Purging

I'm attempting to clean out and organize years of papers. Papers that have just gradually piled up. I have a habit of writing thoughts and impressions that come to me on little scraps of paper and sadly they get buried . . . deep, never to be retrieved for several years.

I seriously threw out the BYU Women's Conference booklets from 2006, 2007, and 2009. Now why would I hold onto those? I'm sure I had a reason at the time, but by now my memory has failed me. So to still preserve some of the things I must have recorded for a reason, here ya go.

Wealth lies not in the extent of our possessions, but in the fewness of wants.

Alex: "Ashie sang Jingle Bells and it was beautiful."

Alex: "It's frozen out here." (I think he meant freezing.)

Nate in discussing real Christmas trees versus fake Christmas trees: "We live in a world with so much artificial stuff. It's nice to have something real."

LDS bishop post on Facebook: A family living in a trailer park was needing some help and someone posted on Facebook that they could contact so and so who was an LDS bishop. I thought how nice it is that the church is known for helping those in need, whether they are members of our congregations or not.

Look at what else I uncovered:

This is something Tyler wrote about me for church one Sunday when we were newlyweds living in a small Logan apartment, doing our best to get through college 16 YEARS AGO!! This scrap of paper has moved from Logan to Salt Lake to Magna to Stansbury and finally here to Lake Point.

Some of it is true. I was born on March 9 in Logan. We did have a tree house we played in a lot. It was more like a house on stilts.

(1st tree house)

(2nd tree house that had electricity)

I do have two brothers but I remember a lot more fights with them than actual playing. In fact one day I wouldn't allow Reed to play house with me and Matt under a tarp out in the grove of trees in our front yard. Well, he wasn't too pleased with that and found a hammer and proceeded to hit me over the head with the claw end. I ended up only needing several stitches. I suspect he was only trying to knock some sense into me.

And as for fishing . . . I've never really enjoyed fishing. I simply don't have the patience for it, except maybe when we're reeling in striped bass as fast as we can.
If I had a million dollars, I would NOT buy scuba gear. I tried it once in our backyard pond and absolutely thought I was going to suffocate when I got to the bottom. I never really got the hang of breathing and couldn't stand the sight of fish swimming right in front of my face.

I do love my vacuum. Tyler thinks I always have this happy smile on my face when I'm vacuuming. Maybe I do. But he always has a happy smile on his face when he's driving MY Toyota truck. :)

And we definitely found the right small town to live in. Our little town reminds me so much of home but with more conveniences.

Stayed tuned for some other exciting pieces of history to be uncovered.

I've been cumbered about

If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.

--Joseph Smith

Sometimes I really feel like I fail at this. There are many days when I'm running from one obligation to another, falling into bed at the end of the day without taking one minute, even just a small moment, to be still and listen for that quiet voice, those whispered thoughts and impressions. I wish I took more time to really contemplate, meditate, and ponder in order to let the Lord really guide my life. I know he could do more with it than I am.

I'm so afraid I've missed some great opportunities simply because I've been more Martha-like and cumbered about with much serving . . . in my family, in my calling, in my neighborhood, in my circle of friendships, with my pet projects. It's good to serve but even better to be more like Mary who came unto Christ and sat at his feet to be taught of him. Life is incredible busy but there should always be time for things of eternity.

When Kiersten turned 12 and entered the Young Women program, I thought it would be awesome to complete the personal progress for my second time with her and then again when Ashlyn turned 12 since there is 6 years between them.

Well Kiersten is now 14 and I haven't made any headway. Once in awhile I'll look at it but not in depth and certainly not to set any goals.

Tonight was New Beginnings, and ironically as I sat there during a talk by one of the leaders, I thought, "Oh well. I'm a little late getting started. I'll just try again with Ash." Shouldn't new beginnings be about starting over, a fresh start, a new perspective no matter the season, the time, the stage of life.

Our bishop then referenced a talk by Elder Uchtdorf titled "The Best Time to Plant a Tree."

An old proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

There is something wonderful and hopeful about the word NOW. There is something empowering about the fact that if we choose to decide now, we can move forward at this very moment.

Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be—not only 20 years from now but also for all eternity.

After hearing that I had a new vision with fresh thoughts. Sure I feel like I fail a lot at a lot of different things (like not getting started on my personal progress). But that doesn't matter. I can start NOW to be different, to do things differently, to move forward.

I left that meeting tonight with a renewed commitment to start and hopefully finish with Kiersten. I'm going to have to play a lot of catch up since she has got a smidgin of head start on me. But that is no reason to fail and quit. I feel like as I sat in that quiet room, the environment was perfect for the Holy Ghost to tell me what I needed to hear.

Believing is when you've given your heart over to something

"This I Believe"
an essay by Jenny Engh

What do I believe – a very fundamental question and something I’ve given a lot of thought to over the past year and a half when I was so rudely interrupted by cancer!

Our minister at House of Hope gave a sermon on Believing – right in time for Christmas.

His take on belief was this: that thinking and believing are different – so when people ask you what you believe – they may really be asking you what you are thinking.

The difference?

Believing, he went on to say, is much more settled – when you’ve given your heart over to something.

What a beautiful thing to say – believing is when you’ve given your heart over to something.

So what do I believe in?

I believe in

the goodness of people,

the blessings of living life fully

and being open to new possibilities.

I believe in

nurturing those who are struggling

or may have lost their way.

I believe

we have all been given an opportunity to leave things better,

helping others improve their lives.

I believe in
fairness,
treating others equally
and calling out when others are treated unfairly.

I also believe in
the fundamental choice we all have in making our lives better
and creating our own happiness.

Personal responsibility, regardless of our circumstances, is not negotiable. We all have the power to make choices about our lives, perhaps not all the material goods or same opportunities we would like to have, but choices to do the right thing and to live life honestly.

I believe in

loving each other,

showing more kindness.

So belief is a starting point, not a destination. When my friend Duane asked me what I would want him to say at my funeral, I said, “remind people to be kinder to each other.” 

I believe we can.

TNS

It's here! You know that feeling, the one when you really feel the urge to clean and organize and dejunk. That's where I am. TNS has hit hard like it does every August. I didn't want to come right out and call it The Nesting Syndrome in case you might think I'm announcing something, so for the record I am not having a baby, I just have a whole list of rooms I want to tackle now that the kids are day dreaming away in school and I know those rooms will stay in tact for a little while.

So far I've gone through all the clothes boxes and have taken three black garbage sacks of clothing to the DI, cleaned out the shed, and tackled the guest room. Today I was feeling so motivated I kept moving right along to my office which is entirely in shambles. I've come to the conclusion that too much horizontal space is very bad. I tend to drop stuff wherever there is a clear spot and then piles start to blossom and expand.

In one of those many Mt. Everest-size piles, I came across some thoughts I had written down from somewhere, probably one of the many books or articles I have lingering about.

* * * * *

It's about being attuned enough to notice when your kid's eyes shine so you can make your eyes shine back. --IRIS KRASNOW

I love that! Children can definitely tell if you're listening and if you're excited about what they are telling you.

* * * * * 

I am not only raising my children but also my grandchildren. 
Not sure where this one came from; maybe it was a thought I had. 

* * * * *  

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. --VICTOR HUGO 
Isn't that a comforting thought, to know that Someone is on duty all night 

* * * * *  

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. --JAMES BALDWIN

Amen!

June reading

Of course I took several books to read while on my little vacation last month, but then we discovered the ship had a library and had to see what that was all about. I have read several of Mitch Albom's books before and have enjoyed them, so when I saw this one, it seemed like a fitting book for a Sunday read.

 

Have a Little Faith

It's a book about a rabbi, a christian minister, and a man with very little faith (Mitch Albom, himself). Mr. Albom always gives little life lessons in all his books, but with this one gave more insight into himself. It's definitely about finding faith, but not necessarily in any one religion as in something bigger than yourself. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Peter and the Starcatchers

I also finished this one on our cruise. One day I asked my 9 year old for a book recommendation and this is what I got. It's a prequel to Peter Pan telling how he became Peter Pan. Even if the writing wasn't fantastic, I certainly didn't mind it. I could definitely see the intrigue a 9-year-old boy would have with this book: lots of action and mystery with pirates and treasure. There is a sequel but I don't think I'll be picking it up. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Heaven Is Here

This book was waiting for me at the library when I got home and immediately delved in amidst loads of laundry and yard work in desperate need of attention.

I had just begun reading Stephanie's blog a week prior to her accident and found it all surreal that something so traumatic could happen to someone I felt like I had just met in a way. I didn't think she tried to sugarcoat anything in the book. She told us exactly how she felt like giving up, how much she hated therapy, and how devastating it was to finally look at herself. I was especially touched as she recounted how they had to bandage her eyes for a week to allow them to heal. It was during that time that she learned that faith is as much about getting up and going to work as it is about lying still and letting her body heal. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

"I needed help, I needed God more than anything. I needed reassurance that the glimmer of hope I had felt was real. I was thankful that a stranger in a strange town could offer me something so familiar and hopeful [as a priesthood blessing]."

"I have accepted myself in a world that doesn't accept me, because I have learned -- and more than any of the lessons of my accident, this is the one I wish I could teach everybody -- that our hearts matter most. Your heart matters most, so be gentler and more patient with yourself, and their hearts matter most, too, so be kinder and more compassionate to others. It's a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to a beautiful life."

And right now I'm in the middle of . . .

Stake Conference talk

I'm an anomaly. I got asked to speak in Stake Conference and loved it. I didn't say I wasn't nervous, but I really did enjoy prepping and speaking.

Here's a *quick* run down on my talk.

D&C 59:9 . . . "that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world"

In our society we hand out marks frequently:

• When you enter Lagoon you're given a hand stamp that says you belong to this park for the day.
• When you are born, the nurses put a band on you that says you belong to this mother and father.
• When you become engaged, you become marked by a ring.
• A basketball player is marked by the jersey he wears.

The scriptures record several instances where a people were given a distinguishing trait or marked:

• Lamanites marked with a dark skin (Alma 3:6)
• Amlicites marked themselves with red in their forehead (Alma 3:4)
• Cain had a mark placed on his (Genesis 4:15)
• When the Israelites were under bondage in Egypt, they were told to put a mark above their doors so that the destroying angel would pass them by (Exodus 12:7)

What is the purpose of putting a mark on an individual or group of people? (Alma 3:8) The Lord needs a people who are different from the world.

We likewise mark ourselves by the covenants we make and keep. When we enter into a covenant with the Lord, he puts his mark on us. WE ARE HIS!

In the beginning the Lord laid out a plan where he offered blessings for obedience to his commandments. He knew we would get distracted by the things of the world and would need to be reminded regularly of our covenants and promises. These regular reminders occur in our sacrament meetings and at the sacrament table.

Spencer W. Kimball: "We do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord."

When we come to all our meetings on Sunday, we are telling the Lord how we really feel about him. It is an outward manifestation of an inward commitment; it is an indication of the depth of our conversion. We are marking ourselves in a way that tells the world WHOSE we are. The Lord told Moses in Exodus 31:16, "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever . . . "

1. Our great-grandparents called it the Holy Sabbath Day (Exodus 16:23)
2. Our grandparents called it the Sabbath Day.
3. Our parents called it Sunday.
4. We simply call it the weekend.
5. WHICH GROUP DO YOU FALL IN LINE WITH?

So would you like to get more out of your Sunday meetings, particularly sacrament meetings?

1. PREPARE YOURSELF: Alma takes his missionary friends on another mission to the Zoramites who were not doing the right things. When he gets there he finds a group of people who have been cast out and because of that are willing and ready to hear the word of God?

How do we get the word of God? ANGELS (Alma 32:23). Angels have given us written scriptures, they are also the speakers in sacrament meetings, parents, teachers. 2nd Nephi 32:3 teaches us that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. The speaker is only the messenger. And even then the Holy Ghost can only carry the message unto our hearts not into our hearts. That is our job: to allow the message into our hearts.

Once you realize that the Holy Ghost is the real teacher than you are prepared to learn. (Shared a story by Wendy Watson Nelson found here.

2. BE ATTENTIVE: don't stay up late and don't eat a big breakfast . . . it makes you sleepy!

3. Try keeping a CHURCH JOURNAL instead of playing the dot game.

4. Keep the ELECTRONIC DEVICES at home. This one suggestion may be what my entire talk will be remembered for. I had several people afterwards tell me how they put away their phones after that. That wasn't my intention, but just to make them aware how most often technology gadgets are used for texting and games more than for worshipping. Even this morning when President Morris was opening the morning session, he called me out and said that he was only checking the time on his phone; he wasn't texting. :)

KSL did a news feature where they took a photo of a classroom and asked us to guess how many kids were texting. I guessed maybe 2 of 3 that I could see. The answer was all of them. If there is one thing I have learned in the years that technology went boom, it's that we need time for quiet, to reflect, to allow the spirit to do his work. I wish the youth would understand how important it is to take out the earplugs, turn off the tv, and unplug the internet. Sacrament meeting is one of those places where we can sit and meditate, but it is simply too hard when we bring those distractions with us.

I think at this point I made a quick reference to the sacrament table and how it had been brought to my attention recently that when the bread and water trays are set up and the white cloth is draped over them, it kind of looks like a body. You may never look at the sacrament the same when you look at it that way.

One of the blessings of attending sacrament meeting is that it does keep us unspotted from the world. It gives us power to stay on the right course. We can be like Nephi of old who said, "I will go and do as the Lord commanded." And if you read his very last words at the end of 2nd Nephi, he says, "I must obey." Wow! What a powerful example of obedience. When we are obedient, the Lord will bless, not eye for an eye, but a thousand times over, more than we can receive. 

"When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. (Pres. Benson)

A builder or a wrecker?

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
As the men you’d hire if you had to build?”
He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.

I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”
And I tho’t to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?

– Unknown

Got invited to a fancy shmancy dinner

Remember those Young Men/Young Women etiquette dinners? Remember how you were supposed to learn which fork to use first, whose cup was whose, and what to do if you didn't want the wine? Well Tyler and I were invited by a good friend who is the treasurer to attend one of those dinners for the Catholic Community Services where they honor those individuals who help provide for those in need across Utah. The CCS Humanitarian Awards were hosted at the Little America hotel where individual dinners were priced at $150. I wish I had a brought a camera to get a photo of the entire table spread. I think I counted 4 different cups . . . wine, water, juice, coffee. I imagined setting this type of table at home and then imagined all the spills and chaos of who took who's fork. Ya, not going to happen at my house.

We were seated among celebrities. I call them celebrities because they're people you recognize on TV and think you'll never see in person. Carole Mikita was the emcee. Nadine Wimmer was there. We saw Scott Layden of the Utah Jazz (Tyler thought he was taller in person) and President M. Russell Ballard and Bishop H. David Burton of the LDS Church. Tyler tells me President Jeffrey R. Holland was also present. Jon Huntsman was absent but his Karen wife accepted their award. Reverend John C. Wester and Pamela Atkinson of the Catholic Church were on the program.

The people, the food, the setting all made me wish I had paid better attention during those etiquette meals. Right from the start I broke a rule and began eating before our host had begun. Immediately after my first bite Carole Mikita announced we would have a prayer and then commence eating. Oops!!

The food was delicious and the company was great. And it brought back a memory of a time when Tyler and I were living in downtown Salt Lake. Our ward was asked to bring in a meal to a church and help serve the homeless. We weren't asked to drop off a meal but we were to sit and eat with these people who had no home for whatever reason. I remember eating with a lady and her 2 small children. I don't remember their circumstances but I recall feeling bad for them and their situation. Sitting at dinner last night made me think that it was probably the Catholic Community Services that solicited those meals. I love how both the LDS and Catholic faiths work together to help alleviate suffering and try to bring a some happiness into the lives of people who don't have a lot to hope for.

Some of those honorees last night have devoted their entire lives to helping others. Granted they are Catholic Sisters who aren't raising children going in a million directions, but I have been blessed with so much and know I can step up my game where it comes to giving of myself a little more.

"We make a living by what we get,

but we make a life by what we give."

-- Sir Winston Churchill

Covenant-making warriors and Sheri Dew

Why do we need covenants?

What is the purpose of covenants?

I was preparing my visiting teaching lesson which was about the 2000 young stripling warriors and their mothers and covenants they had made and I wondered about the questions above. While contemplating the whys and whats, a thought by Sheri Dew kept popping into my head. 

We must be more like women of God and not like women of the world.

This brought to my remembrance a talk of hers I had read several years ago. I found it again and as I scanned through it, I was struck by how that talk was exactly what the visiting teaching message for this month was about and answered my question about covenants. A coincidence? Not likely. I quickly printed a copy for each of my ladies and flew out the door.

COVENANTS let us declare whose "camp" we are in.

COVENANTS allow us access to a power in our fight against all that is unholy.

COVENANTS are the means to prove to the Lord that we can be trusted. He wants to bless us with all that he has, but we need to know that we can be trusted with all powers and principalities.

Here are just some excerpts from her talk. To read the entire talk go to speeches.byu.edu.

Why do we need covenants:

• Before the sons of Helaman began their campaign, they entered into a covenant "that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage" (Alma 53:17). It is the same with us. The first step toward consecration and total commitment to the Lord is making covenants with Him. That is what we do at baptism. That is what we do again, later, with powerful spiritual ramifications, when we enter the house of the Lord.

What is the purpose of covenants:

• There is power in making covenants. Weekly, as we renew our covenants and promise to take upon ourselves the name of the Son, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments, we receive in return a transcendent promise, one filled with heavenly power: that we "may always have his Spirit to be with [us]" (Moroni 4:3). Having the Holy Ghost with us--and learning to hear His voice--is a key, perhaps the single most profound key, to remaining steadfast and immovable on the Lord's side of the line. And it all begins by making a covenant.

• The stripling warriors not only kept their covenants, but they performed "every word of command with exactness" (Alma 57:21). In other words, they kept their covenants with precision. A half-hearted effort to keep the Sabbath day holy or be morally clean or tell the truth or dress modestly is really no effort at all. Joseph Smith didn't say that we sort of believe in being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, [and] virtuous" (Articles of Faith 1:13). On Mount Sinai the Lord didn't declare, "Thou shalt not steal--unless you're in a real bind." He didn't say, "Thou shalt rarely covet." He didn't say, "Thou shalt not commit adultery--very often." He said, "Thou shalt not," clearly delineating lines we are not to cross--lines that represent breaches in integrity or morality or virtue so serious that they drive the Spirit away and lead ultimately to the destruction of our souls; lines to stay away from lest we lose control of our thoughts, our motives, or our actions and step into Lucifer's territory where we come under his control.

• Men and women who sell their birthright for a mess of pottage will tell you that their demise began with something small, with some seemingly insignificant breach of integrity that escalated. The little things do matter. It is not possible to profess righteousness while flirting with sin.

• The stripling warriors were believers. Their faith in Christ was active and dynamic. They believed that He could move mountains--not to mention battalions of bloodthirsty Lamanites bent on their destruction--if they had faith in Him. Thus, when asked to put their lives on the line, they responded without hesitation, "Our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; [so] let us go forth." They believed that "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them" (Alma 56:46–47).

• [W]e must first believe, as did the sons of Helaman, who hadn't been trained in warfare but who had been taught the things of the Spirit. Consequently, they "fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power" (Alma 56:56).

• Not only was their faith in the Lord strong at the beginning of their march, but it remained strong throughout their ordeal. Every one of these young men was wounded, and at one point they nearly starved to death (see Alma 57:25, 58:7). Yet instead of wavering, they turned to the Lord and pled for strength--which they received (see Alma 58:10–12). Having faith didn't make their challenges disappear. It didn't make marching in Helaman's army easy. It didn't disqualify them from pain. But their faith did enable them to draw upon the power of God, which sustained them through their test and ultimately delivered them.

Obedience

Thirty seconds before the start of my Relief Society lesson I broke into a cold sweat as I realized I had left all my notes on my computer at home. I forgot to print them off. AHHHHH!

I guess the lesson went as well as I could have hoped for and maybe it was the lesson I was supposed to give since it went in a totally different direction than I was going to go with it.

So I'll share some quotes on obedience that I never got to use since there are some good ones.

As God has designed our happiness and the happiness of all His creatures, He never has, He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed.
-–Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 256

Often we hear: Nobody can tell me what clothes to wear, what I shall eat or drink. No one can outline my Sabbaths, appropriate my earnings, nor in any way limit my personal freedoms! I do as I please! I give no blind obedience! . . . When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God's every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience
--Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, October 1954

There are three degrees of glory in our obedience: telestial is obedience out of obligation; but begrudgingly; terrestial is obedience out of duty, but willingly; celestial is obedience out of love of God and man. You delight in obeying all truth that you know because you love God, the father of all truth.

--D. Kelly Ogden, 8 Mighty Changes God Wants for You Before You Get to Heaven

Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. It is always given when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure of obedience to God's laws the greater will be the endowment of faith.

--Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.

--Ezra Taft Benson, quoted by Donald Stahele in Ensign, May 1998

“If there are any of us who lack faith in this work it is because we have not kept the commandments of God. If there are any who do not know that this is the work of our Father, it is because they have not done their duty. I know as I know that I live that this is the Lord’s work and that knowledge comes as a result of keeping his commandments” --George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1915

Sheep and lambs

I heard this poem today during general conference and loved it. I told my kids as we watched that we are going to memorize it. Or at least I am. 

'Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown up sheep that had gone astray
From the ninety and nine in the fold.

Out on the hillside, out in the cold, 
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought
And back to the flock, safe into the fold
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd brought.

And why for the sheep should we earnestly long
And as earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger if they go wrong
They will lead the lambs astray.

For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know, 
Wherever the sheep may stray
When the sheep go wrong it will not be long
Til the lambs are as wrong as they.

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today
If a sheep is lost, what a terrible cost
Some lamb will have to pay.

("The Echo," C. C. Miller, quoted in Hugh B. Brown, The Abundant Life [1965], 166­67)

The Chocolate Bar

Earlier in the week I was asked to give a brief message for our Primary board meeting this morning. I was stumped on what I could say that might be beneficial, that might inspire our teachers a little, that might be uplifting. Then I remembered a seminary devotional given when I was in high school. It was based on a talk by Elder Monte J. Brough titled, "The Message: The Chocolate Bar" and I knew I had my little thought.

He told of an experience he had with his 12-year-old son while visiting Africa. He gave his son a chocolate bar to share with the children. They immediately shunned it and wanted nothing to do with it until he took a piece and ate it himself. They were suspicious but agreed to try it, one nibble at a time. Joy overcame their faces as they tasted chocolate for the first time and tasted how sweet and good it was.

Elder Brough compared "the taste of that chocolate bar to the taste of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although the gospel tastes sweet and wonderful and good, sometimes other people don't understand it, and it's hard to get them to take just a tiny nibble. But it they'll take that nibble, and then a larger nibble, they will arrive at a marvelous moment when they place it in their mouths and taste the wonderful sweetness."

"We have something wonderful and sweet, something much more vital than a chocolate bar, something that affects everyone for all eternity. We have tasted the gospel, and we know it is good. We cannot and we must not ignore the opportunity to help others taste it, too."

I then handed out some chocolate to go with the above quote. It was short, it was "sweet", it was "good", and it was just what I wanted to say to go along with our Primary theme for the year: "I Know My Savior Lives".

Creation Continued

I reread President's Uchtdorf's talk he gave at the General Relief Society Meeting in September. It reminded me of a poem by Carol Lynn Pearson that I absolutely love.

CREATION CONTINUED

I will continue
To create the universe today
Right where God left off.

Little pockets of chaos
Somehow survived the ordering
And I feel moved
To move upon them
As in the beginning
The Spirit of God moved
Upon the face of the waters.

I will move upon my backyard today
And the weeds will be subdued
And the flowers can grow
And it will be good.

I will move long distance
Upon a broken heart
And leave a little balm
And it will be good.

I will move upon the hunger of my children
With salad and spaghetti
Which is Emily's favorite
And it will good
And even they will say so.
And I will move too upon their minds,
Leaving a little poem
Or an important thought
And that will be even better
Though they won't say so.

I will move upon
Birth defects and AIDS
With five and ten dollar checks
To help the scientists
Who are battling the big chaos
And I will move upon world hunger
With a twenty-four dollar check
For little Marilza in Brazil
And it will be good.

I will move upon
The kitchen floor
And the dirty laundry
And a blank piece of paper
And at the end of the day
Have a little creation to show.

And the evening and the morning
Are my eighteen thousand
and ninety-sixth day
And tomorrow will start another one.
And here is chaos and there is chaos
And who knows if creation
Will finally be done?