Random thoughts...

Oh boy. I haven't posted in a while. Woops. Sorry, life just gets in the way.

This weekend was our Kremin family reunion. I look forward to this all year because it's one of the few times I can see all (ok, most) of my family in one place, especially those who I don't see at all the rest of the year. We drove up Friday night, getting in late. It was a long drive up to Squirrel Creek Lodge in Ashton, ID. It was a beautiful location, surrounded by trees and nature. We slept like babies that night, in a lodge, after a night full of laughter and games with cousins, aunts and uncles. The next morning, Chris woke up to what was lovingly referred to as "the sickness". He was sick all day and I was stressed.

As most people know, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Just a bit. Ok that's a lie. It's more like my fear of illness takes over my life sometimes, particularly if the illness around me is contagious. I can function fine and get myself from day to day, but my heart beats a million miles a minute, my mind races, I get the shakes, and I cry at random (and often inconvenient) times. It cannot be helped. No matter how clean I keep myself, the distance I stay away from the sick people, how much I try to calm myself down, I find my anxieties eating away at me constantly. If you aren't like this, you probably can't understand how difficult it is to try and overcome. I can laugh and laugh about it all day long, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a struggle with me almost every single day of my life.

So while Chris was sick in bed, dying (exaggeration) of the sickness, and I was checking on him every couple of hours, I was also fighting this unstoppable urge to completely panic. My mom and dad tried their best to help me stay calm and relax and just try and enjoy the rest of the day. This was not working. I even tried napping, which helped me not to panic for a couple hours... while I was asleep and couldn't think about it. When I woke up, I finally asked my dad to give me a blessing for comfort and then to give Chris a blessing of healing.

My dad gave me a quick blessing in the quiet of the living room in the lodge. It was just me and him and the second it was done, I felt my heart slow down, my mind clear, and I knew it would all be okay. Dad and Uncle Bill then gave Chris a blessing with some anointed oil and within hours, he was free of symptoms of his illness and left with an overwhelming desire to sleep and regain his lost energy.

No one can or will ever be able to make me doubt the power of the priesthood. This is not the first time I've asked for a blessing, nor will it be the last. Maybe my family is an oddity because growing up my dad made sure we all knew that he was available and willing to give us blessings whenever we felt that we needed one. I can't count the number of blessing I've received from my dad. Because of that, I know that the priesthood is powerful and exists. I know this because no matter what the blessing was for, it worked for me. Maybe not in the way I expected, but without fail, every single time I've been given peace and clarity and calm. Once I got married, they tapered off and now I go to my wonderful husband for them. He's also available when I need and even though he sometimes gets nervous, he has never denied me a blessing.

I know my Heavenly Father knows me because He never fails to give me just what I need when I ask for it. He comforts me, gives me peace, and helps me through my struggles, whether they're physical, mental, or spiritual. He is my Father, my friend, my confidante, and my biggest cheerleader.