Sunday, May 16, 2010

Paul & Lynette Cardall Fireside

On Thursday I had the opportunity of meeting Paul and Lynette Cardall at a fireside. My parents joined me, but had already had the chance to meet Paul on Christmas Eve at Primary's when he stopped by Gracelyn's room to bring some gifts. One of my fellow heart moms, Mindi, invited Paul to speak at her stake and invited me to go. (It was just for the Relief Society so I wanted my mom to go with. At the last minute I decided we needed to drag my dad along. :) He was a good sport...there were about 5 other men.) It was GREAT! Paul is so inspiring and has such a great spirit about him. He spoke of his life and the trials that he has faced enduring 36 years of CHD. He also spoke of the miracles he has seen. His life is a miracle. He played some songs for us and it became a little overwhelming for me. Everyone in that room listened to him, but having to actually be living through the things that he was talking about was difficult. It was hard for me to hear it from an adults perspective. Gracelyn can't tell me what hurts and what is tolerable. He talked about the drain tubes and how painful it is to have them removed. I would have never imagined that to be so bad. (I'll be sure to leave the room next time Grace has hers removed.) He spoke to us a bit about genealogy. He talked about how much paper it would take to trace back to our first father. He then compared that to how much it would take to trace our spirits back to Heavenly Father and that there is a direct link. I know what Paul says he knows to be true. He wouldn't be alive if he really believed otherwise. I have found a lot of peace and hope through Paul's life. I have found a lot of peace and hope through the things that Paul writes on his blog. Recently he wrote, "Life goes by quickly. Every moment counts. With every passing moment how much more fulfilling our lives will be if we count our blessings and seek to recognize the daily influence of a loving God in our lives. He understands all things and why he brings children home. We have to trust Him or we have nothing to trust in." Paul and his wife truly touched me. Paul has had to endure a lot, but I can't imagine the pain the Lynette has also been through. She really stands out as a strong daughter of God. After they spoke I had the chance to meet them and take pictures with them and my parents and Mindi. I'm grateful for the chance I had to talk with them. Before we left Paul told me to look up John 9:1-3. Thank you for inviting us Mindi! Thank you Paul and Lynette for your spirit!

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