Wishing you a very Happy Birthday!...
Love,
Lori and Me'Chel
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Education Week 2011!
The booklets are out, and we are so humbled and equally happy to announce that we have the opportunity to present at this year's BYU Education Week!
Our first is class is from 9:50 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Music...a Conduit From Heaven to Heart
Tuesday: Small and Simple Things--"By Small Means the Lord Can Bring About Great Things" (1 Nephi 16:29)
Wednesday: "The Lord Is My Strength and [My] Song" (Exodus 15:2)
Thursday: "In The Arms of His Love" (2 Nephi 1:15)
Friday: Tender Mercies--"Great Are Thy Tender Mercies, O Lord" (Psalms 119:156)
Our second class is from 11:10 a.m. -12:05 p.m.
Help, My Life's On Fire!--Finding Peace in an Unpeaceful World (John 14:27)
Wednesday: This is a Test, Only a Test
Thursday: Stop, Drop, and Pray
Friday: From Heartache to Peace...How Do I Get There?
(Both of our classes will be held in the Madsen of the Harris Fine Arts Center)
Education Week is a wonderful opportunity to get away from the world for a little bit and wrap yourself up in the goodness of the Gospel. There are a wide variety of classes with over 200 different presenters! Click here and it will take you to the Education Week home page where you can learn more about the program, have your questions answered, or register to attend!
We hope to see you there!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Independence Day
David O McKay said: "As precious as life itself is our heritage of individual freedom, for man's free agency is a God-given gift. In sensing our responsibility to preserve it for ourselves and our posterity, let students and patriotic people ever keep in mind the warning voice of James Russell Lowell proclaiming: "Our American republic will endure only as long as the ideas of the men who founded it continue dominant." He concluded his remarks by saying, "To live in a land in which each individual has the right to life and liberty is a glorious privilege."
We thank all of those who have served and continue to serve this great country...We offer our deepest gratitude for the service you give and the sacrifices you make that allows us to enjoy safety and freedom.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
Wishing our own fathers, husbands, sons, and son-in-laws, as well as the rest of you good fathers out there, a very Happy Father's Day!
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We can all take great comfort and confidence in the knowledge that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us unconditionally and eternally. President Hinckley said, "God is our father. We are His children. We sing, "I am a child of God." We do not think very much of what that means. It means so very much, that you and I, my dear brothers and sisters, have a divine birthright. There is something of divinity in each of us that is eternal and everlasting, and in the expression of that divinity we ought to stand tall..."
Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of our Father in Heaven. No matter where we have been, or where we may find ourselves now, whether it be on the path or far from it...don't ever forget that He has prepared a way for you to return to Him. For He wants nothing more than to hold you in His arms again. May we want nothing more than to be held in those arms...
We can all take great comfort and confidence in the knowledge that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us unconditionally and eternally. President Hinckley said, "God is our father. We are His children. We sing, "I am a child of God." We do not think very much of what that means. It means so very much, that you and I, my dear brothers and sisters, have a divine birthright. There is something of divinity in each of us that is eternal and everlasting, and in the expression of that divinity we ought to stand tall..."
Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of our Father in Heaven. No matter where we have been, or where we may find ourselves now, whether it be on the path or far from it...don't ever forget that He has prepared a way for you to return to Him. For He wants nothing more than to hold you in His arms again. May we want nothing more than to be held in those arms...
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to our mothers and daughters, and to all of you who have children, those of you who someday will, and for those who bless the lives of children through your example and love...
We share the following humorous quote from Sister Marjorie Hinckley with you, as we are sure that many will be able to relate...
"The rewards of mothering are not immediate. There are times when you are less than appreciated. I took from the oven one day what I thought was a beautiful casserole, only to have my six-year-old son say, "Mom, how come you baked the garbage?"
Motherhood is a difficult job, but it's blessings are priceless. Elder Jeffrey R Holland so beautifully spoke of the joys, challenges, and promises of motherhood:
"...it is clear that some...Rhode Island–sized shadows come not just from diapers and carpooling but from at least a few sleepless nights spent searching the soul, seeking earnestly for the capacity to raise these children to be what God wants them to be. Moved by that kind of devotion and determination, may I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will go to the temple to both make and claim the promises of the most sacred covenants a woman or man can make in this world; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do.
"Sometimes the decision of a child or a grandchild will break your heart. Sometimes expectations won’t immediately be met. Every mother and father worries about that. Even that beloved and wonderfully successful parent President Joseph F. Smith pled, “Oh! God, let me not lose my own.” That is every parent’s cry, and in it is something of every parent’s fear. But no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears."
He concludes by saying, "Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And it will make your children whole as well."
May our Heavenly Father bless each of us as we strive to be the best mothers, grandmothers, and women of influence, we can be.
We share the following humorous quote from Sister Marjorie Hinckley with you, as we are sure that many will be able to relate...
"The rewards of mothering are not immediate. There are times when you are less than appreciated. I took from the oven one day what I thought was a beautiful casserole, only to have my six-year-old son say, "Mom, how come you baked the garbage?"
Motherhood is a difficult job, but it's blessings are priceless. Elder Jeffrey R Holland so beautifully spoke of the joys, challenges, and promises of motherhood:
"...it is clear that some...Rhode Island–sized shadows come not just from diapers and carpooling but from at least a few sleepless nights spent searching the soul, seeking earnestly for the capacity to raise these children to be what God wants them to be. Moved by that kind of devotion and determination, may I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will go to the temple to both make and claim the promises of the most sacred covenants a woman or man can make in this world; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do.
"Sometimes the decision of a child or a grandchild will break your heart. Sometimes expectations won’t immediately be met. Every mother and father worries about that. Even that beloved and wonderfully successful parent President Joseph F. Smith pled, “Oh! God, let me not lose my own.” That is every parent’s cry, and in it is something of every parent’s fear. But no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears."
He concludes by saying, "Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And it will make your children whole as well."
May our Heavenly Father bless each of us as we strive to be the best mothers, grandmothers, and women of influence, we can be.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
We Are America
Once again our country has been unified. Together we unite and say that we are proud to be Americans and thankful to be living in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and offer deep heartfelt gratitude to those who sacrifice to maintain that liberty.
We offer this song and video to you, and desire to stand with you and proudly say "We Are America!"
We offer this song and video to you, and desire to stand with you and proudly say "We Are America!"
May God bless America today and always...
Sunday, April 24, 2011
He Is Risen!
What a beautiful thing Easter is, a celebration of Jesus and His glorious Resurrection. Oh what hope this gives us! It is proof that this life is not the end. It is proof that we too shall live again after we die. It is a deep source of comfort that when death separates us and our loved ones, that we shall see them again.
Here are these beautiful words from David O McKay:
"At some time or other every human being faces that which we call death. When i was but a boy, I sensed this deeply in the cry of a mother who sat by the side of the casket that contained her little boy. Several of us boys had been playing with firecrackers on Twenty-eighth street in Ogden. We did not know then that one of our playmates had powder in his pocket...Unfortunately, in a moment of thoughtlessness, this young boy broke what we called a "lighter," and while it still had sparks in it, he put it in his pocket where the powder lay, and an explosion occurred. His clothes were set on fire, which we, his associates, tried to extinguish as best we could; but he was very severely and fatally burned.
"Two or three days later his playmates sat in the funeral services. I chanced to be near enough to the mother to hear President Charles F. Middleton say: "Don't cry, Ann! Don't cry! You'll meet your boy again." And then...a cry came from that mother's soul in these words: "Oh, if I only knew!" That is all. I did not know its significance then. I could just respond to the cry. But since, I have read in that cry the answer to the longing of the human heart.
"No parent can lay aside a child without longing, without wishing, that the child might come again, or that the parent might speak with the child again...No husband can kneel at the side of a departed wife; o wife can kneel at the side of a departed husband; no child can part with a loving parent without being filled with an ardent desire to meet that loved one again somewhere in a better world where the pangs of parting are unknown...
"Living in posterity is not immortality...; living in deeds, living in writings, living in monuments, living in the memory of friends is not immortality; neither is living in the lives of our children and our grandchildren to the latest generation...the immortality that Jesus had in mind when he said: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:26.)...
"To sincere believers in Christianity, to all who accept Christ as their Savior, his resurrection is not a symbolism but a reality.
"As Christ lived after death, so shall all men, each taking his place in the next world for which he has best fitted himself...
"He is not here: but is risen." (Luke 24:6.) Because our Redeemer lives, so shall we."
We too testify that He lives. He lived and He died for us. He paid the ultimate price to free us from the bonds of sin and death, so that we could become clean and live with He and Father for eternity.
Let us follow Him each day of our lives, and find comfort in His sacrifice and promise that we all may live together forever someday, never to be parted again...
Here are these beautiful words from David O McKay:
"At some time or other every human being faces that which we call death. When i was but a boy, I sensed this deeply in the cry of a mother who sat by the side of the casket that contained her little boy. Several of us boys had been playing with firecrackers on Twenty-eighth street in Ogden. We did not know then that one of our playmates had powder in his pocket...Unfortunately, in a moment of thoughtlessness, this young boy broke what we called a "lighter," and while it still had sparks in it, he put it in his pocket where the powder lay, and an explosion occurred. His clothes were set on fire, which we, his associates, tried to extinguish as best we could; but he was very severely and fatally burned.
"Two or three days later his playmates sat in the funeral services. I chanced to be near enough to the mother to hear President Charles F. Middleton say: "Don't cry, Ann! Don't cry! You'll meet your boy again." And then...a cry came from that mother's soul in these words: "Oh, if I only knew!" That is all. I did not know its significance then. I could just respond to the cry. But since, I have read in that cry the answer to the longing of the human heart.
"No parent can lay aside a child without longing, without wishing, that the child might come again, or that the parent might speak with the child again...No husband can kneel at the side of a departed wife; o wife can kneel at the side of a departed husband; no child can part with a loving parent without being filled with an ardent desire to meet that loved one again somewhere in a better world where the pangs of parting are unknown...
"Living in posterity is not immortality...; living in deeds, living in writings, living in monuments, living in the memory of friends is not immortality; neither is living in the lives of our children and our grandchildren to the latest generation...the immortality that Jesus had in mind when he said: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:26.)...
"To sincere believers in Christianity, to all who accept Christ as their Savior, his resurrection is not a symbolism but a reality.
"As Christ lived after death, so shall all men, each taking his place in the next world for which he has best fitted himself...
"He is not here: but is risen." (Luke 24:6.) Because our Redeemer lives, so shall we."
We too testify that He lives. He lived and He died for us. He paid the ultimate price to free us from the bonds of sin and death, so that we could become clean and live with He and Father for eternity.
Let us follow Him each day of our lives, and find comfort in His sacrifice and promise that we all may live together forever someday, never to be parted again...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
General Conference
It is Conference weekend! What a wonderful opportunity we have to listen to the inspired words of those called to lead this Church. It is a perfect time for us to receive answers and guidance.
Consider these words of Wendy Watson Nelson as she spoke of a time in her mid-twenties when she was pondering the question of whether or not to marry the man she was engaged to:
"In preparation for April general conference, which was just two weeks away, my Bishop taught me a truth I had never known before. Although I hadn't spoken to him about my engagement or my concerns, when my Bishop offered this truth over the pulpit, he was speaking to me. He didn't use my name-but I knew-he was talking directly to me. He even let others listen in. But clearly, he was speaking to me.
"Here's the truth my Bishop spoke: "If you have a question that you need answered, if you will prayerfully and humbly listen to general conference, you will get it answered every time. Perhaps at the time, perhaps over time, but you WILL get your question answered every time!""
It is our prayer that each of you may feel the Spirit of the Lord as you watch and listen to Conference this weekend, and that you may receive the answers, comfort, and guidance you are in need of.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Til We Meet Again...
Today the world lost one of it's very best,
while Heaven gained an angel...
Our dear friend Selma Smith, passed away this morning due to complications from surgery that resulted in liver failure.
Selma was an amazing lady. She treated us like queens and made us always want to be better.
We will miss so many things about her... Her beautiful smile, her strong testimony of Jesus Christ, her amazing talent when it came to sewing and crocheting, and her unwavering love for her family. Selma made this world a better place and her memory and legacy will live on!
Here is a photo that was taken just 5 short days ago while we were visiting with her in the hospital. If you notice, Debbie is holding the phone up to Selma's ear as Me'Chel was on the other end singing.
Thank you Selma, for blessing our lives! We love you!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
At The End Of The Rainbow...
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! On this day, everyone wears their green and there is much talk of luck and leprechauns and pots of gold and treasure at the end of rainbows...
Here is a picture taken just last week. A beautiful full rainbow that filled the sky...
Now we know that rainbows are a symbol of God's promise to Noah (Genesis 9:9-17). What a beautiful reminder they can be to us as well, that our loving Father in Heaven keeps His promises. If He says it, it shall be. He has promised us that ALL things (every trial, every affliction, every difficulty, every painful challenge and loss...) will work together for our good. Consider what President George Q Cannon had to say:
"No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is [against] His character [to do so.] He is an unchangeable being...He will stand by us. We may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed not overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and the purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments."
What comfort is found in these inspired words!
Every rainbow comes after the rain. And so it is with us...the rains of 'adversity' will come throughout our lives. But let us look for the 'rainbows', the gentle reminders that our Father in Heaven loves us more than words can say, that He is with us and always will be, and that all of these things will really work together for our good.
Doctrine & Covenants 58: 3-4 "Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. "For after much tribulation cometh the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand."
As the oft quoted saying goes, 'He never said it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it.' Our Heavenly Father has promised us blessings and rewards beyond our comprehension if we will but love Him and endure to the end. So on those days that feel so difficult and overwhelming, think of the rainbow and remember His promises...
Here is a picture taken just last week. A beautiful full rainbow that filled the sky...
Now we know that rainbows are a symbol of God's promise to Noah (Genesis 9:9-17). What a beautiful reminder they can be to us as well, that our loving Father in Heaven keeps His promises. If He says it, it shall be. He has promised us that ALL things (every trial, every affliction, every difficulty, every painful challenge and loss...) will work together for our good. Consider what President George Q Cannon had to say:"No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is [against] His character [to do so.] He is an unchangeable being...He will stand by us. We may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed not overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and the purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments."
What comfort is found in these inspired words!
Every rainbow comes after the rain. And so it is with us...the rains of 'adversity' will come throughout our lives. But let us look for the 'rainbows', the gentle reminders that our Father in Heaven loves us more than words can say, that He is with us and always will be, and that all of these things will really work together for our good.
Doctrine & Covenants 58: 3-4 "Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. "For after much tribulation cometh the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand."
As the oft quoted saying goes, 'He never said it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it.' Our Heavenly Father has promised us blessings and rewards beyond our comprehension if we will but love Him and endure to the end. So on those days that feel so difficult and overwhelming, think of the rainbow and remember His promises...
Friday, March 11, 2011
Our New Friends...
Last night we had the wonderful privilege of doing a program for the Special Needs Young Women. Here are some pictures from the evening...
Consider these words by President Faust:
"Is it not possible to look beyond the canes, the wheelchairs, the braces, and the crutches into the hearts of the people who have need of these aids? They are human beings and want only to be treated as ordinary people. They may appear differently, move awkwardly, and speak haltingly, but they have the same feelings. They laugh, they cry, they know discouragement and hope. They do not want to be shunned. They want to be loved for what they are inside...
"Those who are close to the handicapped can frequently feel the nobility of the spirits who are confined in differently shaped bodies or who have crippled minds."
What an honor it was to spend the night with these amazing young women. We most certainly did feel of the 'great nobility of their spirits' that President Faust spoke of, and were quite moved by it. Our hearts were deeply touched with the pure joy and love they shared with us.
With their help, we've never sounded better!...
Here we are with our new friends...
Consider these words by President Faust:
"Is it not possible to look beyond the canes, the wheelchairs, the braces, and the crutches into the hearts of the people who have need of these aids? They are human beings and want only to be treated as ordinary people. They may appear differently, move awkwardly, and speak haltingly, but they have the same feelings. They laugh, they cry, they know discouragement and hope. They do not want to be shunned. They want to be loved for what they are inside...
"Those who are close to the handicapped can frequently feel the nobility of the spirits who are confined in differently shaped bodies or who have crippled minds."
What an honor it was to spend the night with these amazing young women. We most certainly did feel of the 'great nobility of their spirits' that President Faust spoke of, and were quite moved by it. Our hearts were deeply touched with the pure joy and love they shared with us.
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