Faith & Purposeful Living

"Faith can become the very wellspring of purposeful living. There is no more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that we are children of God, that God expects us to do something with our lives, and that He will give us help when help is sought. …

"When I discuss faith, I do not mean it in an abstract sense. I mean it as a living, vital force that comes with recognition of God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Savior. …

"Faith in a Divine Being, in the Almighty, is the great moving power that can change our lives." Gordon B. Hinckley

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In one of our first meetings with missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joe told the missionaries he admired their faith. He commented, "When they were "handing out faith in heaven, I must have been skylarking and didn't get in the right line to get faith." The missionaries explained that faith is something we can develop. 

Faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel has changed our lives. It's made the good times better and provides us perspective, purpose, strength, and hope during the difficult times. Faith in Jesus Christ has made all the difference. 

Incomparable Gift

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this Christmas season, our hope is that the light and testimony of the Savior’s divine mission as the Redeemer of all mankind will come into our hearts and be reflected in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

May each of us be blessed at this joyous season of the year as we acknowledge with sincere gratitude the Father’s incomparable gift to us of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Master. (Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, Dierter F. Uchtdorf)

Happened to You?

Have you ever come home and found a frozen salmon on your door?

We did.

Had it for dinner that night - delicious!

Faith - Seeds & Flames

"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me."   Alma 32:28

"What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe." Jeffrey R. Holland

Alma 32 was the very first scripture the missionaries suggested we read as we considered stepping on the path of discipleship of Jesus Christ. We often go back to it and consider the growth of our faith. We have nourished that seed. We have fanned the flame of faith. We are abundantly blessed.  

Easter Sunday 1955

Grandpa & Grandma

Caryl & Florence Holton

Easter - April 10, 1955

Gratitude

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. 

This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. 

When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. 

“Live in thanksgiving daily,” said Amulek, “for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.” ( Alma 34:38.)  Bonnie Parkin

image November 2013

Chocolate

Trader Joe's does know how to cover things in dark chocolate. Several years ago I tried the dark chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's. When I went to buy them last year they had already sold out. So - I entered dark chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's on my November todo list so I wouldn't miss out again. 

While buying the dark chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's, I noticed this chocolate mousse cake (topped with ganache). Decided to try it to see if it's worth the calories. I'd already determined the dark chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's were worth the calories. Jury's out on the cake - it's OK but I think the rest of the cake (minus one small piece for tasting) will stay in the freezer until this package of dark chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's is gone (and maybe the several that I have in "storage").

Tears

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."             Washington Irving  

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"My life, despite my numerous missteps, despite the ache of loss, was rich and full of joy. I had enough hope to make me happy and enough sorrow to make me human. I let myself cry, because ..., tears are the words the heart can't say." 

(Rose, Petal, Thorn by Ella Joy Olsen)

Not Alone

“… I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” Doctrine and Covenants 84: 88 

We don’t have to do this earthly journey alone. We are helped by people from both sides of the veil – and by God.

Soul Did Rejoice

“… his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.”  1 Nephi 1: 15 

We recently read this scripture and it struck a cord with us. Our hearts are filled because of the experiences we’ve had with the Lord. 

We often pray for our family and friends to have at least one experience, hopefully many more, that helps them realize God is real, that He loves them, and He knows them personally. 

Intellectually it’s difficult to wrap our heads around these realities. Intellectual analysis will take us only so far, then we have to rely on confirmation from the Spirit. 

We can tell you that it is possible to know or feel that these things are real.

Joy in the Journey

“Find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows. … Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. … Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.

“This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.” Thomas Monson

 

Thanksgiving

 WITH THANKSGIVING

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 

We are thankful for Christ and the abundant life He made possible. We are thankful for family and friends who are the major part of our abundance. 

When we had holiday meals at Grandpa and Grandma's we often sang grace. 

Father, we thank thee for the food we eat.

We thank thee for fellowship sweet.

We thank thee for memories here that cling.

We thank thee Lord for every thing.
Amen

Thanksgiving 1953

AMEN!

Click here for more about singing grace

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11/17 This is what our Thanksgiving looked like for years - except the children got bigger and Mom usually took a better picture. I love the look on Grandpa's face. Perhaps he's saying his own quiet prayer of gratitude before we sing grace. 

Originally posted Thanksgiving 2016

Thankful For Little Things

In this season of Thanksgiving we usually express thanks for the 

really important things in life

such as 

family, friends, and faith

 It's also nice the appreciate the little things

such as these tiny ice cream cones from Trader Joe's. 

They have just the right combination of chocolate coating, chocolate ice cream, waffle cone & more chocolate coating hidden in the pointy end.

I never thought I'd be thankful for plastic grocery bags and doubly thankful for a friend who has been saving plastic bags for who knows how long. Several years ago Kirkland banned plastic bags for all but a few specific uses. Since then I've had to buy plastic bags for our trash cans and other miscellaneous uses - or grocery shop outside of Kirkland so I can replenish my supply. I was murmuring about this to a friend and she revealed she has an extensive cache of plastic bags. A year and a half ago she gifted me with a huge batch of plastic grocery bags. Recently she was glad to replenish my supply. 

A House of ...

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God"  (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 119)

Geodes

 Have you ever had an encounter with someone who just makes your day because of a smile? Because she can tell you're in a hurry and lets you go ahead of her in line? Because your arms are full and he opens the door for you? A seemingly small act of kindness can make our day. 

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Dana Haight Cattani talks about discovering geodes when she and her family moved to the Midwest. Her son’s friend showed her a geode and said, “See the crystals?”

“Sure enough. The rough, dull-colored rock had been split, perhaps by the freeze-thaw cycle of too many Midwest winters, and in the hollow were beautiful crystal formations. Before coming to Indiana, I had never seen anything quite like it. It was a hidden treasure, and it was right in my backyard.” 

Then she talks about the geodes, the hidden treasures, she finds in the people in her new town. 

At the post office -  “An older gentleman with a dapper white moustache often waits on me there. One morning as he weighed my packages, he said, “I’m in a good mood; I have meatloaf for lunch today.” I smiled and said something affirming. He took this as encouragement and said, “I love meatloaf. My wife doesn’t like it, so she makes it just for me. And the next day, I get the leftovers for lunch.” From that moment, he was endeared to me as one who appreciates small pleasures—like cold meatloaf—and the bigger ones, like a wife who cooks for him and sometimes fills his wishes at the expense of her own. …I let other people go ahead of me in line just so I can go to his window. When I hand him the money I owe, I feel I have brushed against deep contentment, and I carry some of that gold dust away on my fingertips.”

Isn't it wonderful when we meet someone and can feel her "deep contentment?" The "gold dust" from such experiences brightens our whole beings. 

Catani's son’s sixth-grade class did a physics activity that involved designing a container that would cushion a raw egg when it was dropped from the top of a fire truck, seven stories high. Paul was the firefighter dropping the cushioned eggs.  Paul carefully made “certain the all-important parachute deployed.” Paul also coached her son’s baseball team. “He is a human geode, ordinary in every way but one: his core is full of hidden treasure, unexpected and without price. I always cheer loudly for his son at baseball games.”

Cattani then talks about the Lord touching us in a way that encourages us to reach out and serve others, thereby showing the crystals, the divine sparkle, hiding beneath our ordinary looking exteriors. 

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Hidden Treasures, by Dana Haight Cattani; Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 43, no. 3 (Fall 2010); p 221-226

*free image from pixabay

Leaves

70 years after this photo I still seek out piles of leaves (dry ones) 

to walk through. I love the feel and the sound.

Veterans Day

Joe - Navy

Dad  - Navy - World War II

Caryl Holton & Harry Floyd - World War I

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 Civil War - Notes About Our Family & the Civil War

Leonard Caryl Holton, born 1812, would have been too old (grandfather of Caryl Holton)

Alson Landus Ames, born 1818 – We have a letter from his wife Urania in which she states he was going to Rockford, Illinois to tell the military he was too old to serve. As far as I know he didn’t join. (grandfather of Caryl Holton)

John Marshall Cathcart, born 1842 in Ireland. Came to USA in 1860 and settled in central Illinois. I’ve never seen any mention of military service for him. (grandfather of Celia Cathcart Holton)

James Silas Sconce, born 1831. Lived in central Illinois. I’ve never seen any mention of military service for him. It would seem he might be the right age to serve unless someone in his 30s was considered old. (grandfather of Celia Cathcart Holton)

John Bowman, born 1831 in Germany – husband of Jane Judd & father of Idah Alice Bowman Browne, Mary Floyd Holton’s grandmother - served in Civil War, from Michigan

Edmond Floyd, born 1848; Maine (Harry Floyd's father). I don't think he was in the Civil War. His brother Henry was. 

Henry Floyd, born 1842, Maine. Served in Civil War. This is Harry Floyd’s uncle. Henry Floyd was reported missing in action and presumed killed. His body was never found. His mother received a pension based on his death.

William Browne, born 1827. Don't know if he was in Civil War, from Michigan (Mary Floyd Holton's great-grandfather)

Flowers & Forget Not

Dieter Uchtdorf used the five petaled forget-me-not flower to illustrate five things we "would be wise never to forget." 

Forget Not

1- to be patient with yourself

2- the difference between a foolish sacrifice & a wise sacrifice

3-to be happy now

4-the why of the gospel

5-that the Lord loves you

Be patient with yourself -  "Our journey toward perfection is long, but we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in that journey."

Foolish sacrifice vs wise sacrifice - "Dedicating some of our time to studying the scriptures or preparing to teach a lesson is a good sacrifice. Spending many hours stitching the title of the lesson into homemade pot holders for each member of your class perhaps may not be." Because of this example, I sometimes ask myself if a time-consuming task is embroidering pot holders. 

Be happy now - "... if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us." 

Why of the gospel - "While understanding the “what” and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the “why.” When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet."

The Lord loves you - "... wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love. ... He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom."

Dieter Uchtdorf

Read or hear the entire talk here

image - forget-me-nots from our North Street garden

Stories about the origin of the name forget-me-not are here, here, and here 

Children's Spaces

“Given half a chance, children create their own nooks in the leftover places of the adult map.” Alastair Bonnett talks of children making “dens.” “The meaning of each place was entirely at our disposal and was constantly being transformed to fit with our changing fantasies.” “Den-making is a particular kind of play, not with dolls or toy guns but with place. It’s a form of play that is particularly private and vulnerable.  Any adult or teenage presence can destroy it at once: a looming face would reduce Paul’s and my dens to a dull clutter of sticks.” Alastair Bonnett in Unruly Places

This brought back memories of "den-making" in my childhood.

~There were forsythia bushes in one corner of our backyard. We liked to play there in all the "rooms." It never occurred to us that we were probably totally visible to Mom and her friends who were sitting at the kitchen table and looking out periodically to check on all the children.

~Margaret Farrar, later Reynolds, lived behind the vacant lot next to our house. I have a vivid memory of raking leaves there and making leaf houses, very elaborate (to us) with "walls" for rooms and openings for doorways. Were we supposed to be raking her yard or did we go there because she had the most leaves in the neighborhood? 

ca 1955 Susan at creek on Madison Road

~We spent a lot of time at the creek of Madison Road. We thought it was our own little world - and it was. We spent hours and hours at a time playing in the water, swinging on a rope swing, catching tadpoles, walking on top of the REALLY HIGH bridge on Chrisman Avenue (somehow it totally shrunk in later years). The only time we saw adults was when MaryF was with us. Her mother was "always" with her. We figured it was because her parents were older and she was an only child. As in the quote above, the magic was "destroyed" by the presence of an adult. It became an ordinary creek when Mary's mother was there. Interestingly we didn't play much, that I remember, at the creek on Oak Street. We went over to Madison Road probably because it was a bit further from home.

~One wonderful "den memory" - I think Betty was with me. We got a huge pile of books from the library and took them to this little "island" in the creek to read. My memory is that the island was covered with tall, thick, vibrantly green grass - a perfect place to read.

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Dad was a great accomplice in den-making. He made us several teepees over the years. The lean-to appears in quite a few backyard pictures. It was turned into a stable for a Christmas card picture. 

Dad made this teepee in 1952 - Julia, Tom & Susan

1958 - Susan, Julia & Tom with teepee & lean-to

1955 - the fort - Susan, ?, Tom, Jan & Billy

The Texas Tower is in the back right of this picture. Dad modeled it after an oil rig platform. Our tower had a ladder and cargo net that could be pulled up, thus controlling access to the "high" platform. Photo 1958 Julia & Susan

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Then there was the "deep forest" in our yard at North Street. Our grandson named this when he was about three. To his young eyes I'm sure the two pine trees with their low branches made a perfect hiding place, his own den. Little did he know that we could see into his little world from the house.

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Den-making - fun childhood memories

Book - Worth the Wrestle

Worth the Wrestle by Sheri Dew

Why can’t I seem to conquer weaknesses that plague me?” “How do I know if I’m receiving revelation?” “Will the Lord forgive me after what I’ve done?” ...

Those are just a handful of the countless questions Sheri Dew has heard people ask over the years. “May I answer these questions,” she writes, “and any questions you may have, by posing a different question: Are you willing to engage in the wrestle? In an ongoing spiritual wrestle?” 

In Worth the Wrestle, Sheri examines the process of asking good questions—whether those questions be doctrinal, procedural, historical, or intensely personal—and learning how to get answers.  (book jacket)

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"Asking inspired questions leads to knowledge. It leads to revelation. It leads to greater faith. And it leads to peace.” 

I don't know how many of my questions are "inspired," but I have asked many questions over the years. Sometimes I've received revaluation. Often I gain peace and greater faith even when the questions aren't answered right away.  

“… we can either live our lives alone, relying largely upon our own strengths, or we can live them with the help of heaven. How much help we receive from Above is largely up to us.” 

My experience is that life is much more doable when we call on God for help and then accept the help that is given. 

Dad & Try God

When Dad was in the hospital with pneumonia, he mentioned this "Try God" pin. In retrospect it was an interesting conversation because we thought the surgery would be successful and he'd return home. Nevertheless, during those few days at the hospital, Dad sometimes said things that made me think he knew death was near. 

Dad told me I'd find a "Try God" pin among his belongings and people might wonder about it. 

In an email to my siblings just a week after Dad's death I wrote: 

"Dad saw an ad in the New York Times selling lapel pins that said "Try God". This was a money raising event for a home* for "wayward" women. Dad contributed and continued to do so for many years."

Dad commented that more people should "Try God" to help with challenges in their lives. 

June 2003 just a few months 

before his death

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*Walter Hoving Home

more here

Challenges

"When the challenges of mortality come, and they come for all of us, it may seem hard to have faith and hard to believe. At these times only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement can bring us peace, hope, and understanding. Only faith that He suffered for our sakes will give us the strength to endure to the end."  Robert D. Hales

Nature's Beauties

Not Too Early

It might be too early for this

But it's definitely not too early for candy canes!

Costco has a winner - 

almonds covered in dark chocolate and rolled in peppermint

Beautiful

Here & There

Choices at the airport cellphone lot

Regular, handicapped accessible & there's even a wash station

The wash station was labeled "food vendors" with no other explanation

A few days later I read that food trucks will soon be coming to the cellphone lot

Kirkland takes care of its dogs - we even have special water fountains for them!

This couple was enjoying Marina Park with their walkers. 

They had a map and appeared to be seeking out various sculptures. 

Kirkland is very walkable by all kinds of walkers

The flowers on our balcony were especially pretty at dusk

Book - Poldark Series

I just finished "Bella Poldark," the 12th and last book in Winston Graham's Poldark series. I'm sad to see the series end.

from the publisher - "The bestselling Poldark series is loved across the world for its compulsive blend of romance, drama, unforgettable characters and beautifully evocative portrayal of Cornwall.

The saga, which spans the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries, follows the life of the brooding, principled Ross Poldark; a young man who returns from the American Revolutionary war to find his father dead, his copper mine failing and his childhood sweetheart, the beautiful Elizabeth Chynoweth, engaged to his cousin. Romance, intrigue, betrayal, and one of the most heart-breaking love triangles in modern fiction ensue as Ross falls in love with the charming Demelza, and tries to build a better world for her and their children whilst fighting his arch-enemy, the swaggering and ruthless financier, George Warleggan." Pan Maccmillan

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JHT's comments - I never found "aha," notable, quotable phrases in Graham’s books. What I did find were wonderful passages about people and places. He has a way of conveying the contentment we sometimes feel not necessarily because there aren’t any problems in our lives but because we are with the people we love in a place we love. There is also a sense that life goes on no matter the ups and downs of our lives.

I enjoyed the history of the time and place. Until I read these books I didn’t realize how much fighting was happening between European nations during this time period.

Due to space considerations I borrow more books than I buy these days. This is a series I will purchase and read again and again.

The land of Cornwall almost becomes a character in these books. Graham conveyed his love of Cornwall in the beautifully illustrated book titled "Poldark's Cornwall." It's worth checking this out if you read any of the Poldark books. 

Click here for an overview of all 12 books. 

PBS is now airing Season 3 of Poldark. You can watch the first two seasons on Amazon Prime. I've enjoyed the TV series but I like the books better.