Great morning!!

How is everyone today?

I actually am going fabulously! Haven't slept much this weekend for various reasons, mostly pain from fibro or the MS, who knows, who cares, but I consider myself very blessed to be alive and to see the sunshine and hear the birds - eating my grapes! ;)

Today is a day to be thankful, so that's what I would like to focus on this morning.

In the great 'Plan of Happiness' we lived with our Heavenly Father before coming to this earth. We, who are here, all sided with Him and His Son Jesus Christ to come here to gain knowledge, wisdom, to live by faith (which we couldn't do in His presence) and to gain a physical body. We could see that our Father had a glorified physical body, and we had spiritual bodies. To become like Him, which is our goal, we had to come to earth to gain this body and the other things I mentioned.

So here we are!

Our bodies are an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father (you might know Him as 'God') and we need to be extremely grateful for them. This would include taking good care of them, not marking them up with tatoos, or lots of piercings, not abusing ourselves with glutony of food or drink, not starving ourselves, and following His Word of Wisdom.

We need to exercise and eat healthy foods.

Since I started this out with being grateful, you might wonder how that all fits in here. We really, REALLY wanted to come to earth to get these magnificent bodies and every day it's important to treat them kindly and to be thankful for their incredible functions.

I have a dear friend who is totally blind and as I walk in the morning I thank my Heavenly Father for my eyes that can see the beautiful trees, and whispy clouds and the children playing in my neighborhood.

I also thank Him that I can hear the birds, my mom was hard of hearing.

And I thank Him that I am able to walk without a cane now. YEAH!!! Good thing I have 2 dogs to balance me. Thankful for them too :) Well, you see what I mean.

I am thankful for my sweet family and the love we share. I am thankful, most of all, for my wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, who knew He had to come to earth to live and then die for us, to set the example of life, always grateful for what He had. And filled with love for each of us who need Him and what He did in dying for us.




Oh yes, I have one more thing I thank Him for on a daily basis, and that is food in my home and on my plate in a world where SO many do without and they hurt. When my stomach hurts I am able to get a bowl of cereal or boil an egg and make some toast to eat. Most of the world are not that blessed. Be thankful you have enough food.

This is one of my fave sites to visit:
FREERICE.com

You can go there every day, work on increasing your vocabulary and keeping your brain active, while helping to feed those in need and it's free!

May we all be more grateful this day for the little things, for the big things too like the freedoms we enjoy! We were sent here, all mankind, to be free to choose right from wrong, to be free to live in countries free from tyrany and oppressive governments...

HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE today and always!

Bev
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com

Happy Father's Day and Sabbath to all!

Good Sabbath Day morning to everyone who comes here to read these messages. I have a couple of lovely and true videos to share this morning:
This is for all the dads... we love you!




And this one for all of us... on the Good Samaritan. May we all strive to be like the Savior Jesus Christ, this day and always.



HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE today...

Bev
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com

Moments in life

I'm a bit, not sure of the word, right now... reflective perhaps?

Last week two of our valley's beautiful young women, seminary students here, juniors at Moapa Valley High School, died in a car accident on the way up to LDS Girl's Camp. My heart ached... I could barely let my own daughter go up to the camp the next day. It was a totally random accident, a tire that blew out and the car flipped over. Random. But not in God's eyes. I know those girls were greeted on the other side of the veil by so many happy people who love them dearly.

Today, I attended a funeral for another young person from our valley. This for a young man with a beautiful baby girl. So much sadness... Sadness for those left behind to mourn his untimely death. But joy in the messages of hope given at his memorial-- messages of the great Plan of Happiness, of Eternal Families, of Hope in the Resurrection and in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

These two weeks have caused me to think about family, about life, about living every single minute in the best possible way. To repent and do better. To love more. To give more. To be more. In fact, to be more like my Savior. I have so far to go...

We are here on this earth for a blink in Eternity. What are we doing with that 'blink'? Are we constantly striving to be better, to love others more, to do more for others, to not be so concerned with worldly accolades and things. To be happy with what we have been given in this life and not constantly searching for more and 'better' stuff.

Thomas S Monson said this about death ~ “May We So Live,” Ensign, Aug 2008, 4–9:

"Death eventually comes to all humankind. It comes to the aged as they walk on faltering feet. Its summons is heard by those who have scarcely reached midway in life’s journey, and often it hushes the laughter of little children. Death is one fact that no one can escape or deny.

Frequently death comes as an intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dear to us and at times leaves us baffled and wondering. In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness.

The darkness of death, however, can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth.

“I am the resurrection, and the life,” spoke the Master. “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

This reassurance—yes, even holy confirmation—of life beyond the grave could well provide the peace promised by the Savior when He assured His disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This life is hard. Jesus knows. He was here. He lived and died for each one of us. He knows how to help us when we turn to Him. He CAN heal our pains. I am thankful for that sure knowledge.

Life is so beautiful too.
Just look at my little grandson Owen.

Last week was his baby naming and blessing and we were able to be there. I am so very grateful for my family and the love they share. Thankful for those precious grandsons.

Life is short.
Make the most of each moment.

I love this Hymn
Have I Done Any Good?,” Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 223

Have I Done Any Good

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

[Chorus]
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.

Text and music: Will L. Thompson, 1847–1909, alt.

I am hoping in the next few weeks to share some of the deep joys that can be found in this great journey we call mortality. There are many.

HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE!
Bev

Keeping it short

I know I don't write very often in here anymore. Between being on the computer all the time at work, and keeping up with my website emails, updating my site and my 2 yahoo groups, I am afraid the blog here takes a bit of a back seat.
I will try to do better, although all I do is work, make meals, laundry and try to sleep... so not certain too many want to hear the same old same old every day! :)

I should be more like Laura Ingalls Wilder who made the very ordinary tasks be extraordinary for our day. I love to read her minute details about things that must have seemed very ordinary to her. I have recently rediscovered a childhood favorite, 'The 5 Little Peppers and How they grew"! I have just an Easy reader version so far, but I found the full book on Amazon and since my son Shaun gave me an Amazon gift card for Moms day I bought it and a couple of knitting books! I am so excited to be able to get books and especially to get them in the mail!! Christmas!! :)


Katie is off school now, today was her first day off, and already she was bored so I helped relieve her boredom having her thoroughly clean and wash my car. She did a nice job! I took $5 off her $125 she owes me for her band trip. I washed floors, did dishes, and cut one of our dogs hair today, as well as worked this morning. Got to do lots of ordering for the Seminary here at work getting ready for the Fall when they are studying the Book of Mormon!


They just finished up the New Testament and I took down my poster with the lambs and all 25 of the scripture mastery verses on there. I am going to make a new one for the Book of Mormon verses too, but will save the NT to put up again in 4 years when they study that again.


Here is the first scripture mastery for them to learn this fall, and what a great one it is! It is so true! The Lord never asks us to accomplish something without preparing a way to do it.


1 Nephi 3:7
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi,
said unto my father: I will go and
do the things which the Lord hath
commanded, for I know that the
Lord giveth no commandments unto
the children of men, save he shall
prepare a way for them that they
may accomplish the thing which he
commandeth them.


So, I need a hair cut. Been looking for something pretty short since my hair IS short, but haven't found anything yet. I am just getting so shaggy. Anyone have any hair cut sites they recommend.




I've been working on plum sized preemie hats for a lady who emailed me about her hospital's needs. Here is her info in case you would like to make items for their hospital. They actually need more than plum sized hats, and since a bunch of us made lots, I think a bit larger preemie and newborn hats, booties and such would be in order now. But these were fun to make and there are many NICU's who need them. Why don't you call and check with yours? See what the needs are. You might be surprised.





Debra A. Owens, M.Ed./Sr. Program Analyst,
SUNY Downstate Medical Center,
Office of Program Development,
440 Lenox Road, Room 1N,
Brooklyn, NY 11203

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/baby.html

List of Needs: Full-term, newborn hats
Preemie hats
Full-term, newborn booties
Preemie booties
Full-term, newborn blankets
Preemie blankets
Micro preemie Burial Layettes
Full-term, newborn mittens
Preemie mittens

Preferred Contact
Information: Email Address: Debra.Owens@Downstate.edu


I am also working on various things to just have around the house for grandbabies... like edged burp cloths, an edged receiving blanket and such. Those take me forever to get done.

Well, have a wonderful, peaceful weekend and
HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE!

Bev
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com