Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

St. Louis, Missouri
50th operating temple
Dedicated: 1-5 June 1997
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ Authority of

Acts 4:27

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 13:6-14:6

* Ezra Taft Benson explained that verse 12 is about Satan targeting the family. How do you see this verse coming to pass?

Old Testament

Leviticus 21-22

21 The priests are to be holy - The high priest is not to marry a widow, a divorced person, or a harlot - Descendants of Aaron with physical blemishes may not offer the bread of God upon the altar.

22 Those of the priests and their families who may eat of the holy things are described - Sacrificial animals are to be perfect and without blemish.

Old Testament Favorite Scriptures 

Exodus 20:2-3

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

General Conference

Lord Wilt Thou Cause That My Eyes May Be Opened

Elder W. Craig Zwick

" Our Savior frequently opened eyes of the physically and spiritually blind. Opening our eyes to divine truth, literally and figuratively, prepares us to be healed of mortal shortsightedness."

We had more snow this morning. James has to shovel the walks again but at least he is getting some steps and exercise. 

I forgot to mention something that happened to Trina and Lola on the 12th, Trina's birthday. They were traveling down the freeway to go to the gym when the car started wobbling and soon Trina saw her tire go spinning past. She immediately pulled over and stopped. Thank goodness the tire did not hit anyone and no one was hurt. Darrel had changed the tire a few days ago and didn't get the lug nuts back on tight enough. He felt so terrible. I would have teased him about it but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea.  Now that's a birthday Trina will never forget!

I cleaned the bedroom and bathroom in the basement this morning. Adam and his friends are coming late tonight and I know someone will want to stay down there. 

James is still working on the Memon, Muneer job, trying to get an estimate as to how much it is going to cost. 

I went visiting teaching after lunch today. I met my partner Laurann at Cammy's. Of course she brought her twins and all of Cammy's kids were there. I gave both of them my quotes on love and a box of candy. Here are the quotes:

I think I know which twin is Anakin and which is Thesen now. Anakin is the noisy one. Laurann stayed at Cammy's while I went to visit Catherine. Her son Amaron is getting baptized on Sunday and Cammy is helping her with the program. 

Catherine is so happy to see me. She is an 84 year old widow that lives with her daughter who is gone to work all day. She is new in the ward and doesn't know everyone yet and I think she is lonely. We had a good visit and she told me she was going to friend me on Facebook. She says she loves Facebook because that is how she stays in touch.

Her daughter works for Brother Allen. She was saying how much she loves it up here and we got to talking about the weather. She says she doesn't care for the wind and I told her about our big tree being toppled by the wind. She said that the Allen's roof blew off. 

That's all they need after his bad accident. I hope it wasn't too serious.

When I returned home I fixed some sandwiches and then went upstairs to clean. The first thing I did was clean the common area and reorganize the toys. I was still working at 8:30. It was around 10 when I finished. Everything looks really nice and the bathrooms are re-stocked. 

James and I watched an episode of Heartland where Amy was kicked in the head by a crazed horse and was air-vacced to the hospital. 

We went to bed before the kids got here. They stopped at Walmart so it was after midnight. There is Adam, Kaitlin, Chris, Kyle, Kristina and Kristofor.

  I did alot of climbing up and down stairs today.

Paul's sister Nicole as a flower girl

for the Chandler Service Club when

she was in high school.

The Heyman's baby, Taylor, turns 25.

Another Carmen cake. I think I am

recycling them. This one is from 2013.

Trina is the proud mama of this radish!

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Birmingham, Alabama

98th operating temple

2 Nephi 18:1-22

Christ shall be as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense - Seek the Lord, not peeping wizards - Turn to the law and to the testimony for guidance - Compare Isaiah 8.

Alma 5:41-7:10

The Good Shepherd calleth his people - Those who do evil works are children of the devil - Alma testifies of the truth of his doctrine and commands men to repent - Names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life. 6 - The Church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in order - Alma goes to Gideon to preach. 7 - Christ shall be born of Mary - He shall loose the bands of death and bear the sins of his people - Those who repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments shall have eternal life - Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God - Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required.

DC 32:1-5

How can this section give us confidence that the Lord is always with us?

Song: "Be Still My Soul"

GC:            'The Doctrine of Christ' by Brian K. Ashton

Douglas D. Holmes, First Counselor in the YMGP, has written: 

 "The ordinances of baptism and the sacrament symbolize both the end result and process of being born again.  In baptism, we bury the old man of flesh and come forth to a newness of life.  

In the sacrament, we learn that this change is a step-by-step process, where little by little, week by week, we are transformed as we repent, covenant and through increased endowments of the Spirit, become like the Savior."

GC:                       'Serve' by Elder Carl B. Cook

"Brothers and sisters, accepting and fulfilling a calling is an act of faith.  President Monson says:

'Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies,' and

'When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help.'"

We attended the 8 o'clock session at the Snowflake temple this morning.  There are a few regulars in this session: Jerry Frost, and the little Filipino sister and her husband.  Also in this session Brother Peeler and Bishop Miller from our ward.  We did our regular after session selfie.

 A couple of oldies and the Angel Moroni.

I tried something at El Cupido's that I've never had before, a carna asada burrito.  I think it is my new favorite.  At Walmart we got some pork chops and walnuts, two staples at our house.  

Painting or photo?  You tell me.

After my nap this afternoon I spent some time doing my regular gospel study that I normally do in the morning.  I read from my book, "Contrite Spirit," and then from the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.  We listened to two conference talks on the way to the temple.  While I was working on my blog James came and ask me to go with him to see if we could find where Brother Slaughter lives.  James has been called to be his visiting teacher.  He doesn't have a phone number but we do have an address for him.  

James stopped at the place with his address but they had never heard of him.  There was no other possible place around that could have been his.  It was a little like the "Twilight Zone."  Did he just disappear?  James reported it to the ward membership clerk and he said he would send his records to Salt Lake.

This is a picture of Ben helping Adam celebrate 

his birthday.

It was a cold day here in Vernon so of course James built a fire.  I am tired of the dusty footprints so this is what I have devised until I can get some more rugs:

A trail to the fireplace

In our "Lady of the Lakes" book Walter Scott and Charlotte are falling in love.  It is starting to get good.  

We had pork chops and applesauce for dinner.  The applesauce is some that I canned at the cannery in Mesa in 2001 but it is still good.  

I was too tired to study my Primary lesson this evening so I decided I would get up at 4 a.m.  

Fun Photos and Starbucks

You're too expensive anyway!

Kim and Brian went to Tucson last night to

this concert.

A younger Evan at school.

Adam helping Gpa on his shed.

Visiting Teaching goodie basket.

Jared posted this last year.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Happy Fall Y'all

My decorations are up!

This is a good as it gets around here.

The wind howled all night long.  I thought for sure it would blow up some rain clouds.  It looked like it was going to rain, but it never did.  I know it rained in the valley and around Flagstaff.

The sky in Vernon

The sky in the Valley

Helaman 7:13-8:10
When have you raised your voice in support of the living prophet?  How did this effect you and others around you?
By listening to their counsel in General Conference and following it.  Bearing testimony to others of them, and remembering them in my prayers.  By raising my hand to sustain them and speaking out against those who are critical against them.  Defend the anointed.

GC: 'See Yourself in the Temple' by Elder Quentin L. Cook

"The temple is a place of refuge, thansgiving, instruction, and understanding, 'that we may be perfected  . . in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth.'  Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion."

The first temple in Wyoming

I read a talk by Elder Brent H. Nielson entitled "Can We Live 'after the manner of Happiness'"? in this month's Ensign.  It really had a lot of meaning for me.  Here are just a few notes I took.

*Let the Savior's Redeeming Power Cleanse You

- Let the Savior, through His redeeming power, take your sins.

- We profess a belief in the Savior and in His Atonement, but we may have doubts that the Atonement will actually work for us.  So we carry our own sins.  We worry, we doubt, and sometimes we despair.  That is not God's plan for us.

-Only Satan wants you to think you can't be forgiven and that you have to pay for your own sins.  Let the go, and do it today.

*Embrace Your Trials

-Facing trials is not only a part of our earthly existence but also essential to our progression.  It is how we grow and become.  Years ago a General Authority told me if I didn't have trials in my life, the plan wasn't working for me.

- Embrace your trials and move forward with faith.

*Access the Savior's Enabling Power

-As we make our way through life, the enabling power of the Savior's Atonement can make our burdens light and allow us to live "after the manner of happiness."

- When you face burdens in life, the key to access the Savior's enabling power is to submit cheerfully and with patience to the will of the Lord. 

This should be our family motto.

James's new home improvement project is making doors for the pump house.  He is always busy doing something but I am afraid he pays for it with aches and pains.  I don't know how to stop him.  

James and I headed out to visit Hailey Chaffin this morning with a candle and a quote from this month's visiting teaching message.  We found her across the road from the Stanford Store waiting for a truck who was delivering a tank to their ranch.  I went over and stood in the wind and talked to her about the lesson, about the books I gave Braylin to read, and her mother's family reunion in Van Horn, Texas the weekend of General Conference.  I would say we had a good visit considering the circumstances.  When I was finished James and I headed to town to pick up the Garden Fresh Veggie thin crust pizza we ordered from Pappa John's.  We devoured it!

After eating pizza James went to Home Depot while I waited in the car.  He got some lumber for his doors, an edger and a lawnmower. We are low on funds but we really need these last two items.  

Points to Ponder:

*The bishop wants to meet with us on Sunday at l p.m.  I wonder why.  

* Where did the gift bag go that I had to give to Kaeli Nicoll.  There was a $25 gift card in there!  James tried to go down to the church to see if I left it in my Primary room, but it was locked up.  He thought he could see something pink through the window of my room.  I sure hope so.

 Three of my favorite Vernon girls.

This picture was taken about five years ago.

Trenda, Alice, and Ruthie.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

A beautiful sunrise this morning.

Alma 62:19-33

19 - The Lamanites would not come out from Nephihah to battle the first day.

20 - At night Moroni came upon the top of the wall to find out where the Lamanites were camped.

21 - They were on the east by the entrance and were all asleep.  Moroni has his army prepare strong cords and ladders to be let down from the top of the wall into the inner part of the wall.

22 - Moroni's men enter the city over the wall on the west where the Lamanites were not camped.

24 - When the Lamanites awake and see that the Nephites are in the city, they flee out by the pass.

25 - Moroni's men march forth and slay many and surround others and took them prisoners and the remainder fled into the land of Moroni by the seashore.

26 - Moroni and Pahoran obtained possession of the city of Nephihah without the loss of one soul, and there were many Lamanites slain.

27 - Many of the Lamanite prisoners were desirous to join the people of Ammon and become a free people.  

28 - It was granted according to their desires.

29 - The Nephites were relieved from all the prisoners of the Lamanites.

30 - Moroni was strengthened by recovering Nephi prisoners and went from Nephihah to Lehi.

31 - The Lamanites flee from the army of Moroni.

32 - Moroni pursues them from city to city until they were met by Lehi and Teancum, until they came to the land of Moroni.

33 - The entire army of the Lamanites, including Ammoron, were in the land of Moroni.

GC: "A Child's Guiding Gift" by Mary R. Durham.

Our dear friends President Martin and

Suzanne Kempton with one of their missionaries.

Martin was the mission president in the Arcadia,

California mission, the same mission where Jared served

for awhile, but not at the same time.

One of the reasons James and I like to go outside on the porch to read is because we like to watch the hummingbirds buzz around the feeder.  They are pretty amazing.

They love the sugar water James makes for them.

Michael had his first track meet this past week.  The Lopes went to Flagstaff to compete.  I am not sure how they did.

Guess which one is Michael.

He's the one with the bow in his hair.

I had to share this picture.  Cameron, Patrick and Heather's little boy had a birthday and Carmen sent him some "pug" cupcakes.

That pug looks just like Indee, tongue and all!

This is a picture of Mooney Falls which is in the Grand Canyon:

It's amazing how blue the water is.

James and I went to town today to Walmart, Home Depot, and to Show Low Motorsports to get oil for the Razr.  It's always a fun time when we go to town.  

Since I don't have any pictures of our trip to town I am going to post this picture of the Salt Lake temple.  General Conference is coming up soon and this picture is a reminder.

This is probably in the spring because of the flowers.

Another reminder of GC is this quote by

President Uchtdorf.

I visited Randa Covert this afternoon. I am her visiting teacher and have not seen her for over a month so I am glad she said I could come.   Kaeli, my partner,

 was home with her newborn baby.  Randa and I had a nice visit.  I gave he a fall candle along with this quote:

Thank goodness for Marci Coombs who provides these

clever handouts.

Another beautiful sunset:

Even prettier than the sunrise!

Friday, September 26th, 2014

"You can't just give up on someone because the
situation is not ideal.  Great relationships aren't
great because they have no problems.
They're great because both people care enough about the
other person to find a way to make it work."

James made one of his famous "mixes" for breakfast.  This one had meatloaf, potatoes and eggs.  After breakfast we said goodbye to Darrel until next week.  

I read an article on the saints in Korean in the September Ensign.  In the 1940's the president of Korea sent Kim Ho Jik to the United States to learn how to improve nutrition in the Korean diet.  In 1949 he started to pursue a doctoral degree at Cornell University, as well as attend various church meetings around Ithaca, New York, to find the "true church."  Ho Jik made friends with a man named Oliver Wayman who gave him a Book of Mormon which he read.   On July 29, 1951, Kim Ho Jik was baptized in the Susquehanna River - he wanted to be baptized near where the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized over 100 years before.  When he was coming out of the water, he heard a clear voice saying, "Feed my sheep."  That impression led him to devote the rest of his life to helping the gospel take root in Korea. Dr. Kim's devotion finally bore fruit on August 3, 1952, when the first four people were baptized in Busan, Korea.  

Dr. Kim later told a group of Saints, "I wouldn't care if I had to give up my life, or my money, or my title, as long as I could be with my Savior."  His life evidenced this commitment to serving God.

I love his sweet testimony and desire to be with the Lord!

Evan was student of the month 

for his class.  We are so proud of him!

I vacuumed and polished the floors in the family room and living room today in preparation for my visiting teachers coming this evening at 5:30.  My visiting teachers are Hailey Chafin and Elena Pope, both a couple of young marrieds.  We had a nice visit and they gave me this quote from the lesson.

  

It started raining this evening.  I made the comment to James that I hoped Darrel would make it home ok.  At 7:38 while we were watching Sue Thomas, and eating these tasty little morsels, my phone rang.

  It was Darrel he was just in an accident near Forest Lakes.  A guy with a pickup and trailer who was parked on the side of the road pulled out and made a u-turn right in front of Darrel.  Darrel's car is totaled.  He was going to have Trina come all the way to the cabin to get him but James suggested we take him one of our cars to take home, which we did.  I drove Lexy and James was behind me in his pickup.  In several places along the way it was raining so hard I almost had to pull over instead it eased up a little.  We met Darrel at the wrecking yard in Overgaard.  Here is a picture of his car.

It's pretty amazing that he made it out with

not even a scratch.  Someone has a guardian angel.

Darrel drove Lexy home.  I will miss her but she will be back next week. 

James made sure I brought out book so I could read to him on the way home.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

My weekly interview with Heavenly Father:

As I listen to the Sacrament prayers, I can feel like I am having a

  PPI with my Father in Heaven.  President Henry B. Eyring suggests that I think of questions in 3 areas:

1.  What have I done that has pleased God?

2. What do I need to repent of or ask forgiveness for? 

3. What/who would God like me to serve?

"Heavenly Father, I wasn't perfect again this week, but I repent of my sins and reaffirm my commitment to keep all the commandments. I promise to go back and try again with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.  I still want and need the cleansing that comes through faith, repentance and baptism.  Please extend my contract, my covenant of baptism, and grant me the continued blessings of the Atonement and the companionship of the Holy Ghost."

I couldn't sleep so I got up a little after 3am.  I had an idea for the May family letter and I had to write it down.  I am going to share teachings from the Book of Mormon with Adam, Jared Ammon, Dallin, Michael, Joe, Alex, Ben, James, Anna, Max, Addy and Emmy.  Also, I am going to encourage the Primary kids to learn the Articles of Faith.

Today I studied the Book of Mormon, Preach My Gospel, Everyday Missionaries and read from For the Strength of Youth for Personal Progress, Integrity, value experience #1.

James had stake council meeting, and then a couple, the Mills' reported on their mission to Peru, so he didn't get back until after 8:30.  

Talon Wilhelm was the youth speaker in sacrament meeting.  He spoke on repentance from For the Strength of Youth.  Pam Wood and Gary Thompson spoke on being disciples of Christ.  After sacrament meeting James and I went home so we could pack the car to get ready to go to El Paso.  I made some lunch: leftover ham, potatoes, green beans and stir fry.  I pretty much cleaned out the frig, which was my plan.  We were all ready to go except James wanted to turn off the water and the dishwasher wasn't finished.  I went back to the church to visit teach Lannie Gillespie with my partner, Rosie Lauritzen.  

I went back home and picked up James.  We had a prayer before we left with James driving even though he said he didn't get any sleep last night.  He drove to Silver City while I took naps and then in Silver City I took over the driving.  I got the easy part of the trip with most of my driving on the freeway.  Emmy and Molly called us several times asking why it was taking so long. When we got within a block of their house Emmy and Molly were waiting on the corner.  We picked them up and Jared and Anna were waiting in their driveway.  Anna was all dressed up to go to a fireside.  James is gone with his grandpa Mark.  They are on an adventure.  They went to Silver City and then on to Tombstone.

 

The first thing Molly wanted me to do was paint her nails.  I got grandpa to do it.

Grandpa the manicurist.

Jared fixed us a nice dinner and then we watched some Mormon Messages on the T.V.