So Worth It

At the start of the summer a new sister moved into our ward.  She is youngish and she is vocal and she has been a breath of fresh air in our classroom discussions.  She openly shares the fact that she hasn't always been a practicing member of the church and that she has made some bad decisions in her life, but her past is overshadowed by the testimony she shares at every opportunity. She has come so far. She makes me want to be less judgmental; more loving and willing to embrace and encourage those who are struggling with their testimonies.  She brings hope to my heart when it starts to feel hopeless.

A couple of weeks ago she attended our visiting teaching interviews and then asked for directions to the bishop's house.  She is getting married the start of September and had an appointment to get her temple recommend so she could go to the temple for the first time.  She was so excited!  She shared how she had almost gone to the temple a few years before, but her divorce got in the way and it didn't happen.  How hard it had been to wait, when she wanted to go so badly. When she left she told us she would be back in a while for her interview with a member of the Stake Presidency.

I was in the hall when she returned with tears running down her face. I was worried that something hadn't turned out the way she had planned.  As I walked toward her she raised her signed recommend for me to see and said, "He signed it.  I signed it.  I am going to the temple."  We embraced and joyfully cried together.  So very, very happy.  She couldn't contain her excitement as she bounced around sharing the news with everyone that would listen.

Tonight I had the opportunity of being in attendance at her temple endowment session and as we embraced again in the celestial room we shed a few more happy tears and rejoiced in her accomplishment.  She did it! and it seems that all the struggles just made the final outcome that much sweeter.  She was so happy and thankful to be there.

As I sat in the celestial room, watching her and those who had come to support her, I reflected on some of the things she has experienced in her life, the choices she has made, and  how she was finally able to worthily stand in the temple.  I pondered on why the road to the temple seems so simple for some individuals and so difficult for others. Entering the temple for the first time was pretty easy for me. Luckily my choices had helped to make it that way, but I probably looked on the event as more of a rite of passage than an accomplishment or a privilege, just one more thing I needed to do before I left on my mission.   I was happy to be there, but I think my joy at that moment was minuscule compared to hers, and to the joy I felt for her tonight.

 There were 2 other people going through the temple for the first time tonight.  A young man who looked like he was getting ready to go on a mission and another girl who was soon to be married.  I wondered if they were as amazed and appreciative of this great blessing in their lives as my friend was. Had their choices in life led to a fairly smooth path to the temple or had they too struggled to get there? What had they done and gone through to make this opportunity a reality? Did they see their temple covenants as the marvelous blessing that they are?

As most of the patrons left the celestial room the young man and his father sat talking quietly in one corner while the unknown bride-to-be sat on a couch next to her future husband, her brother and mother nestled by her side as her father stood protectively near them.  It was such a sweet experience as the spirit of the temple sunk deep into my soul.  I hope they felt that spirit too.  I hope they realize what a great blessing it is to be temple worthy.  I hope they continue to visit the temple often and come to appreciate more and more each time they come how truly blessed they are to have the temple, and all it represents, in their lives.

As I have.

Whether the climb to the temple seems fairly simple or wrought with difficulty I testify it is So Worth It!

Do what you need to do to get there and then make it a priority to go often.  It will be worth any effort it takes!

But you don't have to just take my word for it.  Here is what the living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson has to say on this topic:

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings."  

This quote comes from a conference talk Pres. Monson gave in April 2011 and you can read his entire message here.

Today I am thankful for

the new converts or re-converted members of my ward who help me see the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings that are mine through fresh eyes.  I learn so much from them.
temple promises.
the spirit that I feel in the temple.  Nothing in this world can compare to it.

Gila Valley Temple Trip

While planning some summer activities for our Relief Society sisters to enjoy, we had the idea of taking a day trip to one of the Arizona temples that we don’t frequently visit.  We chose the Gila Valley temple and began making plans. 

It seemed like at every turn we were questioned,  “Why go all the way (a 3 hour trip each way) to the Gila Valley when there is a temple in your own back yard?”.

We started out saying things like, “It will be an adventure”, “It sounds fun”, and “It’s something we haven’t done before”.  However, after being asked numerous times, we decided perhaps we needed to really think about this activity.  Why were we considering it?  What did we want the sisters to experience and gain on this trip?  Was it worth the time commitment and expense?  Was it really something we felt that our Heavenly Father would want us to do? 

As we thought and prayed about it we felt the Lord’s approval and came up with several important goals for this trip.  First, we felt that it would be good for the sisters to really have to sacrifice an entire day to going to the temple.  We are very blessed to live only 10 minutes from the Mesa temple.  Many women in the church have to plan and save and dedicate large amounts of time and money to be able to visit the nearest temple to them.  By making this effort, we hoped that our women would be more grateful for the availability of the temple and the 3 hours total it usually takes us to go to the temple would be a little less daunting. 

We also felt that the time we would be able to spend together as sisters, traveling to and from the temple and while there, would be a good bonding experience.  Seldom do we get to really visit with one another and touch on more than the bare basics of what is happening in our lives.  With these two main goals in mind we continued to move forward.

 It seemed as though things still didn’t readily fall into place and there were setbacks and challenges along the way, but we pressed on.  When we looked at our schedule we determined that the best endowment session for us to attend would be at 1:15 PM.  As we researched this though we discovered that this session was done only in Spanish.  The majority of us were English speakers, but we determined that this too could be a positive learning experience and we could make it work if the temple had enough headsets for all of us.  The temple assured us that they could accommodate our group and that they would be happy to have us there.

We originally had 24 sisters and a few husbands sign up to attend.  We arranged drivers and had just enough seats for everyone.  The relief society president was planning on transporting 7 sisters in her vehicle.  A few days before we were to go she decided to have the tires on her car checked and rotated.  Much to her disappointment, she was informed that 2 of her tires were unsafe and that she shouldn’t even drive to Phoenix on them.  In addition, the tires she needed would have to be ordered and wouldn’t be available until the next week.  We were down a large vehicle and didn’t know what to do.  However, just the day before a sister who was not originally planning on attending had called and asked if she could go. As the relief society president pondered on whom she could ask to drive, this sister came to mind.  She had a van that she was willing to drive and we were good to go again.

Since we were going to be gone all day we had decided to provide lunch for everyone.  We were just planning to eat at the picnic pavilion located close to the temple.  We knew that it was July and it would be hot, but thought we could make it work.  One of the sisters called a couple of days before the trip and was extremely worried about the excessive heat forecast and felt that we needed to make other arrangements.  We considered finding a church building that we could have access to, but as we thought about what we should do our president was impressed to go a different route. 

There is a former ward member, in her nineties, who moved into her daughter’s home in Thatcher a few years ago.  When we first began to plan this trip we thought that it might be nice for a few of us to visit her while we were in the area, and even got a detailed map to her home from one of the other sisters who had been to visit in the past.  As the time drew closer though we realized that we didn’t really have time to fit in a visit and let the idea pass.  The relief society president felt very strongly that she should ask if we could eat lunch at this sister’s home. She was hesitant to essentially invite 20+ people to lunch, even though we would be providing the food, but the feeling persisted and she started making phone calls.  It took a few tries and a couple of days to finally connect with the daughter, but she was very willing to have us descend upon them in force the next day.   What a sweet, gracious relief society sister.   We all had such a pleasant time in her home and enjoyed renewing acquaintances.  It turned out that not only our former ward member, but her daughter as well, knew some of the sisters that came.  When we got ready to leave, the daughter pulled us aside and confided that her mom had been having a difficult time and that this visit had really perked her up.  She felt it was just what she needed and thanked us for coming. 

It was amazing to us how everything turned out the way it was supposed to in so many different ways.  We believe that we accomplished our original goals and some of Heavenly Father’s plans as well. Many of the sisters commented that it was valuable for them to see how others sacrificed to fit temple attendance into their lives and that they were grateful they lived so close to the temple.  It was wonderful to see strong friendships formed and strengthened in each vehicle during the journey.

We truly felt the Lord’s help and approval numerous times throughout this experience.  One sister felt inspired to go to the temple at the last minute and her vehicle was the one we needed to make the trip work.

Another sister felt inspired that the park wasn’t where we should eat lunch and several lives were blessed because of the change that was made.

At our gas station pit stops we attracted a lot of attention and were able to share our love for the temple and its importance and to engage in some simple missionary work. 

We used every available translating headset that the temple owned, but our one Spanish-speaking sister was touched by the opportunity to attend a session in her native language with all of her relief society sisters. 

It really was  a wonderful and fulfilling experience for all who attended and a day well spent.  

Springtime at my House

When I think of spring flowers I always picture colorful tulips or bright yellow daffodils poking their heads up through the damp, frigid soil, often sporting a soft coating of snow on their welcome green leaves. Ah, spring flowers bring with them a promise of new birth after a cold, dark winter. Just looking at them reminds me of Easter and the Resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

However, I haven't had much luck getting bulbs to blossom at my house and so I am usually lacking tulips and daffodils at this time of the year. I do love it when I can find affordable bouquets of these flowers to bring home and add a little springtime cheer to my home.

A couple of days ago I bought some beautiful tulips and put them in a vase on my piano next to my statue of Christ in the Garden and in front of my Living Christ frame. It felt like spring!

And they sat there for about 1 minute before Sparrow, the curious one, had to come and check them out. He thought they smelled pretty good

And head-butted even better.


And he had to make sure that he could still take his short cut across the piano to the table.

I could envision what was going to happen next, so the tulips got moved to the dresser in the entryway, where they still make me think of spring.

Springtime flowers in Arizona are a little more showy than these standard blooms. Our flowers go all out to blossom and grow and truly welcome spring with a grand hurrah. This is perfect flower growing weather for us and the place they grow the best, in my opinion, is at the Mesa Arizona temple.

They are so beautiful and they smell so wonderful.

A truly impressive sight.

I am learning to think of these as springtime flowers as well. While tulips and daffodils offer the quiet promise of new life, our flowers shout it from the gardens with uncontained joy.

Christ Has Risen! He Lives Again!

And I sat and enjoyed them for a few minutes today


because next week they will probably disappear.

It's time to plant the less showy, but equally beautiful, Arizona summer flowers.

Didn't spring just arrive?

Today I am thankful

that I didn't wait and go to the 2:00 session at the temple - it closed early today because of the Easter Pageant and I would have been sad.
for beautiful flowers.
for this Easter season and all that it represents.

Missing Her

Two years ago today my mom passed away.

I am usually OK with her being gone.

Since we didn't live close to each other for the last 20 years of her life, at first I could just pretend that she was in Utah and I was in Arizona and think I would call her in a few days.

It made things easier.

However, for some reason, the past few days I have really been missing her.

When we came home from our Spring Break trip to San Diego I started thinking, "Last time we went to San Diego for Spring Break we came home and went to Utah for a funeral." The 2 trips are kind of connected in my mind. Just like the Spring Break Disneyland trip and my dad's funeral immediately after.

Perhaps I should do away with Spring Break trips to California.

Anyway, since we got home, my thoughts have kind of frequently drifted to my mom and the fact that she is definitely gone.

It's been long enough.

It's very real.

No more pretending she's sitting at her computer reading this blog post.

On Tuesday night we had Relief Society Temple night. We usually have it on the last Tuesday of the month but this month it got kicked up a week because next week our Stake has family week to prepare for General Conference and we are supposed to be home with our families.

It turned out to be a good thing because a sister who recently moved out of our ward went through the temple for her own endowments that evening and we could be there to support her.

It was a nice, but VERY FULL session.

During the session, I was looking down at my apron and thinking about my mom, who made it for me. There is a tiny spot on the embroidery floss in one place that I am pretty sure is her blood. She probably pricked her finger while she was stitching away. I look at it sometimes and I'm reminded of all the sacrifices that my mom made for me.

There are a lot of them to think about.

For some reason though this night, as my fingers traced that drop of blood, I was just filled with an overwhelming sense of loss.

I missed my mom so much.

I'm sure the friends seated on both sides of me wondered why I suddenly began to quietly cry.

I was anxious to reach the peace of the celestial room where I could sit and think and feel the closeness to my parents that I frequently feel there. The veil there seems thinner and eternity and the opportunity to see my mom and dad again seems closer.

However, once I entered the celestial room it was a place of joy and excitement and congratulations and it was wonderful, but not peaceful. Way too many people sharing their thoughts and feelings. I gathered with friends and then it was time to leave and I was the designated driver so I never got the opportunity to just sit and decompress and think and feel and be filled.

I need to go back and just sit and be still.

I know it will help.

I know I will see my loved ones again.

I know this is not the end.

I also know that sometimes it is just fine to feel sad.

To miss the people that I don't get to be with right now.

To wish I could just talk to my mom for a few minutes

and give her a hug

and get hugged in return.

I miss her and that's OK

and I took my moments to grieve this week

and that's OK too

and now I will pull myself up by my boot straps

and live the kind of life that my mom wants me to live

and the kind of life that will get me to where she is

and where I can be welcomed by her loving embrace.

That's what she would tell me to do if she were here

and that's what I'll do,

even when I miss her.

Today I am grateful for

the citrus blossom scent that fills the evening air when I walk outside.

a son that was grateful for me today.

a husband that washed the dishes.

I love to see the temple

I'm going there today

To feel the holy spirit

To listen and to pray.


Tonight was our ward Relief Society temple night and I really wasn't too excited about going. I love to go to the temple, but I would much rather go to a session during the daytime and I am lucky enough that that is usually an option for me. It is much more difficult for me to want to go to the temple in the evening and when I do I like to make a point of taking my hubby with me, since that is the only time he can usually go. I have been in a very anti-social mood lately and I really didn't want to go and be friendly with anyone, even my Relief Society sisters that I really like. However, I have come to find out that when I don't feel like doing something that is probably the very thing I NEED to do, so off I went to the temple. I'm glad I did! There were only 5 of us there and 2 of the sisters are much older, nearly blind and not in the best of health. I'm sure they would have chosen to attend the temple at a more "convenient" time, but I was touched by their dilligence and their willingness to give service in the temple. These are 2 women that I believe are close to perfect and I would love to grow up to be like them. I was glad that tonight I had made a choice that moved me a few steps forward along the path to exaltation with these good examples. It was such a sweet experience to share hugs with them in the celestial room and to feel of their love and the love of my Heavenly Father. Today I am thankful for my eyesight. temple night with a few of my Relief Society sisters. an excuse to hang out with some good friends for some food and friendship - doesn't happen nearly often enough.

Father Lehi and the Tree of Life

I ran across this video and felt it was a wonderful Father's Day tribute. Back when this Lehi (the artist) was just a preschooler, his father was the "father" of the BYU Lamanite singles ward and my hubby served as his counselor in the bishopric when we were first married. We learned a lot from Bishop Sanchez and he has been a great example of a righteous father, not only to his own children, but to many, many other individuals over the years.



The other day when I went to the temple, I was impressed with the beautiful sunflowers they have planted this year. They give the temple a very different look, a somewhat masculine appearance. I decided that I would like to go to the temple on Father's day and take some pictures of my kids with their father and the sunflowers. By the time we finished Father's day dinner (and dessert) with the very extended family it was almost too dark for picture taking but we still managed to get a few good ones. We missed the youngest daughter, who still maintains that she is the very best Father's day present her dad ever received. She was born 22 years ago yesterday, on Father's Day. Just imagine her cute, smiling face right there with the rest of them.


My children are very fortunate to have the wonderful, supportive father that they were blessed with. He is a good example to all of us, but especially to his sons. I hope they grow up to be righteous fathers just like their dad.



Today I am thankful for

the father of my children.
cooperative family members.
Pima tacos and banana splits.

Payson Utah Temple

My mom has been saying for a few years that there was going to be a temple in Payson, Utah someday and today she was proven right. I'm sure all of my relatives that called or call Payson home are celebrating in heaven and on earth today.

Today I am thankful for

Temples dotting the earth.
sons that like each other.
an e-mail from my sister.

Service With a Smile

Today I spent the morning in the temple. The temple is such a happy place to be. From the time I walked in the front door until I walked out a few hours later I was greeted with smiles where ever I went. I just couldn't help but smile back.
I decided to go to the cafeteria for a bowl of soup after I finished my session. The cashier was so friendly and cheerful as she counted money and washed tables and tried to figure out how to get the trays to move on the conveyor belt that wasn't cooperating. I thought about the service that she was providing for each of us in that room - the physical service and the emotional one as well.
Then as I was walking to the front door I passed by the chapel where another volunteer was playing the organ to an empty room. Her music was being piped into the waiting room to help set a reverent mood for those individuals preparing to do a session. No one there could even see her, or acknowledge her, but she was doing her part to serve with a smile.
I started thinking about the hours of service that are given in each temple throughout the world each day. I thought of the temple workers who put there personal trials aside once or twice a week to get up before dawn and come to serve in the temple or give up their Friday or Saturday night fun to serve in the Lord's house. Then I thought of the many patrons who also give service in the temples 5 days a week. Hours and hours of service, by hundreds of individuals, all given with a smile.
When I was leaving the dressing room today I stopped at the drinking fountain for some water. As I started walking again it felt like something was brushing against my leg. I looked down and there on the ground was a man's black dress sock. Now, yesterday when I pulled my skirt out of the dryer it felt like there was a sock inside it, but I searched and searched and couldn't come up with one. I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed as I bent down and picked the sock up. One of the temple workers was watching me and said, "I was just getting ready to tell you you had dropped something." I went over to talk to her. She hadn't realized what it was that I had picked up and I told her my laundry story. Another worker was listening in and said, "One of the reasons we come to the temple - to find lost things."
As I walked out of the front doors of the temple today I once again thought of my experience there and what the temple worker had said. After a not so very good day yesterday I had lost my perspective and my smile. I could definitely say as I walked to my car that I had found both and one black sock to boot!

Today I am grateful for

smiles.
temple promises.
my Relief Society Sisters.

Weekend Getaway

Thursday night as we were falling asleep my hubby asked me what we should do this weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We discussed going to dinner and perhaps to a movie, but decided to sleep on it. When I woke up this morning I had a plan in my head. I wanted to go somewhere cooler, so my plan was that we could go to Snowflake, Arizona and spend the night and go a session at the Snowflake temple. Luckily I have an agreeable husband who thought that sounded like a good idea. Well, the idea kind of evolved and we ended up spending 2 nights in Payson, Arizona. We stayed at the Best Western Payson Inn and I thought it was a really good choice. Our motel room was on the second floor and had a small balcony that we enjoyed sitting on to watch the sunsets and the squirrels playing in the trees while a cool breeze swirled around us. It was wonderful!

This is the view from our balcony of the other group of motel rooms across the way.

The cool hubby.

The sunset.

The squirrel trying to hide on the branch.

The squirrel again.

Our room had a king size bed that I think would have fit us and our boys just fine. We kept losing each other.
On Saturday morning we got up and went to breakfast at a very small, very popular, cafe. The food was yummy, fast and inexpensive. Then we drove around Payson for awhile and then headed to Snowflake, which was a little over an hour away. We were planning on going to the 2:00 session at the temple (which was the one you don't need to have reservations for) so we had a little time to kill when we got to Snowflake. We went to Ed's IGA because this was the one thing the roommate/adopted daughter said we shouldn't miss in Snowflake. It was definitely one of the highlights of the town. Then we drove North, South, East and West checking out the neighborhood. We went to the Senior Citizen's Thrift Store, to the LDS Bookstore, and the Maverick Gas Station. Then we went to the temple and took some pictures.

Our oldest son likes to take pictures of temples and whenever we travel anywhere, if there is a temple in the area, we make a point of locating it so that he can get some pictures. It was after he started this practice, and after he had pictures from 5 or 6 different temples, that I learned something new. I always thought that all the Angel Moroni statues on the temples were the same, made from the same mold, but that is not true. There are a lot of different Angel Moroni poses. Someday I'm going to make a collection of pictures of all the different Angel Moroni statues and perhaps I'll post it right here on my blog. This is what the Snowflake Temple Angel Moroni looks like.

We had a wonderful temple session and felt very welcomed and needed. It was a very small session (just like the very small temple), but the spirit was there in abundance. It is always interesting to visit other temples and discover what is different in the layout, the decor, and the way things get done, but so very similar in the presentations and feelings that are there. I'll say it again - I love the temple!
After the temple we drove back to Payson and took a quick trip out to visit some nearby Indian ruins and get a little exercise after all the sitting we had done. Then we opted for some fast food for dinner which we took back to the motel and ate on the balcony and then we watched some cable TV.
This morning I enjoyed sitting on the balcony while I read my scriptures. Then we checked out the continental breakfast and headed home so we could get back in time for our church.
This was a great weekend. I loved spending time with my sweetheart, as well as getting away from the heat and the routine of daily life. It was a good celebration!

Today I am grateful for

a daughter that decided what was for dinner and contributions from everyone.
Sunday dinner with my family.
the chance to get away for awhile and children who are old enough to take care of themselves.

One year ago today - The Curse of Party Food.

Temple Miracle Grow

Back in the middle of April I went and helped plant flowers at the Mesa Temple as a stake service project. I took a picture of the flowers a week after they were planted.

They weren't looking quite like temple flowers. They were kind of tiny.

Today the oldest son, oldest daughter, son-in-law and I went to the temple and this is what the flowers are looking like just less than 2 months later.

(I think this is kind of a funny picture. The siblings look like they are trying to hold hands and the son-in-law is alone in front.)

Here's another shot of the flowers.
Before

and now.

and one more, before

and today. Where did the little purple and white flowers go?

The temple must use some great Miracle Grow, or perhaps it's their temple-made mulch. I'm wondering if my spiritual growth is that impressive when I hang out at the temple? Imagine how spiritual I could be if I lived there 24/7.

Sluffer

My boys think it is so funny when I refer to not going to school or work as sluffin' as in "Did you sluff math today?". Apparently this is a small town Utah, 70s term that shows I grew up in the back woods, way back when. I personally don't care what my boys think about my vernacular. I do however care if they sluff.
For 2 months now my oldest son has given me numerous reasons every morning why today would be a great day for him not to go to work. He still has 2 days of personal leave for this school year and they have been "burning a hole in his pocket"so to say. I am of the opinion that if he is suppose to be at work and he's not on his death bed or doesn't have 2 broken legs he should be there. Well, yesterday he informed me that today was the day he was not going to work. I pointed out all the reasons he should change his mind, but he didn't. I started thinking about him not going to work and why it bothers me when he doesn't go, but if my hubby were to decide to stay home every now and then I wouldn't be nearly as upset. With him it's more of a he has days off, he may as well use them kind of attitude. Is it because I don't feel as responsible for my husband's choices as I do my son's? After all I didn't raise the husband and teach him better than that. After much pondering I finally decided what the difference was. I have spent too many years in the school workplace, often as the person who had to fill in the holes left by other employees who for whatever reason (good or not so good) weren't there to fill the holes themselves. Now, I'm not saying my husband doesn't have an important job. I'm sure he does. However, if he misses a day of work the majority of his work will just wait to be done tomorrow. In a school setting, this isn't always the case. The kids still show up and still need to be taught and someone has to teach them. Recess and bus and lunchroom duties still need to be done and someone has to do them. When my children who work in education, especially the ones who are classified employees and don't usually get covered by a substitiute, sluff work I worry about who is going to have to pick up the slack. Despite my concerns, I guess my children deserve to use there leave just like anyone else and I should just let them use it and be happy.
With that said, I definitely enjoyed going to the temple with my oldest son today. When he sluffs at least he does something worthwhile with his time. His mother must have taught him something.

Flower Dusting

Saturday it was flower planting at the Mesa Temple, today it was flower dusting. I always enjoy getting to go inside the temple while it is closed for cleaning and just soak in the quiet, or not so quiet, peace that is always present there. Today rather than going off to my own private spot there were four or five women that gathered in the cafeteria and dusted arrangements that were brought in to us. It was fun to work as a group and get to visit and catch up on each others lives.
Every time I participate in this service I am reminded of how much effort goes into making the temple the special place that it is. I appreciate the temple even more after I have made my small contribution to this huge endeavor.

Planting Flowers

This morning our Stake had a service assignment planting flowers at the Mesa Temple. It was a cold (for Arizona), cloudy morning when we started at 7:00 AM. The flowers were dropped, still in their plastic containers, right where they were suppose to be planted. It almost looked like they had fallen from heaven for us to take care of. Lots of people came to help and the planting went quickly, but not quite quick enough to avoid the rain that started sprinkling down. After the planting we added compost. Lots and lots of compost. Some of the compost got blown from the truck and stuck to our wet jackets until we began to resemble mud people. I was wet and I was dirty but I'm still glad I got to make a small contribution to the beauty of the temple. I was home and showered by 8:30 and when my boys got up they questioned whether or not I had really gone. Of Course, I forgot to take my camera so I couldn't prove to them that I had. While I was down in the dirt digging flower holes I was reminded that one of the first "dates" my oldest daughter and my son-in-law went on in the Fall of 2007 was a service project to plant flowers at the temple. Those same flowers looked beautiful the next April when they had there wedding pictures taken with them. Unfortunately I am having a hard time coming up with any pictures with the flowers. Perhaps you can see them if you blow this picture up bigger. The week after the wedding these flowers were all dug up so the summer flowers could be put in. Kind of sad, but necessary in Arizona. Friday, April 17 - Today when I went to the temple I took some pictures of the flowers we planted on Saturday. They have been in for almost a week now, and while they are not quite up to par for temple flowers yet, they are still all alive and the compost is still in the planter where it belongs and off of the sidewalk where it doesn't belong. I wonder what they will look like by mid-summer?

Español

Tonight I had the opportunity of going to the temple to see one of my youngest daughter's good friends receive her own endowments. This young woman will soon be known as Sister Zarate and will be serving in the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission for 18 months.

We are all excited for her. Some other members of the family would have gone to the temple with her as well, but it just so happened that tonight was also the beginning of the church young men's basketball tournament and the youngest son's team, which is coached by the oldest son, had a game at the same time. It was hard for many of us to decide where we wanted to be the most. I finally decided that since the tournament is double elimination and the team was only playing one game tonight that I would have another opportunity to watch them participate and so I chose the temple. I was glad that I did. (The son's team lost and listening to the recap, I think I was lucky that I wasn't there to experience it.)
Since English is this sister's second language she chose to go to a Spanish speaking endowment session. My family and I had discussed ahead of time whether or not I thought I could follow what was going on if I had to do it only in Spanish. Pondering this question reminded me of a trip I took to a Denver Albertsons grocery store a couple of years ago. I was getting ready to check out when I received a phone call from my oldest daughter informing me that she had just been offered a job teaching Kindergarten at Fuller Elementary School. This was her first teaching job, school started in a week and we were both very excited. After I hung up I went to the self check out to purchase my groceries. I was still a little distracted and accidentally pushed the Spanish button instead of the English one. I tried to go back and choose English but couldn't figure it out. I decided I could check out in Spanish. I know a little Spanish and I use the self check out all the time, I could probably do it with my eyes closed so I thought a foreign language would be no problem. Scan the item, drop it in the bag. Pretty much the same in any language. I was rolling right along until I got to the produce. Even though I didn't know what a cantaloupe was called in Spanish I scrolled through the pictures and managed to find one that matched my item. Success! Then came the green pepper. I found the picture, entered the code but then the number keyboard popped up again. I thought the code hadn't gone through so I entered it again. I figured out what it was actually asking for about the same time I pushed the enter button. I was suppose to enter the quantity. Instead of one green pepper, or whatever it is called in Spanish, I said I was buying 4035 or some other ridiculous number. My grocery tab was immediately over $2000. That was when I finally decided to call for help. The employee was very confused about why I was checking out in Spanish, when I obviously was speaking English. Luckily for me he stood right next to me for the rest of the transaction. I think I needed his assistance at least 3 more times before I was done and thoroughly embarrassed.
So, as I thought about the temple ceremony, my first thought was that perhaps I could manage most parts, I mean I've heard it all a number of times. However, I quickly reconsidered.
The temple was very accommodating and supplied headsets for all of us who couldn't understand Español. I enjoyed hearing English in one ear while I tried to figure out what they were saying in Spanish with the other. I could actually understand a few things. However, I did find it somewhat disconcerting having Satan whispering directly into my ear at times. He seemed a lot more menacing when he was piped right into my head. Kind of like the devil sitting on my shoulder feeling.
I love being in the celestial room with someone who is there for the first time. My sweet friend was so happy to be there and I was equally happy to be there with her. It was such a wonderful moment. Lots of Love to you Sister Zarate. You're moving in the right direction and I wish you the best in life.

Today I am grateful for

hugs.
modern technology.
the temple - in any language.

Draper Temple Open House

My sister was nice enough to take me to the Draper Utah Temple Openhouse on our way to the airport today. This was her second trip in two days, since she did the same thing for my other sister when she arrived in Salt Lake yesterday. In case I haven't said it before, "I love the temple." It was fun today to take the tour and see all the little touches that make this temple unique in it's own way. The best part of the visit though was watching as parents got down on their children's level and talked to them about what they liked and how they were feeling. It is a blessing for children to have the opportunity to be in the temple and experience the spirit that is present there. Hopefully they will remember their time spent there and have a strong desire to return when they are older.

Today I am thankful for

a sister to drive me to the airport.
another sister to come and stay with my mom.
a chance to have all the girls in the family together for a day.

Where Were You?

January 20, 2009
10:00 AM Arizona Time

My youngest son was here.

I was here.
Where were you?

I Miss It

The Mesa Temple is closed for two weeks
and today I am really missing my trip to the temple.
I find it interesting that I can sometimes go for weeks
without wanting to go to the temple
but when it is closed I all of the sudden feel so deprived.
I guess I will have to swing by some evening
and check out the Christmas lights.
It might not be quite the same
but it will still be the temple that I love.

A Symbol of Hope

This morning as I was enjoying some quiet time in the Mesa temple I continued my musings on the topic of hope. I came to the conclusion that a temple is the perfect symbol of hope. Temples exist only because of hope. The hope that life continues after death. The hope that people can change after this life. The hope that God's plan is fair for everyone. The hope that a family that is united in this holy edifice will never be divided. The hope that Heavenly Father keeps His promises. The hope that He wants to communicate with and bless His children. The hope that we can faithfully complete our mission here on earth and return to live with that loving Father again. The hope that every temple on the earth lessens Satan's power.

Hope - what a wonderful blessing.

The Day Dawn is Breaking

I have decided that I need a laptop computer that can hang around my neck so I can take it with me on my morning walks and blog while I walk. This is definitely when I have my most profound and blog worthy thoughts but by the time I get home, eat breakfast, bid farewell to the remaining family members, shower, get dressed and try to be productive for awhile those ideas have simply disappeared.

The past two mornings it has been absolutely beautiful when I have gone walking. As the days get shorter the sun rise comes a little later every day and when I walk at about 6:30 the sky is lightening with a golden glow but the sun has not quite made it over the mountains yet. There have been scattered clouds both mornings that start out so dark and forboding but become much friendlier as they slowly turn pink, purple and yellow.

There is something so hopeful about a sunrise.

No matter how dark things may appear one moment a few minutes pass and everything becomes brighter.

This morning as I watched this change occur a song popped into my head.

"The day dawn is breaking,
the world is awaking,
the clouds of night's darkness
are fleeing away.
The worldwide commotion,
from ocean to ocean,
Now heralds the time
of the beautiful day."

As I thought about this hymn I was reminded how truly blessed I am to live in a day when the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. I saw a movie in Sunday School a few years ago that depicted the following story:

An elderly gentleman, Robert Mason, had a strange vision. “I was carried away in a vision and found myself in the midst of a vast orchard of fruit trees. I became hungry and wandered through this vast orchard searching for fruit to eat, but I found none. While I stood in amazement finding no fruit in the midst of so many trees, they began to fall to the ground as if torn up by a whirlwind. They continued to fall until there was not a tree standing in the whole orchard. I immediately saw thereafter shoots springing up from the roots and forming themselves into young and beautiful trees. These budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruit which ripened and was the most beautiful to look upon of anything my eyes had ever beheld. I stretched forth my hand and plucked some of the fruit. I gazed upon it with delight; but when I was about to eat of it, the vision closed and I did not taste the fruit.”
At the conclusion of the vision, Mr. Mason had prayed that the Lord would give him the interpretation. “Then the voice of the Lord came to me saying: This is to show you that my Church is not organized among men in the generation to which you belong; but in the days of your children the Church and Kingdom of God shall be made manifest with all the gifts and the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in past ages. You shall live to be made acquainted with it, but shall not partake of its blessings before you depart this life. You will be blest of the Lord after death because you have followed the dictation of my Spirit in this life.’ ”

I still remember had sad I felt for this man as I watched this movie. He was searching so dilligently for the truth and yet was told that he could never enjoy its blessing during his lifetime. At that moment I realized how lucky I was to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.

When I got home I looked up the hymn "The Day Dawn is Breaking". The rest of the words
gave me such a feeling of peace and hope.

"In many a temple
the Saints will assemble
And labor as saviors
of dear ones away.
Then happy reunion
and sweetest communion
We’ll have with our friends
in the beautiful day."

It so happened tht the man from the above story, Robert Mason, was a good friend and mentor of Wilford Woodruff, who became a president of the church. “The vision was given to him [Father Mason] about the year 1800,” Elder Woodruff wrote. “He related it to me in 1830, the spring in which the Church was organized. Three years later when I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, almost the first person I thought of was this prophet, Robert Mason. Upon my arrival in Missouri with Zion’s Camp, I wrote him a long letter in which I informed him that I had found the true gospel with all its blessings; that the authority of the Church of Christ had been restored to the earth as he had told me it would be; that I had received the ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands; that I knew for myself that God had established through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Church of Christ upon the earth. He received my letter with great joy and had it read over to him many times. He handled it as he had handled the fruit in the vision. He was very aged and soon died without having the privilege of receiving the ordinances of the gospel at the hands of an elder of the Church. The first opportunity I had after the truth of baptism for the dead was revealed, I went forth and was baptized for him in the temple font of Nauvoo.”
Can't you just picture the sweet reunion of Wilford Woodruff and Robert Mason ? I wonder if Joseph Townsend, the author of this hymn, had any idea when he wrote these words how many temples he was actually refering to?

The song continues -
"Still let us be doing,
our lessons reviewing,
Which God has revealed
for our walk in his way;
And then, wondrous story,
the Lord in his glory
Will come in his pow’r
in the beautiful day."

These words from the 3rd verse describe exactly what I feel the general authorites were trying to share with me during our recent general conference.

Do what the Lord asks you to do, keep the commandments, follow the path that he has laid forth and no matter how unsure the future appears you will know how the story will end. The clouds may be dark and worrisome around me but if I just have faith and hope things will become brighter until Jesus returns and brings with him a truly beautiful day.

Beautiful day of peace and rest,
bright be thy dawn from east to west.
Hail to thine earliest welcome ray,
Beautiful bright millennial day."

Today I am grateful for

the gospel of Jesus Christ to guide my life.
reminders of what I need to focus on.
all the temples throughout the world and the saving ordinances that are performed there for those who died before they were able to partake of the truth and blessings of the restored church of Jesus Christ.

Gosh! I Raised Me a Smart Boy.

Today I asked my oldest son to drive me through the drive thru at McDonald's. I wanted to purchase a gift card to include in a letter I was mailing. I looked in my wallet to see how much money I had and I came up with $15.00. That sounded like an OK amount for what I needed.
The son pulled up to the speaker and asked for a $15.00 gift card. There was a pause and then "We have $5.00, $10.00 or $25.00 gift cards." Without even hesitating my smart boy asked for one $5.00 and one $10.00 card. The employee seemed extremely surprised that he could come up with such an intellectual solution. If that isn't proof enough of his great brain he was also smart enough today to know that going to the temple is a great way to spend a day off of work. I told you, I've sure got me a smart boy.

Today I am thankful for

the peace of the temple.
a wallet with money in it.
my boys.