The Sweetness of Tender Mercies

"When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
Elder David A. Bednar

Last night we attended the temple. I wondered if at the end of the session the Lord was there would I recognize his hands? And if I did, what would I do?

Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list? I saw the movie "Bucket List." Then I saw an article in the Smithsonian magazine about the Top 10 or 100 places you have to see before you die. My friend just send me an email with a "bucket list" of things to check off if you have done them. The ones with an X mean I have done them.
Here are a few:

X Gone on a blind date

X Skipped school

Watched someone die

Been to Canada

X Been to Mexico

X Been to Florida

X Been to Hawaii

X Been on a plane

X Been lost

X Gone to Washington , DC

X Swam in the ocean

X Cried yourself to sleep

X Played cops and robbers

X Recently colored with crayons

X Sang Karaoke

Paid for a meal with coins only

Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch

X Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

Made prank phone calls

X Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans

X Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

X Caught a snowflake on your tongue

X Danced in the rain

X Written a letter to Santa Claus

X Been kissed under the mistletoe

X Watched the sunrise with someone

X Blown bubbles

X Gone ice-skating

X Gone to the movies

Been deep sea fishing

Driven across the United States alone

Been in a hot air balloon

Been sky diving

X Gone snowmobiling

Lived in more than one country

X Laid outside at night and admired the stars

X Seen a falling star and made a wish

X Enjoyed the beauty of Ole Faithful Geyser

X Seen the Statue of Liberty

Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle

Been on a cruise

X Traveled by train

X Traveled by motorcycle

X Been horse back riding

X Ridden on a San Francisco Trolley

X Been to Disneyland or Disney World

X Truly believe in the power of prayer

Been to the top of an active volcano and seen hot lava

X Been in a rain forest

X Seen whales in the ocean

Been to Niagara Falls

Ridden on an elephant

X Swam with dolphins

Ever been to Africa

X Ever eaten just cookies for dinner

X Ever been on TV

Ever steal any traffic signs

X Ever been in a car accident

X Drive a standard shift car

These are kind of interesting trivia. I was thinking about what my really deep bucket list would be. Things that could change my life, change the lives of others, improve the world, deepen my relationships. I am almost afraid to figure out what they are. As we get closer to retirement maybe I should start working on this because I might have time to work on the list.

P.S. For those of you who read this post and saw an x by "stealing a traffic sign" that was a typo. I never stole a traffic sign. Sorry for the confusion. That is illegal. I did have a traffic sign once but I did not steal it. I took it away from someone else and gave it back.

Ayla Louise turns 2 years old.

Today Granddaughter #5 turns 2 years old. Time certainly flies by! And babies change really fast.

New Year's Resolutions

I was wondering if I had EVER made a New Year's resolution which I kept? I will have to give that some thought because I think I have not been very successful.

N. Eldon Tanner, “Just for Today,” New Era, Jan 1975, 4

Supposing today were your last day on earth,
The last mile of the journey you’ve trod;
After all of your struggles, how much are you worth?
How much can you take home to God?
Anonymous


These words from a well-known poem sum up what life is all about. We are born, we live, and we die; and for what purpose? Our knowledge and understanding of the reason for our existence and what our eternal destiny will be should help us in determining how we shall live and how to sift out and strive for the really important things in life.

This is the beginning of a new year, and each of us might well say to himself, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Let me begin now to prepare for eternal life, that I may know a fullness of joy and happiness now and forever.” After all, this is really what each of us wants, and it is most important that we take time to find out how to get it and begin now to work at it day by day.