Strikingly Similar

Ryan called me the other night and said he had to share a funny story with me. He works for Tesla/SolarCity during the off season when he's not selling Christmas trees. As part of his job, they have him go to Home Depot twice a week to man a booth.  While there, he was talking with an older woman (around 60?) who was working a booth next to him. After they told each other their names, she said to him "I'll remember your name because my son's name is Ryan." He said "I'll remember your name because my Mom's name is Joan. She asked him if he had any siblings. He said that he has a brother named Eric. She said, "no way, my other son's name is Eric." They discovered that both Ryan's were 6'3" and both Eric's were 6'2". Ryan said "don't tell me you have a twin." She said "I do! I have an identical twin sister" and she proceeded to pull out a picture of the two of them. Curious if her twin's name was the same as my twin, he asked for the name. She said "it is Jean". Close, but no cigar. Jean and Jane use the same letters though.

I thought this story was hilarious. So many coincidental similarities that it is crazy. I wonder if her parents are named Paul & Lois. I don't think Ryan asked her that question.

Smile, life is Good!

Trying Something New

There is something I've been wanting to try for a long time and I finally got the courage to do it a few days ago.  I made "Crusty Bread Bowls." I love soup in a bread bowl, but I hesitated trying to make them thinking that they would be too difficult to make. I found out that they are not that difficult after all. 

The dough rising on the baking sheet

The final result

I got the recipe from my friend Sally's recipe blog. On her blog she said that they were delicious and easy to make so I decided to give them a try. She is the best cook I know, so I trust her recipes. One thing I liked about this recipe is that the bread was not sourdough. I like regular plain bread better.

We were feeding the missionaries the night I made them. I told Alan and the Elders that they were my guinea pigs, but they didn't mind. They seemed pleased with the results. I made cheesy chicken chowder, our family's favorite soup, to fill the bowls.


The final product

I will definitely make them again as I was pleased with the results and they were fun to make. 

Another fun thing I like to make around Valentines Day is this heart shaped chocolate cake with a cream cheese icing and cherry pie filling on top. So Yummy! This cake was a hit at our Ward Valentine's Party.

Priesthood Power

There are so many things that I am grateful for that I couldn't even begin to list them all, but today my main feeling of gratitude is for the priesthood in of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Gospel Doctrine class today we learned about the restoration of the Priesthood to the earth after it was lost shortly after Christ was crucified. I am so grateful that the priesthood was restored to the earth. Joseph Smith received the keys of the priesthood, thus giving him (and all worthy males in the Church) the authority to preside over and direct the Church. All priesthood leaders receive these keys when they are set apart.

Today I was a recipient of a setting apart - not to receive priesthood keys, but for my new calling as an instructor in the Relief Society (our women's organization). Bro. Melville, a counselor in the bishopric, set me apart and gave me a beautiful blessing. I appreciated the advice and blessings he, through the direction of the spirit, pronounced upon me. The spirit was strong in the room.  I could feel the spirit of the Lord go through their hands and into my head during the blessing. All three men who laid their hands on my head to set me apart were either a current Bishop or a past Bishop (Alan, Bro. Melville, and Bishop Richardson). I appreciated being able to be set apart by such wonderful men who love the Lord and who are willing to exercise their priesthood power in my behalf.

There are some sisters in the church who feel slighted and upset that women are not allowed to hold the priesthood. I'm not one of those people. I don't feel slighted at all. It is very evident to me that the Lord loves his daughters just as much as he loves his sons. Choosing His sons to hold the priesthood does not mean he loves his daughters less. We simply have different rolls to play. What other church allows women to be as involved in the affairs of the church as the LDS church does? In our church women are allowed to say public prayers, teach lessons, hold leadership positions in various organizations, participate in ordinances (in the temple), preach from the pulpit, attend and participate in council meetings, etc. The women in our church are not held back or oppressed at all. We are truly blessed by being allowed to participate in so many ways. I don't need to be ordained to the priesthood to feel like I am just as important as anyone else in the ward, stake, region, or world. 

Women play a different roll than men do inside and out of the church, as laid out by a loving Father. Although women don't officially hold the priesthood, they still benefit from the priesthood. No blessing is withheld from them.

There is a great sisterhood that exists in the church where women can help lift and support each other and help each other reach their potential. I discovered this quote today:

“The women in the church have been taught to live up to their divine potential by fulfilling God's purposes for them. As they come to understand who they really are — God's daughters — they reach their potential as holy women. … Through this organization, sisters receive vision and assurance of their identity as daughters of God”


This is so true! The men have their priesthood quorums to lift and support them, and the women have Relief Society to do the same.

Because of the priesthood, we are able to receive all of the life saving ordinances that we need in order to return to our Heavenly Father and receive his promised reward of exaltation in His kingdom. Because the priesthood was restored, I have been able to receive all of those life saving ordinances. They mean more to me than any worldly treasure. Gold, silver, diamonds, mansions, prestige, and power are fleeting. You cannot take them with you when you leave your earthly existence. The real treasure is exaltation, which you can only get by receiving all of the ordinances through priesthood power. I feel very blessed to know these things and to have a testimony of their truthfulness. Priesthood power (through proper authority) is real. 

The keys of the priesthood were restored on May 15, 1829. Those keys are still upon the earth today. I will forever be grateful for this restoration, for I have seen miracles in my life because of priesthood power.