Trujillo Peru Temple dedicated/Happy Father's Day!

The Trujillo Peru temple was dedicated yesterday (Sunday) by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  He was accompanied by his wife and Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, as well as Elder Michael John U. Teh, who apparently is now serving in some capacity with the Temple Department, and Elders Juan A. Uceda, W. Christopher Waddell and Carlos A. Godoy, who serve as the South America Northwest Area Presidency. It was a very wonderful occasion for all in attendance. This brings the number of temples in operation to 147, with 12 under construction (2 of which will be dedicated by the end of this year, and a third scheduled for dedication next year), 5 being renovated (2 of which will be rededicated this year and one more scheduled to be rededicated next year, with 1 additional temple that will be closed for renovation later this year), 2 others scheduled for groundbreaking, and the remaining 12 with groundbreaking dates yet to be announced (of which all but 4 have sites announced). As I have excitedly mentioned before, this is a season where much is going on with temple construction, and I couldn't be more pleased that I can keep tabs on these important events and relay them to my readers.

Though Father's Day is officially over, I wanted to express my love to all the fathers out there, and especially those mentioned in this post. As I have before mentioned, the older I get, the more I realize that my father is not perfect. But in the same breath, I freely admit that I could not have asked for a better father. My dad has kept himself worthy as a priesthood bearer his whole life, giving me a legacy to follow. He has supported me in all I have done, even when he may initially have had doubts or misgivings about whether I was on the right path. He was my foremost example of how to treat women and honor and use the priesthood worthily. I vividly remember my first experiences as a newly ordained elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. My dad had asked that I assist him in giving one of the people he home taught a blessing. My dad could have asked any man in the ward to do that, but he selected me. And he praised me afterward for how well I did in anointing the person.

My very next experience was my first time being voice for a blessing. My younger sister Elizabeth was sick, and had asked Dad for a blessing. My dad looked to me to assist him. He asked my sister who she wanted as voice for the blessing, and she mutely shrugged her shoulders. My dad indicated that he wanted me to be the voice. I searched for the guidance of the Spirit as I pronounced words of comfort, counsel, and healing. My sister went to sleep shortly after the close of the blessing. Not being sure how well I had done, I asked my dad what he thought about what I had said. He taught me a lesson that still rings in my ears as if it had been spoken anew today. He simply said, "James, you're a priesthood holder. As long as you speak the words the Spirit guides you to say, you don't need me or anyone else to ratify them." I have never forgotten that lesson. Thanks to my father, now I never second-guess myself while administering to people.

There have been many other father figures in my life. Next to my own dad, the one who has had the greatest impact on me has been my father-in-law. Amy didn't have many memories of her dad giving her blessings, but I have watched him also be a worthy priesthood bearer. It is partly due to his influence that my wife is the amazing person that she is. And I will be forever grateful that Amy's parents listened to the Spirit when it urged them to have just one more child.

There have been men I have home taught with and been a home teacher of and who have home taught me. All of them have blessed me with a respect for the priesthood and instilled in me the desire to use it worthily to bless the lives of others. There have been the many fathers of the various wards I've lived in who have been wonderful mentors to me. There have been lots of outstanding Scout leaders over the years who encouraged me to earn my Eagle. There have been the many fathers I have observed in the Elder's Quorums I have been to. There have been so many good men I worked with in the temple and with Welfare Services. There have been uncles and cousins and nephews and grandparents and fatherly figures in other ways that have kept me on the strait and narrow path. Most especially, I acknowledge and give thanks for and to my Heavenly Father, who loved me enough to send His Son to atone for my sins, carry my sorrows, and bear any and all burdens and trials I would face in this life. I have no better example of fatherhood and brotherhood than my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I gratefully and humbly acknowledge all the fathers in my life who have made such a difference in my life. If I can be even half the man, husband, and father that they have been, I will count myself very lucky. I hope all my readers who are fathers had a very pleasant Father's Day and that you all know how much your influence has shaped my life and how lost I would be without so many wonderful father figures in my life. And so I give thanks for and say thanks to them all as I express my love and best wishes for them. Please keep being the amazing examples that you are. I am better for having known each of you, and if I am any good as a husband or father, it is because of you all. Happy Father's Day!

Ensign Article Published/Trujillo Peru Temple to be dedicated tomorrow.

I want to touch on two things in this very brief blog post. First of all, the article I submitted to the New Era that was subsequently transferred to the Ensign has been published in the July 2015 Ensign. As I predicted, it appeared in the Young Adult Section. It is wonderful to see my name in print. For any who did not see my wife's announcement about that on Facebook, here's the link to the article:
Christ Has Felt My Pain. I am so excited to have my name in print for the first time, and hope that this will generate support for and interest in my book that I am working on a lot more consistently now. I will keep you updated on book milestones as they happen. Stay tuned for more on that.

The second thing I wanted to mention is that the Trujillo Peru temple will be dedicated tomorrow. The cultural celebration will be held tonight. So the question is, who has been sent to dedicate that temple? President Thomas S. Monson may still be dealing with health issues. President Henry B. Eyring has only dedicated two temples, so, in my mind, he's the most likely candidate. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has been sent many times to dedicate temples, but he's a possibility as well.

Another question is who might accompany the presiding authority. None of the now 11 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has ties to Peru that I know of. It is most likely that the South America Northwest Area Presidency (Elders Juan A. Uceda, W. Christopher Waddell, and Carlos A. Godoy) will be there. Who else might be there is anyone's guess.

I will try and post tomorrow with a report on the dedication and a Father's Day tribute. Until that time, all the best!

Massive Update on our personal lives (finally!)

Hello, friends! Here I am with the long-promised update. Since it has been about three months since my last general update, I hope you'll bear with me. This will not be a chronological post, but rather a snippet here and a snippet there.

First, on the work front, I have big news to announce. Some of you may know that I have twice switched shifts on the job. The first time was because of the shift bids. By the time they got to me, the only shift available that would work for me was 11:00 am-7:30 pm. So I worked on that shift for a number of weeks. You may recall me mentioning that I had problems with sleeping on the job. Well, one day, I was hauled in for two meetings with Trent, my former team leader who has been promoted to be a supervisor under our top man on the project. He told me during those meetings that I had twice been caught sleeping on the job. During the first meeting, I was written up for it. During the second meeting, Trent was very frank and direct. He explained that since I had once again been caught sleeping on the job, Young Living wanted me fired, even though I have been getting mostly great reviews from the members I interacted with. Trent told me he had been able to intervene in my behalf and had offered Young Living a compromise: If I would agree to start working on the late shift the next day (Friday; the shift goes from 12:30 pm-9 pm or whenever the phone lines close for the day), Young Living would give me a one-week trial period. If I had no problems during that time, I would be allowed to keep the job. If I fell asleep again or would not agree to this shift change, my employment would be terminated.

They had me over a barrel. Since I wanted to keep my job so we could maintain eligibility for a loan to buy a house, I had to agree to switch. So I am now working the evening shift. It's turned out to be a good thing. Due to health problems, I have had to miss work on several occasions, even taking many unscheduled days (like today) off because I didn't feel well. Where on other shifts, all my absences would ordinarily result in write-ups and perhaps employment termination, I have found, much to my delight, that the afternoon shift supervisors are a lot more easygoing and would only have me written up if I have unexcused absences. They are also much more easygoing about what we can do during our downtime at work. Where the day shift has to stick to the rule of no non-work related internet, my supervisors on the late shift don't mind if we visit favorite sites during our downtime, as long as we are not checking our e-mail or using Facebook. That's why I've been able to post so much Church-related news after work that I find out about during work. And with the late shift, I can get most of my medical appointments (including physical therapy) taken care of before work, rather than having to take time off during work for them.

Additionally, my work has given us 16 hours of approved time off for each month. Any time not used during a month rolls over to the next month. Also, I haven't had one single incident of sleeping on the job since changing shifts. Trent stopped by my desk the other day to tell me that my trial period had ended and that I had proven to Young Living that I was worth keeping, that there had been no complaints about my conduct since switching shifts. This was great news. I am out of the woods as far as that is concerned. One thing that does trouble me is my continuing absences due to health difficulties. I am working with my doctors to resolve these problems, but I  still am missing one or two days per week due to my health, and that's not good.

In the interim, I have developed vertigo. I have been seen by many doctors for it. Just yesterday, we went to the Hearing and Balance Clinic in Provo. The doctor there has suggested some things that he hopes will help me. I have met numerous times since my last major update with my neurologist, and she has suggested things that, so far, are helping me feel better. The main problem for me health-wise now is my vertigo. That is what prevented me from going to work today. Thankfully, I have been able to get notes from my doctors that have kept me from getting into any trouble at work for my absences.

Our families are doing well. My older sister, her husband, and their son moved to the small British-owned islands of St. Kitts and Nevis on my sister's birthday, May 4th, so Lyle can go to medical school. He will be on an accelerated program that should only take 1½ to 2 years. We are missing them, but know it is wonderful for Lyle to finally fulfill his life-long dream to become a doctor. I have been able to Skype with them a couple of times, and that has proven to be a great way to keep in touch. Amy's brother that is just older than she is was admitted to the hospital a few days ago with a torn aorta. He is out of the woods now, thankfully, but that still gave us a bit of a scare. My brother Neal's wife Sammi was admitted to the hospital several days ago after she passed out. What's going on with her remains to be seen, but we hope and pray for the best for them.

We continue to look for a house. There have been a couple that we have been interested in, but either they are bought by someone else while we have been trying to get a loan to pay for them, or they are out of our price range. The Lord has told me that He wants us to stay in the American Fork East Stake, where I have been ever since moving to American Fork 16 years ago. I have felt very strongly that I haven't finished the purposes I have come to the East Stake to fulfill. This makes our search for a house difficult, as many of the houses in this stake are over-priced, but I know it's where the Lord wants us to be. So something will work out.

Amy had a doctor's appointment last week because she was feeling ill. We had her thyroid levels checked, and she was also tested for mono. I hope the doctor is able to find out what is causing her to feel so sick all the time. Our lives are complicated enough without both of us being plagued by health issues.

My headaches are a lot better controlled now that I am on a better medication schedule. I take my first set when I wake up rather than having to get up early in the morning to take my first set, and making allowances so I am covered pain medication wise even when we stay up later.

I will be getting a new home teaching assignment next week that is effective this month. I will lose one of the families I home teach and perhaps pick up one or two new ones. Sundays have been great days for us with visiting family after going to Church, or just relaxing at home.

Saturday was my 10 year (where did the time go?) High School reunion. It was much better attended than the 5 year one. We had a lovely catered dinner (although I did cheat on my celiac disease diet for it) and got a tour of the new parts of the high school from one of the janitors that works there. That was great fun. I found that I had the stamina to deal well with the walking tour of the school. And my strength and energy held out for the whole reunion, which I was grateful for. It was an awesome event, and I am very grateful to all the Senior Class officers of the class of 2005 for making this 10 year reunion such a success. Directly after the reunion, we did some errands. At the Wal-Mart market, we ran into Dallas Smith, one of my teachers from AF Junior High School. We greeted each other enthusiastically, and he asked about my family. It was a good capstone to a great day.

We were able to go to the Payson Utah Temple Open House. I was able to walk all the way through the temple with just my cane, and I was grateful to be there for that. I was VERY excited to find out about the Provo City Center Temple open house and dedication. I am glad the First Presidency is making the temple dedication available to all LDS members in Utah, rather than just restricting it to those who live within that temple district.

I have loved keeping my eye on Church-related news, and I know that for the most part, those posts have been widely read and appreciated by my readers. I am so grateful that the article I wrote for the Ensign will be featured in the July edition. I have also gotten back to writing my first book. I've come a long way with that, and I'm grateful for all the support I have gotten and the interest that has been shown about my first book. I fully anticipate that I will have that book published before the end of the year.

Amy and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary in December, so we've been making tentative plans for that. That has been great fun. How grateful I am that the Lord saw fit to bring Amy into my life. She is everything I ever wanted in a wife, plus infinitely more. The only way our lives could be richer is if we were blessed with children. But I feel confident that will come when the time is right. For the moment, we treasure any and all time we can spend together.

That, in a nutshell, has been our lives for the past three months. It's been wonderful to be alive, and I have every confidence that life will continue to be fantastic. There is so much to be grateful for in this life! I would like to end this post by thanking all of you who follow this blog and have expressed interest in and support for all that is going on in our lives. This blog would be nothing without my readers. You all give me a desire and reason to write. If I become any success as a writer, it will be because of the wonderful people like you all. Thanks again. Until I write again, all the best!