Merry Christmas!

 Look to the Light

Here's a Christmas gift to you - whoever you may be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aup9M5HZawI&feature=player_embedded

Congratulations Cameron...

Cameron completed his Eagle Project just after Thanksgiving.  He collected winter clothing (coats, gloves, hats, scarves, boots etc.) for the Salt Lake City Mission, a Christian, non-denominational organization that helps homeless individuals and families as well as those who have lost jobs or families who have a parent in prison.  The SLC Mission provides a breakfast every morning.  They assist the unemployed in looking for work.  They have a winter clothing room to help those who are in need of warm coats etc.    

Cameron collected over 42 garbage bags of good coats, gloves scarves, hats etc.  He had them all washed and sorted into sizes.  He found dry cleaners to donate cleaning for coats that couldn't be washed.

He also went to a retirement center here in Orem and arranged for the women there to make blankets, fleece shirts, gloves and hats.  Altogether his project has probably logged in over 500 hours.

 

Cameron, Bethany, Christian and I delivered the clothing the Mission offices in Salt Lake the Monday after Thanksgiving.  It was a great experience.  There were about seven men who had come in off the streets having coffee in the office that morning and they all came out to the van and helped unload the clothing.  They were very polite and expressed appreciation to Cameron for his work.  While we were there the first customer came in for a coat. 

 The Mission clothing director (far right) was very appreciative.  He said they had emptied their clothing room the week before Thanksgiving as we had had a cold spell with temperatures in the single digits.  He was not expecting to have any clothing available for several more weeks.  He invited us all to come back on Christmas Day to help with the dinner they put on.  I think we will go and help out.

Mo Tab Christmas Concert....

David Archeleta and Michael York

Friday night some of us attended the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert - (Yes, the coveted event where getting tickets seems next to impossible - I believe I saw somewhere that there were over a million and a half requests for tickets this year.  We did not luck out with the computer-based allocation system  but Allysha did and as Ella had a dance performance in the Nutcracker we were the blessed recipients of her tickets much to Caitlin's delight!!)  Guest stars were David Archeleta and Michael York who narrated several Christmas stories.  Both were fabulous!   The entire evening was stunning, enchanting, beautiful and angelic.  Very lovely.  It was a highlight of the season.

P.S.  Caitlin tried very hard to get an DA autograph afterward at Deseret Book but the line was impossibly LONG - out the door and down the block, around the corner etc. - so instead she settled for slipping inside the store, buying his book and getting a few pics on her cell phone.  "He did look at me," she told us on the way home.

Maybe we should do more of this....

28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 136:28 - 29)

Thoughts on government....

David O. McKay

  “That government is best which has as its aim the administration of justice, social well-being and the promotion of prosperity among its members” (Elder David O. McKay in Conference Report, Apr. 1930, p. 80).

 

Anthony W. Ivins, Heber J. Grant, Charles W. Nibley

In January 1928 the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, and Charles W. Nibley) issued a statement that read in part:

“Laws which are enacted for the protection of society have no value except when they are administered in righteousness and justice, and they cannot be so administered in righteousness and justice, if dishonest men occupy administrative offices.
“The Lord says ‘When the wicked rule, the people mourn.’ Wise men, good men, patriotic men are to be found in all communities, in all political parties, among all creeds. None but such men should be chosen. . . .
“Without beneficent laws, righteously administered, the foundations of civilization crumble, anarchy reigns, decay and dissolution follow.
“We call upon all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world to honor the laws of God, and obey and uphold the law of the land; and we appeal to good men and women everywhere, regardless of creed, party affiliation, race or condition to join with us in an effort to put into operation the words of Lincoln, the great emancipator, that our country may continue to be a light to the world, a loyal, law-abiding, God-fearing nation.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1928, p. 16.)

Scriptural backing for WikiLeaks

 

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.  (New Testament | Luke 12:3)

(Lest anyone take me too seriously, this in tongue-in-cheek.) 

Best Wishes Elizabeth....

I must post well-wishes to Elizabeth Smart who just finished the month long trial of her captor Brian David Mitchell.  He was found guilty, not that anyone doubted his involvement in her kidnapping, but he was held accountable for his actions as opposed to being found non-guilty by reason of insanity.  I believe in accountability and that such is good for individuals and society as a whole.  If there needs to be treatment for mental illness I hope Brian David Mitchell will receive what is needed in prison.  In the meantime, I'm happy that Smart can move on with her life, return to her LDS mission in Paris and put this horrific experience behind her.  She is amazing and courageous.  She hopes to take her experience and turn it into good for others. God speed Elizabeth.

The Joy of the Saints

Peace, Mercy & Joy
By Alva

I have been thinking this past week about a phrase found in the book of Enos from the Book of Mormon.


3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
(Book of Mormon | Enos 1:3 - 5)

As I re-read Enos a few days ago that phrase caught my attention and I found myself thinking about it over the next few days.  There is quiet and at times robust joy in attempting to live as a follower of Christ.   It is an inner peace that permeates all of life, even times of sorrow and difficulty.  It is beyond and outside of $$, entertainment and success.  It is found in living and in loving God and all men.  It is a pleasure in the beauty of daily life.  It is joy in the "hope" in Christ.  It is real.  It gives strength. 

Magnificent Messiah

George Frideric Handel

Tonight Randy and I attended a local church choir event.  The culmination of the evening was a few pieces from Handel's Messiah.  We, of course, had the opportunity to  try our hand (or our vocal chords) at singing some of the chorus parts in between a few solos.  One of my favorite and cherished Christmas traditions is to take whoever will come with me (this year it was Bethany, Kip and I) and attend the Messiah Sing-In at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake Thanksgiving weekend.  The symphony hall is filled with several thousand other Messiah lovers like myself.  There are enough decent voices (I'm not one of them) in the audience to make the sing-in participation quite thrilling.  The Utah Symphony is there and a Salt Lake City choral group along with four always-fabulous soloists.   It's not just the holiday experience that I love.  Handel's Messiah stirs my soul to the core.  It lifts me to heavenly realms.  I love the music and the scriptural text from book of Isaiah.  The entire composition rejoices in the Savior of the world.  I've attended the Messiah Sing-In for years now.  I can imagine Handel himself conducting a magnificent celestial version of Messiah in the spirit world.  I certainly intend on being front and center at that performance when my time comes to relocate.

Thank you Snopes once again...

I just received a forwarded email entitled "Don't buy it! Don't use it!  discouraging the purchasing of a supposedly new "Muslim" stamp issued by the U.S. postal service under the purported directive of Pres. Obama.  The email outlined a long list of offenses against the U.S. at the hands of "Muslims" and encouraged all patriotic Americans to protest such a stamp.   

If you check with Snopes there's only a vague resemblance of truth to the entire email.  There is a collector's stamp commemorating two Islamic holidays.  It was issued 9 years ago along with a collection of stamps centered around various holidays including Hanukkah, Kwanzza, Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc.  It would be hard to boycott it as it is a specialty item which you have to request in order to purchase it.  It has nothing at all to do with Barrack Obama.  In fact, Pres. George W. Bush extended official greetings and participated in commemorations of these two Islamic holidays even after 9/11.  Seems as though it's just a gesture of civility in a diverse world.

So, my question is, who writes these emails?  How does such misinformation get spread around and about?  Why do thinking people so readily believe such propaganda?  Political leanings do strange things to otherwise nice human beings. 

P.S.  This is really strange.  I just went back into my email box to send the Snopes link to the person who sent me the email and the email has entirely disappeared.  ???

Spiritual Gifts...

My Relief Society lesson today is on gifts of the spirit.  I have been thinking about spiritual gifts and how they are often an untapped resource both in dealing with the problems that vex our lives and in receiving an abundance of joy in living.  Rather we tend to rely solely on our own limited strength and temporal resources.  I found the following quotes interesting.  I hope they will be a strength to you as well.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

 "Faith is a spiritual gift. So is personal revelation. So is a testimony of Jesus Christ. And there are other spiritual gifts. We know too little about spiritual gifts. This is evident in our communications, and it is also evident in our failure to seek after and use spiritual gifts.....


"We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections. Almost a century ago President George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency taught the Saints:


“If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. … No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them. If a man lacks wisdom, it is his duty to ask God for wisdom. The same with everything else. That is the design of God concerning His Church. He wants His Saints to be perfected in the truth. For this purpose He gives these gifts, and bestows them upon those who seek after them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth.” (Millennial Star, Apr. 1894, p. 260.)

Here's another one from Elder Mervyn B. Arnold

"Not long ago at a stake conference I was assigned to attend, I asked the stake president what challenges the members were experiencing. He responded that many members were focused on diversions such as extravagant homes, expensive clothing, cars, boats, vacation cabins, and countless activities. He explained that many of these activities were held on Monday nights, taking family members out of the home.
To maintain this lifestyle, oftentimes both the husband and the wife had to work—in some cases two jobs. This made it difficult for these members to hold regular family home evenings, family prayer, and scripture study, and in some cases even to attend Sunday meetings. There was little time, if any, to seek those things which “neither moth nor rust doth corrupt” (Matt. 6:20).


The Apostle Paul teaches the importance of seeking the best gifts:
“Now concerning spiritual gifts … I would not have you ignorant.
“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. …
“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:1–2, 31).


I have reflected on the stake president’s comments and share his concerns for the increasing number of Church members who focus their attention on “that which is of no worth [and] cannot satisfy” (2 Ne. 9:51). Satan is very astute, and he has cunning ways to divert our attention from that which is of greatest worth. The Lord warns, “Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you” (D&C 50:3)...


Man’s earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, and his soul upon the things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make as his life’s end and purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities.” 1
As members of the Church, we are commanded to “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (D&C 25:10)—or, said another way, to “seek … earnestly the best gifts” (D&C 46:8).

Here's the best Jonah and the Whale recitation you'll ever hear....

http://vimeo.com/16404771

Thy Will Be Done!

The following was written by my great, great grandfather, Francis M. Lyman. This really isn't a poem, but it is eloquent and passionate enough to be considered poetic.

"They are words that should be written in letters of fire on the mind of every son and daughter of God; a motto that should be engraven on every heart, a motive that should govern every impulse, a spirit that should inspire every prayer that is wafted upon the wings of faith through the open portals of eternity.  The fiat of the Gods in the counsels of the beginning; the chorus of the stars in the glad morning of creation; the prayer of the suffering Savior at life's weary noon; the song of the saints on earth and the anthem of the angels in heaven; it yet shall be the closing hymn---the benediction over the burial of human history, the solemn epitaph inscribed upon the tombstone of Time. "Thy Will Be Done!" Like a river of power and of purity, flowing from the throne of God, making heavenly melody as it surges along the shores of life, bearing the bubbles on its breast the mightiest of human aims and achievements; it glides down the channels of the ages, glittering in the sunbeams of eternal truth and rolling the music of its bright waves into the boundless ocean of the Evermore!

Hurray for Dr. Nutt.....

Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack, according to a study published in medical journal the Lancet.

 Read more here.

My globe trotting family....

Randy is in Russia, then Armenia and then South Africa.  Natalie is in Brazil and Lorien is currently in Japan.  You can follow her adventures here: http://afrika03.blogspot.com/.  Nat, of course, has no blog being that she is preaching the gospel and Randy has a blog but I'm sure he hasn't posted. 

LDS Church statement on immigration:

I recently ran across this statement again in a publication.  I don't believe immigration should be a partisan issue.  Rather it is a human concern.  I am grateful for the perspective outlined below:

“The complex issues surrounding immigration are a matter of increasing concern and debate for all in this country.

Elected individuals have the primary responsibility to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions.

We repeat our appeal for careful reflection and civil discourse when addressing immigration issues. Finding a successful resolution will require the best thinking and goodwill of all across the political spectrum, the highest levels of statesmanship, and the strongest desire to do what is best for all of God’s children.”  (Issued July 2010)

Inheritance....

In August my siblings and I sold our parent's long-time home of thirty plus years.  In spite of the depressed housing market we had an offer within a week of putting the house on the market and through all the negotiations lo and behold the offer held and the house was sold.  I have a sneaking suspicion my mother in particular was behind the quick sale of the house.  She loved to write checks to her children.  They were small as my parents did not have much in material goods, but large considering that same fact.  Here was her last chance to write a dream check to each of her four children.  Again it's not a grandiose inheritance but considering the simplicity of their lives it is quite the accomplishment on their part and it is a significant contribution to each of us. 

The day after the closing my brother wrote an inheritance check for each of us as the executor of the estate.  (This little job I am sure he is happy to be rid of.  It's the equivalent of walking a tight rope in a circus act with a bowl of eggs on your head.)  I took the check to the bank and deposited it.  I put the deposit receipt on my desk and last night as I was clearing off and sorting through the unruly stack of whatever that had accumulated over the past month or so, I found the receipt.  I cannot throw it away.  It is sacred.  It represents so much more than the $$ amount printed in pale blue ink. I hold it in my hand and see my parents' sacrifices, the simplicity of their lives, the lack of hold that material possessions had on them.  I discern the love they had for each on of their children - each one unique and loved uniquely by them.   It represents their great charity and service to others.  Though they had little, what they did have was mostly shared with this or that person in need.  When they died there was little in their checking and savings accounts, their funerals were paid for, only a few medical bills were left and their house was the inheritance left for their children.  I wrote a note in a card and put the receipt inside and filed it away with my keepsakes.  Thank you Mother and Daddy.  I love you.

Fun on the tramp!

Ella, Oliver, Camille, Madeleine, Graham, Abi, Townsend having fun at Nana's.

Charles Otto Crumley and Edythe Kathryne Lundberg

For those of you who are interested, Charles Otto Crumley and Edythe Kathryn Lundberg are Grandma Frey's parents.  Their family story is one of love and tragedy and a witness that life and good things always somehow rise from the ashes.  I have created a blog containing all the information I have on their family.  http://crumley-lundberg.blogspot.com/   If you sign up as a follower you will get the new posts as they come along.  The goal is to follow their families back and get all photos and stories online.

Family baseball game...

Divide into teams - ready to go!

Oliver tries to steal home.

Abi gets a lesson in hitting.

Madeleine is waiting for her turn at bat.

Kevin is looking for a home run hit.

Go Ella!

Camille's the cheerleader.

Graham gets around the bases.

Caitlin is going to - oops strike #1.

Hey - t-ball's not so bad.

Towns says "Just wait until next year.  I'll show everyone up."

Caleb joins the family....

Caleb arrived on the scene in June.  He's grandbaby #9.  We are glad he is here!

"Wow - this is a new place."

Mom meets baby.  Hello there!

Yeah - he's here!

Baby is sleeping and Dad wishes HE were sleeping.

The siblings check out the newest addition.  Camille looks a little unsure.

Oliver gets a brother!

Ella and Caleb

Madeleine and Caleb - #1 checks out #5

"It's ok here - I think I'll stay."

Endorsements, endorsements, endor-orsements!

My two latest and greatest new products are:

The Swiffer (yes, Swiffer does it again!) duster is a light-weight magic wand with a little fluffy, fuzzy disposable attachment that picks up dust in every possible nook and cranny.  It's great for flower arrangements, (which are a nightmare to dust), pictures, nick-nacs or whatever.  Just swiff it around everywhere, poke it into hard to reach crevices and in just seconds you are done.  You can even do a little Snow White dance and whistle while you work.  When the fluffy part looks nice and dirty just toss it in the trash and and put on another one.  It's up there on the top of my list.

Windex has come up with their own disposable window washing system (copying the Swiffer success, no doubt).  For outdoor windows, Windex has some pre-soaped pads that you attach to handle which you can put on an expandable pole.  Simply spray your outside windows with the hose, wipe them down with the pad and spray again.  The windows will dry clean, clear and spotless!  No ladder, no squeegy, no sweat!  Each pad will do about 20 windows.

P.S. No I'm not being paid and I don't own stock in Proctor and Gamble and the S. C. Johnson corporation.