Grateful for

I am grateful for parents that loved each other in their less than perfect state. I am grateful for parents who loved me and my siblings. I am grateful for a the values I learned as I grew up. I am grateful for a mothers gentle and loving care especially when I was sick. I am grateful for a mother who made efforts to be at my crossroads daily. To know how to plan and just happen to have a piece of her homemade bread coming out of the toaster as I flew in the house after school and spent a few minutes with me to connect. I grateful for a Dad's good example of hard and honest work. I am grateful for his willingness to let me learn and his encouragement to dig into things that I didn't know about in his wrecking yard. I am grateful for the only key to the house that I was given was the one that went through their bedroom. Because of that I knew that I had to report in after every date because I had to go through their bedroom. I am grateful that it kept me honest and helped me avoid a lot of bad situations. I am grateful for the blood lines I was born through. The Crowley blood, the strength of character, the pride of carrying that name and the doers that they are. I am grateful for a grandmother that treated the word "can't" like a swear word and wasn't allowed to be said. I am also grateful for this grandmother who was determined to teach me how to be a gentleman. I was invited to her home often for "Tea" (we really didn't drink tea) but for me to learn how to eat and sit properly and how to dress properly and what silverware to use and in what order. She took me for a yearly pilgrimage to the local men's store and bought me a Sunday outfit. Suit, white shirt, tie, shoes, socks, and when I was old enough to date a white dinner jacket, pleated white shirt, cummerbund bow tie, cuff links and studs and patent leather shoes. I was taught how to properly escort a lady and to properly sit her and how to get her through a door and into a car properly without awkwardness. I am grateful for a grandfather that gave me a $100.00 bill when I was fourteen and said "If you never spend it you will never be broke" . I am grateful for that because it has helped me not to spend money just because I had it. It was always viewed as if it wasn't there unless it was a real emergency. I am grateful that I grew up in Southern California when I did. It was so beautiful then and such a wonderful place live.

These are just a few reandom memories of thing I am grateful for.

Gratitude

Gratitude is an attitude.

Gratitude is the lubricant of life. It makes life run much smoother and quieter.

Gratitude is the magnetic field that pulls people together.

Gratitude is the magic tool that can repair any marriage or relationship.

Gratitude can bring sunshine into a dark room.

Gratitude can defuse an explosive situation.

Gratitude can germinate the seed of trust.

Gratitude in prayer is the expression of the souls sincere desire.

Bishopric change

Change is good and yet sometimes it brings other challenges. Mother and I pondering possibilities were comfortable with many if not most of the possibilities for bishop and had no problem in our minds of sustaining them. But what a challenge if someone is called that puts on a good show and yet is not what he tries to present. We know things that are going on with a possible candidate that are not right and yet no great sin has been committed. We would be expected to sustain him. I then thought what if I was asked to be a councilor to him. What would the Lord expect of me. Should I in the privacy of the stake presidents office share my feeling and concerns and knowledge of what is going on. If I was called to be a counselor should I not say anything, accept the call and do all I could to serve the members of the ward.

I know the Lord is in charge and works through his servants here on earth. I also know that there are some that can deceive even the very elect. I know the Lord allows some things to happen that the judgements of God might be just. I know that I must trust in the Lord and realize that He is in charge and that His Will will be done. I am glad that I am not going to be the next bishop. I am hoping that we won't get a call Sunday morning to meet with the Stake President, I am not feeling physically up to being a counselor.

Mom and I have been praying for President Riddle and his guidance in choosing the new bishop for the fifth ward. We need to let everything else go and trust in the Lord that He will give the fifth ward who we need.

One Word Description

At a family gathering a few months ago the family played a game and one of the questions asked was to describe Dad with one word. As I recall it was the month of February. The answer was written down on a piece of paper by each child there. After the evening was over I went around cleaning up and gathered all of the papers and discovered the answers to this question. Some of the answers found were kind, loving, handsome, strong, Superdad, talented, caring, funny, fun, and utilitarian. What kind of a word is utilitarian? It made me laugh then and has many times since. I am not sure how many other Dad's would be described with that word. As I have shared that with others that know me, they also laugh and agree that is a good word to describe me.

As we raised our family if something got broken or didn't work any more it was taken in to dad's bathroom and put on the sink counter. It would then reappear mysteriously in a day or two repaired. It is funny how because of that process it became expected that dad could fix anything. Sometimes dad found himself over his head in trying to repair things and some times the aesthetic value was altered but functionality was restored. It hard for me to see something that is broken or not working and not try and fix it. The other night mother and I were looking at another house in the neighborhood and I saw some things that were needing attention and mother commented to the Realtor that they might be stuck there for hours while I was fixing these things.

So I guess if the shoe fits wear it.

Utilitarian Dad

BBQ Pork Chop Lunch

Title says it all. Steve cooked on the BBQ some pork chops for lunch. They were sooooooo good! I think I like them even better than a Steak cooked on the BBQ. I found myself gwaning on the bones to make sure that I got every morsel of meat that I could possiblily get off. Steve is a good cook. If you haven't tried BBQing pork chops you are missing out on a real treat. Please don't mess them up with some dumb sauce on them, just use salt and pepper or lemon pepper. Just have a little apple sauce on the side and a roll and some corn and some mashed potatoes and a nice cold drink of water. There aren't many days left this season to try if you haven't done it before. I should have taken a picture and posted it with this.