Monkey in a Tree!

Monkey Matt in a Tree!

 

 

 

 

What is better than 9 monkeys?

How about 10!!!!

Yes, yes, yes!

Congratulations to Anthony & Katie!
(They make very cute babies)

Quote

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
-T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

Through my eyes. . .

. . .things look much different today. Death has a way of changing and challenging your beliefs, values, and faith. After seeing your husband in a casket, your eyes see things different. Your whole belief system is shaken, your whole thought process is rocked, and your view of this life is through different colored glasses. You either run to God, or run from God, but it is in that moment, standing at the casket, you really decide what you believe in.

From that day forward you are suddenly walking down, the same path, but with different perspective. There is no going back; 

the innocence is gone, 

this IS what life IS about---what happens after death.

We have one shot at our lives.  We have one shot at living it the way we BELIEVE is best. 

What happens to those who die, and what happens to those who continue to live?  How do we handle it?


I just know this:
you CANNOT love someone with your WHOLE heart,
live with them,
adapt to them,
and give them of yourself,
and then not miss them
every
single
minute
of every
single
day.

There is no getting over this grief.
There is no recovery from this hurt and pain.
This hurt is a constant reminder of how I loved him;
with my whole heart
and how he loved me;
with his whole heart.

And I BELIEVE I will see him again,
and he will hold me,
and we will NEVER be apart again!

Tolerance verses Self Destruction

Elder Russell M. Nelson:

"Tolerance is a virtue much needed in our turbulent world. But we must recognize that there is a difference between tolerance and tolerate. Your gracious tolerance for an individual does not grant him or her license to do wrong, nor does your tolerance obligate you to tolerate his or her misdeed. That distinction is fundamental to an understanding of this vital virtue."

"Now may I offer an important note of caution. An erroneous assumption could be made that if a little of something is good, a lot must be better. Not so! Overdoses of needed medication can be toxic. Boundless mercy could oppose justice. So tolerance, without limit, could lead to spineless permissiveness."

"The Lord drew boundary lines to define acceptable limits of tolerance. Danger rises when those divine limits are disobeyed. Just as parents teach little children not to run and play in the street, the Savior taught us that we need not tolerate evil. “Jesus went into the temple of God, … and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers” (Matthew 21:12; see also Mark 11:15). Though He loves the sinner, the Lord said that He “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31)."

"Real love for the sinner may compel courageous confrontation—not acquiescence! Real love does not support self-destructing behavior."

*Source:  Nelson, Elder Russell M., "What is Tolerance", April 1994 General Conference Address, LDS.org online.

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

Sometimes in life we have to protect ourselves, by drawing boundaries of what is and isn't acceptable behavior from others.  

Tolerance verses self destruction. 

Your boundaries may be different from mine.  

That is okay. 

Here is how I feel we should play:  I respect your boundaries, and I expect you to respect mine.  (If I intrude on your boundaries let me know--I cannot know where the fence line is if I can't see it!)  However if you don't respect my boundaries, then you don't respect me.

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

"Real love for the sinner may 

compel courageous confrontation—not acquiescence! 

Real love does not support self-destructing behavior." 

(Elder Russell M. Nelson*)

Devotional

Today I had the opportunity to hear Elder Brimhall speak at our CSM devotional and I have to say, I am blessed.

He is such a terrific speaker and he has such a wonderful testimony and love for family history work.  I have heard Elder Brimhall speak at RootsTech conferences and at other Family History mission meetings.

Elder Brimhall reminded us, it's about the hearts not charts.

It is such a blessing I am able to serve my mission and learn family history research and technology.  I am truly blessed.

Healing--the Yaw Marks are Gone!

I didn't realize how much better I would feel traveling down Highway 6 when the "yaw" marks were covered over! 
Who knew? 
It has always been difficult, however, it is very symbolic to have "new" pavement where my sweetheart died.

 Thank you UDOT!

 New asphalt covering the yaw marks. . .

I can almost hear him whisper, 

"it was beautiful place to die"!