Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This was written last September, after the Hurricane Harvey which was so devastating to those in Texas, and other states.   Other natural and other disasters will continue to happen, sadly.  But there are great ideas here on how to respond, and help.  Hopefully this will be a safe and peaceful winter, and                                           Happy New Year ,  but we want to be able to truly help our beloved fellowmen, especially those who will, and already are, suffering in some way. Thoughts on Responding to Disasters & Changing the World Aleah Ingram   September 1, 2017   F rom LDS Daily --  in Meridian Magazine This past week, I’ve received numerous invites to fundraising events to benefit those affected by Hurricane Harvey. It has truly been inspiring to see people around the world band together to help t...

This is such a good article!  I think we have such compassionate people in my ward!  In Relief Society last Sunday they passed around a paper for sisters to donate food for a funeral to be held Wednesday, yesterday.  I signed up to bring cookies, and on Tuesday I got a call telling me they had so many people sign up to bring food they didn't need my donation.  When my husband Wayne passed away, our ward donated a dinner for over 125 people, and I wanted to help return the favor.    Will Your Kids Be Compassionate Adults? By Joni Hilton  · January 4, 2017 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE We’ve all heard that there are seasons of life, and you can’t do everything at all times. Some of us have interpreted this to mean that you wait until you’re silvery-haired to do genealogy or be a temple worker. And when I was raising my four children, I often heard people say, “Just focus on your childr...

Did you see "Meet The Mormons"?   Bishnu Adhikari, who was featured in   Meet the Mormons , went back to his country of Nepal to help his people.  If you have even a small amount of money you could send to help these poor people, it would be great! Bishnu Adhikari: I Need Your Help Here in Nepal By Scot and Maurine Proctor  · May 19, 2016 Wondering how to help refugees? We have been. Here’s one big idea. For every dollar that Meridian readers donate to help in the cause described below, DoTERRA will match dollar for dollar. Click here to see what you can do. There are political refugees, driven from their homes by tyrants. Then there are other kinds of refugees, driven from their homes by physical disaster as walls topple in and roofs collapse. Neither can survive well unless someone steps into help as our leaders have noted in the most recent General Conference. Meridian Cares in partnership with doTERRA and CHOICE Humanitarian ar...

If you know this man, he certainly acted like an "angel."  What a kind heart! Viral Story: You Won't Believe What This Man in a Denny's Did to Answer a Single Mom's Prayer by LDS Living  | Apr. 12, 2016 Fun Makes YouThink    Mormon Life   "Today I met an angel." That's how the post, written by an anonymous worker from Denny's, begins. To look at the man, angelic isn't the first word that might pop into your mind. Dressed in black with arms and neck covered in tattoos, he seems like an unusual messenger from God. But, that's part of the beauty of this story. It causes all of us to step back and think about how we perceive others, because it was through this man God worked miracles. It was this man who helped answer one single mother's desperate prayer. He saw the needs of others, he reached out, and he served selflessly. And, because of that, his story has gone viral. A Facebook post ...

This is a touching story. I'm sure I had ancestors who were refugees.  There is a link at the bottom of the article which you can click on and read on how you can help refugees in your area.   The Town That Rescued 5,000 Mormon Refugees by Jamie Armstrong  | Nov. 19, 2015 Makes You Think Mormon Life The rescue of thousands of Mormon refugees in the winter of 1838–39 is one of the greatest acts of compassion to take place on U.S. soil. And whether or not you've heard the little-known story in Church history before, it's definitely an inspiring one that you'll want to keep sharing. In the winter of 1838, Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued an  Extermination Order , forcing thousands of Mormons leave Missouri by March 8, 1839, or be killed. But where were they to go?  With their beloved Prophet Joseph imprisoned in Liberty Jail with the rest of the First Presidency and Boggs’s deadline fast approaching,...

This tells of a doctor from Idaho who went to Nepal after he heard about the earthquake.  I'm sure they are still having many problems.  We all wish we could help more -- just be there and comfort people! LDS doctor serves in post-earthquake Nepal By Rachel Sterzer For the Deseret News Published: Tuesday, June 16 2015 10:35 a.m. MDT Dr. Kert Howard participates in handing out food to hungry villagers during his trip to earthquake-devastated Nepal. Dr. Kert Howard said he’s never done anything quite so spontaneous as his recent trip to the earthquake-ravaged country of Nepal. On Sunday, April 25, Dr. Howard — a podiatric surgeon and member of the Gibson Jack Ward, Pocatello Idaho Stake — opened his  USAToday  newspaper and read the headline “Nepal rocked by magnitude 7.8 earthquake.” Within 48 hours he was boarding a plane for Kathmandu. After reading about the devastation wreaked across the South Asian country, Dr. Howard imme...