Monday, March 27, 2023: Up @ 4:30 Prayer, plan, study, Smell in kitchen, Errands, Sonic, Walmart, Circle K, "I Can Only Imagine", TWP

Kona, Hawaii

70th operating temple

Dedicated: 23-24 Jan 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Testimony of

1 Corinthians 1:6

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

Book of Mormon

Jacob 7:1-20

Come Follow Me

Matt 14; Mark 6; John 5-6 "Be Not Afraid"

Jesus' Name

Bread of Life

Word

Five Thousand

Phrase

"It is I, Be Not Afraid."

OctGenCon

The Virtue Of The Word

Elder Mark D. Eddy

Of the Seventy

I testify that our Heavenly Father has given us the word because He loves us perfectly and wants each of us to return home to live with Him forever. I testify of "the Word . . . made flesh," even Jesus the Christ, and of His power to save and to redeem us. I know that His virtue flows through the words of His prophets, both past and present.

100 Favorite Verses - "Faith Without Works Is Dead"

James 2:17, 26

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Up at 4:30 for prayer, planning and study. 

Around 7:00 I walked into the kitchen for some breakfast. I noticed a funny smell. I mentioned it to James and he said he smelled it to. I checked the frig and the garbage but it didn't seem to be coming from either one. I asked James when was the last time he checked the mousetraps. He said it had been awhile. Sure enough, there was a dead mouse in one of the traps. That means the cover is missing from the hole outside where they come in.

We left for town to run errands a little before one. Our first stop was Sonic for lunch and then on to Walmart where James dropped me off while he went to Circle K to get gas and to wash my car. 

The garden section of Walmart had some beautiful plants set out, including some daffodils, one of my favorite flowers. I really wanted to buy some for our front porch planters but I thought it might be too soon in the year for them to do any good. I am sure we are going to have some more cold weather.

I saw my friend Jana Grombach in Walmart. She told me she was just recovering from Covid. I told her I had something for her and she said don't chance it by coming to my house. I told her I would just leave it on her porch.

One the way home we stopped at the post office. My book "Celebrate a Christ-Centered Easter" came and so did the jet nozzle I ordered for the hose. 

When we got home and after the groceries were put away I sat down in the family room and found the movie Stacy told me to watch on Prime. It is called "I Can Only Imagine." It was sad but really good and soon James joined me in watching it. It is based on a true story. The guy wrote a song about what it would be like to die and see the Savior. The name of the song: "I Can Only Imagine."

After the movie James went out to feed Luna and when he came back in he said: "It's freezing out there." Although we did have sunshine today it didn't get above 43.

We both had cereal for dinner. I have chicken marinating in the frig that we will have tomorrow at noon.

This quote goes with this week's "Come Follow Me" lesson:

"A desired outcome combined with an action of faith often leads to a miracle."

Show Low Creek overflowing

Sheri left some cookie dough.

I made some cookie cakes.

Benson and his dog

 

Sunday, March 26, 2023: Study, Fast & Testimony mtg, RS, Home, Rest, Blog, Index, DMT, Pres. Nelson Quote, Dinner

 

St. Paul, Minnesota

69th operating temple

Dedicated: 9 Jan 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Testimony of

Acts 22:18

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Book of Mormon

Jacob 6:1-13

Come Follow Me

Review this week, DMT next week

Jesus' Name

Teacher/Sower

Word

Parables

Phrase

Those who have ears to hear, let him hear.

OctGenCon

That They Might Know Thee  (John 17:3)

Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt

Of the Seventy

One last name of Jesus is that He is Faithful and True. Just as Jesus was ever faithful and always true, HIs earnest desire is that we exhibit these qualities in our lives. When our faith falters, we can cry out to Jesus, "lord, save me," just like Peter as he began to sink in Galilee's stormy sea. On that day, Jesus reached down to rescue the drowning disciple. He has done the same for me, and He will do the same for you. Don't ever give up on Jesus - He will never give up on you!

100 Favorite Verses - "Rewards for the Faithful"

D&C 58:2

For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithfu in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

Up at 4:30. Prayer and lesson preparation until 7:30. No breakfast as it is fast Sunday. We are fasting for our grandchildren. 

We left for church before 8:30. James helps me to setup in the Relief Society room. There was no ward council because the bishop is still our of town. Kerri is in the Relief Society room too setting up the microphone system.

Brother Allen conducted fast and testimony meeting. Here are the testimonies that were born:

Steve Allen - Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony by Elder Stevenson, Glorious vision of the resurrected Lord by Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith.

Katie Hahn - 19 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 leukemia and was given 72 hours to live. Grateful to Heavenly Father that I am here today.

Barbara Bartels - We are beloved sons and daughters of God. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are continually assisting me throughout the day.

Greg Anderson - God lives. Take my yoke upon you. I took the opportunity to talk to a nonmember last night at the party about the gospel. It was a good experience.

Teebow - He woke up at 3 am thinking about Jesus. He wrote down his thoughts and shared them with us. There is one God, the Mediator between God and man, even Jesus Christ.

Pierce Goodman - I am grateful for blessings of Heavenly Father which come through Jesus Christ. My wife is a pillar of faith. I am grateful for the fulness of the gospel which Joseph Smith helped restore.

Paula Johnson - I have lived in Vernon 35 years. I love reaching out to neighbors and friends. Our Savior suffered and died for us.

Tamara Applegate - Fence commandments. Parable of the Sower, I hope your ground is ready.

Lorraine Vaught - I am thankful to be a member of this ward. My husband has macular degeneration and is losing his eyesight. Every challenge makes us stronger.

The lesson I taught today was based on Sister Michelle Craig's talk, "Wholeheartedness" and President Eyring's talk, "Legacy of Encouragement." I think it went well. Here are some of the highlights. From Sister Craig's talk:

First, we can keep our covenants, even when it is not easy.

Living in convenience does not bring power. The power we need to withstand the heat of our day is the Lord's power, and His power flows through our covenants with Him

Second, we can act in faith.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we understand that faith in Him requires action - especially in hard times.

Third, we can be wholehearted and joyful in our devotion.

Brothers and sisters, to be such men and women is the call of our day - disciples who dig deep to find the strength to keep pulling when called to walk through the wilderness, disciples with convictions that have been revealed to us by God, followers of Jesus who are joyful and wholehearted in our own personal journey of discipleship.

Legacy of Encouragement

Hal, of course it's hard, It's supposed to be. Life is a test.

The Savior knows your struggles in detail. He knows your great potential to grow in faith, hope, and charity.

Wherever you are on the covenant path, you will find a struggle against the physical trials of mortality and the opposition of Satan.

Moroni 7:38-48 Faith, Meekness, Hope, Charity

Charity - the pure love of Christ, strengthened, guided, sustained, and changed my mother in the struggle on her way home.

Meekness: Righteous responsiveness, Willing submissiveness, and Strong self-restraint. James said Collin gave the lesson in elders quorum and did a great job.

I broke my fast when I got home. James waited until 5:00. I took a long nap on the family room recliner while James slept in the bedroom in his sauna blanket.  

When I got up from my nap I went in to start catching up on my blog. I'm about 3 days behind. 

I went online and found the next cake I want to do. I posted a picture yesterday. 

James couldn't get on the Church website except to do indexing. He needs to do his ministering report but can't. I told him to wait until tomorrow and call Salt Lake.

I listened and watched "Don't Miss This" for next week's "Come Follow Me" lesson. We went to bed before 9:30.

James at the dessert table last night

 

Saturday, March 25, 2023: 6 Prayer, study, shower, breakfast, Start Lemon Bar cake, lemon curd, cake, frosting, finished at 4:40, Ward Missionary BBQ, Study for Lesson

 

Raleigh, North Carolina

68th operating temple

Dedicated: 18 Dec 1999

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Testimony of

Acts 14:3

Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Book of Mormon

Jacob 5:73-77 The Millennium

Jesus' Name

Teacher/Sower

Word

Parables

Phrase

Who has ears to hear, let them hear.

OctGenCon

The Answer Is Jesus

Elder Ryan K. Olsen

Of the Seventy

To those who will choose to serve, I can attest to the blessings that will come as you heed a prophet's call. Serving is not about you; it is about the Savior. You will be called to a place, but more importantly you will be called to a people. You will have the great responsibility and blessing of helping new friends understand that the answer is Jesus.

100 Favorite Verses - "This Is My Joy"

Alma 29:9

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

I got up at 6 o'clock this morning. I had my prayer and did my gospel study, took a shower and had some breakfast. 

My next order of business was to start the cake I am taking to the ward party tonight. I had set out the eggs, butter, and buttermilk last night because they are all supposed to be at room temperature. 

 

The first thing I did was bake the shortbread crust for the bottom of each cake pan. They only needed to be in the oven for six minutes. I may have gone a little over. 

Next I decided to make the lemon curd because it needs to chill for at least 3-4 hours. I didn't use Courtney's recipe because it calls for three eggs and four egg yolks. The recipe I used just calls for three eggs. It turned out the right texture although it was a little tart. James loved it. I asked him to please not eat it because it was the filling for my cake.

I took a break for lunch and then started mixing the batter for the cake. Three 8" cake pans with the thick yellow batter equally distributed on my little scale I used when I had my book business.

The cakes baked an extra 10 minutes over the time Courtney said. They came out of the pans with no problem. 

I mixed up the frosting, put the curd in between the first and second cake layers and the second and third. I crumb coated the cake and put it in the big freezer in the garage for about 30 minutes. During that 30 minutes I cleaned the kitchen and then I rested. 

Next came the frosting of the cake. I am a little concerned about having enough frosting, but somehow I do. I put Courtney's round, plastic disk on top of the cake and fill in with frosting the gaps. I frost the sides of the cake and smooth the frosting out with Courtney's scraper. Getting the sides completely smooth is difficult for me. I do the best I can with the time that I have. It is slowly approaching 5 o'clock. 

When I am finished frosting, I sprinkle some powdered sugar on the top of the cake through a fine sifter. I then half some lemon slices for a border around the top of the cake. The cake is finished.

I see a few rough spots, but overall it looks

pretty good. 

We had some extra lemon curd I was going to take for people to put on their slices, but James talked me out of it.

I think my cake was the only cake on the dessert table. There were lots of pies and other desserts.

Rosie Lauritzen commented on how beautiful my cake was. 

James and I sat at the first table as you come into the cultural hall. Owen & Donna Peeler, and Pam & Chuck Wood were at this table. Pierce Goodman gave the opening prayer and the blessing on the food. When we were called up to get in line, I was the first one. Kerri kept saying to go out in the hall to lineup because that's where the silverware is. I looked at Brother Peeler who was second in line and he said to me: "We can get our silverware later." That was the only encouragement I needed. 

There were several roaster pans full of shredded pork with BBQ sauce on the side. For sides dishes there were beans, green beans, and different kinds of salad including coleslaw and potato salad. There were also rolls and butter. No homemade rolls from Judy Hunter that I could see. They are so delicious.

James and I both really enjoyed the beans that we got and also the green beans. The meat was tender and flavorful but it was those bean dishes that were loved the most. 

James went over and cut my cake. We saw a new way to cut cake today on the internet. You cut the cake in half and then you make slices on one side. You can get a lot more pieces of cake this way. The regular way the pieces of cake are always too big. These are perfect.

James brought me back a piece of cake. It kind of fell apart because of the shortbread which I think was a little overdone, but it tasted delicious. Definitely needed more lemon curd.

The cake disappeared as did most all of the desserts. 

This was a very successful activity put on by our ward missionaries. Sister Hine was in charge of the decorations and they were so cute. Brother Anderson, the ward mission leader, told a story of being a diver in the Navy and a time when he was in trouble because his mask stop working and how he felt like the Lord saved his life. Brother McCamy told a similar story and Kerri told about her accident and the fact that she feels like the Lord and her guardian angels saved her life. There were several nonmembers in attendance as the entire community was invited.

We left early so I could come home and work on my lesson. We went to bed before 9:30.

Gospel Doctrine Teacher

Pei Wei memories

When our Razr had a top

My next cake

Friday, March 24, 2023: J forgets his food & drink, Sh & B run in the snow, Sheri's brkfst, Yahtzee, Leaving in a snowstorm, Luna gets out, Alex postpones,

 

Edmonton, Alberta

67th operating temple

Dedicated: 11 Dec 1999

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Testimony of

John 21:24

This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

Book of Mormon

Jacob 5:52-72 Fourth Visit, Today

Come Follow Me

Luke 8:1-3 In what way did certain women minister to the Savior?

Jesus's Name

Teacher/Sower

Word

Parable

Phrase

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

OctGenCon

Legacy of Encouragement

President Henry B. Eyring

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

The commandments and covenants He offers you are not tests to control you. They are a gift to lift you toward receiving all the gifts of God and returning home to your Heavenly Father and the Lord, who love you.

100 Favorite Verses - "Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole"

Mark 5:34 

And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

James left for the valley early this morning. He called me about 30 minutes after he left and said he forgot his lunch and his drink. He also left a piece of toast in the toaster so I wonder if he had any breakfast. Later I found a receipt on the ground from Burger King. He had a ham and egg croissant.

When Ben started his run this morning the sun was shining. When James called he had said that it was snowing in Show Low. I looked out the window. Towards Springerville the sun was shining and the sky was blue. When I looked towards Show Low there was a huge gray cloud moving across the sky. Ben posted that about two miles into his hike it began to snow.

Love that smile!

Ben is such a fun, positive person 

to be around!

Love this picture!

Thanks Ben!

Sheri again, drove into the middle of Vernon to do her run, in the snow.

When Sheri got back from her run she fixed a nice breakfast for the boys, eggs, biscuits and bacon. She wishes she would have seen my hashbrowns in the freezer because she would have fixed them too. I wish I would have told her. Oh well, next time. 

Sheri and Ben played a couple of games of Yahtzee and then they were on their way home, in a snowstorm.

Don't you just love Evan's face in the top photo!

I actually love all of these faces and I am so grateful they came to

visit, even though it was only for a short time!

I finally finished my puzzle. I should have left it alone until after this weekend, but I couldn't resist.

Sheri's puzzle

My puzzle

M&M's and Easter eggs go well together!

We had a nice mixture of snow and sunshine today. I went out on the front porch because I saw that Luna was out. She was starting to walk down the road and I yelled at her: "Hey, where do you think you are going? Get back in that field." She look at me, whinnied, and walked towards the open gate and went back into the field. I'm wondering if she knew what I was saying and was obedient, or if that was where she was going in the first place. How did that gate get opened??

I mailed my aunt Gene's birthday card, went to Dollar General to get some Twizzlers, and came home and worked on my lesson.

James called around 1:00 and said he just got finished visiting with his mom and Dawn and he was on his way home. I noticed when his truck drove up that he had washed it. I love it! It's my favorite truck of all of the trucks he has ever had. Maybe that's because of the step that comes out when I open my door.

I think I will name her "Sly"

This truck was sold to someone else. They took it home and it was too long for their garage so they brought it back and bought a smaller truck. I am grateful because I loved this truck from the moment I saw her.

Alex and his friends were supposed to come up today but Alex texted and said they would have to postpone. He started a new job and it is too soon for him to ask for time off.

James has some trouble with his computer while he is trying to index so he gave up and came in the bedroom and we walked while listening to "Out of the Smoke." I also listened to "Secret of the Sonnets."

I worked on my lesson for quite awhile this afternoon.