Thoughts and stories, by Pal

I like the new insights this article gives!  I also saw a video recently in which it was told how Jesus "in swaddling clothes" was significant to the shepherds!  The lambs which were to be sacrificed were also put in clean white swaddling clothes!  A whole new dimension to the birth of Jesus!  So when the shepherds heard the baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger, they knew just where to go.  It was where the lambs were birthed, who were to be sacrificed! A Deeper Understanding of the Birthplace of Christ By Christopher Kirkland  · December 18, 2017, in Meridian Magazine Cover image via LDS.org.  I was able to visit Israel many years ago, and one of my favorite pictures that I have from that experience is of myself holding a baby lamb at Migdal Edar, better know as the “Tower of the Flock” or “Shepherd’s Field” in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is the royal City of David, so named because David took the f...

With winter coming on, if you are cold some  day,  read this, and imagine how it would  have been  to experience this! I posted this first on October 9, 2015 . FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015 514. Faith, Courage, and Survival: Joseph Tippets and the “Harold Gillam Alaska Plane Crash” A most inspiring true story!  Prayers answered, and tremendous faith and courage were shown by these people!  A most inspiring read! FAITH, COURAGE, AND SURVIVAL: JOSEPH TIPPETS AND THE “HAROLD GILLAM ALASKA PLANE CRASH” By  John Tippets  · October 8, 2015, in Meridian Magazine As the aircraft came to its final resting place, settling into the deep snow, Joseph’s thoughts were obscured by a veil of confusion. In that paralyzing instant, it seemed as if he had ceased to exist—things had happened so fast there was no mental or physical response possible. When the noise subsided and it became qui...

This is a great article I saved a few weeks, for a day like this!  (A day filled with visiting family, fun, and Christmas preparations -- not to mention spending time doing computer genealogy on my V-ROC mission.) 6 Ways to Help Your Kids Prepare for Their Patriarchal Blessing Now by Jenny Spencer  | Nov. 25, 2017 Mormon Life All baptized and worthy members of the Church can and should receive a patriarchal blessing. But often the question is when? Usually, members encourage their children to receive a blessing in their teen years. But every worthy adult convert may receive a blessing at any time after their baptism But when it comes to parents, how do we prepare our children to receive a patriarchal blessing? Members around the world encourage their children to receive a blessing anywhere from ages 12 to 19. But that’s a pretty wide gap. So when and how do we best prepare our children to receive a patriarchal blessing? 1. Teach ...

This is Kamran Mafi, a gifted University art professor, and the painting of Jesus Christ which he painted for us while on our mission in Sweden in 1994.  He had been a professor in the University of Tehran, Iran, if I remember right.  He was in Sweden as a political refugee.  He brought it to us at our church in Kalmar, Sweden, on Christmas Day which was a Sunday that year.  I have it in a beautiful frame, here in my own bedroom now! December 16, 2017 Service   #Light the World SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY Matthew 25:35-40 "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and ...