In the middle of the night, Matthew's panic-stricken voice rent the air. "MOMMY! MOMMY!" Leaping out of bed and brushing away mental cobwebs of sleep, I ran through the dark house to his room. He was sobbing and clambered into my arms, crying for comfort. He was gasping loudly for air and shaking. I thought at first it was a night terror, the occasional midnight episodes that have plagued this boy for years. He coughed the sharp barking sounds of a croupy cough and I noticed his loud wheezing with each breath. I realized he was sick and needed medicine.
Wrapping my arms around his shaking frame, I carried him downstairs to the kitchen so I could minister soothing medicine. When I turned on the light, I noticed his lips were tinted blue, revealing a dangerous lack of oxygen in his blood. His breathing was extremely labored and he was gasping for air, and I felt myself suddenly wide awake, starring at a medical emergency. My son couldn't breathe! I tried to look in his throat to access the problem, but my attempt only prompted the words, "Mommy help me! I feel like I'll die! Help! Please help!!" The realization of his words sent a cold fear through my body.
The depth of his situation fully upon me, I frantically searched through my bottles of medicine, searching for something--anything-- to ease his suffering. I didn't know what medicine to give him! Was it an allergic reaction or mucus or something else? How could I guess what medicines would sooth him? Should I call an ambulance? Would an ambulance even arrive before it was too late? Was my son battling for his life before my eyes? My heart wrenched at the thought!
I needed to act now, but was unsure of what exactly his ailment was. I felt a searing panic and helplessness before hearing the answer clearly whispered in my heart: "God knows all things, and He knows your situation. Turn to Him now in your need. Go quickly!"
Scooping Matthew's tormented body into my arms, I raced upstairs as quickly as I could. I burst into my room with my precious cargo, saying loudly, "Nathan! Matthew needs a priesthood blessing NOW!" Nathan was immediately awake. Matthew's labored breathing shook his body and he was full of fear and panic while he fought for each precious breath of air. Nathan's hands quickly were placed firmly on Matthew's head and a powerful blessing of comfort, healing, and peace was pronounced.
Midway through the blessing, Matthew changed. He became tranquil and relaxed, breathing slowly and steadily. Peace replaced the previous panic and fear. He relaxed in my arms and calmly listened to the rest of the prayer. Hot tears of relief and joy coursed down my cheeks as I felt him relax. My sweet child would be okay! Nathan closed the prayer and minutes later Matthew feel back asleep.
I've born my testimony many times at church of the true power of God's priesthood and the miracles I've witnessed through His power. I feel like I need to share this one here. I'm so thankful for God's gift of healing my son! I had a cabinet full of medicine, but it was no help for me tonight. I had no idea what to do to help him and ease his suffering, but the Lord knew. The severity of the situation would easily induce panic, but I felt the Spirit calm my troubled heart and bring to my mind the most potent and fast-acting medicine that would work in our emergency: the Lord's power to heal and work miracles.
I am so incredibly thankful to my husband for the priesthood power he holds and the righteous way he honors that sacred power. I am so thankful that he lives according to God's teachings, so he is worthy to call upon the power of the priesthood at any time of day or night. This gift is one I hold most precious! The peace of knowing we can call upon the priesthood in our hour of need is absolutely priceless! I am humbled to know that God loves His children enough to bless us with such power to comfort.
There are those who contend that the age of miracles ceased long ago, and I humbly- yet soundly- refute their blindness. God does work miracles today. I know he cares for us and knows each of our concerns. I know Christ lives and His power to heal is real, whether it be healing broken bodies or broken spirits. I do not doubt the reality of His power, for it's been manifested abundantly to me throughout my life. The Spirit burning in my bosom testifies to the truthfulness of Christ's gospel and His intense love for each of us. I'm so indebted to Him and I hope in all that I do, to serve Him with my might, mind, and strength!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Let's not have a repeat please
My day today....
Start off the day by completely emptying and reorganizing 2 large and cluttered closets. Then take all the 72 hour kits for a family of 5 out of the closets and completely empty them and update the contents. Try to keep all the emergency supplies organized while the boys keep stealing flashlights to play with each time I look away. Downsize the clutter throughout much of the house and make boxes of stuff to give away. Not so bad so far, right?....After 4 hours of this work add:
Go to the farm supply store and buy 18 new chicks for the new flock (try simultaneously selecting healthy chicks and pay attention to a toddler with an explorer's sense of adventure...good luck with that one!) and get them home safely. Build their home in the pasture and make it safe, then realize they can't live outside now with the current heat wave. Darn. Plan 2, make a home in the cooler garage for the now thirsty and hungry babies. Do this while 3 human 'babies' are begging nonstop for their turn to hold the chicks and tugging on my arms. Okaaay...
Find out that someone opened the yard gate and Bella the dog ran away. Run frantically through the house calling her, hoping she's still miraculously inside. Nope. Go to the streets after praying that the children will be safe at home for a (hopefully) few minutes while I find the dog. Run through the park with the leash calling for her....nothing anywhere. Pray in the heart that she didn't get hit by a car on the two major roads near our house. Find her across said major street playing with some kids. Call her, but she doesn't come to me. Instead she runs across the street right in front of speeding cars and sits on the front step waiting for me to dash across the street and join her. Okay my heart, stop racing in fear.
Make arrangements to pick up the stake wheat grinder so I can grind 100 pounds of wheat into flour tomorrow. Pack up the hungry children and snacks in the van and make the 30 minute drive to another town to get the grinder. Add pouring rain and 3 severe car accidents along the way, sprinkle in a healthy dose of intense lightning all around us and 3 kids now parched and thirsty, but keep in mind there are no stores along the route, so there's no supply for water. Anywhere. Add the two high-pitched voices asking for water over and over and over (where's the third voice? Asleep on the back bench of the van, not buckled. There's no way I'm pulling to the side of this street to buckle him myself, we'd be a prime target for out-of-control cars) So I pray that he'll be safer there than he would if I stopped in this traffic. We finally reach the destination. Success? No. The house is empty. They forgot I was coming, even though on the phone I had told her I was leaving immediately and would be there within the hour. I can't afford to make the long drive AGAIN tomorrow, so I stubbornly decide to wait in the van in the pouring rain until they come home. After exhausting my supply of stories and playing a DVD of a 1970's Little House of Prairie rerun, I finally agree with Matthew that they really aren't coming back. Sigh. Drive home in the still-pouring rain and pass 3 more accidents on one road. Make it home and dash through the rain to our home.
Go check on the chicks to make sure they've settled in well enough. Open the garage door to..surPRISE, surPRISE! All 18 chicks are running loose in the garage. The home I gave them had a hole I didn't discover until, well...now. Grit my teeth and try to catch the tiny bodies, which are rapidly scattering in all directions and peeping in terror. Grovel on the garage floor reaching under shelves, work benches, and around food containers, tying to grab the fragile bodies firmly enough so they can't wriggle away, but gently enough so I don't break bones. It's amazing how fast they can run with those tiny legs! The last chick is ALWAYS the hardest one to catch. Now they're finally safely away, go inside to find Daniel eating the food out of the 72 hour kits that have been freshly stocked. Erg!
Call my husband at work (who is working late tonight until who knows when---he certainly doesn't) and try to vent to a sympathetic ear, but the children are all tugging on my clothing saying plaintively, "MomI'mhungry, MomI'mhungry, MomI'lmhungry!" Okay, it's late, I've been too busy making freezer dinners for the school year ahead that I haven't thought about TONIGHT'S dinner. Oatmeal it is. Unfortunately the children are all (coincidentally) going through growth spurts, so they eat voraciously every 2 hours. I'm not kidding. Yesterday I fed them straight wheat trying to keep their tummies full longer than a couple hours, but they still are famished like clockwork. I've been feeding them pure protien...chicken, beans, wheat berries, etc. and they still are hungry. So now we go through the kitchen adding more food to the meal they had, in which they already ate more than I could in a single sitting. (On the other hand, I really AM truly grateful that they're all healthy and strong and growing well, I just have to remind myself of this once in a while. Especially when they're so hungry so often.)
I'm ready to laugh at the next issue that arises. I fully expect the roof to start leaking, the toilet to overflow or lightning to strike my house. I'm watching and the anticipation is building. I'm actually feeling a touch of excitement mixing with the fatigue...what will the next adventure be? I'm completely ready to laugh in its face. I think.
I just found out there's a midweek church activity tonight, and for once I'm not even interested in going. I just want to curl up in bed with a great book. Please, PLEASE let's have a less adventurous day tomorrow!!
Start off the day by completely emptying and reorganizing 2 large and cluttered closets. Then take all the 72 hour kits for a family of 5 out of the closets and completely empty them and update the contents. Try to keep all the emergency supplies organized while the boys keep stealing flashlights to play with each time I look away. Downsize the clutter throughout much of the house and make boxes of stuff to give away. Not so bad so far, right?....After 4 hours of this work add:
Go to the farm supply store and buy 18 new chicks for the new flock (try simultaneously selecting healthy chicks and pay attention to a toddler with an explorer's sense of adventure...good luck with that one!) and get them home safely. Build their home in the pasture and make it safe, then realize they can't live outside now with the current heat wave. Darn. Plan 2, make a home in the cooler garage for the now thirsty and hungry babies. Do this while 3 human 'babies' are begging nonstop for their turn to hold the chicks and tugging on my arms. Okaaay...
Find out that someone opened the yard gate and Bella the dog ran away. Run frantically through the house calling her, hoping she's still miraculously inside. Nope. Go to the streets after praying that the children will be safe at home for a (hopefully) few minutes while I find the dog. Run through the park with the leash calling for her....nothing anywhere. Pray in the heart that she didn't get hit by a car on the two major roads near our house. Find her across said major street playing with some kids. Call her, but she doesn't come to me. Instead she runs across the street right in front of speeding cars and sits on the front step waiting for me to dash across the street and join her. Okay my heart, stop racing in fear.
Make arrangements to pick up the stake wheat grinder so I can grind 100 pounds of wheat into flour tomorrow. Pack up the hungry children and snacks in the van and make the 30 minute drive to another town to get the grinder. Add pouring rain and 3 severe car accidents along the way, sprinkle in a healthy dose of intense lightning all around us and 3 kids now parched and thirsty, but keep in mind there are no stores along the route, so there's no supply for water. Anywhere. Add the two high-pitched voices asking for water over and over and over (where's the third voice? Asleep on the back bench of the van, not buckled. There's no way I'm pulling to the side of this street to buckle him myself, we'd be a prime target for out-of-control cars) So I pray that he'll be safer there than he would if I stopped in this traffic. We finally reach the destination. Success? No. The house is empty. They forgot I was coming, even though on the phone I had told her I was leaving immediately and would be there within the hour. I can't afford to make the long drive AGAIN tomorrow, so I stubbornly decide to wait in the van in the pouring rain until they come home. After exhausting my supply of stories and playing a DVD of a 1970's Little House of Prairie rerun, I finally agree with Matthew that they really aren't coming back. Sigh. Drive home in the still-pouring rain and pass 3 more accidents on one road. Make it home and dash through the rain to our home.
Go check on the chicks to make sure they've settled in well enough. Open the garage door to..surPRISE, surPRISE! All 18 chicks are running loose in the garage. The home I gave them had a hole I didn't discover until, well...now. Grit my teeth and try to catch the tiny bodies, which are rapidly scattering in all directions and peeping in terror. Grovel on the garage floor reaching under shelves, work benches, and around food containers, tying to grab the fragile bodies firmly enough so they can't wriggle away, but gently enough so I don't break bones. It's amazing how fast they can run with those tiny legs! The last chick is ALWAYS the hardest one to catch. Now they're finally safely away, go inside to find Daniel eating the food out of the 72 hour kits that have been freshly stocked. Erg!
Call my husband at work (who is working late tonight until who knows when---he certainly doesn't) and try to vent to a sympathetic ear, but the children are all tugging on my clothing saying plaintively, "MomI'mhungry, MomI'mhungry, MomI'lmhungry!" Okay, it's late, I've been too busy making freezer dinners for the school year ahead that I haven't thought about TONIGHT'S dinner. Oatmeal it is. Unfortunately the children are all (coincidentally) going through growth spurts, so they eat voraciously every 2 hours. I'm not kidding. Yesterday I fed them straight wheat trying to keep their tummies full longer than a couple hours, but they still are famished like clockwork. I've been feeding them pure protien...chicken, beans, wheat berries, etc. and they still are hungry. So now we go through the kitchen adding more food to the meal they had, in which they already ate more than I could in a single sitting. (On the other hand, I really AM truly grateful that they're all healthy and strong and growing well, I just have to remind myself of this once in a while. Especially when they're so hungry so often.)
I'm ready to laugh at the next issue that arises. I fully expect the roof to start leaking, the toilet to overflow or lightning to strike my house. I'm watching and the anticipation is building. I'm actually feeling a touch of excitement mixing with the fatigue...what will the next adventure be? I'm completely ready to laugh in its face. I think.
I just found out there's a midweek church activity tonight, and for once I'm not even interested in going. I just want to curl up in bed with a great book. Please, PLEASE let's have a less adventurous day tomorrow!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Carlsbad, New Mexico
You can't tell much scale in the picture, but the cave entrance is far behind us. It's large enough for a plane to fly through. The floor of the cave holds the enormous rocks that caved in, leaving behind the opening. Those rocks are bigger than my house!Our children looking into the cave entrance. It's amost overwhelming.
One of the beautiful views inside the caves. The huge scale in the cave always makes me feel like a teeny ant. It's simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. It brings to mind the words of Moses regarding the nothingness of man. I truly feel like a tiny dot, inconsequential in the physical universe. But then I recall the words of Apostle Neal A Maxwell, that when we contemplate the incomprehensible longevity of the stars in the night sky, we should keep in mind that they are not immortal. Stars will eventually die, but I am an immortal creation. I am more important than the grandest star. It gives me chills.
The cave trail was a couple miles long and we hiked for 3 hours straight. The children were such troopers and Nathan carried both boys at the same time when they were exhausted. Poor Daniel fell asleep in Nate's arms before we reached the end! He missed out on the best parts! We loved seeing the formations that looked like fairy towns and goblin castles...it was all so beautiful!A 5-generation picture with Great Grandma Jean. She's our children's Great-great-grandma. Incredible, isn't it? We had a delightful time visiting them and it was such fun meeting Great-Aunt Carol for the first time.
This is Great-Aunt Carol's dog. We felt immediate affinity to the sweet girl. She's a Great Pyrenees...no wonder we felt such friendship!
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