Dream Time & INVITATION

Most mornings we wake up by 5 am, sometimes as early as 4, to get ready for our busy day. I teach Bible Study Class (Old Testament this year "Daily Seminary" to 10 regularly attending teenagers). They come early for hot chocolate and sit around our dinning room table and talk, then troop down the stairs to the basement where I have tables set up for them to gather around. We sing a hymn in our croaky morning voices, they take turns each school day of one of them praying and giving a short devotional, and then the time is mine to teach them.

(Students using shield of faith to keep firey darts of Satan=mini-marshmallows--from harming them.)

The next 10 days is Spring Break. No school= no seminary=I-will-miss-the-students= sleeping in-which-I-am-thrilled-about.

Today, Saturday, Suzanna has a field trip to NYC to see Phantom, so John had to drive her over to the high school by 5:15. AM. My body on my usual schedule needed to use the facilities (have I ever used the word "toilet" in this blog?).

But then back to bed. John came back, warmed up my rice bags in the microwave so my toes were warm, I tossed around trying to get comfortable, and finally went back to sleep.

And dreamed: I was in high school, just moved, and joined a Christian after school club, since there was no LDS seminary class to go to. Things were going well, I was making friends, until we were on a field trip and I waved to some Mormon Missionaries (Elders, in their white shirts & ties) and the girl next to me asked me why I would do that. I told her I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she freaked "You mean Mormons? They aren't Christian. You do NOT belong in this club!" I told her I was looking for a group of teenagers who obeyed the commandments in the Old Testament, who believed in the teachings of Christ in the New Testament, and told her I loved Christ and wanted to be more like Him and to know Him. I asked her to give me a chance to explain how The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, helped me know Him better. The teacher in charge of the club went one by one through the students and let them vote to see if I could stay in the club or not. The girl beside me said she felt so betrayed, she couldn't believe she had let me be her friend and wished that I had said something right away. She shook her head and left. The teacher kept going through the other students. Some didn't care if I stayed or not until an African American guy said "I don't know what to think!" I told him with tears streaming down my face that I didn't want them to be prejudiced against me for my religion, the way we shouldn't pre-judge anyone for who or what they are... And he nodded, knowing what I meant. I woke up wanting to explain and show the club who I was, why I wanted them to give me a chance to explain what I believed.

Today is an amazing day for us: General Conference! Starting at noon Maryland time LIVE STREAM, for two hours, with a two hour break, then again at 4pm-6pm and then again tomorrow for four hours (plus Tabernacle Choir singing for half an hour starting at 11:30 am) we get to listen to talks, counsel and advice from President Thomas S. Monson, the man who believe is a prophet. 12 men we sustain as apostles of Christ will also speak. At least one woman from one of the general presidencies (Relief Society for women 18+ years, or Young Women 12-18 years, or Primary children 18 months-12 years) will also speak.

Sometimes there are visual aids, or short film clips. There are always beautiful flower arrangements inside the Conference Center displayed around the pulpit.

And guaranteed, Christ will be mentioned. He will be sung for, testified of, His scriptures will be quoted and applications made to our modern lives. His words will be heard.

I know it. I have felt it. My heart swells with memories and I am full of faith that today will echo those experiences. I have been spiritually fed at General Conferences in the past. It is worth the 8 hours of sacrificed weekend time.

And it is open to the public. Available to the world.

You can find out for yourself, live, TODAY and TOMORROW while it is being broadcast, or you can read/listen to archived past conferences.

We invite the world to know, and see for yourself. And then judge, with knowledge.

Dots DOTS Real Red Dots

Sealed and finished, in spite of lousy spring weather that turned rainy and COLD. Do not paint under 50 degrees! Sewing room make-over is done!

Sherwin Williams paint "real red" over Jersey Cream.

For Deborah: Sky Blue Interpretation

Hopefully this will help:

LIGHT sky blue, range of colors will be nice. Not too dark, more like a light version of Crayola "cerulean blue" or search Pantone 14-4318.

For Emma: Blue & Red

Happy Birthday to our oldest! She reminds us how long we have been married... we are old and she wimply graciously ages.

Everywhere I go, my eyes are open for sky blue with red accents, Emmalyn's wedding reception colors of choice.

And I have overdone it, a bit. Thinking of family, thinking of sharing, and outfitting an army of love to surround our daughter and her future husband.

Extra sky blue skirts, blouses, a beautiful blue shirt that will fit my brother JOHN perfectly, tutus I have created for his girls. Hair bows and bracelets in red...A lightweight sweater for my mom.

You get the idea? I've been thinking about family and this fun theme.

So her happy birthday day is all about Wedding Party getting ready!

Happy Birthday to my first baby!

For Stewart, Service

I just found the photos for your birthday service gifts:

Incognito

I didn't reconize the person walking across the soccer field, looked twice when they started walking across my back yard:

Suprise! Suzanna, slipping home from a French skit in costume!

Cash for Wants?

Every once in awhile I ask John what he would do with extra, not-needed-for-bills cash. Top of my list (after wedding party plans, all the current bills for necessaries, food storage, etc) is tuning our sad little piano. He would augment our entertainment situation with a HD flat screen for films and select programs on-line (but still no cable tv. We love NOT having tv).

Today if I had extra money, this cute Lily & Thistle coloring book is what I would support. How fun would it be to have a little friend paper doll? Cutomized with a contribution of $50+. So many good causes in the world, great projects, creative artists in need of patrons...

I will use my MIGHT to advertise, point you in good directions for good causes!