Sacrifice and an answer to my prayer.

 I've consecrated things to the Lord. I've covenanted with the Lord at His request and had so many miracles I can't begin to count. But this morning I wept again, as I have so many nights recently. I prayed for the Ukrainians who our country has taken away support in a war. I prayed for the immigrants who were deported to a foreign prison, and accused of being gang members...without any due process of law to prove their innocence. I prayed for the people who have lost their jobs for no reason. I prayed for the poorer countries that had the aid from our richest country taken away from them. I prayed for those honest people who did their jobs as lawyers, judges, and congressional committee members, which included investigating the January 6th uprising, making legal decisions that allowed Trump to be prosecuted for his crimes. They are now targets and the president has vowed to have them removed from their positions and put in jail. I prayed for Congress and judges who have voted against his measures, and had Trump threaten them with jail and/or removal for opposing him. I prayed for our country, as usual. 

Only this morning, I told Heavenly Father, I would sacrifice something that meant much to me. I am giving it up so I can get something better. The better I asked for was to see his hand in my life and in the world. The better I prayed for was to draw nearer to Him so that I could be his hands and voice in Gathering Israel and doing His will. At the close of my prayer, I felt the Spirit say that I needed to write down the results of my sacrifice when I saw and felt the Lord close to me.

It wasn't long before I saw the first thing I needed to write about. I was reading the article in the Liahona about the ministry of the apostles. I was interested in their qualifications. I already knew they were special witnesses of the Savior, so I skimmed that. But, then I saw Ambassadors to the World. I read time after time where the apostles met with leaders of other countries and offered monetary aid to build shelters for the Ukrainian refugees, to cloth and feed the hungry nations, to fund a hospital to heal the sick. I was overcome with emotion. I felt the Lord say to my spirit, "Your nation may have abandoned them, but I have not." What an answer to my prayer! What I testimony that the prophet and apostles knew ahead to save money to take up the slack in ministering to the needy throughout the world. I am so happy to belong to Christ's Church. I am so happy to be able to testify of His goodness.

Watched Over--Another Miracle

 I have always had a fear of driving on a highway, especially several narrow lanes where the cars are going at least 70 mph. I've had many miracles upon changing lanes or entering a freeway--that there is an open space for me to easily enter, and I attribute that to the fact that I pray before, during, and after such excursions. Nevertheless, I prefer my husband to drive, and I try not to look because he is an impulsive jerky speedster upon occasions. And many times I have been saved from death miraculously when he was driving. During such times, I have anxiety attacks. I raise my level of oxygen, lean the seat back, take an aspirin that is in the car for such cases.

Last Thursday, I had to drive down to Fallbrook by myself. I'd done it before, but it was frightening to me. Before I left, I sat in the car and pled with Heavenly Father to watch over me, and that I would travel safely. As soon as I turned around the corner from our house, I heard 3 distinct beeps from my portable oxygen concentrator. I wondered why it was beeping, and turned to find it wasn't in the car next to me. Hmm, maybe I left it in the back of the car, so I turned around and went home to look in the back of the car. It wasn't there. I checked the engine to see if anything was wrong. No. 

So I knocked on our door and asked Mike if my concentrator was in the chair by our bedroom. YES! It was. I was overcome with emotion that I would hear the exact sound of my concentrator, so I could have oxygen when I was driving. How blest I felt.

(The next day, I even drove with Mike in the car and asked him to take off his seat belt to make sure the beeps had not come from the seat belt. I heard 'ding, ding, ding' but no 'beeping' like my oxygen concentrator.) It just verified the blessing I had been given.