Thanksgiving

We attended Hymns of Thanksgiving this evening, it was a nice program. I was thinking how certain music can really lift our spirits and enable us to feel closer to our Heavenly Father. I am grateful for inspired composers that are able to create such powerful music. It is interesting for me, it doesn't necessarily need to be hymns even though I believe some hymns are also very powerful. When facing challenges or uncertainties, I can listen to certain music and I will then experience this feeling that everything is as it should be, everything will be alright and God is in control and aware of our unique circumstances.

I am grateful the Lord assists us and helps us even in the little day to day things. I really don’t know what it is about being a consultant but the people that I work for often just assume that I have all the answers, when I really don’t. But the fact that they expect me to have the answers, sometimes puts added pressure on me to come up with a response that makes me look like I know what I am talking about. Several weeks ago while on this consulting engagement in Portland, the person that has responsibility for the company 401K plan came to me and asked how she should respond to a unique situation related to filing some required documents with the federal government. Often when those forms are not completed correctly, fines can be applied. Other places where I have worked, I had responsibility for the benefit programs including the 401K plan, but I had employees that worked for me that completed those forms and they knew what they were doing. So I really never got into the details. My first thought was to admit that I really had no clue, but I didn’t think she would be too impressed with that answer. So as she was asking the question, I was saying a silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to help me come up with an answer. Just as she completed asking the question, I was able to buy some time by requesting that she explain the issue in more detail, and then the answer came to me. I told her exactly how she should deal with the issue. She came back to me later and mentioned that she found some guidelines on how to complete the forms and they were consistent with the instructions I gave her. I am grateful that sometimes when we humbly ask the Lord for help, he provides us with answers and assistance that are beyond our own capabilities.

Things I am grateful for.

October 27, 2008
I realize I am a bit late posting after all the work my children did in creating this site. I wanted to share several things that have been on my mind since you made the Anderson blog available as a birthday gift.
I remember waking up early on the Saturday morning of my weekend birthday celebration. I was lying in bed and we had talked of attending the temple as a family. I remember thinking what a blessing it is that each adult member of the family is worthy to attend the temple. I am aware of many good families that cannot count that as one of the blessings they are grateful for. I am grateful for each member of my family and the good lives they are attempting to live. The next time we are together as a family we need to plan a visit to the temple.

I also wanted to share an answer to a prayer I received. Last summer I had a number of sores that would scab over and then peel and then scab over again. Most of these were on the top of my head which I wasn’t overly worried about. However there was one sore in particular near the tear duct of my right eye that I had been dealing with for several years. I actually went to the a dermatologist when I was still working for the State and this particular doctor said he thought it looked like a basil cell and he wanted to take a biopsy. I really didn’t want to have a biopsy taken so I put it off. This doctor’s office called several times to set up an appointment to get me to come in, but I just didn’t have a good feeling about the doctor so I never went in. In the meantime we went without health insurance for several months and the sore continued to scab over every week or two. Last summer during the months of July and August it seemed to be getting worse and was starting to irritate my eye duct. After observing what Linda went through with her skin cancer, I thought maybe I should go see a doctor. Well I decided to pray to Heavenly Father and just ask him if he would heal it. I really didn’t want to take the time off from work to have a biopsy and possibly surgery to have it taken care of. I mentioned in my prayer that if it wasn’t in Heavenly Fathers plan to just heal it I would go and see a doctor. After several months with the scabs and irritation continuing and with several on the top of my head getting worse I decided to make an appointment with a doctor. I made an appointment with a different doctor for a Friday when I was in town. I went in and the physician’s assistant examined me and basically said he thought all the scabs were pre-cancer including the one by my right eye. He then zapped them all with liquid nitrogen and I looked a little rough for about a week but it seemed to fix the problem. I never did see the doctor and the whole procedure took about 10 minutes and cost me $25. (This consulting job provides the best insurance plan we have ever had). So I feel really blessed, the Lord always answers our prayers, but not always exactly in the way we may have in mind.

I'm grateful for FREE grape juice!

Here we are making some wonderful homemade grape juice. And, of course, enjoying the fruits of our labor. Thanks Grandma for picking all those grapes off your vines and giving them to us! What a way to help us with our food storage!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

For your 60th birthday, we all decided to get this blog up and running for you. BUT you are the one that needs to keep it going! We hope that this will be a place to share stories, thoughts, experiences, pictures, & events. Happy Birthday!