Blessings and Opportunities by JoElla Pratt

As I sit here and reflect on life in our wonderful small town of St. Johns, Arizona, I can’t help but be content. You may ask why? What does St. Johns offer? Well I will tell you…it offers opportunity. Again you may ask, really in St. Johns? The answer, in my opinion, is a resounding YES!!! For example, shortly after finishing his student teaching in English, my husband, Eric Pratt, was offered a position teaching Science.  How many places do you know that would hire a teacher outside his/her studies? It gets even better, though, after hiring him they asked him to study for and take the Science Certification test for Arizona, which he did and passed, and now because of that he is certified to teach English and/or Science in the state of Arizona. This is a huge blessing for our family, if ever we have to move (crossing our fingers we don’t) since he can apply for either position in any school district. 

Another example is even more recent for me specifically. I was approached by Sharon Raban to apply for an Aide job at the Coronado School with the kindergarten children. We had been praying for an opportunity for more income in our little family that would provide enough help but also allow me to be home with Wallace after school. This was the exact opportunity that we needed. I am able to work just the hours Wallace is in school and even get to work in his classroom with him. Even though I have only been working for two weeks, I love my job, and I really love coming home with Wallace. Again I don’t know many other school districts that seek out and ask for people to apply for a job, and then allow them to work in the classroom with their own children. 

One last example of a wonderful opportunity that I believe is really only available in a small town, is being able to coach Wallace’s soccer team. Just recently Rachel Winters called me and asked me to be the coach for Wallace’s soccer team (4-5 year olds). I was excited for the opportunity but also felt I needed to inform her I didn’t know very much about soccer. Rachel assured me that wasn’t a problem that I just needed to make sure the children had fun. I know in many big cities, parents want coaches that have experience (even with children of such a young age) because there are more coaches available.

So, in my eyes, there really is not a better place to live. If we lived in a big city I would not have the joy of working with and coaching my son and Eric wouldn’t have gained the Science knowledge he has been so blessed with. I know Heavenly Father placed our family in St. Johns so that we could grow and blossom together as a family. I am truly grateful to be here and love this wonderful small town.

Unforgettable Acts of Service by Larry Chlarson

I was asked to share a few words with the readers of this blog. As I wondered what I was going to share, I got to thinking to myself what is it that makes this a wonderful small town life? More and more I see young couples bringing their families back to the place they grew up in, to raise them in this wonderful town. For me the lessons I learned growing up are a big part of the reason why I came back with my own family. Hard work and serving those in need were things I saw every day growing up. We have all heard the saying, “It takes a small town to raise a child right.” Those words are so true! We have had so many experiences in the time since we have been back that have helped our family grow. My kids still talk about the service that we received when Megan was in the hospital for so long with Ryder. Being a single working dad with 4 kids during that time was not easy, but friends and family pulled together and made that stress go away. I had people on call at all hours of the day and night to take kids when I worked, make meals, clean house, do laundry, and so much more. I know this made things a lot less stressful for Megan, too. That is what makes this such a wonderful place to live. The lessons that we as a community will pass on to our children are priceless. I am so grateful for the lessons my children will learn with the help of teachers, parents, friends, bishops, and everyone else that makes up this wonderful place we call home. Megan and I will forever be grateful for the service and love of our amazing community! Thank you for helping us raise our family in such a great environment. Some of you may know that I like to write poems. Here are a couple I would like to share about two of my boys.

Ryder

When mom gave me the news that you were on the way

We rejoiced together, it was a happy day.

We knew you were special from the very start

Number five in the family and close to our hearts.

At nineteen weeks you gave us a scare

The doctor said you had low fluid in there

Mom and I were both worried and stressed

Mom hungered for comfort and asked to be blessed.

A blessing I gave with my hands on her head

Please replace this fear with comfort instead.

As mom lay in her bed for the next 3 weeks

With a heavy heart and tear stained cheeks

She prayed very much to our father in heaven

That you would survive and bring our family to seven

At week 24 they gave her a room on floor five

The pre-natal unit to try and keep you alive.

Blessings and prayers were sent our way

That’s how we made through each long day.

3 more long weeks your mom held on

Till the doctors said that your fluid was gone

The doctor said it was time to go

So with trust in the lord we went with the flow

They cut mom open and they pulled you through

So little and tiny, so purple and blue.

They rushed you out, they took you away

13 weeks early, no time for delay.

I saw the doctor and the look on his face

He is not breathing, no time to waste

Uncle John and I laid our hands on your head

I gave you blessing, let him live I said. 

Your lungs started working they filled up with air

The doctors and nurses just stood there and stared

From that day on you fought and you grew

Each day progressing onto something new.

I want you to know that you are loved and blessed

Sent from heaven to pass this test.

Sent here to earth to do great things

A heart so tender and a soul that sings.

Stay close to him that gave you breath

While you lay on that bed so close to death.

Do your best to win this game

Forever upholding his holy name.

Connor

Come here my child so you can see

I want to show you your family.

I’m sending you to start a life

That’s your father and his loving wife.

You will have a brother to run and play

And help you know what’s right to say.

Send me father I want to go

So much to learn, so much to grow.

Know this my child, it will be hard

For you will be dealt a different card.

To you I give an important task

I know your soul that’s why I ask.

Teach them patience and teach them love

Remind them daily of their Father above.

Hug and kiss them with your tender heart

Let them love you and do their part.

As father and mother to a special spirit

Make sure you’re loud so they can hear it.

Those around you will hold you so dear

Longing for you to always be near.

Now go my child and soon we will be

Together throughout all eternity.

Life is a Gift by Candice Bond

 

As I sit here and reflect on the past few months I can’t help but count my many blessings. I enjoyed a wonderful summer that was full of lots of new adventures and fun. I have a wonderful family and lots of friends. As I keep up with friends and family members and hear the things that go on in their lives and some of their day to day struggles I am again reminded how blessed I am. Some may be big while others are small but we all have our own battles to fight. Last night I heard some sad news about my friend’s family members that were taken from this world all too soon. In the 24 hours since I heard this news I can’t stop thinking about how precious life really is. I am reminded of the Garth Brooks song “If Tomorrow Never Comes” it goes like this: 

Sometimes late at night,

I lie awake and watch her sleeping

She's lost in peaceful dreams 

So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark

And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning

Would she ever doubt the way I feel

About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

Did I try in every way to show her every day

That she's my only one

And if my time on earth were through

And she must face the world without me

Is the love I gave her in the past

Gonna be enough to last

If tomorrow never comes 

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life

Who never knew how much I loved them

Now I live with the regret

That my true feelings for them never were revealed

So I made a promise to myself

To say each day how much she means to me

And avoid that circumstance

Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

If tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

Did I try in every way to show her every day

That she's my only one

And if my time on earth were through

And she must face the world without me

Is the love I gave her in the past

Gonna be enough to last

If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love

Just what you're thinking of

If tomorrow never comes 

This got me thinking about my life and about the things that I would want to change if my “tomorrow” never came. Would I have told those around me how much I loved them and what they meant to me? Would I still be carrying around feelings of anger and resentment for those who had hurt me? Would I have spent enough time on the things that really mattered in life? All of these thoughts inspired me to take a look at my life and reflect on what I could do today, to make a better tomorrow. As I hold my babies a little tighter tonight I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has given me this wonderful life and I am grateful for another tomorrow and a new chance everyday to try and be better.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Karen Brown

“There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, . . .” Shel Silverstein Today I went on a walk choosing the route “where the sidewalk ends.” The paved sidewalk across the street from my house provides a pleasant walk to the point where the pavement ends just before the dog pound. My walk began before the sun was up. The air was chilly and darkness hushed the morning. I first passed a freshly cut hay field and in the gray pre-dawn light I could see the pattern of neatly cut rows striping the field. The smell was fresh and earthy. As I made my way around the field I could see off in the distance the unbroken view to the north of our earth’s vast expanse. There wasn’t one building that interrupted my view to the horizon where land meets sky. How rich I felt as I took in the vastness and wealth before my eyes. I continued past the little league baseball fields and got to the BUB. Only a small town can call a public building the “Big Ugly Building” or “BUB” for short and have it stick. I love the realness of people in this little town. My walk continued past the animal stalls. I counted eleven horses this morning; but it was a beautiful paint and an all-white horse that stood out in the gray morning light like dimes in a jar of pennies. A little after the last animal stall the sidewalk comes to an end. It is where the “grass grows soft and white” in the morning sun that has barely risen above the horizon, “crimson bright.” I look to the east at the “S-J” mesa, to the northeast where the billows of white from the power plant contrast against the early morning sky, and to the south which looks down into town and I can hear the bustle of a waking town. It feels good to stand there in the quiet of the rising sun for just a minute and enjoy our town from “the end of the sidewalk.” As I turn around to begin the return trip, everything looks different in the new light of the morning. The grayness of the pre-dawn has been lifted and radiant colors are added to the morning’s view. How delightful and refreshing. As I pass the little league field two women have finished their walk and visit beside their cars. They remind me of my dear friends in our town, friends who are good examples in mothering and homemaking, friends who are loyal and devoted to goodness. As I pass the fresh cut field it has become elegantly dressed with beautiful yellow rows of cut grass against a light green background. The field took on a new sweetness because of the colors. The thought came to me that God meant for us to embrace color of all kinds and enrich our lives. As I cross the street to my house, my thoughts reflect back on my morning jaunt “to the end of the sidewalk.” God has been good to me here in St. Johns. This little town has blessed my children. I feel a sense of satisfaction and peace as I finish my walk up the driveway and into my home.

Small Town Family by Holly Bond

It has taken this entire town to raise me, and after 22 years, I have realized the importance of being brought up in a small town. We all know one another and always look out for each other. It has taken leaders, mothers, friends, dads, and co-workers to teach me things and help me grow. Although most of these people are not related to me, they are all a part of my extended family. They have loved and cared for me, just as family would. That is the way it was intended to be. We are all brothers and sisters with the same Heavenly Father, and we are fortunate enough to live in a place where we can implement His plan. As we serve one another, we will find that family is the most important thing in this lifetime. The Lord wants us to reach out to those in need. He wants us to love one another. He expects us to teach each other daily. He wants us to be an earthy family, just as we were in the pre mortal life. A small town childhood has given me the opportunity to realize that my family tree is a lot bigger than I ever thought. We are all concerned of the well-being of one another, and with that kind of love, there is a relationship. I am grateful for the multiple mothers and fathers, for the teachers and leaders, for the friends and peers; for all who have gone out of their way to treat me as if I was one of their own. The town of St. Johns is such a wonderful community, filled with so many wonderful people, and I am immensely blessed to be surrounded by them all.