Sometimes angels are those you love the most!

Since I was 16, my sweetheart has been a constant angel in my life. Whether sending me a note or making sure I had flowers to brighten my day.

But see, that is just the kind of guy he is.

He is the oldest of 7 children and is always looking out for his younger siblings. I find out about secret acts of kindness he does for those he knows are struggling. His heart is always tender towards the one that is suffering. That is one thing I love so much about him...

Here is a post of his. (I am taking spousal liberty here, he has no idea I am posting this :-))

In it is a song he wrote for those who struggle. At the time, I believed it really lifted the spirits of those who needed it. He has been an angel to many people. And my hope is, that by posting this, he will again, be an angel to someone else.

When I was a young father, I worked overnight shifts at a group home for
adults that had schizophrenia. They each lived in their own apartment, but
needed someone living close by to help them when they started feeling afraid,
alone, or needed some other type of support. Each had a story, although some
could barely remember it. They each had a family somewhere, but few ever
visited. One lady in particular really had a painful life. She had some
beautiful young children who were removed by CPS because she was deemed to be an unfit parent. Her parental rights were severed, they were adopted, and she never
saw them again. Their pictures in hand, she cried herself to sleep most nights.
Many of of the men and women who lived there kept the television on day and
night, because it left too lonely of a feeling to turn it off.

I had challenges of my own, or so I thought. My body didn't respond well to working overnights, and I was always exhausted. I missed my wife and young son, who I got to spend little time with. I made about $1200 per month, and my family's health insurance premiums cost about $850. That obviously didn't leave much for anything else, so we had to find other ways to bring in some money. I wondered how long this would continue, and I didn't see any end in sight.

My sister had challenges. She thought she had found the man of her dreams, but she had just found out that he was moving on and the relationship wasn't heading where she hoped it had been heading. This was her first real boyfriend, although she was now an adult, and she worried she'd never find someone again.

My mom had challenges. One night she called me while I was working in the middle of the night and was crying so hard she could barely talk. I don't remember what was wrong, I just remember the pain in her voice and thinking for the first two minutes of the call that it was one of the adults at the group home calling for support.

All these things weighed on my mind. Why do people suffer? How do you endure even one more day when it feels unbearable? How do you find a ray of hope in complete darkness? A thought came to my mind that my mom told me often growing up -- "sometimes all you can pray is that you can make it through the night."

The thoughts of my mother, my young family at home, my sister, and especially the woman living in the group home who had lost her children stayed on my thoughts throughout the remainder of that night. I pulled out a pen and paper and wrote this song:

Joy Cometh in the Morning
copyright 2000 Tim Penrod

Over, finally through
Don't remember ever feeling so truly
Finished, such despair
Life is ruined, and I don't even care
Hour upon hour lying here
Trying to hold back each crushing tear
I'm weeping for a night
There's nothing left to do
No sleeping this night
Forget that there's a morning
Following my mourning
And crying from my soul
Emptiness has taken control
Weeping shall endure this night so hard
This night, life broke my heart

Behold, I knock upon your door
As one who's been through weeping before
I carry a healing salve
Some rescue from your world that seems bad
Hour upon hour waiting here
Let me wipe away your painful tears
By healing you this night
Have faith that this is true
And cheering your heart tonight
Forget that awful sorrow
By choosing now to borrow
Some Balm of Gilead
To soothe your soul from everything sad
Weeping may endure this night of mourning
But joy cometh in the morning

Sometimes all we can do is pray to make it through the night. Thanks, mom, for
those words of wisdom.

This Easter season, I am grateful for He that has been through weeping before...He that can heal. We sometimes bear burdens so great that no person on earth could ever understand. Only the one who suffered for the burdens of all can truly understand. He knows heartache, loneliness, rejection, betrayal, grief. He knows you and I.

I am a Marriage and Family Counselor, and I love the field of psychology. But one thing I know for certain is that theories of behavior are man's ideas of how to help
one another. They can help, but nothing heals like the healing of the Savior of
Mankind. And the funny thing is we don't always even realize that we are in the
process of being healed in the very moment we think we've been abandoned.

I am grateful that there was one who loved us enough to make this sentence true:"The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed."For those who find themselves in the middle of a dark night: Believe and hope that joy, and healing, cometh in the morning.

Lifting the Hands that Hang Down

Heather over at A Goddess in Progress is an angel in her own right. She has been encouraging people to get healthy one step at a time. Recently, Heather experienced a heartbreaking experience of her own and needed angels to attend to her… here is her story.

"you know that song -oh i believe there are angels among us, sent down to us, from somewhere up above, they come to you and me in our darkest hours to show us how to live, to teach us how to give, to guide us with the light of love-

yesterday, i was surrounded with angels i've previously only known as
friends. hubby HAD to go to work, i wasn't feeling ready to be alone -and then
kemra called. she stayed on the phone with me for at least four hours. shortly
after i hung up with her -there was a knock on my door. i wasn't sure i wanted
to see anyone, but i got up and answered it anyway. wendy was standing there.
"Hi." she says, "I was just walking home, and I thought I should stop by and see
you. A little random, I know, but how are you doing?" I say, "Good. I'm good. Do
you want to come in?" She steps in -sees the flowers and the heating pad and the
mess my house is (was) and says "What's going on?" I tell her. "I knew I was
supposed to stop by. What can I do?" -she visited me for awhile. She brought me
movies and red raspberry tea. She asked me to please call her if i need
anything. then, not so long after she stopped in, my sister in law showed
up. she brought me sweet potato fries -the ones she knows I love, and then she
cleaned my house. how great was all of that?

thank you, all of you. thanks for the emails and the phone calls. thanks for the thoughts and prayers. i feel your love"

The Good Neighbor

Here is another one from my other blog. I am sure everyone has stories they would like to share... add a link to the comments below. In the meantime, meet my resident angels.

The news has always been full of unsettling information. Especially lately. Communities, nations and the world seem to be in constant turmoil. It can get a person down. It is difficult sometimes to recognize the Hand of God on a planet where belief of Him is smothered by the loud voices of opposition. And yet, in this crazy world, there is goodness. We just have to open our eyes.

Goodness comes in many forms. In my case, it appears in the form of a good neighbor. I have learned many lessons since living in this home, one of which is what a good neighbor is.

The good neighbor looks after your kids when you are not around – keeping them from running in the street or beating up their brother. She doesn’t judge you for having a messy house or frumpy cloths. She celebrates with you during your happy moments and cries with you during your difficult times. The good neighbor helps stop plumbing leaks. He is willing to pull your “ox out of the mire” to keep your home from catching fire. He is there to assist in priesthood blessings. The good neighbor pays attention to your home while you are away. She visits you while you cry over your child in the hospital. She goes beyond her own comfort to help you pull off a wedding reception. She scrubs your floor while you are in the hospital. He helps lift boxes. He gives your children rides places. The good neighbor looks past your imperfections but still helps you keep perspective. She listens while you complain and validates your feelings. You can call the good neighbor in the middle of the night for help. The good neighbor helps you figure out what illness your child has. You can count on the good neighbor for emotional strength and support. You know the good neighbor is there for you, come what may. You learn compassion from the good neighbor. You learn “tricks of the (mothering) trade” You learn how to be a good neighbor. The good neighbor gives you more than you could ever return.

Our family has been overly blessed with such neighbors. And it makes me think about what this world would be like if we could all be good neighbors. Reaching out not only to our next door neighbors, but to those we interact with each day. How would this world be a better place if we each took a little more effort to be a good neighbor? How have you been affected by a good neighbor?

I believe that the world, especially now, needs more good neighbors. More people to reach out, get involved and love those around us. How can you be a better neighbor?

Everyday Angels

Fiauna is a sincere blogger. You will find in her blog heartfelt feelings of daily life as a mom raising 4 children, one with special needs. In this post, she reminds us that each of us can have the Ministering of Angels, be raised up, when we need it most. She reminds us that when we are struggling, having a hard time bearing a particular challenge, Heavenly Father sends His angels and gives us strength to carry on.

Read her original post here... she is a beautiful author who says it so much more eloquently than I ever could.

"Thanking My Angels
Today my heart is full. (Oh, that sounds so much like a church talk. Well, in a way, I guess it is.) Today we spoke of the Ministering of Angels, something I thought I knew everything about. I've heard the pioneer stories and loved them, truly. I've heard many personal stories and have enjoyed and felt uplifted by them. Well today was my day for an epiphany.

As I sat in class today (which wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to be teaching primary, but thanks to conference, the lesson schedule was rearranged and I was allowed to attend my classes.) I listened to the lesson with polite reverence.
The woman teaching the lesson shared touching stories from her own life; stories
of angels who have come and gone. As she spoke she shed a few tears. Then she
spoke of her daughter's experience of being a peer tutor for the challenged students of her school. I was especially moved.

We all know how I feel about my daughter, and those like her. They are truly angels sent to teach us how to become more Christ-like. What I didn't expect to learn today is that when we serve these special angels and their families, we become angels
ourselves.

Through the experience of raising my daughter, I have had days when I have felt down, depressed, desperate, at the end of my rope. I have also had days when I have felt strong, capable, blessed; I have felt the ministering of angels. These angels come in the form of friends who help, family that offer support, and strangers who share a knowing smile or a kind word. And sometimes these angels are like this teacher when she said, "I am in awe of the mothers of these special children ..." Awe? That word is so powerful. To stand in awe of a mother doing her best to rise to face the challenges ahead of her--I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

I don't know that my challenges are any greater than any other mother's out there. All I know is that when you share a kind comment, a word of encouragement, or a knowing smile with me, you become my angel. Thank you.

One morning at recess...

I send my babies to school everyday and pray that there is someone like this taking care of them. These kind of teachers deserve more praise and in my book, are angels. This was originally posted on my other blog.

As the second day of school draws to a close, I find myself so grateful for the teachers at my children's school. They are definitely doing a job I don't have the patience for. I know how crazy I get when my five children are all hyped up and full of energy. I can't imagine 30 kids, full of energy, every day, ALL DAY. Teachers definitely don't make enough money for the service they give and while I may not agree or like every teacher, I am SO glad someone is out there trying to make a difference.

As I watched the kids on the playground yesterday morning (I always have to spy the first day to make sure they get to where they need to go) I saw something quite touching. All the teachers were out on the playground so the kids could see them. There were the happy greetings, occasional hugs, chatting with parents. All the teachers seemed in a good mood and relatively happy about being there. Most teachers were chatting with each others in groups of two or three. Or they would be talking with a parent, with a quick hello to their student. But there was one teacher who was different than all the rest.

Barely taller than the 2nd graders she teaches, this teacher blends in well to the elementary crowd. If you don't know her, I am not sure you wouldn't think she wasn't just a 6th grader at the school. She was SWARMED with children. The closest teacher to her was well out of shouting range. She bent down (even though she didn't have to go very far :)) to each one of the kids she spoke to. She gave warm loving hugs to EACH one and they all clung on to her as if she was their favorite person in the world. She looked into EACH child's eyes and smiled and laughed with them. Although I was there to watch my own children, I was captivated by the interactions this teacher had with all the children she came in contact with.

One particular boy was in tears. She tenderly wrapped her arm around him and listened to everything he had to say. Although, I couldn't hear the conversation, I could see his little shoulders rise and fall with each stuttered breath. This teacher listened and comforted him. While all the teachers seem to love seeing their past students, her students loved to see their past teacher.

In my opinion, it sure says alot about a teacher when she is rushed by student after student with a warm hug. Teachers should be a comfort away from home. Having been blessed to have this teacher two years in a row, I know for a fact that she treats each of the children with love. And as a parent, this gives me great reassurance when I send my children to her. This is the kind of teacher that really makes a difference. To this teacher, and I think you know who you are, thank you for making a difference!

A Sister's Love

We all struggle. We all have our dark days. Our sad days. The days we can't handle. And sometimes it feels like we are at the end of our rope.

It is about that time that God steps in and takes over.

Jill is a wonderful person who is going through a rough patch in life right now. But she is beautiful and amazing. Her time will come when she sees more light days than dark. But for now, she appreciates the love of a sister. To view the original post click here.

"I found out today who one of my anonymous friends is. Jenna.

I can't even begin to express my gratitude. I would call, but I'm a tad emotional and I may make a fool of myself. The flowers, the daily notes in my mailbox, the encouragement to find joy and the assurance that I am a beloved sister and also a daughter of God... these are the things that my spirit has been craving. I don't know how to adequately show my gratitude, it may take me awhile to really put some thought into it.

My despair has been reaching new lows lately. I'm seeing a psychiatrist who tests me on a weekly basis to find out what my mood is like, what my struggles are, and the tests just keep getting worse. I've been 'moderately to severely' depressed and on this past Thursdays visit, there was nothing moderate about it. Dr. Moran promised that things get worse before they get better, and that relief is within my grasp. She is treating me with chemicals, thank heaven for modern medicine!

But I believe my Heavenly Father, knowing what is in my heart and soul, knew that I couldn't take the 'worse' before it got better. Maybe Jenna listened to a prompting, feeling like she needed to reach out to her sister with a little love and compassion. Logically I know that I am valued, and loved, but I can't internalize that right now. Jenna, your thoughtfulness pierced the wall I've been building around myself in order to cope. I love you so much, and I'm so grateful that you are my sister."

In the file room

My youngest son has been going through a great deal of illnesses lately. Sinus infections. So much so that in the last few months I would say there were only a handful of days WITHOUT an antibiotic.

I have a great pediatrician. Together, we have tried and tested many different things. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to rid my little boy of this chronic infection, my pediatrician sent me to and ENT.

This particular ENT wasn't exactly what I would call the "cream of the crop." His solution was to keep my son on antibiotics indefinitely... hmmmm. No thanks.

My angel neighbor, who I have blogged about NUMEROUS times on my other blog, suggested that I actually request an adenoid x-ray. The was hesitant to comply, but finally did on my persistence and said it wouldn't yield any results.

Then, maybe because I annoyed him, this referred me to ANOTHER (who by the way turned out to be FABULOUS)

But the story here is actually about the lady who helped all this happen. I had to set the appointment with this EXTRA SPECIALIZED a month in advance. During the time I waited, I had to have films sent over, records faxed, DNA sampled (ok -- maybe not that last one, but you get the idea)

The last film I had to get was the actual adenoid x-ray. Since the first ENT still had the image, I called them and asked them to hold it for me until I picked it up. Which I planned to do a few minutes before my OTHER ENT appointment since the offices were close to each other and VERY far from me.

Well, about an hour and a half before my SUPER SPECIALIZED appointment, I got a call from the FIRST ENT saying they didn't have the films anymore and I would have to go to the imaging center for the films.

From previous experience with this place, I knew that to receive the films, you had to request them 24 to 48 hours in advance. I only had under 2 hours. Without the films, my appointment with the EXTRA SPECIAL ENT would be a waste. He couldn't look at the whole picture so to speak.

So I called, hoping for the best. I reached a young lady in the file room named Amber. Amber was SO helpful and kind. However, she couldn't find the films anywhere. She dropped everything she was doing and called the FIRST ENT's office and found out they had stuck the films in with another patients films.

After an hour, she located the films and had them ready for me to pick up. Because she went the extra mile and helped me out, I was able to have all the information I needed for this long awaited appointment. And my son was able to get the treatment he needed quickly.

To some, Amber may not appear to be much of an Angel. But today, she was what I needed. She helped our family through an important time. And really, isn't that what Angels do?