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Spiritual
Moments
I left Phoenix on this trip hoping that I
would have a chance to go to the Oakland Temple and participate in the
work there since that was where John and I and Johnny, Tina, Stephanie
and Elisabeth were sealed as a family for time and all eternity in March
of 1977 – just about 24 years ago to the same month. I renewed my
Temple Recommend before I left and did indeed have the opportunity to
spend an evening there. It was a cloudy day and I took this picture just
before I went in. I think it’s rather a nice one. When I came out a
gentle rain was falling, but the night was clear . I stood on the side
of the hill and looked at the lights of the City and the Bay, just like
John and I did that one time in 1977. The Session in the Temple was a
significant one and spiritually strengthening. I felt John’s presence
close by and, in essence, renewed my covenants with him as I stood on
the grounds outside the House of the Lord.
I had a wonderful weekend in Paradise,
California, where we used to live. I spent my time with Novene Ward, the
woman who is more than like a mother to me. Her husband, Willis, died
just a little over a year ago and we both went, two old widows I said,
to the cemetery where we dug up our husbands. No, really – the turf
had grown over the headstones so Novene gave me a trowel and a fork, and
we did a little spot of gardening. I said to Novene that I’m glad we
weren’t doing this work in the dark, or we might be accused of
repeating the exploits of Burke and Hare, (infamous Edinburgh grave
robbers for those of you who might not be among the initiated). But I’m
seriously considering taking a shovel with me the next time, because
John’s was a real mess.
I’m proud of John and his service to
his country during his short life span, and his time spent on board the
USS Oxford in Vietnam 1966-1967.
A twig I brought back from
John’s tree. |
