A New Year and New Possibilities

For the most part I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore - having found that I rarely manage to keep them for long. What I do try and do is re-commit to doing the things I should be doing and generally am doing - just better. Some people can charge forward quickly and be successful quickly, then go on to more things. Some of us run at a slower speed, but this is ok too, it's less about the speed than the destination, and enjoying the journey.

I signed up to Ravelry.com, a web site for knitters and crocheters. It's still in beta, but you can sign up to be added as they are adding several hundred people a day to the site. It's a place to organize, keep track of, share and get ideas from other knitters and crocheters. So far I like it a lot.

I've been thinking of my Dad a lot lately as his estate gets closed out and his things get given away or sold. I miss him and Mom, but my fondest memories are from years ago and I'll have those always.

This year I will give thanks every day.
I will smile more often - and every day.
I'll remember that I'm a daughter of God,
And He loves me no matter what.

My car was in the shop today and I took the bus to work. While waiting there a man and women, in their 20s I'd say, arrived with their young daughter and younger son. For the 5-10 minutes I was waiting it seemed that all the parents could do was criticize and chastise their children. I hurt for the children and for the family as a whole.

Why is it that the things we should love and cherish the most are treated so lightly? Why was it that these children, these gifts from God were so little valued? Where have we as a society gone that this is the daily behavior in so many families?

Let us remember Christ and how he loved little children and how He also said it would be better to be drowned than to offend a child.

Look at your children through the eyes of God, who was their Father before you were their parent. Love them even a little like He loves them, and like He loves you as well, for we are all children of God.

Maxim for Living

I just heard this maxim again on television. It was said in 2003, but bears repeating and repeating again.

From Elder Holland, Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse."

In Ephesians 4:29-32, Paul reminds us of this as well.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The Funnel

In attending church services I was impressed by the words of our speaker. He held up an ordinary funnel, one you might use for adding oil to a car, for instance. As expected this funnel had a wide end and a narrow end.



The world today insists that it is best to be allowed to do whatever you wish, that whatever is 'right' for you is what you should do. They advocate being able to choose from all the world offers, in effect to Enter in by the wide way. This philosophy seems to promise much freedom, but the end result is less and less freedom, and less and less happiness as people are squeezed into the narrow end of the funnel, the result of their choices earlier on.

Christ on the other hand asks us to Enter in by the narrow way. Satan wants us to think this is restrictive, that we are being limited in what we can do, that we are lacking freedom. Just as in the funnel, entering in by the narrow way leads to much more freedom in the future.

Obeying the commandments of God to love one another, to be chaste, to serve, opens up great vistas to us, great freedoms and great blessings. Choosing to be selfish, to violate the laws of chastity, to abuse body and mind wraps us in chains that will no longer give us many choices.

Life and Death

Today I had the opportunity to go with a number of my friends from church to visit a fellow sister who is only a few days or hours from death. Willa Ballard is one of my sisters in the Gospel who I visit teach. A convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of about 4-5 years, this tiny little sister was battling breast cancer at the time of her conversion. Everyone that met her was impressed with her great spirit and luminous smile.

For several years she had good health, but this year her cancer returned as well as a particularly fast acting form of lung cancer. It had been a month since I'd seen her, and her small body was wasted and she is unable to eat or drink and only somewhat aware of goings on around her. Even so, as we identified ourselves and expressed our love, we would see her beautiful smile.

When asked on Saturday what her happiness level was she said it was at a six. The thing she wanted that would raise her to a seven was to be at church. This wasn't possible so church came to her. We sang her favorite church hymns, Praise to the Man and Come, Come, Ye Saints and the sacrament was prepared for her by the Bishop and Ward Clerk, both her dear friends.

I may never see her again in this life, my friend Willa. But her impact on me is enduring. Strength, courage, beauty, and faith are but some of what I have learned from her.

Because Christ died and rose again, we too will rise again and all illness and infirmity will be vanquished.

Carthage - the Final Sacrifice

Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, were murdered by a mob at Carthage, Illinois on June 27th, 1844. They were guilty of no crime, but as with most of the Lord's prophets of any age were persecuted and killed for their obedience to the will of the Lord.


Joseph and Hyrum

The persecutors believed that by killing Joseph Smith, they would destroy Mormonism, but 163 three years later, it is strong, growing, and vibrant. The work of the Lord will not be thwarted by men.

Joseph knew that if he went to Carthage he would not return alive, but he also knew that all the keys and authority to continue the work had been given to the 12 Apostles. He fulfilled the work he had been called to do, and sealed his testimony with his blood, as did his brother Hyrum.

Other pictures of the day.

Nauvoo Historical Sites and Pageant

The first stop today was the Trail of Hope, the walk taken by thousands of Saints as they left their beloved city to cross the Mississippi to a destination out of the United States where they could find peace.


The Trail of Hope

We traveled to the Pioneer Burial Ground, a place where many of the people of Nauvoo were buried. Many were children and most of the markers have vanished.


A Grieving Family

We visited a number of sites owned and cared for by the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The home of Joseph and Emma, the Red Brick Store, the Mansion House, the Smith cemetery were all part of the tour.

I spent the majority of the rest of the day visiting the various rebuilt or restored sites in Old Nauvoo. Places like the Family Living Center where skills used in those days were demonstrated, the tinsmith, the Browning home and gun shop, the blacksmiths and other places.

In the evening we watched the Nauvoo Pageant - The City of Joseph. I was impressed and brought to tears as well.


Pageant Worker


Other pictures of this day.