Grandpa Tom Harper’s Creed

I will begin each day with a prayer.

I will treat my body as a Temple of God.

I will appreciate and enjoy life’s blessings.

I will live by faith, not fear.

I will laugh every day.

I will think the best of others.

I will practice the Golden Rule.

I will bring happiness to some poor unfortunate person.

I will return good for evil.

I will harbor no resentments.

I will meet situations as they come.

I will leave the future to God.

 

Tribute to the Quiet Hero – “Grandpa Tom”

by Judy Byington:  

At a young age I carefully planned out my financial future: I would obtain a higher education, good job and raise a family without financial worries. Boy, was I naive.

Like many, I ended up having my share of financial challenges and looked forward to the Global Currency Reset when I would finally have a life filled with financial freedom. Of course, I had spent a lot of energy planning out the implementation of my Humanitarian Project, but as this time drew closer to receiving notification for the actual exchange/redemption appointment, I found my mind wandering into dreams of a nicer home and trips to far off places. I was drifting away from completely dedicating myself to helping others, while feeling that the money was what would lead me to a life filled with complete happiness – until yesterday when I found a copy of my grandfather’s Creed as shown above.

After my grandpa Tom Harper passed to the other side we found the Creed among his personal affects, handwritten on faded paper. I realized it was a formula for Happiness – for finding the good in the world and expanding on it – for never giving up, no matter the challenge.

Grandpa was a God loving, happy and humble farmer who immigrated to America in his teens.

He could write a beautiful script in the lost art of Old English Handwriting, was an accomplished musician, singer and dedicated worker who as a teen, worked hard enough to earn enough money to pay in full for a few acreages near Lava Hot Springs Idaho. There he built practically by himself, his own home and established a chicken and egg farm that fed the grocery store in town.

At the Lava Hot Springs First Ward and throughout his entire adult life, he was the pianist and chorister, plus brought Sunday School lessons to the Lava Hot Springs Old Folks home. Later in life he grew to be much older than those he taught in the home. You see, Grandpa never gave up on putting himself in a place where he could serve others.

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.# #1 Esther Randall Harper          Grandpa Tom Harper          #2 Sarah Ellis Harper

                                                                                                       (Judy’s grandmother)

                                                                        #3  Josie Harper  (no picture available)

He fell in love and married three times. His first two wives died during childbirth, so he just worked on finding another to take her place. You see, Grandpa never gave up on seeking and finding, happiness.

He never had money to spare for Christmas presents, so each year and in turn, just one of his six children received a handmade gift – months in the making. My mother’s was a beautiful Cedar Chest made out of the oak of shipping crates that carried equipment to the farm. You see no matter the challenge, Grandpa never gave up on being able to provide for his family.

For two weeks in the Summer when I was in grade school my sister and I visited him on his farm. There he whistled songs to his animals as he worked, dawn to dusk. He had a cow named Bossy, who would turn from grazing in the pasture to his whistle at the gate, the other cows following her lead to be milked.

Like myself and many, he had his share of financial problems – most not of his doing. When his bank closed shut without warning, confiscating his meager savings along the way, he just kept on paying his tithing to the Church and saving more. No matter the debt he had, that 10% of his earnings went to Heavenly Father. That was God’s money, and if he didn’t mess with it, his debts would be taken care of. And, it was. When he died he had no debt, though that was only because Grandpa never gave up on paying his obligations.

By the time his eldest grandson Rulon was called to serve on a mission for the Church to grandpa’s hometown of Lancashire England, he had saved enough to help cover Rulon’s two years there. He was excited that Rulon could share the true Gospel of Christ with those of his old home town. Unfortunately, Rulon died in a car accident before completing his mission. So, Grandpa put the money into an organ for the Church. There the money could produce music to inspire people. You see, Grandpa never gave up on serving others.

Money was not important to Grandpa. Being a good person was. He believed that when it was all over, those good memories were all that you could take with you to the other side. He must have taken a whole lot of good memories to the other side because my whistling Grandpa was never one to give up on searching for, and finding true happiness.

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[Judy Byington publishes an almost daily FREE newsletter called Restored Republic.  Judy Byington, MSW, LCSW, Therapist ret, Journalist, Author: “Twenty Two Faces: inside the extraordinary life of Jenny Hill and her twenty two multiple personalities.”

The above came from Judy’s Restored Republic edition for today January 4, 2023.  In the true measure of her character —  filled with love and service — it is rare she ever makes any mention of herself – and in this BEAUTIFUL moment what she shares personally is really a tribute to someone else, a quiet hero who made a difference in her life, and now can make a difference in ours – “Grandpa Tom”.  Clearly the “sweet fruit” from Grandpa Tom’s family “tree” didn’t fall too far with his granddaughter Judy.

The full newsletter for today is in PDF form is available at the bottom….

Who’s YOUR quiet HERO in your life?  Enjoy Grandpa Tom…]

 

PDF of today’s edition of:

Restored-Republic-via-a-GCR-1-4-2023

 

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