Rest Assured, All Is Well

Prior to receiving the impression, “rest assured, all is well”, concern enveloped my entire being as I observed what our puppy may have ingested.

Just like that, as my undivided attention turned momentarily away from our puppy, when I returned my focus to her, prior to receiving the impression, “rest assured, all is well”, concern enveloped my entire being as I observed what our puppy may have ingested.

While our family was hanging out watching TV, our four month old puppy was playing with her toys, when out of the corner of my eye I observed her chewing something suspicious. I quickly got up off the couch and knelt down by her side. When I looked in her mouth, I saw that she was chewing on some polyester stuffing from one of her toys that had ripped apart. I attempted to pry open her mouth, however, fear that she would clamp her teeth down on my hand as I reached into her mouth, I stopped any attempt and immediately called on one of my children, who has with such ease been able to sweep her mouth and remove a variety of questionable things she has been caught chewing on. Within the split second it took for them to get to her, they were unable to find the stuffing anywhere in her mouth. 

I was so frustrated with myself that I did not have the skill and courage to get it out of her mouth while I had an eye on it and I was very concerned she had swallowed it. What did it mean if she had? I sat back down on the couch, no longer engaged on whatever was on TV, but fully invested in researching and seeking to know what to do if she had swallowed it. I read of the possibility it could cause intestinal blockage and to get her to a veterinarian immediately OR it could come out in her poop within 24 hours and in the meantime to observe if she showed any signs or symptoms of illness. 

As a first time puppy owner, I was clueless and had no idea the seriousness, if any, I was up against. Do I lean towards a more assertive action and take her to the veterinary hospital, as the veterinary clinic was closed, or the passive approach to wait it out with hopes she had no digestive issues and it would come out the next morning?

While uncertain what action to take and not wanting to become anxious, it was a tender mercy I felt “rest assured, all is well”. Simultaneously, I was prompted to go where she had been chewing on the polyester stuffing and run my hand along our carpet, a color tone the stuffing blended in with easily. As I got down on my hands and knees and brushed my hand over the area, it was a tender mercy I found the polyester stuffing that had been in her mouth. I was relieved she had spit it out and not swallowed it. 

Several days later, I observed her biting a hole in the corner seam of a fabric covered sand bag, up against our back door to keep the winter cold air out of our kitchen. As a quick remedy, I tied off the hole with a twist tie and flipped the bag upside down to hide the corner from her and hoped she would not be able to access it. Unfortunately, one afternoon as I left her resting unattended in the kitchen while I took a phone call in another room with better reception, she managed to remove the twist tie and further increase the size of the hole. 

When I returned to the kitchen, sand was spilt out on the floor beside the bag and the wire twist tie was missing. Though I was concerned she may have chewed and swallowed the twist tie, I refrained from becoming panicked, just yet. As the thought entered my mind of whether or not to make an emergency call to a veterinarian to have her checked out, it was a tender mercy I felt a peaceful calm that it was not necessary. I felt confident and rest assured, all is well and that I would find the twist tie. 

After I swept up the spilt sand and continued sweeping in the kitchen where she goes to hang out and chew on the treats we give her, next to the towel she lies on while enjoying her treats was the twist tie wire. It was a tender mercy that though she had chewed some of the paper off of the twist tie, the entire wire piece had not been ingested by her. I was relieved and grateful that during these two health scare instances, I received the impression that rest assured, all is well. 

When have you experienced a health scare instance of a loved one and you received a much like impression that rest assured, all is well? 

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

What Is A Gift They Would Really Like?

When have you wanted to give someone who had no wish list a gift, but questioned what is a gift they would really like?

Has there ever been someone for whom you wanted to buy a gift, for any special occasion—birthday, valentines, anniversary, Christmas, etc. that did not come right out and express what they wanted nor share a wish list with you when asked directly, leaving you stuck with no idea what to get them and wondering what is a gift they would really like?

I have…. and just recently….until I focused on their from time to time, subtle communications in reference to specific gifts they would really like.  

I love Christmas and the magic of Christmas and the excitement on Christmas day of seeing loved ones open up the thoughtful gifts I personally select for them indicating that I see them and know them. 

This year was a lot more challenging as I struggled not only to find items for those who provided me with a wish list, but even more so when a list was not given. Nonetheless, I was up for the challenge. I just hoped I would figure it out before Christmas. To which I did. The weeks leading up to that anticipated day, my ears were honed into dialogues with whom I did not receive a list and I reflected on prior conversations I’ve had with them. Before too long, I had a number of ideas of what gifts to get for them between what I picked up on through observation for what they may appreciate getting to what I recollected they had in passing nonchalantly expressed they would really like.

Going from not having any idea to knowing a couple handful of gifts I could get for them was super exciting, though, I kept that knowledge and enthusiasm to myself. I did not want to give away that even though they didn’t come right out and tell me, I knew exactly what they wanted as well as what they may appreciate getting. I was looking so forward to Christmas day to see their reaction. 

One by one, it was a tender mercy that after hours of going in and out of many different stores all throughout the holiday season, I found each item. I was so happy and most especially giddy about one in particular. It was one they had seen on TV that was described to me with great interest when I returned home one evening from being out. 

Just three days before Christmas, as this particular gift item had been on the back of my mind, but I had not gotten around to researching about it, it was a tender mercy that in only going off of the description shared as I had not seen it myself, the exact product they had seen on TV came up right away when I google searched it. I saw that the item was carried in several stores near me which was a relief as my preference is in-store shopping and I was up against the wire, but each store I called was completely out of that item. 

When I returned to the product information online, there was another store I had missed and upon my calling them, it was a tender mercy there was one of that product remaining on their shelf. The employee offered to go get it and hold it for me. Oh, my excitement! I responded with an absolute and delighted yes! Within a 1/2 hour I was in the store picking it up. I marveled and felt such joy and gratitude I had this last minute and most important gift, that wrapped up my gift buying purchases, in my hand. Christmas was a success! Each gift was well-received and appreciated!

When have you wanted to give someone who had no wish list a gift, but questioned what is a gift they would really like and in paying close attention to their subtle mention here and there of ideas, you knew just what to get them?

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

Best-Laid Plans Even More So Improved Upon

And, when my best-laid plans are even more so improved upon, I am overjoyed!

Strategizing and coordinating events in the most optimal and efficient way as possible from setting up large group rotation schedules to planning out the best routes to travel when running errands to multiple places all over town is something I thoroughly enjoy. And, when my best-laid plans are even more so improved upon, I am overjoyed! 

With Christmas only a week away and it being the last day of school for our kids before the winter break, I was concerned about not catching those I wanted to deliver gifts to prior to their possibly leaving town for the holidays. I connected with each via a text message asking if they would be around prior to a specific late afternoon time, allowing a cushion for me to pick up our newly spayed puppy from the veterinary clinic within the designated final two hours before they closed. Ideally, I hoped to arrive within the first hour as I was anxious to get to her as soon as possible and spend the rest of the evening providing her comfort and my undivided love and attention as she began the two week incision healing and recovery process.

As almost everyone, except for a couple, one-by-one, quickly responded to my message, the majority of them shared the same approximate time for me to come by. Their places of residence were in several different neighborhoods stretched out in my community. Strategizing the coordination of how to get to each home within the short available window was a fun, albeit bit tricky challenge for me. When delays transpired that extended the time longer to get from one place to another, I revamped my plan a few times to best optimize the distance I needed to travel and keep within the allotted timeframe. Along the way, when I knew I would arrive later than the originally planned time, I reached out to adjust the time. It was a tender mercy each one kindly obliged to the alteration and indicated they would still be home. 

My plan though well laid out, even so, with a couple homes left to go, it was a tender mercy an unexpected call I received from someone I thought was in a pinch and needed my help further refined my best-laid plan. Immediately, I rerouted and headed their way to assist them and learned just before reaching their place that they did not need my help. As a result of rerouting, I happened to pass a home I was going to deliver to last and saw that they were outside. It was a tender mercy I was able to drop off their gift lickety-split and from there able to deliver the remaining gift and pick up our puppy thirty minutes sooner than I had anticipated.

When have your best-laid plans been further refined and even more efficient and optimal than you had well-devised?

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to 

tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

A Light In The Darkness

When have you been provided a light in the darkness during a time you could not see and needed the light?

Twice this evening, practically back to back, I and another person were separately provided a light in the darkness.  

While traveling in our teenage drivers’ older car to drop off one of my children at a school basketball game, upon our arrival, after parking in a stall to wait and observe their safe entrance into the gym, my hands felt sticky and dirty. As I looked in the middle console of the car for hand wipes, to which there was none, I spotted a flashlight. I was drawn to what was wrapped around the exterior of the flashlight. It was a message that read, “Be Different, Stand Out, Be A Light”.

Once my child was safely inside the gym, as I was about to leave and go back home, I observed a man parked a few stalls away from me to my left, with no cars between us, changing his flat tire. I felt impressed to roll down my window and share with him what a tender mercy that he was able to make it off the nearby highway and into the gym parking lot to change the tire in a safe place rather than being stuck changing it on the highway. He was very appreciative of the wonderful blessing. After that brief interaction, upon my departure, I recognized another tender mercy. As dusk was fast approaching, I noticed that he would have a light in the darkness while he changed his tire as he was parked in a location right under a parking lot light. 

On my way back home, just before I arrived, I heard something fall to the floor near or around the front passenger seat. At this point, the sun had completely set. After I reached our driveway, parked, and turned off the car, I looked for it, but I couldn’t see what it was or where it had fallen. It was a tender mercy that where my light on my phone did not work, I was fortunately aware of the flashlight in the middle console and I had a light in the darkness to find and pick up the object as well as see to gather all my belongings prior to my exit out of the car. 

When have you been provided a light in the darkness during a time you could not see and needed the light? 

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

What To Do? What To Do?

What To Do? What To Do? Each evening, we have enjoyed well spent, quality hours of fun together eating a Christmas treat and playing a game.

What To Do? What To Do?

As my children are getting older, I still want Christmas to be a magical time of year. I LOVE Christmas. It is magical for me and I don’t ever want that to go away. With the Christmas season upon us, I so wanted to come up with activities our two kids still at home would enjoy doing all together as a family during the days leading up to Christmas day. The question was “What To Do? What To Do?” I spent a lot of time thinking about what to do without any answer coming to me, until the answer came through a series of events and then I could barely contain my excitement and giddiness to share the idea, first with my husband and then our kids. 

A couple of days prior to the first of December while on a drive with one of my children, I asked them about our Christmas traditions and which ones they liked and would like to continue to carry on this upcoming Christmas season. As I went down the list, the activities our family has done in year’s past did not so much interest them any longer, except for one, ice skating. Desiring to come up with more than just that one activity our children, who are not so little anymore and will be leaving home all too soon, would enjoy was a challenge. 

During our dialogue, it was a tender mercy I was prompted to ask them if they like games to which they said yes in a casual kind of way and it was expressed again what they, as of late, had brought up several times before of a game we did not have that they were interested in playing. Traditionally, every year for Christmas our family has unwrapped a new game. Of the number of games we have, most have only been played once or not at all as we gravitate to our favorite top go-to games—Ticket To Ride, Settlers of Catan, Boggle, Apples To Apples, Rook, and Phase 10. 

Though following our conversation I was still unsure what to do that would engage our children to enjoy the spirit of the holiday all season long up through Christmas day and my prayers to know what to do continued, the prompting kickstarted what became a fully formed idea that began on December 1. 

On this mid morning Tuesday, it was a tender mercy I felt impressed to reopen an email I had received from our women’s Relief Society organization at church about an upcoming homeless care kit collection service activity. Even though I would be unable to attend the activity, I wanted to help out. Upon my also going to our Relief Society Facebook page to see if there was a list of what was needed to then gather what items our family had on hand to donate to the cause and deliver them to the Relief Society President that afternoon, the first thing I saw as I opened up Facebook was a friend share on their Facebook stories the #LightTheWorld calendar. Not realizing as the day began that it was December 1st nor was I at all aware the #LightTheWorld countdown would be happening again this year, grateful to not miss the opportunity to start with day 1, it was a tender mercy I saw the post when I did and the first day of the countdown was about donating to a charity to which it so happened I was in the process of doing.  

From there, it was a tender mercy I was prompted to open up another email from our ward Bishop regarding an Angel Tree to which I wanted to help out in that way as well. As I began taking an inventory of what gifts for what ages I already had on hand from purchases I have made over the years and saved specifically to give for birthdays and Christmas, I discovered an unexpired sealed box of cordial cherry chocolates from last Christmas.  

While in route the few minutes away from my place to drop off the items for the homeless service project with plans of returning home right after, it was a tender mercy that per the series of events above, a spontaneous, on the spot, impression as to what activity to do that would suit our family well dawned on me. It was to do a 25 day Christmas countdown in which each day one family member would secretly wrap a Christmas treat of their choosing and a second family member would likewise secretly wrap a game of their choosing from our current selection of games or the purchase of a new game and then a third family member would unwrap the treat and the fourth family member would unwrap the game and we would spend the evening eating the treat and playing the game. Every day after, up through Christmas day, we would rotate who did what. I was super ecstatic about this splendid idea and could not wait to share it with our family. 

After delivering the items, I straightaway drove to a store nearest me to purchase the very game my child had most recently, here and there, requested. Originally, I was going to drive to a store further away because it was where I had seen the game days earlier, yet it was a tender mercy that I felt impressed to go to the store just up the street from me and being that they too had the game, I saved a lot of time not sitting in rush hour traffic and money for gas had I traveled 4x the distance to the other store.  

Once home, I couldn’t wait to gather our family together to share the idea with them. With giddiness and enthusiasm, I began by asking them what day it was. One of our children responded with December 1. They then asked if we were doing the #LightTheWorld countdown. It was remarkable this child remembered it from the Christmas past and I happily shared that we, without initially being aware, participated in Day 1 and then I proceeded to excitedly present the activity idea that had come to me. 

It was a tender mercy that everyone was on board and where I had hoped that one day we would take the time to play our other games, now was that opportunity. Also, it was a tender mercy that the 25 day countdown idea came on December 1. As we began the countdown that evening, the child wanting the new game was pleased when they opened up the first wrapped gift to see the game of their choosing and that it would be the first one we played, and our other child opened up the wrapped cordial cherry chocolates.

It has been an incredible Christmas season thus far. Our 25 day Christmas countdown has been a daily event everyone has looked forward to with joy. When I asked my children, “If we didn’t have any gifts on Christmas day and this is all we did, would they be ok with that?” They said yes. Each evening, we have enjoyed well spent, quality hours of fun together eating a Christmas treat and playing a game. 

When has an answer to a prayer in which you desired to know “What to do? What to do?” come by way of a series of events? 

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

I Don’t Always Know What Is Best

When have you had an “I don’t always know what is best” moment in which a better decision than the one you were about to make came by way of a peaceful impression?

As a mom, I don’t always know what is best. Have you ever taken on something your kids could do because you were concerned with looming what ifs it didn’t get done or in the way you hoped and therefore you decided to do it yourself instead? Essentially, trusting yourself over trusting in your kids.

As our adult children have ventured out on their own post high school graduation to attend college, they have left behind memorabilia and possessions they did not want to take or needed with them. Recently, as my husband desired to declutter our attic, he contacted one of our children via FaceTime to go through and assess together with them their stored belongings to see and decide what they wanted to keep, have sent to them, or have thrown out. 

In the end, what remained for the keeping was a backpack, a few memorabilia, and an important document of recognition which all fit nicely inside the backpack. The backpack was then set aside to be given to them whenever the next time was that we would be with them again. Right around that same approximate timeframe, one of our other adult children called and shared their plans of driving home from college to spend Thanksgiving week with us. 

Perfect! It was a tender mercy that on their return trip back to school, they would be able to take the backpack to their sibling that was unable to come home for the holiday. And, in addition, hand-deliver a Christmas stocking to them filled with wrapped gifts from my husband and I. 

Initially, that was the plan, however, as my mind gravitated to “what if” concerns, I was reluctant and hesitant about sending the backpack, Christmas stocking, and gifts with our child upon the close of their visit. As they would be driving almost a full day and straight through the night to get back to their college residence, worry and fear set in for their safety and well-being, especially during the longer hours of night driving due to daylight savings and if they encountered possible inclement weather conditions along the way. 

If in the event they were in an accident, my mind pictured the loss of the belongings we sent with them scattered about the roadway that may or may not then make it to their sibling. Oh, how my mind goes into natural worry wart mode.  

That being the case, I felt it would be better to not send the belongings with them, but rather wait till our family drove out to visit our adult children at a time when I was confident our travels to them would be much safer. However, I don’t always know what is best. Upon my hedging on what to do, it was a tender mercy I received a peaceful, calm impression that all would be well during our child’s travels back to school. With that impression, I sent their sibling’s belongings, Christmas stocking, and gifts with them.   

It was a tender mercy our child made it all the way back to school safe and sound and that all throughout their travels I felt a constant peace and calm. Also, it was a tender mercy that my husband and I were able to watch via FaceTime the child who was unable to come home open up the gifts we had gotten for them to enjoy during the Christmas season. 

When have you had an “I don’t always know what is best” moment in which a better decision than the one you were about to make came by way of a peaceful impression?

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

Second Wind, This Or That, Decision

An imperative second wind, this or that, decision made the difference whether I’d be able to nestle in bed for what morning hours remained before my alarm clock went off and sleep restfully or restlessly.


After my nightly sleep pattern shifted a bit due to a necessary nap earlier in the day, an imperative second wind, this or that, decision made the difference whether I’d be able to nestle in bed for what morning hours remained before my alarm clock went off and sleep restfully or restlessly.

‘Tis The Season’. As fall temperatures have fluctuated back and forth from warm to cold and cold to warm weather, my seasonal allergies have kicked in. To what allergen, I am not sure exactly. Could be ragweed, possibly? Whatever is in the air, the associated allergy symptoms leaving me feeling groggy and wiped out combined with the exhaustion of potty training our 10 week old puppy, I felt drained and drowsy midday. 

After I took a much needed nap, later in the evening when everyone had settled in for the night, I had a second wind. I considered staying up into the early morning to watch a real-life mystery/crime show, however, I decided against it as I contemplated how scared I may feel afterwards and opted instead to go to bed. It was a tender mercy I decided to not watch it for as I headed to bed, our puppy was awake and needed to go outside to go potty. 

With everyone sound asleep and I being the only one awake, I took our puppy out into our backyard and into the darkness of the night, lit slightly from a few strands of soft glowing christmas lights hanging between a couple of trees and along a section of fence that were plugged in and our patio porch light that I had turned on. As our backyard backs up to a nature preserve with a myriad of night wildlife, like raccoons and such, roaming about and have on occasion entered our yard, it was a tender mercy I was less frightened to be outside, especially when I heard wrestling in the bushes just behind our fence, than I would have been had I stayed up to watch a mystery/crime show.

When have you experienced a late night second wind, this or that, decision and what you opted to do proved later to be the better of the two?

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

A Back-up Plan To The Rescue

Fortunately, a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude the mammogram screening from happening within the specific window that was best for me.

A strategic process that has gone smoothly every other previous mammogram screening I’ve gone in for was almost disrupted. Fortunately, a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude it from happening within the specific window that was best for me. 

This is one of those appointments that I do not schedule out in advance due to not knowing exactly where my body will be in relationship to my menstrual cycle. It was a tender mercy that the imaging center accepted walk-in visits. And, where deodorants and lotions interfere with the testing and applying lotion is a necessity for my dry skin, being able to spontaneously decide the day of for when it was most optimal for me to shower and skip the lotion around my chest area and hold off on the deodorant till after the screening was a tender mercy. 

Upon arriving at the imaging center for the routine annual health mammogram screening, while in the parking lot, it was a tender mercy I was impressed to contact my insurance company to confirm if the imaging center was still in-network this year as it had been last year even though their office location had recently changed. Initially, because the new address was not showing up when the insurance representative looked it up, the center was considered out-of-network. However, it was a tender mercy the insurance representative reached out to the imaging center and learned that they would be billing from their previous address until their new address was updated with the insurance company. Based on that, the insurance representative was able to confirm that the imaging center was still in-network and the visit and screening would be covered in-network. 

Once inside the office, I was informed that the internet service had just gone down 20 minutes prior to my arrival and they would not be able to check me in. Oh no! Of all days, on the day and during the time most ideal for me when I was prepped and ready! The options I had was to wait until the service came back up whenever that may be or return home and wait until I got the call that it was back up again to return for the screening. I opted to wait. 

Within a few minutes, it was a tender mercy the front desk staff member had an ingenious idea, a back-up plan to the rescue. I was asked if I had been to their office before or if I was there for the first time. Where I was a walk-in, it was assumed I was coming in for the first time. Upon my responding that I had been to their prior location a year ago, they contacted one of their other offices that was not impacted by the outage. Since my information was already in the computer system, they were able to check me in, complete the screening, and once the service was back up, they were able to upload my mammogram images to my information in the computer. It was a tender mercy that due to the employee’s back-up plan to the rescue I was able to get the screening done during the most ideal time for me.  

When have you been prepped and ready for something that was almost put on hold and a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude it from happening during your most optimal timeframe?

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

How Did That Happen?

After decades of having a fear of dogs and declining my kids request for one year after year, our family now has a puppy. How did that happen?

What do you know! After decades of having a fear of dogs and declining my kids request for one year after year, our family now has a puppy. How did that happen?

As a youth, I was nipped from behind by an angry unrestrained dog as I was walking home one day. After that occurrence, I’ve pretty much stayed clear of dogs and avoided petting them. Though I have enjoyed observing them from a distance, I have not wanted them close by me. 

When our kids repeatedly asked for a dog each Christmas, I was giddy when I would come across a creative dog gift I could give them in place of a real dog. The most memorable gift was the “fur real dog” and an awesome dog book that was so relatable and spot on to the desires of our children and the concerns of mine. Another memorable gift came from our children to my husband and I, and it is one I use often. It is a cute dog print plush fabric they purchased and sewed around the edges and made it into a blanket. 

Though fear was the primary reason for my not wanting to get a dog, over the years I would also share with my kids the secondary reasons for my not wanting a dog such as their odor, chewing at furniture and stair railings, cleaning up vomit, poop and urine in the house and vomit and poop outside in the yard, veterinary appointments, the expense of boarding while traveling, etc. 

A couple of months ago, prior to visiting a loved one with a puppy, our children once again asked if we could get a puppy. I said that if I did well around the loved one’s puppy then I would be ok looking into our getting one when we got back home.  What? How Did That Happen? How did I go from not wanting a dog to now being okay with one? I don’t know, other than the timing felt right. 

Surprisingly, I did really well being around the puppy and I did not experience any fear at all. As such, upon our return home, my kids and husband began researching about different dogs. It was a tender mercy we all agreed on and liked the same kind of dog, a labradoodle. 

Once we decided on the breed of dog, our children then made a list of all the labradoodle breeders within a 4 1/2 hour radius of us. It was a tender mercy that though most of the breeders on the list did not have any puppies available, the second breeder on the list referred us to one of their breeder friends, not on our list and located less than an hour from our place, who had one puppy pick available in their litter of seven after a recent buyer cancelled and the puppies were exactly what we were looking for in size, color, and generation of breed. As labradoodle puppies are in high demand in our area, the timing of our contacting the breeder was a tender mercy as they had not yet updated their website to indicate the availability status for the last puppy and we were able to secure placement for the last pick.  

In my initial dialogue with the breeder, I expressed my fear of dogs as well as my excitement to have a puppy and that what was most important to me was that the puppy got along with every family member, especially me considering my longtime fear of dogs. Though there was no guarantee if the last puppy would be the best fit for our family, it was a tender mercy that all of the puppies in the litter were cute and based on that alone, we would have been pleased with any one of them, though their was one in particular we wanted the most. Fortunately, it was a tender mercy that the last puppy left was the very one we had wanted and the one the breeder felt would be a perfect fit for our family. And that she is. She is sweet, has a calm temperament,  and interacts so good with each of us. 

Upon bringing her home, it was a tender mercy that as she sat on a blanket in the car between our two youngest teenage children, throughout the two hour car ride that included a few stops along the way for my husband and I to purchase puppy supplies we did not want to get before we were sure we were bringing a puppy home, she did not have any accidents in the car or need to stop to go potty before we got home. 

Caring for a puppy has been quite exhausting, particularly puppy potty training and maintaining a vigilant eye on her all throughout the day. It has been a huge tender mercy that around the clock she has had a family member able to care for her as everyone has been home full time from my husband working remotely and our children doing virtual learning due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic precautionary measures in place.

It has also been a tender mercy that an opportunity to facilitate an Emotional Resilience class has coincided with the timing of when we picked her up from the breeder as there have been many doozy of days while potty training her and not being able to get ahead of her messes for which I have been able to utilize, apply, and implement the skills and tools I am learning each week in the class to not give in to believing that I am not cut out to be a puppy owner. 

Another tender mercy has been that I have not needed to take on the nerve-racking attempt to clip and file her sharp nails that grow out quickly as she files her front paw nails all on her own via our stone fireplace. 

Additionally, within the first week and a half of having her home, she has visited the veterinary clinic twice, once for her initial puppy exam and the other time for an ear checkup when she started whimpering upon her ears being touched and I noticed redness on the cartilage side of one of her ears. 

Due to the timing of both appointments, I took her by myself as no one else was available to go with me. Being alone with a dog would have before now made me extremely nervous and I would not have been able to do it, however, I was not afraid. How did that happen? How did I go from not wanting a dog near me to now having a dog in my lap and holding and stroking her fluffy hair? It was a tender mercy that as I visualized and imagined the joy of having a puppy, I was able to love on her and not panic or feel fear. 

Also, being a first time dog owner and not knowing what I was doing or how to do certain things related to her care, it was a tender mercy the veterinary doctor offered to show me how to give her a tablet for ticks and fleas and to put medicine in her ear for a mild yeast infection. Watching the veterinary doctor do it was a tender mercy as I am a visual learner and seeing it done gave me a little more confidence that I could do it on my own.

When have you gone from absolutely never wanting to have something, for whatever reason, to overnight being completely ok with having it and wondering, “how did that happen?”

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

A Quick Reaction Time

It was a tender mercy my quick reaction time protected our family from serious harm as well as our not going off course.

During a four day road trip en route back home along a touristy path to further stretch out and extend our family vacation a bit longer, over and over again, a quick reaction time upon multiple near potential and serious accidents and an almost consequential delay kept our family safe and on course. 

At times when I have been unable to shake off situations that catch me by surprise and struggle to regain my bearing and center myself or get a handle on whatever has turned my world upside down, a domino effect of other things consecutively going badly, one after another, seems to then occur.

It was a tender mercy that after each close call incident along our path back home, I was able to immediately resume driving with an unrelenting, engaged focus and a composure that was solid and unrattled. I was able to continue onward with confidence and keep each isolated incident behind me in the rear view mirror and not let it negatively affect or impact me beyond the moment when it happened.

The various occurrences that took place in which it was a tender mercy my quick reaction time protected our family from serious harm as well as our not going off course included—

The time when I was merging onto an interstate and my abrupt and controlled swerve in the nick of time kept our vehicle from nearly colliding side by side with another car right at the point where our lanes merged. And, at a later time when I was concerned we were going to get sideswiped by a car driving too closely in the lane next to us, my same abrupt and controlled dodging maneuver to steer away from the vehicle kept us safe.

The time I was midway through a traffic light that had turned yellow as I approached the intersection in a business corridor and a driver turning left also drove through the yellow light and crossed in front of me. Being that I was traveling at a slow speed, I was able to brake suddenly before any impact between our cars took place. 

The time I was able to sufficiently slow down in time and swoop around the back end of a double trailer truck without going onto the shoulder of the highway when a truck driver crossed in front of me as they exited a roadside business, and the length of their semi-tractor-trailer truck blocked all the lanes on our side after they stopped in the median before turning left to enter the highway headed in the direction behind us.

The times I kept our car steady when jostled during multiple gusty wind areas on the interstate. 

The time our auto headlights seemed to have gone out as dusk turned to total darkness and I was able to quickly turn on a different light setting that appeared dimmer and have visibility to navigate that way until the auto light seemed to work again after I rotated the auto light setting off and then back on again. 

The time I was blinded for a split second by the bright headlights of cars coming at me from the other side of the interstate and the automatic lane departure warning sensor in my car beeped as I steered outside of my lane and my quick reaction time upon hearing the alert kept me inside my lane during the brief moment of not being able to see.  

The time I was on a straightaway stretch of road and overlooked a crucial turnoff I needed to take and within less than a 1/2 mile of passing the unseen road, I realized I was headed in a direction that would have prolonged our drive time substantially and I was able to turn around right away and stay on the shortest route to our destination. 

When have you been on a road trip and you and your passengers were protected from a potentially serious accident or almost going off course due to your quick reaction time, and following each occurrence, you were able to remain composed and focused on the road as you continued onward? 

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 which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.