A Beautiful Gift

Before the 911 call on April 1st, Charles and I had a normal conversation. I was doing TaeBo in the living room, and he was getting ready for work in the bathroom. I could see his reflection in the mirror as I was forcefully jiggling my body around, punching and kicking along with the workout video.

At one point during some painful side-kicks I said, "Charles, I am tired of being so chubby!" I could see his handsome bearded face staring back at me in the mirror. He was brushing his hair, then he stopped and his reflection said to me, "Mari, you are so beautiful, I'm so proud of you." These words caught me off-guard. He often said nice things, but his comment quickly silenced me, and I felt how much he loved me -- no matter what shape or form I'm in.

I did not know, however, that those would be his last words to me. They were his last words spoken in peace, before he stopped breathing, the chaos began, and our lives changed forever.

I do not think he could have said anything more perfect to me that day. Those words are often repeated in my mind when I am running, working-out, or just going about my days. I can hear his voice encouraging me, and reminding me how much he loves me.

One of my friends offered to have vinyl lettering made of his words to me. The picture above is the final product. I LOVE it! It is SO beautiful, and in the perfect place -- it is on the same mirror where those words were last spoken to me by Charles.

Now, everyday when I look in the bathroom mirror I will be reminded of how Charles feels about me. And when I am feeling nasty and gross, and having a bad hair day, I can look up at the words and smile...

He thinks I'm beautiful. He is proud of me. He loves me.

Thank you so much, Melissa! And thank you so much to your friend at the Vinyl Company -- it is wonderful! :-)

Go HERE for vinyl lettering for your home.

Thank you!

To whomever sent a certified envelope to my house today, THANK YOU!!!!!  May the blessings of Heaven be poured out upon your family for your generosity and kindness to my family. I believe in miracles, and I think more often than not, miracles are produced through inspired people who listen to the Spirit, and then follow through with the promptings. I thank you for doing just that! I was given a blessing that said I will be "able to call down the blessings of Heaven." May Heaven's blessing pour down upon YOU!!!

I will be able to cover the car and emergency room expenses from your generosity + extra.

So much gratitude and love your way -- whoever you are! I guess I'll just have to be really nice to everyone, since it could be anyone! ;-)

Love,

Mari

Anonymous Kindness

I am so grateful. My heart sometimes feels like exploding with gratitude for the incredible goodness and kindness that his been shown to my family. I have always believed that people are generally good, but now I know that people are generous and GREAT!

I have seen such miracles flow forth from people I know, and also complete strangers. Our family has been showered with gifts, food, money, handyman help, and a variety of thoughtful acts of kindness -- kindness I will never be able to repay.

Just the other day we found an anonymous envelope full of money on our windshield that said it was for Daniel's broken glasses. (They were being held together by tape.) Sweet and thoughtful generosity like this makes my heart soar! To whoever it was, THANK YOU!!!!! We love you!

When we receive something from an "Anonymous" person we always scream, because we don't know who to thank! It is kind of funny because we try and guess, but the reality is -- we never have any idea. We may not know who you are, but God does. He will bless you for your willingness to help!

To those of you who have helped my family in anyway -- large or small -- I pray that God will bless you in a powerful way. Every effort of love towards my family is so very appreciated.

I also thank you for your thoughtful comments. Kind words are a form of service. It may seem a small thing to leave a comment, but I assure you, words matter. Thank you!

I have also felt your prayers on our behalf. I believe that when a bunch of people petition Heavenly Father, it makes a difference! I can feel the difference. Prayers are powerful, no doubt about it.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Love, Mari

Rainbow Maker

Rainbows are special to me and Charles. There was a rainbow right after he asked me to marry him, and there have been rainbows all along our journey, often occurring at very important, and meaningful times. They have always felt like a smile from Heaven. 

Much to my joy, a few rainbow makers showed up on my doorstep today!  They are AWESOME! 

I love rainbows. Having rainbows in my life daily, is perfect. 

There were a couple of reasons for requesting a rainbow maker. Pollyanna was Charles' favorite movie, and I loved how she made rainbow makers to make other people happy -- to bring light into the lives of others. (I seriously think there should be a rainbow maker in every hospital room, everywhere.) And also, I thought that rather than waiting for rainbows and joy to come to me after a storm -- I can create my own rainbows, and have them around me all the time! Thanks Dad, for providing rainbows for me. :) 

I think rainbows are like seeing a little glimpse into Heaven. There is a beautiful connection between the light, white, and colors. All the colors of the rainbow make visible, or white, light. (See the science explanation at the bottom of the page.) We often think of Heaven as white, but white is not the absence of color, it is the presence of all visible color! I think everything will just be so much more brilliant --more vibrant and glorious. It will all feel familiar, and similar to what we know now -- just more colorful, and crisp, and breathtakingly wonderful. I imagine the colors there will be kind of like perfectly adjusting the exposure on a photograph. It will be more vibrant and beautiful than what was originally there. What we see now is not at the same luster and vibrancy as a Celestial world will be. 

One of the best places on Earth to experience white and color is at the temple. Go to the temple! When I was there last time, I had some time alone in the Celestial room to think and ponder, and enjoy the beauty and light. It is a sacred place, a beautiful place to feel peace, and to feel connected to Heavenly Father. While I sat in a chair, with tears in my eyes, I looked up into the magnificent chandelier that crowns the center of the room. As I looked up into the shimmering light, I saw the most glorious collection of rainbows I have ever seen. The illuminated crystals danced with color through the moisture of my tears. Again, yet another glimpse into Heaven. You must experience this celestial rainbow experience sometime. 

Go to the temple, cry, and look up! It is absolutely Divine. 

If you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, then seek out a temple open house that you can attend, to experience the glory of such light. There will be one in Meridian, Idaho in the next few years. There are more temples popping up all the time, so keep your eyes out! Or, you could always join the church, live the standards of the gospel, get a temple recommend and come to the temple, and enjoy the Spirit of our Heavenly Father in your life. It is a place of power, and learning, and light. It is such a blessing in my life, especially now. It is a wonderful place to connect with God, and receive inspiration from above. 

I love the temple. It makes me happy. 

So, I took some pictures of the rainbow makers… they are so fun and beautiful! I am so excited to have them now lighting up my day with light and joy. Every time I look at the rainbows I think of Charles, Pollyanna, God, Heaven, and my Dad. :-) 

This is only one crystal. In the temple chandelier there are thousands… and the rainbows the crystals produce are incredibly more vibrant and spectacular… 

A Science explanation of white light and rainbows: 

The follow excerpt is from www.plantscience.com 

Before Newton, nobody knew that visible light was made up of seven different colours. People thought that light was just 'light' and that colours were a mixture of light and darkness. They thought that bright red was 'light' with just a little bit of 'darkness' and that deep blue was pretty much all 'darkness'. But...they were wrong!

Have you ever seen a small rainbow on a wall in your house or school? This is formed when light is bent (refracted) through a prism (a glass object with flat, polished surfaces). The prism causes the visible light to bend, or refract. The violet light is bent more than the red and yellow light, so the colours separate. These colours - all the colours of the rainbow - make up visible light.

Newton used a prism to split up light into the colours of the rainbow and project the rainbow onto a wall. To prove that the prism wasn't colouring visible light, he then used another prism to refract, or bend, the light back together again. This caused all the colours to merge back together into what we call visible, or white, light. Pretty impressive, right?

A similar thing happens when you spin a Newton colour wheel. When the colour wheel spins rapidly, the colors merge into each other very fast and our brain is not able to distinguish between the different individual colors. So, what do you get when all the colours of the rainbow are merged together? White (or visible) light!

The End. 

This is the Chandelier in the Boise, Idaho temple. The picture was provided by the Church for the Temple Open House back in 2012. 

Heaven's light means something different to me now. After experiencing the death of a loved one, you can't help but wonder about such things. We often feel so mortal, but we are not -- we are immortal beings in the mortal part of our existence. One day our eyes will be fully opened to the light and glory of God. I look forward to that day! 

For now I create my rainbows at home, and bask in His light in the temple. 

Look for the light of God in your life! 

His light is always there. 

Hallelujah for the Harvest

This is what showed up at my door yesterday! I can't tell you how it made my heart sing! Thank you lovely ladies! Food is really the best thing. We love food around here. It's the little things, ya know? The little things mean a lot. I love this time of year when everyone is harvesting their crops, and sharing their bounty.

If you are ever thinking, "Gee, I wonder what I could do for the van Ormers?" 

The answer is: FOOD!!!!!

Yum, yum, YUM!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Angels Among Us

The time for Pioneer courage is not over. It is now! We all have our "handcarts" that we need to pull, and trials we must pass through -- to test our faith. That is why we are here, to see if we will be true -- in all circumstances -- to the God who gave us life. 

As for me, I know I do not travel through my trials -- or pull my handcart -- alone. Back when the Pioneers faced dire circumstances, the Angels came to help, and assist them. There were times when it was not physically possible for them to carry on -- but they would, with Heavenly hands helping them. 

I know what that feels like. 

I may be positioned at the front and center of my family's handcart (like the picture above), but Charles still pulls beside me, and Jesus is always there to make my burden lighter.

I am never, ever, left alone. 

And neither are you! 

There are angels among us, and a Savior who loves us. 

I know it!  

Happy Pioneer Day!

My Heart is Bursting with Gratitude

I cannot go another day without expressing my gratitude. I have been treated with such love, and kindness -- I can hardly stand it! My heart is overflowing with love, and appreciation, for all those who have been so sweet to me, and my family.

There is still so much good in this world, and I have seen it firsthand! There is no way I can ever personally thank everyone who has helped in my time of need, but for those of you who read this, please know how my heart is full of love and gratitude! Each and every gift, and the thoughts and words shared with me, have been uplifting and strengthening. I can feel the prayers of those who have lifted their voices to Heaven in our behalf. Those prayers fill me with strength and joy.

I have not had one single dark day, not one. I had a dark night on Tuesday, April 1st. But since then, I have been lifted to new heights of faith, and devotion to God through all of this -- in ways I never thought possible.

I am not alone. I will never be alone.

Thanks to everyone for your kindness, and generosity. It is so special, and eternally treasured by me. Thanks be to God for allowing such glorious people to be in my life. I have seen those who act as followers of Christ, I have seen those who honor Him through the services of others in need, like me.

May you be blessed for your kindness and goodness!

Love, love, love!

- Mari