Best Gifts of 2008

There are so many! I think I might just burst if I don't write them down tonight before 2008 gives way to 2009.

1. The generosity and kindness of friends, family, and strangers. Not only were medical and other expenses met through their combined efforts, but physical, spiritual, and emotional needs were met as well. We weren't left financially in debt, but we owe a huge amount of gratitude to so many wonderful, wonderful people.

2. The miraculous cure of a broken heart. It wasn't just broken, it was shattered, crumpled, kicked, stomped upon, folded, spindled, and mutilated beyond recognition! Thanks to the grace, mercy, and love of God, it is whole again. The final piece slid into place just this week, on Monday, the 29th, as I spoke with my counselor for the last time for the forseeable future. She helped me understand forgiveness in a new and profound way. Trust God, that is the answer to everything. For grief, trust God. For worries and fears, trust God. For unjust condemnation, trust God. He can, and He will, make all things right in His own way and time.

3. A heart and conscience at peace. In Acts 24 : 16, Paul wrote: "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." That favorite website of mine, http://www.gospeldoctrine.com, supplied this commentary:

Joseph B. Wirthllin
We see an example of individual peace amidst strife and contention in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Near the end of his life, he was at the center of a whirlwind of turmoil and tribulation caused by devious associates, false accusations, and cunning plots against his life. Yet a few days before his death, he said, ‘I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men.’ (D&C 135:4.) His inner peace sustained him through monumental adversities, even his own martyrdom.” (“Peace Within,” Ensign, May 1991, 36)

Lorenzo Snow
“Are we seeking to purify ourselves? How can a Latter-day Saint feel justified in himself unless he is seeking to purify himself even as God is pure —unless he is seeking to keep his conscience void of offense before God and man (see D&C 135:4) every day of his life. Many of us, walk from day to day and from week to week, and from month to month, before God, feeling under no condemnation, conducting ourselves properly, and seeking earnestly and in all meekness for the Spirit of God to dictate our daily course; and yet there may be a certain time or times in our life, when we are greatly tried and perhaps overcome; even if this be so, that is no reason why we should not try again, and that, too, with redoubled energy and determination to accomplish our object.” (“Blessings of the Gospel Only Obtained by Compliance of the Law,”Tambuli, Feb. 1979, 37)

So, even though it is true that I went through a period of darkness this year, a time when my faith flickered and wavered in the winds of adversity, I can gratefully say that it did not go out! It is strong and bright, warming and comforting me even though I know more danger lies ahead.

4. My testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true. I know a testimony is available to anyone who seeks with a willing mind and a humble heart for as long as it takes. I believe in prophets, ancient and modern, Adam, Enoch, Moses, Abraham, Noah, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Lorenzo Snow, Thomas S. Monson, to name but a few.

Good, now I won't burst! Happy New Year, everyone, or, at least, may your new year be as safe as possible, and tight like unto a dish.

Christmas Wrap-up

Oh no! Ethan called on Monday and said they wouldn't be able to make it here for Christmas because of snowy weather and road closures. But yippee, he called back on Tuesday, and said they were on their way! We've been jingle-bell-rockin' ever since. Without these two exuberant little girls around, it might have been hard to hang onto the joy of Christmas, because a dear brother-in-law/uncle was emergently hospitalized in the wee hours of Monday morning with a serious illness. After several tense days and five hours of surgery, the news is looking brighter, and we're almost ready to believe we've beheld an honest-to-goodness Christmas miracle. We are rejoicing with you, Lonnie and Julie. Hurray for you, and hurray for all of us who love you!

Without Missy, we might have been subsisting on pizza, oranges and bananas this week. I have had one doozie of a cold and wasn't up to spending much time in the kitchen. Pumpkin biscuits were my one and only culinary contribution. Oh wait, I did make the broccoli for our Christmas dinner of ham and mashed potatoes, etc. and I did get Dan to fill the piñata with candy after Missy's tasty tamale dinner last night.

Ethan and Colin and I went to the cemetery on Christmas day. It's good to see that brotherly camaraderie the brothers have with Jordan. Colin wiped the snow from the headstone and the wreath we'd placed there a couple of weeks ago, and then he threw a snowball, and said, "Wanna have a snowball fight, Jordan?" Ethan said, "Looks like Colin won that one." We sang Silent Night, and said a prayer, and talked a little, light-heartedly, just as if Jordan were there with us. It gave me such a sense of peace to know we had made him part of our Christmas. He has to know he is still, and will always be, a treasured part of this family.

What a wonderful Christmas we have had together. Ethan and Missy left for home this morning, but had to turn back because of more road closures. They will keep checking, but they may not be able to make a break for it until Monday. Woe are they, but happy are we. And now, may God bless us, every one, all the whole year through.

Grandma Got Run Over by the Reindeer

So, she made her first snow angel, and goofed around outside for a little bit before coming in to thaw out.

Sometimes, Grandmas just wanna have fun....too!

Which Pic Should Grace Our Christmas Cards?

Time is running out. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! I mean, Christmas is coming, and we haven't yet mailed a single Christmas card. So, please hurry. Help us decide which of these two Christmas trees to put on our cards.

This one?

It's our cheerful little tree, just right for our minuscule wants and needs.

Or this one?

Our happy, talking Christmas tree!

Oh, and merry Christmas and thank you for your help!

A New Day for Brianna

Happy, happy day! Brianna just became a lawful permanet resident of the United States of America! This morning's interview was brief, friendly, and best of all, successful! She now has many of the rights of a U.S. citizen. College is definitely in her future now, since she won't have to register as an international student, and pay exorbitantly high fees for doing so.

We owe a big thank you to our wonderful attorney, Kathy Railsback, to Jordan, forgetting the process started, to Dan, for seeing it through, and to all the kind people who wrote letters of recommendation. I also want to thank God. I feel so very blessed that this day has come and our worry about Brianna's status is over! She will not have to go back to China unless, or until, she chooses to.

Ironically, we celebrated the granting of her Green Card with lunch at the Pad Thai House. I bet someone is smiling down on us this day. Yes! Jordan, we did it!

This Night

One of the days that I've dreaded has come. It was one year ago tonight that I received the phone call from Jordan telling me that he had just come from the doctor and that something was wrong. One year ago, the world changed.

Before he called, I had jusd lived some of the happiest months of my life. Our family had enjoyed a blissful reunion at Bear Lake in August. As far as I knew then, all was peaceful and well between all of us. Missy had helped me with a fun Christmas project for the family, a photo book of the reunion. We'd spent a great Thanksgiving with her and Ethan and the girls, and they had even left Brooklyn and Lilly with us for the following week. What a blast that was! My heart was so full of love and gratitude that I conquered my fear and bore my testimony in fast and testimony meeting that day to publicly thank Heavenly Father for all my blessings, and to testify of Him and His Son, and the gospel. Life seemed perfect that day.

Then came the phone call from Jordan in China. I stayed up all night that night, talking with him and Brianna, and sending e-mails back and forth, researching, praying, waiting for more information. They boarded a train and went to a specialist in another city right away. She wanted a large sum of money and to admit Jordan to the hospital to begin treatment. Jordan, Brianna, and Dan and I quickly decided that it would be best for him to come to America for treatment. He arrived on Dec. 5th, leaving a fully supportive, but sad and lonely Brianna behind in China. She had extracted a promise from him that he would find a way to get her here within two weeks. We worked frantically, and he/we did it too, almost. It took two and a half weeks.She flew in on Dec. 23rd.

So many ups and downs since then. Such an unfamiliar, arduous road we've traveled, beginning that night, one year ago. Jordan traveled the whole way with courage and composure.We've stumbled once in awhile since he's been gone, but we're moving ahead now, making slow but steady progress. To live with the courage he had, to take joy in simply living and interacting with other people, and to keep a sense of humor as he did, are just three of the things about Jordan that I want to emulate.

All of us Washburns have a stripe of silly in our souls. Jordan's may have been the widest. Tonight, we will exercise that silly stripe when we take our Christmas family photos. We need a reason to laugh this night.

One Small Candle

If it was tough reading through my three previous posts, just imagine how tough it was to live through them! Truth is, many of the passengers and sailors didn't make it; half of them had died by April of 1621, beginning shortly after their first joyous sighting of land. One Small Candle gave me a deeper appreciation of the sacrifices, faith and courage of the Pilgrims. They rank right up there with Lehi's family leavingJerusalem, and the pioneers crossing the plains!Their trials were by no means over when they landed. Maybe I'll continue their story next Thanksgiving. But for now it's enough to say that I love them and am grateful for learning more about their inspiring lives.

Another thing that jumps out at me is that even though a journey, an assignment, a calling, a marriage, a life, etc., etc. is ordained of God, it does not mean the going will be easy. It's a myth that if something is "meant-to-be", things will fall smoothly into place. There are divine reasons for the trying of our faith, character, patience, and obedience. Darn it!!!

I'll bid farewell to my new-found Pilgrim friends with these words from William Bradford:

"As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light kindled here has shown unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation. ... We have noted these things so that you might see their worth and not negligently lose what your fathers have obtained with so much hardship."

Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord

Morning on November 9 was no different from the other mornings since they had come aboard. Abovedeck the crew plodded through their routines. Out of the west came a curious gull, to dip and weave above the weary freighter. An old salt scrubbing down the deck vowed he could smell land. A seaman pointed to the changing color of the water -- indigo blue had blended into emerald. Another good sign. Land was close, and they had better begin to take soundings. In a few moments the hiss and plop of the lead line was followed by the singsong call of twenty, thirty, forty, fifty fathoms. Then a sudden break in the sleepy chant and the excited bellow: "Andbottom at eighty fathoms, sir!"

Land. It was there, beneath the Mayflower's encrusted keel, the continent of North America, reaching out into the sea to welcome them. The sun was making the ship'sworn sails gleam as if woven with gold. Then from the maintop lookout burst the cry that passengers and crew had been hearing in their dreams for weeks.

L-A-N-D HO! L-A-N-D HO!

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong went the ship's bell. It was seven o'clock on the morning of November 9. Shouts of joy and tears of relief mingled. Many fell on their knees and thanked God with simple spontaneity. William Brewster suggested a song of gladness and gratitude, and from the Mayflower soared the words of Psalm100.

Shout to Jehovah, all the earth

Serve you Jehovah with gladness

Before him come with singing mirth

Know that Jehovah he God is

It's he that made us, not we

His folk and sheep of his feeding

O with confession enter ye

His gates, his courtyards with praising.

Confess to him, bless you his name

Because Jehovah he good is

His mercy ever is the same

And his faith, unto all ages.

Excerpts from the book by Thomas J. Fleming,

ONE SMALL CANDLE

The Pilgrims' First Year In America

Perils Intensify

At this season of the year, heavy weather on the Atlantic was inevitable. Finally it came, the cold breath of the Arctic, tearing down the long reach of white-capped sea. "All hands, all hands," roared the boatswain's mate. Into the shrouds went the shivering seamen, while others heaved on the groaning, squealing yards. Aboard the old square-riggers, sails were furled by hoisting, never an easy job, and worse now with the wind tearing at them. Then came the job of lashing them, sixty feet above the careening ocean.

The masts swayed crazily against the lowering sky, and the bow lifted hesitantly over first one swell and then a second, and finally a third gave her no chance to come up and she plowed into the heart of the onrushing mountain of water, which came thundering over the forecastle. Now sea after sea broke over the old ship, sending her reeling first to the port and then to the starboard. Belowdeck the passengers huddled together praying for God's help. To make matters worse, the pounding seas opened all the seams in the Mayflower's upper works, and with every wave, freezing water cascaded down upon the hapless passengers. The weary ship plunged down, down into immense hollows of water, fighting her way up the other side, while the foaming ocean stormed over every inch of her decks.

At such times even sailors prayed.But still the wind thundered and the ocean smashed at their ship. Another monstrous wave boome down, and with the crash of a cannon shot, a main beam amidship cracked and buckled. Pandemonium now, both from men and weather. Water gushed through new openings, and the terrified passengers huddled against the ship's sides to escape it. Would their makeshift repairs hold? Should they turn back now, halfway over, or go forward?All eyes turned to Captain Christopher Jones. The mates had given their opinions, but they did not really count. It was the captain who must decide -- and their lives hung in the balance between his courage and his prudence. True, wind and weather would be more favorable on a run back to England. But the old ship was still solid under the water, and that was what counted. He had seen her through bad weather before. She was a solid, dependable old girl, and he was ready to swear by her for a few more years, at least. A deep sigh of relief ran through the listening passengers.

Then a new crisis. Cries of pain from the Great Cabin. Elizabeth Hopkins was in labor. Neither she nor her husband ever expected to have their child during an Atlantic gale. By every sane calculation, they should have been in the New World by now.Childbirth was dangerous enough, but in a damp, foul cabin, without heat or warm water -- no, it was better not to think about what might happen. William Brewster suggested they join in prayers for Elizabeth, and the Leyden exiles and the London strangers knelt together while the quiet, steady voice of the ruling elder led them in asking help for her. Then Mary Brewster came out of the cabin holding a small bundle in her arms, a lusty yowling baby boy. Stephen Hopkins promptly named the new arrival Oceanus.

The birth cheered everyone. Even the sailors regarded it as a good omen, and vowed that land could not be far away now. But the Atlantic was not through with them yet. As the tenth week at sea drew to a close, William Butten, a husky twenty-two-year-old, took to his bunk complaining of a terrible weakness. One moment he was pouring sweat, unable to tolerate a blanket over him, the next he was shivering with a tremendous chill. Then came agonizing pain, stabbing lances of fire in his arms and legs, and a terrible, nameless fear. It was the first case of scurvvy, soon complicated by pneumonia. The trapped voyagers sat in the darkness listening to his rasping struggle for life. William Brrewster led them in prayers once more. But this time the Atlantic would not be denied. Before morning Butten was dead.

It was a time for prayer and pleading. This death would be the first of many if they did not get off the Mayflower soon. Belowdeck there were ominous signs of trouble.Men were complaining of swollen legs; one or two women were in their bunks with WilliamButten's chills and torpor. The young men and boys were particularly bad. Perhaps they, as well as Butten, had been careless of their diets, disliking the lemon juiceand dried fruit recommended by shipboard veterans as an antidote to scurvy.

Excerpts from the book by Thomas J. Fleming

ONE SMALL CANDLE

The Pilgrims' First Year In America

Perilous Pilgrimage

It was August 5, 1620, already late in the year for a voyage to the New World. It would have been far better to have left in the late spring, when the Atlantic winds were more favorable, and arrived in time to build houses and explore the country in mild summer weather. Even so, with a good crossing they could still arrive by earlyOctober, and have some kind of shelter before the worst of winter came.

But not even this mild share of good fortune was to be theirs. Two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, set out to cross the ocean, but twice, they were forced to turnback to make repairs on the leaky Speedwell. At length, it was determined she was altogether unseaworthy, and the Mayflower began the voyage for the third time, alone.By now it was September 6, and they could look forward to arriving on a savage coastat the beginning of winter. With the delays, they had already consumed all the provisions they had calculated for the voyage. Now they were eating food that they might need to stay alive after they landed.

A "fine small gale" sent theMayflower bounding out upon the North Atlantic at a six-or seven-knot pace. A welcome gift, but it had its dark side. Almost everyone promptly became seasick. With sanitation facilities limited to buckets and 102 passengers, including some 34 children aboard, life belowdeck must have been anything but pleasant.To add to the bedlam, there were two dogs aboard, a husky mastiff and a small spaniel.

Even without the minor irritations created by dogs and children, the pasengers and the crew were poorly matched. The average sailor of 1620 was an illiterate, profane brawler with nothing but contempt for landlubbers. They took special pleasure in bawling oaths and profanities at the top of their lungs. One sailor, described byWilliam Bradford as a "proud and very profane young man, of a lusty able body, which made him the more haughty," was particularly nasty. "He would always be condemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey's end, and make merry with what they had."They were at sea a little more than two weeks, when this proud and profane young man was inexplicably stricken with a sudden disease. In the space of a few days, he died "in a desperate manner," raving and cursing to his last breath. The other sailors were more than a little appalled by the sudden demise of their champion, and for the rest of the voyage no one in the crew was inclined to taunt or torment thepassengers with such uninhibited malice.

If their food was typical of other sailing ships, there were always a multitude of insects burrowing through it -- little brown grubs, weavils, and maggots. Rats, too, were certain to be prevalent, and they would also leave their unpleasant deposits in the food. The range of food available was not wide. The only way to preservemeat was to salt it or to pickle it in brine. Beef, pork, and fish, thus treated, were on the menu, along with biscuits made of wheat flour and dried pea flour. Mush, oatmeal, and pease pudding were also occasionally available. They may have had pease soup or a lobscouse, a thick stew containing chunks of salt meat. Soup was always welcome because it gave the diners something to soften their biscuits in -- after a few weeks they became as hard as cannon balls. For a treat, there may have been burgoo, oatmeal sweetened with molasses, or doughboys, dumplings of wet flour boiled in pork fat, or best of all, pplum duff, a suet pudding containing raisins or prunes.

All of this was washed down with quantities of beer. No one in 1620 would drink water except as a last desperate recource. The best medical opinion held that it was injurious to health and often fatal. Aboard ship, water was carried in charred casks. For the first few weeks at sea, it would stink so foully that no one could gag down a mouthful. But after another week or two it cleared and became relatively odorless, though somewhat slimy.

Excerpts from the book by Thomas J. Flemming

ONE SMALL CANDLE

The Pilgrims' First Year In America

Jujubean: The Fairest Bean in All the Land

Names in order
Back row: Jim (standing)
Front row left to right:
Jenny, Bonnie, Julie, Jamie, Becky

Long, long ago, in a far away land, a sweet baby girll skipped among the stars, danced across the moon, and slid down the rainbow, right into the hearts and home of her eagerly awaiting family. A little of the magic of her entrance into the world still clings to her these many years hence. Peacemaker, confidant, righter of wrongs, first to lend a helping hand and last to leave, we celebrate the birthday of Julie Anne, aka Jujubean, this day!

Truly, there is no one like Julie. Her caring compassion and creativity are boundless. Former President Bill Clinton popularized the words, "I feel your pain," but Julie epitomizes them. When I described my first meeting with my counselor to her a few weeks ago, she asked, "Did you tell her about ---- (mentioning the name of a family member)?" "No," I replied. "Well, did you tell her about ---- (another family member)?" Again, I answered in the negative. I share her concerns, but apparently not to the same extent that she feels them. She has much in common with the Savior, in that she is able to take upon herself the burdens and pains of others. At the same time, she is cheerful, optimistic, and laughs often.

Besides the little book I gave you for your birthday when you wer here last week, Julie, I have one more gift for you. No more tears. I don't want to add any more burdens for your tender heart to carry. For the rest of my days, I will be laughing all the way.

7Up

Colin's home! Home from a two year church mission in Washington DC and parts of Maryland.Can you tell there was a whole lotta huggin' goin' on! He was a little taken aback by Girlfriends #1, #2, and #3 (one of whom he'd never met) who joined us in welcoming him at the airport. Thanks for being such good sports, Jennie, Kirsten, and Tori!






Greg and Neil announced their arrival with a sudden burst of explosions at the front and back doors the next afternoon. When their fireworks detonated, I was seated near the front door reading, and I jumped up and ran to the family room, momentarily startled. Then I wised up, "Hey, it's Greg and Neil!" That's a little something they picked up from Dan. He used to do the same thing to his mom when the boys were small. What goes around comes around, I reckon. Kimball landed about 11:30 PM after an eight hour stay in the Denver airport. Dan and I got trapped there overnight last Jan. so we could heartily sympathize with him.

The next day it was time to get serious about putting the final touches on Shane'sEagle court of honor. We were hoping Ethan and Missy would make it in time, but they called and said they were still in TriCities, WA, around four o'clock. I gaveGreg a couple of ideas for a talk, and found a song for Colin to sing. Dan made the hot cocoa, Shane picked up the Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Kimball, Greg, Neil andShane hauled in some wood from the Hobsons, built a roaring fire, set up chairs, and we were ready for business. Ha, in the midst of this flurry of activity, just ten minutes after Missy called with the disappointing news that they wouldn't arrive in time, they showed up at the door! With very little preparation, Greg gave a wonderful, funny talk, featuring Shane's earliest attempts at driving. (He was three years old, and he hit our house....twice!) Shane's great chipmunk hunt was also described, followed by a hilarious story from the outdoor humorist, Patrick McManus. Great job, Greg, tis sure'n you have the gift of Irish blarney! Next, Colin sang For the Beauty of the Earth. My heart was full of thoughts of Jordan when he came to the third verse:

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.






Missy and Brianna were up bright and early the next morning, off to a yoga class together. Shane had been asked to the annual high school Harvest dance, so he was swept off to do some horseback riding, painting of ceramics, dining and dancing. The rest of us spent what always feels to me like sacred moments visiting the cemetery. Our Jordan's headstone was set in place just two weeks beforehand, and everyone approved of its selection. We read a psalm that has special meaning for us, Psalm 136, and had a family prayer there as well. I know Jordan would have loved being with all his brothers this weekend. I don't know how these things work, but I hope and pray he felt our great love for him throughout every second.

Missy made her famous guacamole and sallad for us, along with a new to us soup recipe from the Olive Garden, Zuppa Toscana. The guys spent a good deal of time playing video games, and they even got in some shooting. Greg and Neil came packing heat. Brooklyn and Lilly were little angels. And Dan and I just sat back and soaked up the joy of having our family together once again. Props to their wives and children back home for holding down the fort while they were away.

Julie and Lonnie drove up from Utah, for a quick visit and to hear Colin speak in church. His simple, sincere humility stood out to me. Due to all these things, thanksgiving has come early this year to the Washburn household!

Now Let Us Rejoice

When last I blogged, the world was ablaze! Prophetic warnings of war, earthquakes, floods, famine, pestilence, disease, family breakups due to love waxing cold, had been given and were being fulfilled. What could possibly be the reason for all this devastation?

Orson F. Whitney
And what is the purpose—the ultimate purpose of it all? Destruction? No, a thousandtimes no, except in so far as destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and is necessary to preserve what is worth preserving. The world's welfare is the object in view. God's wrath, however fiercely it burns, is not comparable to petty human anger. His work and his glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” and if, in the process, He uses the powers of destruction, as well as the powers of construction—for “all power” is his, “in heaven and in earth”—it is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best. However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this: Hatred of humanity has no place in the heart of Him who “so loved the world” that he “gave his Only Begotten Son” to save it from eternal damnation. (Saturday Night Thoughts [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1921], 201.)

So after all these horrors, what's next? First, a period of silence, followed by angels flying, trumps sounding, and ... well, let's read it straight from scripture.

D&C 88:95-98
95 ... and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;
96 And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened andbe caught up to meet him.
97 And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven --
98 They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.

Orson Pratt
After this great silence, the curtain of heaven shall be unfolded as a scroll is unfolded. School children, who are in the habit of seeing maps hung up on the wall, know that they have rollers upon which they are rolled up, and that to expose the face of the maps they are let down. So will the curtain of heaven be unrolled so that the people may gaze upon those celestial beings who will make their appearance in the clouds. The face of the Lord will be unveiled, and those who are alive will be quickened, and they will be caught up; and the Saints who are in their graves, will come forth and be caught up, together with those who are quickened, and they will be taken into the heavens into the midst of those celestial beings who will make their appearance at that time. These are the ones who are the first fruits, that is, the first fruits at the time of his coming. (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 16: 328.)

Anthon H. Lund
So when the time comes the faithful of the Saints will be quickened and caught up to meet Him and the many thousands that are coming with Him… This, brethren and sisters, is something worth working for. We desire to live so that when this event shall come, whether we be on the earth or in the grave, that this sound may be heard by us —that we may come forth and join that happy throng. (Conference Report, April 1904, First Day —Morning Session 97.)

Joseph Fielding Smith
After the Lord and the righteous who are caught up to meet him have descended upon the earth, there will come to pass another resurrection. This may be considered as a part of the first, although it comes later. In this resurrection will come forth those of the terrestrial order, who were not worthy to be caught up to meet him, but who are worthy to come forth to enjoy the millennial reign. It is written that the second angel shall sound, which is the second trump, “and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their part in the prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh.
”This other class, which will also have right to the first resurrection, are those who are not members of the Church of the Firstborn, but who have led honorable lives, although they refused to accept the fulness of the gospel. Also in this class will be numbered those who died without law and hence are not under condemnation for a violation of the commandments of the Lord. The promise is made to them of redemption from death in the following words: “And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.” (D&C 45:54) These, too, shall partake of the mercies of the Lord and shall receive the reuniting of spirit and body inseparably, thus becoming immortal, but not with the fulness of the glory of God. (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 2: 297.)

How marvelous it will be to live in perfect peace with so many wonderful people! The next two quotes clue us in on what our main pursuits will be during this amazing time.

Joseph Fielding Smith
“Some members of the Church have an erroneous idea that when the millennium comes all of the people are going to be swept off the earth except righteous members of the Church. That is not so. There will be millions of people, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, Mohammedans, people of all classes, and of all beliefs, still permitted to remain upon the face of the earth, but they will be those who have lived clean lives, those who have been free from wickedness and corruption. All who belong, by virtue of their good lives, to the terrestrial order, as well as those who have keptthe celestial law, will remain upon the face of the earth during the millennium.
“Eventually, however, the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters do the sea. But there will be need for the preaching of the gospel, after the millennium is brought in, until all men are either converted or pass away” (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86–87).

Joseph F. Smith
“That this work may be hastened so that all who believe, in the spirit world, may receive the benefit of deliverance, it is revealed that the great work of the Millennium shall be the work in the temples for the redemption of the dead; and then we hope to enjoy the benefits of revelation through the Urim and Thummim, or by such means as the Lord may reveal concerning those for whom the work shall be done, so that we may not work by chance, or by faith alone, without knowledge, but with the actual knowledge revealed unto us” (Gospel Doctrine, 438).

We'll have to hit the ground running with such a mountain of work ahead of us. And I do mean "hit the ground", given that we'll be descending from heaven with the Savior.;) As for the ground, what will the millennial earth be like?

Joseph Fielding Smith
Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and the earth will be renewed, or restored, and receive its paradisiacal glory when that day comes.“This new heaven and earth which will come into existence when our Lord comes to reign, is this same earth with its heavens renewed or restored to its primitive condition and beauty. Everything is to be brought back as nearly as it is possible to its position as it was in the beginning. The mountains, we are informed, are to be thrown down, the valleys are to be exalted, and ‘the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.’” (The Restoration of All Things, 294–95).

It will be like the Garden of Eden! We will speak one pure language. Satan will be bound, so there will be no temptation, selfishness, narcicism, persecution, crime, anger, illness, nothing of the kind! A thousand years of purity and goodness. Then, there will be one last mammoth battle, for Satan and his host will be loosed for a short period in order to tempt the children who grow up during the millennium. Finally, they will lose and be eternally banished from the earth. Our garden of an earth will be transformed one last time.

Joseph Fielding Smith
“In that great change, or resurrection, which shall come to this earth, it shall be sanctified, celestialized and made a fit abode even for God the Father, who shallgrace it with his presence. (D.C. 88:19.) Then shall the righteous, those who have become sanctified through the law of God, possess it for ever as their abode. This earth is destined to become the everlasting residence of its inhabitants who gain the glory of the celestial kingdom. It shall become in that day like the throne of God and shall shine forth with all the splendor and brightness of celestial glory in its eternal, sanctified and glorious state” (Way to Perfection, 351).

No matter how much I leave out, I am still too wordy. I'll have to try to tie up the loose ends in one more post. At least we've seen there is, or will be, great reason to rejoice! I'm rejoicing for a different reason now though. Colin returns from his two-year mission in Washington DC in less than 48 hours!!! And the quorum of the seven brothers will once again assemble this weekend!

The Elements Shall Melt with Fervent Heat

My mind has been full of thoughts of the signs of the last days this week.This subject is as fascinating as it is frightening! I'll be teaching a lesson thisSunday about the second coming of Jesus Christ and the millennium, that much looked for thousand year period of peace when He will reign upon the earth. There is so much to understand! Once again gospeldoctrine.com, and a few other sites, have been a great help. Here are a few highlights:

D&C 88 : 87-91
87 For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree.
88 And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
89 For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.
90 Annd also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

Eventually, after great tribulation, the whole earth will be destroyed by fire:
True baptism involves baptism by water and by fire. The earth was baptized by water with the Flood and remains to be baptized by fire at the Second Coming. Indeed, much like us, the earth was created in innocence, suffered the effects of the Fall, has been redeemed by the Flood, will yet be sanctified by a baptism by fire, will eventually die and be resurrected, and finally will receive a celestial glory. (from gospeldoctrine.com)

2 Peter 3 : 9-10
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Elder McConkie noted:
“Not only will the Lord come in flaming fire, but that fire will produce fervent, glowing, intense heat, heat that has not been known in the entire history of the earth, heat that will cause the very elements to melt, the mountains to flow down at his presence, and the very earth itself, as now constituted, to dissolve.” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985], 645.)
Ezra Taft Benson
“I realize this is not a pleasant picture. I take no delight in its portrayal, nor do I look forward to the day when calamities shall come upon mankind. But these words are not my own; the Lord has spoken them. Knowing what we know as His servants, can we hesitate to raise a warning voice to all who will listen that they may be prepared for the days ahead?
“Silence in the face of such calamity is sin!
“But, there is a bright side to an otherwise gloomy picture— the coming of our Lord in all His glory. His coming will be both glorious and terrible, depending on the spiritual condition of those who remain.” (“Five Marks of the Divinity of Jesus Christ,”New Era, Dec. 1980, 49)

2 Peter 3 : 11-13
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
How will the heavens be destroyed? How could they be completely dissolved? In order to correctly understand what is meant, we need to understand that the term heavens in this passage refers to the earth's immediate atmosphere and not the heavens in which God dwells. In the scriptures, the term heaven is used to refer to our immediate atmosphere, ‘the fowl… may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven (Abr. 4:20, Gen. 1:20).
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Joseph Fielding Smith
The passing away of the heavens has reference to the heavens which surround the earth, not the sidereal (of, relating to, concerned with the stars) heavens. So we have a key to the meaning of one earth passing away and another coming. As our earth shall pass away and receive its resurrection, so has it been with other earths and so will it be with earths yet to come. They will be re-created, made eternal and find a place perpetually which the Lord has designed for them in the sidereal heavens. These great orbs that we see in the heavens are not ‘passing away.’ Most of them evidently have attained their state of permanency. They have filled the measure of temporal probation as this earth is now filling its probation of mortality, and when its work is finished as a temporal earth it will be exalted. Likewise will others be exalted as countless earths have been and have attained their state of immortality.” (Man, His Origin and Destiny [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 274 - 275.)

Next comes the marvelous, miraculous, amazing part! I can't wait! But this has grown too long, so I must.

Histrionics in the Making

Freudian slip there, of course I meant history in the making. Well, you win some, you lose some. We won Propositions 8 in California and102 inArizona, which protect the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.Hurray! Washington state's infamous I-1000, legalizing physician-assisted suicide, passed. Booooo! The Obama-Biden ticket won convincingly over McCain-Palin. And our choice to represent us in the House of Representatives in Washington D.C., BillSali, lost to his opponent. So sad!What to do, what to do? Let's do this!

1 Timothy 2 : 1-2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Spencer W. Kimball
I hope you’ll pray, brothers and sisters, pray as you’ve never prayed before. Praywith a great earnestness. Pray for the leaders of the nations. Pray for all of our leaders. Pray for our leaders who are filling especially high, responsible positions in all the countries of the world.The Lord will hear our prayers, I am positive of that. And he will in his own way and in his own time cause that we may have success. (Marvin K. Gardner, “News of the Church,”Ensign, Aug. 1979, 79)

Ezra Taft Benson
We should pray for the inspiration and well-being of the president of the Church, the General Authorities, our stake president, our bishop, our quorum president, our home teachers, family members, and our civic leaders. Other suggestions could be made, but with the help of the Holy Ghost we will know about what we should pray. (Romans 8:26-27.) (Come unto Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 25.)

Reed Smoot
Let us pray for our leaders at all times instead of criticizing them; pray that they may be given courage to continue with unflagging zeal from year to year; pray for the power of God to be upon them. (Conference Report, October 1940, First Day— Morning Meeting 21.)

Good counsel? Yes. Let's do it!

Election Day in the USA

Who will it be, McCain-Palin or Obama-Biden? In this household, we've voted and prayed for McCain to become our next president. The polls predict that's unlikely, however, but polls can be manipulated so they're not entirely trustworthy. Which brings up a good question, what, or who, is 100% trustworthy? Am I? Are you?

It's not that I ever set out to be dishonest (I don't personally know anyone who does). But we often form opinions and make decisions and judgments based on our limited knowledge and experience, upbringing, habits, environment and culture, and sometimes when we are certain we're right, we are actually flat out wrong. It's fairly easy to be misled, deceived. Where, then, is our safety?

I trust that it's right here:
1. 2 Ne. 4: 34
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

2. 2 Ne. 28: 31
Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of theHoly Ghost.

3. D&C 1: 19
The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strongones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—

I hope the Holy Ghost's guidance has been sought and followed by the majority of my fellow Americans in the crucial issues that are before us in this ellection. What are the chances of that happening?

World's Best Pumpkin Biscuits, No Lie

Pumpkin Biscuits
5 Stars

These wonderfully unusual biscuits can be made a day ahead. Tender and delicious,I've never met anyone of any age who didn't love them.

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup softened butter
1 15-oz. can unsweetened solid-packed pumpkin

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with a piece of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. (You may need to crumble in the brown sugar with your fingers.) Stir in the softened butter andpumpkin, and mix until a soft dough forms.

3. With clean dry hands, divide pieces of dough and pat into 1/2-inch thickness for each biscuit.. Place them on the cookie sheet, and put it on the middle rack of your oven. Bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes (because they're already brown, you may need to break one open to see if they're done). Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 16 to 18 irresistible biscuits.

Deep Water

I love Dr. Lisa, my primary care physician. I scheduled a visit with her last week, and she was so completely understanding and supportive that I couldn't help but feel better by the time I left. Our conversation was rife with similes or analogies.

Here's mine: I feel like this grief I'm carrying is a huge, unwieldy box. It takesall the strength I have to hang onto it and keep it balanced. When someone comes along and drops another box or two on top of it, even though they're much smaller and would ordinarily be fairly easy to carry, I can't handle the extra burden.

Here's hers: You're in a river, treading water. Even though you're trying to keep your head above it, you've grown very tired and you're just stuck there, unable to move forward.

The solution: Talk to this LDS counselor I know, and highly recommend. She shares your beliefs, and she knows about real life. And this prescription for Celexa, an antidepressant, will turn down the volume a bit on your emotions to give you abreather.

So, I'm going for it. My first appointment is next week. Whether it's the box, or the river, or both, I'm not sure, but a little objectivity is welcome. Dr.Lisa asked me if she'd been helpful, and I said yes, that she'd thrown me a rope. She said, "I like that. I threw you a rope, now S. will teach you to swim."

If all goes well, and I don't know why it wouldn't, I hope to be paddling happily about again before very long. I'll never be the same I know, I'm permanetly changed from all that's happened, Dr. Lisa warned me, but things ccan get better. Besides, I've always been a big supporter of people getting counseling when their situation becomes too confusing and troublesome. Now, it's my turn to follow my own advice.

Soup's On!

Chunky Papaya Soup

The first time Brianna made her mom's recipe for papaya nut soup, it was with some apprehension that I consented to take a tiny taste. Pared diced apple, pear, and papaya simmered in salted water for a couple of hours with a variety of raw nuts, peanuts, pecans, cashews, walnuts and almonds. A teaspoon or so of canola oil was the only other ingredient. Sounds safe enough, I thought, and the aroma wafting from the kitchen was certainly pleasing. So,... here goes.Mmmmm. It's good! Brianna, it's really good. I thought it might taste all hot and fruity and sweet and weird, but it doesn't. Admittedly, Dan and Shane aren't too keen on it, but we're used to making concessions for them. Who wouldn't, as cool as they are! While Brianna made another batch of the soup today, I made a potato-vegetable medley for them to chow down on instead.


The thing is, it's soup season now, and soup is good food!I guess my old faithfuls are taco soup. potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, and chili.But before the season's over, I'll be trying a few of these new soups on the block: Chicken and Green Chile Soup With Tamale Dumplings, Harvest Pumpkin Corn Bisque, SausageCorn Chowder, and other such hearty fare. If you have a favorite, please pass it along. We'd love to expand our soup repertoir, and there's sure to be plenty of chilly nights ahead, just right for a steaming bowl of soul-satisfying soup.

P.S. I Love You

Back row, left to right:
Jenny, Bonnie, Becky, Jamie
Front row left to right:
John, Julie, Jim

Oh those Beatles. They once set my heart all a-flutter, but then, my 12-year-young heart was practically a perpetual flutter machine anyway. I'm only thinking of John, Paul,George, and Ringo now because I'm dedicating their birthday song to my sister, Jenny.Happy birthday, JennyLissy! (Remember when Mama used to shorten Jenny Melissa like that?)

Jenny lives, and rides her new scooter, in Iowa City, so our paths don't cross as often as we'd like. She has a beautiful alto voice, and I love singing with her.We were just wishing yesterday that we could join forces in a new project I've cooked up, putting together monthly "shows" for a nearby nursing home. We'll see if it comes to fruition, but I'm already having a great time selecting the golden oldie type songs for it.

Back to those Beatles for a minute, remember when I got in big trouble over them?Another of my schemes gone wrong! My friends, Sheila, Tina, and I decided, as 7th-graders, that it was perfectly reasonable for us to leave our residential school in the dead of night, and hitch hike the 90 miles to Atlanta, then live there for awhile earning money by baby-sitting before proceeding on to New York, where we would once again stop to babysit long enough to pay our passage to Liverpool to "meet the Beatles!" It worked about as well as it sounds for us, it was a dismal success, of sorts. The school authorities came down hard on our empty little noggins! A very angry Mr. Jones, the superintendent, picked us up at 1 a.m., and made us get our heavy suitcases we'd decided to leave behind, and drove us to some road he claimed was the road to Atlanta, whereupon he made us get out of the car and start walking.He finally resurfaced and took us back to the school. But bright and early the next morning, he had us walking again, only this time it was walking track for the entire school day. Then I had to face the wrath of my parents. OUCH! No more runningaway from school for me. You know, maybe they really sent me off to school so I wouldn't corrupt my next youngest sibling, Jenny, who was born just 15 months after me. It worked too, because she's wonderful. Things haven't been easy for her, but she has remained faithful, obedient, and kind throughout her many trials. I know she will outlast them, and come out victorious in the own due time of the Lord. Keep a-comin', Jenny, look how far you've already come. Again, happy birthday, sistah, and happy every day!

P.S. If you send us a picture of yourself in your pink helmet and pink and black gloves, riding that scooter, we'll post it.

Autumn Snow

Early Snow

by Susan Bagley

Autumn yawns from dull routine

and as if to perk up the boring scene,

of fading leaves reluctant to let go,

has sent a surprising Autumn snow.

I stare with wonder across the white-orange lawn

as I ponder where three seasons have already gone.

I reflect on the simile of the icy flakes

collecting, as my memory rakes

through bright recollections, colorful scenes,

withering hope, and fallen dreams.

I sigh with ambivalent attitude,

decide to ignore the thoughts that intrude

on my contemplation of Autumn's glow

competing with the early snow.

Susan, wherever you are, your poem fit this day to a T. I changed the third line though. I hope you never know of it, or if you do, that you don't mind. Go and snow fit much better than boughs and snow. To be fair, here's the original third line:

with the leaves half shaken from gray-brown boughs,

This is the earliest snow of my memory. It's a special day all right, but it wasn't the unexpected drop-in of snow that made it so. It's Colin's 21st birthday! We hope he got our package on time, and had fun giving himself a twenty-one gun salute.

Sheila

We met at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon, Georgia. She was five years old, I was six, and she liked to sing as much as I did. We gathered all the really important facts about each other (middle names: Anne and Belle; birthdays: Oct. 7th and July 18th; hometowns: Gainesville and Moultrie; number of brothers, sisters, pets), and set out to become what has turned out to be lifelong friends.

We were certainly both badly in need of a friend on that September Sunday, when our parents drove us to that vast and unfamiliar place, unpacked our suitcases, kissed and hugged us goodbye, and left us there to begin first grade bright and early in the morning. We ached with homesickness. I know I soaked my pillow for many nights with my tears, and my mother told me she was crying, too, 120 miles away back home in Moultrie. Knowing my father, I bet he had to pull his handkerchief from his pocket and wipe the "dust" out of his eyes once in awhile as well. Years later, when I had my own little boys, I doubtedI could have made the same tough decision they did. But I know it was the right one for our circumstances. Just look at me now, I am educated! Well, partially educated, there's still a gracious plenty to learn.

Sheila and I were world class gigglers, readers, and playmates. Her doll, Debbie Darlene, and my handsome doll, Joseph, starred in many a story we dreamed up together. We placed in a talent show when we were in sixth grade, winning a free take-out dinnerfrom a nearby restaurant, The Shrimpboat, for singing a duet of "All the Things YouAre," wearing our almost matching blue dresses. In ninth grade, it was Sheila who raised the alarm when a lovably naughty classmate, Jimmy Carter, set my long hair afire by flicking his cigarette lighter next to my ear. I didn't even know it was burning until she screamed, "She's on fire!" Someone rushed over and vigorously tousled my hair to put out the tiny blaze. No harm done, just a little drama, which 9th-grade girls usually relish, and the scent of singed hair hanging in the air.

I've only seen Sheila one time in all these years since graduation. It's easy enough to keep in touch though, by phone and e-mail. She's great at sending cards. I'm lousy at it, but she likes me anyway. And I like her too, a whole bunch. Happy birthday, Sheila!

What's New

It's always been a priority to live within our means, and we "means" to keep on doing it! Pres. Hinckley used to quote a WWII saying that went like this, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." That's pretty much been our philosophy as well. When we make a purchase other than groceries, it's noteworthy. So, note this!

1. Our new juicer. No, it's not a Vita-Mix, that's not within our means. But this still allows us to enjoy the health benefits of yummy, fresh carrot juice.MMMMMM carrotopia! Brianna and I are having fun experimenting with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

2. Our new window panels. They were sorely needed, to replace the pesky, never-popular vertical blinds that came with the house. And we got them for 20% off. My savvy Utah sister saw them while shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond on Saturday. Now, thanks to her thoughtful phone call, and my friend Karen's timely assistance, a bold splash of burgundy pops, where beige blinds once annoyingly clanked. Adding to our frugal theme, these vegetables are from our own garden.3. Best of all, no purchase required here. Two great websites! The first one is proving to be able to answer all my scriptural questions!!!!! If you love the scriptures,I believe you'll also love http://www.gospeldoctrine.com/

The second website contains all the wonderful talks from our brand-new general conference, delicious refreshment for the soul!

http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-947,00.html

Both sites are priceless. And this proves it:

2 Ne 26:25 Come unto me… buy milk and honey, without money and without price

Nephi again borrows from the prophecies of Isaiah. This passage, found in Isa 55:1, discusses how the blessings of the gospel can be obtained without money or material wealth. Although Nephi is using this passage to demonstrate that the Lord invites all to come unto him, the following explanation is useful. From the 1981 Old TestamentInstitute Manual: “The invitation to come unto Christ and obtain those gifts without money and without price suggests not that they can be obtained without effort, however, but that one does not need the goods of this world to obtain them.

So these are our new and exciting finds. We won't elaborate on Shane's less than frugal new gismo, an Apple iPod touch though, anymore than to say that he can use it to read the commentary from gospel doctrine .com during our scripture study. That's one way he stays so in tune!

One-word Answers

Not as easy as you might think. Take the challenge, change the answers to reveal your deepest secrets, if you dare. Pass the time as you wait for general conference to begin, and change the world!

1. Where is your cell phone?Absent
2. Where is your sspouse? Bed
3. Your hair? Sleek
4. Your mother? Precious
5. Your father? Heaven
6. Your favorite thing? Computer
8. Your dream/goal? Unity
9. The room you're in? Cozy
10. Your hobby? Writing
11. One of your fears? Lies
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Millennium
13. Where were you last night? Here
14. What you're not? Perfect
15. One of your wish list items? Elliptical
16. Where you grew up? Georgia
17. The last thing you did? Pray
18. What are you wearing? Grubbies
19. Your TV? Off
20. Your Pets? Nonexistent
21. Your computer? Beneficial
22. Your mood? Hopeful
23. Missing someone? Yes!
24. Your car? Comfortable
25. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
26. Favorite store? Granddaddy's
27. Your summer? Over
28. Love someone? Many!
29. Your favorite color? Crimson
30. When is the last time you laughed? Thursday
31. Last time you cried? Wednesday
32. Who will take this challenge? Geniuses

Tagged Again! She MadeMe Do It

Seems I'm supposed to list my quirkiest quirks. Well, I have plenty to choose from. How's about if I list my top ten?...it works for Letterman.

Sooo, I'm taking a big breath, which is always the proper action..just before you spill your guts!

10. What's wrong with an occasional ketchup sandwich? I mean, I wouldn't serve it to a guest, but it's a kind of ok snack.
9. I used to bite my toenails. Yes, used to! I quit
8. I fell asleep at my own New Year's Eve party. Woke up and everyone was gone.
7. I also fell asleep at the theater during LOTR, and it has a very loud sound track, too.
6. I snore. Not at parties or movies though.
5. Recent self-description: I'm like a scruffy old stuffed animal, missing an ear and an eye, but still soft and squeezable.
4. I have a child--like fondness for echoes.. It's fun to yell a group of words and see how many get echoed back. Strictly limited to remote locations.
3. My feet were born to be free! No shoes and no covers at night make them very happy.
2. I've been known as the midnight weeder. Prime time is from about 10 pm to midnight.
1. I'm an unrepentant rebel! This tag stops here. I refuse to send it on! Neener neener neener.

Caution: This post may self-destruct. There you go, Shanna. all done!

Ghost Chickens in the Sky

We used this crazy song, a spooff on Ghost Riders in the Sky, at Colin's Eagle court three years ago. It was held around a campfire on a chilly autumn night. Trevor Eyre accompanied himself on the guitar and sang it for us. Someone told Patrick McManus's story of the night the bear ate Goombah, and a couple of other rough-and-tumble nature stories I'd dug up. Joel Hunt played his harmonica and we had a sketch of some incidents from Joseph Smith's life that showed he was a good and honorable man, worthy of listening to. We served chilli and a good time was had by all.

Now, what shall we do for Shane's Eagle court? Let the ideas flow forth!

Washburn Reunion 2009

Jesse Daniel and Christy Olsen Washburn request the honor of your presence at a Washburn family gathering to be held July 30, 2009. The place to be is Fish Lake Utah.

Any question contact Elaine Lones, Erva Fredericksen, or Kristiane Pederson.
Please spread the word.

This is a letter we received from Erva. She's the daughter of Grandpa Tyrus's sister, Zelma. I have copied their email addys and will provide them if needed.

Johannes and Me

Dan's dad was a great fan of the prolific writer, Louis L'Amour... and I wasn't.I came to this opinion without ever having read any of his work though. And I might never have changed my mind had it not been for the book club I belong to. Because we'll be discussing it this week, I just finished The Lonesome Gods by LL and, wow, what a fun read! I am going to read more from him, and then Grandpa Tyrus and Iwill have something new to talk about when we meet up someday in that great hacienda in the sky.

I copied down one longish quote from the book that I may bring forth at a later date, and I've memorized this shorter one that I want to opine about now. First, what do you call The main character in a book or play around whom most of the action is based? Oh yeah, the protagonist. Well in The Lonesome Gods, the protagonist is six-year-old Johannes Vern, and we get to watch him grow up, enemies and hardships multiplying as he grows. At one point, a friend and sort of adviser says to him,"We have enemies, Johannes. But enemies can make one strong. And we will be strong." I love this message, and I think Heavenly Father set it up that way for us for a reason.Trials, or how we handle them, can make us or break us. And, once in awhile, weneed to be broken! In 3 Nephi 9:20 Jesus said, "And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, and they knew it not."

Having your heart broken causes a lot of pain. That may be the understatement of the year, huh. But hearts can recover. And when at last they do, through the power of the atonement of Christ, they are stronger than ever. So please stand firm, resist those enemies, chiefly Satan, and all will be exceedingly well in the end. Take it from Louis L'Amour, Johannes Vern, and me. And take this too: it's another of my childhood favorites, Buttons and Bows, sung by Miss Dinah Shore. That's what my dad liked, music from the early days of radio, and I liked it right along with hhim. I wonder if we're passing any of our interests down.

Momentous

A great deal of mental and spiritual energy are expended in choosing the right words to have carved in stone. But it's done. Words and stone chosen, sketch drawnand approved, contract signed, money paid. Jordan's small, deeply meaningful, granite monument will be set in place in four to six weeks, so I'm told. A mother who lost her 9-year-old son to leukemia 3 and a half years ago wrote to me that she still hasn't been able to bring herself to undertake this weighty task. I send up a prayer for clarity of heart and mind for all parents who have this decision ahead of them, and another prayer of thanks that it is behind us at last.

I taught the lesson on the great plan of salvation last Sunday. All things pale in significance in comparison to it, and it "ought to occupy our strict attention, and be regarded as one of heaven's best gifts to mankind." said the beloved-by-many(including me) and despised-by-others Prophet Joseph Smith. So what is this plan?Squeezing its vastness and majesty into a too tight nutshehll, it is designed to give us, God's children, the opportunity to become like Him, forever living with Him and our families in a state of perfect, unending, purposeful joy. There is so very much more to it than that, for it is marvelous and glorious and worth every effort to understand and comply with.

Because we're in an uneventful period just now, I suspect my postings will be less frequent for the next while. If anything noteworthy occurs, I promise to make haste and report it. I think you can subscribe to post Atom, whatever that is, and possibly be notified of new posts so that you don't have to check back before a new one comes along. Until then, may God bless us all, and may we always remember to turn to Him in good times and bad. He is the Rock of our salvation!

Oh, wait, wait. This is less daunting..I'm working on my own epitaph now. This is what I've come up with so far:
Was blind,
But now I see!

Land of Hope and Glory

Jordan and I took in the news of the terrorist attacks together seven years ago. He was newly arrived home after 15 month's of working in Utah, and was preparing to enter the MTC in less than a month, eager and excited about his call to the Philippines San Pablo Mission. My heart was full of the memory of him and all the 9/11 victims as I listened to the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial this morning, alone. I know he would have been inspired by the remarks of President George W. Bush and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as the stirring music, if he had been here this day. Perhaps he was listening, or maybe he was even there with the top brass in Arlington, Virginia!

I found it to be a personal blessing to have been able to listen to the ceremony. My gratitude for this great nation and its remarkable leaders soared. I drew from their example of determination in the face of opposition, the resolve to stick to goals and principles that have always been of great value to me. My sister Julie's two sons and two sons-in-law, who are about halfway through with their second deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq, were heavy on my mind, too, and I felt impressed to pray even more fervently for their protection, and for the welfare of their families in their extended absence. Joseph, Christopher, Mike, and James, thank you for your steady, courageous service not just to our nation, but to the world!

Secretary Rumsfeld spoke movingly when he said:

This morning we gather to dedicate this ground, where a great building became a battlefield, where stone became dust, steel became shrapnel; and where flame, smoke and destruction stole the lives of 184 men, women and children.

This memorial tells the story of their last, terrible moments on this Earth -- moments when families were destroyed, when a symbol of America’s strength was scarred, and when our country became, in the words of an American poet, “acquainted with the night." Today we renew our vows to never forget how this long struggle began, and to never forget those who fell first.

Remembered and honored are fellow workers, friends, and family members. They were men and women at their desks in the Pentagon, who one morning kissed their loved ones goodbye, went off to work and never came home. And they were the passengers and the crew aboard Flight 77, who in their last moments made phone calls to loved ones, and prayed to the Almighty, before their journey ended such a short distance from where it began.

Each with different backgrounds and different dreams, it was here that their fates were cruelly merged forever. In the flag that flies above this memorial, we will be reminded of what they had in common. They fell, side by side, as Americans. And make no mistake, it was because they were Americans that they were killed here in this place.

Those of us who were in the Pentagon on September 11th share -- and we will always share -- a very special bond with each member of their families and with each other. We will not forget the way this huge building shook. We will not forget our colleagues and friends who were taken from us and from their families. And we will not forget what that deadly attack has meant for our country.

In the sinister logic of its perpetrators, and in the suffering of its victims, September 11th was among the darkest of days for Americans. But it was also the day that America can be said to have rediscovered its special grace -- the American people’s capacity for courage, for goodwill and for sacrifice.

Here, beneath the sloping fields of Arlington National Cemetery -- fields that hold our nation’s fallen -- this building stands as a silent monument to the resolve of a free people. And so too this memorial in its shadow will stand not only as a symbol of a nation’s grief, but as an eternal reminder of men and women of valor who saw flame and smoke and stepped forward to save and protect the lives of their fellow Americans on September 11th. Let it also remind us of each of those who have volunteered to serve in our nation’s armed forces, before and every day since. Our nation’s military has stood guard in this new age of peril, determined that what happened here, seven years ago, must not happen again.

We have been “acquainted with the night.” We have taken its measure. In the darkest of times, we have stood together. In defiance, our nation has pressed on toward morning. With resolve renewed, and with the certain strength of the American people, our nation will force the dawn.

My constant prayer is that God will bless the families of those we remember this day. And that the good Lord will bless all of those who have lost loved ones in the long struggle that has followed. We are deeply in their debt. And each of us will remain so for the rest of our lives.

President Bush recalled: Seven years ago at this hour, a doomed airliner plunged from the sky, split the rock and steel of this building, and changed our world forever. The years that followed
have seen justice delivered to evil men and battles fought in distant lands. But each year on this day, our thoughts return to this place.

Here, we remember those who died. And here, on this solemn anniversary, we dedicate a memorial that will enshrine their memory for all time....

As we walk among the benches, we will remember there could have been many more lives lost. On a day when buildings fell, heroes rose: Pentagon employees ran into smoke-filled corridors to guide their friends to safety. Firefighters rushed up the stairs of the World Trade Center as the towers neared collapse. Passengers aboard Flight 93 charged the cockpit and laid down their lives to spare countless others. One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. And here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice. We ask a loving God to watch over our troops in battle. We ask Him to comfort the families who mourn. And we ask Him to bless our great land.

Vicissitudes

I've got music for any that come my way. Sad times? I listen to Pink Floyd's High Hopes over and over and over again...until I'm finally ready to start feeling better.


Or the new-found quiet after the storms are past? That's the right time for listening to Leona Lewis' Footprints in the Sand.


When I was in my teens, I didn't know that sunshine always followed the clouds. IfI was miserable for a time, I mistakenly thought it was my new permanent condition. Life has taught me that there is always a way up and out of the darkness, back into the light. It is my job, my quest, to rise, and once again seek for the light.

When I was about 14 or 15 years old, I was walking from a class in the main school building to the nearby gym for my PE class. Suddenly, I fell into a deep pit, and I was in over my head! I dug my fingers into the sides of the pit so that I could climb out. But the dirt crumbled away, leaving me nothing to hold onto. Yelling for help was beneath my teenage dignity. What could I do? Once I heard the ominous sound of a piece of heavy equipment coming in my direction, it required no thought at all. I didn't care about crumbling dirt anymore. The pit could fall in on itself for all it mattered to me. I just powered my way up and out of the pit, and was free! I proceeded on to class as if nothing had happened. Never even mentioned it to anyone gbut a couple of classmates.

Lookingh back, that quirky experience has meaning for me. It was an abrupt fall from safety into the unexpected and unknown. I persevered, and I came out none the worse for wear that time. Since then, I've had many sudden changes in circumstances, or vicissitudes of life. Sadly, I haven't always emerged unscathed. I have emerged though, and I guess that's enough for now. I believe that it is necessary to get knocked down in life, and that it is vital to get back up again. Jesus Christ, my Savior, has helped me stand up many times. Not as quickly as I'd like, but the help has always come, eventually, and it always will. Even when life is done here on earth, He will see to it that we rise again, just as He did. In Him, I trust. My trust, my love, my gratitude, He has all three.

Big Big Day

It's Shane's eighteenth birthday! We've all gone out of our way to let him know how much we love him. He's been showered with gifts from friends and leaders. Brianna made him a tres leches birthday cake, I made him one of his favorite treats, a couple of his brothers phoned and emailed him, and the Boy Scouts of America even sent word of their acceptance of his Eagle application! And so its gone all day.. But no one, and I do mean no one, has done more for him today than his good friend, Jack.

Jack has given his all, his everything, for Shane! Thank you, o noble Jack. You have taught us a great lesson in selflessness.

They said he was heartless, but you can see that Jack had the heart of an eggplant.

Precocious pumkin soup

Peerless pumpkin bars