Scripture Power

This is one of those times when I know that I just have to sit down and write while it is fresh in my mind... now that the dust has settled.

Today was our Primary Sacrament meeting presentation. We worked for the first 8 1/2 months of the year towards this goal. As the 1st counselor in the Primary presidency it is my responsibility to *write* the script... but actually I just organize it... the children all write their own parts. We have monthly themes and during the year, as they give their talks in sharing time, I save their talks and that becomes their part in the Sacrament meeting presentation.

But the *meat and potatoes* of the presentation is ALWAYS the music. These wonderful songs will stay in their hearts for the rest of their lives, recalling the wonderful words of testimony.

The theme this year is *I Know the Scriptures are True*. We are given an outline from the General Primary, with a topic and song each month, but we are also given some discretion in adding songs. I knew that we needed to add *Scripture Power*. I love that song, mostly because it describes how the scriptures have blessed MY life.

I love the symbols of the *Sword of Truth* and the *Shield of Faith*. As I walked and sang last January I knew I NEEDED to get a *for real* sword of truth and shield of faith to use each time we sang the song. (they just so happen to sell them at Walmart! OK... I did add the lettering!)

A couple of weeks ago Brother Paul Bartholomew came and took photos of the children for our program cover. I then took the PDF file that I used to make the bulletin boards at the beginning of the year and cut and pasted all of the individual letters onto a digital ribbon to make tiny banners like we have in the primary room. (I spent one whole Sunday afternoon doing this)

The Junior Primary

The Senior Primary

Because I know the limitations of my little-girl-brain I always start early and have everything written and organized so that at the last minute I can just go on auto-pilot. I'm so grateful that I've learned how to deal with my learning/processing handicaps. I always make sure the children know that Primary is a safe place. We don't want anyone to feel stressed, anxious or uncomfortable. Each year we have children who struggle, just like little-Joanie used to, and I want them to know that I have their backs.

AND THE CHILDREN BLOOM AND SHINE

I'm so grateful to be with these wonderful children in Primary! They were wonderful, not only today, during the presentation, but during the two practices we had this last week. I'm blessed to work with wonderful sisters (and brothers) who love and teach these sweet spirits.

Traditionally Primary presidencies are call to serve for 3 years. Sadly, it was three years ago this week that we were called. Of course, nothing is set in stone but I am sad at the thought that I might not be with the children and that, likely, this was my last program.

I've set the bar high. I expect them to be reverent, to do their best and sing their hearts out... and you know what? They always do!

But here's the other thing... I will love to serve where ever the Lord needs me... because He's always right there with me.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Or Walk By Our Lilac Tree ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Lilacs will always hold a very special place in my heart. The smell transports me back to my little-girl days at our tiny home in Greenville. We had a huge (6-8" tall and 4-5" wide) lilac hedge that was right along the street in front of our house. There were also several more lilac bushes at the front corners of the house and down the east side.

For whatever reason my lilacs are glorious this spring! Perhaps the lilacs are appreciating this real spring; it is just that right uneven mix between balmy days and stormy days that we rarely get here.

I've always loved the Primary song My Heavenly Father Loves Me. As a child I only knew about lilac bushes, not lilac trees... I thought the song writer was a little mixed up. Now as an adult I've come to appreciate the beauty of a lilac tree or a less bushy bush.

The most wonderful thing about the the 6 lilac bush/trees that live here on my happy little quarter acre of heaven; only two of them are the same color (those shown in the photo above).

My Favorite Lilac

The Morning Breaks...

... the shadows flee.

That is how I feel this morning as I walked up to the Provo Temple. Seven weeks is just too long for it to be closed.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here as a patron and an ordinance worker. What a wonderful blessing in my life.

The dawning of a brighter day...

279- Raindrops on Roses

That dreaded day came... when I arrived at the Temple this morning they were removing the beautiful summer planting to replace them with sweet little primroses.

One of the things that doesn't get removed are the pink rose hedges that boarder the sidewalks. As I was leaving this afternoon between rainstorms I saw this...



Immediately the words from These Are a Few of My Favorite Things


Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things...

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.

091- April Fool!

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ I woke up this morning and what did I see?
Snow all over my apricot tree!!♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Spring didn't bring me such a nice surprise, blossoms dying right before my eyes! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ I could take an armful and make a treat... ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Well, you get the picture!



I'm not too hopeful about my apricot crop for this year. I wish that the planter of my trees had realized that this variety of apricot was too much of an early bloomer! Ah, well, there's always next year.


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077- Aloe Blossom

This is an aloe plant in bloom. I used to have a small aloe vera plant that grew in a sheltered area just outside my front door in Palmdale. It would bloom a couple of times each year... but this! THIS is an aloe blossom on steroids! It grows just up the street from Rosehaven Cottage in that place called spring!

I am awed by its beautiful color and sheer size!



We all know the healing properties of the aloe plant, particularly with burns; but it is also used for other herbal remedies. It calms and soothes.

Today I sang with my friend, Maureen (with friend, Vicki, accompanying!) at a funeral. I am so grateful that I am able to do this. We sang Abide with Me! I just love the words to this hymn.

I've thought about the healing properties of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the speakers said he'd been in the clutches of grief and felt the comfort of joy this week as they've prepared for his grandmother's funeral. How grateful I am that we have that calm soothing assurance and the hope of a glorious resurrection! How could we go on without it?

075- Porch Sitting

Late this afternoon I went up to friend-Vicki's house to practice some music. She is a marvelously talented musician... you know the kind; it just drips out of her fingers. When she plays the piano it just feeds my soul.

After practicing for the better part of an hour I got ready to leave; we stepped onto her south-facing front porch and into heaven! It was one of those heaven-sent early spring days that almost make you believe it's May 16 not March 16! She has two over-sized rockers that live there and they just begged us to *sit a spell* and visit.



Recently Vicki loaned me a couple of books; the topic quickly turned to Same Kind of Different As Me. (Briefly, it is the true story of Denver Moore, a black man from the *wrong side of the tracks* and Ron & Deborah Hall, devote Christians who are inspired to help the homeless. Denver is blessed with the gift of receiving messages through the Spirit that ends up blessing not only Ron & Deborah but other who are seeking the Lord.)

Since Vicki and I have both experienced difficult losses this was a very poignant story to discuss. Why would Denver receive these prompting on behalf of others? I was reminded again how much the Lord loves his children. The Lord is no respecter of persons. If you are obedient He will bless you. If you "earnestly covet the best gifts" He will "shew unto you a more excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:31) I just love that language earnestly covet!

This scripture (1 Corinthians 12) is the one that I randomly turned to just after Tony and Amanda's death (just a coincidence? I think not!). It filled me with a longing to be blessed with the gift "of discerning of spirits" (verse 10). Over the years, as I have prayed for this gift, and been obedient to the laws and ordinance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been blessed with that gift. No, I've never seen Tony and Amanda with my physical eyes, but I have felt their spirits come to give me comfort. What a rich and wonderful blessing.

Vicki and I sat for a good long spell; we talked, cried and enjoyed the warmth of the sun (Son). I am so blessed to have a dear friend like Vicki.

034- Heart-Break in 1st Grade

Miss Camille, best loved teacher in 1st grade, had a handsome visitor recently. Kevin, a talented musician, came to see his sweetie in action and to sing with the 1st graders. What no one counted on was that this little visit from Miss Camille's boyfriend would cause heartbreak in at least one little infatuated 1st grader!


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Oh, what a sad lesson to learn at such a tender age. But not all was heart-break... do I detect some twitterpated little girls? (Yes, and maybe even one big girl in this class!)



And how do I know all this? I was that proverbial fly-on-the-wall. I was there on the same day to help Miss Camille get ready for parent/teacher conference. I am so thankful that I am close enough to do this. And this time I'm also grateful for Miss Jamie's camera and my camera phone, because my big one was at home. Sad...

354- Light

Today was our Christmas program at church. The choir sang, beautifully, I might add. I am a firm believer in the saying that you work as if everything depends upon you and pray as if everything depends upon the Lord (which it does!) I've never been in a ward where there was so much talent and participation in choir.

The choir members have worked very hard, but I've also prayed for those unseen, yet heard, heavenly voices to join us in our praise of the Christ Child. My favorite is The First Noel/Pachebel's Canon. The music just speaks to my soul.

We had two speakers today interspersed with the childrens choir and the ward choir. One of the speakers was talking about the symbols of the season. Do you ever have something so obvious suddenly make sense to you? That was my experience today. The lights that we use to light our homes, yards and trees are a symbol of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.



How grateful I am for this wonderful time of year when we celebrate that marvelous event that has changed all of our lives.

353- O Tannenbaum

When I saw this lone fir tree with colored lights amidst all the white *faerie lights* I thought about O Tannenbaum...



And for those of you who would like the lyrics-

Deutsch
Tannenbaum
TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824
MELODIE: Volksweise (traditional)

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich
was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft
zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid
mich lehren.

If you want English you'll need to go here. ;)

347- O Holy Night

Today I had a wonderful Sabbath, made better by some extra special things... I got to sing with *my very own sister* in Sacrament meeting today! (But did I think to get a picture of us looking all musical and pretty... nope... I forgot!)



I was scheduled to sing a solo today but when Ann called Saturday afternoon to say their plans had changed, because of our snow storm, and could they spend the night and go to church with us I jumped on the opportunity to sing once again with my sister. We sang "O Holy Night"; one of my favorite Christmas hymns.

The arrangement I have comes from this book of Mom's costing $1 in 1949! After Mom passed away I asked if I could have this small book of music that we sang from and, then later, I sang from with Vivian when we moved back to Greenville after I was married.

One of our favorite things to do when we were growing up was to sing around the piano with Mom playing and the three of us (sisters) singing. It just gives me a warm feeling inside to remember those days. It reminds me of just how lucky I was to be born into a family where there was so much love and big sisters "who prayed for me!"

327- Show and Tell

So are you wondering why I have a picture of all these cute *ickle first's* bums? If you look very closely you will see my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top in the middle of all of them... and under it are half a dozen assorted quilts that I brought in for *Show & Tell*!

This is the second year that Miss Lewis has invited me to her classroom to show & tell about my quilts. The class has just completed a unit on quilts where they learned all the different shapes. I am always amazed at how much they know. Last year I even learned what a rhombus is! And this year I learned what a quadrilateral is! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?



I just love going into Camille's class. I love children! If I could go back and have a *do-over* (which I wouldn't- for so many reasons!!) I would make sure to get my teaching degree so I could work with these delightful little ones all the time.

After Miss Joanie's *show & tell* the children were off to singing time. Just down the hall is a kiva room where they have group activities. It has a nice rotunda ceiling and the sound is beautiful. Just imagine 175+ 1st graders singing their hearts out! One of the seven (yes, 7 first grade classes) teachers plays the piano beautifully! I set my quilt basket down in the hallway and stayed to listen to them sing... it really doesn't get much better than children singing; and I not ashamed to admit they made me cry!

284- Severe Tire Damnation!

I have a very funny nephew, (actually several of them) Josh. He loves to tell stories, use accents, be funny, raging, and make us laugh. During one of our visits he got going on the sign Severe Tire Damnation using an East Indian accent. He had all of us rolling. Now whenever I see one of these signs... I laugh, quote Josh, and laugh some more.


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But, you know, I'm struggling with the mental version of Severe Tire Damnation (I had an educator friend who used to refer to is as Minimal Brain Dysfunction... yeah, well, I'm having some maximal brain dysfunction!!) I've always struggled with my dyslexia but when I am under emotional stress (like after my children died) it gets really bad.

I've been struggling with some emotional issues lately, you know the kind, you have no control over the situation because it's not your choices that are causing the stress. I think I'm handling it pretty well, using my mantra of "It's ok! Because it has to be ok!", until I try to do something like: typing (my fingers won't type correctly), singing (I can't read the word and the music and make LOTS of mistakes), express myself to a group (say the wrong words, forget what I'm saying, etc) and then I realize that, no, I'm not dealing so well with the stress. I suppose that it is an emotional barometer that lets me know that subconsciously I'm not coping with the stress.

The good news is that I have an understanding family, I can laugh at my mistakes without thinking that I'm as stupid as I sound, and, yes, have a good cry... what else can I do?

127- Fount of Every Blessing

One of my favorite hymns is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I love the words, the tune, the harmony, the feeling but most of all the message.

"Here's my heart, O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above."