Pennies From Heaven

Texas is getting some rain today, I got up early & walked 3 miles in  beautiful, gentle, warm rain it truly felt good & to make things even better I found another penny. I find a penny almost every time I walk. It makes me think of when we lived in SLC & I needed a little piece of country the Lord would place a magpie in my path & I would always think of home, it brought a little comfort to me. Now down here in Texas I haven't seen a magpie but when I need a little comfort I find a penny (mostly in the gutters) I always think of Pennies from Heaven, it makes me think of my heavenly home & wonder what it will be like, this also brings me peace, I guess I'm just weird or something. But I will take a little peace anywhere I can find it even if it is the gutter. I've had a great week of service, it's always good when you can serve someone. I was able to take some sisters out to lunch at Olive Garden yesterday to celebrate one's 70th birthday. She's had a rough life & has just been to trial with a son who was given 40 yrs now she has 3 behind bars & don't know where her 4th one is. She is also dealing with cancer but she's pretty well always happy & I love her. I believe in laughter & I had a call tonight from a dear friend & was able to have a good laugh which I needed. It felt good!!! Thanks for thinking of me & calling just at the right time. I can't believe it's Thanksgiving week & I have so many invitations that I'm not sure what I'm doing, I know I can't possibly eat that much. Tonight I'm trying to decide which wards I'll attend tomorrow, I can go to any of 8 wards & I usually go to 2 wards at least in a Sunday. My thought for the week is, "the minute-Just a tiny little minute-Only sixty seconds in it; Forced upon me, Can't refuse it, Didn't seek it, Didn't choose it; But it's up to me to use it-Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, But eternity is in it! --unknown.  Life is made up of lots of minutes & they slip by fast. Minutes turn into hours, days, weeks, months, years then one day we run out of minutes. My scripture is: Alma 36:3 (thanks Emma). Oh by the way we've been ask by our Mission President to memorize The Living Christ by Christmas so I extend the invitation & hope you can do it faster than I.  Have a great Thanksgiving & enjoy family, friends & your turkey.  Love Sister Putnam

Pictures from the past couple of blogs. Love them all!

Lord forgive me when I whine

Well I've moved again back to Plano where I was living before. Mesquite was another learning battle field. Poverty, divorce & just lots of heartaches.  For the first time I was a little nervous with our surroundings, I've never been in the ghettos before & it kind of makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  One of the saddest things I've seen since I've been in Tx.  A mother with 6 beautiful children, no food, no money, no husband, no job and no hope. She tried to end her misery a few weeks ago so she's pretty well at the end of her rope.  The sweet little 2 yr old brought me a book of Jesus & so I read it to her, the next little girl ask us if we had any candy we could give her, the next one said she really liked flavored bottled water so we went to the ghetto grocery store & done some shopping. We walked in & a policeman stood at the door, the windows were all barred up, the pop machines also had bars on them. I think we were the only white people in there & I defintly  felt out of place. People were starring at us. We took a bunch of groceries back to their home so at least they had a nice dinner for that night.  My heart was so heavy as we left I could hardly think & we still had some more sad visits to make, by the time our evening had come to an end I was physically, emotionally & mentally exhausted. I felt guilty to eat my small bowl of soup that night and I could hardly wait to fall into bed. All I could think was Father forgive me when I whine!!! Life sometimes just doesn't seem fair. I tried to put myself in that women's shoes & I could not even think of what I would do if I were in her place. As I knelt that night to say my prayers my heart was so full I could not even speak. We attended another Zone Conference today & it was so uplifting, I certainly needed my cup filled & I got just that. I love these young Sisters & Elders, they have such strong testimonies & oh how they can sing. I almost feel like the roof lifted up 2 inches or so. I met an elder today from London but now his family is in Salt Lake City as I visited with him he put his one leg on his other leg & I could see the bottom of his shoe, it had a great big hole in both of them. I never said anything then but after I went to him & ask him to come out of the chapel for a minute. I said, "Elder would you mind if I took a picture of the bottom of your shoe?" It was so funny to see the look on his face. I seen what it means to wear yourself out in the service of your fellowman. It is very cold here like down to 30 & that's cold for here. He doesn't want to get new ones cause he's going home.  I'm certainly counting my blessings this week. My thought : "One thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought & found how to serve"...Albert Schweitzer.  My scripture is Moroni 10:32.  We've been learning a lot about grace.  Have a great tomorrow.  Sister Putnam

I have wept in the night

Texas is beautiful right now with the weather just right, we were taking dinner to some people last night & the sunset was breathtaking as we drove along with the sliver of the moon getting bigger.  We stopped at the church for our English class that we're teaching, don't laugh I know I speak it so well a little lone teach it. I sure love this Spanish couple we teach, it's always a fun night. Last week we were out in Kaufman ward which is quit a long ways out in the boon docks, cattails or whatever you want to call it. I now have seen what it means to be dirt poor. It seemed the houses were at least 20 miles a part on dirt roads with potholes big enough to get lost in, it made Randolph roads look like freeways. We had put in 2 long hard days knocking on doors trying to find some lost souls, it was just about dark, we got back in the car when my companion asked, "what is that awful smell?"  well it was coming from the bottom of her shoes, she had stolen a big old dog poop smashed all over her shoes & my car. We found a place to pull over & proceeded to clean up the mess, I had a great laugh watching this experience, I would have helped her except I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad so I didn't dare move. All in all it was a great week with lots of contacts.  My heart is saddened this week with the tragic news from home, a young man killed in an auto accident. My thoughts & prayers are with the Weston family also the man that Danny welded with for many years passed away with cancer. Danny told me that he packed him the last 2 weeks that Danny worked at the mine because he just couldn't do his job so he holds a special place in my heart too.  I never got much sleep last night or tonight so thought I'd up date you on my life. My thought for this time, "I have wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to somebody's need made me blind; But I never have yet felt a tinge of regret for being a little to kind." My we all be a little kinder to each other this coming week & in the weeks to come. My scripture is Psalm 46: 1, have a great week!  Sister Putnam

hollow of His hand

Another week has rolled around & what a great week. The weather has cooled lots & it's even cold today. The wind blew, thunder & lightening, rain all last night, their thunder & lightening storms beats ours at home. I'm not very fond of their storms so far but we really do need the moisture it is dry. I'm packed up & ready to leave in the morning for Mesquite, Texas, I'll be there for a month or so then move back to Plano for a couple more months then who knows? There is a single sister down there who has been a lone for over a month so we'll each be spending some time alone. We'll all three split her apartment rent so it's not so hard on her & then we'll take turns going down there to live. I'm so glad I sent stuff home except we could now have used it in her apartment. I know she has dealt lots with cockroaches so here we go, she is thrilled to have another pair of hands to help terminate them. I know it's a poorer place than Plano so upward & onward & we'll see what's around the next bend. I love cockroaches compared to bedbugs which some of the missionaries have been dealing with a lot. I certainly do not want any bed companions sleeping with me. My heart was back home this past Sunday as my little great grand daughter was blessed & given the name Ollie Lynn Peart. She looked so beautiful on some pictures I was able to see. I don't usually like technology but in this case it sure was fun to see what was going on with the family. Thanks to all of you out there who made my heart skip a beat as I received some letters & a package, I truly do appreciate it a lot. I'm leaving my address the same for now so I'll just pick my mail up when I get to Plano or we meet at conferences. It's kind of hard to leave my new found Celestial home but I will bloom where I'm planted. May the roads rise with you, and the wind be always at your back. And may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand-- I took this off a plaque I seen this week, my scripture is Moroni 10:4. Love ya all & think of ya often...sister Putnam

Keeper of a lighthouse

Well another daughter's birthday & our baby of 42 yrs, again I'm reminded of how fast time does fly by & if we're not careful we'll miss some of it. Conference was so good we were able to go to the church for all the sessions. I noticed that the Women's Conference the weekend before started the sessions of General Conference. I so enjoyed the talks, the prayers that were offered and the music was very uplifting in all the meetings. My hope is that we were all able to fill our cups up with a renewed attitude to do our very best we can, we're all in different seasons of our lives but no matter what season if we live the way we know we should our lives would be easier. We had another great institute class this morning & study John chapter 20. There were things brought out that I'd never thought about. May you have a very great week doing the things you need to do & added a little time for the Lord in your busy world. My thought "Imagine yourself as the keeper of a lighthouse. It is nighttime & the sky is black. The wind is cold and strong with the scent of rain. Waves crash against the shore. You know that off in the distance there is one ship, maybe more, searching for the safety of your harbor. They need your bright light as they steer through treacherous waters. The beam from your beacon will guide them safely home." Melissa Merrill, New Era 2011. I wonder how many stranded people that our light might help back to our heavenly home safely. Take care & happy birthday Sandra. My scripture is John 20:27. Sister Putnam

As I count my blessings

My, here it is almost another 2 weeks has past since I updated. We really are kept busy I'm so ready to fall into bed at nights & just meditate & ponder on the things of our day. There are a lot of heart aches that come with divorces, lack of funds, sickness and not keeping the commandments. A heavy price is paid by someone here on this earth, that makes my mind go to our Savior who paid the ultimate price with His life for each one of us but we have to turn to him in order for it to work. The atonement has a greater meaning to me as I'm learning more about Christ & his gospel I pray that I may be able to continue to just understand a small portion of it. I'm able to attend an institute class on Monday mornings for one & a half hours, we have such a good teacher (he is one of the speakers at education week in Provo). We've been studying the last few days of Christ's life on earth & the crucifixion. That sure does pull on your heart strings. He talked about the most sad time of it all was he was a lone at the end even asking his Father "where art thou?" I talked to the leader at the end when everyone else had left & told him my feelings. I believe there comes a time when we leave mortality for immortality when we have to do it alone even though we were with Danny at the end he had to leave himself. The words to a song that says, you have to walk that lonesome valley, you have to do it by yourself, oh no one else can do it for you, that has a whole different meaning to me at this point in my life. Yes, I know there are those on this side & those on the other side but there must be a mountain or valley or some distance in between when we leave & when we get there. Enough of that but it was food for thought for me & brought back some memories of my husband, father & mother whom I was privileged to be with as they left this earth & what a spiritual experience with all of them. The moon is getting bigger each night & so beautiful even in Texas. Isn't this world we live in so beautiful? I thank the Lord each day for the beauties around me as I count my blessings. My thought is an Native American Prayer: we ask for strength & Thou gives us difficulties, which make us strong. We ask for wisdom & Thou send us problems & the solutions develop wisdom. We plead for prosperity & Thou gives us dangers & obstacles to overcome. We ask for favors & Thou gives us the space to develop opportunities. Therefore, great God, we ask Thee to bless & assist us according to Thy desire & will. My scripture D&C 78:18 & 19. Love Sister Putnam