Descended from Patriots and Pioneers

Pam brought her kids for a day while they prepared for the Veteran's Day parade in Albany. Their float took second place so they were happy. It was a cold rainy day so they got wet and cold. 

Pam made their outfits. Esther was Betsy Ross and carried a flag. She looked cute and demure in her period costume and I wish I had gotten her picture.

Zachary and Erik were patriots and really looked handsome. (You can tell Erik has been waving in a parade!)

So these amazingly outgoing and energetic grandchildren are children of the American Revolution on their mother's side and descendants of the Utah Pioneers on their father's. 

I hope they're proud of their progenitors and willing to stand up for and carry on the values and ideals of those stalwart patriots and pioneers.

Another Good Story from our SS Class

Dolcie Myrold told this one. When she was about 14 her Mia Maid teacher (who'd earlier had a child out of wedlock and repented) said that she felt bad that her sins would be on the heads of her parents. Dolcie said the Spirit whispered that this was not correct doctrine. She went home and searched the scriptures and found the truth, that as long as the parents have taught correct doctrine they won't be held responsible for their child's sins.

This story illustrated well the two principles we were teaching: 1) that the teacher must teach true doctrine, and 2) that the student is responsible for learning. Both of these principles require study and listening to the Spirit.

We are learning more from our students than they are from us!

Finley Wildlife Refuge

We walked around the Woodpecker Loop once while Emily ran it 5 or 6 times! It was beautiful even though it was drizzling off and on.

We saw hundreds of Canadian Geese coming in (from Canada, I suppose). We also saw some snowy egrets.

Then we went to the hazelnut place and enjoyed a yummy (small) ice cream cone.

Teaching by the Spirit brings joy

When we got home from church we were still pumped by our Sunday School class. We had a photo shoot with our personal photographer, ELO, and this one expresses our happiness.

The lesson was on teaching by the Spirit. We talked about the ways to bring the Spirit into the classroom--prayer, music, personal experiences, testimony, scriptures, and showing love. When we talked about prayer, Brian Rosenbalm told this personal experience that really brought the Spirit in. When he was in Seminary they had a new teacher, Brother Gullerud, who was a convert. The kids didn't cooperate because they thought he was nerdy. One day they were particularly bad and Brother Gullerud stopped the class in frustration and said, "I just can't go on. We'll stop for the day, but first let me say a prayer." He said a heartfelt prayer and it touched Brian's heart, so much so that he choked up telling us about it (and so did we).  What a perfect example of how telling personal experiences (the teacher's or the students') can bring the Spirit into the classroom.

The most beautiful tree in town

....is right across the street from us!

Photo by Eldon

Halloween

Our little treat or treaters didn't come in this year from Adair, but fortunately we had one here to dress up. Neil was here to go to the state meet tomorrow, so he helped Emily get ready for the dance at Barlows' barn. She wore my old German dress Schwester Wagler made for me on my mission. (I never filled it out that good.) Neil fixed her hair and make-up. Inspiration came from Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Neil decided she was a Hummell figurine.

Christ is the Center!

The sister missionaries asked me to accompany them in the 3rd lesson to Daniel Froelich, an old friend. His father was a colleague of Eldon's in the Forestry department. Daniel has volunteered at the FHC for more years than anyone on the staff. He's a practicing Jew with the beanie and fringe. He had seen the sisters at the stake center and asked for the lessons so he could "answer people's questions."

So they taught the principle of faith, then the principle of repentance and I didn't feel we should go on just yet. So I asked Daniel, "I know you were raised in a Christian home and then converted to Judaism. How do you feel about the Savior now?" He said he didn't believe in him, just God. So I bore my testimony that Christ is the very center of our gospel. This is his church. He is the creator (under the Father's direction), our redeemer, and when it comes time to be judged, he will be our judge and advocate. He can judge us because he died for us. He is our elder brother and loves us. So Sister Shumway picked up on it and read a beautiful messianic scripture out of Isaiah.

Later in the lesson they asked Daniel how he knew there was a God. He couldn't answer. I quoted Eldon saying that one of the tender mercies of God is the leaves turning color in the fall. So then Daniel said the complexity of the world shows there's a God.

At the end they asked Daniel to pray and he wouldn't. I asked, "Don't Jews pray?" He said yes, but only rote prayers. I asked, "If it was something really urgent could you pray from the heart?" So they asked me to pray. I gave thanks for Daniel's many years of service in the FHC and for his testimony of work for the dead. And prayed he would feel the spirit as he reads the Book of Mormon and have a desire to attend church and feel the fellowship of the Saints. He actually lives in our ward boundary. But he weaseled out of their invitation to attend.

The sisters did a good job and it was faith affirming to be in on it.