Result: 155 days

 

It is 155 days from the start date to the end date, OR in other words less than 22 weeks until our missionary comes home.

I it hard to believe that more than a year has passed.

women’s meeting

some of my favorite quotes:

“As the temple is prepared for people, people need to be prepared for the temple.”   ~Linda K. Burton

“Covenants with god help us to know who we really are. they connect us with him in a personal way.” ~Jean A Stevens

“Remember being a daughter of God is not a distinction you earned or will ever lose.”  ~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“We need to accept that the commandments of God aren’t just a long list of good ideas. They aren’t ‘life hacks’ from an Internet blog, or motivational quotes from a Pinterest board. They are divine counsel, based on eternal truths.”
~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us, it is our sins, that like an umbrella, are keeping them from us.”
~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.”
~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

change

This morning I was able to participate in the rededication of the Ogden Utah Temple.
The words of the speakers were amazing and touched me in a personal way.
I often do not remember what was spoken, but I always remember how I felt.
Today, however, it is what I felt that helped me remember words.

The temple is the Lords house. It is dedicated to him.
When I heard the speaker tell us that His presence was here,
I FELT it.
I KNEW it.
Even in the simple chapel of the church that was a temporary extension of the temple.

Later in the day, my daughter and I drove up into the mountains.
It was a wet and drizzly drive that gave me a new perspective of the changing leaves.
The trees were enveloped in fog. At times, the visibility ahead was not always clear.
These views caused me to turn my thoughts to the temple.
A sacred place where I learn truths.
A holy place where I feel loved by my Heavenly Father.
A peaceful place where I can ponder the many ways I need to change..

What a blessing the temple is to me.

(Sharing todays quote[s] on photos taken on our drive…)
   

temptation

We have been in our home for eighteen years now.
It’s hard to imagine that that much time has passed.
We are very fond of our home, and especially fond of our neighbors.

Eighteen years ago, when we were putting our yard in,
we laid perfectly green sod and selected the right trees and bushes.
We found the perfect spot to plant each of them.
We watered and cared for it and it flourished.

Over the years, through our own neglect, and even the neglect of others,
an entire lawn was killed off, wild trees and plants took root,
the wrong, evasive plant was placed into the ground,
and weeds crept in from every direction.
Our yard now lacked the beauty that we once imagined.

Ignorance and neglect caused so much damage. The yard was out of control.
It seemed that every time we pulled or plucked, two more invaders returned.

The same can be true for temptation and sin.

If we neglect the commandments, if we ignore our Heavenly Father and forget to pray and study,
we will not be equipped with the tools and the power that we will need
to stand strong and fight against the unwanted invasions (temptations) of the adversary.
Temptation is a weed that will creep in
We must nurture our minds and bodies with the power of Christ
so that we will be deeply rooted in our testimony of His gospel.

Your weakest point will be the point at which Satan tries to tempt you, and will try to win you, and if you have made it weak yourself before you have undertaken to serve the Lord, he will add to that  weakness. Resist him and you will gain in strength. He will tempt you in another point. Resist him and he becomes weaker and you become stronger, until you can say, no matter what your surroundings may be, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve’ (Luke 4:8)”   ~David O McKay

stewardship

I have a friend that needed help.
She didn’t ask for it. But I knew.
I helped her the best I could, in a small and simple way.
I did not solve all of her problems or address all of her concerns,
but I was able to relieve her of one small worry so she could focus on others.
Stewardship:
the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
I have been very blessed in my life.
As I ponder all of my blessings, I came to the realization
that I have a stewardship to manage these blessings in a way that allows
me to take care of others in their time in need…
simply because that is what my Heavenly Father wants me to do.
That is why he blesses me.
I need to live within my means so that I can feed and clothe the hungry.
I need to eat right and exercise so that I can lift and carry things that need moving.
I need to keep my mind aware and alert so I can listen and share my insights and experiences.

The Lord’s admonition that we are stewards for those in need contains some of the strongest  language in all of scripture: “If any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion … unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.”  We are accountable as stewards over earthly blessings, which the Lord has provided.  ~Quentin L Cook [October Conference 2009]

balance

On Sunday, I fixed Chili for dinner.
I prepared it early in the morning and poured it into my crockpot to simmer while at church.
For those of you who know my naughty dog, Chester, this next sentence will make sense to you…
I put the crockpot on top of the washer in the laundry room just before leaving the house
I was the first one home and promptly attempted to transport the crockpot back into the kitchen.
As I lifted the crock pot [that was filled to the brim] the contents shifted
and before I knew it, scalding hot chili pour out onto my hand.
I set it down to regain balance, and tried once more, successfully.
By now, my hand was stinging from the incredible heat.
I followed first aid protocol and took measures to cool down the wound.
I was fortunate to only have burned a single finger.
I received a very strong example of how important balance is in our lives.
Balance is defined as mental and emotional steadiness; it is to bring into harmony or proportion.
We need balance spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially,and economically.
Over the past several months, I have assessed the balance (or lack thereof) in my own life.
I have often found myself over consumed by work.
I have neglected my physical health.
[This list could get long!]

The wise Job said, “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity”
(Job 31:6)
Talents, gifts of expression, and precious time are exhausted in swimming against too many tides

Balance in large measure is knowing the things that can be changed, putting them in proper perspective, and recognizing the things that will not change. And balance also lies in attitude. May our attitude be one of achieving balance and wisdom and understanding in all that we do.

~James E Faust

I have recently made some changes. So many more still need to take place,
but I already feel the scales are leveling out and balance is returning to my life

temptation

Not to long ago, we made a startling discovery at work….
WE HAVE MICE!
This is not the first time, mind you.
We thought we had it under control,
we let our guard down and they moved back.
But that is not the worse of it…
they had set up camp in the cupboard under the sink.

If you did not already know this:
Mice are not clean creatures.
They leave evidence of their existence everywhere.
Being the least squeamish person there
I volunteered for clean up duty.
Besides… I would never impose that task upon anyone
if I was not willing to take it upon myself.

I couldn’t help but notice how easily
this invasion occurred while we were not paying attention
or taking the necessary preventative measures.
[keeping food items put away, cleaning up, etc]
We assumed that the previous extermination was successful
and that there would no longer be trouble.

How true is this in our our lives.
If we let our guard down,
if we don’t  pay attention to the simple things
[daily prayer, scripture study, etc]
how easy would it be for tiny temptations
to creep in and invade us.

Train your mind to obey gospel principles and covenants. Stay on the highway of daily personal and family prayer, the avenue of studying the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets, the road of serving in the Church, and be willing to get off the wrong road daily and on the right road leading to eternal life. Your greatest protection against temptation is an active and vibrant testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which binds us to our Heavenly Father. Our greatest example of overcoming temptation is the Savior: “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22).
~RULON G. CRAVEN (April 1996 General Conference)

Assumption

a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.
It is in our nature to assume. It is very difficult not to… We see, we interpret, we react.
Assumption is necessary for us to function in our daily lives, however, it can also become dangerous.

Termites are silent killers; it takes years before you even notice the damage they've done to a home! Like termites, assumptions slowly eat away at our respect, trust, and love for one another. But we can start healing our relationships by assuming the best of each other.
~Henry Winkler

Communication is KEY.

t-i-m-e

I remember a vacation Evan and I took 15 years ago.
We left our daughters at home and cruised the Caribbean for 7 days.
We had a great time together. We met some wonderful people. We missed our girls!
Halfway into the trip we vowed to never take an extended vacation without them.
We have kept that promise and have had the time of our lives.

We have traveled, served, laughed, prayed, worshiped and cried together.
We have grown in our relationship with each other.
We have bonded with our daughters.
We have strengthened our family.

"In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship."

—Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Of Things That Matter Most"

Healing

Today, on the anniversary of 9-11, Taylor and I continued our tradition of visiting Healing Field in Sandy, Utah.
I will never forget where I was the day this event happened.
I will never forget calling my parents in Canada while they were serving their mission.
I will never forget gasping out loud as the first tower fell
…and again with the second collapse.
I will never forget the power of a Nation, that raised above this tragedy
and came together in such a remarkable way. With pride. With faith. With God.

It is a shame, that while we will never forget what happened our our land
we easily and often forget our God.
May we turn our thoughts to Him daily and enable Him and our Savior
to heal us and make us stronger.
Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.   ~Thomas S. Monson

Greed

Tonight, my daughter and I left to grab a bite for dinner.
My dog, Chester, wasted no time and ran downstairs into the room where
my daughter is [temporarily] storing her boxes after moving back home.

He managed to locate a bag full of chocolaty cookies.
He carefully pulled the package out of this bag and pulled it into the hallway.
He then went back into the room to find more yummy treasures.
As he did, somehow, the door to the room shut.
Trapping him inside, and worse, separating him from his cookies.
My husband came home shortly after and discovered the dog in his predicament.
Chester was freed from his prison, and never got to eat his treasure.

We make poor and irrational decisions if our decision is motivated by greediness: greed for monetary gain; greed that results in a conflict of interest; desire for power, titles, and recognition of men.

“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.” (Prov. 15:27.)

Robert D Hales

I’M BACK!

My posts here have been few and far between here lately.
My time has been [well] spent elsewhere…
as I have focused on serving in my Church,
keeping up my missionary’s blog,
and playing with my youngest daughter
[after she moved back home to finish her studies at the U].

Yesterday in church, our Young Single Adult Stake
launched it’s digital mission / blog and I resolved to
reconnect with my own blog more frequently.
I have very few followers, but that is OK.
I can share my life, my beliefs, and my testimony
here for them, and for my posterity.

Today is Labor Day.
It has been tradition for me to host a gathering here at our home.
In fact, I have hosted many holidays here it the past.
My absence has extended itself into that arena as well.
Our backyard is a neglected mess, my children have been gone,
and I lost my desire and will. With the summer ending,
I find myself missing these events.
I made a promise to myself… it won’t happen again.