The blessings of Mortality

(This is a continuation of an attempt to inventory my  blessings, both big and small, as requested by President Monson)

A few years ago, my son was serving a mission in Russia.  I took it upon myself to make sure that I wrote a letter to him at least every week.  I started listing some of my best memories of mortality, but the easy and the hard, in one of those letters.  So I start this with some of what I wrote to my son, and will add to what I wrote earlier.

I had an interesting dream a few nights ago, that has been on my mind.  I dreamed I was boarding a bus, and I was going home.  I was so excited to be going home.  As I awoke I pondered the meaning and the spirit of the dream.  The excitement remains from the dream.  I don’t mean to alarm anyone, (I told Kayleen of the dream too) because I didn’t have the feeling that the bus for me was leaving imminently. I pondered my life and the things I have seen and experienced so far.  I was almost over come with gratitude at my life. I have been so blessed in almost every aspect.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to see the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening.  To see the night so dark that I could not see a hand in front of my face, but to also see the moon so bright and full that it almost seemed as day.  I have climbed mountains and have swum in the ocean.  I have tasted fresh strawberries and cream.  I have seen the excitement of a new convert being baptized and seen the pain of a spouse as her husband was excommunicated.  I have seen the flowers bloom in the spring and picked tomatoes in the fall.  I have prayed so hard that I felt my spirit ascend into the heights of heaven, attempting to search out the will of God. I held my Dad’s hand as he slipped from this life into the next.  I have seen the excitement in my Grandson’s eyes as we walked in the cool of the morning.  I have sat in the temple as I have seen the future in a vision.  I have felt the necessity to repent, and the exquisite pain that comes from disappointing Father.  I have sat in a chair in the Celestial room and that chair became as a Heavenly Throne, Father letting me know that I truly belonged in that room with His Children. 

 

I experienced a son grow and mature as he served the Most High God as a Missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ, the most noble and dignified of all callings.  

I have held the lifeless body of my deceased granddaughter, and felt the peace of the spirit as He comforted us, and let us know that He had taken her to Himself.  I felt the gratitude for the spirit of unity and witness of eternity she brought, not only into my life, but into the lives of all whom she touched.

I have sat in disciplinary council as we sought to determine The Lord's will, to help one of his children return to full fellowship in his kingdom.  I experienced  a personage, {( think he was my deceased grandfather), visit and explain to me the necessity of physical pain in my life.  I have been given divine direction and council in my callings, letting me know that I was divinly appointed into the calling, and that He would support me in my efforts to move His Kingdom forward. 

 

I really have had a most wonderful and beautiful life.  This whole life is orchestrated and designed to give us knowledge, understanding, wisdom and experience. From those experiences come faith, strength, and character.  It is, after all, the character we build through those experiences that will determine my final judgment.  With all that I have done correctly, and all that I have done wrong, it was always my choice, my decisions.  Father has loved and persuaded me to do good, but has never taken the decisions out of my hand.  He has pushed me to limits I did not know existed.  But he has always, always given me more in experience and confidence through those trials than  my effort has cost me.

I Know that He has shown more confidence in me than I believe I deserve.  But I also know that He has been by my side to guide me the entire way.

The Love of my life

Kayleen Ann DeCoursey vs. Gerald John Bishop

     I got home from my mission in June 1975.  From that time forward, until August of 1978, I prayed that Father would help me find my eternal companion.  I dated a little, but somehow, none of the women had the "wow" factor I was looking for.  I did get serious with two women, who were worthy and would have been good wives, but the sizzel just was not there.

   In June of 1978, I had a small spat with my mother.  I was living at home, but needed some freedom.  Mom made some comment about living off my parents, so I moved out.  I moved into Marshall Arms apartments, just north of the Football Stadium. The next day, I was in the apartment alone, and an angel came in through the living room window, to invite my roomates to Sunday lunch. 

   So on Sunday, we gathered at Kayleen's apartment.  I asked who cooked the roast, and Kayleen said she did.  I told her, "That's not the way my mother cooks it."  She didn't know that what I had said was a complement.  We began a friendship. We would walk and talk. Sometimes we would walk for two hours of more.  I took her to a Johnson Tire summer party.  She met my parents for the first time.  In August, I was praying, and received an answer to my prayer, that Kayleen was the one for me to marry.  The problem was, she didn't know that yet. 

   On our first date, we went to the Utah State fair.  We spent a lot of time with the sheep, goats, pigs and cows.  At one point during the evening, we touched hands.  BAM !!!  the sizzell was alive. 
We continued to walk and talk, and to date.  One night we went into the canyon for a campfire dinner with another couple.  Two fawn came right up to the fire to be with us.  That was the first night I kissed Kayleen. 

 She was not convinced that I was the one, and at some point, she tried to pull back.  So I dropped back to being friends.  After that, she had no chance.  By November, we were talking of marriage.  We talked about getting engaged at Christmas, and getting married in the summer.  However, one evening, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, we were having a slight disagreement, and I blurted out, "But will you marry me?"  She wouldn't answer, but did give me some clues.  The next day, I asked her dad if I could have his permission to marry Kayleen.  That is apparently one of the very few times he had ever been at a loss for words. 
   We were married February 23, 1979 in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and for eternity.  Br. Stoleworthy was the sealer.  We had never met him before, but he held the sacred sealing authority, and he pronounced the blessings upon us and our posterity.  The blessings from that time forward have been amazing.

An Assignment from the Prophet

First Blessings

     One of the take aways from conference, is an assignment given us from President Monson, that we take an inventory of our life, and ponder the blessings large and small that we have received. In an attempt to begin this assignment, I want to record about some of the first blessings in my life.

    I was born in 1956 to two parents who loved and respected each other.  The only contention between parents I encountered, was in the home of my neighbors.  I had cousins come to visit us for the summers and to live with us as they worked in my Uncle's orchards. I found out later in life, that they preferred to spend the summer at our home, because of the peace that prevailed.  I grew up remaining very uncomfortable in the presence of contention.  Although we did not have much in the way of worldly goods, we had sufficient, and we had an environment of safety and love. 
     I was raised on a small rocky farm. This allowed me the opportunity of work. I bucked hay bales, milked cows (by hand) planted and hoes and harvested tomatoes, corn, potatoes and other vegetables.
I learned the disciplne and worth of hard work, of the Law of the Harvest, and of self reliance.
    When I was young, I remember my mother reading stories to us children from "Book of Mormon Stories" and "Bible Stories" I learned of the Story of David and Goliath and of Ammon's love for King Lamoni, long before I understood the necessity of faith and charity.  But when I began reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon for myself, I felt of the Holy Spirit, teaching me of the reality and Divinity of our Risen Lord.  The familiarity of the stories allowed me to focus not on the events, but on the principles being taught.  When the time came for me to go on a mission, I needed a swift kick in the behind.  I had not been as faithful as I had been taught.  Through a series of events, I began praying for direction in my life.  About the same time, I began reading the Book of Mormon.  I understand that it is not always miracleous for those reading, but it was for me.  When I would pick up the book, I was encircled in a pillar of spirit.  I would see the events as they unfolded on the pages.  I felt the pain of Nephi as he saw our day, that we would be bound with flaxen cords to be lead carefully down to Hell.  When I finished reading the Book 3 weeks later, I knew that the Book of Mormon was an inspired book of scripture, translated through the gift and power of God. I knew that Joseph Smith had been a true prophet of God, and that Harold B. Lee was a current prophet.  I had also acquired a deep desire to serve a mission whereever the Lord would send me.
   So although this is not all encompassing, it gives a foundation for who I am today.  I hope to write more.  But "way leads on to way" (Robert Frost, "The Road not Taken."

  

A Very Maui Reunion

Six weeks ago, I spent my inheritance from my mother's estate and 3 years worth of time share points. We held a family reunion, of sorts, with my children ( and grand children in Hawaii.
We start off with a pretty good picture of Diamond Head Crater from the air.

The first night, we all walked down to the ocean, with no intent of getting wet.

Hunter was trying to figure out this sand stuff.  It was soft and fun to walk on, but it did stick to everything.

Peter initially said he wouldn't swinm in the ocean because of sharks.  However, his dad took him out snorkeling.  This was the look on his face when he returned, having witnessed the beautiful life beneath the surface.  He was eager to go back in.

The snorkeling was spectacular.

 

 

 

Mike and Tara did jump off "Black Rock."  Unfortunately, the next picture in the sequence is a splash as they go under the water.  This was the closest to seeing them actually jump.

The last night, we ate dinner and the father of another family took our picture.

Though the time together ended, the memories will be forever.

4-5-6 pick up sticks

it took a while to continue the previous post, but here we are.  We have been blessed beyond measure, but our greatest blessings remain our family.  We have watched our children grow and learn, and accept the responsibilities for their own lives.

The places we visit, mean more becuase of the ones we share the experience with.

The short span of a lifetime shows us the marvels and miracles of life,

Birth

Death

and creation. 

Each of our experiences brings great appreciation for God's goodness, his Plan of Happiness, and his love towards each one of His children.

Easy as 1 - 2 - 3

From time to time, I receive comments about our travels.  Sometimes folks are envious of our vacations.  I think I need to explain a few things. Although we do indeed get around, and across the waters frequently, we live by a few rules and guidelines.  I will try to share the background and the guidelines. 

#1  We did not really travel until our 25th anniversary.  We did take a few vacations to Disneyland during the 1990s, but we usually stayed with family and were able to travel cheaply.  Mostly, tried to follow the counsel of the Apostles, and to get out of debt.  Once we were able to pay off all debts, we felt more free to use our resources to see the world.

#2 One night, as we approached our 25th anniversary, I could not sleep.  I was searching the Internet for ideas for places to go.  We did not go on a honeymoon when we were sealed, and it seemed appropriate that we find a place to celebrate 25 years of faithful marriage.
The next morning, I told Kayleen we were going to Kauai for 5 days.  She said OKAY. We stayed at the Sheraton on the southern tip of Kauai, we saw whales, kayaked the rivers, and snorkeled in the ocean for the first time. 

We have and will see places around the world.  But far more important than experiencing new cultures and far-flung places, are our children and grandchildren.  We try to walk a fine line of being involved, without intruding.  We are proud of each one of our children.  We love all our grandchildren.  Each is different, each has unique talents and gifts.  Each carries the divine spark as an Deity's offspring, with the capacity for exaltation and eternal life.

Much of our travel effort and budget is focused on ways to build memories for our children and grandchildren.

 The trap is to make sure that the travel is not the focus, but to keep the memories as the focus.

At times we have had to bypass seeing things we wanted to see or experience, because the needs of the family took precedence.  Oftentimes, we have been fortunate to go back and have the experience, but we have also given up many for good.

 #3 The travel takes planning.   We are usually looking out 1-2 years for opportunities.  For example, the cruise we experienced in April 2012, we had planned for over 18 months.  Because of scheduling and promptings, we changed the dates twice, but the plans did come to fruition.

 We once had a trip planned to the Bahamas.  We had been working towards this for almost a year, when the spirit prompted that we cancel.  I felt bad, but followed the prompting.  We canceled the trip.  During the time we would have been at Atlantis, my mother passed away.  We plan, but we always try to keep options open and to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

  (To be Continued)

June 9th

Big day for us.  We started out by attending Peter and Ben's T-ball Game. Peter started off with an infield single.

 Ben followed by a swinging bunt single.

 After the game, we waited for team photos.

 That night we attended my 40th High School reunion. I saw a lot of old faces, emphasis on the old.

 Sunday morning, we went to church with Tim, Tiffany, and their family.  Tim welcomed Sierra into mortality by giving her the Name and Blessing ordinance

 I did catch Hunter sneeking into the team snacks for the t-ball game.