Blogging

Went to check my Google Reader today and to my surprise I found one hundred and ninety-eight entries that I needed to get caught up on! The family went to YM and YW tonight so no better time to read them. I'm glad to know that everyone from all the posts and are doing well. Some of the post where about Father's Day (which was a special day also I was tickeled to see the I Love Lucy "She's Having Our Baby" scene again!) birthdays shared, a baby born, a lost child found, family trips, orthodontics, more give aways, (that I never leave a comment on to win anything), celebrities deaths and tributes. I was really touched by two post. One being that my sister in law while on a trip made a special effort to put pin wheels and flowers on my three daughters graves and posted a picture of them and the second one being HERE. I lost an uncle a couple of weeks ago and with others passing and the craziness of these times made me feel better to read the short story. I'm grateful for my family and wonderful friends that help me and keep me going just by sharing their smiles to their caring compassion and reaching out. I have One hundred and thirty-six e-mails to tackle before the gang arrives home in maybe 10 minutes or less. Wishing everyone loving hugs from me.

Lost Blue Parrot in Watertown

Dennis was cleaning up in the back yard a week ago when he came across the most beautiful sky blue parrot. Unfortunately he had given up the ghost and that had been very recent by the time Dennis found it. There didn't appear to be anything wrong as far as being sick or starved to death but we rather thought it was the cold. It was about 8 to 10 inches tall. Beak was smaller than the one in this picture which makes me think it was still very young along with it's all blue coloring, because I think birds like that come into their color the older they get. It was sad.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Went with Dennis to get his hearing tested the other day. Sure enough he needs a hearing aid for his left ear. Higher pitched tones are not so audible for him and since it's only one ear we get the hearing aid at half price. =)

Wordless Wednesday

Rebecca's Turn

The week after Grant's new appointment Rebecca had hers. The doctor was giving her a great check up. Checking everything head to toe. The doctor had Rebecca do the bend over to look at her back and surprise surprise she has... Scoliosis! We went and had an x-ray done to confirm it. Ten and below is good anything higher needs to be watched to having surgery. Rebecca's spine is off by 13 degrees to go with her age I guess. Another surprise!, found out Dennis has it too! of which I had no idea. Just when you think you know everything there is to know about your spouse of 16 some years. Anyway... we are waiting to have an appointment with Orthopedics. As mild as her case is I think it will be a watch and see and any one seeing her slouching out there might remind or encourage her to sit up straight or stand up straight. Old habits are hard to break. =)

For those of you wondering about any conection with Vitamin D and Scoliosis. There is none. The lack of Vitamin D makes your bones very brittle, can cause Rickets. Scoliosis on the other hand makes your spine curve, no matter how much or how little Vitamin D you have. Feel free to click on RICKETS and SCOLIOSIS to take you to more information at Web MD.

Vitamin D D D d d...

Four months ago I went to see my doctor and found that I was short on Vitamin D. Living in the north east it's what you can expect, so I'm taking a Vitamin D supplement. Now thinking if I were short on the D then I wondered if the rest of the family was falling short as well. I had Grant's levels checked and the doctor said he was below what they wanted by 8 points so he gave him "50,000 Units" (I think this is an extreme amount) to take once a week for 8 weeks and then take another blood test. In all of this process I was also switching doctors. The new doctor said Grant was fine by the old standard and didn't need to take anything. Although the new doctor will go along and have Grant take a blood test in June and check to see how he is doing. I had Rebecca do blood work about two weeks ago and still have not heard back yet. This conflicting message between the new and old doctors is a bit crazy so all I can say is that I'm glad the snow is all melted and we can be one with the sun again. With our sun block on because those UV rays still get through but at a slower rate. I think they have raised the national levels of what the Vitamin D levels should be. So eat your greens and dairy products but best of all get out side for at least 15 minutes a day. That is the best Vitamin D you can get!

First Talk In Church

My son Grant, gave his first church talk a couple of weeks ago. I want to share it with you. He is only 15 years old and as nervous as he gets passing the sacrament he acted like a pro while giving his talk. He tried making it longer but as you read the talk you know it's complete. Hope you enjoy it.

Hi, my name is Grant for those of you who do not know me. I have been asked to give a talk today on the Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, to be honest I have not fully or completely understood the Atonement. James E. Faust said it was the greatest event in all of history and that it was the most transcended act that has ever taken place. M. Russell Ballard said that this was the most heroic act preformed in history.
So what is the Atonement? Well, in definition Atone means to pay the price for sin. Before the world was formed Jesus chose himself to pay this price instead of each one of us paying the price for our own sin.
Our former President, Gordon B. Hinckley, told “something of a parable” of the Atonement, “it was about a one room school house in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.” “Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with ten rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’ “‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response. “A day or so later … the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. ‘The thief was located, a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.’ “As Little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’ “The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, Big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking. “‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked. “After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!”
President Hinckley then quoted Isaiah:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …” “… He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
He suffered a great deal of pain, “indescribable anguish,” and “overpowering torture” which was done for our sake. In comparison it is a bit like us trying to climb Mount Everest and only getting up the first few feet. But He has climbed all 29,000 feet to the top of the mountain. He suffered more than any other mortal could. His indescribable suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He took upon Himself the sins of you, me, and anyone who has ever lived, this caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer mentally, physically and spiritually. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly,” saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and denied by Peter. He was mocked by the chief priests and officers; He was stripped, smitten, spat upon, and scourged in the judgment hall.
He was led to Golgotha, where nails were driven into His hands and feet. He then hung in agony for hours on a wooden cross bearing the title that Pilate wrote: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Darkness came, and “about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” No one could help Him; he was completely alone. Then Jesus, when he had cried one last time with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. One of the soldiers with a spear later pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. The earth then greatly shook and when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
What He did could only be done by a supreme being. As the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh, Jesus inherited divine attributes. He was the only person ever born into mortality that could perform this most significant and supernal act. As the only sinless Man who ever lived on this earth, He was not subject to spiritual death. Because of His godhood, He also possessed power over physical death. Thus He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves; He broke the cold grasp of death.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the Atonement, why do you? Or I need the Atonement? Paul gives a simple explanation for the need of the Atonement. In 1st Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 he says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” This means that through believing and accepting the Atonement we can be resurrected just like Jesus. We are commanded to remember the singular events of the Crucifixion, and the Atonement by partaking of the sacrament weekly. In the spirit of the sacramental prayers, we partake of the bread and water in remembrance of the body and the blood sacrificed for us, and we are to remember Him and keep His commandments so that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.
The Atonement and the Resurrection accomplish many things. Only through the Atonement we are cleansed of sin on condition of our repentance. Repentance is the condition on which mercy from our Heavenly Father is extended. After all the things done for us the least we can do is make right our wrongs, the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us. Christ’s Resurrection overcame death and gave us the assurance of life after death. Jesus himself said: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” The Resurrection is unconditional and applies to all who have ever lived and ever will live. It literally is a free gift. President John Taylor described this well when he said: “The tombs will be opened and the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall come forth, they who have done good to the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil to the resurrection of the unjust.”
The Atonement does not only benefit sinners but also benefits those sinned against—otherwise known as the victims. By forgiving “those who trespass against us” the Atonement brings a measure of peace and comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of others. The basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This is true whether it be from the pain I suffer or the pain you suffer. He will help us carry our burdens. Some injuries that we have are so hurtful and deep that they cannot be healed without help from a higher power. Without this higher power we cannot hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. Since the Savior has suffered anything and everything that we could ever feel or experience, He can help the weak to become stronger. He has personally experienced all of it. He understands our pain and will walk with us even in during our worst times.
The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving. The evil influence of Satan would destroy any hope we have in overcoming our mistakes. He would have us feel that we are lost and that there is no hope. In contrast, Jesus reaches down to us to lift us up. Through our repentance and the gift of the Atonement, we can prepare to be worthy to stand in His presence. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

100

This is my 100th post!

100
If the World Were a Village of 100 People. If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:


The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific
51 would be male, 49 would be female
82 would be non-white; 18 white
67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
80 would live in substandard housing
67 would be unable to read
50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
33 would be without access to a safe water supply
39 would lack access to improved sanitation
24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
7 people would have access to the Internet
1 would have a college education
1 would have HIV
2 would be near birth; 1 near death
5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be US citizens
33 would be receiving --and attempting to live on-- only 3% of the income of “the village”.