Sunday, October 8th, 2017

Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

72nd operating temple

Dedicated: 27 Feb 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal

3 Nephi 1:12

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

3 Nephi 1:15-30

* What do you think some of the symbolism is in these verses?

What happened to many of the rising generation? Is this happening today?

-When the Savior was born into the world there was no darkness for the people on the American continent. When I have had Christ in my life there definitely has been 'no darkness.'  

-Many of the rising generation failed to believe. It is happening today.

Doctrine Covenants Scripture Mastery

DC 25:12

For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

General Conference

"I Have a Work for Thee"

Elder John C. Pingree Jr.

President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

"Before we came t o earth, we were given certain assignments. ...While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to." What an ennobling truth!

The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

I was up at 5:15 this morning to finish my talk. When James got up I read it to him and he liked it! It is only 11 minutes long. Whew!

Now I can finish preparing for my Primary lesson on the Articles of Faith. I also get the stuff together for Jace's birthday. 

James leaves early in his truck because he has a lot to write on the chalkboard for his lesson. I didn't leave until 8:30. When I get to the church, James is in my room and he helps me set up. When we finish and walk into the chapel, the entire stake presidency is there. 

Sheri, Ian, Ben, Max, Joshua, and Evan come in and sit in the front. It is fairly crowded today and the overflow is open. 

The stake presidency sits by us on the stand. John Wilhelm is released and so is Brother Curtis. Chuck is the new member of the bishopric and Brother Diewald is the new ward clerk.

I spoke on general conference and James spoke on parenting. After church people came up and said they enjoyed our talks. I am just grateful they are over. 

Gracie, Liana, Colter, Curtis, and Jace were in Primary today. Lej, Wyatt, Cameron, Taylor and Braxton were not. We talked about how we got the Articles of Faith, we played an game, and then we did our newsletters. It was one of my better classes. The kids were fairly good during sharing/singing time too. 

When we returned home James and I had chicken enchiladas for lunch. For dinner Sheri cooked a roast and I made mashed potatoes, rolls, and corn. Everything was delicious. Joshua said this about the mashed potatoes: "I would rather die than not eat mashed potatoes."

We had scriptures and prayers together. Sheri played Uno with Evan and Joshua. That game last forever! 

Joshua won!

Football and games

The Ollie Obsession continues.

Photos:

Fall

Chocolate mice

Creepy castle, it looks like a prison.

One of my favorite talks from April conference

Harold making a piece of furniture

One of Harold's creations. My piano bench
I love it!

Memories:

Molly and her dad

Lola

Lola posing

Chess experts

Gathering in the hall

Love these two and looking at Evan's 

feet.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Frieberg, Germany
33rd operating temple

Jarom 1:1-15

1-4, To have faith is to have revelation (vs. 4); 5-9, obedience brings prosperity (vs. 5,8), a quote regarding the Sabbath: "The Sabbath is a sign used by the Lord to identify His Covenant people"; 10-15, The righteous have claim on the protection of Heaven.

* When has the Lord blessed, or prospered me for keeping His commandments?

* From my experience, what testimony can I share about the Lord and His promises?

Alma 56-57

56 Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni, recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites - Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites - Helaman's two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power, and none of them are slain.

57 Helaman recounts the taking of Antiparah and the surrender and later the defense of Cumeni - His Ammonite striplings fight valiantly; all are wounded, but none are slain - Gid reports the slaying and the escape of the Lamanite prisoners. About 63 B.C.

DC 49:15-28
15-16, Marriage is ordained of God; 17-21, The eating of meat is approved; 22-28, Zion will flourish and the Lamanites blossom as the rose before the Second Coming.
*What is prophetic about these verses?
- 1.  Jacob, meaning modern Israel, shall flourish in the wilderness and...Zion shall flourish upon the hills (24-25).  Fulfilled when Saints settle in the Rocky Mountains.
- 2. The Lamanites "shall blossom as the rose." (v. 24.) Lamanite descendants are joining the Church in ever increasing numbers.
General Conference

No Greater Joy Than to Know That They Know

Elder K. Brett Nattress

"Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can live with the promise that no matter what our struggles may be, we can always have hope in Him 'who is mighty to save' (2 Nephi 31:19.)

Because of His Atonement, we can have joy, peace, happiness, and eternal life.  Pres. Boyd K. Packer stated:

'Save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no havit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness.  That is the promise of the 

Atonement of Jesus Christ."

James is trying to dig a trench to connect Sal's sewer to the city line, but he can't seem to find it.  I told him I would pray for him every 30 minutes, which I did for a couple of hours.   This is something a friend recommended when Terry had his heart attack.  As I was praying I kept wondering if this was something the Lord wanted done.  And in the back of my mind was the thought that they were doing it without notifying the city because of their exorbitant fees.  Anyway, the final result of all of this was that he broke another irrigation line, which created a huge flood of water and he was unable to finish.  He decided to come home instead.

Ah, the beauty of Arizona! 

I ask Alex today if he wanted to be a part of our scripture study group, and he said yes.  I am happy about this.

The squirrels and bunnies are out to play because of the sunny weather.  They are also eating our grass.  James doesn't seem to mind.

I spoke to Jared today about his situation and told him I would continue to pray for him and his family and the sale of his practice.

This is the visiting teaching handout I gave to my

sisters this month.

I watched two movies today while blogging, "Murder She Baked: Just Desserts," and the latest Auroa Teagarden which I had already seen.  Blogging takes me around two hours or more because I have been behind since December and do two posts a day.  I am catching up though.

James got home this afternoon and of course he brought me two green chili burros.  I don't even have to ask anymore.  I cleaned in the kitchen, worked on my marriage talk and read to James from "A Fine Gentleman."  We went to bed around 9.  I am always so grateful when he makes it home safely.

Fun Photos:

Max's birthday date, 2016.

These boys are so fun!

Eating is always part of the date.

2016 Salt Creek Beach, California

Scripture Study Luncheon

with Michael and Alex

Addy, a few years back

If you look hard you can see Ruby too.

Kim posted this back in June

What a great idea,

a concert in the backyard.

Sorry I couldn't be there.

It's always a great day when the missionaries

come for dinner.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Fortaleza, Brazil

to be completed in 2018


Happy 89th Birthday to my dear sweet aunt.

Aunt Gene is a social person.  She still plays bridge
every week and looks forward to visits from family and friends.

Jacob 7:21-Enos 1:10

*According to Jacob 7:23, how did Jacob's encounter with Sherem ultimately affect the multitude?
*What truths can we learn from the results of Jacob's encounter with Sherem? (1.All prophets testify of Jesus Christ 2.As we respond to questions or criticisms of our faith in ways that invite the Spirit, we can help others turn to the Lord. 3.Prophets help us recognize and overcome Satan's deceptions.
*Enos 1:1-10. What might a person mean by the phrase "my soul hungered"? (Feelings of spiritual emptiness, pain, or weakness or a desire to be filled spiritually.)
*How might the phrase "wrestle...before God" describe a person's effort to receive a remission of sins? (This wrestling indicates Enos's struggle to show Heavenly Father the sincerity of his desires and his willingness to repent by making necessary changes in his life?) Do you think wrestle is a good word to describe our efforts to repent?
*What lessons can we learn from Enos about the process of receiving forgiveness for our sins? (In addition to other truths your family may mention, be sure they understand this: As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, our sins can be forgiven and we can be made whole.)
Alma 53-54
53 The Lamanite prisoners are used to fortify the city Bountiful - Dissensions among the Nephites give rise to Lamanite victories - Helaman takes command of the two thousand stripling sons of the people of Ammon. About 64-63 B.C.
54 Ammoron and Moroni negotiate for the exchange of prisoners - Moroni demands that the Lamanites withdraw and cease their murderous attacks - Ammoron demands that the Nephites lay down their arms and become subject to the Lamanites. About 63 B.C.
DC 46:27-48:6
47 John Whitmer is designated to keep the history of the Church and to write for the Prophet.
48:1-3, The Saints in Ohio are to share their lands with their brethren; 4-6, The Saints are to purchase lands, build a city, and follow the counsel of their presiding officers.
Has there been a time when you have gone through your journals and have found answers to your questions?
General Conference

Lest Thou Forget

Elder Ronald A. Rasband

"No matter what mistakes we have made or how imperfect we feel we are, we can always bless and lift others.  Reaching out to them in Christlike service can help us feel the love of God in our hearts.

Generations are affected by the choices we make.

Never forget, question or ignore personal, sacred spiritual experiences.  The Lord's desire is to enlighten and engage us in His work."

It snowed hard for five minutes this morning and then stopped and the sun came out.  A few minutes later it was snowing again.

We also had hail, rain and thunder. I saw four deer walking through the snow up the hill in front of our house.

It is what I call a powdered sugar snow.

James left for the valley this morning and was complaining that he couldn't talk.  My advice was to turn off the radio in his truck and talk to Heavenly Father why he needs his voice today.  Later when he was driving in to Apache Junction, he called me and his voice was perfectly fine.

I am looking forward to the hummingbirds

returning.

Today in my book "The Contrite Spirit" I read about becoming Savior's on Mount Zion to our families, both the living and the dead.  The title of this chapter was Savior's On Mount Zion: Restoring the Generations. Here are a few things I underlined. 

*"If you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones.  That act alone may increase the odds that your family will thrive for many generations to come." 

*"All of us stand as links in a great family chain, holding the hands of ancestors on one side and descendants on the other."

*Allen Bergin, a BYU psychologist did research a few years ago on the place of religious values in psychotherapy. Bergin developed the concept of the "transitional figure" to describe someone recovering from childhood trauma who is able to change the pattern in his or her family history.  Such persons use their personal link in the family's intergenerational chain to transform, rather than to pass along, the current of harm.  Instead of seeking retribution, one learns to absorb the pain, to be forgiving, to try to reconcile with forebears, and then become a generator of positive change in the next generation."

* "Those who develop the needed capacity and strength - aided by the Lord's strengthening blessings - can halt the intergenerational flow of affliction." 

* "Christ took upon Himself undeserved affliction, heaped upon Him by people who might have said they loved Him.  And in the ultimate exchange of sweet for bitter, He assumed the bitter, then offered healing even to those who had unleashed the pain He absorbed.  He repaired the breach that separates us from Him and from His Father, not just by stopping the onrolling forces of darkness but by exchanging darkness for light, good for evil - and passing onward a repeatable pattern of goodness.  For us to act in some similar way, to the extent of our limited capacity is to be a Christ figure in our own family chain.  We become a transitional point in the war between good and evil, stopping the current of evil by absorbing and even transforming it, thereby protecting the innocence and emotional and spiritual health of the next generation."

This is all so very interesting to me because I have tried to be a transitional person in my own family.  My family was not active in the Church and my parents had never been to the temple.  My dad used the Lord's name in vain and it made me cringe.  I would go to church by myself and see all the families sitting together while as a teenager, I sat by myself.  I said to myself, "Someday when I have a family, we will all go to church and sit together."  I married a worthy priesthood holder in the temple and we raised our children in the gospel.  Our sons went on missions and all of our children were married in the temple.  The gospel and my family mean everything to me.  My desire is to pass on the gospel legacy to my grandchildren.  Right now many of them are struggling and it breaks my heart.  Through faith, fasting and prayer, and setting a good example I pray that we can bring them back.

 I sure do miss this little munchkin.

Today I cleaned the wood floor in preparation for polishing it tomorrow.  I also paid bills, and did four days worth of blogging.

I watched an episode of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and "When Calls the Heart."  

Before going to bed James and I texted each other.

Fun Photos

Molly and Emmy enjoying the ocean.

The tooth fairy is generous.

Trina after a Razr ride.

Lola in her kitchen.

Last year at Sea World.

Dale the Quail comes to the dentist.

I love this picture of the Savior.

   

  

Friday, April 11, 2014

Bluebells in Hallis Forest, Belgium

Gospel Study

The children of Reuben and Gad call their altar ED.  I'm not exactly sure why. 

-Joshua, O.T.

Mosiah 5

Be obedient to God's commandments
Be called the children of Christ
Be found at the right hand of God
Be called by the name of Christ
Be steadfast and immovable
Be brought to heaven.

This morning I worked outside for quite awhile.  I am amazed at how well these steroids are working for me.  The pain in my knees is entirely gone, at least for now.  I finished pulling grass around the mailbox.  Now I want to plant some vincas which are good and sturdy and will last through the summer.  I guess that's for another day.  I also swept off the front porch and driveway.  

Dr. Douglas called and said she could see me around 11:30 to put in a temporary crown.  I hurried to Staples and Target to do my shopping there and then went to see Dr. Douglas.  I had a nice visit with her about the temple open house, etc.  Afterwards I finished up my shopping and errands at the bank, Walmart, and Sam's Club.

 Jason and Drea Boles legally

adopt baby Benjamin.

James came home from work as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.  He has been released from his contract at Camden Foothills.  They couldn't agree on who should be doing the grading and when he told them he would lose money if he had to do it, that it wasn't in his bid, they let him go.  He thinks they were afraid he wouldn't be able to pay his bills and they would have liens against the property.  I am so grateful.  This is another tender mercy.

This evening James and I went to Ian's parents house, John and Betty Trezise's, so James could price out how much it would cost for them to enclose their carport into a garage.  The last bid they had was $20,000.  James thinks he can do it cheaper, but there are some problems involved.  I had a nice visit with Betty while James and John discussed the job.

!

This reminds me of Ruby

who loves bandages!

James is concerned that I spent too much money on discretionary items this week.  He's probably right.  I will do better.  

Love this picture!