Memories & thoughts from Kim........

Oz's oldest daughter, Kim & her husband, Scott

Daddy/Daughter dates were some of my favorite times.  I remember one night in particular when I was about 6 or 7 years old, we were driving to a restaurant.  I felt so proud to have him as my Dad and blurted out, “When I grow up, I’m going to marry YOU!”  He laughed and said, “Oh, I think you’ll change your mind about that.”  Once again, he was right!  I did change my mind, but I made sure that I eventually ended up with a husband that has all of the same qualities I admired so much in my dad.  He’s an incredibly loyal and trustworthy person….very generous and caring….believes that family truly does come first and tries to live each day as our Savior would have him do.  What more could I possibly ask for?  I’m so grateful my Dad was there to “give me away” at my wedding to a man who is everything I ever dreamed of…Dad set the bar pretty high, and for that, I am grateful. 

My Dad was our Bishop all through my teen years in Moreno Valley, CA.  Many times I have been asked if that was hard.  I can honestly say it wasn’t.  I may not have been the “perfect” teenager, but my Dad always showed unconditional love….no matter what.  Some of the times I spent talking with him as my “Bishop” during interviews are some of my fondest memories.  He had the love of a Father combined with the wisdom of a Bishop.  Not too many teenagers are able to experience that.  He allowed us to learn and grow and make our own mistakes, but was always there with open arms when we were ready to hear his words of wisdom.  He is one of the wisest men I know.  I love that I can always call him with any question and he’ll either have the answer or knows where to direct me to find it for myself.

 When my mom died suddenly at age 45, it was a shock to all of us.  Dad was so strong for us during that time.  I remember one night in particular, sitting in the kitchen and just breaking down.  I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.  We went upstairs to talk about it.  I cried my eyes out and questioned God for the first time in my life.  How could he take her from us?  Did he even care about us?  Without any hesitation, my Dad quietly turned to the scriptures and quoted from Doctrine and Covenants Section 122, Verses 7-8:  “And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.  The Son of Man hath descended below them all.  Art thou greater than he?”  That scripture is still one of my favorites to this day.  It was a gentle reminder that the Lord is VERY aware of us.  Christ himself experienced more pain that we will ever imagine….he cries with us when we hurt….he understood how I felt at that very moment.  My Dad also reminded me that we will never be asked to go through anything that we’re not capable of handling.  I think of all that my Dad is going through now….all that we’re going through….and I think to myself, are we really strong enough for this?  The answer is YES.  The challenges we face in this life are such a small moment in time compared to eternity.  Some days will be easier to handle than others.  There will probably be times that we feel we can’t take another minute of it.  At those times, I’ll remember the one gift my Dad gave me that is worth more than anything in this world….his testimony of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ….of his love for us….of the plan of salvation and the knowledge that we CAN and WILL be together forever.  When the times comes that we have to say good-bye for a short time, comfort will come through knowing that he’s still around us….helping us in ways that we could never even imagine.  But for now, we’ll enjoy the gift of each day that we get to spend with him….hearing his words that we’ll hold in our hearts forever.  I love you, Dad.  We’re so blessed to have you as the one who is able to guide us and teach us through out this life.  You’ve taught me all of the important things I know….and for that I’m eternally grateful.