Skip to main content

17 Miracles

Tonight for our family home evening, we watched a movie called 17 Miracles.  It told of experiences from the Willie handcart company.  Some of John's ancestors, the Moultons, were part of that company, so watching the movie was especially meaningful. 

A few years ago, John and I (and three of our kids) had the opportunity to participate in a pioneer trek re-enactment, where we pushed and pulled handcarts over the course of a few days.  (Our oldest had participated four years previously, and our youngest will have the opportunity to participate this next summer.)  We loved being Ma and Pa to the teens who were assigned to be our family for the trek.  I also gained a deeper appreciation for those handcart pioneers.  I was only pushing and pulling for a few days, during pleasant weather, with adequate food, and with no worry about the outcome for my family.  The pioneers walked for months, in freezing weather, on very strict rations of meager food, and experienced sickness and even death.  Their faithful examples stand to remind me of how much I have to be thankful for. 

Thankful thought:  Thanks for food, shelter, easy transportation, medical treatments, and those who live with great conviction.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ten Things of Thankful: 39 Years Edition

A political map of the world circa 1987. The Soviet Union takes up a sizable portion. A lot has happened in the last 39 years. The Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet Union collapsed. The Twin Towers fell. Technology has changed: landlines and phone booths are practically extinct, and random questions can be answered in seconds by asking Google, Siri, or Alexa. No longer do drivers keep the Thomas Guide in their cars; navigation systems will give turn-by-turn directions, and recalculate when the driver doesn't follow the directions. Some cars don't even need drivers. While many shoppers do their shopping in-person, some simply log into Amazon and have their item show up on their doorstep--sometimes within hours.  I've seen pieces of the Berlin Wall. I've traveled to places that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. I've been to Ground Zero. I no longer have a house phone, and have looked up the answers to countless questions using my cell phone. I do not miss the stress...

Ten Things of Thankful: April Showers Edition

  A red peony bud prepares to open fully  After an incredibly dry winter, we had a bit of precipitation this past week, in the form of falling snow. We didn't have much, and it didn't really stick, but we'll take water however it wants to come. Fortunately, my peonies seem unaffected by the cold snap, and are ready to put on a show here soon. 1. I'm thankful for moisture. 2. I'm thankful the flowers are still going to bloom. I don't know how the colder temperatures will affect the fruit crops. The strawberries look like they are still planning to set fruit. We'll have to see what happens with the peach, apricot, pear, and apple. (The apricot only bears heavily every other year anyway, and I think this is an "off" year--though I could be wrong.) Strawberry plants in full bloom 3. I'm thankful for anticipated berries.  We continue to clear out and otherwise prepare John's parents' house for sale. I've been going through old photos and...

Tuesday Time to Tackle: DIY Swamp Cooler Pump Replacement

Yesterday morning, despite having the swamp cooler on all night long, we woke up to 81 degree temperatures inside the house.  John went outside to inspect and announced that the swamp cooler pump had stopped working. Fortunately, replacing the pump is a quick and simple do-it-yourself project.