A painting of Jesus Christ by Heinrich Hoffman

Thomas Monson first had a print of this painting in his bishop's office and later he took it with him to Canada, when he served as a mission president.  He had the same print in his office when he was called as an Apostle, then moved it from place to place until, finally, it hung in his office when he was President of the Church. 

"Look at the kindness in those eyes.  Look at the warmth of expression.  When facing difficult situations, I often look at it and ask myself, 'What would He do?' Then I have tried to respond accordingly. I feel strength in having it near me."

"I have tried to pattern my life after the Master. Whenever I have had to measure the request to give a blessing against the endless demands of some of my paperwork, I have always looked at that picture and asked myself, 'What would He do?' I can assure you the choice has never been to stay and do paperwork."

(Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, pgs. 45, 46)

 

 

Great thoughts from Dallas Jenkins (Creator and Director of "The Chosen") at BYU yesterday:

Your job is not to feed the five thousand, it is only to provide the loaves and fish.  Whether in failure or success, the message is that same. 
He does ask that of us--to bring our loaves and fishes.  

He could have just waved his hand and the loaves and fish could have appeared out of nothing, but He does demand for us to participate.  

Do the thing we can do, and then He does the thing only He can do--the miracle part. 

He does involve us in the process.  Isn't that so gracious of Him? 

He does ask us to participate.  

Whether in failure of success, five loaves and two fish, when you hand that to Him and He deems it worthy of acceptance, the transaction is over. 

It's the five and two principle--you bring what you have, you give it to God, and let go. 

I implore you starting now, get to this place, this super power that comes when you give it up to God. 

It is not your job to feed the five thousand, it is only your job to bring the loaves and fish.

I didn't know that I would feel such emotion in the courtroom on Monday. I wept for Mozzy's biological parents because I know they love their son and they tried to pull things together so that they could have him back. I wept as I heard the case worker describe how Mozzy is thriving in the Young's home and how it is in his best interest to be adopted. It was touching and meaningful to hear Devin and Marie express their feelings towards Mozzy when asked by the attorney to share. What an emotional journey this has been! 

After leaving the courthouse, Mozzy said in the car to his family, 

"I'm not a foster kid now. I'm just a regular kid."

We love and adore him!

 

 Three people I want to remember.

A.: I was asked to visit you because it was difficult for you to leave your room because of the machines you were hooked up to. You had such a bright mind! You engaged immediately in conversation and told me about your family and career. I noticed your positive outlook on life, and I was impressed. Of most interest to me was the fact that you were studying the nature of God, and you wanted to talk about what you were learning. I too have been studying about God and I promised to bring in my notes so that we could continue our discussion. We were interrupted by an aide who took your order for lunch. I remember you ordered cherry pie with ice cream and you had a smile on your face thinking about it.
Sadly you passed away a few hours later and we never were able to continue our discussion. Still, you lifted me. I remember you and what I learned from you.

Ge. was a ray of sunshine! She knew the people who lived by her and she cared about them. She also paid attention to the upcoming activities at the center and supported them. She not only attended the activities and made them fun, but she brought others along with her. I noticed how she found the good in family members as well as staff members.  I learned from Ge. how to be a lifter, even at her age! It was an honor to know her!

Ga. was stricken with a series of strokes which left her unable to communicate clearly, but I sensed her mind was still intact and I talked with her as if she completely understood me. Her smile melted my heart and I also loved her laugh. Ga. was a nurturing soul, often carrying around a babydoll or stuffed animal. She tenderly rocked the baby and sang to it. How I wished I could have known you in previous years. It was an honor to walk with you, talk with you, and sing with you. I miss you!

 

I read a quote from Jenny Doan's book How to Stitch an American Dream that ties quilts and family history together beautifully:

"What I realize now is the pieces of all of our lives are being stitched together.  The fabric stretches all the way back to our mothers and fathers, and grandmothers and grandfathers.  So many of the little pieces of our past are part of the beautiful quilt that tells our story. While many of our stories are fraught with heartache and hardship, what I’ve learned is that they are also filled with the batting of blessings—bound with dedication, hard work, faith, and, above all else, love for one another. And sometimes, even when we’re not aware of it, it’s all of that love and dedication that gets passed down to the generations that come after us." 

Last week our son and son-in-law participated in a 55k mountain trail run. I was at the finish line when they came down the last mountain trail, and I cheered for them, as well as for every runner that finished.  I cannot imagine the physical and mental effort a race of that length requires. They have been training for months yet still they suffered. I was inspired by their determination. We talked after the race of the lessons learned and life applications.

Here is a section of our backyard fence that has had stain/sealant applied in the last week:

And here is a section of the fence that is sanded and ready for a coat of stain/sealant.

Big difference, right? This project has taken hours and I can't wait for it to be finished!

 

This is an excellent book. Each chapter is written by a different gospel scholar.  The premise of the book is that the editor wanted to have deep discussions with her children about subjects that come up in the church that often create division or questions, so she asked these gospel scholars to opine and explain on each subject. I learned something from each chapter. Here is a sampling:

If the twenty-three-year-old Prophet had engaged in any kind of mind control with the witnesses—each of whom was a rational, sensible individual—any one of them could have recognized what took place; and when questioned about their experience, these men likely would have mentioned that Joseph Smith employed some type of manipulation, especially those who later became disillusioned with Mormonism (pg. 54). However, in spite of the personal objections they may have had toward Joseph Smith or the Church following their separation from religious charlatan or deceiver, nor did they recant or revoke their testimony regarding the Book of Mormon or declare the sacred record to be a sham (pg. 55).
(Chapter 5: The Testimony of the Book of Mormon Witnesses by Alexander L. Baugh)

The Church does not practice equality in the same way schools, workplaces, and government organizations do. In the Lord’s kingdom, scriptures and Apostles teach that all factors do not need to be the same in order for two things, or two people, to be considered of equal worth or value in the Lord’s eyes (pg. 195).
(Chapter 15: Latter-day Saint Women in the Twenty-first Century by Neylan McBaine)

So while the earth and the universe are indeed magnificent beyond description, let’s not think that we can prove God with technical reasoning. Faith is still necessary (pg. 235).
(Chapter 17: Science and Religion: Friends or Foes? By David Bailey)

This week I went on a hike for a couple of hours and it was the most peaceful, gorgeous morning!  Here are a few pictures from the hike.

I thought about this comic, but this was not the case! I let everything go and enjoyed the beautiful scenery:)

 

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
By Jen Hatmaker

Ms. Hatmaker decides to go without something each month for seven months in order to rid herself of unnecessary baggage in life and to come closer to Christ. What an interesting endeavor! A few grand quotes from the book:

Hospitality: There is something so nourishing about sharing your living space with people where they see your junk mail pile and pee wee football schedule on the fridge and pile of shoes by the front door. Opening your home says, “You are welcome into my real life.” This square footage is where we laugh and hold family meetings and make homemade corn dogs and work through meltdowns.  Here is the railing our kids pulled out of the wall. These are the pictures we frame, the books we’re reading, the projects we’re undertaking—the raw material of our family.  It’s unsanitized and truthful. We invite you into this intimate place, saturated with our family character (pg. 176).

Prayer: What happens in the spiritual realm when we pray? It’s such a mystery.  What words prompt the Spirit to move? What goodness do we join Him on when we pray for peace? How powerful are our prayer words? They are a catalyst for miracles, the impetus for healing. Does God wait for us to pray in His will, primed to move for righteousness? How many relationships is He waiting to mend? How much turmoil is He poised to soothe? How much peace is He ready to administer? Are we withholding the necessary words to trigger God’s intervention? (pg. 196)

Materialism: What I know now is this: less.  I don’t need to have the most, be the best, or reach the top.  It is okay to pursue a life marked by obscurity and simplicity.  It doesn’t matter what I own or how I’m perceived (pg. 109).