We had a huge snowstorm earlier this week. It is the biggest snowstorm we had experienced since we moved to Utah. Alan measured about 18"-19" of snow. That's a lot of snow. I didn't get good pics of it, but here are a few.
Thankfully, we purchased a snowblower shortly after we moved here. Alan had to use it twice to keep our driveway clear. He is a hard working man. I'm so glad to have him as my husband.
Both Alan and I are advancing in age. Alan just turned 71 and I will be 70 in a few weeks. Alan has felt that it is time to prepare for our funerals. He has done a lot to prepare for this from setting aside money for funeral expenses to picking out our caskets and purchasing cemetery plots here in Riverton, Utah. We also decided to get professional photographs of us taken to be used at our funerals.
Alan found a local photographer very close to where we live who did our photo shoot. He was very friendly and we thought he did a terrific job. We purchased one of each of us individually and two of both of us together.
These are the photos we chose from the dozens that were taken. This first one is my favorite. We have a copy of it on the wall in Alan's office. I've always wanted a picture of me taken from behind Alan. I am very pleased with how it turned out.
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Later that day, having no other choice, I decided to rummage through my closet to try to find something old that I could use. I decided to try on the outfit that I wore for Kyle's wedding, assuming that it wouldn't even fit any longer. After all, he was married 11 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised that it still fit, so that's what I wore. I thought it blended in perfectly with the background the photographer had previously chosen for our shoot. It all worked out so perfectly.
This exercise in finding the "perfect" outfit to wear for the photo shoot taught me that sometimes we don't need to look very far to find the gems we are looking for. This gem was in my closet the whole time and just needed to have the dust brushed off to discover its beauty and usefulness. Who knew?
For our "Come Follow Me study" for the past two weeks, we have been studying Christ's Sermon on the Mount. That sermon is, arguably, the most important sermon ever given on this earth. It is so important, in fact, that Jesus gave it twice - once to the people overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and then again to the Nephites on this continent after his resurrection. Both accounts are identical, except for a few small changes in the second account.
The question was asked "What impact has studying the beatitudes had on your personal life?" Here is my answer:
By studying the Sermon on the Mount, I have come to realize that Christ shared these things because He loves us and He knows our potential. He knows that we are human and that we will make mistakes, but he also knows who we can become and he wants to lift us to higher heights.
The Sermon on the Mount is a higher law. When Christ gave the sermon, he was trying to tell the Jews that the Law of Moses had been fulfilled through him and that they no longer needed to follow that law. He had a higher law for them to live.
I'm grateful for that higher law because it makes me want to do better and be better in the way I live my life. I want to pattern my life after the Savior. The Beatitudes are stepping stones to a life of endless happiness. I hope that I can be more meek, more merciful, have a more pure heart, be a better peacemaker, and be willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake. We are promised a great reward in heaven for doing those things, plus a few others I didn't mention.
What a pleasure it was to do vicarious temple work for one of my ancestors in the Jordan River Temple this morning. It is always a pleasure, but right from the start, I felt that I really connected with the sister I was doing the endowment for and felt that she was there with me and that she was ready and anxious for her work to be done. I don't always get that impression while doing this proxy work, but this time it was amazingly clear to me that she had accepted the gospel. Her name is Georgina Young and she is a second cousin once removed on my dad's side of the family.
Later, as I was sitting in the endowment room towards the end of the session, my thoughts turned to my parents. I remember many times as a child that they would leave me and my siblings with a babysitter so they could go to the temple. I didn't understand back then why they always wanted to go to the temple, but now I sure do. I have been attending regularly since I received my own endowment on December 22, 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple. I have grown spiritually and I have learned a lot over all these years. Periodically the procedures have changed, but the covenants and ordinances have remained the same.
Some procedural changes and doctrinal enhancements have recently taken place in the endowment session, and they are good changes. One apparent change to me is that it is much more centered on Christ, as it should be. We are, after all, in His house and members of His true church. Most of the endowment remained the same, but these new changes help clarify who we are, why we are here, and how we can return to our Father in Heaven - all very important things to know as we traverse this rocky road we call life.
We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints need to spiritually step up our game if we are going to prepare the way for the Savior's Second Coming. I feel that he will come in just a few short years. I've been waiting and preparing for this to happen my whole life. As the signs of the times become hard to ignore, and as I see some events actually happening right before my eyes, I know that time is drawing short to prepare spiritually, I long to do better and be better so I can be worthy to witness His coming. That might seem like a pipe dream, but I believe it is possible.
I'm getting old - I will be 70 years old in 8 weeks. If I should die before the Savior comes again, I hope to be able to be among the throngs of angels from above who will come down and also witness the Savior's Second Coming. I can't express my joy at the thought of being allowed to witness that miraculous event, whether in this life or the next. I'm fine either way!
I'm so grateful for my parents who set the example and paved the way for me. They helped instilled in me the desire to follow their footsteps by going to the temple myself to make eternal covenants with the Lord 47 years ago. The temple is my happy place. I feel so much peace and joy when I am there. Families truly are forever and I'm grateful to be sealed to my ancestors and descendants. I feel at peace when I think about the eternal nature of the family.
Thank you, mom & dad, for your teachings, your righteous example, and for your faith and trust in the Lord and His gospel. I have a big hug and kiss waiting for you when we are reunited once again. It's been way too long since I've seen you!
A sponge is an ordinary household item that most people have in their homes. They are typically used for cleaning and scrubbing. A sponge is also known for expanding while soaking up liquids. Whatever a sponge soaks up will also come out of it when squeezed. If you fill a sponge with lemonade, lemonade will come out of it. If you fill a sponge with milk, milk will come out of it. It can be no other way.
We can compare a sponge to our minds. Whatever we put into our minds is what will come out of us. In Proverbs 23:7 it says "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." In other words, we are all products of what we think. This is what I call the sponge principle. If we soak up negative things like anger, bitterness, jealousy, contention, etc. that's what will come out of us. However, if we soak up positive things like love, kindness, honesty, integrity, friendliness, etc. that's what will come out of us.
We are all influenced positively or negatively by the things we watch, the things we read, and the things we listen to. We need to be careful about what we are soaking up so that what comes out of us can bring us peace and joy and can glorify God.
