Magic of Fireflies

 

I grew up seeing fireflies. When we moved to Washington state, I met people who have never seen them because fireflies don't live in this part of the country. I miss the magic they bring to a summer evening.

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“Alice’s breath stopped in her throat. The mountainside opposite was alive with light, a wall of glinting fairy lights, three-dimensional among the trees, winking and twinkling as they shifted, illuminating the shadows of the inky dark. … Alice couldn’t quite take in what she was seeing. The clouds parted and the fireflies glinted, mingled, traversed upward from the illuminated shadows of the trees, and their million luminous white bodies melded seamlessly with the starry night sky above, so that it seemed for that moment that the whole world was carpeted with tiny golden lights. It was such a ridiculous, unlikely, insanely beautiful sight that Alice found herself laughing out loud, both hands pressed to her face.” 

 

Fred says “You know what’s really wonderful about those fireflies? …. Sure, they live for just a few weeks. Not much at all in the grand scheme of things. But while they’re there, the beauty of them, well, it takes your breath away. … You get to see the world in a whole new way. And then you have that beautiful picture burned onto the inside of your head. To carry it wherever you go. And never forget it. …  some things are a gift, even if you don’t get to keep them…. Maybe just to know that something this beautiful exists is all we can really ask for.”   (The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes) 

image from pixabay

 

 

Forgetting and Remembering

"And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them ... " Judges 8: 34

"... the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen" 3Nephi 2:1

In the scriptures we are frequently reminded to remember. It takes diligent and frequent effort on our parts to remember the Lord and all He has done for us and has in store for us. Part of this is remembering who we are, why we are here, and what comes after this life. Worship, renewing covenants, service, prayer, scripture study - these actions help us learn and grow and to be in places where we can remember.

See more about remembering here and here. 

 

Voice of Gladness

Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them! 

And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book to be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca county, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the book! ... The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!

And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope!  Doctrine and Covenants 128: 19-21

 

This scripture is full of optimism, excitement, beauty – and truth. This gospel is something to be excited about!

Each of us could make our own list of times we've heard, or felt, the voice of the Lord. Our list would include:

-when we were deciding to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

-when we were deciding when we should go on a mission

-when we were deciding whether or not to move out west

-when we were dealing with Joe's Parkinson's

and many, many other times in our lives

Sometimes I’m walking around our little condo or our beautiful community and I feel an overwhelming sense of the rightness and the gladness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The feeling just bubbles up from inside me and fills me with gladness.

Back to the scripture - The voice of God gives us “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope!”

We are thankful for that voice that “holds forth on what is to come” and it does indeed confirm our hope!

Beauty

 May 2007 - Salt Lake City

Cutest Child's Picture

Joe with his Great grandmother Mary Taylor Neely. 

He called her Ginmaw. 

Mamaw, Sarah Elizabeth Gilmore Neely, wrote on the back

"My Little Lamb and his great grandmother. This is the cutest child's picture I've ever seen. Called "Picking Flowers"