Sunday Reflections

:: Relief Society ::
TFOT: To Acquire Spiritual Guidance - Elder Richard G. Scott

Were you to receive spiritual guidance just for the asking, wyou would become weak and ever more dependent.
Spirituality yields to fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it.
God answers prayer and gives us spiritual direction when we live obediently and exercise the required faith in Him.
It's never a waste of time to serve Heavenly Father.
Satan is extremely good at blocking spiritual communication by inducing individuals, through temptation, to violate the laws upon which spiritual communication is founded.
Children learn more when you are having fun with them.
When we take the Sacrament, we take upon us the name of Christ which means we will be doing everything in our lives as if Christ were doing it.

:: Sunday School ::
The Creation
There are three accounts of the Creation: Abraham, Moses, and Genesis.
Moses saw the power of God. He also saw Satan and knew he was not a God. He had to overcome Satan.
We won't be ready to be Gods, yet, when we are resurrected.
Seven Days of Creation:

1. Matter organized; darkness and light
2. Water; Firmament
3. Dry land; Plants
4. Sun; Moon; Stars
5. Fish; Fowl
6. Animals; Man
7. Rest
Science and Religion will never look at the creation the same because science in a method, not and understanding Science does not look for the truth; it is always open to change.

:: Sacrament Meeting ::
Thoughts from Talks
We are a covenant people. We (covenantees) have made covenants with God (covenantor).
To keep our covenants, we must make good choices. God can't make our choices for us.
Our choices effect us as well as others. Private choices are not private - they have public consequences.
Be keenly aware of our obligations as a covenant people.

Having a place to to is home.
Having someone to love is family.
Having both is a blessing.
We don't need to know and understand everything about technology to use it. God works the same way.
We can't skip the steps of learning.

Elder Scott: "My dear wife died over eight years ago, and I love her even more today."
I've learned more about marriage in the two years since my wife has been gone than in the 38 years we were together. I am so greatful for eternal marriage.

Choir Notes

Riders on the Earth Together
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4192

The turbulent year of 1968 ended on an inspiring note with the spectacular space flight of Apollo 8. It was the first manned mission to orbit the moon, and as the astronauts looked out of their vessel into space, they suddenly caught sight of the earth rising over the moon’s horizon, “a blue and white orb sparkling in the blackness of space, in contrast to the dead lunar surface in the foreground.”1

People at home saw our amazing planet in television images and photographs and marveled at what they saw. The poet Archibald MacLeish was so moved that he wrote in the New York Times, “To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold—brothers who know now they are truly brothers.”2

We don’t need to see our spinning planet from afar to remember that we all share this earth as our home. Yes, we live in different communities in different climates; we cherish different cultures and beliefs; we have different expectations. But we are each part of the great human family, and like any family, we’re happiest when we live by certain universal principles—when equality and fairness govern our actions, when charity and compassion motivate our efforts, when goodwill and generosity guide our attitudes. A little more of each of these virtues can make a world of difference.

This truth is expressed simply but beautifully in a lyrical paraphrase of John Donne’s memorable meditation:

No man is an island;

No man stands alone.

Each man’s joy is joy to me;

Each man’s grief is my own.

We need one another,

So I will defend

Each man as my brother,

Each man as my friend.3

1 John Noble Wilford, “On Hand for Space History, as Superpowers Spar,” New York Times, July 14, 2009, D1.

2 In New York Times, July 14, 2009, D1.

3 Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer, “No Man Is and Island.”

Laundry Time Saving Tips

Sort before you wash. Get at least two hampers, labeling one “whites” and one “darks.” When you're finished with clothes, put them in the right hamper and save yourself the trouble of sorting before you wash.

Put a stain stick in each bedroom, next to the hamper. That way, whenever you or one of your children is undressing, you can pre-treat a stain before it really sets (and you don't have to fish through and try to find the stained item later.

Keep a laminated copy of a stain remover chart (listing how to get lipstick, blood, chocolate, dirt, etc., out of clothes) next to the laundry detergent.

When folding laundry, bundle related items together for quick grabbing by rolling or folding them together. This might include bundling together full sets of gym clothes, underwear, and bed linens.

Subway Art Gallery Opening

Separate Checks

When paying extra on a car note or mortgage payment, it's a good idea to write two separate checks.

You can include the extra check in a separate envelope with the regular payment, but make sure you write "principle only" in big, bold letters on the envelope and on the check. Also, include the account number in the notation line at the bottom of the check.

Some companies use payment booklets that have a box specifically for entering any amount you want applied directly to the principle. This method is okay, too. Just make sure you keep a good, solid record of the monthly and overall amount you've designated to be applied only to the principle.

Follow these guidelines and you'll be much less likely to run into a sticky situation because some bozo threw the check into an escrow account or chalked it up as a pre-paid payment!

Bwhahahaha

Finding Your Place

Pointing Finger Bookmark

Neslte Crunch Hotline

This is hilarious!

Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051.
When you are asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish,
just wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile.
Promise!
Keep going and press 4. Listen to the options...then press 7.
Try not to laugh outloud because it will confuse the computer.

Julia Child's Brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.

Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don’t set from the heat.

Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.

Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.

When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.

Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.

Cut into the center at about the 23-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they’ll be perfect if they’re just barely set and still pretty gooey. They’re still awfully good on the other side of set, so don’t worry if you miss the moment on your first try.

The brownies will keep, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. These never freeze solid, so you might want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream.

Sunday Reflections

:: Relief Society ::
Our Heavenly Father

Creation is making something from matter. Matter can be organized and reorganized, but there has to be an organizer.
There are laws of matter that we call miracles.
Everything testifies that there is a God, including our bodies, the Holy Ghost, answers to prayer, the resurrection, and the restoration of the Gospel.

God is omniscient - He knows all things; he knows us.
God obeys all the laws.
Fear and doubt are Satan's tools, not God's. There needs be an opposition in all things.

God will compensate us for our suffering. Life isn't fair, right now, but, in the end, it its.
We need to have the faith to acknowledge God's existence in ourselves.

:: Sunday School ::
Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born
Foreordination: pre-mortal patriarchal blessing "with teeth."
Predestination = no agency.
We don't come into mortality as a blank page.
Foreordination is the acceptance of assignments.
Discernment generates the judgment.
We need to see each other through Heavenly Father's eyes.

:: Sacrament Meeting ::
Thoughts from Talks

Mother Teresa: "I know god trusts me, I just wish He wouldn't trust me so much!"
To endure is everything.
Christ doesn't point and say, "Go hither," he goes first and says, "Come, follow me!"

Our own needs are met when we serve others.
How will they know if we we don't teach them so?

Knowing the truth makes us free. Free from darkness, doubt, evil, and fear.

Choir Notes

The Thinking Man
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4191

There is an old West African tale about a man who, more than anything else, wanted to be rich. He devoted his every thought to that endeavor and became quite successful in his quest to amass a great fortune. Nevertheless, his success came with a heavy price, for when at last he had reached his goal, he discovered that he was utterly alone. His wife and children had left him. The only friends he had were those who kept a greedy eye on his fortune. This terrible realization weighed so heavily upon him that he could not think of anything else.

To this day throughout this region of Africa, vendors in the marketplace sell wooden statues that represent the rich man who lost so much. In Ghana they call him the “Thinking Man,” because for the remainder of his days all he did was contemplate the riches he had lost as a result of his greed.

Every culture throughout the world has its own, similar stories that caution against the pursuit of wealth at the expense of honor, family, and integrity. Certainly, money is not evil by itself—if used wisely, it can relieve distress, provide hope, bring healing, and offer opportunity and growth. But when we begin to love money so much that the pursuit of it becomes the chief measure of our life, we lose something more precious than anything money can buy.

When we are tempted to get caught up in the search for worldly wealth at the expense of those things of lasting importance, perhaps it would be wise to remember the story of the Thinking Man and consider that sometimes the pursuit of more can actually lead to less.

Bwhahahaha

Vitamin D

Summer is the time of sun and, with exposure to the outdoors, you can reap the benefits of an important vitamin—Vitamin D. While the main source for vitamin D is sunlight, some individuals, like children and pregnant women, require more, which they can get through supplements such as vitamin D milk or prenatal vitamins. Here are some of the functions and facts about vitamin D.

• It promotes calcium absorption, making it crucial in bone formation and preventing osteoporosis.

• Children with vitamin D deficiency may develop rickets, a softening of the bones characterized by bowed legs. This problem is common in developing countries.

• Vitamin D has also been found to help protect against a number of diseases, such as autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis), multiple sclerosis, and colon, breast, and prostate cancer

• Researchers have recently found that there is widespread vitamin D deficiency in the United States, likely resulting from decreases in milk consumption and more sun protection.

• If you don't want to risks associated with sun exposure, make sure to get vitamin D in your diet. Good dietary sources of vitamin D are milk products, egg yolks, and fish (catfish, salmon, sardines, and tuna).

The last time I visited the doctor, a blood test revealed that everything was A-OK with me except I had no Vitamin D, even though I do drink a lot of milk. I now take one of these everyday...

Natural Energy Boosters

Instead of caffeine, try some of these natural energy boosters to avoid that exhausted feeling:

Jump out of bed in the morning...

Instead of grudgingly throwing off the covers, get up fast. Jumping from bed as opposed to hesitantly edging out provides you with an immediate burst of energy to start your day off right.

Drink more water...

Water keeps the sinuses hydrated and blood pressure normal, preventing headaches. Since muscles are 70% water, your muscles will be stronger and function better. Stronger muscles equals more energy to get things accomplished during the day.

Move it...

Get your blood flowing in the morning with a walk around the block or half an hour on the treadmill. When you get moving early in the day, you boost your metabolism which gives you tht extra energy kick you're looking for. When you hit that middle-of-the-stupor, pull yourself out it with a brisk walk.

Alternate showers between cold and hot...

Alternating the temperature of your shower increases metabolism and boots circulation, ridding your body of lethargy and giving you the pep you need. Taking a short bath at the end of the day can also hep to recharge your batteries and give you energy to finish the day.

Eat an apple...

Eating an apple in the morning can help wake you up. The chewing action required and the monosaccharide sugars that move right into your bloodstream get your body working fast.

Start a new hobby...

Try something as simple as joining the neighborhood tennis team, sewing, or learning to play an instrument. The thrill of getting out of the old routine provides an extended adrenaline rush and a new medium for excitement.

Show those pearly whites...

Laughing releases the chemical serotonin into your brain, reducing stress hormones and boosting your immune system. Intense laughter can provide a total body workout, and it's fun.

Spice it up...

There is no herb that increases blood flow faster than cayenne, and more blood means more oxygen coursing through your body giving your metabolism a big boost. Add cayenne to your meals or take a supplement that contains it.

Go outside...

Whether you garden, hike, bike ride, ski, skate, or play with the kids, escaping to the outdoors gives you a chance to breathe int he fresh air and rejuvenate. Planning a day away from the television and telephone will do wonders for your mood and fre you from those sluggish feelings that come from being trapped inside.

Take a 26-minute power nap...

Who says naps are just for kids? NASA did a study that showed pilots' performances improved by one-third after a twenty-six minute snooze. Naps over thirty minutes are harder to wake from and can make you groggy afterward. If you can't get away for a nap during the day, make sure to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night.

via Jenni Gasparrini

Wordless Wednesday

Grandma's Mustard Plaster

For centuries mustard plasters were the tried and true home remedy for the flu, coughs, colds, pneumonia and many other ailments. It was used regularly up until the not too distant past since this poultice was thought to sweat out all the “ills” the body held.

As more pleasant cures and remedies came on the market, use of the poultice went down in popularity. This can be an uncomfortable home remedy (from the heat it generates) but it was believed that the poultice knocked sense back into the body and does a good job drawing out all the “gunk” flus and congestion bring with them (of course this isn’t a 100% guaranteed cure, but IMHO it’s one tough gangster bug that laughs off a mustard plaster).

Mustard Plaster Recipe

4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons dry mustard
Water (lukewarm)

Directions:

• Mix the dry mustard and flour together then add the water to make a paste. The paste should be smooth and easily spreadable but not too thin so that it runs or is watery.
• Take a clean flour sack towel and spread the mustard paste evenly across top half (one side only), fold up the bottom half of the towel and apply poultice to chest area. Do not apply mustard paste directly to skin or it may cause blistering. Cover with a fresh towel then top with a heavy blanket to encourage sweating (the fresh towel protects the blanket from any staining). If needing a large size poultice, cover an entire flour sack towel with the mustard paste, then top with another flour sack towel (or make two separate poultices).
• Leave plaster on for up to 20 minutes, remove if skin turns deep red and is in danger of blistering. If using on children, watch tender skin carefully (not to be used on children under school age unless directed by doctor). Some reddening is normal as heat & circulation is being drawn to the surface.
• Remove plaster, wash skin with a warm cloth to remove traces of mustard that may have seeped through, dry and apply a layer of lard or vaseline over the skin.
• Next apply to back for same amount of time or until danger of blistering appears, again covering with a heavy blanket and following procedure above.
• This poultice can be reapplied every 4 to 6 hours as needed.
• A warm bath or shower can bring some comfort to the patient after treatment, but they must be supervised at all times due to their weakened condition from the illness (not left alone for even a minute). This is standard care in all cases of illness.

Tips:

• Some recipes recommend applying a layer of vaseline on the skin before laying on the mustard plaster cloth, this apparently helps prevent any blistering…however, still “peek” at the skin every few minutes to watch. It is also thought that by using egg white instead of water to mix the paste, there’s some protection against blistering.
• Flour sack towels are a cotton tea towel. If you don’t have any, you can apply this paste to an undershirt or some other thin fabric like flannelette. For children, a cotton terry towel can be used.
• The mustard/flour ratio can be adjusted if necessary to accommodate lower tolerance levels (it can get uncomfortable), but remember the purpose is to draw heat (and the illness) to the surface.
• This stuff is no joke–you really do need to watch for blisters, especially on tender skin. Do not fall asleep with this on–set the alarm clock if you’re treating yourself (for 5 minute intervals).
• Along with colds & flus, mustard plasters were also used for sore muscles, arthritis, treatment of back pain, poor circulation and gout (and many more things I’m sure). Simply apply the poultice to the area afflicted.

For Your View Enjoyment:

Decongest the Baby

Now that we made it through the H1N1 flue season, the regular cold and flu season is here, and you really shouldn't give your baby a flu or cough medication for kids. The brutally short story for why the authorities have pulled these off the shelf for babies is two basic things - they don’t work, and (very rarely) they kill babies from bad reactions. Enough said.

So what are you gonna do for your miserable congested baby? For one thing, taking the baby into the shower with you is a wonderful tool. The hot water, steam and warmth really help loosen up the nasal passages. If you are not used to doing this, it works better if one person gets in the shower, and the other person hands in and out the naked baby. If you can breast or bottle-feed the baby in a warm bath with you, even better. At the apex of my kid’s most recent cold, I dragged a kitchen chair into the bathroom and after the shower and bath were done, I fed him sitting there in the steam while we were both wrapped in warm towels. It really helped him breathe, which in turn helped him eat, and thus helped him sleep. What a relief for us all!

Another easy idea is to elevate the head side of the mattress in your crib or co-sleeper. The safest way to do this is to place some books (phone books or text books are easiest) under one end of the mattress, between the mattress and the wooden platform that supports it. It works just as well as a "crib wedge" but costs nothing. A few inches (3 or 4, tops) will help the baby breathe and aids in sinus drainage. Just don’t space out in the middle of the night and put the kid down with their head on the wrong side - a very grumpy baby will be the certain result.

via Leigh G.

Sunday Reflections

:: Stake Conference ::
Adult Session Highlights:
Conference Theme: Righteous Patterns of Living for Eternal Families
Points of emphasis:
1. Strengthen faith in Jesus Christ and in the restoration of His Gospel.
2. Increase personal righteousness.
3. See the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
4. Emulate Christ in our daily lives.
5. Live the gospel more fully in our homes.
6. Enjoy the divine blessings of temple covenants and eternal life.

A father's priorities should be 1) Employment, 2)Family, 3) Church Calling, and 4) Self

Parents will be held accountable for the responsibility to to teach their children correct principles in a manner of love and righteousness.
Because of agency, we can choose for ourselves, but the consequences of our choices we do not get to choose.
If you make sure the back of the shovel is filled, the front will take care of itself.
A true friend will encourage you to become your best self.
If you don't have a plan, nothing happens.

Motto for missionary service: The Kingdom of God, or nothing.
The Lord needs adult missionaries.

We cannot expect temple blessing without temple attendance. It is possible to lose blessings due to non-attendance.
There is no ordinance in the church that is performed by one's self.
The temple is the Lord's house and he is there.

Have gratitude and appreciation for your heritage and what you learned in your growing-up years.
In your families, support one another in all things. Love one another.

General Session Highlights:
The Gospel can help overcome adversity.
Look at adversity with an eternal view.
Gain strength through overcoming adversity.
Trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

A mission is a spiritual boot camp.
Missionary work takes obedience, sacrifice, and diligence. Blessings far out-weigh the sacrifices.
Count your blessing before you decide to not serve a mission.

Over 4,500 people serve at the Provo Temple.

Everything that happens in the temple points to the Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement.
Christ has done everything, the rest is up to us.

Going to the temple once is like going to first grade for one day.
The temple is the Lord's home. He comes there frequently. He walks the halls and sees the faces of those who are there. He comes when the temple is busy, not when it is quiet.
In order for an ordinance to be valid, it must be performed and it must be recorded.

Some hear the voice of the Prophets and follow; some do not. some listen, but do not hear.
Good communication is essential in our families, but it should not be used to impose, command, or embarrass.
Listening is an important part of loving. Listening requires individual attention. Ask meaningful questions, and then listen compassionately. Learn to listen, then listen to learn from your children. You can learn more from your children than when you talk to them.
Heavenly Father has ears to hear our prayers. He is more apt to listen if we are keeping his commandments.

What goes on inside of the temple is what is important, not the building it self.
When we have faith in the Lord and follow His commandments, we reap the blessings and also the heartaches.
The eternal sealing of faithful parents will save themselves and also their posterity.

Pattern our lives after the righteousness in the life of the Savior:
1. Christ's pattern of self-discipline
2. Christ's pattern of service
3. Christ's pattern of steadfast testimony of who He was and His purpose
4. Christ's pattern of selfless sanctification
5. Christ's pattern of complete submission to Heavenly Father's will

Choir Notes

Keep Both Feet in Today
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4190

It has been wisely noted that having one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow is a rather unstable position. The best way to face the future, it seems, is to keep both feet in today.

We can’t spend too much time looking back, because too much still lies ahead. And we can’t live only in the future, or we’ll miss out on today’s happiness. We need to live fully in the present and savor every moment, knowing that in the coming years we’ll be longing for the days we have right now. Indeed, the “good ole days” are not in the past; they are right now.

Our ancestors each had their hard days and heartache, we have ours, and our descendants will all have theirs. The process of life is to go forward in the present, with the past behind us and the future ahead of us.

“We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence,” said Thomas S. Monson. “And so [we] ask, ‘What are we doing with today?’ . . . Have we been guilty of declaring, ‘I’ve been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step—tomorrow’? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today."1

With that in mind, now might be a good time to reevaluate our goals and aspirations, rethink our direction and purpose in life, and refocus our efforts and energy on worthwhile endeavors. The present becomes the past in a moment, so before it does, make the most of it. The future, which is really just the unfolding present, is bright for those who take the time, as the proverb counsels, to “ponder the path of [your] feet."2

1 “May We So Live,” Ensign, Aug. 2008, 7.

2 Proverbs 4:26.

The Music Stopped

For those who are unaware, at any military theater, the National Anthem is played before every movie.

This is written from a Chaplain in Iraq :

I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start. But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq .. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here. Remember them as they fight for you.


Written by: Chaplain Jim Higgins
LSA Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad