In the Book of Mormon, there is a record of a family who traveled from the Tower of Babel to the American continent. The family of Jared soon received their first glimpse of a vast, stormy ocean, having been required of the Lord to crawl into some mysterious air-tight vessels they were promised would carry them safely to a better place. As they gazed into the deep, moving water, they breathed the unfamiliar sea salt and felt the ice cold water lap at their feet. "What will become of our family?" "Can we do this thing that God requires of us?"

These were the questions we asked as our family stood on the edge of a new journey in February 2011. Before Cathi was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, we saw the waves of an unfamiliar storm brewing and felt the fear of anticipation. When the cancer was certain, our family was required to wade into the cold water, crawl into a mysterious vessel and trust the Lord would be in charge.

The family of Jared was given stones touched by the finger of the Lord that provided light inside their vessels "that they might not cross the great waters in darkness......and it came to pass that...(they) set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind. And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord. And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water." Read the rest: http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/6?lang=eng

This blog is the captain's log of our family's journey. It will serve to keep all of you updated on Cathi's condition but also be a place where I can express the lessons we are learning so that it might be a source of strength for others who are going through difficult challenges. We are certainly not unique in this regard. I hope to continue trusting in the light we have been given and to lead our family when we are encompassed by the dark ocean or tossed by its waves. We sincerely seek for your faith in asking the Lord to calm the water, give strength beyond our own and lead all of us of us to a better place.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Flower Power

(From Cathi)

The other morning, I received a wonderful surprise from a dear friend. She called me up and asked if she could come over and give me some flowers that she'd picked from her yard. Of course, that sounded wonderful to me. Well, when she walked in, carrying a vase full of lilacs, my heart just melted. The smell was heavenly, and the flowers were beautiful to look at, as well. Lilacs are some of my favorites, and the lovely smell took me right back to my childhood. Just one whiff made me think of all the times when I would stop and smell the lilac bushes near our home, as I walked home from school each day. Giving me those flowers was a small and simple thing, yet it totally made my day!

Receiving those lilacs yesterday made me think of all the other beautiful flowers that I've been given during the past few months. I've had friends bring flowers as they've come to visit, and I've also had friends and family send flowers from great distances. Some have been rather simple bouquets, and others have been elegant arrangements. There have been all colors and many varieties of flowers, and I've loved them all. When I've looked at them or enjoyed their scents, I've been reminded of the great people who have shared their love and support. Although every single flower has been appreciated greatly, I want to mention a couple of bouquets in particular:

On February 15, less than an hour after receiving the unpleasant phone call, telling me that I had breast cancer, a dear friend from church came by with a bouquet of flowers. She didn't have much to say, but she gave me a big hug, shed a few tears with me, and let me know that she was there for me. Her simple act of kindness truly let me know that I was not alone in my new challenge. I'll never forget how that felt!

Another beautiful bouquet arrived the week after I had my first chemo treatment. It was an edible fruit bouquet--huge, delightfully arranged, and delicious! The thing that was so special about this lovely arrangement is that it was sent by two people I've never even met. They are Western Union co-workers from California, and they cared enough about Jerry and our family to send this incredibly thoughtful and generous gift. They will never know how much that touched my heart!

Jerry mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the Young Women (ages 12-18) and leaders in our church have been planting flowers for us. Whenever I see the beautiful varieties of flowers on our front porch, I'm reminded of how much I love these wonderful teen-age girls and adult leaders. I'm so privileged to teach and get to associate with them all, and I love it! I'm truly blessed!

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