Follow the Spirit....It blesses.

I wanted to share my experiance with visiting teaching in November.

I have been going through a hard time with my assignment lately, it all started when I was called to the Primary.
I began to feel a little distant and un attached to Relief Society not to mention really struggling with some personal trial and issues in my life.
I really let my assignment slide.
After a talk with my Relief Society President, I was one, called to repentance, and then two, challenged to step it up.
I was asked to pray about my sisters and really take part in the ministry of Christ.

So after a long heartfelt conversation with my Relief Society President, I had a strong desire to follow her counsel
I went home and prayed and thought and prayed about my sisters.

One sister's husband was deployed for a year and so she was carrying a heavy load with two little girls.
Being a single mom day in and day out is a hard job.

My life is busy and crazy too, but I got to thinking what, oh what could I do to ease her burden.
I began to reflect on the time my husband traveled everyother week for a year at last job.
The thing that I needed the most was a break once in awhile, I felt like this is something that this sister would never ask for.
The spirit told me to make her a meal. I acted on it.
I called her and I told her to tell me the time and day. I also said she didn't have a choice, it was comming that week.

So I took her a meal on a Tuesday night, I must add it was a hard week for me and my pocket book, extra food really was a sacrifice, but I promised and I knew that was what I needed to do.

A few weeks later I got my dishes back with a note.
The note expressed gratitude to me for following the spirit.
It turns out that day was a hard one for her too. She needed to go to the store for groceries but instead ended up treating her daughter for pink eye and staying home taking care of her all day. She was overwhelmed that day, but she had comfort in knowing that dinner was comming and that she wouldn't have to worry about that. She was so grateful and I was glad I listened to the spirit.

I went to visit her in December and she and I cried together as we felt the spirit and sisterhood that visiting teaching provides.
I was blessed so much in my family as a result of following the spirit and knowing that he provides.
I know that my calling as a visiting teacher is a direct ministry of Christ because He can't be in every sisters home. We are indeed His hands.

THE STORM.....

We have all heard it said; "when it rains it pours." It seems that statement has some truth to it in our home this weekend. We got a storm this weekend!
My little Nori had strep, so I went into the doctor on Saturday with the intent to get a Strep Culture and a perscription in hand. Instead, Nori was admitted immediatly into the Hospital due to an abcess they suspected in the back of her throat.
I couldn't even go home and get packed for the event. Not only were we admitted I was told to expect to stay over night then possibly, until Monday. 
I was shocked and surprised. Alas, we were there to stay.

She was simply miserable. She didn't cry at all though. But you could tell she was not feeling well. She was also a very frightened and overwhelmed. They mentioned that if she doesn't respond quickly to treatment she would possibly have to have surgery to drian the abcess.
And due to the location of it it would be more invasive then the normal procedure and would require an insicion under her ear in the jaw line.

We were very blessed that she responded to the antibiotics very well, we did have to stay from Saturday afternoon until until late Monday. So it was a long stay. They suggested many times that she may need to stay until Tuesday morning. By Sunday night though she was up and wandering around the room and the Hospital as happy as a lark until she had to have her blood drawn or until the Motrin wore off. Monday afternoon Santa came to see her, and she was just glowing! 

No surgery needed!

Although, it was a rather tiresome and stressful ordeal something great happened.
I got to spend nearly 3 days alone with my little girl  almost uninterupted. Something that she needed. Being the middle of three she is often the quietest and the least demanding, and therefore often gets the least amount of attention. (This did, however, cause Madi a great deal of jealousy! But she will get over it.)

To really top off our experiance and stress, there was yet one more thing that happened to the Palmers.
Brian got a flat tire at the hospital, and we ended up having to take care of that. While dealing with two kids and one in the hospital. AND on a Sunday. So two new tires, a hospital stay and a very broken budget later, we are home, recovering from lack of sleep and getting much better.

I am hoping to get the sleep I need and get feeling better. AS I was on the mend from a cold before this all happened, it just tore my immune system back down and I am still fighting a cold. I think a few more days of rest and getting the stress behind me ought to take care of it all.