Thursday, March 20, 2008

Easter Pageant


It's Easter Pageant Week at the Arizona Temple. They are celebrating the 70Th Anniversary of the pageant. How privileged are we to be able to go each year. It always brings back many happy memories of the first Easter Program that I was a part of. In 1967, the Easter Pageant consisted of a Choir on risers, with a small stage in front of us where they had different scenes enacted, in tableau's, while the choir sang. The audience was seated on folding chairs around the reflecting pool. It started at 5:30 in the morning, and was called the Easter Sunrise Service. MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!

Last night we were able to attend with all my children and their children, (except Allison and her family, because of the new baby). We met up with Scott and Susan and their family and her mom and younger sister, and.......a family they had invited to view the pageant. Way to go Scott and Susan!!! Matt's Mom, Elma even braved the cold to attend.
We had the usual pageant dinner, pizza and pop, and lots of snacks. Brittany related to me some of her memories of when she was 4 years old and what she remembers about being in the Pageant. Not much sacred stuff there.

But last nights memory will be from Tawny. She was sitting on my lap when the 10 virgins came out to dance. I told her maybe when she gets older she could be in that dance. She turned and looked at me and said, "No Grandma, I dance HIP-HOP." So much for her chance as a dancer.

She also had a conversation with Brittany that went something like this. " I came to the pageant so I could see what Jesus really looked like." Then Brittany broke it to her that that was not the real Jesus, only an actor playing Jesus, just like on Christmas Eve when the kids dress up to portray Mary and Jesus. She replied "like when I was an angel, only I was the only angel dressed up in Yellow." Yes that's right Tawny, you are our favorite Yellow angel. It was quite a revelation to her that this was not the Real Jesus, as she had been expecting.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

What Are You Missing?

"We live in the marvelous age of the information highway. The amount of information sent by e-mail, fax, cellular phones, and other means is phenomenal. In fact, there is a glut of messages. The volume is so vast that it is easy to miss a vital message. Serious consequences result whenever we miss important messages, especially if these messages are from God." James E. Faust
OK....So after my last blog this ones really for Me, and those of you who know who you are.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Sometimes Our Prayers Don't get past the ceiling!

Ok....Sometimes our prayers get a little out of control. That's the way that it has been forever at our Home. Most of them are good, you know reverent ,respectful, then there are those, where you are just grateful that Heavenly Father has a wonderful sense of humor, cuz you can only laugh. To make a long story short, and maybe it is one of those that you just had to be there to enjoy.

Dad and I, Melissa and Brittany, were all sitting on our bed,late one night, when dad says,lets have prayer, Will you girls join us. So we all crowded around the bench at the foot of the bed. Bill calls on Melissa to pray. I am kneeling down,and I feel myself drift off for a minute. Meanwhile Melissa is going about the business of saying a very nice prayer. After the Amen is said, Bill sits upon the bench. I am still kneeling down. I Could hear them still talking,and someone asked me a question, to which I raised up and started talking about nothing that they had asked me. So they all started to LAUGH at ME. We quickly cleared out the room and I was dead to the world in a short time. That was one good night.

The next night,the girls were in the room again, and again it was time for prayer. This time Dad asks Brittany to pray. Now Brittany is at one end of the bench, I am at the other, and Bill and Melissa are in between. The room is quiet, Brittany starts, I am being very reverent and I go to place my head on top of my hand, I realized that would not be such a good thing,so I let out a small muffled laugh, Melissa hears me so she starts, We were able to get control very quickly, and didn't have a problem after that. Meanwhile Bill has decided he can't look at either of us, so he refrains, cuz he knows that he would start if he looked up. During all this time I actually am listening to what Brittany is saying, and realize that something is wrong with her, her usually excellent quality of prayer, had been replaced with a quick get it over with and lets be done. After the last Amen, Brittany said I had to get it over with because I knew you guys were down there laughing, and I knew I was going to start. So I hope that we are not the only family that has some problems while we pray, or we are in for it when we finally get to the other side, and have to pay for all our non reverent attitudes.

This wouldn't have seemed so bad, but, I had just been exercising on my ball laying on my back. Lost my balance and while trying desperately to hold on to something to catch my fall, rolled over and landed on my back hitting my toes on the wall under the window, jamming my right thumb on the floor in Front of me. After I stopped falling and was laying there.It was very quiet in the room. Finally someone said"Are you OK." To which I replied, "Yes, I think so," Then they all started to laugh, and laugh,and laugh. I am glad that as their mother I can give them such happiness.

We had just been to a funeral for a dear friend Ann Rogers. All her 5 children spoke and gave remembrances of their mom. She was even accused of forgetting some of the many bad things that her kids had done, and wondering why her grand kids are now following in their parents footsteps. Makes me wonder what all my children will say about me at my funeral. I may be happy that I won't have to be there.

Now that I have gone on and on, And I'm sure your wondering why you are reading this, I am sitting here thinking WHY AM I WRITING THIS.

When all is said and done I want any and all who read this to know for certain, that I love my children and their spouses, and all my beautiful grand kids, and of course I love my husband, and he loves me, or at least puts up with me. I know he could probably have done better, but they got me, and I sure hope they know how much I love them. Even if they have to laugh, I'm glad I give them such enjoyment.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

MY BANNER IS CLEAR

My Banner Is Clear

The inspiring commitment of a young African pastor from Zimbabwe

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power, my die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me-my banner will be clear.
This was included in a talk given at our Adult Session on Conference last night. It struck a chord with me and I hope it does with you.