Thursday, March 21, 2019

Sunday, March 17th, 2019

Manhattan, New York
119th operating temple
Dedicated: 13 June 2004
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship
DC 35:2
I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God,even one n me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one.
Book of Mormon
Jacob 2:1-16
New Testament "Come Follow Me"
Review Matt 10-12; Mark 2; Luke 7; 11
"He Heals the Heavy Laden" Dallin H. Oaks, 10/2006


General Conference
Sisters Participation in the Gathering of Israel
President Russell M. Nelson
"My fourth invitation, for you who are of age, is to participate fully in Relief Society. I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose statement. It is inspiring. It may guide you in developing your own purpose statement for you own life. I also entreat you to savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20 years ago. A framed copy of this declaration hangs on the wall in the office of the First Presidency. I am thrilled every time I read it. It describes who you are and who the Lord needs you to be at this precise time as you do your part to help gather scattered Israel."


The Minnard's and Brother Wright from the stake were the speakers in sacrament meeting today. It was Brother Minnard's first time speaking in sacrament meeting and he did a good job speaking about family history and temple work.

Brother Wright told about his families conversion in 1965 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He said his father was inactive for years. The bishop asked him to come back to the ward because he was needed and six months later he was called as the new bishop. 
"The Atonement leads us back to Heavenly Father. All covenants we make are refreshed through the sacrament. We must remember and then go and do, led by our faith and the promptings we receive. Through repentance we can be made whole." Brother Wright's favorite scripture is Helaman 5:12, the same as Ben's.

The second hour I attended the teacher's council meeting led by Brother Allen. We talked about how to lead inspired discussions. One of the sisters asked a question about how you know that the Spirit is prompting you and that led the group into an inspired discussion. It fit right in to the topic for the day.

After the block James and I attended a family history coordinating meeting. We still do not have the list of members that the bishop wants us to work with so our meeting was cut short. We will meet again on March 31st.

I really wanted to do 10,000 steps today even though it is Sunday. Around 8,000 I felt extremely guilty and stopped. I am doing a challenge on Pacer. The challenge is to get as many 10,000 step days in the month of March as possible. This challenge almost caused me to lose sight of what is really important to me...keeping the commandments and keeping the Sabbath day holy.

No "When Calls the Heart." I am so sad. They are taking a creative hiatus after only the third episode of the season. It's because of the Lori Loughlin situation. They have to "get rid" of her character. How sad.

James and his partner Dave went out to visit Anthony today. Dave has a ranch in Luna, New Mexico. He said this year he lost 19 cows in a fire, and 40 calves who were eaten by wolves. He has decided he cannot make a living with this ranch. He is the same age we are and still, like us, needs to produce an income. He is going to Algeria to teach them how to ranch and hopefully they will be more successful than he has been. There is a need in that country for good sources of protein. If the government will give him $3 million for his program, OPEC will donate another $13 million. OPEC is the organization of companies that sell oil to the world. I guess he has connections to do this. He was in the military and served quite awhile in the Middle East so he has experience dealing with the people. I hope he is successful. 











 So cute!



 The most adorable picture!

 Jared and all of his kids
















Saturday, March 16th, 2018

Copenhagen, Denmark
118th operating temple
Dedication: 23 May 2004
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship
DC:6:21
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
Book of Mormon
Jacob 1:1-19
New Testament "Come Follow Me"
Luke 7:36-50; 11:37-54
"That Your Burdens May Be Light" L. Whitney Clayton, 10/2009


General Conference
Parents and Children
Dallin H. Oaks
"As a servant of the Lord, I say to you young women our world needs your goodness and love. Be kind to one another. Jesus taught us to love one another and to treat others as we want to be treated. As we strive to be kind, we draw closer to Him and His loving influence."


We woke up this morning with some visitors in our yard. James went to his "perch" upstairs with the binoculars, and announced that there were 24 elk in the backyard and 8 in the front. They were just passing through, snacking as they went. Where are the bulls? James says they are bachelors this time of the year, hanging out by themselves. There were none in this bunch.

I have been a little "out of sorts" lately. I just sometimes lose sight of the eternal perspective and get caught up in the day to day stresses of living. As I prayed this morning I specifically prayed for help in this area and for the Spirit to be with me. 

I spent the morning getting our book box ready to mail, which means I printed labels for all 37 books, and the box, and put the box on the scale to weigh it. It weighs between 47-49 lbs. The maximum is 50 lbs. It is so much cheaper to send a big box of books than smaller ones when shipping to Amazon.

After lunch we loaded our box in the car, James at one end, me at the other. When we got to the UPS store I told James to wait and I would go inside and see if they had a dolly or something we could put the box on to carry it in. 

When I got in the store the girl behind the counter, a skinny, cute, young thing, asked me if I needed help. I said yes, I needed help carrying in my box and did she have a cart or something I could use. She said, "oh yes." She followed me outside and I then realized she was the "cart." I said I didn't want her to have to help but she said, 'Oh, no problem." I felt pretty dumb at this point. She picked up the box but James would not let her carry it by herself. So they carried it together. I had told her he had back surgery recently and was not supposed to do heavy lifting so she kept trying to take this big box away from him. It was quite comical as they bantered back and forth. James was not letting go of that box. His manhood was at stake.  I did appreciate her willingness to help and would give UPS a star for their customer service today.

We washed the car and got gas. Probably the first time I've been this close to Walmart and didn't even go inside. 

When we got home I blogged, walked, and rested. James made a trip to the dump. He usually goes the Saturday we aren't at the temple. 

This evening we watched the new Hallmark movie, "Flip that Romance," and the last "When Calls the Heart" episode, which James didn't see. It was a good one for Lori Loughlin to go out on. Abigail goes head to head with the new saloon owner Lucas Buchard and comes out looking like the great mayor that she is with a solution to the saloon staying open late and disturbing the peace.

We got some sad news today via the Chandler Facebook page. Bob Layton, our dear friend, passed away. He has battled Parkinson's disease for years. He was a bishop, stake president, and mission president. He and his wife Dianne were such an amazing example to both of us and we loved them dearly.


 James got bunny feed at Cal-Ranch while
I took pictures of unicorns and chickies.







 Such a fun baby!











Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Friday, March 15th, 2019

Accra, Ghana
117th operating temple
Dedicated: 11 Jan 2004
by: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship
3 Nephi 5:13, 26
13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the So of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.
26 And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.
Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 33:1-15
New Testament "Come Follow Me"
Matthew 12:38-45; Luke 7:1-18; 11:29-36
"Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease"
David A. Bednar
April 2014


General Conference
"Women and Gospel Living in the Home"
President Henry B. Eyring
"You will each find ways to contribute to the outpouring of truth upon your families in the Lord's restored Church. Each of you will pray, study, and ponder to know what your unique contribution will be. But this I now: each of you, equally yoked with sons of God, will be a major part of a miracle of gospel learning and living that will hasten the gathering of Israel and will prepare God's family for the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ."



I had a Relief Society meeting this morning and lunch date at Licano's with Tamara, Kerri, and Maxine. They gave us a private room in the back for privacy. Kerri brought her laptop and had picked out some YouTube videos for our Relief Society birthday celebrations next Tuesday night. Our activities committee is not functioning very well and Sister Nichols (Brienna) has been doing most of the planning by herself. 

Kerri had a video made by the Spokane Washington stake Relief Society called "Sisters to the Rescue." It was a little light-hearted, and funny but maybe that's what the sisters need. She said she was also going to show a video of the history of Relief Society. 

I had my usual lunch, a chicken enchilada with red sauce and rice and beans. Not as good as LaCasita's, but still good. 

It was a good meeting and we stayed for a couple of hours before closing with prayer. 

I stopped at Safeway because James asked me to get him some Slimfast shakes and then went on to the Show Low post office to mail the merchant fulfilled book we sold, "Rebecca." As I was waiting in line someone behind me asked a question and as I turned around to answer I discovered it was my brother Dennis. What a pleasant surprise. Dennis was there to pick up his mail because the mail person had not delivered to his house because of the snow. He was pretty disgusted and was going to issue a complaint. I guess he has an ongoing battle going on with his mail person, who by the way, is a woman. 

I went by the bank and deposited some cash that James gave me from the Chacon job. I had to go inside because I do not have a debit card for the Lambson Construction account.

I was gone several hours and James was getting a little worried. I think it was four o'clock when I got home. 

I inventoried books for three hours in order to fill up our box which we want to mail tomorrow. The box will weigh around 50 lbs.

Lois got to go home today because her blood pressure and heart rate stabilized. We are so grateful. They changed her blood pressure medicine so she has to take less pills and she is very happy about that.

 Lori Loughlin's friend, Candace Cameron Bure
posted this on Facebook.


 The Humsaker family really know how to
have fun in the  snow.

 Elder Heyman and Diane in Waco, Texas.
He presided over a stake conference this weekend.

 Molly reading to her sister Charlie.

 Look how much they have grown!

Hallmark movies:


 Ridiculous picture but a decent movie.




Thursday, March 14th, 2019

Redlands, California
116th operating temple
Dedicated: 14 Sept 2003
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship
Helaman 3:28
Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 32:1-9
New Testament "Come Follow Me"
Matthew 12:1-37; Luke 11:14-28
"Take the Holy Spirit As Your Guide" Larry Y. Wilson, April 2018


General Conference
The Joy of Unselfish Service
Cristina B. Franco
"I testify that that love is made sacred through sacrifice - the sacrifice of a teacher and even more through the ultimate and eternal sacrifice of the Son of God. I bear witness that He lives! I love Him and desire to put away selfish desires in order to love and minister as He does."



I left Darrel and Trina's this morning before 9 a.m. James stayed for the walk-thru at the new house with Trina and Darrel. I stopped on the way out of town at Walmart to get a soccer ball for Johnny Wilhelm. Today is his 7th birthday. 

When I was finished shopping I hit the 202 loop north to the 87 and headed for Payson. 

I zipped right through Payson and headed for Heber where I stopped at the Circle K for a drink and to check my tires. Everything seemed to be okay so I headed for Show Low. 
I stopped at Safeway for DP10 and some fresh strawberries. My next stop was the Vernon post office. It was 34 degrees in Vernon but there was no wind and plenty of sunshine so it felt quite good. 

My next stop was the Wilhelm home to deliver Johnny's soccer ball. One of the dogs jumped on me and got mud on my pants, the ball, and the envelope to the birthday card. Curtis took the ball because Johnny wasn't home.

If felt good to be back home even though I was only gone 24 hours. As soon as I walked in the house my phone rang. It was Johnny in his cute little "grownup" voice thanking me for the soccer ball. 

The only not great thing about being home is all of the mud that I had to go through to get her. Poor Lexy is a mess.

James called me an hour or so after I got home and said he was on his way home. 

We spent a relaxing evening at home together watching the new Hallmark movies, "Love Under the Rainbow."

We both liked this cheesy Hallmark movie.

Just before going to be James checked his phone and he had a text from Dawn about his mother. Lois went in this morning for a procedure on her heart. It was supposed to be an outpatient procedure but her blood pressure went very low and so did her heart rate. We were both quite stressed as we went to bed and offered a prayer for Lois. We both felt guilty. I had been telling James he needed to call his mom for the past week. When he didn't do it, I felt prompted to call, but I never did. Thank goodness she is going to be all right and we have another chance.





These pictures bring me so much joy!






Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Wednesday, March 13th, 2019

Brisbane, Australia
115th operating temple
Dedicated: 15 June 2003
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship
Alma 36:17
And it came to pass that  as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 31:1-21
New Testament "Come Follow Me"
Matthew 11; Luke 7:19-35
"Walk With Me" Henry B. Eyring, 4/2017


General Conference
Divine Discontent
Michelle D. Craig
"The surprising truth is that our weaknesses can be a blessing when they humble us and turn us to Christ. Discontent becomes divine when we hubly approach Jesus Christ with our want, rather than hold back in self-pity."

We woke up to a blizzard this morning, and it just kept snowing. I did one blog post this morning before breakfast. I wasn't feeling well so I took some Tramadol and sat down on my recliner to watch "When Calls the Heart" until my Tramadol kicks in. Little did I know at the time this would be the last episode with Lori Loughlin. I did not know the extent of the crime she had committed and how Hallmark would react so quickly by severing ties with her. She is my favorite character on the show as the mayor of Hope Valley. She is a strong woman and a good role model. She and Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) have an incredible friendship bond and have been a main part of the show from the beginning. Lori's character, Abigail Stanton, always believes in giving people second chances and is forgiving and kind. So sad to see her go. One of the best characters on TV right now. Lori Loughlin in this part, exudes wholesomeness, especially on "When Calls the Heart".

What Lori and her husband did was wrong and dishonest. She should have to pay for what she did, but I wish Hallmark would allow her to finish out the season and go from there. That is what most of the "Heartie" fans want.

 In this interview Lori says the greatest thing about
"When Calls the Heart" is her friendship with Erin Krakow.





Abigail and Elizabeth
I am sure going to miss the strongest female character
on the show and a great role model, Abigail Stanton.

James says we need to leave for the valley before our planned time of 2 pm because of the snow. I fixed biscuits, breadsticks, bacon, chicken, and pizza rolls for lunch. I figured I wanted to get rid of more food and I was fixing at one thing everyone would like.
 James did the dishes afterwards while I took a shower to expedite things. We got ready to leave around 12:30.

James went out to the well house to turn off the pump and dropped his phone in the snow so we had to turn around and go back so he could get it. We almost got stuck on our own road.

I talked James into going the Payson way and I am so glad we did. The trees between Heber and Payson were beautiful. They got quite a bit more snow than we did. 



Our first stop in the valley was Max and Evan's house. Sheri was still at work but Ollie was there. This is the first time I've ever been in Sheri's that he didn't go on a barking rampage. I guess it was because of Evan and Max. 

Rowan, James and I went to Joshua's to drop him off and say goodbye. Of course his dogs were so happy to see him. Sophie did most of the barking. Stacy gave me a slice of her homemade vanilla bean cake. It was delicious!

Next stop was Bill Valentic's yard on south Arizona Avenue where James picked up his truck then it was back to Sheri's to trade her van for our car. Sheri was upset the back door on the driver's side would not close. I thought it was that way when we got it but apparently not. She immediately took it to Erik who was able to close it but will have to order a new part. I told her we would be happy to help pay for it but she said no, the van was 11 years old and it was bound to happen.

We finally got Rowan home. Trina was at work but Darrel and the girls were happy to see him, and us as well. 
James and I went to Fry's to get a case of water. We wanted to buy more, but funds are low so we didn't. James got gas while I started to walk back to Darrel's. He picked me up on Signal Butte in front of the huge Legacy Charter School. 

Addy, Rowan, Ruby and I played Harry Potter Clue. I won by process of elimination. James and I went for a walk. 





 Feeling a little better today.