Hoorah, For Israel

Hoorah, for Israel
Another temple is here
A holy house for God to dwell
Where of what's sacred we can hear

Hoorah, for Israel
Let us go and enter there
To do His work and feel hearts swell
That with His Spirit more might share

Our Task is Now at Hand

Our task is now at hand
To lift and buoy up
That others too may stand
And find the Savior's touch

Thank you Bob Hoem

May We Respond When There is a Need

May we respond when there's a need
And, more- provide for those without
May our love for the Lord to them breed
A desire to search what He is about

Our Savior went out about the people
Unto those who's lives were unbearable
He blessed and loved- pure and simple
Like the Samaritan in His parable

Where ever nature shows its forces
No matter the land or distance
And as long as we have resources
We'll be humanitarians with persistence

And in the back of our minds
We know that we can be next
For in our history one finds
We're between fault lines that vex

How fragile is prosperity
And how important is living well
That among our acts of regularity
Our love and prayers to God should swell

Humanitarian Project number 2
Making tens of thousands of Hygiene kits
Saratoga Stake, CA

When We Believe, We Surpass

When we believe, we surpass
And we've happiness as our gas
For it's optimism we embrace
To see the value in life's race

A good marriage and home to roost
Will be only a short lived boost
If we've not faith which comes first
We will start seeing things as worst

When an optimist finds trauma has struck
The response is better, as though in luck
Without blame, worry, or ruminate
A solution forms to illuminate...

Here are some key words of advice
To see life as beautiful and nice
As we ponder sad moments and deviation
We must build ourselves up with appreciation

When thoughts circle and strengths wane
Write down what dwells within your brain
Do something that will distract
Take a break and let good attract

What other factors are in the midst?
Now it's time to ponder the list
We can make adversity's power slacken
By thinking beyond the worst that can happen

Avoid pessimism as you strive
And savor what it means to be alive
Don't revolve in boredom and tedium
Shake off the news and presidium

Share of yourself with gratitude
Help someone see your new attitude
Create true friendships with energy
Combine strengths and start synergy

Happiness can be a learned behavior
As we point our spirits to the Savior
Then we're centered with a divine role
And to be like Him becomes our goal

With prayer we can talk to Him
And feel His love build within
And as we serve others we forget ourself
Which helps us put our sadness upon a shelf

Synergy- the working together of two things (muscles or drugs for example) to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects

click on the title to read the article
Happiness is a Learned Behavior
By Sharon Haddock
Mormon Times Friday, March 27, 2009

illustration by Roman 92
wikimedia commons

We Can Do Better Than That

Cancer has it's moments of punishment
Yet hope does not stop when one's struck
Additionally some respond when a wish is sent
Like the child allowed a ride in a fireman's truck...

The sirens blared as they toured the town
With the boy in a passenger seat on the side
And when they let him spray the hose all around
It became a memorable, wonderful ride

Weeks passed with a time of remission
And to the family all seemed well
Then from the hospital, came the decision
And a medic called the firemen to tell

Could they pay him one last visit
And perhaps help pass the time with a chat?
But, as men of this profession don't sit
They said, "We can do better than that!"

Calls were placed to hospital authorities
They were to expect some noise from his crew
And with a ladder instead of formalities
In came these men through the curtains they drew

There is not much more I can say
As my tears course anew I find
For these firemen have showed the way
To be heroes of another kind

For they stayed and talked about the Head Chief
Which is Jesus, whom the boy said was holding his hand
Then he closed his eyes one last time in belief
And from this boy "make-a-wish" did grow and expand

When we are asked to give service
Do we give, but- the least amount?
Or do we hold true and promise
And do something that really will count


click on the title to read about the
7-year-old Frank Salazar (his family called him "Bopsy") the first child to be helped by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening illness.

A Student Was Assigned

A student was assigned-
"Observe this fish all day"
Was there much to find?
She watched it swim each way

With concentrated focus
She labored much to draw
In her formed a purpose
To recreate what she saw

She used all her senses
As grew in her a need
To pass prior fences
And see where that would lead

As in her gathered, "why's"
She studied more to see
And right before her eyes
Her mind was more set free

And without outside sources
She discovered a new thing
This is how knowledge courses
From questioning and doing

I Knew It, and I Knew That God Knew It
Carolyn Colton,
Assistant General Counsel,
Marriott International, Inc.

BYU Women’s Conference 2005

A Child with a Stick

A child with a stick
Fills with imagination
Then the weapon moves quick
For each retaliation

A child needs but one
To be a super hero
It is a water gun
That battles an inferno

A child left alone
Needs not some great inducement
To embrace what's good and right
And dark evils to lament

It starts very young-
The need for justice and truth
This battle is far flung
And then what happens in their youth?

That very thing they fought
Becomes their constant battle
Who will help them to get caught?
Perhaps the child in them will tattle