in Los Angeles is not being transferred like his brother. He will stay in Malibu and will be a District Leader and a trainer for a newly arriving Elder fresh out of the MTC! We fondly refer to them as "Greenie's". He is hoping to be a good example to this new Greenie on the block. I know he's gonna do just great!

Elder Otis continues to sing in all the wards he attends and has gained so much more confidence in his abilities. We can't wait to hear his angelic tones throughout our house again. Gosh we miss his music!

Our soon to be Elder Ryan Otis has now purchased his two suits! We took him shopping to Mens's Wearhouse the other day. Terry was healthy enough to go along with us and enjoyed watching Ryan looking so dapper. He really does clean up well:) What a handsome guy! He is really getting excited about January 7th when he'll be leaving for the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah. Wow! I still can't believe we'll have three sons serving the Lord at once!

Hunter our youngest will only be an only child for one full week before Matthew in Russia returns and he is absolutely elated! He says he never wants to be an only child. How funny!

Terry continues to improve! Today has to be the best day so far! He is up and around and working through the pain. Yesterday was the first day he didn't take a nap and he slept through the night for the first time. I am so glad he's doing so well.

We all cherish each other so much more since the accident. Life is good. Blessings continue to flow for our family. I am so grateful for the Tender Mercies of the Lord which we recognize daily.

All is well in the Otis household. I pray it is in your homes as well. Have a great day everyone!

Call Upon the Lord in Your Family Circles

2008-10-28T09:03:00.005-05:00

"Do not forget to call upon the Lord in your family circles, dedicating yourselves and all you have to God every day of you lives; and seek to do right, and cultivate the spirit of union and love, and peace and blessing of the Living God will be with us, and He will lead us in the paths of life; and we shall be sustained and upheld by all the holy angels and the ancient patriarchs and men of God, and the veil will become thinner between us and our God, and we will approach nearer to him, and our souls will magnify the Lord of hosts." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 148-149).

Our family has been calling on the Lord so often the past month, and in the past few years it would seem. I think we've been learning to trust in the Lord even more fully, through the accident Terry was in . I was grateful to know how and that I had been praying more actively because of the mission experience our sons had been sharing with us all. To pray was the very first thing I thought of to do when I received the call from Tawnya saying he'd been hurt.

For our family it's been so natural to pray as a together, though I have to admit, it did take effort on our part . With varying schedules and levels of exhaustion with each individual it has not always been easy to do. We have made it a habit each morning and every night before we go to bed.

We do believe that a family that prays together, stays together. It was a blessing to have this in place when things got so difficult this month and we then were able laid our burdens at the Saviors feet without question. Relief has been a blessed outcome. Relief both spiritually and monitarily has come to us with such rich abundance. We are well cared for and all is well in the Otis household.

Our gratitude knows no bounds. As we kneel in prayer as a family and privately as individuals, we are filled with gratitude for our Savior and our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost. Yes, as a Latter-day Saint I do believe that they are three separate and distinct individuals, but they are also one in purpose. I realize that modern day religious leaders have made many to believe this is not possible. If you are a scholar of the Bible, or not, pray before you read each day to know if what I say is true. You will know the truth of which I speak if you ask with pure intent-- wanting to know the truth. It is a promise in the Bible. James 1:5 says it all. I hope you'll look it up today.

An update on Terry: Terry is healing faster than I thought possible. He celebrated his 46th birthday yesterday! We took him to a local Mexican restaurant he likes. He wishes he was strong enough to return to work, but he still gets very tired and dizzy when he moves too fast. His arm still hurts and so do the backs of his legs. It hurts to sit very long and he can't drive great distances yet. Work is 45 minutes away. He is still hopeful that he can go back next week. Until then I'll be glad he's here at home and am taking good care of him. I've also been taking him to the chiropractor and soon to physical therapy. He has a full time job--one of healing.
Thank you all for your prayers on Terry's behalf. We have felt so loved and know your prayers are such a blessing.

Remember to pray for your loved ones today. Each day is a gift.

Opposition--Infinite, Eternal and Real

2008-10-18T17:50:00.006-05:00

My dear friend Anita, asked that I take notes about the circumstances I find myself in right now. She said that, my "experiences will have great value to myself and future generations." I never considered this, but I hope writing it all down does help someone.

One thing I will never forget that she said to me is that "I have come to learn that the principle of opposition in all things is infinite and eternal and real. For every darkness there is equivalent light, and vice versa." I'm trying very hard to trust in the Lord during these hard times as I take care of my husband. I'm trying to look for the silver lining and for the most part am successful. I remember all those who were in place to help me at the right time and am grateful.

Sometimes flashes of memory come to me as I drive down the same road Terry was wounded on. I have to drive that road every time I pick my son up from High School. I pray often as I drive that road to shut away the memories of the day he was hurt. Sometimes I'm even successful. I sing hymns when that doesn't work. I know that in time the memory of seeing him laying in the street bleeding will fade. I pray for that day.

Now as I care for him when he's in pain and restless, I feel such love for my eternal companion. I'm so glad he's safe and I can care for him now at home instead of in the hospital.

I almost feel guilty that I'm happy to have him with me so much, when I know he really wants to get back to work. I've missed him so much as he worked two jobs to help our missionaries and to keep food on the table. He always works too hard. He loves his family and was trying his best to provide for us all. But I missed him...

No one should have to hurt so bad. Especially not the ones we love. I pray daily that his pain will get better and life will get back to normal soon. I check often while he's sleeping to see if he's still breathing. I hope that's normal. I smile a lot around other people, but I'm not smiling on the inside yet. When he's well again I will, I promise. Perhaps I'll even laugh more. That will be so nice.

Today we went to church-- Terry , Hunter and I. My heart was on my sleeve. We almost didn't make it. He tired after getting showered and dressed. In the end he insisted and we were on our way. Halfway through Sacrament Meeting Terry had to go out and sit on the couch. I followed. He was so happy to be back in church. He was ready to go home after an hour, which I expected. So many people were happy to see him. He's making progress. I know that there are many out there who are nearly as relieved as I that he is doing so well. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Tomorrow we find out what is going on with Terry's liver which is acting up and then onto the Attorney for advice. I've never had a legal problem, this is just the gift that keeps on giving it would seem. I pray I can be equal to the task at hand. Enduring to the end has taken on a whole new meaning for the Otis family.

PS. Elder Otis is still in Sweden. More photo's tomorrow:)

Two Letters and a Terry Update

2008-10-15T12:36:00.005-05:00

Guest House in Sweden above
I tried without success to post our Elders letters on Monday due to the holiday and travel plans it didn't work out. So, here are this weeks letters and some photo's of our Elder in Sweden this week. Please pray that Russia will allow him to go back into the country. I hear that now all elders who (Swedish Temple Above)return are given even shorter visa's and must leave every 70 days now. I'm posting Elder Matthew Otis's letter first and then Elder Jason Otis's second. Enjoy!

"Hey Family,

Well, sorry I didn't write you guys yesterday, we kind of crashed after our flight over here. Then in the evening we had a fire side, so we didn't get our emailing done. And I'm pretty tired right now so I'll just write you a quick note, I can write periodically through the week, so I'm not in a big hurry. Well, I just want to say that this place is amazing. We are staying in the guest home, at least I think that's what it's called, and it is really nice. I'm sleeping on a good bed for the first time in....7 months and have access to washing machines, and dryers. But besides that, it's beautiful here. Sweden is a pretty amazing place. We won't be going out into the city until Monday, but the flight in and the train ride was great. Today we did service in the morning, I went around with a big gas powered leaf blower blowing leaves. Then we were in the temple until 5, I did two endowment sessions, the second one they did it in Russian for us missionaries. It was a pretty neat experience. It's really great going back to the temple after not having been to a session in over a year and a half, it was really refreshing.

So I'd like to tell you whats been going on over here for us missionaries. I guess there is a group here from Samara who has been here for almost three weeks, there has been problems getting visas renewed here and we don't exactly know whats going to happen. We are waiting on word from Moscow, and until then we are all stuck here. But it's not like it's bad here or anything, it's wonderful being here, but it's taking a lot away from our missions having so many missionaries here in Sweden. But, maybe this is all meant to be. We are getting so much temple work done. I guess after the Finland temple was built, this temple lost half of it's attendance, and having us missionaries here brought it back up to where it was, so the temple workers just love us. The Swedish people are so nice, most everyone can speak understandable English, so it's easy to get around. It's so weird leaving Russia and seeing how much better other countries are. Most of the times it's just little things that you take for granted, like customer service and drinkable tap water, but it just feels so much different here. Don't really know how to describe it, but there is a tangible difference. But we are just hoping we will be able to get back there quickly, so pray for us to get back into the game. I really wouldn't like to go to another country for the rest of my mission.

I'm glad that dad's surgery went well, glad to hear that he's doing good. Well, I'm just trying to soak up knowledge while I'm here, I won't have another opportunity like this for rest of my life I don't think. We get to regularly talk with the temple president in the temple and ask him any questions we have about the temple or just about anything. This is a great place, and I'm going to try and enjoy every minute of it.

Love,

Matt

Next is Elder Jason Otis's letter from Los Angeles.

"Heya!

I didn't write yesterday cuz it was Columbus day and all the libraries were closed. So that's my excuse, not sure about Matt. I don't think they have Columbus day in Russia ; )
You know, it's really funny how many people keep asking me how my dad is. It's nice to know that people love me! Heehaw. I think for all the people that are praying for dad, God would just heal him to get us to be quiet! HA! You're well taken care of Dad!
So other people mentioned that I bore my testimony? Must've been Elder Moake huh ; ) He's a good guy. Definitely one of the better missionaries here in L.A. It's still really funny to me that you have so many connections mom. If I ever poke fun at you for it just know that I'm actually quite impressed with you. You've done a lot of good for people in the last couple of years and I know the Lord is blessing you now for it. Dad too of course! Our whole family is experiencing the blessings that come from faithful service to the Lord. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God". You have been serving God by serving others. That's what the Gospel is all about.
Things are heating up around here with the election coming up. Also things are pretty tense about the whole "Proposition 8" thing. That's the bill that will define marriage as between a man and a woman in the California constitution. All the members of the church here have been doing phone calls and knocking doors and handing out signs to support the proposition along with a coalition of other religions. The quorum of the 12 just gave all of California a fireside via satellite asking everyone to give at least 4 hours of work to this effort every week until the vote happens. By far our church has done more for this proposition than anyone else which is really cool. I wish I could help in some way but us missionaries are to stay out of it. In light of the present economy and the election and proposition 8 it seems like California is ripe for the 2nd Coming. ; ) Of course we know that's not going to happen quite yet but the scene is rather intense around here. And it's only going to get worse. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I will never live in California!!
Today I'm on "splits" with Elder Romrell here in Malibu. He's a greenie from Idaho Falls and is an awesome missionary. It's one of my duties as a district leader to go on "splits" once a transfer with every Elder in my district. While doing so I observe the missionary and give feedback at the end of the day. It's always a fun experience. Today we're going to do some tracting up in the Palisades near Malibu. I love driving around in the hills! We also have dinner Scheduled with Rick Schroder finally. He just got back into town from wherever he was filming some movie. I also got to meet Micheal Mclean and his wife at church this Sunday. He's been in Utah at his other home in Ogden for the summer. It's definitely interesting serving in this area.
Anyway I just thought I'd give you some random facts about life recently. I'm having a good time and I'm glad everything is going well over there. By the way mom, did you mean 10,000 dollars or 100,000 dollars in regards to the insurance. You wrote 100,000 and that kinda boggled my mind. That would be a lot of money ; )
Give my regards to everybody! The last email I wrote I sent to everybody who's email address I had.
Just to let you know, I WILL NOT BE TRUNKY TILL THE DAY I SET FOOT ON THAT AIRPLANE! That's a fact! ; ) I may think of home but I just don't get homesick. I think this whole email thing helps with that a lot. That and the fact that I'm still in a fairly familiar place. Life is good as it always is.
I love you all! Ryan I keep meaning to send you a letter that I wrote a while ago. You'll get it eventually. Hunter I'm about to send you an email with some info I've got for you. Some good music that I heard on the Promenade the other day. I think you'll really like it.
Have a great week all! Keep on healing dad! I'm glad to hear the surgery went well. I knew it would. Love ya! Buh Bye!!!!!!!

Elder Jason E. Otis
District leader
District 2
Marina Zone
California Los Angeles Mission
Rockin' the coast!!!!!!!!

Update on Terry......

Terry had his surgery on Monday. It was really tough on him. He was in so much pain it broke my heart. It took us a good 24 hours to get the pain under control. His hand was broken in four places as it turns out, instead of two. So there was a large incision where the doctor had to open him up and there is now three screws holding the blood bearing bone together. After his first follow up apt next week he will have a tens unit hooked up to him. It's an electric stimulator to help his bone heal faster. I keep praying insurance will pay for this as well.
His surgery was on Monday and today it's Wednesday and he is doing really great! His pain is still under control and he sleeps often. He is able to do a lot more things for himself and his headaches are now gone from the concussion. His chest still hurts from the broken sternum. His liver is giving him some problems now and we have to do a repeat blood test on Friday to see what is going on. It does worry me, but I've put it all in the Lords hands and all seems to be improving due to all the prayers going up on his behalf and we are so thankful. Terry heals fast and I can see him returning to work in a couple of weeks time. Another blessing.

We feel so loved by family, neighbors and church family and friends. So many people love this dear man and that includes myself and his boys. My world would be a different place without him in my life, that's for sure. But I also know he would be cheering for me from the other side if things had turned out differently. He's jsut that kind of guy.

Thank you all so much for your love and support. Thank you for keeping our missionaries in your prayers too.

Hugs!
Valora

Enduring to the End....and broken bones that heal.

2008-10-13T23:13:00.005-05:00

Today was a very hard day, but I wasn't alone. My sweet mother in law Mary Ellen, was with me when we had to take Terry in for surgery. I was so grateful that I didn't have to sit there for hours alone and wondering. I know I chattered for hours because I was so stressed. Bless her heart, she never made me feel like a dork--not even once. Smile...

Terry's surgery ended up taking far longer than they thought. They found four broken bones where they had thought there were two. They had to put three pins in his hand and put yet another soft cast on it until the swelling goes down in ten days. He's going to be pretty drugged up for several days and in tons of pain. I hope I can stay on top of it and make sure he gets all his meds correctly. There are several.

Terry will be in a cast for at least two months if not longer. If all goes well he will be able to return to work in two to four weeks time. Which sounds encouraging. It all depends on how well he does in ten days time.

I guess we are all learning how to endure to the end through all of this. The silver lining is that we are so grateful that Terry is alive! His surviving this accident was a miracle. A few broken bones are nothing in comparison to loosing him. All our lives would have been forever changed.

Thanks Mom for being there for me today. It meant the world to me. I really felt so loved. Thank you all for all the prayers you've said on our behalf. We are so grateful.

This Has Been A Week!

2008-10-11T16:54:00.003-05:00

This has been a week that I'd never want to revisit--but have learned so much from as well.

This week I learned that you cannot trust insurance companies to tell the truth. I am getting a lawyer now. I meet with him on the 2oth. He is one of the top three accident attorney's in Minnesota. I know he will protect our family.

The other insurance company used to say that they could only offer me 50K for medical. Now they want to write a check for 100K. But they do not want to deal with the hospital. My hospital told me that they must deal with my insurance company, but mine says they must deal with the lady's insurance company that hit my husband. So after playing games with them all this week, I decided for my own mental health that I need someone else to deal with them all. We also have lost wages, future physical problems and emotional trauma to deal with. The list goes on and on. I pray I've made the right decision.

Hunter is finally back to work and to school, but his grades are suffering now. I am doing better now and the numbness has finally given way to smiles and laughter like I usually enjoy. Terry has surgery scheduled for Monday and they will be putting at least two pins in his hand. So I'm going to be praying for a full recovery for him. He can't imagine not working for a month, but that is probably how it's going to be they said. The area the break is in can cause very bad arthritis. I would hate to see him suffer like that.

Terry sleeps a lot and I clean non stop. It's what I do when I'm worried. I sure haven't been worried for a while! Boy was this house a mess! I also had veggies I needed to blanch and freeze. When my Brother in law came over for a visit with his sweet wife Kate and son Danny, he could barely fit the ice cream he gave us in the freezer! OOPS! Tee hee! I know we will all appreciate the hard work and bounty our garden gave this summer when the winter months set in and the money is so tight. Such blessing!

Now The Healing Begins....

2008-10-09T11:37:00.002-05:00

What a week this has been. I have been through the deepest, darkest valley's of my life. I have felt every emotion, every fear and every joy imaginable. The one thing that I have felt through this whole ordeal of Terry's accident was that I was being carried through it by our Savior and being comforted by the Holy Ghost. It has held me together to such an extent that seems impossible to grasp, looking back.

My testimony of Jesus Christ has always been strong. Now it does not waiver in the least. He Lives!

Bad things happen to good people sometimes. But this whole thing was cushioned by so many dear ones who were there for us all along the way from the moment I knew he'd been in an accident. So many dear ones around the world have comforted me and prayed for us and for Terry's recovery. Thank you! Thank you! I am filled with gratitude for you all.

Hope, light and life--they all go hand in hand. We must all smile in the face of adversity and realize that we can glean so much strength by learning to overcome these things cheerfully and even with humor at times.

My husband told our missionary son in Los Angeles CA that, "Well, someone said once that the Lord gives us certain things to do in this life before we can leave. I'm so far behind that I'll never die!" end quote. This is the kinds of things that are spoon fed to me each day by my sweet husband. He is always positive and happy. It has been a joy to be married to him for nearly 24 years.

Now he is home resting. He is heavily drugged for pain. He is improving and is eating better since coming home yesterday. He was in the hospital for a total of six days. It's amazing how resilient the human body can be. After hitting a dodge Durango at 50 mph and flying over it only to land on his head---and survive is a miracle. Now the healing begins in earnest and we will be right here helping him the rest of the way.

Next week he has surgery on his hand. Please continue to pray for him and for me to stay healthy while I am challenged by the insurance company trying to change history. The woman who hit Terry is trying to change her story. But I have the police report and witnesses on my side. Please pray for me to have the strength to deal with them with a clear mind.

Thank you,
Valora

The Night of Terry's accident PLUS update

2008-10-06T03:04:00.005-05:00

Dear Readers,

I'm sitting here exhausted, but too keyed up to sleep after the horror of this day. I think I just needed to write the events of the day down to put my mind at ease. So please forgive me because I might be pretty loopy after all I've been through. I still have not allowed myself to cry, there will be time for that later after things have gotten better.

Terry, the love of my life was nearly taken from me today by an inattentive driver and mother of two. She turned her SUV right in front of my husband who had the right of way and nearly killed him on his motorcycle. His injuries at first seemed amazingly small but as the evening wore on he showed signs of internal wounds. Initially he had several cuts that needed suturing and a broken wrist a concussion too. But he was wearing a helmet. The doctor had CT'd his head and back and neck and said all was clear. Whew! But he kept saying it was hard to breathe and his side hurt. I got really mad at that point! I demanded they CT his chest and gut before I left the hospital with him. The doc agreed and when the tests came back I was horrified. He had a broken breast bone, a lacerated spleen and a broken kidney (part had torn off) So, we were medivacked (sp?) to a triage unit at a renowned hospital 45 min. away. He was kept in that room for observation and evaluation and later taken up to the ICU where they will wake him every 2 hours and check his blood levels for internal bleeding and his concussion too. A surgeon is standing by if needed. He happens to be the best in the state. Another blessing!

I am so grateful for the people who were there when this happened! One of my Laurels was the first on the scene. She took care of him, comforted him and she called 911! I love her so much. Her mom was the one I could focus on as my legs could barely carry me to the horrible scene. I love you Tawnya. Thank you! you were more comfort than I can say. When I arrived they were cutting my husbands clothing off all the way to his garments in the middle of the street! I knew he must be alive or they wouldn't have bothered. I didn't even care. Who would. His garments protected him as much as his helmet did. I can testify of this fact. The Police and the paramedics said it was a miracle he was alive--that he must have guardian angels.

I am filled with gratitude for a Father who does hear and listen and answer our prayers. So many have been there to help me today. So many family and friends have lifted us in prayer and I am so thankful.

Now I need to know what to do about my missionaries. I need the MP's number for Los Angeles. If any of you can hunt down that number for me and kindly write to me and give it to me I would be so grateful. I'm a wreck. I need to allow them to pray for their dad. He is the kindest gentlest man I have ever known. He was more concerned for the woman who hit him than his own life when he came to his senses. He is why I am the person I am today. Today, I realized just how much I would lose if I lost the love of my life. My heart would go with him.

Please pray for the woman who is suffering tonight. They had to hospitalize her, she felt so bad and was so traumatized by the accident that they sedated her heavily. I only know this because she was down the hall from us crying so loud that I couldn't help but hear her. My son went to comfort her and tell her that Terry was going to live and to know we were worried about her too. She was still there after we left. My heart breaks for her too.

Terry may be out of work for several days, perhaps weeks. I have no idea how we will make ends meet now. Please pray for us all.

UPDATE:
Terry has improved since Saturday evening a great deal. He no longer needs surgery on his knee. He can sit in his chair right next to his bed. He still can't eat which is not good because he won't be released until he can. He needs surgery on his hand soon but his kidney and spleen must be stabilized before he can do so. His spirits are so good as always. Gotta love that man! He is amazing and we adore him. He is our rock. On the other hand our son Hunter is having a difficult time and is so tender hearted. Ryan has been my strength and has given us all blessings with Brother Herdclotz's help. Their family is amazing and has held us up in so many ways starting with their sweet Jessica who was one of the first on the scene and helped my husband when not a single soul would. She is our hero and we love her and will be her friends forevermore. She will never know how grateful we truly are because I just can't tell her enough. She continues to check on us. I will write her story of heroism soon and you will join me in applauding this 16 year old good for her courage and strength. It is simply a blessing. Angels who are our brothers and sisters here on earth and in heaven have attended us from moment to moment and our gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father knows no bounds.

Amidst all the turmoil a beacon of hope lit the way for us to hang onto. Our son Ryan received his mission call to the Everett Washington Mission! His mission will encompass my childhood home Whidbey Island! Simply amazing!

We were able to call our two sons in the mission field. My heart is so full this morning. I pray you all hug you loved ones tight today. Never take for granted that kiss goodbye. Never be afraid to express your great love for your spouse. I knew in those moments of horror that I never had taken my sweet Terry for granted. Had always told him I love you and we had shared an amazing life full of love for each other ever single day the last nearly 24 years. It is a very good feeling amidst all this turmoil.

Thank you for your prayers.

Love Valora

The Best of Times The Worst of Times....

2008-10-04T23:24:00.004-05:00

This is a very hurried post, so please forgive me. Yesterday my sweet husband Terry was nearly taken from his family by an inattentive driver who turned in front of his motorcycle. He is in the hospital and is stabilizing slowly.

I wish to thank the many good people who are praying for my husband and our family at this time. He will require surgery soon and I am exhausted. I will write more when I am more alert. I'm so tired tonight.

I do have an announcement to make about my son Ryan's mission call. It came today. More in the morning! Sorry, can't stay awake.

God Bless you all for your love and your hope and your prayers.

Love Valora

Quotes from Modern Day Prophets

2008-10-03T06:36:00.003-05:00

I love to quote our Prophets of old and the present day Prophets as well. I hope you enjoy this post today and take the time to open up your scriptures to find answers to your daily problems and add light to your day. Have a wonderful day everyone!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Gordon B. Hinckley

"May I remind us . . . that if only each of us would reflect occasionally on that Christ-given mandate [Matthew 7:12] and make an effort to observe it, this would be a different world. There would be greater happiness in our homes; there would be kinder feelings among our associates; there would be much less of litigation and a greater effort to compose differences. There would be a new measure of love and appreciation and respect.

"There would be more generous hearts, more thoughtful consideration and concern, and a greater desire to spread the gospel of peace and to advance the work of salvation among the children of men" (The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 240).

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Howard W. Hunter

"James tells us that true religion is a devotion to God, demonstrated by love and compassion for fellowmen, coupled with unworldliness. Such a statement seems too simple to be sufficient, but in its simplicity it speaks an important truth. Restated, it may be said that true religion consists not only in refraining from evil (that is, remaining unspotted), but in deliberately and purposefully doing acts of kindness and service to others" (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 263).

Oh! I almost forgot! Today might just be the day our son Ryan receives his mission call! I'll make sure at post an announcement for all to read, if in fact it is! Where do you think he'll be called to? Feel free to post your guess in the comment section. This will be fun!
Valora,

Our Elders in Russia and Los Angeles! Letter Day!

2008-09-24T07:29:00.008-05:00

From now on I'll be posting my two missionaries letters on Wednesdays! If you see XX you'll know that I'm trying to keep private names private. Miracles have happened this week in Jason's life while serving in Los Angeles. He has the calling of District Leader and Missionary. Matthew is wearing two hats as well as Branch President and Missionary. He is watching his tiny branch grow and hearts change for the better in Russia. We feel blessed as a family to have sons who love the Lord and are willing to serve for two years as full time missionaries.

*************
Hey all!

So this week I met someone of special interest to me. Our Bishop in the Santa Monica 1st ward told us about someone earlier this week who had been less active for some years but recently decided that he wanted to come back to church. He said his name was Chad. Now, the first person I thought of when I heard that last name was one of the councilors in our Stake presidency from back in the day. I'm sure you remember him. Well I didn't think much of it after that until just yesterday when I got to meet Chad for the first time. We got to talking and found out that he has a smoking addiction and really wants to get rid of it. In the process of talking he of course asked where I was from and when I said Minnesota he said "Oh yeah? Me too!" He then asked if I knew his father from the St. Paul Stake. I said "Yeah, I love that man." He then said "That's my dad". AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! WHY IS THE WORLD SHRINKING!!!???? I cannot tell you how excited I was to meet this guy! I had heard a long time ago that XX had a less active son. Now I get to help him come back to church! Amazing!!!!! How does this stuff happen!? If anyone ever tells me that God doesn't exist from now on I'm going to laugh in their face!!! God does exist and He is watching out for every last one of us.
So that was one of the interesting things that happened this week. I'm going to have to type up a letter to finish all of my stories for this week. I just don't have the time to write it all.
I'm sorry to hear about what's happening with the XX family. I sometimes wondered how XX would feel when she found out about that. I know she'll be fine though. Especially now that she's married and all. MARRIED! WEIRD! I wish I could talk to her. Oh well, I'll get to soon enough I guess. 5 1/2 months! HA! NOT COUNTING! NOT COUNTING! ; )
Anyway, I'm still here in Malibu with Elder Schneiter. I'll be sending some pictures pretty soon so you'll get to see what he looks like. Right now we have about 7 investigators that will probably start to progress soon. It's pretty exciting. I'll be meeting with Chad this evening to start his quit smoking program. It's gonna be awesome! He's really got the desire to work hard for this. He knows the gospel, he just hasn't been living it. He said he's getting to that age where he feels like he needs to start taking care of himself. Yippee!
Okay well I'm gonna write a letter to Ryan now. Probably Hunter as well. I'm glad to hear that everyone is so happy over there. I can definitely see the blessings that have come from serving a mission. I know as well that there are many more that we don't see or haven't even come yet. So keep up the good work everybody. You're all doing awesome! I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder J. Otis
***************
Now, a letter from our Russian Missionary Son

Hey Family!

Glad to hear that Ryan's papers will be coming in soon, I can't wait to hear from you guys. About my phone number...I forgot to write it down (I have a cell phone so I don't know any numbers lol), but what you can do is look up the email I sent you in may, it's the same number and everything so, it will work. But maybe I'll look it up and send you and e-mail real quick tomorrow or something. Just make sure you call me after 8:30pm, or before 11:00am my time, I am always home at those times.

Thats sad to hear about the hurricane, the U.S. just keeps getting pummeled by Hurricanes, seems like there is one every year. Well, signs of the times I guess. If Russia ever gets a big earthquake they're done for. All of their buildings will crumble to the ground. Well, thanks for the inspiring emails this week, I got a lot! I felt loved =).

Well, the mission is going good. Missions are so interesting, they are always changing, and you are always learning something new. Sometimes they seem to slow down and you think you are learning much, but in reality if you are working hard something is always happening. And the times when things are going fast, you don't even realise that you are improving, but you are. Anyway, I've been in this area for a long time, and while I don't feel much different I know that I have improved a ton since the day that I came in to Pervouralsk. I am grateful to be serving here, it has been amazing. Well, I am trying to get FHE going in both cities to help bring the members closer together. Also, I am going to be working on the home teaching out here, on saturday we had a Priesthood conference, and it was all about Home Teaching. I was writing notes like mad, everything was great. Home Teaching is exactly what this branch needs, the blessings that President Allen talked about in his talk that come from Home Teaching are exactly what we need out here. The problem is that a lot of people have tried to start up home teaching(including me), and none of the members have done anything with it or been excited about it. So we are going to start talking about it often in Priesthood meeting, and I'm am going to try and motivate them and be excited about it. Andre and I can help it get started. And when it does, the work is going to move forward a lot faster. We just need strong families, we only have part families here, and not a lot of them. We need to baptize a few whole families, that would be a miracle and a great help to the branch. There just isn't a lot of stability and we need that to keep growing strong.

I don't think I need hand-warmers, Mama Jo and PapaDe sent me a bunch last winter and I didn't use them. I just wear small mittens and keep my hands in my pockets and they stay warm. Anyway, I've got a voice recording, I recorded it on the street so I hope you can hear, my Russian was kind of sucky in it since I didn't know what I wanted to talk about so it was stupid lol. I'll send you a recording of me reading in Russian, that will be cooler. Well, have a nice week!

Matt

My Los Angeles Spanish Speaking Missionary

2008-09-17T21:04:00.007-05:00

HI everybody!

Well first off it's really cool to see that huge garden of yours. I had no idea it was that big. It'll be cool next year to help out with it.
Bummer to hear about the temple. I will never understand why some people think it's funny or entertaining to do something like that. If only they knew the condemnation they were bringing upon themselves. It's good to hear that the temple was full after that though. We've always had a problem with not enough people attending the temple over there. Maybe now people will see more of a need.
Yesterday was our musical fireside in Downey. I got to sing in another quartet but this time it was with me and Elder Harper and two sisters. Boy oh boy, if you think I sing well you should hear hear those other three. Whooooeeeee that was a good sound. We sang "Lean On My Ample Arm" #120 in the hymn book. Try singing all the parts as a family to that on. Good luck.
The crowd was HUGE last night. We had the whole chapel filled and two thirds of the gym. And it's a stake center! I was really happy with the spirit that was there. It was all about the Living Christ. It's always a good sign when you see people crying in the audience. Hopefully many of those who were touched and who attended were investigators.
Anyway I'm kinda glad that it's over with. It's always stressful to plan out any musical production. This week we're going to have transfers. As far as I know I'll be staying here. I don't see any reason that I'd be leaving. I'm looking forward to next transfer too. We've been finding some good people recently and there is some promise from the new couples that have moved into the ward as well. I think we'll be quite busy in the coming weeks which is always nice.
Today we're going golfing again. I told the other Elders in our apartment that I didn't want to pay for another round of golf. They wanted to go so bad that they're going to pay for me. I guess I can't say no to that. It's Elder Thackerays last P-day in the mission. He goes home on Wednesday. So this is his last hurrah. That boy is TRUNKY! I'm just glad he worked hard to the end. (by the way, he's one of the other Elders in our apartment.) I'll be sad to see him go.
Well Ryan I think you're due to write me another email. I'm telling you man, if you want me to write you while you're out on your mission you had better start writing me now! ; ) I'm really happy to hear that your papers are finally in to Salt Lake! I want to hear how everything is going according to Ryan. Talk to me man! I love ya bro.
By the way I haven't been able to listen to your sound byte Matt. I have it but I just don't have any head phones and the library computers don't have speakers. So one of these days I'll get to listen to it. Feel free to send more in the mean time.
To all you at home I'll try and remember to record something on my tape player and send it to you. I think I promised to do that a while ago but I just haven't gotten around to it. Always so busy. I have some stuff recorded from a while back so I'll probably just add on to that. It'll be interesting to hear stuff from past transfers and companions.
We'll I'm outta here. I'll be making a picture CD soon. My memory card is officially full. I've been taking smaller pictures for a while now so hopefully that will allow you to put them on the web.

Have a fantasmical week everybody. Love ya!

Your son and brother,
Elder Jason Otis

(by the way, tell Elder Moake that yes I want my basketball and no I don't know where his key went. : )

My Gratitude For the St. Paul Minnesota Temple

2008-09-14T07:41:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

I was filled with gratitude today as I stood viewing the fire damage to our St. Paul Temple. Gratitude, because at 3am Wednesday morning a passerby saw the fire engulfing the entry of the temple-- and called the fire department or 911 for help.

I was told today that when the fire department arrived, the fire was already out pretty much on it's own. Or was there Heavenly intervention? We'll never know. Though it blackened the entry and especially the left part of the doorway where the incendiary device landed--it had no real fuel to keep it going. If the device had been thrown on the rooftop, it would have been a disaster I was told.

I looked at the stained-glass panels to the left of the doors, the storm coverings had been removed. White caulking filled in the small gaps where the glass had broken. The smoke had entered the building through those beautifully crafted, broken panes and filled up the entry way between the outside and inside doors. The smoke had also gone into the waiting room and coat closet there to the right.

The temple worker said that the firemen knew of the sacredness of our temple and had not entered through the second set of doors out of respect. I again felt the same swelling of gratitude flow through me as I realized the double blessing that had occurred this week. Respect of our community has been hard earned and now a blessing. We were able to have the temple doors open right after this incident and now we continue to be blessed by the work that is being done. What a way to show the world our strong belief in Temple work and our testimony as members of the LDS Church.

The marble around the Temple doors may be blackened, a terrible person wanted to do it harm. But even the marble will be good as new soon, as it's sanded and polished this week. The stain-glass replaced as well....As I thought hard about all that transpired this week while in the celestial room, I did see the silver lining in this situation.... The temple was full to overflowing today. They had to bring in three rows of extra chairs!

Perhaps, this was a wake up call for all of us here in MN, to renew our dedication to do the sacred work our Father in Heaven has asked us to do. Our hopes were renewed today as our gratitude and thanksgiving filled the temple rooms and filled my heart and the hearts of so many there. It was a palpable feeling for many of us who attended. The prayer today was a reflection of much of the same as I sat in this Holy place.

I am truly glad to be a member of this church! The temple is the closest place to heaven on earth and I am so happy we have the privilege of having a house of the Lord here in Minnesota.

I am thankful no more damage was done and that the four people who were endowed today in our session, were able to do so and be surrounded by so many loved ones. Every time I do the work for our kindred dead, I think of the reunion we'll have one day and there aren't words to describe the joy I feel. How they must feel it even more than I.

Same Sex Attraction and Hope

2008-09-03T09:48:00.005-05:00

Recently a sister in my Missionary Mom's group told how her teenage son had confided that he was attracted to other boys and not to girls. She asked for assistance in knowing what to do to help her son. This was my response....

I once gave a talk in church about this same subject. I quoted Gordon B. Hinkley and I can't seem to find the talk now, so I'll say this...Our Prophets heart went out to those people in our church and in the world with same sex attraction. I feel the same way.

In a talk by Elder Holland, I found so many answers to this sisters question. I have often heard the Prophet say the same. I pray this soothes your mothers hear a little. You can find the entire article by placing the title in the search window at LDS.org.

Helping those Who Struggle with Same-Gender Attraction

By Jeffrey R. Holland

of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

"A pleasant young man in his early 20's sat across from me. He had an engaging smile, although he didn't smile often during out talk. What drew me in was the pain in his eyes. "I don't know if I should remain a member of the Church, " he said. "I don't think I'm worthy."

"Why wouldn't you be worthy?" I asked.

"I'm gay."

I suppose he thought I would be startled. I wasn't. " And...?" I inquired.

A flicker of relief crossed his face as he sensed my continued interest. "I'm not attracted to women. I'm attracted to men. I've tried to ignore these feelings or change them, but..."

He sight. "Why am I this way? The feelings are very real."

I paused, then said, "I need a little more information before advising you. You see, same-gender attraction is not a sin, but acting on those feelings is--just as it would be with heterosexual feelings. Do you violate the law of chastity?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

This time I was relieved. " Thank you for wanting to deal with this, ' I said. "It takes courage to talk about it, and I honor you for keeping yourself clean.

"AS for why you feel as you do, I can't answer that question. A number factors may be involved, and they can be as different as people are different. Some things, including the cause of your feelings, we may never know in this life. But knowing why you feel as you do isn't as important as knowing you have not transgressed. If your life is in harmony with the commandments, then you are worthy to serve in the Church, enjoy full fellowship with the members, attend the temple, and received all the blessings of the Savior's Atonement."

He sat up a little straighter. I continued, "You serve yourself poorly when you identify yourself primarily by your sexual feelings. That isn't your only characteristic, so don't give it disproportionate attention. You are first and foremost a son of God, and he loves you.

"What's more, I love you. My Brethren among the General Authorities love you. I'm reminded of a comment President Boyd K. Packer made in speaking to those with same-gender attraction. ' We do not reject you, "he said." We cannot reject you, for you are the sons and daughters of God. We will not reject you, because we love you.'

We talked for another 30 minutes or so. Knowing I could not be a personal counselor to him, I directed him to his local priesthood leaders. Then we parted. I thought I detected a look of hope in his eyes that had not been there before. A thought he yet faced challenges to work through--or simply endure--I had a feeling he would handle them well."

****

I pray that today, this article helps someone out there in cyberspace who is struggling with same sex attraction.

How amazing our church leaders are! We learn such compassion for our brothers and sisters through their examples!

Do not shun or throw your children away when they confide in you! Love them, hug them and take the advice above and strive with your children as they try their best to live the precepts of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When or if they choose to stray from that path, remember, God loves them still--and so must you.

My Missionary In Russia

2008-09-02T11:29:00.005-05:00

Dear Readers,

Sometimes I am amazed at how much we can help a person if we don't have any preconceived ideas going into a situation. We don't judge or adapt our words for a specific situation. We can go in and serve our neighbor, even love them if we keep our hearts and our minds open to the Holy Ghost. We have to continue to remember that we are all brothers and sisters and our Father in Heaven loves each of us so dearly.

I have enclosed the following letter from our son, a missionary for the LDS Church in Russia. I receive letters from him and his elder brother each week. It is a blessing in each of our lives as we read their words. I hope you find something here that helps you today.

Blessings,
Valora

"Hey everyone,

Thanks for the letters, sounds like things are getting pretty interesting for you guys. Keep on going forward in faith, you guys are doing great! So Ryan got the job at Anderson, thats really great. Is he working for Wood Rite day shift? It's a good place to work, I don't have any complaints against it, it's a good honest company. I don't know if summer is over yet, but the weather has changed, it's like it's spring again. It's raining all the time and we've been wearing light jackets/sweaters for the past few days. So maybe it's officially fall here. I'll make sure and fast for both of you next week, I know that with our combined faith we can accomplish great things.

Well, Elder Thompson and I had a great week. We have recently gotten a lot of really solid contacts that will hopefully be turning into investigators soon, we have found a section of our area that is pretty productive for contacting so we have been contacting it frequently. We didn't have any meetings with investigators this week, we had some set up but they fell through. But we are confident that these new contacts will turn out and we'll have some great new investigators soon. This week we were able to meet with a good amount of recent converts and less actives. Nina, Lada, and Artyom are all doing well and progressing in the gospel. We had a exceptional meeting with Zilya this week, she is a long time less active. We talked about faith and testimony with her, which did go over well with her, but the highlight of the meeting was the fact that she took some of our advice and acted on it. We have been trying to get the Holy Ghost back into her life, and most of the meetings that we have had with her she has told us that it just isn't possible because of the place that she lives in. I guess most of the people that live around her really don't like her and swear at her all the time, usually when she is walking around outside, or when her window is open. We tried to give her advice, to just shrug it off and not pay atention to it, but she would just bottle it up inside and explode back at them with similar language. We also talked about how she can't hate everyone around her and have the Holy Ghost at the same time, we are all children of God and you should respect all people even if they do wrong. Well, she hasn't learned quite yet to love her neighbors, but her outlook is changing and she isn't swearing anymore and she found a way to get people to swear at her less. She put a sign up on her door, and on her window, and on her fridge to remind herself, and it says,"Only sin offends me, not sick idiots." And when people swear at her, she tells them that. It's not exactly the best thing to say, but she is making progress and she seemed a lot happier when we met.
She fed us which was really nice of her, and next time I think we are going to make some tacos for her. It's really good that we have been able to become friends, for so long no missionaries met with her, and if they did it turned out really bad because they went in with preconceived notions of her.
I went into my first meeting with her not knowing anything about her, and I think that really helped. She is a really hard women to teach, she is really philyshopical and always examines the scriptures with her mind and not her heart, which is a road block to helping her, but she is starting to change and it is amazing to see. I just keep thinking that if only she could change her heart in the right direction she would become a great strength to the church in Russia, she is very intelligent and knows several languages. I just hope that she'll get straightened out in the future.

Anyway, I thought I said in my last email that I would not be staying in Pervouralsk after this transfer. Just the feeling I got from my interview and the way things are going makes me think that I'm getting shipped out of her in two weeks, I'll have transfers for you next week I think, so we'll find out soon. As soon as we get our new meeting place moved to Revda (the other city in the branch) they will most likely be closing my city and the Elders in Revda will have both cities as their areas. This is happening all over the mission now because no new missionaries are coming in. So it's going to be hard for this branch to lose two missionaries but it's what the Lord wants and they'll be stronger for it, I just hope that they people that I've been meeting with will stay strong and active.

Something pretty funny happened this Sunday, our first counselor was in Moscow (a lot of the branch went to Moscow for a youth/young single adult conference) so I led the meeting, and it was pretty funny to read the program because it went like so:

Presiding on the meeting: Elder Otis

Leading the Meeting: Elder Otis

Playing the Piano: Elder Otis

Leading the Music: Sister Nina Belyaevskih.

So the congregation got a good laugh out of it too. The speakers (Elder Taylor and Sister Nelly Zaitseva) went a little short so I said a few things at the end of the meeting about how the branch was going to be moving soon to Revda, and how it is going to be a blessing for some and a trial for others, and I shared how at one time we had to travel a long distance to go to our meeting too(remember when we met at the Hudson building?). And then to top it off, I also gave the lesson for the second hour since it was a fifth sunday (we only go for two hours so it was a combined Relief Society and Preisthood Meeting). So I had my hands full to say the least, but it's not scary at all anymore, so I can do what I need to do.

Well, I think this is enough writing for me for one day, my brain is starting to hurt. I finally got the package so I've been buying stuff!!!! Yay!!! Now that I have some money I'm going to try and send out that package that I've been promising, I'll tell you next week if I sent it out. I just printed off some pictures the other day for you guys, they are pretty good except the fact that a lot of them have red-eye problems. Well, I hope you have a great week, keep on keeping on! Hey there are some Australians in this internet cafe, Elder Abel is talking with them, you never know who you'll meet here.

Love ya,

Matt"

Pray With Her!

2008-08-25T08:39:00.002-05:00

Stephen Grellet wrote, 'I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again'"

Have you ever missed a moment to help someone or to be kind to someone because you were shy or hesitated--or perhaps you thought you'd get another chance to do so? Then you found that the moment had passed and you had missed the opportunity to act? I have.

I can remember once visiting a sister who was an inactive member of our church. Her home life was tough, her morals low, her habits dragging her so low. The spirit of her home was prickly and I couldn't feel the Holy Ghost until I began to take my leave through the front door.

As my feet hit the front porch I felt the words, "You did not pray with her!" so strongly that it pained my heart.

Of course I had been kind and compassionate and had done much good. But she had needed us to pray with her and I had failed to understand.

Thank goodness I did pass that way again. The following month my visiting teaching companion and I were again allowed to enter into this womans home. I apologized for not taking the time to pray with her the previous month. I then asked if I could pray with her then. She smiled and said, "Oh! Yes please pray!" I have never hesitated again to pray with someone as the spirit has prompted me to do so. It was a lesson well learned.

This moment taught me to act on the promptings fo the spirit. To reach out in kindness to others has a familiar feeling for me. I try to do this daily now. Sometimes it comes in the form of encouragement within a simple e-mail. Or it can be a phone call to someone who is lonely or recovering from an illness. Most often it's simply being kind to my husband and children.

I've found that it's much easier than I thought, to be kind. Anyone can do it with a little practice. We have it within all of us, to do good for others, to be kind where kindness is lacking. We can all make a difference in someones life if we just take the time to do so.

Hodge Podge of Weekend Activities

2008-07-29T09:47:00.007-05:00

This weekend I had several kids come to visit my boys from the previous town we lived in. It was wonderful to see all of them again! Some things never change. They are all still the same unique individuals and most of them make me laugh so hard my guts hurt! I love them all so dearly.

Several of them were in my home day-care for a few years when they were little. Now they are all about 19 years old and doing fantastic! Most are in college and nearly all are staying on the path they had made for themselves as far as serving missions for the church. I'm so pleased to learn that!

They all went to a place in St. Cloud and had fun cliff diving for the day on Saturday. It was a perfect summer day to do so and they all came home sunburned and happy.

We also went to our youngest sons play on Friday. It was amazing! He was in a leading roll in The Pirates of Penzance! It's an operetta and was downright adorable! Hunters voice rang out crystal clear and my mouth gaped as usual even though I've heard his singing voice a million times! I am so amazed at his gift and how humble he is about having such a beautiful voice.

I loved the era the play was written in. Where men were men and women were feminine and adorable. It swept me away as I giggled at their antics and silly humor. The bathing beauties covered from head to toe was so hilarious!

These days of summer have been so memorable for me as I awake from my long slumber and am sleeping better each day. I'm getting stronger and stronger and am amazed at the beauty all around me once again. I have been able to enjoy my kids and go fishing and garden often. Family work has become so much fun again!

Speaking of the garden! We have been inundated with summer squash! Everything is producing at once! Oh my! I have four yellow squash plants and three zucchini. Far too many and after several weeks I'm giving it away left and right. Soon the spaghetti squash will take over and the cantaloupe as well. Green beans are also keeping us VERY busy. But sadly half my tomatoes have fallen to blight! My cucumbers have been fighting a fungus. So, I'll have to hit the farmers market for some later this season to fill in the gaps as I start to can sauces and pickles.

Matthew in Russia has been struggling with getting Baba Anya to allow him to fumigate her apartment and the infestation of bed bugs. Ugh! I told him that he needs to tell her he'll have to inform her neighbors if she won't allow him to spray. I think it will work.

Our son in LA has been warned about bed bugs there as well. Thank goodness for small blessings and the lack of creepy critters in our home! I hate nasty bugs! I quiver just thinking about it.

How Is Your "Economic Stimulus" Garden Growing?

2008-07-16T07:19:00.011-05:00

With talk of economic stimulus plans in the government and high prices at the pump, our family has taken action. We have gone back to the family garden and are now reaping the fruits of our labors.

In this photo to the left we are trying out two different ways to plant potatoes. At the far end we planted them in recycled tires. Each time the plants peek out of the tires, we top them off with soil and an additional new tire. In theory you can tear off the top to bottom levels in the fall and find potatoes throughout. It sounds terrific. We'll have to see if it works out. In the foreground is the traditional way of growing potatoes. The plants are very healthy. We hope to have a years worth of potatoes from this planting. In the fall I'll tell you how to store the potatoes.

In the photo to the right, we have peas, bush beans, acorn squash, beets and in the very back, corn. We can hardly wait to sink our teeth into the sweet corn next month!

As in the past, I have planned my planting around the way I preserve food. I like to use a pressure canner. It allows me to can vegetables and meats and fruits in pint or quart jars. The potatoes are for the table of course. They are also for my home made beef stew. I have also planted onions, and carrots and thyme and celery. All are the ingredients I need to make my stew.

We have planted pole beans and corn which will be preserved separately for daily use. It's great to see how tall our corn has gotten. The stalks in the first row are now taller than me! We did have some problems this month with raccoons testing the corn for ripeness. Little stinkers! Brother Dumas, my husband Terry and my boys, placed hot wire around the garden after that. We haven't had a problem since then.

With this garden we plan on canning homemade salsa, bread and butter pickles and pumpkin pie filling, pickled beets and spaghetti sauce. We have been enjoying salads and zucchini and soon we'll have peas! Our friend and fellow gardener planted so many beets and brussel-sprouts we won't know what to do with them all when they ripen! Perhaps we can give them to a family who is struggling in the church or our own neighborhood. Larry seems to think he can eat them all by himself! I'll have to take a picture of that one!

There are so many people hurting these days with the high price of food and gas. My husband purchased a motorcycle recently. I can't believe I agreed to it! He had one when we were first married. We sold it when we started having kids. At the time it seemed like a risk and we weren't willing to take it. Now, we seem to have no choice.

We now have a reduced gas bill and we are eating more healthy foods from our garden too. So maybe we need to look for the silver lining in this crunch we are all feeling. Perhaps there is something good that will come out of all the financial strain after all. I know it already has for our family.

Grateful and Honored

2008-07-15T12:44:00.007-05:00

Here is an excerpt from our son's letter. Elder Otis, a missionary in Russia is proceeded by the official statement from the LDS church about US missionaries going to Russia. This is a bitter-sweet time for the church in Russia. The government has made it difficult and very expensive, to serve humanitarian missions there for more than three months at a time. Our missionaries have to leave the country every three months now to renew their visa's. It is my prayer that the missionaries will be able to remain there until their work is completed. We pray for our brothers and sisters who live in Russia. They are amazing faithful people and we love them dearly.

Can you even imagine the light and hope that the people feel when they learn about Christ? Many there are atheists. Some, especially the poor, feel a sense of hopelessness and drink more than they should. Alcohol is symptom of a much deeper problem I think. Our son has even seen mothers pushing baby buggies with an open bottle of vodka in their hand.

Elder Otis has seen the good and the bad. Joy and the heartache are alive and well in Russia. It has been a journey of faith and often triumph of good over evil. His visa is up in January. I pray he can stay at least that long to help these amazing people. As his mother I have appreciated his journey to adulthood and what a blessing it has been to be a part of it through our weekly letters.

I have loved seeing the happy faces of people who gather in the name of Jesus Christ! Their smiles are beautiful! Just like the sweet sister above who's arms are open. My sons service in this small congregation will not soon be forgotten I think.

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this statement Monday about the services of its missionaries in Russia:"

*"A recent change in Russian immigration law now requires foreigners on humanitarian visas (including missionaries) to leave Russia every three months to renew their visas.

The church is working to find an alternative solution to the 90-day renewal requirement. Until an appropriate alternative is identified, new missionary assignments to Russia will be limited to those nationalities not needing visas.

Missionaries currently serving in Russia are not being withdrawn, and the missions are fully staffed. Missionaries needing Russian visas who had not yet left for Russia have been reassigned."

"We haven't had a whole lot of investigator work recently, but we are reaching out to the members, trying to strengthen them and get them ready for the road that lies ahead. Well, I'm glad to be serving here. I know that I'm among the last of the Americans to be serving in Russia and I'm grateful and honored that the Lord sent me here at this time. I'm grateful to be serving in Pervouralsk, there are so many good people in this branch. I just hope that I can have a good effect on this branch and get things going good here. That's kind of bad news that no more American missionaries are going to be coming in. We were told that by April we will only have 50 missionaries in our mission, and that was with a reduced amount of Americans coming in. So now I don't know whats going to happen. The missionaries are working with a sense of urgency, we have to get things done before the number gets reduced. From now on we are going to be losing missionaries every transfer and areas are going to start closing down. So President is going to start closing the areas that are less productive first, so we are trying to make our areas as productive as possible. I'm just grateful that I'm serving here right now, and things are good and will keep getting better. The Lord is guiding his work and everything is happening for a reason. I'm just grateful that I'm a part of it! I hope you guys have a great week, I love you a lot and think and pray about you often. Matt"

We love our kids so much. We also love our Lord dearly and are more than happy for them to serve missions.

Something governments don't seem to understand. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a world wide church. The Europeans and Americans may not be going to Russia anytime soon, but we have plenty of Ukrainian missionaries and soon Russian missionaries who will be preaching the gospel in the streets of Russia. When one door closes Heavenly Father finds a way to open the windows wide!

*Deseret News

Published: Monday, July 14, 2008 6:03 p.m. MDT

Smiles, Cheers and an Occasional Song

2008-07-08T09:12:00.005-05:00

I have been so excited about posting this week and have had some technical difficulties to deal with online. Just as I was thinking that I would have to start a new blog, suddenly everything works again. So, I guess the Internet gremlins have finally left me be and I'm free to share my thoughts with my readers once again. Thank goodness!

I had a rather odd but relaxing 4Th of July this year. Odd because it was lacking a group gathering or traditional picnic our family always had in the past. Relaxing because we worked in our wonderful veggie garden as a family, digging in the dirt, setting up hot wire to keep out bunnies, woodchucks and deer. As a reward for working so hard, we then went across the road to the Crow River to fish as a family. I guess it really was a celebration of sorts, just different.

It was relaxing to watch the hypnotic river current pass by while watching an occasional carp leap out of the water in front of us. Gosh does that ever get your heart racing!

We saw leopard frogs sitting on the bank below and Hunter was feeding them bits of night-crawlers. It was actually quite entertaining wondering which frog would get the their favorite food first. It was a simple day and it was so relaxing. A moment in time where all cares and worries ebbed away from each of us and were replaced with smiles, cheers and an occasional song.

The cheers happened when I caught the first and second catch of the day! I barely landed the second one by myself.

It was simply a wonderful day. It was a celebration of freedom from monotony and stress. It was also a celebration of our most precious family.

We are truly blessed as a family, to live in this free country where we can worship and love and play without fear. Though recently the family has been under attack and it concerns me deeply. Having raised four wonderful sons, I know how important it is to have a mother and father figure in their lives. I do realize that is not always possible in some families. But they must do their best in these trying times we live in.

Recently our church who remains aloof when it comes to politics, has made a statement concerning same sex marriage. The process by which our constitution is upheld, has come into question by four judges in the state of California is about to effect all Americans across the board.

Below is a link to what the first presidency of the LDS church is now telling our members and the world. We have joined with many other churches to stand up for the Constitution. I pray you will too. Become aware of what is going on in our beloved free country. Remember what our ancestors fought and died for. Study, search , ponder and pray about what to vote for when you go to the polls this year. Uphold our constitution and our rights and our right to preserve the votes that pass what the people want, not what a handful of men have interpreted to be the law.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/california-and-same-sex

I am so glad I took the time to enjoy the 4Th of July with my family. It was the most restful day I've had in a long time. What a beautiful place we live in--what a blessing this country is!

Loving and Serving One Another

2008-06-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

I am sure that each of us has experienced serving someone in our life. Be it a sick child while wiping a fevered brow or pacing the floors with a restless child by night. Perhaps an ailing parent in the twilight of their life has needs only a loving adult child is willing to respond to.

When we start serving others it truly is a natural consequence of this action, to learn to love one another.

Often Marriages break up because of selfishness and lack of kind acts of service. When wives serve their husbands and husbands serve their wives and parents serve their children, there is most often a positive outcome.

What are the fruits of their labors you might ask? They come to love the object of their devotion and then are also "obedient to the first and great commandment of love."

In Gal 5:13 it says, "By love serve one another." When you serve with love in your heart, people respond to you. We need to serve God and our neighbors. By fulfilling our callings at church and in life and giving where we are needed--we do both.

I am steadily amazed at the goodness of people who give of themselves and of their talents. There is a sweetness about them like no other. Many have given to me in this way and made me feel so loved. I get so many hugs at church by people who are happy to see me and happy for me to be there. That is a kindness I never take for granted. Or perhaps when someone notices when I've been absent for a period of time and enquires about my well being. I've experienced a sense of belonging when someone cares enough to ask. It takes very little effort to do such small acts of kindness.

In our church we are taught in any number of ways that, " No one can assist in this work [unless] he shall be humble and full of love." I know that our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ emulated both a humble heart and a heart full of love for each and every one of us. I pray each day that I can find at least one person that I can give service to. I challenge each of you to pray as well for a way to serve your fellow man. You'll be surprised what the Lord comes up with. Be open to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and be ready. It's amazing what opportunities pop up at the most interesting and sometimes even inconvenient times. But no matter what, be willing to give of yourself, your time and your talents and you will be blessed with an outpouring of blessings and love.

Gal 5:13 KJV of the Bible
(D&C 12:8)
Robert F. Orton Ensign November 2001

The Healing Message...

2008-06-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

Today we went to a wonderful graduation party. It was our sons sweethearts party. The party was the best one I'd attended in years. So many friends were there. I can't recall having such a good time in years! Maybe because I can actually enjoy a lively conversation again? In the past I couldn't follow a conversation for long, the fog would roll in on my brain and I'd feel anxious. It was very disconcerting.

Now, I feel like I've joined the land of the living once again. I can't describe how it feels to be able to notice the trees and the leaves and the even the ripples in the water on the lake again.
When I wasn't sleeping I was just trying to survive. I was gradually circling the drain of life--and I felt myself slowly dieing away. It was so hard to feel that way and not have doctors that would listen to me. I'm grateful that they finally did and now my life is getting better and better as the days go on! I'm so filled with joy at the prospect of living a full and meaningful life once again.

I love my Heavenly Father so much and I pray that I can show my gratitude towards Him by living my life as Jesus would want me to. The second half of my life is going to be beautiful! No matter what trials come my way, I'm determined to live it prayerfully and with hope and thanksgiving for what it does bring.

A quote I read this week really touched my heart about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ touched one mans life. I had to share it with all of you because without the Gospel, I'm not so sure I could have held on for so long. I know that President Uchtdorf feels much the same way...It is also the source of my strength and my hope and faith as well.

"In the middle of [the] despair [of postwar Germany], my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at
ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated
viewpoint."

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?" Ensign, Nov. 2007, 19)

I Ate Radishes on Saturday!

2008-06-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

I ate radishes on Saturday! Yes! They were from our very own garden too! It is such a wonderful feeling to eat the first fruits of our labors each summer. I have never grown radishes before, but upon learning the food value and how quick they grew-- I had to try. I found out that the pioneers would almost always plant radishes when they settled in an area. It was the first thing to be planted and thrived in most soil.

The thought came to mind that we all need to be like those wonderful rubies of the garden and bloom and grow where we're planted. We are doing our best in our new little town. The dear friends we have made will hold a very special place in our hearts for years to come.

The garden we have this year is on a piece of property owned by an older couple who have been so generous. We have shared in the planting, weeding and now in the harvesting. It has been a wonderful experience so far. We will have more veggies than I can put in a jar or freeze very soon. Which means we can share with other families who are struggling in our area. So many are finding it hard to make ends meet. Do plant a garden this year, I know you'll be surprised just how much you can grow, even if it's in a flower pot on the back porch overlooking the highway.

A friend of mine had no yard and placed her "rubies" in hanging flower pots in the tree overhanging her balcony! I had never heard of such a thing, but it worked! She turns the pots each week to get the best sunlight. Wow, am I ever amazed!

Our family has taken stock of the skills we have to keep us afloat in these uncertain economic times. Growing our own food and processing it all is one of those skills. Baking foods from scratch has stretched our dollar so we can pay for the extremely high gas prices. It has been a blessing.

So, in the days ahead I'll be including a gardening tip I've learned by trial and error. I'll also include a recipe or two that will help you keep costs down. This week I'm trying to find the perfect recipe for yogurt. I love the stuff!

I pray you all can help your neighbor or extended family during these tough times. Pray for each other, reach out to those in need. Comfort those who's burdens seem too hard to overcome. If you listen to that still small voice, you'll know who needs you the most.

A Branch President in the Family!

2008-06-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

Every Monday morning I look forward to opening my e-mail. You see, Monday is P-day for my sons on missions. Matt in Russia and Jason in Spanish speaking Los Angeles write home each week.

The adventure of the week is almost always Matthew's in Russia! This week was no different. I clicked open the e-mail and saw the photo and gasped! Matt had an ugly purple welt and gash on his forehead. He had been playing capture the flag in the forest with all the other Elders and had tripped and fallen and hit his head. Thank goodness it wasn't any worse than it was. We want him to stay out of the Russian hospitals at all costs. I'm sure there are good ones there somewhere, but the one he described at the beginning of his mission was a nightmare. So I'm happy he's alright now. He said it didn't bleed for long--though the Russians were freaking out and wanted to take him to the hospital. They put their iodine on his forehead. I think it's either green or blue and stained his skin. How funny! He said he just told people that he had gotten hit in the head by a beer bottle. What a kidder! Needless to say he got a lot of attention and had fun with it.

I guess Estonia is closed to the missionaries now. They have to go out of the country to renew their visa's every three months. Now, they will go to the Czech Republic. Read below...

Matthew is now the Branch President of his little congregation. It makes me smile! You know, the mom in me being so pleased coming out:) If you aren't LDS, a Branch President is a Pastor. He has been trained well by Elder Later his previous companion. I know Matthew will miss Elder Later so much. He and Matt are dear friends now. Elder Later is either on his way home or transferred. I'll have to ask his mom. I'm going to try and include some photo's here today. I've never done this before, hope it comes out okay. Until then, here is part of Elder Matthew Otis's letter.

"I just got transfers, I'm the new branch president, and Elder Isenbarger is going to be my new companion. I don't know him but I hear he's great! Elder Magelby is coming to Revda, I hear that he is also really great, so our district should be fun next transfer. It's crazy that I've already been in this area for 3 months. It's gone by really fast, doing branch work really passes the time. Also next transfer I will be going on another visa trip. And I've hear that Estonia has closed it's borders to us missionaries, so now we are going to Prauge, Czech Republic. I hear that it's a really amazing city, so that should be fun. Hmmm....I always forget what I want to write about, I guess thats all I've got then. Keep on going. I'm praying for you, and I know that you're praying for me. Things are going good, and I know that they will only continue to get better if we have faith and try and look at the big picture. I'm glad that our family is really optimistic. I've had a good amount of experience here with people who whine about everything, and its funny because it doesn't help them one bit, in fact it makes things worse. It's just sad, we really do need to live by faith and not by fear, everything just works out so much better. Well, I hope you have a good week, happy fathers day dad!!! Catch a lot of fish and keep sending me pictures(small ones plz!!), i'd love to see them.

Love,

Matt"

For those moms and dads who don't think your making a difference in your child's life. I challenge you to think again. Your life may be easy or even difficult. It's the way you handle the hills and valleys in life's tangled web that matters to these kids. Show them you can overcome the obsticals when do come. Show them by example that you will stay faithful while going through heartbreak and tragedy. Rise above all that life brings. Then when they go out into the world on their own, hope and light and faith will be the greatest gift you ever passed onto them. Be a blessing to your children.

Fathers Day

2008-06-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

Fathers day is always a wonderful day in our house. It's neat to see the individual ways our kids can show their appreciation for their dad.

Although our gifts are humble in nature, they hold greater meaning for Terry, and he appreciates each of them so much. He has told them many times how he just likes to spend time with them-- today is no exception. He is out in the driveway looking over our sons new car. They are putting their heads together about what they should fix first this week. I know they are both happy just being together out there. It's nice to watch them through the window. Sometimes dads need alone time with their kids. It's a good thing.

Sundays and Mondays are always special to us. Sunday is the Sabbath and we love to go to church and worship. When we come together at the dinner hour we share all the lessons we learned that day. When I was ill, sometimes that's the only lesson I would get. It was enough because I knew our kids had paid special attention, just for me and in turn had learned more than any other child in Sunday School. What blessings come from our struggles if we allow them to happen.

Today I shared with them how we had a lesson on the topic of, "How do I want to be remembered by my ancestors?" It was thought provoking. Some of the things the girls listed were...
1. to have been compassionate
2. strong
3. to have loved the Savior
4. to have been obedient
5. long suffering
6. kind
7. gentle
8. to have upheld the standards of the church
9. loved my family
10. given service to those who needed me

There were many more things on this list. I was so impressed by the 12 to 14 year old young women and our teacher who gave the lesson. It was deeply spiritual. She passed out small slips of paper to fill out and place in our scriptures as a reminder. We wrote about the kind of person we wanted to be remembered being. It was a gift and touched me deeply as I wrote. I will never forget that simple lesson. Each girl went away with something to ponder and it was so good!

I can hardly wait for our Missionaries to write home tonight and tomorrow! I wait for their letters each week. They strengthen me and fill me up spiritually. Only a missionary knows how it is to truly serve the Lord each and every day of the year. They are my examples. I have learned so much from my sons.

Happy Fathers day to those men out there in the world who make a difference in one kids life. They will never forget you.

Camouflaging Stories

2008-06-14T17:05:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I learned that a mentor of mine, a fellow writer had stolen my family story. Insert gasp here please....

I realize now that I've been allowing this heart breaking reality to hold me back from writing further. So, today I thought I'd write down what happened. I'm going to touch on the things that have been really bugging me and once and for all-- simply be done with it. Perhaps it will help you forgive and forget something your going through as well. You never know...

It happened several years ago, when I was starting to write again. I had stars in my eyes as I met one of my favorite authors. I first told her my conversion story and then I told her a story idea that I had--using a family story. I was stumped on how to change the story line so that anyone who was familiar with it wouldn't recognize it. She stated that she was very good at camouflaging stories and that the idea was so good that if I didn't use it, she would. My heart leaped out of my chest as I realized I'd done something so stupid!

I begged her immediately, not to use it and she relented, or so I thought. This year, several years later I was sitting in my chair, innocently reading what I had been told was this writers best series ever. About a chapter into the book I recognized the story. Then thinking that It was coincidental, I purchase another book in the three book series. I was sick to my stomach. Just sick! It was my story and she had done a TERRIBLE job of camouflaging it. The story line fell flat knowing what I knew. I never purchased the third book. The lead in to it was an all familiar story line, so recognizable, so in my face! I knew sadly that I didn't have a legal foot to stand on and she had oh so much more money than I. I would loose a legal battle for sure. I've always been a strong woman, stood up for what was right. I knew though, that I would lose this one if I tried.

Well, after that I went through all the emotions from anger to anguish. I felt stupid and naive for having trusted my story to someone who wasn't honest. It was heartbreaking. She had even spotlighted me on her writers website several times. Was the last one out of guilt?

I confided my feelings in a dear friend overseas. Her son wanted to hit every blog and website and tell people what kind of person my past mentor was. He wanted to hurt her as much as she had hurt me--and right this terrible wrong...What a friend. (Thanks!) That's what snapped me back out of my self imposed pity party.

I realized in those moments, it would be all too easy to have a hay-day on the Internet and tell the world how crooked she was. But, it would only sink me down to her level. I decided that she hadn't got the best stories from my mind and that I would survive this and come back from it somehow. The only problem being, that I really haven't written a single page except to friends and family. My writing has suffered up until today. Of course getting well was part of it too! I'm not giving her any more power than need be.

Today I'm taking it all back though! I'm going to be praying for guidance and for the ability to truly forgive my mentor. Then, I intend to get writing and surpass all she thought I could do. Yes, today is the day I overcome this stumbling block and make it into a stepping stone in my life. I have lived and I have learned from this. I am the one who remained true to herself and to a loving God who watches over us all. I'm leaving the job of sifting through my mentors misdeeds to the one who will judge us all. After all, it's His job, not mine. I'm sure I'm not the first person she has stolen from.

I feel it important to carry the next quote over from my previous post at this point. It seems appropriate. I hope my readers don't mind. I can see how the following helps my thought process and my choices. I hope it helps you when you find that the trials in your life are too difficult to overcome alone. Keep the faith, hang onto hope. This situation will improve. I know mine will because..... Tonight I write!

Survival Tips for Faith

• Call on your Heavenly Father for help.
• Avoid anything addictive.
• Let faith and reason work together.
• Leave the dark side alone.
• Wash away sin with repentance.
• Prepare for a long and happy life.

Keep Hope Strong

2008-06-05T06:49:00.000-05:00

A question was asked in our missionary mom's group this week. It was what, or how much we should tell our kids about our struggles while they are away on missions. This was my answer.

We recently received a phone call from our son's MP. He started out putting me at ease with the tone of his voice (WHEW was I ever relieved, he wasn't hurt or worse!) telling me that our son was doing an amazing job and would be a wonderful Branch President for his branch in Russia. He said that our son had been concerned about how we were doing and about our present struggles. Even though I had only told Matt the basics about my health problems and not necessarily how extensive they were--the spirit whispered to him that they were extremely serious.

We have to remember that our kids are very in tune with the Holy Ghost and will know when something is wrong. Some of our sons and daughters MP's don't just concern themselves with our kids, but with their families as well. WE are all in this together as we support our kids. I'm grateful for Yekat Russia's MP--President Allen . He was deeply comforting to me that week. It was a boost to my spirit to know that Matthew is doing an amazing job and obeying all of the commandments and that President Allen knows he is who Father wants to serve in that position. I know Matt never aspired to that calling--he's just willing to do anything he's asked.

I needed to hear President Allen's words to keep going that week. I was able to tell him the details of my illness and our and that we are faithful and full of hope for the future. We will stay positive for our Elders in the field and for our third son who will be joining them soon.

I think Matthew has a friend for life in President Allen. He has shown an amazing capacity to love our missionaries under his stewardship---and their families as well. He is an example of the fact that we can do more than we think we can and that Heavenly Father is mindful of each of our struggles and of our needs. We are never alone!

Share with your kids prayerfully about your families struggles. Your hard times as well as your good times will bond you together as eternal families. Sandwich bad events between good things that happen and things you've learned from situations that have made you stronger as a child of God. Keep hope strong in your families. I have a testimony that the opposite of hope is fear and without hope, it's very difficult to have faith. Read Moroni chapter 7, it says it all. For more encouragement read Matthew 14:30-31. There are two more that I'll list later on. Do read them all. Your heart will be lighter for having read them.

Share the ways you overcome and handle obstacles in your life with your kids. I have found that it moves us to make good choices in our own lives and to handle the negative aspects of situations life throws at us so much better. May God bless each of you as you press forward through life's challenges.

Here are some "Tips" that might come in handy in the days ahead.

Survival Tips for Faith

• Call on your Heavenly Father for help.
• Avoid anything addictive.
• Let faith and reason work together.
• Leave the dark side alone.
• Wash away sin with repentance.
• Prepare for a long and happy life.

Faith Proceeds the Miracle

2008-05-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

"The Lord gives us a spirit of hope and a feeling of comfort and confidence that we can overcome the obstacles we face. He has shown the way to gain strength during our struggles. With His assistance, we have the ability to succeed."

--L. Lionel Kendrick

I know this statement to be true in my own struggles in this life.

I'm so filled with gratitude today. I truly have gained strength through all the obstacles I've overcome in my lifetime. Though they were hard and long and I'm still going through many of them. I am comforted daily by the Lord. I have learned a great deal about my own spirit and about my strengths and weaknesses too. It's been a learning time. The past fifteen years have brought our family so close to one another that if I could go back through time--I can honestly say, I would do it all over again.

One of the byproducts of overcoming obstacles, is gaining an inner ability to sift out the important from the unimportant. The ability to decipher between wants and needs. The ability to be able to tell the good from the bad is gained. "It's all good" as my sister in law tends to say. It really is!

Did you know that a baby who is stressed during pregnancy and born unexpectedly has a higher chance of survival than an infant who has no stress and is born prematurely? The infant who is under stress develops their lungs early and is able to survive outside the womb more readily. The other does not and is usually hospitalized much longer. I learned this fact during two complicated pregnancies.

Life is the same way. With each trial and obstacle we overcome, we gain strength-- if we will allow ourselves to do so. It's with our thinking and our prayers that we can overcome even the insurmountable tribulations of life. We are never alone in our struggles. Christ, atoned for our sins, our suffering and our pain.

Jesus understood his mission. So, maybe the challenge is to try to have the same kind of faith He had during the hard times? The kind of faith that can turn questioning and anger into understanding the power, blessings and hope that can come from Him. He is the source of it all. That kind of faith brings knowledge and assurances that we can experience that is the part of the gospel plan and things that appear to be wrong in our lives will eventually be made right again.

So hold onto peace and understanding that will allow you to endure life's trails with dignity and grace. Having clarity of purpose can be such a sweet reward. Faith can help us to see the good in our lives, even when when the path seems lined with broken glass, nails and shattered dreams.

When Jesus and His disciples passed a man who was blind since his birth, His disciples asked, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"

“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:2–3).

I know that Heavenly Father does not cause heartbreak and tragedies to occur in our lives. "Works of God" are shown in the healing of the blind man. Those same works of God are also in the way we face our own personal trials in life.

Without the sorrow we would not appreciate the good in life. We need to remember what we have learned during the the pain and suffering. I have found peace as I've helped others through similar circumstances. I can now give hope and comfort to others relaying what I have learned. I can show gratitude for the source of my joy now. Peace is something I feel daily, though I know my trials are far from over--miracles happen every day in my life.

Recently I prayed for a way to pay my medical bills. The answer came in the form of a phone call from from a distant land. May God bless this individual for their generosity and compassion.

Another window of hope was opened wide for our family. I'm in awe of God's perfect timing. May we all listen to the promptings of the spirit so that we can do as Heavenly Father would want us to. If we can each reach out to just one of His children, I know it will bless so many lives. I know I will try my best to do so...Will you?

***

--L. Lionel Kendrick, "Strength During Struggles,", Ensign, Oct 2001, 24
John 9:2–3 KJV Bible

I'm Home Again!

2008-05-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

I am home again. Life is going to be so much easier now. I was found to have a pretty severe case of sleep apnea. I had been on the right track for years, just didn't have a good doctor to diagnose me properly. All of my health problems are reversible with time and effort.

Thank you all for your prayers and for your kind words of encouragement. My week stay at the Mayo Clinic was a terrific success.

I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for listening to and answering my most fervent prayers.

I'm going to be just fine.

Polished Marble of the Highest Grade....

2008-05-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

This week is one of the most informative times in my life. I have been to so many specialists and have had my eyes opened about my previous medical care. It has been a successful week. I now have the care I've needed for years, and doctors who don't give up until they have answers! This week I get a proper diagnosis--one I have waited for 15 years to hear. I am full of gratitude to both my Savior and intelligent men and women who are both compassionate and good listeners. I have never found all of these things in a doctor. Now I have.

Anyway, it was nice to spend so much time with my husband too. We spent three days together. Which with him working two jobs would have been an impossible feat. He really is a great guy and my very best friend. When I told him that I could have a friend go with me, he said, "Your well being is my responsibility and I need answers as much as you do Val." Often I'm reminded why I fell in love with him in the first place. This was one of those weeks.

I was amazed at the feeling we both shared as we walked into the Mayo Clinic. The entrance was polished marble of the finest grade. The ceilings were so high and as I looked around feeling overwhelmed a greeter came up to me and asked if it was my first visit to the Mayo Clinic. She was an older woman with soft white curls that framed her face and bright blue eyes that creased at the corners. Those eyes were filled with compassion as I told her that it was my first time as a patient. She grabbed me by the arm and led me gently to the front of the line and to a special desk for new patients.

I was greeted again by a younger woman who asked for my information and welcomed me. I was handed a packet of pages. Each page was filled with appointments for the next four days...

I turned the booklet over and there were several pages of explanations of tests I would be having. It was more information than I'd ever been given before to date. I had to smile to myself. I knew in those minutes that I was at the right place at the right time. I was going to see the right doc....finally!

When I arrived at my appointment, my doctor realized before I did that my family doctor had sent me to the wrong doctor! It was a kick in the gut to say the least. I almost panicked! But the kindly doctor with the Polish accent patted my hand and told me that I have beautiful veins and that I looked so much younger than I really was! Ha! He made my day! He also said that he was going to make sure that I received the care I needed that week and he would continue to be my head doctor and his assistant would organize every appointment personally. I trusted him immediately. It was a blessing indeed.

My whole stay at the Mayo last week was amazing and very revealing. The spirit of the place was a comfort and healing to both my body and my spirit.

Tomorrow I get my diagnosis for whatever ails me. Stay tuned for my good news! Bless you all for your prayers and good thoughts. I'm finally allowing myself to get excited about being well again. It's a great feeling!

Please Pray

2008-05-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

This is the night before one of the most important days I've had in a long time. I'll be going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota in the morning. I've come here for answers to medical problems. It has been a very long year for me. I'm grateful that I have insurance and that I was well enough to make the trip. I feel blessed to have been able to hang onto hope for so long. I have felt the prayers of so many this week. So many all over the world. My heart is full. I am so grateful for the Lords tender mercies.

May you all have gain comfort and strength as you say your prayers tonight.

More tomorrow.....Goodnight!

A Legacy of Time

2008-05-05T11:27:00.001-05:00

It's another pleasant day in our little lake town here in the Midwest. Ryan went fishing this morning and it was a perfect day to catch crappies. I know sounds like something nasty! It's actually pronounced Croppie. It's a pan fish that is really biting this week. Our freezer is getting fuller. It's pretty tasty and we are only just beginning to learn some great recipe's for cooking it.

Today Ryan had yet another rude adult yell at him in near the lake while he was fishing. Yeah, they yelled at him and told him to "Get out of here! You don't belong here kid!" Or something close to that and twice as nasty. He of course pulled his association card out of his pocket and respectfully told the man that he was an association member. The man walked away! No apology. No remorse. This wasn't the first time this has happened either.

I have a hard time understanding why people are so rude to kids. Especially when my son is a good kid and he was doing something wholesome like fishing. He wasn't taking drugs, or drinking or making out with someones daughter. He was simply fishing and enjoying the outdoors. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why kids today are doing things that are wrong. Maybe sometimes adults just expect them to be rotten and so they give up and do what is expected!

I know, this isn't my normal happy blog entry. I just want everyone to wake up! Encourage kids to be good. Expect it of them! My kids behave because they know that is what I expect them to do. I don't believe in the self-fulfilling prophesy of thinking all kids are going to be rotten. Think it and they will!

Teach kids to do good things. Be an example! Take time to teach them how to fish. Sit on a dock with your legs dangling over the edge and talk to your son or daughter! Spend time with them. Tell them stories of things that made you feel good about what you were doing in life. Talk about God. Share your hopes and dreams. Show them that you care enough to spend a moment in time with just them. I know it works. I'm a mom and last week, I went fishing with my son. He felt loved and I was so happy! We are building memories for a lifetime. Someday, he's going to go fishing with his son or daughter and the legacy of time spent well will be passed on to my adorable grandchildren. Life is so good!

Those Who Need Our Prayers

2008-05-01T06:44:00.000-05:00

I recently asked my missionary moms group to pray for me this weekend. You see our church has set one Sunday a month aside for a Fast and Testimony Meeting. The entire LDS church fasts for 2 meals (if they choose) and prays for specific needs of those we know and love and for ourselves if needed. The funds that we save from the two meals we do not partake of, are given to the fast offering fund in the church. Those funds are then in turn used to feed others in our church and outside of our church. It is an amazing welfare system world wide.

The benefits of fasting while praying for myself have lead to a deeper understanding of what I need to do in situations I have taken to the Lord. I become more aware of the Holy Ghost as well.

This week I'm looking for answers to my health problems. I have edema. The doctors are scratching their heads. They have tried everything to get this under control--and so have I. So, I've asked my friends to fast and pray for me this Fast Sunday on the first Sunday of the month. I'm so grateful for the prayers being offered on my behalf.

There is also a girl named Rachel that needs our prayers. Her mother has asked us to pray for her as well. Rachel was found taking drugs a year ago by her brother. He told his parents and Rachel has now been clean of drugs, including cocaine for an entire year! I'm so excited for this young girl to have a new start in life. The one difficulty is that she has forgotten her testimony of Jesus Christ due to the drugs. Her family has asked that we remember her in our prayers so that her mind can remember what her soul surely hasn't forgotten. Pray for Rachel and tell your friends to pray for her as well. Bless you for your efforts on her behalf.

In this time of uncertainty in our nation and throughout the world, there is one thing that never changes. That is our love and devotion for our beloved Heavenly Father and in his son Jesus Christ. I am eternally grateful for the love that I feel from them. For the prayers that are answered too.

Recently our son was hurt. He had been riding on the trunk of a car across the parking lot to get to his friends car to come home. The girl that gave them the ride suddenly sped up and my son was thrown from the car. He ended up with a gash in the palm of his hand a bloody hip, ankle and elbow. He was brought home to me, bleeding and in so much pain. This kid has a very high pain tolerance. I was on the phone with a friend when he arrived and had to hang up abruptly. Then I received a call from my husbands Aunt in Ohio right at that second and she was able to walk me through the first aid for his abrasions and lacerations. I was so grateful for the perfect timing involved. Then my Relief Society President called and I calmed down further. I had to say out loud that I was thankful for all the help, and that I was sure someone else could use the help now. Smile. I felt so loved in those moments. Like someone had wrapped their arms around me telling me that all would be well. My husband arrived and took Hunter to the ER. He is fine now and very repentant.

I guess I'm writing this for a few reasons today. One is that we should give of ourselves and our means to help those less fortunate. People are hurting financially and children are going hungry. We need to help when we can. I'm planning a garden and want to give some of our produce to the local food shelf. I know it's not much, but we do what we can to help others.

Another thing is that we need to be aware of those who need our prayers.

Lastly I want moms especially to ask their teens if they are in fact riding on the outside of cars. Specifically in school parking lots. A friend in Florida told me that she knew of a boy who was killed recently, doing what my son was injured doing. Please speak to your teens and tell them what can happen to them. Tell them that doctors ask questions and your car insurance WILL be involved and so will the insurance of the person who was driving. If you can't scare them with the physical outcome of such foolishness, do tell them about the monetary and social outcome. It might save their life. Hunter was horrified to see his life flash before him as he was thrown from the vehicle and flew through the air like a rag doll. He is so lucky to not have broken bones and the doctor told him all that he has seen to set him straight as well. He has told all his friends not to be stupid and to learn from his experience. Kids have influence in their own circle of friends.

Be safe, be prayerful and have a wonderful day!

Horns, or No Horns?

2008-04-25T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

When I was a young girl, we had a sister missionary in our ward who really amazed me. She was in a horrible car crash on the way to a zone meeting. In the accident she was partially (for lack of a better description) scalped. I know, it was horrible. They were able to sew it back on but she had two distinctive scars on either side of her forehead and as her hair grew longer she was able to cover them up. She had some other visible scars on her face that she applied cosmetics to and after a time she looked so much better and got back to work as a missionary in our area again. She was so courageous and I loved her and looked up to her!

One day she was meeting with someone and they made the statement that she couldn't possibly be a Mormon because they had horns that were amputated at birth. They could see that she certainly didn't have horns or any sign of them. The sister just smiled, then she said calmly, " I'm sure we all have horns, because here are my scars (as she lifted her bangs) and I'm a Mormon! So the rumors must be true!"

She had a such a sense of humor! Don't worry, she explained later that she'd been in an accident and they all had a great laugh at how meticulous those silly stories are.

On a more serious note... Many good "Christians" are told by their pastors that Mormons are in fact demons. I have friends who's heads have been rubbed because pastors in town have told their congregations that we have horns! I can only think of one being who would put people up to saying such things and he's not our Savior. Jesus Christ taught us to love one another. Not to preach lies and deception from a pulpit to faithful people seeking the truth. How are people so deceived? It breaks my heart that so many are being mislead.

I'm grateful that in the LDS church, we never and without exception, preach anything negative about any other religion, from our pulpits. I have often taken it for granted in the past. However, there are denominations in the world who waste precious time from their pulpits-- spreading untrue stories about my church.

To them I say, I'm praying for you. Teach about Jesus Christ. Lift up the hands that hang low. Feed those sheep food of the spirit that they need you so desperately to teach. Stop speaking ill of your brother and don't bear false witness from this day forward. Your life and the lives of others will be blessed for your efforts.

I know with a sureness that I am not only a follower of Jesus Christ but a Christian and as such I am so grateful for my belief in Him. I pray that I can teach my sons about Jesus each day and to love their neighbors. I have taught them to give of themselves to their Heavenly Father and to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If there is one thing I've tried with all my heart to do, it's to teach my sons to look for the love our Heavenly Father has for His children and to treat people well.

Our oldest son, a missionary in Los Angeles, is now teaching a young man who has horns tattooed on his forehead, the 'F' word tattooed on his neck and the numbers 666 on his chest. The belief that even the vilest sinner can be saved has been something he has taught me by his example. I'm so proud of my boy and how he speaks to lesbians, trans-gender, gays and gangsters alike and average people as well. He simply loves them and they know it and they do listen! He is fearless as he tries to bring our Heavenly Fathers children back to Him. These are the last days and he never forgets what his parents have taught him. We are all brothers and sisters and we ALL share the same Heavenly Father and He wants us to return to Him.

Keep reaching out to those you meet. Horns or no horns...smile, be kind to each other. Spread hope and peace and gratitude. Live your testimony of Jesus Christ and I know that you will have blessings without number. Always remember that our elder brother, Jesus Christ, loves us all.

Gratitude Inspires Happiness

2008-04-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

I'll never forget hearing a talk given by a very well spoken three year old. She was a tiny little thing with big brown eyes. She stood on a stool in sacrament meeting, with her mom at her side and told us the true meaning of gratitude. As she pronounced the word, the consonant-- letter T was emphasized. It was not only an adorable talk, but it was memorable due to the content. It was also not just a memorized speech, you could feel the spirit with each sentence this precious little girl spoke. Her eye contact was penetrating and her voice filled with conviction. By the end of the talk, all of us felt gratitude in our hearts for our Savior, Jesus Christ and our loved ones. It was an amazing moment in time for our congregation.

Bonnie D. Parkin, once said, "When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine
influence." I have found these words to be so true in my own life. I have often been inspired to be kinder, gentler and more appreciative as I show gratitude towards those around me. The spirit fills me many times over as I put this into action. Just by being grateful I change not only my demeanor, but the people who surround me begin to communicate better and pass on what they have learned as well.

Now, as I hear the word gratitude I'm filled with familiar spiritual feelings. I have become spiritually aware due to the influence of the spirit I had once so many years ago.

I've found that gratitude is a spirit-filled word. Once aware of this your heart fills quickly with the knowledge of its blessings. I can now find Gods love in the smallest things.

Today as I was fishing with my son, I watched the lake who's surface was covered with two feet of ice a month ago--now had given way to a late spring thaw. The fish were eager to bite our bait and we enjoyed the blessings of nature and spending time as mother and son.

I saw a musk rat swim back and forth gathering nesting materials for his new family home. Red winged black birds, were doing their mating dance oblivious to all who watched. The far edge of the lake shimmered with ice crystals as the seagulls swept in to pick up dead fish littering the surf. Life was happening all around us as we felt the gentle cast of a worm and heard the subsequent plop of a bobber hitting the surface. The ripples multiplied tenfold on the glassy surface--then all was still.

If we can all cause ripples to flow out from ourselves in positive ways-- filled with gratitude for our blessings, those ripples will be long lasting in many peoples lives.

I'm so grateful for the rich blessings in my own personal life. I know that each of you must feel some amount of gratitude for your own blessings or for people in your lives whom you love. Try telling them how grateful you are for them today. I bet your words will mean so much to them as they think about what meant the most to them about their day.

If a brown eyed three year old standing on a stool, can speak to a single congregation and make a difference, you can share your gratitude and inspire happiness in other peoples lives too.

Cultivate an Attitude of Happiness!

2008-04-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

“I believe [the Lord] is saying to each of us, be happy. The gospel is a thing of joy. It provides us with a reason for gladness. Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts and rejoice. I see so many people . . . who seem never to see the sunshine, but who constantly walk with storms under cloudy skies. Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “If Thou Art Faithful,” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 91–92).

I felt such joy as I read Gordon B. Hinckley's quote! It is only as we look to Christ and His example, that we can deal with all that life throws our way some days.

There are times when I'm asked how I can be so happy? I answer that I have given my worries and my fears to my Savior when I can no longer carry them myself. I choose to look for the light and the good in my life rather than dwell on the pain, the suffering and the lack of.

My life then flows with blessings and as I count them they are without number! We can each do the same. From the smallest thing to the most magnificent!

I can find the love of what our Heavenly Father has given me in plain dirt if I have to! yes! Dirt! A handful of dirt has millions of granules each with a purpose, each with a history! That dirt can be carried to the far corners of the world and grow almost about anything that is planted in it with a little care and some water and sunlight.

I often stand in my veggie garden in my bare feet feeling the dirt between my toes, it's soft, warm goodness all around me-- growing my tomatoes, zucchini, green beans and water melon too! Flowers blossom, bugs wriggle through it as I stand in one place watching miracles pop up all around me in a whirl of life. I imagine my cares going into the dirt through the bottoms of my feet. Soon I forget what was bothering me as I bend to pull a weed.

I challenge each of you to look for the love of our Father in heaven in your daily life too. Look for the miracles that abound all around you. Let the hours of concern and anxiety be smaller. Dwell on the possibilities of life and learn and grow doing something you love. Seek those things that will make your spirit sing! Let go of the past, the pain and the negative. It will leave you if you let it. Then allow our Saviors love to encompass you in all it's sweetness. I know you can.....I did it and if I can, anyone can do it too.

"Sticky Kisses on my Cheeks"

2008-04-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

The following quote was sent to me from a dear friend. I love it! This is exactly how I have been striving to be my whole adult life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I know that both Sister and President Hinckley felt such joy as they passed those pearly gates. They really lived and we loved them both so dearly.

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My most cherished memories are of my children's sticky, sloppy kisses. Pudgy fingers full of freshly gathered chicken eggs are up there right with them. Memories of my son finally finding cherubic three year old freedom, as he shed a trail of clothes to the wading pool full of mud, still brings happy tears to my eyes. A five year old deciding to close his eyes to ride his bike and being clotheslined by our neighbors mailbox also makes us all laugh, the pain and worry shed years ago. All of these things are memories that will last. The boys remember and cherish their memories with me as well.

One of their fondest memories and mine are when we helped a sister take care of her todler twins. Those little girls melted all of our hearts and actually talked my son out of his ice cream one day. They stood before him like baby birds saying, "Some, Some, Some." Getting a spoonful of ice cream with each word. We helped them pack and clean and clean again. We planted a flower garden, then watched as they moved away, leaving us heartbroken because we had come to love them dearly through service. We have never forgotten that summer.

Our kids still remember helping so many people move in and out of our towns. It was hard sometimes. Family work was important to us all though and drew us nearer to each other and the people we served in our community. My husband and I had no idea that we were passing along a family tradition at the time. I now know that our sons will do the same with their families too.

I'm so glad I listened to the spirit and to my own heart as I chose to stay home with my little ones. It wasn't a popular decision at the time and know full well that it isn't for everyone. Most of my friends worked outside of the home. I even watched their children for them-- some I loved like they were my own.

I pray we can all be just like our precious sister who has already passed through those pearly gates and give of ourselves, especially when we are sad, lonely or worried. It has an unburdening effect on our spirits too. When we give of ourselves when our neighbors, our families or a stranger is in need--the blessings flow through our lives.

I love the inspiration behind the quote above. I too want the Lord to know that I was really here and that I really lived life to it's fullest and gave of myself the best that I possibly could.

The Lord's Promise

2008-04-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

*" --As we invite the Savior into our lives, the Holy Ghost will bear witness to us of
the love which the Father and His Son, our Savior, have for each of us. But
feeling Their love is dependent not only on our desire but upon our actions
as well. And the actions we need to take are known to us: genuine prayer
that is specific and humble, followed by quiet listening for the Lord's
answers; regular scripture study and time to ponder what we read; and,
finally, a willingness to be introspective about ourselves and to trust in
the Lord's promise that He will 'make weak things become strong
unto [us]' (Ether 12:27)."

I feel that each family is uniquely prepared to support their missionary or child as an individual. In our family, trails and tribulations and service are happenstance. Our kids were prepared for the very worst and the best on their missions. through those tough character building situations and opportunities to give of themselves..

Through many priesthood blessings I've received for healing, each priesthood holder in turn told me that our trials were meant to make us stronger as a family and to teach our sons the gift of compassion. Compassion ebbed and flowed freely for our family because of this knowledge. It gave us strength when bigger trials came. Conflicts were resolved and hearts were mended.

We are all so grateful now for the hard work, the tears and the stumbling blocks we've overcome together. We can remind each other about these things during situations that are tough for our missionaries. We have already lived through so much that might help the one who is serving. We can lift each other in prayer and in thought and through our daily deeds of service--and relay those situations to them. We can tell them what we have learned and in turn they can share how our words have lifted them.

I guess what I'm saying is to continue to strive to learn and teach and grow in the gospel while our kids are on missions or away from home. Give service to our brothers and sisters inside and out of the gospel while they are away--just as they are doing. As we continue to share with our kids and lift them as we are lifted, we are still weathering the storms of life together as eternal families. I feel so blessed and humbled to have sons who are so willing to serve.

My heart is full and I now know that I can do anything the Lord asks of me especially after giving my children to Him for safe keeping. At the beginning of this missionary moms journey, I was weak and had so many fears. After much prayer and pondering what I have learned from the scriptures and living the gospel, I have found my way.

I have never been happier or felt stronger in my testimony of Jesus Christ and in His church. Life continues to be a blessing and I know with all I am that the Lord does keep His promises.
***

*(Kathleen H. Hughes, "Remembering the Lord's Love," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 112)

A Quote Full of Wisdom

2008-03-28T19:01:00.000-05:00

"You have a choice. You can wring your hands and be consumed with
concern for the future or choose to use the counsel the Lord has given to
live with peace and happiness in a world awash with evil. If you choose to
concentrate on the dark side, this is what you will see. . . . Now the
brighter side. Despite pockets of evil, the world overall is majestically
beautiful, filled with many good and sincere people. God has provided a way
to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures
evil agents spread throughout it. You can live a virtuous, productive,
righteous life by following the plan of protection created by your Father
in Heaven: His plan of happiness."

(Richard G. Scott, "How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil," Ensign, May 2004, 100)

I thought that this quote was appropriate for the times we live in. I rarely watch the news these days, but when I do there seems to be more stories about the bad side of humanity. Where are the human interest stories, I wonder? It's rare that they print or talk about the people doing good out in the world for each other. So here on The Silver Lining, I'm going to be printing stories from time to time-- like the one about my son in my previous blog entry.

We all need to feel lifted up. We need to know there is hope out there. There is good, there is virtue and there is a plan that our Heavenly Father has given us to live righteous lives.

His plan of happiness gives my life substance and meaning. When I pray or read the scriptures I feel hope! It's a tangible thing in my world. I do believe with all I am, that there is more good than evil in this world. We are very blessed to live here on this earth at this time in history.

"If we are prepared, we shall not fear." Is one of the quotes I love to remember best. I know that it's easy to panic with regards to food storage in these trying times. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have been taught most of my adult life to have food storage for times like these.

Food and gas prices are rising. Wheat is being imported to our country for the first time in history. War is raging....It's easy to be caught up in the fear and peril of our times. If we are prepared, the fear leaves the equation. If you carefully plan and gather information about how to store food for hard times, put enough money away for three months, get out of debt--you will be more at ease and better prepared for the times ahead. It will also be easier to be positive about your own situation in life.

We've been counseled to not panic. To carefully plan. To live within our means. We can strive to do so if we simply try. I for instance don't have a huge budget to work with. So when I go to the grocery store I pick up an extra item just for food storage. I do have my year supply of wheat and dry goods. I supplement the rest with my garden in the summer. I can a lot of fresh veggies and fruits and make stews and salsa and jams. It's very fulfilling to see the fruits of my labors on the shelf for my family. It's healthier too. Our foods these days are filled with chemicals and preservatives and things you can hardly pronounce! My health has taken a hit through the years because of those things. I now eat organic and am regaining my health a little each month. It's such a blessing!

The best thing that's happened this week was that my neighbor came over and gifted me with ten pounds of venison. I in turn was able to give him a gift of home made applesauce, salsa, plum jam and stew. He seemed to think he got the better end of the deal. It made me smile. I plan on using the venison to make him more stew next week. You see, I had run out and he was an answer to my prayers.

There are still so many good people in this world. My neighbor, had I judged him--would have been the last person I would have sought out. He works hard as a crane operator. Had a foul mouth when I first met him. He drinks and we don't. But we have been taught to not judge so I saw past the exterior and we found a family friend. As it turns out, he is the type of person who would give you the shirt off his own back if you needed it. He helped my husband get our car home last winter when the tire broke off. He gave my son a ride to work when he didn't have transportation. When we had a bunch of break ins in our neighborhood he looked out for us at night. He is such a good man, the salt of the earth and we are blessed to be his neighbors.

The other thing I must share. Our backdoor neighbor let my son barrow her truck this week. We had no way to get him to work because our wonderful car had broken down again. Smile...If she hadn't insisted on him just taking her new truck to work, he wouldn't have been able to help the homeless gentleman he assisted that day. It sure makes you grateful to know that Heavenly Father does have a plan for us each day. He is still with us and watches over us daily. He will never leave us or forget us in our hour of need. I remember this as I thank Him each day in my prayers for all the blessings in my life.

This world is indeed, full of good and sincere people. Take the time to get to know your neighbors. Your kids teachers your church members. It's time to look for the good in the world. I know you'll find it if you just try a little harder.

Learning From Our Children

2008-03-27T05:12:00.000-05:00

My son is an undercover internal security person for our local Walmart. He is also turning his mission papers in next week. When he told me what happened that night during his shift, it brought tears to my eyes. He often comes home and unburdens himself about the people he had to detain or have arrested. He never mentions names. I'm a soft place to land...I love him dearly and he needs me. I'll do my best to relay the story as accurately as possible.
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Mom, he was there on the security camera screen again. Just standing there, hands hanging limp at his sides staring off into space with a look that made my chest hurt. I'd seen the look before, but this time it reached deep down inside of me and made me want to act, to help somehow. He looked like all his hope had been sucked dry, Mom. Each time he'd move through the store he'd stop, like he was trying to figure something out and failing miserably. So, I decided to go and talk to him. It had been four hours since he'd come into the store. I knew that after reviewing the store tapes. Too long for shopping-- but he hadn't taken a single thing.

So I approached him quietly. I stopped to talk with him. He really did seem lost, Mom. He told me his name as we talked.

When he realized I wasn't going to throw him out of the store he confided in me. I'd heard stories like his before, but somehow this man and his grief seemed even more deep. He had just been released from jail after serving a one month sentence. He had been arrested on an old warrant. He had served his month and then was dropped off at Walmart. He had no money, no home and no plans. He was overwhelmed and didn't know where to go or what to do. He had tried to call his mother, but after she was kicked out of his apartment for lack of money, she had simply disappeared. He had no other family, no connections, no job, no social security card....nothing. He was despairing....

I'm so grateful my son was the one who found this very repentant man. He said that he knew he'd done wrong. That he'd been a drinker two years previous, but before the police arrested him he'd straightened out his life and had a good job by then and was even taking care of his mom. He knew that the arrest was correct and had served his time. But no one had told him what to do next. When you are arrested, you are stripped of you social security number and must file for a new one. My son knew that from his police explorer training. They had resources for him to check out, but he hadn't understood and had failed to take advantage. So Ryan told him that he was going to try and put some things in place for him and he purchased the man some dinner in the McDonalds there in the store and told him he'd be right back...

Well, my son went from department to department all over the store telling people about the gentleman and asking for donations so that he would have a place to stay that night. Every last person he spoke with donated money. They all love my boy. He's a real sweetie. By the time he was finished he had enough money for several days at our super 8 motel and money for some food too. My son also had noticed that the man had lost a lot of weight and didn't have a belt and had to hold his pants up with his hand...so he had bought one for him while the gentleman was eating.The man simply cried when Ryan told him about all so many people had done for him. Then he and another employee drove him to and introduced him to a local church clergy nearby who had agreed to mentor him and help find him work.

All of this was done by a 19 year old who is preparing to leave for the mission field this summer. If he can do this for someone, so can we! Ask for Heavenly Father to send someone your way that you can help today. Never think, I can't help someone like that! You might miss an opportunity to change someone's life for the better--lift them up. Our son told me once, that "it's when we start thinking that we are better than the criminals, that we need to humble ourselves and think twice. Some people make one mistake and pay for the rest of their lives. Any one of us could make a wrong turn and regret it." I know in my heart that Heavenly Father will show us all the right way to live if we choose to follow Him.

Gosh I love my boys! I learn something from them every day.