Thursday, March 17th, 2016

I like this!

Happy St Patrick's Day

from these four cuties:

Eli, Ethan, Edmund and baby

Ephraim.

These are Erik & Elida Pope's boys.

I sure do miss Eli and Ethan in Primary!

So much for the theory of the new pillow helping me sleep better.  I had to leave the bedroom and sleep on the couch because after going to bed around 9:30 I woke James up twice telling him someone was outside looking at us through the window.  He reminded me that the blinds were closed, but I was not in a rational state.  I left for the couch in the family room around 11:30.  At least there are no windows that I can see from there.  

I read two chapters from "The Blueprint of Christ's Church".  I read about God's Health Law and God's Moral Law.  
 I also studied the Howard W. Hunter lesson on the Resurrection and the Atonement.  How appropriate to be reminded of these miracles right before Easter.  

James and I read Jacob 2:1-16.  I love Jacob because he tells it like it is and doesn't beat around the bush or try to tippy toe around the issues.  More on this subject tomorrow as I finish Jacob 2.

I listened to two conference talks from the Priesthood session, one by President Eyring called" You Are Not Alone in the Work."  While these talks were geared for the priesthood brethren, I think they can apply to all members of the Church.  Here is a quote from President Eyring's talk:

"When you do your part the Lord adds

 His power to your efforts."

 I also listened to President Monson's talk, "Keep the Commandments."  Here is a quote from his talk:

"He who created us and who loves us

perfectly knows just how we need to live our

lives in order to obtain the 

greatest happiness possible."

In the March Ensign there is a copy of the last talk Bruce R. McConkie gave before his death two weeks later.  I still remember how I felt the Spirit so strongly as he bore his testimony.  The talk is called: "The Three Gardens".  Here is Brother McConkie's last testimony before his death.  This is from the April 1985 General Conference:

"I am one of His witnesses, and in a coming day I

shall feel the nail marks in His hands and in His feet and shall wet His feet with my tears.  

But I shall not know any better then than I know now that He is God's Almighty Son, that He is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through His atoning blood and in no other way.

God grant  that  all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ His Son will cleanse us from all sin."

So much has been said about the Sabbath lately and there are two talks in the Ensign about the Sabbath.  Here is a quote from Elder Quentin L. Cook:

"For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, honoring the Sabbath is a form of righteousness that will bless and strengthen families, connect us with our Creator, and increase happiness.  The Sabbath can help separate us from that which is frivolous, inappropriate, or immoral.  It allows us to be in the world but not of the world.

"... Truly keeping the Sabbath day holy is a refuge from the storms of this life.  It is also a sign of our devotion to our 

Father in Heaven."

I noticed on Sunday morning that my left eye was bloodshot.  I texted Jared and he said it was probably because of a temporary increase in blood pressure and ask me if I took aspirin.  I had been taking one aspirin a day, but now have reduced it to a low dosage aspirin.  He ask for a picture so I sent him one today.  He said it was like a bruise and would go away on its own but might turn brown or purple before it does.  He said not to worry unless I keep getting them on a regular basis.  Dare I post this picture?  Here it is:

Gross, I know.

This afternoon I went with my friend and the ward Relief Society president, Kaeli Nicoll to visit a sister in our ward to ask her to be my visiting teaching companion.  Kaeli had tried to call but got no answer so we went without an appointment, something I don't like to do.  When we got to the sister's house her husband told us she had injured her eye while working in the yard and she was taking a nap.  We visited with her husband, Mel Bell, and then left.  I guess I will go visiting teaching this month by myself.  Here is a picture of Kaeli and her husband Chris.

Kaeli and Chris

Let me tell you about Kaeli and how amazing I think she is.  I worked with her in Young Women's for awhile and really did enjoy that experience.  She joined the Church just a few years ago.  Two years ago she was called as the ward Relief Society president, at the age of 27.  Her husband Chris had accepted a job with the Tempe Fire Department and would be in the valley most of the time for training.  She also had a baby born the same year.  When she accepted this Relief Society position I thought, this is not going to work.  She will need to be released.  I was wrong.  She has perservered and she told me how hard it has been.  Now Chris works 5 days and is off 4.  They are eventually going to move closer to his work because the drive up here is just too long.  Kaeli loves it here and would like to rent out her house and retire here but doesn't think that will happen.  They will probably end up in Payson because she does not want to live in the valley inspite of graduating from Highland High School.

 Kaeli feeding the cows on the Nicoll ranch.

I got many of my posts from Facebook, and here is one for today, posted by Christina Tibbetts Hoose.

Christina's mother is James's sister Rebecca,

and I agree, she is pretty awesome.

This evening James and I watched a Hallmark movie called "Helping Hands" about a guy who is a janitor who has healing powers.  He can heal others, but each time he heals someone he becomes sick.  It was a little unrealistic but still a good story.

I guess they changed the movie's name: