Blog Archives

PSALM 48:1,2,3,9,11,14

1/29/2015

  PSALM 48:1,2,3,9,11,14

Great is the Lord
and greatly to be praised
in the city
of our God
in the mountain
of his holiness

Beautiful for situation
the joy of the whole earth
is Mount Zion
on the sides of the north
the city
of the great King

God is known in her palaces
for a refuge

We
have thought
of thy loving kindness
O God
in the midst
of thy temple

Let Mount Zion rejoice
  Let the daughters of Judah be glad
because of thy judgments

For this God
is our God
forever and ever
He will be our guide
even unto death

PROPENSITY

1/29/2015

PROPENSITY

Now there's a ten-dollar word for you.
According to the dictionary, propensity
is an intense natural inclination or
preference toward something.

It seems all of us have an inclination
or two. We are either bent on doing
evil or doing good. Many of us have
a leaning toward or away from living
the gospel and keeping the command-
ments. Too many of us vacillate in all
all directions. Quite often we are too
eager and prone to wander

We may wont to do good all the time,
but often we find the going tough and
rough. Our proclivity is toward making
spiritual mistakes.

Let's be honest. Without the Lord's
help, we would seldom have an affinity
toward holiness.

We should be careful concerning our
propensities for they often turn into
habits.

(Written January 29, 2015)

AMERICA

1/29/2015

AMERICA

   Having now traveled, by car, nearly two
thousand miles (one way) across our great
land, we share these simple observations...

America is vast...Vast in distance, in time,
in space, in ideas, in ideals.

America is beautiful...We've seen the paddle
wheel and plantations of the South...The dry
mountain ranges and desert cactus of the
Southwest and the purple mountain majesties
of the Rockies, and, of course, the soft sandy
beaches of the Eastern Shore.

America is people...Hard working, resolute,
sturdy, steadfast, bedrock committed, and
dedicated to the Constitutional ideals of our
forefathers.

America...We have toured the land...
and found it grand.

  (The above article is one of a series of articles
we wrote while taking what became known
to our family in 1977 as our Great Western
Trek, as we travelled from Maryland to Utah.)

PSALM 47:1,6,7,8

1/22/2015

PSALM 47:1,6,7,8

O clap your hands,
all ye people
Shout unto God
with the voice
of triumph

Sing praises to God
Sing praises
Sing praises
unto our King
Sing praises

For God
is the King
of all the earth
Sing ye praises
with understanding

God reigneth over all the heathen
God sitteth upon the throne
of his holiness

NOT ALONE

1/22/2015

NOT ALONE

In the stillness
At the end of day
When all alone
We softly kneel
And quietly pray
With simple words
We let our thanks
Be known
And soon discover
We are
Not alone

THE RIGHT PLACE

1/22/2015

THE RIGHT PLACE

Every time we visit Utah, we very much enjoy
traveling to the top of Immigration Canyon and
viewing the miles, north and south, east to west
of the Great Salt Lake Valley.

As those wearied pioneers reach this point in their
journey, their leader, Brigham Young, looked over
that barren, desolate desert and said, "This is the
right place." And within a decade, the barren desert
blossomed as a rose.

Speaking of the right place, we have found that it is
very difficult to position ourselves in the right place
and the wrong place at the same time. One place
will inevitably give way to the other. Our lives would
much better off if we would continually strive to be
in the right place at the right time for the right reason.

As we cross the plains of life, or climb its mountains,
or roll down into its valleys, may we always seek to keep
our hearts and minds in the right place...that we too
may blossom like a rose.

(The above article is one of a series of articles
we wrote while taking what became known
to our family in 1977 as our Great Western
Trek, as we travelled from Maryland to Utah.)

PSALM 46:1,4,7,10

1/15/2015

PSALM 46:1,4,7,10

GOD IS
Our refuge and our strength
A very present help in trouble
There is a river
The streams thereof
Shall make glad
the city of God
the holy place
of the tabernacles
of the most High

The Lord of hosts
is with us
The God of Jacob
is our refuge
Selah

Be still and know
That I am God
I will be exalted
among the heathen
I will be exalted
in the earth

THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

1/15/2015

THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

After being driven from their homes in
Ohio and Missouri, the Latter-day Saints,
settled in a small town named Commerce
in the state of Illinois, directly across from
the Iowa-Missouri border.

The whole city gently and beautifully slopes
downward to the banks of the silent silver
Mississippi.

Largely swamp and marshland in the beginning,
the saints changed the topography and the name
of the city to Nauvoo, meaning  "the city beautiful."

By the time Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum
were martyred in 1844, Nauvoo had grown to
become the largest city in Illinois, and was indeed
the "city beautiful".

We spent two days here visiting the old homes and
shops and listened to the story of a people destined
to survive and grow regardless of the perils and
persecution of their adversaries.

And our faith and admiration were strengthened.

(The above article is one of a series of articles
we wrote while taking what became known
to our family in 1977 as our Great Western
Trek, as we travelled from Maryland to Utah.)

THE LITTLE r

1/15/2015

THE LITTLE r

The other day, the plumbing under
our kitchen sink was attempting to portray
the 39th day of the flood.

We finally corrected the problems, but
not until we had thoroughly soaked one pair
of shoes and one pair of slippers.

After finishing our task, we sat down in
a kitchen chair with one leg crossed over the
other.

We were hot , tired, irritated, frustrated
and agitated, Our wife was attempting to
console us when she, much to our consternation,
began to laugh.

"What are you laughing about?"
"You have a small "r" on the bottom of your
right foot."

"What?"

"The kids had some alphabet soup this
morning, and you stepped on the letter r and
it has stuck to the bottom of your foot."

"Oh!"

Ever so slowly God is trying to teach us....

To rejoice, the Lord is King
To repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand
To look up, for our redemption draweth nigh.

(This article was written in 1977.)

PSALM 45:1,2,6,13,17

1/8/2015

PSALM 45:1,2,6,13,17

My heart is inditing a good matter
I speak of the things
Which I have made
Touching the King

My tongue
is the pen
of a ready writer

Thou art fairer
than the children
of men
Grace is poured
into thy lips
Therefore God hath
blessed thee forever

Thy throne O God
is forever and ever
The scepter
of thy kingdom is
a right scepter

The king's daughter
is
all glorious within
Her clothing
is of
wrought gold

I will make thy name
to be remembered
in all generations
Therefore
shall the people
praise thee
for ever and ever