It has been a week of feelings of inadequacy as well as tender mercies. Sometimes there are things that occur that make us shake our heads and wonder how we got ourselves into that pickle. We can blame ourselves and, of course the adversary wants us to have self doubt and think that we are failures. On the other hand, our father in heaven knows our potential and is so forgiving with our errors. So many times, I am shown the quote:

If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this. You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.

Think on this quote and it’s a clear reminder that God’s plan will not be thwarted and you are His child and can overcome all things. God’s plans will always be greater and more beautiful than all your disappointments.

Our grandsons who live on Vancouver Island have been wanting a Ninja Creami for the past two years and they have been saving money to purchase one. Simultaneously, Erik and I both said, “Let’s buy a Creami for them!” Erik went online and found that Costco had them on sale and he ordered one and had it delivered to their address. Then we discovered that they were planning a trip to Alberta for a sibling get-together. The delivery was delayed by a day and we were anxiously waiting to see if the timing would work out. Meanwhile our daughter and son-in-law were purchasing a house on their street for additional rental income. Lots of stress was happening in their home as everyone was watching events play out that were mind boggling. When our daughter saw the UPS truck pull up, she took a photo and then was shocked to see the Ninja Creami box. She covered the box with a sheet and later the boys were able to uncover it and there was some serious joy in their household. Our daughter said that it was the perfect thing to happen while the world swirled around them and stress ensued. The next morning, they were on the ferry heading to the mainland.

We have been waiting for boats to stop in at the Palmyra inlet and Erik was able to catch one that was mooring for the night. He was able to chat with the couple and learned about their experience on the canal.

https://www.houseboating.org/Harriet-Houseboat

It’s a cute little houseboat and the website shows you what it entails with the details about the Erie Canal and what you can experience.

We received news that our grandpuppy, Jeff, had run his course on earth. Jeff was a Great Dane mix rescue puppy. Our son Braeden needed some companionship and brought Jeff home in February of 2019. He was born near the end of November 2018. We have many special memories of Jeff and his short life. Jeff was an epic dog and I have decided to write a book about him. We lived next door to Braeden and he would put Jeff in a crate for the day. I took it upon myself to bring him to us because I could hear him crying like a baby and would tell Erik to go get Jeff and bring him over. Erik and I were involved with a lot of his puppy training and socialization. He was presumed to be a forty pound dog at maturity and he well exceded that! Topping out at 135 pounds, he was a force to be reckoned with.

My heart was aching when I heard the news and then I saw Jeff through the veil looking back at us. Then, without all the pains of an earthly body, he started doing skippity hops and zoomies. I hope our other beloved pets are all together with Jeff.

Friday was a day for exploring. We headed south to Taughannock Falls just outside of Ithaca. This landmark was impressive and is the tallest free falling waterfall east of the Mississippi river. We opted to go to the overlook and it was awesome! You can also hike to the lower part of the falls but Wanda told me that the overlook had a better view of the whole picture.

From the falls we headed into Ithaca. I was on a double-fold mission. There was a quilt shop that I needed to find and I wanted to check out the ice cream made by the Cayuga Creamery. We drove downtown to the quilt shop and it was delightful. I had a specific pattern that I was shopping for and so wasn’t able to enjoy the whole atmosphere of the shop. An employee, Toby, was so wonderful to work with and we had a great time. The owner, Linda, came to chat with us and of course, the conversation turns to our nametags and how a best friend of hers, joined the church and now lives out west. Linda, herself has relatives in the Grande Prairie area of Alberta.

After leaving the shop, we headed to a Thai restaurant and ate some lunch before searching for the Ithaca Falls. They were spectacular!!! You can get up close and personal with them. On the way out, I saw a German Weimaraner dog. She came right up to me and leaned against me, just like how Jeff would. The owner expressed surprise and said, “I’m shocked, because she doesn’t usually go up to strangers!” I knew that Jeff was hugging me.

We drove according to the GPS and found the Cayuga Creamery. As we parked, I had a big shock. I saw a dog exactly like Jeff. A Great Dane with the identical markings of Jeff. I jumped out of the car and chased down the owner with his two dogs. I explained about Jeff and was so surprised to see his dog with the exact same markings. His dog’s name was Ollie and she was three years old. The Black Lab was Ellie and was four years old. Jeff had markings similar to a beagle but had spots (freckles on his legs). I tell you, there are tender mercies everywhere you look!

We bought our scoops of ice cream and then headed back to the car to go back to Palmyra. We drove alongside the west side of Cayuga Lake which is one of the finger lakes. It is 40 miles long; being the longest and second deepest of the finger lakes. We were driving along the scenic byway and it was so interesting to see the homes and farms along the way. I’ve posted a photo of the type of barn we are seeing with the stone foundation.

I struggled with my temple shift schedule although at first, I didn’t. Four sisters showed up that were supposed to be on my schedule but weren’t. I was devastated because I know these temple workers can drive from a considerable distance to come to their shifts. We look after the Wednesday shifts on the first, third and fifth weeks. I didn’t understand what I did wrong and why it happened. The next morning, I received a call from one of the workers and she told me what happened when she left. She offered to give another worker a drive home and they discussed some tender moments that have happened in their lives. When she called me, she reminded me that God is aware of me and that the schedule was out of my hands and that God was in control. Things do happen that we aren’t necessarily in control of. When I am in leadership positions, I really strive hard to do everything correctly and when things happen that change the course of the day, I start to blame myself and then start thinking, “There must be a reason for this.” That call was an incredible tender mercy for me.

The next tender mercy was to see Sister Jill Cosman at our Branch on Sunday. She is from the Lacombe Ward as well. She has had a rough start to her mission and we embraced for a long time and shared some tears. Her companion was given permission to come to a baptism on Sunday for William’s wife, Katrina. I was thrilled to see Sister Cosman and we were able to catch up and talk about the trials and joys of being on a mission. Another incredible tender mercy!

A new Elder just arrived in the Syracuse New York mission. He wasn’t assigned to a Spanish speaking mission but here he is on his first week and giving a talk in Sacrament meeting in Spanish. Elder Knox is a champ! He is from Arizona. We had Compartir (Linger Longer) after the baptism and I was able to ask William about the food in Venezuela. He told me that sometime, him and Katrina would love to visit Canada. My cupcakes that I brought were a hit and there were no leftovers.

This recipe really is awesome!

The website is: meaningfuleats.com/gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/ ( I can’t embed the url).

I know this exactly!

Elder Bednar has coined this beautifully. Tender mercies are given to us personally and are given to us for strength and guidance. I know that I am loved through these tender mercies. The peace they bring is so heartwarming and comforting. How we receive them are through faith, obediance and humility.

1 Nephi 1:20 But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

What a week! Many heartaches and many tears but in the end, so much joy.

Stay true and faithful, my friends. Enjoy your tender mercies and again when you receive them, have a little or a lot of Vitamin G. Gratitude brings even more mercies and blessings into your lives.