-
Saved by a Backpack
A father and son who were reported overdue while hiking on a southern Utah trail on Sunday survived thanks to gear that had been discarded by another hiker who had become lost. Julian Hernandez and his 12-year-old son were in the Red Mountain area near Snow Canyon State Park on Sunday when they were reported missing. Search and rescue crews were deployed just after 7 p.m. but were unable to locate the duo due to the dark skies. A member of the search and rescue team later discovered a boot-style footprint in the area where the two were missing, and crews used that to track the father and son. The…
-
A Little Reminder
This is a small miracle in some ways, but all the more dear because it was such a thoughtful favor. A couple of weeks ago my sister and I planned a dinner event for a few couples. She is going to be coming into town last minute and she’ll use my ingredients to make dinner when she arrives. When we discused what she’d need,she mistakenly assumed I’d have certain items in my pantry, ie couscous and capers. I made a mental note to get them Today, two weeks later, our dinner is approaching. I was at the grocery store. I remembered I had an assignment, but could not remember the…
-
He Knows What We Need
I had my little dog, Lilly, for 18 years. Her kidneys were failing, so it was only a matter of time before I lost her. Since I had lost Kris in June, I didn’t know how much more loss I could take in just a few month’s time. I was thinking about the dogs I would get when Lilly passed on. The vet suggested I put Lilly down because she wouldn’t last long. She actually got a second wind after being hospitalized for 3 days. She was with me 3 months longer than the vet thought she would last! Let me tell you, I really needed that extra time with…
-
What Really Matters
When I was little, about 5 or 6, I watched a show on TV about a man doing tricks. He did this trick where he moved this pencil with his mind across the table. Boy was I impressed! I thought for sure I could do that simple trick if he could! I went into a quiet room, put a pencil on the floor and got to thinking. I really tried hard to move that pencil. It didn’t budge. For a long time I wondered why I couldn’t do it when this man on TV could. As I got older, I realized it was just a trick, and he was a…
-
God’s Orchestration
For several years, I have longed to reconnect with my grandparents’ family. I felt that I could feel their longing for their family to care for each other. Beaver, Utah was their family home site. Even though my grandparents’ home was demolished, the town still holds lots of sweet summer memories that make it a special place on the map. Recently however, it had become more meaningful to me. I had reconnected with a first cousin there whom I had never known well. When her parents died many years earlier, she had fallen out of the family focus. It had been years since I’d seen her, and had begun catching…
-
In The Details
I am really lucky to be able to walk to work. My shop is only a block and a half away from where I live which is a blessing all by itself. Most of the time I walk to work but on shipping days I drive my Ford to take packages to the post office. This Monday, I loaded up the Ford and drove the boxes to the post office in the back where we can drop off multiple packages. Usually I can park my running truck by the bins but this day I parked in a stall. I finished unpacking the back and jumped in to start the truck. …
-
Listen
On Mother’s Day one year my husband unburdened me with my daily tasks and gave me time to do some family history research. I was really making some progress on my family history that I decided to work on it the next day while my boys were playing in their room. As I was working on it the thought came to me to get the boys some lunch. I looked at the time and it was only after 11 and thought it was too early to feed them lunch. I dismissed the thought and I started on my research. Not 5 minutes later one of my sons came to me…
-
The small ask
I admit, sometimes I feel this cloud of discouragement just over my head, threatening to pour down rain on me. I know how real depression is and sometimes it’s a daily battle. This one particular morning, I was heading to the Temple to worship. The cloud over my head this morning was heavy. I needed to know my Heavenly Father loved me so I asked Him for a tender mercy. Maybe an “I love you” just from God. I said Heavenly Father, can you make sure there is a parking spot in the second row? I had enough faith for this simple ask, and so I drove down the second…
-
The Train Ride
Sometimes it’s the little tender mercies that remind us that God is in the details. Earlier this year, our son got a mission call and was able to go to the MTC, prior to flying out to his mission which was out of state. We were excited for him to go, but it was a little hard knowing we wouldn’t see him for two years. My husband works in Salt lake and regularly takes the train rather than driving in traffic. This particular day, my husband ended up taking a train to work that was a little later than usual. When he stepped onto the train, he noticed missionaries on…
-
See The End From The Beginning
Allow me to share with you an experience from my own boyhood. When I was 11 years old, my family had to leave East Germany and begin a new life in West Germany overnight. Until my father could get back into his original profession as a government employee, my parents operated a small laundry business in our little town. I became the laundry delivery boy. To be able to do that effectively, I needed a bicycle to pull the heavy laundry cart. I had always dreamed of owning a nice, sleek, shiny, sporty red bicycle. But there had never been enough money to fulfill this dream. What I got instead was…
