ThrowBack Thursday ~ Fun on the slide with Cash!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Taste the Hawaiian Rainbow!

 

Heaven...

Heaven is a place, but also a condition; it is home and family. It is understanding and kindness. It is interdependence and selfless activity. It is quiet, sane living; personal sacrifice, genuine hospitality, wholesome concern for others. It is living the commandments of God without ostentation or hypocrisy. It is selflessness. It is all about us. We need only to be able to recognize it as we find it and enjoy it.

October 1971 | Glimpses of Heaven Spencer W. Kimball

Best day at school...

I've have been a substitute teacher many times the last six years but yesterday was the most rewarding day I've ever had. This past week I've subbed for the health teacher. (His wife had a healthy baby girl so he took the week off.) 

Sweet, tiny baby Madilyn

Leading up to yesterday, the lesson plans included a discussion and worksheet on different kinds of mental illness. I was surprised how much the students knew about mental illness. I gave them a chance to talk about the ones they were familiar with. Unfortunately I didn't know that a new student in the class suffers from depression and has suicidal thoughts. Alana came up to me while they were filling out a worksheet and told me she was having a hard time. I asked what was going on, and she told about the depression and suicidal thoughts. I felt terrible and sent her to talk to the counselor. She came back soon after and seemed fine. I later found out she has an IEP (Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a plan that can help students with learning disabilities and other challenges succeed in school). The IEP specifically stated not to have Alana in the classroom if there were discussions related to depression.

That's Alana, she comes in early, and she always reads before the other students arrive.

The second part of the lesson plans included learning about celebrities that had challenges in their life, how they overcame them, and something that can be learned from their experiences. We finished all that so the next class period I had nothing for them to do. I came up with my own follow up plan! I asked them to write down three people they admire then choose one person, and write three qualities that they admire in that person. Then I asked them to underline the qualities they think they already have and circle the qualities that they would like to develop to a greater degree. When they finished I asked if anyone wanted to share who they admired and why. This is the part that made it the best day at school. I was overwhelmed with the responses, some of them brought tears to my eyes. The responses included moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas, friends, and even a favorite cousin. They shared many great qualities about each one. The girl who has depression said she admires her mom the most. She said her mom also suffers from depression but she works hard to take care of the family. She said she knows how much her mom loves her. Another girl said she also admires her mom. Her dad died a few years ago from lung cancer. She said her mom takes care of everything, and is positive. She has also gone back to school. I could feel how much she loves her mom.

Then several students shared the quality they wanted to develop, the most common quality was patience. One student said he wanted to be funny. He made sure everyone knew that didn't mean to make fun of others, but to make others laugh and spread joy! One boy named Owen is autistic or has ADHD, I can't remember. He said he wanted to be stable and in control of his emotions. I thought it was admirable that he shared what he was feeling to a group of his peers. Thankfully everyone was respectful.

This is the worksheet that I came up with. I have said before that I don't want to be a teacher, but I know I could have been. I'm a good substitute teacher and that's enough.

Name_____________________________________________Date________________Period_______

 

Who Do you Admire?

STEP 1: Write down three people you admire and respect (not a famous person) but a family member, friend, or teacher.


1. __________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

STEP 2: Write three characteristics or qualities you like most about that person. (Use the list of possible qualities to inspire ideas)

1. __________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

STEP 3: From the quality list, underline the qualities you feel you already have. Then circle the qualities you would like to develop to a greater degree.

STEP 4: Choose one quality you would like to develop, and write down one small action, or step you could take to develop that quality more in yourself.
1. Quality__________________________________________________________________
2. One small step__________________________________________________________

Good Qualities

honest
daring
powerful
inspiring
intelligent
insightful
creative
incredibly funny
smart
athletic
dynamic
adventurous
analytical
imaginative
classy
optimistic
charming
assertive
passionate
fun
hardworking
compassionate
kind
generous
practical
motivating
integrity
reliable
innovative
brave
insightful
poetic
seriously tough
intuitive
questioning
energetic leader
sympathetic
protective
sensitive
trusting
independent
courteous
thoughtful
skilled
adaptable spirit
devoted
competitive
patient
driven
persistent

talented
calm
stable
courageous
confident
loving 

friendly

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Melt-a-sauraus or Snowgator...

Grandpa and Cash

Wordless Wednesday ~ Chris is home!

Wave Warrior...

I love these sequence of pictures. Colby is a real Wave Warrior... 

fun in Hawaii!

 

I know everything I need to know to stand forever...

The prophet Daniel said that in the last days

shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)

The kingdom of God is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It will “stand for ever.”

The question is, Will you and I stand? Will you stand forever, or will you go away? And if you go, where will you go?

When the Lord described the signs of His coming and the end of the world, when He described our day, He mentioned many things, including wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and many other signs, including this one:

For in those days [this day] there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. (JS—Matthew 1:22; see also Matthew 24:24)

I am not sure of all that is implied by the qualification “if possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” but I think it means, at least, that everyone will be challenged in our day.

Never has there been more information, misinformation, and disinformation; more goods, gadgets, and games; and more options, places to go, and things to see and do to occupy time and attention away from what is most important. And all of that and much more is disseminated instantaneously throughout the world by electronic media. This is a day of deception.

How do we avoid deception?

Begin by answering the primary questions. There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate. There are only a few primary questions.

1. Is there a God who is our Father?

2. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world?

3. Was Joseph Smith a prophet?

4. Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth?

By contrast, the secondary questions are unending. They include questions about Church history, polygamy, people of African descent and the priesthood, women and the priesthood, how the Book of Mormon was translated, the Pearl of Great Price, DNA and the Book of Mormon, gay marriage, the different accounts of the First Vision, and on and on.

If you answer the primary questions, the secondary questions get answered too, or they pale in significance and you can deal with things you understand and things you don’t and things you agree with and things you don’t without jumping ship altogether.

Ultimately the things of God are made known by the Spirit of God, which is usually a still, small voice. The Lord said, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.” (D&C 121:26)

Pay whatever price you must pay, bear whatever burden you must bear, and make whatever sacrifice you must make to get and keep in your life the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost. Every good thing depends on getting and keeping the power of the Holy Ghost in your life. Everything depends on that.

Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy. Ultimately there has to be affirmative proof, and with the things of God, affirmative proof finally and surely comes by revelation through the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe.

I don’t know if pigs will ever sprout wings and fly, but if they do, flying pigs will never be nearly as amazing as the ordinary pig in the first place.
Doubts and Questions

I heard someone say recently, “It is okay to have doubts.”

I wonder about that. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” (D&C 6:36) I have a lot of questions; I don’t have any doubts.
Conclusion

There is a God in heaven who is our Eternal Father. I know this by my experience—all of my experience. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who laid the foundation for the restoration of the kingdom of God. I know this by my experience—all of my experience. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

And with that I know everything I need to know to stand forever.

May we stand on the rock of revelation, particularly in regard to the primary questions. If we do, we will stand forever and never go away.

Stand Forever Lawrence Corbridge of the Seventy January 22, 2019 • Devotional

ThrowBack Thursday - Colby's curls...

Look at Colby's curls! Happy Valentines Day Colby, I miss you.

Wordless Wednesday ~ More snow...

Permission slip...

Someone took my four grandsons to Hawaii for a MONTH, and they forgot to turn in their signed permission slip! But really I'm happy that Mark, Tiffani, and the boys can have a wonderful adventure in Hawaii. It will be so fun for them to play outside and enjoy the sunshine, but I sure will miss them.

And there off, be safe and hurry back!

Love...

Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.

The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter. The Greek playwright Sophocles wrote: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”

The Great Commandment - Joseph B. Wirthlin, October 2007 General Conference

Teacher for a week...

I subbed all last week for a wonderful teacher that teaches CCA, Clothing, and Foods. She spent the week taking care of her mom. Two of the class periods are clothing. The students are making aprons. I felt so grateful that my Mom and Grandma taught me to sew. I learned to make skirts, dresses, quilts and more, and I learned the importance of hard work. They taught me that spending weeks on something is worth it in the end, even if I wanted to be finished in one day! I also learned that trying to keep my stitches straight was important but it’s okay if they are not perfect. We get a chance to rip out the stitches and have a second chance. I enjoyed helping the students and I was proud of them. It was a blizzard outside on Wednesday, a perfect day to be inside sewing! We also made cinnamon rolls and Snickerdoodles in the Food classes. I had a few moments where I understood why teachers love their jobs. It's not about the money (they don't get paid enough), it's about making a difference, and helping the students succeed.

Boo-Boo...

Sweet Grahm hurt his wrist in the bounce house a few days ago. He has a buckle fracture. We always pray every day for our grandsons, and are very thankful this was not a more serious injury. I know this boo-boo will heal fast and Grahm will be just fine. We love our Grahmy Bear!

 PC to Tiff

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Cashee boy!

I've been going through all my thousands of pictures and deleting duplicates, and the blurry ones, or a few that I don't want to save. It has been a very sweet experience filled with so many happy memories, and some tears. Life seems to go by a little too fast sometimes. How grateful I am for my family.

I can't remember why Cash doesn't have a diaper on but he sure has a cute bum-bum!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Colby!

A favorite few from the Old Testament...

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

~ Isaiah 40:28-31

I'm thankful that I have put my faith and trust in God, who never grows weary, and is never shut down, no matter what the problems are.

You are GREY!

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine

You make me happy

Because, well you are GREY!