Do you have flat arches?

We forgot hiking shoes, water shoes, a laptop cord, our river rafting reservations, matching Sunday socks, glasses holders for the river, water bottles, a backpack, an extra pair of garments... and utensils. But we were extremely creative! Chad here demonstrates how coffee straws can be used as chopsticks... chopsticks that shovel microwavable mac n' cheese into one's mouth after the cup has sufficiently cooled. We also used pieces of cardboard on which to microwave hot dogs. When we ran out of toilet paper (Chad doesn't trust the maids, so the "Do not disturb" sign hung on our front door for four days), we ransacked Chad's car and as miracles would have it, we even found an extra roll.

I was too slow to catch the cow in the middle of the road on our way to Canyonlands, but my finger made it in the picture just fine. 

The time spent in the motel was full of "constructive" activities...  like building a house of cards. 

And of course a rambunctious game of Solitaire for me while Chad watched the NBA Playoffs.... I take after the Utah Jazz... I lost before I even started... I'd like to blame it on the fact that I realized partway through that I didn't have a full deck...

Double Arch in Arches National Park. From our final drive through before we left Tuesday morning. 

The view from Dead Horse Point. Luckily no horses today.

 My new friend Manny. 

 We're so happy, we're "glowing!" Taken from the Dead Horse Point overlook.

 Us being silly in the motel before hiking Delicate Arch Saturday morning. Chad tried to help me "fix" my hair. Turned out lovely...

Window Arch in Canyonlands on Sunday. Beautiful. 

If you look really close between the two people on the right, you'll notice that Chad and I are not in this picture. That's because we have neither a waterproof camera, nor a way to be in a raft and on the shore taking pictures at the same time. We did, however, go through a Class III rapid at the beginning of our half day river run on Monday afternoon. They even let us out half way through and fed us some BBQ'd food at a lodge for the extremely rich. It was a very windy day, and had we not paddled, we still would have been in the same place we started.

Shoeless in Arches

 Window shopping on Main Street in Moab... Whose teeth look better? Or at least, less freaky?

 Chad's good eye spotted us several big green frogs!

 I am so outta shape...

 Chad saw Delicate Arch before me because he peeked through this one first....

 A nice lady from Cincinnati took our picture in front of the arch. 

The country store has a lot of great items, including gym shoes and water shoes (I forgot both and Chad forgot his gym shoes), but I'm thinking maybe we should stay away from the maple bars.... That is, unless you like licking the frosting off the bottom of the box!

I would highly recommend letting my people go...

I learned so much from studying the story of Moses and Pharaoh this week! Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to share it other than in a chart. But I still feel I need to give a little background to ensure that it makes sense. So here it goes... 

In Exodus Chapter 3, Moses asks Jehovah what to tell the people when they ask who sent him. Jehovah responds: "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me." A very odd name, you might ask? I think a little Spanish lesson comes in to play here. The Spanish verb 'estar' translated into English means 'to be.' In the every day usage of the Spanish language, the verb endings change to reflect whether or not the verb is referring to the past, present, or future, but the root word "est-" always stays the same. Now back to Moses. If God was speaking Spanish, I think he would have said something like this: "Tell them that 'estar' sent you." I think He would have used the non-conjugated verb, demonstrating the word's capacity for past, present, and future tenses. The English translation? "Tell them that 'I was, I am, and I will be' sent you." I think He's preparing the people to understand His eternal nature, as well as the role that He has played in their past (the Creator), His relationship to them in the present (their Savior), and the significance of His existence to their future (their Salvation)!

Keeping this is mind, I then did a study on the meaning of the 10 plagues. I mean, God could have chosen anything, so why lice and boils? To sum up my study (and the chart below), I discovered that Jehovah both defied Egypt's powerless Gods AND testified of Himself as the true omnipotent Creator and Savior through the use of those specific plagues. 

God is amazing! But that shouldn't surprise anybody. 

I recognize there are holes and stretches below, so any insight and thoughts would be helpful!

**A cleaner copy of this chart can be downloaded from Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/taihles5l32tr4d/Plagues.docx

Plagues	Egyptian Gods Defied	Symbolism of the Savior	The Creation “Undone”	Further Witnesses of the Savior for the Hebrews
Nile turned to blood	Apis- God of the Nile	Living Water Blood of Atonement	Day 2- Separation of water from land	Moses gets water for the thirsty Hebrews from a Rock
Frogs	Heqet- Frog-headed God of birth/fruitfulness	JESUS AS CREATOR =>	Day 5- Creatures of the sea
Lice/Gnats	Geb- God of Earth	JESUS AS CREATOR =>	Day 5&6- Every living thing
Flies	Re/Uatchit- depicted as flies Khepri- God of rebirth & Creation	“You must be born again” Jesus created the earth (See the section to the right for more thoughts)	Day 5&6- Every living thing (Note that man is given dominion over animals after the creation, but that man obviously has no control over the animals during these plagues)
Death of Livestock	Hathor/Apis- depicted as cattle	LIVESTOCK- Food=Bread of Life Beasts of burden=”Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden…”	Day 6- Land animals	The Hebrews are fed “bread of life” thru manna while in the wilderness
Boils	Sekhment, Sunu, Isis- Gods of Health and Disease	Jesus heals all manner of disease (Matt. 4:23-24)	Day 6- Man	Those who look on the raised up brass serpent are healed (Note that the Lord commanded Moses to turn his rod into a serpent before the 1st plague)
Hail/Thunder/Fire	Nut- Sky Goddess Set- Storm God	JESUS AS CREATOR =>	Day 3- Dry land and plants	Led by God in a pillar of cloud by day
Locusts	Osiris- God of crop fertility Serapia- Protector from locusts	JESUS AS CREATOR =>	Day 3- Plants
3 days of darkness	Re- The Sun God (also a symbol of Pharoah)	Light of the World; 3 hours of darkness associated with crucifixion	Day 1&4- Light from darkness; sun, moon, stars	Led by God in a pillar of fire by night (I also love how it says they had light in their houses during these 3 days of darkness)
Death of 1st Born	Isis- Protector of children	Heavenly Father sacrificed His first born son to save the rest of His children	Day 6- Man	Unblemished lamb’s blood saved the Hebrews

The Law of the Fast

This is my limited interpretation of the amazing talk Jen gave in Sacrament meeting on Sunday on the Law of the Fast. I wish you all could have been there! She said it so beautifully.

Before you read on, I would suggest you read Isaiah 58!

“…they seek me daily…”

“…and delight to know my ways…”

“…delight in approaching God."

"Wherefore have we fasted." 

From these scriptures, we can conclude that the children of Israel at this time were consistent in participating with the spiritual rituals of scripture study, prayer, and fasting.

And yet the Lord sends His servant to show His children their transgression- they have not appropriately been keeping the law of the fast. 

When they fast, they...

-take pleasure in their own interests and activities instead of doing the Lord's will

-are not kind to others and end up quarreling

-fast without spiritual motivation, which causes discomfort and irritability

The Lord then reveals the type of fast that He has chosen. A fast that...

 -Loosens the bands of wickedness: Jen stated that this sounds like a process, rather than an immediate release from our sins. 

Elder Worthlin:

“Fasting and prayer can help develop within us courage and confidence. It can strengthen our character and build self-restraint and discipline. Often when we fast, our righteous prayers and petitions have greater power. Testimonies grow. We mature spiritually and emotionally and sanctify our souls. Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly appetites and passions.”

 -Releases ourselves and other from heavy burdens, and lets the oppressed go free: Jen gave the following definition of oppression- "The feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions or people, and anxiety." She stated that we all have probably experiences these feelings before and suggested that we are not only to release others from their heavy load, but to enjoy the fast as a way to help free us from our own yoke.

Helaman 3:34-35:
“And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling theirs souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts to God.”

-Encourages us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked: Part of the law of the fast is paying a generous fast offering.

Elder Worthlin:

“When we fast, brethren and sisters, we feel hunger. And for a short time, we literally put ourselves in the position of the hungry and the needy. As we do so, we have greater understanding of the deprivations they might feel. When we give to the bishop an offering to relieve the suffering of others, we not only do something sublime for others, but we do something wonderful for ourselves as well. King Benjamin taught that as we give of our substance to the poor, we retain “a remission of [our] sins from day to day.”

-Involves spending time with family

These are the blessings that the Lord promises to those who fast in His way, rather than just as a monthly habit:

-You and your life will be full of light

-You will have better health

-It will be accounted unto you as righteousness

-The Lord will be with and protect you continuously

-You will receive answers to your prayers

-Your soul will be satisfied, even in times of trouble

-Your posterity will be blessed

I can do cute things

"I can do cute things." Sheri Dew 

Okay, so maybe the original quote was "I can do hard things" but to me cute and hard are often one in the same.

I just wanted to share my realization that it is 1) possible to create something from nothing, and 2) that confectioners sugar is not required to make frosting. I know, did that totally blow your mind? 

So I realized it was a friend's birthday today and I had nothing in the house to give to or make for her.... And I definitely wasn't going to go back out and go to the store. So I did what anyone would do at 4th down and 1.... I punted. (Right dad?) 

I found a snack size sugar cookie packet from my wedding in the back of the cupboard- you know, the ones that taste pretty gross- and was relieved when I discovered it did not require eggs. 

Here are some fun facts: 

Did you know that Dr. Seuss glasses do not make very good rolling pins? 

Did you also realize that sugar cookie dough from the packet sticks to the counter no matter how much flour you use? 

Did you know that small stars are the ONLY shapes that keep their shape even though you have already planned out a spring cookie theme in your mind? 

And do you know how frustrating it is to realize you don't have powdered sugar until AFTER you've already made those useless little star cookies? 

So here it is... A frosting recipe that you can use when you have no powdered sugar... And it actually tastes pretty dang good (if you can get over the sugar grain texture). 

INGREDIENTS: * 2 tablespoons flour * 3/4 cup milk * 3/4 cup butter * 3/4 cup sugar * 1/8 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon vanilla (I used almond of course)

 PREPARATION: In a saucepan add a small amount of the milk to flour then stir to make a smooth paste. Add remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Cool. Cream butter using medium speed of electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and salt; beat well. Add cooled milk mixture. Beat until light and fluffy; add vanilla. Frosts a two layer cake.

And now for the miracle:

...... Cookies that were both taste and somewhat look-worthy of being given to a friend for her birthday! All made from random things I found in the back of various cupboards. 

See.... I CAN do hard/cute things! 

Guard the Inner Eye

 

'Welcome to Divination,' said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a 

winged armchair in front of the fire. 'My name is Professor Trelawney. 

You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the 

hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.'

-Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban

 

So my mother is well-known for her consistent use of the phrases "Bless your heart" and "Oh my stars." But when difficult decisions were at hand, it was time to employ a special phrase: "Oh, I wish I had a crystal ball." Can you imagine, my mother, the clairvoyant? Washing away the peanut butter and jelly on our palms so she could read our future... checking the dregs at the bottom of our cereal bowls to see what the day had in store... reading our Go Fish cards to warn us of impending danger... 

Actually, as silly as psychic powers may seem, when you look at the root meaning of the word 'clairvoyant,' there's really nothing silly or shady about it. In French, the word 'clair' simply means 'clear' and the word 'voyant' means 'seeing.' The ability to see things clearly actually sounds like a pretty awesome gift to have. And luckily, it's available to each of us- regardless of how well we communicate with immaterial material or how in tune we are with the telekinetic energy within. 

The human eye is a pretty awesome invention. Basically, the process of seeing goes something like this... Light enters the eye through the cornea- the clear covering on your eye that protects it from foreign particles. Behind the cornea lies the iris. The iris constricts and relaxes, determining how much light will enter into the pupil at any given time. The light then passes through to the lens. The sole function of the lens is to then focus the light rays onto the retina.The retina functions like the film in a camera and then sends messages to the optic nerve so that our brain can interpret and respond to what it is we are seeing. 

To significantly over-simplify: 

Anatomy of the human eye: 

LIGHT --> LENS -->RETINA --> OPTIC NERVE

Process: LIGHT --> FOCUS --> PERCEPTION

In terms of spiritual vision, Jesus is the Light of the World after which we are to seek. As we focus upon Jesus Christ, we will perceive truth. Line upon line, our vision will be expanded. 

But just as there are physical conditions that may prevent someone from being able to physically see, we must also be aware of the potential for spiritual blindness.

Closed eyes: The simplest and most easily reversed condition causing temporary blindness is called closed-eyes-itis. This is caused when someone becomes so inflamed with fear, pride, or casualness that they either forget or refuse to simply open their eyes. Matthew 13:15: "Their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Blindness: There are various diseases, defects, or injuries that can cause physical blindness. For those who are fortunate enough to bypass these physical complications, Satan loves to tempt them to use their seeing eyes to watch inappropriate movies, to scan through vain magazines, to fill our minds with words from books while neglecting to ever read His words. Through misuse of our eyes, we may eventually cause spiritual blindness and find it difficult to perceive spiritual things.

Near-Sightedness: I'm not technically blind, but without my contacts, I may as well be. I am considered near-sighted, so when I choose not to wear my contacts, I am capable only of seeing things right in front of me. When we take our focus off of the Savior, how easy it is to lose sight of our eternal perspective. 

Cataracts: A cataract is a cloudy lens that must be removed in order to restore sight. Unless we cling relentlessly to the rod of iron, it will be easy to lose our way in today's mists of darkness. 

So how do we avoid or overcome spiritual blindness? There is only one Way.

In John Chapter 9, Jesus comes across a man who had been blind since his birth. Jesus then "spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle" and anointed the eyes of the blind man (vs. 6). The lesson to be learned was not that spit, mud, and water heal blindness, but rather that spiritual perception follows focus on the Savior. The man was anointed, washed, and was then obedient. This is what leads to spiritual healing and spiritual sight.  

 Mark 10:51-52:  

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, 

What wilt thou that I should do for thee? The blind man said unto him, 

Lord, that I might receive my sight. 

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. 

And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the Way."

"Lots" of Lessons

Two things I want never to forget when I think of Lot and his wife: 

1) The direction in which you pitch your tent really does matter. 

I am impressed by Lot's ability to still make righteous choices despite his conscious decision to face his tent door directly towards the terribly wicked city of Sodom. Living righteously in a wicked world is no doubt an achievement worthy of mention. However, did Lot realize the spiritual limits that he had placed on himself when he set his sights partially on Sodom instead of having his "eye single to the glory of God?" Did this short sightedness prevent him from seeing the effects that raising his children in this state would have in later years? 

In Ezekiel 16, it is revealed that Sodom was not only plagued by immorality (as is so clearly stated in Genesis), but also by "pride, fulness of bread, and [an] abundance of idleness (vs. 49)." Sounds to me like they had plenty of money, an abundance of food, and that they wasted a lot of time seeking pleasure instead of serving others. Wait... is this scripture about the people of Sodom, or about current day America? When I read this verse written thousands of years ago, I feel I may as well be reading the headlines in today's newspaper.

We learn when reading in 2 Peter Chapter 2 that despite Lot's description as a "just" man, his choice to live in Sodom forced him to be constantly "vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (vs. 7). Lot may have thought himself strong enough... are we not, after all, to shine as lights upon a hill to those who are struggling? To be in the world, but not of the world? I think it's interesting to note that Abraham, although also surrounded by wicked cities, consciously pitched his tent towards Beth-el ("the house of God"). The Lord knew Lot's tent door placement could prove to be his Achilles heel were he not given a dramatic opportunity to choose a better path, so the Lord sent a messenger to warn Lot of impending destruction. Note that when Lot was commanded by God's messengers to "escape to the mountain" (also a symbol often used in the scriptures to represent the House of God, the temple, a place that provides perspective) (Genesis 19:17), the messenger did not say "so you can be saved from physical destruction," although certainly this would be part of the blessing coming from obedience. The messenger told them to go to the mountain  "lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city" (vs. 15). So the real danger Lot was in was the potential he had for becoming "consumed" in the things of the world instead of allowing himself to be filled by the things of God. 

Here is where we see one of the major differences between the righteous Lot and the valiant Abraham. When commanded to sacrifice his son, Abraham surely grieved, but did not hesitate to obey God's commands. He trusted in God's promises and perspective and recognized his own human limitations when it came to the eternal scheme of things. Lot, however, when commanded to flee to the mountain with his family, hesitates. From the mouth of this righteous man come the words, "Please God, I recognize that you have been very good to me and am grateful that you have saved my life..." only to be followed by this admission of spiritual weakness: "But... please don't make me take my family to the mountain. Please let us stay here in this small city instead." 

For whatever reason, he just couldn't go that far. Is it possible he was tired? His life had been full of trials- the premature death of his father, the contentious separation from a beloved uncle, the worry that he must have felt trying to constantly protect not only his visitors, but his daughters from the vulgar and violent nature of his own neighbors... not to mention the recent revelation that his home, property, and all he had ever worked for was about the be destroyed. Perhaps he less worried about himself than he was about the condition of his wife, who I'm sure had expressed her own doubts and fears ever prior to her infamous "turning back." Could her faith, weakened by such devastating and impending losses, remain strong enough to carry her to the mountain? Or would that push her too far? Both Lot and his wife were painfully aware that their children and grandchildren were back in Sodom. How could they bear to travel any further without them? Maybe if they could just stay close. Was there a chance their married children would change their minds and join them before the city was destroyed? 

Were their hearts heavy with the realization that had they pitched their tent another direction years ago, that perhaps those children would never have chosen to stay behind in the first place? 

Lesson one from Lot and his wife: It matters in which direction you pitch your tent, so pitch it towards the temple.

2) Remember Lot's wife... and do so with compassion

In so many articles, Lot's wife is criticized for her selfish desires, her worldly obsessions, her willingness to give up everything just for a little look. But we sum up this poor woman's character based on only a handful of words ever spoken of her: "But his wife looked back... and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26). To be honest, I think we've dealt with Lot's wife quite unjustly. Knowing that she was the wife of a righteous man, that she surely had close associations with the prophet Abraham, that she had more than likely participated in the religious ceremonies associated with her husband's calling in the Priesthood, and most of all that she was not only a woman, but a mother, should tell us a great deal about the more admirable characteristics she could have possessed. Is it not possible that Lot's wife may have cared little for her nice dining set or her fancy robes, but that her heart may have been absolutely torn by the reality that she would never she several of her children and grandchildren again? Isn't it the nature of a woman to feel responsible for the saving of her children and the protection of her grandchildren? Like a chicken with hens, would she not likely have been willing to sacrifice her own life in an attempt for one last pleading conversation, for the chance that she might be able to protect her innocent grandchildren from any devastating blows? 

Knowing this is a very likely possibility, I believe we need to remember Lot's wife with compassion. 

However, the Savior still did say "Remember Lot's wife" not only as a eulogy, but as a warning. I believe the details of Lot's wife's character may have been left out intentionally, so as to not take away from the truth of the situation. That is, that obedience is greater than sacrifice, that faith in the Lord's plan for you and your children is essential to the commandment to lose your life in this one, so you can find your life in the next. In direct contrast, the Bible then tells the story of Abraham and the Lord's commandment to sacrifice his son. Would this not produce similar feelings to those of Lot's wife? Devastation, confusion at the Lord's request, a desire to bargain for just a little more time, the temptation to question to Lord's promises regarding eternal families despite our testimony that the Lord has never once not kept a promise before. Yet, Abraham did not hesitate like Lot and he did not turn back like Lot's wife. He was determined that despite a depth of grief beyond description, that the Lord would keep His promises, and that perfect obedience to the Lord's commandments is what would save him and his house. Elder Holland states in this way, "So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently, she thought that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as what she was leaving behind." And is that not understandable?? And yet, the commandment and the promise are still the same: If you are obedient, you will be blessed beyond measure. The challenge of mortality then is to see if we will choose to be obedient, no matter the cost. Are we willing to give some things so we can receive everything?