The House of the Lord

Dear Diary,

Today was an amazingly special day....it started out with a trip through Texas Hill country on-ward to my lil slice of zion...the San Antonio temple. My hand-cart...a Toyota Camry which we had to pull over because everyone kept pointing to our tire and so come to find out all it was? Our $17.99 Walmart wheel covers coming off..

We drove by a couple taco stands and my tummy called out to me. I thought hey there are tons of these things, we'll pass more. Well every time I would see one, I'd yell, "STOP!!!" As Seth went, "huh what where?" IT DOE SN"T MATTER WHERE! In the time it took for you to look see for yourself, it is 60 mph 5 minutes ago! This happened about 3 times. I took lots of deep breaths...(happy thoughts, peaceful thoughts, I'm going to the temple!) We must have past about 10 breakfast taco stands on our country drive, but I ened up eating a chocolate brownie energy bar...uh.

Our car turns the corner onto the golden path to the temple and as we come over a bluff, I see it in the distance....well it looked very much like a large and spacious building with something shiny on top...."That's IT!" LAHHHHHHHHH!!! THE TEMPLE...excitement, peace. Wow this is a really nice area I think...townhomes, a new SUPER TARGET, and then there it is as if it were the corner of Broadway and 42cd street.....large white granite....colorful gardens, and a white fence...signatures of our classic Mormon temple.

We stop at the light looking to our left to take it all in. Ryan reading the steet sign exclaims, "DEAD END, DEAD END!!!" We calm him, sensing the irony...

The parking lot is full of tired cars. I am dropped of at the steps leading to a huge waterfall wall. I step back from the car and wave and watch as my three boys roll away...then my attention turns to the waterfall which lead my eyes upward to the words, "Holiness,,,,THE HOUSE OF THE LORD"

Up the steps, glance at the stone waterfall, up more steps and land on a concrete leading to the door with the ornate white handle. Needs washed I think. Then another set of doors, white handle. This time the handles are noticeable clean, free of buildup in the niches of the scrolls. I enter.

Peace, familiarity, my spirit is HOME, HAPPY, and CONTENT. Feelings bring me tears. Why tears? Why am I suddenly filled with gratitude. Gratitude for everything that can rush into my mind in mere milliseconds.

Grateful to be a member of this church, grateful that I can attend this temple...and feel this love...grateful for the magnificence of everything that God was, is, and will be forever. I feel light, full of love, full of warmth.

I exit. The sun greets me. I breath in the warm air. Seth pulls up, parks, and car doors open. Ryan runs towards me and we embrace. Ryan,"OH, It's beautiful!" "Yes, Ryan this is Heavenly Father's house, this is how the houses and gardens may look in heaven. Do you feel it? Do you feel the warm feeling in your heart?" "Yes, I feel it will heal my heart if it is cracked," Ryan retorts. I reply, "Yes, Ryan it healed my heart today...."