Church History Milestones/Temple Progress/General Update

It has been two weeks since I last updated my blog, and what an interesting couple of weeks it has been! I was surprised to realize that so much time has passed because, while some of it has been slow, most of has passed by extremely quickly. There's a lot to update you on and little time to do it in, so let's get started!

First, as always, I begin with significant events that have happened in Church history since I posted last. Today President Monson succeeded President Lorenzo Snow as the 8th oldest prophet in the history of the Church. His next major milestones as far as age or tenure are concerned happen next year. On February 13, 2016, he will succeed President Heber J. Grant as the 7th oldest living prophet. Then six months later, on August 24, he will succeed President Ezra Taft Benson as the 9th longest serving prophet of the Church. I am grateful that President Monson is in good health still, and I project that he may live to break President Gordon B. Hinckley's record as the oldest living prophet. That will happen on March 26, 2025. If he does so, he will also on March 6 of the same year become the 4th longest serving prophet, succeeding President Joseph F. Smith. He has a few more prophets to succeed in both age and tenure length before he gets there, but he may just do it. Only time and the Lord's will will tell.

Additionally, there have been some major milestones reached in temple building progress. The First Presidency announced that the Star Valley Wyoming Temple groundbreaking will take place on April 25. Also, a site has been announced for the Cedar City Utah temple, and the Church is currently seeking local government approval for that temple building project. All going well, the groundbreaking for the Cedar City Temple could be announced soon. The Lisbon Portugal and Tucson Arizona temples are anticipated to have a groundbreaking in the near future as well. All other announced temples, with the exception of the two that don't yet have a site announced (Urdaneta Philippines and Durban South Africa), could have their groundbreaking this year or next year. The Idaho Falls Temple will close on the 16th of this month for extensive renovations, expected to last about a year and a half. This is an exciting era of temple building progress, and what a blessing it is to live in such a day and age.

That being said, I can now briefly update you on all that has happened since I last posted. Life has been busy but good. My sister Joanna called me last week to let me know that her husband Lyle has been accepted to medical school and that they will be leaving in May. I was so excited/stunned/taken off guard by this wonderful but sobering news that I didn't catch many of the details she shared with me. In following up about that with my mom, I learned that they will be stationed on the British-owned island of St. Kitts and Nevis and that Lyle will be on an accelerated program. After roughly 2 years of medical school, he will do his clinicals in Maine and then go wherever he can get a residency. I am excited for my sister's family, but I will miss them terribly. It will be so hard not to see them at the family dinners every month. I will miss having them close by. But I know this is something Lyle and Joanna have been looking forward to for a long time. So I am happy for them. And I wish them all the best. I love them very much.

Work has been good. Lately, since I have been having trouble being on time for work, I have made a practice of staying behind for a time to make up for it. The trouble is, with the phone system set up the way it is, unless I'm very on top of things and can set my phone to not receive calls after I have made up enough time, I wind up staying too long. My paycheck loves that, but Amy and I aren't too crazy about it. A couple of weeks ago, we got a few new agents on our team. My team leader, Trent, was so busy working with them that he didn't have time for our weekly review. As he was leaving work on Friday the 20th, he told me to report to the training room at 8 am Monday and Tuesday the following week for Member Services training. We had been told that everyone on our team would be trained to take Member Services calls (which means more responsibility but sadly no increase in pay), and I was among the first on our team to be trained. As with my original training, I remembered a good bit of it but still need to ask questions periodically. Fortunately our team leaders have now received the same training so they can help when Member Services questions arise.

Then on Wednesday, I reported to work as usual only to find that someone was sitting at the cubicle I usually occupy. So I asked Trent what was going on. He said he had moved me since I was doing so well. He then led me to my new spot, a big cubicle with a big desk. I was stunned by this since such spots are usually reserved for those who are team leaders or close to becoming team leaders. But I took the spot, and it has been treating me very well. Also, I had the opportunity on Friday to meet with Trent and discuss my progress. He said that I was doing great, but, as always, there are things I need to work on. Particularly, I need to get my productivity above 80%. It has been a lot closer to that lately than I ever have been, but I need to do better. One possible improvement we discussed was having me take my breaks whenever I take my pills. This means that instead of two 15 minute breaks I will be taking three 10 minute breaks. Before I had been taking my two 15 minute breaks but then also going into break mode whenever I needed to take medication. By taking my breaks when it's time for my medication, I can cut down on the time I'm in the break auxiliary. This should greatly improve my productivity. I would greatly appreciate your prayers in this regard.

I got my first check from ROI Solutions on Friday the 20th. It was nice to get a big check. The great news is, since I have been putting in more hours, I should get a bigger paycheck next time. No overtime yet, but we'll see what happens with that. Our Utah tax return finally arrived last week. Combined with what was left of my check, it will hopefully be enough to get us through until I get paid again this Friday.

I saw my dentist for my annual cleaning on Wednesday. My teeth have been hurting, and it feels in a couple of places as though I have something stuck there. The dental hygienist, Jan, who was in our ward when we lived in Payson, did my cleaning and then Dr. Grant Stucki came in and visited with me. He said I had eight cavities, some of which are quite bad, which explains the pain I have been experiencing. He prescribed a special toothpaste to help with pain and sensitivity, and I am scheduled to have the four worst fillings taken care of next Monday. Hopefully the dental insurance will cover all these fillings. Whether they do or not, I've got to get them done.

On Thursday I saw Dr. Michael Green, my physiatrist. We visited about what I was doing for physical exercise, and I told him about the Matrix routine that my physical therapist, Buck Mendenhall, is having me do. He said that sounds like great exercise, especially if I can start doing it outside of my physical therapy visits. My feet have been swollen, so we asked him to look at them. He said it was a pitting edema, and that I need to get in to see my PCP about it ASAP. He also said that it would go away if I drank more water and wasn't sitting as much during my day. He encouraged me to get as much physical exercise as I can, especially while watching TV. I had had some difficulty getting hold of him since he is only at the U of U Hospital one day a week, so gave me his PCMC number. It was a good visit.

I have been trying to get a prescription for one of my medications that Dr. Weinstein prescribed. I called her assistant on Monday and spoke to him about getting that script. I called again on Thursday to let him know we'd be in Salt Lake and could pick up the prescription if he needed us to on that day. He called me back on Friday asking if we could still pick it up. I explained that he had missed us on the day we were in town and suggested he have it FedExed to my place. He said Dr. Weinstein couldn't do that. So it had to go by snail mail. My only hope is that it will arrive before Tuesday when I need it.

The house we had an interest in was sold. I later found out that it was my younger sister Elizabeth and her husband Jon who had bought it. But the sale fell through. So it's back on the market. We are seriously considering buying it. But with Amy's dad only willing to give us half of what he originally promised us, it will mean taking out a bigger loan from the bank. We are still trying to work out the details. But it doesn't seem accidental to us that the house has twice been sold and the sale has twice fallen through. It seems as if the Lord wants us to have that place. The only thing I don't know is if Elizabeth will still be speaking to me if we end up buying it. But the truth of the matter is, we were interested in the house long before Elizabeth and Jon took an interest in it. So if we do end up buying it, I hope that's okay with Elizabeth and Jon.

I went to Physical Therapy both on the 28th and the week before. It was a good workout on both days. Buck seems to be continually impressed with my progress. Now if I can just get to a point where I am exercising at home, it'll be fantastic. I went to Church both last week and this week. Amy was home sick last week, and I started out walking both to and from Church, but was offered rides in both cases,, which I was grateful for. Today, I was able to help the guy who taught our Elder's Quorum lesson get set up with a TV and DVD player. I even was able to have him take me home so I could get my DVDs of General Conference for him to use. During the Priesthood Opening Exercises, I saw Brandon Sanderson, who has been out of town on tour promoting his newest book. It was great to have him back with us. He indicated to me that he was tied up with family stuff for the day but that he wants to meet with me next Sunday if I am available. I am excited to catch up with this good friend. I have spent much of my time the last two weekends sleeping. This is good in a way because I am always staying up far too late. But it's also bad in a way because I have trouble sleeping at night if I sleep too much during the day, besides which I miss out on time with Amy if I sleep too much. She has been very understanding and forgiving, though.

This week's projects are to get my productivity up at work, see if we can finagle a way to buy that house, exercise as much as time and circumstances allow, and help Amy get the house cleaned up. I get paid on Friday, and it could very well be the biggest check I've ever gotten on this job. I am hoping that I can work on being on time for work and being back punctually from my lunch and breaks so that I don't have to stay after making up for it, but we'll see what happens. It will be so good to get things done and to hopefully make progress towards our future. I hope you, dear readers, are still enjoying reading about my exploits as much as I enjoy writing about them. Until I write again, all the best!

Church Speaks Out on Excommunication/General Update

Hello, friends! Aside from the Valentime's Day post which I just put up, it has been two weeks since I posted an update. So I wanted to write and share the major developments that have happened in the last two weeks. Please pay attention, as I will move quickly.

First, on the Church News front, a vocal critic of the Church from Logan, Utah, John Dehlin, has been excommunicated. Excommunication of a member is usually a private matter between a member and his local leaders or in some cases the general church leadership, but in this case, the Church wanted to set the record straight. Dehlin had apparently claimed that his excommunication resulted from his support of same-sex marriage and priesthood ordination for women. In a letter written to him by the stake president who led out in the proceedings that resulted in the excommunication, however, the real reasons for Mr. Dehlin's excommunication were spelled out as follows: disputing the nature of our Heavenly Father and the divinity of Jesus Christ; statements that the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham are fraudulent and works of fiction; and statements and teachings that reject The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as being the true Church with power and authority from God. The stake president made it clear that the excommunication lasted for the period of one year, and that after that period of time, if Mr. Dehlin renounces the claims he has made that are contrary to Church doctrine, he may be permitted to rejoin the Church through rebaptism.

In the words of the letter from his stake president, "I want you to know, Brother Dehlin, that this action was not taken against you because you have doubts or because you were asking questions about Church doctrine. I also want you to know that I acknowledge your right to criticize the Church and its doctrines and to try to persuade others to your cause.  Our Heavenly Father has given us moral agency to decide how we will live our lives, and cherished free speech rights in this country allow you to openly state your opinions.  But you do not have the right to remain a member of the Church in good standing while openly and publicly trying to convince others that Church teachings are in error."

I am glad that the Church set the record straight on this matter. The Church would never excommunicate someone simply for disagreeing about key points of Church doctrine. But when a Church member attempts to portray Church doctrines as false, action needs to be taken. I hope Brother Dehlin can find his way back to the Church. However, given the firm position he has taken on these issues, I don't know if that will ever happen. It is always tragic to me when I hear that someone has fallen away from the Church. But again, I'm glad the Church spoke out about this issue.

That being said, it's been an interesting two weeks. Work has continued. I didn't get a paycheck on Friday because ROI Solutions issues paychecks every two weeks. So it will be interesting to see how we do financially until my first check from ROI comes in this week. Thankfully, it should be fairly substantial. I have twice had the opportunity to review my conduct and progress with my team leader. As always, I have things I have to work on and do better and more effectively and efficiently. But I am getting better every week, so that's the good news.

I had two unexpected opportunities at work in the last two weeks. One day I came back from lunch and I thought I had clocked in and put my headset on, but I must have passed out with fatigue or something because the next thing I knew my team leader was shaking me awake and asking if I was okay. I have unfortunately fallen asleep on the job a couple of times before, and so before it happened this last time, I was told that if it happened again, my team leader would have to give me a write up for it. So that's what happened. A write up is the first step in disciplinary action on the job. I had to have a meeting with my team leader and his supervisor. We got all the necessary paperwork filled out to process the write-up. The interesting thing was, while I was upset about being written up, it was handled very well. My team leader and his supervisor just let me know what the next step would be if it happened again, and then they simply asked what might be causing this to happen and if there was anything they could do to help. Once I got past the embarrassment and shame I felt at getting written up, I was very impressed with the way it was handled and with the concern that they showed for me. And the good news is, I have only had a problem with dozing off at work once since the write up, and we are doing better at getting more and better quality rest each night, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. My fatigue sets in mostly in the afternoons, so lately I have been getting some Mountain Dew from the vending machines and working on it throughout the afternoon after lunch. Things are going much better as a result of that. So I hope I can keep from getting written up again.

The other opportunity came when I got back from lunch another day. I realized that I had left my computer in the "Break" auxiliary instead of switching to the "Lunch" auxiliary. Soon after I got myself ready to get back on the phones, my team leader came and informed me that it was a problem for me to remain in the "Break" auxiliary for that long. I thanked him and promised him I'd do my best to see that it never happened again. However, I had had many conversations with the guy I sit next to in regards to my health issues. So when my team leader called me on my error, my seatmate got offended in my behalf, saying I couldn't let him treat me that way since I was disabled, and he called the team leader's behavior into question in front of our supervisor. As a result, our supervisor launched an investigation into the matter of my team leader's conduct in the matter My team leader asked me if I had a problem with the way he had approached me on the issue. I told him I didn't. So he asked if I would be willing to write a statement to that effect for the investigation into his conduct. I was happy to do so. He had me do it on his computer, and told me that he would deliver it to our supervisor without reading it if I wanted him to. I told him he could feel free to read it. He told me later that my statement had touched him so deeply that it almost made him cry. I heard nothing more on the matter, so I assume the storm blew over. I was pleased to be able to defend my team leader in this matter.

I had an appointment with my gastroenterologist on Friday. She recommended that I take my medication for my stomach twice daily instead of once to see if that will help with the nausea I've been experiencing. So we will see if it does any good. Unfortunately, the pharmacy informed me that the stomach medication I have been on is not covered for twice a day use by Medicaid. The good news is, I had on hand another stomach medication I had previously taken twice a day that my doctor said I could use if the insurance wouldn't cover the other one. So I do have that other option.

I had Physical Therapy the last two weeks. In each case, my physical therapist, Buck Mendenhall, has been extremely impressed with my progress. He said if anyone compared where I am now to where I was 11 years ago, they wouldn't believe the positive changes in my mobility, range of motion, and overall progress. So that was great. I received my last paycheck from Kelly Services on Friday February 6, and it was the largest check I'd ever gotten from them. My next check will be my first one from ROI Solutions and will be received on the 20th, and because it covers two weeks instead of one, it will be my largest check ever from this job.

The sale of that house we were interested in fell through, so Amy made a bid on it for the amount her dad said he would be giving us, and, because it was so far below the asking price, not surprisingly, the bid was not accepted. We had the privilege of walking through the house and we both liked it, though there were some things about it that concerned us. However, we felt confident enough about it to talk to Amy's dad and see if he would be able and willing to put up the extra money for it. In doing so, we were told by him that the deal with his land was tying up his finances so much that he might only be able to give us half of what he originally promised. This came as a crushing blow to us. A house was very much out of our reach even with the full amount he originally promised us. With half as much, it's almost out of the question. While Amy retrieved some stuff she wanted to get from her old bedroom, along with some VHS tapes, I talked with Amy's dad, who said that while he didn't know how much he could actually give us, a lot would depend upon what the condition of the home we were interested in was. He said he'd have to see such a home before he could make a final decision. So I inwardly resolved to make arrangements for him to see the house sometime this last week. However, with how busy things were for me, time got away from me. Then yesterday (Saturday), Amy told me that she had found out that the house was no longer on the market. We don't know whether that means it's been sold, or the owners have changed their minds, or whether it has gone into foreclosure and is being sold by the bank. We hope for the latter, because if it's being foreclosed, it might sell for far less, which means we'd have a better chance of getting it. So we will have to see what develops. What has been interesting to us is how many people have told us that since we are getting some money from Amy's dad to buy a home, we should consider taking out a loan for the rest, as the interest rate would be fairly low. We find this amusing because it seems as if these well-meaning people seem to think we haven't taken that into account. We've thought about it. If Amy's dad can only provide us with $50,000, we would definitely have to take out a loan to buy a house. If he can give us the full amount he has promised or even pay the full cost of the house like he told me he might be able to, all going well, then we would either have a smaller loan or no loan to worry about. Amy is a little hesitant to go that route because we already have several other debts we need to discharge, and adding a mortgage payment to that would just make our financial situation more complicated. But given the uncertainty of the situation with Amy's dad's land and finances, we may have no other choice.

On Saturday February 7, Amy went to the Stake Women's Conference. She had done a lot of work prior to that as a member of the Relief Society Activities Committee. She was able to take me to Physical Therapy but unable to pick me up. So I asked my dad to do that, and, as a result, I got the chance to spend some time with him and my 5 year old nephew, Grant Hickman. Dad took me on some errands, after which Grant invited me to "Oupa's house" to watch Monster's Inc. with them. So I went. I was able to enjoy time spent with them, and I even got to see my mom when she came back from the Women's Conference and Joanna (my older sister and Grant's mother) when she came to pick Grant up. Dad dropped me off at home after that. I got some much needed rest, only waking up very briefly when Amy came home. We both rested together throughout the afternoon, then in the evening got ready for the Ward 2nd Annual Rib Dinner. It was a lot of fun, with good food and entertaining competitions.

On Sunday February 8, we had our monthly Stokes Family Dinner. It was a great time to spend with family. Today (Sunday February 15) we went to hear our nephew on Amy's side of the family, Tyler Ward, report on his mission. I was very tired both Sundays from staying up too late the night before, but I was nonetheless able to enjoy these events and time spent with my family and Amy's family.

Last Monday (February 9), I took the opportunity to do our taxes from last year using Turbo Tax. It was great to get that done, and Turbo Tax made it easy. I was given an approximate time frame in which to expect our return, which, though not as substantial as we would have liked, will nonetheless be a godsend. I'm hoping it arrives this week, as I will not get paid from ROI until Friday, so we could definitely use the money.

I was able to finally close my cases with Kelly Services and Scenic View Academy, and am getting close to case closure with Vocational Rehabilitation. I will miss the association with the fantastic people I have worked with in each place, but I am grateful that my job is steady enough that I can now move on without them.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from someone with the Church magazines wanting to make arrangements to take my picture for my article that will appear in the July Ensign, if all goes well. I didn't have a chance to respond to that e-mail before they got in touch with me by phone. I made arrangements with Brother Welden Andersen, a photographer, to get the pictures done Friday the 13th after my doctor's appointment. We went to the American Fork Specialty Clinic building 4th floor. I'm afraid I wasn't a very easy subject for Brother Andersen to work with, so I hope he got what he needed. This is the final thing that needed to be done for my article before it gets published. I was very excited to get that done.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. I feel kind of bad. We didn't go anywhere or do anything special to celebrate the day. I didn't even get my beloved Amy anything special. However, I was able to spend most of the day with her, so that was fantastic. It is wonderful to be with her. I still don't understand, however, why time with her seems to fly by while time without her drags on interminably. As I stated in the post just below this one, I feel very blessed to have her in my life. I don't know what I'd do without her, and hope I never have to find out. I have prayed many times that if one of us has to die at some point that the other will soon follow so we don't have to be without each other for too long. Of course, ideally, we will both be alive until the Second Coming. But that remains to be seen. In the meantime, I cherish each moment with her. I love her so much and am grateful beyond measure for how much she loves me. It is nothing short of a miracle that she continually sees past all that is wrong with me and finds something worth loving and saving. Much like the love of the Savior, I don't understand how it is possible for her to love me so much, but I know that her love is real and genuine. And therein is my greatest joy. Marrying her was the smartest thing I ever did or ever will do. Asking her to marry me was the second smartest thing I ever did or ever will do. As I said in the post below, I only hope and pray that someday I might be worthy of the love and devotion she so freely gives me.

Well, that is what has been going on with us since I last wrote. It's well past time for me to go to bed. I often think about the people who read my blog and hope what I post is making a difference in someone's life. If so, I will consider this blog a success. Until I blog again, all the best!

Will You Be My Valentine?

I know I'm a day late, but this is a poem I wrote in High School that I try to share with my friends each Valentine's Day. It was written during the time I was a member of American Fork High School's newly formed Poetry Club. As a disclaimer, this poem was not based on a personal experience. With that glowing introduction, you might find the whole thing mildly disappointing. Without further ado, here is "Will You Be My Valentine?"

“Will You Be My Valentine?”

I cast my eyes to the sky above,

It's so long since I've dared to love.

Will I be rejected again?

I need another special friend,

One with whom to share my dreams.

I had one once, or so it seemed.

But she abandoned me for another,

And they're now wrapped up in each other.

To see them now, it makes me sick.

I wish that I were half as slick,

As the one who took my girl away.

But now, alas, she will not stay.

So as to make her feel disgrace,

I've found another pretty face.

One whom I feel I can trust,

Or will it be another bust?

I do not know, I cannot guess,

If she at last will ease my stress.

And yet, unsure, these thoughts are mine,

“Will you please be my valentine?”

On Valentine's Day and every day, I am grateful for the special valentine that has come into my life, that she has consented to be mine eternally, and that I never again have to ask that question of anyone. I am particularly grateful we were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity, with a covenant and promise that cannot be broken if we are both true and faithful. Her love for me is nothing short of a miracle, a miracle that I all too often take for granted. I  freely admit that I have not always been worthy of the love and devotion she so easily gives me. But the wonderful thing is, she is ever willing to give me a second chance when I mess up., which I do all too frequently. She is the true definition of a helpmeet. I cannot imagine my life without her. That is a life I never want to live. I pray daily that I might someday be the kind of man she deserves. So I want to say, at the conclusion of this Valentine's Day post, that I love you, my precious, angelic sweetheart Amy, now and forever!