Sunday, January 29, 2017

The Savior Wants to Forgive





Sins bring with them a heavy load
They are not easy to bear
Repent, pray, and turn to the Lord
Surrender unto His care

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Another Week is Gone

Another week is gone,
Another Sabbath, too.
I know I'd be more strong,
If I planned the things I do!

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Up Front and Center

Up front and center
This meeting is for you.
Those covenants, that you enter
With the Lord, DO renew!

Monday, January 23, 2017

Soar In the Gospel

http://www.clipartpal.com/clipart_pd/holiday/thanksgiving/colorfulturkey_10048.html

Three turkeys, how they marveled
As they looked up in the sky.
The eagles, how they traveled.
They could spread their wings and fly!
"What's wrong with us?" One wondered.
"How come lowly turkeys cannot soar?"
He jumped off things and floundered
And flapped his wings again some more

The eagles looked so happy
As they circled high above.
And their wings were barely flapping.
What was their strength made of?
With courage in his heart
He sought a school for flying.
New lessons soon would start!
With his friends, it was worth trying!

First, they took Wings 101
Then, Departing 100.
And when Landing 150 was done
They were much more than excited!
The class climbed up a cliff
With the instructor in the lead
"Just jump, with your wings stiff,
Here is the wind that you need!"

The first left the cliff's end,
Tucked his feet, with head held high
He circled with the current
And waved his friends to try.
Soon all three were in the air
Gobble gobbling with delight
They felt free from burdens there!
But, too soon, they would lose light.

Their teacher waved for them
From a rooftop landing strip.
How they had to run, then,
To make a stop and not trip!
Each accepted a diploma
Which they rolled beneath a wing.
And in the dark, they all walked homeward.
And soon forgot they'd been flying!

Each had their own excuse:
The cliffs were far.  It took too long!
He'd not spare time to use!
And, well, it had been wrong!
Do not be a turkey
And walk away from freedom's light.
Follow the Master's wisdom
And achieve with all your might!


Elder Zeballos inspired this poem. He was so cute flapping one elbow wing to tell the other turkeys to jump and his fingers ran on the pulpit when they came in for a landing. What do you think this story is about? Going to the temple? Using a recommend instead of just carrying it? Leaving the church?

A Mighty Change

What did you learn?
What did you feel?
Share of your light!
Show God is real!

Reflect Heaven's Light

Dear Saints,
Reflect all the flashes
That, from Heaven's light do bless.
Like a mirror free from scratches,
Of the love you feel, confess.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is there
To teach you in all ways
If with the Lord you share
Truth reaches through the haze

Haze a state of mental obscurity or confusion.
I treasure the times when a word comes and I look it up and it means more than I knew.  Inspiration is a treasure.

He Has My Back

There are many roads before us
That can take us way off track.
I must obey the Lord and trust
That He truly has my back!
He is a second set of ears
That hears what lies ahead.
I can set myself up for tears
Or walk with Him instead!

Access

In the temple, you can practice
For full access to the Lord!
One day you'll be in His presence
And be eternally restored!

Imagine this as you walk to the veil and thrill!

Hang On to the Boat

Hang on to the boat
And not to each other
The rapids will coat,
Tip, and try to smother!

Then you can look for those who fell overboard.

Row the oars


As a vessel of the Lord
Row the oars and rescue
Those who flounder and flail
How the Lord will bless you!

With stake boundaries and wards realigned, this is definitely the time to row the oars and rescue. It was a beautiful rainy day to think about it.

The Front Row Seat

You have the front row seat.
The atonement is real!
Here, as troubled hearts you greet
The Lord enters to heal

Priesthood

It was for the priesthood
That His church was restored
That we might grow in truth
And light from the Lord
I'm thankful for the priesthood and to see it in action as we just had our stake boundaries realigned. The stakes are stretching and strengthening the Saints.

Crowned With Light

Your soul has come to Christ.
Still, He wants for you more.
You will be crowned with light,
In the House of the Lord!
A beautiful and exciting thought from stake conference. I love converts! The temple awaits them.

Conversion Missionary

When you turn your life around
Leaving the old for the new
May you in goodness be found
As a missionary, too.
The mission president and his wife spoke. There are 600 missionaries in this mission. Our stake has 64 missionaries out. We are a missionary church.
When Alma was converted, he wanted nothing but to do missionary work. He was one of the greatest missionaries the world has ever known. He converted those who had been perceived as enemies.

LasVegas Temple

This hill of morning light
Fresh in living water flow
Is an oasis of peace and life
Blessing all, who come, to grow
Part of stake conference is hearing from the temple president and his wife. I love my temple and the feeling that is there. I love how I see the prophet and his counselors as I am heading back to the dressing room. It is though they are saying,  "Come back. Come often."

Together

We are all in this together
As a fellowship of Saints
We serve and teach each other
And prepare for what awaits
We just had our stake conference with two general authorities. Elders Heyman and Zeballos. It was actually two stakes because they split Anthem stake into two and pulled parts of two wards (ours) from Green Valley stake into what is now Carnegie stake. It was a beautiful thing to listen to Sister Tate talk about living here for 20 years and how everyone had taught her children and she them.

Monday, January 16, 2017

A Fire of Faith

Build a fire of faith
In the hearts of all
Refine them to face
And heed the Master's call.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Once Again

Once again
Come to the Lord all anew
And begin
To act on the knowledge in you
And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, Redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delight some people. Words of Mormon 1:8

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Relief Society

It's quiet time sisters
To reflect and prepare
For a week of service,
Love, and Christ-like care

Except for the one teaching, Relief Society is such a strengthening peaceful time!

The Much Yellowed Paper



The much yellowed paper
Records a distant age
Through a task of labor
Words were placed upon the page

There was no erasure
Only the blotting out
Thoughts had to be premeasured
Can there be any doubt?

I remember learning to type on an old typewriter. To start, I handwrote the paper and transcribed once all the editing was done.  Thankfully there was whiteout!  That only helped if I caught my mistake before proofreading.  Of course, you would read it line by line because you had to predetermine when to stop and go to the next line. I held the white-out strip on top of the paper and retyped the mistake.  Then, I went back and typed the correction on top,.  If I pulled the paper out and a line had to be changed, I had to start all over again!  Writing is so incredibly easy today!

It is interesting to read how hard it was to find someone willing to print this large volume. To print books at the time of the first publishing was extremely time-consuming.  Fifteen years later, the rotary press and an improved type of wood pulp paper would make publishing additional Book of Mormons faster and cheaper.

Where the Book of Mormon Went to Press

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/02/where-the-book-of-mormon-went-to-press?lang=eng

The Book of Mormon Goes to Press


https://www.lds.org/ensign/1972/12/the-book-of-mormon-goes-to-press?lang=eng

An Endless Book of Possiblities

An endless book of possibilities
Exists for each of our lives
As we test out our abilities
And exercise God-given rights

It is a beautiful and terrifying process to raise a child.  There is so much responsibility!  There are so many influences, possibilities, and risks!  Where would we be without the gospel? Where much is given, much is required.

Boundary Change

The change in boundaries came
And uncertainty grew within
I had known each face and name!
And must work to settle in

When we moved 8 years ago I settled into the ward and got a calling. It was a growing experience. Our relocation only impacted my husband and I.  The news came today that our ward was invited to another stake building.  Hmmm.  Speculation time! New ward???  Sigh.  I only know that my neighbor Saints will go with me and that I will adjust to the change.  Isn't it wonderful that the gospel message is the same wherever we may go? 

Vacation Trip


The white line in the road
Offers safety and peace
So you can take your load
To a place new to please



Silently Do Not Suffer

Silently, do not suffer
In pain, all alone.
Know you do have a Savior
Whom, for you, did atone.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Hand in Hand


Feel His love and heed His word
With His spirit you are ready
To walk daily with the Lord
And when you trip, He will steady

If you want to read about the hand of the Lord and how to have it, this is a very personal and tender example:  The Lord Thy God Will Hold Thy Hand

Let there Be Light

"Let there be light!"
It was said long ago.
Through Jesus Christ
We may seek the way home

My Shelfari Bookshelf

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Blog Archive

power to change

power to change
comes from words from the heart

Popular Posts

The Captain of the Soul- Invictus/ The Soul's Captain by Elder Orson F. Whitney

Invictus by William E. Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The Soul's Captain [The Answer]
by Elder Orson F. Whitney
of the Quorum of the Twelve
Art thou in truth? Then what of him
Who bought thee with his blood?
Who plunged into devouring seas
And snatched thee from the flood?
Who bore for all our fallen race
What none but him could bear.
The God who died that man might live,
And endless glory share?
Of what avail thy vaunted strength,
Apart from his vast might?
Pray that his Light may pierce the gloom,
That thou mayest see aright.
Men are as bubbles on the wave,
As leaves upon the tree.
Thou, captain of thy soul, forsooth
Who gave that place to thee?
Free will is thine — free agency
To wield for right or wrong;
But thou must answer unto him
To whom all souls belong.
Bend to the dust that head "unbowed,"
Small part of Life's great whole!
And see in him, and him alone,
The Captain of thy soul

He's Been There Before

He's Been There Before by Elder Troy Whittle
The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet
I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets
A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes

The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much
"We have a super day planned," My comp. says with a grin
I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us in."

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to
Face another day of humidity and heat
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through
My champion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box"
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete
The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep,
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep
In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray
I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say

"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away
My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"

"And what about my family: They don't have much to say
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day
Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?
"The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see
Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"

My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed
I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead
Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day

I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice
A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet
"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"

My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"

"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate
I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else-
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"

"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"


"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see
I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me"
He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed
My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before
By Elder Troy Whittle
Texas Houston Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

These poems are my own thoughts and impressions as I study the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints

I encourage you to read from the Book of Mormon and the standard works, and listen to modern day prophets, also, that your mind and heart might be touched.

Kelly Miller

153 Countries Visited! June 2015


Global Statistics
Visits from 153 countries registered.
No.CountryDate of Last VisitPercent & Number of Visits ↓
1
United States
June 15, 2015
82.86%25,281
2
United Kingdom
June 14, 2015
2.61%795
3
Canada
June 13, 2015
2.42%737
4
Australia
June 13, 2015
1.81%551
5
Philippines
June 14, 2015
1.35%412
6
New Zealand
June 14, 2015
0.99%303
7
India
June 14, 2015
0.79%241
8
Brazil
June 14, 2015
0.58%176
9
Germany
May 15, 2015
0.49%151
10
Mexico
June 3, 2015
0.40%121
11
South Africa
June 8, 2015
0.34%105
12
Russian Federation
Apr 20, 2015
0.26%80
13
France
June 3, 2015
0.21%64
14
Malaysia
June 5, 2015
0.14%44
15
Czech Republic
Apr 17, 2015
0.14%42
16
Pakistan
Mar 21, 2015
0.13%41
17
Spain
Apr 28, 2015
0.13%41
18
Italy
June 8, 2015
0.13%39
19
Netherlands
May 28, 2015
0.12%38
20
Europe
June 11, 2015
0.11%35
21
Indonesia
May 18, 2015
0.11%35
22
Cote D'Ivoire
May 17, 2015
0.11%35
23
Japan
Apr 17, 2015
0.11%33
24
Singapore
May 28, 2015
0.11%33
25
United Arab Emirates
Apr 25, 2015
0.10%32
26
Argentina
Apr 27, 2015
0.10%31
27
Korea, Republic of
Feb 1, 2015
0.10%31
28
-
May 10, 2015
0.10%31
29
Thailand
Apr 5, 2015
0.10%30
30
Ireland
May 19, 2015
0.10%29
31
Jamaica
June 1, 2015
0.09%28
32
Turkey
June 14, 2015
0.09%28
33
Trinidad and Tobago
May 18, 2015
0.09%26
34
Sweden
May 8, 2015
0.09%26
35
Guatemala
May 5, 2015
0.08%24
36
Denmark
May 10, 2015
0.08%23
37
Saudi Arabia
May 1, 2015
0.07%20
38
Nigeria
Apr 4, 2015
0.07%20
39
Hong Kong
Apr 18, 2015
0.07%20
40
Colombia
May 29, 2015
0.07%20
41
Chile
Mar 23, 2015
0.06%19
42
Finland
Mar 25, 2015
0.06%19
43
Taiwan
Mar 28, 2015
0.06%18
44
Romania
May 17, 2015
0.06%18
45
Fiji
Feb 27, 2015
0.06%17
46
Ghana
May 8, 2015
0.06%17
47
Belgium
May 30, 2015
0.05%16
48
Switzerland
Apr 12, 2015
0.05%16
49
Poland
Apr 6, 2015
0.05%15
50
American Samoa
Apr 10, 2015
0.05%14
51
Ecuador
Feb 23, 2015
0.05%14
52
Serbia
Mar 10, 2015
0.05%14
53
Austria
Apr 8, 2015
0.04%13
54
Senegal
Nov 24, 2014
0.04%13
55
Norway
June 1, 2015
0.04%13
56
Uruguay
Aug 18, 2014
0.04%12
57
Peru
Apr 13, 2015
0.04%12
58
Portugal
Apr 6, 2015
0.04%12
59
Kenya
Oct 29, 2014
0.04%12
60
Tonga
Dec 9, 2014
0.04%11
61
Dominican Republic
Mar 12, 2015
0.04%11
62
Hungary
Feb 16, 2015
0.03%10
63
Guyana
Apr 28, 2015
0.03%10
64
Bangladesh
Jan 19, 2015
0.03%9
65
Algeria
Feb 5, 2015
0.03%9
66
Kuwait
Mar 30, 2015
0.03%9
67
Egypt
Apr 4, 2015
0.03%9
68
Belize
May 8, 2015
0.03%9
69
Costa Rica
Feb 4, 2015
0.03%8
70
Bahamas
Jan 9, 2015
0.03%8
71
Israel
Feb 27, 2015
0.03%8
72
Ukraine
Jan 24, 2015
0.03%8
73
Asia/Pacific Region
June 9, 2015
0.03%8
74
Honduras
Feb 6, 2015
0.02%7
75
Cyprus
Mar 21, 2015
0.02%7
76
Guam
Apr 10, 2015
0.02%7
77
Greece
June 2, 2015
0.02%7
78
China
Dec 16, 2014
0.02%7
79
Panama
Apr 7, 2015
0.02%6
80
Morocco
Mar 3, 2015
0.02%6
81
Sri Lanka
Sept 28, 2014
0.02%6
82
Iraq
Feb 25, 2015
0.02%6
83
Togo
June 6, 2015
0.02%6
84
Botswana
May 7, 2015
0.02%6
85
El Salvador
Apr 23, 2015
0.02%5
86
Vietnam
Oct 30, 2014
0.02%5
87
Cook Islands
June 3, 2015
0.02%5
88
Bulgaria
Oct 27, 2014
0.02%5
89
Lithuania
June 23, 2014
0.02%5
90
Slovakia
Jan 19, 2015
0.02%5
91
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mar 23, 2015
0.02%5
92
French Polynesia
Nov 23, 2014
0.02%5
93
Bahrain
Nov 11, 2014
0.02%5
94
Slovenia
Jan 16, 2015
0.02%5
95
Grenada
Mar 10, 2015
0.02%5
96
Qatar
Jan 15, 2015
0.02%5
97
Saint Lucia
May 8, 2015
0.02%5
98
Puerto Rico
Feb 27, 2015
0.01%4
99
Tunisia
Jan 23, 2015
0.01%4
100
Malta
Mar 22, 2015
0.01%4
101
Croatia
Jan 20, 2015
0.01%4
102
New Caledonia
Jan 13, 2015
0.01%4
103
Barbados
Apr 29, 2014
0.01%4
104
Azerbaijan
Jan 14, 2015
0.01%4
105
Moldova, Republic of
Nov 29, 2014
0.01%3
106
Lebanon
Feb 11, 2014
0.01%3
107
Zimbabwe
July 23, 2014
0.01%3
108
Benin
Feb 19, 2015
0.01%3
109
Antigua and Barbuda
Aug 1, 2014
0.01%3
110
Isle of Man
Dec 20, 2014
0.01%3
111
Bhutan
June 8, 2015
0.01%3
112
Venezuela
May 14, 2014
0.01%3
113
Georgia
Mar 3, 2015
0.01%2
114
Namibia
Oct 22, 2014
0.01%2
115
Armenia
Jan 12, 2015
0.01%2
116
Virgin Islands, U.S.
June 20, 2014
0.01%2
117
Jordan
May 19, 2015
0.01%2
118
Mozambique
June 23, 2014
0.01%2
119
Uganda
Aug 4, 2014
0.01%2
120
Marshall Islands
Jan 28, 2015
0.01%2
121
Mauritius
Feb 20, 2015
0.01%2
122
Oman
May 12, 2014
0.01%2
123
Curacao
Apr 29, 2015
0.01%2
124
Sierra Leone
Apr 26, 2015
0.01%2
125
Samoa
Nov 1, 2013
0.01%2
126
Saint Kitts and Nevis
June 30, 2013
0.01%2
127
Macau
July 18, 2014
0.01%2
128
Albania
Aug 17, 2014
0.01%2
129
Dominica
Mar 12, 2013
0.01%2
130
Ethiopia
Jan 8, 2015
0.01%2
131
Estonia
Mar 20, 2015
0.01%2
132
Cape Verde
May 27, 2013
0.00%1
133
Cayman Islands
July 27, 2014
0.00%1
134
Cambodia
Sept 16, 2013
0.00%1
135
Myanmar
July 18, 2014
0.00%1
136
Lesotho
Jan 12, 2013
0.00%1
137
Mongolia
Mar 14, 2015
0.00%1
138
Zambia
Apr 22, 2013
0.00%1
139
Montenegro
Nov 19, 2014
0.00%1
140
Kazakhstan
Jan 9, 2015
0.00%1
141
Nicaragua
May 29, 2014
0.00%1
142
Paraguay
Mar 10, 2013
0.00%1
143
Haiti
Feb 1, 2015
0.00%1
144
Timor-Leste
Feb 21, 2013
0.00%1
145
Iceland
June 20, 2014
0.00%1
146
Aruba
Jan 9, 2014
0.00%1
147
Liberia
Jan 3, 2014
0.00%1
148
Northern Mariana Islands
Oct 9, 2014
0.00%1
149
Gibraltar
Jan 27, 2014
0.00%1
150
Swaziland
June 16, 2014
0.00%1
151
Jersey
Mar 30, 2013
0.00%1
152
Niue
Nov 30, 2014
0.00%1
153
Latvia

Followers