Now is the Time

Now is the time
America is the place
To lift up our eyes
And lead the human race

...With the constitution in our arms
We must combine for the right
Protect the family from harm
And restore morals and might

Let's bring America back
Sovereign and strong
With our vote let's attack
All that has gone wrong

Dependency's a drug
Entitlement's corrupt
Let's stand up, show up
And declare: WE'VE HAD ENOUGH

For prosperity's sake
Let's restore God's order
We've coalitions to make
To defend each border

We'll not give up lightly
For strength, let's unite and pray
Unto God Almighty
He will light the way!

inspired by Mitt Romney

The Forgotten Man - Jon McNaughton

Against the background
Of a gloomy picture
A distraught man found
He'd no hope for his future

Blown by pollution
A paper danced by
It was the constitution
He heard claps midst an outcry

As behind him, he saw
Presidents of the past
Some came to console
Others came to gloat at the trash

George Washington, alone
Quickly reached low
"What have you now done?"
He wanted to know

The President, then smug
Looked far far away
Power, his drug
He'd gotten his way

The man... he must look up
Time is of the essence
He must say, "Enough!"
And reclaim man's existence

Freedom has a cost
Faith is required
All is not lost
Under God, he'll be inspired

Charity is

Charity is our love for the Lord
Shown through our acts of service
Patience, compassion, and understanding opens the door
To living close to Him with truth, light, and purpose

Charity is also the Lord's love for us
As He ever shows us forgiveness, mercy, and grace
He waits at the door that prayer opens, thus
That He fill our minds and hearts with pure love's embrace


pondering charity and the Lord standing at the door
what opens the door?
who enters?
what happens?
How can I do this?

Prayer is the invite
That opens the door
Unto truth and light
Come of the Savior

Let us test and try Him
And listen for His answer
Then feel our minds brighten
As to our hearts He enters



http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18853.asp a Family Home Evening lesson on:
“Charity is our love for the Lord, shown through our acts of service, patience, compassion, and understanding for one another….Charity is also the Lord's love for us, shown through His acts of service, patience, compassion, and understanding.”
Bonnie D. Parkin, General Relief Society President
Choosing Charity: That Good Part
Ensign, November 2003,


http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=4600 BYU Devotional
"I challenge each of you to go to your homes and apartments, to kneel before the Lord and ask, to test and try Him, and to listen for His answer. I bear witness that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true; that prayer is a reliable means of communicating with our Heavenly Father; that even with innumerable questions that are unanswered and perhaps unanswerable in this life, we can know He lives and loves us and knows us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Bart J. Kowallis
He Stands at the Door and Knocks
BYU Devotional, 14 October 2003

The Best Story I Know

The best story that I know
Is of love and adoption
As my baby began to grow
I took the better option

An ugly thing became beautiful
A celebration of new life
Turning a mistake into a miracle
Endlessly, for a husband and wife

2000 posts!

I never thought I'd see this day
Surely God has led me along way
Giving me the desire to write
Filling my mind with truth and light

I am truly grateful to ponder and share
All the feelings that have come with care
Won't you suggest a poem or pass one along
For when I feel the need, the Spirit is strong

No Apology Song - The Case for American Greatness VIDEO

This is a great land

Remember always

For freedom we stand

And God lights our way

That being said

We have a lot to do

To stay brightly led

We must be righteous too

The Healing Power of Jesus Christ - Sculptures by Angela Johnson

The love of God...He came to offer
As in the flesh, He gave succor
Healing those who had the faith
Yes, and then sealed His blood to all He sayeth

I saw Angela Johnson's sculptures at the visitors center in Oakland. The blind came touched them and saw the Lord through these scultpings. What a blessing-what a gift.

Each Prayer is a Brushstroke on the Soul

Each prayer that is made
Is a brushstroke on the soul
Carefully laid
To complete us whole

Imagine the canvas
Of a family in prayer
Of congregations en mass
And the beauty that's made there

Elder David A. Bednar
More Diligent and Concerned at Home
Ensign, November 2009,
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-6,00.html

Mormons Belief: LDS (Mormon) Temples Will Dot the Earth

If I were an angel
I would like to see
A multitude of temples
Gracing the Earth brightly

LDS (Mormon) Temple Ceremony - Questions Answered

This is where I feel peace
That sweetly restores my soul
Here, the Spirit doth increase
And instructs me in my role

My VOTE

My vote is for the sanctity
Of life, marriage, and religion
These the threads of liberty
Ought not be up for revision

The Trembling Cup

The trembling cup
Heavily laid
Was for sup
Bitterly made

Pain pressed Him
As He then drank
For each transgression,
Sorrow, and sin He sank

So horrendous this flood
He pled to God above
As through pores His blood
Spilled out of love

Faith is a Spiritual Sense

Faith is a spiritual sense
Telling us something's true
Explaining our existence
While, hinting...there's more that we once knew

I am deeply touched by this new site:
http://mormon.org/jesus-christ

According to the Will of the Flesh

According to the will of the flesh
And the evil which is oft there in
The devil hath power to combine and mesh
And control our freedoms from within

The Messiah has redeemed all men
From the effects of the fall
But of wickedness He'll not cleanse
If for our Savior we don't call

Humbly, each of us must come to Him
And keep our covenants we then make
Learning His ways we must do them
Only then, of His ransom we'll partake

thoughts from
2Nephi 2:26-29

26And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

The Symbol of a Token

The symbol of a token
For a covenant without end
Is of a stick perfectly broken
To fit together once again

Each piece represents its owner
Their promise merges them as one
Significant... its oft looked over
As what's eternal can't be undone

Each piece has to be lifted
And held in place to stay
If either end has shifted
The connections slips away

When we go to the temple
Our hands too must be clean
For though the stick is simple
How we've held it will be seen

pondering symbols:
click on above title to go directly to lightplanet http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/doctrines/symbolism_eom.htm

With Christ as My Center

With Christ as my center
I've become a repenter
Evermore to realize
His atonement changes lives

Hope fills my very being
Healing. I'm outward seeing
My circle's becoming more broad
For I'm sharing the love of God

Receive the Holy Ghost

Receive the Holy Ghost

By authority, bestowed

So valuable, this gift

To teach us and uplift

So wondrous this companion

Consistent to rely on

In all ways we progress

When we obey and process

When invited, it inspires

According to our desires

If one is oft repentant

Warmth and light become more constant

Turn not away this voice

Still and small and choice

Open wide your heart

That heaven might impart

Let it soothe and whisper peace

That bad feelings might then cease

Let it speak unto your soul

This gift will make you whole

“For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).

Our Redeemer Paid the Price

Our Redeemer paid the price
For the suffering of our sins
So we won't have to for ourselves
As individually He ransoms

To receive this holy blessing
We must do as God commands
Turn our lives to Him confessing
Of the goodness of His plan

What Think Ye of Christ?

What think ye of Christ?
He asked the Pharisees
He the giver of life
Would to open eyes to see

Whom think ye I am?
He asked His disciples
Him whom they relied on
Prepared them for the gospels

Through all the testimonies made
Some day we each will kneel
And confess on Jesus' name
And feel and know that He is real

Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Phillipians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Mosiah 27:31 Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live dwithout God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:110 And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever;
Doctrine and Covenants 88:104 And this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth—for every ear shall hear it, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, while they hear the sound of the trump, saying: Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, forever and ever; for the hour of his judgment is come.

How Do I Convey the Feelings in my Heart?

Spiritually, how do I convey
The feelings in my heart?
But search, ponder, and pray
For the light that this imparts

Then there's a witness,
A conviction, bearing truth
Whispering peace within us
A yielding up of fruits

Gently, ever quiet
Sweetly teaching, giving
We each feel the Spirit
Purely, through waters living

My Heart Knows Your Heart

My heart knows your heart
In tenderness and care
Holy truths did impart
Through the teachings shared

Sunday school has become an intimate setting so small our numbers and it has been a rich learning experience.

There's So Much We Can Do

There's so much we can do
If we unite in our faith
While giving service too
For the Light we then embrace

Who is He? What Does He do For Man? What Does He Mean to You?

Please contribute...of how Christ touches your heart
And of the warm feelings this sweetly imparts

1. Who is He?

Jesus is the Son of Man
The finisher of God's plan
Perfectly, He came to atone
Completely, His to do alone

2. What did He do for man?

As a lamb His life was pure
Exemplifying how love endures
He opened the tomb to resurrect
And offers mankind His living breath

3. What does He mean to you?

He is the one who heals my shame
And offers all, even His name
On a path... narrow and long
He leads us through redemption's song

He is Breath, Hope, and Light
Purely, He has changed my life
All too often He saves me from myself
As He ransoms me out from hell

Hell is a damn. It is a place
Where I do not feel mercy and grace
When I repent, He sanctifies
He is my Savior Jesus Christ

Through Him I find my identity
As a daughter of Heaven, of Deity
Through Him, I pray to my Father above
And feel His embrace... tenderness and love

image found at http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/blog/category/Beliefs+and+Practices
available for bloggers to share about the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Christus — The North Visitors' Center on Temple Square has an 11-foot replica of Thorvaldsen's Christus on display.

Elder David A. Bednar - Receive the Holy Ghost

                                                               Receive the Holy Ghost

By authority, bestowed

So valuable, this gift

To teach us and uplift

So wondrous this companion

Consistent to rely on

In all ways we progress

When we obey and process

When invited, it inspires

According to our desires

If one is oft repentant

Warmth and light become more constant

Turn not away this voice

Still and small and choice

Open wide your heart

That heaven might impart

Let it soothe and whisper peace

That bad feelings might then cease

Let it speak unto your soul

This gift will make you whole

“For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).

We Become What We Want to Become

We become what we want to become
By being consistent to overcome
And righteous character is the manifestation
Of how faithfully we seek inspiration

Centered on Christ, we find guidance
For our daily existence
Then trusting in the bigger picture
We've greater hope for our future

Thus, in the twilight of uncertainty
There remains sensitivity
To be obedient to the commandments
With the Light of Christ for confidence

It is through patience, prayers are answered
As with the Spirit we are reassured
To then feel peace and happiness in this life
While making better progress than we realize

Elder Richard G. Scott
The Transforming Power of Faith and Character
Ensign, November 2010

Why Mormons Build Temples

The temple lifts us
To where we can see
The path of Jesus
Bright and heavenly

I found this inspiring a while back and also wrote a poem- It's a Beautiful Thing...

Our Lord, May We Emulate

Our Lord, may we emulate
Doing the things that we should
Ever forgiving those who hate
And loving as He would

Our strength comes from His temple
Where as families we are bound
He knows us. We're His people
And here eternity is found


James E. Faust
Eternity Lies before Us
Ensign, May 1997, 18

The Light from God's Temples

Light from God's temples
Shines for us today
Brightening His people
Like no other way

For a a higher law
They shine before the world and men
This they do but for God,
Our Father, who art in heaven

inspired by a blog: ldstemple.blogspot.com

Shut the World Out

In God's House, His devout
Find peace...to shut the world out
And think with purity
Upon eternity
To search what they're about

Our Happiness will NOT Fade

Our happiness will not fade
To lights, music, or the crowd
If consecrations are inner laid
Purely, to God, as one endowed

A man's joy will not spoil
If He knows God and purpose
Being honest, He must toil
While loving all through kind service

Each life on earth is but a gift
Of time and daily choices
O'er which we've stewardship
As it's with God that one rejoices

Then to cultivate a listening ear
Towards the whisperings of the Spirit
As to God's laws one adheres
Striving to heed as well as hear it

Let us each be as fruit filled trees
Come up through soil rich with faith's seed
Continually nourished by a pure stream
Where the love of God, we honor, and daily seek

D. Todd Christofferson
Reflections on a Consecrated Life
Ensign, November 2010

You Are Like Sunshine Upon the Beach

You are like sunshine upon the beach
Warming all faces and hearts that you reach
Your smile is so bright from the good things you say
As you spread your sweet love in an unselfish way

Wholesome Entertainment

Wholesome entertainment
Should inspire and uplift
While encouraging the obtainment
Of morals that do not shift

One can study Daniel
He was healthy and wise
He knew what to do when
Persecution arose

Let us search for examples
Of courage, faith, and trust
Avoiding that which tramples
To keep the Spirit more with us

L. Tom Perry
The Priesthood of Aaron

Anything is Possible

With God, anything is possible
Through desire, faith, and the Spirit
As we follow this true principle
When we're inspired we must heed it

In its Gleaming Glory

In its gleaming glory
The temple beckons us
Promising the weary
A place of peace and rest

The House of the Lord
Is for the homeward bound
As with all its splendor
Heaven on earth is found

thoughts from
quotes from President Thomas S. Monson
In the special temple Ensign, October 2010, 10

As Surely as Night Follows Day

As surely as night follows day
When we're disobedient we will lose our way
Thus, regardless of others we'll not change our course
As for moral standards, God is our source

Central to His plan and His love for us
Is that He wants us to feel joy, faith, hope, and trust
He wants us to love in fullness, committedly, as man and wife
To then bond together in creating from the fountains of life

But Satan would that we immorally relate
And find sin something to embrace or tolerate
He would some suppose that some are preset to another way
But we have the gospel, the priesthood, and we can pray

With each temptation there is a way to flee and escape
A way to repent, be clean, forgive, and erase
The plagues of today can become spiritually fatal
Thus we must be alert and awake to this long battle

We must protect the family as something sweet to cherish
For without it civilization and our liberties must needs also perish
The Lord is bound when we do as He says, and life is bright with purpose
But, as sure as darkness exists if we in this sin we will see no promise

This is a message of hope and light
And of power to change one's life
The key to repentance is to not look back
But forward to Christ for the strength we lack

How kind and merciful is our God
To have given us the safety and security of laws
How supreme and eternal is His plan
That we can repent and feel safe within His hands

Boyd K. Packer
Cleansing the Inner Vessel
Ensign, November 2010,

What Think Ye of Christ?

What think ye of Christ?
Can one record suffice?
Let's each write from the heart
And submit what imparts...

I wrote a poem to Him today
Annonymously to say
What each week I leave unsaid
As spiritually I am fed

He will come to us some day
Let's prepare rich words to say
With hearts grown tender, warm, and deep
Let's gather oil and watch keep

I started a new blog meant for comments
whatthinkyeofchrist.blogspot.com

Seeking Souls

The counterfeit fisherman
Uses artificial lures
Craftily to hook each man
To what spiritually injures

To seal us his, he lies in wait
Knowing exactly where we're weak
Then creating the perfect bait
That blinds us to think it's what we seek

Feeling pleasure instead of pain
The addiction starts
As he takes hold of the brain
And hardens up our hearts

He'll not tire, nor let go
But cleverly attack
For as resistance starts to show
He entices to call us back

Yet there is hope, there is a way
To get the hook removed
If we seek in faith to pray
There's a narrow pass to move

Fervent prayer is the key
To finding peace to overcome
As from pride one does plea
The fight of addiction can be won

Humbly search on your knees
And surrender to Jesus Christ
This fisherman knows all your needs
And has paid salvation's price

click on above title to go directly to read or watch this conference address
http://new.lds.org/general-conference/sessions?lang=eng&bcpid=610705729001&bctid=624251294001

quote from Elder Ballard's talk: O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One...
'I add my voice today to the voices of my Brethren that Lucifer is a clever and cunning intelligence. One of the main methods he uses against us is his ability to lie and deceive to convince us that evil is good and good is evil. Right from the very beginning in the great Council in Heaven, Satan “sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him. …
“And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will” (Moses 4:3–4).

'To those who are dealing with an addiction personally or within your family, I repeat, fervent prayer is key to gaining the spiritual strength to find peace and overcome an addictive craving. Heavenly Father loves all of His children, so thank Him and express sincere faith in Him. Ask Him for the strength to overcome the addiction you are experiencing. Set aside all pride and turn your life and your heart to Him. Ask to be filled with the power of Christ’s pure love. You may have to do this many times, but I testify to you that your body, mind, and spirit can be transformed, cleansed, and made whole, and you will be freed. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).'

Mormons are Christians- Absolutely it is True

Mormons are Christians- absolutely, it is true
As they bear His good name, reverently, in all that they do
Following His teachings, they desire obedience out of love
And pray through Him to our Father who dwells in Heaven above

Loving their neighbors, they serve with self-less hands
Modeling their lives to serve as God commands
Having a prophet, as in the days of old
Their faith is more nourished as ancient truths unfold

They believe that Christ lived, suffered, and died for all
To pay the price to ransome us and lift us from the fall
They await to feel the nail prints on that perfect day
When the Lord will show Himself and return here to stay

Thinking of All I Have Been Given

Thinking of much I've been given
I prayed, gratefully, to share-
And it was as though a door opened from heaven
With rich treasures of blessings waiting there

For, I sensed, in all I'm regarding
There are messages from Him to be found
What, in life, could be more rewarding
Than feeling His love and presence surround

pondering Monson's talk on gratitude

Expressing Gratitude

Expressing gratitude from the heart
Is both gracious and glorious
As touching heaven it imparts
Christ's own love so generous

His heartfelt words spoken in prayer
Tenderly reflect His feelings towards us
May our souls permeate too with such care
Selflessly... doing the work of Jesus

Let us share His divine gift
Of gratitude with all
As He would have us lift
Another feeling small


Thomas S. Monson
The Divine Gift of Gratitude
Ensign, Nov 2010,

Man is a Supported Being

Man is a supported being
Or dissolves into a secular mist
There to not see what's for seeing
Relying upon, by default, each current twist

Let us hold to the rod
Along the narrow way
With our faith in God
Heeding Him every day

thoughts from
Meridian Magazine
Thursday, September 09 2010
The Book of Mormon at Yale
Amazing Grace
By Ashby D. Boyle II

Hearing Beautiful Music Touches Me

Hearing beautiful music touches me
Stirring my heart to the past
Thinking on those who've influenced me
And given me memories that last

Feeling the Spirit my thoughts turn to Him
Who willingly atoned for my sins
Striving to learn His ways that I might do them
I feel gratitude that lifts and lightens

Let it not be the stranger
Who remembers to give Him praise
May I see the greenness of the pasture
That He, for me, continually paves...

When we do what is right
Our pasture is made green
We've living water and light
As to the Lord we lean


Pondering President Monson's
The Gift of Gratitude
Ensign, November, 2010

Seeking a Quest

http://beta.lds.org/youth/from-every-nation/video/gaming-and-texting-addictions?locale=eng&autoplay=true



Seeking a quest
I turned to a game
But naught there did bless
Or restore my good name

Seeking another
In a holy place
I served my Brother
For His warm embrace

The journey well spent
Filled me with purpose
So glad that I went
I resolved again for service

A heroine for a day
For one who's passed on
Brightening their way
To truly belong

Reaching a higher level
On the mountain of the Lord
Serving those unable
Doing what time can afford

Elder M. Russell Ballard
Gaming and Texting Addictions
3 Oct 2010

click on above title to go directly to video

Who'll Walk the Trail of our Pioneers?

Who'll walk the trail
Of our pioneers?
Their faith did not pale
But calmed all their fears

On these paths they left
A legacy of faith
Though blizzards swept
Their trust was not faint

With naught to eat
They pressed on
With frozen feet
On, towards Zion

Through desert, mountain, and prairie
They took all that they could
United in Christ to carry
Hope and brotherhood

Seventy thousand trekked
Before the railroads came
Snow, mud, and rain unchecked
Fell... and God was not blamed

Chilled, wet, malnourished, weak
They pushed handcarts forward
From icy rivers to mountain peaks
They dared not to look rearward

Thirteen hundred miles later
Imagine the joy and relief
To have what they had prayed for
A place to blossom with belief

Know Who You Are

Know who you are
Turn and repent
You're a bright star
Heaven sent

Follow the Son
Filled with His Light
On a journey won
Through doing what is right

The sting of death
He swallowed up
He is our breath,
Way, and life cup

Daily, receive
What His path does give
Have faith, believe
And with Him...live

Our Father... kind
Has perfectly given
A way to find
Our home in heaven

Through prayer- explore
Discover and teach
He would we soar
And outwardly reach

Hold to the rod
And weekly partake
Lean close to God
And in love, awake

If a Woman is to Nurture

If a woman is to nurture
And recognize a need
Pain can be her tutor
That her inner light might lead

Like a baby chick
Breaking from a shell
Life's test, long and thick
Is one to live and tell

Each to find alone
Midst surroundings hard to bear
That the Lord did atone
And suffer because He cared

The promise of new life
Is what keeps us going
Working through each strife
Experiencing and growing

Every woman has a story
Individually... of how hard this is
On Christ's path towards glory
We light our lamp from His

Thus we find our purpose
And share what we have learned
Through Him we've light for service
As from His oil it is discerned

Every woman has a story, every story can create change

Every woman has a story
Beauty and a name
A precious daughter born to glory
Let her speak and explain

BYUtv - That Promised Day

BYUtv - That Promised Day


The scriptures were joined
And woven as threads
Ours to be enjoyed
Unto Christ as its read

The shoe boxes were filled
One card at a time
The work was fulfilled
With scriptures cross tied

It's beauty won't fade
If we hold it often
For the connections made
As the pages soften

click on above title to go directly to byutv and watch video about the making of our scriptures we enjoy today.

To All the Bishops I've Ever Had

To all the Bishops I've ever had
I hope to thank you some day
For taking me much by the hand
Along the narrow way

Through you I have discovered talents
And learned about myself
I have been preserved from sin's talons
And the influence of hell

Through you I have found purity
Unto the countenance of the Savior
Whom I have come to know with more surety
As I have been blessed with His spirit and favor

Some day, as our Lord judges
I will comprehend all of this more
How you helped smooth out my rough edges
And strengthened my spiritual core

From a Hill the Savior Saw

From a hill the Savior saw
What lay eminent
Thus He wept for us all
His love for us evident

What is the Greatest Miracle?

What is the greatest miracle?
But that the Savior loves us all
When we feel lost and miserable
He knows and awaits our call

Fine Dining

After a week I was a dirty mess
And more than uncomfortable, I must confess
Especially when a woman turned up her nose
From the awful smell that quickly arose

But away from all what could I do?
Without water, soap, or fresh clothes too
For a real meal, I hungered to eat
So I quickly took a dive into a close seat

I held out high the generous menu
While sitting down low and shrinking a bit too
The hot cocoa came. I took a sip from my cup
Trying my hardest not to look up

Still I could feel eyes darting my way
The voices lowered as the heads turned away
If I was brave I would have explained
But in such a fine place I felt simply ashamed

Then I thought of another place so clean and pure
And I'll be there to dine one day too, I am sure
All my smudges and stains will be gone through the love
That is mine for the asking from my Father above

The last stanza was written by my husband... Rick Miller
We were at the blood bank and I failed my iron test- he gave and I wrote. Then while he was restoring his health with juice and cookies- he read what I had so far and helped me finish it. He said the poem had a bit of Twas the Night Before Christmas feel to it.

IN GOD WE TRUST (ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO)

The author of freedom
Watches over this great land
Lighting us with wisdom
When we've goodness at hand

That each may progress
Freely by way of choice
He's laid a path that does bless
Those who want to hear His voice

"In God we trust"
There is no other way
That is properly just
And kind to obey

When there's a set back
Amidst uncertainty and gloom
May each family stay on track
With hope sweet in rich bloom

Each family filled with nurture,
Values, and service
Will help us claim our future
And strengthen resolve and purpose

On Charity

On charity
May it never fail
Unto purity
And assurance that all is well

The discouraged and afflicted
Are in need of loving aid
As well as those unnoticed
Who'd love a visit made

Still charity is more
Than offering relief
It's knowing what we're here for
And restoring hope and belief

True charity is love in action
There is need everywhere
Judging is a distraction
As we are all lacking much somewhere

When someone let's us down
Or we would to be offended
Let us not in pity drown
But offer Christ's love... extended



thoughts from Monson's words at Women's General conference on Charity