Do What You Say

I had an experience this week that taught me a great lesson that may seem quite obvious to us all but it's implementation has still not been mastered. I went to visit a person and during the visit, I asked this person if there was anything that I could do for them. With a little bit of frustration this person rehearsed to me the fact that when other people had come to visit they asked the same question. They made a list of the things that she needed help with and then left the home and never returned to complete the tasks that she had asked them to help complete. Then six months later, they came to visit her and repeated the process. She said that she was done giving lists. I have a person who talked to me, several weeks ago, about helping with something in their home. I assured them that I would come over to their house and look at what they needed done. Days passed and I forgot to go by. That was not my intent but I didn't follow through with what I said I would do. The lesson I was reminded of this week reiterated to my mind the importance of always doing what I say I'm going to do. It is a very important truth and each of us will benefit by adhering to it. Life is great! If you don't believe it, look at somebody else's life. Count all of your blessings, and name them one by one.

When You Were Born

Today is our youngest daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Laurel! I still remember the day that she was born. Her eyes remained wide open after she was born. There wasn't a single peep, out of her mouth, until one of the medical staff made her cry. She is a joy in our lives. She has been blessed with many gifts and talents that bless the lives of many people, of which I am one. I have thought about the significance of this day in my own life. I was so excited to have another child in our home. Birthdays are important and the celebration of Laurel's life puts a smile on my face. I am thankful to be a father and to have the opportunity to learn and grow. I love you so much, Laurel. Don't ever forget how important you are to mom and I.

Rose-colored Glasses

I haven't ever met anyone that can truthfully say that every single thing in their life works out exactly like they planned.
I'm also not saying that it is a bad thing.
A person I know, recently told me that the job that they currently have isn't necessarily their dream job.  This person followed up the original comment with a drawn-out list of all of the negative attributes of their job.  After listening to the list, I remained silent for about ten seconds.  Once I could see that this person was finished talking, I kindly reminded him how blessed he was to have a job.  I found it interesting that this individual has been an employee with this company for about twenty-five years.  I don't believe that someone would stay at the same job for that amount of time if there weren't some 'positives' about the job.
If you've ever seen the Walt Disney movie, 'Pollyanna', there is a valuable lesson to learn from that show, no matter how unfair things seem to be in life, there is always a 'bright side' to any situation.  I believe that!
There isn't a situation that somebody else hasn't already endured.  Look on the bright side.
If life isn't how you hoped it would be, work hard to make it better.  It can only improve when you put your best foot forward.

Home Safe And Sound

We arrived at our home this evening and were excited to see Becky and Natalie. Our visit to California was enjoyable. We got to spend time with our family and enjoy some memories together. I was particularly grateful for our safe arrival home. I am so grateful for the blessings we received to have safety during our travels. There is one thing I know for sure. It's that God loves me and He proves that to me, every day. He showers blessings, too many to count. I feel of His love. When we pulled into the driveway, Becky came to the driver's side of the van and began to kiss me, repeatedly. She was so excited to see us and I knew of her great love for me and our kids. It was such a treat to come home! This is a really good life. My prayers are filled with gratitude for the many blessings that are given to me. It's great to be home. I love to be wherever Becky is.

Happy Mother's Day!

This is one of those days that I really love during the year. I love to celebrate the day with focus placed on my own mother and also Becky's mom. On October 2, 1995, everything changed, forever. Since that wonderful day, we have celebrated for Becky, too. Because she is the mother of our four children, that makes me a happy father. I owe my life to her for allowing me to be a father. She is in Utah and I am here in California. I have missed Becky but I am also grateful that I got to spend the day with my mom. She has been a source of strength in my life. I love you so much and I'm grateful that I got you as my mom! I love Becky and as I spoke to her on the phone, it seemed like her day had been a good one too. I love you, sweetheart. I am extremely blessed to have such wonderfully strong women who influence my life. Thank you for all that you do.

There Are Those Times

Today was a day that I will remember for some time. We are in Sacramento participating in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. It was a 5K walk that we were in. We had a team put together and it was amazing. The energy was high and there were a lot of people. That was really cool to be there with so many other people that have been affected by cancer. This evening, our niece, Josephine, was baptized. It was great to be there and enjoy her special day. We are so richly blessed! I am thankful to be with family and to get to know them better. It's bedtime and I am grateful for that. Nat went to PROM tonight and I'm looking forward to her report. These times are so neat and I'm grateful for them!

I Love This Land

When you stop and think about the abundant blessings that we are afforded as citizens of America, it forces you to better realize what freedoms we really have. At this writing it feels good to see my parents and to enjoy a couple of days with those who are part of our family. I am sincerely thankful for Becky and her support in my life. I am thankful for her willingness to sacrifice because she loves our family. I am thankful for the freedom to come and go as we please. There are no border patrols from state to state. We drive until we cross the border and then we enter into a neighboring state without a word even spoken. I am so grateful to live in a country where I can go to sleep and not have to worry about war and various other disrruptions. These are a few of the blessings that enrich my life. I am so grateful to live in this land.