Thursday, October 27, 2016

Which temple is this?

3 Nephi 13:16-34

How can we make sure we are laying up treasures in heaven and not on earth?

Alex: "By living true to the gospel and following the commandments we can be assured that the kingdom of God will be opened to us."  

Kim: "By putting the things of eternal importance FIRST in our lives.  Make service and scriptures and prayer and family the most important."

Sheri: " I think it has to do with the desires of our hearts.  Are we striving every day to be better and to do His will?  We have to start with the desire."

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

"The doctrine of Christ allows us to access the 

spiritual power that will lift us from our current

spiritual state to a state where we can 

become perfected."

James left this morning around 7 in the truck for the valley.  It was 9:45 when I left.  I stopped by Amy's house to see Claire but she was gone to Flagstaff to get Marlie a Halloween costume.  I left her glass pumpkin with the visiting teaching message on it and Amy told me that Claire and Marlie are moving on November 1st.  Claire is staying in California with her dad and Marlie is going on to Washington to stay with her dad.  Claire will be with Marlie when she gets her tax return in February.  Marlie is 8 years old and is going to be baptized on Sunday.  She is very excited.  Her mom gave her permission to be baptized but her dad would not.  Luckily it only takes one parent's permission.  

I stopped at Taco Bell in Payson for a burrito supreme and then it was on to Big 2 Toyota to get a key made.  James met me there.  We had two keys made.  I went on to shop at the Dollar Store in Chandler and ended up buying dishes, small plates, two sizes of bowls and stemware for 12 people.  I want to use it for my Christmas luncheon for the sisters I visit teach.  They had to open up another register just for me.  When I got to Terry and Cathi's they helped me unload.  James got all of us Burger House burros for dinner.  Yummy!

Valley of the Sun

James and I helped Sheri watch Trina's kids this evening.  The main attraction was watching Evan build his Minecraft city.  Lola was fascinated with Roxy, Alex's pet chinchilla, and she kept calling her "bunny."  Ruby had homework to do so we went upstairs to work at  the dining room table. Sheri got home from visiting teaching and asked who wanted to go to Target.  Of course I was in.  Ruby wanted to go but needed to finish her homework.  I told her I would bring her a surprise.  James came up and helped her finish her homework.  I enjoyed shopping with Addy.  She helped me pick out a bracelet with Ruby.  I got me some Biolage shampoo to use while I am at Cathi's.  

 I love these kids!

When Trina picked up her kids James loaded the shelf unit I got for Rowan to put his Legos in into the back of her car.  I was surprised that it fit.  While James was "loading" I took Ruby and Rowan in to Cathi's to see the dogs.  Rowan loves Indy and Ruby likes them both:

Indy loves anyone who will scratch his tummy.

Double treatment.  He thinks he's at a spa.

Lady was scared and hid under the table.

I visited with Cathi this evening and she told some funny story about making cowpie picture frames to sell when she was a teenager.  She said that after they get hard they don't smell.  She and her girlfriend ask for a corner of her grandpa's barn to start a business and without knowing what they were doing he said yes.  She said her mom didn't know about it until they took the picture frames to a bazaar and were very successful in selling them.  

The last time I was here she told me about piercing her own ears with her girlfriend and then running thread through them because they didn't have any earrings until they got to go to Woolworth's in the "big city."  When you live in the country you have to find creative ways to entertain yourself.

James and Adam went to get Jared Ammon's car.  He was already at work and asked if he could keep it one more night so he would have a ride home at 2 a.m.   Of course James let him.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Phoenix temple

3 Nephi 13:1-15

Why is it so important to forgive our fellowman?

Answer: "Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy.  In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking, even a change of heart.  But there is good news.  This 'mighty change of heart' is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.  How is it done?  Through the love of God something good and pure happens to us.  The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions - the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts - the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ.  As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.  As always, Christ is our exemplar.  In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way.  He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm.  Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that.  But Jesus Christ taught a higher law.  His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today.  They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples.  They are meant for you and me: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."  When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we become "kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God for Christ's sake forgave us.  The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

GC: ' If Ye Had Known Me' by Elder David A Bednar

"Do we only know about the Savior, or are we

increasingly coming to know Him?

How do we come to know the Lord?"

So far James had caught 3 live rats, 7 live squirrels, and 10 dead mice.  The mice were not in the house, but in the storage room of the garage.  I call him Trapper Jim.

Painting the storage shed.

James drove me to see Jean Howard this afternoon.  As soon as I stepped outside I knew there was a fire.  We drove out of the driveway and saw this:

Another "control" burn.

Why don't they just use a chipper?

Here is what it looked like at the Howard's:

Air quality goes way down when they burn.

Jean is having major surgery on Wednesday.  We had a nice visit and I gave her this:

The tag is a quote by President Monson

about families.

When we left the Howard's we headed for Desert Title in Show Low.  We knew we weren't going to get the title to Jared Ammon's Scion before we left for the valley tomorrow so we went to get a duplicate.  It cost $14 but it was worth if for my peace of mind.  We have to get the car and the only way to do it is to have a key made.  In order to have a key made I have to take it to Big Two Toyota with a title and my driver's license.

I love this picture of Max, Joshua, and Evan

taken a couple of years ago.

Zemira all ready for his first wrestling match.  He is

in my Primary class and invited me to come but 

I couldn't because of the temple assignment.

Back at home we had a little something to eat and then around six o'clock we left for the temple.  Tonight is the Vernon ward's night to clean.  These are our ward members who showed up to help:

Bishop Miller, Blaine, Chuck, Virgil, Mel, Donna and Owen, Barbara and Fred, the Freeman's, Jim and Linda, Millie and Jerry, and Alicia and Kip.  Blaine gave the spiritual thought and Chuck and Jim conducted for James because of his laryingitis.  

A picture I took of the temple:

A light on the hill.

It was over 10 p.m. when we got home.  We were in bed by 11 and tomorrow we get up and leave for the valley.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

3 Nephi 12:25-48
We are told three times in these verses to "love our enemies."
What does it mean to you to be perfect?
Answer:  Moroni 10:32 says: "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
President James E. Faust explained that we must seek for perfection now so as to be able to attain it in the next life: "Perfection is an eternal goal.  While we cannot be perfect in mortality, striving for it is a commandment which ultimately, through the Atonement, we can keep."  We have the perfect example in Jesus Christ.

GC: 'Gratitude on the Sabbath Day' by President Henry B. Eyring

"For Latter-day Saints, the Sabbath is a day of 

gratitude and love."

2014 Phoenix temple open house.

Our temple touring group.

Afterwards we went to Frost's for ice cream.

I had a bad spell of dizziness and nausea this morning as I was trying to get ready to visit Hailey to deliver her cake and gifts for her birthday.  I finally had to end up calling her to ask if she could meet James at the Stanford store.  He delivered the cake, gifts for Hailey and her daughter Taylor whose birthday is on the same day, a jack-o-lantern with a quote from the visiting teaching message.

Visiting teaching message and a fun electric pumpkin.

What would I do without James?  I lay on the couch and shuffle to the bathroom once in awhile.  I watched the rest of Dancing with the Stars and then a Hallmark movie, "Pumpkin Pie Wars."  

James brought me a 7up and a Firehouse sub.  I felt better so I ate half the sub.  We then watched "Autumn Vineyard" together and then I went with him to go to the Reynold's to pick up our solar oven.  I read from The Ascension.  

James has caught 9-10 mice in the garage storage room and  two rats and several squirrels in the live trap.  Maybe this explains:

Monday, October 24, 2016

3 Nephi 12:1-24

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

Answers:

Have you eaten your spiritual spinach?  Christ and His word can no longer be hidden from the world.

President James E. Faust: "The Savior's transcendant message in the Sermon on the Mount is of burning-bush 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." (CR, Apr. 2004, 68; or Ensign, May 2004, 67).

President Harold B. Lee taught that the Beattitudes 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 of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles referred to 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 its 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 know 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). (CR, April 2002, 82; Ensign, May 2002, 71).

GC: 'The Blessings of Worship' by Bishop Dean M. Davies

"Worship is essential and central to our spiritual life.

It is something we should yearn for, seek out,

and strive to experience."

Grateful for family!

I tried making pumpkin bread today, but all five loaves fell.  We ate the one I made for James with walnuts in it.  It tasted good but I can't give any a way so I put the rest of them in the freezer.  I am visiting Hailey tomorrow and I promised her pumpkin bread or a chocolate cake for her birthday.  Now I have to go to town to get a cake. 

We had the cutest tree squirrel in our yard today.  He is different than the ground squirrels we normally see.

I love the tail and the tufted ears.

So cute.

Showing off his tail.

James is constantly working outside.  Today he sprayed off the side of the well house which was covered in bird dodo.

I love this hardworking guy.

I found a nice cake for Hailey at Walmart.  I am not sure why I didn't take a picture.  I also found a couple of glass pumpkins, one for Jean, and one for Claire, two other of the sisters I am a visiting teacher for.  

Of course on the way to and from town we read from book 4 of the Millennial Glory series, The Ascension.  

For FHE we listened to Elder Robbins talk "The Righteous Judge."

We also read a composite of Elder Neal A. Maxwell's quotes about the last days.  Amazing.  We voted!  It was much easier than I had anticipated.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Elder Robbins' talk:

" The way you see a child is the way you treat them,

and the way you treat the is

who they will become."

Be patient, and conquer by love.  

Reminds me of my days in New York City.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Which temple is this?

3 Nephi 11:18-41

The Lord gives Nephi the power to baptize and 

He also gave others the same power.

What does the Savior teach about baptism and contention?  What do moderns prophets say?

Answer: There appears to have been some contention among the Nephites concerning the manner of baptism.  The Lord clarified how the ordinance should be performed.  President Boyd K. Packer explained the significance of baptism and cautioned that we should not alter this sacred ordinance: "Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is the first ordinance.  Baptism must be by immersion, for it is symbolic of both the coming forth from temporal death, from the grave, and the cleansing required for redemption from spiritual death. . . . Under the plan, baptism is not just for entrance into the Church of Jesus Christ.  It begins a spiritual rebirth that may eventually lead back into the presence of God.  If we really understood what baptism signifies, we could never consider it trivial nor alter the form of this sacred ordinance.  Through the sacrament we renew the covenant."  President Henry B. Eyring helps us understand that the Spirit of God will not lead people into contention: "Where people have that Spirit with them, we may expect harmony.  The Spirit puts the testimony of truth in our hearts, which unifies those who share that testimony.  The Spirit of God never generates contention.  It never generates the feelings of distinctions between people which lead to strife.  It leads to personal peace and a feeling of union with others."

GC: "To Whom Shall We Go" by Elder M. Russell Ballard

'In the end, each one of us must respond to the Savior's question:

"Will ye also go away?"'

We attended stake conference this morning.  We sat in the cultural hall near the Wilhelm's.  Johnnie Wilhelm who is 4 came to sit by us for awhile.

This was an amazing session of stake conference.  Elder Perkins

has family from this area and so it seemed personal that he came to our particular stake.  I wrote notes in my stake conference journal again so I won't be sharing them here.  

Willis Jr. High pom line.

Kim is on the left in orange and Stacy is on the right

in yellow.  A couple of cuties.

James fixed lunch for us today while I read from "Apocalypse, the Unveiling".  Our marriage class was cancelled.  James spent the

afternoon indexing and I worked on my blog and sent stake

conference notes to Pam Giles. 

Laura wrote: 

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Japan

3 Nephi 11:1-17

The people hear Heavenly Father's voice.

It did pierce them that did hear to the very center.

They saw the Savior descending out of Heaven.

How can we keep our ears and hearts open to the whisperings of the Spirit?

Answer: We need to provide the opportunity for the Spirit to speak to us.  

shallylr: I have noticed that I need to slow down and not be in such a hurry to move on to the next thing, especially while praying that I don't stop to listen.  I also need to have an open heart where I can be ready to hear the Spirits promptings and focus on what is really important.

kindredscripts: When we turn ourselves completely to Christ it seems we understand and witness of Him on a higher level.  The people turned their eyes, ears, faces and hearts to heaven.  They stretched forth their hands to Christ.  They bowed in worship at His feet.  They were still.  For me, the key to keeping my ears and heart open to the whisperings of the Spirit is to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psam 46:10).

GC:'The Great Plan of Redemption' by Linda S. Reeves

"I know that when we sincerely repent of our sins, they

are truly gone - without a trace!"

James and I went to the ward breakfast this morning at the Vernon Park.  This is a part of our ward service project and we were all supposed to bring food for a Thanksgiving dinner for the Vernon community food drive.  This is what we brought.

After breakfast we went to the Reynold's house to pick something up and ended up in the middle of their yard sale.  We bought a set of shelves for Rowan to put his Legos in and a solar oven.  James has been wanting one for such a long time!

Back at home I worked on my blog and read from Fablehaven book #4 The Dragon Sanctuary.

James caught a rat in his live trap.  Rats have been building nests in his tractor and he wants to get rid of them but he just can't kill them because they are so cute.

Let me outta here!

I love his ears.

We had invited the Giles's to go to stake conference with us this evening but they cancelled so we ended up going by ourselves.  We stopped at Safeway on the way to get some dental floss and $40 to pay the Reynolds' for the solar oven.  

We sat in the back of the chapel by the Scott's.  It was a great meeting and I took notes which can be found in my stake conference journal.  I loved the visiting authority, Elder Anthony Perkins.  

On the way home we went to Taco Bell for dinner.  I have been craving their burrito supremes lately.  

Emmy and Anna

Love these faces!

Friday, October 21, 2016

Snowflake temple

Picturing ourselves at the temple.

Left late for the temple but got there in plenty of time for the 8:30 session.  Temple workers that we saw: Tricia and Steven Reidhead who were both workers in our session.  Stewart Smith took me through the veil.  Steven, Stewart and James are all former student body presidents at Snowflake Union High School.  

3 Nephi 10:1-19

How have you seen Christ work in your life like a "hen gathering her chickens under her wings" for protection?C

Answer:  A hen cares for her chicks and would sacrifice her life to protect them.  When danger threatens, she gathers the chicks under her wings for protection.  In a similar way, the Lord loves His people, the house of Israel.  He gave His life for His people and has sought to gather them together so He could protect and nourish them.  President Henry B. Eyring said:  "More than once He has said that He would gather us to Him as a hen would gather her chickens under her wings.  He says that we must choose to come to Him in meekness and with enough faith in Him to repent with full purpose of heart. (3 Nephi 10:6).  One way to d that is to gather with the Saints in His Church.  Go to your meetings, even when it seems hard.  If you are determined, He will help you find the strength to do it." (CR, Apr. 2004, 16-`7; or Ensign, May 2004, 18).

GC: 'The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy' by Elder Peter F. Meurs

" Consider five ways to increase the impact and power of our regular participation in the sacred ordinance of

the sacrament.  1) Prepare in advance.  2) Arrive early  3) Sing and 

learn from the words of the sacrament hymn.

4) Spiritually participate in the sacrament prayers.

5) Ponder and Remember Him as the sacrament

emblems are passed."

Darrel's family 2014

After the temple we went to El Cupidos for lunch.  I had a beef tamale with red sauce and a beef taco.  James had a chicken toastado and a fish taco.  Our next stop, the Taylor Walmart.  The first thing I did when I walked into the store was buy a pumpkin for $3.88.

Perfect!

The other reason we came to Walmart was to buy supplies for our Vernon food drive.  Here is what we got.

All we need is the turkey and some rolls, 

and a pumpkin pie.

We went home and took a nap.  I got up to do some things and felt dizzy and nauseous.  James gave me some soda water and I felt a little better.  We watched two Aurora Teagarden episodes: The Julius House, and Three Bedrooms, Two Corpses.  Afterwards I had some yogurt and a bowl of cereal because I felt better and was hungry.

Not sure where this is.  I was going to say

Buckelew Springs but I knew I wouldn't get

away with it.