Thoughts

I have been reading from the Old Testament each morning. Four pages a day. I should be done by the end of the year and maybe sooner.

Anyway, I have been reminded how mindful the Lord is of covenants we have made with Him and the blessings he has for us if we will just REMEMBER those covenants. How many times did he assist the Children of Israel? Within one generation in the Promised Land, the Land of Milk and Honey, they were seeking and chasing after other Gods. He wanted to bless them, all they needed to do was repent. I know the Lord wants to give me blessings, I just have to be obedient. 

Another lesson is that the Lord loves families. When he wanted to really punish a man, he ended his posterity. He cut them off. Maybe that is why we all love to see multi-generational photos. We know the family will go on and something in us says that is GOOD... Really good!

The Plan our Heavenly Father has given us to declare, is the only way back to His presence. I know it! I know we can learn all about that Plan by reading the Book of Mormon. I know the Spirit speaks to you and to me.

Day 4- 2 Nephi 3-9

2 Nephi 3- 2 Nephi 10

2 Nephi 3- The “Moses/Joseph” chapter. I love this chapter.  I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. He came forth as prophesied. I have loved Moses since I saw the movie, ‘The Ten Commandments”  (with Charlton Heston when I was five in a drive in theater in Santa Cruz on a  summer night with my family. This movie introduced me to one of the few stories I knew from the Old Testament until I joined the Church at 18).

There is much to be learned about the prophet Joseph when we learn about Moses. Moses and Joseph mirror one another in their calling and stewardship.  I am reading the Old Testament (Exodus, Numbers) and am inspired by Moses.

These comparisons are so few, just off the top of my head:

Moses: burning bush; Joseph: vision brighter than noon day.

Moses: pasture; Joseph: grove

Moses: had to have read his name in the words of Joseph of Egypt once he was called; Joseph read his name when translating BOM.

Moses and Joseph: both “hidden away” until call, both had a spokesman

Moses and Joseph: both “led” people away from an Egypt; restored priesthood, covenants, had little worldly wealth

Joseph (of Egypt) promised v16: I will preserve thy seed forever.  I am reminded of promises made in the temple. My children and grandchildren are my greatest gift and like Joseph I want us to be preserved FOREVER.

I love that the words he writes, we have.

Uncle Jared said recentely that when he reads the BOM, he is reading what Joseph saw through the seer stones. That is an amazing thought to me.

2 Nephi 4: In as much as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall proper in the land.

          Even as circumstances crumble around us, we will prosper. Everything will be okay.

I love Nephi sweet sharing of his relationship with the God. I have felt the same. He says it so perfectly.

2 Nephi 5: Sometimes we just have to move away, taking what is important and leaving the rest so we can “live after the manner of happiness”.

2 Nephi 6-8: I love Isaiah. I love the "in that day" passages. He is talking about today. Much like Moses and Joseph heard about themselves... we hear about us when he says, "in that day."

2 Nephi 8: Look! Awake! Hearken! Lift up! Hearken! Awake, Put on your strength, Stand up! I am He! Exclamation point! Exclamation point! 

2 Nephi 9:

·         I love Nephi’s explanation of Isaiah. Through the years, I have been able to understand Isaiah. I think in part, Nephi gives us keys to understanding Isaiahs words. The more I try to understand Isaiah and ask the Spirit to help me ‘decode’ his words, I get glimpses into what he means.

·         The word “REMEMBER”… always associated with covenants

·         The word “WO”- I want your attention here. I am talking to you!

Day Three: 1 Nephi 18- 2 Nephi 2

Day 3

Today, I changed things up a bit. I felt like I was 'cheating' myself... but, because I needed to make a trip to Modesto to choose a new washing machine to replace my "33.5 year old' Maytag, I went to my Gospel Library app, pulled up my spot on the Book of Mormon and listened coming and going. Hearing the words of the scriptures make them different. I heard thoughts I had did not remember reading before. 

I love when words of Isaiah are heard aloud. 

Then I sat down and 'double dipped' as I found the thoughts that impressed me in my listening.

1 Nephi 19:4... never paid attention to the fact that Nephi, when giving instructions for the plates says to pass the records from one generation to another from one prophet to another until "further commandments shall be given".  That would be Moroni. Wonder how he felt when he realized that this was the further commandment?

1 Nephi 19:10- Sure would love to have the writings of Zenock, Neum, Zenos. I best be happy with and study what I have.

1 Nephi 19- lots of REMEMBERS. Remember covenants. Remember the isle of the sea. Remember the Lord their Redeemer.

1 Nephi 20- Go ye forth of Babylon- Great counsel for today. Sing and declare: The Lord has redeemed us.

1 Nephi 21: "for I will contend with him that contendeth with them, and I will save my children." I should make a list of the times the Lord has intervened in my behalf and saved me. Sometimes they have been with tender mercies. Sometimes they have been total rescues. I know God loves me and intervenes in my behalf. Goes along with 2 Nephi 1:1 when Lehi 'rehearses unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them..."

1 Nephi 22- Nephi in plainer words tells his family "what is going on" here. 

2 Nephi--- We all have to make a journey like Nephi and Lehi. 

Keep the commandments.

I love " Arise from the dust. Be Men! Awake my sons.... Rebel no more"

I love the PLAN!

31 BOOK OF MORMON CONFERENCE PREP- DAY 2

I have a daughter who invited me to join in a 31 day read of the BOOK OF MORMON to prepare for General Conference and a 'Spring Cleaning' of sorts.  I don't know if I can complete in the time, but why not try? I am in need of inspiration and revelation and direction. What is there to lose?

I am up to the challenge. Ron and I read four pages from the Book of Mormon every night. I read 4 pages from my current reading, the Old Testament (along with Gospel Doctrine). I can do this. (?)

Then, last night she posted her journal notes. NOTES? 

I don't know how many days I will do notes, but these were some I pulled of of the margins that I noted today.

My scripture journal-ing occurs on my scriptures pages. I cannot read my scriptures without a pen and red pencil in by my book.

Thoughts for today:

1 Ne 17:20- Inspired people are often accused of "vain imaginations". Today, while counseling on plans for an upcoming meeting, I felt that we need to strictly follow what we have been asked to do. Two others felt we could 'tweak' it a bit saying, 'but more will come if we do it this way.' For me, that is not the point. The point is to not schedule for convenience, but to follow the direction we have been given.

1 Ne 17- whole lot of murmuring and complaining. Nephi reminds them. "after all you have seen... ye know, ye know, ye know, ye know, ye know, ye know... after all ye know and have seen (v.46)... you are still going to harden your hearts?"  

I don't want to be a murmur-er. I want to remember the great things I have seen and know and go build a ship.

1 Ne 16- Lehi receives the Liahona and it gives them direction. (v 10). After using it for direction a new writing appears (v 28-29). Lesson: use what you have and then you will get more direction. By small means we learn to use simple tools that later will reveal more if we are faithful and diligent. Applies to my scirpture reading, prayer, fasting, temple worship.

Thanksgiving 2013

On the Way to Redding

Clare's Baptism is next Saturday. Anjanette and James were at our house when I arrived home from San Jose. They stayed for two days on their way to Redding.

Anders was looking for pluots. He found apples.

Izzy had her first play in the orchard. 

She did not want to be held or be on the blanket.

Back from the gym and time for snuggling before they left for Redding.

A Lesson Learned

I do not shop at all on Sundays. 

I plan for that to not to happen or I do without.

I found a tire store not far from Deborah's. I made on appointment online on Saturday evening. At 9:45 AM I arrived in the parking lot. At 10:00 I had the car checked in for a tire repair or replacement whichever would be determined. 30 minutes.

I would have time to get home for Sacrament Meeting. The timing would be tight, but I could make it. I settled into the waiting area with my Ipad and worked on Ancestry.

30 minutes passed. 45. 60. 

As the time ticked away, I felt more and more badly. I did not feel guilty for being there. I felt pain in the center of my chest. 

I went to the desk at 11:00. How is my car? The woman who had helped me, before saying anything, walked to the garage when I approached the desk. The man said, "Let me check". The woman came back in and said, "They are starting to work on it". Really?

The pain increased, and then the thought came, "These are the pains of hell for decisions that could have been made differently." 

30 minutes later, I was walking out the door. As I opened my car door, I committed to not let this happen again. I could have made a decision that would have made all of the difference. 

A Stop In San Jose

After spending the day with Aaron, Meghan, Clare, Beck, Knox and Finn, I headed down the freeway to San Jose for dinner.

Mason's Kindergarten has been preparing for Thanksgiving. He came home and made his own bow and arrow.

When we were getting into our cars at the Wharf, Aaron saw my right rear tire and that it was low. "You will need to stop and get air in it."  Here I was in San Francisco on a Saturday afternoon needing air and maybe a new tire. Great! I found a tire shop that was mile away on Mission. There was a three hour wait to replace the tire. The man could and did put in air and as he was doing so saw a nail in the tire. It was right there on top. Even I could see it. Three hours.... just put in the air. 

Ten miles down the road, and it is 4pm. I stopped at another tire shop. I knew I had a 90 mile trip home. We never put on a spare. The wait for a repair was an hour and a half. Too long, and I wanted to go to IKEA.

When I got to Deborah's I called AAA. The service man said he would not reccommend driving 90 miles on the spare that had NEVER been used. He put on the spare and I decided to spend the night and have have the tire fixed as early as I could so I could get home for Sacrament meeting.

The last thing Ron siad when I left in the morning was, "Come home safe". I couldn't risk a drive in the dark over the Altamont at 45 miles an hour. (AAA man thought.)

Fisherman's Wharf for Clare's Birthday

Tender Mercies

The Bosch Mixer for Kelly and Nick Story

Bonnie ordered a Bosch mixer for the Bridal Shower. The mixer was to be the Family Wedding Gift. She sent it to me to wrap and take to the shower. When the package had not arrived by the day of the shower, I sent her a message.

She didn't receive the message for three days, because she and Mike were in Korea. When she returned, she called and the packages had still not arrived. She called the company where she had ordered it. The customer service rep looked up the tracking and it had been delievered.... three weeks before. Supposedly to our house on the front step.

Bonnie checked the address on her invoice. It was the incorrect address.

The address where the delivery was made was 7 miles away on the west end of Bradbury.

I knew that is all farm land and few houses by the road and most are for workers. I looked on Google Maps and could see that there were three houses right by the road. I didn't feel like I could go alone and that I would need Spanish. About 2pm, I drove out to see the houses. It was difficult to tell exactly where the address belonged. Mildred said:

"You have arrived".

There were no cars and I saw no one. When Ron got home, it was just getting dark. Before we went he made three signs in Spanish:

We have lost two boxes. They were delivered 21 days ago.

If you have the boxes call..... (office phone)

When we were driving by and stopped to put the signs up, a man came out of this barn. He spoke some English, but Spanish was his choice.

Ron explained the problem. Jose said that the man who lived in the last house, would not be home until 9AM the next morning.

.

Ron was concerned. The boxes could have been opened and sold.

Bonnie was "sick" over her mistake.

I had a feeling we would get the boxes.

The next evening when I arrived home about 5 there was a message from our answering service. A man had called and he had the boxes.

In five minutes we were on our way down the road. 

Jose was at the barn when we arrived and directed us to the house on the end. Ron knocked on the door and a women in her late 20's opened the door and there were the boxes, right by the door.

The boxes were in our car. We both wept in gratitude for this tender mercy. Heavenly Father cares about us therefore, he care about misdirected boxes.

I knew Bonnie had been praying. I had faith and wished I had prayed even more. Ron said "How could I have known when I opened my mission call to a Spanish speaking mission that speaking Spanish would be such a blessing to me in my life?"

I placed the boxes front and center for a week so we could be reminded of the 

TENDER MERCIES we receive.