Ordination Day.

Yesterday was Ordination Day for Sam.  Sam turned 12 on Saturday, so the next day he was ordained a Deacon.  The Bishop came to our home and we took care of business.

Here's the family.

Sam with Abbie and Poppy.

Sam with Grandma and Grandpa.

Sam celebrating the day!

Congratulation Sam.  We love you and are grateful that you are worthy to hold the priesthood and perform sacred ordinances on Sunday!

Family Home Evening Activity.

For FHE tonight I put this game together that I found on another blog.  You take tape-I took frog tape and masking tape-and then lots of candy-whatever candy makes the kiddos smile.  Then you take something like one of those plastic Easter eggs and put a prize in it.  Then you start with the filled egg and start taping, adding candy to the tape as you go.  I traded between the two tape types (say that 10 times fast) to mix it up.  Then let it sit on the table in your bedroom for a few days.

Suspense....

Tonight was Isaac's turn to teach the lesson.  He talked about prayer and that Heavenly Father will always answer your prayers, but it might be in a different way and might not even happen right away.  He did an awesome job.  Pay no attention to the dust on the floor.  It's summer.  I'm off duty.

Then it was game time.  So you need a pair of dice.  And the person to the left of the person with the ball rolls the dice while the ball person undoes tape and takes candy.  When the dice person rolls a double, the un-taping stops and the ball goes to the roller and the dice goes to the person on their left.  Got it?  You keep going until it's all unwrapped.  We had a blast.  It actually took a while to get the whole thing unwrapped, too.

Isaac undid the egg and got the dollar bill inside.

Sam complained that he could have gotten the dollar bill if Isaac hadn't grabbed the egg out of his hand.  So, understanding the little value given to the American dollar bill at the moment, each kid got a buck!

Candy!!  And tape!!  And excitement!!

Yum yum.

Our game was a success and is something we'll have to do again. 

Ummm...

When this sugar rush is over.

Opportunity.

At a Robotics 4-H night, the lead 4-H gal said there were boxes of thousands of these wood pieces.  She suggested we all take some.  So...  I did

Here are the pieces I took.  Lots of squares and some large and small rectangles.

So what does one do with all these wood pieces??

Here's what I did.  I bought some paint, some sponge brushes and some mod podge. 

Then I got some nice paper and printed "Pray for Opportunity then Listen".

I painted several square pieces with some paint.  Except for the middle.  Didn't want to waste the paint!

Then I mod podged the paper onto the wood.  Here is the finished product.

And here's the purpose. 

I am a ward missionary.  I'm not excited about it at all! In the handbook it says the ward missionaries should go into the members' homes and invite them to have a missionary experience.  So Christine, my companion, and I decided to pray each month for active families in the ward to visit and invite.  We invite them to pray for a missionary opportunity.  Then we invite them to listen to the promptings of the spirit.  Then we give them this little reminder.

Aren't we awesome?!  Seriously~ I love this calling.  We are visiting active members and less active members. We are also doing new member discussions.  We have only 18 months in this calling and I hope to make each moment count. 

If you are in my ward and would like a visit, please let me know.  We would love to come!

Looking Forward.

On Monday night, after watching the bombs explode over and over a few dozen times, and hearing the stories of those who lost limbs or life, I sat down with Isaac to talk.  He was sitting on my bed watching the news.  I could see he was thinking through it all and worried.  We talked about living in the Last Days and that, while we are waiting for Christ to come, we are going to see a lot of destruction and sorrow.  We may even experience some destruction and, we are no strangers to sorrow. 

Uncle Clark was running the marathon.  He had finished the race some 30 minutes before the bombs went off.  He was fine.  We also just recently had a cousin, Dilon, who was in a motorcycle accident.  At first he only lost some toes.  Then he lost his leg.  He is recovering and hopeful.  We got to visit him and see pictures and ask questions. 

We live in perilous times.  So Isaac and I talked about living righteously every day.  No matter what happens to us or around us or anywhere or to anyone else in the world, we know that if we are living righteously we will be okay.  It doesn't mean we will not suffer.  It doesn't mean we won't die.  But it also doesn't mean we sit in our house and board up the windows and hope nothing happens to us.  We live.  We choose the right.  We laugh.  We pray.  We look forward with a perfect brightness of hope.  We look foward to when Christ will come again.

20 Years Later.

20 years ago I was serving a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was stateside and Spanish speaking. It was the best of both mission worlds. I was in my own country, able to get my diabetes care, and because I was Spanish speaking, I was able to teach and work with people from Mexico, Central America and South America. My first area was awesomely incredible. The work was moving, I was working hard and I was happy.

After a couple of months there, when call outs for transfers came, my name was included. I was going to a new area along with a new companion. Together we would open the area for Spanish speaking sisters again. There were elders there already and they were wonderful to us. They gave us families and individuals to teach. They worked on getting dinner appointments for us. They introduced us to many of the members and investigators. They told us the best places to proselyte as well as the not so great places.

It soon became very apparent that we, the sisters, were not welcome there. The member men, Los Hermanos, as they were called, said that because we didn't hold the priesthood we were not really on the Lord's errand. They shunned us. The member women would only sign up to feed the missionaries if the sisters did not accompany the elders. They did not want us in their homes. As we began meeting investigators, we were quickly told they were not interested. They stopped answering their phones and their doors. While looking for service opportunities, we were quickly met with nice people saying they were not in need of help. My companion and I found ourselves in a very difficult scenario. We were not wanted, we were not working and we were not serving.

As a result, we spent a lot of time in our apartment. Soon I became very ill. I stopped sleeping, my blood sugars were sky high, I had gained about 40 pounds, my head was constantly pounding and I had no energy to do anything. I went to a doctor who said I needed to lose weight. That would solve everything. I struggled with that. I couldn't lose anything. We were on a very tight budget and at the mercy of anyone who fed us. I couldn't exercise because I eventually couldn't get out of bed. Weight was no longer an issue. Something else was wrong.

In this process, I stopped studying with my companion. She found that sleeping during the day was best under the circumstances. I also stopped studying my scriptures and praying. Now, this all had happened within a very short time of my becoming sick. Although it felt like an eternity.

I saw a few more doctors and there was nothing they could do for me. They didn't know what was wrong. My mission president was on his way home. And with a new president coming in, I found myself on his radar. The problem was, I scared the new president. We spent some time on the phone for him to become familiar with me and what was happening. When our phone calls would end, I didn't even feel relief that he knew my situation. He was just as stumped as the previous president. He spent time talking with the doctors I'd seen and on the phone with my parents. Everyone was at a loss.

It had only been about 2 weeks. I found myself unable to see any light at all. I described it to one of the elders as “being in a deep, dark pit with no light and no way out”. One night I sat on the bathroom floor crying. I was so completely miserable that I couldn't see anything in front of me. My companion came in and asked what I was thinking. I only told her that I couldn't do it anymore. She said, “so you're just going to sit here and cry?!”. Well. Yes.

Actually I was going through every option I could think of to end my life. But without causing pain. Physical pain and I don't really like each other. And to take my life, I would experience some type of pain. To my clouded mind, it seemed like the only way out. So I was left wondering. With no real answer.

Then the phone rang. It was my grandma. Meme, actually. My family was on a trip to Canada and I had been trying to contact them earlier. I don't remember how it was that she knew to call, but I was grateful she did. We talked for just a few minutes. She said she would have my aunt Ruth call me. She lived just a short drive away. I hung up and waited by the phone. Ruth called and I told her what was going on. I talked for a while. Then she gave me the best advice I think I have ever received. It went something like this... I will send Chuck (her hubby) right now to pick you up. You don't have to pack anything, don't say anything to anyone, just wait for him and leave with him. We'll get you home and in to see your own doctor. We will all support you. You will get better and move on with your life. In 20 years you'll look back and think “I didn't finish, even though I did get better”. OR, You stay and you get on your knees right after you hang up. You talk to Heavenly Father and get His help. You do all you can to get out and work, just a little a day. We will support you. You will get better and in 20 years you'll look back and think “I finished and I got better and I am stronger and better because of it”. She said I just needed to choose. If I needed some time to think about it, all I needed to do was call back and let her know I needed Chuck to come. We talked for just a few more minutes and I told her I would call her back when I'd made a decision.

Oh how I wanted to go home. How I wanted to just walk away from the misery. How I wanted to just have some light in my life again. But the advice to kneel and talk to Heavenly Father was echoing in my head. Along with the pounding pain. So I knelt.

I knelt for a very long time. I didn't say a word. I didn't know what to say. 2 weeks is a very long time to not pray. I had given up on Heavenly Father so easily that I didn't know if He would even listen. I knelt for a very long time.

Then it was time. I began my prayer with “Heavenly Father. Are you there?..” and with that I felt his arms wrapped around me so tightly and so lovingly that I knew He was there. He was listening, and, by golly, He loved me! So so much. The rest of my prayer came a little more easily. I talked. I asked. I pleaded. I listened. And then I knew. I needed to stay. Not even thinking 20 years into the future. But for right in that moment I knew that He had a purpose for me to be there and work that only I could do. And I knew that I would get better. I knew I would be okay.

I called Ruth back and told her I was staying. She said their family had been praying for me and that they knew I had gotten the right answer. I went to my companion and told her I would be okay and that we needed to get back to the work. We needed to study and pray and get out of the gross apartment.

It was a process to get back on my feet. I soon went to a doctor who simply asked if I was depressed. Um. Yep. He gave me some meds and sent me on my way. That helped clear the clouds out. I was studying and praying again. We were getting out and working as much as I could do each day. It wasn't easy and it wasn't fast. But it was the right direction.

Soon call outs were coming and the mission president had told me that I now needed a whole new view. A new area and a new companion. I was transferred to a beautiful and hard working companion in an area ripe for the picking. Our apartment was on Christmas Tree Lane!  My Spanish was picking up fast and my body was getting stronger. I was sleeping and I was happy.

It has been 20 years now. I do look back with so much gratitude for that phone call from Ruth and the advice she gave. I have often thought over these many years how my life would have been different if I had left that night. Would my testimony be what it is now? Would my courage be what it is now? Would I even be who I am now? I have no idea. And frankly, I'm glad I'll never know. I always say that those 18 months of full time service were the hardest I've ever lived. But the worth of the experience shows in how I live my life, how I love the gospel and in the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. If I ever wonder how a decision I need to make will impact my life 20 years from now, I think of this one experience. And I know that in seeking the Lord's help and doing what He wants me to do will bring joy and rejoicing. Now, and in 20 years.

I Had A Time Out.

Have you ever feasted on spiritual things and been so spiritually filled that you realize you've been starving for a long time?  I went to Time Out For Women on Friday and Saturday with some fantastic women and I feasted and was filled and my spiritual starvation came to an end.  Friday night's speakers and music were meant especially for me.  I could have come home that night feeling that my cup was full and the ticket price paid.  Then we stayed up late and talked and laughed and ate and talked and laughed.  After a few moments of sleep, we were all up at 6 am to shower and have breakfast and get back to Saturday's events.  More feasting and filling and moments of joy.  The last 2 speakers were, again, meant for me.  The Spirit whispered the counsel I needed to hear.  TOFW is an event we all want to go back to for more feasting and bonding.  And laughing and eating. 

We got home late that afternoon and I changed and started laundry and then went to the adult session of Stake Conference.  Wow.  More feasting.  Spiritually uplifting messages were abundant.  Then Sunday morning was the general session of Stake Conference.  Wow again.  This time they announced Miracle Choirs.  First the youth were called up to sing, then the women, then the men.  What an amazing thing to watch as almost every youth, sister and brother went up to participate.  By Sunday afternoon I was wiped out.  And now that Monday is here I am ready to take on PTA, kids, laundry, dishes, meals, service, cub scouts, and everything else. 

Wherever you live, look up Time Out and see when it will be near you.  Go. Enjoy. Feast. Live. 

Blogging should begin to happen more frequently.  At least that's the plan. 

He Is Not Here; For He Is Risen.

Let me begin by saying that one of the greatest announcements ever proclaimed was made beside an empty tomb.Today we talk about the resurrection of our Savior. He won victory over the grave. He won victory over death and hell. We will all live again. When Jesus came to his apostles as their resurrected Lord, He commanded them (and us!!) to go forth and teach all nations. Nothing ended in His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. It quite literally began. We have a great work to do. Let's do it.There are more videos to watch today. Begin with Jesus Is Laid In A Tomb, then watch Jesus Is Resurrected, finally, end your wonderful Easter lesson with He Is Risen. Enjoy this beautiful Easter.

One Of My Favorite Days.

When His spirit left His body, Jesus had more work to do. He went to those in the Spirit world where He preaches His gospel. He sets up Missionary work. All of God's children have the opportunity to hear and accept the fullness of the gospel. When our uncle Aaron died, he went to work on the other side of the veil. He is teaching the gospel. Our responsibility here, as a partner with Aaron, is to prepare and do temple work. We are involved in family history here at our house and in helping to prepare information for others to do family history. It's a wonderful partnership and we are grateful that Jesus set the example.The scriptural account of missionary work in the Spirit World is found in 1 Peter 3:18-20. Enjoy.

The Trial, Crucifixion and Burial Of Christ.

On Friday, a trial ensues and the people call for Jesus' crucifixion. He carries the beam that will be His cross to Golgotha and is crucified. I always press the point that no one killed Jesus. He gave His life. In giving His life, He won victory over the grave. We also talk about the burial in the tomb. It is a sad day. But in understanding the significance of this day, we will better understand all Jesus did for us when He atoned for us.There are a few Bible videos that you can watch with this lesson. The first is the trial, the second is when Jesus is condemned before Pilate and the third is the crucifixion. Find Joy in the Atonement.

The Last Supper And Gethsemane.

Thursday is such a significant day in Christ's life. He met with His apostles and instituted the Sacrament. We make unleavened bread to eat as we talk about the last supper. It can be made with 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup of water. Just combine the ingredients, knead for 5 minutes and then roll about 1/8 inch thick. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. We also talk about the Garden of Gethsemane and what Jesus did for us there. What a beautiful gift He gave us as He began the Atonement.You can watch the video of the Last Supper and Gethsemane if you click on each of them. The Bible accounts are found here... the Last Supper Matthew 26:26-30 and Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-46 and Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19. Enjoy.

Parable Of The Ten Virgins.

On Wednesday, there is no account of what Jesus did in the scriptures. We use this day to talk about a very important parable. The Parable of the Ten Virgins. We have an oil lamp that my parents brought to us from Jerusalem. We fill it with olive oil and light it. We read the account in the scriptures and talk about how we each can fill our lamps with oil. In the last days, we are facing great trials and need to be spiritually, as well as physically, prepared. Since we go over physical preparedness with food storage and emergency preparedness and staying safe, etc, we use this time, as well as many Family Home Evening lessons, to talk about our spiritual preparedness. How full is your lamp?The account of the ten virgins is found in Matthew 25:1-13. I am hoping for a Bible video of this parable to be made for future use!! Enjoy.

The First And Great Commandment.

On Tuesday, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, which is the greatest commandment. Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart....the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" We talk about the love that Jesus has for the children in the scriptures, and, because of that love, we see how much He loves my kiddos. We should love one another as Jesus loves us.We made the big heart a few years ago and each painted a wood heart and put our names on them and then attached them to the big heart. We use it every year now to remind us to love one another. The commandment is found in Matthew 21:34-40. Any video of Jesus shows His love!

Clearing The Temple Of Money Changers.

Monday is the day that Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem. When he arrived he found money changers buying and selling. He overturned their tables and proclaimed that His is a house of prayer. He then healed the sick and lame who came into the cleansed temple. My parents brought each of our families a handful of shekels, straight from Jerusalem. We use those in our lesson. I hope there will be a video next year. The scriptural account is found in Matthew 21:12-17. Enjoy!

The Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem.

As you know, if you have been reading my blog for a while, we celebrate the last week of Christ's life the week before Easter. I thought this year I would post what the day's lesson is each morning so you can incorporate it in your own family.

Sunday is Palm Sunday. It is called that because that is when Jesus came into Jerusalem. The people waved palm leaves and shouted Hosannas and then set them down along his path. At our house we wave palm leaves and talk about the tradition we have in temple dedications of waving handkerchiefs and shouting Hosannas to God.
This year we also watched the new Bible video series' The Lord's Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem which can be found here. The story can be found in the Bible in Matthew 21:1-11. Enjoy!

I Like To Look For Rainbows...

Today was a very beautiful day. This chicky pie was baptized.
And by her dad. Despite the rain that later turned to snow, all of our family on each side came.
Isn't she gorgeous? She was so excited and just a little bit nervous.
She was baptized with 2 of her sweet friends, Tally and Brooklyn. Aren't they all just divine? Can you see the glow? This is right after their confirmations. Tally's mom gave each of the girls flowers.
And with mom and dad. I think she looks like a princess. A very clean and pure princess.
We came home and had some lunch. Here is Ruthie with Abbie and Poppy.
And here is the pretty girl with Grandma and Grandpa.
And here she is with Meme, my Grandma. She brought Hummingbird cake. I got to keep the leftover cake. I'm a happy gal.
And here is the princess up close.
We are so proud of Ruthann and her decision to be baptized. She received a beautiful blessing when Daniel confirmed her a member of the church and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. All of my children have entered the path to return to their Heavenly Father and they each of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. My heart is filled with Joy!

In The End There Was Joy.

But first we had a great plan. We were to meet for dinner. My mom, my grandma, my aunt, my cousin, my sisters and sisters in law, aka:sisters. So we did. We met at Mimi's Cafe, for which only one sister had a camera and hasn't yet sent copies....Ahem Emilie!! It was so nice. Yummy. Then some had to bail to take care of kids or hubbies or whatever. Most of us went back to my mom's for dessert and then to watch the LDS Women's Conference rebroadcast at 8pm. That was the plan. And according to the plan, we had yummy dessert. Then some more bailed for the aforementioned reasons. We turned the TV on and....and....and....No rebroadcast. Say what?! It wasn't there. So the rest of us bailed.

I was so disappointed. Several of our Stakes, including mine, had tickets to go to the broadcast and so weren't showing the original in the Stake Centers. We decided to bail on getting tickets because there are a couple of really little babies who need mommies. Actually, only one little tiny baby needed his mommy. We chose the rebroadcast so we could all be together and enjoy it. But the rebroadcast, which has never failed me in all my married years, failed me. Drat.

On Sunday I helped the Sunbeam teacher with her little beams of light and asked her how the conference was. She suggested listening to President Uchtdorf's talk asap. I was already disappointed, but just knowing I missed President Uchtdorf?? Well. I was pretty bummed.

So after church I pulled the laptop into my room and began to watch the conference on LDS. org. Oh amazing. The RS General presidency spoke and did fantastic wonders with words. Then he spoke. President Uchtdorf, who is the second councilor to President Monson, spoke. And I saw the purpose in the plan being shifted the night before. I cried. He was speaking to me personally and when that happens, well, I feel it.

He spoke about the little forget me not flowers. He used the 5 petals the flower has to teach. Each petal represents something we should forget not...
1. Forget not to be patient with yourself. We are not expected to be perfect. Needed that.
2. Forget not the difference between good and foolish sacrifices. There is always something much better. Duh moment.
3. Forget not to be happy now! Now! Don't wait for the golden ticket, enjoy the chocolate now.
4. Forget not the "why" of the gospel. It is God's plan and we have such a great part in it.
5. Forget not that the Lord loves you. He loves me.

Go here to watch.

Now each of those spoke to me on a personal level. Things I need to be working on or that made me remember and be better. But the one I loved so much was number 3. Be happy Now! For gosh sakes. He shared the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and how so many lived just to get the golden tickets. That elusive goal of the golden ticket can keep us from enjoying what is right in front of us. Enjoy the Chocolate Now! I love that. And it reminded me of something very important. Joy. My Joy. I haven't done a Joy post in a while. And I am surrounded by it. The problem is, the golden ticket seems to cloud my vision. So I got myself some chocolate and enjoyed it. And now I am going to enjoy each moment of Joy in my life.

So be ready.

At the end of his talk, President Uchtdorf said this..."I do know now I was never forgotten. And I know something else and as an apostle of our master Jesus Christ, I proclaim with all the certainty and conviction of my heart and soul, neither are you. You are not forgotten! Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love. Just think of it! You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful and glorious Being in the universe. You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time. He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name. You are the daughters of His kingdom!"

I cannot even express how these simple words hit my heart. Because I have felt forgotten. Alone. And these are the words I will remember when I feel I may have been forgotten by God again. He knows me. He knows my name. And I am a daughter of His kingdom.

Joy.

Gotta See It.

Last weekend Daniel and I took the kids to see

17 Miracles

Our Uncle Clark is in it and is even on the poster! Isaac leaned over to me during the movie and said, "We need to buy this and it can be a Sunday movie". Indeed we will. It is the story of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and the trials they faced in their journey west. But more than that, it's a story of Miracles. 17 of them actually. It's got humor. It's got romance (which made Ruthie giggle many times). It's got intensity. And really it's just an account of real people who experienced real and life saving miracles as they journeyed west to be free to practice their religion the way they were commanded and taught. It's a family movie and can be a great catapult to talking about pioneers and the early Saints. And of course, there are the Miracles!

You gotta see it!

Called To Serve.

After church I walked to the door to leave and there was Sam on the outside of the door waiting for me. He said, "Mom. I got called on a mission and I have to go to Germany."

He then told me that Isaac and Ruthie were called, too. They are going to Nebraska and New York. Then I got home and Ruthie said it was Oklahoma, not Nebraska. Whew!! I was worried.

Sam is nervous about Germany. The other two are excited about their assignments. I asked when they had to leave and what we needed to buy. They said they didn't know yet.

So far no one has come forward to say it isn't a real mission call. So I'm not saying anything either. Maybe they'll actually go serve now.

Published!

Some time ago I submitted something I'd written to the Ensign. I didn't expect anything. But then I got an email from one of the editors. She said they were interested in using my submission in an online feature about infertility. While they were working through how they would accomplish this, about 15 submissions arrived in a 2 week period. Mine was one of them. Although infertility wasn't the point of my submission, they felt strongly that it should be part of the feature. It was set to be published online in April. When April's Ensign arrived, I found the Faith and Infertility article quickly. I went to the Ensign online and nothing was there to make an online feature. Bummer! The editor said there was a delay. But the delay has ended. Here's where you click ...

Ensign
Scroll down to Faith and Infertility

Click on additional experiences

Find my name

Read my article

Or just click Here

Read the other articles too!

Enjoy

The Last 3 Days.

Let's get back to business. Friday is a very important day. The Atonement began the evening before with the Last Supper and Jesus' suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. On Friday morning, Good Friday to many, Jesus left the Garden and was met by His apostle, Judas Iscariot, and Roman soldiers. Judas betrayed Him and Jesus was taken to the Governor, Pilate. A trial ensues and Pilate heeds the voice of the people to release Barabbas from prison and crucify Jesus. Jesus is mocked, beaten, spit upon and taken to Golgotha to be crucified. Between two thieves, who also mock Him, Jesus asks the Father to forgive them. What an amazing example of Christ's love and when we should forgive. Jesus was not killed. It's a point I drive home often. He gave His life. No one took it from Him. When the earthly part of the Atonement was finished, He said to His Father, "Father, it is finished, thy will is done."

On Saturday we talk about what Jesus does in the Spirit World. He organized missionary work! I love this part because of those we know who are doing that very work right now. Aaron, Lyndsay, baby Rebecca, Opah, Grandma Shelba, Zenda, Heidi, and many others.

Here is a pencil drawing of Aaron.

Sunday morning is the culmination of all of Jesus' work here on the earth. We watch To This End Was I Born. We go to church ready to experience the Sacrament with gratitude for His life. He lived, He taught His gospel, He showed a perfect example, He healed, He raised some from the dead, He suffered, He bled, He died, He was resurrected. Death has no victory over any of us. I am grateful that my children love this week. I am grateful that they have a great appreciation for their Savior and Redeemer.
I am grateful He Lives!