We love our Grandmas

My mom and Grandma arrived last Saturday, the kids have not seen them for more than six months, but you would never know it. Lindsay quickly found Grandmas bed during the night looking for someone to sleep with. She has been her little shadow since. They are all enjoying them so much, especially me. Wow, what big help, I couldn't do it without them. Today they are home making sugar cookies while I finish up my rest at the Hospital. If all goes well I will get my staples taken out tomorrow and then head home for the rest of the recovery.

Austin Brent has arrived

Austin arrived at 8:00 am on Tuesday October 21st, Healthy and beautiful. Mommy is doing great. Because of being in the freezing operating room so long durring the c-section my temperature lowered to 93%, It took a good couple of hours for it to get back up to 98%. I supose that leaving the center core of you body open to that cold air can have that kind of affect on you.
The Grandmas brought the twins and Jace up around 3:00 for a visit, Lindsay had a suitcase full of clothes, she would not let go of it all day waiting to come to the hospital. Grandma said she even napped with it. Allie brought a blanket we had purchased earlier for Austin (as seen in picture). They were all so excited to see their baby brother. As for Faith,I was totally freeked out when grandma told me she did not get off the bus and so we called the school and sure enough she was waiting for Daddy. She refused to get on the bus to come home because somehow she got it in her head that Daddy was going to pick her up in a car to go and see the baby. I do not know how she convinced the teacher of that. (very persuasive little girl)

I am going to enjoy another day in the Hospital. It is odd being so quiet, but I know It is also priceless time with my newborn. And I need the rest!

Thank you to Lake Charles Ward

Pardon me for using Wendy’s blog to share a few of personal thoughts, but I would be remiss if I didn’t. I am Wendy’s husband and for the past 2+ years, it has been an honor to serve as the Bishop of the Lake Charles Ward (church congregation). I was officially released three weeks ago due to our work relocation to Billings, Montana. The Ward consists of just over 600 people with roughly 220 people attending regularly. I don’t know who was more shocked, Wendy or myself when I was asked to serve in the capacity of Bishop. That is a very sacred and important calling and one which I have the utmost respect. 2+ years later and I have even a greater level of respect for the calling and all those who have served previously. Many people approached me over the past couple weeks asking if I was happy or relieved to be released. In all honesty, I was more saddened that glad. I don’t think there are words to express the gratitude and true respect for the Spirit and authority of the Priesthood that I came to see first hand. I am truly grateful for having not only had the opportunity to serve, but for the blessings that I witnessed first hand for me and my family due to the prayers of the many faithful members of the Lake Charles Ward. We moved here with ConocoPhillips back in Nov 2002 thinking it would only be 2-3 years and ended up being 6 years. Our lives have been forever changed and in more ways than one. We came here with 0 kids and will be leaving with five.

I commented in some of my remarks when I was released a couple Sunday’s ago that my testimony has grown ten fold these past two years. When former Bishop Baxter was released and I was called, the presiding officer (Stake President) asked everyone in the congregation to sustain me as their new bishop and not one person declined. Bishop Baxter is a kind hearted, mature and overall great man who humbly and quietly served as our Bishop and then there is me with big shoes to try to fill. Inspite of all my weaknesses and personal doubt that others may have had, they raised their hand to sustain me. That takes true faith and a strong testimony on their part and for that I am truly grateful. I promise that I could not have survived these past two years without that.

I didn’t want to take up too much space on Wendy’s blog, but wanted to reiterate a couple key learning’s that I gained during the past two years.

1. Everyone needs a Bishop. I always knew a Bishop was important, but recognized he has two able counselors. At times, I felt my counselors were better suited to visit a few members that were either sick or in need due to their prior relationship with family, but I quickly learned that although counselors are great, everyone needs their Bishop. That was a humbling and painful learning and one I will never forget. I apologize to anyone that I have let down in that regard. There are many wonderful and qualified men in the Ward who could serve as Bishop, but I can not think of a more kinder hearted person to step in than Bishop Aaron Young. With that said, please be mindful of he and his family’s time. I promise you that he will spend many a hour on bended knee praying to always say and do the right thing and that although he may not be able to attend to everyone that is sick or otherwise in need, he will give you 100% of his heart.

2. Callings are Inspired of the Lord. I have heard over the years from different people that they felt they were only given callings out of convenience and not because of prayer or inspiration I learned first hand that whether it be for the growth of the person being given the calling or for those he/she is to serve, callings are inspired. I had an experience once where “on paper” a certain individual should be released because they were frequently out of town and not able to serve. Consequently, I visited a different family and extended a calling for him to assume that position. Wendy had accompanied me that night, but didn’t know what the calling was. Afterwards, I called to let the other individual know that he was to be released and during that phone call and for the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep and felt very unsettled. I shared that experience with my counselors the following day and really felt impressed that I should not have extended the change. I quickly “repented” and left that individual in that position and the following week his work schedule changed which allowed him to serve and he did a magnificent job. Then very shortly, the stake called and asked for the other person to serve in a different position. Callings are inspired and I am glad that I was in tune enough to listen to the Spirit.

3. The Relief Society and its Sisters are amazing. I have the utmost respect for the President of the Relief Society and the amount of compassion she and the rest of the sisters in general have for others. After being in a position that enabled me to see the “behind the scenes” events that take place on a daily basis, I am astonished. I look at our Primary leaders and Young Women leaders and watch the maturity that accompanies the young ladies that advance from those programs and then watch them as they enter the Relief Society and watch them serve even greater, get married in the Temple and start their eternal families.

4. Concept of “Defining Moments”. While serving as a full-time missionary, I was taught that if a missionary serves honorably, it is nearly impossible for he/she to ever go astray when they return home because they have spent numerous times on bended knees with their investigators/converts and been witness to divine revelation as the Spirit bore witness that the Gospel message is true. I must say that even though I only got to serve just over 2 years, I have personally had many of those “Defining Moments” where I witnessed the Spirit intervene. Whether it was in a counseling setting between quarreling couples, or young men debating whether to serve missions or dire welfare situations where there seemed no way out. I wish that whomever is to read this message, to know that I know that the restored gospel message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that one day we will get to see our Father in Heaven again and I thank you for that knowledge.

I would like to apologize to anyone I may have ever offended over the past couple years. I assure you it was not my intent and I hope you can forgive me for that. My only wish was to help you feel the love that your Savior has for you. Lastly, I also want whomever is still reading this entry to know how eternally grateful I am to my Heavenly Father to have allowed me to marry my beautiful wife Wendy. She is truly amazing to me and of all the blessings I have received in my life (which are many), she is the one that I will never as long as I live in this life be able to repay our Heavenly Father. She is the love of my life and the one I long to spend eternity with. Thank you for loving and sustaining me as your friend and Bishop and thank you most especially for taking in and loving my wife and kids. You will never know how comforting and reassuring it has been to look out each Sunday as each of my kids was being tended by a different family (young women) and know that you were taking care of them and my Wendy in spite of my absence at home. Neither I nor she could have done this without you. Thank you and take care.

Bret Josiah Jorgensen