This is a group game that is fun to play as you are gathering for a party. These word pictures describe a word phrase. For example the first on is: tiptoe through the tulips. The second one is: 6 feet underground, and so forth.
Have fun!
(click on picture to enlarge)
Pass this out for the player to write their answers in.
Answers:
(click on picture above to inlarge or see answer below)
We were able to communicate with Kristine as she experienced her first hurricane. We "chatted" via the Internet.
This was the first picture she sent before the rain came. It looks like some pretty strong winds are going on. (check out the palm trees)
This is a picture of her walking back to her dorm after dinner on Thursday. She wore her snorkeling mask so her face and eyes could be protected from the flying debris.
Hi, Sandy. How are you?
Here is part of Kristine's last email home.
I survived my first hurricane. Here is what I learned:
-Trees with shallow roots fall down
-Everything gets wet and stays wet (you go outside for like ten seconds with your jacket and your jacket will be wet for days)
-I can’t imagine what a category 5 hurricane would be like (we were in a category 2 and a category 5 can EASILY kill people)
-It’s not so much as the wind and the rain that is dangerous, it’s the things that can fly around and hit people…or trees falling on stuff
Campus pretty much always had power and internet and phone usage. Also yesterday and today the phone system has been down and the internet has been on and off. It’s off right now so I’m typing this on a word document and I’ll copy and paste it on the email tomorrow…if it’s back up again. But man, if we didn’t have power, all of our food would have gone bad and it would be really boring without having any lights on at night. I pretty much read Thursday night when the storm was blowing through full force... Campus is right on the beach but we don’t ever have waves cuz we are in something called “the sound”, it’s kind of like a bay. So we didn’t have waves crashing up on shore and flooding us, the water level just rose a lot and there were some waves, but they weren’t that big. A lot of the buildings leaked and made them smelly. Luckily the girls dorm didn’t leak. It just got smelly from everyone’s wet clothes hanging everywhere and not drying. We had sustains winds over 105 mph. Crazy.....
Many of us from Duarte know and love Linda Reeves. Their family moved from Duarte around 1997 and they continue to influence our lives. This past April Linda was called to serve in the General Relief Society Presidency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This calling will give her the opportunity to touch people’s lives all over the world the way she has touched our lives.
This past Saturday Linda had the opportunity to address a world wide audience by way of the General Relief Society Meeting that was broadcasted from Salt Lake City, Utah. (Her talk was translated into 93 languages.) Linda was able reach all who heard with her message which was: “Our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know us and love us. … We can feel of Their love and compassion in our suffering.”
Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
As we meet sisters around the world, we are amazed at the strength of your testimonies. So many of you are first- or second-generation members of the Church. We see many sisters serving in multiple callings, traveling long distances to attend church, and sacrificing to make and keep sacred temple covenants. We honor you. You are the Lord’s modern-day pioneers!
Recently my husband, Mel, and I met a volunteer tour guide named Mollie Lenthal as we visited a museum in Australia. We found out that Mollie, a lovely woman in her 70s, has no children and has never married. She is an only child, and her parents have been deceased for many years. Her closest relatives are two cousins who live on another continent. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the Spirit testifying to me, almost as if Heavenly Father were speaking: “Mollie is not alone! Mollie is my daughter! I am her Father! She is a very important daughter in my family, and she is never alone!”
One of my favorite stories from the Savior’s life is the story of Lazarus. The scriptures tell us that “Jesus loved Martha, … her sister [Mary], and [their brother] Lazarus.”1 Word was sent to Jesus that Lazarus was very ill, but Jesus did not come immediately; He stayed away two more days, stating that “this sickness is … for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”2
Hearing that Jesus was coming, Martha “went and met him,”3 telling Him what had happened. Lazarus had “lain in the grave four days already.”4 Grieving, Martha ran back to her home to tell Mary that the Lord had come.5 Mary, weighed down with sorrow, ran to Jesus, fell down at His feet, and wept.6
We are told that “when Jesus therefore saw [Mary] weeping, … he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” and asked where they had laid him.
“They said unto him, Lord, come and see.”7
Then we read some of the most compassionate, loving words in scripture: “Jesus wept.”8
Apostle James E. Talmage wrote: “The sight of the two women so overcome by grief … caused Jesus to sorrow [with them], so that He groaned in spirit and was deeply troubled.”9 This experience testifies of the compassion, empathy, and love that our Savior and our Heavenly Father feel for each of us every time we are weighed down by the anguish, sin, adversity, and pains of life.
Dear sisters, our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know us and love us. They know when we are in pain or suffering in any way. They do not say, “It’s OK that you’re in pain right now because soon everything is going to be all right. You will be healed, or your husband will find a job, or your wandering child will come back.” They feel the depth of our suffering, and we can feel of Their love and compassion in our suffering.
Alma testified:
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon him … their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”10
When we wonder if we are known by our Savior and our Father in Heaven or how well They know us personally, we might remember the Savior’s words to Oliver Cowdery:
“If you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.”11
Earlier the Savior stated to him, “There is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.”12
The Savior reminded Oliver that He knew every detail of that pleading prayer—and remembered the exact time, the very night.
Many years ago my husband became very ill with a rare disease. As the weeks went by and the sicker he became, the more I became convinced that he was dying. I told no one of my fears. We had a large, young family and a loving, eternal marriage, and the thought of losing my husband and raising my children by myself filled me with loneliness, despair, and even anger. I am ashamed to say that I pulled away from my Heavenly Father. For days I quit praying; I quit planning; I cried. I finally came to the realization that I could not do this alone.
For the first time in many days, I knelt down and poured out my heart to my Father in Heaven, pleading for forgiveness for turning away from Him, telling Him all of my deepest feelings, and finally crying out that if this was what He really wanted me to do, I would do it. I knew He must have a plan for our lives.
As I continued on my knees to pour out my heart, the sweetest, most peaceful, loving feeling came over me. It was as if a blanket of love was flowing over me. It was as if I could feel Heavenly Father saying, “That was all I needed to know.” I determined never to turn away from Him again. Gradually and amazingly, my husband began to get better until he made a full recovery.
Years later my husband and I knelt by the side of our 17-year-old daughter and pleaded for her life. This time the answer was no, but that same feeling of love and peace that our Savior has promised was just as powerful, and we knew that even though Heavenly Father was calling her back home, everything would be all right. We have come to know what it means to cast our burdens upon the Lord, to know that He loves us and feels compassion for us in our sorrows and pain.
One of the sweetest father-to-son moments in the Book of Mormon is Alma the Younger’s testimony to his son Helaman. Alma described the “inexpressible horror” he felt as he imagined coming into the presence of God to be judged of his many transgressions. After feeling the weight of all his sins for three days and nights, he repented and pleaded with the Savior to have mercy on him. He described to Helaman the “exquisite and sweet” joy of remembering his pains “no more.” Instead of feeling “inexpressible horror” at the thought of coming before the throne of God, Alma saw a vision of “God sitting upon his throne” and declared, “My soul did long to be there.”13
Is that not how we feel, my dear sisters, as we repent and contemplate the love, the mercy, and the gratitude we feel for our Heavenly Father and our Savior—that we too “long to be there,” to be embraced by Their loving arms once again?
Just as the Lord has testified to me that He has not forgotten His precious daughter Mollie Lenthal, I testify that He has not forgotten you! Whatever sin or weakness or pain or struggle or trial you are going through, He knows and understands those very moments. He loves you! And He will carry you through those moments, just as He did Mary and Martha. He has paid the price that He might know how to succor you. Cast your burdens upon Him. Tell your Heavenly Father how you feel. Tell Him about your pain and afflictions and then give them to Him. Search the scriptures daily. There you will also find great solace and help.
Our Savior asked:
“For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. …
“… I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”14
“I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world.”15
That is our charge. We must feel and see for ourselves and then help all of Heavenly Father’s children to feel and see and know that our Savior has taken upon Himself not only all our sins but also our pains and our suffering and afflictions so that He can know what we feel and how to comfort us. I testify of Him in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My friend, Shauna, said, "This is the best explanation I have heard about what goes on inside a Mormon Temple." You can also see this video by clicking here.
"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us..."
Recently I had the opportunity of being in charge of selecting a “getting to know you” game. Of course I consulted my daughters to see if they had any ideas. Renee came up with a good suggestion. I liked her idea, modified it, and named it. This is the end result:
Introducing: ME!
What is you favorite place on earth?
What is your dream job?
Tell about someone who changed your life for the better.
What is your idea of a satisfying day?
What is something that you’re good at?
What’s your favorite line from any movie?
What is set as the background on your computer?
What is your best scar? Tell the story of how you got it.
Is there a story behind your name? What is it?
Tell about a time when you went outside of your comfort zone.
What was your favorite childhood toy?
What famous line did your parent(s) use over and over?
Tell about a valuable piece of advice that someone has given you.
What are your three favorite spices?
Tell about an unusual ability that you have.
Describe a family member that you admire
Tell about a time of your life that you feel nostalgic about.
What is the story behind the most liked status/picture on your social media page.
How to play:
Print up and pass out the questions. Without delay, tell the group that they will each be given the opportunity to answer any question. A question can be answered more than once, because no question will have the same answer. No one will be called on to answer a question. Whoever is playing can volunteer to answer a question when there is a lull in the action. To help this game be successful, don’t delay in starting after the questions are passed out. When I’ve played this game, I’ll start as soon as the instructions are given. I’ll usually answer #9....because I have an interesting story behind how my parents chose my name.
I have played this game twice. Once at an adult gathering and once with teenagers. It was equally successful with both age groups.
I’ll have to say, the funniest answers were given to question #8. The question that no one answered each time I played it was #14.
Have fun!
You can print up the link below, cut into fours, and pass out the list of questions.
We got her out. Locksmith came and did it for free cuz baby was inside.
As I was driving home from the store on Saturday, I did, indeed, get this text from Janelle.
I sent a text back: What? When I didn’t hear back, I called her cell phone and Dave explained the situation of why Janelle sent the text.
Janelle wrote about what happened in her weekly letter to Lisa:
Me and Savannah washed Dad’s car on Saturday. I put her in the front seat while I drove it back into the garage. I gave her the keys while I got out of the car to walk around to get her out (cuz she LOVES keys, and she LOVES playing in the car). In the three seconds I was out, she had pushed the button on the keychain that locks the car. She was in there for about an hour. She was having a ball the whole time. Only cried for about three minutes towards the end, which means mom cried more than she did. Dave and I tried getting her to push the right buttons the right way….Dave has broken into the car before, but it takes a lot of time, and helps if the window is down even a crack. Nothing worked. So we finally called a locksmith who came right out and opened it in like two seconds. He did it for free cuz there was a baby in there. We were very grateful.
While I was at the store, Janelle called our house to talk out the situation with Scott. Because I was at the store, I was oblivious to the drama that was taking place in Rexburg. (hence my confusion over the text) Of course Scott was concerned and felt very powerless to help with the situation. After some time of feeling anxious and helpless, he did the only thing he could do. He offered a heartfelt prayer. He pleaded for an angel to come help get Savannah out.
Scott’s prayer was indeed answered. An angel, namely the locksmith, came and quickly remedied the situation.
I know that God does hear our prayers. And I know that he sometimes sends angels to answer our prayers.
This situation reminds me of a talk Elder Holland gave in conference in October 2008 entitled: The Ministry of Angels
...I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods... Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind....
...My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.”Moroni 7:36 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. .....the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us.....
Oh, did I mention that up until Saturday Janelle and Dave only had one key to that car? They are now the proud owners of two keys to their car.
I always enjoy reading Lisa's weekly email. Her sister, Rachel, asked a few questions and here is Lisa's response to one of her questions:
Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder how on earth you ended up in Argentina on a mission????
yeah, like all the time. but not when i wake up in the morning. it´s usually when i´m crossing the railroad tracks into a different barrio and there are a ton of horses just hangin' out, or when a drunk guy asks me if i am god (true story), or when it's pouring rain and i'm walking through the mud to an appointment, or when i just spent 45 minutes in some stranger's house speaking to them IN SPANISH about the restoration, or when i'm "showering" from a bucket because we have no water pressure again, or when we help make a billion empanadas from scratch. it's kinda crazy to think back to how i got here. definitely an inspired decision.
She also wrote a follow up on this story:
i'm with some of the gobelli fan club. we had a cita (appointment) with one of their mom's, but she wasn't home, so we sat on the sidewalk and taught the group of kids about the plan de salvación. after we got home we discovered that we had a TON of bug bites on our legs (looks like flea bites?). so worth it....
Two weeks later:
okay, and here´s the best story of the week: remember my story about contacting a mom of someone in the gobelli fan club (see july 16 letter...her husband died 7 years ago and she just feels empty). we pass by her house all the time and she's been avoiding us--havn't had a lesson yet. we keep passing by because i felt like we were really guided to find her. well, finally on thursday, we had a few free minutes so we pass by, expecting to get turned away again. but she says, "well, like, what´s your message like? do you know what happens after this life, or no?" YES! before her husband died, she told him that if were to die before she did, to come back and give her a sign that there is life after death. she's been disappointed because after 7 years, there hasn't been any sign from him. we spent quite a bit of time standing there in her polleria (chicken shop) testifying about the resurrection, the spirit world, kingdoms of glory, our purpose in life, etc. after a bit, she said, "you know, i dreamed about you girls the other night. and my husband was there too. he was chewing me out for not listening to you. he said i should." and that was super cool, because then we could testify that the things we were teaching were true, that her husband was learning these same things and wanted her to know them too. i am excited for our lesson with her tomorrow.
I’ve had similar experiences to the story told in the video as a little girl with my father and family in Fernley, Nevada. Also as a wife and mother with Scott, in Victorville, Calif. I’m grateful for the fathers and husbands in our lives who have the courage to always keep moving ahead when faced with difficult trials. Happy Father’s Day!
The closing two paragraphs are my favorite words from the video:
Just two weeks ago, I drove by that exact spot. For just an instant, I thought perhaps I saw on that side road an old car with a devoted young wife and two little children. Just ahead of them, I imagined that I saw a young fellow walking toward Kanarraville, the weight of a young father's fear evident in his pace.
In that imaginary instant, I couldn't help calling out to him, "Don't you quit! You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead." Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come till heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.
Mark your calenders now for Arcadia Stake annual Patriotic Concert. Saturday, June 30th at 7:00 at the Foothill building on the corner of Baldwin and Foothill in Arcadia. My favorite part of the program is when they honor those who have served in the Armed Forces. Update: Alex Boye will also be preforming as a guest singer with the choir.
One of my favorite primary hymns is, I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus by Janice Kapp Perry
I’m trying to be like Jesus;
I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,
Chorus “Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.”
I’m trying to love my neighbor;
I’m learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught.
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:
Chorus
When my sister-in-law, Lynn saw this video she said, "How fun! I've seen his story on Mormon Times and I know Denny and Leslie Hancock from Bellevue, WA. Great story and what a great family. I haven't seen them in years but they were such a great family way back when so doesn't surprise me that they still are!"
Thank you Denny Hancock for showing us how to be like Jesus.
