What a beautiful day today is. It is Stephen’s 56th B-day. We woke to the phone ringing and Sonnet singing the Happy Birthday song to her dad. We had the luxury of lingering in bed for a time then getting up to attend a General Conference broadcast at the stake center. All the talks were inspiring. So full of testimony and counsel. President Monsen gave a very touching testimony. He mentioned many of his dear friends and associates who are no longer with us but have passed on. He spoke of treasuring each day, holding nothing back from the moment or loved ones in our company. At least that is what I heard. Sometimes after reading the printed account of a conference address, I am surprised that the record was not the way I remember hearing it. I think we hear what the Spirit knows we need to hear.
When we got back home there was a message on the phone from Jami. She asked that I return her call so I did. She let me know that our Shannon Campbell Royer passed away early that morning. Beautiful Shannon. I remembered Paul’s words, “For now am I ready to be offered….I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…”
Earlier that morning while sitting in the stake center watching conference, it was announced for an opening song the Tabernacle choir would sing ‘Oh What Songs of the Heart’. I sighed and leaned over to Stephen to say “I want this song sung at my funeral”. Its message is so sweet. I thought of Shannon as I listened. I thought of my dear friend Rinez.
Oh, what songs of the heart
We shall sing all the day,
When again we assemble at home,
When we meet ne'er to part
With the blest o'er the way,
There no more from our loved ones to roam!
When we meet ne'er to part,
Oh, what songs of the heart
We shall sing in our beautiful home.
Tho our rapture and bliss
There's no song can express,
We will shout, we will sing o'er and o'er,
As we greet with a kiss,
And with joy we caress
All our loved ones that passed on before;
As we greet with a kiss,
In our rapture and bliss,
All our love ones that passed on before.
Oh, the visions we'll see
In that home of the blest,
There's no word, there's no thought can impart,
But our rapture will be
All the soul can attest,
In the heavenly songs of the heart;
But our rapture will be
In the vision we'll see
Best expressed in the songs of the heart;
Oh, what songs we'll employ!
Oh, what welcome we'll hear!
When we kneel at our dear Savior's feet.
And the heart swells with joy
In embraces most dear
When our heavenly parents we meet!
Oh, what songs we'll employ
As the heart swells with joy,
When our heavenly parents we meet!
The nativity festival, the First Presidency broadcast and hours spent on our stake Christmas program were packed into precious few days. A program at work I was in charge of as well as a report deadline were all part of the frenzy. Mix in visits with Blake, Sara & Jacob every chance we could find, a road trip to Utah and family gatherings to the calendar and it starts to get hairy.
