My Science Experiment

I am greatly bothered by the rising amount of hatred, name calling, labeling, and bullying on display in the USA....especially since Donald J. Trump was elected as President in November 2016. The "Left" hate him so much that they have tried for 3 years to get him out of office. Every attempt has failed. News reports on most cable TV networks about Trump is at least 95% negative. He can't do anything right, according to them. If he does do something great, which he has done many times, they simply don't report it or they lie about it.

Despite their attempts to denigrate him, Trump is set to win another 4-year term this coming November because of the fantastic job he is doing for all Americans. That will make them hate him even more, I'm sure.

Trump is guilty of this as well. He calls people names and belittles people all the time through tweets and speeches. I just wish all hatred would end. Nothing good can ever come from it.

Because I've noticed so much hatred going on, I decided to do a science experiment I heard about to see if it would work.

Here is my experiment:

Step 1: Cook some rice and fill two identical jars with the same amount.

Step 2: Label one jar with the word "LOVE" and the other jar with the word "HATE".

Step 3: Wait to see what happens.

Every day, I pick up the "hate" jar and tell the rice how much I hate it, how ugly it is, that it's the worst rice in the world, and how I wish it never even existed. I also pick up the "love" jar and tell the rice how much I love it, how beautiful it is, and how happy I am that it is part of my life.

I didn't see any change in either jar of rice until day seven when a little discoloration appeared on the bottom of the "hate" jar. I didn't see any discoloration with the "love" jar.

Each day since day 7, the discoloration on the "hate" jar has grown bigger, but no discoloration has appeared anywhere in the "love" jar.

I was curious as to why the discoloration appeared on the bottom of the jar...then it hit me - it's because there is the least amount of light there. Anger and hatred are not Christ-like attributes and therefore reflect darkness. Light is necessary to sustain life. Therefore, all living things need sunlight...and we also need the light of Christ.

Thoughts, words and actions are powerful tools for good and bad in society and in our families. Hatred is a cancer that can eat away at the person who refuses to control it. It will also affect whoever the hatred is aimed against. 

Love is the key to good health, to good relationships, and to our happiness and well-being. We would all do well to remember to follow the two greatest commandments -- to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, might, mind, and soul; and second, to love our neighbor as our self.

Be an example of love in all you do and say!

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Monday is my main laundry day. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I dreaded laundry day because it was difficult for me to carry all of our dirty laundry from the master bathroom to the laundry room at the other end of the house. For most people that wouldn't be a problem, but for me with my bad back, it was.

The perfect solution to this problem was to get this handy dandy hamper on wheels. Now I can simply wheel the dirty clothes to the laundry room. It is so easy! 

This hamper is kind of an eye sore in the bathroom, but nobody sees it except Alan and I. The pros outweigh that one con.

After the laundry is cleaned and folded, I simply put the full basket on top of the hamper and roll it back to our room to be put away.

This has revolutionized my laundry days and now I look forward to doing laundry instead of dreading it.

I'm in love with this hamper. Who would have thought that something as simple as this could bring me so much joy!

Valentine Roses, Movie, & Drama

Alan got me this beautiful bouquet of roses and a card for Valentines Day. I love my sweetheart! I married such a good man. He is my everything! I love him to the moon and back.

We were able to spend most of Valentines Day day together since Alan only worked a half day. We decided to go to the theater to see "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." This is a movie (based on a true story) about Mister (Fred) Rogers who created and starred in a successful kids television show that ran for about 31 years out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 



He taught life lessons to children...like love, being a friend, forgiveness, kindness, etc. He used songs, puppets, and other characters to make his life lessons come alive to his viewing audience. 

We really liked this movie! It was one of those "feel good" movies where you walk away feeling a little lighter and really inspired to be a better person.

Our "feel good" mood was quickly squashed after leaving the theater. While walking to our car, we heard a large group of teenagers  start yelling and screaming and noticed that a brawl had broken out among some of the girls. They were actually fighting right in front of our car! I had never witnessed an actual chick fight before. I didn't like it at all. It continued for a while until others could step in to dissolve the situation.

These teens could have benefited from watching the movie we had just seen. There was definitely no love or forgiveness on display with that group. It breaks my heart that people think that violence, hatred, bad language, etc. can solve problems. They only serve as ways to exacerbate them. Mister Rogers, you have it right. We need more love in the world. We need more people who treat others kindly and who live by the golden rule.

Dove Candy Statement

One of my favorite candies is these Dove dark chocolates.

Each wrapper has a little saying inside. Today's wrapper said this:

I have been pondering this statement today. I'm not sure I completely understand it or agree with it.

 Will everyone have a happy ending? Maybe.....eventually! There are a lot of unhappy people in the world today. Many others were so unhappy that they ended up taking their own lives. Where is their happy ending?

There is so much sorrow in the world. Much of the sorrow is brought on by the choices of the individual themselves, but not always. I believe that happiness is a choice. It doesn't come automatically.

Looking at the Dove statement through eternal eyes, the first part is true. This life is only temporary, and life beyond the veil will be much happier than it is here. I believe we will be happy in the kingdom we are assigned to on Judgment Day...except maybe those in outer darkness.

Maybe this statement was made to be more of a pep talk than anything else in order to help those who read it not give up if they are feeling down and to strive to achieve happiness. I hope so, because happiness truly is achievable, especially for those who turn to Christ for their strength. All things are possible through Christ.

I think I like this wrapper statement better than the first one. No explanation needed. Great advice!

I've Done My Part

Today I finished teaching the Temple Preparation lessons to Jorge Castillo and Yaneli Palacios. What a treat it has been for me to teach such a wonderful couple!

I wish them well as they plan and prepare for their upcoming marriage/sealing in the temple. They seem excited about it and hopefully, they are prepared to make and keep the sacred covenants necessary to inherit exaltation. I did my best to prepare them. Now it's up to them to do the rest.

Pondering Life

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to attend the funeral of a Sister I got to know when I worked as an ordinance worker in the L. A. temple. I wouldn't say I knew her real well, but I did get to know her pretty well by seeing her and working with her every Wednesday morning for about 2 years before she was released due to poor health. She wasn't much older than I am.

I attended the funeral, which was only about 23 miles from my house, at the invitation of another friend, Charlotte Thompson, from the temple. Turns out that four of my former temple workers were in attendance. It's always fun to see friends you haven't seen for a while. 

(Pictured here: Me, Ann Norton, Charlotte Thompson, Marrah Kovacs, and her husband Gary Kovacs)

Whenever I attend a funeral, I always ponder on how temporary this life is and how some day it will be my turn to pass through the veil (especially as I continue to age). It is sobering to think that you can be here one day and gone the next. 

It is very comforting to know that we continue to live beyond this life. Through God's Plan of Salvation, I know where I came from, I know what my purpose is here on earth, and I know that my spirit will go to one of two places upon death. The righteous go to a place called "Paradise" and the unrighteous go to a place called "Spirit Prison." I can tell you which of these two places appeals to me more! I want to live righteously so that I can be in Paradise instead of Spirit Prison. No question about it!!!

Someday, I will be laid to rest. But until then, I want to keep the commandments and also keep the covenants I have made with my Heavenly Father so I can be a candidate to inherit his kingdom. That's my greatest wish of all!