ANGELS AMONG US

​Yesterday we had the opportunity to listen to President Nelson, prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  There was a great peace that I felt with his message with so much turmoil and challenges going on around us.  He shared that the greatest remedy is GRATITUDE.  The positive effects of gratitude have been validated by science.  

He challenged us to use our social media over the next 7 days to be a personal gratitude journal - post everyday for the next 7 days about what we are grateful for, who we are grateful for and why we are grateful.  I have absolutely loved scrolling facebook yesterday and today and seeing so much positive and learning such great things about so many.

As I’ve pondered this I thought I would share what I’m most grateful for over the last 12 months.  It’s not that I’ve not had angels throughout my life, in fact as I’ve noticed this more this year, I’ve reflected on so many different angels in my life at different stages.  Honestly, I know that there were angels that came into my life throughout the years and they helped me as far as I would let them help me.

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​I want to share about some of the angels in my life, specifically over the last 12 months.

I’ve been blessed with a dear friend as my ministering sister.  Over the years she has been very in tune and will reach out, drop by, drop something off and I’ve always been amazed by her timing.  I know she listens to the spirit.  We’ve always been very close, but last year as Brayden started to struggle on his mission she would come over very regularly to visit with me.  I could cry, laugh, smile, be grumpy, share my frustrations - everything with her.  There was a point she was touching base with me every single day.  Over the years I’ve shared with her some of my struggles and she has watched me struggle and has encouraged me to go to counseling.  I never felt I had time to do that.  I also shared with her the promptings I had about doing a blog.  She’s always encouraged me to do it, but I’ve been very resistant.  I’m so grateful that she and I were able to go to the temple 2 days before all of the temples closed down in March.  It was truly a very spiritual experience that has gotten me through this year.

Through the process of Brayden trying to decide if he should come home there was a day I felt strongly to have our bishop come over and facetime with him on one of his P-days.  Brayden has always shared a very special bond with him.  He came over and the two of them were able to visit and he was able to feel the same spirit that we had felt with his decision to come home.  Our bishop was in regular contact with us and supported us through the process of Brayden coming home.  There was a point that alot hit in our home and the struggles had become too much.  He came over to our home and visited with Rick and I.  As we visited he could see that I was struggling, not just a little bit, but at an overwhelming level that I truly felt I was having a nervous breakdown.  It had been a hard year - not just with Brayden and his mission.  He felt inspired to ask me if I would go to counseling and he knew of a counselor that he would like me to go to.  This was the end of November, and though I was very resistant and didn’t feel there was any way, I accepted and started counseling the end of December.

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Gratitude is truly the best medicine to healing.
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​When Brayden returned home from his mission it was a difficult time for him. He struggled to talk about his mission.  He returned home on December 3rd and I wanted to give him a little something for Christmas that represented his time in Wales / England.  Of course, I had no clue.  The middle of December I timidly reached out to his trainer and asked for some suggestions.  As I reached out his trainer gave me some ideas and also took the time to ask how Brayden was doing.  I was so grateful for his kindness and willingness to share how much he loved and cared about Brayden.  I was grateful for his willingness to share experiences, give more information about things that Brayden would start to share about.  It was such a blessing to have his support as I worked through things with Brayden at home.  He was a great support and became a very important part of our family.

In April things were shifting in my life.  There were some big things happening and not realizing what I really needed the Lord did know what I needed.  In October 2016 my oldest was serving in the Seattle, Washington Mission.  There was a newly married couple that was so good to feed the missionaries and take care of them with whatever they needed.  This young couple was so good to my son as a missionary.  On New Year’s Eve 2016 I was missing Michael something terrible.  I was wishing I could know what he was doing, how he was doing.  Around 9:00 p.m. that evening I got some videos and pictures from this couple.  This was truly an answer to my prayers.

In June 2017 we were in Washington and had the opportunity to meet the Perry’s.  From the moment we met them they were family.  It truly was like spirits reconnecting.  We’ve chatted over the years, seen each other a few times, they came to Utah to surprise Michael.  When they announced they were expecting my boys were going to be uncles and Rick and I were going to be a grandpa and grandma.  We didn’t chat too often - an occasional touch base.  Leading into General Conference Lindsey and I communicated about sharing conference thoughts with each other.  Then the boys facetimed them that Sunday evening.

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​Little did I know that this time, after 4 years, there was going to be a completely different bond this time.  The Lord knew that I needed Lindsey.  Her life experiences helped her understand me.  As she and I would touch base daily, I started opening up more and more about my life.  The real things that have happened in my life.  She also had a way of saying things that I would never talk about and then she created an atmosphere for me to feel comfortable.  She has seen me at my absolute worst - which I’ve never let anyone see me at my worst.  When they came to Utah they stayed with us.  My boys were shocked!  I’ve never been too open to having people in my home - I feel very self conscious.  And then the ultimate thing happened, according to my boys, I let her come in my bedroom and we hung out and we all talked while I did my hair and makeup.  

Tylor, Lindsey and Oliver (their adorable son) have truly become a very close part of our family.  They are family.  We talk about living by each other in Heaven.  She has truly been an angel in my life and gotten me through some very difficult things.  As I’ve shared with her my experiences in preparing for this blog she believed in me, encouraged me and pointed out the miracles that surrounded the timing of starting this blog.

Of course, my boys and Rick have truly been angels in my life.  Due to the difficult things I’ve been through in my life things weren’t all that everyone thought they were in our home.  It has truly been an amazing blessing having all of us go to counseling and work through different things.  It’s so nice to sit around and talk in the same terms and the different tools we have all gained.  The Lord knew that through all of this that I would need angels outside of my home to help me balance all that has been happening this last year.  He knew that I needed angels in my life that helped prove wrong the relationship beliefs I’ve had most of my life.

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​Through the different angels in my life the Lord guided me and prepared me after 25 years to start this blog.  I finally felt that I was in a place that I could share my story and follow the Lord’s guidance to bless others lives with my experiences.  The Lord knew the angels I needed to get to this point.  The timing was right.   

Yes, I’ve been blessed with many angels in my life and many friends and those that love and support me.  The kind words, going out to lunch, supportive friends with all of my projects, the list goes on.  I do know that the Lord has blessed me with very specific angels this year that have taken my hand and led me step by step through the most difficult journey of my life.

Yes, there are angels among us and I have come to understand how much love my Heavenly Father and Savior love me and through those that are here in my life.  There is so much more love in our home.  Gratitude is truly the best medicine to healing.  I challenge each of you to look for opportunities to be an angel and to recognize the special angels in your life.

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