Family

The last few days I've been putting the quotes on my scripture journal, but this is a long one, so I'll put it here.

 "The strength of any community lies in the strength of its families. The strength of any nation lies in the strength of its families. Strong family life comes of strong and clear religious understanding of who we are, and why we are here, and of what we may eternally become. Strong family life comes of the perception that each of us is a child of God, born with a divine birthright, and with a great and significant potential. Strong family life comes of parents who love and respect one another, and who love and respect and nurture their children in the ways of the Lord. These are undergirding principles of our teachings as a church. To the degree that we observe these teachings we build strong families whose generations will strengthen the nation."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "Mormon Should Mean More Good", Ensign, Nov. 1990, 51

And another:

"Parents can plant seeds in the hearts and minds of their children only if they know where the children are and what they are doing. Parents should not leave the teaching of their children to chance."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 1989, p. 9

I sure hope I'm not doubling up some of these quotes.

ETA (edited to add): So, I checked the tag "1989" & sure enough, the one I thought was familiar was, sigh.

Where are we going?

Wow! This is definitely a quote to ponder

"Periodically one might well ask, “If I continue to travel the road I am currently following, where will it lead me and what will happen to my family?” Are we establishing the foundation for an eternal family, or are we focusing more on the pride of personal accomplishments and a collection of temporal trophies that are taking precedence over the things that should really matter most? Regardless of our age and stage in life, daily obedience to gospel principles is the only sure way to eternal happiness."

--Elder Donald L Staheli, "Life’s Great Challenge", May 1998 Ensign pg 81

How many, many times have I thought about this & pondered it 

Live the gospel

More conference quotes:

"Living the gospel does not mean the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace. 'Search diligently, pray always, and be believing,' the Lord admonished, 'and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly.'"

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Finding a Safe Harbor," Ensign, May 2000, 59

and another one:

"You have as great an opportunity for satisfaction in the performance of your duty as I do in mine. The progress of this work will be determined by our joint efforts. Whatever your calling, it is as fraught with the same kind of opportunity to accomplish good as is mine. What is really important is that this is the work of the Master. Our work is to go about doing good as did He."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "This Is the Work of the Master", Ensign, May 1995, 69

History turns on small hinges

More quotes from readthescriptures.

"It has been said that the gate of history turns on small hinges, and so do people's lives. The choices we make determine our destiny."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Choose You This Day," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 67

And this one Nick needs to read this & internalize it.

"Very often in our anxiousness for the joys of the future we run away from the very things we are wanting and needing today. An appropriate examination of the passing moment will prove it leads to eternity. We need to constantly remind ourselves eternity is in process now."

--Marvin J. Ashton, "The Time Is Now", Ensign, May 1975, 85

 As if we could give it to him & he'd "get" it.

Life events

I'm trying to catch up on my Old Testament reading & so, I requested 2 reading assignments today.

"Closely related to our own obligation to repent is the generosity of letting others do the same...In this we participate in the very essence of the Atonement of Jesus Christ...We don't want God to remember our sins, so there is something fundamentally wrong in our relentlessly trying to remember others' sins...It is one of those ironies of godhood that in order to find peace, the offended as well as the offender must engage the principle of forgiveness."

--Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 82

They were LOONNG quotes today:

"Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do. The Lord inspired Lehi to declare the fundamental truth, "Men are, that they might have joy." That is a conditional statement: "they might have joy." It is not conditional for the Lord. His intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth."

--Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life", Ensign, May 1996, 24

I only saved one quote from the first request. This one:

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven"

--Orson F. Whitney, in Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98

Forgiveness

This is a good quote:

"Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves."

--James E Faust, "The Healing Power of Forgiveness", May 2007 Ensign

and another

"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."

--David S. Baxter, "Faith, Service, Constancy", Liahona, November 2006, 13–15

By our actions

Tonight's quotes are:

"Ours is the responsibility to show our gratitude by the actions of our lives."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Gifts", Ensign, May 1993, 59

and another:

"We should not allow our personal values to erode, even if others think we are peculiar. "

--President James E. Faust Ensign, May 1998, 19

When my cousin, Floyd Monson, died, his nephew Paul spoke in his funeral. He said people considered his uncle Floyd as odd. He said he preferred to think of Floyd as peculiar & quoted a scripture about the Lord's people being peculiar.

Spiritual worthiness

Another day, more quotes.

"Those who 'live without God in the world' anxiously glean their few and fleeting satisfactions, but they are unable to find real happiness...."Ignorant of the plan of salvation, many simply do not know what the journey of life is all about. Therefore, modern selfishness and skepticism brush aside the significance of the Savior..."

--Elder Neal A. Maxwell; Ensign, March 1998, page 9

I love seeing the Lord's hand in my life.

"We do not know the future, but our Father in Heaven does, and He will lead and guide us if we let Him. When we are in tune with the Spirit, we will see many small miracles happen in our lives. I have found that having the ability to see and recognize these small miracles is based upon my spiritual worthiness, my willingness to be obedient, and my desire to not allow myself to become complacent and caught up in worldly and personal pursuits."

--Ronald T. Halverson, "Obeying the Whisperings of the Holy Ghost", Ensign, Aug 2007, 56–58

I copied Elder Maxwell's quote twice & then went to tag (label) them. I thought it was strange both quotes were Maxwell, 1998.

Be faithful

Slow & steady wins the race.

"May we all be faithful in doing the day to day ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things."

--James E. Faust, "Some Great Thing", Ensign, Nov. 2001, 46

And this next one is a keeper too. It is interesting they are in the same vein.

"One of God's greatest gifts to man is freedom of choice. At an early period in the journey through life, man finds himself at a crossroad where he must choose one of two great highways—the right, leading to progress and happiness; and the wrong, leading to retardation and sorrow. There exists this eternal law that each human soul, through the choices he makes, will shape his own destiny. Our success or failure, peace or discontent, happiness or misery, depend on the choices we make each day."

--N. Eldon Tanner, "Thou Mayest Choose for Thyself", Ensign, July 1973, 7

 President Tanner's quote is from the summer I was going on my mission. I wonder if I had my mission call yet.

Developing faith

Tonights thoughts from my scripture reading assignment:

"Developing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a step-by-step, line upon line, and precept upon precept process. We promote the process of strengthening our faith when we do what is right-increased faith always follows as a consequence."

--Elder L Whitney Clayton, "Help Thou Mine Unbelief", November 2001 ,Ensign pg 28

This next one is thought provoking:

"It is one thing to see the kingdom of God, and another thing to enter into it. We must have a change of heart to see the kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles of adoption to enter therein."

--Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:58

Scraps of paper

Here is one of tonight's quotes. I put the first one over on RaDoMiNic. The last couple of nights, I haven't taken the time to stash the quotes here, I've been putting them on "scraps of paper" again.

"Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final."

--Thomas S. Monson, "The Will Within," Ensign, May 1987, 67

Here is one from Oct. 13:

"Simply stated, testimony - real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost - changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changes what you say. It affects every priority you set and every choice you make."

--Elder M. Russell Ballard, "Pure Testimony", Ensign, Nov. 2004, 40

And another one:

"Parents can plant seeds in the hearts and minds of their children only if they know where the children are and what they are doing. Parents should not leave the teaching of their children to chance."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 1989, p. 9

My kids were not happy when they were younger because I wanted to know where they were at all times. If they changed play locations, I wanted to know where they were going. And look! This was given in 1989. Nick was just 2 & Don-Mike would have been almost 4. Of course, at that point in their lives, I knew where they were, at Frances' or home, :)

Never simply temporal

There was only one quote I wanted to save tonight from my scripture reading:

"The temporal requirements placed upon the Church and our members are never simply temporal. They only seem temporal because our vision is lacking. The Lord's requirements are always spiritual."

--Douglas W. DeHaan, "Is Any Thing Too Hard for the Lord?", Ensign, Nov. 1980, 87

Hmmm, interesting .........

Words of the prophets

"Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!"

--Spencer W. Kimball, "Speaks Out on Service to Others", New Era, Mar. 1981, 47

And

"Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "Words of the Prophet: The Spirit of Optimism", New Era, July 2001, 4

A path

More quotes from readthescripture.com (I had a hard time spelling quotes correctly, instead of quoghts.)

"...the strait and narrow path, though clearly marked, is a path, not a freeway nor an escalator. Indeed, there are times when the only way the strait and narrow path can be followed is on one's knees!"

--Neal A. Maxwell, "A Brother Offended," Ensign, May 1982, 37

The quote sent for MORE READING is repeated from the other day & can be found at Lighthouses in the Storm by Elder Wirthlin.

The Wisdom of Will Rogers

Will Rogers was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. He died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935. Enjoy the following:

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
   
2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
   
3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman ... neither works.
   
4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
   
5. Always drink upstream from the herd.
   
6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
   
7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
   
8. There are three kinds of men:
   
   • The ones that learn by reading.
     
   • The few who learn by observation.
     
   • The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
   
10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
    
11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
    
12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. THE MORAL: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

Wisdom of the Soul

1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.
   
2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.
   
3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.
   
4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.
   
5. Success stops when you do.
   
6. When your ship comes in ... make sure you are willing to unload it.
   
7. You will never "have it all together."
   
8. Life is a journey ... not a destination. Enjoy the trip!
   
9. The biggest lie on the planet: "When I get what I want I will be happy."
   
10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.
    
11. I've learned that ultimately 'takers' lose and 'givers' win.
    
12. Life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared.
    
13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.
    
14. We often fear the thing we want the most.
    
15. Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you have to say. Best friends listen to what you don't say!
    
16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.
    
17. Look for opportunities ... not guarantees.
    
18. Life is what's coming ... not what was.
    
19. Success is getting up one more time.
    
20. Now is the most interesting time of all.
    
21. When things go wrong don't go with them.
    
22. Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.
    
23. God can mend all broken hearts. You just have to give Him all the pieces.
    
24. A best friend is like a four leaf clover ... hard to find, and lucky to have.
    
25. A friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart.
    
26. A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.
    
27. I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
    
28. Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.

I found this on a printed page in some decluttering I was doing several years after I received it. The date was Oct. 13, 2002. It had been sent from my best friend & adopted sister Janene. I had thrown the page away THREE times the week I posted it. It just kept resurfacing. I put it on my Yahoo! Geocities web site & only then did the page go to the landfill.

Follow the example of the Lord

Eventually I may catch up on my scripture reading & be able to add more from my Thoughts to Ponder page. But until I do ...

"Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, "You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven't time to be concerned for others." Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord."

--Thomas S. Monson,, "Finding Peace", Ensign, Mar. 2004, 3

Lighthouses in the storm

Today's quotes from readthescriptures.com

"The gospel gives us that harbor of enduring safety and security. The living prophet and the apostles today are as lighthouses in the storm. Steer towards the light of the restored gospel and the inspired teachings of those who represent the Lord on earth."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Finding a Safe Harbor", Ensign, May 2000, 59

This next one is long. I usually don't read these, much less save them to read again.

"...we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant... But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Ne. 9:20; italics added.)"

--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Mighty Change of Heart," Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2

I can't find the italics, wonder if it is "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." If it's not, I added them anyway.

Positive thinking

Today's quotes from readthescriptures.com

"We should learn to be patient with ourselves. Recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses, we should strive to use good judgment in all of our choices and decisions, make good use of every opportunity, and do our best in every task we undertake. We should not be unduly discouraged nor in despair at any time when we are doing the best we can. Rather, we should be satisfied with our progress even though it may come slowly at times."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Patience, a Key to Happiness", Ensign, May 1987, 30

and another one:

"The Lord has directed, Bring up your children in light and truth. To me, there is no more important human effort. Being a father or a mother is not only a great challenge; it is a divine calling. It is an effort requiring consecration. President David O. McKay (1873-1970) stated that being parents is the greatest trust that has been given to human beings."

--President James E. Faust, A Thousand Threads of Love, Ensign, Oct. 2005, 3

Today's quotes

Here are some quotes that came directly to the blog!! There will not be any stray files floating around the network.

"We cannot repent for someone else. But we can forgive someone else, refusing to hold hostage those whom the Lord seeks to set free!"

--Neal A. Maxwell, "Repentance," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 30

And another short one.

"Only One who was with God, and was God, can answer the deepest and most urgent questions of our soul."

--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, Nov. 1997, 65

Looks like both of these quotes came from conference editions.

Pretending

In the beginning you knew
Then you pretended to forget
Then you pretended to forget you forgot
Then you forgot you pretended
Remember?

~ Neil Rogin

Don forwarded this to me in an email a long time ago. I don't know if he ever meant anything by it, but I took it to heart. I like to be dramatic & I tell stories. There is always a story to tell & sometimes I embellish those stories. Kinda like the fish who got away.

A poem to ponder

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

by Portia Nelson

I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost ... I am helpless

It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street,

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street,

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.

My eyes are open
I know where I am.

It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street,

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

This poem was given to me by a counselor, Pam Linton. I took it & posted it on my typing tray at The Preston Citizen. I needed to see this often. A lady with whom I shared the job didn't like it & took it down. I am so glad I had posted it on my Thoughts to Ponder page or I may have lost it.

Shall we start with my favorite?

The movie The Trouble With Angels starring Rosalind Russell & Hayley Mills was released in the United States in March of 1966. I saw it when it came to Preston, to the Grand Theater, probably that summer. I was 15 or 16 when I saw it. I always loved Hayley Mills movies.

Two high-spirited young students at St. Francis Academy For Girls keep things hopping for the challenged Mother Superior and her staff of bewildered Sisters.

One of the top quotes for this movie is

Mary Clancy (Hayley Mills): I've got the most scathingly brilliant idea!

I have used the phrase "scathingly brilliant idea" ever since. It is part of my vocabulary & everyone knows when I utter those words, it's probably going to be outrageous.

quoghts to ponder

I had a Yahoo! Geocities web site for years for my personal use. I named it RaDoMiNic. Ra for RaNae, Do for Don, Mi for Mike & Nic for Nick. Janene always thought of it as do re mi, LOL. The colors mean something too. My favorite color is red. Don's is blue, Don-Mike's is green & Nick likes orange, black & gray. 

I had several pages on the Geocities site. One of my favorite pages was Thoughts to Ponder. When Yahoo closed down Geocities, I saved all my web pages & went looking for some place to build a new site.


I found one at webs.com & used the same name. I have to use their pre-made pages. I couldn't build them from scratch like I did on Geocities. I couldn't figure out how to add my page of quotes & thoughts. So, as I find quotes & thoughts I like, I've added some to my other blogs, but mostly I've just saved them in separate Notepad files.

I had a scathingly brilliant idea today. I could have a blog just for thoughts & quotes!!!!!!!!!! Wow!! Why hadn't I thought of it earlier??? I spent almost half an hour today looking for the web pages. I found many, many thoughts & quote files all over the network!! It's like writing something on a scrap of paper & then losing them. It's about time I started picking up these scraps & put them in one central place. 

So, while my family is out enjoying a Sunday ride, I hope they are enjoying it & not broken down somewhere on the side of the road, I am nursing my headache & starting yet another blog. I thought I'd come up with some cute name, maybe an acronym like QUOT or something, then decided no, I'd just go with my original name, Thoughts to Ponder. When I tried to put thots2ponder, Blogger said it was already used, so I thought I'd try quoghts2pondr. It took it.