My brother.

This is a photo of a photo of a painting my brother did of his three kids. I know it's kind of blurry...but isn't it amazing?

My brother, Ryan, is a year younger than me. He is possibly the nicest guy on earth (right up there with Steve, which is saying something). True story: Ryan was born 2 1/2 months early and almost didn't make it. My dad gave him a priesthood blessing, asking Heavenly Father to spare his life. At the time, my dad had a strong impression that Heavenly Father was still considering whether or not to let him live, that Ryan's spirit was so pure and good, that it might not be necessary for him to be tested. Obviously, Ryan lived. Despite that, I don't think Ryan's life has been very easy. As the result of being a preemie, he struggled with intense ADHD before there was much of an awareness about it...and since Lincoln's diagnosis of ADD, I can really relate to what my brother must have gone through. It's a daily battle for me to keep my patience with a child that needs constant reminders and prompts to do every little thing, and since my own mother did not understand Ryan's condition, there was a lot of frustration for both of them. School was not a fun experience for him, either.

Through it all, though, he remained guileless and generous to a fault. (For example, when he was a kid, he wanted to use his own birthday money to buy his siblings presents.)

It's been evident to all of us in his family how much his life has been guided by the a loving Heavenly Father. As he grew older, he found his niche in art. He ended up serving a mission, which taught him how to work efficiently and focus on the task at hand, both skills that helped him to excel in college. He ended up marrying the coolest person in the world and becoming a successful landscape architect.

In August, Ryan lost his job. His firm used to employ a hundred (plus) employees, but due to the bad economy, they gradually began to lay off many of them. Eventually, the company had to fold. Ryan was the last one they let go. They held on to him until they day they decided to shut their doors permanently.

I think about Ryan a lot. His wife is pregnant with their fourth kid and he has been tireless looking around the country for a new job, but there just isn't a demand for landscape architects while the housing market is doing so poorly.

I guess most people have a family member/friend with a similar story. It's a hard time for so many people right now.

I am amazed at my brother, though. First of all, he and his wife had previously saved two months salary and set it aside before this even happened (of course that is all gone now). But the Lord still continues to watch over and bless him. There have been countless anonymous acts of service and charity given to his family. Once they found on their doorstep several jars full of coins. When they counted all the coins, the amount totalled $600. Another time, an anonymous person left 38 pounds of ground beef. Last week there was a check in the mail for $1000. On and on and on...the stories seem to never end. None of those people even realize that some strange girl in Iowa is overwhelmed with gratitude for their sacrifices.

Anyway, I am not sure why I blogged about this, except that I think about it a lot and my brother doesn't read my blog. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who watches out for his children in good times and bad, and I am grateful that he inspires his children to help each other.

That extends to any of you who read this, as all of you have blessed my life in some way with your acts of service, whether they have been large or small. I am grateful to all of you and wish you all the best.