Sunday, September 30, 2018

Saturday, September 29th, 2018

Monterrey, Mexico
110th operating temple
Dedicated: 28 Apr 2002
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Crucifixion
Acts 4:10
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 12:1-13
*How will you be blessed if you put your trust in the Lord?
-I can live with peace knowing He has a plan for me. I can remember past blessings. He will prosper me, but when He does, I must not forget Him. As I follow the commandments I am blessed. Obedience is the key!
James/Dad: That is exactly right. If we put our trust in the Lord, then we are blessed with a greater desire to keep the commandments and repent of sins and mistakes. Then the blessings begin to flow. Our faith increases. As our faith increases our ability to feel the Savior's words when we read or hear them increases. We begin to recognize His tender mercies in our lives. We more readily feel of His Spirit and begin to develop an eternal perspective which gives us hope and comfort during trials and tribulation that comes to each of us. We develop the ability to feel happiness and joy even while we are suffering, which dispells discouragement. Things of little or of no eternal value begin to fall out of our lives. We learn and live what is really important.
Old Testament
Isaiah 40-42
General Conference
Prepare to Meet God
Elder Quentin L. Cook
"Please be assured that senior Church leaders who preside over the divinely appointed purposes of the Church receive divine assistance. This guidance comes from the Spirit and sometimes directly from the Savior. Both kinds of spiritual guidance are given. I am grateful to have received such assistance. But guidance is given in the Lord's time, line upon line and precept upon precept, when 'an omniscient Lord deliberately chooses to school us. Guidance for the Church as a whole comes only to His prophet."



We had to stop at the Shell station in Taylor to pick up some Icebreakers before going to the temple. I am not sure I could make it through the shift without them. I also had to share with James because he forgot his Biotin spray.

President Palmer and Sister Palmer were our supervisors today. 
We had the same training video as last time about the endowment session but afterwards President Palmer did some training on his own. He emphasized not trying to do things "in sync" but to do them by the Spirit.  It was a good training.

Here were some of the highlights of my day: 
I was in the new name booth for the first session. It was my first time and I actually enjoyed it.

I was greeter 1 downstairs behind the recommend desk when our friend Anthony came in. I told him the next endowment session wasn't until 9:30 but he could do initiatories while he was waiting. He looked at me and said, "Is there a place I can take a shower first." I was a little taken aback by this request but then I remembered his situation, no running water or electricity, out in the middle of nowhere. I directed him down to the baptismal dressing area and told him there was a shower there. After Anthony went down the hall I spoke with Sister Palmer who was standing behind me by the stained glass artwork. I told her what I had done and she said they had done that with a sister earlier in the week and it was fine. She also said she was glad that I was here when he came in because I understood his situation, which made me feel good.

Again I worked in initiatory twice, which is good practice for me, and something I really enjoy. I also got to assist Sister Wenhardt in the baptistry and listen to President Palmer speak to the groups coming in for baptisms. He told some neat stories, one was about when he served in the West Indies and a couple went without electricity for a year and saved the money so they could go to the temple. He also told about his third great grandfather whose wife joined the Church but he didn't. This was before the construction of the Nauvoo temple and baptisms for the dead were being done in the river. He said his great 3x grandmother was baptized for his grandfather. After the building of the Nauvoo temple this practice stopped and females could only be baptized for other females and males only for other males. He said he and his wife were listening to the new church history book, "The Saints" and they talked about this practice of females being baptized for males and visa versa.

My last assignment was in the Celestial room. I get the group coming from the 11:00 session and I enjoy being there. It's a good way to end my shift. The temple will be closed after today until October 16th.

James and I stopped for lunch at El Cupido's in Snowflake and saw our old friends from high school, Paul and Dianne. We visited and made jokes about getting old. Paul and Dianne work at the temple on Wednesdays. Dianne's sister Tricia and her husband are in the temple presidency.

James went down to the church after we got home to visit with a brother from our ward who wanted some counsel and advice from him. I stayed home relaxed, walked, and worked on my blog.

We started our fast after lunch.

We missed a call from our friend Millie. She had baked an apple pie and wanted to give it to us. Darn!

Happy 23rd anniversary Kim & Brian!
They spent it at the beach and 
going to a concert.

 Trina doing her spring triathalon

 Lola being a "fancy" girl

 Ben having dinner at a members home
in Idaho Falls



James planted some flowers for me.
The little rose bush and the gerber daisy
were gifts for our anniversary.

 Teaching in a journal the
Plan of Salvation



I can hardly wait to meet this
little doll.



 My friend Rosa is visiting her daughter
and her family in Idaho.
 These photos were taken at the Idaho Falls temple.


 Throwback to Dallin 2012.


I wish I could make this card for Christmas.
I love it!

One of those unforgettable movies.
At least that one scene anyway.


Talon returned from Washington today.
Brother George was happy to see him.


Talon shot a bear while in Washington.















Saturday, September 29, 2018

Friday, September 28th, 2018

Lubbock, Texas
109th operating temple
Dedicated: 21 April 2002
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Crucifixion
Acts 2:36
Therefore let all the house of Israel know asuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 11;21-38
It can be very easy to forget Heavenly Father and fall into wicked ways. What are some safe guards to help us from doing the same thing?
-Seek to surround yourself with righteous people. Those who will uplift you and make you better. Avoid those who will lead you into temptation and sin. Avoid contention. Seek to have the Spirit with you at all times. Always have a prayer in your heart Focus on true doctrine and the Plan of Salvation. All men must come unto the Savior, gain faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, ad endure in faith. true doctrine understood changes attitudes and behavior. Understand the power of covenants. Look forward to taking the sacrament and worshiping in the temple. Prepare to receive personal revelation through prayer, scripture study, and listening to the prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders. Be humble and teachable, not prideful. Love God more than man. Put Him first in your life. Keep the commandments Prayer and scripture study everyday so we don't forget Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are the givers of all our blessings. Daily repentance. Be truly converted through gospel living because conversion leads to commitment. Love one another.
Old Testament
Isaiah 37-39
General Conference
It Is All About People
Bishop Gerald Causse
"Ours is not just a Sunday church. Our worship continues each day of the week, wherever we are and in whatever we do. Our homes in particular are "the primary sanctuaries of our faith." It is most often in our homes that we pray, we bless, we study, we teach the word of God, and we serve with pure love. I can testify from personal experience that our homes are sacred places where the Spirit can abound - as much as, and sometimes even more than, in our formal places of worship."



James and I received a phone call from a representative of the online business we are looking in to. James said before the call: "We are not going to spend more than $400 to get into this business." Not so. It cost much more. We stopped during the call and went in to the bedroom to offer a prayer. After the prayer we waited a few minutes to see how we felt. James said he felt good. I said I felt neither bad nor good but that I would go with his feelings. We signed up. 

James had to leave to work at the Howard's but I watched the first training session which was two hours long. This is going to be a little more involved and complicated than we had originally thought. James is still confident that we will be able to do it and make money at it so I am going to support him in that.

James wasn't gone long when he asked me to call Dr. Moffat and make him an appointment. When I asked him what the appointment was for, this is what he said: "The swelling in my leg from where I fell through the boards on the upstairs deck has not gone down for 9 days and my elbow is still swollen from where I fell into the dumpster 5 weeks ago." I made the call do Dr. Moffat's around noon only to learn that the office closes at noon on Friday.

I was supposed to go to Jean's this afternoon to help her with her family history. I forgot and put rolls out to rise. I called and told her I would work here at home on her family names and we would meet next week. 

I started reading "The Lilac Girls: A Novel" again. It's about two women in three different places during WWII. One is an American living in New York working at the French consulate. Her name is Caroline. Another is a Polish girl in Poland during the bombings and German takeovers. Her name is Kasha. The last is Hatta who is a German living in Dusseldorf. So far I'm not very fond of the book. 

Stacy is going to receive training at the National Laser Institute. Her loan was approved. She is very excited to say the least.

I packaged 39 rolls to take to the temple tomorrow. They are delicious! I had stew and rolls for lunch. I must not have sweets in my house. I ate the little lemon cakes and snickerdoodle cookies also. Next time, no dessert for the missionaries unless it's fruit.

Tonight is Show Low's homecoming. Kerri asked if I wanted to go. I said I did but I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning to work at the temple. She is involved in the ward wood cutting breakfast in the morning and said she should get to bed early too, so needless to say, we stayed home. Kerri's dad was the head football coach at Westwood High for years. She and her mom both love football. 

Sheri called this evening and said Max wants to come up next week since it is the first week of fall break. I told her Adam and Kaitlin are coming up next weekend and Kaitlin's mom and her two grandsons may come too. She called back and said Max wants to come up Sunday and then go home with us when we come down on Thursday. Not only do Max and Evan want to come but they want to bring Rowan and Joshua. I told Sheri only if we could trade cars and use her van because our car isn't big enough for four boys and two adults.

The weather was perfect today with the high in the 70's.

Now that's a  "fancy" girl!

 Dot Journal

Card


Cross Country for Addy and Rowan





One of the seven wonders of the world







Friday, September 28, 2018

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Snowflake, Arizona
108th operating temple
Dedicated: 3 March 2002
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Crucifixion
Mosiah 15:7
Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 11:1-20
*I these verses the Nephites did being "to remember the Lord their God." What blessings have you seen come into your life when you choose to remember Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? How do you feel when you ponder about what the Savior has done for you?
- I feel like going to church is like going to the hospital. We are all hurting or sick in some way. I feel healed as I partake of the sacrament. I know that as I repent and re-commit to keep the commandments the Savior forgives me and accepts of my offering, and I feel His love for me. I have the strength to face the challenges ahead of me for another week. During the week when I feel myself losing it, I offer a prayer to calm me down. I ask for peace, comfort, strength and love and to have the Spirit to be with me. I need Him every hour. I also try to repent immediately or at night during my prayers. 
Old Testament
Isaiah 34-36
General Conference
Behold the Man!
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"The Savior's refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts us. Our burdens are lightened, our peace deepened. When we truly behold the Man, we have the promise of a blessed future that inspires and upholds us through the bends and bumps in life's journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that the dots really connect."



James worked at the Howard's most of the day with Anthony. After work they came here, showered, and we had dinner with the missionaries. When I say "they" I mean James and Anthony.

I made stew, rolls, and a salad for dinner. James made lemonade. The stew cooked all day in the crockpot and made the house smell so good. I got a call from Stacy today, and Charlotte, which means I was on the phone listening for a good while today. 

I finished my book "The Lake House." I loved the ending. 

James has been waiting for his check from National Turf. They said they mailed it Monday but we have not yet received it. I hope they have the right address for us.

Just before James went in to take his shower I broke the top off my cake stand and it shattered everywhere. About that time Anthony came in in his stocking feet and I told him to be careful. James went in to take his shower and Anthony helped me clean up the shattered crystal. He said I could probably find a cake platter top at one of the thrift stores in town. I will certainly look because I do want it replaced.

We always enjoy Elder Bernecker and Elder Bingham, and so did Anthony. We talked about lots of different things, including missionary work. After dinner they shared a message and then had to leave. They are teaching Cameron Kenyon. He has had the lessons before but his parents never let him be baptized. Such a nice kid. I had him in my Primary class and he came a couple of times. I felt he would come all the time if he got some support from his parents. The missionaries have challenged them to come to church.

We love and appreciate the missionaries and Anthony!




9 lbs 4 oz of pure joy!

 Love those eyes!

 Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers




 We ready for you Kim!


 This is the family that is moving to Georgia.
I will miss them.



Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

Columbia River, Washington
107th operating temple
Dedicated: 18 Nov 2001
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Crucifixion
Acts 2:23
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Book of Mormon
Helaman 10:1-19
*How did Nephi qualify for this great power? Can we have this same power? How are you an everyday missionary?
- The answer to the first question is found in verses 4 & 5. The last sentence in verse four says: "Thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. The blessing is promised in verse five. Can we have this same power? If we are willing to put forth the effort to love and serve our fellowman as Nephi did and if it is the Lord's will, I would say yes. I think apostles and prophets and worthy missionaries who are doing the Lord's work full time can certainly have great power as they serve and bless the lives of others. How am I an everyday missionary? By trying to live the gospel and serving. When I serve I don't want it to feel like a burden or an interruption but like I am doing the Lord's will. When I serve I feel the Spirit. When I feel the Spirit it fills me with great power to love and care for others. As we live the gospel, people will notice. They will judge our religion based on our actions.
Old Testament
Isaiah 31-33
General Conference
Ministering as the Savior Does
Jean B. Bingham
"I gladly bear my personal witness that these revelatory changes are inspired of God and that, as we embrace them with willing hearts, we will become better prepared to meet His Son, Jesus Christ, as His coming. We will be closer to becoming a Zion people and will feel surpassing joy with those whom we have helped along the path of discipleship."

"


"The gospel ordinances are part of the specific means outlined by the Lord whereby one can overcome his natural state, receive a spiritual rebirth, and become like God." - OTSM, Vol.2, p 162.

James left for Howard's this morning with the request that I wait until he gets back so he can go to town with me.

I worked on my blog, changed the sheets on our bed, worked a little in my office, and did some ministering interviews today. 

Our first stop in town was at Aliberto's for lunch. We ordered the two taco plate and shared it. It was yummy. Afterwards I went shopping at Walmart while James made some phone calls. 

On the way home I read to James from "Loving Lieutenant Lancaster." This afternoon was spent walking, talking to Sister Butler on the phone, and watching a little of "Dancing with the Stars." I am starting to become disenchanted with this show.

At 7 p.m. I had a Relief Society presidency meeting at the church with Tamara, Maxine, and Kerri.

Tamara had us listen to a song called "Blessings" by a Christian composer, Laura Story. Laura won a grammy for this song. My favorite line: "What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise."


Ben flew to Idaho today and met his mission
president and his wife.



She did not like the bow!

Lola

 You can track anything with a dot journal.


Ollie, you are such a poser!