Happy Valentine’s Day! Or, maybe not… Whenever I hear the song of a bird Or look at the blue, blue sky, Whenever I feel the rain on my face Or the wind as it rushes by, While Valentine’s Day for many is a day of love and romance, for many it is not. Maybe it’s because they don’t have a dedicated love interest in their life. Or maybe it’s because they simply don’t feel love. Maybe this person is you….
“Love that view!” That’s the first thing our oldest son Cody said when we came into Cache Valley Sunday afternoon on our return trip from the Salt Lake Airport. Granted, the view of this beautiful valley we call home is always stunning when you first enter driving north out of Sardine Canyon. That spectacular view, even with a bit of inversive haze today, meant a whole lot more for Cody on his first trip back home in two and half…
When Roger Hoffman composed in 1980 the melody for the beloved hymn “Consider The Lilies,” the words that became lyrics immediately flowed into his mind. Consider the lilies of the field, How they grow, how they grow. Consider the birds in the sky, How they fly, how they fly. The words kept flowing till he felt he was done. But as he rose from the piano bench, he felt impressed there was more. “I was about to rise from the…
Have you wondered if your prayers are heard? Do you struggle to know what is actually true? Do you hope for light in a personal world of darkness? I have wondered, struggled, and hoped in each of these areas. In my quest to find answers, I have sought for them. And the answers have come. Not all of them, not yet. But some answers have come and with those answers, I have found truth and I have found light. Two…
Nothing like a good old family squabble to destroy the notion of love at home… There is beauty all around When there’s love at home; There is joy in ev’ry sound When there’s love at home. Be it a sibling quarrel, tension between parents, or years of hurt… Peace and plenty here abide, Smiling sweet on ev’ry side. Time doth softly, sweetly glide When there’s love at home. Even differences, misunderstandings, and expectations concerning values, beliefs, and culture… In the cottage…
The music of Christmas has always helped our family to better feel the spirit of Christmas. From singing fun carols when we put on the tree to the beautiful connections we feel from the sacred hymns. When our children were still around we would generally read a story each night to count down the days to Christmas, along with eating the traditional chocolate from the advent calendar, placing a small ornament on a tree, and helping Santa slowly dropped down…
Christmas is more than just a baby born in a manager… Away in a manger No crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus Laid down His sweet head From that humble birth in a manger, the Savior of the world was born… Jesus, once of humble birth, Now in glory comes to earth. Once he suffered grief and pain; Now he comes on earth to reign. Now he comes on earth to reign. He lived like no one else…
The Babe of Bethlehem brought hope and peace to the world on a Silent Night long ago. The Western Front of the First World War discovered hope and peace on a Silent Night in 1914. Tonight, the beautiful music of Jason Tonioli granted me the same gift of hope and peace. May it grant the same for you. Sit back now. Close your eyes. Open your heart. And simply listen… And feel… Love…
“Because I have been given much I too must give.” It’s natural to feel gratitude when we truly have been given much. But what if we haven’t been given much, especially this year when there have been so many trials and so much has been literally taken away. Like many of you, we have also experienced challenges and losses this year. Family members have been sick with covid, one who was in a coma for several months. We have felt…
https://www.facebook.com/lespatterson15/posts/1086359575161944 No voice conveys love and creates hope greater than the voice of one who loves you completely. A loving parent exemplifies this level of devoted love like no other. Author Mitch Albom says it perfectly. “When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” The same is true for dads even if our eyes are not quite as gentle looking as moms! These are the voices our children need the…