Manners, respect, and compassion - where are they?

Sometimes I wonder where manners, respect and compassion have gone....but thankfully they are still around and right here in Ft. Worth, TX, and I have had an awesome week of witnessing them in action!

The 12 and 13 yr old young women from our Church came to our home and serenaded me and presented our family with a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies! But believe it or not what I loved was that they sang two wonderful songs - "I Am a Child of God" and "As I have Loved You". It was on a day that I was so very exhausted and was in my nightgown by 7:00 pm at night. But I gladly opened the door and let the sweet music and spirit of the gift wash over me. I was not as exhausted after that. And was able to go on and complete my "mother duties" that night.

I also witnessed a loving act of compassion on Tuesday night at a meeting for our RS Meeting Committee and it was beautiful to watch and renewed my outlook on a lot of things. I would really love to share this experience but it is too personal but know that it changed me and my feelings.

Last Sunday, I watched as a mother was gathering up her baby and all the paraphernalia that goes along with leaving a meeting, get up to leave, and a man in the room got up and opened her door. Her husband was not in the room to help her and there were many other men in the room, but this man got up, held the door for her and helped her to be able to leave with more ease! And I thought, what a tribute that was to his wife and his parents, his respect for women. Of course this was not the only time I have seen him perform the role of gentleman, but it hit a chord with me this day.

I'm not sure why I was privileged to see these things and that these simple acts would strike me so, but I feel blessed to be reminded that simple things can make such a difference in someones life. That 1 person can make a difference. That Heavenly Father is always watching over us but that more times then not, his help and love comes from others around us who listen to the spirit and act upon it!

This is what it looks like when.....

This is what it looks like when.....

You break your toe Sunday night, stubbing your 2nd toe on the carpet cleaner you have in your master closet While your arms are full of folded clothes you are trying to put away!

This is what it looks like when one of your dear friends witnesses you being put down, attacked, humiliated, and embarrassed in a meeting on Sunday....... and unbelievably I was speechless, I know that is really hard to believe, because I didn't even know where to begin or how to respond.........

She comes on Monday and brings you a treat to enjoy just for yourself and tells you that she loves and appreciates you! Thanks my sweet friend M!

This is what it looks like when you have had a really hard year, frankly, but for sure the last several months, and it seems that no matter how hard you try to do and say the right thing, you are saying and doing exactly the wrong thing....so you are starting to doubt yourself and your talents and your abilities and maybe you should just never talk or try to help people again because...... even though others don't believe it, you do have feelings too........

You read the Words of Pres. Uchtdorf in a book about "The Remarkable Soul of a Woman" that your father gave you not so long ago.

And this is what it looks like when you remember what really is important in your life and the reason that you never give up and keep trying to be a better person, one that is less judging, one that is more compassionate, one that is more Christlike, and why you do try so hard to be a good example

And this is what it looks like when you remember that you are never alone......

that there is someone you can always turn to, that knows exactly what you are going through, and has made it possible for you to repent and progress and return to you Heavenly Father.

Lessons remembered

All went well with the triple bypass surgery! Yay! Dad is off of the respirator today and will be sitting up and drinking clear fluids. And if all goes well with that, hopefully he will be in a room out of ICU (Still in the Cardiac Hospital) that isn't so limiting to visits and visitors. We are very grateful and feel very blessed! Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and well wishes!

A couple of weeks ago I was asking myself and Heavenly Father, if we (Alan & I) were being too complacent, or lazy, or whatever you want to call it by still living in my parents home. Sometimes I worry about what people think, but mainly I worry what my Heavenly Father thinks - to which 2 Sunday's ago happened. If we had not been here, and my father was living in this home alone....I shutter to think what could have possibly happened. Every time I have asked this question, I have been shown one way or another that we are exactly where we are suppose to be. So, of course I then said to myself, quit asking that question, so that things will stop happening to my parents......but I also feel there is some responsibility to re-visit a question with Heavenly Father, to make sure the answer is the same, because situations change, and just because the answer was "Yes, Lois, you are living where you are supposed to be living" last year and 3 yrs ago, doesn't mean its the same for this year. But I must be honest and say that I am happy to know that we have not been slacking or being lazy, but we have been following answer to prayers.

We have also been told along with this other question, that yes, we want to and need to buy this house from my Dad, to make his transition easier and better when getting married. I know that we owe him that! There are so many foreclosures out there and houses that you could get at so much lower costs, but Alan and I know that we are to buy this home. So we are excited that we will be home owners again.

Also, 2 weeks ago, when I was so sick the night before my Dad's first heart attack, my father and husband had given me a blessing. Alan gives beautiful blessings and has the gift of healing. So I was surprised when early Sunday morning I was still so very sick and throwing up etc... (you really don't want to know the etc...) but I believe that this was also for a reason. If I had started feeling better - because of being dehydrated, so tired and worn out from being sick, I think I might have slept through the fall and maybe even if I had heard it subconsciously might have just thought it was Aileen making noise. But because I was AWAKE in a big way and had actually just gotten back in bed from another episode, I knew exactly where the bang from a fall had happened and knew it was my father and I needed to run downstairs! Immediately after my father was taken to the hospital, I immediately felt better and was able to fall asleep and get better so that I could go visit my father in the hospital on Monday! What a difference 24 hrs makes!

Another blessing is that My Dad, myself, my sister and my brother (who quite frankly is taking my dad getting remarried very hard) all have had the same impression from the Holy Ghost over the last week. We only found out that we had all had this spiritual experience when Pres. Willden, Barbara's Home teacher came up and stated it at his visit with my Dad and Barbara. Heavenly Father and my mother would have absolutely known that this was going to happen to my Dad. And before he fell in love and planned on getting married again, he was very depressed. Very Depressed! And if he would have been in that depressed state when all this happened, we all feel that my Dad probably would have said, "Well, o.k. then" and just given up. But because he has so much to live for (yes, meaning Barbara) he is willing and wants to fight through this for which I am incredibly grateful! I know I would not have liked to lose both parents in 6 months time! And I have seen a definite change in George (my baby brother)and his acceptance and understanding of Barbara and Dad getting married! Thanks Mom! We miss you and love you so very much!

Last ~ here are some pictures of Tytan having fun at the hospital visiting Grandpa! Then a picture of my brother........Yes, the acorn does not fall far from that tree......!