Reverently, Quietly

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Each Sunday, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. Regardless of your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

Recently, we discussed the role of the President of the Church and his calling to receive revelation for the church and world as a whole. While that is definitely a blessing in our lives, we also believe that we are blessed with receiving personal revelation, direct from Heavenly Father, through the gift of the Holy Ghost. Here's my post about that from January.

Rather than simply repeating myself, here are a few other resources that may give you a little more insight as to what personal revelation is:

Revelation

The Spirit of Revelation, a talk from Elder David A. Bednar during April 2011 General Conference

Eight Ways God Can Speak To You, a talk from Elder Dallin H. Oaks at BYU in 1981

Captain Organic Vegetable Man

So, farmers markets are rad, in case you didn't know. Fresh, usually organic fruit and veg, dairy and meat I can't afford (I'll grow an extra spleen from the growth hormones at supermarkets for now, thanks), and supporting local industry. Major wins in my book.

Here's today's haul:

Green peppers
Yellow cucumbers
Summer squash
Asian jewel melon
Eggplant
Tomato

Dinners are looking good for the next few days.

But what the heck do I do with an eggplant?

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's a holiday pardon me as I celebrate

This morning started out like any other day. I went to the gym and back home, got ready for my day, and headed into work. I'd been in my office just long enough to unpack all my food and check my email when I heard a boom and saw the power go out as a power line outside my window shook.

That's not a . . . good sign.

A couple smaller booms and flickers of electric sounds and it was clear something was up. I joined the other curious onlookers in my building on our landing to discover that a truck with an extendable rig on top had clotheslined itself on the power lines, taking down four power lines as it went.

Obviously, we were done with work for the day. Wahoo!

So, I went home and took a nap. Watched a silly chick flick while going about some online business (checking Google Reader, buying baseball tickets for next week). I've also done some dishes and made enough laundry soap to last me through March 2012.

Cheese curls? More like Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap.

And, as I write this, I still have an hour before I have to eat dinner and head to my other job. I think I'll read a book!

How's your Friday?

Soy un perdidor

Here's how that game turned out.

I lost by 156 points, but I got to play my own screenname on a triple word score on the left. As Cabeza gleefully exclaimed on my behalf, "Eponymous!"

Things are looking better in my new game against the lovely Snack, at least score wise.



Anyone want a U?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

ABC, easy as 123

So. Words With Friends. Basically, it's Scrabble on the iPhone (except that Scrabble now has an official app). I love it. I currently have five active games, and am losing all but one of them.

Still, I play on.

Words With Friends, like many table/board/card games is as much about luck as it is about strategy. It's all well and good if you have a decent vocabulary and know a thing or two about letter placement, but if you have a rack full of vowels, there ain't nothin' you can do except swap them (and lose a turn) or play them wherever you can.

Whenever I have a rack that includes an inordinate number of a particular letter, say O, and I wish I could pawn them off to my opponent, I feel like a back-alley trenchcoat wearing salesman.

"Hey. You. Wanna buy a O? I got lotsa good Os. Good prices."

Of course, as Cabeza pointed out, they're probably just cheap, knock-off Os made in China. So, today, when he offered to his sell his vowels, I laughed and turned him down, since I had just played "lobo" to get rid of two of my three Os.

Then this happened:

And it kept happening:

And now I'm losing and still have 5 vowels.

Of course, by the time I get some consonants, we'll have tiled ourselves into a corner or something. I do win my fair share of games, but sometimes the fates are against me.

In the meantime, "Psst! You lookin' for some vowels? Got lots of good vowels here."

But with joy, wend your way

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Each Sunday, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. Regardless of your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

On this day in 1847, the first company of Mormon pioneers, under the direction of President Brigham Young, arrived in the Salt Lake valley to settle a land of their own, away from the persecution of many non-believers in the East.

Over at least the next 20 years, Mormons migrated to Utah from all over the world in wagons, with handcarts, on foot, and eventually by train (the transcontinental railroad was completed in Utah). Many gave up all they had and lost even more on the way to make it to the Great Salt Lake Valley, yearning for the peace the Lord had promised and with which they were eventually blessed.

Some of my own ancestors were among their numbers, leaving Nauvoo in the dead of winter or sailing from England. A few didn't make it to see their promised land, but their effort and faith were rewarded in the next life.

It's become almost cliche in the church to, when discussing these 19th-century pioneers, to recognize the other pioneers in the church - those who did something first and brave in their one way. For example, my own father is a pioneer, as he was the first, and thus far only, member of the church in his family, joining as a young man. Cliche or not, they are still examples to us all, as we all have something we must do before anyone else we know.

I am grateful for all the pioneers. My ancestors. My family. My friends. It's because of them that I know I can do hard things, like my own cross-country trek to a land I'd never seen five years ago, though I had A/C and made it in three days and slept inside each night.

May we all find our own ways to be a pioneer and emulate those who have gone before.

You make the rockin' world go 'round

Things I learned from biking to work today:

• Choosing the hottest day of the summer to restart such a habit is a bad idea.
• Pack a complete change of clothes for work, and I mean complete.
• I need to find a way to air out the clothes I have to wear on the ride home.
• If I do an upper body workout in the AM, bike to and from work, and do yoga in the PM, I will be exhausted by 8:30 PM. 
• I am awesome.

God Bless Our Prophet Dear

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Each Sunday, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. Regardless of your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.


6We believe in the same ^aorganization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, ^bprophets, ^cpastors, ^dteachers,^eevangelists, and so forth. (AoF 1:6)

Most Christians, Jews, and even Muslims believe in prophets of ancient days - Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Mohammed. As Mormons, we believe in current, latter-day prophets. The man called as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also called as prophet, seer, and revelator. To date, there have been sixteen of these men, with President Thomas S. Monson currently filling that role.

But what does that mean?

By definition, a prophet is one who testifies of Jesus Christ, makes known God's will and character, and denounce sin and warn of its consequences.

A revelator is one who receives communication from God regarding His will for His children, including guidance, chastisement, and anything else the Lord needs us to know.

A seer can prophecy of future events, or is simply one with extraordinary moral and spiritual insight.

But can't many people testify of Christ, receive revelation, and possess such insight?

Of course!

However, only one man is ordained to be the prophet, seer, and revelator for the entire Church and even the world. The other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have priesthood keys to also act as such, but they must do us under the guidance of the President of the Church. A bishop may receive revelation for his ward/congregation, a father for his family, or a person for themselves, but only President Monson is ordained to receive and prophecy for us all.

I see a red door and I want to paint it black

Apparently, I have been in a mood to DYE ALL THE THINGS!

First, I dyed Cabeza's hair blue.

 

Sometimes people make us laugh while taking our picture.

Then, I dyed some cake.

Hooray for America!

And since we're talking about kitchen-y things, here's my latest kitchen toy

It has the capacity to mix the dough for 13 dozen cookies. Too bad that would take 5.2 hours to bake 13 dozen cookies in my tiny toaster oven, which doesn't even account for the taking them out of the oven time! Guess I'll just need a bigger oven.

Oh, and yes, Myrna, I work at a custard shop (continuing on the kitchen theme) part-time now - 10 hours a week. It's called The Dairy Godmother, and it's adorable. The food is pretty tasty too. If you can't come visit me in person, you can always check me out on the Custard Cam! It's like the PandaCam, only with less cuteness.

What's random in your life this week?

The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Each Sunday, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. Regardless of your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

Over a year ago, at least, a house on my street burned down. It was a tragic, early morning fire wherein two men died, and I can only imagine how the family must have grieved. A few, maybe several, months later, insurance and fire investigations must have been complete as the remains of the house were torn down and a new foundation was started.

And that's all that was there for another long set of months. I have to pass this house everyday and everyday I wondered if they'd done anything at all to the house, as any changes were imperceptible to my untrained eye. 

Then one day this week, I passed the house early in the morning on my way to and from the gym - nothing. A bit later, I drove by on my way to work and there were a few new trucks on the street that looked like walls, or windows maybe? Finally! Progress!

Little did I know just what the contractors had planned. I almost got into an accident that evening, as the lot now looked like this:

Not just frame and flooring, as I was expecting, but an actual house! With walls AND windows! All that time with just a foundation and now this beautiful building has sprung up in one day.

And I got to thinking about the foundations in our lives. If we, too, take the time to build a solid, sturdy foundation in our beliefs, relationships, and our lives in general, anything we build on top of it can go up even more quickly then we'd ever imagine and will be stronger for it. 

In the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our foundation is Jesus Christ.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)

Believing in Him has truly given me the foundation I need to get through the hard things in life. Sometimes I may feel like I'm headed for rock bottom, but as I do, He is there to catch me and lift me back up. For that, I am truly blessed. 

I've grown accustomed to her face

After posting yesterday's photos of my new hair, I started blog surfing my own blog (please tell me I'm not the only one who does that), and came upon this post from November. I considered the photo from then and the one from now and noticed a very distinct difference between the two. Check it out.

Okay, so my hair, makeup, clothes, and location are all different, but did you notice the jawline? The cheekbones? How you can see them!? (Pardon my hack and slash MSPaint editing of iPhone photos taken in bathrooms, but you can click on the photo to enlarge it slightly.)


SO. AWESOME. I can tell I've been successful with my new fitness regime in how I look, feel, and how my clothes fit, but to look at two profile shots with six months between the two? Great motivation to keep going!