have been dying to get out a "sparkle" message! It's summertime and so
much has been happening that I thought I would take the time now. Update
on Paul: He is doing great. Still stands most of the day, but has
resumed his 5:30am morning hikes and other Boy Scout activities. We can
finally announce that he was chosen to be part of an elite team of
programmers to begin working on a new team and project. They will be
working on something (I guess they can't really explain what they are
working on and Paul is still busy learning the required knowledge to
implement whatever they are going to do). It was a pretty big honor to
have been asked so we're proud of him. It is really rewarding to work
for a company that is innovative and doesn't have all the politics that
stifle growth. Okay, now back with the Sparkle Day message...
This week Paul had an opportunity to attend the semi-annual stake
priesthood meeting. For those of you that may not be of the LDS faith,
this meeting is held twice a year and the boys and men from ages 12 and
up are asked to attend. It is a meeting in which local church leaders
use the time to help strengthen, encourage, and guide the men in
becoming the kind of men, fathers and husbands they need to be.
Hopefully that makes sense! Brother Stratton, one of these leaders and
one of our neighbors, told this really profound story that I wanted to
share with everyone...
Right near Bianca and Cannon's elementary school there is a little farm
with the last of the original orchard that used to fill the area we now
live. The Stratton family are the family of which this land was all
owned. They donated the land for the elementary and junior high schools
and the large walking track that is part of it. We have two of the
original apple trees in our backyard. Anyways, the children as they walk
to school go through the track area and walk pass this little farm.
One day Brother Stratton received a call at work. He was in a meeting,
but the secretary informed him that it was his daughter and so he took
the call. Whitney, his 8 year old daughter, was the caller and sounded a
little alarmed. She informed her Father that some dogs had gotten into
the farm (which they can see from the playground) and were chasing the
animals. They have one or two cows, some sheep, chickens, and one evil
rooster as Bianca calls it. Brother Stratton told her that he would take
care of it, hung up the phone, continued his meeting, and soon forgot
all about it. About two and a half hours later he received a call from
his wife. Sister Stratton told him that the dogs that had gotten into
the farm had gotten to the lamb. The dogs had ripped apart the lamb. He
needed to come home right away because the children all saw it. I later
learned that this happened during the children's recess and Peter, their
6th grader who was entrusted with the lamb's care, had actually gone in
the fence and tried to scare the dogs off with an old chair.
Brother Stratton's council to the men that night was this: "Brethern,
don't EVER let the dogs get to your lambs."
These profound words just really impacted me. I still cry thinking of
the immense trust our Father in Heaven has entrusted to us as parents to
keep His children away from the dogs. I convey my love to each of you
for honoring the role of a mother or for caring for His children. This
could be even those loved ones in your life that are struggling and as
Paul told me the other night that if those loved ones are already
amongst the dogs that we need to "Pick them up and carry them out." I
hope that you sense the urgency of this message and know of my love for
each of you!
Love,
Candace
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