Monday, December 28, 2015
Pre-Christmas Family Celebration
Sunday Evening with family! We had a little pre-Christmas celebration with those of the family who could make it. It is a busy season of the year with so many things going on in everyone's lives and some of the family literally being spread from coast to coast, not to speak of the pending inclement weather, but we count our blessings as a family always, and especially during this season when we celebrate the greatest Gift of all, the birth, life, and mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We met at Stephen and Candice's place this year and enjoyed one another's company. We even got to have a little Skype Session with some of the New Hampshire Eborns and if you were unable to to be in attendance, please know that you are greatly loved and were missed. I didn't get pictures of everybody who came (I guess we were having too much fun.) but I will include a few from yesterday evening's gathering and try to catch the rest of you another time. We love each and every member of our family, daughter, sons, in-laws and especially the grand children, so very much and are so grateful to have you all in our lives. By next Christmas we will be great grandparents. If only we could do that without aging in the process. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas season and all the choicest blessings in the upcoming year.
Our Branch is Growing
Saturday was a special day! Our little Chinese Branch is growing! We had another baptism today. The young man who did the baptizing was a recent convert himself, about a year ago. He also spoke on the subject of baptism. The most recent convert until today spoke on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. He was baptized just a couple of months ago, and the young lady who said the closing prayer is a convert of about six months. We see such marvelous growth and faith among the people of our branch. Several of our good Chinese friends were also in attendance as guests. We have grown to love all of these good people as well as the many others who work so diligently and faithfully in the branch. We are all still learning and growing together, and it feels right. We know we are helping the the Lord's work move forward and sharing the wonderful blessings of the restored gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for the blessing of all of God's children all over the world and we can see clearly how this is coming to pass in its own due time
Happy Birthday, Philip!
Happy birthday, Philip! The world is a better place because you were born. If everyone would follow your example what a wonderful world this would be. We love you very much and are very proud of all you do and what you stand for. May this year be filled with many happy days and precious memories that will last forever. It was a cold day, the day you were born, Minus 40 degrees, but the sun has shown a little brighter every day since and many, many hearts have been warmed by your smile and your caring attitude. Love you, forever.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Sometimes, I stop and count my blessings, perhaps not as often as I should. Of late, I have been especially grateful for and thankful to that person who has brought the most true and pure joy into my life, my sweetheart, Iris. I have never told her how much I love her, because words can not fully express the depths of my love, and my actions certainly don't measure up to the love and respect she deserves. I think we both understand that we are mere mortals and have an eternity to perfect our love for one another, our family, and others. One of the greatest comforts to me, is that we have both made eternal covenants to one another and our God, that we will seek always to move forward, through thick and thin, through good times and sad times, through the greatest joy and times of heartbreak and sorrow, seeking to follow the example and words of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and not allow the small things to become stumbling blocks along our path to together forever.
I am so grateful for the miracle that brought us together and for the opportunity to face the challenges of life side by side. We both know it wont always be easy, but we know that it will be worth it in the eternal scheme of things. I love my eternal companion. We are both older now, but when I stop and think about her, I still see this beautiful girl sitting on the right side of the chapel in Twin Falls, Idaho those many years ago, and my heart sings Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I am so grateful for the miracle that brought us together and for the opportunity to face the challenges of life side by side. We both know it wont always be easy, but we know that it will be worth it in the eternal scheme of things. I love my eternal companion. We are both older now, but when I stop and think about her, I still see this beautiful girl sitting on the right side of the chapel in Twin Falls, Idaho those many years ago, and my heart sings Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Christmas Concert at the Ellen Eccles Theter
Today we had the opportunity to attend a Christmas Concert of the American Festival Chorus at the Ellen Eccles Theater here in Logan. The performance was truly an inspiration. The talent was superb, even sensational. The Choir performed flawlessly under the direction of Director, Craig Jessop. The guests included violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker, singer, Jenny Jordan Frogley, and many talented Kurt Bestor, each of whom shared their marvelous talents with all who attended. This event has finally got me feeling the true Spirit of the Christmas Season and my heart is filled with gratitude. Sitting in the cramped seats in the crowded theater were a small price to pay for this awesome afternoon with my sweetheart, Iris. Normally, I take a camera with me and get a few pictures of my own, but cameras are discouraged, and I didn't want to be disruptive in any way. I found a few downloadable photos on the American Festival Chorus' Face Book page and will share them to help others get a feel for the special experience we had at the matinee concert this afternoon.
Thoughts from my Thanksgiving Morning Walk
My Thanksgiving morning walk yielded the following photos and prompted me to think more strongly on gratitude for these blessings in my life. the photos below are symbolic to me of Eternal Families, Eternal Learning and Progression, and the Blessing of living in a land where we are able to exercise Free Agency! I feel not only the JOY of these blessings, but the RESPONSIBILITY that goes along with them.
Celebrating Thanksgiving Memories and Reminders
As we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day this year, my heart has been full and my mind has been drawn back nearly 400 years ago to those very first European settlers who landed near Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. They were seeking a new home and a new opportunity to worship and live as they saw fit. The following year, they chose to express their thanks to God , having a special time of feasting and praising God. They invited and welcomed the Native American people who had helped them after their arrival in this strange new world, The tradition of a special day of thanks was born in America. Since that time I have come to know that some of my ancestors were on the Mayflower and at that that First Thanksgiving. Using Relativefinder.com I have been able to locate a list of my ancestors who were there when it all began. Below you can find a brief history of the Mayflower and those who attended the first Thanksgiving along with the list of ancestors who were a part of it all. GRATITUDE FILLS MY HEART AND MY SOUL FOR THEIR FAITH, COURAGE, AND SACRIFICE.
PILGRIMS BEFORE THE MAYFLOWER
In 1608, a congregation of disgruntled English Protestants from the village of Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, left England and moved to Leyden, a town in Holland. These “Separatists” did not want to pledge allegiance to the Church of England, which they believed was nearly as corrupt and idolatrous as the Catholic Church it had replaced, any longer. (They were not the same as the Puritans, who had many of the same objections to the English church but wanted to reform it from within.) The Separatists hoped that in Holland, they would be free to worship as they liked
In 1608, a congregation of disgruntled English Protestants from the village of Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, left England and moved to Leyden, a town in Holland. These “Separatists” did not want to pledge allegiance to the Church of England, which they believed was nearly as corrupt and idolatrous as the Catholic Church it had replaced, any longer. (They were not the same as the Puritans, who had many of the same objections to the English church but wanted to reform it from within.) The Separatists hoped that in Holland, they would be free to worship as they liked
Did You Know?
The Separatists who founded the Plymouth Colony referred to themselves as “Saints,” not “Pilgrims.” The use of the word “Pilgrim” to describe this group did not become common until the colony’s bicentennial.
The Separatists who founded the Plymouth Colony referred to themselves as “Saints,” not “Pilgrims.” The use of the word “Pilgrim” to describe this group did not become common until the colony’s bicentennial.
In fact, the Separatists (they called themselves “Saints”) did find religious freedom in Holland, but they also found a secular life that was more difficult to navigate than they’d anticipated. For one thing, Dutch craft guilds excluded the migrants, so they were relegated to menial, low-paying jobs. Even worse was Holland’s easygoing, cosmopolitan atmosphere, which proved alarmingly seductive to some of the Saints’ children. (These young people were “drawn away,” Separatist leader William Bradford wrote, “by evill [sic] example into extravagance and dangerous courses.”) For the strict, devout Separatists, this was the last straw. They decided to move again, this time to a place without government interference or worldly distraction: the “New World” across the Atlantic Ocean.
THE MAYFLOWER
First, the Separatists returned to London to get organized. A prominent merchant agreed to advance the money for their journey. The Virginia Company gave them permission to establish a settlement, or “plantation,” on the East Coast between 38 and 41 degrees north latitude (roughly between the Chesapeake Bay and the mouth of the Hudson River). And the King of England gave them permission to leave the Church of England, “provided they carried themselves peaceably.”
First, the Separatists returned to London to get organized. A prominent merchant agreed to advance the money for their journey. The Virginia Company gave them permission to establish a settlement, or “plantation,” on the East Coast between 38 and 41 degrees north latitude (roughly between the Chesapeake Bay and the mouth of the Hudson River). And the King of England gave them permission to leave the Church of England, “provided they carried themselves peaceably.”
In August 1620, a group of about 40 Saints joined a much larger group of (comparatively) secular colonists–“Strangers,” to the Saints–and set sail from England on two merchant ships: the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Speedwell began to leak almost immediately, however, and the ships headed back to port. The travelers squeezed themselves and their belongings onto the Mayflower and set sail once again.
Because of the delay caused by the leaky Speedwell, the Mayflower had to cross the Atlantic at the height of storm season. As a result, the journey was horribly unpleasant. Many of the passengers were so seasick they could scarcely get up, and the waves were so rough that one “Stranger” was swept overboard and drowned. (It was “the just hand of God upon him,” Bradford wrote later, for the young sailor had been “a proud and very profane yonge man.”)
THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT
After two miserable months at sea, the ship finally reached the New World. There, the Mayflower’s passengers found an abandoned Indian village and not much else. They also found that they were in the wrong place: Cape Cod was located at 42 degrees north latitude, well north of the Virginia Company’s territory. Technically, the Mayflower colonists had no right to be there at all. In order to establish themselves as a legitimate colony (“Plymouth,” named after the English port from which they had departed) under these dubious circumstances, 41 of the Saints and Strangers drafted and signed a document they called the Mayflower Compact. This Compact promised to create a “civil Body Politick” governed by elected officials and “just and equal laws.” It also swore allegiance to the English king.
After two miserable months at sea, the ship finally reached the New World. There, the Mayflower’s passengers found an abandoned Indian village and not much else. They also found that they were in the wrong place: Cape Cod was located at 42 degrees north latitude, well north of the Virginia Company’s territory. Technically, the Mayflower colonists had no right to be there at all. In order to establish themselves as a legitimate colony (“Plymouth,” named after the English port from which they had departed) under these dubious circumstances, 41 of the Saints and Strangers drafted and signed a document they called the Mayflower Compact. This Compact promised to create a “civil Body Politick” governed by elected officials and “just and equal laws.” It also swore allegiance to the English king.
PLYMOUTH COLONY AND THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
The colonists spent the first winter, which only 53 passengers and half the crew survived, living onboard the Mayflower. (The Mayflower sailed back to England in April 1621.) Once they moved ashore, the colonists faced even more challenges. During their first winter in America, more than half of the Plymouth colonists died from malnutrition, disease and exposure to the harsh New England weather. In fact, without the help of the area’s native people, it is likely that none of the colonists would have survived. An English-speaking Pawtuxet named Samoset helped the colonists form an alliance with the local Wampanoags, who taught them how to hunt local animals, gather shellfish and grow corn, beans and squash. At the end of the next summer, the Plymouth colonists celebrated their first successful harvest with a three-day festival of thanksgiving. We still commemorate this feast today.
The colonists spent the first winter, which only 53 passengers and half the crew survived, living onboard the Mayflower. (The Mayflower sailed back to England in April 1621.) Once they moved ashore, the colonists faced even more challenges. During their first winter in America, more than half of the Plymouth colonists died from malnutrition, disease and exposure to the harsh New England weather. In fact, without the help of the area’s native people, it is likely that none of the colonists would have survived. An English-speaking Pawtuxet named Samoset helped the colonists form an alliance with the local Wampanoags, who taught them how to hunt local animals, gather shellfish and grow corn, beans and squash. At the end of the next summer, the Plymouth colonists celebrated their first successful harvest with a three-day festival of thanksgiving. We still commemorate this feast today.
John Alden 12th Great Uncle Mayflower
Peter Brown 3rd Cousin 9 times removed Mayflower
Thomas Rogers 1st Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
William Brewster 3rd Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
Myles Standish 4th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Edward Winslow 7th Cousin 10 times removed Mayflower
William White 6th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Henry Sampson 9th Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
John Howland 10th Cousin 10 times removed Mayflower
Isaac Allerton 9th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
William Bradford 9th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Edward Doty 10th Cousin 14 times removed Mayflower
Stephen Hopkins 10th Cousin 14 times removed Mayflower
Richard More 12th Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
William Mullins 12th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Edward Fuller 12th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Samuel Fuller 12th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Francis Eaton 15th Cousin 18 times removed Mayflower
Peter Brown 3rd Cousin 9 times removed Mayflower
Thomas Rogers 1st Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
William Brewster 3rd Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
Myles Standish 4th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Edward Winslow 7th Cousin 10 times removed Mayflower
William White 6th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Henry Sampson 9th Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
John Howland 10th Cousin 10 times removed Mayflower
Isaac Allerton 9th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
William Bradford 9th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Edward Doty 10th Cousin 14 times removed Mayflower
Stephen Hopkins 10th Cousin 14 times removed Mayflower
Richard More 12th Cousin 11 times removed Mayflower
William Mullins 12th Cousin 12 times removed Mayflower
Edward Fuller 12th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Samuel Fuller 12th Cousin 13 times removed Mayflower
Francis Eaton 15th Cousin 18 times removed Mayflower
Keeping Fit
I just climbed off the incline trainer. It feels so good to be able to do this indoors on a cold evening. I had set a goal to get a minimum of a vertical mile. Actual elevation gain, 5326 feet. That is a tall ladder. No matter the time. It took me just over an hour an a half. Side benefit was 1735 calories burned without getting off the trainer. Now a quick hot shower to cleanse this salty body and then relax for a half hour or so before hitting the sack. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Morning, Here I come!
Visits from Some Grand Kids
We love it when the grand kids come to visit. We love them all, but count it as a special treat when those who are already grown and married with busy work and school schedules and those who are involved with high school studies and all that goes with being teenagers come to see grandma and grandpa. Of course, Sophie is always welcome and lights up our day. It never hurts to encourage them just a little with some huckleberries with milk and sugar or some home made pomegranate jelly and fresh bread. Kinsey, Jared's oldest daughter and Ryan, her husband of about three months, as well as Halle and Sophie, Stephen and Candice's sweet girls dropped by for a little while last night. We live for little moments like that. We are so glad to live close to some of them. Thankful indeed for all our blessings.
Inspiring Waterfalls of the Right Hand Fork
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with my camera at the small, but beautiful waterfalls in the lower stretches of the Right Hand Fork of the Logan River. Right now is kind of between seasons for the best outdoor photos, but I have been blessed to see beauty in all things and at all times. Sometimes we have to look a little harder and a little longer and sometimes we have to recognize beauty and meaning in things that don't normally stand out. Often the words of a scripture, a quote, or a song come to mind and lend meaning to the beauties that surround us. While experimenting with different camera settings and marveling at the significance and beauty of even a small stream, the words of this Garth Brooks song came to my mind.
You know a dream is like a river
Ever changing as it flows
And the dreamer's just the vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores.
Ever changing as it flows
And the dreamer's just the vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores.
(chorus)
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide.
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide.
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
And there's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all.
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all.
Yes I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry.
Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
'Til the river runs dry
'Til the river runs dry
'Til the river runs dry
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