Emotive Music

Some songs
Some singers
Some compositions
Some presentations
move a soul more than others

This is one I became familiar with through work and it moves me

Scones

So Rindy does many a great thing. One of the many is cooking and being a great host; all which blend magnificently together with Scones and cousins. David, Eliza and kids are in town visiting Robert & Laura so we had them all over for scones and a round of Wits & Wagers. A grand evening of fun.

Be strong

Today at our young men / young women joint youth activity the annual theme was introduced from Joshua 1:9. Great theme and great activity.

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the aLord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

This month's New Era artcile explains the scripture well

Strong

In the scriptures we find ways we receive strength:

• Be humble (see D&C 1:28).

• Put on the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10–18).

• Pray for strength (see Moses 1:20).

• Strengthen each other (see D&C 108:7).

Good courage

“My earnest prayer is that you will have the courage required to refrain from judging others, the courage to be chaste and virtuous, and the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. As you do so, you will be ‘an example of the believers,’ and your life will be filled with love and peace and joy.” President Thomas S. Monson,

The scriptures teach us some remedies for fear:


• Love: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18).

• Faith: “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36).

• Preparation: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

The Lord thy God is with thee

“If we are patient in our afflictions, endure them well, and wait upon the Lord to learn the lessons of mortality, the Lord will be with us to strengthen us unto the end of our days.” Elder Robert D. Hales


Dismayed

The Hebrew word means to be beaten down or discouraged.

For more see A Brand New Yera 2010 video here

Share the Dream

The message continues to be important today and tomorrow

Grateful In Deed

Ward conferences come and go as an interesting unifying thread to an ecclesiastical organization. The Stake identifies a theme and focuses each unit on the message for that year's focus. This year in Naperville that theme is " Because I have been given much , the lord will have me . . ." The individual determines what the Lord would have him / her do, given their own circumstances.

The theme springs from the song (video clip here) of similar title:

Because I have been given much, I too must give.

Because of thy great bounty, Lord each day I live.

I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see,

who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care…

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share-

my glowing fire, my loaf of bread-my roof’s safe shelter over head,

that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord,

I’ll share thy love again according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need. I’ll show that love by word and deed,

thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed

Our congregation's bishop filled in the phrase with the expression: Because I have been given much , the lord will have me . . ." do more to become a disciple of Christ" Speaking the of the challenge of the life being not necessarily to know something but to become something. Knowing isn't doing and life is about doing and becoming. Discipleship is demonstrated by the love we show - how we lift and carry others. Out of the abundance of our own hearts, mouths speak love and thanks and turn into action.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, it makes what we have enough and more. "( Melody Beattie)
Gratitude shapes the heart, mind and spirit and showing gratitude changes the very fabric. It's easy to text relief to Haiti ( and needful and appropriate) but how much more needful to help a family member, a neighbor, a stranger who we pass by.

How do you lift those in our midst?

We need to move our gratitude into action and lift the world.

Artificial inanity

Neal Stephenson describes the malaise of the Internet as Artificial Inanity – content intentionally concocted to appear as meaningful but in fact drips and exudes nothingness. Much intentionally written to confuse the reader and clog the search for real meaning, In today’s time compressed world we can literally be overwhelmed by our content choices. Not only do we need to discern the good from the bad but within the apparent good we need to ferret out the meaningful and important. We need the best of books, the best of art, the best of graphics, the best of mathematics, the best of analytics. We were able to drown in data and information without getting to knowledge, let alone insight long before the spread of broadband. In today’s era of everyone being a content provider, even a content expert and the proliferation of content voiding the pitfalls of artificial inanity is paramount.

MN Wedding

Congrats to jane & daryl.
It was a very crisp -12 but sunshiny day.
Beautiful bride, wonderful temple wedding.