President Monson Breaks Ground for Rome Italy Mormon Temple

What Does Wrinkles Have To Do With Vanity???

 To set the scene; my husband and I were in a hotel room getting ready to attend a funeral and I was putting on my make-up. The hotel bathroom had a very strong magnifying mirror for helping to comb the hair and do the makeup. I commented to my husband that I didn't like getting old. I was noticing that my face was getting more and more wrinkles. He took my face in his hands and said: "That's right I can see at least 14 more wrinkles. You could name them after your children." I laughed at that; but maybe he had a point. I am sure some of those wrinkles were caused by some of my children. If I added all of my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren I would have 45 wrinkles to name. That actually sounds like a chore and would probably create more wrinkles.

OK, I would say that almost all women have a little bit of vanity in them. Perhaps, I should share a little bit about my sweet mother who was so beautiful and always looked good throughout her life. She  was married and raised her family during the 30's, 40's and 50's. In that era it was expected and I do say expected that when a husband came home from work he was met at the door by his gorgeous wife; hair perfect, makeup on, dressed in a dress with a clean apron on. He then was escorted into the kitchen where the meal was prepared and served in the finest manner. The children were also at the table with clean hands and faces. No arguments were allowed at the dinner table, only polite conversation.The meal of course took the wife all day to prepare and was scrumptious. If for some reason the meal wasn't quite ready the wife would give him a kiss and send him into the Living Room to read the newspaper. Of course, this was the model; and I know there is realism to this story. However,I must say that my mother pretty much fit this description to a tee. She had her hair done by a hairdresser her entire life. She would never be caught dead without her makeup on and she always looked nice when my dad came home from work.

The other night I was putting on some Pond's cold cream to clean my face. All of a sudden I could see my Mother in the mirror; it hit me like a lightening bolt; I am just like my Mom! I remember her putting on her face Pond's cream and I couldn't imagine how my Dad could even kiss her face at night. However, I must admit my mother had very smooth skin her entire life. Of course, age wrinkles were there; but not as much as some. The other thing she did was wrap her hair in toilet paper to preserve the curls and sleep on a silk pillowcase. What fond memories these are. 

My mother came to live with me for the final months of her life. We had a huge 90th birthday party for her and I remember well helping her with her makeup and her getting upset because I didn't do her eyebrows quite right. About three weeks before she passed away; she was very weak and didn't get up very much. On most days she would usually sleep until noon; so on Sunday I would leave her so I could attend meetings. On this one Sunday she had gotten up earlier and I made her comfortable and told her I would come home in between meetings to see how she was doing. I was sure she would fall back to sleep. When I arrived home and came through the door she yelled out at me and said: "LeAnn, I have been watching an info-commercial on Sheer Coverage Makeup; is it a good make-up." I replied: " Yes Mom, it is a good makeup; in fact that is what I used for makeup on your face for your Birthday party." She then said: "Why don't you order me some." I replied that I had plenty left. I had to laugh a little just thinking about that she was still worried about how she looked and she was 90 years old. I must admit that I was grateful for a Mother who cared about how she looked and wanted to look her best. Some would say that my Mother was vain; I think she was just beautiful inside and out and taught me the importance of looking my best and caring about the body that I have been blessed with. Yes, I am over weight a bit; and I wish I wasn't growing old; but I think my Mother proved that growing old is in the eye of the beholder; that you can always look your best and care for yourself no matter what age you are. Of course, I will continue to put Pond's cream on my face; and I can assure you my husband will still give me a good night kiss. Yes, I have wrinkles; but I have earned them and I think I might name a few of the large ones after my children who are such a blessing in my life.

IN AMERICA CHURCH AND STATE WERE NEVER FULLY SEPARATED -

TIRED BUT HAPPY - I STAYED ON TASK!

 Sammy, 2 years and SueSue 6 years -

Friday, October 15, 2010 - Journal Entry

OK, I do know that I am a side tracked home executive; which means that I have a lot of plans that change minute by minute because I can't seem to stay focused on one thought or thing at a time. Today was good. I stayed on one task way too long but finished the day with my agenda crossed off. Highly unusual day for me.
First of all I got up early to get dressed and take my two adorable dogs Sammy and Sue Sue to be groomed. As usual I was time challenged, which means I was running late. I of course I believe that to be late for an appointment is rude. I have a very dear daughter who is always late to everything. She never wears a watch and therefore she doesn't know what time it is. While her husband was in Iraq she lived with us with her four daughters. In order to get her to church on time, which actually only happened a few times during the 18 months; I put a clock in every room and that didn't help very much. One day I was talking with my Aunt Alene who is 89 years old. I was discussing with her the challenge of trying to be on time to events and I told her about my daughter's timing issue. She replied that it was probably hereditary.  Apparently, my great grandmother would ask my parents and my Aunt to travel with her from Sigurd, Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah to spend a few days there. She would ask them to come down on a Friday so they could leave on Saturday but they wouldn't leave until Monday because it would take her that long to pack. Oops, there I go again side tracked and off my original thought. I guess this lateness thing is hereditary for me too; but at least not all the time.

Back to the dogs; as I was trying to get them into the car I had them both on leases, plus I was holding my car keys, purse and a glass full of my protein breakfast. As I leaned over to pick Sue Sue up; I spilled my drink all over my purse, keys and the garage floor. Of course, I had to clean it up so I was major late along with being hungry.  

My next destination was to go to Kohl's to look for a new tablecloth and a fall decorative item or two. At Kohl's I found a table cloth that I wanted but of course they didn't have it in the right size. I then traveled to J.C.Penney's and again  found the one I liked but not in the right size. That was strike three for me by now most people would have cut their losses and gone home; but I was determined to complete this task. I went to Target, no luck. I took a quick trip to Hobby Lobby and found the decorator pieces I wanted.  I thought to myself; perhaps I should go across town to the other mall and go to the Kohl's store there, which I did and they didn't have anything that I liked. Oh well, another J.C. Penney's wasn't too far away so I drove to the other mall. I looked all over for tablecloths and then decided that I would ask where the tablecloths were and the salesperson informed me that their J.C. Penney's didn't carry any of those kitchen items but all their other stores did. How lame is that?  I continued to walk the entire mall going into Macy's and Dillard's and of course they are at opposite ends. At Dillard's I found a beautiful  70 in. round tablecloth, it was only $80.00; I thought you have got to be kidding. Well no luck at that Mall but I did get plenty of exercise walking from one end to another.

As I was pulling out of the Mall, I noticed a Bed Bath and Beyond store across the street and finally found the perfect tablecloth. Wow, the day was saved. It was only $20.00 so I left feeling like I had found a bargain.  I quickly returned home after four hours of shopping and driving. My dear husband's only comment was, "You could have ordered a tablecloth online and saved the price of gas and been ahead." I told him I was enjoying the moments.

Also, I had originally planned to clean my kitchen floor with emphasis on cleaning the tile and grout. Usually, I would have just taken a nap after a day of shopping; but this was on my schedule. I knew it would take me at least an hour on hands and knees, so I ate a quick lunch and dug into the chore. It was harder than I thought  but I was determined to complete the task.  After wards, my kind husband volunteered to vacuum and dust the upstairs for me. I felt  so blessed. I am pretty sure his motive was due to the fact he had a meeting scheduled in our home. He could see there was no way I was going to get through with cleaning all of the house in time. I finished cleaning the bathrooms in between doing laundry and folding clothes. I then decided that I should bake some cookies for his meeting; so I got busy doing that. It was a rush by then to complete this task, fix dinner and have the kitchen area cleaned up before his meeting. 

Shortly after the meeting started my Grandson and granddaughter in law and my sweet adorable great granddaughter came for a visit. We went downstairs and visited and my husband soon joined us and we had a delightful time with them. 

At the end of the day I was tired but so happy that my goals were completed. I stayed on task for the day; miracles do happen.

I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything else. I may not have good multitasking and timing skills; but I found joy in the moments of this day!

HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU?

 When it is conference time, I reflect on the messages and ask myself; where am I in my relationship with my Heavenly Father, my Savior, Jesus Christ, my Eternal companion and my family? Am I following the Prophet and Apostles of today? Here are some questions and quotes that I would like to share on this subject.

REFLECTIONS

Have you ever yearned for happiness?

Are there places in your heart that are empty or filled with doubt?

Is there something that you long for that the world cannot satisfy?

 Have you ever felt inadequate?

Are there days when you wonder if you have anything to offer?

Have you ever wished there were someone who really knew you?

How have you learned to discover Christ in the everyday moments of your life.

When he comes to offer relief, do you recognize him?

Have you let the Savior begin to help you recognize your weaknesses?

What are you willing to give up to know Christ?

Have you placed your burdens at his feet?

When healing comes, do you remember to rejoice?

What are you certain of about Christ?

What do you know of Christ?

Where is the well that you visit daily?

How thirsty are you?

- By Emily Freeman from the Book, "The Woman At The Well"

"Where there are prophets of God, there will be found rivers of living water. Do we fill our buckets from the well of living water at General Conference? Do we attend sacrament meetings weekly and partake of the sacred emblems, living water that quenches spiritual thirst? In our family home evenings and private study, do we drink deeply? Or do we take just a sip from the cup and travel on sometimes thirsty and weary, despondent and discouraged." - Elder Bruce R. McConkie

" I cannot stress enough the importance of listening to and following the prophet and apostles. In today's world, where 24 hours a day television and radio commentators spew forth conflicting opinions, where marketers compete for everything from your money to your vote, there is one clear, unpolluted, unbiased voice that you can always count on. And that is the voice of the Living Prophet and Apostles. Their only motive is "the Everlasting welfare of your souls." - Elder M. Russel Ballard

How Thirsty Are You?

NEED ANSWERS FOR OUR DAY AND TODAY FOR ME!

 As you know all of us are going to experience many different kinds of struggles, trials, opposition and etc. Just today I found out that my son has been laid off from his job. He has a family of 6 children still at home. Another son also has his job hanging in a precarious balance of possible job loss and he also has a family of 6 children. As usual I am in a prayer mode for all 6 of my children and their families. If I could list each of their struggles it would amount to a lot of deep concerns. We as parents will always face struggles and difficulties that come about because of the times we live in. I guess my greatest desire would be to be an example of faith in Heavenly Father's plan for each and everyone of us and in that comes the decision although hard at times to accept the Lord's will. I know that prayers are heard, prayers are answered and comfort and peace will come.

My dearest friend Toni sent me this as an email from her new Stake Relief Society Presidency. It brought deep comfort to my soul on this day. These thought are from Sister Beck in the April 2010 CR. I pray that as you read this you too will find comfort in the answer to the question.

How does a woman in our day find answers to her own questions and stand strong against opposition and difficulty?

- It begins with a desire for the Lord's Spirit to guide us.
- It implies a certain degree of worthiness.
- When we do the right things, revelation can come hour by hour, moment by moment.
- Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend time in daily reading.
- Earnestly seek help through prayer.
- Being in the right places allows us to receive guidance.
- Keeping the commandments, repenting, renewing covenants leads to the blessing of always having His Spirit with us.
- We are told to put our trust in that Spirit which leads us "to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously."

We are told that this Spirit will enlighten our minds, fill our souls with joy, and help us know all the things we should do.
The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.
With personal revelation we can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

These excerpt from Julie B. Beck were given April 2010. 
My favorite scripture again is: "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; lean not on thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy path."
Proverbs 3:5-6

A LIFE SAVING MOMENT WITH THE SPIRIT!

How important is the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in our lives? 
Elder David A. Bednar answered this question in his Conference Address and I am looking forward to reading his message.
I have been thinking about the gift of the Holy Ghost a lot lately. I have recently been reading some articles on the Holy Ghost and also read a book on the Holy Ghost. In fact, I just recently copied the quote in this post a few days ago. I was very interested in the fact that the importance of the Holy Ghost in our lives was mentioned in more than one conference address this weekend. I have thus been pondering the following questions.
Am I receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost in my everyday life.
Am I too busy to hear?
 Am I taking time after prayer to ponder and listen for answers through the spirit?
 When reading the scriptures do I feel and listen to the spirit bring answers to my questions? 
Do I enjoy the feelings of the spirit in my service in the Temple?
Am I learning through revelation more about the temple and receiving answers to my life questions while there.
Am I acting quickly when I hear a prompting from the Holy Ghost?
Do I receive the feelings of the spirit with deep gratitude?
 Here is the quote I copied from a message by Elder James E. Faust, "The Gift of the Holy Ghost — A Sure Compass," Ensign, May 1989, 33
"In the marvelous experience of Brigham Young in February of 1847, when the Prophet Joseph appeared to him in a dream or vision, Brigham pleaded to be united with the Prophet. Brigham Young asked the Prophet if he had a message for the Brethren. The Prophet said: 'Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and to be sure to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the still small voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the Brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it.'
'"The Prophet further directed Brigham Young as follows: 'They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God' (Manuscript History of Brigham Young: 1846–47, Historical Dept., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pp. 528–31). 
"I testify that as we mature spiritually under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, our sense of personal worth, of belonging and of identity increases. I further testify that I would rather have every person enjoy the Spirit of the Holy Ghost than any other association, for they will be led by that Spirit to light and truth and pure intelligence, which can carry them back into the presence of God."
The Following is an experience with the spirit that I had many years ago.
A very important moment when the spirit spoke to me and the life of my son James was spared. 
At the time James, our third son was about six months old. We had invited some very dear friends, Jim and Jean to our home for Thanksgiving dinner. I had laid James down for an afternoon nap.
Here I am inserting some thoughts about my professional training. I was a trained Intensive Care Nurse and had just quit working a few months before James was born. I had many experiences where quick reactions were needed to save a life. 
While we were visiting with our guests I had the impression to go in and see how James was doing. As I tip toed in and I looked at James; I knew at that moment he was dead. He had the ashen gray look of death and he was not breathing. 
Instead of starting CPR; I reacted by calling out to my husband; please come now and give James a blessing. I knew that the spirit had spoken to my soul. As my husband and our friend Jim came into the room and placed their hands upon our son's head to give him a blessing; he immediately started to breathe again. This was a miracle; a true priesthood miracle. I know that this miracle was brought about by being sensitive to the spirit and then reacting quickly to the voice of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. 
This quote by the Prophet Brigham Young has had deep meaning in my life. There have been many occasions when I have obeyed the voice and also times that I have not. The blessings are there if we learn to heed and follow the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. 
As I kneel in Prayer each day, I asked my Heavenly Father to bless our children with learning to heed and follow the spirit in their lives and to teach their children how to feel and understand and know the spirit in their lives. 
We have feasted this weekend on the words of the Prophets, Apostles and other church leaders. I felt the spirit often when listening to their words. It is our responsibility to heed that spirit that we feel as it testifies to our souls that what we are hearing is true. We should therefore follow the Prophet and those leaders in doing what they counsel and making course changes if needed. 
I enjoyed the moments of this weekend and felt the Spirit testify to my soul that Jesus is the Christ, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, that the scriptures are true and that I need to follow the counsel of our prophets of today and most important that I learn to heed and follow more fully the voice of the spirit in my life. I have deep gratitude for the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. Just ponder for a moment the thought that if we are worthy we can have in our life on a continuous basis the Gift of the Holy Ghost; who is a member of the Godhood.