Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This story of President Gordon B. Hinckley's Day of Decision, reminds me of my dear mother and a situation from our past.  My dear sister Vina Ruth, about age 37, was diagnosed with lung cancer.  She had never smoked, etc., and it was truly a disheartening prospect.  That was well over 40 years ago, when chemo therapy was just beginning.  She had chemo for almost a year, and was so sick and nauseated almost the whole time. My mother Ruth Allen Miles, when she was in college, in late 1920's. She still had 3 sons she was raising, and my mother Ruth Allen Miles, made a decision.  She promised Heavenly Father that if He would allow Vina to survive and recover from this cancer, she (Ruth) would do all the good she could, to every person she could, in every way and at every time in her life that she could.  She truly kept that part of her "day of decision".And my dear sister Vina has now reached the ripe old age of 80 years old, and going quite strong! Y...

This article on writing a journal was posted  2 years ago today as blog entry # 204.    .  I need this advice myself!  This last weekend we had a  wonderful weekend, with our grandson coming home from  his mission, and his brother getting married the next day in the Payson Temple.  Then Jake's missionary homecoming yesterday.  I'll write about it in a day or two when I can get pictures ready.  It has been such a spiritual lift! 204. 100 LDS Journal starters for when you don't feel like writing -- from LDS Living. Great ideas! Two days ago, I noticed a great article on ideas of what to write about in your journal, a blog, or whatever.  I'll probably use some of these ideas now and then when I run out of ideas or other things to share.   I encourage any of you to write a journal, write your life story, etc., and especially to write about your ancestors, and collect their histories .  The longer...

Our Missionary Grandson coming home from Indonesia, and his brother's wedding! Almost 2 years ago I posted this photo, showing where our grandson was going on his mission.  Well, today, Thursday July 28th, he is coming home, in the evening at the Salt Lake Airport, just in time for his brothers Temple wedding the next day in the Payson Temple!   Here are pictures! Elder Jacob Wayne Lieske will be coming home tonight at 6:35 p.m. in the Salt Lake City Airport.  He couldn't come home to St. George because he would have arrived at 11:15 p.m. at the St. George Airport, and then we'd have to be up to Payson for his brother Ben's and Ashlee's wedding in the Temple before 2:00 p.m.  He doesn't know it, but he will have several best friends who will travel to Salt Lake to be there, as he can't have his usual greeting at the home airport. This is the missionary picture which has hung on our wall for 2 years! He has filled a wonderful missio...

Last Friday, July 22, 2016, I was privileged to play the piano for  Kiki Shakespeare Thompson, a talented soprano who has a degree in vocal performance, and is a beloved vocal teacher. and  Connor Lee, a very talented young tenor, who will be going to BYU this fall to be in their opera program. It was done at the Friday noon concert at Town and Country Bank here in St. George, and they  always put numbers there on youtube.com.   I'm sure you would enjoy listening to any or all of these.  I especially was thrilled to accompani Kiki on the aria from Madame Butterfly, by Puccini, which is # 7 on this list.  My mother, Ruth Allen Miles, was a gifted soprano in operas in the 1920s at Dixie College, and sang that same solo.  I had never accompanied anyone on that beautiful song.  My mother also sang with my father Orson Pratt Miles many times in duets.  She sang solos, and in a ladies trio throughout her life.  You can read about he...

The 3 Simple Words My Grandma Brought Me from  the Spirit World by Zack Oates  | Jul. 26, 2016 Mormon Life My grandma was in a coma for nearly 10 days. She had flatlined a few times and doctors said that things were not looking good. It’s interesting how when someone is so close to death, memories of their life begin to flood your mind. I remembered her teaching me to let my little sister win at Go Fish, or her waking up an hour early to grind fresh wheat for her famous homemade pancakes after a cousin sleepover, or her gathering the family and making everyone say something nice about each person on their birthday (during family reunions these “Nice Talk” sessions could last a few hours). But it wasn’t just what she did when everyone was around; it was the countless personal letters of encouragement, or the call right when I needed it, or simply pulling me aside to let me know that she thought I was special. She just had a way of mak...

This lovely article was in the March 1988 Ensign.  With much turmoil and suffering in this world, I hope we all can remember to LOVE ONE ANOTHER! This was reprinted in LDS Living recently, from lds.org. We Couldn’t Preach, but We Could Love By  Annette Stevenson Print Share In the refugee camp … The plane glided above the peaceful green islands below. I looked out of the window in awe. Surely we were headed for paradise! One month earlier, my mission president had informed me that I would be sent to serve in a Vietnamese refugee camp on Palawan, an island between Vietnam and the Philippines. My companion had come from one of the refugee camps in Thailand, where she had been serving with twelve other LDS lady missionaries. She was strong, reliable, and full of charity. I remembered my introduction to her at the airport. I had heard that lady missionaries sent to the refugee camps ran the risk of losing their missionary discipline, and I was almost certai...