Rite of Spring - memories

I woke from a sound sleep this morning to the strains of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. It brought back wonderful memories of growing up and sharing a room with my younger sister. Believe it or not we would insist that after we had a bedtime story that we wanted to go to sleep listening to the 'Dinosaur music', the original Disney Fantasia version of Rite of Spring. So from the living room they would crank up the old lp player (which wasn't old then) and put on that portion of Fantasia and we'd usually fall fast asleep.

If you've ever heard the piece you are right to wonder how on earth children would want to go to sleep with that violent-sounding powerful music linked to dinosaur battles, and dinosaur marches and great volcanic explosions, but we did - we just loved it.

It was a fond remembrance - one of those tender mercies of the Lord and something worth remembering.

What's in Your Backpack?

I watched a talk John Bytheway gave to an assembly of High School Students today. Among many things he spoke about were five things we can do to get through life better. We can't change the trail but we can lighten our backpacks so the journey isn't as hard.

1. Best way to get the weight our of your backpack is to help others get the weight out of theirs.


2. Spend time with your family and loved ones - nothing else gives us more regret than lost time with family


3. Popularity only lasts till yearbook day - respect lasts a lifetime


4. Focus on what you can give - instead of what you can get.


5. Don't do things that will kill you.

Good advice for us all.

Gifts of the Atonement

It was our Stake Conference today. Much was said that touched me and I expect to make several posts regarding what I learned. Our Stake theme for this year is: Sharing the Power of the Atonement

Here are seven gifts that the Atonement has made available to mankind:

1. The Resurrection - all of us will rise from the dead, never to die again.


2. The means to repent - a way that can free us from our sins.


3. The power to forgive others - a way to free us from bitterness and hatred.


4. The redemption of little children - children are free from original sin.


5. Those who have lived without the law can be redeemed - all of God's children will have access to salvation, regardless of where or when they lived.


6. Jesus knows all our trials - He can therefore know our pain and suffering and how to rescue and aid us.


7. Physical and emotional healing - Because he knows and has experienced all we may suffer he can heal us from our distresses.


8. Being filled with the love of God - the Atonement, when accepted and understood, will fill our hearts with overflowing love for our Savior and also all His children.

Knowing and understanding the Atonement can help us to feel for all of God's children the same way we might feel about our own children - that we don't want to ever lose any of them.