Thoughts and stories, by Pal

I enjoyed this article in Meridian Magazine today, and I thought it could relate to acting on our good intentions as far as New Year's resolutions are concerned also.  If we have anyone in a care center that we have thought of visiting, or even calling on the phone, let's do it today, before the New Year 2014 begins! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU DEAR PEOPLE, AND BE SAFE TONIGHT!  WE WILL BE PLAYING GAMES HERE FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE AT OUR HOME IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH -- IF YOU LIVE CLOSE AND DON'T HAVE PLANS, CALL US, AND INVITE YOURSELF!      Home     LDS Church     Personal Voice    Acting On Good Intentions Tuesday, December 31 2013 Acting On Good Intentions By Daris Howard Comment on Article My dad used to say that good intentions are never enough; they must be acted upon. Still, I find myself too often with good intentions which I don’t follow through on. That was wha...

I'm posting this early so you can use ideas for tonight's Family Home Evening, if you want to. This time of year always brings me the feeling of looking back over my recent past, and wanting to improve myself in several areas.  I ran across  what I consider to be a gem -- below -- a daily free newsletter from LDS Living -- I am posting it below, because it gives free ideas each week for family home evening lessons, and other LDS items.  You can each sign up for it if you want to also.  This one is for New Year's!             This is a photo of Christmas, 1958, when Wayne M. was 2, and Delsy 7 months . I haven't been a person that gets too involved in New Year's resolutions, as I have a hard time keeping them!  However, I have decided on some things that I will really try harder to do this coming year.  Writing this blog daily has been a lesson on self discipline to me -- Hope it carries over ! !  1.  G...

I believe I learned something about myself this morning (something that I need to change for the better). We were reading the newspaper as is our custom, and I was reading the A section with main news. Wayne handed me the sports section, which I rarely read (almost never!) and said "Let's trade!" I knew that he knew I didn't want to read the sports section! I gave the A section to him, but made a sarcastic remark. I immediately didn't feel at peace, and realized I was not right. I realized I had taken offence over something that wasn't meant that way. I believe sarcasm can be very destructive to relationships!  (I did apologize!) Then the talk during the Tabernacle Choir broadcast told about "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, and the story of Scrooge. He said that it is a classic story of how people can and do change for the better. He mentioned that we call a stingy person a "Scrooge", and that even in the dictionary it is de...

I follow a blog that I really enjoy.  I think you would enjoy it also, so I'm putting in the blog he did for December 26, 2013 -- just 2 days ago.  So what you read below is Brian Mickelson's blog.   I'm assuming it is okay to copy and paste this, as it is on a public blog. This is the link in case you'd like to follow him also:     http://wp.me/pJYOD-nU Brian Mickelson…. Thoughts, updates, and information about, well, everything… I'm reading President Henry B. Eyring's biography . I'm not far into it, but I like it. Of course, there is a section of two on his parents, Henry and Mildred and how their lives and faith impacted young Henry ("Hal") who would eventually serve in the leading quorums of the church. Here is a short quote from Henry (the father and award-winning scientist): "I like contradictions. I like a little bit of a mess, and I am glad when one of the brethren says something that I think is little b...

When I was about 18 years old, I received a lovely comforting blessing from the 88 year old Patriarch, for whom I typed blessings.  He said the day would come when I would serve a mission.  At that time (1953) a girl had to be 23 years old to serve a mission.  I didn't expect to be able to go then, and I did get married about 2 weeks before I turned 21.   We began to have a family, and after having 9 children over 18 years, our lives were quite busy.  But we still had a desire to go on a couple mission when we could.  Finally, in 1993, after our last child, a daughter Pam, got married, we put in our papers.  Wayne had gone on a mission to Sweden when he was young, in the early 1950's.  He had kept up on the language, so we were thrilled when we received a call in December 1993 to go to Sweden.  But we had 5 months before we were to go early in May, 1994. In a trip up north during that time, we went to the Mission Home in Provo and a...

I have almost always prayed about any problem that has come up in my life.  I haven't kept a good journal of answers to my prayers, and I'm going to try to do that as the new year approaches.  I have had answers to my prayers, in actually small things in the last few days.  I find that Heavenly Father is quick to answer small things as well as large things, and it makes me love Him even more, to realize He cares about the small things.  I like the scripture in The Book of Mormon, Alma, Chapter 34, verses 18 to 27 -- But I'll quote only some verses: "  (20 - on) Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.  Cry unto him in your house, yea, over all your household both morning, mid-day, and evening.  Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.  Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.  Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.  Cry over t...

Dear friends and family --  I hope you've had a Merry Christmas!  It has been chilly but  sunny here, and the snow fall 2 weeks ago is about melted. I have really wished that I could hear from some of you who read this blog, and know what you're thinking, or if it gives you some help and encouragement some day.  I checked and my e mail isn't listed.    You go down to the bottom on the right, where it says "Wayne and Pal".  Under it gives some information, and on the bottom is written --   "View my complete profile"  Click on that and it brings up another page.  There are words under the title which say ---   About  --- Posts  --- Photos -- Videos, etc.  Click on About, and under "Tag" on the right, I have posted my e mail.  But I will also put it in this entry.   My e mail I use all the time is:       paralee_eckman@infowest.com       The g mail is an e mail I don't...