Category: Resourceful

Matter Of Fact Plan Of Action

When plans changed unexpectedly, I did not skip a beat as a revised matter of fact plan of action transpired.

When my original plan for getting our kids to school changed unexpectedly, I did not skip a beat as a revised matter of fact plan of action transpired. 

On this winter morning, once we were all in the car ready to go, I started it up and noticed the tire pressure light was on. At first, I assumed the light was indicating a decrease in tire pressure attributed to the cold 37 degree weather, but as I recalled a prior tire incident, I immediately felt inclined to walk around the car and quickly glance at each of the tires before driving away. 

In doing so, I saw that one of the back tires appeared low. While accessing the condition of the tire, it was a tender mercy that right at that time, my husband had just stepped out of the house to leave for work and observed what I was doing. He came over immediately to assist. As I knew I would not be able to go directly to a shop to get the tire repaired before getting my kids to school on time, right away, I knew what to do. I decisively and proactively, without hesitation, went into Plan B action mode. 

While my husband was using an air compressor to add air to the tire, I shared with him my matter of fact plan of action to take our younger kids to school in the car used by our teenage drivers who were not using it at the time. It was a tender mercy the car was available as a backup and the worries I would have had about the possibility of the low tire going flat at any point during the approximate one and a half hour roundtrip commute was alleviated. And, as there was a concern on this very cold day whether the heater in the backup car worked, it was a tender mercy it did and we were warmed up fairly quickly. 

Though I had plans to take our car in to have the tire repaired preceding a scheduled meeting I would be facilitating not long after returning home from dropping off our kids, after calling the shop and learning of the lengthy wait time, due to the tight time constraint, I once again moved forward with a revised matter of fact plan of action to instead go to the shop following my meeting and before picking up our kids from school. 

By that time, it was then early afternoon and over the course of several hours since my husband had added air to the tire, the tire pressure had dropped from 35 psi to close to 15 psi. Although I was quite nervous about the slow leak causing the psi to drop so significantly and worried if the low tire pressure would hold up long enough to get to the shop 20 minutes away, it was a tender mercy the tire was not yet altogether flat. 

In hopes of being able to make it to the shop without getting a flat, I attempted to fill up the tire using the air compressor, but I didn’t know how to use it and when I looked up a YouTube video for a demonstration, it wasn’t any help either. So, I placed the air compressor and an extension cord in the trunk of my car and prayed and prayed and prayed that first and foremost I would make it all the way to the shop without losing anymore air. And secondly, if I did lose more air, I was prepared and prayerful that someone along the way would be able to help me.

Before leaving our home, I examined the tire once again and saw where a heavy duty nail of sorts had become lodged in the tire. Despite my naivety of how physics works, I was hopeful and optimistic that as the tire rotated around and around while in route to the shop, the pressure on the nail as it butted up against the pavement over and over again would lock and seal any air from escaping till I got to the tire shop. 

Along the way, although I felt anxious, I tried really hard to keep my mind focused on trusting in the Lord and staying relaxed. It was a wonderful tender mercy that not only did I make it safely to the shop without getting a flat tire, it was super amazing where now that I only had 1 hour before I would need to leave to pick up my kids from school that a garage bay was open and available when I arrived and I was able to pull right in before several other customers came in following behind me and my tire, which was discovered to have also had a screw in it too, was fixed right away for a very minimal charge. 

All in all, it was a tender mercy that before leaving home to take our kids to school, I became aware of the tire that was low before it became a full-fledged flat tire.

When have you had an experience to which you became aware of a situation before it resulted in something more so problematic? And, when have you had plans change unexpectedly and you were able to proactively with decisiveness move instantaneously forward with a revised matter of fact plan of action? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

It Was Tasty Nonetheless

Although the consistency of the fudge did not turn right, it was tasty nonetheless.

When the consistency of my first batch of homemade fudge this holiday season did not turn out right, it was a tender mercy an idea to add the overcooked fudge to a hot chocolate beverage came to mind. Although the fudge was dry and crumbly, it was still tasty nonetheless especially when added to the heated drink as it enhanced the richness and yumminess of the hot chocolate. 

It was a tradition in my home growing up to make fudge during the holidays and it had been years since I last made it. For whatever reason, the nostalgia perhaps, I decided to make it once again this year. The recipe I used from an inside label of a can of evaporated milk seemed simple and easy enough, which it was, other than the fact that I overcooked it even though I stirred it for no more than the 5 minute boil time indicated per the recipe instructions. 

Not wanting to waste and throw out the remaining evaporated milk, I went on to make a second batch and decreased the boil time by 1 minute. This batch came out better, yet being concerned it would set too fast while stirring in the final ingredients after removing it from the heat, I did not allow the marshmallows to fully melt before quickly scooping the fudge out of the stove top saucepan into a dish. Even so, this batch also was tasty nonetheless. 

On to batch #3 only because I still had remaining evaporated milk that I wanted to use up completely. There was just enough to make another half a batch. This time I only boiled the fudge for 2 minutes since I was making less fudge in the same saucepan as washed and reused the prior 2 times and it too came out dry and crumbly, yet, as with batch #1 and #2, it was likewise tasty. 

Despite my inability to make fudge that looked good, it was a tender mercy each varied batch was edible and tasty and the idea to add the dry and crumbly fudge to a hot chocolate beverage came to mind.

When have you made a dessert that did not turn out right, yet not all was lost as you realized before dumping the entire messed up batch that it was tasty nonetheless and could be added to enhance another fabulous treat? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Searching For Seasonal Water Shoes

As our family prepared to go to a water park for a final summer outing a couple of days before school started back up, one of our children read online the benefits of wearing water shoes. When we got our water shoes out, it was realized that we did not have any that our kids could wear. 

I wasn’t all too keen on getting new water shoes and held off doing so until the evening before going to the water park. I really thought and anticipated I would simply go into just one store where I was sure there would be plenty of water shoes in stock, get them, and be done. However, that was not the case. I was unprepared and not ready for the reality that summer was almost over. Their end-of-season selection was very limited and the sizes we needed were all out. 

My quick errand resulted in several hours of going in and out of store after store until one by one the stores started closing. At each place, in asking store employees if they had any and coming up empty handed, surprisingly, I learned and overheard that other consumers were looking for water shoes too. Sadly, the various stores either did not have any water shoes or ones in the right size or what was available was so over priced and close to the same cost as a discounted water park ticket, it was not worth purchasing a pair for a one day use. 

On a side note, when I left the house, I had quickly stepped into a pair of casual water slip on sandals that were conveniently right in front of me as I entered the garage. Little did I know at the time how beneficial wearing these shoes would be a short time later. On this hot 100 degree day, I had no idea it was going to rain. It was a tender mercy that as I came out of one of the stores into a torrential downpour, although I was drenched immediately as I did not have an umbrella, the shoes I had put on were suitable for the inclement weather. 

After searching for water shoes in store after store after store with no success, it was a tender mercy that in the very last store, I came across a different type of water shoes that I was excited and thrilled about the possibility they could work just as well. There was only one pair left and they happened to be in a size we needed. The alternative water shoes had a clear soft plastic, flexible exterior shell with holes throughout and an interior removable sole. Although the soles were not in a preferred color, I saw that I could be resourceful and easily take the sole out and replace it with a .98 cent flip flop in a preferred color. Wallah! The substitute water shoes were effective and held up the entire day!

When have you conveniently been wearing shoes or an outfit that was suitable for unexpected inclement weather while out and about running errands?

And, when have you been in search of a particular seasonal merchandise that was no longer in stock and you saw potential in an alternative option that worked very well as a substitute? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Alert And Attentive

I had a remarkable experience on this bright and sunny, 100 degree day that involved several tender mercies that culminated into one big miracle.   

While my children and I were driving a relative distance from home to take one of them to EFY also known as Especially For Youth, we had hopes that we would get to the campus location within the check-in time frame. A third of the way there I recognized on my dash the tire light had come on and I felt a need to stop and check the air pressure in each of my tires. 

Ironically, the day prior as I came out of church I had a fleeting and subtle thought to check them, yet it came and went without a second thought and I did not act on it. Just looking at the tires, they appeared fine, however, in using a tire-pressure gauge, one of the tires only had a 20 psi reading so I knew there was a slow leak. When I examined the tire, I found a nail puncture in the tread.   

As I processed my options and what to do in my situation, not knowing with certainty how I should precede forward, the idea came to my mind to 1) place duct tape over the nail puncture, 2) pray and have faith that we would make it the latter 2/3rds of the way up to EFY safely, and 3) seek help to change out the tire once we got to our destination. I shared my plan with Heavenly Father and asked that if it was not ideal to continue in that manner that I be guided otherwise. 

Simultaneously, I was thinking about a scriptural account I had just recently read in the Book of Mormon of the brother of Jared who presented stones to the Lord that became a light source for the Jaredites as they traveled in barges to the Promised Land. I believed the duct tape would prevent the tire from going completely flat.  

It was an incredible tender mercy that although we did not have any duct tape in our car, we had clear packing tape that I used and the adhesive stuck well. As we were ready to get back on the road, it was another tender mercy when I was impressed to call my husband to which he recommended I stop at the nearest gas station to fill the tire up with air. 

Immediately, I went into laser focus mode and actively kept an eye out for any place that had an air pump and this prepared me to not miss and pass up an ideal stop a short distance up ahead that wasn’t available again along our route for another 50+miles.

Within minutes, it was a remarkable tender mercy that 4 mile markers or so further up the road there was a car dealership that serviced our specific car’s make. Amazing! I was immensely grateful for the convenience, ease, cost-effectiveness, and timeliness of the dealership being in our path. A technician filled up the tire at no cost, exceeding slightly the recommended amount, and then advised that I stop and look for a place to keep it filled up if the tire light came back on again, which it never did.  

Upon our arrival at the campus location, it was a miraculous tender mercy that the packing tape was still intact and the air pressure held steady overall, with a loss of only 2 psi, but still resting above the recommended amount and it continued to hold steady the rest of the day. Before our departure home, I went to a nearby dealership, like the one earlier, and the small amount lost was restored.

Throughout our entire drive back home, the air pressure stayed constant even after the tape had melted away from the scorching hot pavement. And, with a reapplication of the packing tape, the air pressure continued to remain steady still into the late afternoon of the next day when I was able to get our car into the shop to have the tire repaired and patched up. 

My prayer was more than answered. We not only made it safely round trip, it was also not dire for me to have had the tire fixed while on the road or swapped out with a spare prior to our return home.   

When have you experienced car troubles while driving and not knowing exactly what to do, your move to action on your first thoughts, prayer and faith, in addition, following sound recommendations and advice from others helped you get to your destination safely as well as to a place to have your car repaired?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Cake Carrier

Once the 8×8 cake one of my children had baked late at night for a school project, due the following day, cooled and prior to flipping it out of the glass pan onto another surface to then decorate it with the required details, the question became what to transfer it onto to be able to transport it without messing up the design. 

As I was contemplating the use of a cardboard box with sides used to hold water bottles and lining it with aluminum foil and then crumbling up additional foil to fill in any gaps to eliminate sliding, it dawned on me we had an 8×8 plastic container, with a lid, full of brownie bites. 

It was a tender mercy that I had recalled the package of brownie bites I had purchased days earlier for an event. I transferred the mini brownies to a gallon sized ziploc freezer bag and voila we now had a great way to secure and best support the cake, keeping the decorations from shifting outside of their designated and specific locations, as well as cover it and the cake fit perfectly in the container.

When have you wanted to deliver an item(s) from one place to another snugly and you recalled having a bin, container, envelope, etc. on hand that was a perfect fit?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Catching Spills

After making chili for a church function, I was unsure how I was going to transport it as I was concerned about it spilling in the car on the floor and the seats. I had a few minutes to figure it out before we needed to leave to be on time. As I asked my husband what we could do, he had a brilliant idea to put the crock pot inside a medium sized stock pot. It fit perfectly and if there was any spilling, it would be in the stock pot rather than in the car on the floor or the seats. It was a tender mercy that in a moment when I was trying to find a quick solution, my husband was standing nearby and thought of one right away. It was an ingenious solution.

When have you been on a time crunch trying to figure out a solution to a concern and it came by way of someone standing close by you?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Candy Canes

For a week, I was in a fog when my allergies were intense. One morning I woke up to a sore throat. It was a tender mercy that I had mini candy canes in my pantry closet. The peppermint oil was very soothing. I had one candy cane in the morning and it started working right away. Following another one in the evening and the morning after, my sore throat was gone. Although my allergies continued for days beyond, I no longer had the sore throat. I was grateful I had candy canes in stock when I needed something that would soothe my sore throat.

When have you had an unconventional item on hand that quickly soothed an ailment?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

**If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.**

A Rubber Band

While shopping, the bottom of my shoe separated from the top. I sought for a solution and considered a rubber band. I hesitated asking a store employee. When I decided to ask, they had one just the right size to double wrap and hold my shoe together. Awesome! I was grateful to continue shopping wearing my shoe intact.

Why did I hesitate to ask? I am one who is self-reliant and struggles asking others for help when I need it. I also did not want to receive something without paying for it first and at the same time I did not want to pay for a rubber band I had at home. I was essentially stunting myself. As I considered the logic behind my initial decision to not ask, I pushed my reasoning aside and asked an employee who happily found one and gave it to me at no charge.

Have you hesitated asking for help when you have needed it, holding yourself back for whatever reason, and then when you did ask, you were grateful for the blessing you received?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Craft Room Supplies

I have had a craft room for a number of years that began when I hosted an annual Christmas party. That was a wonderful time and a season that past about seven years ago.  Since then, my craft room has remained mostly untouched except for times when my kids have school projects and they’re in need of supplies.

Most recently, one of my children needed paper to make origami designs for an up-and-coming Eco Fair.  Recyclable resources were needed, preferably with the least amount of out-of-pocket expense. It feels so good to have readily accessible resources available to help my kids with their projects.  I love seeing their creativity and ingenuity using what I have on hand to help with their great ideas. Being able to walk into the craft room rather than go to the store to purchase supplies saves so much time, energy, and stress. It is exciting, fun, and exhilarating to share what resources I have in buckets and on shelves, intended to bless the lives of others.

Do you get excited about resources that you have available and on hand that can help and benefit someone else?

tendermercym♥ments~jld