Just a Post...

With the 30 day blog challenge going on I have neglected the reason I started this blog in the first place. To journal. Up until this past week no one, not even my own family, knew I had a blog. In fact I'm not sure my husband has discovered it yet. 

I don't journal much, in fact short of my scrapbooking I really don't journal at all and that is really sad so a few months back I decided to start another blog just for me. I had one before but used it mostly to post pictures and since I was already doing that on Facebook I closed the blog.

Anyway when I started the challenge a few people wanted to be able to read my post so I posted the link at SM then one of my sons was nice enough to share his blog with me so I told him I had a blog also. Yesterday I linked my recipe post up to my Facebook so I guess now all my friends and family know I have a blog. At least those that haven't already tuned me out because I comment on Facebook so much. 

I need to journal more and not just post for the challenge even though the challenge has been very good for making me think of things that are important to me.

It Was A Joyful Day

This morning Dale and I drove a couple hours to witness the baptism of my uncle. He is the same uncle I posted about a couple weeks ago that has been diagnosed with cancer. Years ago, when I was young, our family spent a lot of time with his family. They lived in a different state so we would go and stay with them and  they at times stayed with us too.  I remember how much this particular uncle and my dad got a long. They were very good friends and they were drinking buddies. I don't ever remember my aunt being active in the church so I don't know how much  religion has been talked about in their house so I was a little surprised when my mom called me a couple days ago to tell me Uncle Gordy was getting baptized and that my dad was going to baptize him.  My first reaction was why? Why was he doing it now? Why did he wait until he knew he was dying?  I haven't spent time with this family for a really long time. I mean I see them at a reunion every couple of years but I haven't been in their home for decades so I haven't had a real conversation with them but after hearing some of the feelings Uncle Gordy had about prayer and faith I had no doubt that he was making this choice for all the right reasons. He has a testimony of the Savior and he understands the commandment of baptism. Yes, maybe by waiting so late in his life he has missed out on many blessings he, and his family, might have had through his membership in the church, but I do believe that he and they will still be blessed by his decision. Being there with them today and feeling the Spirit while witnessing his baptism was a blessing in itself. There was a peace that I know we all felt. A joy that we all felt. 

Watching my father and my uncle, two ex-drinking buddies, walk down into the waters of baptism was a testament to me that our Father in Heaven knows and loves each one of us. He knows the sorrow we feel for the mistakes we make. He knew long before we came to this earth that we would journey down the road we chose. He sent his Son to help us on that journey with the gift of repentance and forgiveness.  He knows the desires of our hearts long before we act on those desires. And when we finally act, when we finally follow His commandments and we rejoice because of the peace it brings us He is rejoicing as well. So today, with family and friends by his side, my uncle rejoiced. I'm just so glad I was able to witness it.