The Land of Promise

 

A couple of weeks ago, while perusing various articles, I ran across one with a seemingly straight forward catch phrase, “Israel is the only country in the world that was founded with a specific purpose.”  While the statement might be considered accurate by a good percentage of the world’s inhabitants, the statement wasn’t exactly true. I left a comment explaining why Israel isn’t the only country in the world founded with a specific purpose; however, not one individual bothered to challenge my comment or acknowledge that the comment had even been made.

Not taking anything away from Israel being one of God’s promised lands to those who serve him; there is another promised land dedicated to those who acknowledge God and serve Him.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:80 reads, “And for this purpose have I (the Lord) established the Constitution of this land (the United States of America), by the hands of wise men (Founding Fathers) whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.”  (Emphasis added)

In the October of 1975 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Marion G. Romney, then Second Counselor in First Presidency, gave a talk entitled, America’s Destiny.  In that talk, scriptural references were made regarding the purpose of this particular nation.

“Millennia ago, he declared: “There shall none come into this land [he was speaking of America] save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

“…this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring,  And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them.” (2 Ne. 1:6-7)

Elder Romney continued after explaining the tragic demise of those who perished in battle near the Hill Cumorah, located in the State of New York, around the year 421AD.  Moroni, being the last of his people, hid sacred records at that location, sacred records that would later become what we enjoy as, The Book of Mormon.

“And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land,” wrote the ancient prophet-historian, “that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.”

“For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God.” (Ether 2:7-10)

It’s wonderful to read about the promises and blessings of protection from God covenanted to the inhabitants of this nation we call the United States of America as long as we acknowledge the Lord and His commandments in our lives by following those commandments.  But it should come as a sobering realization that through tolerance and acceptance of abominations which are commonplace in our society, it could easily be concluded that we have “ripened in iniquity” and that “God’s wrath shall come upon”… us.

May we learn from the history of the inhabitants of Israel, that when God’s people rebel against Him, those who survive the invasions from their enemies often are enslaved and carried away to distant lands until such time as they are humbled and once again serve the Lord.

Fibber McGee’s Freezer

 

The younger generation might not have a clue as to the reference made in the title.  There was an old radio show from back in my childhood that we’d listen to, Fibber McGee and Molly. Getting to hear these radio shows gave me a glimpse of how my folks grew up.

This was the tail end of a long running radio gig from the vaudevillian age that ran from the 1930s on through when I was growing up in the late-1950s.   One of the featured events during the show was the sound of objects, many objects falling to the floor when Fibber McGee would open the closet.  That closet stored all manner of items stuffed in helter-skelter, stacked precariously on each other and yet balanced to precision temporarily.

Opening the closet door to remove even one item would upset the delicate balance and there would follow a horrific avalanche, at least that’s what we would hear as the radio created the scene for listeners. Radio shows, much like books, permitted the listener to imagine what was being presented for their entertainment. Television has robbed us of our imagination to some degree as special effects professionals apply their skills in such a way as to leave no doubt as to what mayhem has taken place.

This morning while catching up on social media, comfortably positioned with my bed pillow tucked behind my neck, there came a thundering sound from the other side of the house.  Heavy items were striking the floor in random commotion while muffled words of displeasure followed.

“Are you alright, Dear?”  I asked as best I could, being a naturally sarcastic husband.

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine.” This was followed by a few more thuds as items reached the floor.

I cautiously left the comfort of our bedroom and ventured toward the kitchen area.  Lucy had frozen salmon, frozen hot dogs, frozen steaks, frozen butter, and I’m not sure what that other frozen item was scattered on the floor in front of the freezer.

“I had to get the ribs out for when the Sister Missionaries were coming over for dinner this evening.”  Lucy was attempting to place each item back onto one of the shelves in the freezer; but the perfect fit, based on how each became a frozen mass when placed into the freezer, that perfect fit no longer existed. Lucy would place several items onto the shelf only to have the first items slide out and fall to the floor.

I’ve distanced myself from the kitchen area; hiding out in the office where I can document today’s efforts. Occasionally I’ll ask, “Are you okay, Dear?”, quietly and without too much sarcasm just to let her know I love her.

Old Man Outfit

 

We were at Arby’s taking advantage of their ‘5 for $5 Original Roast Beef Sandwich’ special.  This was only available via their App which required the purchase be made with a credit card.  Normally I like to pay cash for simple take-out meals; but considering their walk in special for the same Original Roast Beef Sandwich was 2 for $6, then I’m glad I didn’t need to take a remedial math course to make my decision.

Lucy had the Arby’s App on her phone and was busy making the transaction happen while I stood at the front counter watching them prepare the order.  The young man was doing his best to be polite as he expressed his observation of my clothing.

“Nice outfit, Man; looks like something an old man would wear.”  We were on our way home from serving at the Houston Temple.  I’d taken off my sport jacket and tie which meant I had on a pair of slacks held up by a pair of matching dark suspenders and a long white sleeve shirt.  I think he meant to infer that my appearance reminded him of something from an antique poster; but that’s just a guess.

“Well, that’s good because I’m an old man.”  I smiled back as I let out a slight laugh.  I’m sure his manager was holding her breath hoping I didn’t get upset with such a remark. 

Art Linkletter had an entertaining program way back in the infancy of television, “Kids Say the Darndest Things” was the name of the show.  I think this young man’s remark would have qualified.

Our Suspension Bridge

 

During the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2024 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk entitled, Bridging the Two Great Commandments.  He was referring to how Jesus responded to a trap set as he answered a question designed to make him stumble.  What is the greatest commandment?  To which Jesus responded, “To Love God with all thy heart, mind and spirit.”  Then he added, “…and the Second is like unto it. Thy shall love thy neighbor as thy self.”

Elder Stevenson then expressed his observation, “Jesus’ two great commandments, to “love the Lord” and “love your neighbor,” are like the two towers — or “engineering genius” — of a bridge.”  He went on to display images of suspension bridges, pointing out the massive towers as marvelous examples of the need to be secure in your footing on both ends to support the roadway.

We’d purchased our property with a ‘shell house’ already built; but prior to installing sheet rock on the ceilings, we noticed the rafters showed signs of sagging.  A friend of ours did an inspection to see if the house had been properly structured.  He advised adding a support beam to solve the issue of sagging rafters.  That support beam would have been expensive, so I held off on that item.

I came up with a novel solution, install a suspension bridge in the attic, one with support ties going down to each of the rafters.  I’ve since learned that what we constructed is actually a cantilever bridge, not a suspension bridge; but I never claimed to be an engineer.

By using a jack and a two by four, each rafter was lifted to the exact height while a two by four support was attached to the rafter and the bridge to hold it at that height.  We already had the lumber and a skilled carpenter to carry out the idea.  The bridge was firmly anchored on each side to prevent the bridge from expanding as the weight of the ceiling pulled down on it.

I had Bowen Nell, my neighbor’s son, go into the attic to take pictures of the bridge.  I probably should have taken these photographs back when the bridge was newly completed.  I’d saved a bunch of money by being creative; but didn’t consider the oddity of having a cantilever bridge in the attic holding up the den ceiling.  It would have been much easier and been able to get a better idea of how it actually looks, but since installing the bridge we’ve added an air conditioning unit, heater and all the air ducts in the attic. 

 

 

Going Towards a Cashless Society

 

The elite, the masters of the world, have a plan which includes controlling the lives of every individual and business on this planet.  The key word is Control if you hadn’t figured that out.  They’ve declared, by virtue of their extraordinary economic powers, that it’s necessary to make all our decisions for us to ensure the planet is run properly, or at least according to their whims and wishes.

(Image courtesy of Ramsey Solutions)

At the risk of relying on religious tradition, I’ll compare the elitist’s totalitarian solution with a scriptural situation.  To bypass individuals making poor choices, Satan proposed his plan during the great council in Heaven, a plan which was in conflict with God’s  Plan of Salvation .  In God’s plan, He gave every individual his or her agency as a means of testing their resolve to obey His commandments; but Satan had other plans.

Regarding the term Agency, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared the following during his General Conference talk in October of 2010:                                               

 “…Of the 10 definitions and usages of the word agency, none expressed the idea of making choices to act. We teach that agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and “to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.”1 Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan of salvation. With it we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.”

Satan wanted to make sure not one soul would be lost, that every individual would, after having experienced an adulterated version of mortality, one without the ability to make good or bad choices, after obtaining a body in mortality; they would all return to be with God. They’d never have a chance to do anything stupid; but they would never learn lessons needed to progress through eternity.  And all it would cost mankind is their agency, a gift from God.  Instead of giving the glory to God, whose desire was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, Satan wanted to keep that glory.

Isn’t that too familiar sounding when you compare the plans coming from the elite, the folks running the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, those who with the leverage of the world’s economy are telling nations to obey or be denied banking privileges?  Nations are no longer sovereign, in other words, they have given up their ability to determine and implement the will of the people and be accountable to those people.

We’ve been told to prepare for major changes in how money is used.  The Dollar has outlived it usefulness we’ve been told.  If we go on the World Economic Forum’s mandate, then all currency has outlived its usefulness. Folks have far too much flexibility when it comes to purchasing items, especially items which the elite have reserved for themselves, or which might not be appropriate for use by the lower class of individuals living from paycheck to paycheck.  

You must stop eating real beef, use some manmade lookalike replacement or ground up bugs; real beef is reserved for the elite segment of society.  Better yet just die of starvation and help the planet achieve sustainability.

The age of digital money, or whatever they plan to call it, is almost upon us.  To prepare us for the shift in thinking many companies have already stopped accepting cash as payment for normal transactions, being pressured by the banking industry, a process called “redlining”, to comply or having their accounts closed.

The banking industry, at the behest of the United States Department of Justice, pressured businesses tied to the firearms industry, gun manufacturers, ammunition manufacturers and sporting goods outlets into compliance with the desires of the anti-gun crowd.  They called it  Operation Choke Point .  It didn’t matter that this sort of “redlining” was determined to be unconstitutional since it deprived lawfully operating businesses equal banking services.

This same basic method of getting rid of businesses, ones the elite have determined are undesirable, that same method is being applied to the coal, oil, and gas industries.  According to an  article in The Hill ,

“Banks are creating a new version of redlining, this time against legal industries, for political and ideological reasons and blaming it on vague risks to the banks’ reputations.”

Businesses which violate the catechisms of Climate Change religion can expect to be targeted.  The elite don’t care that the scare tactics of their Climate Change religion are built on lies and deception; they have enough scientists on the payroll who’ve publicly placed a stamp of approval on the propaganda being put forth as if it were scientific data.

I used the term catechism a moment ago; if the shoe fits…  There’s a new litmus test being applied to banking practices, not much different than the unconstitutional use of Operation Choke Point; but goes even deeper.  The term being applied now is Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) and it’s defined by Wikipedia:

“Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), is a set of considerations, including environmental issues, social issues and corporate governance that can be considered in investing.  Investing with ESG considerations is sometimes referred to as responsible investing or, in more proactive cases, impact investing.”

Large successful businesses are in essence being told, “Get with the program or good luck finding a banker to support you because your ESG score isn’t high enough. 

Now apply the acceptable environmental and social governance (morality) codes against individuals who have expressed doubts as to their conversion to the catechisms of Climate Change. 

Do you still drive a vehicle dependent on gasoline or diesel?  Do you believe citizens have an inalienable right to own and carry a firearm?  Do you think citizens should be permitted to grow their own vegetable gardens or even own private property?   Will the banking industry be pressured to limit the use of digital currency assigned to undesirable individuals, those who don’t agree with the powers that be?  Before you respond, this is already being done in Europe and China.

There’s a conscious effort to have folks believe the notion that only individuals or businesses operating outside the law use cash because cash makes it possible to avoid detection for their criminal acts and to avoid paying taxes.  Criminals like waiters and waitresses pocketing tips, the fellow who mows the yard and pulls weeds from the flower bed, and the worst of these criminals takes money from the Tooth Fairy and places those coins in a piggy bank.

So, what is a cashless society?  The answer given by Ramsey Solutions :

“A cashless society is one where all physical money (cash and coins) is totally replaced by a digital currency. In a cashless society, you can’t spend or save paper dollars, because they aren’t accepted as payment. And the money in your bank account only exists in digital form—no driving through an ATM to withdraw a fresh stack of Andrew Jacksons.”

Checks are not acceptable either since folks have been trying to write them for debts incurred without having sufficient funds to cover the check.  The solution, according to the elite, makes everyone use a credit or debit card that is instantaneously verifiable.  At first glance such a system doesn’t seem like a terrible idea.

Freeing up businesses from having to count money or worry about bad checks, no more worrying about being robbed since there won’t be anything to rob; Wow, all our worries are gone.

Our medical provider, Kelsey-Seybold, recently notified us that as of April 1, 2024, they no longer would accept cash or personal checks at their clinics.  In the back of my mind the question popped up, “Is this the result of being pressured by the banking industry as a step towards the eventual use of digital currency?  Or is this something they came up with to streamline the operations within their business? Maybe this is simply an April Fools prank, sorry, it’s not.

The cashless society that’s being foisted on us looks more and more like Satan’s doing with each passing day.

 

Being Converted

 

I’ve a healthy respect for the efforts of our Full-time Missionaries as they go about finding and teaching the principles of the gospel to individuals who are unfamiliar with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But what about those who, for one reason or another, have joined the Church and no longer feel a desire to be among us?

 

While going over the membership list of the Madisonville Branch, those individuals I’ve never met, who’ve, for one reason or another have chosen not to meet with us, the thought occurred to me, could it be they are not truly converted yet?  What more could we be doing to invite these individuals, to impress upon them the importance of the covenant they entered into when they were baptized?

 

Then a more sobering idea occurred to me.  A similar thought was expressed by the disciples during the Last Supper upon learning one of them would betray the Lord. 

 

“Is it I?”  Am I the individual who has yet to be converted, to achieve the level of discipleship the Lord would have me attain?

 

Have I been sharing the gospel with friends or even strangers, asking them if they were familiar with our beliefs.  Beyond that, are my actions in accordance with my beliefs, enough so that others would recognize me as a follower of Christ?

 

I heard Henry B. Eyring cautioning those listening, not sure if it was during General Conference or elsewhere.  This was some while back, so this is from memory:

 

“There is a danger in saying, I’ll do it Someday.  I’ll read my scriptures more, someday, I’ll pay a full tithing, someday.  I’ll attend the temple, someday.  I’ll develop a better relationship with the Lord, someday. 

 

Then when all those somedays become lost, you’ll weep, and the Lord will weep for the lost opportunities of someday”.  (paraphrased)

 

Isn’t this the same as saying, I’ll strive to be more like the Savior, someday?  Someday I’ll be truly converted to His ways.

 

The following quote was by Richard C. Edgley, Presiding Bishop of the Church.

“The strength of the Church is in the millions of humble members striving every day to do the will of the Savior—day by day, one step at a time. These humble members come from all nationalities, all social strata, and every economic background. They include those of the highest educational backgrounds as well as those of the humblest who live in the smallest hamlets in the most remote areas of the world—all having hearts throbbing with a vital testimony of Jesus Christ and a desire to serve the Lord.

As I have pondered these faithful members, I am struck by two qualities they all seem to have. First, regardless of social or economic status or position, their humility leads to submissiveness to the Lord’s will. And second, in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, they are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness. Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.”

 

There are all sorts of wise sayings posted on social media, items which can be applied to our lives as we strive to improve.  This one fits the criteria:  

 

“If we are not careful, we will begin to chase after the temporal more than the spiritual.  Our pursuit of the spiritual and eternal will then take a backseat.”  Michael John U. The, a member of the Quorum of the Seveny

 

The Lord reminded Peter of this important aspect of discipleship.

 

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”  John 21:15

 

In a talk, The Great Commandment, given during the October 2007 General Conference by Joseph Wirthlin he asked:

 

“Do you love the Lord?

Spend time with Him. Meditate on His words. Take His yoke upon you. Seek to understand and obey, because “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”  When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.”

 

Elder Wirthlin could easily have asked, “Have you been converted to the Lord?”

 

President Russell M. Nelson in the April General Conference back in 2017 stated:

 

 “When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with that same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.  When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. 

 

When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”.

 

Think about that statement, ponder on how it applies to each of us.  Does this kind of spiritual expansion occur all at once; say for example, when we decide to accept the gospel in our lives and be baptized?  Or… does it happen when we have our Endowments bestowed upon us at the temple?  To some degree, yes; but as the disciple Simon Peter was reminded, having given his life over to the bidding of our Lord, his conversion process was on going… and required a fresh commitment with each day.

 

“…Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”

Your family and friends will likely be more open to the gospel and of your own conversion by observing your actions rather than your words. 

As mentioned earlier, “… I am struck by two qualities ... First, regardless of social or economic status or position, their humility leads to submissiveness to the Lord’s will. And second, in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, they are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness. Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.”  

 

May humility and gratitude be manifest to those around us as expressions of our love of the Savior and serve as evidence of our conversion to the gospel.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

The Snowplow Song

 

Growing up when we lived on Long Island we had the opportunity to experience an occasional winter storm.  This didn’t happen all that often since the winters were tempered to a certain degree by the waters of the Atlantic; but every once in a while, a blizzard would blow through covering the roads and making things difficult.

While thumbing through Facebook I spotted a cartoon drawing which sparked a memory.

My mother had a small car at the time, I believe it was a Renault.  This was before anyone developed a desire to call them Ray-know, considering them a kin to a later Yugoslavian POS called the Yugo; but that’s not important to this story.

While attempting to navigate through the neighborhood streets which were covered with quite a bit of snow, with my little sister happily singing to herself in the back seat, my mother tried to figure out the tune my sister was singing so softly to herself.  It was a pleasant-sounding tune that bounced cheerfully within the confines of the small car as mom carefully stayed within the tire tracks left by the last vehicle that had made it down the road.

“Mommy, there’s a snowplow coming, mommy, there’s a snowplow coming…” the words of the song sounded so sweet as they…

“MOMMY THERE'S A SNOWPLOW COMING!”, the meaning of the song landed abruptly on mom’s ears as she noticed a flashing blue light in her rearview mirror.  With a watchful eye mom was able to spot an indention in the snowbank ahead where a driveway had recently been cleared.  She pulled into the safe spot and the snowplow drove past indignantly covering the car with a blast of freshly cleared snow.

 

A Christmas Eve Thought

 

As we meet this morning, it being Christmas Eve, some thoughts relating to this day invaded my mind during the weeks leading up to this day.  I’ll start with a message from 3 Nephi, which reads:

“And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought among the people.

 

But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.

 

And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.”

 

Perhaps you were expecting angels to come down and leave messages of glad tidings at this time; however, it only gets worse for them as we read...

 

“Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.”

 

Try to imagine yourselves going home after today’s meeting, having hope in your hearts, all the while realizing that it might well be your last day in mortality.  Would you be hanging your stockings on the fireplace awaiting Saint Nicolas’ visit or hanging your head wondering why the Lord’s prophets had let you down?

 

Remember, have faith in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances. 

 

“Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

 

And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

 

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

 

“Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.”

 

Within this short message important lessons are left, we’re reminded…the Book of Mormon was written for us in our day.  We’re to learn and appreciate the history of an ancient people; but why, on this day?

On the other side of the world a similar message was given:

Angels visiting the earth to greet poor shepherds as they watched their flocks by night as found in Luke 2:10 and 11. 

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”.

It’s the same message given to Nephi, the son of Nephi, when his heart was exceedingly sorrowful. 

So, here we sit on Christmas Eve, eagerly anticipating the celebration tomorrow brings.  Tomorrow is Christmas Day, the meridian of time as acknowledged by even non-believers. 

“Woke crowd” historians would have us use their updated version of “BC” and “AD”, calling those years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ “BCE”, or Before Common Era and all years following as “CE” or Common Era.  The wicked continue their efforts to erase the miracle of Christ’s birth from the hearts and minds of the world.

Believers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ look forward to the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The scriptures have indicated all manner of signs alerting mankind of the “Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord”, many of which have already appeared.  And yet, the wicked continue, laughing at foolish believers who follow “signs given and warnings from Prophets”. 

As we observe and point out their abominations… they create laws which make it illegal to point out their abominations, calling such language “hate speech”.  Those guilty of offending the wicked are vilified, some are even charged with crimes and taken to courts where corrupt judges rule against the righteous…or am I mistaken.

My friend Gary Lewis wrote the other day, “The signs of the times surround us with witness that the latter-days are upon us. All the prophecies are being fulfilled.”  He included a quote from LeGrand Richards from April of 1951:

“If the inhabitants of this earth had the ability and the power to read the signs of the times, they would know that already the Lord has given far more than the darkening of the sun or obscuring the light of the moon or causing the stars to fall from heaven. For what he has accomplished in the establishment of his kingdom in the earth in these latter days, and the unseen power operating in the world for the accomplishment of his purposes, are greater signs than any of these phenomena that we read about—the signs of his coming." 

 

My message to all of you on this Christmas Eve, be of good cheer, have Joy in your hearts.  Be true to your beliefs and continue being faithful to the covenants made with your Father in Heaven.  Along this same line of thought, our Prophet, Russell M. Nelson, in his talk, “Joy and Spiritual Survival”, given October of 2016 reminded us,:

“When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.”

We celebrate with great joy the birth of Jesus Christ; being equally aware of his death, resurrection and the atonement made on our behalf.  We also look forward with great anticipation and joy to His return… with the same faith as our ancestors were looking forward to His arrival the first time.

As I finish my thoughts this Christmas Eve, I wanted to share something from an old movie, The Bishop’s Wife.   At the close of the movie, the Bishop, having been reminded of the true meaning of Christmas, finished his sermon:

“…All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to have it up.  The stocking for the child born in a manger.  It’s his birthday we’re celebrating.  Don’t let us ever forget that.

Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most.  And then, let each put in his share, loving kindness, warm hearts, and a stretched-out hand of tolerance. All the shinning gifts that make peace on earth.”

As surely as Jesus Christ was born so many years ago after signs in the Heavens were observed, so surely will the signs be fulfilled announcing the Second Coming of our Savior, even Jesus Christ.  

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Max Might be a Shepherd Dog

Yesterday we loaded up a box with plates of homemade Christmas Cookies to share with friends living in the Centerville, Texas area near our property.  We started off with Ron and Norma Jeanne Fillmore since they live the farthest.  We had a great time chatting, paying attention to their dog who was demanding attention.  Then, on the way back towards Centerville we stopped at Sister Haven’s property, then at Sister Webb’s office.  Mike and Su Wallrath were the last we could visit there in Centerville, having spent the morning and much of the afternoon delivering cookies.

We then turned the truck towards those who live within a mile or so from our property.  As we drove past the entrance to our property we noticed our neighbor’s dog, Max, sitting by the gate.  Max likes to make sure we park properly, leading us joyfully down the driveway; but we didn’t turn into the driveway, instead we headed to the Jackson’s house.

I should mention, the Jackson’s are Max’s actual family; but Max has dual citizenship, not sure what else to call it since Max likes living under our roof too. When we pulled onto the Jackson’s property, there was Max sitting under the carport; he’d taken a shortcut by cutting across the acreage that separates our properties.  We visited with the Jacksons and then drove, as if to go home; but instead turned the other direction towards the Nells and James’ property.

Max first started to head to our place; but it was almost funny watching him try to figure out what we were doing.  Maybe he thought we were lost; but he made sure to keep up with our meanderings as we pulled into the next driveway to visit Dennis James and deliver another plate of cookies.

On the way back towards our property we noticed the younger Jackson family had just arrived home, so we stopped to visit there too.  Max sat at the edge of their driveway, frustrated once again with our inability to find home.

Lastly, we headed past our property to check the mailbox and see if the Clarks had gotten home.  We got lucky and were able to deliver their cookies as well.  No mail in the box, so we headed back as if to go home; but we noticed the gate to the Finley’s property was open, something that indicated they were available to visit.

Max sat on the road while we visited with Tammy, going over local issues about the dumpster company that kept adding charges to the monthly fees we’d already paid in advance for the entire year.  We agreed that the dumpster company had lost us as a customer.

Max must have given up on us as we watched him slowly walk down the road headed to our property.  About twenty minutes later, having finished our visits for the day, Max greeted us at the edge of our property as he energetically pranced in front of the truck, making sure I followed to where my old truck normally sits next to Lucy’s car.

If Max were a person who kept a diary, an interesting thought, it would be fun to read yesterday’s entry.  “The Stern’s got lost several times; but they finally were able to get home with my help.”