Friday, October 6th, 2017

Kona, Hawaii

70th operating temple

Dedicated: 23 Jan 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

We were in Kona in 1998 and had no idea they were building a 

temple there.

Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal

2 Nephi 16:5

Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

Helaman 16:9-25

*Why is it dangerous to depend on your own strength and on your own wisdom?

Michael: "Man is foolish and when we choose to depend on our own thoughts before the scriptures we often find 'reasons' to exempt ourselves from commandments. It's like a slow but dangerous road to becoming an apostate.

Sheri: "It's justification for unrighteous behavior."

DC Scripture Mastery

DC 18:15-16

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

General Conference

The Needs Before Us

Bonnie L. Oscarson

"Some of the most significant needs we can meet are within our own families, among our friends, in our wards, and in our communities."

Each month in the Ensign there is an article about teaching in the Savior's way. Today's was entitled, "An Elephant in the Classroom."

James enjoying his breakfast.

For his second breakfast he had this:

Peach Cobbler

We made another trip to town today. We stopped at LaCasita for lunch. I had the green Navajo taco. It was good but I should have order my chicken taco with refried beans. Tried and true are best.

We ordered some refried beans to take home. I am making chicken enchiladas tomorrow for Ian and Sheri and the beans will go well with them.

We also went to Walmart and Home Depot. My thyroid is on back order. I can't be without thyroid so James called Dr. Moffat for me and he called in an order for Levothyroxin. It doesn't have T4 like the Naturethroid, but it's better than nothing. We had already left before it was filled so I will have to come back tomorrow.

I read from "Petticoat Spy" coming and going. It's about the Revolutionary war. James is really getting in to it.

I cleaned upstairs for awhile but since Sheri and Ian aren't coming until tomorrow afternoon I stopped and will finish in the morning. 

I came downstairs and wrote my talk for the third time.

I got my 10,000 steps in.

Scarlett Jane Child was born today.

Scarlett Jane Child

Autumn and Scarlett

Congratulations Autumn and Palmer!

Big Bow

Proud Grandma!

Back in Arizona

Celebrating grandmother Lois's 90th birthday

Happy Birthday Vickie!

Maddie's 8th grade trip to Washington.

Vickie and Harold back in the late 60's

Today was also Elder Robert D. Hales funeral

What an amazing life.

He was a dedicated apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Addy had a concert last night. She forgot to tell me.

Memories on this date:

I get these from my computer photo file.

Ruby and I got our ears pierced, again.

I promised I would hold her hands.

She held mine too.

While she was waiting Lola picked out 

something that she liked.

Speaking of Lola

Olive Garden 

2015 Photo File:

Strengthen the feeble knees

Grand Canyon

Wednesday, June 7th, 2017

Porto Alegre, Brazil

102nd operating temple

Dedicated: 17 Dec 2000 by

Gordon B. Hinckley

Alma 12:20-27

* What were the effects of the Fall?  Why were they necessary?

* How does the Atonement of Jesus Christ allow us to overcome the effects of the Fall?

* According to Alma 12:24, what did Alma teach is the purpose of life?

DC 84:103-120

103-10, Let every man stand in his own office and labor in his own calling; 111-120, The Lord's servants are to proclaim the abomination of desolation of the last days.

How can we be more aware of the "weak" around us so we may lift them up and help them become strong?

General Conference

Our Good Shepherd

Elder Dale G. Renlund

"As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ views disease in His sheep as a condition that needs treatment, care, and compassion.  This shepherd, our Good Shepherd, finds joy in seeing His diseased sheep progress toward healing.  The Savior foretold that He would 'feed His flock like a shepherd,' 'seek out that which is lost,...bring again that which is driven away, ...bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that which is sick.'"

Just a few notes from my studies:

Something I want my grandchildren to know: "Know that God lives and Jesus is the Christ; To know the kingdom of God has been established; There is a reward for every commandment we keep."

What I want my children to know:

"The Forgotten Practice that Increases Personal Revelation" by Maurine Proctor, June 7, 2017, ldsmag.com

One night several years ago, we had an older teenaged daughter who did not arrive at her 12:00 a.m. curfew.  One o'clock came and she still wasn't there.  We did what any good parent would do.  We panicked. We prayed. We made those awkward middle-of-night calls to her friends. 2:00 a.m. Our imaginations were flying with the dangers she could be in.  We prayed harder. I cried with worry. The minutes seemed like hours. 2:30 a.m. 2:45 a.m. The world was asleep, but not us - two parents so concerned about their precious daughter.

At last, at 3:00 a.m., we heard the front door quietly open.  We had decided on a plan to divide and conquer.  My husband, Scot, stayed up in our bedroom and prayed for me while I went down to greet our daughter.  The conversation was just as you might expect.  I pounced on her-not literally, but there was an edge in my voice.  I reminded her of her curfew, told her of the dangers and temptations abroad in the late hours of the night, described our painful worry.

She was defensive. She asked if we didn't trust her. She told me she was too old for a curfew. The more she resisted my teaching, the more tension you could feel between us. I badly needed help to turn this divisive conversation into a sweet moment of love and teaching. Just then I felt the influence of my husband's prayers for me, and an impression came into my mind. I had been praying much for this daughter of ours whom I had been worried about, and just a few days earlier the Spirit had whispered something about her to me.

I stopped my lesson on curfews for a moment. I was still and knew that this was the moment to tell her that message. "Last week," I said, "the Spirit told me something about you." Her defensiveness began to fall from her. It was the first time she really yeard anything I said. "Tell me," she said with real eagerness. I answered, "The Spirit told me not to worry so much about your life because all things would work out for you, that everything would be OK."

"You heard that, Mom?" she asked eagerly. "What else did the Spirit tell you about me?" Listen to the faith in her questions.  She believed that God had heard my prayers and answered them. She believed that He knew her and loved her. When I saw her as a daughter pushing the limits by coming in late, He knew her heart and the faith that resided there that maybe she didn't even now. Our conversation became sweet as I told her of the confidence that God had in her and of his personal knowledge of her heart and goodness.

Before, she had been eager to escape my presence and lecture. Now, she was all ears and we talked until 4:00 a.m. I count it as a treasured hour in my mothering experience.

This experience demonstrates why we need revelation so much.

One more note from this article: "Serious reflection precedes revelation."

Happy 48th Anniversary to these two:

Two of my favorite people!

Cows may be dumb, but they are persistent!

James has some tangle problems

The Herd.

James went to town to get the part he ordered yesterday for his auger so he can start digging holes for corner posts.  He is so discouraged because the cows trampled his yard, a sprinkler head and the raspberry bush. He brought me home two fidget spinners from Cal-Ranch.

I have been reading about the law of consecration in the Doctrine and Covenants student manual and came across this quote by Joseph Smith: "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to lead unto life and salvation." (Lectures on Faith, p. 58.)

James had laryngitis today and he got a call from Anthony. He needs a ride into town.  I called Brother Butler and arranged it for him.  

James worked all day and into the night to put up a makeshift fence so the cows couldn't get in our yard while we are gone to the valley tomorrow.  He was exhausted when he came in. 

Random thoughts:

I made a tomato, cucumber, onion salad to go with our meatloaf leftovers.  I worked on getting all the birthday cards ready to go tomorrow: Ian, Brian, Dallin, and Ruby.  My knees are so bad from chasing cows yesterday with a sling shot that I ended up taking six tramadol. I typed the story of James being saved from a fire when he was 8 months old.  I am starting a blog about his life story, and mine too.  I am going to make them a series of stories.  Both Stacy and Charlotte called today.  It was fine because I just sit at the computer and work on my blog while talking to them.

I ordered these things this week:

Sheets from MobStub for #32.95.  An Indiana Jones hat from Amazon for James for father's day, I also placed two orders of fidget spinners, one from Amazon and one from MobStub.

We leave in the morning around 7.

Summer fun at Water Wheel.

Two bathing blondies

James took this picture while he was working

at the Howard's.

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016

A place I would like to visit.

Helaman 14:20-15:6

How does the principle of agency play into this chapter?  

We can choose our actions but not the consequences.  

What is God's divine love?  The Lord loves all people but cannot tolerate sin.  Although Helaman 15:4 states that the Lord hated the Lamanites "because their deeds have been evil continually," Samuel is an example of the many Lamanites who were taught the gospel message and gained God's favor once they were converted. 

Elder Russell M. Nelson addressed the subject of God's love for those who sin: "Does this mean the Lord does not love the sinner?  Of course not.  He hates the sin but loves the sinner.  Divine love is infinite and universal.  The Savior loves both saints and sinners.  The Apostle John affirmed, 'We love Him, because He first loved us.' (1John 4:19).  And Nephi, upon seeing in vision the Lord's mortal ministry, declared: '...Yea, they spit upon Him, and He suffereth it, because of His loving kindness and His long-suffering towards the children of men (1 Nephi 19:9).  We know the expansiveness of the Redeemer's love because He died that all who die might live again." ("Divine Love", Ensign, Feb. 20103, 24).

GC: "Come Follow Me" by Practicing Christian Love and Service by Elder Robert D. Hales.

Right after scriptures James heads for the hills looking for

elk.  I had to post both of these because I loved the facial expressions.

He was pretty happy when he left but when he returned he could hardly walk because of back spasms.  I had to get the cane for him. Usually these spasms don't last too long but they are becoming more frequent.  

When I walked out on the front porch this morning, I found

one of the rocking chairs like this.  I am not sure what happened.

 I love this quote!

We left the house at 10 o'clock this morning headed for George and Ruth Wallace's house.  Ruth gave us apples off their trees that they had to pick early because of the hail last week and then she gave us a family history lesson.  We stayed about an hour and then had to leave to take the new Razr tire to be mounted at Discount Tire.  We also had a lunch date with Harold, Vickie, Dennis and Denise in Pinetop.  We were going to eat at the Red Devil Italian restaurant but it was closed so we went to El Rancho.  I am sad I didn't take any pictures.  This was our birthday lunch for Denise, Vickie, and I. We all pay for ourselves and just enjoy each other's company.  It was nice to just have time to visit.  I really do love my brothers and their wives.

After we picked up the tire in Show Low we headed for home.  It was after three o'clock when we arrived.  I was tired but didn't really want to take a nap so I watched last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars."  The theme was Cirque de soleil.  These were my favorites: Laurie Hernandez and Val who danced to a Michael Jackson song and got a perfect score, Lindsay and Calvin Johnson, Sharna and James Hinchcliffe, and Terra and Sasha.  

A highlight from tonight's show was Sasha and Emma's engagement.  Two couples went home: Vanilla Ice and Witney, and  Allison and "Babyface."  I enjoyed watching tonight because James actually sat down and watched with me.

This was Lola two years ago.

I love this picture

And this one too!