Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This was posted on Tuesday, on aggielandmormons.com, but I just read it.  It is good!   Perhaps that is why Thanksgiving is the favorite holiday of a lot of people!  (I added our photos instead of the ones in the article!) Tuesday, November 25, 2014 A precious photo taken at our Golden Wedding.  From left to right, Angela, and Tacy, our daughters, Brittani, grand daughter, Julie, daughter-in-law, and front row, Delsy, our daughter holding her grand daughter Aiyona, and Tacy's daughter, Calli. 3 Surprising Benefits of Gratitude and a Recipe for Accessing them Year-Round There is something remarkable about this time of year. Beyond the food, football, or even time with family, as we gather together and vocally express thanks for the blessings in our lives, it seems to bring a great sense of happiness, peace, and contentment. As I sat down to write this post and figure out what makes being grateful…well, so great…I was pleased (and even a little surprised) to find that t

The title of "Confession of a Mormon Bishop" is truly about his experiences in learning to really pray, and understand answers to prayer.  It is interesting! LINE UPON LINE Confession of a Mormon Bishop By Tom Obenchain  · November 16, 2014, in Meridian Magazine I am a Mormon bishop and I have a confession to make. I think I may have only just learned to pray. I know, right? How is that possible? I’m a bishop for crying out loud. I have to know how to pray. And of course I do know how, but I’ve learned to deepen my prayers and make them more meaningful and powerful. I’ve practiced for years. But I just now think I am beginning to get it right. Learning to Pray I learned my first lessons of prayer while gathered with my family around my parents’ bed each night. In between fidgeting and a bit of daydreaming, I managed to soak in the patterns of prayer and more importantly the heartfelt desires of my family. In turn I prayed, too, “Dear Heavenly Fa

I'm reposting the article I wrote last November 25, 2013, # 15, on ideas of how to teach children to grateful.  I hope it gives us all ideas, as so many children these days don't learn to express or even feel gratitude! AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU DEAR FRIENDS, ALL OVER THE WORLD!               -------------------------------------------   I'm not sure how well we taught gratitude to our large family.  I do notice when a child or grandchild thanks me for something I do for them, (or anyone else.)  It's strange but we often will show gratitude to someone not in our family, and take our family members for granted.  It doesn't only apply to material things, but whenever a kindness has been shown, we should thank someone for it.   It is rather obvious that many children, and people of all ages today feel sort of "entitled" to things, and it is important to stop and appreciate them!  In one grandchild's Patriarchal blessing, it counsels them

On this day before Thanksgiving, I hope we all are truly thankful for the Lord's Hands in our lives.  Each happening in our lives can "give us experience, and be for our good."  I'm grateful for so many things in my life, and some of the hard times are what I am most grateful for! This article on Meridian Magazine is by James Richie, and sent to Mark Albright.  He has been a Mission President, (and perhaps still is? )  He collects such good missionary stories.  This is very interesting! MISSIONARY What if the goats had not died? By Mark Albright  · November 23, 2014 President David Oryang of the Woodbridge Stake Presidency, teaching primary children about the Church in Africa. Dear President Albright, Joseph Oryang is the son of David Oryang (of the Woodbridge Stake Presidency) who is the son of–I don’t remember his first name. so I’ll plug in a good Uganda name -“John.” John was a young man growing up in the hills of Uganda who al

I'm reposting an entry I posted a year ago today, on November 24, 2013, with some updates and more photos.  The accident mentioned in the first paragraph happened a year ago yesterday.     I'm so grateful for Divine Protection!  We have been the grateful recipients many times! I'm beginning this post at 5:30 a.m. (written November 24, 2013) because I can't sleep!  Our daughter, Anita,  and her 3 sons, Sam, Jake, and David, borrowed our car to go to California to visit the oldest son Sam's Mission, and people he knew there.  This is our daughter Anita, who was traveling with her 3 sons, Sam, Jake, and David.  Ben was already in Taiwan on his mission. Sam came home on October 29th, and as all good missionaries do, has missed the dear people he knew and taught.  They borrowed our car, and left yesterday about 10 a.m.  As they were within minutes of their destination, there was a 3 car collision, where they were the 3rd car.  Two cars ahead of them stopped

I loved this last post of Seth Adam Smith.  I believe you will also. The Lost Words of Jacob Marley NOVEMBER 17, 2014  /  SETH ADAM SMITH One of my all-time favorite books is  A Christmas Carol , by Charles Dickens. I didn’t always like it. In fact, when I was much younger, I pretty much hated it. I felt like it was over-commercialized and overused during Christmas. A few years ago, while listening to an audio rendition of the book, I heard something that I felt like I had never heard before. The passage comes from that pivotal moment when Ebenezer Scrooge meets the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, now a chained and tormented soul, is lamenting the opportunities he lost to serve mankind. This is what happens next: “But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. “Business!”  cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business

For whose who love history, this is quite interesting! World and Church History Connections You Didn’t Learn in School JANNALEE ROSNER -  November 22, 2014, in LDS Living Ever wondered what was going on in the world while Joseph Smith was translating, or when the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated? We've done the research for you and found some surprising connections in 19th-century world and church history. Keep an eye out next week for events from the 20th century in part two! History classes for most of us were all about world events or the history of the country we lived in while church history was only learned, well, in church. But we never really put them together. When you place these two timelines side by side, you may be surprised to find out that Brigham Young sent the first transcontinental telegraph message the same year that the Civil War started , or that the first latter-day Quorum of the 12 was organized the same year famous author Mark Twain was born.