On Sunday 7 December we were up early and attended the Ironwood Crossing 2nd Ward from 9 am - 12 pm. Today was Fast Sunday.
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| Ironwood Crossing Meetinghouse |
Opening hymn was #202, "O, Come, All Ye Faithful," both text and music attributed to John F. Wade as "Adeste Fideles" later translated by Frederick Oakeley.
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| John F. Wade (1711-1786) |
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| Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880) |
Sacrament hymn was #195, "How Great the Wisdom and the Love," by Eliza R. Snow. I am curious about the singing of this hymn. The note at the bottom of the page states "Verses 1, 2, 5, and 6 are especially appropriate for the sacrament." Yet we always automatically sing verses 1-4. Why?
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| Eliza R. Snow (1804-1887) |
The bearing of testimonies began with Bishop "BJ" Riggs who was conducting the meeting. Many little children bore their testimonies. The Church Handbook 2 states: "It may be best to have young children learn to share their testimonies in settings such as family home evening or when giving talks in Primary until they are old enough to do so in a fast and testimony meeting without assistance from a parent, sibling, or other person." And the little children were able to do it on their own.
Closing hymn was #210, "With Wondering Awe," by anonymous circa 1885.
Gospel Doctrine was lesson #45, “If I Perish, I Perish” using Daniel 1, 3, 6; Esther 3-5, 7-8.
The purpose of the lesson is to encourage class members to have the courage to live according to gospel standards.
1. Daniel and his friends refuse to eat King Nebuchadnezzar’s food; they are blessed with good health and wisdom.
Elder Boyd K. Packer taught: “I have come to know … that a fundamental purpose of the Word of Wisdom has to do with revelation. From the time you are very little we teach you to avoid tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, narcotics, and anything else that disturbs your health. … If someone ‘under the influence’ can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings? As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically” (in General Conference, Oct. 1979).
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| Elder Boyd K. Packer |
2. The Lord saves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from death in the fiery furnace.
The teacher brought out that the young men's Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “We will [not] always be rescued from proximate problems, but we will be rescued from everlasting death! Meanwhile, ultimate hope makes it possible to say the same three words used centuries ago by three valiant men. They knew God could rescue them from the fiery furnace if He chose. ‘But if not,’ they said, nevertheless, they would still serve Him!” (in General Conference, Oct. 1994).
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| Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) |
What can the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego teach us about obeying the Lord’s commandments? (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to obey the Lord whether he protected them or not. Our obedience should not be conditioned on whether or not the Lord gives us an expected blessing at an expected time in return.)
3. Daniel prays in spite of the king’s decree and is thrown into a den of lions. The Lord sends an angel to protect Daniel.
What can we learn from Daniel about the importance of prayer? (Prayer was so important to Daniel that he continued to pray even when his life was threatened for doing so.)
Elder L. Tom Perry said: “Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should w
orship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served ‘in the world’ in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way ‘in the world’ in which we live!” (in General Conference, Apr. 1988).
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| Elder L. Tom Perry |
4. Esther risks her life to save her people.
Additional Teaching Ideas
1. The ultimate blessings of courageous obedience
What did Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Esther, and Mordecai have in common? (They all had the courage to do what was right, even when doing so put their lives at risk.)
We began priesthood with hymn #301. In the high priests group we sang the first verse of "Silent Night" as we will be singing it in its entirety at the ward Christmas party on Saturday.
The lesson today was from the First Presidency message in the December Ensign entitled "Fill the World with Christ’s Love" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
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| President Dieter F. Uchtdorf |
We had a quiet afternoon. Eileen and I finished our Herefordshire project as Church Service missionaries and await new instructions. We got a very nice long e-mail from Saundra Smart of South Jordan, Utah. She and her husband Dick were choice acquaintances on our cruise around the U. K. in August of last year.
I broke my fast with a slice of Papa John's pizza.
At 6 pm as we ate supper we watched the Christmas Devotional from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square were magnificent! We enjoyed hearing Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy, Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president, Elder D. Todd Christopherson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency.
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| Elder Richard J. Maynes |
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| Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson |
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| Elder D. Todd Christopherson |
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| President Henry B. Eyring |
I finished my 9 November blog entry and published it.
On Monday 8 December I finished reading "Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive, or, Two Miles a Minute on the Rails" by Victor Appleton which I began on 30 August.
I worked a lot on my 16 November blog.
We left Colleen's after lunch to visit Weston. We visited Hallmark to get greeting cards and a nice gift bag for baby boy. Our odometer reached 90369.
We chatted with William and then Erin brought Weston downstairs. Eileen held him for quite a long time, which she enjoyed very much. He is quite adorable!
We finally returned to Colleen's and admired all the Christmas lights that Sean had put up along the eaves, in the front yard, and around the front door.
They had just begun Family Home Evening. We enjoyed that and then had supper together.
On Tuesday 9 December we joined Colleen, Tanner, and Ashton bright and early for the boys' horse lessons at the home of Kim Ward in Queen Creek. Tanner began last year and Ashton recently. They had to ride Red as Misty had stepped in a gopher hole and sprained an ankle.
While at Walmart I read "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery A Hercule Poirot Short Story" by Agatha Christie.
Home for lunch and then Eileen and I drove to the nearest Hallmark for some Christmas ornaments and then Fry's Supermarket for a couple of things. Our odometer reached 90409.
Back at Colleen's we enjoyed some spareribs that Sean had cooked solely with solar power in the backyard. They were delicious!
Later Colleen, Eileen, and the boys made gingerbread houses at the dining room table.
In the evening Colleen showed me how to use the Walmart app on my iPhone to scan my Walmart receipt which will then check to see if what I bought is cheaper at any area stores. It is called the Savings Catcher and I have already gotten over $5 waiting to be redeemed.
I finished my 16 November blog entry and published it.
I finished reading "The Honor of the Name" by Emile Gaboriau which I began on 30 April. It is the sequel to "Monsieur Lecoq."
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| Emile Gaboriau (1832-1873) |
On Wednesday 10 December Eileen and I spent a couple of hours finishing the Herefordshire parishes and we began working on the parishes of Essex County in England.
We went shopping in the afternoon at Toys 'R' Us for something for Weston and then stopped at Walmart and Fry's. We filled up for $2.399 and our palindrome was 90459.
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| Toys 'R' Us |
We enjoyed the Arrow of Light ceremony at church in the evening for Spencer and one other boy. William was able to be there. Colleen made a cake and Eileen decorated it beautifully in blue and yellow.
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| Spencer preparing to cross the bridge to Boy Scouts |
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| Cub Scout leader and Spencer |
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| Spencer in the center |
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| Spencer 4th from left and Colleen 2nd from right |
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| Spencer and 2nd boy crossing the bridge |
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| Spencer and Arrow of Light plaque |
Colleen put together a display of all of Spencer's Cub Scout awards. It is quite something!
Later I downloaded the 125 pictures from Eileen's camera to my laptop.
At bedtime I finished reading "Lord, Is It I?" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, to Eileen.
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| President Dieter F. Uchtdorf |
On Thursday 11 December I replied to e-mails from folks we had served with on our mission. I called Coloma in Indiana to order more tart cherry concentrate as we're almost out.
Colleen had told us about Ebates.com so I signed up last night.
Today I booked our Comfort Inn stays 22-25 December via Ebates.com, so we'll see how much we get back. Eileen was concerned about the cost of rooms during the holidays but they were fairly cheap. We'll go back via I-20 as the weather forecast looks good and stop at the Dallas Temple.
At home my computer had finished the update to the OS X Yosemite operating system. Then I had to update several pieces of software on the computer.
I spent an hour or so working on the parishes of Essex County in England.
On Friday 12 December I called Earnhardt Toyota and as a walk-in the wait time would have been very long so I made an appointment for tomorrow at 8 am to have only an oil change and tire rotation done. When we get back to Georgia I'll have whatever else is needed for the 90,000 mile service.
Eileen and I visited one of the several Hallmark stores in the area to get Christmas cards for the three grandsons. Then we went to Superstition Feed and Pet Supply for spurs and straps as Christmas gifts for Tanner and Ashton who take horse lessons.
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| Nearby saguaro cactus |
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| Nearby cacti |
We stopped at the Queen Creek Public Library to get color copies made of the Visiting Teacher message in the December Ensign but they are no longer able to do that. They recommended the nearby Staples and we took care of it there. A last stop was at Walmart for the ingredients for Eileen to make her macaroni and tuna salad for Colleen's ward's Christmas party tomorrow.
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| Inside the library |
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| Walmart |
Back at Colleen's we took care of the Christmas cards with the Visiting Teacher messages for those whom we visit each month (as well as those whom we don't get to) back in Georgia. I began putting together our Christmas card list which will be greatly abbreviated with us being away from home. I also put together our Christmas letter to accompany our cards.
I spent an hour or so working on the parishes of Essex County in England.
Late in the afternoon we went to the Taekwondo class for Tanner and Ashton. Spencer is done until January although he came, too. Sean rode his bicycle to work at the hospital.
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| Tanner and Ashton |
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| Eileen and Ashton |
On Saturday 13 December I took our Avalon to the Earnhardt Toyota dealer for some of its 90,000 mile service. It was less than an hour. I mailed our Christmas cards that we prepared yesterday. Then a quick stop at Walmart for paper and ink for Sean's printer as I want to print 50 or so Christmas letters for the rest of the cards we send.
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| Earnhardt Toyota |
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| Earnhardt Toyota waiting area |
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| Picking up the car |
As I neared home the odometer reached 90609. One mile later at 90610 the car reached 62,000 miles since we bought it nine days short of two years ago.
Eileen had just finished making her delicious elbow macaroni, olives, and tuna fish salad for tonight.
Eileen spent an hour and 15 minutes and I spent an hour and 45 minutes working on the parishes of Essex County in England.
We went to the Pet Club near Colleen's and exchanged the spurs we had gotten for Tanner and Ashton for different ones with more attractive rowels. Nearby on W. Combs Road were some interesting trees.
Navy defeated Army in a close game, 17-10.
I worked on and published my 23 November blog entry.
We all went to Cubberley's ward for the Christmas program "A Night in Bethlehem." Several Nativity scenes were set up in the foyer. The Primary youth and some teens and an adult or two put on the costumed show. It was very nice and then while we all ate vocal performances were put on by different groups. The ward provided lasagna and rolls while the members brought lots of different salads. After the Primary program Sean went to work. After we got home Colleen took Sean a plate of food for supper.
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| Tables for the food prior to the program |
The following pictures are of the Nativity scenes in the foyer as one entered the meetinghouse.
The following photos are of the cultural hall were the program took place.
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| The Wise Men at the Nativity |
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| Tanner amongst the shepherds |
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| Ashton amongst the shepherds |
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| Ben and Eileen |
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| Colleen and Tanner |
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| Relief Society sisters singing |
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| High priests group singing |
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