the Book of Mormon

As a Relief Society, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon.

I finished it yesterday morning. And, once again, I was convinced of its truthfulness. How could anyone not believe it, or see the wisdom in its pages?

I recently watched a movie about early England and the in-fighting with families; the murders, the secrets behind closed doors. I thought, I wonder if it was really like this; it's all so terrible, and then I thought of the book of Ether, and realized that yes, that is Satan's way.

So, I am grateful for the challenge, and the Book of Mormon.

Thank you, Heavenly Father; and mom and dad for your firm testimonies.

Family and Friends

They have been supportive and kind. The Cottles, Mark and Michelle, came over last night to visit. They are so busy with church, school, family, yet they took the time to come see us. People are just good. Barbara sent another of her notes, in this one, she wished us well on our adventure. We went to dinner with Garn and Dorothy, the Asays will drive us to the shuttle tomorrow.

My heart is filled with gratitude.

the Old Man

He moves slowly, and stumbles on occasion. But, usually he remembers his cane and gets along fine.

He still rides his three-wheeler bike for exercise and to church occasionally.

He keeps his home tidy and neat.

He makes me chuckle...he will NEVER leave a fork, spoon, glass, bowl, or anything in his sink for longer than two minutes. As soon as he eats, he cleans up. His stainless steel sink looks brand new after many years.

He has a routine. He is, of course, always delighted to have company, but he's relieved when everyone heads home, and he can just go back to his very patterned routine. Breakfast of cereal/fruit/milk eaten in front of the tv. The days are spent reading, watching tv. Then, an early dinner - again in front of the tv. And, some favorite old time tv shows, sometimes on channels with no commercials. At bedtime, he walks over to the picture of his wife, talks to her and heads to his bedroom.

A few weeks ago, when he was encouraged to use oxygen, he used it for two nights, then said it was just a bother, and he didn't need it.

And always, on Sunday, he will be in church.

That's my 95 year old father-in-law. I'm thankful for him.

Time!

I'm grateful for opportunities and the time to pursue them.



Yesterday, I drove the sister missionaries; it was so great. I'm thankful for their astonishing faith, goodness, obedience.



And, I'm thankful I had the time to drive them around.



We are tying to get ready for China, and I'm grateful for some time to be able to do this.



TIME, what a great, great blessing.

Books, books, and more books

I love reading, learning, being exposed to a variety of cultures, experiences, peoples, etc.

I'm thankful for libraries, used books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, my IPod to listen to books.

I LOVE BOOKS.

And, mostly the scriptures...just read Alma 34; an awesome chapter.

I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES.

the Temple

I've been to several temples:

Anchorage, Alaska
San Diego, California
Portland, Oregon
Montreal, Canada
Salt Lake City, Utah
Rexburg, Idaho
Las Vegas, Nevada
Manhatten, New York
Washington, DC
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Nauvoo, Illinois
Boise, Idaho
They are all so beautiful and breath-taking.

But, my favorite temple is the St. George Temple.

It's not the most elaborate, it doesn't have the most amazing chandeliers, flower arrangements, stair cases, furniture, glass windows, etc.

But, it represents so much a part of the history, the legacy, the hard work, the sacrifice, the faith of the early Saints.

And, I think of those things every time I go to the temple.

I love the St. George Temple.

Today, I had an enlightening moment.

I realized that I cannot keep being in despair over my children....I must find JOY in their lives NOW! I DO NOT like the way they live, their choices, their breaking of so many commandments, but for now, I need to look at the good parts of their lives.

This is very hard for me, because as the older I get, the more the Gospel, the covenants, the commandments mean to me, so my despair is even greater.

I must use the Atonement, and temple attendance to remind me about faith, and that I need to work on my own salvation.

I am grateful for temples. There was a very elderly gentleman in a session. I loved that he was at the temple, that he was perfoming meaningful work, that our church provides something for every age to be needed and to feel useful.

Thank you, heavenly Father, for the blessing of the temples.

WORK

Many people - including many in America - want to get something when they have not earned it.

For me, I am grateful for WORK.

WORK is a great blessing for many reasons.

When one has finished working, there is such a great feeling of accomplishment.

It's a blessing to get a paycheck and to know that it was earned.

Honorable work is indeed a great blessing.

I'm grateful for the gift of work!

AMERICA

I love the 4th of July and America.

Thanks, dad, for helping me understand the significance of this great country. I love a parade, band music, anything patriotic, and I owe that to you.

I'm thankful for family.

For the many volunteers who make our communities better places to live.

for the Book of Mormon that teaches that America is the promised land.

A wonderful dad

Sometimes I just have to pinch myself because I had such a great father.

He didn't play with us, take us fishing, hiking, etc.

But, he loved us.

I'll be eternally grateful for my dear dad.

the diversity of people

today we visited the alaska heritage museum; a museum to learn about the native tribes of alaska. it was so amazing to learn of these hardy people who have lived for hundreds of years in the polar countries.

I am thankful for:
hardworking, good people of every race, religion, creed

...so many things

Gospel
Scriptures
Life
Health
Friends
Family
Atonement
Temple
Saviour
Food
mobility

I feel a deep sense of gratitude for many things today. And, I certainly don't want to forget the beautiful, incredible world that Heavenly Father has created.

opportunities

One month ago, we were at the southernmost tip of America...Key West, Florida.

Today, we are at one of the northern most places...Anchorage, Alaska.

Pretty amazing, really.

And, I'm thankful for these opportunities to visit a wide variety of places...to see the beautiful world created by a loving God.

And, what a world it is.

St. George

Thank you Heavenly Father for the opportunity to move to St. George.

I love it here, and am so happy to be here. I never pictured us moving out of Rexburg, and I'm so glad we did.

I'm also thankful for:
an income stream; not a lot, but adequate
health
eyesight
mobility
hearing - let me put it this way: HEARING!
Scriptures
Allen

so many things.....

family living close
kids living far away
a good husband
home that is lovely, yet practical
food
clothes
income
health
eyesight
mobility
mind
fingers, toes
so many, many things on this beautiful Saturday....
thank you, Heavenly Father.

laundry room in the house

In England, it was outside...so when it was pouring rain, which is was most of the time, the newly dryed clothes got soaking wet while bringing them in.

In Manhatten, it was in the basement of the building where we were staying on the 18th floor .

In Long Island, it was the neighborhood dry cleaners.

In Florida, it was outside, down the walk, in a communal laundry room.

So, today, as I do loads of laundry, I am so grateful to have a laundry room on the main floor, inside my home, close to the kitchen and bedroom, where most of the laundry originates.

Such a blessing. I feel spoiled.

Strange, but True What I'm Thankful For Today

We just returned from a long stay at a condo where the owners had to use a common laundry room. It made me grateful for a laundry room in my own home, and also for dryer sheets. After going around with clingy underwear and clothes, it was great to have Bounce sheets to put in the dryer!

Also, in a more serious vein, I'm so grateful we have returned home with:
no serious injuries to ourselves, car, or home,
memories of a great visit to Florida,
Virginia
Kristi,
Jordan, Janna, Oliver, Lucy, Imogen, Anna, Andrea

I'm thankful for an incredibly beauitful home to return to!

The flowers, shrubs, trees, grass all looked so beautiful.

I'm thankful for good health to have enjoyed the trip.

I'm thankful for family and friends.

being alive

I'm thankful for observant drivers because we had a flat front tire; noticed by 2 cars driving by on freeway.

I'm thankful for the Florida state trooper who stopped to help us change thetire. We couldn't have done it without him.

I'm grateful doing worse happened. So glad to be alive!

Internet

Lots and lots of years ago, ALlen came into my room early one morning, when I was sound asleep, and he said, "Loni, you won't believe this, but from the Internet, I just got into a document from the University of Virginia!" I could have cared less, and I didn't understand what the brouhaha was all about.

As I say, that was long ago.

Now, I love the internet; I'm so very grateful for it on so many levels:
keeps me in touch with my family and friends
a treasure trove of information that otherwise I would not have access to (I just found a great story about a relative: Christopher Philemon Merrill and learned about his relationship to the prophet. I would never have known any of this without the Net.)
news, weather, family history, finances, all are available on the net.

I am so grateful for this incredible invention...thank you, Al Gore!

Some mornings, I just wake up with a heart filled with gratitude for so many blessings.

Thank you Heavenly Father, for the great goodness and beauty and blessings that surround me at this time.

The Ability to TYPE!

Every Wednesdsay, I help at the family history center. It's great to help the people there, and I enjoy it.

Today, I worked with a man - probably mid 70's. As a career, he had worked in broadcasting at KSL radio/tv. I'm sure that he was fantastic at his job, because he was fun, delightful, interesting.

But, he couldn't type. And, in this day and age, that is such a huge handicap. When he was in school, lots of boys didn't do the typing thing...nothing against him, it was the day and age.

Watching him painstakingly type in just one name made me so incredibly grateful for the ability - not that I'm good or fast or accurate - to type.

That has been a great, great blessing in my life.

And, I'm thankful for computers.

Eyesight

What a great great blessing....

Spring is such an amazing time of year, so many sights to gladden the heart.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for my eyesight.

Easter/Conference

WOW, what a spiritual feast...

Conference was absolutely fantastic!

Inspiring speakers, beautiful music.

If I were to pick a theme, it would definitely have been a focus on the family and the responsibility for parents to teach their children in the home.

I am thankful for a prophet and leaders.

Daughters

I'm very grateful for J & K. They are different, yet similar.

Both are wonderful. I'm proud of them.

Mobility

Every time I spend a few moemtns with Sylvia, I am reminded what a great blessing it is to be mobile; to move, to walk, to use my arms and hands..

It is something that is taken for granted so often.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that at this point in my life, I can still get around fairly well.

I am grateful for that.....

An Income

It's small, it's not a lot, but it's certainly adequate.

And, we are able to live each month with our pensions, and occasionally we save money so that we can do extra things.

What a great, great blessing it is to have worked hard for many years, and then to have an income.

I'm very very thankful for that.

Health

I can't imagine working in a hospital; it seems quite bleak to me, actually.

Today, visiting Deborah, I was so grateful for good health at this point in my life. I'm grateful for Allen's health also.

Good health has to be one of the greatest blessings a person can have.

Oh, yes, I'm grateful for good health.

LIFE

Someone in our family just experienced the loss of life.

Hearts are heavy...

Sorrow is felt by the family...

And, it makes me appreciate the wonder, the awe, the majesty of life.

And, also, the incredible miracle of birth and of having healthy children and grandchildren.

In a time when hearts are heavy, I am grateful for the gift of LIFE.

Health,
Family,
America,
Gospel,
Blue skies,
Jeremy's return,
Life.

At one point in my life, I was sick with an undetermined illness. It overwhelmed me and I worried about my health 24 hours a day. I remember praying to Heavnly Father saying, "If I can just get well, I will remember to appreciate my health every day." Sad to say, I haven't always kept that promise, but I am so grateful for the health I enjoy - at this point in my life.

Jeremy's Safe Return Home

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for Jeremy's return to America.

What a great blessing. And, yet, there are many others still fighting.

I will continue to pray for them.

I am thankful for America...how I love this country.

Wonderful Friends Through the Years

We hadn't seen them for a very long time, but we spent an enjoyable lunch with them. Their stories are so fascinating; such a different life than mine. But, I came away feeling so grateful for good friends over many years - going back to college days. SO, here's a partial list:

Brent and Nancy McDonald
Ron and Mary Messer
Brent and Mardene Smith
David and Linda Austin
Ririe and Diana Godfrey
Lee and Carolyn Gifford
Brian and Deloris Stanton
Ron and Linda Messer
Joan and Darrell Henderson
Dave and Martha Smith
Fred and Shirley Calder
Gerald and Denys Wheeler
Vern and Betty Kaaiakamanu
Beverly Murdock
Judi and Val Butikofer
Conway and Pauleen Clayton
Jim and Hermoine Erickson
Al and Ellen Hale
Garn and Dorothy Huntington
Jerry & Linda Asay
Dave and Deon Ballard
Dave and Judy Van Drimmelen
Sharon, Nancy, Lauralee,
Lois Young
Dianne Murray
Bob & Estelle Wilkes

Just a few, and the list goes on.

But, yes, we are richly blessed indeed by marvelous friends. Thank you, Heavenly Father.

Beautiful World

Right now is an incredible time to be in St. George; beautiful weather, green lawns, blue sky; scenes that take my breath away.

I am always in awe of the wide variety of things Heavenly Father created; colors, smells, textures' it truly is mind boggling to me.

Thank you, Heavenly Father for this magnificent world.

Music

I heard some marvelous music today; it was all classical...familiar stuff. It stirred my soul.

Beatiful Morning

Will this be the day Jeremy gets home?

Even if not, it's a gorgeous day and I'm so grateful for the sunshine.

Grateful for the marvelous Sunday School lesson yesterday given by Tony Romney...so much insight and MEAT; not just fluff.

grateful for a lovely home, food, water, LIFE.

A Safe Return Trip Home in a Bad Snowstorm

"It's been a long time since we've driven in weather like that," Allen said as we drove through the icy, snow-packed roads heading home from northern Utah.

I'm so grateful for:

a good car with anti-lock brakes
a careful, skilled driver
marked roads which - even in the dark- were visible with our lights on
modern transportation, highways, road graders,
prayer

So thankful to be home in sunny St. George, which I love.

Insight into the scriptures

I'm using the "Old Testament for Families" put out by the church. It helps me a great deal in my study of the OT.

Allen's essay on "mere Christianity" was phenomenal and insightful. Am grateful for his writings.

This morning, Iwas overwhelmed with appreciation for:
the Gospel, its orderliness, a prophet.

It (Gospel) just makes so much sense to me. I don't understand how other thinking people cannot see the marvel in it.

Jeremy Coming Home!

It shouldn't be too long now....just a few more days..

And if you think I'm excited, just think how Leigh must feel...

Early Mornings at the Computer

Can't sleep...do some genealogy
So thankful for computers,
books,
scriptures,
projects,
pictures,

early mornings on the computer

so very grateful for the Atonement.

I am thankful for:

neighborhood parks
spontaneous hugs from a grandchild

Scriptures

I am especially enjoying the Old Testament, which I have never- chapter to chapter - read before.

Beautiful Sabbath

SO, grateful for:
Mobility
Eyesight
Hearing
sense of taste
lovely home
family
wonderful parents
good friends
car that works
income; small, but adequate
health
AMERICA, America, America
Gospel

Saturday List

Eli is thankful for:
scooter
brother
trains
trucks
stuffed animals
oxy
breakfast

Miles is thankful for:
whale

Loni is grateful for:
America
freedom
women's rights