July brings my memories of Family home.

It is very hard for me to believe that we are well into the month of July.  Whew.... where did the time go?  I know for one thing, that it is hot, hot, and August gets even hotter !  With that said, I wanted to write a post about family memories, current and past.  The message for this month is about family and strengthening family at every opportunity. Over the 24th of July, my family are having our first family reunion since all my children are married.  We get together often, but never for an official family reunion.  We are taking the opportunity while we will have my out of towners, in town, to spend as much time together as we can. 

When our children marry, and begin their own families, it takes alot of effort on all of their parts to stay close.  Each family have their own separate lives, involvements, work schedules, and such and nowdays, we have to make plans to be able to stay close, nurture each other, and let all the grandchildren have opportunities to get to know each other and most of all have good fun together. 

In keeping with the V.T. Lesson for this month, our reunion ties in nicely.  One of the Scritpures for this lesson is found in Mosiah 4:15 and it says "But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. "  It is my hope that the efforts that I am making in providing opportunities for my family to stay close, will also provide them opportunities to love and serve one another like this scripture says.  Parents aren't around all the time, and when they are gone, it will be hoped that their children will always stay close to each other. 

Last year I focused my entire July to memories of Strong and faithful pioneer women.  I don't have the time to do what I did then for my posts, but I do want to says that my ancestors lives have really begun to tug at my heart.  I have never before felt such a bond with my ancestors as I do now.  Maybe it is the time of life that I am in, or maybe I have such a strong feeling for my own family and staying together, that my heart has opened toward my ancestors.  In the last 2 months, I found over 500 names of ancestors who are in need of their earthly ordinances to be done.  I took it as a challenge to get their temple work done as quickly as possible, so that they don't have to wait much longer.  I have had a wonderful experience doing their work, and my thoughts have turned to wonder about whether or not they will accept and embrace these ordinances.  I have a story to share...

About 2 weeks ago, I took the names of some of my ancestors to the temple to do inititory work.  I carefully selected women who were sisters or realated.  I noticed, that they had been sealed to their parent,  President Brigham Young.  The very first woman I began doing the work for, I know for a surety that she has accepted the ordinace that was done for her.  I know because she came to the temple that day and myself and the ordinace workers felt such a strong and powerful spirit while the work was being done.  All of us wept, and were pretty much speachless, as her spirit was so powerful and I could feel her love and gratitude that she finally had these ordinances done for her.  I also experienced with another sister, that a second and unseen set of hands were placed on my head.  I knew that someone else had joined in on the blessing as I felt hands the weight and warmth of their hands on the other side of my head and I was filled with the spirit as was the ordinance worker.  These kinds of things just don't happen all the time with me, but since they did, I can testify  that there are definatley alot of my ancestors waiting for the opportunity to have their ordinances done for them.  They want and need them done. I have personally taken upon myself the accountablility for making sure that all of these 500+ ancestors get their work done.

This month, members of our church celebrate the Pioneers coming to Utah.  We sing and hear stories of the great sacrifices they made to get to Utah.  I have ancestors in both the Willy and Martin handcart companies, who suffered greatly.  One ancestor lost all of the toes on her feet to frostbite.  Another ancestor thought her infant child had died and had left her in a shallow grave.  Something kept telling her that her child was not dead and the next morning, they went back and found the baby.  In an effort to warm her up, someone spilled a drop of hot water on her, and she reacted, which let her mother and those working on her know, that she was indeed alive.  Other ancestors had angels helping push their handcarts to Zion.  I can't imagine what sacrifices and hardships they expereinced, but I do know that I am grateful to be blessed to live in this day and age, as a result of what my ancestors did to make it happen.

Enjoy your own family times.  Make memories and keep records both written and in pictures of your times together.  The only thing that really matters in this life, is family.  Love them, lift them, stay close to them, and take every opportunity to spend time with them.

Katie G.