OUR FAMILY: Sunday, December 31, 2023: Happy 50th Kim! Finished BM & NT. Church sat in back w/ Sh, B, C, E & J, Jameson's speak, lots of visitors, CFM a way to combat Satan, Goodbye Rowan, Sheri's food, Pretzel Turtles, Cherry, Apple crisp, "My Christmas Hero", Guitars, Games, Fireworks

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

171st operating temple

Dedicated: 8 May 2022

By: Gary E. Stevenson

Book of Mormon

Moroni 10:8-34

Come Follow Me

Revelation 21-22

October General Conference

"Think Celestial"! by President Russell M. Nelson

We finished both the Book of Mormon and the New Testament today and are ready to begin an in-depth study of the Book of Mormon.

We sat in the back during sacrament meeting instead of our customary second row. It's where Sheri, Ben, Cayli, and Evan wanted to sit and we wanted to be with them.

Members of the Jameson family were the speakers in sacrament meeting today.

Buddy (Deven) Jameson was the first speaker. He is a deacon in the ward and always passes the sacrament. His talk was so humble and sweet. He shared a story from the Friend, "Fishing for the True Meaning of Christmas."

Sister Janette Jameson - A higher and holier way was taught by Jesus. What are we becoming? Are we developing the attributes of Christ, especially charity, a greater love for others? Concentration camp - Wild Bill Cody - Had great compassion for others. He had been in the camp for six years with no physical or mental deterior ation likes those around him. Before entering the concentration camp all of the six members of his family were shot and killed. He said he could hate the soldiers who did this or he could change his attitude. He said he decided that he was going to love every person he met. This is what gave him his quality of life. This story is in a book by George Ritchie.

We need to lose ourselves to find Christ. Matthew 16:25

We must be slow to anger or avoid it. We should develop the art of listening. Look into people's eyes when they are speaking or you are speaking to them. We should be more anxious to listen than to talk.

Listen to the Lord. Listen to others. Unless you listen, people are diminished in your presence. Our of small and simple things are great things brought to pass. Listening is love. Sister Jameson closed her talk by quoting the words from the hymn "More Holiness Give me."

Kathy Crane, Alicia & Stefani Hunsaker sang - " Oh Hush Thee My Baby"

Abigail Jameson spoke instead of Brother Jameson as he had to work. Abigail is 16 or 17 and is a cute, spiritual girl.

Her talk was based on Elder Bednar's October 2020 conference address, "We Will Prove Them Herewith."

Prepare and press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.

Preparation equals confidence. Without spiritual preparation temporal preparation doesn't mean very much. D&C 88:119.

Be Prepared!

72 hour kits

The Closing song was "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and Sean Hunsaker gave the closing prayer. He gives the best prayers!

Sheri and company left after sacrament meeting although James tried to convince her to stay. The bishop conducted the meeting and the emphasis was on the new year of "Come Follow Me." New manuals were handed out. We already have one.

We watched part of a talk President Nelson gave in 2018 after becoming the Prophet. In this talk he says: "The adversary is increasing his attacks. The Lord's counter strategy to Satan is the "Come Follow Me" program." Here are some more notes:

Increase you faith by balancing learning in the home and at church.

Make your home a sanctuary of faith

I bless you with increased faith in Him

Notes from the class in general:

Teaching doesn't necessarily mean giving new information, but reinforcing what they have learned at home.

What has the Holy Ghost taught me this week?

What do you know is true?

Another talk by President Nelson, "Embrace the Future with Faith", October 2020:

Principles of Preparedness as displayed by Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon:

1. Create places of security - homes, stakes, temple

2. Prepare you mind to be faithful to God

3. Never Stop Preparing

* Food, water, financial resources

* Be steadfast and immovable in you testimony of Jesus Christ

* Seek learning by study and faith

* The Book of Mormon is our Latter-day Survival Guide

* Seek Revelation and gifts of the Spirit

* Don't become complacent

* Embrace the future with faith

* Never stop preparing!!

Whew! That was alot of notes! I do want to remember the things I learned today and especially how I felt. I felt the Spirit in both of these amazing meetings.

When we returned to the house, Rowan was ready to head home. I think he's having a party at his house tonight that he didn't want to miss. We said our goodbyes:

He's got the goods and

ready to go.

Goodbye Rowan. We will miss you.

Sheri put a pork roast in the crockpot early this morning. It smelled delicious when we got home from church, but it's not ready to eat yet. She also started some rolls. She and Cayli made some cookies using M&M's but they forgot to add extra flour for the high altitude so they were flat like my snickerdoodles I made for Christmas.

The afternoon was spent with Max watching football and some of the guys playing Hearts. It's hard to keep the Sabbath like we normally do when you have company.

These three needed one more to

play Hearts. They asked Grandpa

and he couldn't turn them down.

Grandpa one. I wonder if they are glad they

asked him to play.

This evening Sheri had a nice "spread" of food:

BBQ pork roast, she added Devil's Spit sauce which made it a little hot like her boys like it. This is the first time Evan actually came down and ate during dinner. The pork roast was so good as a sandwich on the big rolls Sheri made. She also made pot stickers, which were a big hit, especially with Cayli. She cooked wings in the air fryer and they were crispy and delicious. Ben especially loved them. There were chips and cookies. I offered to make a veggie but Sheri said no. James made a cherry-apple crisp, and I made my pretzel, Rollo, pecan turtles. Max and Michael loved them. I also had dark chocolate Rollos which weren't as popular. I think James will eat them later though.

Sheri and I worked on the puzzle and watched "A Christmas Hero" before going to bed quite early.

James stayed up and did fireworks with the boys. Michael, Joe, and Max played their guitars and sang. I think James really enjoyed being with his grandsons. He sent me a video of the fireworks which looked like they had a blast. Ian was in the middle of the fireworks too. Happy New Year!

Happy 50th Kim!

Kim celebrated her birthday Saturday with Brian. They went to Taco Boys where Jared Ammon works for dinner. Afterwards they went to see the lights at the temple and the nativity displays across the street. Brian got Kim a mini-cheesecake for her birthday cake.