Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This is a lovely story about a dream, which has a deep spiritual meaning, from LDS Living. A Hawaiian Man Shares His Dream of Heaven That Might Change the Way You Pray by Cameron C. Taylor, excerpted from "The Way of Aloha: Lanai"  | Jun. 10, 2017 Makes You Think Mormon Life Comments The following is an excerpt from the book  The Way of Aloha: Lanai  by Cameron C. Taylor. Manu is a Hawaiian Kahuna teaching two missionaries, Elder Taylor and Elder Balane, who are serving on the Hawaii island of Lanai. Keahiakawelo, also known as Garden of the Gods, is a rock garden located in the mountains of Lanai. Manu gestured to the scene before us. “Welcome to Keahiakawelo, the Garden of the Gods,” he said. This landscape was different from anything I’d ever seen. It was as if we’d traveled to a different planet. The garden’s beauty went beyond merely its external appeal. The Garden of the Gods had a distinctive spirit of peace...

Today is a special day, especially in our family.  Wayne and Julie were married in the Salt Lake Temple 39 years ago today!  Their picture on their wedding invitation is below.  They both had served LDS missions in Ecuador.  Also, that day the LDS Church announced that the Priesthood and Temple blessings were extended to any person of any race.  We heard about it on the way to Sandy, driving there to the wedding dinner after the Temple.  It was the talk of the day, so we can remember exactly when that was!  After serving as a bishop when he was 30, and then as a Stake President at age 45, for 9 years, and then in the Tabernacle Choir for 6 years, this last Sunday he was called to be the Stake Patriarch in the West Bountiful, Utah, stake.  This calling is very humbling, and he is very thoughtful and prayerful about it.  I have not posted it on Facebook, by his request.   Please don't re-post this out of respect!  ...

I haven't seen this film, but I want to!  It was just out this last weekend, and we weren't able to go.  I'm sure we will love it!   Love, Kennedy: Why the Film Had to Be Made By Maurine Proctor  · June 1, 2017 Love, Kennedy opens June 2 in selected theaters. Some stories have to be told and T.C. Christensen’s new film  Love, Kennedy  was one of those. On the surface it’s the story of a loving, spunky young girl’s descent into blindness, loss of motor skills, speech and finally cognitive abilities due to Juvenile Batten disease, a rare neurological disorder. That sounds like a downer for a movie premise, but, in fact, true to form, Christensen has created something beautiful and touching that will leave movie-goers moved and uplifted. I sneaked a peek at my husband’s face as we were watching the film and tears wetted both of our cheeks, not because we were sad, but we were so moved at the poignancy of life and the deep...