Tuesday, August 13th, 2019

Guadalajara, Mexico

105th operating temple

Dedicated: 29 Apr 2001

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Foreordained

Isaiah 25:8-9

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Book of Mormon

Alma 50:1-20

New Testament "Overcome Evil with Good"

Romans 9-10

General Conference

Your Priesthood Playbook

Elder Gary E. Stevenson

"What about you? Do you recognize your higher and holier identity as a son of God, a bearer of His holy priesthood? With this eternal identity in mind, create your game plan and priesthood playbook that will guide you during times of temptation and adversity. Consider both offensive and defensive strategies."

Here are some scriptures I liked from today's reading assignment in Romans:

Romans 11:4 

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 11:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Hearing the word of God is essential to developing faith in Christ.

Here is a quote by Sister Linda Reeves that was found in the "Come Follow Me" lesson:

"I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, 'Was that all that was required?' I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence again, surrounded by Their love eternally. What will it matter ... what we suffered here if in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior?"

James told me something I did the other night while he was trying to sleep. He said he heard me talking during the night and asked me what I wanted. My reply to him was: "I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the woman over here who wants to take my picture."

Sad but true.

I listened to the book webinar today put on by Kris and Kathy. They talked about the importance of Keepa charts and how they could not do this business without them. Kathy says that when she first started the business she spent a couple of hours a day just learning how to read the charts. She has 75,000 alerts set. That means alerts on prices of that many books! She also says she has everything automated that she possibly can and she focuses on buying books. I don't think I want to be at that level where the business consumes my life. 

I am excited about textbook season and it feels like it has already started. In the last 30 days my sales total is $1,019.71. Since starting in January I have sold 145 books. I now have 258 books in my Amazon inventory. I'm excited about next week which is supposed to be the biggest sales week of the year! My Amazon balance right now is $517.34, that is after all my fees, etc. I already received one check this month.

James went to town this morning because our Mifi (mini wifi device) is not working. When he left his computer was upgrading and I was trying to do some repricing online and I couldn't even get Amazon Seller Central to come up. He returned after a couple of hours with a new device that works better than the old one. Next we are going to get rid of the other device we have because it does not work as well as the small devices. 

James also picked up the parts for his truck at the post office. He tried installing the new starter module but his truck still does not work. He probably needs to take it in. Erik won't be up here for another couple of weeks because he is going to Oregon and James needs his truck to haul equipment to Mesa for the Chacon job. Erik thinks it will cost more to fix that it's worth, but we have to do something.

I still need to get on Facebook Marketplace and advertise our cemetery plots. Bruce French was a scammer or else he found someone else to buy plots from.

I spent the afternoon walking and repricing books. I did watch the latest episode of "Good Witch."

Ryan's son Luke got his mission call today. He is going to the Dominican Republic.

I read to James this evening from President Nelson's book and the Aunt Dimity book. We went to bed after 10. Our goal is 9:30.

Here is a copy of Ben's letter for this week:

So sad about Max, but I am so grateful for Ben's example to him.

 Our friend Jeff in Chandler

 Charlie loves Scarlett!

 Kacey did it! They are asleep at the same time!

I love the message on this shirt.

 I freaked out when I saw this, thinking

the bug was real. It didn't fool James though.

 When I saw this one I knew it wasn't real.

 This is so true!

Monday, August 12th, 2019

Winter Quarters, Nebraska

104th operating temple

Dedicated: 22 April 2001

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Foreordained

Job 19:25

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Book of Mormon

Alma 49:9-30

New Testament "Overcome Evil with Good"Romans 7-16

Romans 7-8

General Conference

Behold the Lamb of God

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"We make an apostolic plea for the reduction of clamor in the sanctuary of our buildings. We love to visit with each other, and we should - it is one of the joys of church attendance - but it ought not be pursued so vocally in space specifically dedicated for worship. I fear that visitors not of our faith are shocked by what can sometimes be noisy irreverence in a setting that is supposed to be characterized by prayer, testimony, revelation, and peace. Perhaps heaven is a little shocked as well."

Welcome Monday morning! A new beginning to a new week!

During my gospel study I listened to a youtube video by David Butler and Emily Belle Freeman on this week's "Come Follow Me" lesson.  I also used their handout which looks like this: 

Along with these other study aids, I feel I am getting a pretty good understanding of the New Testament:

 I read the chapters along with the help of

the New Testament Student Manual.

The title of this week's lesson

This morning I washed the  sheets downstairs, and blogged Friday and Saturday. I am determined to get caught up by tomorrow. 

James had a meeting in town with the banker about financing our home to pay off our line of credit and credit cards. He is also waiting to hear from Quicken loans. He also picked up my thyroid pills which saved me a trip into the Show Low Walmart.

This afternoon I picked up my friend Shelly, one of my former young women, and took her to Snowflake for an appointment. While Shelly was in her appointment I went to the Taylor Walmart and did some shopping. I wanted to take back some temple dresses I had borrowed to try on from the Distribution Center, but they were closed.

I dropped Shelly off at a friends house and we hugged goodbye. She is going down to live in Thatcher and take some classes at Eastern Arizona College and won't be back until Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I hurried home and ate some dinner and got ready for the Grapp's to come over to watch the next two episodes of "When Calls the Heart." I did some walking but I don't think I will get my hoped for 16,000 steps. I will be lucky to get 10,000.

James went for a walk on the hill behind our house. He got back after the Grapp's were already here. I told Cammy about "WCTH" coming out on DVD on October 1st and she was excited and said they would definitely buy it.

After the Grapp's left James and I finished watching the newest episode of "Aurora Teagarden."

Arthur and Lynn, married to each other

police officers. Aurora's old boy friend.

Lynn is not a fan of Aurora's.

 I can't stand the cuteness!

So sweet!

 Last week two of these women were

hiking in Canada.

My dear sweet friend Ruth.

Sunday, August 11th, 2019

Montevideo, Uruguay

103rd operating temple

Dedicated: 18 Mar 2001

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Foreordained

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Book of Mormon

Alma 48:19-49:8

New Testament "The Power of God unto Salvation"

Review of Romans 1-6

General Conference

Hearing His Voice

David P. Homer

"We will find our Father's voice in many places. We will find it when we pray, study the scriptures, attend church, engage in faithful discussions, or go to the temple. Surely, we will find it in conference this very weekend.

Today we sustained 15 men as prophets, seers, and revelators. Their spirituality and experience give them a unique perspective that we desperately need. Their messages are easy to find and spoken with absolute clarity. They tell us what God wants us to know, whether it is popular or not.

Seeking His voice in anyone of these places is good, but seeking it in many of them is even better. And when we hear it, we need to follow the direction that is given. The Apostles James said, 'Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.' And President Thomas S. Monson once taught: 'We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey.'"

We woke up to rain this morning. I grabbed an umbrella from my closet and as I was closing it when I entered the church I noticed it had a Disneyland logo on it. Oh well, I don't think anyone noticed except maybe the boys who held the door open for me when I came in.

Bishop Miller was out of town today and Brother Thompson is still having knee problems so he was not here. It was Chuck and Brother Grapp, the elders quorum president, on the stand.

Tana, Corina, and Brother M. Wilhelm were the speakers today. 

Tana W. was the youth speaker. She spoke about how we can be "His Hands" and talked about the song. I remember when Stacy sang this song at a special Relief Society program in our home in Chandler. Tana ended her talk by saying: "I feel closer to Christ when I give service. I feel like I have a purpose."

Corina used Sister Eubanks conference talk, "The Light of Christ," as the basis of her talk. We need to to stay connected to our souce of light and power, Jesus Christ. Corina shared an experience she had of bearing testimony to a non-member friend that she is a daughter of God and the impact that statement had on her friend. 

How do we stay connected to Christ's light? We repent, we bear testimony, we do things daily, such as show love, seek Him diligently through prayer and scripture study, etc. We are His light. He needs us and we need Him.

Brother Wilhelm us Elder Holland's talk, "Behold, the Lamb of God," as the basis for his talk. He started his talk by asking us the question, "Are you using the sacrament the way the Lord intended"? Jesus introduced the sacrament to His apostles. Brother Wilhelm used the analogy of a Handyman jack says that the jack lifts us out of the mire, just as the Atonement and the sacrament lifts us from our life of sin. We need to commit to a higher level of behavior in the chapel where the sacrament is served. He used the phrase of offering a "crust of comfort, and a cup of compassion" to others as the Savior did for us.

Diana Curtis, using a walker, came to teach her Relief Society lesson today. I admire her for that. We had a good discussion on Brother Brock P. Hales conference address, "Answers to Prayer."

For lunch James made burgers with provolone cheese. The burgers were the frozen Fat Burgers and I did not like the flavor or the texture. I feel like throwing away the rest of the box but I don't think James would approve. 

I roasted the rest of the poblano chilies I have and peeled them but they were not ready in time to put on the burgers. At least now they are ready to use in the refrigerator.

For dessert we had Pepperidge Farm cherry turnovers. They were delicious. After lunch we took our food coma naps.

Later this afternoon I Facetimed with Jared, Charlie, and Scarlett who is staying with Lolly and Pop. Charlie and Scarlett are so cute together!

James had Brother Anderson over to work on Family Search. On Family Search the wrong person was put in as Greg's father.  It took awhile for us to change it, but we did. We put a call into Cathi and Terry and they helped us.

This evening James wrote a letter to Ben while I tried to do some catchup on my blog. 

 On their way to dance class

Not on Sunday 

 Watching their favorite TV show