Renee Hawkley In Joy!

Follow the Facts On April 22, 2020, NPR reported the US CoVid19 death tally at 46,583. This startling figure includes data from the first four months of 2020. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/16/816707182/map-tracking-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s Every American has been impacted by this despicable disease.  That said, the statement made by some officials that CoVid 19 is now the leading cause of death in the US is false. And misleading. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports the leading causes of US deaths in 2018: heart disease - 655,381 cancer - 599,274 preventable injuries (as in auto accidents, falls, etc.) - 167,127 https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injuries/deaths-by-demographics/all-leading-causes-of-death/ Under the heading “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly,” the US Center for Disease and Prevention (CDC) reported: “A total of 623,471 abortions for 2016 were reported to CDC from 48 reporting areas. Among these ...

Being invited to unite in a worldwide fast feels like a gift rather than a task. We may pray and fast alone, but knowing that Jesus Christ's Atonement and Resurrection reach each and all of us reaffirms to me that I belong. It feels holy to participate. “For all whose health may permit, let us fast, pray, and unite our faith once again,” said President Russell M. Nelson (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in his Saturday evening general conference address. “Let us prayerfully plead for relief from this global pandemic. “I invite  all,  including those not of our faith, to fast and pray on Good Friday, April 10, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized.”

"And if you would know God, be not therefore a solver of riddles. Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children. And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain. You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees." Kahlil Gibran My husband, Dan, penned this quote in a letter to me and our two young children on Christmas, 25 December 1969 while serving as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force in Taiwan during the Viet Nam War, then added a bit of his own wisdom: ". . . To best understand God, we should learn best of all the natural beauty in which He has clothed the earth, for there is it easiest to discern that God is a God of beauty and love, of law and order, and that man is His primary concern. I love you ~ see you in my dreams ~ and as much as possible in between them. All my love, Dan" Yup. That was my husband, Dan Hawkley, at age ...

"News isn't supported in your region." This is the #1 Souvenir of my 2017 trip to the major cities in China and the message displayed on my iPhone each time I wanted information not associated with my email address.

I'm never alone. Not really. Waking up this morning. Just me. Lying there In the crystal stillness. No muscle moving. Just listening To Heavenly Father As He reminds me In the whisper of truth, That I'm never alone. Not really.

What I like best about CO-Vid isolation: Wearing my monkey socks all day.

Mitt Romney prefaced the explanation for his impeachment vote by stating that he is "profoundly religious."  That got my attention. Why? Because my husband, Dan, made the decision to honor the "attorney's oath" he took at the beginning of his career and continued to represent a woman who was fighting to protect the interests of her children long after her status and money had run out. As a consequence, he was tried by his peers and suspended from practicing law for three years. He passed away during those three years, so his license was not reinstated. And I wonder, again. Would Dan make a different decision if he were given the opportunity to do so?  And once again, I don't need to wonder because my heart knows his decision would be the same. Dan is, was, and ever will be a man of integrity, even though he paid dearly for that integrity on more than one occasion, and I doubt he would assume the "profoundly religious" trait as a preface. ...