Heaven

HEAVEN

I had the sweetest experience this week in a dream. Dreams are so subjective & therefore meaningless, I think, in sharing with others that I hesitate to even try. However, I have something of value to share with those who have ears willing to hear.

They say that 'everyone' you encounter in a dream is really just a facet of your personality, but I say, how can a dream evolve if all the actors are just you? It would be impossible to have a dream without interaction to move the story along! The story line isn't important in this dream, but I hope to be able to convey the message and the feeling my dream.

I found myself outside in a place of huge, natural beauty, similar to the Pacific Northwest but magnificent in beauty beyond description. There was much construction activity all around me. I, myself, was 'shopping' for items to give to my daughter for her new home. However the setting, while opulent, was outside! I found a lovely inlaid lamp table, several fine china serving platters and fine crystal flutes. I was assured by the lady who helped me, and adored all that I had bought(?), that they would be delivered to my daughter's new home. I was then walking about this massive construction site (still all magnificent & huge) on my way to my daughter's to enjoy the new gifts & view her new home. Some of my extended family members & I were walking alongside a flowing creek as we carefully picked our way through the construction to my daughter's home.

I first experienced the home from the interior. The walls I saw were constructed of red brick, but laid in a curving, fairy-tale like way. It reminded me of the homes lived in by the Hobbits in The Lord of the Ring, or Kincaid paintings, but a LOT more spacious! Now that I think about it, it seemed alot like a Kincaid painting, but the home and the surrounding scenery were ginormous!

We all then found ourselves outside gazing at the scenery all around us, in this woodsy, watery, mountainous, BEAUTIFUL place. And everyone there (as there were small crowds of people about) were all singing the same song. I realized that the whole time I had been in this dream, that all the people in the background were singing the same song all the time. It's melody was simple and I only heard one phrase being sung over and over again, "We just left yesterday. We just left yesterday!" That is when I realized the full import of the dream. I HAVE NEVER FELT SUCH PEACE & JOY AS I FELT IN THIS PLACE. And everyone there was so overjoyed to be BACK, that the song in their hearts was, 'We just left yesterday!' It seemed to mean that we were NOW back to a place that we had left only the day before, but now we all returned to the place from which we all came-a place where we belonged-home.

How does one describe a feeling? Love, peace & joy literally FLOWED through this place & through everyone's heart. I woke up literally singing the song. I even woke up Tony and tried to tell him about the experience and sing him the song! Even with my sorry singing voice, I could repeat it perfectly, for the music pitched up on the second phrase to make it slightly different from the first. I can remember now, days later, but as dreams often fade, I don't know how long I will be able to hear the tune and repeat it?

I prayed to ask my Heavenly Father if I had experienced a little piece of Heaven and He confirmed to me that I had. I was in a place of beauty with my loved ones where love constantly, naturally, flowed unheeded.

It was an experience of blessing. I will pray that I can regain that same sense of Heavenly existence at will in the future.

The question that had been flowing through my mind weeks previous to this experience was, "I wonder what Heaven looks like?" I have an answer that was even better than my question---now I know what Heaven feels like! I want to go there with all my loved ones. I look forward to us all sharing this wonderful place one fine day.

Merry Christmas!

Ernie Smith's Baptism

This is an email I received from my daughter, Patti Sue. On Friday, Nov 4, 2011, she, with her children Jake and Jane, traveled to Rexburg, ID, for a speaking assignment Patti had with EFY, Especially For Youth---a youth centered organization supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Patti has a presentation that she shares with the youth of the Church wherever and whenever there is a need and she has the time and availability. I have never been able to attend her presentation so I know only that it is centered on Rob's (her late husband) life and passing. I have been told, however, that she provides a moving & memorable experience that leaves a profound impression on the youth.
The LDS Church purports the practice of the ancient teaching of baptizing for the dead. My children, John David and Patti, have been planning and preparing to perform this Gospel Ordinance for my dad, Ernie Smith. Since J.D. and his family live in Rexburg and there is a Latter Day Temple in Rexburg, they determined to go forward with the Temple Ordination for my dad. It works by a male person acting as proxy for my dad (females act as proxy for female persons) being baptized in his name by one having the ancient Priesthood authority. You may enter a Temple and perform proxy baptisms for the dead when you reach the minimum age of twelve and have been interviewed and pronounced worthy by your local Bishop to enter the Temple. I am proud to say that my grandson, Jake Epperson, is such a youth and my daughter and my son also are Temple worthy individuals. The three of them went to the Rexburg Temple (while sweet daughter-in-law, Tasha, stayed home with Patti's baby Jane) to perform the baptism for my dad Friday evening. J.D. did the actual baptism and Jake acted as proxy for my dad.
We firmly believe that this life on earth is a step in the evolution of humankind throughout eternity. We believe that we are expected to perform all the Gospel ordinances while in this earthly stage of our existence. We also subscribe to the ancient practice of performing proxy ordinances for our dead progenitors, who did not have these ordinations performed for themselves while living on earth. We feel that we are performing a service for them that they cannot now do for themselves. And since we feel a love for our ancestors, we love to do what we can for them that we believe will aid them in their eternal progression.
I cannot express or contain the love, pride and appreciation that I have for all my children and grandchilren. ALL of them are jewels in my crown---they each bring us all joy! My family is simply The Best! Enjoy Patti's message.

Mom,
Last night was so amazing. Jake only wanted to come up here to do
grandpa's work. We got there early (the Temple) and sat in the chapel and talked to Jake about memories we had of grandpa. We told him different stories and just gave
Jake a closeness to his great grandpa. Jake of course remembers his funeral and
still has the bullet shells from the military salute. A member of the temple
presidency came in to talk to the youth and he talked about how this youth is
continuing the missionary (work) their dead ancestors are doing in the spirit world. I
told Jake there was no doubt in my mind that his dad taught grandpa in the
spirit world and that is why now grandpa was excepting the gospel and how great
it was for Jake to continue the work for his dad. The spirit was so strong and I
could not control my tears of joy. Jake said to me afterwards that he always
want(ed) to be at the temple. He is such a great boy with a strong testimony. It was
a beautiful experience and (I) was grateful to be a part of it.
Love Patti sue

Never Too Old to Learn

I had the opportunity to sub teach in Sunday School this last Sunday for the 16 year old class of boys & girls. Goof that I am I prepared all week Lesson #32 for the Primary age children. I didn’t realize my mistake until 10 am Sunday morning while doing my last ‘run through’ of the class material. No wonder the notes the teacher sent me didn’t match the lesson material?? So through gritted teeth and with flying fingers put to my keyboard, I dove into the correct lesson material with only a couple of hours prep time!
They were prepared and very well behaved students who wanted to be in Sunday School that day. I had a great time & sincerely hope I had a positive effect on them! If I did, it was because at the very beginning of my class prep in the lesson material, I was presented with this thought, “Will you work to teach this lesson or will you work to change lives?”
OhMyGoodness!!! That thought burned right through me!?! In an instant I realized that my approach with assignments to ‘teach a lesson’ clearly lacked this needed imperative! Previously I was obsessed with becoming well acquainted with the lesson material; with investigating every part & extension of it. I always felt driven to examine all possible sources & anticipate every possible question & prepare an answer to it. When I completed all that study, I would then go back to the lesson directive & review all the material & finally design my outline for my presentation. I thought, ‘Perfect!’ What more could one do?
With this new awareness I approached the lesson material. I came away with a different understanding of how to present ‘the lesson plan’. I viewed the material with a new insight; one that looked further, beyond the mark of the facts. One that would help me present new values to the full measure of the principle. It changed my whole perception of presentation. I moved from details to concepts. I spoke of interfacing values that included interesting points of fact. I scooped up their minds & swept them along in a voyage of discovery … one that allowed them to place themselves inside the picture & choose action. I gave them opportunities that they previously didn’t know that they had. I gave them tools to ‘change their lives’ if they wanted. I taught precepts, not only facts. It was a wonderful, teaching experience for me.
This morning my sister called me to discuss her frustration in family metrics. She is raising her three grandchildren as wards of the State of Oregon. The State was placing her in the position of having to choose between grandsons. They threatened to revoke her state license if she did not separate the two boys based on treatments each was receiving which were diametrically opposed programs in the eyes of the State. To say that she was frustrated & fighting mad would be an understatement.
I was able to introduce to her my new discovery in correlation to her situation. I said that the State attorney, which she was working with, seemed more intent on running the program than in meeting the needs of the children. She took great comfort & hope from that understanding! It gave her verbal ammunition with which she could argue her status with the State agencies. It empowered her to see the full picture, the true concept of her battle & renew her commitment to the health of her family!
Serve the One. The Ninety and Nine. The Prodigal Son. Conversion (change of heart) is active & nurtured in each heart. It is personal … the most intimate action capable. If the heart cannot be reached, there is no change. Do not waste your allotted time in worthless activity … touch people’s hearts always. To affect hearts, one at a time, is to affect the world, one heart at a time. Who within your influence needs to have their heart touched? What can you do to change the heart of the world?
“I am only one, but still I am one,” Helen Keller.
"Example Faith, Spread Hope, Practice Charity … you can touch hearts," Sande Mitchell.

Deep Thoughts

I don't usually read a newspaper, but occasionally they accumulate in my drive & if I don't toss them quickly, my hunny will bring them inside. So, while paging through the first one of the new year, I found & read a wonderful piece about love, loss & life.

A man, named Dean Martin as luck would have it, woke up Memorial Day 2009 to a normal day filled with anticipation for the upcoming birth of his first child, a son, within the week. He & his wife had planned a fairly simple quiet day & began it by reviewing & discussing baby boy names. At the top of the short list that day was 'Austin'.

By early afternoon, his wife was suffering abdominal pain that didn't seem anything like labor that sent them scurrying to the emergency room. As the afternoon wore on, the tests and the pain increased without relief or explanation. By early evening, as Dean watched in horror as his wife's life essence relentlessly slipped away, tiny unborn, unknown Austin began showing signs of distress. Though emergency surgery was performed in an effort to save Austin, he survived only 51 hours and l5 minutes to later die in his father's arms. Dean's wife died before midnight that same day. The culprit was found to be a benign tumor on her liver that had burst.

All these facts I read with mounting anxiety as they presented Dean's story to me. I didn't ask for this mental trauma that morning. I was after-all just paging through an unwanted newspaper because I truly had nothing other to do and his unusual name drew my attraction to the piece.

I was in the end, grateful for the interruption of my peaceful Saturday morning. Dean turned out to be quite a teacher of emotional insightfullness. To quote Dean as he was quoted when asked 'the why of it all?'

"Maybe this happened because I was in a position to show people how to keep going,"he says. "I don't know that I have any answers or that I am doing it the right way." The things he's learned:

You never really get back to normal. It is with you always. A diaper commercial on TV can be like a punch in the gut.

You can never have enough life insurance.

You have to put one foot in front of the other, even if you don't know where you are going.

Mmmm. Put 'one foot in front of the other -- even if you don't where you are going.' I'd say that's about the best piece of advice I've ever heard from one of the 'Walking Wounded', as I like to refer to those of us who have survived life traumas. And really, who hasn't?

So, if a man who arose one peaceful morning in May only to have his family, his life, his world in shreds by day's end to admit & counsel such simple, wonderful words of wisdom, then I'm oh so happy to have taken the time and effort to read, no, to relive his story & learn what he learned. And I'm grateful to have taken the opportunity to share it with you all on this wonderful first Sabbath Day in the New Year 2011.

Gratitude is the Attitude of Charity. May we all practice more gratitude this year for all our blessings, but especially our blessings of family and loved ones. And if we can't feel an attitude of gratitude, then may we at least, "...put one foot in front of the other, even if you don't know where you are going," until you reach the Godly Grace of Gratitude. May God Bless you richly in this new year.

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