Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Be a lighthouse for the Lord

Helaman 11:1-20

In these verses the Nephites did begin 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?

Karen: 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, I ask, Heavenly Father if there is something I need to repent of please let me know so I can do so now.  

James: When I choose to "remember" by praying and attending my meetings in an attitude of gratitude and worship, I am reminded of the power of the Atonement which has helped me overcome so much of the natural man; which has changed my heart and helped me to overcome bad habits and re-directed my focus from the world to things of eternity.  Over time I have learned that it is not about me.  I have a long way to go, but I have learned that the Atonement is about changing our life and our focus.  It is no longer about me.

GC: "Opposition in All Things" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"God rarely infringes on the agency of any of His children by intervening against some for the relief of others.  But he does

ease the burdens of our afflictions and strengthens us to bear

them, as He did for Alma's people in the land of Helam

(Mosiah 24:13-15).  Through all mortal opposition, we have God's

assurance that He will "consecrate our afflictions for our gain"

(2 Nephi 2:2).  We have also been taught to understand our

mortal experiences and His commandments in the context

of His great plan of salvation, which tells us the purpose of

life and gives us the assurance of a Savior, in whose name

I testify of these things."

Thank you President Uchtdorf for the reminder.

This morning I listened to a video by a doctor entitled: "Abortion Argument Destroyed in Six Minutes."  It reminded me of how critical it is for Roe vs. Wade to be overturned.  It just breaks my heart that abortion is so common place and people are so callous about it.  

I had no plans to go to town today, but when James said he needed to go and invited me to go and to lunch, I couldn't turn him down.  

He dropped me off at the Dollar Tree Store, and then he went down to Harbor Freight.  I am still looking for another glass plate.  This Dollar Tree Store is the most disorganized, messy store I have ever been in.  There are always boxes sitting everywhere and it is difficult to get around in.  I wouldn't come in here if it weren't for those glass plates and stuff for my Primary class.  They still did not have my plate,  so I walked down to Harbor Freight and waited in the car for James. When he finished with what he was buying, a lift to put under the Razr while he changes the fluids, he came out and loaded it in to the back of my car.  I suggested we go to The China Buffet for lunch because it was close, which we did.

We had a filling lunch and then James went to Home Depot and then to Show Low Motorsports on the way out of town.

We read from Millennial Glory.  Corrynne finished off Dr. Page in an accidental death before he could infect her with the virulent form of  Streptcoccous A which causes a person to feel like they are on fire and rots the skin away before the person dies. Evil doctor!  We are almost finished with this book.  I hope the next one comes soon.

Speaking of evil, James sneaked up on me today and tapped me on the shoulder looking like this:

Naughty husband.

Needless to say I jumped and screamed.

We had lots of clouds today, but again, at our place, very little rain.  Over on the Show Low side of Vernon our friend took this picture:

Looks like snow, but it was hail.  

While James was out in the back this afternoon he saw this guy sitting on our porch:

He was chasing squirrels.  I am not sure if he actually got one.

Perigrine Falcon

I love my husband because he is a problem solver.  He lost the owner's manual to the Razr so he found a video online that tells him how to change the five different fluids that need to be changed in this machine.  Here he is at work:

Holding his phone and thinking about what the

video just told him to do.

This evening after dinner I sat down to read "The Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World" by Chris and Ted Stewart.  I finished the other book I was reading of theirs, "The Seven Miracles that Saved America", and loved it!  This one is almost as good.  I am on Chapter 4: The Battle That Preserved a Christian Europe.   

Noted German Historian Leopold Von Ranke says: "Poitiers was the turning point of one of the most important epochs in the history of the world." Poitiers is a place between France and Spain.  Good stuff.  I am reading about the Muslim invasion of Europe and actually had to get out my world map to look at so I could figure out where all the places were that they were talking about.

We had a gorgeous sunset tonight.  This was taken from our front porch:

I love where I live.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Alma 46:29-41

29 - Amalickiah leaves with his people for the land of Nephi.

30 - Moroni knew Amalickiah would join with the Lamanites.

31 - Moroni takes his armies into the wilderness to cutoff Amalickiah and his army.

33 - Amalickiah fled with a small part of his men while the remainder were delivered up into the hands of Moroni and take back into the land of Zarahemla.

35 - Whomsoever of the Amalilckiahites that would not enter into a covenant to support the cause of freedom, Moroni caused to be put to death and there were but few who denied the covenant of freedom.

36 - Moroni hoisted the Title of Liberty on every tower throughout the land.

37 - The Nephites begin to have peace in the land until the end of the 19th year.

38 - Helaman also had much peace within the Church.

41 - Those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in Him.

GC: "I Am a Child of God" by Elder Hallstrom.

Where Are the Keys and Authority of the Priesthood by Elder Gary E. Stevenson.

John Wilhelm conducted our fast and testimony meeting this morning.  He said he had fasted and prayed to know what he should bear his testimony of and it came to him, "testify of the power of prayer."  This set the tone for our meeting and we had many wonderful testimonies regarding the power of prayer.  James bore his testimony and said that Brother John Wilhelm was an answer to one of his prayers.  It was a great meeting.  Jared and his kids, and all the rest of our visitors left after sacrament meeting.  I gave hugs to Anna, Joe, James, Emmy and Jared.  I didn't see Molly.  She was probably with Kim.  

Kim said that before Jared left he gave all of his kids a father's blessing.  I am so grateful that my boys honor their priesthood.

In Primary the children are supposed to memorize 1Corinthians 3:16-17:

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of

God dwelleth in you?

. . . for the temple of God is holy,

which temple ye are."

Little Leona Grap gave a talk in sharing time about temples.  It was very sweet.  I just love the Grap family and their children.

John Wilhelm came in and helped with sharing time.  His theme was: "My Body is a Temple."  He said that no unclean thing should enter our bodies.  His son Johnny said: "Well, Ruthie eats dirt."  

We are learning a new song for the Primary program in October.  It is called: "The Lord Gave Me a Temple."  

I had Braylin, Zemira, Curtis and Kacey in my class today.  Our lesson was about Nephi and the great power he was given because of his righteousness.  I am always surprised by how well Curtis listens in spite of his wiggles.

During Lannie's sharing time Curtis asked the question: "Is there a dead Santa in heaven who brings the people presents."

As I was telling Kim about our Primary she shared something that happened in their Primary last week.  She is one of the counselors in the Presidency.  She said they had two little black boys and one black girl who are nonmembers visiting from Texas.  The little girl really liked singing time but she was a little frustrated because she didn't know any of the songs.  She ask if she could sing a song from her church but the chorister said she didn't think they would have time.  She saw her chance as they were transitioning between singing time and sharing time.  She stood up and began singing:

"Stompin' on the Devils head,

stomping on the Devils head,

stomp, stomp, stompin

on the Devils head.

(These were the only lyrics she repeated

over and over.)

When she sat down she said: "And that's what we sing in our church."  I think this is probably the funniest Primary story I have ever heard.

Kim, Brian, Seth, and Alex left for home this afternoon.  Adam stayed and is going home with us in the morning.  

Sorry I didn't get a picture of Adam.

Many of the pictures I get from my blog are off of Facebook and

Instagram.  Here are a couple from Instagram on a site called visit_Arizona:

Fossil Springs

Lightning strikes in a storm near Tucson.

From Facebook:

Trevor Jensen from the

Galveston 3rd ward

in Chandler.

Congratulations!

What a great reminder.

He's too cute to eat.

James and I spent the evening getting ready to leave for the valley.  My infusion and doctor's appointment is at 8:45 in Mesa which means we need to leave around 5 am.  Adam says he thinks he will stay up all night.  I told him I hoped he wouldn't.