Friday, June 5th, 2020

Raleigh, North Carolina

68th operating temple

Dedicated: 18th Dec 1999

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, King

1 Timothy 6:15

Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Alma 7:1-16; "Sunday on Monday"

Inklings

Restoration Proclamation week #8

April General Conference

"Spiritually Defining Moments"

Elder Neil L. Andersen

"Along with the peaceful direction we receive from the Holy Ghost, from time to time, God powerfully and very personally assures each of us that He knows us and loves us and that He is blessing us specifically and openly. Then, in our moments of difficulty, the Savior brings these experiences back into our mind. Remembering these spiritually defining experiences takes us to our knees, declaring as did the Prophet Joseph: 'What I received was from heaven. I know it, and I know that God knows that I know it.'"

"Clean Hands and a Pure Heart"

Elder David A. Bednar

October 2007

James left this morning to check on the job. When I got up I checked on the deposit we made yesterday. It had been deposited into the personal account and then withdrawn, saying a mistake had been made. I finally managed to set up a phone meeting with someone at the bank where we made the deposit. The meeting is set up at 11 a.m. when James will be back. 

When Mr. Nelson from the bank called he asked to speak with James Lambson so I am glad James was there. What it all boils down to is, the check was made out to Lambson Construction and must be deposited in the Lambson Construction account. Mr. Nelson said the check would be returned within 7 days. That will not do. James said he would just have Mr. Chacon write another check. The banker agreed that would work. 

James went back to Mesa and got a new check and stood in a long line to deposit it, but the deed is done. He also delivered birthday cards to Brian and Dallin. He took Dallin's to Stacy's and put it by the front door. He also brought back a case of water and some drinks for me.

The boys did not get up in time to swim this morning but they did swim all afternoon until 4:30. Around 5 I asked them what they wanted to eat for dinner. Evan asked if there was a Shake Shack close by. He said they have the best hamburgers he has ever tasted. 

I checked and there is one within three miles of the resort. I downloaded their app and placed my order, 3 cheeseburgers and 3 orders of fries. I drove to the location but could not find curbside pickup. That's because you have to get out of your car and walk to the front of the restaurant and get in the curbside pickup line. I always thought curbside pickup was done from your car. Anyway, I picked up the order and then while I was driving back I realized they ordered nothing on their cheeseburgers and I had failed to place the order that way. When I got back to our room I very quietly opened up each burger and scrapped the sauce, tomato and lettuce off the buns and put the burgers back in the wrapper. I then delivered them to the boys. A few minutes later I stuck my head in their room and asked how the food was. Evan looked at me and said, "Soooo good."

The boys play basketball, watch TV, play video games, eat and drink rootbeer in their room. I work on my blog, study the gospel, and walk. James works on his computer, takes naps, eats dark chocolate raspberry sorbet bars, and watches "Lark Rise to Candleford" with me on my phone.

No comment needed

     

Sunday, June 17th, 2018

Cardston, Alberta

6th operating temple

Dedicated: 26-29 Aug 1923

By: Heber J. Grant

Jesus Christ, Condescension of

1 Nephi 19:10

And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.

Book of Mormon

Alma 18:1-11

*How was Ammon's reaction to adversity an act of faith?

- He went fearlessly to teach the gospel to the Lamanites. When he is faced with adversity he fearlessly fights them off. Ammon had confidence in the Lord and His work. Faith and fear cannot exist at the same time. When we have faith and confidence in the Lord we can be great missionaries like Ammon.

Old Testament

2 Kings 21-22

21 Manasseh turns Judah to idolatry, even sacrificing a son to a heathen god - Prophets foretell the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem - Wickedness continues under Amon

22 Josiah reigns in righteousness in Judah - Hilkiah repairs the temple and finds the book of the law - Josiah sorrows because of the wickedness of his fathers - Huldah prophesies wrath upon the people but blessings upon Josiah.

General Conference

With One Accord

Sister Reyna I. Aburto

"Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of unity with His Father. They are one in purpose in love, and in works, with 'the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.'"

The last weigh-in for the Chunky Monkey Weight Loss Challenge.

I lost 1.8 lbs and James lost 3. He is at 137 and a woman never reveals her weight unless she is forced to. Darrel concedes that dad beat him but we still have to wait for Tristyn to report and she is five hours behind us so it will be this afternoon.

James and I made green chili stew using the beef stew meat I had in the refrigerator. We will have the stew after church. I also made some banana nut muffins for breakfast. 

I got James a new drinking container for Father's Day.

Prettier than the red one.

In sacrament meeting this morning several people gave reports on the Stake Youth Trek which was held this week in the hills near Vernon. 
Jace loved his family and had a great experience. They even had a family cheer as they gathered in a circle and put their families in the middle and shouted, "Go family!"

Ty was pioneer Peter McBride and told about his experiences. His said his family was chaotic. Peter McBride was a 6 year old when he crossed the plains and his father died. 

Macy was impressed with one of the girls on the trek who got run over by a cart and kept going and never complained. 

Brother Nichols was a pa. He said he was proud of the youth in this stake. Holly, from our ward, got blisters on her feet the first day and never complained. He said that the wagon master, Brother John W., was brutal. He called one of the more difficult hills, John's Revenge.

Brother Wilhelm said that this is indeed a choice generation.

Sister Nichols said they walked 30 miles and she loved when they sang, "Nearer My God to Thee."

Layne H. said he learned that working together makes work easier.

Finally it was time for the high councilman, Brother Wright to speak. He reminded us that the gospel does matter in our lives. He told the story of his parents who came from broken families and did not grow up with the gospel. When the missionaries taught them they embraced it. We need to strengthen and unify our families and all members. He said an indication of unity was seen on the trek this week among the 170 youth who participated. 

Brother Smith taught Sunday School. The lesson was Old Testament #23, "The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever."
It was the story of Jonathan, David and Saul. Brother Smith focused on how the gospel helps us in our relationships. It was a great lesson.

Sister Grapp taught Relief Society. The lesson was based on Elder Cook's conference address, "Prepared to Meet God." I felt like the lesson went very well and we had a good discussion. Elder Cook says that the Church's three-fold mission is based on Moses, Elias, and Elijah visiting the Kirtland Temple.

First Moses appeared and committed the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, which is missionary work.

Second, Elias appeared and committed the keys of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, which includes the restoration of the Abrahamic covenant. President Russell M. Nelson has taught that the purpose of the covenants keys is to prepare members for the kingdom of God. He said: "We know who we are and we know what God expects of us."

Third, Elijah appeared and committed the keys of the sealing power in this dispensation, which is family history and temple ordinances enabling salvation for the living and the dead.

There are, under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, three executive councils at Church headquarters that oversee these divinely appointed responsibilities based on the keys that were restored in the Kirtland Temple. They are the Missionary Executive Council, the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, and the Temple and Family History Executive Council.

After sacrament meeting we had the youth help us distribute the cookies to all of the men in the congregation. We had plenty so we let the young men have some too.

On the way home from church I went with James to take bless the sacrament for Sister Peeler. Brother and Sister Peeler and Brother and Sister Smith were waiting for us when we got there. Brother Smith blessed the bread and James blessed the water. It was a very sacred and spiritual experience. We all gave Sister Peeler a hug and she had tears in her eyes. She is in an extreme amount of pain from bulging disks in her back and a compression fracture in her back.
I miss seeing her at church so much.

Darrel, Trina and the kids only stayed for sacrament meeting. 

I love this family with all my heart!

After lunch and a couple of Razr rides, we went over to the Howard's to see their horses. Ruby wanted to say hello to Pepper, the pony she rode last year. Pepper was in a pen with his wife and one other Shetland pony. His wife is expecting.

There were two baby filly's, one two weeks old and one six days old. They were so cute. Another mare, Mirage, Moai's mom, is due any day.

Bull was walking around with us, Chocolate, and the twins, Solo and Eyore were in a pen next to Pepper and the girls. Moai was down at the other barn and a new mare was in a pen by herself. 

I think Rowan enjoyed the dogs, Molly and Mya, as much as he did the horses. Ruby spent most of her time with Pepper.

Ruby renewing her friendship with Pepper

while the girls look on.

Brother Howard and the gang visiting

Chocolate, Eyore, and Solo.

Rowan and Kreed felt bad that the dogs were

in cage. They liked Molly, the shaggy one

the best. Mya, the Alaskan Husky, was a

little more spirited and I think a little jealous

that the boys were giving Molly so much attention.

Bull and Lola saying hello to one of the babies.

I guess Molly renamed Bull, Oreo when she was

here last year. Brother Howard says the horses don't

get named right away. They have to earn their names.

The kids all wanted to know what the babies' names

were.

Grandpa and Lola visiting Mirage who is about

to deliver any day now.

Mirage loved all of the attention. When the girls

would stop petting her, she would stick her head

through the bars and look at them. She especially

liked Kayla.

So cute. I want one!

Is this an acceptible Sunday activity?

We had strawberry cake and brownies for dinner. Lola and I played bowling and some people watched TV or played games. Uno seems to be a favorite on this trip. 

James helped Rowan to set a trap to catch one of the bunnies.

We all had family prayer together.

Those are Darrel's feet you see on the back of

the couch. 

Lola wanted to make sure that grandpa knew that

grandma is the boss of the cabin.

I made cookies for Talon who

is going to Washington to work

for the summer.

The Allen family children at the 

Cardston, Alberta temple.

Jackson, who is in our ward and

getting ready to serve a mission in

the Philippines, got his endowments

on Saturday. His sister lives in Alberta.

Friday, December 15th, 2017

Calgary, Alberta

140th operating temple

Dedicated: 28 Oct 2012

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ Atonement through

1 Peter 2:24

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by whose stripes ye were healed.

Book of Mormon

Ether 10:17-34

*How can we keep our lives pure?

Repentance and keeping the commandments.

Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures

DC 29:7

And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;

General Conference

The Priesthood and the Savior's Atoning Power

Elder Dale G. Renlund

"The purpose of the priesthood is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel. We have the priesthood so that we can help Heavenly Father's children be relieved of the burden of sin and become like Him. Through the priesthood, the power of godliness is manifest in the lives of all who make and keep gospel covenants and receive the associated ordinances. This is the way each of us comes unto Christ, is purified, and is reconciled to God. Christ's atoning power is made accessible through the priesthood, which deliver the payload."

James is cleaning up outside and sealing the patio today. He reached his goal and finished before Darrel's family arrived. 

We made a trip to town today. We paid Arizona Stone $2,330.00 for the materials we got from them for the patio and fire pit. There goes our Christmas money. We also went to Walmart, Panda, Home Depot and Firehouse Subs. 

When we got home we finished getting ready for our company. I had to vacuum again to get up more of the glitter. Our house has been glitterized!  James cleaned the dead flies out of the bathtubs upstairs. 

Today's Christmas movies: "The Christmas Gift," "A Grandpa for Christmas," and "Looks Like Christmas."

Darrel's family arrived around 9 p.m. We had a fire going and the tree lights turned on when they arrived. We visited and played Apples to Apples before going to bed.

Light the World

Day 15

Jesus taught: "Blessed are the merciful." Matt. 5:7

Jesus's sacrifice on our behalf was the greatest example

of mercy. We can follow His example by extending mercy

and compassion to others whenever we can.

On their way to the cabin they stopped for some ice cream

and crepes. The people who own this place are in their ward.

Everyone agree that crepes and ice cream are delicious together!

Grandpa and Lola playing a game of chess.

Grandpa and his girls watching "Brave."

Our tree

A closeup

James's sister Connie with her family at

"The Last Jedi." Katie, her daughter who is

sitting next to her, posted this picture.

Jackson wrestled 10 matches. He got

10 pins and was named the outstanding wrestler

of the tournament. That's his proud papa

standing next to him.

Tuesday, October 24th, 2017

Fukuoka, Japan

88th operating temple

Dedicated: 11 June 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Appearances, Postmortal

Luke 24:36

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Book of Mormon

3 Nephi 12:1-24

*How do you make sure you aren't putting your light under a bushel?

"The Savior's message in the Sermon on the Mount is of critical importance to all of us. 'But seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish His righteousness' (JST, Matthew 6:38).

"This message needs to penetrate into our hearts and souls. As we accept this message, we are taking our personal stand in this life." (President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 2007, 67).

President Harold B. Lee taught that the Beatitudes embody the 'constitution for a perfect life;' 'Four of them have to do with our individual selves, and four have to do with man's social relations with others.'

Elder Spencer J. Condie of the Seventy explained how the Beatitudes may be viewed as a recipe for righteousness with incremental steps, beginning with the poor in spirit who come unto Christ.' (3 Nephi 12:3). The next step in the celestial direction is to mourn, especially for our sins, for 'godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.' (3 Nephi 12:14-16).

Elder Robert D. Hales referred to a personal experience in emphasizing the importance of being a light for others: 

"Growing up on Long Island, in New York, I understood how vital light was to those traveling in the darkness on the open sea. How dangerous is a fallen lighthouse! How devastating is a lighthouse whose light has failed! We who have the gift of the Holy Ghost must be true to it's promptings so we can be a light to others. 'Let your light so shine before men,' said the Lord, 'that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' (Matt. 5:15-16). We never now who may be depending on us. And, as the Savior said, we 'know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them' (3 Nephi 18:32), (Ensign, May 2002, 71).

Doctrine Covenants Scripture Mastery

DC 130:20-21

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

General Conference

Apart, But Still One

Elder Joni L. Koch

"In the Church, in spite of our differences, the Lord expects us to be one. He said in the Doctrine Covenants, 'Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.' "

An update for last Friday night's football game between the Show Low Cougars and the Snowflake Lobos. Show Low won 42-8. Even though I am an alumni of Snowflake High School, I am so happy for Monte and his Cougars!!

James's friends, Paul and Janelle, who came all the way from Oregon to go hunting, are coming to site in their rifles this morning so I moved all of my study materials to the bedroom. They were here all morning and came in and visited with James for awhile. 

I left to go grocery shopping around noon.

The first thing I did when I got to town was go to Aliberto's for my tacos. It looked so crowded that I got in the drive-thru line. I ate my tacos in the Walmart parking lot and saved the rice and beans for later. 

I thought I was being frugal with my spending until I got up to the register and saw the total. Wow groceries are expensive!

I was so tired when I got home. James was tired too. He took a nap and then went out to work until dark. I sat in my recliner and watched a new movie Hallmark movie, "Darrow and Darrow." I also finished taking my steps for the day and worked on my blog.

This evening James and I watched the new episode of "Gourmet Detective: "Eat and Drink."

Feelin' guilty we weren't there.

Hilarious!

Lambsondallen

The real deal.

In our yard

Spraying off bird poop.

Reminds me of the one we saw at Chocolate Lake.

Love Jared's and Darrel's faces.

Notice Jared's Cowboy shirt. 

He always did love Texas.

2015

I thought this was Joshua and Evan until

I looked at the feet.

Rowan and Evan