Engaging the Spirit

My life has been truly amazing this year. Putting my old life behind me has been INCREDIBLY uplifting - seeing the JOY in the faces of my kids compared to even just last December is absolutely wondrous.

Being able to spend time with Barbara has been a great thing for myself as well as the kids. They REALLY needed a positive adult female relationship in their lives, and it is so obvious how much they enjoy Barb! Any time Barb is not around, they ask about her, they want to know what she is doing, how she is, when they will see her next, and why Barb can't be with us RIGHT NOW! :) They love her, they say prayers about her, they thank God for her, they even thank God for her when they bless their food.

I love Barb. I love being with her, I love talking to her, I love experiencing things with her, I love playing games with her and playing with the kids with her. She is kind, she is Spiritual, she is loving, she is thoughtful, and she is my companion.

She and I have prayed about each other, reflected on our feelings toward each other and our future. We have both gone to the Temple and prayed about our future as well. We discussed our thoughts on the matter and we were both of the same mind, and after reflecting on it a lot, last week, things really felt like they had come together and that the time was right.

So last week I began preparing for this past Monday. I spent a week thinking about and preparing for Monday. Monday is when I proposed to Barbara. :)

Every Monday at about 6:30pm, Barbara comes over to my house to watch the TV show LOST on DVD. We are re-watching seasons 1 through 5 in preparation of season 6 in January of 2010. This Monday, however, was different, but Barb didn't really know that until she got to my house.

She came inside and I gave her a very enjoyable hug and kiss. Then I stepped back a bit and held her hands and talked to her about what would unfold that evening. Dropping to one knee, I proposed to my beloved Barbara, and she said yes! :) She loved the ring I had picked out, and it was the right size (which had been a merely educated guess on my part). I then showed her the two dozen purple roses I had gotten her (in a HUGE glass vase) - I knew purple was her favorite color, but what I didn't know was that purple roses were her favorite flowers. So that worked out well! :)

Then I grabbed a picnic supper I had packed for us along with my scripture case and we got into the car. I didn't tell her where we were going, but we called some family and friends on the way there to let them know we were officially engaged. Our destination was to a place I knew would be good for us given what we most enjoyed in our time together. Companionship, beautiful surroundings, a place with a good feeling of Spirit, time to sit and talk. I was bringing us to the Mesa Temple. She eventually figured it out and she was happy about it. :)

We sat and ate the picnic supper I had packed and talked while we ate. We saw many families at the Temple for their family home evening. When we were done eating, I read her some scripture that I felt was especially relevant to us as a couple, and about her specifically. We held each other for a while and talked some more.

After putting the lunch bags and scripture case in the car, we strolled around the Temple, talking, reflecting, thinking. It was extremely peaceful and pleasant. The weather was absolutely PERFECT - it was hard to believe it was August in Arizona! We talked about our wedding day and so many other things. We made plans for our future and held hands. We hugged; we kissed; we laughed; we cried; we touched the Temple together. We shared our time together as companions, as Spirits engaged.

We dropped the flowers off to Barb's house (there is no way they could have survived a trip in an unattended passenger seat - they would have tipped over), and stopped in at some friends' houses that were near her home. We returned to my house and took an engagement photo, and then she departed for the evening.

Barb returned home to discover that I had asked her best friend to distribute purple rose petals in her home along with a note from me. She read the note and gave me a call. We talked briefly about our night together and our future together.

The next morning Barb discovered I had asked someone at her work to drop off a wrapped gift and card from me on her desk. She called me and her entire class of kids let me know how they felt about it. :)

My kids and I stopped by her work for lunch that day and it was nice to let the kids see the ring on her finger and to let her know how much they loved her.

Barbara is a fine lady. She brings out the best in me. She is beautiful, she is wonderful, and I want to spend time and all eternity with her.

We will be married March 20th, 2010, at 2pm. :)

"I just want a Bible. With Jesus in it!"

Abbie, crying: "Daddy, I have an owie!!"

Daddy: "Would you like Daddy to kiss it?"

Abbie, still crying: "No. I just want a Bible. With Jesus in it!"

Daddy hands her her Bible.

Abbie, no longer crying: "Thanks Daddy, I'm all better now!"

She just warms my heart so much. :)

My own personal Temple blessing

I wrote a while ago about having visited the Temple. I'm due to go back soon and I look forward to that very much. What I didn't write about my previous visit though, was a blessing I had received.

I have been blessed by my visit to the Temple, and the blessing has remained in place, unwavering, ever since. The blessing is very personal, but I wanted to share about it as much as I can because it was EXTREMELY tangible - it happened immediately after my Temple visit, and it hasn't left me since.

So, let me tell you what I can of this blessing. First, I can say that before this particular visit to the Temple that I had been struggling with a particular temptation. I had found a way to be successful in not SUCCUMBING to this particular temptation, but here is the thing - nothing I did prevented me from being tempted. There is a big difference between not being tempted and in finding a way to deal with the temptation! No matter what I did, I couldn't get the temptation to go away, so I just focused on not succumbing. That had gone on for several months.

Then I went to the Temple, not thinking about this temptation one bit while I was there - in fact, my mind was completely focused on the trip, the work, the joy of finally being there.

...and then I got home. It was just a few hours after getting home that I noticed the temptation was gone. I remember thinking "that is nice...". And the next day it was gone too. And the next.

It has been gone ever since.

I cannot tell you how much of a blessing this has been for me! The Temple is a truly wondrous place and wondrous things happen there.

I have received my very own personal Temple blessing...

...and I have only begun to see the smallest of the blessings in store.