Election Day!

Happy Election Day, everyone! May we all get out there and use the opportunity we have be given, of letting our voices be heard. We are so blessed to live in this land, and enjoy it's freedoms!

May God bless us, this great land we live in, and the one who will be chosen to lead it...

Sunday Thought...

 Art Berg said: "If the veil could be pushed back, if the windows of Heaven could be opened to our view, we, too, would see concourses of angels, friends, and family all rushing forward to lend us aid in our times of most desperate need. In the midst of them all stands a kind, wise loving Father and a merciful and compassionate Savior, who struggle and weep with us. As we understand this, we, too, in our hour of affliction can with confidence say, "Let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but thine be done." And then the learning begins."

This life is a difficult test in which we learn and grow and become more like our Father in Heaven. Many times we will question why it must be so painful or so difficult. Sometimes we will understand the purpose, other times we will not. This in and of itself is a challenge and a test of our faith. But we must trust and know that all things with which we are afflicted really will work together for our good, if we allow it. We must offer our broken hearts to Him as well as our personal will, so that the 'learning may begin.'

Not 'til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unfold the pattern,

And explain the reason why.

The dark threads were as needful

In the skilful weaver's hand,

As the threads of Gold and Silver

In the pattern that He planned.

(Author Unknown)

November Special!...

For the month of November, we would like to offer you a little special...

Buy any cd, and receive a free copy of our Messages cd!...

There You Are, Peter!

While watching the movie "Hook" the other day, a few thoughts came to mind...

The the biggest thought, was of our tendency to forget who we really are. The movie basically centers around Peter Pan, and that as he grew older, he forgot who he really was.

So often this happens to us too. We allow others to determine what we think of ourselves. We compare ourselves to others. We take our weaknesses, and hold them up in comparison to others strengths. We forget who we really are. Our potential. Our Divine nature. Our greatness. At times we forget who and Who's we really are.

"God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn't care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely." -President Dieter F Uchtdorf

We are wonderful. We are beautiful. We are inherently good, strong, and powerful. We are His...

His love will find and remind us of who we really are. He will send others to help in this process as well. Loving family and friends often help us and lift us, when we doubt ourselves. They encourage and love us. They see the good in us and remind us of who we really are.

In 'Hook' it was a friend of Peter's named 'Pockets' that believed in him, and helped him remember who he really was. (Click the link below to see what we are talking about...)

There You Are, Peter! Scene from Hook Movie (1991) | MOVIECLIPS

We all need a 'Pockets' in our lives. And it would be a wonderful thing if we could be a bit more like 'Pockets' in encouraging, loving, and believing those around us. Remind them who they really are, of their greatness and potential. It will greatly bless our lives if we try with all we are to see each other, and ourselves, as He see us...

"...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 

1 Samuel 16:7

An Attitude of Gratitude...

Blessings...

We've all received them. Big. Small. The obvious, and the unnoticed. But constantly, daily, we are being blessed by our Father in Heaven. He is giving us those things which we stand in need of. Sure there are times that we feel far from blessed...those times of difficulty and struggle. The times when things aren't turning out just like we think they should. In those moments, we must remember that God loves us deeply and completely, and because of this He will always do what is best for us, giving us what we need, rather than what we want. Those two things, may be very different. Nevertheless, let us remember that He is blessing us. During those times that we may not feel so blessed, let us remember the words of Marion G Romney, he said "Gratitude is not a courtesy, but a commandment." When we are thankful...When our hearts are filled with gratitude...When we see the haves, rather than the have nots...That is when we are happiest. It is when we are able to feel peace. Gratitude is a vehicle that brings us closer to Him.

Then there are the times that the blessings flow so abundantly and obviously, and we are overwhelmed and humbled by what we are receiving, wondering what we ever did to deserve such goodness and grace.

Have you ever sat back and done as the hymn suggests..."Count your many blessings, name them one by one?" It is a very humbling experience. And might we say, impossible? Impossible in the fact that we could not ever count or quantify all the blessings He has given us. There are too many. They are incalculable. He blesses us daily with things big and small, the seen and the unseen. It will not be until we are Home, that we will be able to see just how much He blessed our lives...

On Friday, this was the view of the Brigham City Temple...

Seeing this magnificent sight brought to mind the words of President Hinckley, "Be grateful. Be thankful to the Almighty for His wonderful blessings upon you. You have all that this great age has to offer, and beyond that the marvelous blessings of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. How lucky can you be. Walk with appreciation and respect for the blessings of life and happiness which you enjoy."

Let us count our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for. Our Father in Heaven lives and loves us, and blesses us each day of our lives. May we do our best to always maintain 'an attitude of gratitude'...

~ ~ ~

"...render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you...

"...serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another...

"...all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper... 

"...he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted to him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?"

(Mosiah 2:20-24)

~ ~ ~

He Heals...

Recently we heard of a powerful fast and testimony that occurred in a local Singles Ward. It began as many do, brothers and sisters getting up and sharing their faith and love for the Lord and His Church. And then, a young man got up to bear his testimony...it was not like any of the others that had come before. He shared his story of living a life of gang membership, drugs, and violence. He said he had gone to prison at the age of 17, for shooting and killing a friend of his. He spent 15 years behind bars. He has only been free for three months. But that wasn't the freedom he spoke of. He spoke of the freedom that comes through Jesus. The saving and healing power, and freedom from death and sin, that comes through the Atonement.

Following this incredibly powerful testimony, not one, but two more young men got up and shared their stories, that were quite similar.

These three men shared more than the fact that they had messed up...big time...and had to pay a price. More than the fact that they were all on a difficult road to recovery...

They each shared personal experience and knowledge of the Savior and His ability to help and heal. They bore powerful testimonies of the reality of the Savior and His Atonement. They bore witness of His ability to reach us, no matter how low we have fallen or how dark of a place we are in...

Boyd K. Packer offered these powerful words: "Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and cannot fix is the very purpose of the Atonement of Christ...
"There is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ."

Read these words. Really read them. Believe them. For they are true. They are meant for you. And for me. We all need forgiveness. We all need the Atonement. We all need Jesus.

Jesus will never leave us. Never abandon us. No matter how far we estrange ourselves from Him, one thing is certain...He will never be more than an arm's length away, because that is as far as we can push Him. The very minute we turn to Him, He will be there. Ready to help, and bless, and heal.

If you have lost your way for a moment, all is not lost. You are not a lost cause. There is hope. There is help. And it comes in the form of the loving Savior and His Atonement. They way back may not be easy. But you will not travel it alone. He will be with you every step of the way, no matter how long or hard the journey. He loves you. He wants to help. Turn to Him. He will make you whole. He will make you new.

Trust Him. He is who He says He is, and He can do all for you He says He can do. He is your older brother, your Savior. And His love and power know no end...

Here is a music video to a song called "Cry Out To Jesus" by the band Third Day...

"One of the most viscous and destructive lies concocted by the father of all lies (the devil) is that there is no return from mistakes and sin. He would have us believe that there are no U-Turns allowed. This is wrong. We can turn around, change our minds, change our hearts, and come unto Christ." 

-Mary Ellen Edmunds

We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet...

We are SO blessed to have the opportunity to listen to General Conference! It is such a gift. A reminder that God lives, and loves us enough to keep a Prophet...a mouthpiece for Him...on the earth, to lead us back to Him.

The counsel we receive twice a year from the Lord's servants is a priceless gift. For they speak the things He wants and needs us to know, or to remember.

Recently a man was giving a talk in his Sacrament Meeting, and spoke of his friend Tom, from Fiji. One day he was talking to Tom and asked him why he would ever move from Fiji, as it is practically paradise! Tom's response was simple, immediate, and quite moving...He said, "I wanted to be close to the Prophet." Powerful stuff there!

Do we fully appreciate the fact that we have a living Prophet in our midst? One who continually speaks to us. Do we listen? Do we seize every opportunity to listen to his voice? Do we follow the counsel he gives?

Our thoughts turn to those early pioneers...Would we have done as they did? Would we have left behind our homes and all we held dear to follow his counsel, and him, to an unknown place? And even more humbling is to think of those Saints who came from other countries to follow! They wanted to be near him. And in faith they followed him. Knowing, that he truly was a prophet of God.

Let us be as faith filled...To be near to the prophet. Maybe not physically. But spiritually. Let us follow his counsel, for we know with surety where it will lead...Back to the loving arms of our Father and Savior.

Here is a song by The Nashville Tribute Band, that exemplifies the faith of those early pioneers...

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days..."

Education Week is here again!...

Can you believe it is Education Week time again already?! Where has the year gone? Are you ready for us, because Provo here we come!!!

Here is what our schedule looks like:

9:50-10:45 am

Tuesday: Joy and Laughter
Wednesday: A Hopeful Heart
Thursday: Healing The Soul
Friday: Hold On

11:10-12:05 pm

Wednesday: You Are Better Than You Think!
Thursday: Mission Possible. . . You Have A Mission And Purpose
Friday: "Arise And Shine Forth" (D&C 115:5)

(All of our classes will be taught in the Madsen room of the Harris Fine Arts Center)

Keep Running...

With the Olympics having been on for the last two weeks, many of us have watched and seen many incredible stories and gained inspiration from some of the athletes we have watched. Maybe the most common face of inspiration of the 2012 Summer Games was that of Oscar Pistorious. The track and field runner who just happened to be a double amputee. It was incredible to watch him run against all of those able bodied athletes. Did he medal? No. Did he set a world record? No, didn't do that either. But what he did do was heroic in its own rights...in our mind anyway...he beat the odds...he did what so many said he could not do, and that was compete in the 'regular' Olympic games, instead of the Paralymic games he normally competes in. He silenced his critics. He refused to give in to all the voices telling him he couldn't do it. He made it. He raced. And though he didn't win, he finished every race he ran. And finished well. He kindly and graciously shook the hand of each competitor and congratulated the winners. Oscar Pistorious may not have returned home to South Africa with a gold medal around his neck, but he is a true champion...

Below is a video clip that came from the 1992 Olympics. It shows the race of a man named Derek Redmond. Shortly into his race he tore his hamstring. In agony, he was determined to finish his race. His father was in the stands and was watching all of this. He couldn't take seeing his son in pain like this any longer...he pushed his way through security, rushed to his son's aid and helped him finish his race.

We know that our Father in Heaven notices us. He sees our needs. He knows of our hearts and our brokenness at times. We need not fear. He will come to us. He will send help to us, so that we too may finish our race...

"God does nothing by chance, but always by design as a loving Father...Surely such a loving Father in heaven...will not forget the needs of each of his children."

~President Spencer W Kimball~

Come, Come, Ye Saints...

There simply are not words to adequately express the feelings of love and gratitude that fill our hearts for those souls who crossed the plains. Those great souls who had the great faith to leave all they had behind, with an unwavering trust that God would see them through this unknown journey. They did not know when they set out just how difficult or long it would be. But they trusted that it was for His Church, His cause, and for that, it was worth it.

From the depths of our souls we thank them for the sacrifices they made, so that we might enjoy the Gospel the way we do today...

Come, Come, Ye Saints...

The Woman At The Well

In the Book of John, we find the story of the woman at the well. This story holds so much more than a Samaritan woman having a run in with Jesus at a well. In this story we find the love Jesus has for the single soul. The lost soul. The infinite worth He see in us, when we see ourselves as worthless.

The quick version of the story is that this Samaritan woman had gone to the well in the middle of the day to get water. Speculation says she went later on in the day to avoid the crowds and the other women. As maybe she didn't want to have to deal with their comments and their judgements? We don't know, but maybe. At the well she meets a man. A Jewish man. And he speaks to her and asks her for a drink. This boggled her mind, that this man, a Jewish man nonetheless, would speak to her. He tells her He has a way that she will never thirst again. She's all in at the thoughts of this, as she is thinking she will never have to come back to the well! After a little clarification, Jesus tells her to go get her husband. She tells Him she doesn't have one. He says, 'Yeah, I know you don't, but go get the man you are living with and bring him and your friends back. I've got some things I want to tell you.' She is so taken back by what He knows about her. She does as she is told. Returns, and is taught. And goes on to teach others.

Jesus didn't care where this woman had been. He cared where she was at, at that moment. She was at the well. And He took the time to let her know that she was worth His time. That she mattered. Surely all the things that had been said about her by the other women, had affected her. She had begun to believe them to some extent, whether they were true or not. She had tried to avoid them by going later to the well, but one way or another, it had gotten to her. She believed what was said about her. She was an outcast. And now she finds herself embraced in the concern of none other than the Savior.

Ardeth Kapp said, "...she stands as a symbol for all women and all men of all time, helping us to see that the Lord loves each of us no matter who or where we are. With all our weaknesses and imperfections, with our wrong choices and mistakes, as saints, sinners, and all in between, he will come to us with buckets of living water and bless us beyond measure."

Happy Birthday Debbie

Happy Birthday Debbie!

We hope you have a most wonderful day...

Love,
Lori and Me'Chel