White Water Raft Trip

Our four-wheel trip would have been a good enough reason for our early arrival to the reunion, but Wednesday brought another great adventure. Andrew and Becky were able to get us a white water trip. We were so amazed that it worked out and it was a blast!

Andrew and Becky guided the trip for their boss and his scout troop from Utah. There was just enough extra seats for Kelly, Kelsey, Evan and I. We woke up early so that we could drive to the spot where we would put our rafts in the river. We loaded up in the rafts and began our trip down the warm, brown waters of the Colorado River. Thank goodness it started nice and slow, so that we could get accustomed to our spots on the journey. Our group had 4 rafts, the scouts taking up two, the “boss” and the bishop in one and then Kelly, Kelsey, Evan and I , along with some of the young men leaders, in the last one with Andrew as our guide.

Right away the sides of the banks grew up around us as the canyon narrowed. We were treated to an eagle sighting. We spent the next hours surrounded by beautiful red and black cliff walls. All the pictures look like it was an easy float trip, but that was on the case. There was no way to get the camera out when we were going through the rapids. We were paddling hard and trying to stay in the boat!

This is a shot of the beautiful and amazing surroundings we spent the day viewing. We stopped for lunch along the banks. Kelly went chasing after a lizard and then took this photo of our group hanging out on the bank. And he got this great photo of that lizard. Beautiful isn’t it?

Remember when I talked about staying in the boat? There were many times I wondered if I was going in and I hung on to the raft like my life depended on it, because I felt like it did! I would grip the sides with my legs and wedged my foot under the tubes in the raft till they went numb. And that worked. I never left the raft. And before you get the wrong idea—I had the best time. It was awesome. But we did have trouble on one of the rapids called…  (duh duh dum) Skull! We were behind Becky’s raft and as they went through all of the scouts flipped out. Becky saved the raft from flipping and miraculously stayed in the boat. It was a amazing. Then the realization hit, it was our turn. I jammed my foot harder under the raft and away we went. Then I heard Andrew say “oh Kelly is out of the boat” and I turned to look and sure enough he was gone. I couldn’t see him anywhere. Then he popped up and was dragged under again. I looked for him on the other side thinking he was pulled under the raft. But I couldn’t find him. Then, he popped up again, just to be dragged under again. I became very afraid and very frantic, trying to figure out how to get him inside the boat. He seemed to be spending way too much time under the water. The whole time we were being tossed and turned and then I saw him smashed up between the raft and the rocks. Just when I thought I was going to be a widow, Andrew got up and plucked Kelly up out of the water and onto the side of the raft. Oh! relief washed over me. I was so consumed by it that it took me a few seconds to realize that Andrew forgot to bring Kelly’s swim suit with him! He was safe on the raft and bearing his bumb! I didn’t know whether to laugh along with everyone else or cry because he was okay. I think I did both!

What a great day!

Morning Rainbow

Part of Kelly’s morning routine each day is to eat breakfast out on the back patio. It is his time for pondering.

This morning he took this picture and left if on my desktop for me to see.

He knows I adore rainbows.

I know he adores me.

Rushing Water

You know you are from Arizona when you walk by a river and check to see if there is water in it. Or when you see water, you act surprised and have announce, “ Hey, there is water in the river”l

You know you have lived in Arizona too long when you must get a picture of running water in your wash.

It rained so hard and for so long we actually had rapids!

You know you are from Arizona when you can truthfully claim to seeing some of the most splendidly beautiful sunsets. Ever.

Be A Cork…Not a Rock

I read this quote this morning from Elder Richard G Scott and loved the imagry that came to my head. I got thinking about what a little poster might look like….anyway the quote says:

“Problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth. Some people are like rocks thrown into a sea of problems. They are drowned by them. Be a cork. When submerged in a problem, fight to be free to bob up to serve again with happiness. . . . “The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in the Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be centered in His will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you [see 1 Nephi 3:7]” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 32–33; or Ensign, May 1996, 24–25).

I love what the people of Alma teach about submitting to the Lord patiently and cheerfully. I just wish I could do it! I can on some level, but I want to be really good at it. Elder Holland’s talk in conference is the same way for me, I have different levels of obedience to that principle as well. In fact, I had to read it in stages, because I felt guilty. Yet, once I made it to the end, I found it so hopeful. In one sense, when just speaking about labor, the parable does seem unfair to me. That is a worldly view, so thankfully, he brought insight to a deeper meaning. In what he calls the 1st lesson of the parable is where I stalled out a bit. On a worldly level I am doing fine. But on a deeper level, I could see where I could be better. (Thus the guilt!) I don’t begrudge people blessings, I am genuinely happy for them. I don’t demean people to make myself feel better. So I am obedient in that respect. But I do envy. I don’t envy to the point of suffering all good things, but I do envy. I don’t envy all things, just certain things. And none of what I envy is “stuff”.  For instance, I used to envy babies. After I was happy for someone else being pregnant, I would shed a few tears of envy, wishing for that same blessing. The 2nd lesson was easier. I don’t spend a lot of time looking back, or holding on to things. I think my experiences the last couple months, years, has taught me some things about that. What I need to work on is stressing about today and the future. The lessons taught by Alma and his people—submitting cheerfully and patiently to the Lord till He provides deliverance. That will actually help with the envy. The third lesson, was where I found hope. And where the parable is exactly as I hope it will be. I want there to be time to overcome sins and weaknesses. I want the Atonement to reach deep. I want it for me and I want it for my children. So, then it naturally follows that I want it for everyone. I love thinking about loved ones on the other side working out their salvation and other loved ones helping them. I wouldn’t dream of thinking it fair to deny anyone, even at the last second, the chance to change and be welcomed into His arms. I am grateful for the time I have to keep working on my weaknesses,  level upon level.

Mountains and God’s Word

I read these words in the study guide for my reading this morning. No surprise really that I felt that were speaking to me personally, considering this has been the theme for my life for a long time now.

“Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that everything we experience teaches us valuable lessons: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven” (cited in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the  Miracle [1972], 98).”

As I read Mormon’s summary of what would happen to the people of Alma and his explanation, I could see clearly what the Lord had in store for them. But it is so much harder for me to accept those same lessons in my life.

Mormon says in Mosiah 23:21-24

• 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
• 22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.
• 23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.
• 24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.

The people of Alma were placed in bondage in fulfillment to Abinadi’s words. But just as Mormon states, they would trust the Lord, and in turn the Lord would use this time to make them more faithful, better disciples. From this I learn that the Lord keeps His promises. There were consequences to the behavior that prompted Abinadi’s words. So even though they were repentant, those words still had to be fulfilled. But that isn’t the end of the story. The Lord promises that if we trust Him, we will be lifted up at the last day. Because the Lord keeps His promises, we can believe Him when He says that repentance is possible. We can believe Him when He says He has a plan for us. We can believe Him when He says He sent His Son to redeem us.

Elder Eyring, in his April 2012 conference talk, reminded us that we can believe Him when He says there are angles on our left and on our right to bear us up. We can believe Him when he says that because of Their perfect love, adversity is allowed because They want us fitted to be with Them to live in families forever.

I am not like Elder Eyring, desiring mountains to climb. They just seem to be present in my life—maybe I would desire them if they weren’t! I have often reflected and used climbing mountains as a metaphor in my own life, so I could relate to his choice of words. I believe that the only way I am able to climb mountains is to believe getting to the other side is worth the effort. For me, that is believing in God’s plan. That there is life after this mortal one and more importantly, believing Christ, that the atonement is real. Elder Eyring said “You and I have faith that the way to rise through and above trials is to believe that there is a balm in Gilead and that the Lord has promised I will not forsake thee.” Next, to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep going, doing what the Lord says. Elder Eyring said it is “choosing the right consistently whenever the choice is placed before us”. And “serving God and others persistently with full heart and soul”. Sometimes that is easier than others, just like when we climb and sometimes the inclines are easier than at other times. Sometimes it gets dark and cloudy, when I let myself think about being tired, or I doubt that I can make it. In those times I think about giving up, but instead I just slow my pace and catch my breath. I know if I keep trying, I am given new strength. I get glimpses into heaven, whisperings from the spirit and strength from the scriptures. Just like stopping on a ridge and taking in the beauty around you and maybe even a look at where you’ll end up.

I count my increasing testimony that God keeps His promises as one of the blessings of studying the scriptures. I can truly see much clearer God’s dealings with His children—and therefore me.

Fireworks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Independence 2012

We were so excited to be in Utah again for the fourth of July. Provo knows how to celebrate Independence Day! We started out the day having breakfast with all the family that ran in the various freedom run that morning. Then we went to Scera Park where they held the Colonial Fest. This is a living museum, called the Village at Aubin’s Grove, and features a gathering of Colonial artisans, military exhibits, and period craftsmen and women. The village celebrates the Colonial period from 1607 Jamestown through to the signing of the Constitution in 1787. We enjoyed walking around watching people make brooms, buckets, calligraphers, guns and clothes.

When it was time to head to the stadium to wait for fireworks, we stopped first at the grocery store for snacks and then found our blankets and settled in to wait for the concert to start and the main event—the fireworks.