Emma said...

Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere. ~Emma

Sweet Emma again...

Prayer changes things. Trouble is, most of us have to keep learning the same lessons over and over until it finally sticks.

Emma and love one another...

Emma said... "When the Spirit of truth touches our heart, then there is no room for doubt."


For my Institute class tomorrow night I am concentrating on "Love One Another". We are in John. If you read John he says this over and over... and it was said time and time again by our Savior.

John 2:10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light..."
John 3:11
"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
John 4:7
"... love one another: for love is of God"
John 4:11
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
John 4:12
"... IF we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
John 4:21
"And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also"

AND, a warning....
John 4:20
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"

In Matt. we are told that we are also to love our enemies... (Matt. 5:44)
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"

Again, we are warned... Matt. 24:12
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Just hours before He began the painful physical and spiritual processes of the Atonement, the Savior met with His Apostles to partake of the Feast of the Passover—His Last Supper—and to give them the final instructions He would give them in mortality.
St. John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

There is a great talk HERE by Elder Ballard on this topic if you have the time to read it...

Jesus gave us the parable of the good Samaritan... a wonderful example of "loving one another".

"Someone has written, "Love is a verb." It requires doing - not just saying and thinking. The test is in what one does, how one acts, for love is conveyed in word and deed." ~David B. Haight

I think we ALL want to be known as His disciples... SO, my question to you is this... HOW do you SHOW your love to your fellow men??? I would love for you to share any examples you feel comfortable with... quotes... anything that I might be able to use for my lesson tomorrow night. THANK YOU!

easter

Emma Smith said...

Strength doesn't come through seeing, it comes through faith.

I was a bad girl today!

But, look how well it will match the Rainbow flip flops I want!!!! Don't you agree???

Do you like purses or shoes??!!!

Or am I the only sick one out there? Wait. DON'T answer THAT!

Quotes from Emma Smith

My friend gave me a list of quotes from Emma Smith yesterday.I am only going to only post one a day. I have found that if we read too many good quotes we don't remember them, and they are worth pondering.

"Lilacs won't last very long... the best things never do and that makes them all the sweeter."

Makes me want to plant some... so I will remember and appreciate the sweet things in life! Have a "sweet" life, my friends!

OUCH. Funny funny boys...

So. A few minutes ago I got a phone call from Devin.

Devin: What cha' doin'?
me: Nothin'. What are you doin'?
Devin: Just sitting here waiting for Derek to get stitches.
me: Why do ya'll always do this to me?

THEY love to give me grief... Here is the picture that Brittany sent me via phone before the Dr. bandaged it up and after the 9 stitches.

They are up at BYUI, finals are this week and they were packing etc... Derek and Devin were using a roll of plastic to wrap around the furniture to store it. (They are headed to Tucson to install security systems for the summer) Derek was using a razor blade to cut the plastic... so, there ya go!

Devin called me while Derek and Britt were back in the Dr. office getting the stitches... when they got out I could hear them laughing and Derek said, "Did you tell her what happened to YOU this morning?" MORE LAUGHTER!!!

Well, I guess before Derek cut himself....
Devin has a measuring tape out and he cut his finger with it. It bled pretty good so he went into the bathroom to stop the bleeding. (I should probably pause here to let you know that BOTH times before his mission when we took him in to get his shots to go to Argentina, he uh... passed out.) So, yep, you guessed it. He was in the bathroom rinsing his little cut out and putting pressure on it when he started to feel light headed. He sat down on the toilet and he said he still felt like he was going to pass out so he went to lean on the wall... as he was leaning and everything was going black, he thought, "Why haven't I hit the wall yet?" When he came to he was laying on the floor with his head under a pillow, LOL! (Wish I had pictures of THIS!!!)

Okay, after the 1st 2 comments, I better clarify this or Devin will call me up, climb thru the phone and uh.... tackle me! He made it clear that he had not eaten all day and the blood did not make him faint... he thinks he fainted due to not eating. BEFORE Derek got cut he had drank a glass of juice and was fine to HELP Derek! There. Devin is a strong, cute boy that would never ever faint just coz he saw blood. (Is that good enough, Dev?? LOVE YOU strong man!)

Poor Diana was in class when all this happened this morning... she missed it all!

AND, YES, they are both Eagle Scouts!!!

Easter Lesson helps...

This is one of my most favorite pictures. I have a large one hanging in my home.

With Easter Sunday just around the corner I was wondering if any of you have any fun Easter Traditions or activities that would be fun to share? Do you have any crafts, recipes or websites that others might enjoy?

One of my favorite websites is Sugardoodle.net.... go HERE for some ideas... or there are other ideas HERE

LOOK at these yummy Resurrection Rolls that Goose makes! Go HERE for the recipe! There is a cute little story/analogy that goes with them!With conference just ending I thought I would share this thought I came across...
"Let us hearken to those we sustain as prophets and seers, as well as the other brethren, as if our Eternal Life depended upon it, because it does!" ~Pres. Spencer W. Kimball 1978

The Heavens are NOT Closed!

When Jesus lived on the Earth, he called 12 apostles.Jesus Christ atoned and died for us, that we might repent, be resurrected, and have Eternal Life. We know that his apostles too died and with that came the great apostasy or the dark ages. Then... our Heavenly Father who LOVES us ALL, restored the Lord's church to the Earth once again. We again have a living prophet, just as Peter was.... Pres. Monson! And, we again, have 12 apostles to teach us and lead us... (Yes, I realize that this picture is no longer current, Elder Wirthlin has passed away and Elder Anderson was sustained TODAY!)

The Heavens are NOT closed! The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth! Revelation comes from Heaven. Apostles and Prophets are on the Earth once again!

We have been blessed to have temples on the Earth so that families can be sealed for Eternity. I know that families can be together FOREVER! (We currently have 128 temples on the Earth where families can be sealed together forever!) John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. I am grateful for my knowledge of the Lord's church... for revelation... for temples... I am grateful to KNOW that he has not and will not leave us alone, that he loves us ALL and that we can be with him for eternity!

I know that most of you who read my blog are members of the church and know what I have said here to be true... BUT, IF there is someone out there who questions this I HOPE and PRAY that you will kneel and ask... He WILL answer you! He loves you. He loves us all. We are his children.

I am grateful for a living prophet and for the opportunity to hear hims speak to us this weekend. I hope that you are all listening to this world wide conference and can feel the Spirit that these great men have. There are currently 13,508,509 members of The Church of Latter-Day Saints. We are in almost every country upon this Earth. God lives. He loves us. This I know... In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Trip to Utah

I am such a nut. We got to Utah Thursday afternoon and I didn't get my camera out of my car until we went to Temple Square on Tuesday, what on earth was I thinking?!!! I guess I wasn't... Since I didn't get my camera out in time I didn't get any pics of Devin and Diana!!! :(
They had to head back up to Rexburg on Monday eve, they had classes....

Here are some pictures of our little outing to Salt Lake City. We took a tour of the Conference Center...

Up on the rooftop... DALLIN by Elder DALLIN Oaks... Out front... Over to the reflection pool... Then we went over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and watched the movie, "Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration". It is so good, if you have not seen it you NEED to! I cried... again.Then we went and walked around Temple Square. Then, into the Visitors Center to see the Christus! The Spirit is always so strong in this room... "Be still, and know that I am God".

It was a beautiful day on Tuesday! The weather was perfect! It snowed on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday... we were so blessed!

Here is a picture of Chad playing in the snow out front at Grandma and Grandpa's! Hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's... Thanks Brittany for making the cookies! Chad and Grandpa, what a treasure...Grandpa still likes his little outings... Dad's billy tube had come out some and the nurse noticed it when she was at the house on Friday so she called the Dr. and they had him come right in. Mom and I took him into the Huntsman Cancer Center on Friday and they put a new tube in. He is still pretty jaundice, you can notice it mostly in his eyes... he is very very thin but he eats REALLY well!!!! THAT makes us happy! He still loves his root beer floats! He was told he had 3-6 months back at the beginning of September but he is now starting his 8th month! He has a GREAT attitude, very very positive!!! He keeps telling the Dr's that he will see them in 5 years! I HOPE HE DOES!!!

Dead Cell Phone.

Okay, can I just say I had NO idea how addicted to texting I am!!! No idea. I always get on my boys but dang... I am guilty too.

I left my charger in Utah and my phone is DEAD. I am freaking out. YES, I will get a new charger... Brad said he would get me one on his way home from playing a round of golf. Dallin took my car to the beach so I am stranded at home with a DEAD cell phone. I am starting to shake... can someone please call 911???!!!

I guess I will put on my ipod and go clean out my closet. Nah, that sounds boring even though it REALLY REALLY needs it!!!

So... are YOU addicted to texting? I bet you are and just don't realize it!!!!

Journaling...

Well, I have been sick and busy... I am way behind in posts... so I am just going to ramble... bare with me!

The FIRST thing I want to say is...

Derek and Brittany had their one year anniversary on Sunday!!!! Congrats to both of you! WE love our Brittany so very very much!!!! We are so very grateful to have her in our family FOR. EVER.

_________________________________________________________________

Dallin was given the "Coach's Award" at the soccer banquet last week! The coach had a lot of nice things to say about him! And, as you can see.... he also earned the "Scholar Athlete" award again! He hates posing for pictures... he hates that I blog, LOLAnd, here are a few pics from his meet last week. The weather was gorgeous so Brad and I rented a cart and watched...

Brad got out of the cart to watch... so I snagged the driver's seat and got to drive the cart! Isn't he cute??? Love that man! He still makes my heart go pitter patter! ________________________________________________________________

Yesterday Brad and I got to go take the YSA's (Young Single Adults) to the temple to clean it.... it was a very nice experience!

It is Spring Break and Thursday we are going to Utah to visit my parents and see all our children! It will be fun to all be together again! I am REALLY looking forward to it! I wish we ALL lived closer! Families are the BEST!