Wednesday, August 8th, 2018

Guayquil, Ecuador

58th operating temple

Dedicated: 1 Aug 1999

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Creator

Alma 5:15

Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raise in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

Book of Mormon

Alma 47:1-19

*How can the interaction between Amalickiah and Lehonti be symbolic of our interaction with temptations?

- Amalickiah never gave up even though Lehonti refused him several times. Eventually Lehonti gave in just like we often do to Satan.

Old Testament

Job 29-31

29 Job recalls his former prosperity and greatness - He was blessed because of his righteousness, his charity, and his good deeds

30 Job is derided by the children of vile and base men - In his afflicted state, he cries to the Lord - Job says that he wept for those in trouble.

31 Job invites judgment so that God may know his integrity - If he has done ill, Job welcomes the penalties for so doing.

General Conference

Young Women in the Work

Bonnie L. Oscarson

"As we consider the roles that our young women will be expected to assume in the near future we might ask ourselves what kind of experiences we could provide for them now that will help with their preparation to be missionaries, gospel scholars, leaders in the Church auxiliaries temple workers, wives, mothers, mentors, examples, and friends. They can actually begin now to fill many of those roles. Youth are often asked to hep teach lessons on Sunday in their classes. Opportunities are now available for our young women to perform service in the temple previously completed by ordinance workers or volunteers when they attend with their youth groups to perform baptisms for the dead. Our primary -age girls are now invited to attend Temple and Priesthood Preparation meetings, which will help them understand that they too are important participants in priesthood-directed work. They are learning that men, women, youth, and children are all recipients of priesthood blessings and all can take an active role in moving forward the Lord's work."

Happy 9th Birthday Molly!

I love this girl's zest for life and her smile!

I enjoy listening to articles from the Ensign while I am ironing. Today I listened to: "Parents, Help Them to Prepare," and "My Scar Story."

James made three trips to town today to get parts for the pump on the well and it's still not working right. I have had no shower since Monday and James is quite discouraged. In the morning he will be calling the manufacturer of the pump.

My friend Jean and I went to lunch today. We went to Mountain Thai because that is one of her favorite restaurants up here on the mountain. James and I went there once and we did not like what we ordered. Jean says she gets the soup. I ordered the same thing she did, the vegetable soup with shrimp except I ordered egg noddles and she ordered clear noodles. When we asked the waitress what the difference was she said the clear noodles are better for you but the egg noodles have a better flavor. I said I would go for the flavor. Jean reminded the waitress to bring over the bottle of sweet chili and then she ordered sticky rice and mangoes for her daughter Deana, and one order for us to share.

When our soup came it tasted pretty bland until we poured in the sweet chili sauce. Delicious!  Neither one of us finished so we got take home boxes. I love when I can get two meals out of an order!

We may have been too full to finish off our soup but we weren't too full to eat all of the fresh mangoes and sticky rice. This is the best dessert I have had in a long time! Jean insisted that she pay for my lunch even though I protested and told her it was my turn. She said I always pick her up and she wanted to treat me. I told her I was so glad we came here and I would come back and bring James with me. She said the four of us should come back together.

On the way home we stopped at Dr. Hall's dentist office. Hunter, Jean's granddaughter works here. Hunter's mom Deana was waiting for us to pick her up. First we loaded Dean's groceries into my car and then we followed Deana to her mother-in-laws home where she took Hunter's car. Jimmy will pick it up there and take it to get new tires. Deana then got in and we drove home. I told her I was sure glad she ordered the mangoes and sticky rice otherwise I wouldn't have known what I was missing. Deana is Jean's daughter and she has some health issues as do both her mom and dad. She was on oxygen. Deana I think is probably around 50 years old.

I went home, took a short rest on my recliner in front of the TV and then worked on getting my 20,000 steps today, inspite of not being able to take a shower. 

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the check engine light is no on in my car. The maintenance required light has been on for quite some time. I am beginning to get concerned. Don't fail me now Lexy!

Donna update from Kathy: 

"Doctor Francis saw the fracture on the MRI and said nothing to panic about and she shouldn't have been sent down. No surgery with that fracture. They are going to do an MRI today on her upper back and neck."  -10:13 AM

"Just got a call from Owen. Donna has been in a lot of pain today and elevated blood pressure. They took another MRI and have decided to do surgery tomorrow. She will have a rod put in to keep her back straight to try and help it to heal." - 7:37 PM

Happy 15th Anniversary to these two!

Interesting!

I wonder what she wanted.

Always on the look out.

Gilbert temple after a rain storm.

Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

Hamilton, New Zealand

11th operating temple

Dedicated: 20-22 April 1958

By: David O. McKay

Alma 47:1-19

How can the interaction between Amalickiah and Lehonti be symbolic of our interaction with temptations?

*C.S. Lewis wrote, "The safest road to hell is a gradual one." Like Amalickiah, Satan is subtle and will try to gradually poison those who come, even a little way, to meet him. A spiritual fall generally does not happen in one fell swoop but by degrees. It's poison destroying little by little. Nephi said, "He leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever...thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell." (2 Nephi 26:22; 28:21). And, Elder Carlos E. Asay wrote, "Those who become followers of the evil one do not generally reach their captive state with one misdeed; they lose their freedom one sin at a time - one error after another - until almost all is lost. Flaxen cords are transformed into awful chains of steel as they allow themselves to follow the downward course. Each easy step away from the line of goodness and truth makes it more and more difficult to recover."

DC 109:41-60

Which verses spoke to me today?

43 O Lord, we delight not in the destruction of our fellow men, their souls are precious before thee;

44 But thy word must be fulfilled. Help thy servants to say, with thy grace assisting them: Thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours.

46 Therefore, O Lord, deliver thy people from the calamity of the wicked; enable thy servants to seal up the law, and bind up the testimony, that they may be prepared against the day of burning.

47 We ask thee, Holy Father, to remember those who have been driven by the inhabitants of Jackson county, Missouri, from the lands of their inheritance, and break off, O Lord, this yoke of affliction that has been put upon them.

49 O Lord, how long wilt thou suffer this people to bear this affliction, and the cries of their innocent ones to ascend up in thine ears, and their blood come up in testimony before thee, and not make a display of thy testimony in their behalf?

53 But inasmuch as they will repent, thou art gracious and merciful, and wilt turn away thy wrath when thou lookest upon the face of thine Anointed.

54 Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth; have mercy upon the rulers of our land; may those principles, which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever.

55 Remember the kings, the princes, the nobles, and the great ones of the earth, and all people, and the churches, all the poor, the needy, and afflicted ones of the earth;

56 That their hearts may be softened when thy servants shall go out from thy house, O Jehovah, to bear testimony of thy name; that their prejudices may give way before the truth, and thy people may obtain favor in the sight of all;

58 That from among all these, thy servants, the sons of Jacob, may gather out the righteous to build a holy city to thy name, as thou hast commanded them.

General Conference

Confide in God Unwaveringly

Elder Ulisses Soares

"If we are not rooted by steadfast trust in God and the desire to serve Him, the painful experiences of mortality can lead us to feel as though we are burdened by a heavy yoke; and we can lose the motivation to live the gospel fully. Without faith, we will end up losing the capacity to appreciate those designs of our God regarding the things that will happen later in our life. (See DC 58:3)

Brighter and Brighter Until the Perfect Day

Elder Mark A. Bragg

" We are children of God. Receiving light, continuing in God, and receiving more light are what we are created to do. From the very beginning, we followed the light; we followed our Heavenly Father and His plan. Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA.

Happy 8th Birthday Molly!

3 years ago

This year

Love that smile!

The hazards of riding the Razr

BFF

Things I read today from Elder Soares's conference talk on faith:

1.) Trust that God will provide for our needs.

2.) Turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart and He will deliver you out of bondage.

3.) God blesses us according to our faith.

4.) If we are steadfast in our faith, the Lord will increase our capacity to raise ourselves above the challenges of life.

Things I learned from reading Juliann Hough's post on Instagram:

"There s a battle of two wolves inside us, the one that wins is the one you feed."

Today is also Darrel and Trina's 14th wedding anniversary. I can honestly say they are two of my favorite people in the entire world!

Darrel says this is the last good picture of him.

I don't think so Darrel.

James finished the greenhouse today. I am praying that the wind doesn't blow it over. 

I mentioned I wanted tacos for lunch so James took me to Aliberto's when I know he would much rather go to Lacasita.

After shopping I came home and took a nap and then worked on my blog. I also made a bath of Doubletree "knock off" cookies. 

This evening we watched one of our favorite Hallmark movies, "Uncommon Grace."

Random Photos

Arizona Highways

The Westbrook's

A couple with true grit, as their daughter

says. They raised 9 children.

They are two of my favorite people in Vernon.

Sad news.

If I had a pet...

German castle.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Happy 12th Anniversary

to

Darrel and Trina!

Happy 6th Birthday Molly!

James invited me to go with him on the Razr to place his wildlife camera.  We saw a total of 12 pickups before this ride was over and over 11 ATV's and three hound dogs and a scampering squirrel or two, but no elk. 

James returned to the cabin before placing the cameras because he knew I was tired of riding on the back roads and because I needed to go to the bathroom.

Before we left for the valley, it looked like it was going to rain, which made it harder to leave.  We saw a semi-truck in Salt River Canyon that had gone off the road on the mountain side.  The trailer was smashed flat but the cab was only crushed on the passenger side.  Highway patrol were there helping the driver get out.  On the way into Globe we passed 10 more first responders, fire and police. 

We stopped at Burger House for 8 burros, one for Stacy, Kim, Brian and Joe.  I got Stacy a red burro and the rest were green.

James made three trips to the store this evening at my request.  He is so patient with me, most of the time.

We started our new book this evening.  It's called "The Apothecary's Daughter."











Friday, August 8, 2014

Happy Birthday to Molly

who is 5 years old today!

We had a little celebration this morning for Molly.  She opened the rest of her gifts from us and we had donuts for breakfast.

 

Molly is finally up!

 It's a purse!

 Calico Critters!

 I told Molly that because it was her birthday she could decide who said all the prayers today.  She decided she wanted to say them all herself, so she did.  Emmy was extra nice to Molly today.  They watched part of Snow White and then played with Molly's Calico Critters.  They also played ball and after grandpa fixed the tire on the ranger Emmy and Grandpa took Molly for a ride.

While James was in town getting the tire fixed he stopped at the computer store and got me a new cord for my computer.  Thank goodness.  I was beginning to have withdrawals!

Anna asked James today if he would help her to learn to play the guitar.  I loved watching them.

Anna taking note at her guitar lesson.

Anna also finished the Princess puzzle today.

I forgot to mention that the other day when James was riding the Razr he said a bobcat ran in front of him and he saw a bunch of turkey's, about nine or ten.  James loves the out of doors almost as much as Alex and grandpa.

I made enchiladas for dinner and after dinner we had ice cream to continue Molly's birthday celebration!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday to Molly!  I love this girl and miss her so much even though she wouldn't talk to me on the phone.  She had to talk to Granpa and thank him for her birthday presents. 

Molly and her presents.

James and I left for the valley around noon.  We are staying at Darrel and Trina's and have a date with Rowan for his birthday this afternoon.  First we had to take the trailer we were pulling out to Chandler to park.  Rowan was so excited to go on his "Date."  He wanted to go shopping at Toys R Us and then have dinner at Paradise Bakery.  We couldn't find exactly what he wanted at Toys R Us so we went across the street to Target.  You can always find something you want at Target.  He got the Sumari Castle and a Darth Mall Lego watch.  He could care less about the watch, he just wanted the Darth Mall action figure. 

Rowan and his castle

When we were at Paradise Bakery Rowan wanted to take a cookie home to both of his sisters.  I told him I brought some cookies for them that I had made.  How sweet that he wanted to share with his sisters!