The Power of Prayer

In Sept I was in a very bad car accident. It was 100% my fault. 10K of damage was done to my mom's car, but the other automobile was a 2012 Harley. One person got up and was walking. The other wasn't. She had a broken leg, broken ribs, punctured and partially deflated lungs and a head injury. 3 days after the accident they put her in a coma and helicoptered her to Pocatello. They were asking a million dollars of me.

While I wish I could say I did what every red blooded American would do- write a check, I can't. However we got a call Friday from the insurance saying they had settled (at least part of it). They got 1/4 of what they wanted. Do you know what my mom has been doing? She put their names on the prayer roll for months! I may have done it once- for their healing, but it worked in another way too! Pretty amazing, huh! Here are pictures of the car accident.

 

TURN

In years past I've posted about my "Anti" stance on resolutions.  I've also told about this ladies idea of choosing a word for the year.  Here's where you can read about that. 

I've decided to do it! 
My word is  

TURN!

I'll need to put the word on my lamp by my computer, in my car so I see it, and in my room so I can remember.  

In accordance with Exhistentailism and Cognitive Behavior Therapy this is what I will be turning to and from: 

To God

To prayer 

To family 

To water, from junk food and treats

To exercise, instead of food

To positive thoughts, instead of negative

To the Scriptures- every day! 

I also like this idea and will be doing it.  Writing down all the good things that happen as the year goes by, placing it here and then reading it on New Years Eve! 

A Praying Bishop

It was a little over 3 months ago that I learned I really needed to get a roommate or make 800 dollars more a month.  I picked getting a roommate. I advertised on Craigs list and since I was asking for 2 things ( must love dogs and no smoking) and I was pretty desperate I said minimal drinking.  Something I never would of allowed, or even thought of at all.  I had 2 interested but once they learned I was LDS, I didn't hear from them again.

Then I told every one in Relief Society that I was looking and would allow this and I couldn't believe I was saying some drinking was OK.  Everyone got a good laugh.  However the bishops wife I'm sure came and told her husband what I had said and as I learned later in our next meeting he'd been praying I find a LDS girl to live with me. He knew I needed positive people around me, not more stress.

Before that last meeting I was driving on a longer trip and the thought came to my head out of the blue to just ask on Craigs List for LDS standards.  Sure, OK,  why not.  Idaho is 27%  LDS.   So I did and within a few days- boom, I got a call.  Yentle came over and wanted  to move it.  She is an RM, 26 and very busy.  After her leaving I got an email asking about it too, and later, even weeks later I got emails about the room.  All from LDS girls.   Yentle didn't move in for another month and others I'm sure could of moved in sooner, but first come first serve is the nice thing to do.  It's only been a few days, but things are going well.  We don't see each other a lot, but she likes the dogs and the dogs like her.  I don't have to worry about anything else!

It went down like this:  I had a need and let everyone know about it.  Word got to the right person, who prayed for the right thing.  His praying caused a thought to be placed in my mind and I excepted it.  I tested it out and it happened!  Pretty cool, how prayer can work.

Receiving Me, Receiving You.

I bought this talk CD by a single Latter-day Saint. The talk is called For Single Saints. It's well done with stories and advice from prophets. She has this list of 10 things that Spencer W. Kimball did to receive the revelation on all worthy men receiving the priesthood. One lessen is to pray for someone who will receive you. A sister prayed that prayer and was told that 2 years previous there was someone who wanted her, but who she didn't want. She knew who it was. He was boring! She was not happy about it, but she followed the spirit and called this man and now they are married. Now she thinks he's the smartest guy. Everyone else who knows him still thinks he's boring.

Here's my dilemma: I have plenty of men that would receive me, but I don't want them! They are either too smart and weird or lack social skills, or they are too dumb. Really, they are. I know you have to be physically attracted to them. So what do I do? Pray that I can be attracted to them? Settle? I need a connection! Advice and thoughts are welcome.

An Expected End

Last night I was reading part of section 88. It's a long one with a lot of good stuff and so I'm taking it slow. It has a parable in it. I didn't remember that. It's not a parable that is discussed much, but it goes like this:

51 Behold, I will liken these kingdoms unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his servants into the field to dig in the field.

52 And he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.

53 And he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.

54 And also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;

55 And unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

56 And the lord of the field went unto the first in the first hour, and tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord.

57 And then he withdrew from the first that he might visit the second also, and the third, and the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

58 And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season—

59 Beginning at the first, and so on unto the ^alast, and from the last unto the first, and from the first unto the last;

60 Every man in his own ^aorder, until his hour was finished, even according as his lord had commanded him, that his lord might be glorified in him, and he in his lord, that they all might be glorified.

The Lord tells those early saints that he is likening them to the kingdom's and inhabitants, to go and ponder upon these things, and to pray unto him while he is near. No keys of understanding are given. It's a strange parable. All I could think the message was is that He comes to everyone, but maybe I was one of the last he would come to. Meaning of course that my desires and wishes would happen, just much latter in the day. As parables have many layers, this maybe what it means for me, but I got out my institute manual and looked it up. It's actually about all the worlds the Lord has created. He goes to one earth, then another and so on. He will come to ours for about 1000 years and then move on to the next. Wow, what a great testimony that he does make more worlds.

My stake president is always telling us to search the scriptures, to feast upon them. That you can't do that at night in bed. That he has yet to take a Thanksgiving dinner to bed, but I have always read my scriptures at night on my bed and I do feast. My 2 sticks are laid out, along with my packet of colored pencils, and a book or two. I usually end up studying for an hour or so and it is study. I often have to make myself stop or I'll stay up too late. Section 88 also has a verse about "seeking Him early"(83). I often wonder if that is not always about the morning, but about our lives. Seek him when you are young, seek him as soon a possible. I did some cross referencing. Deut 4:29-31 and Jer 29:13(10-14) were my favorites of the 4 total. Of course I always read more than the verses suggested. It's easy to do that for me as I love the Old Testament.

Deut 4: 29-31: 29 But if from thence thou shalt ^aseek the Lord thy God, thou shalt ^bfind him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

30 When thou art in ^atribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the ^blatter days, if thou ^cturn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

31 (For the Lord thy God is a ^amerciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the ^bcovenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Love that. Love the verses before and following it. He is a merciful God who helps in times of tribulation to those who are obedient. He does not forget his covenant!

Jer 29: 11 : For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected ^aend.

"an expected end." He's going to give us our expected end, weather is the second hour or the 12th. We will get what we want. Although we are so less than he is, so disobedient, so full of the world, so full of the natural man, He doesn't think evil of us. He has thoughts of peace for us. That is so comforting to hear, when I'm in a yucky place. When I feel forgotten. I guess those verses about his qualitites and attributes are suppose to give us confidence in going to him, early or late as the case may be. I find it hard at times to pray to him. I'm feel like I'm begging and for the same things as I begged for for the last 15 years. It seems like It doesn't matter, that his plan for me will take place no matter how hard things are now. Maybe I should just pray for peace, for comfort, for understanding.

Prayers Answered

I was so excitted this last week about my dog walking business and still am. I already have one customer! But then on Sunday night both the jobs that were going to support me fell through. Not happy. I signed on with another caregiving agency, but those are so sporatic and mostly low paying and difficult to fit into my schedule! LDS employment had called me a few days ago and they were on my list of people to call. Well, I ran into Annette Bowen as she was coming out of the Temple and I was going in. We chatteed and the thought came to her to call LDS employment!

I called LDS employment just now, told them I needed a part time job in the afternoons and they said they JUST got off the phone with Amy McComber (a member who grew up in my stake and is just a few years older than me) who needs a caregiver for their autistic son from 2:30 to 8 or 9! hello! This is right up my ally- I do caregiving for people with disabilities and have done ABA and play therapy with 3 different Autistic boys! There is a God! She needs someone to start ASAP! Pay is about 1500- that will pay the bills, plus. And they are flexible on monday and tuesday nights! WAHOOOOO! OH happy day! I also got other ideas in the temple that I hadn't thought of because I was so stuck in this rut.