Be Strong and Be Brave- Be of Good Cheer- for the youth

Be strong and be brave
And don't be afraid
Be different and true
To what lies within you

Please, stay morally clean
As unto your parents you lean
Watch always and humbly pray
And follow the righteous way

Come and be of good cheer
And picture the Savior near
For with Him in your life
He'll calm the winds of strife

We have a temple near by
And leaders by our side
We will not fail nor shrink
If we spiritually drink

Sooner than you realize and know
Into an adult you will grow
There is so much that lies ahead
On this path that's spiritually led

Verse 1] Be strong and be brave Don't be afraid Be different and true To what lies within you [Pre-Chorus] Please, stay morally clean As your parents you lean Watch always and humbly pray And follow the righteous way [Chorus] Be of good cheer Picture the Savior near Be of good cheer He'll calm the winds of strife Be of good cheer We will not fail nor shrink (We will not fail) [Verse 2] We have a temple nearby And leaders by our side If we spiritually drink We will stand and not sink [Pre-Chorus] Sooner than you realize and know Into an adult you will grow There is so much ahead On this path you're led [Chorus] Be of good cheer Picture the Savior near Be of good cheer He'll calm the winds of strife Be of good cheer We will not fail nor shrink (We will not fail) [Bridge] When the road gets hard And the days run long Hold to what is true And you will be strong [Chorus] Be of good cheer Picture the Savior near Be of good cheer He'll calm the winds of strife Be of good cheer We will not fail nor shrink (We will not fail)

Elder Cordoba
Saratoga Stake Conference
November 9, 2008

When In Truth I was Speaking- Walking on Eggshells- Raising a troubled teenager?

When in truth I was speaking
You supposed I must be mad
For otherwise you'd be angry
As that means you have been bad

When you've a consequence
We tiptoe around like a birds
I know to not speak thence
For as eggshells are our words

At a party you lost your phone
Should I be sorry? Your consumption abused
The choice was soley yours to own
But, if I say a word, then I'm the one accused

Why must I be so careful?
When it's you who broke the rules?
Well, I'm afraid I've been a fool
In the chosen parent school

With a friend, you lost your purse
Now, who is looking after you?
What more is there to rehearse
As my cautions are futile too

For you, I've hope and love- not pity
I'd show you a path that's straight
For I believe in your ability
Though it's not been shown as of late

May this truth cut just so deep
That with your heart you'll listen
And desire to covenant keep
That for joy this time, eyes will glisten

Verse 1]

when in truth i was speaking you supposed i must be mad

for otherwise you d be angry

as that means you have been bad

when you ve a consequence we tiptoe around like a birds

i know to not speak thence

for as eggshells are our words

[Chorus]

eggshells are our words

eggshells are our words

why must i be so careful?

when it s you who broke the rules?

[Verse 2]

at a party you lost your phone should i be sorry?

your consumption abused the choice was Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Ambient

yours to own

but if i say a word then i m the one accused

why must i be so careful?

when it s you who broke the rules?

[Chorus]

eggshells are our words

eggshells are our words

why must i be so careful?

when it s you who broke the rules?

[Verse 3]

well i m afraid i ve been a fool in the chosen parent school

with a friend you lost your purse now who is looking after you?

what more is there to rehearse as my cautions are futile too

for you i ve hope and love not pity

i d show you a path that s straight

[Bridge]

for i believe in your ability though it s not been shown as of late

may this truth cut just so deep that with your heart you ll listen

and desire to covenant keep

that for joy this time eyes will glisten

[Final Chorus]

eggshells are our words

eggshells are our words

why must i be so careful?

when it s you who broke the rules?

Journey to Psalms 23- Hillside Prayer

When all you've built is gone

So heavy is that fall 

Your steps are heavy, your sighs long

And you care not where you walk

You stand upon the hillside

And recall your humble start

How the spirit was your guide

And how honest was your heart

How simple was your life

How beautiful your thoughts

You grew in truth and light

Your prayers of praise, they taught

Then you became prideful

Your faith and strength so praised!

You forgot to be watchful!

The lusts of your eyes raised!

A woman already taken

Bathing on a rooftop

The opportunity was given

You filled her womb before long

You made arrangements

For the husband still away

To be first front in battle

Knowing he'd be killed that day

The consequence took time

 Your first born took what he wanted

And dishonored his half sister

You turned a blind eye and left her haunted

Another son took revenge

And killed this violator

Then fled for three years, left

Your trust he would wait for

Then the trumpet blasts

His conspiracy came

All you see is your past

And all you feel is shame

So here on the hillside

Rent with ash upon your head

Repentant, here you write

Being of the spirit, led

Thou Lord art my Shepherd

I can rest in green pastures

Where, Thy voice is heard

Beside the still safe waters

Thou hast ever been with me

Through shadows, pride and death

Past evil, I refused to see

Comforted, I take a peace filled breath

Verse 1] When all you've built is gone So heavy is that fall Your steps are slow, your sighs long And you care not where you walk You stand upon the hillside And recall your humble start How the spirit was your guide And how honest was your heart How simple was your life How beautiful your thoughts You grew in truth and light Your prayers of praise, they taught [Pre-Chorus] Then you became prideful Your faith and strength so praised! You forgot to be watchful The lusts of your eyes raised [Chorus] Thou Lord art my Shepherd I can rest in green pastures Thy voice is heard Beside the still safe waters Thou hast ever been with me Through shadows, pride and death Past evil, I refused to see Comforted, I take a peace filled breath [Verse 2] A woman already taken Bathing on a rooftop The opportunity was given You filled her womb before long You made arrangements For the husband still away To be first front in battle Knowing he'd be killed that day The consequence took time Your first born took what he wanted And dishonored his half sister You turned a blind eye and left her haunted Another son took revenge And killed this violator Then fled for three years, left Your trust he would wait for [Bridge] Then the trumpet blasts His conspiracy came All you see is your past And all you feel is shame So here on the hillside Rent with ash upon your head Repentant, here you write Being of the spirit, led [Final Chorus] Thou Lord art my Shepherd I can rest in green pastures Thy voice is heard Beside the still safe waters Thou hast ever been with me Through shadows, pride and death Past evil, I refused to see Comforted, I take a peace filled breath

Linking King David's pride, adultery with Bathsheba, murder of Uriah, family tragedies, and eventual repentance to the themes of Psalm 23.

Psalm 23's chorus—"The Lord is my shepherd"—portrays God's guidance through moral failure, shadows, and shame, ending in comfort and peace.

Pioneers of Faith and Freedom

Pause to think of our pioneers

What little they started with

Their qualities we oft seek

As the American way to live

Courage, patience, faith

Self-reliance and perseverance

Their unflagging determination to not fail

Were the traits that made all the difference

If we could instill this in our youth

Yes, our strongest resource of all

They've great freedom to apply themselves

The future of our country is their call

To be inventive and industrious

And faithful to our constitution

Some to be the freedom fighters among us

Some to preserve the family institution

A strong, vital, and vigorous society

Keeps the cause of freedom strong, vital and vigorous

It's their success that makes for a better us

World wars have shown us the need for stability

If we jeopardize our economic well-being

We jeopardize our freedom, our peace, and our safety

Verse 1] Pause to think of our pioneers What little they started with Their qualities we oft seek As the American way to live Courage, patience, faith Self-reliance and perseverance Their unflagging determination to not fail Were the traits that made all the difference [Pre-Chorus] If we could instill this in our youth Yes, our strongest resource of all They've great freedom to apply themselves The future of our country is their call [Chorus] Courage, patience, faith Courage, patience, faith The American way to live The American way to live To be inventive and industrious And faithful to our constitution [Verse 2] Some to be the freedom fighters among us Some to preserve the family institution A strong, vital, and vigorous society Keeps the cause of freedom strong, vital and vigorous It's their success that makes for a better us World wars have shown us the need for stability If we jeopardize our economic well-being We jeopardize our freedom, our peace, and our safety [Pre-Chorus] If we could instill this in our youth Yes, our strongest resource of all They've great freedom to apply themselves The future of our country is their call [Chorus] Courage, patience, faith Courage, patience, faith The American way to live The American way to live To be inventive and industrious And faithful to our constitution [Bridge] They started with so little And built what we still lean on So teach the fire, teach the patience Keep the promise moving on [Final Chorus] Courage, patience, faith Courage, patience, faith The American way to live The American way to live To be inventive and industrious And faithful to our constitution

John F. Kennedy's appeals to young Americans to take responsibility for defending liberty. His New Frontier address and inaugural, framed youth as a new generation of pioneers tasked with combating tyranny, poverty, and complacency through service and innovation.

 https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkmormontabernacle.htm

From a speech United States President Kennedy gave in Salt Lake City.

Problem Solver

 Be part of the solution 

Pray over the problem 

And amidst  the confusion

Add words that do soften

Behavior gone rotten

If not....take walks OFTEN

The Winds Blow

The winds blow
Softly with new snow
To remind me
I am not alone

A lone leaf
Drops and sails away
All too soon
It will decay

Now the tree
Looks ever barren
Just like me
Without sweet Karen

My small child
Is ever distant
From my reach
Gone in an instant

Can she know
How much I miss her?
Her voice now
Like a whisper

I see her
Dancing and singing
Her laughter
Sweetly ringing

Everything
Reminds me of her
Everything...
What can life offer?

My heartaches
With emptiness
My heart breaks
With weariness

But a thought
Grows within me
She's not lost
For God set her free

Like the wind
May she pass by
To dry my tears
When here I cry

Or with snow
She can send me
Her kisses
Ever so gently

[Verse 1] The winds blow Softly with new snow To remind me I am not alone A lone leaf Drops and sails away All too soon It will decay [Verse 2] Now the tree Looks ever barren Just like me Without sweet Karen My small child Is ever distant From my reach Gone in an instant [Chorus] Can she know How much I miss her? Her voice now Like a whisper Everything Reminds me of her Everything What can life offer? Everything Reminds me of her Everything [Verse 3] I see her Dancing and singing Her laughter Sweetly ringing My heart aches With emptiness My heart breaks With weariness [Bridge] But a thought Grows within me She's not lost For God set her free Like the wind May she pass by To dry my tears When here I cry [Chorus] Can she know How much I miss her? Her voice now Like a whisper Everything Reminds me of her Everything What can life offer? Everything Reminds me of her Everything [Outro] Or with snow She can send me Her kisses Ever so gently

Dedicated to the handful of people who have come to my blog looking for a poem about losing a child. And stayed to read poem after poem. Looking for some comfort and perhaps words to express their loneliness. My son had a seizure and stopped breathing as a young child and I thought if he died - that would be it and I'd be motherless because we were having trouble getting pregnant. As a mother of a small child the bond is incredibly close. I'll never forget that feeling. Everything turned out okay and we went on to have another. But, I can't imagine the pain of losing a child.

Shannon's Words

The Lord looks on the heart
And knows our every need
If we do our part
To great places He will lead

At birth she fit in one hand
And her development was slow
Academics was hard to understand
But she shone in ways most will never know

For she could play a tune by ear
And sign to the deaf
With the Spirit near
She became quite adept

Through a burning desire
She was called on a mission
This truly did try her
As shyness was an admission

She trusted in her call
That the Lord knew her best
Humble, she gave her all
And let the Spirit do the rest

She doesn't remember what she said
As a man sat beside her
He asked her about what she read
She opened her mouth, and let God guide her

Proving prepared to hear
The words that she could sign
His loved ones soon drew near
All a part of God's design

You don't have to be smart
To serve our Heavenly Father
Just desire to do your part
And He'll take you that much farther

Verse 1] The Lord looks on the heart And knows our every need If we do our part To great places He will lead At birth she fit in one hand And her growth came slow Academics were hard to understand But grace was there to show [Pre-Chorus] She could play a tune by ear And sign to the deaf With the Spirit near She became quite adept [Chorus] Let God guide her Let God guide her He knew her best He knew her best Humble, she gave her all And let the Spirit lead Let God guide her That was all she’d need [Verse 2] For a burning desire She was called on a mission That road could try her Shyness was in the picture She trusted in her call That the Lord knew her best Humble, she gave her all And let the Spirit do the rest [Pre-Chorus] She doesn't remember what she said As a man sat beside her He asked her about what she read She opened her mouth, and let God guide her [Chorus] Let God guide her Let God guide her He knew her best He knew her best His loved ones soon drew near All a part of God's design The words that they could hear Came right on time [Bridge] You don't have to be smart To serve our Heavenly Father Just desire to do your part And He'll take you that much farther [Final Chorus] Let God guide her Let God guide her He knew her best He knew her best You don’t have to be smart To serve our Heavenly Father Just desire to do your part And He’ll take you that much farther

My thought when watching was that New York City would eat her alive.  Such a sweet girl. 

I was watching this video (can't find anymore)- and saw that the mission president and his wife were faces from the past. My old Bishop! Over 20 years ago!

The world is oh, so small-
and getting only smaller.
Through the internet and all.
And the design of Heavenly Father.