Self-Worth

It's not the clothes you wear,
Or how you do your hair
That gives to you self-worth
It's God who gave you birth

We Are Not Made for Endings

Income, health, love, and marriage

We all hate for great things to end

Still...we've much more to cherish

Through, Jesus, our eternal friend

We Are Not Made for Endings
In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us?There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.... 

May we “live in thanksgiving daily” especially during the seemingly explainable endings that are part of mortality. 

May we allow our souls to expand in thankfulness toward our merciful  Heavenly Father.  

May we ever and constantly raise our voices and show by word and deed  our gratitude to our Father in Heaven and to His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. 

Grateful in Any Circumstances
President Deiter F. Uchtdorf
Ensign, May 2014

Doctrine and Covenants 78: 19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

To Move Along

Read from the link, the story about one of the saints crossing the plains who sat at camp, tired and sick. He sang Come Come Ye Saints and then died in the night.  When they buried him, they used the very rock he had been sitting on as his headstone.

For others, what can you do
In just a spare hour or two?
Clayton wrote up a new song
To help the Saints move along

Read this wonderful article that
excerpts journals of early pioneers
to uncover the circumstance
around the time that Willaim Clayton wrote
this inspiring hymn.  There are
some great stories here as well:
BYU-EDU
in a speech given in the salt lake
tabernacle on 27 november 1978
President Jimmy Carter said,
"I thought about the early mormons coming across this country singing a
famous hymn Come Come Ye Saints.  Only a deep faith
could let the words of that song, All is Well, ring out. In times
when you and your forefathers were persecuted and driven one from
another when you crossed this land looking for freedom and a chance
to worship in your own way when perhaps you knew that you were
about to die when drought and thirst affected you and still the song
rang out all is well. This is indeed a demonstration of faith and a
reaffirmation of hope.

Let Your Soul Delight in Song

Look what Your LDS Blog did!
Isn't this a beautiful meme?

Did you know there is a site to listen to L.D.S.  music?

Blessed Beyond Your Dreams

Have you ever been blessed beyond your dreams?

First we bought this amazing house.

Then, I was asked to babysit this piano while a wonderful couple went on their mission. 

It fills the house with music! 

Please go to Your LDS Blog and read about my feelings for the hymns.  It is a wonderful blog and I have been asked to be a guest blogger!  Wonderful!

Have you ever been blessed
Beyond your dreams?
Joy stirs within the breast
From God, it seems

Eyes to See

Do you ever see something that causes a second look?

The bird is real! And he was patient to stay there while I had to cross at a light.

I have seen this statue while driving by and thought, "How cute!" 

"They are enjoying flowers!"

But what is also happening is the bigger girl has just tied the shoe of the little girl.

The statues may not be real
But the bird reminded me of a day
When I was sad and felt ill
A white dove rested on my head to stay

I picked it up and held it
It was as small and fragile as my heart
One of its legs was crippled
And through our friendship the world seemed less harsh

Nature is a gift from God
Filled with beauty for those with eyes to see
Moments bloom and then they're gone
But, still, we are blessed by each memory

Scholary Thinking

Scholars, to think reason, and reflect
God's truths will set you free
They are the roots to each precept
Which can guide your destiny

Come, feast on the best and greatest
Of those inspired before
Celebrate learning in the highest
Ponder what you're here for

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Teachers are the sunlight rays
That help scholarly seeds to grow
They are warm and full of praise
And from them buds of promise show

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

God's own truths do make you free
To think, reason, and reflect
To achieve your destiny
When guided by each precept

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To think, reason, and reflect
God's truths will make you free
Live by each law and precept
And proclaim liberty

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In Memory of Those Who've Died

In memory of those who've died
On this day, may we unite
And together walk side by side
Filled with love from freedom's light

Homeward Bound - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The soldier, homeward bound
Hides inward wounds to not delay
But soon depression's found
As war's horrors haunt freedom's way

Part of the reason for military suicides is the rush to be homeward bound...
while ignoring or not knowing how to heal from the inward wounds.

The Dog Tags Remain

The dog tags of loved ones remain
Each with a soldier's story to tell
Of lonely foxholes and pain
And of patriotism as well

Missing you Adam...

What We Do Have

We may not have a Reagan,
George Washington, or Lincoln
But what we do have is us and
Great pride for what they have done

Rep. Joe Heck statement on preventing military suicides

It hits home...death
The battle isn't over
The watch, at best
Falls on the first line leader

Rep. Joe Heck Commemorates Memorial Day 2014

From the grassy slopes of Bunker Hill

On to the National Mall we find

The price of freedom is ever real

Some of the best blood was left behind

From the grassy slopes of Bunker Hill
To the National Mall we can see
The price of freedom is ever real
Through the shedding of blood, it is seen

Dr. Heck has more than 25 years in public service as a physician, Army Reservist, and community volunteer. Previously, Heck served as a volunteer firefighter and ambulance attendant, Search & Rescue team member, and SWAT physician. A Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, he was called to active duty three times, including a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Lord has also decreed that this land should be “the place of the new Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.” (Ether 13:3.) Here is our nation’s destiny! To serve God’s eternal purposes and to prepare this land and the people for America’s eventual destiny, He “established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom [He] raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.” (D&C 101:80.)
The Land Choice Above All - Speeches - Brigham Young ...
speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1028
Brigham Young University

Jun 30, 1974 - There is a poem that says: ... The Book of Mormon says that, when the waters receded off of this land, ... up unto this very purpose and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood. ... Notice the same pattern: these lands have been redeemed by the shedding of blood—the best blood of this generation.

Veteran of an Eternal War

Jesus is a veteran
In an eternal war.
Unto all God's children,
'Tis our souls He fights for.

John 15:14
Greater love has no one than this,
That one lay down his life for his friends.

Looking for Charity

Looking for charity
Someone to help out
I offered carefully
My hat, filled with doubt

What do you think happens next?  This image is titled Looking for Charity...

See the Blessing

See the blessing in all things

Even in the worst that life brings

Let go of apprehension

And believe in intervention

This happened right here in LasVegas!
The sad truth is this guy could probably change his profession and work on the strip.  He is quite a gymnast!
Suspected Burglar caught in the act: Cameras catch a burglar inside a valley family's home.

The Good Shepherd

Here is my attempt at a hymn...

The Good Shepherd

The good shepherd became the lamb
To perfectly lead His sheep
To succor them and understand
How best to tend and watchkeep

He came without spot
As God's own blessed son
And selflessly He sought
His Father's will to be done

He bore the sins of all mankind
Every sorrow, every pain
The trials of death and hell combined
He received our stripes and was slain

His blood...that we might drink
His flesh... that we might sup
He went beneath all things
So He might then lift us up

Today He calls us all by name
We, His sheep, can know His voice
To repent oft and be freed of blame
His pure light governs every choice

He tends His lost sheep
Who have all gone astray
His love does never sleep
He's Light, and Life...the Way

Towards a brighter day

Alma 5:37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!

 38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

I had High on the Mountain Top in my head as I wrote it...

Scriptures Legacy

Out of the past, the dark, and the dust
The scriptures come unto each of us
And from them light reveals God's love,
His grace, and mercy from above

As a side note.  I have held a replica of that wooden sword in this film.  It has shards of obsidian embedded into it.  It is supposed to be sharp enough to cut a horses head off.

Guest Blogging at yourldsblog.com

FYI: http://www.yldsr.com/ is a site where you can listen to
LDSRadio and also find LDS Music Artists and purchase their music.

Check out their blog where I have become a guest blogger!

http://www.yourldsblog.com/2014/05/20/heavens-breeze/ 

The sun is rising upon a new day of promise. 

American History Books for Kids

Summer reading time is here
Build up that reservoir
Help our heroes reappear
Find out what they stood for

American History Books for Kids



Firesale price is just $97.50 for all 32 hardcover books plus FREE shipping on this set!

It is getting harder and harder to find good reading books for kids. These books were written before the wild revisionist history that is so common today, and they do not include any of the Common Core standards. These books serve as an excellent starting point for further study and will pique a child’s interest in American history. By presenting history in an unbiased way and in an age-appropriate format, kids are encouraged to draw their own conclusions. These books employ primary sources to help teach history, citing original early American documents, letters, newspapers, paintings, and more. 

• 17 biographies on early American heroes like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams, Nathan Hale, Phillis Wheatley, and others!
• 6 American military books highlighting the mighty U.S. machines like tanks, armored vehicles, submarines and more.
• Boys especially love this set!
• 6 early American history books that reveal the importance of the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, the railroad, women of the Revolution, and more.
• 3 books on important American symbols: The American Flag, the Liberty Bell, and the Bald Eagle.

- See more at: http://marketplace.theblaze.com/american-history-books-for-kids.html?

Christ Appears on the Road to Emmaus

Oh the human mind,
We wrestle with hopes and fears.
And the Lord so kind,
When we need Him, He appears.

Then, as we seek truth
His words warm and calm the soul.
We can know what's true
For His peace helps us feel whole.

For Heaven's Sake

note: The volume starts at 16 seconds...

He feeds His flock
And walks with them
He knows each flaw
And sees within

He is The Way
The Truth, The Light
And from the grave
His words give life

He suffered death
That we might live
The shepherd does,
His lambs, uplift

He carries us,
For Heaven's sake
He is Yeshua
Yes, the Lord saves


What does the name 'Jesus' mean? - Yahoo Answers
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid...
May 16, 2007 - Wow... interesting answers! It is the Greek derivation of the Hebrew "Yeshua" or "Joshua" which means "Yahweh saves" or "The Lord saves.".

Idioms: for heaven's sake -- for the fun of it - ESL Bits
esl-bits.net/idioms/id216.htm
Meaning:
for the sake of everyone, for goodness sake

Anyone know why this poem brings tears to my eyes?

The Steeles - "On the Road to Emmaus" - 2000

On the road to Emmaus

Two disciples spoke of Christ

They mourned the death of Jesus

Who was their hope of new life



Jesus came and walked with them

They knew not His voice or face

I am sure they, then, wept when

He vanished without a trace



For it was then that they knew

They had walked and supped with Him

Looking back... they had known, too

For their hearts had burned within

In All Things

Tried in All Things
► 1:47► 1:47



https...
(D&C 136:29-33) Elder Maxwell explains how the Saints will be tried in all things.

As Saints, in all things
We must be tried
For the fruit it brings
Even light to guide

Slumber’s Watch Keep

Our wise Mother in Heaven
In her quiet elegance
Visits her sleeping children
And sees what we are up against


In our dream world of sleep
She covers us with love
And we feel, more than know
That soft touch from above

I entered this in a contest- a call for poems about our Mother in Heaven.  Here is where the winners are... and first place goes to ...Dayna Patterson
http://www.amotherhere.com/poems/patterson.php#sthash.2aUzxnjc.dpbs

Look Up

Look up and see
Those you ignore.
Intimacy
Is what life is for.

My apologies for one swear word in this video.  

America to Unite in Prayer

America to Unite in Prayer

Healing and unity can come
Our country can be as one
As in all things, it starts with prayer
And giving thanks for all we share