Saturday, September 21st, 2019

Phoenix, Arizona

144th operating temple

Dedicated: 16 Nov 2014

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ, Glory of

DC 45:46

 Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.

Book of Mormon

Helaman 7:1-12

New Testament 2 Corinthians 8-13 "God Loveth a Cheerful Giver"

2 Corinthians 13

General Conference

Great Love for Our Father's Children

Elder Quentin L. Cook

"I promise that as we focus on our love for the Savior and His Atonement, make Him the centerpiece of our efforts to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, minister to others, and individually prepare to meet God, the influence of the adversary will be diminished and the joy, delight, and peace of the gospel will magnify our homes with Christlike love. I testify of these doctrinal promises and bear a sure witness of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice in our behalf, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Before Darrel and Rowan left this morning Darrel told us about Rowan's football team. They won the season play and are now playing on Monday in the tournament for the championship. They play Willis Jr. High, Firebirds and Eastmark is also the Firebirds so it's the Firebirds against Firebirds. Stacy and Kim both went to Willis so I told Rowan I wasn't sure which Firebirds I would be cheering for. I , of course, was just kidding! Rowan has been moved up to first string tackle on defense. You can tell how proud Darrel is.

Another story Darrel told this morning about a guy named Mr. Smith who paid off all of the student loans at Morehouse College, not only for the students but for the parents too. This amounted to 34 million dollars but that's ok because he's worth 6 billion.

James heard an elk answering him this morning so he disappeared for awhile. 

James forgot to set the mousetraps outside last night but he still caught two mice in his bucket trap.

Two more bulls are calling and James says to me: "I've had three bulls answer me this morning honey."

Darrel and Rowan left this morning and they took big Bertha. I hope they have a great day. James didn't go. He stayed home and worked outside on railings. Here are photos of some of the fish Rowan caught.

Trina had a leo photoshoot this morning with Lola and Ruby. Lola was a kitty and Ruby was a witch.

 Esmerelda and her kitty, Moonlight

 Moonlight is both fierce,

 and gentle.

 She's quite a charmer too.

 Good witch Esmeralda

Trina said that today was one of the most relaxing days that she has had in a long time. 

Addy made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I made rolls and minestrone soup for lunch and chicken enchiladas and refried beans for dinner.

All the kids had a Dilly bar. Some had chocolate and some had cherry. We did puzzles, colored, and watched highlights from "Dancing with the Stars." 

We went for a walk and we were going to go to the 911 Commemorative BBQ at the park but some people didn't want to go. We soon came to realize none of us really wanted to go because we did not want to have to change our clothes and get ready to go.

We read Church magazines and wondered why there are chickens on the front of this month's Ensign and New Era. We started talking about chickens and Addy looked them up on the internet and found out that there is someone who makes diapers for chickens so people can have them as pets and bring them into their houses. Now Addy says she wants a pet chicken. I think she's just kidding, at least I hope she is.

Darrel came home in time to watch part of the ASU game and to play games with the kids and Trina. 

We also watched the first two episodes of the new Hallmark series, "When Hope Calls."

I got 10,007 steps today.

James showing Rowan some fish photos.

 Addy worked on the St. Basil's church puzzle.

St Basil's is a church in Russia.

Two gorgeous girls!

Friday, September 20th, 2019

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

143rd operating temple

Dedicated: 4 May 2014

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Glory of

DC 45:16

And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto the, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,

Book of Mormon

Helaman 6:32-41

New Testament 2 Corinthians "God Loveth a Cheerful Giver"

2 Corinthians 12

General Conference

Christ: The Light that Shines in Darkness

Sharon Eubank

"I testify you are beloved. The Lord knows how hard you are trying. You are making progress. Keep going. He sees all your hidden sacrifices and counts the to your good and the good of those you love. Your work is not in vain. You are not alone. His very name, Emmanuel, means 'God with us.' He is surely with you."

Dave Elkin is our new, rich neighbor. He has a 10,000 dollar horse that he bought in Canada and he is supposed to bring it up this weekend. He is a roper and he must be a fisherman too because he wanted to know where Alex caught all of his fish.

James went outside this morning and said: "I caught 3 mice outside, 1 in the bucket."

We went to the temple today. Our goal was to make it to the 10:30 endowment session. We didn't leave until 9:30 because of me. James had to speed most of the way, but we made it to the session. I arrived in the endowment room before James did which is highly unusual. I learned afterwards that he forgot to put his white pants in his suitcase. He normally hangs them up with his suitcoat after working in the temple. He opened the door to his stall and said to one of the brothers who was working there: "I'm afraid I can't go to the session. I have no pants." The brother hurried and found him some pants and he was able to make the session. We were both in the back row of a completely full session.

I had stomach cramps throughout the session which took away from my enjoyment. When we got to the celestial room we both said a prayer and then we left. 

I think my stomach cramps are a result of a capsule I am taking called, Miracle Tea. The capsules contain the following: Persimmon leaves, marshmallow leaves, (didn't know they had leaves), malva leaves, lactobacillus acidophillus, and aloe vera gel extract. They are a cleansing compound.

After having some lunch and a Dilly bar I sat down in the recliner for a rest. Before I knew it James had brought me another Dilly bar. I guess he didn't see that I had already had one. This one had the stick taken out and was covered in caramel sauce and roasted pecans. We called it a "Dilly Deluxe."

I took a nap, walked, and read from "Aunt Dimity's Christmas."

I swept and mopped the kitchen and swept the wood floor and dusted. Darrel, Trina and the kids are coming tonight so I also went upstairs and made sure everything was clean, including the toilets,  and that there were no dead bugs in the bathtub. I rotated reading 20 minutes, walking 20 minutes, and cleaning 20 minutes every hour. It keeps things more interesting that way.

James was rather disappointed because he did not see any bull elk this evening. Instead of looking for elk James cleaned up outside and began sealing the railings. He also got his fishing stuff out as Darrel and Rowan are coming to go to the Black River.

Darrel and family got here after 10. We were already in bed and I believe they went straight to bed. 

Happy Birthday Kacey!

 Deb is my cousin Randy's wife.

Randy has stage 4 brain cancer.

Thursday, September 19th, 2019

Gilbert, Arizona 

142nd operating temple

Dedicated: 2 March 2014

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ, Glory of
DC 45:44
And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shal be cut off.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 6:15-31
New Testament 2 Corinthians 8-13 "God Loveth a Cheerful Giver"
2 Corinthians 11

General Conference

Abound with Blessings

Elder Dale G. Renlund

 "I invite you to faithfully activate heavenly power to receive specific blessings from God. Exercise the faith to strike the match and light the fire. Supply the needed oxygen while you patiently wait on the Lord. With these invitations, I pray that the Holy Ghost will guide and direct you so that you, like the faithful person described in Proverbs, will 'abound with blessings.' I testify that your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, live, are concerned with your welfare, and delight to bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

James went out this morning looking for the "big" elk but he had no luck. He was gone nearly two hours. He thought because he was so close last night that he would bed down close by. I guess that's why this elk has lived so long, because he does the unexpected.

When James got home we had scriptures and prayer and then he went to check his mousetraps. 

I was going to watch the book webinar this morning but they had technical difficulties and cancelled.

I walked 2,000 steps while listening to Elder Renlund's talk. Then I blogged while listening to " The Sifting" by Elray Christiansen.

I must mention here something that James does everyday. He gets up and always makes our bed, unless I'm still in it. A year or so ago we decided that would be his "chore" and I would empty the kitchen trash. It has worked out wonderfully for me. I so love the fact that my bed is always made and I didn't have to make it!

I decided on what my three meals would be this coming week. I always try to plan on making three nice meals and then eating leftovers and eating out once a week. This coming week our meals will be: Chicken enchiladas with white sauce, pork chops with stuffing, and minestrone soup with rolls.

We went to town this afternoon. Our first stop was LaCasita for lunch. Because I am trying to lose some weight I ordered an enchilada without rice or beans. It was difficult because I love their beans and rice.

James dropped me off at Walmart while he dropped my book shipment off at UPs and then went to Lowes. 

On the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen and got two boxes of Dilly bars, one cherry and one chocolate because Darrel's family is coming up this weekend.

About six o'clock this evening James calls to me from upstairs:

"Karen, that bull is in the same spot again! Such excitement!

 I know these are videos but I don't know how

to post videos on here. The pictures

are still adorable!

 My kind of gingerbread house!

 This is for our friend Alice who

is a firefighter.

Wednesday, September 18th, 2019

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

141st operating temple

Dedicated: 17 March 2013

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Glory of

DC 29:12
And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 6:1-14
New Testament 2 Corinthians 8-13 "God Loveth a Cheerful Giver"
2 Corinthians 10

General Conference

We Can Do Better and Be Better

President Russell M. Nelson

"The Lord needs selfless men who put the welfare of others ahead of their own. He needs men who intentionally work to hear the voice of the Spirit with clarity. He needs men of the covenant who keep their covenants with integrity. He needs men who are determined to keep themselves sexually pure - worthy men who can be called upon at a moment's notice to give blessings with pure hearts, clean minds, and willing hands. The Lord needs men eager to repent - men with a zeal to serve and be part of the Lord's battalion of worthy priesthood bearers."

I loved this talk by President Nelson even though it was given in the priesthood session. Here are some notes I took:

"Daily repentance brings purity and purity brings power."

Ways to improve:

1) Care for our bodies

2) Honor our spouses

3) Be a true disciple of Jesus Christ

4) Keep covenants with integrity

5) Communicate the Love of the Savior to your family

I texted my cousin Rita and wished her a happy birthday. She is one day less than a month younger than I am. We always wish each other happy birthdays.

I did some book buying today and repricing. I sold another copy of one of my most profitable books today. It's called Charlotte Huck's Guide to Children's Literature. I have sold five copies of this book and wish I had more.

James had a doctor's appointment today with Dr. DeLange. He is the doctor that did the procedure that determined that James has a hernia and needs surgery. They scheduled his surgery for October 15th. The doctor said most people opt out of this surgery because for two weeks afterwards you can only have liquids and then the next week only soft foods. 

One of the brothers that James ministers to, Anthony, had an allergic reaction to a medicine he was on. He went to the hospital and they put him on something to counteract the allergic reaction he had. They said if he had waited much longer it may have been to late. 

This evening James went up on the deck in Sheri's bedroom with his binoculars and found a huge bull elk with his cows. He was just across the way on the Crane's property.  I saw him too and he is beautiful. James says he has one of the widest racks he has ever seen. 

Tonight as I was eating one of my favorite snacks, brownie in a cup, I saw something fly close to me. I thought it was a bird but James said it was a bat. It flew over by the fireplace and he whacked it with something.

Yikes!

Living in the country requires critter control inside and out. James's bucket mouse trap is working great outside.

 Arizona Highways

 Charlie's new hairdo!

Tuesday, September 17th, 2019

Calgary, Alberta

140th operating temple

Dedicated: 28 Oct 2012

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ, Glory of

DC 7:3
And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desirest this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 5:28-52
New Testament 2 Corinthians 8-13 "God Loveth a Cheerful Giver"
2 Corinthians 9

General Conference

Where Will This Lead?

President Dallin H. Oaks

"The restored gospel of Jesus Christ encourages us to think about the future. It explains the purpose of mortal life and the reality of the life to follow. It explains the purpose of mortal life and the reality of the life to follow It teaches great ideas about the future to guide our actions today. Our present and our future will be happier if we are always conscious of the future. As we make current decisions, we should always be asking, "Where will the lead?"

I followed James to town today. He took his truck to a place recommended by a girl that works at O'Reilly Auto Parts. The place is called Southwest Transmission. James says the mechanic is a young guy named Tyler and he's really good. The place is on main street (the Deuce), across from what I call the old Cluff mansion.

We dropped his truck off and then went to Safeway to pick up a few items. I wanted to get ice but James said he needed to go to Lowe's and we could pick some up at Dollar General on the way home, which we did. 

I forgot to mention something important that happened last week. James bought me a new full-length mirror and installed it in the same place the last one was, on the back of our bathroom door. Thanks Honey, I really appreciate your efforts!

I came home and made a meatloaf for lunch, along with baked potatoes and green beans, one of our favorite meals. 

I spent some time this afternoon researching more books to buy. I sold two books today. Speaking of books I also finished reading the book, "Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil." It certainly had some surprises at the end.

We had to go back into town to pick up James's truck after Tyler called and said it has a bad integrated power module. James called Erik and he said that made sense. It would cost $900 for Tyler to fix plus labor so we didn't have him do it because we can't afford that right now. James got a quote online of $375 at Carid but they don't have any in right now. Anyway the fixing of the truck has been delayed again but at least we know what's wrong with it.

James worked on the rotten log at the end of our bedroom deck. He is filling it with epoxy. James has cut way back on his walking. He walks at least 10,000 a day. He also quit the group he was in on Pacer. He can't stand being in the group if he's not going to get 1st place everyday.

I watched President Nelson's BYU Devotional live on BYU-TV.

  "The Love and Laws of God"

I wish to discuss five truths that I feel impressed to share with you.

1.) You are sons and daughters of God. 

One thing is certain: You are of the House of Israel and you have been sent here to help gather God's elect.

2.) Truth is truth.

Some things are simply true. The arbiter of truth is God - not your favorite social media news feed, not Google, and certainly not those who are disaffected from the Church.

Truth is based upon the laws God has established for the dependability, protection, and nurturing of His children. Eternal laws operate in and affect each of our lives, whether we believe them or not.

3.) God loves every one of us with perfect love.

Because the Father and the Son love us with infinite, perfect love, and because They know we cannot see everything They see, They have given us laws that will guide and protect us. 

God's greatest blessings are reserved for those who obey His laws, as He explained: "For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing."

God's laws are motivated entirely by His infinite love for us and His desire for us to become all we can become.

4.) The Lord Jesus Christ, whose Church this is, appoints prophets and Apostles to communicate His love and teach His laws. 

Each of the Lord's Apostles is in a position to observe and feel the love that Heavenly Father has for His children, particularly for those who are struggling. He cares deeply about those who have strayed from the covenant path, especially when they fear there is no way back.

My dear friends, there is always a way back. 

Because we feel the depth of God's love for His children, we care deeply about every child of God, regardless of age, personal circumstances, gender sexual orientation, or other unique challenges.

5.) You may know for yourself what is true and what is not by learning to discern the whisperings of the Spirit.

I plead with you to seek earnestly a confirmation from the Spirit that what I have told you is true and is from the Lord.

Ask your Heavenly Father if we truly are the Lord's Apostles and prophets. Ask if we have received revelation on this and other matters. Ask if these five truths are - in fact - true. 

Now, in my capacity as President of the Church, I invoke a blessing upon you, to be able to discern between right and wrong, between the laws of God and the conflicting voices of the world. I bless you with power to detect the adversary's deceptions. I bless you with greater capacity to receive revelation. And I bless you to be able to feel the infinite reach of God's perfect love for you. 

I so bless you and express my love for you, along with my witness that this is the Lord's Church and that He presides over and guides all we do, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

What a great blessing to the entire world is our Prophet, Russell M. Nelson!

 Looks like she has some good reading material.

 Scarlett loves to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle

Little Star."

 In 2009 my friend Karen and I took the Deseret Book

"Harry Potter" tour of England.

Can you find me?