Jesus still wants you for a sunbeam!

Your families, your wards and branches, your communities, and our greater world are in real need of your light. Your covenant-keeping life builds reservoirs of light within you that is perceptible to others as they interact with you and come to know about your relationship with Jesus Christ. Sharing your light is effectively shining a light on the Savior of the world. And we greatly need to see Him more and see Him clearly. You can help with that. The Savior has invited us to “therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Nephi 18:24).

Jesus still wants you for a sunbeam. I invite you to joyfully continue to be a sunbeam for Him.

~ Tracy Y. Browning (Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency)

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Spring at the temple...

 

Colby and Grey

2018

Become something...

In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

Kingdoms of Glory | President Dallin H. Oaks

October 2023 

Husky of the Week...

March 28, 2024 

Good morning Mrs. Williams, 

"This is Todd Jepperson (assistant principle) from Mountain Ridge Junior High calling you. I don’t know if you have had a chance to talk to Cash about it yet, but I wanted to call and let you know he was actually selected as one of our Husky's of the Week, this week. I’ll let you know that Mrs. Nevarez, his science teacher is the one that submitted him, or nominated him. She says, "While we were doing a performance assessment, Cash really showed he could be a positive leader, he encouraged his group to get started, motivated team members to work with him, and gave direction and helped classmates when needed. I was very impressed with ability to pull everyone together, and his team was successful, and had a great experience." We brought him down, gave him a certificate and a couple of treats, and told him how grateful we were to have him here and how awesome he was. We have a case where we put a picture of him on and a post on social media. We just wanted to let you know that we selected him and what that process was, and give you something to embarrass him about when he gets home. Thank you very much, you sent us a great kid, and we love working with him. Appreciate it, good bye."

So proud of Cash!

Comfortably abide...

A favorite talk from last general conference...

President Dallin H. Oaks | ‘Kingdoms of Glory’
October 2023

The fullness of the doctrine of Christ teaches that Heavenly Father loves His children so much that He wants all to live in a kingdom of glory forever — more specifically, to live with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, eternally.

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

With limited exceptions, all of God’s children will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory — celestial, terrestrial or telestial — according to the desires manifested through their choices.

The celestial kingdom has its own three degrees of glory, the highest being exaltation — dwelling in the presence of God and Christ forever.

“Under that loving plan there are multiple kingdoms — many mansions — so that all of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory whose laws they can comfortably ‘abide.’”

The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts — what one has done. It is based on the final effect of one’s acts — what one has become.

“We have a loving Heavenly Father who will see that we receive every blessing and every advantage that our own desires and choices allow.”

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Cash... Chick Magnet!

2015

Birthday... Bubbles... Balloons...

We had Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm come play so Mark could take Tiffani to dinner to celebrate her 38th birthday. It was a beautiful day so we played outside and flew the airplanes. Colby made brownies for Tiffani. We decided if Mark and Tiffani didn't return by 7:30, we would make a video of us singing Happy Birthday to her, and eat the brownies. Colby had lit the candle, and I started filming, then we saw them pull in the driveway. It was perfect timing and Tiffani was surprised we had the candle lit, and were ready to sing to her! We are so grateful for Tiffani's light, faith, and devotion to her family. We hope 38 is great!

Isn't she lovely?!

I promised Grahm he could sleepover during Spring Break and Grey stayed too. We played outside until dark and then they chose to watch Little Mermaid to finish the day. I haven't watched Little Mermaid for a long time and it really is so timeless. At one point when Ariel was on the screen, Grahm said, "she's really beautiful." Then he said, "That's kinda what Liv looks like." Liv is the girl he likes at school. 

Grey and Grahm usually watch a show while I make breakfast.

It still amazing me after all these years that bubbles and water balloons are still a favorite. Grey and Grahm made up lots of games using bubbles and water balloons. It was so fun to watch them play together. They get along so well. 

Grahm was trying to fly a helicopter and it wasn't working. Grey patiently helped him fix it. Grahm told Grey thanks and then he said, "Colby is so nice to me too." 

Grahm put a water balloon in a glass and it looked like a bum to him. He proceeded to spank it over and over. It was silly but funny!

The spanking continues!

I'm thankful everyday for my sweet and silly grandsons!

General Conference and the Welfare of Our Souls

Jacob opened both of his sermons by telling his people that he was anxious for the welfare of their souls (2 Nephi 6:3, Jacob 2:3). This terminology is not surprising, since his father Lehi had ended his final counsel to Jacob by saying, “I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls” (2 Nephi 2:30).

On the second occasion, he described for us his preparation process. After identifying two sins which his people were beginning to commit, he says:

I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord. Jacob 1:17

I don’t know exactly what he did to obtain his “errand from the Lord,” but it sounds to me like he wanted to be certain that he was speaking the words God wanted to say, so that his people would hear the voice of God as he preached.

Every April and October, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds a general conference, in which leaders speak to church members and friends of the church worldwide. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland provided the following insight into their preparation to speak:

Perhaps you already know (but if you don’t you should) that with rare exception, no man or woman who speaks here is assigned a topic. Each is to fast and pray, study and seek, start and stop and start again until he or she is confident that for this conference, at this time, his or hers is the topic the Lord wishes that speaker to present regardless of personal wishes or private preferences. Every man and woman you have heard during the past 10 hours of general conference has tried to be true to that prompting. Each has wept, worried, and earnestly sought the Lord’s direction to guide his or her thoughts and expression. “AN ENSIGN TO THE NATIONS,” GENERAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 2011

general conference... for the welfare of my soul.

Grahm and Bullet...

Peace like a river...

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.
1 Nephi 20:18

I value this imagery of peace being compared to a river, continually running. The water surges over rocks, logs, falls, or any other kind of debris. The river simply finds a way to go around or over obstacles. It just keeps flowing. So when I think of peace like a river, I think of peace as something that can be continually flowing in our lives despite our circumstances or the obstacles that may get in our path.

My testimony of Jesus Christ’s gospel helps me feel that I can be in the midst of turmoil and still feel peace in my heart. It brings such peace and gratitude to me to know that whatever life brings can be overcome through the enabling power and strength of Jesus Christ. By saying that, I don’t want to suggest that whatever happens to us will be easy, pain free, or without sorrow, but it does help me tremendously to know there is always hope and help through the Savior and that all things can eventually be healed.