OUR FAMILY

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Sunday, February 18, 2024: Listen to sacrament songs, High council Sunday Travis Tesarek, @ Nephi 2 & Alma 42, Kristine HIpps, Reed Brown, 1992 journal

Frieberg, Germany

33rd operating temple

Dedicated: 29-30 June 1985

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 6

Come Follow Me

"Follow Him" for 2 Nephi 6-11 "O How Great the Plan of Our God"

October General Conference

"Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ" Emily Belle Freeman

Relief Society

"The Sealing Power" Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Book

"Rescuing Wayward Children"

The body is the ultimate vehicle for moral agency.

"Unrepentant sin leads to the absence of light and truth."

I was very slow moving this morning. I feel like I need a can of WD-40 to oil my joints in the morning. Seriously, I've heard people say that it works.

As I go into the bathroom to get ready for church recently, I have been playing sacrament songs to get me in the proper frame of mind for taking the sacrament. It really does help. Tom came in to see what I was doing. He jumped up on the counter and when I put him down, he walked into the bedroom. I guess I offended him. He needs some attention but neither James nor I have time to give it to him.

Ruth Wallace was at our sacrament meeting today and I was able to give her a big hug. It may be the last time I ever see her. She will be missed.

Today is what I call high councilman Sunday. Our high councilman speaker was actually from our ward, Travis Tesarek. His son Resten was the youth speaker and Kerri Halcomb was the other speaker.

Resten spoke about God's Plan of Happiness and Your Eternal Destiny. This was a talk by Elder Gary E. Stevenson. Covenants help us return to Heavenly Father. Satan wants us to forget our covenants. The sacrament, scriptures, prayer, goals, and service help us to stay on the covenant path.

Kerri Halcomb - Kerri's talk was based on a talk by Sister Becky Craven called "Keep the Change." There have been lots of changes in the Church in the last few years. King Benjamin says we need a "change of heart." Do good continually. True conversions - the Lord will help. Can we help others to change? Microphone in Relief Society and Sunday School. Little changes can make a big difference. We need to have more love for Jesus Christ, our Savior. Computers have made a big change in family history.

Travis Teserak - Growing closer to the Savior. President Hinckley said, regarding fruit trees, we prune in February to bear fruit in September. 3 principles: 1.) Our future depends on choices now

2.) Let go of the less important 3.) Look for the Savior's light

In order to bear good fruit we need to know what to prune and what to nurture. Think celestial. Lose our lives to the Lord. What are my priorities? Use my time wisely. Simplify. Focus light. More revelatory experiences. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

In Sunday School we studied 2 Nephi 2. Brother Applegate compared it to Alma 42. Lehi speaking to his son Jacob and Alma speaking to his son Corianton.

So much information. This was such a good lesson. I took pictures of some of the power point.

As I was waiting for James after church I struck up a conversation with Kristine Hipps in the parking lot. She said something about us knowing Theola Crawford and Reed Brown. I said yes, we knew them because they were in our ward when we first moved to Chandler. Theola is Reed's mother and I saw on Facebook that she just celebrated her 99th birthday. Reed was in James's priest quorum and he also worked for him during the summer. I asked Kristine how they knew them. She said, "I was married to Reed." I was surprised and didn't know what to say. Reed was such a nice guy and I love Kristine. I wonder what happened. I didn't want to ask. Kristine also knew John and Sandy Bear.

For lunch we had the mini subs and tomato basil soup that Kathy brought us. Delicious! After lunch I napped with Thomas on the recliner.

I was upstairs looking for old wedding announcements to see if I could find one for Reed Brown and Kristine when I found a family journal we kept in 1992. I began reading from it and enjoyed it so much that I brought it downstairs to share with James. We had some good laughs.

I have had a package of chicken in the refrigerator for several days now that needed to be cooked. James agreed to help me. We made chicken strips combining two different recipes and adding a few ingredients of our own. The results were delicious. I knew we were going to be in the valley the next two days and didn't want to wait until Wednesday to cook this chicken. Now we will have a tasty treat when we come home on Wednesday.

This evening I listened to Robert Millett on "Follow Him" and watched this week's episode of "A Boulder Life" starring the Robles family who live in our ward. They are going to build a shed so they can stop paying to rent a storage unit in town which costs them $92 every month.

Bunny Bags

Scarlett

James and Tom

Charlie

Monday, February 26, 2024

Saturday, February 17, 2024: George Wallace's funeral, cookies, Kathy Crane brings over food, "Passport to Love", "Unshaken", "Tutored in Love"

Guatemala City, Guatemala

32nd operating temple

Dedicated: 14-16 Dec 1984

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 5:18-34

Come Follow Me

Liahona - "15 Amazing Features of the Book of Mormon app"

October General Conference

"Praise to the Man" by President M. Russell Ballard

Relief Society

"The Sealing Power" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Book

"Teaching with Power" by Tad R. & Kathryn Callister

Chapter 8 - How Best Teach the Doctrine? p. 63-68

Daily Books

"A Witness and a Warning" by Ezra Taft Benson

"The Holy Covenants" by Anthony Sweat

"And These Words" by Emily Belle Freeman

Researching the word "conversion"

Up at 3:45 but not fully functioning.

I've stayed at home since my ministering outing with Kathy on Tuesday. Wednesday I missed going to town with James and doing my shopping because I didn't feel up to it. I missed going to the temple on Friday when I cancelled our sealing appointment because I wasn't feeling up to it. Today I missed George Wallace's funeral because I wasn't feeling up to it. I did send two dozen sugar cookies with James.

Kathy Crane said Chuck loved

my cookies. James loves them too,

but he likes them without frosting.

James left for the funeral at 9:30. He and other members of the elders quorum were setting up chairs. When he first arrived the church was still locked. They didn't wait long until Kerri Halcomb showed up with a key. The funeral is at noon.

James got home around 3:00 saying that was the best funeral he had ever been to. I feel that way about most LDS funerals.

Not only did George raise six children with his wife Ruth, but he raised his two sisters also. They are pictured with George in the upper left hand corner.

James brought me a small Firehouse sub, potato salad and a brownie from the funeral luncheon. The family provided the food and our Relief Society provided the desserts. I gave James my brownie but ate the sub and the potato salad.

While James was gone Tom followed me from room to room. He started out on a dining room chair, then the recliner in the bedroom, both sides, the bed and the recliner couch in the family room.

Around 5:00 or so someone rang our doorbell. It was Kathy Crane. She knew I wasn't feeling well and brought us some food for dinner. Three mini subs and a substantial amount of tomato basil soup, which was delicious! It will taste good tomorrow after church. How grateful I am that Kathy thought of us.

As James and I were walking and listening to "Tutored in Love" we both agreed that this book is getting quite good. We watched an UpTV movie, "Passport to Love", before going to bed.

Walk, drop and rub

Tom gets his first tummy rub of the day

Friday, February 16, 2024: Genesis 15, Tom missing for awhile, Cookies for Wallace funeral, Tom joins us for our naps, "Unshaken Saints", Sheri's call, J washes my car, Applegate houseplan problems

Taipei, Taiwan

31st operating temple

Dedicated: 17 Nov 1984

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 5:1-17

10 - And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses.

Come Follow Me

2 Nephi 5:20-21

What was the curse that came upon the Lamanites?

October General Conference

"Brothers and Sisters in Christ" by Elder Ulisses Soares

Book

"Your Endowment" by Mark A. Shields

The Oath in Genesis 22

Abraham's Calling and Election made sure

Liahona

"My Bishops Book of Mormon Challenge"

I've been thinking why I like Genesis 15. I love it because when Jehovah made the covenant with Abraham He took all of the responsibility and Abraham got all of the promises. That is basically it in a nutshell. It's how Emily explained it on the "Don't Miss This" episode for Genesis 15.

Tom was missing for awhile this morning. James lets him in when he gets out of bed. While he dresses I play with Tom and then he goes outside with James to feed Luna and eat. After he eats he normally comes back in, plays for awhile, and then goes to sleep. Today he was no where to be found after he ate. I was so worried about the coyotes eating him that I called Kathy Crane to see if she had seen him. No she had not but yesterday she saw two coyotes near her back yard. Thanks Kathy for painting that mental image in my head.

James had called for him all over outside. Desperately I opened the garage door, called him a couple of times, waited, and then closed the door and went back to baking cookies in the kitchen. James was sitting at the end of the dining room table. He heard a "meow" that I didn't hear and opened the garage door to see Tom standing there looking up at him. He had answered my call but I just hadn't given him enough time to come to the door. What a relief!

Tom joined me for a nap on the recliner until James came in to lie down on the bed. His head perked up and he jumped down and ran over to the bed. Is it any wonder that James loves him so much.

James had some very difficult memories regarding his dog falling through the ice in Ramah Lake and drowning. He said it was his fault and he had to watch him cry for help and James couldn't do anything about it. One of the saddest days of his life. That's why he has always hesitated to have a pet.

I listened to part of "Unshaken Saints" today and James and I listened to "Tutored in Love" while we walked. This book, although the chapters are quite short, has 62 chapters. I finished my 12,000 steps before James did.

I did lots of studying today but very little blogging. Sometimes it's hard to know what is most important.

Sheri called. Even though her cancer report came back benign her doctor says something doesn't look right and she has to see a specialist for a biopsy in another area. He will no longer be doing her surgery. This specialist, an oncologist for gynecology will be doing the surgery. They did manage to get the IUD out already.

Sheri says she decided the thing she wanted most on her birthday was to go to the 7 a.m. temple session. She is looking forward to the peace and quiet found in the temple.

James washed my car today in the driveway. Our power sprayer is still in the repair shop so he did it with the hose. He also cleaned off the dining room table and moved his computer and papers upstairs to his office.

Tom jumped on the table while James was eating and James was a little upset. I told him Tom needed to be outside when we eat until he is trained not to jump on the table or counters.

James says there are problems with Applegate's house plans and he needs to meet with them to discuss the problems. There is not enough detail to hand them in to the county for permits.

Thursday, February 15, 2024: Herd of deer, Tom's doings, James handed in our income tax info, J visits at Waypoint Recovery w/ Collin, Jan Martin on "FH", Abrahamic Covenant

Dallas, Texas

30th operating temple

Dedicated: 19 Oct 1984

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 4:20-35

Come Follow Me

2 Nephi 5

I can find happiness in living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

October General Conference

"Seeing God's Family through the Overview Lens" by Tamara W. Runia

Book

"Grace Where You Are" Emily Belle Freeman, p. 21-31

"For every hurt on the Mortality Tree, healing can be found on the Jesus Tree."

Inklings

"Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ" by Emily Belle Freeman; see footnotes 19-32 in talk; Exalt; "It's not the course alone that will exalt us; it's the companion."

Tom and James see a herd of deer go through our property when they go out to feed Luna. James says Tom was staring at something out in the field and as he looked to see what Tom was looking at, he saw the deer.

Tom comes in the house during the day and sleeps most of the time.

Today he started on one of the high chairs at the table near the entryway. He saw me come in the bedroom and followed me. When I sat down on the recliner with my electric blanket, as soon as I got settled, he jumped up on my lap. He slept there during my nap and when I was ready to get up James came and moved him to the other recliner seat with another blanket. He stayed there a few minutes and then jumped back over to the electric blanket. When James came in to take his nap on the bed, Tom joined him, snuggling up close.

James went into town to take our tax information to our accountant, Cheri Witt. He is so grateful to be handing the information over to someone else. He was going to wash my car but failed to do so. He promised he would wash it at home before Sunday.

When James got home he worked on Applegate's house plans. He says it's going to be a difficult house to build and that the plans are not showing enough detail and the county will never pass them. Not good news for Jimmy & Tamara. Their house plan is quite unique. It has a castle turret and a spiral staircase going up to it. It's going to be the Vernon castle when it gets built.

This evening around 5, James picked up Collin DeWitt and they went to an addiction recovery center at The Ranch. The place is called WayPoint. There are a couple of members of our ward at this recovery center. Collin brought one of them a new pair of work boots because he heard he needed a pair.

A woman named Lori Holland is the head of the center. She is a member but not interested in coming to our ward. Even though she spends most of her time here in Vernon at the center she says she has a home in Eagar and that is where her membership is. There are three other guys who are members, Rob Bigelow who is not interested in attending church, and the two guys Collin and James met with: Bo Taylor and Ben Young. Ben Young is from Chandler and Mike Wallen was his bishop in Chandler 4th ward. Collin made arrangements with Ben and Bo to pick them up on Sunday. James and I will take them home after church.

I listened to Jan Martin on "Follow Him" and really enjoyed her. I blogged for the 7th and 8th of February, walked over 14,000 steps and listened to "Tutored in Love" with James. I also looked up the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 17 and Abraham 2 as part of my lesson preparation for "The Sealing Power."

I was going to go shopping when James went to town today but I just wasn't feeling up to it.

Addy reading and Ruby playing with Gramma's dice

Dianne Heyman's chocolate raspberry, almond cake.

Yummy!

Trina with Darrel's strawberry birthday cake.

Delicious!

Monster Rice Krispy bars I made one Halloween

Joshua, Alex, Ruby, Evan

Our last FHE at our Chandler home before

moving to Vernon. 2012

1st row: Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson

2nd row: Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson,

Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, Ulisses Soares, Patrick Kearon

2024

Friday, February 23, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024: Cookies for breakfast, Elder Rasband's talk, Vernon blood drive at the church bldg, Flyer for women's night @ stk cnfrnce, foot rub for V-day

Manila, Philippines

29th operating temple

Dedicated: 25 Sep 1984

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 4:10-19

Come Follow Me

2 Nephi 4:15-35

"O Lord, I have trusted in Thee."

"The Things of My Soul" by Elder Ronald A. Rasband

October General Conference

"Humble to Accept and Follow" by Elder Joni L. Koch

Book

"Unlocking the Powers of Faith" by Garth Allred, p. 36

Relief Society

"The Sealing Power" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

If you know me, you know how much I love strawberry anything. Today I found a recipe for strawberry bread that I am anxious to try.

Did I mention that I had cookies for breakfast and I think James did too. It's Valentine's Day so we had to live it up a little.

James and I had scriptures and prayer early this morning before we did anything else. That is the best way to do it!

We listened to Elder Rasband's talk, "Things of My Soul" as a part of our Come Follow Me study. He makes these seven suggestions in his talk:

1. Love the Father and the Son

2. Love thy neighbor

3. Love yourself

4. Keep the commandments

5. Be temple worthy

6. Be joyful and cheerful

7. Follow God's living prophet.

I made tacos for lunch. They were yummy!

There is a blood drive at the church today. James was assigned to go help this afternoon. He thought he would be gone a couple of hours but ended up only staying for about 30 minutes. They had more than enough people there to help.

I got a flyer today announcing the March 8th Women's Devotional with an Apostle and his wife. Several stakes will be involved but I think the apostle will be live in our building.