Happy New Year - Auld Lang Syne by Sissel (Live).wmv

Auld Lang Syne - Sissel

Reflection of 2010

Hi..This is Rich
Enjoyed retirement this past year. Glad I bought a motorcycle the previous October and I enjoyed it a lot in 2010. I built a shed and am happy my lawn tractor and motorcycle and bicycles are stored away nice and dry. Glad Kris got to go to Seattle this year to help Shane and spend time with him. Mike graduated from Suffolk U. and started Law School in Springfield, MA, very proud of him.
Hi Family,
This is mom...at the end of the year looking back at 2010 - so many things happened in the world with the Haitian earthquake, volcanoes exploding, miners getting freed, the economic issues being so severe... I was humbled and grateful to still have a home, be warm, have our health, all our children alive and connecting with us and beautiful grandchildren living happy healthy lives. The year started out normal and we did a few projects around the house and then life hit in the fall...but I am really thankful for all that 2010 has brought. I have been able to be involved as a literacy volunteer and the homeless veterans as well and it has brought me great joy.

Hi,
Dad and I were sitting in Church listening to music - I had been struggling to keep the Spirit of Christmas with me this year. I had been non stop trying to catch up on cleaning and shopping and presents etc....it was hard even though I kept expressing gratitude to feel that love I was so used to feeling.
So I asked the question, it is your birthday, I want to remember you and give you a gift, specifically for Thee what could I give you....a thought came back to me of a woman I had known years ago, she had passed away, her son was in jail and I felt this kindred spirit asking me to visit her son in the jail. I could not handle others not knowing that someone loved them and was thinking about them...so dad and I went. We had a beautiful day and a beautiful visit, we had not seen this man in 28 years and he welcomed us as if we had been in his life the whole time.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is to connect - really connect to be real and giving, open and vulnerable and to communicate in a sincere and honest conversation and I realized that I went there to give him a gift but he gave us one.
It really is just another way of connecting with God. Merry Christmas Jesus! Where would we be without His love!

Reflection

Merry Christmas everyone!

As I reflect on Jenn's word to "wonder" I "wonder" at the contrast between Seattle and our little town of Ashburnham. Seattle had overcast skies and even though they had a tree lighting ceremony the houses and yards were bare. It was the strangest thing. There is this overcast spirit there in the winter. It really is dismal there when it rains. One has to make a conscious choice to be positive, uplifting.

As I flew into Manchester last night and looked out the airplane's window I could see the trees with the lights and the individual houses all decorated. I was amazed that you could see them from the airplane. My spirits lifted as I realized I was home... and yet sad that I left a loved one behind. I wondered if I would ever have all of the family together again. The next day was blue sky and brisk fall air...go Ashburnham...but the song says "the bluest skies you'll ever see are in Seattle" that is sooooo true when they are blue - they are dynamite.. for now I will enjoy the wonder of being home and having my husband to hug and a warm fire and soon to see children and grandchildren....Christmas trees and presents and family times together. The whole purpose is to remember the love and feel the love... I wonder how much love I can give today? Does our capacity to give more increase? What helps people to feel loved...

For today, I am thankful to come home to a warm cozy fire in the fireplace and Christmas lights twinkling on the mantle and the biggest hugs from my honeybunch!

Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?

A few weeks ago as all of you know Dad shot himself by accident. One of the tender mercies of the Lord was that he didn't die, it didn't shatter a bone, it had not penetrated an artery but had lodged in a muscle. I remembered how President Eyering had asked us to write down how we had seen the hand of God take care of our family...it comes a conference talk by President Eyering in 2007.

I was so touched that I wanted to make sure I implemented it during such a challenging time. He said, and I quote:

"When our children were very small I started to write down a few things about what happened every day...I heard in my mind - not in my own voice - these words: 'I am not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.'

I went inside. I didn't go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family....

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened....I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. .....Did God send a message just for me?

He loves us and I testify that He loves us and it brings me joy to remember Him...

Today - there is more than one, the tender mercies of the Lord was evident in that we had been looking for over a week for Matthew's diploma. We found it today. The deadline was tomorrow.

We were able to share with a sister a ladder and a meal as she went through moving during this time in her life.

I find it a tender mercy whenever I talk with any of our children and I talked with Jenn, saw Matthew today and talked with Diana...

Jaska and Eli - How precious!

Happy 6th!

Go Jonah! We love you!

Fun pictures of Abby!

It is always a priceless time to spend with family.

Thoughts!

I am in a thoughtful mood, I have talked with some of you about LOVE and we have agreed that it is difficult to describe. Words don't seem to be enough.

I feel surrounded by love and wanted to share a story I came across as I was going through church magazines. It is from the Prophets talk in 2008 called "To Learn, To Do, To Be"

Several years ago I received a letter from a longtime friend. He bore his testimony in that letter. I would like to share part of it with you tonight since it illustrates the strength of the priesthood in one who learned what he should learn, who did what he should do, and who always tried to be what he should be. I shall read excerpts of that letter from my friend Theron W. Borup, who passed away three years ago at the age of 90:

At the age of eight, when I was baptized and received the Holy Ghost, I was much impressed about being good and able to have the Holy Ghost to be a help throughout my life. I was told that the Holy Ghost associated only in good company and that when evil entered our lives, he would leave. Not knowing when I would need his promptings and guidance, I tried to so live that I would not lose this gift. On one occasion it saved my life.

During World War II, I was an engineer-gunner in a B-24 bomber fighting in the South Pacific...One day there was an announcement that the longest bombing flight ever made would be attempted to knock out an oil refinery. The promptings of the Spirit told me a I would be assigned on this flight but that I would not lose my life. At the time I was the president of the LDS group.

"The combat was ferocious as we flew over Borneo. Our plane was hit by attacking planes and soon burst into flames, and the pilot told us to prepare to jump. I went out last. We were shot at by enemy pilots as we floated down. I had trouble inflating my life raft. Bobbing up and down in the water, I began to drown and passed out. I came to momentarily and cried, "God save me!" Again I tried inflating the life raft and this time was successful. With just enough air in it to keep me afloat, I rolled over on top of it, too exhausted to move.

For three days we floated about in enemy territory with ships all about us and planes overhead. Why they couldn't see a yellow group of rafts on blue water is a mystery," he wrote. "A storm came up and waves thirty feet high almost tore our rafts apart. Three days went by with no food or water. The others asked me if I prayed. I answered that I did pray and we would indeed be rescued. That evening we saw our submarine that was there to rescue us, but it passed by. The next morning it did the same. We knew this was the last day it would be in the area. Then came the promptings of the Holy Ghost. "You have the priesthood. Command the sub to pick you up." Silently I prayed, "In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the priesthood, turn about and pick you up. Silently I prayed, 'In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the priesthood, turn about and pick us up. In a few minutes they were alongside of us. When on deck, the captain...said, "I don't know how we ever found you, for we were not even looking for you. "

I leave with you my testimony that this work in which we are engaged is true. The Lord is at the helm. That we may ever follow Him is my sincere prayer.