Spectacular Enough For Its Own Post

When I downloaded photos from my late afternoon walk, I was wondering how many posts I could do about the beauties of nature before some of you readers would say, "enough already with the flower pictures!" 

Then I saw this picture. It called out, "BEHOLD!" It demanded its own post. 

This is how it came out of my little iPhone camera - no adjustments whatsoever.  Reds have always been difficult for my iPhone cameras. These red camellias came through beautifully. 

And yes, there will be more nature pictures from this particular walk. Thanks for your patience :) 

At the Lake

Early morning at the lake is often beautiful and very relaxing. This particular morning I loved the way the pink sunrise colors were reflected in the water. 

 More pink reflections

The lakeside tables have memorial plaques. This table is in memory of "Our son, brother and friend / Mac Graham" I wonder if the flowers were left by someone who loves him. 

Making Lemonade

What do you do when you're the Mormon Tabernacle choir organist and you injure your left arm? You concentrate on using the organ foot pedals.  

Click here to hear what Richard Elliott can do with his feet!

I didn't realize the foot pedals are literally another keyboard. 

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Click here for another post about Richard Elliott's skills

Continue Your Journey

"Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end."  Doctrine & Covenants 100: 12

Sometimes we need to check in with the Lord about how we’re traveling this journey here on earth. It may be because we realize we’re on automatic pilot and not thinking much about the journey. It could be we’re in unknown territory and we need to be sure we’re “traveling” in the best way possible given the circumstances.

Sometimes we’re told – continue. We can rejoice as we go, even if the path is a difficult one. We can rejoice because we know the Lord is with us, “even unto the end.”

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Click here for Elaine Marshall's thoughts on continuing the journey. 

Gentle Among You

In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul wonderfully describes the behavior and hearts of disciples who are teaching others of Christ. We like the way he tells of their love for the people they teach. 

"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye are our glory and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2: 7, 8, 20

Gentle among you - impart the gospel and our own souls - because we love you. 

We had these very feelings when we served as full time missionaries. 

Watching With Someone

Love and support for family and friends are important to me.  I want my loved ones to know they can count on me. I feel good when I realize I've been loving and supportive and sad and disappointed when I'm not. 

I try to be mindful of how I knew what someone needed - or conversely, how did I miss the need? Hopefully through this mindfulness and prayer I can get better at watching, supporting, and loving.

Each time I read about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, I am reminded of being there for each other. The scriptures have rich accounts of Jesus and his disciples the last few days of Christ's time here on earth. The disciples are eager in their support for Christ. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ told his disciples to wait while he went further into the garden to pray. He asked Peter, James, and John to come with him. He told these three that he was "very heavy," "sore amazed," and "sorrowful." Then he asked them to watch with him. He was asking for support as he went off to pray and deal with those things that were making him feel heavy and sorrowful. 

Christ came back from prayer with his Heavenly Father and found these three trusted men asleep. He woke them and asked "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" Again, he asked them to "watch and pray." Christ went off to pray again and came back to find them asleep again. Mark's account says they didn't know what to say to Christ this time. Peter, James, and John were still asleep when Christ came back the third time. Christ told them it was time to go. Matthew 26: 36-46

How do I become more sensitive and alert so I can sense who needs me to watch with them? How do I maintain strength and health so I can keep watching with someone during his hours, days, weeks, and years of heaviness and sorrow?

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Turn Life Over To God

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life." Ezra Taft Benson

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Children and Dogs

This tiny restaurant is close to Lake Washington. It used to be the ferry office when the ferry was the quickest way to get from Kirkland to Seattle - before the bridges were built. The Slip is the smallest full service restaurant in the state of Washington. There are only a few tables inside. There's also outdoor seating. 

Children and dogs are always welcome!

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More about The Slip

"This little cinderblock building has had a lot of faces in its nearly one hundred year lifespan. It was the east side's first ferry terminal office. The building held the first Kirkland real estate office and was even a bank at one point unfortunately we never found where they hid the safe. When we remodeled in 1995 [we] found that the little kitchen was 1/62 the size of Dicks and 1/50 the size of a Red Robin kitchen. Our opening goal was to sell 40 burgers a day. We exceeded those expectations in the first five hours of business. This crazy little eight foot kitchen gets busier every year, ..." source

Seen This Before?

This was a first for me

After I put the chair pads in my Costco cart, I noticed the label

"WOMEN OWNED"

I've never see that before. 

Evidently these women had much smaller back ends than we do because the pads were much too small for us :)

Great Counsel

“Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” Helaman 3:35

What wonderful counsel this is! Fasting and frequent prayer help us become more humble and firmer in our faith of Christ. This fills us with joy and our hearts are purified. We become more holy, are sanctified, as we yield our heats to God. I love this pattern.

Lift

Lift!