SETH'S PROM ATTIRE
April 2015
We definitely had a tender mercy from the Lord regarding Seth's Prom attire! He wasn't real excited about the prospect of spending $100-$200 on renting a tux for the night but knew he needed to have something a little more "dressy" than just his Sunday shirt and tie. We knew Lizzi's dress was tan and navy and so we had called the tuxedo rental shop here in town and asked if they carried tan suits/tux's (since we felt that would be the color that would look the best). After they confirmed that they did, Seth and I (mom) headed into town to get get measured. On the way there, Seth brought up again how he didn't like having to spend so much money for just a few hours and suggested that we look for a vest and tie at the mall (and even if he spent the same $100, that at least he'd be able to keep it). So we decided to hit a few stores first to check things out and if we weren't successful, then we'd still go hit the Tux rental place. As we got closer into town, I got the impression that we should (just for kicks) check out the thrift shops to see if there happened to be any suits that might work and Seth agreed. So we were heading to the one that I felt would be our best chance but then had another thought that we should stop at the Salvation Army first (honestly, I wasn't even going to go there since that one is usually pretty junky and we were on a tight time line)... but the feeling/thought was persistent and so we pulled into the Salvation Army and guess what!? We found the awesome 3 piece suit (that he is wearing in all of the prom pictures above) in his exact size... in the exact color we were wanting and that fit him perfectly! Best of all... the price tag of $8!!! We also found the exact navy blue colored tie that we needed there for $1! So for under $10 we had him pretty much completely outfitted! He then got a navy dress shirt for Easter and he was good to go!! I told Seth that I felt that it was because he pays an honest tithing of 10% of all he earns to the Lord that He blessed Seth in finding exactly what he wanted for a fraction of the price! That suit couldn't have been any more perfect and looked incredible against Lizzi's dress (in fact, I had several people comment to me about how sharp Seth looked and how perfectly he matched her! Even Lizzi's mom texted me and wrote that we had "hit it out of the ballpark" regarding Seth's suit). I whole heatedly believe the scripture that promises that the "Windows of Heaven will be opened and there won't be enough room to receive" all of the blessing Heavenly Father has in store for us when we pay our tithing. He has given us so much - in fact, our very lives and all he asks from us is for us to give back 1/10 of what he has blessed us with! I'm proud of Seth (and August, too!) who both have testimonies at this young age about paying tithes and offerings that they do so willingly on their own :)
WHY TO RECORD TENDER MERCIES
May 2015
In one of our morning devotionals we talked about how we really need to be recording the tender mercies (or times when we can see the Lords hand in our daily lives) for two reasons: (1) It makes us more AWARE of the Lord and all that He does for us and (2) It is good for us to be able to go back (especially in times of doubt or sorrow) and see/read about these tender mercies. I told the kids that is why I include a "Spiritually Speaking" each week with our blog entry - so that we can reflect on blessings and help from the Lord over the week. We then thought it'd be fun to pull out one of the printed blog books and read a random Spiritually Speaking. We read an entry from the Spring of 2013 about how I had a direct answer to prayer when trying to call a new counselor when I was serving as the YW President. It really was incredible at how directly my prayer was answered and the kids and I enjoyed hearing about this experience. It really helped to solidify how important this section of our family history is (both to us AND to our posterity!).
JUST IN TIME!
June 2015
We had a pretty big "Tender Mercy" from the Lord! Nathan had recently sat on Ben's glasses, and while they weren't broken into pieces, they were significantly bent and wouldn't sit on Ben's face very well. I figured that our warranty had just barely expired and so was trying to make them work for a little bit longer before taking Ben in for a new pair. Well, on last Tuesday I just kept having this persistent feeling to call the Eye Doctors and to order my contacts (I was waiting for our next paycheck to order them) but the feeling would NOT go away! Finally, after not being able to focus on anything else I decided I'd better follow the promptings and call the Eye Doctor. After ordering my contacts (which to my great surprise only came to $18 after Insurance!) I felt very strongly that I should have them check on when Ben's eyeglasses warranty expired (and explained that I thought it had already passed, but that I'd really appreciate if they'd double check for me). You can imagine my surprise when she came back on the line telling me that his warranty was still in effect and would expire THE NEXT DAY!! Needless to say, Ben and I hurried down and after they took a look at them, they agreed that he'd need a new set of frames and that the lenses looked pretty scratched so they ordered new lenses as well! I felt soooo grateful that I listened to the promptings that I had been given and was able to get a whole new set of glasses for Ben!
FINANCIAL BLESSINGS!
November 2015
We had not one, BUT TWO financial tender mercies this week (actually both were within a 12 hour period of each other)...
#1) My (mom's) phone accidentally got dropped into water and after letting it soak in dry rice for 3 days - it was obvious that it wasn't going to function properly. So after discussing it, I decided that the $100 deductible to get it replaced would just be part of my Christmas. I was sure surprised when I started the claim process and found out that the deductible was actually $200 for the iPhone 6+! What!? I didn't want to pay that much - especially right before the holidays! So I talked it over with dad and we decided that I'd just use his personal cell phone (while he used his work cell) for the next few months. Not ideal - but better than the alternative of paying $200! That night before I headed to bed, I checked my email and saw a new message from a former photography client of mine. Upon reading it, I saw that he was wanting me to do some photo editing for him and... the final bill would be close to covering the $200 deductible (and the remaining balance was something we could do!)... I immediately felt so blessed and knew that it was indeed a tender mercy from Heaven!
And
#2) Our 2014 Vogt History Blog book is quite large (435+ pages long!) and I have been so worried of the spine breaking ever since we received it that we haven't looked at it much. Well, the kids were looking through it and showing their friends some of the entries and just as I was afraid of - the spine broke! It was a sad day for me. However, I figured this would be a good excuse to get it reprinted into 2 volumes (each spanning 6 months) so that the number of pages would be more manageable and we could actually enjoy them without fear of damage. Well, it just so happened that I then received a coupon for 25% off any order with my printing company and decided that now would be as good a time as any! So last week I submitted my order with the 2 new books and have been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Well, when I mentioned my "good fortune" of the 25% off coupon to dad and how I was able to get both books for $200 he wondered why I hadn't just contacted the company first to see if they had a guarantee on their workmanship. Duh! Why hadn't I thought of that first!? I didn't feel too hopeful (since almost a week had gone by since I had placed my new order) but figured it couldn't hurt so I contacted them and... Refunded all of my money and have since shipped the two new books! I was so happy! The best part is that $200 can now be used to pay the Septic bill (which again, I wasn't thrilled to budget for around the holidays!)
Oh, and
#3) As I was typing above, it hit me that another (financial) tender mercy is that non of us have had to do ANY dental work this year AND I haven't had to take any of the kids to the doctor this entire year! What a savings that is right there!!
The scriptures tell us that when we pay our tithing that the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it! I know we overlook a lot of the tender mercies and blessing in our daily lives (which is a big reason why I think the "Spiritually Speaking" section of the blog is so important - it helps me to stop and reflect upon the week and to really see the Lords hand in our life!) and the blessing from paying tithing can be in other ways (not just necessarily financial) but here are some definite examples of the windows of heaven being opened upon us!
TWO SUITS
Feb 2016
About 3 weeks ago, I (mom) was getting ready to go grocery shopping at Walmart. I was in the shower washing my hair when a very distinct thought came to me that said "You need to go to the thrift store TODAY! There is a suit waiting for you." I sort of brushed it off thinking that I didn't have time and needed to just get to Walmart and back as quick as I could (plus, I thought it was just my own thoughts because I love shopping at the thrift stores and hadn't been in a while)... So I somewhat ignore it when the thought comes even more urgently - "You HAVE to get the the thrift store right NOW!" At this point, I realize that this is certainly an impression from the Lord and so hurry and get ready and head towards the thrift store (we have 4 thrift stores in town and I didn't know which one to go to, so made a route and hit the first one). I went straight to where the men's suits are and.. nothing. So I head to the next one - and go straight back to the mens suits where I find TWO suits in what appears to be Seth's size! (side note: one of the suits was missing the pants but the tag said that it was a 2 piece suit so I start praying my heart out asking for help to find the missing pants... within about 2 minutes I had found them hanging on a rack by themself!). Like I said, I was fairly confident that they'd fit Seth but I wasn't 100% positive but figured if they didn't fit him, I would come across someone who needed them since the impression was SO strong about getting them. They each had a price tag of $19.99 and I was thrilled! I was even more thrilled when I realized that they were 75% off and so I got them for $4.99 each!!! Say what!? So I get home and casually ask Seth to try on one of the suits. He does, and... it fit beautifully!!!!! I then shared with him how the Lord is so very aware of him and how he'd inspired me to go get these suits that were in his exact size and just waiting for us to purchase them (they'd obviously been at the thrift store for quite some time since they were 75% off!). He looked so sharp in it and he ended up wearing one of them to church that week to get a "real world" feel for it! Truly so handsome! Now, both of the suits were the same size (according to their tag) but one of them was just a bit bigger (not much - but it did look a tiny bit big on him) so for fun, I had Ben try it on and... it fit him and so he's been wearing that one to church and looking snazzy! It just made me feel so very much loved and a testimony builder of how aware the Lord really is of us and our needs! He knew there was a suit in the boy's EXACT size at the thrift store and told me to go get them! How awesome is that!?
DEPARTING MINOT
March 2016
We have certainly felt Heaven's hand in our life this week with the
final departure out of Minot! Things honestly went so smoothly and well
and we feel so grateful for that! The movers that were assigned to us
were wonderful and they were so quick and proficient! Things went will
with the house inspection and we received our full deposit back! Also,
we knew that August needed to sell his car before leaving and after
advertising it on the internet - it was sold to the first person that
came to look at it just hours after posting it! Our friends took care of
us and fed us and we just feel so blessed with how smooth it all went!
Now... if we just had a place secured in Billings - then we'd all be
set! :)
MORE SUITS!
May 2016
I think there are a lot of times in our lives that we don't necessarily "see" or realize how prevalent the hand of the Lord is in our day to day living! While these past two weeks haven't necessarily had heart stopping experiences - we have had several incidences that when I look back on, I can see that we have been watched over! For instance:
* Ben has been wanting to get a new suit (the one he's been using doesn't quite fit him, but he is adamant that he wear a suit each Sunday) so off to the thrift store we went and... found one IDENTICAL to the one he's been wearing but in his correct size! Price: $5 and in perfect condition!
* While at the thrift store found another new-looking 3 piece "Modern Fit" suit in Seth's size and picked it up for just $9! We also found a sharp looking suit for August for a few bucks!!
* While Seth was weed eating the yard, he stepped on a board that had a nail protruding. The nail went through his shoe and IN BETWEEN his toes and he walked away injury free!
A NEW BEDLINER
Jan 2017
A sweet tender mercy happened: Dad has wanted to have a bed-liner for his truck (these run roughly $800). The auto body shop that has been working on repairing his truck called this week and asked if he'd like a bed liner and they could give him a super good deal at $300. As much as he would have liked this, he declined and thanked them for offering such a great deal (but kept dreaming how awesome it would be to have one!). The shop called back a day or so later and said that they had figured out a way that he could have the bed liner for FREE!!!! We felt totally blessed!
THE BACKUP PAIR
March 2017
A tender mercy happened this week to Ben. We can't get him into the eye doctor for a new prescription (and new glasses since Wiley chewed up his last pair again) for 2 more weeks, so he has been going without seeing real clearly for about 6 days... he was downstairs and said he got the feeling/thought that his backup pair of glasses were in a specific bucket. He immediately went to the bucket and reached his hand in only to pull out the spare pare of glasses!! What a blessing! He remembered to say and prayer and thank Heavenly Father for inspiring him on where to find them
BSU SCORE!
Feb 2011
Nothing feels quite like the thrill of a great deal - and I attribute all of my awesome deals to Blessings from the Lord! Dad recently "felt the thrill" when called me up and said "so, is this what it feels like when you score on a big sale!?"
He had gotten notice that the BSU Bookstore was having a blowout sale on their Bronco Gear - Including Football Jerseys originally priced at $80 for $15!!
He called to see if he could pick up some gear for the family... how could we resist with a sale like that!?
As you can see from the photo, he really brought home the loot!!
The total price WOULD HAVE been $415!!! We paid: $60 (plus tax).
He was able to pick up multiple items for everyone in the family!!
Now THAT'S what I call a deal and a BLESSING!
SUIT TIME AT THE GOODWILL
May 2017
That's right... another SUIT TIME at the GOODWILL!! Ben was in desperate need of a new suit that fits him. I had looked last week for Easter but didn't see any... This week, on the way to the Temple I had the feeling that I should just run into the Goodwill and check to see if they had any and so that's just what I did (see, now since this wasn't out of my "comfort zone" I easily listened on the first prompting! haha) So I head back to the suit section and... there were SIX suits in his size! I bought them all with the intention that I'd have him try them on and take back the ones that he didn't like or that didn't fit right.... Honestly he looked great in FOUR of them and for the insane prices on them - we only took back 2 and kept the other 4! There was a Blue one for $3.99, a Gray one for $5.99 a Black one for $5.99 and an AWESOME brown one for $7.99 - so for like $24 he now has four new suits! (plus he is kind of rough on his clothing and so we figured we'd have some backups!)..I also picked up a few new ties that were really sweet for a few bucks! (pictured below is him in the brown suit along with one of the new ties)...He sure looks handsome!
PIONEER DAY ACTIVITY
July 2017
As was mentioned earlier - I was put in charge of the Ward Pioneer Activity.Originally I felt stressed and overwhelm by the idea, but with dad's help, I put a plan together that was approved by the Bishop. After that, something miraculous occurred - I wasn't stressed about it another moment! I made out the assignments, ordered the food, worked on the games and decorations and even on the day of - I felt totally calm and like I was just going to enjoy the event (not be in charge of it!)! I kept waiting for that "feeling" of stress and anxiety to hit me but it never did! I have NEVER put on something where I didn't overly stress about it! That night as I was saying my nightly prayers, I expressed my gratitude to Heavenly Father for helping me feel completely calm and non-stressed. That's when a very distinct thought came into my mind about how that was a direct blessing from having Seth serve a Mission! My heart was so touched by that and it made me want to be more mindful and on the look-out for the blessings that are (and will be) given to us because of his sacrifice and service!
Another thing we have seen the Lords hand in - is our house!! The tenants were having a very hard time finding a new rental to move into. Our property manager was helping them and even asked me to write a letter of recommendation to help them in their quest. I was also feeling anxious to have them hurry and get out so we could get our house on the market before the end of the summer! So on Fast Sunday (July 2nd), we fasted that they would be able to find a new home and quickly move out. The following day we received their full month rental payment for July, and new they still hadn't found a place - but we still kept praying! Well... 7 short days later, I got a message from our Property Manager saying that they had found a place and would be turning over keys the following week on July 17th!! We felt soooo grateful that our prayers had been answered so quickly! Now the plan is to have it totally repainted , and spruced up by the end of the month so we can have it on the market! And the next set of prayers will be that it moves quickly and at a great price!!
DECEMBER 2016 BLESSINGS
Dec 2016
Things that we are super grateful for the past few weeks...
* Dad wasn't seriously injured in the car accident! Things could have been much worse and are thankful they weren't
* August has been car-less for the past 3 weeks! He then got a quote for the repairs and it was too expensive to invest the amount they quoted. Then the auto shop billed him $200 for diagnosing it (which he was able to get down to $150) but still that's a lot of money for doing NOTHING! The Tender Mercy was that after talking to the manager, they got the truck running and only charged him $120 plus the promise of a food donation to their church. He was so very thrilled and attributed the miracle to him paying his tithing! We agree! I also reminded him that blessings will come to us from the Missionary service that Seth is freely giving and felt this was one of those.
* Winter Travel is always stressful - but for us all to be kept safe and to have (mostly) dry roads for both legs of the trip was a blessing!! Especially considering that within hours of leaving AND returning home, large amounts of snow fell in Billings and the surrounding areas!
* Being able to Skype with Seth! Seth was concerned about the weather impacting his ability to connect to the internet (he said it was raining really hard there and that usually causes the internet to go out). Mom prayed fervently that all would work out - and it did!! We had a good connection and minimal freezing!
CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS
Dec 2017
What a marvelous month to look back upon our blessings - the Tender Mercies from the Lord, and really take notice at how much He blesses us (even with tiny things that we often just take for granted!) Some of those blessings that came to us this month were:
* Great weather and dry roads for mom and the kids as they drove to and from Nebraska
* Decent weather for John (since he left earlier than originally planned to beat the snow!) and made it safely without incident!
* Both vehicles having no troubles and being reliable (and starting without issue is -20 weather!)
* August being hired on at 2 places and having schedules work out
* Everything being kept well at our home in MT as we were away
* Technology to be able to talk and video chat with Seth! It was a beautiful time for our family to hear all about his Mission and how things are going there.
* The ability to all be together for Christmas! There's just something so magical when the house is bustling with so much family! Excitement is in the air and you can't help but just be so happy! It was really wonderful to be with grandma and grandpa, JR, Lori and their kids and Jared, Hope and their kids! We were certainly busting at the seams, but what a way to be!
* Finding amazing deals on the gifts we were going to buy! Seriously good deals! For instance, grandma and I had been out with the girls shopping for their Christmas dresses and store after store we just weren't finding what we loved. We then decided to head over to JC Penny and off by itself we saw one (very small) clearance rack. There just happened to be 2 beautiful dresses on this rack... that just happened to be in the exact 2 sizes we needed for the girls... that just happened to fit perfectly! Originally priced at $78, we were able to purchase them for $9! Not only that, but the little cream sweater shrugs were there (also in the exact size we needed) marked down to $2 from $38 and then...at another store we just happened to find new dress shoes (the style that we liked best) and they were the only ones marked down to $9! Again, in the exact sizes we needed! So Head to toe Christmas Dresses for $20! Talk about blessings! This scenario happened over and over and we were able to get such wonderful things for a fraction of the price! I have a firm testimony that this is a direct blessing from paying a full 10% tithe each month. When we give faithfully to the Lord, he makes the rest of our money go so much further! So much that there "won't be room enough to receive it" as the scriptures teach us.
It was also wonderful a wonderful time to focus on the Savior. We started the month out great by following the church's "Light The World" campaign (that gives a scripture each day of the month leading up to Christmas along with ideas and suggestions of things we can do/acts of service to Light the World for others). We wrote letters to friends and family, we made sure to smile at people when we were out, we helped those in need (lent a portable heater to a friend who's heat wasn't working properly along with gifts for her kids for Christmas) and gave to those less fortunate (like when the boys decided to give the single mom the rest of the Batman toys!) Since we sort of lost the momentum during the month (ooops!) I have thought that this would be something wonderful to actually do each month during 2018. Why must we wait until December to try and Light the World with our good works? I know this will bring us closer to Christ all throughout the year (plus it's all laid out for us and such a easy thing to incorporate!)
TWO MONTHS PAID
Feb 2018
Another thing I wanted to share is how mindful Heavenly Father is of us! He knows our thoughts, feelings and desires and is there to help us! So with that introduction, we had a BIG Tender Mercy and Blessing AND an answer to prayer! So we have been fiercely attacking all of our debt (3 Student Loans, 2 Vehicle Loans, Medical bills, a pretty hefty Personal Loan from when we sold our home last year and the costs that were associated with that, multiple insurance deductibles and then lets be honest - some of it is from just busting the monthly budget (biggest culprits being the food and fuel categories!) Anyway, our goal is to be 100% debt free within 2 years (which is a really aggressive goal seeing as all of that adds up to over $95K!!) In fact, the math says it can't be done in that short of a time, but I FEEL it in my heart that it WILL happen! Heavenly Father will provide a way and things will happen for this righteous desire to become a reality (like some big bonuses for John would help this move along quite quickly!) So last Sunday (Fast Sunday) I was specifically Fasting that we could be Financially Self-Reliant as quick as possible and for me to not obsess about it and to find balance (since I was fixating on the budget entirely too much and fretting about every cent coming in and going out and didn't have balance with all of my other commitments). So as I'm fasting about this we had some Divine Intervention happen at church! The Bishop came up to John and told him that there was some excess in the Ward Missionary Fund and they were going to pay for 1 month of Seth's Mission!!! John profusely thanked him and expressed how we're working really hard at getting out of debt and this was so appreciated! The Bishop then said, I feel impressed to have the Ward pay for TWO months of Seth's Mission (which actually is more like 2.5 months for us since Grandma and Grandpa Carlson generously contribute $100/month to Seth's Mission!) That evening as I was pondering about my Fast and praying, the distinct thought came to me that this was a direct answer to my prayers and a way that Heavenly Father was saying "I'm aware of you. I'm aware of your desires. Rely on me. Put your Faith in me. We can do this goal together!" What a beautiful experience! I felt so loved and known by Heavenly Father! So while I don't know exactly how we'll reach this lofty goal in the next 24 months, I have complete Faith that more experiences like this will happen during our journey to becoming Debt Free and Financially Self Reliant! In fact, the very next day we got a surprise $120 for John to take to Mexico to cover any expenses and tips that he might incur on his trip. We had already budgeted in some money for him to take and so I was able to throw all of that at our debt! Woohoo - another Tender Mercy!!
A DIVERTED TREE
April 2018
Another Tender Mercy is that we had a huge storm come through with super high winds that ended up blowing down 3 trees throughout the property (ok, that part is not the tender mercy! haha). One tree fell along the river in the backyard, another on the side yard and then one next to the drive way which *should* have fallen DIRECTLY onto dad's truck but somehow bent and went around the back bumper and didn't leave a scratch! We feel tremendously blessed about that one!
REMEMBERING THE MONTH OF MARCH
March 2018
We were also recipient to multiple other blessings throughout the month, like finding things that were lost, having an amazing Bishop, finding groceries on sale, having a knowledgeable and willing friend to help dad on replacing the engine in Josephina! and having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost - what a blessing that is! Seriously! Grandpa Carlson called me up recently and asked how I was doing and I could only answer that everything was GREAT! I felt happy, peace, joy and LOVED by Heavenly Father!
Closing thoughts from Dad: I have also been so humbled and grateful by the love that the Lord has shown us and how mindful he is of our needs. We have seen direct answers to prayers and so many blessings. We are so grateful for the new path that August is on. The Lord blesses us as we strive to get out of debt and ultimately make it down to Nicaragua and he is mindful of our needs. We are excited for the prospect of moving back home to Idaho for the next few years and all of the new adventures that await us. God is Good!
BLESSINGS DURING APRIL
April 2018
So many Tender Mercies have been bestowed upon us this past month! Seriously, so very many!! Things that some may not see as the hand of the Lord, we give complete and total credit to Him! Some examples:
* Grandma Carlson being able to fly out last minute to help us load, clean and move to Idaho! I seriously don't know how I would have gotten everything done without her! She made this stressful time be fun and kept things in perspective for us. Before she left, we were able to get the main floor all unpacked (and mostly put away!) plus did shopping for some CUTE DECOR and got our pantry stocked!! oh, and don't forget getting new summer clothes for the kids too! Wowie!!
* All vehicles making it perfectly to Idaho
* No issues with the UHauls or trailers!
* The Laurel Ward all coming together on Wednesday night (including the YM and YW) and by the time they left, the house was all packed up and most of the cleaning and yard work was done! wow! it was certainly a whirlwind of people for about 2 hours and then... silence! haha
* the 25 people from the new Nampa 11th Ward that showed up bright and early on a Saturday morning to help us unload! We even got our entire kitchen unpacked before the last one left!
* Being welcomed so warmly into our new ward... Mom was already invited to her first "Girl's Night" and Ben had his first game night with boys from the Ward!
* Finding such an incredible and beautiful home to move into - all while being under budget to put more towards debt!
* No major injuries occurred from all of the heavy lifting and moving! Granted we have sore backs and muscles but nothing that "put us out!"
* Seth being kept safe during all of the disturbances over in Managua
THE MIRACLE IN AUGUST'S LIFE
June 2018
Dear Old Dad here -
It's amazing how with persistence, faith, and patience - The Lord works miracles. One huge miracle is how much August's life has changed in the last four months. He has gone from dating a non-member girl for five years who wanted nothing to do with the Church, didn't support him going on a mission to being engaged to a righteous, worthy daughter of our Heavenly Father with plans to serve a mission before they are sealed for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord.
When August made the decision to move to Nebraska to live with Joey and Pam, we really felt like there might be amazing things in store for him. I began to fast and pray that he would meet a beautiful, righteous girl who would aggressively pursue him because I knew that was what it would take to pry him out of the hands of Cami. I prayed for this for nearly a year.
Enter McKendra Dinkel who stole his heart and has been a wonderful girlfriend to him. We are so grateful and for the change she has brought to his life.
A big part of August's patriarchal blessing discusses his mission. A mission that up until now, has seemed like it would go unfulfilled. This has saddened us because we have seen that there are so many blessings that Heavenly Father has in store for August and that so many of them are predicated upon his willingness to serve a mission and sacrifice two years of his life to serve the Lord and his brothers and sisters in the mission field. We knew that August could still be happy without serving a mission but we knew there was so much more for out there for him if he did. Every time I have laid my hands upon his head to give him a blessing - whether it was a baby blessing, a Father's blessing, or an ordination to an office in the Priesthood - I have had the direct impression from Heavenly Father that big things had been planned for August since the pre-existence that The Lord had planned on August being a leader in His Church. I don't know exactly what that entails but ,my patriarchal blessing has stated that there would be those among my children who would hold positions of high honor in the Church.
August and McKendra flew out on June 5th, were engaged on June 7th, and had decided to both serve missions on June 9th. Our heads are just spinning with how much things have changed for our beloved son in just a few short months. I know that the Lord has a plan for each one of us. If we will remain true and faithful and will follow His plan, miracles will happen.
SAVED ON HIGH ADVENTURE
July 2018
Written by Ben...So, this week I had the opportunity to go on High Adventure, and lemme tell ya. . . It was EXHAUSTING!!!!! we climbed two mountains, but I'm not here to tell you all about high adventure, I'm here to tell you about the experience I had coming on the way down from one of the mountains.
Let me start off by saying that it was extremely steep, and the whole way down was made up of lose rocks and dirt, and I was honestly ready to throw in the towel- thing was, I couldn't. I had four more miles to the bottom.
It was down on of the most steepest declines of the whole area when I lost my footing and and fell forward. It was an eight to ten foot drop, and at the bottom, a bunch of jagged rocks that were sure to bash my entire skull in.
My thoughts were scrabbled during the processes, It was going by in such a blur, and my momentum was going to hurl me off to my certain fate (or at very least, a broken face and other snapped bones). I was preparing for the fall when something grabbed me by the backpack and threw me backwards onto the forest floor.
I was shocked. . . I was alive, and not even injured. I looked over at my Bishop who was staring at me in shock- we both knew that I was saved by an angel.
I quickly stood up, and without question, said a prayer of thanks, for I knew that my Heavenly Father had saved me.
For the rest of the way down, I had a few more times where I should've been seriously injured or killed, but was somehow saved last second. While nearing the bottom, I had personal revelation that those who ministered unto me and saved my life were my future children, and I am eternally grateful for the safety they and our Heavenly Father gave me.
CONTINUED BLESSINGS
September 2018
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