For the Beauty of the World

This song instills such a feeling of gratitude in my soul, I just have to share it. Enjoy!

Let Me Die Laughing

Today my boss shared an experience he had last night. While taking his sister to Amtrax late last night, they noticed a man who seemed a little anxious. He was by himself, appeared disheveled, had no luggage and seemed to be waiting for the train.

When the train arrived, he approached the platform of the train and in a brief moment with no one watching, he jumped between two of the trains cars and died.

What was this man's story? What caused him to commit suicide? Despair? Depression? Mental illness? Loneliness?

I recently read a poem called "Let Me Die Laughing" by Mark Morrison-Reed

"We are all dying, our lives always moving toward completion.
We need to learn to live with death, and to understand that death is not the worst of all events.
We need to fear not death, but life-
Empty lives,
Loveless lives,
Lives that do not build upon the gifts that each of us has been given.
Lives that are like living deaths.
Lives which we never take the time to savor and appreciate.
Lives in which we never pause to breathe deeply.
What we need to fear is not death, but squandering the lives we have been miraculously given.
So let me die laughing, savoring life's crazy moments. Let me die holding the hand of the one I love, and recalling that I did what I could. But today, just remind me that I am dying, so that I can live, savor and love with all my heart."

Life is a gift! Live with intention & purpose. Make a difference. Give of yourself. Make sure those who mean the most to you, know you love them because you say it and show it. Don't get lost or distracted by things that just don't matter.

I continue to be inspired by Jason - his appreciation for the life that he has, his family & friends and his determination to live his life the very best he can. Jason, may our Heavenly Father's love continue to radiate from you & your beautiful wife Steph!

Hold On

Challenges

Tonight I attended the viewing of a 18 year old young man who died of an accidental drug overdose. It broke my heart! He is the son of a friend from work. I've spoken with this co-worker many times about the challenges of raising teens. We love our kids so much and want so desperately for them to be happy & make good choices. Fortunately, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we know that we will see our loved ones again if we remain faithful. I know this to be true and feel so grateful!

"Challenges that tax our faith are usually opportunities to stretch and strengthen our faith by finding out if we really believe the Lord will help us." - Sheri Dew

90/10 Principle by Stephen Covey

How Can I Find Happiness?

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ

Change

The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to change. “Repent” is its most frequent message, and repenting means giving up all of our practices—personal, family, ethnic, and national—that are contrary to the commandments of God. The purpose of the gospel is to transform common creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change. - Dallin H Oaks “Repentance and Change,” Liahona, Nov 2003

Are you going to finish strong?

The Buzzard, the Bat and the Bumblebee

If you put a BUZZARD in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to flu but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

The ordinary BAT that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

A BUMBLEBEE, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

In many ways, there are lots of people like the BUZZARD, the BAT, and the BEE. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there above them.

Randy Pausch Interview - Part 2

Randy Pausch Interview - Part 1

Knowledge vs Wisdom

Steph loaned me her book "the five secrets you must discover before you die" by John Izzo, Ph.D. I loved this quote in the first chapter.

"Knowing how to use this one life to its fullest requires wisdom more than knowledge. Wisdom is different and fundamentally more important than knowledge. We live in a time when knowledge (the number of facts) doubles every six months, but wisdom is in short supply. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, whereas wisdom is the ability to discern what matters and what does not matter. Unless we can discover what really matters, we cannot find true meaning in life."

Spreading Light

There are two ways of spreading light —
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

-Edith Wharton

"Many" Who Belive In You!

While I can't fully appreciate all of your challenges, I do know that our Heavenly Father loves you both so much, and that He, and so many others, believe in you!

Kindness

You can't do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Purpose Driven Life

This is a short interview with Rick Warren, author of 'The Purpose Driven Life' and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity... We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems: If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD...
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Changed for Good

Dedicated to Jason & Steph -- I'm a better person for knowing both of you!

Living for Eden Concert

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson
A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Hey God by Richie McDonald (Lonestar)

A New Day

This is the beginning of a new day.

You have been given this day to use as you will.

You can waste it or use it for good.

What you do today is important because

you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever;

in its place is something that you have left behind...

let it be something good.

Author unknown

"I can do something."

"I am only one; but still I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;

I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Helen Keller

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She had two half brothers, a sister and a dog. Her father was a storyteller, who loved his family very much. Helen was close to her mother and needed her for almost everything. As a small child, she started running a very high fever. She became very sick leaving her blind and deaf.

When she was six years old, her father took her to Washington D.C., where she was examined by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell who helped the deaf communicate. Bell told Keller's father to write to Perkins Institution for the Blind, so that they could send a teacher who would teach his daughter. The school sent a teacher named Ann Sullivan. Miss Sullivan was very patient and taught her to read Braille. She took Keller to the Horace Mann School for the deaf and there Helen learned to speak English, French, and German. She also went to Wright-Hunason School and Cambridge for Young Ladies. In addition, she went to Radcliff College, and graduated with honors.

Miss Sullivan helped Helen throughout most of her life, and they remained good friends.
Helen was important because she helped the blind and deaf people all over the world. She raised money for the American foundation for the blind. She visited many countries and wrote many books. Helen Keller died at the age of eighty-eight, at her home in Connecticut.
Helen Keller was an inspiration to all the blind and deaf people over the world. Her writings showed her interest in the beauty of things, taken for granted by those who can see and hear.

LDS Family Services

Jason just received this thank you note from the adoption agency. It is so amazing to see how these gifts of hope and comfort are truely helping. - Steph

Dear Jason,

We just received some beautiful blankets and cute stuffed animals at our adoption agency. These will be given to birth mothers who choose to place their babies for adoption.

As you can imagine, placing a child is a very emotional and difficult decision to make. Hopefully these blankets will give some comfort to mothers who are mourning.

Thank you again,

Elizabeth Howell
Adoption Secretary, LDS Family Services

Service

Everyone can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friends

In prosperity our friends know us;
in adversity we know our friends.

-John Churton Collins

In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something

Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity. Lehi promised his son Jacob that God would “consecrate [his] afflictions for [his] gain” (2 Ne. 2:2). The Prophet Joseph was promised that “thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high” (D&C 121:7–8).

Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call “the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10; 1 Ne. 20:10). Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer the death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing. Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression. Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become.

We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason—for the pure love of Christ. The Apostle Paul illustrated this in his famous teaching about the importance of charity (see 1 Cor. 13). The reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness he cited is that charity, “the pure love of Christ” (Moro. 7:47), is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something one becomes. Thus, as Moroni declared, “except men shall have charity they cannot inherit” the place prepared for them in the mansions of the Father (Ether 12:34; emphasis added).

Dallin H. Oaks

“The Challenge to Become”

Ensign, Nov 2000

Faith

Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The Farmer & the Mule

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule praying (or whatever mules do when they fall into wells). After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he would shake it off and step up!

This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!

It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well. What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

Facing Challenges with Faith in God

Life is hard. It is a challenge. At every age life presents trials to bear and difficulties to overcome. Growing up is hard. There are often the heartaches of feeling wronged or rejected. Pursuing an education can press us to our financial, emotional, and intellectual limits. Serving a mission is not easy. It requires total dedication, spiritually and physically. The problems accompanying marriage, rearing a family, earning a living, or coping with illness, old age, and death are realities of life which we are required to meet, but with which we may be unprepared or unwilling to deal.

We will be able to face and solve these challenges more willingly and courageously when we understand that such obstacles are encountered as a natural part of living.

C. S. Lewis wrote: “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day.” (They Stand Together: The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, ed. Walter Hooper, London: Collins, 1979, p. 499.)

An old Asian tale describes a prince who was reared in a castle and kept sheltered from the hardships of life. He never saw anyone who was ill. He never saw anyone who was aged. He never saw anyone die.

When the prince grew to be a young man, he desired to go out into the kingdom he ruled. As he was being carried along on a litter, he saw for the first time an old man, toothless, wrinkled, and bent with age.

The prince said to his bearers, “Stop! Wait! What is this?”

The chief bearer replied, “This is a man who is bent with age. Though you are young and strong, the time will come when you too must be bent with age.”

This disheartened the prince. His confrontation with aging was more than he could bear. He asked to be taken back to the castle.

After a few days in familiar surroundings he felt rejuvenated. He decided to venture forth again. This time as he passed by a group of men he noticed that one of them was on the ground, overcome with fever and convulsing in pain.

“What is this?” the prince asked.

“This is a man who is ill,” said the porter. “Though you are now young and strong, you too will have to suffer the problems of sickness.”

The prince was again saddened and returned immediately to the palace. But again in a few days, he wanted to visit his kingdom once more.

They hadn’t gone far from the castle when the prince saw a coffin being carried to its place of burial.

“What is this?” he asked.

When the meaning of death was explained to the inquiring young prince, he became depressed by the inevitable vision of the future. As he returned to the immediate comfort of his palace, he vowed he would never come out again.

The prince interpreted life to be an evil trick because no matter what a man did or what a man was, he had to suffer sickness, aging, and death.

Perhaps some of us feel about life the way the young prince in this fable did. We may feel that life is cruel and unfair to us, that we would like to retreat into our own shelter and never have to venture forth into the world. To do so, however, would be to deny ourselves the opportunities for growth which life and its experiences are designed to bring to us.

The Lord has made available to us a power which will turn these challenges into opportunities, a power which will enable us to understand the Apostle Peter’s declaration that such trials of our faith are indeed more precious than gold. (See 1 Pet. 1:7.)

With life’s hardships I have learned that faith in God develops a personal love for Him which is reciprocated through his blessings to us in times of need. To all who are meeting new or challenging times, I say: Do not fear the challenges of life, but approach them patiently, with faith in God. He will reward your faith with power not only to endure, but also to overcome hardships, disappointments, trials, and struggles of daily living. Through diligently striving to live the law of God and with faith in Him, we will not be diverted from our eternal course either by the ways or the praise of the world.

May each of us develop faith in God sufficient to fight the battles of life victoriously “with the strength of God; yea, … with [His] miraculous strength; and … mighty power.” (Alma 56:56.) We will then find the happiness we so much desire in our lives.

Rex D. Pinegar

“Faith—The Force of Life,”

Ensign, Nov 1982

Blanket for Aunt Wanda

Yesterday, my mom and I had the privilege of delivering a blanket to my Aunt Wanda, my mother's eldest sister. Wanda resides in an Assisted Care Center.

In order to fully appreciate this experience, let me share a little history about this woman. Wanda is Carole's mother. The one I recently wrote about who got in a car accident when she was 16 and spent the remainder of her life in a wheelchair under the care of her mother. Now you may ask ..."What about Carole's father? Didn't he help care for his daughter?" Well, Art, Wanda's husband, died of a heart attack about 7 years after Carole's accident. Wanda was left to care for her crippled daughter and 2 sons on her own.

Even prior to Carole's accident, Wanda's childhood had it's own twists and turns. As a young child, she had experiences that left her feeling displaced and rejected... something she never came to understand or make peace with. It was an underlying current her entire life that was probably buried deep in her soul while so much of her time and energy was spent caring for her daughter.

However, after Carol died, there was a huge void in Wanda's life. She had always been a spunky woman but as she has aged she has become a little "cranky" and "bitter". She has many health issues and has felt frustrated as doctors have not always been able to ease her pain. Addressing issues from her past has been too uncomfortable and painful to confront. She has become demanding of family members who live near by (one son lives in Utah with his family while the other moved to Arizona). In her old age, when she needs her family the most, she has nearly driven them all away. God bless her son Earl who tries so hard to comfort his mother while she makes it so difficult. My mother and Aunt Janet, Wanda's two younger sisters, are incredibly patient and committed to loving and helping their older sister...through good times and bad times.

So, back to delivering the blanket... My mother has vacillated back and forth for many weeks on whether or not Wanda would appreciate this blanket. Finally, yesterday we decided to make the delivery. We gave her a blanket in her favorite color...red. Who would have guessed just how much she would love and appreciate that blanket? She could not quit talking about how soft it was. She recently had surgery on her arm and said it was perfectly soft for her wounded arm. She is sure that her arm will heal quicker now that she has such a soft surface! She was noticeably touched by this gift of hope & comfort. My mother & I were both relieved and thrilled that it was so well received.

As we left the care center, I reflected on all these blankets & dogs that have been delivered over the past 4 months. I can only hope that each item has provided their recipient that much hope, comfort & love!

Fond farewell to Larry H. Miller

Larry H. Miller is a man who has done such incredible things and made such a huge impact on our community. Just shortly after he had his legs amputated from type II diabetes, I felt inspired to provide him one one of Jason's blankets of hope & comfort. The tricky part...how would I get it to him? After asking around for a day or two, I was still unsure how to make it happen. While I could guess which hospital he was in, I couldn't use any of my Intermountain connections to find out for sure. After hitting a dead end (or two), I happened to mention my idea to Janet (Jason's mom). She responded, "Oh I know Gail (Larry's wife). I can get it to him." With the help of Janet, and her sister Nancy, the blanket was delivered about 3-4 weeks ago.

I was touched as I listened to his tribute on the television yesterday -- I never really knew HOW MUCH he had done for our community. Most impressive was the 300 college scholarships per year. He wanted to give others the opportunity to further their education so they could give back to their communities. He was a huge proponent of teachers and providing exceptional educational experiences as witnessed with his involvement with the Clark Planetarium.

As I listened to his wife and children in their press conference last night, what impressed me most was how motivated and driven he was to "do good". Gail shared a phrase that Larry lived by which I really loved..."Go about doing good until there is too much good in the world".

Thanks for reading!

Finding Joy in the Journey

Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

President Thomas S. Monson

President/Prophet of LDS Church

November 2008 Ensign

Hope vs Despair

The scriptures say that there must be “an opposition in all things.” So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings.

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.

Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

"The Infinite Power of Hope"

Ensign, November 2008

Body & Soul

On February 13th, Jason wrote "My soul, inside of me, is forever grateful for the chance to 'come back' and live a life. My physical body, the vehicle that I'm traveling around in, doesn't always work the way that I'd like it to, but in no way is it 'who I am'."

I really appreciated Jason's keen perspective on our body and soul (or spirit). For most of us, they work in unison. I think it's something those of us who are healthy, take seriously for granted. What an incredible gift and blessing to have our body do what our spirit desires?

When I read this, my thoughts turned to my cousin Carole. Carole Ann Glover was born on April 30, 1941. She was a beautiful young woman with hopes & dreams for her future.

On May 22, 1957, Carole (age 16) and 5 of her friends were out for a pleasure ride on the last day of school. Their car spun out of control and rammed a bridge abutment. All six girls were thrown from the vehicle. One of the passengers, a 15 year old girl, was killed and the other five were injured, three of them seriously. The car virtually disintegrated after hitting the bridge. Both Carole & her friend, who died upon impact, were passengers in the back seat. The young driver of the vehicle, was treated and released.

Carole spent the following 9 months of her life in a coma. She suffered some brain damage that severely impaired her physically, but not mentally. She would eventually be able to communicate to her family that she could remember virtually all the events that happened prior to her accident, with the exception of one year. Her spirit became imprisoned in her damaged body.

After returning home to the care of her parents, she remained in a semi-comatose state for several more months. Over time, with the help of physical therapy, family & friends and the never ending love & devotion of her mother, Wanda, she eventually relearned how to feed herself, communicate verbally (although it was difficult for most of us to understand), and knit beautiful afghans. She spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

Carole was blessed with a special ability to inspire & bless others. She had a wonderful attitude, sunny disposition, a great sense of humor and a beautiful smile. She was always appreciative of things done for her and those who visited. Although it was difficult to speak, Carole always said "please" and "thank you". Carole endured to the end and was valiant in building a beautiful monument of her life.

Carole's spirit was finally freed from her body on May 28, 1995 at the age of 54 due to kidney failure.

Carole was a living example to me through my teen years of the importance of driving safely. I shared Carole's story, pictures and newspaper articles with my 15 year old son yesterday. Today he got his learners permit. Interesting timing no doubt!

As I reflect on Carole's life, I can only imagine the challenges Carole endured but I appreciate her choice to make the most of her existence on this earth, and value the gift of life.

Giving Back

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back.”

-Anthony Robbins

The Power Of Presence

"I believe in the power of presence...

Presence is a noun, not a verb; it is a state of being, not doing. States of being are not highly valued in a culture which places a high priority on doing. Yet, true presence or "being with" another person carries with it a silent power — to bear witness to a passage, to help carry an emotional burden or to begin a healing process. In it, there is an intimate connection with another that is perhaps too seldom felt in a society that strives for ever-faster "connectivity."

I was first hurled into an ambivalent presence many years ago, when a friend's mother died unexpectedly. I had received a phone call from the hospital where she had just passed away. Part of me wanted to rush down there, but another part of me didn't want to intrude on this acute and very personal phase of grief. I was torn about what to do. Another friend with me at the time said, "Just go. Just be there." I did, and I will never regret it.

Since that formative moment, I have not hesitated to be in the presence of others for whom I could "do" nothing. I sat at the bedside, with other friends, of a young man in a morphine coma to blunt the pain of his AIDS-related dying. We spoke to him about his inevitable journey out of this life. He later told his parents — in a brief moment of lucidity — that he had felt us with him. Another time I visited a former colleague dying of cancer in a local hospice. She too was not awake, and presumably unaware of others' presence with her. The atmosphere was by no means solemn. Her family had come to terms with her passing and were playing guitars and singing. They allowed her to be present with them as though she were still fully alive. With therapy clients, I am still pulled by the need to do more than be, yet repeatedly struck by the healing power of connection created by being fully there in the quiet understanding of another. In it, none of us are truly alone.

The power of presence is not a one-way street, not only something we give to others. It always changes me, and always for the better."

Debbie Hall has been a psychologist in San Diego's Naval Medical Center Pediatrics Department for 12 years. She volunteers for the Disaster Mental Health Team of her local Red Cross. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5064534

Ronald McDonald House Delivery

For Valentines Day, my husband & I delivered 10 dogs to the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake. They have three homes and they provide housing to families with sick children. We've asked that these dogs be given to the siblings of the patients. The ones who are shuffled back and forth between the hospital and the RM House as parents struggle to attend to their sick child's needs.

Information on the Ronald McDonald House

(http://www.rmhcslc.org/)

Few medical crises are more devastating or frightening than a child with a life-threatening disease or an unexpected injury or illness. Few situations place greater stress on parents and families. And while tremendous advances have been made in treating seriously ill children, the families’ financial and emotional burdens remain. The Ronald McDonald House was created to help ease some of these burdens and is the only charity of its kind in our region.

Without Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, many families would have nowhere to turn. The Salt Lake Ronald McDonald House is the cornerstone of our organization, providing a home-away-from-home for more than 1,700 families annually while their children are being treated at Primary Children’s Medical Center, Shriner’s Hospital, University of Utah Medical Center or LDS Hospital.

The Ronald McDonald House is a home for forty-five families each night. . .a place where they can break away from the hospital, yet be available at a moment’s notice. . .or a place where children being treated as out-patients can live with their parents, brothers and sisters. Just as important, it is a place where parents can meet and talk with other families who are experiencing some of the same fears and concerns, and establish a mutual support system so critically needed at this time.

Since our opening in 1988, we have served 30,000 families from all over the world. The cost of housing families is approximately $60 per night. Families are asked to share in the cost of their stay by contributing $10 per night; however, their extensive medical expenses often preclude even this modest amount. No family is turned away because of an inability to pay.

Simple contributions:

• Pop Tabs - they collect only the tabs because they are small and easily stored. Unlike the can, tabs are paint-free, which increases their value and profit in the recycling process.
• Inactive Cell Phones
• Wish List Items (http://www.rmhcslc.org/pageview.aspx?id=11954)
• Provide dinners

Check out additional details on ways to support the Ronald McDonald House. http://www.rmhcslc.org/pageview.aspx?menu=3382&id=12355

Feel the JOY in giving!

The Hospital Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only tofind the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it forhimself.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. Itfaced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Author Unknown

Thank you Steph for sharing this story with me. It's such a great reminder of the importance of encouraging & uplifting those around us.

“Listening to someone's story ... is key to healing and diagnosis.”

This article was posted on http://www.npr.org/. I thought it was so powerful, I wanted to share it. Dr. Alicia Conill is a clinical associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

"Studies have shown it takes a physician about 18 seconds to interrupt a patient after he begins talking.

It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. I approached her room in a hurry and stood at the doorway. She was an older woman, sitting at the edge of the bed, struggling to put socks on her swollen feet. I crossed the threshold, spoke quickly to the nurse, scanned her chart noting she was in stable condition. I was almost in the clear.

I leaned on the bedrail looking down at her. She asked if I could help put on her socks. Instead, I launched into a monologue that went something like this: "How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they're better today. The nurse mentioned you're anxious to see your son who's visiting you today. It's nice to have family visit from far away. I bet you really look forward to seeing him."

She stopped me with a stern, authoritative voice. "Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not your story."

I was surprised and embarrassed. I sat down. I helped her with the socks. She began to tell me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that the stress of this contributed greatly to her health problems. After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She shook her head no and smiled. All she wanted me to do was to listen.

Each story is different. Some are detailed; others are vague. Some have a beginning, middle and end. Others wander without a clear conclusion. Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really matter. What matters to the storyteller is that the story is heard — without interruption, assumption or judgment.

Listening to someone's story costs less than expensive diagnostic testing but is key to healing and diagnosis.

I often thought of what that woman taught me, and I reminded myself of the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening. And, not long after, in an unexpected twist, I became the patient, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis at age 31. Now, 20 years later, I sit all the time — in a wheelchair.

For as long as I could, I continued to see patients from my chair, but I had to resign when my hands were affected. I still teach med students and other health care professionals, but now from the perspective of physician and patient.

I tell them I believe in the power of listening. I tell them I know firsthand that immeasurable healing takes place within me when someone stops, sits down and listens to my story."

"Each day is a gift--don't take life for granted!"

In 2005 my dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The cancer was found in his chest and my dad, Frank, went through chemo and radiation to win the battle. The outcome looked promising.

After almost three years of being cancer free, Dad started to feel sick again. In November of 2007, his P.E.T. was clean, no cancer. But in April of 2008, the cancer was back and it was now throughout his body. He went through two different rounds of aggressive chemo without it doing anything to the cancer. The doctor’s decided they had to be more aggressive with his treatment and decided to do a stem cell transplant.

There was a small complication though, dad had heart problems within the last three years and had had a splint put into his heart. So, there was some concern about his heart. Dad, who is now 73 years old, was only supposed to be in the hospital for two weeks but it turned into a little more than two months. His counts would not come up and he was having a hard time eating and keeping things down. But again the stubbornness in him prevailed.

At the family New Years Eve dinner, everyone went around saying what they were grateful for, Dad was grateful for making it through 2008. He still had his sense of humor.

Dad was again cancer free for about one month and then the cancer was back. It was again throughout his body surrounding his internal organs. Again my dad was in it to win the battle. On January 15, 2009, Dad went in for what he thought was a blood check. The doctors had decided that they needed to take a drastic measure and it had to be quick. They wanted to give Dad a super bomb chemo treatment. He was told that if the treatment was not done that day he would possibly have four weeks to live. If he survived the folllowing 72 hours of treatment he may live six months. The way this treatment attacks the cancer, there was some fear with the effect it would have on his internal organs, especially his heart. Before the chemo was given they put a lot of fluids into his body to give a buffer to all his organs.

The doctors were all amazed at how well Dad did and he was sent home on Sunday afternoon. The treatment had already started shrinking the cancer. But again Dad couldn’t really eat or keep food down.

Since the last round of chemo my dad has had to be hospitalized twice and is having a hard time winning his battle. Hospice has been called in to give help and comfort. Although this has been a hard journey, our faith has given much comfort and strength to our family. We have been very blessed and know that this is not the end. The last time I was with my dad he let me know that each day is a gift and not to take it for granted. He has been a great warrior during this battle.

When Judy offered the blanket, I wasn’t sure I should take it but then she mentioned it was in a camouflage fabric and I knew that it was meant for my dad. Dad served for 20 years in the Navy and was being cared for at the military hospital in San Diego, CA. At his last hospital stay he was given a camouflage beanie to keep his head warm. The blanket was a wonderful gift of friendship and encouragement.

Jenna Ellingson

Salt Lake City, UT

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowldge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Delivering comfort...one person at a time!

It's been a busy couple of weeks. We've delivered many blankets & dogs. Here's the rundown...

• Blanket being sent to Canada to a woman diagnosed with two different types of cancer. (Delivered by Erica)


• Blanket being sent to California to a man who has terminal cancer -- hoping the blanket makes it on time and can provide some comfort in his last days. (Delivered by Jenna)


• Blanket & dog provided to a women just put on oxygen because of her heart condition. (Delivered by Stephanie)


• Blanket & dog for an 18 year old young women suffering from clinical depression --tried to kill herself and spent a few days in the adult psych ward. (Delivered by Annette)


• Blanket for her mother who cried nights for her daughter, praying for "angels to watch over her daughter". (Delivered by Annette)


• Blanket delivered to Larry Miller, owner of the Jazz who had both legs amputate 6" below the knee. (Delivered by Nancy)


• Dog delivered to a toddler who is very sick but doctors have not yet been able to diagnose. (Delivered by Jenny)


• 3 dogs & 6 blankets delivered to LDS Family Services for young women who choose to place their babies for adoption. (Delivered by Judy)


• 1 blanket being delivered to Idaho to a young women who recently had a baby and then was diagnosed with cancer. (Delivered by Ashley)

What I know for sure...there is a lot of pain and suffering in this world. However, that provides others incredible opportunities to reach out and offer a little "hope & comfort".

Join us in delivering these gifts. You'll feel the joy!

Heavenly Father Never Gives Up on Us

"It is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us--even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.
"We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

Joseph B Wirthlin,

"The Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 29 30

The Gift of Adoption

This morning on the bus on the way to work, I was reading an article on Adoption in the February 08 Ensign (see http://www.lds.org/). After reading the article by the birth mother, I felt prompted to contact LDS Family Services to see if I could donate some blankets & dogs to young women who choose to place their babies for adoption. My hope is that these items will provide some hope & comfort during a very difficult time during these young women's lives.

Last May my sister in law asked me to write a letter to a young woman she knew who was pregnant and trying to decide what to do. The following is the letter I wrote to this 16 year old girl:

I wanted to share how I have been blessed through adoption. First of all, I believe that you are at a critical crossroad and appreciate the decisions placed before you. I believe that the choices you make are very personal and best made as you counsel with the Lord and seek for his guidance. That being said, this has been my experience….

My husband & I have been blessed with 2 beautiful children through adoption. When I was in my mid 20’s and unmarried, I had a cyst rupture on my ovary and was informed I had endometriosis. When I inquired whether or not it would hinder my ability to get pregnant, I was told that I wouldn’t know until I tried.

I got married 3 months shy of my 27th birthday. I discussed my medical history with my soon to be husband and he assured me that should I be unable to conceive, adoption would be an option. However, I never really believed it would be necessary. I was a righteous young woman, why wouldn’t Heavenly Father bless me in conceiving children?

In our 2nd year of marriage, I was still not pregnant. I served in the Young Women’s program in our ward and was invited to attend a meeting. Not really knowing what it was, I went. There was a woman in her 20’s who spoke of the blessing of adoption. She told about the beautiful baby boy Heavenly Father saw fit to bless her and her husband with and shared her gratitude for this little boy and the birth mother. I was blown away by the spirit. It touched my heart & soul so deeply that I sat on the back row and cried uncontrollably. There was not a doubt in my mind when I left that meeting that I had felt the spirit and knew for sure that adoption is a way that our Heavenly Father could bless us with a child, a child that was intended to be in our family just as if he/she were born to us.

About 1 year later we moved to Arizona and went through the rigorous process of applying to adopt through LDS Social Services. It took almost a full year to complete the process. Now that we did what WE could do, it was up to our Heavenly Father to do His part. We waited.

My father died suddenly on May 15, 1993 at the age of 64. My husband & I headed for Utah to be with family and prepare his funeral.

While some of the details are a little foggy, within a few weeks after the death of my father, we received a call from our social worker asking some questions and telling us we were being considered as the adoptive parents a baby boy born May 22, exactly one week following my father’s death. We waited.

I had 2 step sons who arrived for the summer. We left for California on vacation. Several days into the trip, we received THE call “Judy, you are the mother to a beautiful baby boy.” Music to my ears and joy filled my heart. I felt an immense sense of gratitude to my Heavenly Father and reverence to the birth mother who had the courage and faith to make such a decision. What greater gift can one receive than a child? I felt truly humble that we were chosen.

We returned to Arizona and two days later met our baby boy for the first time. What a glorious day!

Three and a half years later we went through a similar experience, although this time, our Heavenly Father saw fit to bless us with a beautiful baby girl…born on my husbands birthday.

I can’t express enough love & gratitude for the birth parents of our children. They have blessed our lives and home beyond measure and gave me the opportunity to be a mother. I don’t take this responsibility lightly. Our son is nearly 16 and our daughter is 12. These are challenging years and I feel this tremendous responsibility to be the very best mother I can be. Our birth mothers chose US as parents for their babies because they believed we were in a better position to love and care for them than they were at the time. I do not want to let them down, or our Heavenly Father.

Our children have always known that they were adopted and loved by their birth mothers. They are important women in our lives and I hope to meet them again one day. I thank my Heavenly Father for the privilege of being a mother. I am grateful to have a wonderful husband who is a worthy priesthood holder who is committed to me and our family and with whom I can raise a family unto the Lord and work to live with eternally.

While I don’t know you personally, I appreciate the sacred responsibility you have over the coming days/months to ponder your path and choices for both you and your unborn child. I believe there are opportunities for growth in all our challenges. We can make difficult choices and rise to our full potential when we have faith in our Savior and seek for guidance.

God bless you as you move forward….

Judy

Lessons Learned from Tragedy

From bearing one another's burdens as ward members, we have learned several lessons:

1. The Lord's organization is fully adequate to know and care for those with even the most dire emotional and spiritual needs.

2. Adversity can bring us closer to God, with a renewed and enlightened appreciation for prayer and the Atonement, which covers pain and suffering in all their manifestations.

3. Members who suffer tragedy firsthand often experience an increased capacity for love, compassion and understanding. They become the first, last, and often the most effective responders in giving comfort and showing compassion to others.

4. A ward, as well as a family, draws closer together as it endures together--what happens to one happens to all.

~ Richard C. Edgley

www.lds.org

Enduring Together, Ensign, Nov. 2007, 11

The Spirit of Love

I'm sitting here in January- recovering from the holidays & looking out the gloomy window - and yet I am still enjoying fond memories of the best Christmas our family has ever had. My husband has 2 dying grandmas that live in Virginia that visited us for Christmas.

One is dying of 4th stage breast cancer with mets to the bone and had never been on a plane before. She is in SO MUCH pain but is so positive. She says, "I have lived a good long life". She never complains and really inspires me with her courage. Her doctors and family asked her in November what is the one thing she would like to do before she died. She said, "Well, I've never been on a plane before. I think I'd like to take a trip somewhere." She wasn't expected to live past Christmas initially, but with this goal in mind, she completed 8 radiation treatments to prolong her life a few more months. Then she boarded the plane and came to Utah. She loved the flight but was exhausted by the time she arrived.

The other grandma is very ill also. She has very fragile Diabetes and a long history of cardiac illness. She very likely will not live another year either. Recognizing she might never get the chance to come visit Salt Lake City, the headquarters of her church, she too wanted to come to Utah. So my cute hubby's parents brought both their aging mother's in wheel chairs clear across the United States to see their grandchildren and great grandchildren one last time.

We had so much fun visiting, playing games, telling stories, singing, and tuning out all the noise of the holidays. The important things were done early and the gifts all wrapped long before Christmas came. Basically we dropped everything and just spent loving moments with each other for a whole week, at home, before Christmas (I am crying right now just remembering the peace of it all).

One of the special Christmas gifts that we gave each of the grandmas was a "little piece of heaven" blanket with Jason's inspiring story. They loved the soft warm blankets and thought that it was such a treat! Like you Jason, both of these elderly ladies have endured a lot of pain and trials throughout their lives and yet have remained so positive and inspiring to others- especially to us.

I want to thank you, Jason, for your courage to stay positive, for helping all of us laugh a little bit more (Judy has told me stories of how grateful you are for little things like soup), and mostly for reminding my family to look outside of ourselves a little bit more. Next year our grandmas may not celebrate Christmas with us - but we will never forget the spirit of love they brought with them. Hopefully in their last days - as they snuggle in their warm blankets they will remember us and your story, and continue to smile in a courageous way! Thank you for sharing a "huge peace of heaven" with us! Now we really know what Christmas is all about.

With much love & gratitude,
Jill Waldron, SLC, Utah.

Between You and God - quote by Mother Teresa

My friend Julianne shared this quote with me at a time I was really struggling. It really helped me to refocus on what matters rather than getting caught up in what others think.

I hope you enjoy it!

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world your best and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It never was between you and them anyway.

--Mother Teresa

A Little Piece of Heaven...for just $30.00

To help raise money to fund "Inspired by Jason" gifts, we are selling these beautiful, soft & cuddly blankets for just $30.00 each. These little blankets make wonderful baby gifts and birthday presents and come in a variety of patterns & colors. They bring "comfort" to all! Please contact Judy for details.

Adversity

"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them." - Phyllis Battome

Steph's Grandmother

This is my Grandmother... Delpha Douglas. She is 103 years old. Every time I visit her she tells me that she prays for Jason every morning and night. My grandmother has given me love and comfort ever since I can remember and I am so grateful for her and the example and inspiration she is to me. I am so grateful I was able to share some "hope and comfort" with my grandmother at Christmas. When I gave her the blanket and "Junior" she kept stroking the soft blanket and hugging the "Junior". I told her she could even cuddle with "Junior" at night... and with her witty sense of humor said "Oh, I don't know, he may keep me awake through the night." :) Thank you for the opportunity to share some "hope and comfort" with my Grandmother. - Stephanie Reynolds

Showing Compassion

"There are many ways in which we can become more compassionate in our daily lives. Even little things like becoming less judgmental, making peace with imperfection, allowing someone else to be right, searching for the grain of truth in the opinion of others, and practicing random acts of kindness can make an enormous difference in our own lives and in the lives of others." Richard Carlson

A Christmas Miracle

We have a neighbor who has been somewhat (okay, VERY) anti-social over the years, primarily the husband. The woman has always been very nice. I don't recall this man ever smiling and saying "hello" to us. They are an elderly couple and this sweet woman has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In the past few months we've seen some subtle changes (for the good) in him as his wife has progressively become more disabled by her illness. Several weeks before Christmas, we felt impressed to give this woman one of Jason's blankets.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the blanket sat on the back of our couch for weeks. Finally, on Christmas Eve I took it down to their home. He met me at the door. I told him that we were thinking of them and wanted them to know that we cared about their family and wanted to offer this special blanket to his wife. I told him briefly about Jason. He was very gracious and thanked me for the blanket.

I left feeling uplifted by this opportunity to show love and kindness toward this man (who has been a little difficult to love) and his sweet wife. The story would have been great had it ended there, but it didn't.

The day after Christmas we had a big snow storm in the Salt Lake Valley. As a gift to my husband (since he always clears the driveway & sidewalks), I went out first thing to snow blow the driveway and walk ways. Within minutes, this neighbor had arrived in front of our house with his snow blower and cleared all our sidewalks. I was stunned...this had NEVER happened before...to anyone in our neighborhood. As soon as I caught his attention (over the roar of the snow blower), I thanked him for his help. He proceeded to express his appreciation for this little blanket I had delivered two days earlier to his wife. He said that his wife's legs get cold as she sits in her wheelchair all day and how much she is enjoying this small soft blanket to stay warm.

My mother has sewn over 50 of these small blankets since the beginning of November. Whenever this man sees my mother, he thanks her for this blanket. She has expressed that this single incident has made it all worth while.

Miracles DO happen! Thanks Jason.

Living a Quality LIfe

One author I have always really enjoyed is Richard Carlson who wrote the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books. He wrote the following:

"Every day, I use the fact that I don't know how long I have to live to enhance the quality of my life. I remind myself of what's really important in life, and try to back that up with my actions and the way I prioritize things."

Richard Carlson died suddenly at the age of 45.

Hope & Comfort Revisited

Just after sending an email to Jason telling him "Inspired by Jason" is coming to an end because of funding, I arrived home to a note to call Jolene, a woman in our ward. She asked if I was still doing Gifts of Hope and Comfort. She told me about a family in her son’s ward in West Jordan. This family was blessed with 4 children. Three of whom have cancer. They have a 13 year old girl, who doesn’t have cancer, but is having a hard time. An 8 year boy who is in remission, a 4 year old girl who died of cancer just before Christmas, and a 2 ½ boy who is at Primary Children’s Hospital now. She knew we had taken items to Primary Children’s Hospital and wanted to know if we could deliver something to this 2 ½ year old. I told her I still had some items here and would love to give something to each one of the kids. That evening I delivered 2 dogs (1 for each boy) and a blanket for the girl. They will be delivered to the family by her son.

This mother stays at the hospital with her baby boy, the father is home with the other two kids but the 13 year old won’t sleep in her room because she had shared that room with her little sister who died. The family’s home is small and Brett would like to help finish off some rooms in the basement so the 13 year old can have her own room and start fresh. He is seeking assistance for purchasing needed materials.

While these gifts (Junior’s and blankets) may not change their circumstances, maybe they will bring a little hope and comfort from reading Jason's story and knowing that others care.

I was touched that Jolene thought to call me and share this family’s story. I feel honored to be apart of something that may help others get through rough patches in their lives.

This was the "shot in the arm" that I needed to try to keep this all afloat. In an attempt to keep this going, we will be selling the blankets ($30.00) & dogs ($15.00). Proceeds will go towards purchasing dogs and material for the blankets so we can continue to bring "Hope & Comfort" to those who need a lift during times of sickness. If you're interested, you may contact me by email or phone (see contact information on blog).

I understand that some who sent checks had them returned. I am VERY SORRY for this. I have changed the mailing address to my home address. The address listed is correct.

Thank you for your continued support. Together we can do something "extraordinary"!

"If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a kind word of encouragement, or attempts to understand, EXTRAORDINARY things begin to happen." - Loretta Girzartis

Comfort for Kaitlin

My friend Karen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on a Tuesday and in the hospital for surgery by that Friday. Wednesday evening I took over one of Jason's "Hope & Comfort" blankets to comfort her as she prepared for surgery. Her daughter Kaitlin, could not stop holding it, petting it, feeling it & cuddling with it. I told Karen that by the time she took it to the hospital with her it would be filled with so much love she couldn't do anything but get better!! By the time the surgery day came, Kaitlin (age 10) was having a tough time, understanding a little better that her mother was not going in the hospital for a little minor surgery, but, this was a critical surgery and she would be in the hospital for over a week. Well, let me tell you, this little blanket became Kaitlin's life-line of comfort, hope and peace (rest). Kaitlin ended up sleeping with this little blanket every single night that her mother was in the hospital. In fact, she couldn't sleep without it!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your courageous story and these little blankets of "Hope & Comfort". Jason, you make a difference!!

--Sheila Agnew

Letter from PCMC