You can stand under my umbrella: a stow-away

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

a stow-away

I had kind of a neat experience I wanted to share with you guys.

On the way plane ride home from California, I was sitting in the row behind Franny and Bobby in a window seat next to a college-aged girl. Sophie had fallen asleep in my arm and the girl got up to use the bathroom. I was watching Sophie sleep. She looks so pretty when she's sleeping. I love to kiss her cheeks. Anyway, all of the sudden it felt like Mom's head was right next to mine watching Sophie sleep with me. Like, if I were to turn my head right then, I would see her! It was pretty cool! It lasted less than a minute. She came and went really fast- she was gone before the girl even got back to her seat. I'm glad I'm the only one with kids right now. That way all the grandma visits come our way!

Just teasing, but anyway, I was really grateful for that experience and I wanted to share it with you. We love and miss you guys so much. This morning Franny got up and this is what she said:

"Julia's at work. Maggie's sleeping. Annie's sleeping. Grandpa's basketball." It was so cute. I had to explain that you guys were home in California. Sad. We miss you.

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To Progress, mature, develop, grow
And fulfill our dearest dreams.
To come closer to God through all
We seek after these things.

The goals of life appear twofold
Material gains our desires entice.
But to put these before our spiritual needs
Seems to demanding a price.

We need to compete, to achieve, to surpass
In essence to always do well.
Accomplish everything set before us
Even more, to always excell.

We were sent here to gain a body
To make possible further progression.
That knowledge we collect while on earth
Would be our eternal possession.

If we are to keep our spirits noble
Our honesty must remain strong.
And if honesty becomes a habit
It will be easier not to do wrong.

We are keeping ourselves righteous
For the one person soon we will love.
And marry in one of the temples
For our life here and then above.

And this means though we are so friendly
We are careful with those friends we choose.
For if they influence us with evil
There's a good chance high standards we'll lose.

And the one thing we really seek after
The one thing received when we die.
The goal we live out a full life for
Our Celestial Glory on High.

Marianne 1971

Sometimes the Lord expands our vision from this point of view and this side of the veil, that we feel and seem to realize that we can look beyond the thin veil which separates us from that other sphere. If we can see, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see them from our sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties we cannot break. . . . [They] can see us better than we can see them— . . . they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever.JOSEPH F SMITH GOSPEL DOCTRINE

In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you must remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed. JEFFREY R HOLLAND