The Word of God (like letters from home)

 In our church meetings today, one of the speakers reminded us of how very blessed many if not most of us are to have constant access to the word of God via our smart devices or phones that we carry with us almost constantly, and if not our phones, then access to a computer or other device that connects us to the internet in our homes.  With just a click or a swipe, and we can be reading the Bible or other scriptures at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures?lang=eng&platform=web.   Another click or swipe and we can have access to the words of latter day prophets from their talks in The General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from the past 50 (FIFTY!!) years.  

Fifty years ago when I was a youth, we did each have our own copies of the scriptures in our home, and we received copies of the talks from General Conference that were then stored in our storeroom for future access.   But how much easier is it now to search through the website for quotes and talks and scriptures by topic, or year, or just about whatever we can think of?

And what of our great grandparents and those who came before them?  Those who were very lucky to have one copy of the Bible or The Book of Mormon, or those who could not read or own books and only heard bits and pieces of scripture from the lips of the local priest or other clerical leader?

Years ago in a General Relief Society meeting, one of the speakers compared the scriptures to "letters from home" from our Heavenly Father.  Since I was a fairly new young mother living all the way across the country from my own family, this really resonated with me.  Back then we didn't have cell phones, and rarely called our family with the long distance charges, so the weekly letters from my parents were very cherished.  And I do cherish my daily early morning time reading my scriptures and listening to conference talks, my daily letters from my father in Heaven.

Stretching and Noontime Walks

 Morning stretches are a pleasure.  I'm grateful to have a body the moves and stretches, even if sometimes it wakes up a bit stiff and sore as mine tends to do after a day working in the garden, or even after a long day of sitting at the computer.  I'm definitively not the one to do a strenuous workout very often, but I do enjoy mowing the lawn, working in the garden, a good 15 to 30 minute walk on the lunch break and a few sit ups or crunches or leg stretches first thing in the morning.  A post on Facebook today also reminded me that using a few hand weights on a regular basis is a good idea too.  So . . . with weights and a bike downstairs, a beautiful world outside, and  the first day of summer, let's get moving and enjoy the body!

A Day off in the Garden

Yesterday at our Church's Sacrament Meeting, one of the speakers was telling about her Dad's extensive collection of journal, and how good he was at keeping a daily record of his life, and the important events of their family.   My Dad was also such a record keeper, and even though he might not have written in his journal every single day, he did keep a faithful record of his life and the important events of our family.  I do keep a handwritten journal, but really only write once or twice every month or so.  I'm very negligent in my journaling.

When I started this blog, I was inspired by Elder Henry B Eyring's talk where he shared how long ago he started keeping a daily record of  the tender mercies that Heavenly Father has shown to his family over the years.   He makes a copy each year for his children.  I have really not done very well with keeping up with my blog either.  So, I'm going to try to do better.  My resolve is to write something, somewhere each day as a record of what has happened, mundane or not, and especially to look for the good things in life and the tender mercies that have been shown to me and those around me.  I may not write on this blog each day, but I will try harder to write somewhere  each evening.

Today is the first day that my workplace has given the staff and employees a paid day off in celebration or commemoration of the Juneteenth holiday.  There will be various events during the coming week at work to honor the holiday, and I look forward to these remembrances of the blessings of the abolition of slavery and the slow, slow progress to reduce the racism that exits in our country today.

But today has been a low key day for me.  It began with clouds and a bit of rain, but cleared up just about the time I finished my morning reading, so I donned my sweatshirt and jeans and headed out to finish planting the flowers and vegetable I had bought this past Saturday.  My garden is my trial and my joy, and each year I struggle to keep the invasive grass  and weeds and snails and other critters at bay and provide enough water and nourishment and compost and work to allow us to have a bit of a harvest.  I'm nowhere as good as of a gardener as my Dad and my Grandpa and most other gardeners, but I keep trying!  And, at the end of the day, we have our small front yard entry flower bed filled with new zinnias and petunias, and several new pots filled with petunias and alyssum.  

Drawback to the day?  I seem to have a fairly bad sunburn on my hands and arms.  I really should use more sunscreen and gloves.