Because he's so darn photogenic, here's nearly three-year-old dreamboat Graham, eating some yogurt:
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Plowman Family Dinner/March 2019
On Sunday, it was our turn for family dinner at Mom's home in North Salt Lake. Italian dishes, including penne and garlic bread, were on the menu. We also celebrated our March birthdays (Jana, Jake, and Kate):
Because he's so darn photogenic, here's nearly three-year-old dreamboat Graham, eating some yogurt:
Because he's so darn photogenic, here's nearly three-year-old dreamboat Graham, eating some yogurt:
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Arbuckle Family Dinner/March 2019
Today, it was monthly family dinner for March out in Grantsville. Fortunately, the weather cooperated this time, and we were able to make the drive out and back with relatively few problems (unless you ask JB, and in that case, it was me singing along to songs from Saturday's Warrior, My Turn on Earth, and Sons of Provo to pass the time).
I got a chance to tour Nicole's and Spencer's home for the first time. While we were there, Alex showed off the new baby chicks that they are raising.
Here's a couple of hot chicks (get it? ha ha):
The menu was Navajo tacos. It had been far too long since I had eaten one of those. And for dessert, we enjoyed Nicole's chocolate peanut butter cake, which was delicious. So, it was a very enjoyable afternoon all together.
I got a chance to tour Nicole's and Spencer's home for the first time. While we were there, Alex showed off the new baby chicks that they are raising.
Here's a couple of hot chicks (get it? ha ha):
The menu was Navajo tacos. It had been far too long since I had eaten one of those. And for dessert, we enjoyed Nicole's chocolate peanut butter cake, which was delicious. So, it was a very enjoyable afternoon all together.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Grandpa's Funeral
A beautiful funeral service was held today in honor of JB's beloved grandpa. We congregated with her family members at the Centerville 3rd Ward building for the occasion. JB's brother Jeremy was one of the speakers, telling a number of great stories and memories of Grandpa.
After this, we journeyed to the Centerville city cemetery for the graveside service and found that the heavens were weeping for the occasion. Members of the U.S. Navy were there to give him a military memorial, and it's the first such one of these I've ever seen. I loved it.
Here's Grandpa's 21-gun salute, followed by the playing of "Taps" on the bugle:
... and the folding of the flag that draped his casket:
Our five-year-old nephew Tatum kept dry from the rain in part by wearing his dad's suit coat:
It was a beautiful day, one filled with many tears and a lot of laughter, as well. How grateful we are for our knowledge of the plan of salvation.
After this, we journeyed to the Centerville city cemetery for the graveside service and found that the heavens were weeping for the occasion. Members of the U.S. Navy were there to give him a military memorial, and it's the first such one of these I've ever seen. I loved it.
Here's Grandpa's 21-gun salute, followed by the playing of "Taps" on the bugle:
... and the folding of the flag that draped his casket:
Our five-year-old nephew Tatum kept dry from the rain in part by wearing his dad's suit coat:
It was a beautiful day, one filled with many tears and a lot of laughter, as well. How grateful we are for our knowledge of the plan of salvation.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Things Both Great and Small
In the October 2001 general conference of the Church, Pres. James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, gave a talk titled "Some Great Thing" in which he shared the following:
"We are all familiar with the Old Testament story of Naaman, the captain of the Syrian hosts, who was a leper. A little Israelite servant told Naaman's wife that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him. Naaman came with his chariot and horses to the house of Elisha, who sent a messenger to instruct Naaman, 'Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.'
"You younger boys know how it is when you show your hands to your mother: she'll tell you to go and wash! But Naaman was not a young boy. He was the captain of the Syrian hosts, and he was offended by Elisha's instruction to wash in the Jordan. So he 'went away in a rage.' One of Naaman's servants with a wise head remonstrated with him and said: 'If the prophet had bid thee [to] do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?' Naaman then repented and followed the counsel of the prophet. The leprosy disappeared, and 'his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.' 'Some great thing' in this instance was extraordinarily simple and easy to do."
Pres. Faust then went on to say:
"We do not prove our love for the Savior only by doing 'some great thing.' If the prophet personally asked you to go on a mission to some strange and exotic place, would you go? You would probably make every effort to go. But what about paying tithing? What about doing your home teaching? We show our love for the Savior by doing the many small acts of faith, devotion, and kindness to others that define our character."
That talk has stayed with me over the years. It has been on my mind these past few months while I've observed the prophet and other leaders of the Church ask its membership to do some things that ultimately are not that different from what Elisha asked of Naaman.
At the latest general conference in October, for example, Pres. Russell M. Nelson spoke of "The Correct Name of the Church," stressing the importance of using the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when possible and of avoiding the use of the term "Mormon Church."
Reacting to this, one Church member ranted on social media: "This is not the policy change you order up if you're conforming to the modern world. The modern world doesn't like long and gangly names that are confusing and ambiguous. Say 'the Mormons' and everyone knows who you're talking about. Say the now approved 'restored Church of Jesus Christ' and everyone says, 'What?'"
Well, in the first place, the Church has never at any point in its existence been about "conforming to the modern world," nor do I suspect it ever will. (And I thank my Heavenly Father for it!) In fact, I suspect the divide between the Church and the world will only continue to grow farther apart until the Savior comes again. Beyond that issue, however, it seems the point of this clarification (not a "policy change") sailed right over this person's head.
At the same general conference, Pres. Nelson also invited the sisters of the Church to take a 10-day fast from social media. I'm aware of several sisters who did so, including JB. (But I'll let her tell her own story of the things she learned by doing so.) Others, though, did not, and posted on (where else?) social media their reasons for being exempt from this challenge. It was October, once again, and was nearing election time when the prophet spoke on this, and I read the statuses of those who mentioned their need to raise their voices for democracy, smashing the patriarchy, and the like instead.
Speaking of November's election, as a third example of one of those small and simple things, the Utah Area presidency of the Church asked its members to oppose the passage of Proposition 2 in Utah, which was to legalize the use of medical marijuana in the state under certain conditions.
I read in The Salt Lake Tribune (where else?) this hot take at the time:
"The presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (sic) sent out a ... letter requesting that local Utah church leaders encourage THEIR congregations to oppose Prop 2, which would legalize medical marijuana in Utah. Not only does the church have no place inserting itself into political matters ... but they are also not listening to their membership and to the general public on the matter. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, 54% of people who identified as 'very active' in the church support the legalization of medical marijuana, and 74% of somewhat active Mormons said they supported it."
I got this letter (mentioned by the above writer) from the Utah Area presidency. If a Church leader asks me to do such a thing, it is good enough for me. I didn't vote to support the measure, but it passed anyway and was later amended by the state legislature. (That is also another story and not something I want to re-hash with this post, whatever your feelings on the matter may be.)
Some would call this "blind obedience," but I don't for a second. I obey because I have a testimony of the Church and that its head is the Savior, Jesus Christ. Following the counsel of my leaders has blessed me every time I have done so. And yes, one of those things was "go[ing] on a mission to some strange and exotic place," and I "ma[de] every effort to go."
We all have the choice, like Naaman, to obey or to "go away in a rage," even if it is a metaphorical one or one of indifference.
In the future, I expect the Church will continue to ask both small and "great things" of me, and I know that I will be blessed when I hearken to those things.
In concluding his aforementioned talk, I conclude this post with the words of Pres. Faust: "May we all be faithful in doing the day-to-day, ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things."
"We are all familiar with the Old Testament story of Naaman, the captain of the Syrian hosts, who was a leper. A little Israelite servant told Naaman's wife that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him. Naaman came with his chariot and horses to the house of Elisha, who sent a messenger to instruct Naaman, 'Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.'
"You younger boys know how it is when you show your hands to your mother: she'll tell you to go and wash! But Naaman was not a young boy. He was the captain of the Syrian hosts, and he was offended by Elisha's instruction to wash in the Jordan. So he 'went away in a rage.' One of Naaman's servants with a wise head remonstrated with him and said: 'If the prophet had bid thee [to] do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?' Naaman then repented and followed the counsel of the prophet. The leprosy disappeared, and 'his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.' 'Some great thing' in this instance was extraordinarily simple and easy to do."
Pres. Faust then went on to say:
"We do not prove our love for the Savior only by doing 'some great thing.' If the prophet personally asked you to go on a mission to some strange and exotic place, would you go? You would probably make every effort to go. But what about paying tithing? What about doing your home teaching? We show our love for the Savior by doing the many small acts of faith, devotion, and kindness to others that define our character."
That talk has stayed with me over the years. It has been on my mind these past few months while I've observed the prophet and other leaders of the Church ask its membership to do some things that ultimately are not that different from what Elisha asked of Naaman.
At the latest general conference in October, for example, Pres. Russell M. Nelson spoke of "The Correct Name of the Church," stressing the importance of using the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when possible and of avoiding the use of the term "Mormon Church."
Reacting to this, one Church member ranted on social media: "This is not the policy change you order up if you're conforming to the modern world. The modern world doesn't like long and gangly names that are confusing and ambiguous. Say 'the Mormons' and everyone knows who you're talking about. Say the now approved 'restored Church of Jesus Christ' and everyone says, 'What?'"
Well, in the first place, the Church has never at any point in its existence been about "conforming to the modern world," nor do I suspect it ever will. (And I thank my Heavenly Father for it!) In fact, I suspect the divide between the Church and the world will only continue to grow farther apart until the Savior comes again. Beyond that issue, however, it seems the point of this clarification (not a "policy change") sailed right over this person's head.
At the same general conference, Pres. Nelson also invited the sisters of the Church to take a 10-day fast from social media. I'm aware of several sisters who did so, including JB. (But I'll let her tell her own story of the things she learned by doing so.) Others, though, did not, and posted on (where else?) social media their reasons for being exempt from this challenge. It was October, once again, and was nearing election time when the prophet spoke on this, and I read the statuses of those who mentioned their need to raise their voices for democracy, smashing the patriarchy, and the like instead.
Speaking of November's election, as a third example of one of those small and simple things, the Utah Area presidency of the Church asked its members to oppose the passage of Proposition 2 in Utah, which was to legalize the use of medical marijuana in the state under certain conditions.
I read in The Salt Lake Tribune (where else?) this hot take at the time:
"The presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (sic) sent out a ... letter requesting that local Utah church leaders encourage THEIR congregations to oppose Prop 2, which would legalize medical marijuana in Utah. Not only does the church have no place inserting itself into political matters ... but they are also not listening to their membership and to the general public on the matter. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, 54% of people who identified as 'very active' in the church support the legalization of medical marijuana, and 74% of somewhat active Mormons said they supported it."
I got this letter (mentioned by the above writer) from the Utah Area presidency. If a Church leader asks me to do such a thing, it is good enough for me. I didn't vote to support the measure, but it passed anyway and was later amended by the state legislature. (That is also another story and not something I want to re-hash with this post, whatever your feelings on the matter may be.)
Some would call this "blind obedience," but I don't for a second. I obey because I have a testimony of the Church and that its head is the Savior, Jesus Christ. Following the counsel of my leaders has blessed me every time I have done so. And yes, one of those things was "go[ing] on a mission to some strange and exotic place," and I "ma[de] every effort to go."
We all have the choice, like Naaman, to obey or to "go away in a rage," even if it is a metaphorical one or one of indifference.
In the future, I expect the Church will continue to ask both small and "great things" of me, and I know that I will be blessed when I hearken to those things.
In concluding his aforementioned talk, I conclude this post with the words of Pres. Faust: "May we all be faithful in doing the day-to-day, ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)