Thursday, September 14th, 2017

Hong Kong, China

48th operating temple

Dedicated: 26 May 1996

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Atonement

DC 76:69

These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

Jesus Christ, Appearance, Antemortal

Genesis 18:1

And the lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Helaman 4:1-17

Pride and wickedness separate us from the Spirit of the Lord and leave us to our own strength.

The Nephites were left to their own strength because of wickedness. Why is it so important for us to remain worthy to have the Holy Ghost at all times?

*kdeford1: "I need the peace that comes from living worthy to have the Holy Ghost with me. There is happiness, freedom and peace from just living the commandments - from not being physically enslaved to poor choices. There is an actual physical comfort that I feel when the Holy Ghost is with me."

DC 133:16-33

What stood out to me in these verses?

16 The Lord calleth upon all men to repent.

17 Prepare ye the way for the Lord for His hour is coming.

18 The Lamb will be on Mt. Zion with 144,000 Father's name on their forehead.

19 Prepare...go ye out to meet Him.

21 His voice shall be heard among all people.

23 Command the islands (earth) to be one land.

25 He will stand in the midst and rule over all flesh.

26 They in the north countries will come.

27 Highway cast up (see Isaiah 11:16).

28 Enemies shall become a prey unto them.

General Conference

Overcoming the World

Elder Neil L. Andersen

Overcoming the world means turning ourselves outward, remembering the second commandment: 'He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.' The happiness of our spouse is more important than our own pleasure. Helping our children to love God and keep His commandments is a primary priority. We willingly share our material blessings through tithing, fast offerings, and giving to those in need."

This morning, starting at 12 a.m. James had blood drawn, a CT scan, an EKG, and a stress test done. Finally around noon he was released to go home.

I was coming in to see him, so we met at LaCasita and had lunch.

Here is what mine looked like:

 That ought to do his heart some good!

When we got home we had a visit from Bishop Miller who just happens to be our home teacher. He came by to give James a blessing. Bishop blessed James with health, help with his personal problems, and that through him his family would be strengthened. It was a great blessing and I know it helped James to feel better, if not physically then spiritually.

We got a wee bit of rain today. Not enough to make much of a difference. The thing that worries me is that there is not any forecast in the next 15 days. 

I downloaded all my photos to my photo stick today, something I do at least once a month. There were 185 new photos. I also cleaned the wood floor in the family/living room, now I need to polish it. I guess I will have to wait until Saturday because tomorrow we will be gone to the valley.

We watched two Heartland episodes tonight:

"Rising From the Ashes," and "Coming Together."

Favorite Photos:

Last year's purchase, a log-splitter

Throwback Thursday to 1978

Rio Verde, Arizona

Somebody needs a bigger tree

Speaking of trees, I want this one

in my yard!

I call them mini-donks

Throwback Thursday:

Molly wants to be a cheerleader

Anna

Emmy: She looks so small!

Max and Emmy

One of my all-time favorite Evan photos!

Wednesday, September 13th, 2017

Bountiful, Utah

47th operating temple

8 Jan 1995 by Howard W. Hunter

Atonement

DC 74:7

But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean.

Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal

Genesis 17:1

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Helaman 6:32-41

What do these verses tell us about the power of prayer? How can I apply these principles to my own life?

*To me, verse 35 is the key to becoming a true follower of Christ.

'They fasted and prayed oft and increased in humility and were firmer in the faith of Christ. They became sanctified because they yielded their hearts unto God.'
DC 133:1-15
How am I preparing for the Second Coming?
Have I prepared room for Him in my heart? I need to learn all I can about Him through the scriptures and conference talks. I must try to become like Him. I need to communicate with Heavenly Father through prayer. I need to be worthy to have the Spirit be with me at all times because the Spirit testifies of the Savior and helps me to love other people as the Savior loves them. I must repent of my sins and be ready to enter into His presence. Obedience, humility, preparation, restoration, sanctification, gathering are all keywords.
General Conference

The Language of the Gospel

Elder Valeri V. Cordon

"No achievement in this life, important as it may be, will be relevant if we lose the language of the gospel in our families."

Happy Birthday Mom!

My guardian angel

Lakeside Cemetery

James had a 10:30 doctor's appointment with Dr. Moffat. He went by himself. After awhile I got a call saying that the doctor wanted him to go to the emergency room so they could check for a blood clot in his lungs. James told Dr. Moffat that we had just returned from a 2,000 mile car drive and that he had pains in his chest. That's all the doctor needed to hear to have him admitted into the emergency room.

I got ready and got into town as quickly as I could, driving the truck. I think James was happy to see me although he told me I didn't have to come. How could I not? I read to him from our new book, "Borrowed Light" which Cathi gave to us.

This is about a Mormon girl who lives in Salt Lake City in the early 1900's who just graduated from Miss Farmer's cooking school in Boston. She is engaged but not in love so she breaks it off and answers an add in the newspaper for a cook at a remote Wyoming ranch.  I was able to read several chapters before going home this evening.

They did  a test to check for a blood clot and it came back negative. Because James has what they call heart disease, the doctor on call, Dr. Johnson, wants him to stay overnight so they can do a stress test on him tomorrow. They also did 4 EKG's, 3 CT scans, one MRI and an Xray.  

I stayed with him until they moved him in a room with a more comfortable bed and he ordered and ate dinner. Oh yes, his oxygen rate kept falling below 90 so they also gave him oxygen. The reason he went to Dr. Moffat in the first place was because he has been having trouble breathing, especially at night. That problem has not even been addressed. I have a feeling he will be going back to Dr. Moffat soon.

Looking tired. They don't let you rest in the hospital.

The first thing I noticed when I returned home was the clean garage and it reminded me of how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful man.

This picture doesn't do it justice. Believe me

when I say it has never been this clean!

No Heartland tonight. That wouldn't be fair. I watched an old

Hallmark movie before going to bed.

Random Favorite Photos:

It's vacation time for some people

The Gonzales' are at Disneyland

I love the look on Joshua's face and how
his fists are clenched like he's ready
to fight Darth Vader.

The Elmer's are fishing in
Alaska

Strike a pose

I never would have imagined!

Pet Piggie

Look at that tower. This one has got to
belong to Rapunzel.

Twins or Thief?
Does that mountain in the background look familiar?

Saguaro Sunset

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Orlando, Florida

46th operating temple

9 Oct 1994 by Howard W. Hunter

Helaman 3:1-18

How did the Nephites persevere despite their difficulties?

sue_heugly: "I noticed 4 things that helped the Nephites persevere despite their difficulties. Vs-3 There were many contentions and dissensions so they departed and went to another land (1) Walk away from contention. Vs-7 They went to work. They became expert in making cement and provided homes for their families. (2) Go to work. Vs-9. They were concerned about the future of others, so they were united about not cutting down trees until they grew tall (3) Concern for others and the future. Vs.-13-16. Record keeping was important. (4) Keep individual and family records.

DC 132:46-66

Can our exaltation be sure?
Verse 49: "I am the Lord thy God...for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father."

General Conference

Stand Up Inside and Be All In

Elder Gary B. Sabin

"It is hard to measure the impact for good each individual can have by standing up inside. My father and his two shipmates refused to listen to those in the great and spacious building who were pointing the finger of scorn. They knew that it is far better to follow the Creator than the crowd."

While Irma raged, 11,000 Mormon volunteers worked to save Texas home Irma went after Florida, but Harvey is still trying to kill Texans. Deadly black mold threatens lives and will destroy thousands of Harvey-ravaged homes within days if they aren't cleaned out quickly. On Saturday and Sunday, more than 10,000 Mormon Helping Hands volunteers mucked out the homes of anyone who asked. 

James said when he attended priesthood in the San Antonio Stone Oak ward almost the entire meeting was spent organizing forces to go down and help in Houston the following week. The Priesthood in action.

As a busy stake president, it's not unusual for Joseph Lindsay to spend most of his day on a typical Sunday inside a Mormon meetinghouse. But Sunday, September 10th, was a Sabbath day like no other for the leader of the Fort Myers Stake. President Lindsay and his wife, Stacy, spent Sunday hunkered down inside the Bonita Springs ward building as Hurricane Irma raged and howled outside. The Lindsays weren't alone. Thirty-two full-time missionaries serving in the Fort Myers area joined them for the weekend. Besides a few bouts of cabin fever, everyone weathered the storm in good shape.

"The waiting was the hardest part," said President Lindsay, who remained at the meetinghouse with the missionaries on Monday while power and running water were being restored across the region.

"It's been a great blessing that the storm was muted in our area," he said. 

Mormon leaders living along Irma's Florida path were making initial damage assessments Monday and checking on the welfare of their members. The arduous work of contacting people and gathering information will likely take several days. Many from the Fort Myers stake and others evacuated their homes and won't return for several days.

Prior to Irma's arrival, missionaries in vulnerable areas received instruction to be prepared with food, water and other provisions. They were also moved to secure areas outside their residences, as needed. 

Thousands without water or electricity

This report that I read from Meridian Magazine reminds me of a similar situation back in the early 90's when Hurrican Mitch hit Honduras. I am grateful for an inspired mission president that sent all the missionaires to a safe place where plenty of food and water had been stored. Darrel was one of those missionaries.

James and I had to return the rental car at 8 a.m. to Hatch Toyota in Show Low. Afterwards we went to Safeway to get some Dr. Pepper 10, lemons, ice, and facial wipes. James went in and got everything but the facial wipes. He brought back a package of Kleenx tissues instead.

Next stop was Aliberto's drive thru where we ordered a number 1 for James and #2 meal for me to take home and eat for lunch. 

James set up new vehicle insurance for our Lambson Construction equipment today. It will be about $150 cheaper a month.

We sat outside today and finished reading "Brownlie Manor" while enjoying the beauties of nature: mountains, trees, sky, clouds, grass, and flashes of lightning. 

I sure do love where I live!

This evening before going to be we watched an episode from Heartland Season 1, "Thicker Than Water."

Photos:

Antelope Canyon

Another example of the diversity of nature

found in Arizona.

"Hello everyone, my name is Miles"

In case you were wondering

I tried to teach this to my kids but I 

am not sure that I succeeded.

Dedication, perseverance, and hard work.

This brother lives in the Galveston 3rd ward,

Chandler, Arizona. He sits behind us in

sacrament meeting when we attend that ward.

Since I missed getting my patio set,

I want this swing for our patio.

I can get it on one of my favorite sites:

Jet.com

Birthday gifts from my dear, sweet friend Karen.

Monday, September 11th, 2017

San Diego, California

45th operating temple

Dedicated: 25 April 1993 by Thomas S. Monson

Helaman 1:18-34

How do you avoid being deceived by the flattery of men?

Through the inspiration of the Spirit. We must stay spiritually centered and remember what really matters. Read Lynn G. Robbins, "Which Way Do You Face," October 2014 General Conference.

DC 132:29-45

Why should we always be obedient to what the Lord asks us to do?

Because we love Him. The Lord loves all of His children but He can only bless them when they are obedient. Obedience to commandments increases our faith, and brings us exaltation where we can become gods instead of angels.

General Conference

Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Elder Robert D. Hales

"Patience, Peter teaches, leads us to godliness. As the Father is patient with us, His children, we become patient with one another and ourselves. From temperance to patience and from patience to godliness, our natures change. We gain the brotherly kindness that is a hallmark of all true disciples. Like the Good Samaritan, we cross the road to minister to whoever is in need, even if they are not within the circle of our friends. We bless them that curse us. We do good to those who despitefully use us. Is any attribute more godly or Christlike?"

We said our goodbyes, gave hugs, and had family prayer together with Jared giving the prayer, before we left for home. We are so very grateful for being able to come and spend time with Jared, Kacey, and Summer and to attend Molly's baptism and to be able to do sealings in the San Antonio temple. It was a wonderful trip and we are so grateful we were able to come.

'Til we meet again

As we left, Kacey and Summer were gone and Jared was at home cutting up fruit for lunches and doing laundry. He does not have to go to work until 10.

Thank goodness for Googlemaps or we wouldn't have found our way out of Jared and Kaceys neighborhood. We got on to the freeway and stopped for gas in Boerne where my friend Kay used to live. We read our scriptures and then I read from Brownlie Manor before taking a nap.

We got off the freeway in the little town of Ozona for a potty break and since we were there we got more gas. This town says it's the "biggest little town in the world," Some of the things to do in Ozona are: birdwatching, hunting, star gazing and off-roading. These are the same things we do here in Vernon! There are some beautiful trees and old homes and buildings in Ozona. I didn't get any pictures of homes but here is the town name and motto and the Crockett county courthouse located in Ozona.

The name of the gas station and store where we stopped was Stripes. It is the same place we stopped on Friday. 

On to Van Horn for gas and lunch at McDonald's. This is my friend Hailey's hometown. She says I should have texted her and let her know I was going to be there and she would have suggested some places to eat. She says Lizy's is good and her cousins place RJ's, but RJ's may only be open in the evenings.

Instead of going through Socorro we went back through Deming and Silver City up to Luna and Alpine. This way is more scenic but I do not like the windy road up the mountain. 

We got home around 5 p.m. Arizona time, gaining two hours coming home. It was good to be home except I found a bloated, belly up mouse caught in a trap in the pantry. Welcome home to critterville. 

Brian left us some green chili pork stew. Thanks Brian! After unloading and putting things away I did a little blogging and reading before going to bed. We were in bed by 9.

I did not forget that today was the anniversary of 9/11. Here are some photos I found on Facebook.

 Other random photos I like:

This is NOT the mouse we found in the pantry.

This one is cute, that one wasn't!

Sun and summer storm over the Grand Canyon.

I'm calling this one Cinderella's castle.

The Skousen's

Sister Skousen on the left is our Primary President.

She is a great one!