Miracles never cease.

Today we had a miracle. One of the missionaries on my team has tried unsuccessfully for two weeks to send a reply to a patron in Austalia. The email address in the contact file was obsolete and the phone number did not work. I even contacted someone in APAC and they tried looking the patron up in an Australian phone book. Our team lead said we had done enough and to give it up. But then we had a miracle. A missionary I had contacted in Australia went the extra mile for us and located the right phone number with a little detective work. She also provided us with the information that the patron had requested. I got all the information to Elder Pedersen. He called the patron and she was so pleased.

I know this would not have happened had I not gone the extra mile myself last fall and taken on the assignment of teaching a missionary in New Zealand the indexing program. This lead to me being put in both the New Zealand Chat and the APAC Chat. I have helped them and they have helped me many times.

Gift of a happy spirit

This morning I was very tired and easily frustrated. I fell asleep for about a half an hour and dreamed about the hymn: How Firm a Foundation but I woke up humming: How Gentle God's Commands and feeling completely different. Now I had a happy spirit. I was able to completely trust God. "Come cast your burdens on the Lord And trust his constant care." It was definitely a gift that I did not have this morning. With it came a greater sense of humor.

After looking at the hymn How Firm a Foundation, the verse that sticks out at me is verse two: "In every condition in sickness, in health, In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand, As thy days may demand so thy succor shall be."

Mother would have loved it.

My mother loved birds and could identify them just by sound. She was incredible. Today I think she must have been around.

This morning I was given a url for a site where you could observe a peregrine falcon nesting in downtown Salt Lake City. http://wildlife.utah.gov/peregrine/ I went there and saw her get off her eggs at one point and was able to see her eggs.

As I went to close the blinds this evening, I remembered we have our own nesting mother under the window eave. The closing of the blinds scares her off her nest. I peaked through the blinds and their was the nest with 5 eggs. My husband's comment as I told him was: you are getting to be just like your mother. What a nice compliment.

Still later as I went out to walk Missie, I noticed two morning doves sitting on our front gate. One on one side and one on the other facing each other. Mother would have loved it.

Sydney

Yesterday about 8:45 PM Kellie called to tell me that Sydney was spiking a fever and she was going to take him to the ER. I asked if Sydney wanted Grandma there. She asked and he did; so 20 minutes later Missie (my bassett hound) and I were on our way to the ER. I thought about all the times we have been with Sydney in the ER. Some were for accidents that needed stitches and quite a few for these high fevers in the middle of the night. I also thought about the committment Kellie and I have made to get to the bottom of these fevers. I knew the only way is to keep taking him in. We had God with us last night.

Kellie debated about which ER to go to: Prescott or Prescott Valley. She decided on PV which is a little closer to me. We both got there at the same time. It was way over crowed and we had to wait which made the decision look iffy. But we got the best doctor and the best x-ray technician. To my ear Sydney's cough did not sound that bad but when the doctor listened to Sydney's lungs he heard something and ordered an x-ray. Kellie and I thought they would take the x-ray with Sydney lying down but no the technician said that Sydney was a big boy. He had Sydney stand on a step stool in front of the x-ray machine and stand real still. Don't move, he said. Sydney moved once and one had to be redone but other than that he did it perfectly. Then he took Sydney on his lap and let Sydney look at his own pictures. I was so proud of Sydney.

All this time Sydney had said that Grandma needed to stay. He even mentioned that his mama could go but not Grandma. The doctor came in and said it could be his immagination but he saw a spot on Sydney's lung and Sydney has pneumonia. Now Sydney was ready to leave and said Grandma could go. He trusted all of us that we would get him well so he could to do his job: play and enjoy life.

I thought about our commitment to figure out what was causing these fevers and I think we have it pneumonia. Now we will be on the lookout. My friend Evelyn said that one of her daughters had walking pneumonia every year followed by anemia from the time she was four until she was a teen ager. God was with us.

Music gets me up.

I must preface all of this by saying that I have a gift of humming that my mother had and her mother before that. Songs come to me and I find myself humming them. It drove my mother crazy at times because she would get a piece of the song and not be able to finish it. I have found that the songs are inspired for my life. I hum it until I figure out what the tune is and often I find the message in the song. Years ago when I was feeling sorry for myself the song would be: "O Susanna". If my thinking was way off track, it was "Oh, my darling Clementine, you are lost and gone forever." Immediately I would repent of my thinking and get back on track.

Yesterday evening I called my friend Jeunesse and told her the story behind the two poems I had written: Spring and The Spirit's Whisper. She and one of her sons were in the dream that prompted the poem about miracles: The Spirit's Whisper. I told her I would meet her this morning at the church when she took her son, Skye, to early morning seminary.

Last night I had trouble sleeping because of the pain. I was awake at 3 AM and then again at 5 AM. When I roused a little bit later, I thought about sleeping in completely forgetting about Jeunesse. Instantly a song came to mind, "O My Darling Clementine". Since I try so to keep my thinking on track that one has not been around for years. I instantly repented and started to get out of bed. The song changed to a hymn: "How gentle God's commands; how kind his precepts are; Come cast your burdens on the Lord and trust his constant care." The time was about a quarter after six. It was then that I remembered the reason I needed to get up: Jeunesse. If I had not gotten up then I would have missed it.

Dream about miracles

This morning I was dreaming about miracles when I woke up at 4:45 AM. I remember telling a friend that a miracle can begin with a habit. As I thought about it after I woke up, a poem began to form. Now I know why yesterday's poem filled me with the Spirit. It was a message that the storm is over and Spring has begun with its miracles. I realized that the miracles have already begun.

The Spirit's Whisper

The Spirit stirred my heart today,
Whispering: a miracle is on its way.
I may not see it for a day or a year
But my heart will be of good cheer.

I will exercise faith in His Word
And believe what I have heard.
I may not know exactly when
But to His word I add amen.

I claim the promised miracle now
And before His throne I humbly bow.
I give Him my heart and soul
And He will make me whole.

The world will keep going around
But in me the miracle will abound.
Through my faith it will grow
Until one day the truth all will know.

They will see what I see now
And before His throne bow.
Miracles, you see, often begin
With the Spirit's whisper within.

23 Apr 2009 Suzanne Halliday

Spring

I was taking a nap and dreaming about spring. Words began to come so I woke up and repeated the first two lines to myself until my computer was up and running.

Spring

Spring has closed winter's door;
The flowers are here once more.
Gone is the cold bitter night;
Here to stay is the sun so bright.
As the days grow longer,
All nature grows stronger.

Most of winter's damage done
Will be healed by Spring's Sun.
Spring will everything review
And in her glory grow anew
Leaves destroyed by a late frost;
All is not forever lost.

22 April 2009 Suzanne Halliday

The Savior is smiling.

My son Steve has been waiting for weeks to know the results of his recent teaching evaluation. Sunday night he told me that the evaluator was going to meet with him on Monday. I remembered about 9:30 last night and since he had not called me. I called and left a message. He called me back about 10:30.

The news was good. She told him that she was going to recommend that he be rehired for next year. He was concerned about the comments she made about areas he could improve on. I prayed for him and then I felt the Savior smiling down on Steve and knew all would be well. This morning I awoke with gratitude in my heart. This enabled me to write the poem: "The Sun Is Shining."

A Miracle

I had a miracle. I have been in pain in my right hip and lower back since the wind started the 2nd of March. Sometimes I am real stiff and I limp. My doctor moved last June and I have not been to see him since. I did not want to stay with the office where he was because of my thyroid medication. The doctor that replaced him likes to change things around and I do not want to try someone knew. Yesterday I decided I was going to have to try to make an appointment. The receptionist said I would be considered a new patient and she would send a note to Dr Aranda to see if he would take me. I was concerned and felt trapped into a place I did not want to be in. I prayed that Dr Aranda would want to take me. This morning he called and was very concerned about me and my problem. He asked if it could wait over the weekend. I said yes. I get to see him on Tuesday. I hope he orders tests to see exactly what is going on.

For a couple of days I have been feeling discombomulated. Sometimes I felt I had lost my mind somewhere. Other times I felt I was being to brisk with some people. I just did not know exactly who I was or if I was giving the right answers and doing the right things. Then one daughter in law called me out of the blue and told me how much she appreciated me. She said she felt impressed that I needed to hear that. Last night it was cold so I made a pot of hearty chicken soup with cheese. I heard this small whispering to take some to a neighbor. It was very cold out and I tried to talk myself out of it because I thought she had probably already eaten but I put some soup in a container and went out anyway. To my surprise she had not had her dinner or decided what to cook. I was thankful that I had listened and I knew God had used me as his instrument. It helped me to see that I am becoming who I truly want to be: an instrument in his hands to do much good. The following poem is an attempt to capture my feelings.

Who Am I?

Who am I today?
It is hard to day.
Is my life on track
Or am I walking back?
Today I might feel strange
But everyday I change.

Everyday I do my best
To pass life's test.
Sometimes I feel behind
Or that I've lost my mind
Until God steps in
And I feel the Spirit within.

When I make the choice
To follow the still small voice,
God opens my eyes to see
Who I am meant to be:
A servant of God above
To show others His love.

15 April 2009 Suzanne Halliday

1 John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

An arm and a leg

I am making these Nona Easter breads. I only had 15 eggs. 3 eggs went into the batter and 12 were colored. I accidentally cracked a green one while dying it and fried it for Missie. Borrowed one from a neighbor but did not notice that I had to beat an egg to glaze them. So I was one egg short. My husband said he would go to the liquor barn to see if he could get a dozen. I said he might have to pay an arm and a leg up there.

He said he thought we could afford it.
He came back a few minutes ago and said that it only cost him an arm. He had his left arm tucked into his coat and in his right arm was my carton of eggs.

Search the Scriptures

Seek His Word

God's promises reach out to all.
His Son will lift us from the fall
If we will but turn to Him
And turn over sin and whim,
If we will but seek His Word
And believe what we have heard,
If we will cling to the Iron Rod,
And try to follow the path He trod.
He will lift us up each day,
And put us back on His way.

As we study and pray every day,
Christ will light for us His way.
As His Word we diligently seek,
He will give us the power to speak
With the tongue of angels as of old
And like them be ever bold.
He will make our weak things strong
And He will carry us along.
He will be there in darkest night
And bring to us His loving light.

7 Apr 2009 Suzanne Halliday

2 Nephi 32:2-3 and Doctrine and Covenants 90:24I believe in formulas (The Math Teacher in me). Search the scriptures + pray always + be believing = Promises of God: 1. All things shall work together for your good. 2. The words of Christ shall tell you all things ye should do.

Away in A Manager

I wrote the following on a piece of paper on the 29th of March. This is the first time I have gotten to type it up.

I had trouble getting to sleep saturday night and then I woke about 4 or 5 AM. I listened within myself to hear the music. (I am always humming.) At first there was nothing important. Then I began to hum "Away In A Manger". I knew Jesus was watching over me. Later I went over the words. The ones that struck out were: "I love thee Lord Jesus; Look down from the sky and stay by my cradle til morning is nigh."

Many Christmases ago my son Steve was given a Christmas cactus. It bloomed that Christmas and on many succeeding Christmases as well as other special times like Valentine's Day. The year Stephen got engaged it bloomed when his fiance came to visit at Thanksgiving.
This year it did not bloom on Christmas or on Valentine's Day. As I looked at the plant I thought, "Maybe it will bloom at a special time for Stephen when something good is about to happen."

Firday Stephen called to ask me to pray for him. He had his evaluation that day and was concerned that the school might not renew his contract. I prayed for him and reminded him of Philippians 4:6-7 and how I believe in that scripture. I told him he cannot live without the peace of the Spirit. I challenged him to turn this over to God, to get down on his knees and stay there until he felt God's peace fill him. I called and put his name on the prayer roll. I contacted my missionary friends on Skype and they all said they would fast and prayer for him on Sunday.

Saturday I looked at Stephen's cactus and lo and behold it was blooming. I called Stephen and told him what I had asked for and that it had been answered. His cactus was blooming at a special time for him.