Bailey's Blog

On Sunday 23 February we attended our Ellijay Branch. Our speakers were Brother Kenneth Bassett, Brother Leighton Van Dyke, a recently returned missionary, and our stake high councilor Brother Alan Bassett, Kenneth's father.

Brother Kenneth Bassett spoke using President Boyd K. Packer's talk from last general conference on "The Key to Spiritual Protection." "Stay on course and keep your covenants."

President Boyd K. Packer

Brother Van Dyke served his mission in California. He spoke on it being a commandment to be a missionary. Who should we share the gospel with? He reviewed many of our concerns about doing so. The missionaries are involved in the spiritual conversion while we help them with friend-shipping the new convert. D&C 31:7. "Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hand." He spoke about a social activity on his mission and he made sweet potato pies. The one investigator who attended and the members enjoyed the pies and she came to church next Sunday. He told of missionary opportunities. Moses 1:39. "For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Pray for a missionary opportunity. We should be giving referrals to the missionaries. He bore his testimony.

Brother Alan Bassett spoke of the stake president and his counselors and how much they love us. He and his family moved here from Las Vegas. He told about our perspective when watching general conference. President Monson shared the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith to share the gospel ("After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel”), and the quote from President David O. McKay about "every member a missionary." D&C 88:73 "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." What are we hastening? He spoke of the times and seasons in Ecclesiastes. He told of an experience in their remote ward where his father was the bishop. It was ward conference and they had no sacrament cups! They found some Dixie cups in a closet. There were giggles when some water went all over during the sacrament. Brother Bassett was the young man who should have ensured that they had sacrament cups! He quoted from Elder Gifford Nielsen about his conversation with Coach LaVell Edwards about his BYU football days and scoring.

Elder Gifford Nielsen

LaVell Edwards

"I wanted to put my excitement and my faith in Jesus Christ into action. When I played football, I thought in terms of game plans. There was no question going into a contest that if our team was prepared with the right plays, we were going to be successful. However, I recently spoke with BYU’s legendary coach LaVell Edwards about our game plans, and he said, “I didn’t care what play you called just as long as we scored a touchdown!” As one of his quarterbacks, I thought it was much more complex than that, but maybe his simple philosophy is the reason he has a stadium named after him."

Elder Nielsen gave three points associated with sharing the gospel. "First, specifically pray to bring someone closer to the Savior and His gospel every day. Second, pray for the missionaries serving in your area and their investigators by name every day. Third, invite a friend to an activity in or out of your home. Wherever you go or whatever you do, ponder who would enjoy the occasion and then listen to the Spirit as He directs you." D&C 58:26-27 "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." "Success equals one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration." Brother Bassett quoted someone who said that he was tired of being a secret agent where no one knows why he's being a good example. D&C 14:7. "And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

After sacrament meeting I met with Sister Carol Messina, the branch Family History Center director. She oriented me about the Family History Center. This was due to my new calling as a branch Family History Consultant.

"Family History Centers are branches of FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history." Google

Our priesthood lesson, being the fourth Sunday of the month, was "Teachings For Our Time" where a selected talk from the previous general conference is taught. Our lesson today was "Teaching with the Power and Authority of God" by Brother David M. McConkie, first counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency. He had delivered this on Sunday afternoon last October.

David M. McConkie

Before priesthood meeting I saw that Sister Peggy Espersen was there to see the branch president. She is having knee surgery on Tuesday.

After our meetings Brother David Echard and I gave her a priesthood blessing.

We met the new missionaries in the branch, Elder Faber from Connecticut and Sister Burgess from Kaysville, Utah.

At home we enjoyed the end of the Olympics with the 4-man bobsled and the 50k cross-country ski.

I read the Book of John chapter 17.

We called Allen and Lynda White in Fremont, California, to discuss our planned vacation from 2-9 May in Clarksville, Missouri.

We watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

I finished reading the February Ensign, our LDS Church magazine. One of my goals this year is to read the Ensign every month.

February Ensign

On Monday 24 February we finished packing and headed for Florida about 10 am, stopping at Walmart for gas at $3.169. We also stopped at Kroger in Macon for more gas at $3.169. We had to bypass the Sam's Club in Valdosta as the gas there had shot up to $3.339.

We enjoyed lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Macon and reached Russ's in Brooker at 6:15 pm after stopping at Hitchcock's for items for a recipe that Eileen is planning.

Cracker Barrel in Macon

Welcome to Florida

Russ's front porch

I set up our vacation at Vacation Villas at the Summit in Clarksville, Missouri, for 2-9 May online.

Vacation Villas at the Summit

On Tuesday 25 February we received an e-mail confirming our May vacation.

Russ and Sue arrived about 11:20. Eileen and I took Sue to Shand's for her appointment with the pre-op nurse anesthetist (one o'clock appointment and seen at two). Then she visited Patient Holding where there were lots of familiar faces from her previous procedures. She met with two of the nurses Pat and Susan followed by the physicians assistant George. We were done by three o'clock. They said how much they had enjoyed the Edible Arrangement we brought them two weeks ago.

We enjoyed a late lunch at Taco Bell.

Sue's husband David and their daughter Megan arrived about 5:30 from Sunrise, FL.

I read the Book of John chapter 18.

We had a late supper as David and Megan hadn't eaten. One of the dishes that Eileen made was black bean quinoa salad which was quite good.

On Wednesday 26 February we (Sue, David, Megan, Eileen, and I) all went to Shand's for Sue's oncology procedure called chemo embolization. We had a long wait before Sue's surgery. Arriving at 9 am and being ready to go by 10:30, she was still waiting at 4:30 pm! The anesthesiologist finally arrived!!

I watched the Bible video "The Parable of the Ten Virgins" on my iPhone which you may watch at the following link:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-002-the-ten-virgins?category=bible-videos-the-life-of-jesus-christ&lang=eng

I read pretty much the whole time we waited with Sue. In the evening back at Russ's I finished reading "The Mystery of the Yellow Room" by Gaston Leroux, better known for his novel "Phantom of the Opera."

Gaston Leroux (1868-1927)

About 8 pm we got word via an e-mail from David that all went well with Sue's procedure. Dr. Horvath did it again. David and Megan stayed overnight at Shand's. Sue is in room 8216 in the newer building (south tower).

Entrance to the South Tower

View from 8th floor

S. Clark Butler Lake

On Thursday 27 February we were up and went to Shand's. About 11 am they had Sue up and walking. We enjoyed lunch in the Terrace Cafe.

I read the Book of John chapter 19.

On Friday 28 February David and Megan visited Sue and headed back home to Sunrise which is near Ft. Lauderdale.

One of the characters in Jan Karon's Mitford series always enjoyed his livermush, so I tried it for breakfast today. Livermush is similar to scrapple, but the latter apparently does not have to contain liver while the livermush must.

Eileen and I got to Shand's about 10 am. David and Megan got home safe and sound. We stayed with Sue all day and left her at 8 pm.

I was very upset to read that Disney is cutting off any funding to the Boy Scouts. If Latter-day Saints, Baptists, Catholics, Evangelicals, etc., followed up on their convictions, none of them (us) would spend a cent on Disney! How many gays are in the upper echelons of Disney?

I finished reading the March Ensign, reading a lot at the hospital today.

On Saturday 1 March we were up and got to Shand's about 9 am.

I read the Book of John chapter 20.

Reading at the hospital again, I have gotten back into the Family Tree magazine for March 2013. It is a magazine from the U.K. which we had a subscription to on the British floor of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. I have enjoyed my own subscription.

We met Russ at 5 pm for supper at Cody's Original Roadhouse just a few minutes west of the hospital. It was pretty good with rather unique ambience.