Not Just an Ordinary Umbrella

To the untrained eye, this may look like an ordinary beach umbrella in a stand. But to me, it represents inspiration. Please don't mock my little story.

I have a strong belief in answers to prayers. Years ago, I read a book that completely inspired me, and I have never forgotten some of the things written in it, but I can't remember the title! It was the story of a lady who had one baby, two sets of twins, a set of triplets, and another single baby. She told of how she managed and how she received answers to her prayers. This was more than 25 years ago but I have never forgotten one of her stories.

She said that our Heavenly Father loves us and he is interested in what we are doing. Things that are important to us, are important to Him too. She said our Father knows ALL things-has all knowledge of ALL subjects. She said that one time she was struggling to make a pair of drapes for her house. She couldn't afford drapes in the store and she found some inexpensive fabric. She then prayed about it, asking for help in making the pinch pleats that she had no idea how to make. She recalled that some ideas came into her mind and she proceeded to make the drapes, and they turned out great!

Shortly thereafter, she was speaking with a professional seamstress, who made drapes and other decorative items for homes and began discussing with her the latest drape-making project. To her amazement, the process that the professionals use to make pinch pleated drapes was EXACTLY the same process that came to her mind as she was praying about it.

So here's my little story: I have wanted a large umbrella for my pool for YEARS. I have looked and looked and they are SO expensive. I really wanted to have one for our family Memorial Day fun in the sun party to inaugurate the pool season, but they all cost over $200 for the stand and the umbrella. Things are tight right now-what with one returned missionary and one getting ready to leave! So one morning as I was saying my prayers, an idea popped into my head!

Why not make a stand out of PVC pipe to hold up the beach umbrellas that we had already stashed in our garage. They are only used once or twice a year-but they work just fine. So off I headed to Lowe's. My original idea didn't work, but as I stared at the containers of PVC pipe, I figured out how to put one together! It worked perfectly! All for about $20.

So now I have my pool umbrellas, and a stronger testimony that God loves me and my prayers are important!

Living Water

"There cometh a women of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and saith unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; from whence then hast thou that living water?.....Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:7-14

Water has a powerful affect on us. I came realize this the last few days as we watched Amy suffer agonizing pains and gradually become sicker and sicker. She had been released from the hospital mid morning on Tues. with powerful painkillers and she spent all day wretchedly ill and the rest of us feeling full of despair for her. The soonest her surgeon could see her was the following MONDAY morning! Finally late Tues. night, her husband said, "enough is enough...we are going back to the hospital!" Hours later, and to make a looonnnggg story short, she had a miraculous recovery. What was the problem?

Dehydration.

Lack of fluid in her body.

We went to a different hospital, and after a discussion, they realized she had not taken any fluids in nearly 36-48 hours! After two bags of IV fluids, she was a totally different person-pain free, nausea free, and she had come back to us! Water is a necessary and vital component of our lives-lack of it is life-threatening!

As I lay in bed later that night (early morning), I had a powerful lesson taught to me.

Just as water is vital to our physical bodies, "living water" is vital to our spiritual selves. How long can I go without water in my body? Only a few days. How long can I go without "living water" for my spiritual body? The same. Do I recognize the signs and symptoms of spiritual "dehydration?" They may be more subtle and difficult to recognize, but they are there nonetheless.

"Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely." D&C 10:66

The invitation is issued, the Arms are always extended.

We must accept the invitation and "drink freely."

Small and Simple

"It's just the little things...." Just another time-worn cliche, or is it? The reason this statement has stood the test of time is that it is based on true principles.

".......And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things."
1 Nephi 16:29

".....And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."
D&C 64:33

"......a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm..."
D&C 123:16

Today my heart is full of gratitude for the small and simple things that assist me daily in my own private struggles and heartaches. For the people I have met, the words others have written, the casual conversations that come just at the right moment, the private whisperings of the Spirit to comfort me in trials, the scripture that pops out in a time of need. They let me know that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and loves my family.

My challenge to you today is to look for those tender mercies that may go overlooked daily as we rush through life-especially this time of year. Maybe the small and simple isn't quite so small and simple after all.

My Prayers Answered

They're done! I am so beyond excited about this....The workers did a fabulous job, they cleaned it up so nicely and I got to practice my Spanish to boot! Who could ask for more. We're just waiting for a topsoil delivery and then it's time to get serious.

These garden boxes are truly an answer to a prayer. God really does listen and answer our prayers. Earlier this year I had been studying and learning about gardening on line and heard about Square Foot Gardening. I felt really strongly that I needed to add to my garden boxes, but how to find the money.....we figured it would cost us at least $1000! So I decided to make it a matter of prayer. I prayed that we would have the money come to us that we needed to build these boxes. I had no idea how it was going to happen, I just knew that it was something important that I wanted to do. I just prayed every morning in my prayers for days and days(amongst other stuff) that the way would be opened for us to do this. Well, guess what! About two weeks later we got a notification that we were receiving an "economy stimulus check" in the mail to the tune of about $1500! I had forgotten about it and really didn't think we were going to get one. My garden box money! I really do know that God listens and answers our prayers and the things that are important to us are important to Him also because we are His children and He loves us. We can pray about even the tiniest things-because they are important to us and He will help us accomplish them.

(I think I better pray now for the energy and time to get the garden planted!)