THE GIFT OF PATIENCE AND LONG SUFFERING - A DIVINE VIRTUE

Here's an update on my brother who remains in Critical but stable condition in an ICU in LasVegas, Nevada. I spent 5 days down there and then came home and my dear husband is going to drive me back down to Las Vegas tomorrow. It was so hard to see him so ill. Since I have worked in an ICU environment as a nurse; I know exactly how ill he really is. I quickly did some catch up studies on the different problems that he currently has; so that I could actually asked some intelligent questions when the physicians came into see him. He remains on a respirator; but is breathing on his own. He had Congestive Heart Failure; but that has improved. Because of all the drugs they used his kidney's have failed so he is having Kidney Dialysis. Hopefully, the treatment today will be the last one. One day the news is good and the next there is another problem. He has had priesthood blessings which were very comforting. His sweet wife is by his side every moment that she can be. The ICU has been good to let us stay in the room most of the time. His family have been awesome to take turns being by him each day. Already there are blessings coming to his children as they tenderly care and support their mother and pray for the recovery of their father. I am of course in continuous prayer mode. I know that he is in Heavenly Father's hands. We all want him to recover quickly that is where patience comes in; because it will probably take him a very long time to recover. 

I of course have in my mind my favorite scripture Proverb 3: 5-6. 

I spent some moment today reading other blogs that I follow and I was greatly uplifted by many of their thoughts. I thank them for sharing some of there own struggles with life and the great virtue of patience. 

I am presently reading a book called The Divine Virtues 14 Values to Live By written by Richard Rife. 

I will share a couple of quotes from the chapter on Patience and Long-suffering. 

"And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandemtns of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.  Alma 7:23

President Kimball taught, "Being human, we would expel from our lives sorrow, distress, physical pain, and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort. But if we closed the doors upon such, we might be evicting our gratest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self mastery. The sufferings of our Savior were part of his education."

President George Q. Cannon said: It is a precious gift to have the gift of patience, to be good-tempered, to be cheerful, to not be depressed, to not give way to wrong feelings and become impatient and irritable. It is a blessed gift for all to possess."

A thought from me would be if we ask for this gift; we will probably receive many opportunities to learn how to be more patient. I do pray for that gift; knowing that it will help in my progress in receiving divine virtues. 

I have deep gratitude for the gift of prayer, testimony and knowledge of the great plan of salvation. I know my brother is in God's hand and that his will; will be done. Patience is the one virtue that I pray for now. 

I know that many of my friends and family are praying for him too; and I thank you for that. 

"TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART!

It's one of those days when I am in prayer mode along with saying my favorite scripture to remind me that I must accept the will of the Lord. Submitting that will is sometimes very difficult. I am sure I am like most people I want what I want. Sometimes coming to peaceful feelings can be a difficult road.

"Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; lean not on thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path". Proverbs 3: 5-6.

I have that scripture come to my mind often these days.

 I am  now in Las Vegas, Nevada to be with my brother who is in an Intensive Care Unit in critical condition. This is so hard. I love my brother so much. He is my friend and has helped me through many difficulties by having a listening ear and wise counsel.  He recently had a very delicate surgery on four aneurysms; one in his abdomen and one in each leg along with one higher up on the leg. The surgery went well; however he has the complication of Congestive Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema which is fluid on the lung. At this point his vital signs are stable; but the fluid is not coming off the lung as soon as would be good. Also, he needed blood today which indicates he is bleeding somewhere. His kidney function was improving; but one of the levels is going up again.He is intubated and back on a respirator. It is purely a balancing act with drugs and etc. Too much of one thing can cause another symptom. Being a nurse I know just enough to really know how sick he is.

Last night as I was reading and journaling thoughts on the Book of Mormon; I marveled at Nephi and his patience, long suffering, loving and loyal attitude towards his own brothers who were threatening to kill him.

As I have faced difficulties and trials in my own life; I find myself impatient and sometimes not willing to submit or fully understand the will of the Lord. As we go through our earthly trials we hopefully learn and grow in our patience and long suffering. Those two virtues are usually difficult. I do accept God's will but have hope that my will is the same as his will. I would say that is some progress in my thinking.

My dear husband gave me a beautiful blessing before I came here. I know that my role is to give comfort and compassion to my brother's family. I pray that I will have the spirit with me to do just that. We all have different ways of handling difficult moments. We are all grieving in our own way therefore it is sometimes hard to know how to comfort and help each family members. I love my sister in law and it is so hard to watch her tenderly talk with him and encourage him to stay. He does respond to us at times; so I know he is hearing us and knows that we are there with him. He is fighting the good fight and his life is in God's hands. I do not know what I would do if I didn't have the testimony that I do. I feel the comfort and peace of the spirit. 

I do trust in the Lord with all my heart.

HONORING FATHERS - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL OF OUR AWESOME SONS

First I would like to acknowledge my own father on this father's day. My father, Millan F. Gledhill was born on August 16th, 1916 and he passed away on October 15th, 2001.

I would like to share a few tender thoughts about my father. My Father was a very good man. I was the youngest of three and the only daughter; so of course I was spoiled by my father. I miss him so much and have so many fond memories of him. Up until I was 6 years old my father had been inactive in the church. He drank alochol and smoked. He became very ill one day and had a spiritual experience while he was receiving a priesthood blessing. From that moment on he began to change. We were sealed as a family in the Manti Temple when I was 7 years old. As my father's testimony grew; he helped me with my own testimony in many ways. He was a wonderful example to others and especially to me. He worked hard during his life. He loved to read good books and especially the Book of Mormon.  

My dearest father always had time for me. I have many memories of going with him on his Ice Cream delivery truck through several towns and then would stop overnite in Eureka, Utah. He usually took me to a Cowboy movie that night.  He would always get an ice cream treat for me out of the truck a few times during the trip. He was so fun to be with. He always sang old songs while he was driving and I treasure those moments. He loved to dance and would often grab my mother or me to swing around the house. He was a really good dancer. He loved to hunt deer, duck, pheasants and he always enjoyed fishing. I grew up loving the outdoors and enjoyed catching many fish. I remember his patience in putting the worm on my hook until one day he finally encouraged me to do it myself.

My father had a strong and true testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was active in missionary work and was able to serve with my mother on a mission to Cove Fort. 

I could write a book of all the precious memories of my Dad; he was the best!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY DEAREST HUSBAND ROGER

I know in my heart that my eternal companion is one of the best of fathers. I can't even tell you all of the kind and good things that he has done for our children and for me. Even his children do not know all of the moments that he has given them tender care. He has always been such a loving example of a righteous man of God. He tries very hard to do the right things. He has always supported his children in whatever they have desired to do. He has worked so hard to provide for our children a good life with many opportunities.

I know that he would do anything for any of his children if it is within his power to do so. 

Whenever I had a new baby  he would help me so much. I can't ever count the number of times that he has gotten up with other children during the night when I was taking care of a new baby. He also walked and rocked many of our children when they were ill. He has given all of our children frequent father's blessings through the years for school, health, or other reasons. Many of these blessings have provided a miracle in the lives of one or more of our children. 

Some would say that he did a lot of lecturing when children needed guidance. I would say without hesitation that he didn't lecture; he taught and sometimes our children would listen. and sometimes they didn't. 

He has always been very wise and has also had the spirit with him in working with his children. He was always been supportive of the boys in their scouting and athletics. He helped them on projects for school and scouting. He loved working in the Boy Scout programs.

He supported the girls in any of their endeavors. I remember well the day he took our three daughters to shop for school clothes. He had decided that they were not going to have the more popular styles; he was going to just get them basics. When he came home with them; out of the bags came the new styles that were in at that time. I really smiled at that one. His little girls could talk him into almost anything.Even today he has such a love for his family and cares deeply and prays diligently for all of them and their families. He testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is firm and he has served diligently in many callings through the years; but I can say that the one he loves the most is serving as an ordiance worker in the Jordan River Temple. We both love this assignment.  

He loves his 30 grandchildren and his one great granddaughter and enjoys many moments with them all. He is a very tender and kind grandfather.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO OUR OLDEST SON SEAN

Sean and Mary have 8 of our 30 grandchildren.  Sean was such a happy baby and through  the years we have watched him grow so much. He has always been very creative. He loved art as a small child and he was very good at it. As he became older we could tell that was what he loved to do most. He is an architect and designs beautiful homes. He can be quiet; but he has an inner strength that leads him. He worked hard in scouting and became an Eagle Scout.  He served a mission to Demoin, Iowa and had many great experiences there. One quality that I love in him is that he is honest. He loves the outdoors and has been spending time with his children on camping trips. He likes to hike and fish. He is also very involved with his 5 younger sons in sports. He is coaching Joseph's baseball team this year. The following are pictures of his children.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO OUR OLDEST GRANDSON JED

 Jed is our oldest Grandson. Jed and Jessica have our first great grand daughter, Jadyn. Jed is an awesome young man and we are so proud of how he takes care of his sweet wife and precious little grand daughter. We have always enjoyed being around Jed. He is quiet and respectful. He came up to Spokane when he was a teenager and stayed for a week and we enjoyed every moment with him. I have been watching him nurture his new little daughter and I must say he is such a good father already and we are very pleased with him. He installs sound systems and we had a problem with ours and within minutes he had it fixed. We always enjoy being around them; they are such a cute young couple and now the added blessing of a sweet little grand daughter to bless our lives.

Here's a second view of our newest -

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO OUR SECOND SON TRAVIS

 

Travis is our 2nd son. Travis and Amanda have 6 of our grandchildren. Travis spiced up our lives. With Travis there is never a dull moment. As a child he always had something adventurous to do. He really had few fears. He was the one who found a snake in a vacant lot where there wasn't suppose to be any snake. He has a very quick wit and it probably saved his life many times. If he got into trouble he would say something really funny and you couldn't help but laugh. I really wouldn't like to count the number of times he was grounded. He also has a very deep spiritual side to him; that comes out more often as the years roll on. He was an Eagle Scout and served a mission in the Washington DC North Mission.

He is a captain in Madison County Sheriff department in Rexburg, Idaho. He loves his job. He has become an expert on guns. He too loves to camp, hunt and fish.  He is presently writing a book about one of his cases. I have read most of it and he is doing an excellent job on this project. 

His children are energetic and have very creative personalities. He is a very hands on Father and does many activities with his lively crew. The following are pictures of his children. At least two of his sons are just like him; which is going to be interesting.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO OUR THIRD SON JAMES

James is our third son and he was such a gift to us. We had wanted another baby for 3 years and were so blessed to have him. James is what the family called our walking encyclopedia. From a very young age he always was learning something new. If you wanted to find out something you could just ask him. He loves to learn and he as an remarkable memory. He also was an Eagle Scout and served a mission in Costa Rica. James and Amber have 3 adorable children and his son Christian is so much like him. He loves the gospel and serves well in whatever he is assigned. He followed after his father as a pharmacist and is  the Pharmacy Director of the Idaho Regional Hospital. He has been called a walking Pharmacopoeia. He loves to play soccer, hunt and fish. He loves helping his children. I admire James and Amber so much because they bravely and with great testimony and faith had to deal with the illness of their youngest daughter Averi; who had a very rare bone marrow disease called Osteopetrosis. She is almost blind but can see well enough to walk around objects. James is solid and true to his testimony. 

Here are pictures of his children - 

The following are my sons because they married our daughters. 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO BRANDON

 

The first time we met Brandon he had brought our daughter Christina home to visit us from Ricks College. He drove her car and then got in a wreck just as they were coming home. He was devastated. We love Brandon so much he is a true straight arrow. They have 5 of our grandchildren. They had another little one that was a still birth; so he  makes six. Brandon is  District Manager Accountant for a large construction company. They have moved frequently through the years and have enjoyed many opportunities in the church. He served as a Bishop in Corpus Christi, Texas. Brandon is a wonderful father to his 4 girls and youngest little boy. He is always a good sport even when his girls want him to dress as a king for one of their plays. Brandon is very involved with his family and is a great husband to our daughter. 

Here's another picture of this awesome family -

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MICHAEL

 

 Michael is married to our second daughter Jenni-marie.  Michael and Jenni came for a visit  to Spokane so we could meet Michael. At the time he was actually coming to talk with us about the two of them getting married. Michael was a go from the start. We loved him right off and knew they were a great match. Michael and Jenni have 3 of our grandchildren. He was an Eagle Scout and served his mission in Arizona. They presently live in Vermilion, South Dakota where he is working on his PhD in Psychology. He is the one I go to for all of my mixed up moments. We enjoy him a lot. He is such a good father and is always playing and teasing with his girls and loves his youngest little man so much. He has a strong testimony of the gospel and is always helping others. They lived with us for a short time and he actually built our family room downstairs and it was his first project and he did such a good job. Thanks, again Michael. 

Here are pictures of his family --

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO DAVE

Dave is married to our youngest daughter Tiffani. I was introduced to Dave a few months before they met. At a Stake Conference, Dave looked at Tiffani and Tiffani connect her eyes to Dave and I turned to Roger and said if this is a go; it will go fast. They met officially the next night at a young single adult activity and they were engaged 8 days later and married 7 weeks later. We just knew that Dave was the right one and they are a very devoted couple. Dave is also an Eagle Scout and served his mission in Chilli. He is a very fun loving man and a great father. He works as an Appraiser for a Commercial Real Estate business in Spokane. He is a great tease and has always got some one giggling and laughing. He has a delightful personality and we always have fun when he is around. 

He loves the gospel and serves faithfully in whatever he is assigned. He is always busy with one of his children doing some kind of activity. He loves camping, hunting, fishing and soccer. We always have fun when Dave is around. 

Here's another picture of their children --

 

All of you awesome fathers have a great day!

Love you much! Dad and Mom

FAVORITE QUOTES FROM PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY -

“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.”

"Stop looking for the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight."   

“Give expression to the noble desires that lie in your heart.”
  
"Forget yourself and get to work."
  
“I am totally in the hands of the Lord.”

"Be believing, be happy, don't get discouraged. Things will work out." 

“A prominent judge was asked what we, as citizens of the countries of the world, could do to reduce crime and disobedience to law and to bring peace and contentment into our lives and into our nations. He thoughtfully replied, "I would suggest a return to the old-fashioned practice of family prayer." 

"Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work."   

“Believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Redeemer, the Son of God, who came to earth and walked the dusty  roads of Palestine-the Son of God-to teach us the way of truth and light and salvation, and who, in one  great and glorious act offered an atonement for each of us. He opened the way of salvation and exaltation for each of us, under which we may go forward in the Church and kingdom of God. Be not faithless, but believe in the great and wonderful and marvelous blessings of the Atonement.”

“Our kindness may be the most persuasive argument for that which we believe.”   

"If Life Gets Too Hard To Stand, Kneel."   

“The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

“Truly, my dear young friends, you are a chosen generation. I hope you will never forget it. I hope you will never take it for granted. I hope there will grow in your hearts an over-powering sense of gratitude to God, who has made it possible for you to come upon the earth in this marvelous season of the world's history.”

“Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth for any of us, lies in our faith.”

43 YEARS AND ETERNITY TO GO - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

OUR WEDDING EVENTS!

First, I had a wedding shower given me by my close friends. Most of these friends were from the I'll Be True Club; which was a group of friends that were waiting for missionaries and also some friends from nursing school. I remember how I had such a good time at my shower. We laughed and cried; it was a great evening. One of shower activities in those days was to make a wedding dress out of tissue paper. The dress was made on me. my friends had a great time doing that. The dress was very creative to say the least. Roger the groom showed up later to see what I had been given for gifts and to say good bye to my friends.

It was also popular in those days to have various items for your trousseau. I had bought some china and also had pillow cases and dish towels that were embroidered with various scenes. One of the highlights of preparation was when 4 of my great aunts came and quilted two quilts for me. One of the quilts was made out of extra dress material from the many dresses my mother had made for me. The other quilt was a beautiful pink quilt with a star made up of other pastel colors; also with material left over from Prom dresses. Of course, my father charmed my great aunts by dancing with them. I will forever treasure those moments of time.

 My precious mother made my wedding dress and veil. At that time I probably didn't appreciate all the love and work that went into making my dress.

The day before our wedding day was filled with so much to do that by the early evening both Roger and I were exhausted; so we parted early in the evening to see if we could try to get some sleep.

Roger came to pick me up around 8am to go to the temple. My sweet mother had also made me a white lace dress to wear to the temple and after the wedding. My mother of course took a picture of us before we left for the temple. Roger had a new suit; it was a light olive pin strip suit and he looked so handsome.

We were both really nervous about getting married; but also very excited. We arrived at the temple and were taken into the office to fill out the needed paper work. My Mother and Dad were suppose to be at the temple by  8:30am and they were late. I was so nervous because she had my wedding dress and of course we couldn't get married without them. They soon arrived and we both were taken to the areas to get ready for the marriage. When we were ready they took us up to the sealing room in the Salt Lake Temple where we ended up waiting for about an hour for Elder Ezra Taft Benson to arrive to marry us. While we were waiting for him to come I remember just sitting in that room with our families and feeling so grateful for them all. I was so much in love with this awesome man I was about to marry. I guess you could say I was marrying the love of my life and my best friend for time and all eternity. I knew beyond a doubt he felt the same way about me. As we knelt across the alter and looked at each other; how we loved each other so much and we could finally be together for an eternity. I couldn't even begin to tell you what Elder Benson said as he sealed our marriage; but I did feel the spirit and love that was present in the room that day.

Elder Benson asked us to come to his office in a year and visit with him again. We were so blessed to have him be able to seal us. Roger's father was well acquainted with him so he was happy to do that for us. It was unusual in that day to have one of the 12 Apostles do a wedding sealing for anyone except family. We didn't get back in a year to see him; but we did go back in 2 years and had a wonderful discussion with him in his office. Later of course he became the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

 It was raining that day as we left the temple and luckily we had an umbrella. As we went out on the street a woman came up to us and said; I hope you are as happy in 40 years as you are today. We have so much more love in our hearts for one another now than on that day. We have had such a good life thus far together and our love has grown and expanded until there is no way to really express it.

Roger's parents had a wedding breakfast at the Lamplighter Restaurant for us and all our families were there. 

In the evening we had a reception. It was well attended and we had a really good time. My wedding cake was beautiful. My colors for my wedding line were pink and light green. 

One of the stressful moment of the evening was when we changed our clothes and prepared to leave for our Honeymoon. My brother and some of Roger's brothers took our Volkswagen and put it up on cinder blocks. I didn't think it was funny at all. After getting a little upset they finally took it down.

We had made reservation for a motel in Grandsvill, Utah. As we left late for Grantsville it was raining really hard. One of the windshield wipers wouldn't work so Roger could hardly see while driving. We had to go very slow. When we finally arrived in Grantsville we went to the motel and the lights were out and we couldn't get anyone to help us. We realized that they had probably given our room a way. We drove around for a few moments and finally found a motel that had their lights on. It was not really a welcoming type of motel; but we were tired and grateful to have a room.

Another stressful moment was when I was getting ready for bed there was a cockroach in the bathroom sink that really freaked me out.

The next day we left on our honeymoon to Northern California. So for the next 10 days we had a glorious time in Northern California. This is where Roger had served his two year mission. We loved the ocean and the various areas we visited. It was a great honeymoon.
We have been married for 43 years and have had many life experiences together; some hard but mostly good moments. We have been so blessed to have the children, and grandchildren that we have. We love and treasure each one of them so much. We both have deep and abiding testimonies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We love our Heavenly Father and our Savior more than mere words can express. We love the temple and feel so blessed to be able to work there. We have been deeply blessed in so many ways. Our love for each other is priceless. We love our posterity and out greatest desire is that we can all be in the Celestial Kingdom together; we want no empty chairs. Our family brings us our greatest joys.

 Happy Anniversary to my dearest love on June 13th. 

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER - NO EMPTY CHAIRS FOR US!

THE TREE OF LIFE

Families for us are forever. We have a family motto which is: "No Empty Chairs."  We want all of our family to be together in the Celestial Kingdom; that is our goal.

I am now reading the Book of Mormon and writing in a Journal the thoughts that come into my mind. As I pondered on Lehi and Nephi's description of the Tree of Life it became apparent how very much Lehi loved his family and wanted them to come to the tree and partake of fruit. He beckoned to them; but, only Sariah, Sam and Nephi came to the tree to partake of the precious fruit. His other sons Laman and Lemuel would not come to him. I cannot imagine the pain that Lehi felt that his whole family would not come and partake. I myself want my entire family forever.
Nephi received the interpretation of the tree of life. In 1Nephi 11: 21-22 "And the angel said  unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father. Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw. And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the Love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things."
 In this dream there was an Iron Rod that was on the pathway to the Tree of Life. This Iron Rod is symbolic of the word of God; the scriptures and the words of our Prophet and the 12 Apostles of today. We desire that all of our family members stay on the path and hold on to the Iron Rod which will safely guide them to the Tree of Life.
We live in a world where the standards and pride of the world beacon to us on a daily basis. We must not fall of the path into the mist of darkness, the filthy water or step towards the large and spacious building which is the pride of the world. I feel that it is essential to keep on the  path taking moments to ponder where we are at and where we want to be. We need to evaluate those things that we do in our lives to see if they are valuable activities. Do the activities of each day reflect our testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In these last days it is going to require that we be faithful and obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must follow the Prophet President Thomas S. Monson and he will show us the way.
As I am reading and mediating on some of the recent Conference messages; I can clearly see that much of the focus was on families. I pray that all of my children will read these messages and follow the prophets. In today's world we must have family prayer, family scripture study, and family home evenings. As parents we need to study the gospel together and implement those teachings into our everyday family life. All of us should be reading the Book of Mormon daily and have our own prayers and seek to have the Holy Ghost with us at all times to protect us from both physical and spiritual danger. My desire is that my children will teach my grandchildren how to know and feel the spirit in their lives. The Spirit of the Holy Ghost along with the Iron Rod is the path and we must stay on it in order to reach the Tree of Life and partake of the precious fruit; "which is desirable above all others which will feel our souls with great Joy." My greatest Joy will be to have my family forever.

FAMILY TIME IS FOREVER TIME!!

 What is better than family time? We love having our children come for a visit. At the end of April we were blessed to have our youngest daughters family visit for a few days. They presently live in Spokane, Washington.

Back row is Dave - 2nd row Sarah and Michael -Front row Kaitlyn, Tiffani and William

Here's the Birthday celebration for our daughter Tiffani. Our Son Sean and his family came down for the party

In May we had our son Travis and Amanda with their children come down from Idaho. We had a good time with these grandchildren. Their parents took off for a couple of nights for a much needed mini vacation. Here's some awesome pictures of our grandchildren riding a horse named Harry Potter

Pictures: Ethan, age 9 - Austin, age 11 - Justice, age 14 - Ryley, age 4 - Karli, age 6 - Kason, age 2