Sally's birthday: With God all things are possible

As we’ve been thinking this week of Sara’s birthday coming up, we have realized what huge changes can occur in one year’s time. A year ago, Sara, you had just met Shane. You were twitterpated, and we were happily going along with the notion that he might be Mr. Right, but it was all still very new. A year later, you are married to the man of your dreams, you are pregnant with a little girl of your own, you are living the life you have been praying and yearning for—a life that just a year ago seemed nearly impossible.

Last year Anne and Melissa were pregnant. This year, Sara, it’s you.

Look at Dad and me. A year ago Dad was having a tooth pulled and facing knee surgery. Both had to be done so we could serve a mission, but if either went even slightly awry, we would not be able to serve. And then were other matters to resolve before we could go—business and personal. Knees have always been Dad’s nemesis, but God gave him the 10-7 that allowed him much relief and kept him active, then the surgery went well, though with some complications. Then rehab was hellish, but he was zealous in his rehab work, and with God’s help, he can now walk all over kingdom come, traipsing over uneven ground on dark evenings. The business, under Tanner’s good leadership and with Taylor vitally contributing, is healthy and growing. What would have been impossible a year ago, is now a reality.

The other night Sara, Dad went to visit with a man who had been returning to church. His wife, who has been faithfully attending and bringing their teen-aged boys, was so grateful to have her husband attend with her for a few Sundays in a row. He even accepted our invitation to attend the temple preparation class and to prepare to take his family to the temple. Then, last week, we asked why he had not come, and his mother told us he was too ashamed because a couple nights earlier he had gone straight from work to the cock pits with some buddies and had gambled away his whole paycheck. In this culture, where there is no, literally, no buffer, no food in the house for tomorrow, this is a huge tragedy. His mother had to bail them out. Anyway, Dad went to visit him-man to man-to let him know we all make mistakes, and that God still loves him. Dad was trying early in the visit to figure out what to teach him, and he thought of a video he had on his I-phone about the angel appearing to Mary. Hmm, not too applicable one might think, but he knew there was something on that video that this man needed to hear, so he played it for him. When it was over, Dad started to talk about what stood out to him, planning to make the link, which was that the angel had said to Mary,"with God all things are possible” but instead, he felt restrained and asked the man what he had been taught by the video. He answered, “with God all things are possible.” Dad went on to assure him that this is true, and that his gambling addiction is not too tall an order for God to handle.

I have every confidence that this man is in God’s care, that Dad was inspired to go visit him, to teach him and to give him hope. He will eventually be sealed with his family in the temple. In a year’s time he might very well be faithfully serving in a leadership position, leading his family back to Heavenly Father. A year ago, I’m sure his wife had only the glimmer of hope that any of that would be possible.

And so we look back over the year since your last birthday, and marvel at all that has happened , all that God is capable of blessing us with, all that he is pleased to bless us with. Some of them involved years of pleading. Some we had almost given up hope on, but with God, all things are possible, including your temple marriage to a marvelous man, a baby coming, your parents serving a mission against some pretty high odds, and a Filipino man learning that God really does love him in his weakness.

Today, in celebration of your birthday, we went on a hike up the hill across from our house and took some pictures to share the beauty of this place. Yesterday we took others that show our little town plaza and gardens. We have enjoyed thinking of you, of all the possibilities, of the grace of God that is so much bigger than we can ever know. With God, all things are possible.

We love you so much and revel in your happiness.

She wishes you Happy b-day. (yes, she is a girl) And see how much closer I am to her than Dad was in the last caribou photo. Note the really big horns. Ole!













At the top of the hill--magnificent view



















Not a great photo, but look at the houses tucked into the banana and coconut trees on our walk










Love you!!
















One of a billion flowers on our walk today














This is a chair in our town plaza made of old tires--a very common outdoor furniture material here










Dad in the town plaza's garden















Mom in the town garden sitting on the tire chair










Happy Birthday Dear, Dear Sally-Belle!!