OUR FAMILY

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

23rd operating temple

Dedicated: 9-11 Aug 1983

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Creator

Job 38:4

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Alma 27:1-15

*How much faith did the king have in the Lord? (see verse 8).

Elder M. Russell Ballard explains:

"Learning to recognize and follow the Lord's voice is vital for spiritual progression. God expects us to hear and know His voice in this life, but He also expects us to act." ("Responding to the Promptings of the Spirit", Jan. 1988).

Old Testament

2 Chronicles 5-6

5 The temple is finished, and the ark of the covenant is placed in the holy of holies - The glory of the Lord fill the temple.

6 Solomon blesses the congregation of Israel - He offers the dedicatory prayer for the temple - He prays for mercy and blessings for penitent Israel.

General Conference

Until Seventy Times Seven

Elder Lynn G. Robbins

" No one is more on our side than the Savior. He allows us to take and keep retaking His exams. To become like Him will require countless second chances in our day-to-day struggles with the natural man, such as controlling appetites, learning patience and forgiveness, overcoming slothfulness, and avoiding sins of omission, just to name a few. If to err is human nature, how many failures will it take us until our nature is no longer human but divine? Thousands? More likely a million."

Before I left for the valley this morning I put sheets on two of the beds upstairs, wrapped Lola's four presents, made myself a green smoothie did scriptures and prayers, listened to a general conference talk and three articles from the Ensign, including an article by Elder Rasband about his ancestors who were handcart pioneers.

I listened to President Eyring's biography all the way to the valley. I left about an hour late, at 11. When I got to Show Low I washed the car, again. I am glad I wasn't here an hour ago because I would have been in the middle of the 4th of July parade which is a serious thing in Show Low. At the other end of town in front of Licano's there were several police cars flashing their lights. As I approached I saw a smashed black and white police car in the middle of the road.

I stopped at the Fry's in Globe. Listening to President Eyring's book has inspired me to write more and I realized I didn't bring a notebook to write in with me so I stopped and got a couple of notebooks and some new pens. I also bought a diet Coke to help me stay awake and to go with my bag of Booma Chika popcorn.

I arrived at Darrel and Trina's around 3. I guess that Trina and the kids must still be swimming and Darrel is at work. James arrived about 5 minutes after I did. He helped me unload my car. Trina had Lola's party all set up with balloons halfway up the stairs and all the gifts wrapped. I added my four little gifts to the stash.

Happy Birthday Lola!

A little while after we arrived Trina and the kids returned from their swim. They all got ready for the party and soon Bob, Suzy, Tristyn, Ria, and Case arrived. Tristyn is here from Hawaii with her kids because she is going to California with the family. They all go every summer to spend a week on the beach.

Bob and Suzy brought Barro's pizza and some chicken wings to share before the birthday cake and ice cream. Soon Darrel was home and we could all gather around and sing Happy Birthday to Lola.

Happy Birthday!

Enjoy your breakfast Lola!

Before the party Lola ate lots of Doritos

so she wasn't really hungry for pizza or

cake and ice cream.

Such a happy little girl!

Her friend Scarlett went swimming with them

and gave Lola the paint book.

Do you think she's posing?

Ria got to open one of the presents too.

A cake with flower cupcakes on top.

Lola and Ruby both love My Little Ponies.
Lola can tell you their names, and what their
"cutie marks" mean. Those cutie marks look alot
like tatoos.

Time to blow out the candles

Grandpa is playing with one of the toys!

She got them all!

Tasting the frosting

Oh, it's delicious!

The 4th of July is alot more fun with Lola!

Rowan missed the rocky road and settled
for mint chocolate chip.

Is the party over?

We all either walked or rode a scooter or bike over to the Great Eastmark Park for the fireworks show.

It was a great show!

Val from "DWTS"

Happy 4th from the Chaffin's

Independence Day in England

Ollie patiently waiting at home.

They came to visit us on June 19th, 2018

Friday, July 6, 2018

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018

Apia, Samoa
22nd operating temple
Dedicated: 5-6 Aug 1983
Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Creator

Job 10:8

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

Book of Mormon

Alma 26:17-37

*Alma 26:26. Perseverance Leads to Success

-The success the sons of Mosiah experienced among the Lamanites exceeded their expectations (Alma 26:30-31). As they began their missions, the Lord promised, "I will make an instrument of thee inn my hands unto the salvation of many souls" (Alma 17:11). With this promise they "took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God" (Alma 17:12). Success in their endeavors did not come automatically, even though the Lord had promised it. During the course of their 12-year mission, they experienced "all manner of afflictions" (Alma 26:30). The record further indicates their hearts became "depressed, and they were about to turn back" (Alma 26:27). Yet, trusting in the promises of the Lord, they continued in their efforts. Then, as He always does, the Lord honored His promises and rewarded their perseverance.

Alma 26:27-30. The Realities of Missionary Service

-Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventy shared how his reading Alma 26 as a young missionary impacted his testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon: "I was reading again the twenty-sixth chapter of Alma and the story of Ammon's mission. I read out loud, as I sometimes do, trying to put myself in the position of the characters in the book, imagining that I was saying or hearing the words, that I was there. Once more I went over the report, and, with a clarity which cannot be described and which would be difficult to comprehend by one who has not experienced it, the Spirit spoke to my soul, saying, did you notice? Everything that happened to Ammon happened to you?

"It was a totally unexpected sentiment. It was startling in its scope; it was a thought that had never occurred to me before I quickly reread the story. Yes, there were times when my heart had been depressed and I had thought about going home. I too had gone to a foreign land to teach the gospel to the Lamanites. I had gone forth among them, had suffered hardships, had slept on the floor, endured the cold, gone without eating. I too had traveled from house to house, knocking on doors for months at a time without being invited in, relying on the mercies of God. There had been other times when we had entered houses and talked to people. We had taught them on their streets and on their hills. We had even preached in other churches. I remembered the time I had been spit upon. I remembered the time when I, as a young district leader assigned by the mission president to open up a new town, had entered, with three other elders, the main square of a city that had never had missionaries before. We went into the park, sang a hymn, and a crowd gathered. Then the lot fell on me, as district leader, to preach. I stood upon a stone bench and spoke to the people. I told the story of the restoration of the gospel, of the boy Joseph Smith going in to the grove and the appearance of the Father and the Son to him. I remembered well a group of teenage boys, in the evening shadows, throwing rocks at us. I remembered the concern about being hit or injured by those who did not want to hear the message. I remembered spending time in jail while my legal right to be a missionary in a certain country was decided by the police authorities. I still remember the feeling I had when the door was closed and I was far away from home, alone, with only the mercies of the Lord to rely on for deliverance. I remembered enduring these things with the hope that 'we might be the means of saving some soul' (Alma 26:30). And then on that day as I read, the Spirit testified to me again, and the words remain with me even today: No one but a missionary could have written this story. Joseph Smith could never had known what it was like to be a missionary to the Lamanites, for no one he knew had ever done such a thing before."

Old Testament

1 Chronicles 27-28

27 The officers who serve the king are named - The princes of the tribes of Israel are set forth.

28 David assembles the leaders of Israel - Solomon is appointed to build the temple - David exhorts Solomon and the people to keep the commandemnts - David gives Solomon the pattern and materials for the temple.

General Conference

The Heart of a Prophet

Elder Gary E. Stevenson

"The period of time between the death of a prophet and the reorganization of the First Presidency is referred to as an 'apostolic interregnum." During this period, the Quorum of the Twelve, under the leadership of the quorum president, jointly holds the keys to administer the leadership of the Church. President Joseph F. Smith taught, 'There is always a head in the Church, and if the Presidency of the Church are removed by death or other cause, then the next head of the Church is the Twelve Apostles, until a presidency is again organized."

Ensign: "Three Modern Pioneers Journey's" "Feel Disconnected? Try Slowing Down"

I listened to four chapters from President Eyring's biography today. I watered the flowers, grass, and the bunnies. Although I don't particularly like the wind, I love to here it blowing through the pine trees, and I love the clouds!

This afternoon I went into town to do some shopping. First stop was Dollar Tree to get more silver cookie platters. I bought all they had left, 8. Next I went to J.C. Penney's and bought three new tops. Two of them were on sale. Last of all, Walmart.

I bought a few groceries, some birthday gifts for Lola, and items to put in the service bags the young women are doing for the firemen. Around here firemen are almost royalty. I know of one young woman who wants to be a fireman and she is going to take courses to qualify to be one.

One I returned home and put all my purchases away I swept, cleaned and polished the hall and entryway floor, using the same polish I used on the wood floor. It looks very nice.

I also finished my steps and watch Hallmark's "Lovestruck Cafe" starring Andrew Walker, one of my favorites. I fell asleep during a Christmas movie so I went to bed.

Truckload #11 for James at the Phoenix

Country Club.

Ian's mom has a big family!

Addy's vacation with her cousins in Wisconsin

These two came to visit me before I left
for the valley.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Monday, July 2nd, 2018

Atlanta, Georgia

21st operating temple

Dedication: 1-4 June 1983

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Creator

DC 14:9

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness;

Book of Mormon

Alma 26:1-16

* How is it a blessing to be an instrument in the hands of God?

- Because we literally have the opportunity to do the things He would do if he were here.

*"Who can glory too much in the Lord?" (Alma 26:15-16)

Just as Ammon felt to glory in the Lord and to sing His praises, so should we. Sister Sheri L. Dew, while serving as a counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, taught us concerning the role Jesus Christ plays in our daily lives:

"Is it possible to be happy when life is hard? To feel peace amid uncertainty and hope in the midst of cynicism? Is it possible to change, to shake off old habits and become new again? Is it possible to live with integrity and purity in a world that no longer values the virtues that distinguish the followers of Christ? Yes. The answer is yes because of Jesus Christ, whose Atonement ensures that we need not bear the burdens of mortality alone. Through the years I, like you, have experienced pressures and disappointments that would have crushed me had I not been able to draw upon a source of wisdom and strength far greater than my own. He has never forgotten or forsaken me, and I have come to know for myself that Jesus is the Christ and that this is His Church. With Ammon I say, 'For who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of His great power, and of His mercy...? Behold,...I cannot say the smallest part which I feel' (Alma 26:16). I testify that in this, the twilight of the dispensation of the fullness of times, when Lucifer is working overtime to jeopardize our journey home and to separate us from the Savior's atoning power, the only answer for any of us is Jesus Christ (Ensign, May 1999, 67).

Old Testament

1 Chronicles 25-26

25 The Levite singers and musicians are assigned their duties by lot.

26 The Levites are assigned as porters - They have charge of the treasures, serve as officers and judges, and conduct the outward business pertaining to the Israelites.

General Conference

Am I a Child of God?

Elder Brian K. Taylor

"Brothers and sisters, how can each of us experience the power of understanding our divine identity? It begins by seeking to know God, our Father. President Russell M. Nelson testified, 'Something powerful happens when a child of God seeks to know more about Him and His Beloved Son."

FHE:

Even as Christ Forgives You, So Also Do Ye

Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk

"I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men."

July Ensign: "Knowing Who You Are-and Who You Have Always Been," Sister Sheri L. Dew; "My Conference Notebook: April 2018 General Conference."

Jesus Is the Christ, the Expected Messiah

Jesus is the Son of God. He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal father. He made an infinite atonement for man's sins.

He was resurrected, thus opening the doors of immortality and eternal life for all mankind. Jesus is the only individual who ever lived to have the details of his birth, life, mission, death, and resurrection spelled out in public documents centuries before.

Who could have written the life of any great man before it happened? Nothing but divine foreknowledge and power could have revealed the life of Jesus in such detail and then brought it to pass. No man could have done this. It was God's way of placing his divine stamp on the life and work of his Only Begotten Son, a means for letting all mankind know that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the hope and desire of the ages. President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., said:

"We of our faith know that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. This is our knowledge. We must proclaim it at all times and under all circumstances. . . .

"So as I conceive it, we must stand adamant for the doctrine of the atonement of Jesus the Christ, for the divinity of his conception, for his sinless life, and for, shall I say, the divinity of his death, his voluntary surrender of life. He was not killed; he gave up his life . . . .

"It is our mission, perhaps the most fundamental purpose of our work, to bear constant testimony of Jesus the Christ. We must never permit to enter into our thoughts and certainly not into our teachings, the idea that he was merely a great teacher, a great philosopher, the builder of a great system of ethics. It is our duty, day after day, year in and year out, always to declare that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ who brought redemption to the world and to all the inhabitants thereof." (In Conference Report, October 1955, pp. 22-24).

I miss James. It's lonely here, so I turn on the TV.

I was glad that when I texted Jared this morning I found out that he has his kids for the 4th of July!

I have a comment to make regarding someone we were asked to pray for yesterday at sacrament meeting. He is not in our stake but is a temple worker. His name is Loran DeWitt. When I went to the Show Low stake center in December to see Elders Bednar, Cornish, and Heyman, I sat by LeRoy DeWitt's daughter, Loran's niece.

Loran had an accident back then which she told me about and he is still not recovered after six months. I have fond memories of Loran. As a teenager he was my Sunday School teacher. He made learning fun and I remember he took us to other churches to see how they worshipped. I remember going to St. Rita's Catholic church in Show Low and was so surprised that part of the service was in Latin. The priest said something we didn't understand and then everyone knelt on the kneeling boards in front of them. We weren't sure what we were supposed to do. Also, the sacrament was only taken by those who felt like getting in line and waiting for the priest to place the wafer under their tongue.

Sheri texted today and said: "Salt Lake called our stake President about Ben's application because we wrote that he sleep walks. I had to give David more information, so probably no mission call this week." I asked if his doctor couldn't prescribe something to help him. She said yes but he hasn't done it for awhile so there has been no need. Also he has never tried to leave the house or harm anyone, so that's good.

A quote by President Harold B. Lee in President Eyring's book:

"If you want personal revelation you must study and do your homework."

Had my own FHE, did my steps, and then watched some TV before going to bed by myself.