Pray, Pray, Pray

Hello Friends,

Tonight as I lay here in my bed my thoughts turn to one of the most important principles in my life, Prayer. Prayer has always been such an important part of my life. As long as I can remember, I have had a strong testimony of the power of prayer. Throughout my life I have received answeres to so many prayers. I have received strength, comfort and guidance through prayer. And my testimony has been strengthened through prayer. I love to pray and I share with you my advice to pray and pray often. Develop a habit of prayer. Learn to love to pray and learn through experience the value of prayer. Pray for everything and never stop praying. Pray, pray, pray... HE will never tire of hearing your prayers.

As you might imagine, as I lay here, frustrated that I am unable to do so many of the things that I used to do, I have spent many, many, many hours in prayer. Each and every day I pray for so many things. I pray for all those who have been so good to us that they may be blessed. I pray for people who are struggling or ill that they may receive strength and health. I pray for my children that they will be able to deal with what they are having to go through and to have the strength to carry on through life without me. I pray that they will be able to make good choices in life. I pray that my husband will have the strength to take care of me and lift me and that his back will be strong. I pray that he will have the strength to carry on and deal with the pain of loosing me and that his faith will not fail. I pray for my mother and my brothers and sisters that they may have the strength to endure through their trials. I pray for those family members who have struggled in various ways throughout their lives that they may be able to turn their hearts to their Heavenly Father and allow him to strengthen them and lead and guide them. There are so many things that I pray for for all of you each and every day.

I also however, pray for myself. I pray for my pain that it may be lessened or that I may have the strength to endure it. I pray that I may have more time to spend with my family. I pray for the strength to be able to walk again and to be more independent. I pray for comfort when everything seems too much to bear. I pray that my fears and concerns will be lessened and that I may find comfort in knowing that everything will be okay. Many times I pray just to have the strength to get through just another day. But most of all I pray that I may have the strength and faith to accept the will of my Heavenly Father and submit myself to it. I also pray constantly to my Heavenly Father and thank Him for all the blessings in my life. I thank Him for my husband and children and their love, I thank him for the gospel and my testimony. I thank him for this beautiful world we live in and I thank him for my understanding of the gospel and that families can be together forever.

As part of my testimony of prayer, I know that our Heavenly Father hears and answers all of our prayers, even though sometimes the answer is no, and many times the answer only comes after the trial of our faith. I know that our Heavenly Father Loves us and that he knows what is best for us. Though I don't always know his purposes, I know that his will is right. I also know that sometimes there are things that we need to learn or refining that must take place in our lives that can only happen by being allowed to pass through trials and difficulties in our lives. Sometimes there are things that we have to learn that we may not even understand and many times we simply need to show that we have the faith and courage to persevere even when the answers to our prayers are not what we want. This life is a test, we are not here to become spoiled by having everything we desire as long as we live righteously. We are here to prove that we will do what is right and endure regardless of what is given to us or heaped upon us... but we are not alone. He is as close as a prayer. and even though we may not always have our trials removed from us, He will give us the strength or send us angels to help us through our trials. Many of you have been those angels who have been sent to us to help us through our trials, and I thank my Heavenly Father for you each and every day. May God Bless each of you.

I love you all
Love, Amy

Enjoy the Simple Things in Life...

Hello Everyone,

As I sit here in the early morning hours, I think of all the little things that I may have always taken for granted. These are things you never recognize until you come to the realization that the day may come soon that those little things may no longer be available to you to be a part of. This morning I spent almost an hour brushing and styling Lindsey's hair. I am sure that she probably hated almost every minute of it and the poor things hair really wasn't that fancy of a do, for having spent an hour being tortured. What she may never realize is how important that hour was to me and how much I appreciated being able to do that. It is incredible to me how important such a little task seems to me now as I am faced with the thoughts that I will not be here to do such simple tasks for my children in the future. My advice...

Enjoy the simple things in life... Every minute you spend with your children even doing the simple mundane things of everyday life is important... Take time to make the most of every little thing you do with and for your children. Enjoy time talking to and listening to your kids even when talking about the most simple topics. cherish every minute with your family. Never take for granted the little moments. We often remember and think about major moments and events in our families lives, but I am now convinced that it is a combination of all the little things, things that we do or say during everyday living, that make up what we really know and remember about each other. It is those things that really develop the relationships that we cherish. Consciously put to memory the little precious moments with each family member. Don't take for granted all the little things in life. Take the time to count your blessings, be grateful for every minute (even the hard ones or times when you may want to pull your hair out), take time to share your love with each of your family members, and Enjoy the simple things...

A Heartfelt Thank You... And a Little Advice...

Hi everyone! this is Amy.

Words cannot express how grateful I am for all of the love and generosity that has been shown to my family over the past few weeks. We have seen absolutely amazing things happening in and around our community. We have been the beneficiary of so many hours of service and so much generosity that I am at a loss for words (a rare occurrence if you ask my husband) as to what to say. I am so thankful for all of the prayers that are being offered in our behalf. Your prayers are helping to get us through these long days and nights and we have felt the strength from them as they have lifted us and helped us to go forward with faith and we are so grateful for them.

This whole ordeal has been real shock to me and my family and even now sometimes it is still so hard to believe that this is really happening. This is the sort of thing that happens to other people, I never thought that something like this could ever happen to me or my family. It has made me really reflect how important it is to make the most of every day and cherish every minute you have with your family. As I have pondered about what I would like to write in my blog, I have decided to share a few pieces of advice which seem to me to be the most important. Each entry I will share yet another piece of advice or thoughts that may help to strengthen, uplift, or encourage each of the readers to better prepare themselves for the unknown.

KEEP A JOURNAL. Over the past few years, I have had a nagging feeling that I need to be writing in a journal and keeping a personal history for my children. Unfortunately, I refused to heed this prompting, and now I am left wondering how many things I might have been able to share with my children over the past few years that are now feelings and thoughts that may be difficult or even impossible to recall and write. I have wondered what will my children remember about me? What advice would I like to leave for them? What experiences would I like to share with them? And what memories and history will they be able to share with their children about me? Unfortunately it is impossible to know how much time I will have to compile such a life's history. My time is too short. Life is too short. I may never be able share all of the things that I might have shared if I had written in a journal on a regular basis. Keep a journal... Write in it often... Share your personal thoughts and feelings... don't procrastinate... and above all else always show your family how much you love them. You never know when your life may be turned upside down in a flash.