Introducing ...

our handsome son Jim. Thank you so much to a special MC angel who helped me make it possible to post this photograph.

Just Wondering

I sent an e-mail message to two of my blogging friends with an attached PDF scan of a photograph of our son Jim. I haven't heard back as to whether or not they were able to view the attachment. I would have posted the photograph here on my blog, but I cannot attach PDF scans.

I'm hoping my friends were able to view the photograph of Jim. He is such a handsome young man.

"The Tongue of Angels"

"The Responsible Woman" by James C. Christensen
[An artist best known for painting imaginative art which brings out the child in all of us.]

Do you speak with the "tongue of angels"? Are your "words, like your deeds, filled with faith and hope and charity?"

I was visiting the blog Modern Molly Mormon and came upon a reference to a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at General Conference in April 2007. Elder Holland's talk is titled "The Tongue of Angels."

I will admit that I definitely fall short of speaking with the "tongue of angels." That is often made painfully clear to me when my son asks: "What's mom angry at now?"

How easy it is to let loose with hurtful words, especially when we're stressed out. Elder Holland had this to say:

The voice that bears profound testimony, utters fervent prayer, and sings the hymns of Zion can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process.

I think back to words that were spoken to me that wounded my spirit. Words like: "You're fat. You're stupid. No one likes you." I cringe now to know that I too am guilty of not thinking before speaking.

I reflect on how many times I lost patience with my son and used a harsh voice with him. Has my son forgiven me? I believe he has, especially when I hear him say to me: "I love you mom."

I will strive to think before speaking any hurtful words. It won't be easy. These words of Elder Holland are so true:

In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.

I will strive to remember this:

Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.

Peace and Love, Kalola

Do You Remember? (Part 1)

Do you remember? If you do, identify what you remember by number.

1.




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5.






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8.












If you don't remember the young woman or any of the items, that's okay.

More Prayers

When will I wake up from this nightmare? Not only am I grieving over what happened to my husband today, but I just learned that a blogging friend is missing. I was checking on Kathleen at her blog so grateful to be mormon where I read this post:

October 29, 2008

This is aleese , kathleen’s daughter if anyone knows anything please contact her family we’re worried sick looking for her everywhere she’s been missing 4 days. . please if anyoen knows anything or has any information. We’ve tried so much calling the police and making a missing person statement callign anyone we can think of but no one seems to know anything. her cell number is (907) ***-**** she hasn’t picked up her phone for everyone but it’s still on that i’m sure because it rings so i know it must be charging bc it wld be dead by now if it weren’t. Her family all of us miss her terriably we’ve contacted the church they’re helping too, I love my mom and i need her this is killing me my dad and my sister for teh first time in my life i saw my dad break down in tears, i’ve cried so much adn now i can’t feel anything i jsut want to knw my mom is ok. we just want to know she’s safe, she’s been having a terriable time with her job and she didn’t want to go on monday, adn she never made it. we dont really know what else to do but we’re not giving up, the 3 of us r stickign together.

I then read these posts on the blog of one of Kathleen’s many friends:

October 30, 2008
I know a few of you visited her blog so I thought I would post this here. Kathleen at So Grateful to be Mormon is missing. No, this is not a joke. Her older daughter called me yesterday to ask if I had heard from her in the last three days. She never showed up for work on Monday. The last I heard was a phone call on Sunday night that I couldn't answer and she didn't leave a message. If anyone has heard from her at all or who knows her whereabouts please speak up. Her family is very worried. They have notified the authorities and called everyone they can think of. She hasn't answered any calls. We'd all just like to know she is okay. Please say a little prayer for this sweet mother that she is comforted and will find her way to safety and home. Thank you.

October 31, 2008
I just called Kathleen's and she said they found her truck. She had been pulled over earlier Monday morning by a state trooper because she hit a guard rail but she explained she was sleepy and he let her go. Her truck was found by the water up somewhere I can't remember but somewhere she wouldn't normally go alone. Her stuff was in the car, phone too, but she and the keys were gone. The other side of her truck was pretty banged up and the mirror missing but nowhere around. They have no idea if she hit something or if someone hit her or if it was just vandalized. They did a search and rescue and didn't come up with anything. The police said it would take a few months for her remains to show up if she went into the inlet and there could still be foul play involved. They don't know anything for sure though and of course she could still be okay. They impounded the truck to look for more clues. She said they are running a story on it tonight on ABC in Alaska channel 13 if you want to look for it- I haven't looked yet. I pray she is safe and they can find her. Her Dad doesn't want her on the internet much because she does not know all of us (understandably!!). So- that is what I know as of right now. I know the family is not doing well at all and could still use our continued prayers.

My heart is aching for Kathleen’s husband and daughters. I, too, pray that Kathleen is safe and that she will be found. Kathleen has been there for me many times. So many people love her.


Praying for Kathleen

Need Your Prayers [Please Read]

It happened again ... my DH was assaulted/mugged. He went out this morning (around 6:00 a.m.) to go to the store. On his way home, he was mugged. The thugs slugged him in the face several times and punched him in the stomach. One of the thugs held their hand over my husband's mouth so he couldn't cry out. They stole his house keys and car key from the pocket of his pants and the canvas bag he was carrying that held his wallet, coin purse, eyeglasses and the newspaper and cleanser he had purchased. His wallet contained credit cards and $20. The thugs also stole the garage door opener, so it looks like we'll have to have a new garage door opener installed.

When DH returned home, he had to bang on the window where our bedroom is located to get my attention.

I immediately called the police so DH could file a report. Since DH's face was bruised and bloody and his stomach hurt, I told him he needed to go to the emergency room. I would have taken him myself, but one of us needed to be at home because of the stolen house keys. One of our neighbors, who is a pastor, is taking DH to the hospital.

I called a locksmith to come and rekey our locks. I will have to figure out what to do about the car key since it's one of those keys with a chip. I imagine I'll have to go to a Ford dealership.

I'm trying to remember if there was anything in DH's wallet with our address. I don't think so because DH did not renew his driver's license and that was not in his wallet. His social security card was not in his wallet.

I've already called one of the credit card companies to report the card stolen. I just have to pull myself together to try to remember what other cards were in his wallet.

I'm trying desperately to hold myself together. It is so painful to know there are such evil people in our neighborhood. I know if I start crying, I won't be able to stop.

Please remember us in your prayers.

~~~

The pastor just came by (it’s 9:00 a.m.) to tell me that DH is still at the hospital. He told me it does not look like DH will require any stiches on his face. He will be having a CT scan of his stomach. The pastor told me that DH will be at the hospital for at least two hours. It hurts so much that I am not there with DH. If DH is not home by the time the locksmith has come and gone, I will head over to the hospital.

Feeling Mighty Old

I am feeling mighty old today. I realize I am so much older than the majority of people who blog and/or participate at message boards. I don't know what, if anything, I have in common with people in cyberspace, or what people in cyberspace have in common with me. I just get the feeling that I could disappear and no one would notice.

The younger generation seem to have a much easier time developing close ties through social networking over the Internet. I have, to a very limited extent. What saddens me is how I seem to be the one to initiate e-mails. Rarely does anyone I've "met" on-line send me an e-mail unless I've sent one to them.

Where, if any place, do I fit in?

Obviously I'm in one of my cranky moods today.

Is this a generational issue, or is it just my odd perception?

Jesus is Coming for Dinner

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. “Hey lady, can you help us?”

Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags “Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kind of hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it.”

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”

“Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.”

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. “Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.”
She handed the man her grocery bag. “Thank you lady. Thank you very much!”

“Yes, thank you!” It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. “You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady! Thank you very much!”

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

“That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.”

She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.