A few good things

another "favorite" picture

First, I'm a broken record, but thank you so much for your emails, comments, phone calls, gifts(thanks Mike and Jess, Andrea, Tami, Joy), cards, etc. I guess my cry for help--if that's what it was--was heard. I've been a mess and your thoughts and prayers have been felt and appreciated.
Second, if anyone had the opportunity to watch/listen to General Conference this past weekend, I have two words--You're Welcome. I take full credit, you see. Obviously, the wonderful talks and topics were meant for my ears. I'm glad I could share my personal--tailor-made for me-- conference talks with the rest of the world.
These are some of the things I heard:
From President Monson--(I'm paraphrasing) We need to focus on not what is missing from our lives, but be grateful for our abundance--We need to adapt to the changes in our lives and find joy in the journey.
From Elder Anderson--"You don't know everything, but you know enough.... Faith is not only a feeling, it is a decision"
From Elder Uchtdorf--"The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness...Hope encourages and inspires us to trust in the Lord" and "No matter how bleak the chapter of our lives may look today, because of the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ we may hope and be assured that the ending of the book of our lives will exceed our grandest expecatations.... Hope sustains us through despair."
From Elder Wirthlin--"The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss...That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way....Every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.
From Elder Holland--In times of special need, God sends angels, seen and unseen...God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face...
Elder Cook--"the contrast of sweet and bitter is essential until the end of life....The atonement of Christ covers all of the trials and hardships that we encounter in this life."



To their testimonies I feel a need to add my own--something I don't do often enough. I don't mean to preach--but I figure I've shared part of the bitter, and so I need to balence it a bit. Though at times, my sorrow and grief threatens to destroy me, I have never felt alone. I have a loving Father in Heaven who hears and answers my prayers--who has brought me comfort during my darkest nights. My sorrow and sadness has never been without hope, never turned into despair. I have never questioned my faith, nor have I felt anger towards God or anyone. Although I don't understand all the "reasons" for this trial in my life, I am content that there is One who does. I am grateful to have a Savior who overcame sin and death for me. I am grateful for the knowledge that I will see my son again, and I can have the opportunity to hold him again--and to raise him...and run my fingers through his hair and kiss his chubby cheeks and to teach him about all the things that I have learned. I am grateful that I can have my entire family together--forever--that I will one day feel this loss no more.

I have had many special experiences these past months. Many too special to share. They have sustained me through the hardest days.
I count this past General Conference as the most memorable of my life. I am grateful for the strength it gave me.
This is sounding like a talk or something--and I don't mean for it to--but I have one more quote to share that I've recently read from Jeffrey R. Holland
"It is imperative to remember He is right there with us as He has ALWAYS been. When we weep, He and the angels of heaven weep with us..when suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we have been in our entire lives. Bad days come to an end. Faith always triumphs. Heavenly promises are always kept." Jeffrey R. Holland

It's perfect isn't it? Do you think it will help me tomorrow?

Thanks for listening--