So it Is

So it is that time passes
From bitter lessons that impart
Healing comes from trespasses
As the worst of feelings depart

When hearing "I'm sorry!"
Is simply not enough
Stay the path of harming
Look forward and look up

For, for every sin and distress
Christ was raised before God and man
Torn and worn in nakedness
He forgave. He the great I AM

The Timing of the Lord

Thankfully King Herod
Was the last one to hear
That the new born babe,
Long promised of, lay near

At day eight He was circumcised
In the way of the Jews
At day forty He was recognized
And Herod heard not the news

It was when the wise men
Came bearing gifts for this king
That he learned what grieved him
For naught for him did they bring

King Herod was just hours late
When he killed children on that day
Warned in a dream, they did not wait
The holy family'd left right away

The timing of the Lord
Teaches faith and uplifts
The escape, they could afford
Due to the wise men's gifts

Prayer is the Promised Source of Help

Prayer is the promised source of help,

When you want to improve your life.

Self control comes and emotional health,

As you confront stress with God's light.

Then, not depleted in a state of alarm,

Those outbursts and binges become less.

You are saved from doing yourself more harm,

For prayer does both enrich and bless.

Moment of reflection: People turn to prayer 'as a coping response to the high demands in life' and are rewarded with increased strength and ability to resist temptation, researchers said

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2515637/Does-prayer-help-resist-temptation-Talking-God-boosts-self-control-emotional-stability-claims-study.html#ixzz2m96sCQPS
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Confirming Truth

No one should have the burden
Of knowing everything
Let truth speak to your bosom
Then, see what prayer will bring

Hospital for Sinners

The church is true
Despite all of its members
Here is the truth:
It's a hospital for sinners

1. Quote by Abigail Van Buren: The church is a hospital for ...

   www.goodreads.com/...the-church-is-a-hospital-for-sinners-not-a-museum

   Abigail Van Buren — ‘The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.’

For Help

We put our limitations first

Knowing ourselves and our worst

We acknowledge that we are weak

And in prayer, for help, we seek

Then our burdens are made light

We are reminded of our best

And we no longer feel to fight

As it is through love we are blessed

A Glimmer of Hope

A glimmer of hope
Almost raised me from the dead
So buried, alone...
Till, to the Lord, I was led!

Keep Your Ears Open

Keep your ears open
And your mouth shut
You just might know, then
Trouble's next stunt

Be Bold

Be bold
Say what you believe
Don't fold
Speak up, let light lead

Just state
"This is truth. I know!"
Don't wait
You have faith to show

Stay on the Lord's Side

Stay on the Lord's side
You will win every time
For then, you've insight
To see through what does try

Regroup

Regroup, reset,
Re-energize
That peace be set
Before your eyes

1. For Peace at Home by Elder Richard G. Scott | Conference Talks!

   
   
2. Many voices from the world in which we live tell us we should live at a frantic pace. There is always more to do and more to accomplish. Yet deep inside each of us is a need to have a place of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset, regroup, and reenergize to prepare for future pressures.”

Live in His Light

Do as the Savior would
Live in His light
Christ centered, see the good
Through Him made bright

A Church Still Stood

The warning scared
The scope, the breadth
No one was spared
From looking at death

Those who could, ran
For the hills, high
"Grab what you can!"
No one asked why

The water came
Then it rose more
Buildings were claimed
As the waves tore

There was no choice
To swim or sink
Each made no noise
Too numb to think

Hands were held up
In the swift swell
What floats will help
Each to himself

Then, the course stayed
Soon they could stand!
These were the saved
In a wet land

Now to survive...
What did they need?
Help would arrive
First, who did bleed?

A church still stood
They could get dry
They'd gratitude
They did not die

Some sang the hymns
While others prayed
Faith did not dim
And here they stayed

They would rebuild
On higher ground
Hope in them filled
They had been found

Be Rich in Contentment

Be grateful. Be rich
In contentment
Recognize that which
From God is sent

Offer up one tenth
Of all that you gain
Giving thanks often
For what you obtain

The Windows of Heaven "A subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment." —David A. Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven" Topics: Gratitude

Comfort Quilt

Oh what comfort
One quilt can give
Soft warmth offers
New hope to live

From loving hands
To the destitute
From those who can
Comes comfort's rescue

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

This is meekness-
To do the Father's will
Without 'meanness'
His message to instill
The call to repentance
The pricking of the heart
To right one's own conscience
A change of course to start

The Happy Home

I live in a happy home

Where God's Spirit dwells

Where each one is filled with hope

And gratitude swells

Sister Esplin said some children don’t have the “ideal family” with a father and a mother living together, but “when we live the gospel in whatever circumstance we may be in, we can be happy.” 

As long as families live the principles found in the proclamation on the family things will work out, she said. “There is always hope.”

Leaders Say 2014 Primary Theme Teaches "Families Are Forever"

  By Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News assistant editor

• 27 NOVEMBER 2013

Selfless Grace

A man born of a "sinful curse"
Was well rejected from the start
Blind...his parents were thought much worse
But the Lord knew of their good hearts

One day He walked near the sightless man
And put clay to what was useless there
He showed the blind man his value and
The cleansing water reflected his pure care

For... the first thing that he gazed upon
Was his own happy shimmering face
The miracle attracted quite a throng
This because of Christ's selfless grace

Grateful Trust

A prayerful life
Is our key to light
Which brightens us
With grateful trust

Eternal Pleasure

Selfishness- the cause of sin
Is but the smaller picture
Be thankful, and live to serve
This brings eternal pleasure

SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, California Citrus Heights Stake

Make your home beautiful
Like a cloth carefully sewn
From all sides let it be full
Of faithfulness you've shown

Let naught a flaw be hidden
But corrected, to restitch
Doing as the Lord biddeth
That your life be full and rich

In Agony He Fulfilled His Mission

In agony He knelt and wept
For God's commandments that weren't kept
Man's careless sins both large and small
Our precious Lord redeemed them all

His loving sacrifice divine
Absolved men's sin- yes, yours and mine
The earth received each drop He spilled
His sacred mission was fulfilled

Pondering the sacrament meeting and He Died the Great Redeemer Died
I started writing and Rick finished it.  ( I only wrote one line about the earth...)
It was a beautiful and bonding experience!

Flying with Love

My mom shared such an inspiring story of the family flying a kite for Betty who was dying of cancer.  I thought I would share my thoughts.  God bless.

The kite went high and danced about. 

It brought her joy to see them out. 

She knew they flew it just for her. 

A tender moment to offer. 

It lifted her spirit to see it soar. 

To wonder on life and look up once more.  

The sky was full of light, the breeze- fresh air.  

And the tender mercy of God was there! 

National Day of Prayer to Strengthen the Fight Against Pornography

In the fight against pornography
For inspiration, we pray
To help both those who are struggling
And those who are suffering this day

Every Man May Improve

Every man may improve
Talents given to share
Even an hundred fold, proof
God's unseen hand is there

"And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that every man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord’s storehouse, to become the common property of the whole church—Every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God."

Topics: spiritual self-reliance

The Closer You Look the Less You See

The closer  you are
The less you will see
A call takes you far...
You miss FAMILY!

Call Faith Near

Do not fear
Persevere
Faith is light
Call it near

Struggling to Know What to DO

Ofttimes while struggling
To know what to do
I fast and start seeking
The scriptures anew

I leave a page open
And wonder what I've found
Then, I find quite often
New thoughts linger around

Impressions

There are times when I ask
"What would God have me know?"
And though much time may pass
Impressions build and grow

A Sense of Humor

A sense of humor
Is an escape valve
From the most bitter
Feelings you may have

Jesus Teaches that We Must Become as Little Children

Become as a little child
Acceptable for Heaven
Be humble, teachable, mild
Without offense given

Gift to the Savior

Starting today, I will pray

And reach out to just 'one'

To share the Lord's love this way-

As my gift to the Son

Put Your Trust in the Lord

"We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just 'one' between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior."

—M. Russell Ballard, "Put Your Trust in the Lord"
Topics: work of salvation

See Others as They May Become - Thomas S. Monson - October 2012 General ...

There is nothing in this world

That can bring more happiness

And comfort than to know God's word

Has born a special witness

Labor long that it may stay

Ever strong and deep within

Think of others in this way

And share what you've been given

There is absolutely nothing in this world that will provide more comfort and happiness than a testimony of the truth. Although to varying degrees, I believe every man or young man here tonight has a testimony. If you feel that you do not yet have the depth of testimony you would wish, I admonish you to work to achieve such a testimony. If it is strong and deep, labor to keep it that way. How blessed we are to have a knowledge of the truth.

We have the responsibility to look at our friends, our associates, our neighbors this way. Again, we have the responsibility to see individuals not as they are but rather as they can become. I would plead with you to think of them in this way.

Brethren, the Lord told us something about the importance of this priesthood that we hold. He told us that we receive it with an oath and a covenant. He gave unto us the instruction that we must be faithful and true in all that we receive, and that we have the responsibility to keep this covenant even unto the end. And then all that the Father has shall be given unto us.

Her Smile Lives on Still

Struggling to overcome 
She slipped beyond the veil
Her loss has been profound
But her smile lives on still

Brothers and sisters, six months ago as we met together in our general conference, my sweet wife, Frances, lay in the hospital, having suffered a devastating fall just a few days earlier. In May, after weeks of valiantly struggling to overcome her injuries, she slipped into eternity. Her loss has been profound. She and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple on October 7, 1948. Tomorrow would have been our 65th wedding anniversary. She was the love of my life, my trusted confidant, and my closest friend. To say that I miss her does not begin to convey the depth of my feelings.

“I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee”

BY PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON  October 2013 

The Abolitionists

The abolitionists
Are fully aware
Child trafficking exists
Almost everywhere

Monsters conspire new ways to take
Innocence... at any cost
The young are used in films they make
But, soon they will get caught!

Children, we did not know...
Nor did we hear you pray
But, now we do and so
We'll fund your rescue today

America, the Dream Goes On - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

God bless America 
as the land of the free.  
We need a miracle 
to keep our liberty.

Great finale with the eagle!  I have never heard this song. Love it! Having had our parks closed for a time makes me appreciate them all the more.
Maybe this song can stir patriotism. Please share it with a friend.  

Tito

After ten years in jail

For but his belief
When his faith almost failed
Hope came of release

A Christian cellmate...
A name that he knew...
Friends... it is not too late!
His ill health helped, too!

Fifteen years in all
Till he was set free
This was a miracle
The church his family...

He started a new life
To live without fear
Sustained in Christ's light
And was full of good cheer

He learned patience in trial
Hope's influence is great
Receiving help all the while

Yes! Great things await

Then, was it by chance?
That a cousin found him
A changed circumstance
His father's days grew thin

Could he come say goodbye?
His father now sought truth
For Christianity, a sign
Tito's coming was his proof!

The father who once had claimed
His son was dead in his home
Was no longer ashamed
But sought to know his son's hope!

1. LDS Living - My Name Used to Be Muhammad: One Man's …

   

   ldsliving.com/story/73825-my-name-used-to-be-muhammad-one-mans...

   But The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that these things ... I chose Tito, the Italian ... Mohammed was guided and wrote things so …
2. He changed his name to Tito (Italian version for Titus)-Titus was an early Christian leader, a companion of Paul the Apostle, mentioned in several of the Pauline epistles. He is believed to be a gentile converted by Paul to Christianity and, according to tradition, was consecrated by him as Bishop of the Island of Crete. Titus brought a fundraising letter from Paul to Corinth, to collect for the poor in Jerusalem. Later, on Crete, Titus appointed presbyters in every city and remained there into his old age, dying in the city of Candia (modern Heraklion).^[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_(biblical)

A Coyote Around the Corner

In the front of my house
With my aged dog at my side
Deaf, she did not arouse
To the coyote quick to hide

Knowing that my nearly blind, deaf dog won't run off in her graying years, I let her roam (she loves to smell and leave her scent) when I get the mail. I guess this is a lesson on always using a leash with your dog. The coyote barked low around the corner. Sara was oblivious. She notices when I slap my leg and knows I am calling her. We went inside.

Can a person also be deaf and blind to danger? Who is there to warn us? What signals will we know to recognize?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VzejqXYYCk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For Mankind's Destiny

For mankind's destiny-

All marriages between 

A man and a woman,

Are central to God’s plan 

Having all come from Heaven

This grand foundational doctrine

Populates the world with love

For children come from above

This makes sacred the word marriage

Holy, for the home to cherish

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-responds-to-inquiries-on-enda--same-sex-marriage

Mormon Family — The concept of a united family that lives and progresses forever is at the core of Latter-day Saint doctrine. Within families led by a father and a mother, children develop virtues such as love, trust, loyalty, cooperation and service.http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/blog/mormon-images-available-for-use
Mormon Temple Marriage — Members of the Church believe that marriages performed in temples are "sealed," or blessed to last for eternity. The concept that the family unit can continue beyond the grave as a conscious, loving entity, with the marriage partnership and parent-child relationships intact, is a core belief of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/blog/mormon-images-available-for-use

Love is Possible

It is possible to do everything 

Out of Christ-like love, that is pure

To find joy in others is exciting!

From what ails us, this is the cure

Truly love can uplift

Till the soul is carried away

We are spiritually fit

When love lights each step of the day

Is it possible to study because we love the Lord and His children? Is it possible to be motivated by love when we take a test, read a chapter in a textbook, complete an assignment, or answer a question in class? Is it possible to love someone who has wronged us? Can love be our only motive?“Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy” (Alma 29:16).
When others’ needs start to matter more than our own, and when others’ successes are more exciting to us than our own, we are beginning to experience the kind of love that our Father in Heaven and our Savior have for us. It is a love without dimension. It has no boundaries, no limitations. It is pure. It is infinite. It is eternal. Oh, how I want to have more of this kind of love for others.

March 08, 2011
BYU Devotional

What If Love Were
Our Only Motive?

Russell T. Osguthorpe

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1943

The Earth Seeks a Cleansing Breath

The whole of humanity suffers
When evil and darkness reigns
It veils us from what God offers
And the Earth demonstrates her pains

Demonstrations, floods, famines,
Pestilence, tempests, death,
Fires, and upheavals happen
As the Earth seeks a cleansing breath

The Light of Christ is life
For the Earth and all therein
Naught can live without light
As we all come from Heaven

Pondering Visions of Glory

A Thanksgiving Toast

Home cooking...the family
Warmly gathers close
Giving thanks happily
In prayer, and then the toast:

"For all the years we've known,

For all our kin before,

For the many ways we've grown,

We give thanks to the Lord!"

What better book to turn our hearts to years passed and the many blessings we've enjoyed for generations? God Bless. This book shares games, recipes and crafts from our ancestors of the past.

I Will Give Myself to Him

http://www.youtube.com/v/MU8mKZqfAWs?version=3&autohide=1&showinfo=1&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=xteimWQ7G_okilanHJX5gw&autohide=1&feature=sharehttps://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/ces-devotionals/2013/11?lang=eng&vid=No matter how high your hopes are
The Lord's plans for you are higher
Believe. You are meant to go far
May His will be your desire

I have always wondered what the song of redeeming love will be.  Here are a few of the things that Elder

Russell T. Osguthorpe had to say:

The song of redeeming love
strengthens us continually in His mercy and infinite love
is rejoicing in the atonement of Jesus Christ and of surrendering to God's will
is a song of feelings that can play in our hearts over and over again- (without notes or lyrics)
is the expression of gratitude that is constantly changing
is the acknowledgement of blessings and divine protection from what would pull us down

when will we sing it?
when we need to do something difficult
when we allow truth to find us
when we need to enlarge our soul
when we feel forgiven
when we feel His love



"When we feel strength to do something difficult, we will sing the song [of redeeming love] in our heart. … Each time we sing it, we will be giving our will to him, the only gift we have to give him. He will not only accept this gift. He will expand it and deepen it. He will cause us to feel more capable. He will increase our capacity to love and be loved. He will lead us out of darkness into light. He will heal and help us in ways that will permit us to forgive and be forgiven."http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865589811/I-will-give-myself-to-him-says-Russell-T-Osguthorpe-during-CES-devotional.html?pg=all'I will give myself to him,' says Russell T. Osguthorpe during CES devotional
“Our will is the collective force of our desires or motives,” he said. “Our will underlies all of our actions. So how do we go about strengthening our will? How can we give our will to the Lord?" It is through knowing what the Lord desires an individual to do and then acting on that knowledge that they are able to strengthen their will, said Brother Osguthorpe. “Sometimes actions matter more than words.”

Providing

Provide for yourself and family As a duty and an honor With self-respect reach out  happily In the work of Heavenly Father Opportunities to Do Good "All people are happier and feel more self-respect when they can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to take care of others." —Henry B. Eyring, "Opportunities to Do Good" Topics: spiritual self-reliance

Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me

Receive children
Into your heart
They're of Heaven
Love will impart

1. Matthew 19:14 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

   www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/19.14?lang=eng

   14 But Jesus said, a Suffer little b children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

   
   

   Bible video

Christmas for a Dollar - Trailer HD

Be strong in heart.
Faith builds upon hope.
Love will impart
Miracles for home

Paint a Picture in Your Mind

Paint a picture in your mind
Of Christ's ultimate embrace
Forgiveness and love to find
As His scars you then, do trace

Paint this picture in rich color
With His blood, in crimson red
Paint, too, glory and honor
For how perfectly He led.

The Canvas

Painting and writing on my life's canvas
I pointed them to the Lord, my new compass

I added up quickly all the sins I had done

And sought to learn from them one by one

The Lord took the painting and placed it in the light
He erased sin's and  pains and pointed me aright

He made me new and wonderful, my life in His embrace

I saw a series of blessings, that brought me before His face. 

If- The Cycle of Light and Love

If  you want to talk to God
Pray with all your might
If you wish to hear from Him
Read His words of light

If you find yourself in need
Be His hands and serve
Humbly follow Him, in deed
Listen and discern

Have faith, all the while
In this cycle of light and love
Our upwards spiral
Towards Heavenly Father above

This is a cycle
to talk-pray
to hear-read
for needs-serve