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

Thankful For His House...

Yesterday we had the chance to go to the Temple with two of our friends. They wanted to get a quick picture afterwards. Here is what Take 1 looked like:

Hey brother...Yes, we know we're standing in holy places, but could ya aspire a little higher and maybe catch our faces?...

 Take 2:

There we go! A shot with not just our feet, but our entire bodies in it...Success!
With our friends Becky and Shannon.

We are so thankful for the opportunity we have to spend time at the Temple. It is a true refuge from the storms of life. During a difficult time of our lives or even on just a hard day, we can enter into the walls of that sacred House of God and be gently wrapped in His love and reassured by the covenants we have made with Him.

We love what Sister Patricia Holland said, "On those days when I feel off center, out of focus, or off balance, when I feel that I don't have enough time, insight, or strength to solve my problems, I know that comfort is as close as the temple."

The Temple is truly the House of the Lord. His spirit dwells there. He longs for you to come and seek and learn and spend time with Him. Consider these reassuring words of Elder David B Haight:
"Come to the temples worthily and regularly. Not only do you bless those that are deceased, but you may freely partake of the promised personal revelation that may bless you life with power, knowledge, light, beauty, and truth from on high, which will guide you and your posterity to eternal life...You will come to know your Lord there. As your relationship with Him grows and deepens, you will grow increasingly confident in His love, in His compassion for your difficulties, in His power to bear you up and bring you back to His presence."

The Temple is such a gift from our Father in Heaven. A source of power and love and hope. And a reminder that He loves us, and wants us to be with Him...FOREVER...

~ ~ ~

"And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and that thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;" -D&C 109:22 

  ~ ~ ~

Warmth of the Son

Here it is June and we find ourselves ready to begin all things Summer. For many school is out, and the warm weather is certainly telling us that cool of Spring is gone and the warmth of Summer is here to stay! And that warmth, is something that many of us have waited for all Winter, no? During those cold, snow filled months, we longed for the warmth of the sun...

There are times in our lives that are difficult and certainly feel cold and wintery as we feel alone and long for the warmth not the sun, but rather the source of all light, the Son of God.

Don Staheli said, "What is there about a hug, about being held close to the bosom of one whose affection we crave, that means so much to us? Why is it that to be enfolded in the arms of a concerned other proffers so much comfort and sustaining warmth?

"...the loving arms of the Savior are open wide to receive us--that when no one else seems to be around, when others do not appear to understand or even pay attention to our need for a hug, He is there."

He continued, "He may send His embrace through inspiring music, a beautiful sunset, or a fragrant flower. He can manifest Himself in such ways and many, many more."

It is our prayer that we may be aware. Aware of those tender embraces He sends to us, in the form of things like music and sunsets and flowers. Also, that we may be aware of one another. Let us pray for one another. Let us look out for one another. Let us be extensions of the hands of Jesus and embrace one another. So that in the wintery months of each others lives, we may bring a little warmth to one another through kind words, a little act of service, or a simple embrace. For all of those little things are what make a big difference...

Buried Treasure...

Lori's son and his friends pulled a prank last weekend at Venice Beach, and it quickly went viral and hit all the news stations! So if you see Heartbound burying a treasure chest full of CDs...you'll know why!

But we did choose...

"There are few of us, if any, who don't walk the refiner's fire of adversity and despair, sometimes known to to others but for many quietly hidden and privately endured. Most of the heartache, pain, and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose [the same choices] again."  ~Richard C Edgley

Happy Birthday Lori!

Happy Birthday Lori! Wishing you a wonderful day...

 

Love,

Debbie and Me'Chel

Congratulations Jordan and Alisha!

Last night Debbie's son Jordan got engaged...

Congratulations Jordan and Alisha!

Happy Mother's Day!

"If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation--not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching them and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.

"You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us (see D&C 46:11-12). The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before--colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

"What you create doesn't have to be perfect...Don't let the voices of critics paralyze you--whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

"If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

-Dieter F Uchtdorf (Ensign, November 2008)-

Mayday!

Yes today is the first day of May, known as May Day. But this post is more about the phrase 'Mayday'...not so much to do with Spring festivities, but rather those times in our lives where we plead with our Father in Heaven for help. Those times we are in distress and desperately need His comfort, love, and guidance. Let us turn to the words of Elder Jeffrey R Holland:

"I ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, be filled with faith, and remember the Lord has said He "would fight [our] battles, [our] children's battles, and [the battles of our] children's children." And what do we do to merit such a defense? We are to "search diligently, pray always, and be believing[. Then] all things shall work together for [our] good, if [we] walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted. The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and remember our covenants.


I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with--here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."

Our Father in Heaven loves us more than we can begin to comprehend. And He will not leave us comfortless. He has promised us that time and time again. He will come to us. He will comfort us. He will send His spirit. He will send angels. He will use those around us. One thing is for sure, He will send comfort and aid. Hold on, help is on the way...

Sunday Thought...

"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 apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ." 

-Boyd K Packer (Ensign Nov 1995)