Beyond all the confusion and noise of the world there are many who stand together, stalwart and true, in seeking after celestial things. KLGMc

I'm sorry my name is so large on this post. I worked on how to make it smaller till 11:30 last night, and 4 hours this morning. I am still so new at this.

Human development seems to be a catch-all phrase these days. All experiences affect our development either positively or negatively, as with every choice we make. It is a natural cause and affect that whenever we choose to do something, we are choosing not to do something else. 

Neal A. Maxwell raised the level of that thought by saying, "commitment to truth requires the rejection of some things as well as the acceptance of others."

Choices that we make, or don't make, boil down to our conduct and our conduct determines our way of life. That is put rather simply when there are so many cultural, physical, geographical, etc., influences on our conduct. But to reach for the highest influences upon ourselves the, "sincere seeker after celestial culture must be more concerned with the preparation for that culture than with the preservation of present culture." (Maxwell.)

We live in a time when, more often than not, bad is seen as good and good as seen as bad. If we have tried to uphold values and stand on principle we have felt the ire of those situations to some extent. It is a time foretold in the scriptures. "We, likewise, will be confronted with major ironies in which people will turn to teachers of the world and be turned away “from the truth” and “turned into fables.” (See 2 Tim. 4:4.)" (Maxwell)

We must remain true to the standards and values that Jesus Christ instills in all those who commit themselves to truth. As we choose to keep developing the highest attributes, we are also choosing to positively influence our development. 

The way will become increasingly more difficult as time marches on. As our 'human development' rises to the level of the truth we bring to it, we will come to realize the following truth. Beyond all the confusion and noise of the world there are many who stand together, stalwart and true, in seeking after celestial things. Good Blessings.

I have always loved early mornings! When I was a teenager, I had a 7:00 am class every weekday. We lived in a small Southern California suburb almost a mile from the high school. Since it was not a regular curriculum class, I had to figure out how to get there on my own....... You guessed it, I walked.

I would start out walking when it was still dark. There was hardly a sound except for my shoes on the pavement. As l walked, I watched as lights in houses would start being turned on. And there was more than just seeing lights coming on that assured the beginning of a new day; dogs who had been let outside, barking that it was time to come back in, milk bottles rattled as the delivery man left his morning 'moo' on front porches. (And if it was Thursday, and I wasn't in school, around 9:00 am the Helms Bakery truck driver would beep that he was on the block. Ladies would scurry out to get whatever scrumptious delight sounded good, and the weeks bread.)....... Where was I? Oh, yeah. When I got to the main street of my city there were even more signs that another day had begun. As the light filled the landscape like cream, everything became animated and alive. Further from the main street, people were opening garage doors, (manually of course, because there were no automatic garage door openers) and engines would be started so that, slowly and grudgingly, the bread winner of the family could go to work.
Then there was that fresh early morning smell! The sweet fragrance of lilac, honey-suckle, new grass, rose, lily, a bouquet of other fragrant flower essences with the engulfing spritz of morning dew, filled my soul as I walked.
But the grandeur of those mornings came as I watched the sun wake up and stretch it's rays over me. Each morning felt like a new beginning. I could start again at anything that I hadn't done right or accomplished the day before. My unkind thoughts or angry or hurt feelings were washed away with the blackness of the night. With every sunrise, each day was new. The day was an empty slate for me to begin again to try to be kinder than yesterday, to gather more wisdom, to learn from past mistakes or embarrassments. There it is, with every new day hope was born.
When Sara Zamudio sent me a copy of her beautiful photo above, I was taken back to those sweet mornings of my youth. I was filled with a rush, that this is who I am, and this is why.
Remember, we can start again in the morning. Let that thought help lift us to feel all that is good and possible in the here and now and in the veiled eternities to come. Good Blessings!

The 27 of June 1922 was when the Newberry Medal for kids literature was first presented. What a GREAT thing to celebrate today!
                                                      
Those of you who know me know that I Love Books. I never really feel I am at home until my library is set up and my books are safe and snug in their places. There is nothing like the smell of books. (Even though there is a new smell for 'e-readers' they can spray for a 'book experience.')  P-L-E-A-S-E! 
Nothing can take the place of, curling up in an overstuffed arm chair, anticipating the next adventure in a great book. I love this book mark by Mary Engelbreit. Fall into a good book today and Good blessings to you.

Before my post I want to say My Prayers for Good Blessings go out to all those who have suffered from the 6 major fires burning in Utah right now. 
Craig and I found ourselves on a late night drive for ice cream last Friday night. I know, but I have been SO Good! I wanted a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. In Tooele, Utah there are no fast food places open late at night that could accommodate my craving. We ended up on the back road, two lane highway through Stockton, (which has No fast food places.) to Lehi. We had the most enjoyable 45 minute drive. (Much more leisurely than most of the time when we are pressing the 65 mph speed limit. And yes, that is where I got my ticket for going 95 mph in same said speed zone. Just in case you are wondering, that is also when I committed to going no more than 2 miles over the speed limit!) We were enjoying great topics of conversation, when we noticed an orange glow ahead.
We quickly realized that we were coming upon Eagle Mt. where the fires had burned so much acreage since Thursday morning. We found a place to pull off the road and watched the flames leaping, charging ahead carried by mangled winds. It was so intense but at the same time, sent my mind to thinking about things the scriptures have taught about how the Lord uses fire; fire is kindled in Lord's anger, sweet savor and offerings made by fire, vision of pillar of fire, cleansing of the earth by fire, fire from His mouth, baptism with Holy Ghost and with fire, are just some of the phrases the scriptures use describing fire in relation to Himself, His ordinances or His 2nd coming.
Most of the time when thinking about the Savior's 2nd coming to this earth, we are reminded of the scriptures that talk about the 'lake of fire and brimstone', or the 'consuming of one third the trees and all the grass,"  But as we read above, there are also scriptures that the Lord uses fire for offerings and ordinances to prepare and make way.

We will each have to be prepared to meet the Lord when our time comes, either as we meet Him in the courts above, or as we are blessed to be here at His 2nd coming. Before that time though, 'we must burn the sin out of our hearts and hand the ashes to the Savior. Then we must plead for Him to take them.' (KLGMc 1998.9.3)

The warm glow of the Savior's love will engulf us as we repent and hand the ashes of our sin to Him. It is the reason He suffered in Gethsemane and He waits patiently for us to honor Him, and His glorious gift, by doing so.

Several years ago, when I was working in Reservations for Jet Blue Airways, Craig and I were blessed to be able to travel to Cancun, Mexico. We were so amazed as we traveled the rough dirt roads off the beaten path, at the countless numbers of outcroppings of stone ruins. Unlike Chitzen Itza and Tulum, most of what is left from the Great Mayan Civilization still lies covered by years of creeping vines, billowing trees and the sand from a thousand storms. And what of the inhabitants of  those and other great civilizations that peopled the earth since the time of it's creation? So many of them were unable to endure to the end, falling prey to the insidious darkness the evil one instituted to foil the Great Plan of Salvation presented by our Loving Heavenly Father. 

President Henry B. Eyring, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, had this to say about the power of enduring: "If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble."


What can you and I do to build our foundation of faith and how does it get embedded in our hearts? Here are 7 things that President Eyring said that our foundation needed to be built with. 1) Personal Integrity, 2) The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 3) Principles, 4) Ordinances, 5) Covenants, 6) Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ and Choosing To Do What He Would Do, 7) Love As The Savior Loved.

We must build our foundation of faith, line upon line, precept on precept; gathering from the scriptures, personal prayer, our relationship with the Savior, serving others, humbling ourselves before God, being willing to choose His will over ours, Temple attendance, and a myriad of other ways. By valiantly attending to our foundation, each and everyday of our lives, it will be embedded in our hearts and it will not crumble.

Our enduring to the end starts today. Even so, President Eyring taught us not to be overwhelmed and in a hurry. The old saying comes to mind, "Rome wasn't built in a day." The stone ruins of civilizations past weren't either. Foundations, when fortified and strengthened, will pass the test of time. We too, when fortified and strengthened by our foundation of faith, will be able to endure to the end with joy and thanksgiving. 

It seems somewhat of a joke, to members of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day-Saints, to make light of being late. A common phrase of excuse heard all too often is, "Mormon Standard Time."

I was brought up by a Mother who taught me that being on time was being respectful to others.

In this day and age of everyone having an excuse for everything, we would do well to change the old phrase of "Mormon Standard Time" to the new determination, "Mormon's Stand For Being On Time."

Those wonderful memories that can come with childhood take me back to my favorite place on earth. My Dad, always providing good things for our family, bought a boat and made all our water skis. Every summer he packed us all up and we were off to our 'Perfect Destination,' Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta in northern California. 
Whenever I picture a mountain in my mind, Mt. Shasta in the distance, comes clearly into my minds eye. Today as I think about marriage and mountains, again it is Mt. Shasta that I think of. 
Man has the opportunity to truly be made noble and a woman truly made majestic when they are joined together as one in marriage. There are many relationships that try and mimic what God has blessed as the union of two souls, marriage between a man and a woman. The world misses the fact that only when joined together, a man and a woman can reach their highest potential. Every other union will allow a person only to have vision from part way up the mountain of life.

I am ever indebted to our Heavenly Father for the knowledge He placed on earth to help me past the pitfalls devised to keep me from from my full potential of all that is noble and majestic and the view available from the 'pinnacle.'

"Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man."

And so it is. The sacred bond of marriage between a man and a woman broadens the horizons of their understanding. It is as if they've gone from the valley up to the pinnacle of a very high mountain. For the first time in their lives, together they have a clear view of forever.
I remember the grandeur of Mt. Shasta and the rugged beauty of it's terrain with the clear view of all it has to offer. I never had the opportunity to see the view from the top. I look forward to the view of forever that the Lord has in store for my husband and I as we climb to the pinnacle of our mountain of life together.

OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video

As most of you know, I struggle to think creatively at times. My brain seems to be stuck in 'The Box'. Because of that, I get really happy when I see people with true fun creativity. My thinking goes immediately to, "How in the world did they ever dream that up." And then it goes directly to enjoying their gift. 
Today I've determined to think creatively. To try this for one day shouldn't be too hard. (I say that now at the beginning of the day!) 
I Love Music! I Love Laughing! I Love Creativity! So to begin my day of creativity off, I start with a video I love that combines all three of these elements. (And yes, I know posting it isn't very creative because I've posted it before.) But this video is one of those things that I sat back, enjoyed and thought to myself, "How in the world did they ever come up with that?" Hang on for the ride, the concert and for the sunshine of creativity and laughter! And Good Blessings to you today!

With the jury dismissing six counts of Roger Clemens' lying to Congress over steroid use this week, I thought it apropos to bring some all American Baseball to my blog today. I find it very interesting that the 'All American' sport of baseball claims another All American ranking. The wall street journal lists 10 things that are still made in America today. It is heartening to note that the "Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat" comes in as one of those 10. God Bless America!

Wow, 2 days in a row, I am on a roll! There is so much going on in my mind that it is hard to capture it all. Today is the Summer Solstice. To cover that thought I add my post from the Look For The Sunshine Blog:
 Summer Solstice occurs on the longest day of the year. Legend has it, on that day, Wakan Tanka revealed in vision to a Lakota Indian named Kiblaya, that his people had become lazy in their prayers, so he sent them a new way of praying - the Sun Dance.

"As the sun dances across the sky on this day of summer solstice may we recommit to God that our prayers, from this time forth, will be more focused in faith."

The end of May brought severe allergies to me. Several years ago I was given a steroid shot because, as the Dr. put it, I "looked like I had rubbed my face in poison ivy." This year, only my eyes were affected, But make no mistake, I still looked miserable and horrific! I only left the house for church, going incognito in sunglasses which I wore throughout the entire meeting.  I was surviving by living on allergy pills for 3 straight weeks. (A 24 hour Claratin D or an Allegra D PLUS once ad day PLUS a benadryl every four hours.) To say I was a perfect subject for the new "zombie bullets" is an understatement. 

Just when I was ready to put an end to it all.......well, I guess that is a little melodramatic. (But what do you expect when "zombie bullets" has already come up in this blog!?) Continuing.......a friend told me to try 3 drops each of essential oils, peppermint, lemon and lavender, in bottled water. (No, the bottled water was not a key ingredient, it was how the oils were delivered into my system.) Within the next 3 hours I had downed 3 bottles of 'oiled' water and for the first time in 3 weeks, I felt some relief! 

The amazing thing is, that I am now 'sunglasses', itch, and leathery swollen eyes, free. I have cut the dose of 'oils peppermint, lemon and lavender' down to 2 drops 4 times a day. Last night was the first night since the end of May that I haven't woken up to get another dose of either allergy meds or my 'allergy oils'. (Because of no essential oils for that long night of sleep, my eyes were red and the swelling was returning when I woke up.  It was calmed within the hour of taking my allergy concoction of essential oils.) I Now Am An Essential Oils Believer.

GOOD BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL  this day of summer solstice, Kathie

Since I am starting my blog again, I thought it would be fun to have this video on it. So sorry to those of you who have seen it before, and that includes the post from this morning. I also want to put a disclaimer here that when Craig and his brother Gary finished building this zip line on Mother Mac's property in Paradise, California, they got me to take a ride just after I woke up. You get to see me in all my morning glory; no make-up, allergy eyes, (you get the picture.) Just click on the site below if you want to take a zip line ride with me. Yipee! 

http://youtu.be/vcfkGEeYjzw

Our highest aspirations can shine through the clouds and darkness of the world we live in. The trick is to stay focused on those dreams of the heart. It is all too easy to succumb to the negative things of the world when they are shouted so loudly. Quiet yourself, quiet your surroundings. Listen to the soft whispers speaking from your soul.