Easter Blessings

This Easter season gave me many opportunities to testify of my faith in Christ and in The Resurrection.

I was first asked to share in Primary Sharing Time, then the next week I was asked to share in Young Women, and of course Seminary gives me several opportunities, and then Easter was here to remind me.

I have a hard time bringing my thoughts and words together to make sense and struggled to want to share my deepest feelings.  I knew I should so after prayer and pondering I came up with a presentation using the photographs and plaques around my house.

It has remained on my mind for weeks. It is important to me so I decided to write it down.  It is a "feel good" memory. It's a "feel good" trust and faith in our Redeemer, and I share it now:

I call this a love story.

Between these two people -

Terry and Elaine Hebdon

We met 39 years ago.

We were married 38 years ago ...,

Because we were married in an LDS temple by a man with the proper Priesthood / Sealing authority, the two of us and all the children we would have could be together forever.  

A couple years later our family began to grow, and in time, the Lord had sent us a total of nine children.

The last time all 11 of us were together was after Gregory came home from his mission and before Brandon left on his mission (the last week of July 2003).  

(The opportunity to be together at this time was a tender mercy in itself.  Brandon was to leave almost a month before Gregory returned, but I sent him for one last dental cleaning before he left for two years without one.  The dentist was not supposed to take x-rays but fortunately he did, which allowed him to find a hole in Brandon's jaw bone.  An elbow in the face could have broken his bone, so it needed repaired before he left, meaning Brandon's mission would begin a couple months later than he was first assigned, allowing some time between their missions. )

The next time we had an opportunity for us all to be together was in December 2014.

You will probably first notice that there are many more family members in this photo.

Then, as you look closer, you will notice one of the original 11 (or the original 2) is not pictured.  

In December 2014 there were 27 family members and one of them (Terry Wayne Hebdon) had passed away.  

More family members have been added - in April 2018 there are 35 members of our family, and this summer we will add 4 more grandchildren, making a total of 39.

At this point, Terry has not met two daughters-in-law and his son-in-law, and a third of his grandchildren, and they have not met him nor will they see each other in this life.  More than half of his grandchildren won't remember him, even though he has loved them and held them in his arms.

After the birth of our grandchildren this summer only half of his grandchildren will have met him, and of course this number will continue to grow, and some day we will also add another daughter-in-law to those numbers.  

However, because of another love story this separation will not last forever.

Our Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son to earth to make eternity possible, and Jesus Christ accepted this Plan of Redemption - a Plan of Happiness.

Because of Jesus Christ's acceptance of this plan, His birth, His life, His teachings, His Atonement, His death, His Resurrection, and His love we will all see each other and live together forever.

I am grateful!

Because of Him our family is eternal!

I did not add this next picture (that has been hanging on our wall for many years) to my presentation, but I do add it to my testimony today.   And it's all because of Christ.

  (I loved the saying and created a visual using a picture from our wedding collection.)

The Promise

-

Across the years I will walk with you ~

Love in our hearts; adventures new:

And when our time on earth is through,

You'll have my hand in heaven too.

Great News!

image found on pinterest

I am Here!

Today my feelings are reminding me of the story "Horton Hears a Who".

Yes, I am here!  I know it has been awhile since I have written.  Sorry!

By posting today I am putting myself at risk of being analyzed and I don't really want that, nor the attention my writing might bring. That is certainly not my purpose for writing.

My lack of posting has concerned some, so I decided I'd give in today and fulfill a request to let you know that I am here, and I am fine!  

One reason I hadn't written was because I didn't really know what I should say or how I should say it.  It's often the same ole thing.  By the time I click Publish I will probably wish I hadn't.  However, I will say it like it is today, not telling all, but enough to be honest and truthful.  

I wish I could say that I'm doing very well and living life to it's fullest. Instead, I'm embarrassed to say that I keep finding myself in a bit of a rut again and again.  I keep digging my way up and then I experience a land slide that takes me lower and I have to start again.  It's discouraging to say the least. The last few months have been more difficult than I expected (for various reasons).  Though they have not been the best of times, they have not been the worst of times either, so I am grateful for that.

I keep reminding myself that I am human and that difficult times will continue to "bless" my life, but I also keep wishing that I was perfect and could have magical powers to jump or fly over the crippling land slides and remain untouched.  Realizing that is the stuff fairy tales are made of and I am not living a fairy tale, I do recognize the better way.  I am a real human being with real human tendencies.  I will suffer pain, sorrow, loss, discouragement and confusion, and a myriad of other trials and afflictions because I am human.  I will experience them over and over again.  
But, I also know that I am a child of God and He has sent me here.  Not to fail nor to suffer constantly because of the conditions I'm surrounded with, but to find joy in my journey no matter how difficult it becomes.

At times I still struggle with the here and now part of life, and need to remind myself often of the eternal perspective.


A few weeks ago we studied the book of Job in our seminary class.  It was a tricky set of lessons because they reminded me so much of the circumstances in my past and how they could be likened to Job and his constant stream  (or flood) of trials and tribulations.   [previous post titled A Sunday Lesson]

Then we moved to lessons from Psalms, which I found very uplifting.  I even found this lovely arrangement for Psalms 23 - a musical message that lifts and lightened the soul.

We have recently begun Isaiah, where I've found difficulty in studying, but joy in the message.  The last lesson and the next few lessons remind me of the message I gave in Stake Conference several years ago -  I titled it  Thank You for Waiting!  I took a few minutes from my seminary study time to re-read that message and it was a much needed reminder.
I am so grateful for that opportunity to speak on that subject because it made me study it and find examples in my life that testify to the important doctrines and principles surrounding that theme.  It now stands as a witness and as encouragement to help me look forward and move forward - toward God - and to wait patiently.  It helps me know how to wait patiently and all that is required in that waiting.  It also speaks of the love I have for Terry and the good man that he was and the many ways he has helped me through life ..., and in many ways he is and will continue to help me through life.


Too many times I have read the book of Isaiah without truly studying it and in doing so I have missed the great message that is found within.  It testifies of Christ and His power to bless our lives.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear though not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
v13 - Fear not; I will help thee.

He has been there for us from the very beginning, He is with us now, and He will be with us for eternity if we let Him.

This has been a repeating theme throughout the Old Testament so far.  I haven't previously done much complete study of the OT, so I hadn't previously noticed that message so prevalent.  But it is there, often, testifying to us that the Lord is with us.  He tells us often - "I am with thee!"  "Surely I will be with thee!"  Others tell us "The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  "Be not afraid ... for the Lord thy God is with thee."  It is a plain and precious message to let us know that He loves us and will be there for us.

I know that the Lord is aware of me.  He knows me by name.  He knows my weaknesses and He will be my strength through all of my difficult moments.

I am grateful for this Easter holiday and the very reason for it.  What a beautiful reminder.

A few months ago I watched a movie that had a scene of a boy and girl running to find each other.  The girl hears the boy say "I am here"  a few times but she cannot see him.  Each time it was said with  a quiet calmness even though their surroundings were hectic and loud, even frightening.  I wondered to myself why they didn't make it sound like he was saying it with a breathless, even frustrated sound, because he was running and worried that they wouldn't see each other.  

Then I remembered that the Spirit speaks to us in quiet tones. The Lord says to us "I am here!" 

His voice calls out to us to calm us and reassure us that all will be well if we listen to Him and follow His voice.  It doesn't tell us that our hardships are over, but rather - He is here with us helping us through them.   When the world seems in turmoil around us, we just need to listen for the Lord's comforting words,  "Fear though not; for I am with thee .... I will help thee!"

from here

HAPPY EASTER!

We Can Live with God Again

Our lives will not end when we die. Our future lives are determined by the way we live our lives now.

Happy Days!

We had a busy last few days, but they have been really good days.

BrittanyJo and I were talking Wednesday evening and wishing she could be home for General Conference/Easter weekend.  By the end of the day she had made arrangements with her classes to make it happen.  She only had Monday and Tuesday left in the semester and only one class she had to attend, others were online, so she talked to her teacher and got permission to skip that last class.  She is working on other online assignments at home.

She began to pack and get things arranged in Rexburg and Anthony and I left for Rexburg Thursday morning, got there that evening, moved her out, and headed for home Friday morning.  (It was almost that easy ... maybe.)

After a long drive and four stops along the way (for fuel, meals, and a bit of Easter shopping because I had not yet shopped for any candy or meal preps) we made it home by about 6:00pm.

Chase came home for the weekend too (and brought a friend from college), so all of my unmarried children were home with me again. It was a good feeling - we missed all the children that couldn't be here with us.

We enjoyed our time together. I only have photos of a couple activities, but we have memories that will be fun to remember.  The guys replaced the pads on the trampoline.





It was a beautiful day and Boston loved this activity as much as anyone else.

We had a nice Easter breakfast with Thomas and Michael's families and enjoyed every conference message.  As usual the picture taking got left undone, and I didn't get any pics of the tablescape because I just used paper plates this year.  It just seemed easiest and when I saw the cute pink flowers on the plates at Costco I decided to go with that and be happy - and I was.  It was cheerful and easy to clean up.

I did get a cute picture of Akleigh and Elsie after they found some fun jewelry to wear - they had so much fun being together.

Once again, General Conference seemed better than the last one, even though the last one seemed the best ever. And, once again, my position in life gives me new perspective on things.

Easter day had a different feel to it this year.  As always, it was a sweet reminder of our Heavenly Father and our Savior's love for us, but this year there was a focus on one special person and my desire to be with him again.

At each loss of a family member I have been reminded of the sweet eternal blessings that are ours, and have been intensely grateful for them, but never with such depth as now.  However, I've never felt so alone after those losses, as I do now. Those intense feelings have deepened and I have many moments daily that remind me of how grateful I am for the Atonement and Resurrection and their place in my life - and my family life.  It's never been so real.

It was always a reason for living righteously and repenting of past mistakes, but it was more in the background, resurfacing as needed. Now it is front and center in every waking moment and most every thought I think, and helps give direction to my day more than ever before.

I'm definitely living a different life - no longer living the dream I once had.  The final destination is the same, but the way I travel there is definitely needing remapped.  I felt the words Sister Burton said - life just isn't life without my husband.  Life is definitely something different than what life was with him here, but as every speaker testified - our Savior lives and loves us and He reaches out to save us and to lead us safely home.

Easter was a day that changed everything and I am extremely grateful for that day..., that event..., that love..., and what it means for me and my family..., and what it does for me and my family.  It is a great and marvelous gift to us.

BJo will be here with us for two weeks before returning to BYU-I.  It's better than the 9 days we thought we'd have before we made the quick trip to get her last week.  ;)

He Lives - Celebrate Easter Because Jesus Christ Lives

Because of Him

Easter Sunday

We colored eggs Saturday night -

 

 

and Terry shared the symbolism of eggs at Easter and Christ's Resurrection.

 We made a little paper bag nest for Akleigh and Auger to take a couple eggs home.

 

We deviled several of the eggs for our Easter lunch.  Ironic isn't it - deviled eggs for Easter ...  ;)

And, can you believe that was the last photo I got of any part of the meal?  Sure you can, by now you are getting used to it.  However, before I went to bed last night I did snap this photo of the table ..., ready for Easter lunch after the food is ready and guests arrive.

(The flowers were given to BJo and Tawnee for helping at a reception, so they fit perfectly on our Easter tablescape.)

What a beautiful day!   Our church meetings were great and we enjoyed some family time.  Auger and Akleigh got a kite in their Easter basket and had some fun flying them.  It was a beautiful day!

We are ever grateful for our loving Savior and His Sacrifice, Atonement and Resurrection. We are grateful to know of our Heavenly Fathers Plan and have the blessings in our life that come from obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel.

We believe that through the

Atonement of Christ,

all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and

ordinances of the Gospel.

Article of Faith 1:3

Happy Easter!

 

The only eggs we colored this year -

 

 

In memory of our missionaries!

 

;)

 

They are out spreading the good news!

 

 

Spring Break and Easter

We had a great Easter day!

The night before Easter we colored a few eggs. (Auger and BJo in photo.) We didn't do too many because it was late and we wanted to watch Hop. We hadn't seen it yet and thought it might be a fun thing to do after egg coloring. Can't really recommend it ... sorry! There's gotta be a better Easter movie out there.




Here is a photo of Connor, Anthony, and Terry - working on a sign that welcomes people as they drive into town here in RC. The sign is up, but there are still some things that need to be done to complete the look.




Spring Break is over and I feel like I need another one this week. We had a busy week, filled with a lot of different things, but not enough vacation activity. Work is good, but family time was lacking. I need another week of spring break for that.
We loved having the kids home and wished it could continue. I guess filling their brains with knowledge is a good thing too, so I let them go today without too much fuss.

Easter Sunday

A great day!
The Easter bunny came!
Church was wonderful ...
Dinner guests were awesome ... We love family and friends!
We met Brother and Sister Lowe - they served in Japan / with Michael - great people ... extra bonus for the day!
Christ is the reason for this season! We Love Him! We are grateful for His sacrifice on our behalf - for each and everyone of us that accept and follow Him.

Happy Easter

We wish everyone a happy Easter today!
What a special day! My heart is full of love and gratitude for our Savior.

I have been wanting to add one of Terry's poems but remembered that I did add it in our 2009 Easter post (check the archives), so here is one that he wrote in 1988 after hearing Sister Killian share her testimony.

A SWELL BROTHER

I've got a brother named Jesus
And I'm His brother too.
He helps me in so many ways
And teaches me what to do.

He's my oldest brother
A perfect example to me.
He says that if I follow him
Happy I will be.

He's got some books He lets me read
Which tell about his plan
To save each one from the fall
Redeeming all of man.

He's got lots of work He talks about
Many things to achieve.
He says there's a work for all to do
Who listen and believe.

He doesn't live with us just now
But I still know He's there.
I can feel His love for me
And am blessed by His good care.

Maybe you know my brother, Jesus.
Perhaps you've felt His peace.
He promised when He comes again
Wickedness will cease.

Well for now I'll try my best
To follow and obey,
So when I see Him face to face
Proudly He can say...

"Well done thou good and faithful servant,
You sure did pass your test.
Now you and I, let's go together
And help out all the rest."

I sure have a swell brother!

EASTER

Here is a wonderful Easter poem Terry penned one morning.

The brightness of the morning
Forebode an eerie tone
Something here has happened
The position of the stone.

The sleeping of the soldiers
Certainly wasn't right.
What is it that occurred here
As day broke free from night.

The woman was the first to wonder
And then for herself to know
The resurrected Lord appeared
Himself to her did show.

Mary recognized the voice
Distinct from any other
Touch me not dear child
I've not yet ascended to my Father.

He had a simple task for her
An assignment she could do
Go and tell the others
That that way they'd know too.

The hollowness of the tomb
With no occupant at all
Was the way God had designed it
Redemption from the Fall.

Holes in the rocks can't hold Him
His power too great to save
There fore He has released Himself
The third day from the grave.

The cross is mans invention
With torture and anguish too
Yet thinking only of others
"Forgive them for they know not what they do."

A God with God He's now seated
Rightly upon His thrown
The Lord the Savior paid the price
To make us each His own.

Praise be to God!


We had a wonderful Easter Sunday.

• Our baskets were overflowing with treats and excitement. I am so sorry I didn't get any pictures of the kids coloring eggs or with their baskets. We enjoyed our Sunday morning, sitting together and visiting, talking about the reason we celebrate Easter, the things in our baskets, and just anything else we decided to talk about. Then we got ready for church.
  
• Our hearts were filled with the Spirit as we attended our Sacrament Meeting program. We had inspiring talks and beautiful, touching music. Anthony (and the primary children) got to sing one of my favorite primary songs, "He Sent His Son". Then Chase, Connor, and BrittanyJo got to sing a beautiful, but new to me song, with the young men and young women of the ward. I'm going to have to find that song so I can get the music to it and play it in our home. We felt the Spirit and we add testimony - Jesus Christ is our Savior; He suffered for us so that we might return to our Heavenly Father, and we are blessed in so many ways, as we follow Him and live as He has taught us to live.

• Our tummies were stuffed with good food, which we had in abundance. Leftovers for sure!After Church the house began to fill up as the company began coming - some for dinner, some for visiting. We enjoyed each one of them. Our guests included: Thomas and Dana, Keith and Idris, Ellen, Aunt Carol and Uncle Darwin (Idris' sister and her husband; from Idaho), Aunt Marva and Uncle Lowell (Idris' sister and her husband; from Idaho), and Thayne and Linda (Marva and Lowell's son and his wife; they live in the Quincy area). The great company made the food taste even better (funny how that happens). Then Shawna and Dave, and Troy came to visit for awhile. It really was a nice day, but it was over too soon. BrittanyJo got a couple photos I can share.

• The weeping Cherry tree is beautiful for this special holiday. I did get a photo of that this morning. Doesn't it just look like it's celebrating the special holiday too?