Family reunion

Demke Cowboys out on the range

A few of the Demke/McKenna/Hess kids

I am currently recovering from a "family high."  My niece Jerusha, a champion organizer, pulled together an amazing reunion for the families of Sheldon and Neldon Demke.  Included were all my children and their families, my sister and her husband and all their children (less one on a mission in South America) and families.  All together there were about 48 people.

Tatum and Afton riding with grandma

Slip 'n slide

My grown up children

We occupied a large and lovely lodge on Fish Haven Creek near Bear Lake, Idaho.  This is some of the most spectacular scenery!   It was all I could do to drive safely with so much to look at along the way.  Our time there was well organized with each delicious meal being prepared by a different family.  Activities were planned for all interests and age groups and included games, crafts, slip and slide, feats of strength, daily trips to the lake, and culminated in a sweet and spiritual Sacrament meeting Sunday morning.   At least half the participants were children.  Miraculously, there were no serious injuries, quarrels or tantrums.  The entire time was imbued with the sweetest feelings of love and companionship.  I spent a few sad moments regretting that Sheldon wasn't able to be a part of such a gathering, then more and more I started to realize that he was a very real part of our reunion.

The last of my posterity left town yesterday.  Their departure has left a hole in my soul, but it is filled daily with the knowledge that we are united by far more than time and geography.  I am so grateful to be part of an Eternal family.

A friend of mine works in the Salt Lake temple the day before he works in the library with me.  One day a while back he looked especially tired.  He explained that the day before he had worked in the baptistry and that it was Prom night.  When I failed to see the connection, he told me that Prom day is the busiest day of the year in the baptistry as it is a tradition for young men and women to come to the temple and do work before going out to dinner and dance.  I couldn't help contrasting that with the way most of the world views prom night, as a time to get drunk, get a hotel room, and get into trouble.
While there is no doubt that there is a great and growing wickedness in the world at large, I would propose that there is an opposing movement for good, growing just as rapidly.  A few examples:
Everyday I see people of all faiths drawn to the family history library, wanting to know about their heritage.  I'm sure that many of them are being pushed there by their unseen ancestors who are eager for them to be their advocates in the mortal world.  The fact that they are responding to these promptings tells me that they are a part of the great movement for good in the world.

I have referred before to the fact that from a prominent point on a familiar horse trail I can see 3 operating temples.  (One lit up behind Sam in this photo)  Within the 60 mile radius of my mission there are at least 7 more.  Within an easy drive of my home in California I can attend 5 temples. Temples are now in very part of the world.  These are busy places, full of people who are trying to live good lives and care enough about each other to take time so that others can share the blessings they have.  Most do so on a regular basis.
I am in awe of the young people in my life, especially my own children, who I see working so hard, tirelessly raising their children to have strong values in a world that increasingly belittles them.  It is not easy to choose the good path, but the rewards are great and very real.
Today our Sunday school teacher quoted Hezekiah to us.  Hezekiah has helped his people prepare for the coming siege of the Assyrians.  He says to his people (paraphrasing), "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the [world] nor all the multitude that is with them: for there be more with us than with them. . . with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."
And so I would propose that as the polarization of our planet increases we each take the attitude of Hezekiah.  Be strong and courageous, be not dismayed.  Every time we make a good choice we are enlisting legions of angels to back us up.  We are not alone.  We know good will ultimately prevail.

Rescue

I had a couple of adventures on horseback during the past 2 weeks. The first happened when I took my brother Toby out for a ride. I put him on David's horse Pancho and I rode Jerusha's horse Norman. Norman is a sweet and reliable mount who would be considered safe for almost any rider. At one point in the ride Toby decided to go on ahead and I attempted to turn back. Norman objected to the separation from his herd and started to buck. Now I've been on a lot of horses, many misbehaving in many ways, but I've never ridden a bucking horse. This was genuine rodeo style bucking, head down and hind feet in the air. It didn't take me long to realize why the rodeo cowboys get big bucks for this and that I was no rodeo cowboy. I decided to stop trying to correct Norman in hopes that he would relax, but without the bit he just took off, still bucking. I knew I couldn't sit this and, just in time, a soft grassy hill sped up on the left. I landed gently on the hill, got up quickly, grateful for my rescue from what could have been a dangerous situation. Norman and I both survived to ride another day.

Thursday I went riding with my friend Debbie and her sister Sandy. This time the horses were hot and tired before we left the barn. One minute out we were confronted by what could only be described as a herd of children (about 50, average age maybe 12), jogging down the main horse path to our trails. One look at this noisy, erratic mob coming towards us and I knew we were in trouble. Horses are basically prey animals and at their core, reactive. We train them to think, to obey, to be desensitized to most of the things they might encounter on the trail, but I knew these horses had never seen anything like this. To them it must have looked like a growling, prowling herd of mountain lions coming to eat them. The reactive brain took over. Each of us felt our mounts tense and Norman spun on his heels and ran for all he was worth in the other direction. Herd mentality took over and the other two horses followed. This was no gentle canter down the lane. These were three horses racing for their lives at top speed, in spite of the pleadings of their riders. My horse, being the fastest among them quickly overtook the other too. With a little distance we were able to remind them of their training again and the reasonable side of their brains came back. We had an exciting ride, but everyone stayed on and no one was any worse for it.

These two experiences reminded me why I pray for protection every single ride, and every day. The world is a dangerous place, and every day I am delivered, rescued even, in ways big and small, by the Lord.

Protection from physical danger is the least of these rescues. There are worse dangers to our souls than getting bucked off a horse. The world offers countless evils that would bruise and even destroy our Spiritual natures. We need to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and be constantly prayerful as we seek deliverance from soul-destroying influences.

We also have the opportunity to rescue others along the way. Many ride through this life unaware of the dangers around them. We can be a beacon, a lifeline, a saving influence to them.

One of the great joys of my current situation is being able to research and do saving ordinances for my family and friends. Every time you go to the temple, every time you share your testimony, every time you offer help to another human being, you are sharing in the great rescue mission that is mortal life.

I am lately overwhelmed with gratitude for the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This blessing to have the constant companionship, guidance, comfort, and support from a member of the God Head is truly amazing. I wonder how I could ever function without it. It is priceless. But it is not without cost. The cost is living a Christ-centered life. I am ashamed by the countless times I have traded the companionship of the Spirit, for some small, ultimately worthless, worldly pleasure. If asked would I give up this Gift for a million dollars, I would quickly reply, "Never!" And yet I have done just that, for far less: A less than inspiring movie, a word of gossip, a few extra moments of sleep that might have been scripture study time, a caustic remark, a minor dishonesty, etc.

So this week I will try to not offend the Spirit, invite it in by my faith and obedience, share the blessings it brings with those around me.

Reinventing Becky

Recently I showed a new friend an old photo of myself. Noting my dark hair, her first comment was that I must be trying to reinvent myself since my husband died. I thought a little about this idea and decided that although my life might look different in some ways than it did a few years ago, I like to think of it as adapting, rather than reinventing.

First of all the hair. I didn't decide to get rid of my dark tresses. Mother nature did that for me. My only decision was to not give in to the mousy grey mother nature replaced it with. My dark hair was also thick and could be worn long and shiny. Now, if I were to wear it long it would look like several thin strings down my back. Short, blond hair works with the changes time has brought me.

Second, the cowgirl. Now this is not new. The horse woman was always there, just never had the time or money to live the life. This is not a reinvention but is instead a childhood dream realized.

The car. I've talked about this before. The car is my son's, on loan while I serve my mission. No midlife crisis or reinvention there. I'm still a station wagon type inside.

Of course there have been some attempts at adaptation that have failed. For example, I read that "mineral" make up was supposed to work better for "mature" skin, restoring a youthful glow. Ha! One day of minerals made me feel like I'd been through a sand storm in the Kalahari. No thank you. I will look old.

As far as the rest of my life goes, I'm trying to happily live it. Using the time and talents (sometimes lack of talents) God has given me, I'm moving forward, or trying to. I don't know how much time I have on this earth, but I'm pretty sure I need to keep living while I breathe. I'd much rather do it with my Eternal companion by my side, but since that isn't possible, I'll do what I can while we are apart. So widow Becky may not be identical to married Becky. She is the same person, just trying to make the most of what is left.

Fun stuff

Thursday I got a delightful surprise as I was working in the library. In walked the Froerer family, old friends from California, now living in Arizona. You can't imagine what joy it was to see them and visit briefly. I don't think I'm homesick, but seeing people from home sure makes me happy.

The next day David and I got to go to the Draper temple and do work for a lot of our deceased relations. Another thrill.

That night my dear friend Debra Stewart and her sister Renee, one of my co-grandmas, came into town and took a lovely evening trail ride with me. So good to see them.

My brother and his family are in town for a big reunion of his wife's family so we got to see nieces and nephews and cousins who are normally far away. It warms my heart to have the blessing of friends and family even while far from home.

4 July 2010

It is Independence Day. Church today was marked by patriotic testimonies and American hymns of praise for our nation. We had a picnic in a park attended by 50 relations, some close, others distant. I'm not one of those patriotic Americans who thinks America is perfect. I recognize that our nation, like all others has flaws and more importantly is populated by imperfect people. Nevertheless I am mindful that this is an amazing place to live. We have opportunities, because of living in this country, that are beyond the imaginations of most of the world. With those opportunities come great responsibilities. There is a marvelous work going forth on the earth which we, poised as we are here and now, have the duty, obligation, and privilege to participate in. What am I doing with the prosperous circumstances of my life? Who am I blessing? What am I doing to move important work forward? I resolved to ask myself those questions and work harder.

Friday marked the halfway point of our mission. I feel like I just got here and haven't really started doing anything of great worth yet. I am determined to make the next 9 months significant by the contributions we are making, not just by the fun we are having. My light is but a little one, but added to all the others it can shine like God's great sun.