How to find Joy in the Journey

1. Live each day to its fullest and do the most important things.
           
2. Realize that the Lord will compensate you with something better.
          Every tear or loss will be returned 100 fold.
3. Be greatful.
          Create Heaven on Earth.  Where graditude is not present there is a vacuum created where rebellion appears.
4. Know that you are not alone.
          He sends Angels to comfort and guide us through difficult times.
5. Serve.
          Temple.  When we focus on ourselves we block the view of eternity.

Shine!

Shine!
Make them wonder what you've got.
Make them wish they weren't on the outside looking in!
Shine!
Always give your best!  You will never regret it!

To all those who have lost someone they love.

 Lyrics for a Willie Nelson song.

If you had not have fallen
Then I would not have found you
Angel flying too close to the ground
And I patched up your broken wing
And hung around a while
Tried to keep your spirits up
And your fever down
I knew someday that you would fly away
For love's the greatest healer to be found
So leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound
I'd rather see you up
Than see you down
Leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground 

I miss you Grandma, Doug and David

Keep Both Feet in Today

Keep Both Feet in Today

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

It has been wisely noted that having one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow is a rather unstable position. The best way to face the future, it seems, is to keep both feet in today. We can’t spend too much time looking back, because too much still lies ahead. And we can’t live only in the future, or we’ll miss out on today’s happiness. We need to live fully in the present and savor every moment, knowing that in the coming years we’ll be longing for the days we have right now. Indeed, the “good ole days” are not in the past; they are right now. Our ancestors each had their hard days and heartache, we have ours, and our descendants will all have theirs. The process of life is to go forward in the present, with the past behind us and the future ahead of us. “We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence,” said Thomas S. Monson. “And so [we] ask, ‘What are we doing with today?’ . . . Have we been guilty of declaring, ‘I’ve been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step—tomorrow’? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today.”1 With that in mind, now might be a good time to reevaluate our goals and aspirations, rethink our direction and purpose in life, and refocus our efforts and energy on worthwhile endeavors. The present becomes the past in a moment, so before it does, make the most of it. The future, which is really just the unfolding present, is bright for those who take the time, as the proverb counsels, to “ponder the path of [your] feet.”2       1. “May We So Live,” Ensign, Aug. 2008, 7. 2. Proverbs 4:26.

Life

There will be many trials in this life time.  Some we bring upon ourselves and others just seem to happen for no reason other than to bring us down.  Two things I know... There is always a choice-you can choose to be a victim and feel sorry for yourself or you can pick yourself up and move on.  And all things have a purpose and a lesson attached with a blessing.  Some times you have to look real hard for years and other times it happens immediately.  No matter what keep your feet on the straight and narrow path and your heart full of faith.  And look to God.

Admiration

Admiration

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Who are the people you most admire, and why? Some admire those who have acquired worldly success, wealth, athletic prowess, prestige, or celebrity. Others look up to those who made a difference in the world or in someone’s life, those who have inspired others to be their best or carry on despite hardship and disappointment. Either way, we all—whether we realize it or not—admire someone. So consider for a moment, what makes a person worthy of your admiration? Almost daily, popular figures emerge on the world’s stage, attract attention for a moment, and then, almost as quickly as they appeared, fade into distant memory. But fame is not admiration; prominence is not a measure of respect. True admiration lasts longer; it’s not fleeting and is never forgotten. Noted rabbi Abraham Heschel once said: “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”1 Very often, the clever get attention, while the kind, the compassionate, the good-hearted are sometimes set aside, forgotten in our rush for the flashy. But the years have a way of putting popularity and prestige in perspective. Acclaim and accomplishments tend to fade over time, but kindness endures. In the end, we reserve our deepest admiration for those who treated others with love, because it’s love that binds hearts together. Meanwhile, celebrities come and go, flashing across the sky like an occasional comet; but true heroes are as consistent as the rising sun and as timeless as the sparkling stars. And while kind people may not get the headlines or show up on the evening news, they are the people we remember with fondness, even long after they’re gone. They are the people who deserve our admiration. 1 In Harold S. Kushner, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters (2002), 58.

Just Ask!

No one can read your mind. No one knows what your needs are except you. So if you truly need something you have to ask for it. If you need a hug--Ask! Trust yourself...When it comes to your needs. Just ask! Then you will receive what it is you truly need. Cherish every moment of this life. Live in the present and learn from the past and prepare for the future.