Love Stories

I love love stories, especially true-life love stories ~ here are my top two all time favorites.
The number two top love story started in 1975 at Lake Perris California. That is when and where I met Dave. He was home on leave from the USMC for a month or two and since he is a good friend of my brother in law Gene, he and my sister Holly invited him to our waterski outing. We went to dinner a few times with Gene & Holly, then he returned to his duty station in the east. About a year later he was stationed in Orange County where he and I both lived. We started dating off and on; but I also saw him with other girls at activities we both attended ~ group dates, Young Adult dances, firesides, etc. There was no talk between us of marriage, no ‘I love you’, and only one kiss. I was under the impression that we were just good friends. One night in the spring we were together walking through a park. We found a place to sit and started talking. Then, totally unexpectedly, he looked at me and said: “I think we should get married.” I wondered for a second if he was giving me some general advice; there was no shortage of people telling me and other young people my age about the importance of marriage. After all, he is a few years older than me ~ I wondered who he had picked out and even if he had a suggestion for me. So the first words out of my mouth, in response to his surprising statement was, “to who?”
It turned out that he had chosen someone, and he had also picked out someone for me. His response to me was, “to each other!” We talked a little about it, and I am embarrassed now to admit that I asked him, more than once, if he was kidding. He convinced me that he was serious, that he really wanted me. He did not get an answer from me that night. During the next few days I began to see him differently, to understand what he was offering me ~ his love (although he still hadn’t used that word), to support me, to share my burdens, our own home and family. Three months later we were married in the temple. That was many years ago, and only the beginning of our love story. We have shared many wonderful times together, a few tragedies, sorrows, and frustrations; we have had quite an adventure together. Still, the 30 plus years we have shared are only the beginning. I have heard it said that real love stories never have endings ~ and because of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his plan for our happiness, our marriage and family can last through the eternities.


The number one best love story began before we were born. It was then that our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ began. We all knew and loved Him there, we learned of the plan for our progression and trusted Him to play the vital part He volunteered to play in that plan. When we read in Matthew “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ...” we may think that Jesus is giving general advice. It’s true that He wants all people to come to Him, but His invitation is to all of us as individuals. If we ask, and ponder, we will become convinced he truly wants us, that His offer of love, companionship, redemption, peace, and so much more, is to us individually.
As we accept His invitation, He will walk with us through the trials, challenges, and joys of our lives. This story of love between us and our Savior truly has no ending, it will go on throughout eternity.

These love stories are my favorite because I live them, they are as breath to me. They bring me purpose, direction, and immeasurable joy.

Holy Week

Spring is such a welcome time of year. We love the warmer air, the gradual greening of our grass, and the first shoots of tulips and daffodils that promise color and beauty in our yard once again.
It seems that the sacred events that took place in the early spring so many years ago and so far away too easily escape my attention.
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the anniversary of the Savior's 'triumphal entry' into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the last week of his mortal life.
The events of that week are recorded in the Holy Bible, at least some of them are. There must have been other things that happened that we have no record of, but we do know that he taught powerfully through parables we have come to know and love. He told his disciples about his eventual coming in glory, and the events that would proceed it. He defended the sanctity of his Father's house-the temple-as he cleared out the moneychangers and those who sold animals for sacrifice in that sacred place. He spent time in Bethany with those he loved. He celebrated the Passover with his apostles and prayed mightily in the Garden on the Mt of Olives. He was betrayed, tried, and convicted. He was cruelly beaten and crucified. He suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross on Calvary that we 'might not suffer if we will repent'.
He was laid in the tomb of a friend, and he rose again on a beautiful spring morning.
He then spent 40 days teaching his beloved apostles, preparing them further for the great work he had for them to do.
How truly blessed we are to have knowledge of the life of our Savior, to know of his amazing and saving love and mercy. I once heard someone on a Sunday morning radio program say this ~

Mercy is not getting what we deserve,
Grace is getting what we don't deserve.

I am so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ, for the part he continually offers to play in my life, for his constant invitation - 'Come unto me'. I am grateful for covenants I have been privileged to make to follow him, to serve him, to do as he would do in my place. I am grateful and amazed at the experiences I have been blessed with, when I have felt the love, peace, and assurance that only he can bring.
I share with you my witness that he lives. He is aware of each of us, he knows our joys and our sorrows; he knows our hearts and can change us to be the version of us he intends us to be. He will be intimately involved in our personal lives as we turn to him and welcome him in.
I love him ~ he is my Savior, my Redeemer, my Rescuer, my Joy. He makes everything in my life better.

Scriptures and Revelation

A few days ago I found myself once again in 1 Nephi, as I continue my reading of the Book of Mormon. I don't know how many times I have read those first words recorded in this book which has become so precious to me, certainly they are dear and very familiar. My challenge is to see beyond the familiarity, to understand what the Lord intended when he inspired Nephi-and the prophets who followed him-to write this record we embrace as another witness of Jesus Christ.
I have learned that my scripture study is more meaningful and productive when I kneel and pray before I begin. I trust in the words Jesus spoke to his apostles shortly before his death ~

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)

I pray for the Holy Ghost to be with me as I read and study, that the message the Lord has for me will be brought clearly to my mind. I have heard it said the when we want to speak to the Lord we pray, and when we want to hear him speak to us we read scripture. I have found that when I approach this unmerited privilege of reading the words of God humbly and prayerfully, he does speak to me, not only through the printed words but through the ministration of the Holy Ghost who teaches me, bringing insights and ideas for personal application to my mind. I often write these ideas that come, and know that they are not my thoughts - they came from my loving Father.
The scriptures are a conduit from the Lord to us; through them we can know his will for us as individuals. Scripture study puts us in a position to hear the messages our Father would give us, it sets the stage for sacred personal revelation and guidance.

God is good

A family in my mom’s neighborhood have a 15 month old baby who drowned in the bathtub two weeks ago. Another family farther away have two little girls, ages 4 years, and 15 months, who were overcome by poisonous gas which was meant to rid their yard of pests.

I don’t know either of these families, or any more about them than what I have shared here. But my heart aches for them, for the unbelievable sorrow, regret, and horror they have endured and will live with for the rest of their lives.

One of the hard lessons I have learned in my life is that my prayers are always answered; not always as I would like, but always for my best good. Some things I have prayed, and pleaded, and wept for have not happened - and they were good things, things that would have brought happiness to many. I am left to wonder if I left anything undone, or if my Father, who knows more and sees more clearly than I, has a different plan than the one in my head. So I pick myself up and go on, trusting that what my Father wants for me is always better than what I want, and that submitting to his will is always the wise choice.

I remember thinking as a child that faith in my Savior can do anything; that if I have sufficient faith and pray enough, no good thing would be denied me. I still believe in the remarkable power of faith, I know it is real and is one of the tools our Father and his Son use to bless our lives and move us along the path to becoming who they desire us to be. But what about the times when my faith and prayers don’t produce the desired result? What about the fasting and faith, the pleading and praying, the worshiping and weeping, that have been answered with a loving ‘no’. Was my faith lacking? Were my prayers not intense or constant enough? Why are some of our pleadings mercifully granted while others seem to be unheard?

Yesterday I learned that the baby who drowned is doing remarkably well in the hospital, it seems he has turned a critical corner and will recover. (You can read the remarkable story on their blog ~ http://stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/). This morning I heard on the radio that the younger of the two girls has now followed her sister and has passed on. What made the difference? Certainly many were praying for all three of those babies, why is one family now filled with joy as the other plans a funeral for their two daughters?

God is good. He loves us. He is filled with compassion and mercy. He weeps when we weep, he knows our sorrows and grief. He is all knowing and all caring. It is difficult to understand why some are spared when others are not, why we all, at some time or other, experience heartache and bitter disappointment, why we may sometimes feel forsaken, forgotten, even abandoned.

Yet in his mercy our Father always sends comfort. Even when it seems our lives are damaged beyond repair - that our hearts will never be healed or whole again, there comes the sweet assurance that our Father and our Savior love us beyond our imagining.

I love this statement from CS Lewis:

...little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle.

Fire in the Bones

I am reading a wonderful book about William Tyndale, Fire in the Bones. I am fascinated by this man's life, his overwhelming desire to translate the Bible into English, thus making it available to the common man.
His translation of the Holy Bible paved the way for Joseph Smith to be touched in his heart by the beautiful words of James, and to inquire of God about which church to join. There are many similarities between the life of Tyndale and that of Joseph Smith - they were violently opposed by the religious leaders of their day, they were called heretics, they translated the words of the Lord by inspiration, they were tools in the hands of the Lord in providing light for their fellowman, they were both killed as a result of their service to their God.
There are many statements from this book that I would love to share, I will start with this:

Christ is the cause why I love thee, why I am ready to do the uttermost of my power for thee, and why I pray for thee. And as long as the cause abideth, so long lasteth the effect; even as it is always day so long as the sun shineth. Do therefore the worst thou canst unto me, take away my goods, take away my good name; yet as long as Christ remaineth in my heart, so long I love thee not a whit the less, and so long art thou as dear unto me as mine own soul, and so long am I ready to do thee good for thine evil and so long I pray for thee with all my heart; for Christ desireth it of me, and hath deserved it of me. Thine unkindness compared unto his kindness is nothing at all; yea, it is swallowed up as a little smoke of a mighty wind, and is no more seen or thought upon.
~ William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man

And here is one more:

The nature of God's word is, that whosoever read it, or hear it reasoned and disputed before him, it will begin immediately to make him every day better and better, till he be grown into a perfect man.
~ William Tyndale, "Prologue upon the Gospel of St. Matthew"

the best of my journal

For the last year and a half I have been taking a small notebook to church with me and jotting down notes, thoughts, and ideas that come to mind during the meetings and classes I attend. Last Sunday I wrote on the last page. I am amazed at the insight and often profound thoughts I have been blessed with. Here are just a few of my favorites:

All I need to do to receive mercy is repent.

Remember that I am who I am because of the choices I have made.

Evil ALWAYS opposes good--but the Lord's strength is stronger than our weakness.

When we see, smell, and taste the real thing we more easily discriminate the real from the counterfeit, and are willing to sacrifice to obtain the real thing. Satan’s goal is to deceive us with counterfeits.

The Lord knows how to overcome my difficulties.

We don’t have the luxury of spending our time on anything that does not lead us back to our Father.

The gospel is not a spectator sport.

You are worth the best God could give.

The extent to which I think about Christ is the extent to which he is my God.

Obedience to law is the habit of free men.

Private behavior determines our happiness.

Sunday meetings are such a blessing in my life. Each week I marvel at the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the motivation it gives me to be a better person during the coming week.How grateful I am for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that he leads me to truth and helps me recognize and accept it, that he bears witness to all truth to all who humbly and sincerely ask.

Heaven and Earth

About ten days ago my cousin's daughter was killed in a bus accident. She was the band director at a Utah high school and was returning with the band from a competition in Idaho. When the bus driver blacked out and the bus headed off the road, she tried to take control of the bus and was ejected. Several students were injured, Heather was the only one who died.
Just over two years ago our family went through a similar experience. Rick's friend and business partner was killed in a helicopter accident. Rick came to stay with us for several days; days filled with shock, grief, and heartbreak, it was probably the most difficult thing he had ever dealt with.
We spent a lot of time praying with him, relying on the mercy and love of the Savior to give comfort and understanding.

I love this statement by Elder John H Groberg ~

There is a connection between heaven and earth -
Finding it makes everything meaningful, including death.
Missing it makes everything meaningless, including life.

I am so grateful to know that life goes on after death, that this life is just one part of our loving Father's plan for our happiness. Although death always brings unbelievable sorrow and heartbreak, it is tempered by the peace and love of Jesus Christ who stands waiting for us to turn to him in our times of need. He is the one sure source of comfort, understanding, and peace. Rarely does our problem disappear when we turn to him, but always he offers to bear it with us.

The Book of Mormon

A few days ago I finished the reading the Book of Mormon again. This time it took about a year and a half; I looked up cross references and the meaning of words, and wrote thoughts and impressions I had.

I love the Book of Mormon ~ the more I read and study it, the more precious it is to me. I love the witness it is for my Savior, the many testimonies it contains about his gospel, his plan for our happiness. I love the way I feel when I read, when I think about those people who lived so long ago, yet loved and obeyed the same God I love and try to obey. I learn from their struggles and am encouraged by their victories and successes.
Here are just some of my favorite parts of this amazing book.

King Benjamin and his people lived about 125 BC, he taught his people about the coming of Christ. (Mosiah 3 is beautiful). I especially love the part where the people respond to the king's teachings of the coming of Christ and his mission, Mosiah 4:1-3, and 5:1-5.

Abinadi was called to preach repentance to a wicked people. He was taken before King Noah and questioned. He bore a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ; he was then threatened with death unless he would recall his words. When he refused to deny his words, he was beaten and burned at the stake. Mosiah 13:1-7; 14; 17:5-10,13-20.

Ammon who had at one time been an enemy to the church, became a great missionary, much like Paul in the New Testament. He labored among the Lamanites, the enemy of his people, for 14 years (Alma 17-26). In Alma 26 he expresses his feelings about being an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring others to Christ.

Captain Moroni was a righteous military leader who loved freedom, and ‘did not delight in bloodshed’. He reminded his people that some things are worth dying for, ‘...our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children’ (Alma 46:12). Two of my favorite passages about him are Alma 46:10-13, and 48:10-13.

Mormon and Moroni ~ These two men, father and son, are examples of enduring, being true to our testimony of the Savior under all circumstances. They witnessed the fulfilling of prophecy, much wickedness and hard heartedness, and finally the total destruction of their society. Some very poignant and touching passages are Mormon 8:1-7, and Moroni 1.
And I love that Moroni was the one who was chosen to tell Joseph Smith about the ancient record he had buried in the hill so many years before, about 420 AD.

I can’t leave out a few of my favorite verses from the book.
2 Nephi 25:26 we talk of Christ...
Jacob 7:10-12 three sources of truth identified
Ether 12:27 seek this Jesus
3 Nephi 9-28 the Savior visits the Book of Mormon people
1 Nephi 18:3 Nephi prays often and receives divine knowledge
Alma 32:28 the gospel is delicious
Alma 36:6-22 the mighty change

I invite you to read these passages, and share your favorites with me.

I share with you my witness that the Book of Mormon is true, it contains the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is another witness that living according to the teachings of our Savior brings blessings and happiness, and that salvation in available to all of us only through his name.

Prophets

I love to read the accounts of the prophets in the scriptures. Their stories are inspiring and hold much personal application for me. I marvel at the job the Lord gave them: they preached repentance, they spoke the words of the Lord, they often went to unreceptive people who mistreated and even killed them. They delivered divine guidance to the people to meet the challenges of their time.

Noah warned the people of his day about the Flood, and called them to repentance that they might be saved.
Adam was able to bear witness of the reality of God and his Son, taught his children to love the Lord, and to obey his commandments.
Joseph was able to interpret the dreams of the Pharoah, and helped Egypt prepare for seven years of famine, saving his own fathers family in the process.
Moses was responsive to the call of the Lord and returned to Egypt to free Israel and return to their God. During forty years in the wilderness, he was a spokesman for God to his people, performing miracles that they might leave Egypt behind and embrace the true and living God.

How grateful I am to live in a time when there is a prophet to lead, to warn, and to speak for the Lord. Every spring and fall we are able to hear the counsel of those who have been chosen as ‘prophets, seers, and revelators’ in our time during General Conference.
This Saturday and Sunday will be full of divine counsel, and sacred teaching. I invite all to take this opportunity to hear the words of modern day prophets, to feel the power and authority they have to speak for the Lord, to have personal sacred experiences as their words sink deep into our hearts. Moroni promises us in his closing words of the Book of Mormon that by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truth of all things. I know that all who prayerfully listen to the words of these men, with a soft heart and true desire to know, will know that they are true.

In the book of Amos we read, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) The promises of the Lord are sure, He does have a prophet on earth today to reveal His will to us.
General Conference is available on BYUTV and KBYUTV; also on the internet at generalconference.lds.org.
The sessions are held Saturday and Sunday, Oct 3 & 4 at 10 AM and 2 PM, lasting 2 hours each.

It has become a tradition that we have Butterscotch Rolls every Conference weekend.
Here is the recipe, they are pretty good.

Butterscotch Rolls
1 small package butterscotch pudding
1½ cups milk
2 Tablespoons yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
½ cup butter
4½-5cups flour
Cook pudding with the milk; bring to a boil then cool. Soften yeast in water; add sugar. Mix salt, eggs and butter into yeast. Add pudding and flour; stir well. This will be very sticky, just cover with oil and a cloth and let rise for 1½ hours.
Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll to circle shape and spread each with 1/3 of filling. Cut pizza style into 12 pieces; roll up from wide end. Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise 30-40 minutes. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Spread with icing while still warm.
Makes 3 dozen rolls (a Christmas tradition)
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup shredded or flaked coconut
2 Tablespoons flour
Mix all ingredients well.
Icing:
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup water
1½ cups powdered sugar
Stir all ingredients together until smooth.

A great Sunday

Yesterday I had the privilege of being part of a Relief Society Leadership meeting. I got to speak for about 5 minutes about the importance of keeping records for this wonderful women's organization.
After much thought, and more than a little prayer, this is what I came up with.

I read some favorite scriptures about the role that the Savior offers to play in our lives.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chatisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Matthew 11:29 Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 18:11 ...the Son of man is come to save that which is lost
Luke 4:18 ...he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted...
2 Nephi 2:9 ...he shall make intercession for all the children of men
Revelation 1:5 ...him that loved us, and washed us from our sins with his own blood.
Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands...

I then told about dad's heart attack and surgery. I explained how we joined as a family in fasting and prayer the night before the surgery, and then waited together the next morning as the by-pass surgery was performed. When he was back in the ICU, connected to all the tubes, wires, monitors, etc. we again prayed as a family, surrounding his bed, to end our fast, and to thank our Father for the peace we felt, the successful surgery, and to ask Him for continued blessings on our dad, that his recovery would be complete. We had trusted a man whom we did not know with the life of our father, knowing that his heart needed to be repaired, and that this man could do it.
Sometimes we find someone that we love, a friend, neighbor, family member, or even maybe ourselves, with a hard, broken, or doubting heart. Then we are invited to turn to the Master Surgeon, He who can heal, soften, touch, and even change our hearts.
The purpose of the Relief Society is to turn women and families to Christ. We keep records of who attends our meetings, who gets visited monthly by their visiting teachers, and who attends our sacrament meetings, so that we may more effectively point our sisters to Him. We know that He is the source of peace, happiness, cleanliness, forgiveness, and worthiness. If we are to find these things in their lives, we must turn to Him.
I closed with a relating a sweet experience I had earlier that day. On Saturday night I attended the annual General Relief Society broadcast from Salt Lake City, and was surprised to see a young woman, Martha, who I met years ago in McCall, give the opening prayer. I felt excited, knowing that this wonderful woman who I heard pour out her heart to the Lord in prayer in this meeting being broadcast worldwide, knows me. As I sat in Sacrament meeting yesterday, thinking of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and all it provides for me, and the cost to Him and to our Father that this gift might be offered, a sweet thought came into my mind. As thrilled as I was to see Martha the night before, and know that she knew me, I was struck with amazement that the God of the universe, Jesus Christ, knows me even better. I told the women in the leadership meeting that I had come to know that the Lord loves me, that he knows me, my heart, my joys and sorrows, as I have knelt by my bed in prayer.
I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of Jesus Christ, for my testimony of his redeeming and saving power. I am grateful that he was willing and able to rescue me, and make me clean, and worthy to return to my Father some day.

Doing Good

The second law of thermodynamics says that everything, left to itself, moves toward disorder. 

Our former bishop, Bishop Larsen, was fond of saying that good things don't just happen. 

This morning on the radio the man said that too often we wait for specific days of the year to do or to expect great things to happen. That we should take advantage of every day, and create good things, build good memories, help others. 

It isn't that hard; smile at a stranger, compliment your spouse, share vegetables from the garden, pray for someone, make an unexpected visit or phone call, write a note, bake cookies for someone. 

 A favorite poem, written by George Small, says this better than I: 

I read in a book about a man called Christ

Who went about doing good.

It is disconcerting to me 

That I am content 

With just going about.

So, I want to work on filling my days with good things, to avoid letting them move toward disorder, lack of achievement or purpose. This only happens as I put forth effort, and make good things happen.

scripture moment

One night in my scripture study, I read the words from the book of Malachi: "Return unto me, and I will return unto you..."(Malachi 3:7). When I remember to pause and pray before I begin reading, I find that my mind is more open and receptive to the meaning of the scriptures and their application in my life.
These thoughts came to me as I read. The Lord wants to be close to me, to all of us. It is my choices, my actions, that too often separate me from Him. But it is His constant invitation to me to return, and He will receive me. Like the parable of the prodigal son, our Father is waiting, watching, for me to 'come to myself' and go back to Him. I know from experience that no matter how long I have been gone, nor how far I am away, He sees me coming and runs to me, that there is always a warm and loving reception, and that nothing on earth can provide the peace and inner satisfaction of a personal relationship with my Father.