It's been a long while since I've sat down and read a book.
Life just seems too...busy to do so recently.
But to use up some vacation time, I decided to take a "relaxcation" and just head home to the parents for a week to get away from it all.
Which means, with nothing going on....I have time to do stuff that I don't usually do.
Like reading a book. ^^
I actually feel like I can relax down enough to take the time to sit and lose myself in a different world for a few hours.
So nice.
So very nice.
I love reading, I really do.
And Mercedes Lackey is an author that doesn't disappoint. ^^
I spent the day reading her newest book, Hunter.
It was a fun read, really liked the characters and the setting and the magic and the hounds.
It left me craving more.
Because...*sighs* It was the first book in a series.
And the rest of the books haven't been written yet.
Y_Y.
Phooey.
I hate that.
I want to know what happens next now!!
*sighs*
Its an annoyance of mine.
How many books are the 'first books in series.'
I mean, I'm sure I'd finish a 'one booker' and go "They should write more!"
But there are days when I just get tired of finding 'first books'
I want to read something that is complete!
And it seems like all the books coming out are...not. They're parts of series.
Which means I won't get the whole story for a few more years. :(
Its half the reason why I haven't been as active in reading recently.
Because I'm tired of starting a ton of different series and not being able to finish them. :(
Still.
I really did like the Hunter book. ^^
Just wished I had the rest of the series with me now.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Show To Go On
It's rather crazy,
That I've been to two concerts within like a month.
And the differences couldn't have been more noticeable.
It was like night and day.
One, was like 15,000 fans, indoors, tons of energy, tons of noise.
The other.
Smaller, like 2,000 people, outdoors, with more of an older crowd.
So different.
And I'm grateful for it.
lol Not sure that I could have done two loud noisy concerts in a row.
To have a quieter concert was much better and a lot more enjoyable. ^^
Music can bring such energy, such heart.
It's fun to be able to see performers performing their songs.
Especially how much they're both willing to give to their fans.
At both concerts both singers ended up being sick.
But instead of canceling.
They went on with the show.
Doing their best to sing for their fans, to give them a concert.
It's amazing how much they want to share their music, that they're willing to work even when sick.
Hopefully they are able to get well deserved rests and get back to feeling all well again. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
That I've been to two concerts within like a month.
And the differences couldn't have been more noticeable.
It was like night and day.
One, was like 15,000 fans, indoors, tons of energy, tons of noise.
The other.
Smaller, like 2,000 people, outdoors, with more of an older crowd.
So different.
And I'm grateful for it.
lol Not sure that I could have done two loud noisy concerts in a row.
To have a quieter concert was much better and a lot more enjoyable. ^^
Music can bring such energy, such heart.
It's fun to be able to see performers performing their songs.
Especially how much they're both willing to give to their fans.
At both concerts both singers ended up being sick.
But instead of canceling.
They went on with the show.
Doing their best to sing for their fans, to give them a concert.
It's amazing how much they want to share their music, that they're willing to work even when sick.
Hopefully they are able to get well deserved rests and get back to feeling all well again. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Friday, September 18, 2015
A Likeable Sequel
It's not often when one can say they like the sequel movie better than the original movie.
But I think I've found one.
Where I like the sequel a lot more than the original one.
Which movie was this?
Teen Beach 2.
What's the premise?
Well to premise it you need to know that the original movie involved two people from the 'real world' being sucked into the world of a movie and trying to find their way back home.
The second movie is a similar premise. But opposite. The movie characters end up finding their way into the real world....and the real world people are trying to get them back into the movie before it ceases to exist.
It's a cool premise.
But that's not why I liked the sequel.
No...
It was just a happy movie.
Seriously. The whole movie seems to exude joy to me.
I smiled nearly the whole time (except the sad parts...because they were sad parts.)
But it was just...fun. I liked it.
I was able to relax.
Watch.
Enjoy.
Plus I loved the music in this movie a lot more. The songs were more...singable I suppose.
lol
I mean...I've had different songs from the movie stuck in my head for the past week.
That has to mean something. ^^
That I like it! A lot! (and if you haven't seen the original, you should watch that first or else you won't get the inside jokes of the second movie. :) )
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
But I think I've found one.
Where I like the sequel a lot more than the original one.
Which movie was this?
Teen Beach 2.
What's the premise?
Well to premise it you need to know that the original movie involved two people from the 'real world' being sucked into the world of a movie and trying to find their way back home.
The second movie is a similar premise. But opposite. The movie characters end up finding their way into the real world....and the real world people are trying to get them back into the movie before it ceases to exist.
It's a cool premise.
But that's not why I liked the sequel.
No...
It was just a happy movie.
Seriously. The whole movie seems to exude joy to me.
I smiled nearly the whole time (except the sad parts...because they were sad parts.)
But it was just...fun. I liked it.
I was able to relax.
Watch.
Enjoy.
Plus I loved the music in this movie a lot more. The songs were more...singable I suppose.
lol
I mean...I've had different songs from the movie stuck in my head for the past week.
That has to mean something. ^^
That I like it! A lot! (and if you haven't seen the original, you should watch that first or else you won't get the inside jokes of the second movie. :) )
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Proper Attitude
I recently read the account of some deacons who got a little careless in their attitude towards passing the sacrament.
They began to think of it as a chore, something that no one else wanted to do.
They often came in late, and sometimes didn't dress appropriately.
One Sunday their priesthood adviser told them: "You don't have to worry about the sacrament today.It's been taken care of."
They were, of course, surprised to hear this, but as usual, they were late for sacrament meeting.
They slipped in casually during the opening hymn and sat in the congregation.
That's when they noticed who was sitting on the deacons' bench--their adviser and the high priests of the ward, who included men who had served as bishops and stake president.
They were all dressed in dark suits with white shirts and ties.
But more than that, their bearing was one of total reverence as they took the sacrament trays from row to row.
Something was deeper and more significant about the sacrament that day.
Those deacons who had become so perfunctory in their duties learned by example that passing the sacrament was a sacred trust and one of the greatest of honors.
They began to realize that the priesthood is, as the Apostle Peter called it, "a royal priesthood."
-James E. Faust -A Royal Priesthood -April 2006 General Conference
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Creepiness
It's one of those questions, where you don't think much of it upon the asking....
But as time passes, and you consider the question in more thought....
You begin to wonder...Why?
Why the question?
What was the reason for asking it?
What were they going to do with the answer?
I had a customer call at work today.
And said "Okay, this is going to be a crazy question, but do you guys sell, venomous scorpions and how many do you get in?"
"Yes, we only get in one at a time."
"Oh...well...I need like 300 of them. Is there any way I could order them in bulk and you have them sent to me?"
"Unfortunately, the breeders control how many animals they send us. We can't order anything in. So we'll only get in one at a time."
"Oh...Okay. Thanks anyways. Bye!"
And that was the conversation.
300 Scorpions.
At first I was like "Wow...that was one of the more crazy requests."
And went on my way.
But then you get to thinking.
Why would someone need 300 scorpions?
Why would they ask if we had venomous scorpions? (like...aren't all scorpions venomous in some way?)
Is it for a prank?
For a breeding thing?
For a Halloween attraction?
What are they going to do with them?
Are they planning to use them to kill someone?
I mean, the more you think about it, the more diabolical it all can get.
300 scorpions.
Why would you ever need that many?
Why?
Why?
I really regret that I didn't ask him why he needed so many.
Because I want to know the answer. I really do.
But...if you hear anything in the news about 300 scorpions in the near future....just know that I talked with the fella.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
There was a young boy, in an old atticy workshop space. Tinkering with gels and goos and such. And somehow through using them, he managed to bring people/creatures/aliens from their time periods/worlds to his. Where he was able to interact with them and do stuff with them. It got to the point where he could travel to their times/worlds by drinking the goos. And it expanded from there, until he could get abilities briefly from the goos. Until he had a group of friends that were helping him with this sort of thing, until it was revealed that the boy's father and a lot of the neighbors had done similar things in their youth, and the whole neighborhood was working together to keep this invention secret from the government as they planned to take animals from the past to use in the future, but that would have bad effects to the past because time wouldn't happen as it was supposed to and animals wouldn't get eaten, plants would die. etc. We were packing up things like crazy trying to decide what to take and what to leave. And there were these stones that could absorb energy and also expel it. One stone in particular could create things from the goo and I created a beautiful leafy sculpture, but it all of a sudden collapsed and revealed a creepy skeleton within it that left me recoiling back. The government flew over our house, and we dashed across the street to where the grown ups were plotting to tell them that their ship had arrived, and we had to go now....
Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
But as time passes, and you consider the question in more thought....
You begin to wonder...Why?
Why the question?
What was the reason for asking it?
What were they going to do with the answer?
I had a customer call at work today.
And said "Okay, this is going to be a crazy question, but do you guys sell, venomous scorpions and how many do you get in?"
"Yes, we only get in one at a time."
"Oh...well...I need like 300 of them. Is there any way I could order them in bulk and you have them sent to me?"
"Unfortunately, the breeders control how many animals they send us. We can't order anything in. So we'll only get in one at a time."
"Oh...Okay. Thanks anyways. Bye!"
And that was the conversation.
300 Scorpions.
At first I was like "Wow...that was one of the more crazy requests."
And went on my way.
But then you get to thinking.
Why would someone need 300 scorpions?
Why would they ask if we had venomous scorpions? (like...aren't all scorpions venomous in some way?)
Is it for a prank?
For a breeding thing?
For a Halloween attraction?
What are they going to do with them?
Are they planning to use them to kill someone?
I mean, the more you think about it, the more diabolical it all can get.
300 scorpions.
Why would you ever need that many?
Why?
Why?
I really regret that I didn't ask him why he needed so many.
Because I want to know the answer. I really do.
But...if you hear anything in the news about 300 scorpions in the near future....just know that I talked with the fella.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
There was a young boy, in an old atticy workshop space. Tinkering with gels and goos and such. And somehow through using them, he managed to bring people/creatures/aliens from their time periods/worlds to his. Where he was able to interact with them and do stuff with them. It got to the point where he could travel to their times/worlds by drinking the goos. And it expanded from there, until he could get abilities briefly from the goos. Until he had a group of friends that were helping him with this sort of thing, until it was revealed that the boy's father and a lot of the neighbors had done similar things in their youth, and the whole neighborhood was working together to keep this invention secret from the government as they planned to take animals from the past to use in the future, but that would have bad effects to the past because time wouldn't happen as it was supposed to and animals wouldn't get eaten, plants would die. etc. We were packing up things like crazy trying to decide what to take and what to leave. And there were these stones that could absorb energy and also expel it. One stone in particular could create things from the goo and I created a beautiful leafy sculpture, but it all of a sudden collapsed and revealed a creepy skeleton within it that left me recoiling back. The government flew over our house, and we dashed across the street to where the grown ups were plotting to tell them that their ship had arrived, and we had to go now....
Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
A Day in Review -September 15th
Wednesday, September 15th 2004
-I've been caught up in shed work. Also in English class I'm writing a story about an orphan that doesn't know anything about himself and in the story he's gong to find out something cool though I don't know what it is yet.
Friday, September 15th 2006
-I went to a football game with my friends in the rain. We lost. :( But it was fun hanging with my friends.
Monday, September 15th 2008
-Typical Monday. I had Health, Sculpture -started making plaster molds got out an hour early. history of Geography -talked to the guy I like, and that the teacher didn't know about the Alexanderite stone. During my lunch break I went and got a bus pass. ASL watched a movie and I started to fade energy wise from being tired and having a headache. In heredity I spoke with another guy and tried to pay attention in class. Got home and took a 2 hour nap and woke with a tear inducing headache. Ended up making friends with the toilet. :( But now I'm feeling better. Good thing I only have 2 classes together, so I an rest.
Tuesday, September 15th 2009
-Today was a pretty good day. Slept through the night and woke up feeling awake. Walked to school and had my institute classes. Witnessed boys being dumb crossing the intersection while the light was GREEN. and there were cars coming! They got stuck in front of the turn lane. Luckily nobody got hurt. After my institute classes I came home to find that the power had been out....Took a nap and wen tot a tri stake thing to get food with Kristin.
Wednesday, September 15th 2010
- After tidying up the apartment today, we passed our Recheck! Yay! Culture class was meh. Bom was good we covered the tree of life story. Talked with Esteban on the way to an Interpreting class. Afterwards I read for a bit. Another interpreting class we actually practiced interpreting. That was thrilling. Had to meet with the bishop after class, where I was kept waiting for almost an hour. That could have been used doing something more useful...like homework. oh well. Talked with another guy while Kikay and I waited for the bishop. Got a new calling to be the "Web Master" of the ward website. I didn't know we had one...but we'll see how that goes. Mostly I think I was called because I think the Bishop thought I was dependable.
Thursday, September 15th 2011
-I think Kikay and I caught Kah's cold. mostly due to stress and all that jazz. Right now I have a sore throat and a stuffy/runny nose though my symptoms didn't show up until like 6 pm. Went to school and did school things. had BOM where we talked about Coriantomur, ASL Lit our minds were numbed with more sign stories. Dashed to Institute to get taco salads for lunch before going to Philosophy to hear Demett's view on his issue...blah blah. Talked to Marilyn today...she's not sure I'll be able to get to the school for my field experience. :S I hope she calls me back. (for an education class I had to go observe/help at a school.) Talked with my Internship Mentor for a bit and went to Education class to get into groups to "discuss" stuff. Walked up to the CS for criminal justice (ugh such a long walk from one side of the school to the other.) We played jeopardy there. I volunteered to be score keeper. Came home and worked on my secret project. (Making comics of my friend's favorite super heroes.)
Saturday, September 15th 2012
-I went fencing today. Only one other person showed up for the club day. :( I wonder if I can help to get more people to come if I post on facebook next time the club meets. In any case it was fun to fence sabre today. :) Tiff (roommate) dropped by to give us donuts which was super sweet of her. ^^ I really don't get why everyone is so obsessed with KrispiKreme around here...having too much sweetness tends to put me off more sweets, but the roomies lap it up. O.o After a shower and a couple episodes of Case Closed, Kikay dropped me off at work. I was cashiering again. Though I got to stock shelves of soda as well which was different. I do need to work on multi tasking though and not get super focused on just one task. As I was supposed to watch the register and stock the sodas when there weren't customers there. I didn't know that soda's expired. O.o apparently they do... Cashiering wasn't bad today though I think I'll take my 15 minute break the next time I have a longer shift towards the end of my shift, as Toc made me take it at like 5pm when I got there at 3 and didn't get off til 8. My legs were totally killing me that last hour and a half from all the standing. So I think I'll go for like 2ish hours before my shift ends or something. Came home and relaxed watching more case closed episodes and a ghost adventures episode as well. I'm almost out of the English Case Closed episodes :S Then I'll have to switch to Japanese, which is sad as I like the voice actors for the English versions.
Sunday, September 15th 2013
-I slept in til 11:30 today. I had woken up earlier but I was tired enough that I rolled over and went back to sleep. I went to church and came home and wrote my missionary letters, went to dinner at Kikay's and played Settler's of Cataan and Betrayal; House on the Hill. Came home to watch the Miss America Pageant before heading to bed for a 3am wake up call.
Monday, September 15th 2014
-I slept in today, perhaps a bit too long as I felt tired for most of the day. I did a quick venture to the D.I to grab a cable for the T.V....it didn't work to bring in the local channels. :( Work this afternoon was nice and slow. I was able to resticker all the fish tags to make sure the prices were right and hopefully to make it easier for my special coworker to read so he doesn't keep breaking the tag holders trying to get the tags out of their place. The rest of work was slow so I did this and that until close where I then met up with my friends at Barnes and Noble to do some book shopping for FHE. Came home and relaxed reading a new book; the Badger Knight.
Tuesday, September 15th 2015
-It was another early morning wake up call for work. I came in at 7 and started work on the bedding changes of the day as my second opener wasn't scheduled til 8. I had her do the cat cleaning and open the floor while I finished bedding changes and worked on counting our shipment of crickets that came in to make sure that we got the number the company said they sent us. It was a nice slow day without a lot of customers. (There was like an hour rush...but over all it was dead.) So I was able to get a lot of tasks done without feeling rushed about it. :) yay! It also rained today! ^^ Love the rain, but again managed to get off work while it was lightly raining when it had been a down pour only 10 minutes earlier. lol. I came home and took a nap while the roomies were watching Doctor Who on the TV. When I woke up they'd left for class, so I hung out watching other shows, and ventured to the mailbox to get my Amell/Stardust shirt! Yes! But when the roomies got home the internet had gone out, so we spent a couple of hours working on the 1,000 piece puzzle I'd bought for when such an occasion arose. ^^ We got a lot of progress done! Yay!
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
-I've been caught up in shed work. Also in English class I'm writing a story about an orphan that doesn't know anything about himself and in the story he's gong to find out something cool though I don't know what it is yet.
Friday, September 15th 2006
-I went to a football game with my friends in the rain. We lost. :( But it was fun hanging with my friends.
Monday, September 15th 2008
-Typical Monday. I had Health, Sculpture -started making plaster molds got out an hour early. history of Geography -talked to the guy I like, and that the teacher didn't know about the Alexanderite stone. During my lunch break I went and got a bus pass. ASL watched a movie and I started to fade energy wise from being tired and having a headache. In heredity I spoke with another guy and tried to pay attention in class. Got home and took a 2 hour nap and woke with a tear inducing headache. Ended up making friends with the toilet. :( But now I'm feeling better. Good thing I only have 2 classes together, so I an rest.
Tuesday, September 15th 2009
-Today was a pretty good day. Slept through the night and woke up feeling awake. Walked to school and had my institute classes. Witnessed boys being dumb crossing the intersection while the light was GREEN. and there were cars coming! They got stuck in front of the turn lane. Luckily nobody got hurt. After my institute classes I came home to find that the power had been out....Took a nap and wen tot a tri stake thing to get food with Kristin.
Wednesday, September 15th 2010
- After tidying up the apartment today, we passed our Recheck! Yay! Culture class was meh. Bom was good we covered the tree of life story. Talked with Esteban on the way to an Interpreting class. Afterwards I read for a bit. Another interpreting class we actually practiced interpreting. That was thrilling. Had to meet with the bishop after class, where I was kept waiting for almost an hour. That could have been used doing something more useful...like homework. oh well. Talked with another guy while Kikay and I waited for the bishop. Got a new calling to be the "Web Master" of the ward website. I didn't know we had one...but we'll see how that goes. Mostly I think I was called because I think the Bishop thought I was dependable.
Thursday, September 15th 2011
-I think Kikay and I caught Kah's cold. mostly due to stress and all that jazz. Right now I have a sore throat and a stuffy/runny nose though my symptoms didn't show up until like 6 pm. Went to school and did school things. had BOM where we talked about Coriantomur, ASL Lit our minds were numbed with more sign stories. Dashed to Institute to get taco salads for lunch before going to Philosophy to hear Demett's view on his issue...blah blah. Talked to Marilyn today...she's not sure I'll be able to get to the school for my field experience. :S I hope she calls me back. (for an education class I had to go observe/help at a school.) Talked with my Internship Mentor for a bit and went to Education class to get into groups to "discuss" stuff. Walked up to the CS for criminal justice (ugh such a long walk from one side of the school to the other.) We played jeopardy there. I volunteered to be score keeper. Came home and worked on my secret project. (Making comics of my friend's favorite super heroes.)
Saturday, September 15th 2012
-I went fencing today. Only one other person showed up for the club day. :( I wonder if I can help to get more people to come if I post on facebook next time the club meets. In any case it was fun to fence sabre today. :) Tiff (roommate) dropped by to give us donuts which was super sweet of her. ^^ I really don't get why everyone is so obsessed with KrispiKreme around here...having too much sweetness tends to put me off more sweets, but the roomies lap it up. O.o After a shower and a couple episodes of Case Closed, Kikay dropped me off at work. I was cashiering again. Though I got to stock shelves of soda as well which was different. I do need to work on multi tasking though and not get super focused on just one task. As I was supposed to watch the register and stock the sodas when there weren't customers there. I didn't know that soda's expired. O.o apparently they do... Cashiering wasn't bad today though I think I'll take my 15 minute break the next time I have a longer shift towards the end of my shift, as Toc made me take it at like 5pm when I got there at 3 and didn't get off til 8. My legs were totally killing me that last hour and a half from all the standing. So I think I'll go for like 2ish hours before my shift ends or something. Came home and relaxed watching more case closed episodes and a ghost adventures episode as well. I'm almost out of the English Case Closed episodes :S Then I'll have to switch to Japanese, which is sad as I like the voice actors for the English versions.
Sunday, September 15th 2013
-I slept in til 11:30 today. I had woken up earlier but I was tired enough that I rolled over and went back to sleep. I went to church and came home and wrote my missionary letters, went to dinner at Kikay's and played Settler's of Cataan and Betrayal; House on the Hill. Came home to watch the Miss America Pageant before heading to bed for a 3am wake up call.
Monday, September 15th 2014
-I slept in today, perhaps a bit too long as I felt tired for most of the day. I did a quick venture to the D.I to grab a cable for the T.V....it didn't work to bring in the local channels. :( Work this afternoon was nice and slow. I was able to resticker all the fish tags to make sure the prices were right and hopefully to make it easier for my special coworker to read so he doesn't keep breaking the tag holders trying to get the tags out of their place. The rest of work was slow so I did this and that until close where I then met up with my friends at Barnes and Noble to do some book shopping for FHE. Came home and relaxed reading a new book; the Badger Knight.
Tuesday, September 15th 2015
-It was another early morning wake up call for work. I came in at 7 and started work on the bedding changes of the day as my second opener wasn't scheduled til 8. I had her do the cat cleaning and open the floor while I finished bedding changes and worked on counting our shipment of crickets that came in to make sure that we got the number the company said they sent us. It was a nice slow day without a lot of customers. (There was like an hour rush...but over all it was dead.) So I was able to get a lot of tasks done without feeling rushed about it. :) yay! It also rained today! ^^ Love the rain, but again managed to get off work while it was lightly raining when it had been a down pour only 10 minutes earlier. lol. I came home and took a nap while the roomies were watching Doctor Who on the TV. When I woke up they'd left for class, so I hung out watching other shows, and ventured to the mailbox to get my Amell/Stardust shirt! Yes! But when the roomies got home the internet had gone out, so we spent a couple of hours working on the 1,000 piece puzzle I'd bought for when such an occasion arose. ^^ We got a lot of progress done! Yay!
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Monday, September 14, 2015
October 2006 General Conference -Saturday Morning
Gordon B. Hinckley -We Bear Testimony to the World
- Though there are limitations on our ability to travel where we might, there is compensation in the ability of the First Presidency, members of the Twelve, and the Seventy to speak by satellite to large numbers of stakes throughout the world.
- Circumstances change, but our message does not change. We bear testimony to the world that the heavens have been opened, that God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, the risen Lord, have appeared and spoken. We offer our solemn witness that the priesthood has been restored with the keys and authority of eternal blessings.
Dallin H. Oaks -He Heals the Heavy Laden
- The Savior teaches that we will have tribulation in the world, but we should "be of good cheer" because He has "overcome the world."
- Although the Savior could heal all whom He would heal, this is not true of those who hold His priesthood authority. Mortal exercises of that authority are limited by the will of Him whose priesthood it is.
- The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ--whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle Paul--is available for every affliction in mortality.
Richard H. Winkel -The Temple Is about Families
- Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them.
Paul B. Pieper -The First Generation
- Being a first-generation member of the Church is not always easy. You will walk where no one in your family has walked before. Conditions around you may be challenging. You may have few, or no, friends or relatives to understand and support you. At times you may become discouraged, wondering if it is all worth it. My purpose this morning is to assure you that it is.
- By being consistently good and upright, you will establish patterns of faithfulness and righteousness. Those patterns will shape your life, but more importantly, they will become a standard for your family and posterity.
- One small decision by a first-generation member made a difference for thousands.
- Do not be discouraged if you make a mistake. Repenting and continuing to press forward are perhaps the most important patterns to develop in the first generation. Be patient and move forward in obedience.
David S. Baxter -Faith, Service, Constancy
- First is the motivating, transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith is like spiritual oxygen. As we allow faith to freely flow within us, it awakens and enlivens our spiritual senses. It breathes life into our very souls.
- Faith fuels hope. Our perspective changes; our vision becomes clearer. We begin to look for the best, not the worst, in life and in others. We gain a deeper sense of life's purpose and meaning. Despair gives way to joy.
- Second, as we serve we grow.
- "It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give."
- The answer lies in helping to solve the problems of those around us rather than worrying about our own, living to lift burdens even when we ourselves feel weighed down, putting our shoulder to the wheel instead of complaining that the wagons of life seem to be passing by.
- Third, discipleship does not guarantee freedom from the storms of life.
- What to do when adversity strikes? There is only one thing to do. Stand steady and see it through. Stay steadfast, constant, and true. The real tragedy in the whirlwinds of life comes only when we allow them to blow us off our true course.
- At these moments of crisis and challenge, some choose to abandon faith just at the time when it most needs to be embraced. Prayer is ignored at the very hour when it needs to be intensified. Virtue is carelessly tossed aside when it needs to be cherished. God is forsaken in the all-too-human yet mistaken fear that He has forsaken us.
- The truth is that our only safety, our only security, our only hope is to hold fast to that which is good. As the mists of darkness gather around us, we are only lost if we choose to let go of the iron rod, which is the word of God.
Robert C. Oaks -The Power of Patience
- First, "charity sufferth long."
- Charity "is not easily provoked."
- Charity "beareth all things."
- Finally, charity "endureth all things."
- The impatient, natural man is all about us.
- "Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best--better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His."
- We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.
- To achieve any worthwhile goal requires hard work.
M. Russell Ballard -O Be Wise
- We have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another.
- While there may be times when our Church callings require more intense effort and unusual focus, we need to strive to keep things in proper balance.
- First, focus on people and principles--not on programs.
- Frankly, it's much easier to just manage programs than it is to understand and truly serve people.
- Our goal should always be to use the programs of the Church as a means to lift, encourage, assist, teach, love, and perfect people.
- Second, be innovative.
- To innovate does not necessarily mean to be expand; very often it means to simplify.
- Third, divide the work and delegate responsibility. There is a difference between being responsible for getting the work done and doing the work yourself.
- Counsel, advise, persuade, motivate--but don't do the work for them. Allow others to progress and grow, even if it means sometimes getting less-than-perfect results on the reports.
- Fourth, eliminate guilt.
- We must always motivate through love and sincere appreciation, not by creating guilt.
- "Catch others doing something right."
- Fifth, we need to thoughtfully allocate our resources of time, income, and energy.
- No matter what your family needs are or your responsibilities in the Church, there is no such things as "done." There will always be more we can do.
- Sixth, a word to your leaders about extending responsibilities to members and especially to recent converts.
- Every new member of the Church needs a responsibility. Whatever responsibility may be extended should not overwhelm new members but should give them ample opportunity to become comfortable in the Church by learning its doctrine and by rubbing shoulders with friendly members. It should anchor them to the restored gospel through increasing their testimony and giving meaningful service.
James E. Faust -Discipleship
- "If I must suffer for my religion, it is no more than others have down before me. I am not conscious of having injured anyone in the county and therefore will not consent to leave. I have done nothing to offend anyone. If you abuse me, you are injuring an innocent man."
- It is never too late to change.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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