Month: March 2023

Answers to Prayer and Fasting

Last summer and fall were some of the hottest on record in Utah. We had 100 degree days the first part of September. Our Church leaders encouraged us to pray for moisture to end the mega drought.

I just heard on the radio today that the snow total as measured for water content will reach 26 inches with today’s storm! That is an answer to prayers and fasting.

I remember last year as I worked in my garden in the heat thinking..the Lord could completely resolve the drought but should He do that? If He resolved the drought would I change my behaviors and choices that have contributed to climate change and to overuse of water while living in a desert?

Already this year people are acknowledging that the Lord has answered prayers for water. Then in the next breath they will say the drought is over. The implication being that we can go back to our usual water wasting ways.

I know I have to resist the urge to think that our water problems have been solved. I need to remember that the Lord expects me and everyone else to wisely and carefully use the bountiful resources of this world. I can continue to make small changes. I can continue to be aware and to learn ways of conserving and using water wisely. I choose to be a good steward of water. I will remember that for far too many on this planet, clean water is not easily available. I will not be a water waster.

Photo by Abdullah Ghatasheh on Pexels.com

Jesus Christ and Family History

I attended Rootstech 2023 earlier this month. I watched the introduction video for ward and stake leaders today while I was exercising.

My parents at Idaho Falls Temple

I was struck by the fact that it wasn’t until 18 minutes into the presentation by Elders Gong and Bednar, President Porter, Sister Yee, and Elders Hamilton and Duncan, that any of them used the words family history or geneaology!! The entire focus was on Jesus Christ and how, knowing Him and seeking to emulate Him by keeping commandments and ordinances of the Gospel, connects us to Him and to our families.

I had a few Aha! moments as I listened and pedaled and sweated.  1. The focus of everything needs to be Jesus Christ. 2. I need to believe more in miracles and the saving and healing grace of Jesus Christ in my own life and the lives of my husband and children. I keep asking the Lord what I should be doing to help them come unto  Christ but I realize I need to give the control to the Lord and just ask that He make me an instrument in His hands. I can’t bring my family to Christ only He can. 3. I need to spend more time in the temple and also researching family names.

Here is the link for the session. It is about 40 minutes long.  Utah https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/miscellaneous-events/2023/02-01/601martinez?lang=eng

What I Believe and Why

And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out. 2 Nephi 25:29 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/25?id=p29&lang=eng#p29

These words are from The Book Of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Nephi, the first prophet of the Book of Mormon, wrote these words over 2000 years ago to his children but also to me and all who now live.

My main goal in life is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ by learning of Him, reading and studying His words and the words of His prophets, trying to be like Him and showing love for everyone whom I meet as He did and does.

My life IS meaningful and my joy IS real because Jesus Christ is my Savior. He is the Light that gives me hope and energy to keep trying to be more like Him. Anything good in my life comes from Him.

I am so grateful for the gift of The Book of Mormon. I read a few verses from The Book of Mormon everyday and my life is blessed by those words everday.

I encourage you to let The Book of Mormon bless your life. Click on the link to request a free copy of The Book of Mormon. I promise you that your life will be blessed as you come to know Jesus Christ and feel His love for you.

JESUS CHRIST

Birthdays and Photos

How do you manage your photos? We produce so many photos that it becomes overwhelming to keep them organized. I recently asked my youngest daughter to put together some photos for her father’s birthday. She and one other daughter put together 174 photos which they shared with myself and two other daughters. I added 100 photos and that was only back to 2019.

I had to recently upgrade my storage on Amazon so I had enough storage space for videos and photos. I have made some cursory attempts at organizing them, putting together albums, deleting poor quality photos and duplicates. There are still thousands of unorganized photos on Amazon, Google and our hard drives.

I just attended Rootstech 2023 and was amazed at all the companies promoting software that helps organize and store photos. One was Collectionaire and another was Photomyne and then there was Mylio and Storied. I am sure there were more exhibitors there that had variations on photo storage and organization.

I think the key to photo storage and organization is for me to develop a habit of working on my photos for a few minutes each day. For example, I have the app Journey on my phone which allows me to journal and attach photos in a daily entry. I will start doing an entry daily in Journey actually two entries..one entry for the day and one entry for a day I missed in the past.

My daughters are helping me try to get photos organized on Google and Amazon and I think I also have a Dropbox account. It actually all seems a bit overwhelming but I want to be an organized person so I need to put in the effort to develop habits that an organized person would have.

I just started reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. He states: “the most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.” I want to become an organized person which means I need to have daily habits that support that identity.

Gil and his girls in 2017

RootsTech 2023 “Uniting” Kickoff Video • RootsTech • FamilySearch

https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/session/rootstech-2023-uniting-kickoff-video

Rootstech 2023 was a very inspiring experience for me. I have not been focused on Family History for past year. I keep getting distracted with all that goes on in life. This video and wonderful sessions and speakers have helped re-ignite my desire to do Family History on a daily basis.

Yesterday I took my mother-in-law, Brenda Parkin, to the Riverton Family History library.  I only recently learned it is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 6. We sat in the Family Story room for an hour and talked about her childhood  stories.  This was recorded as we talked. Brenda doesn’t like being on camera but she loves to talk about her life and so it was a good experience. She is willing to go back and keep talking.

Day #3 RootsTech in the Expo Hall

Research is showing that doing Family History and  making connections is good for one’s mental health. Here is a link to a class from 2021 RootsTech that goes into the science.

https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/session/the-science-of-family-connection

I know it has been good for my mental health the last few days and in the past, when I have been focused it has helped me in ways I don’t know exactly how to quantify.

Elder Renlund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints listed these blessings in an April 2018 talk: Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice; Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives; faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going; Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts; Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord; Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be; Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone; Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others; Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.

I am excited to start this journey again and grateful for the Lord’s patience with all my stops and starts.