Tuesday Sampler

Collecting text messages and other history from my wife’s iPhone was a project this month ... with love.  A dear friend here in Ogden received the device last Friday, having waited patiently for over a month to buy it.

Sister Kay Cannon served twelve months with me in Michigan and saved a huge amount of history on her new phone in the course of our work — much more than she wrote in her journal.  Precious!
I will be adding some examples to this post.

Monday 5/21/2018 8pm ET:
This is Sister Cannon. The missionaries wanted me to contact ward members who may have an interest. This weekend there are two baptisms. Riley is getting baptized at 5 on Saturday. You're welcome to bring something. Our granddaughter is getting baptized on Sunday at 6. She wants a sheet cake and Gingerale. Those will be provided. You are welcome to bring something if you want.

11/16/2017 [young missionaries texted:]
Thank you so much for the juice and food and the phone! We are so grateful for you. When would be a good day to do inspections next week?
Sisters Bickmore & Stevenson

1/31/2018 3:35pm ET [Kay, always good at asking questions to get the details:]
Sister Stevenson, we heard you’re leaving us! Can’t stand it! Do you go tomorrow? Who is your new companion? Where are you going? Are you coming to cookie splits tonight? Any time for get-together with us before you leave?


10/28/2017 Jo S. (our Layton frontier neighbor, not a member of our faith at the time:)
Kay! Hello, what a nice surprise to hear from you. Where in MI are you? I was thinking of you yesterday! Here is a pic of an apricot tree, I started to grow from one of the pits from the fruit you gave us!  Will you be returning to UT sometime?

Kay to Jo: That is so neat! I hope the young couple who moved into our home appreciates our fruit trees like we did. We are on an LDS mission in SE Michigan. Ned has been in charge of finance and I have been over housing for the missionaries. This has been a temporary assignment by our mission president. We will be moving from Farmington MI to Warren or Roseville MI within the next two months for our new assignment.  We will return to Utah the summer of 2019.  We don't know where we will be living, but probably closer to our daughter in Farr West.  Are you both doing well?  We miss you and the neighborhood.


Mon. 8/14/2017 2pm Katie to Kay [on our first day of training at MTC in Provo, Utah:]
We are missing you already. This was the kids’ dialogue as you were driving away:
Eli- "Thank you for playing with us, Grandpa!"
Jonathan- "I am thankful for Grandma for giving us cookies."
Jeremy- "We will miss them."
It was so heartfelt I almost cried.  We love you and are so excited for this great adventure you are about to have.  Talk to you soon?
[Following a fast sale of our frontier home to be homeless after our mission, we loved living with our daughter’s young family for precious few months of blessings to us.]

Saturday 8/19/2017 10pm (Kay sent pic: Adeline with little dog at Cove Fort, Utah)
I'm missing Adeline's hugs.
Katie: We will need to figure out how to do face time. The kids would love to see you. Love you lots.

family time at home in Roseville Michigan

My Hope

My new friend, an older neighbor who "lost" his first wife years ago, told me in the way of counsel that he does not "waste time" looking back; he only looks forward.  Blessing his kind soul, that works for him, but not for me.  Having hope of reuniting with my wife Kay, who passed away last October (peacefully moving on to her next assignment), I look back to her loving life of service and to the perfect life and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because of our Savior, I feel "a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ..." (I Peter 1:3-4)

I look back to my 3/31/2013 post, "A Quiet Garden Scene", which recounts a sacred meeting at "The Garden Tomb" in September 1972.  It reminds me that my parents' (and Kay's parents') lives of service also strengthen my hope as I look back at their missions as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Looking forward, I see a joyful reunion with my eternal companion and other loved ones who have passed on.  I pray daily that I will be worthy and keep the faith.  Past experience reminds me ("going forward," as they say) that I face a daily struggle, enduring and serving to the end ... with love.

Looking back with joy and sorrow, I am grateful for blessings from our Heavenly Father.  Looking forward, my hope has no end.

Life is good – here and in the hereafter.  I hope you will feel true joy during this Easter season and years to come.

liking the spring rain by the Ogden Utah Temple

with my sweetheart Kay, together forever