Three Books That Will Inspire You and make you think about your life
The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom
We only have a small amount of time to live our lives. An ancient old man, a teen age girl with an identity crisis and a businessman with a fatal disease all play out the scenarios of their lives, which at a future time intersect with one another. The history of the world is their stage. The reader is compelled to think about what time he/she has and what they value most.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pauch
A professor diagnosed with leukemia, discusses addages he learned in life from parents, teachers and others, and how he came to value love of family, take chances, step out of his “box” to enjoy life and help his students define who they want to become.
Thank You Power by Deborah Norville
Some people advise keeping a gratitude journal. Some sing, “Count Your Many Blessings.” But gratitude is much more than that. It can affect your outlook on life, help you resist illness, get a job, and make many friends. You might even become rich! Even adversity can be turned into a positive experience. Thinking about others instead of yourself can bring blessings too. You might even learn to be truly happy.
I don’t have publishers names for these books because I have already given my copies to others, but all three are listed at discount prices on www.amazon.com And most likely, you can find them at your public library.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wait...Wait....Wait
TOP 25 Waiting Rooms which cause Anxiety
Yesterday I waited for 1-1/2 hours to spend 2 minutes renewing my driver's license. I didn't count ceiling tiles but watched the TV monitor for each number in line. There were about three F numbers (firsty time?) to the R numbers and a couple of A numbers. The first one I saw was R-343. my number was R-363. I could tell it would be a long wait. Then I looked around at the people who were there. There were moms with babies in car seats, and little kids by their moms, and dads who might have been sitting in an employment office. There was one well-dress man wearing a golf shirt. Most of the people looked i n a hurry and some were studiiously studying the driver's manual with portions underlined. No open books were allowed beyond a point leading to the testing area. I was glad I didn't have to do that again. Next, I started watching shoes. It seemed like most of the moms and most of the kids and even a few men wore flip flops today. i didn't think the day was THAT hot!
So, then I made a list of other places wait that cause anxiety or at least impatience. HERE'S MY LIST:
1. Driver's license office
2. Hospital Emergency room
3. Bank home loan department
4. Dentist office
5. Doctor's office
6. Sheriff's office/Police department
7. Outside a store selling new I-pads (or I-pods)
8. Movie theater showing the next sequel to Harry Potter
9. Pawn Shop/Payday loans
10. Divorce Court
11. Bankruptcy Court
12. Child Services department
13. The Dean's office
14. Your own car when stopped by a traffic cop
15. Employment office
16. Long line at the Post Office
17. First time at an AA or NA Meeting
18. On the phone while reporting lost or stolen credit cards
19. Auditioning to sing or act
20. Funeral Home director's office.
21. Waiting for an I.R.S. Audit
22. Applying for Social Security or Disability
23. Waiting to find out what you bill will l be at the auto repair shop
24. Waiting for a Pharmacist to fill your prescription
25. Waiting behind five full baskets in line at a checkstand.
There seems to be a common thread here. A - many are run by a government agency or hold some power over you, and B - Almost all will cost money. C - Most will cause a permanent change in your life! Whatever society can do to ease tensions should be considered to make the world a nicer place to live.
What are the top 5 on your list? I'll talley them up and report.
Yesterday I waited for 1-1/2 hours to spend 2 minutes renewing my driver's license. I didn't count ceiling tiles but watched the TV monitor for each number in line. There were about three F numbers (firsty time?) to the R numbers and a couple of A numbers. The first one I saw was R-343. my number was R-363. I could tell it would be a long wait. Then I looked around at the people who were there. There were moms with babies in car seats, and little kids by their moms, and dads who might have been sitting in an employment office. There was one well-dress man wearing a golf shirt. Most of the people looked i n a hurry and some were studiiously studying the driver's manual with portions underlined. No open books were allowed beyond a point leading to the testing area. I was glad I didn't have to do that again. Next, I started watching shoes. It seemed like most of the moms and most of the kids and even a few men wore flip flops today. i didn't think the day was THAT hot!
So, then I made a list of other places wait that cause anxiety or at least impatience. HERE'S MY LIST:
1. Driver's license office
2. Hospital Emergency room
3. Bank home loan department
4. Dentist office
5. Doctor's office
6. Sheriff's office/Police department
7. Outside a store selling new I-pads (or I-pods)
8. Movie theater showing the next sequel to Harry Potter
9. Pawn Shop/Payday loans
10. Divorce Court
11. Bankruptcy Court
12. Child Services department
13. The Dean's office
14. Your own car when stopped by a traffic cop
15. Employment office
16. Long line at the Post Office
17. First time at an AA or NA Meeting
18. On the phone while reporting lost or stolen credit cards
19. Auditioning to sing or act
20. Funeral Home director's office.
21. Waiting for an I.R.S. Audit
22. Applying for Social Security or Disability
23. Waiting to find out what you bill will l be at the auto repair shop
24. Waiting for a Pharmacist to fill your prescription
25. Waiting behind five full baskets in line at a checkstand.
There seems to be a common thread here. A - many are run by a government agency or hold some power over you, and B - Almost all will cost money. C - Most will cause a permanent change in your life! Whatever society can do to ease tensions should be considered to make the world a nicer place to live.
What are the top 5 on your list? I'll talley them up and report.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
#20 How I Met and Married Merle
This episode of my life is directed to my adult children and grandchildren, with the hope that you will more fully understand how and why I married Merle. Some of you were very young and most of you were not yet born And, your spouses know only what they’ve been told second-hand.
Taylor is the only one brave enough to have asked me outright, why I got divorced. My answer to him was that “Grandpa Ben decided he didn’t want to be married to me any more, and he married Grandma June after we got divorced.”
This is to help you understand some of the rest of the story.
We (Ben and I) had been living in very tight circumstances for close to ten years, during which years most of our children were born. There was a recession, jobs and money were scarce, there were few, if any, grants available to help us get a better education, and we accumulated debts, all of which placed us both under a lot of pressure and strain. Ben worked mostly at sales commission jobs. I remember having to choose between buying a cheap pair of tennis shoes for a child who really needed them and buying a gallon of milk. I couldn’t afford both. We felt we couldn’t afford to pay tithing. This was a big mistake. We had family prayers but not family home evening or scripture reading together, because Ben worked extra jobs in the evenings. We did attend Church every week but I felt like we were putting up a “big front.”
I choose not to retell of the months leading up to the divorce, because it’s too painful, with one exception. Shortly before “the end” came, Ben became very sick and was hospitalized twice for extremely high fevers caused by hepatitis. [He says it was something else but Karen and I both caught it. We had priesthood blessings. She recovered in a week and I recovered in two weeks. Ben took much longer. The boys were given gamma-globulin shots to help prevent them from getting it. I recall the terrible stomach cramps I got each time after eating. Ben’s brother Terry said he probably had a permanent personality change from the fevers.] The “last straw” occurred when I found some pornographic magazines under our bed and I thought to myself, “I’ve got these pre-teen boys to raise, and I have to get them away from this kind of environment.” [I didn't think girls had porn problems in those days.]
We separated in February 1971. I filed for divorce shortly after. In July the court date was scheduled for about the 19th. A few weeks before that I was feeling very depressed. Late one night I was curled up in a tight ball, lying on the living room floor and crying and praying all at the same time. I told Heavenly Father that I was not meant to raise these six children alone. I asked for a person who would (1) like kids, (2) would be a Mormon or at least let me practice my religion as I chose, (3) had a stable income, and (4) would like me for myself, and not have to play silly kids’ dating games. The thought that came into my mind was that the Lord doesn’t work against his own laws, and I would have to wait until the divorce was final.
Meanwhile, my friend, Shirley Poyfair, was going out of town. She handed me a copy of our singles group newsletter and told me about a single man [Merle] in another ward, whom we should invite to the activities. She asked me to mail the newsletter to him, which I agreed to do. However, I decided to deliver it in person and went to his home. I was only at his front door for a few minutes but, seemingly left a favorable impression on him. I only weighed 117 pounds at the time, which helped. I forgot to tell him my name, so he contacted Shirley a few days later and arranged for all of us and my two oldest sons and Shirley’s two oldest sons to go to a singles family bowling activity. Merle spent the whole time teaching the boys how to bowl, and wondering which woman he would invite out to dinner. Shirley had a baby she needed to pick up at her babysitters’ so I got invited out to dinner. I think my other kids went with their dad that night.
During that dinner I learned Merle was a Latter-day Saint, an Elder but had never been to the temple. He had been divorced from Alice about two years. He was a computer programmer with a steady job. Merle learned that I would be going to court on Monday, and that I was taking my kids out to Lewisville Park that same evening to go swimming. The judge granted the uncontested divorce that day but it was not considered final until the attorney’s fee was paid on August 2nd. Merle just sort of showed up while we were eating our picnic, and endeared himself to the kids while they rough-housed in the water with him. He met all four of my criteria. The Lord’s timing was so accurate it was almost scarey. We went on more dates. When Merle told his mother he was thinking of marrying a woman with six kids, she told him, “Oh, kids have a way of growing up,” which meant he had her approval. Merle and I, each having previously been married and in the prime of life, felt a strong physical attraction, and it seemed like a logical next step for us to get married, because neither of us wanted to commit adultery. We had a whirlwind courtship and were married by Bishop Roy King on August 27, 1971 in Vancouver. I had to wait a couple of years to get a cancellation of my temple sealing, but we were sealed in the Oakland Temple on March 30, 1974. I hope I did the right thing. Ben had broken his temple covenants and that was no trivial matter.
I recognize that we should have taken more time for the kids to adjust to the new situations, and the fact that Ben had married June P. on August 16th. Merle did not counsel with his kids either. I thought that the Lord had answered my prayer so quickly and specifically, that all would work out, and I did not give the kids a chance to participate in the decision. I will say that Merle did a great job of raising my children while Ben went off and had the career he really wanted. He did not spend much time with the kids until years later, after he retired from his job as County Assessor. We were more amicable and respectful of each other after the divorce than before, and never used the kids as “spies” to get information. We did not talk down about each other in front of them. We did have “discussions” over who paid for what. Also, Merle and I did not disagree about discipline in front of the kids, but worked it out in private later on.
I believe the kids led fairly normal lives as if they were in a 2-parent family. We did not move far away so they kept their friends at school and church. Merle and I set a goal for me to work for a year to pay off the debts I incurred from the divorce [we met the goal and moved into our home on 16th Ave. In June 1972] and then I could be a stay-at-home mom. We attended church regularly, paid tithing regularly and held family prayer and family home evenings regularly. Merle was called into the bishopric. I became a Primary President. We supported the kids’ school and church activities. Merle taught them how to be good workers, which they have thanked him for many times. They have all had the opportunity to learn to love white-water rafting, a legacy passed down to the next generation as well, by Merle.
In looking back over these 40 years, I see why Satan tried so hard to break up this family. Four of my five sons went on church missions, and Merle’s two sons as well. They each married in the temple except one who died unmarried. At this time 2012, seven grandsons have also served missions and Merle and I served a couple mission. There are several more who plan to go. Two granddaughters have been married in the temple, so far. Of my sons, two have served as bishops [one later in a stake presidency, the other a high councilor] and another son has been a bishop’s councilor. I believe we will yet have more serving in leadership capacities. Most of them have college degrees, some post-graduate degrees, hold good jobs and have chosen wives who are good counterparts. They are good family men. Our two daughters are successful in their careers.
Although this seems like a success story, we’ve had some problems. Not all of the kids are active in Church. We pray for them. Mine were born in the covenant and there is a promise that they will come back in due time of the Lord. Merle’s family has been more resentful of me being their stepmother and I pray that in time their hearts will be softened. I believe I have done the best I could with the challenges I’ve been given in my life.
I love each one of you and your devotion and love for serving the Lord. We have a very special family. Each one of you has above average intelligence and gifts, are healthy, handsome or beautiful, well educated, and have meaningful jobs and church callings. You are blessed beyond measure. Please live up to your potentials so we can be together in the Celestial Kingdom. One of the attributes I’m best known for is researching and collecting family history and I want more than anything else, to have a loving and supportive family in the eternities.
Sincerely your mother and grandmother,
Lois K, March 20, 2012
I invite your feedback, especially from family members
Taylor is the only one brave enough to have asked me outright, why I got divorced. My answer to him was that “Grandpa Ben decided he didn’t want to be married to me any more, and he married Grandma June after we got divorced.”
This is to help you understand some of the rest of the story.
We (Ben and I) had been living in very tight circumstances for close to ten years, during which years most of our children were born. There was a recession, jobs and money were scarce, there were few, if any, grants available to help us get a better education, and we accumulated debts, all of which placed us both under a lot of pressure and strain. Ben worked mostly at sales commission jobs. I remember having to choose between buying a cheap pair of tennis shoes for a child who really needed them and buying a gallon of milk. I couldn’t afford both. We felt we couldn’t afford to pay tithing. This was a big mistake. We had family prayers but not family home evening or scripture reading together, because Ben worked extra jobs in the evenings. We did attend Church every week but I felt like we were putting up a “big front.”
I choose not to retell of the months leading up to the divorce, because it’s too painful, with one exception. Shortly before “the end” came, Ben became very sick and was hospitalized twice for extremely high fevers caused by hepatitis. [He says it was something else but Karen and I both caught it. We had priesthood blessings. She recovered in a week and I recovered in two weeks. Ben took much longer. The boys were given gamma-globulin shots to help prevent them from getting it. I recall the terrible stomach cramps I got each time after eating. Ben’s brother Terry said he probably had a permanent personality change from the fevers.] The “last straw” occurred when I found some pornographic magazines under our bed and I thought to myself, “I’ve got these pre-teen boys to raise, and I have to get them away from this kind of environment.” [I didn't think girls had porn problems in those days.]
We separated in February 1971. I filed for divorce shortly after. In July the court date was scheduled for about the 19th. A few weeks before that I was feeling very depressed. Late one night I was curled up in a tight ball, lying on the living room floor and crying and praying all at the same time. I told Heavenly Father that I was not meant to raise these six children alone. I asked for a person who would (1) like kids, (2) would be a Mormon or at least let me practice my religion as I chose, (3) had a stable income, and (4) would like me for myself, and not have to play silly kids’ dating games. The thought that came into my mind was that the Lord doesn’t work against his own laws, and I would have to wait until the divorce was final.
Meanwhile, my friend, Shirley Poyfair, was going out of town. She handed me a copy of our singles group newsletter and told me about a single man [Merle] in another ward, whom we should invite to the activities. She asked me to mail the newsletter to him, which I agreed to do. However, I decided to deliver it in person and went to his home. I was only at his front door for a few minutes but, seemingly left a favorable impression on him. I only weighed 117 pounds at the time, which helped. I forgot to tell him my name, so he contacted Shirley a few days later and arranged for all of us and my two oldest sons and Shirley’s two oldest sons to go to a singles family bowling activity. Merle spent the whole time teaching the boys how to bowl, and wondering which woman he would invite out to dinner. Shirley had a baby she needed to pick up at her babysitters’ so I got invited out to dinner. I think my other kids went with their dad that night.
During that dinner I learned Merle was a Latter-day Saint, an Elder but had never been to the temple. He had been divorced from Alice about two years. He was a computer programmer with a steady job. Merle learned that I would be going to court on Monday, and that I was taking my kids out to Lewisville Park that same evening to go swimming. The judge granted the uncontested divorce that day but it was not considered final until the attorney’s fee was paid on August 2nd. Merle just sort of showed up while we were eating our picnic, and endeared himself to the kids while they rough-housed in the water with him. He met all four of my criteria. The Lord’s timing was so accurate it was almost scarey. We went on more dates. When Merle told his mother he was thinking of marrying a woman with six kids, she told him, “Oh, kids have a way of growing up,” which meant he had her approval. Merle and I, each having previously been married and in the prime of life, felt a strong physical attraction, and it seemed like a logical next step for us to get married, because neither of us wanted to commit adultery. We had a whirlwind courtship and were married by Bishop Roy King on August 27, 1971 in Vancouver. I had to wait a couple of years to get a cancellation of my temple sealing, but we were sealed in the Oakland Temple on March 30, 1974. I hope I did the right thing. Ben had broken his temple covenants and that was no trivial matter.
I recognize that we should have taken more time for the kids to adjust to the new situations, and the fact that Ben had married June P. on August 16th. Merle did not counsel with his kids either. I thought that the Lord had answered my prayer so quickly and specifically, that all would work out, and I did not give the kids a chance to participate in the decision. I will say that Merle did a great job of raising my children while Ben went off and had the career he really wanted. He did not spend much time with the kids until years later, after he retired from his job as County Assessor. We were more amicable and respectful of each other after the divorce than before, and never used the kids as “spies” to get information. We did not talk down about each other in front of them. We did have “discussions” over who paid for what. Also, Merle and I did not disagree about discipline in front of the kids, but worked it out in private later on.
I believe the kids led fairly normal lives as if they were in a 2-parent family. We did not move far away so they kept their friends at school and church. Merle and I set a goal for me to work for a year to pay off the debts I incurred from the divorce [we met the goal and moved into our home on 16th Ave. In June 1972] and then I could be a stay-at-home mom. We attended church regularly, paid tithing regularly and held family prayer and family home evenings regularly. Merle was called into the bishopric. I became a Primary President. We supported the kids’ school and church activities. Merle taught them how to be good workers, which they have thanked him for many times. They have all had the opportunity to learn to love white-water rafting, a legacy passed down to the next generation as well, by Merle.
In looking back over these 40 years, I see why Satan tried so hard to break up this family. Four of my five sons went on church missions, and Merle’s two sons as well. They each married in the temple except one who died unmarried. At this time 2012, seven grandsons have also served missions and Merle and I served a couple mission. There are several more who plan to go. Two granddaughters have been married in the temple, so far. Of my sons, two have served as bishops [one later in a stake presidency, the other a high councilor] and another son has been a bishop’s councilor. I believe we will yet have more serving in leadership capacities. Most of them have college degrees, some post-graduate degrees, hold good jobs and have chosen wives who are good counterparts. They are good family men. Our two daughters are successful in their careers.
Although this seems like a success story, we’ve had some problems. Not all of the kids are active in Church. We pray for them. Mine were born in the covenant and there is a promise that they will come back in due time of the Lord. Merle’s family has been more resentful of me being their stepmother and I pray that in time their hearts will be softened. I believe I have done the best I could with the challenges I’ve been given in my life.
I love each one of you and your devotion and love for serving the Lord. We have a very special family. Each one of you has above average intelligence and gifts, are healthy, handsome or beautiful, well educated, and have meaningful jobs and church callings. You are blessed beyond measure. Please live up to your potentials so we can be together in the Celestial Kingdom. One of the attributes I’m best known for is researching and collecting family history and I want more than anything else, to have a loving and supportive family in the eternities.
Sincerely your mother and grandmother,
Lois K, March 20, 2012
I invite your feedback, especially from family members
Saturday, April 14, 2012
#19 - Miracles in Arizona and Vancouver
#19 - Miracles in Arizona and Vancouver
We went to Arizona in January 2010 with the intention of buying a house because prices were low and also interest rates. We wanted more sunshine in our lives. It rained a lot while we were there and we didn’t find anything that interested us. So, early in March, my husband flew back down. We decided we wanted a double-wide manufactured home in a gated park, for security reasons. We wanted to spend about $50,000 and had received a home equity line of credit approval before he went to Arizona. We preferred it to be in the valley west of Phoenix. Merle only had about four days to look.
Our son Mike, and his family live at Buckeye, so they helped Merle look. The first day he looked they found a good prospect on Craigslist, which they went to see. It had 4-bedrooms and everything we wanted, and then some–even an orange tree! (A tender mercy). It’s price was $55,000 and Merle bargained it down to $50,000. Everything fell into place and we knew we had a purpose in going to Arizona. We just didn’t know we’d have to wait awhile before we could get there. We had hoped to go down there for the first time by October 2010 but we had to wait until late January 2011 until our surgeries had healed enough to be able to drive for three days.
Our surgeries? Yes! In June 2010, I broke my ankle on Father’s Day. It was just three days before Merle was scheduled to have back surgery and he was suffering in tremendous pain. Before my surgery that night, my son David and stepson Kurt, gave me a priesthood blessing. He blessed me to heal quickly. During the five weeks I spent at the care center the therapists kept warning me not to put any weight on that foot, but sometimes I just couldn’t help not balancing on it. My prayers were “please don’t let me do anything to reinjure my ankle.” The doctors said I might have to have a second surgery because a tendon on the other side of my leg was out of place. Their time table was always four months ahead for me. I didn’t realize until after I was healed that the blessing was true. I heard about another woman who broke her ankle the previous November and she was in bed about six months because her leg wouldn’t heal. Finally in June her doctor told her a leg heals faster with a little stress, so he had her get up and start putting some weight on it. I actually had my cast and boot off before she did, though my injury came seven months after hers.
While I was at a care center for the next five weeks, I kept thinking about all the things I couldn’t do and going home to a makeshift bedroom in my dining room. I was at the mercy of others for my basic needs, and afraid I might need a second surgery, and worried about Merle’s recovery too. Four months seemed like an eternity. One night I felt especially depressed. I prayed to the Lord for comfort. I wanted to see my deceased mother or at least an angel, but nothing came. At seven o’clock the next morning, my son Mike called. He was just wondering how I was. He is the most spiritually in-tune of my children, so the quickest to respond to the promptings of the Spirit. We talked for over an hour. I felt like he was an answer to that prayer.
We both healed and went to Arizona in January 2011. We spent 3-1/2 months in Arizona and returned again in the fall of 2011. This time we stayed for six months. When we were set apart for our mission to Toronto in 2000, we were set apart to serve for 18 months, but due to my health problems we actually served about 12 or 13 months, so I felt we owed the Lord another six months. When we went to Arizona in October 2011 we put ourselves on a service mission by volunteering our services at Deseret Industries. We worked there two mornings a week (or 8 hours a week, the same as called service missionaries serve). Our time there was greatly appreciated, and we were richly blessed.
We went to Arizona in January 2010 with the intention of buying a house because prices were low and also interest rates. We wanted more sunshine in our lives. It rained a lot while we were there and we didn’t find anything that interested us. So, early in March, my husband flew back down. We decided we wanted a double-wide manufactured home in a gated park, for security reasons. We wanted to spend about $50,000 and had received a home equity line of credit approval before he went to Arizona. We preferred it to be in the valley west of Phoenix. Merle only had about four days to look.
Our son Mike, and his family live at Buckeye, so they helped Merle look. The first day he looked they found a good prospect on Craigslist, which they went to see. It had 4-bedrooms and everything we wanted, and then some–even an orange tree! (A tender mercy). It’s price was $55,000 and Merle bargained it down to $50,000. Everything fell into place and we knew we had a purpose in going to Arizona. We just didn’t know we’d have to wait awhile before we could get there. We had hoped to go down there for the first time by October 2010 but we had to wait until late January 2011 until our surgeries had healed enough to be able to drive for three days.
Our surgeries? Yes! In June 2010, I broke my ankle on Father’s Day. It was just three days before Merle was scheduled to have back surgery and he was suffering in tremendous pain. Before my surgery that night, my son David and stepson Kurt, gave me a priesthood blessing. He blessed me to heal quickly. During the five weeks I spent at the care center the therapists kept warning me not to put any weight on that foot, but sometimes I just couldn’t help not balancing on it. My prayers were “please don’t let me do anything to reinjure my ankle.” The doctors said I might have to have a second surgery because a tendon on the other side of my leg was out of place. Their time table was always four months ahead for me. I didn’t realize until after I was healed that the blessing was true. I heard about another woman who broke her ankle the previous November and she was in bed about six months because her leg wouldn’t heal. Finally in June her doctor told her a leg heals faster with a little stress, so he had her get up and start putting some weight on it. I actually had my cast and boot off before she did, though my injury came seven months after hers.
While I was at a care center for the next five weeks, I kept thinking about all the things I couldn’t do and going home to a makeshift bedroom in my dining room. I was at the mercy of others for my basic needs, and afraid I might need a second surgery, and worried about Merle’s recovery too. Four months seemed like an eternity. One night I felt especially depressed. I prayed to the Lord for comfort. I wanted to see my deceased mother or at least an angel, but nothing came. At seven o’clock the next morning, my son Mike called. He was just wondering how I was. He is the most spiritually in-tune of my children, so the quickest to respond to the promptings of the Spirit. We talked for over an hour. I felt like he was an answer to that prayer.
We both healed and went to Arizona in January 2011. We spent 3-1/2 months in Arizona and returned again in the fall of 2011. This time we stayed for six months. When we were set apart for our mission to Toronto in 2000, we were set apart to serve for 18 months, but due to my health problems we actually served about 12 or 13 months, so I felt we owed the Lord another six months. When we went to Arizona in October 2011 we put ourselves on a service mission by volunteering our services at Deseret Industries. We worked there two mornings a week (or 8 hours a week, the same as called service missionaries serve). Our time there was greatly appreciated, and we were richly blessed.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
#18 - Choosing My Counselors
LDSW #18 - Choosing My Counselors
Several years ago I was called to be a Primary President. My first assignment was to select two counselors and a Secretary to form our presidency. I had a pretty good idea of who I wanted to fill the positions but I followed the advice given to me by my bishop. I put before me a list of all the women in our ward. Then I knelt down and prayed for guidance. I would specifically pray about each name on the list and then “listen” to see if I felt any promptings either for or against each name. I did not get a confirmation about either of the women I thought I wanted to choose. I got a confirmation about a third person, but I was having a hard time getting the other counselor. I had left out the name of the former First Counselor because I didn’t think I could work with her, and really didn’t want to be counseled by a person who had served in the previous presidency. But, when I placed her name before the Lord I received both in my heart and my mind that she was the one I should call, which I did.
In the next three months the two women I had wanted to call in the first place had both moved out of the ward, and the person I called as a counselor proved to be a very valuable assistant to me.
Several years ago I was called to be a Primary President. My first assignment was to select two counselors and a Secretary to form our presidency. I had a pretty good idea of who I wanted to fill the positions but I followed the advice given to me by my bishop. I put before me a list of all the women in our ward. Then I knelt down and prayed for guidance. I would specifically pray about each name on the list and then “listen” to see if I felt any promptings either for or against each name. I did not get a confirmation about either of the women I thought I wanted to choose. I got a confirmation about a third person, but I was having a hard time getting the other counselor. I had left out the name of the former First Counselor because I didn’t think I could work with her, and really didn’t want to be counseled by a person who had served in the previous presidency. But, when I placed her name before the Lord I received both in my heart and my mind that she was the one I should call, which I did.
In the next three months the two women I had wanted to call in the first place had both moved out of the ward, and the person I called as a counselor proved to be a very valuable assistant to me.
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