All our lives we have heard of (especially at Christmas) the story of the 3 wise men who came to see the blessed baby Jesus. We all love the story, but today as we begin the holiday season,did you know that I have my own 3 wise men ? I would like to tell you about them.
How do I come to have three wise men of my own? Actually they came by way of much prayer! I began thinking about them when I was a little girl and would remember my aunts and uncles and how much I loved them all and did not realize until I was about
5 that they were not all my grandparents children, that some of them had actually married the children of my grandparents! Then later on when they first lay Libbi into my arms I began to pray for my own wise men. Now I have to admit that they were not the top thing on my priority list of prayers until much later-about the time my daughters reached the age of marriage. I quickly realized tht they would never find my wise men on their own and the prayers of my youth came back again but they were more frequent then ever. For finding wise men is not easy. As you remember, in the scriptures the wise men brought gold, frankinsence and myrrh. I wanted my wise men to bring all of these things, let's examine gold for instance. Throughout all time gold has always been a precious metal. Gold cannot be melted very easily, in fact the only way to get gold is to heat up the rock and the elements melt away leaving pure gold. That is what I wanted my wise men most to to be, pure gold. For they would have forever, what I hold most precious! See, their gold (their purity) would be needed throughout their lives. Gold is easily molded when in its pure state, and as they went forward in their lives, they would have to be molded and bent a lot. They would have to put themselves last many times as their wives and children would need things and they would have to change molds and bend and stretch to do all that was required of them. But like gold no matter how much they were fired and changed they would always be the same, pure gold. We see in our lives in the market(especially now) often stocks and bonds come and go, but gold is always priceless. And my wise men would be priceless.
Frankinsence was the second gift they brought the Christ child. It was highly valued as perfume, one made up of several ingredients-and so like this wonderful perfume, my wise men had to be made up of many ingredients-honesty, loyality, kindness, virtuousness, doing good to all men,steadiness, and many other wonderful qualities.
Myrrh was the last gift the Wise Men brought to Jesus. Myrrh is used in preparation of many ointments and perfumes and was very rare! My wise men would be the only
ointment many times that could soothe tears and help heal broken hearts.
Now the wise men that came to Jesus dropped everything and came when he was born! How did they know to come? For many years they had studied the scriptures and they recognized the signs. My wise men too would recognize three wonderful women that the Lord (with my prayers) had put in their way. And I am so grateful they did.
May my special wise men have a wonderful Christmas season, I only thought you were wise when I first got you but through the years you have grown so much and are truly pure gold.
Thank you for all that you are and all that you will yet become. My wise men, Pete, Jerry and Jeff! I love you,
Grandma
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
I love the USA
On Tuesday of this week we elected a new president! What a historic day in America! No where else in the world can people argue and fight and say vicious things about each other for 20 or so months and then when the election is over, we get up and we smile and congradulate the person who won(if we lost) and get behind the new president and show the world that we are the USA, united always. As most of you know,I love the current president(and yes I have disagreed with him on things) but I still love him(i have to admit he stretched it thin recently when he voted to
rescue banks and try to help wall street, but that's another story). However, if you listened to his speech on 2/5(find it on the net and read it) you will see the character of this current president. And for now I am going to take at face value what Obama says about being a uniter, after all he is half and half and what does that make him? It makes him more aware than any of us what it is like to live in a world where people judge you on the color of your skin and not your character!(Now those who voted against him will say that they voted so because of his character! news flash, we don't know his real character, only what we have read and heard, now I would hate for people to judge me only by some past mistakes I have made, so now today he must have a clean slate and we begin to judge him by what he does after Jan. 20. )
As for this old lady I will and have been praying for him, for he has the greatest task that any president has ever had, why? he is the first black (half and half) president, those of you who are lds think about how Romney would have been judged had he been elected, would all have seen him as an american, or would people have seen him as "a mormon president" wouldn't Romney have had to stand a little taller and been a little better than a president of another religion? It is my prayer that each time we look at Pres. Obama we will see a man who will have to stand a
little taller and be a little better because he carrys on his back the weight of many predjudices just as Romney would have had on his back!
Much has been said about the American eagle and how it has two wings and how there must be balance! This is so true, for without two sides where would our agency be? Just as we can't force any man to Heaven we can't force anyone to be anything, but we can show them truth and lead the way by the life we live.
Now for a quick story, the only fight(arguement) I can ever remember my precious Mama and Daddy Kees having was over a poll tax reciept. now what is that you may ask? In Mississippi in the 1940's one had to pay "poll tax" to be able to vote-why you ask, well, think about it, it was only a few dollars but it kept poor "black" people from voting! Daddy Kees was furious with Mama Kees and upset because she had lost the reciept. As she tried to find it she started to cry, and of course I cried too! When they saw me, they stopped and she put me on her lap and I thought she was crying because Daddy kees yelled, but she was crying because it was so important for her to vote! They explained to me that voting was our God given right as a citizen of the USA and it was so important! They had no automobile but they hitched a ride to vote! (they found the receipt)Here these two old people who had a an old farm house and 84 acres of land and were dirt poor, they lived off their land, yet they were proud americans who loved the USA and taught this 5 year old a lesson that I have never forgotton! And it is my prayer that you will always stand up and vote your convictions and be proud to be an american!!
Quote of the day "We're writing the gospel a chapter each day, men read what we write whether faulty or true, say what is the gospel according to you"
I love you all and I am so grateful that I have been given a few more years with much less back pain. how thankful I am to the great docs and the wonderful prayers that went up in my behalf, they tell me I am way ahead of the curve in healing from this type of surgery!
love, grandma
rescue banks and try to help wall street, but that's another story). However, if you listened to his speech on 2/5(find it on the net and read it) you will see the character of this current president. And for now I am going to take at face value what Obama says about being a uniter, after all he is half and half and what does that make him? It makes him more aware than any of us what it is like to live in a world where people judge you on the color of your skin and not your character!(Now those who voted against him will say that they voted so because of his character! news flash, we don't know his real character, only what we have read and heard, now I would hate for people to judge me only by some past mistakes I have made, so now today he must have a clean slate and we begin to judge him by what he does after Jan. 20. )
As for this old lady I will and have been praying for him, for he has the greatest task that any president has ever had, why? he is the first black (half and half) president, those of you who are lds think about how Romney would have been judged had he been elected, would all have seen him as an american, or would people have seen him as "a mormon president" wouldn't Romney have had to stand a little taller and been a little better than a president of another religion? It is my prayer that each time we look at Pres. Obama we will see a man who will have to stand a
little taller and be a little better because he carrys on his back the weight of many predjudices just as Romney would have had on his back!
Much has been said about the American eagle and how it has two wings and how there must be balance! This is so true, for without two sides where would our agency be? Just as we can't force any man to Heaven we can't force anyone to be anything, but we can show them truth and lead the way by the life we live.
Now for a quick story, the only fight(arguement) I can ever remember my precious Mama and Daddy Kees having was over a poll tax reciept. now what is that you may ask? In Mississippi in the 1940's one had to pay "poll tax" to be able to vote-why you ask, well, think about it, it was only a few dollars but it kept poor "black" people from voting! Daddy Kees was furious with Mama Kees and upset because she had lost the reciept. As she tried to find it she started to cry, and of course I cried too! When they saw me, they stopped and she put me on her lap and I thought she was crying because Daddy kees yelled, but she was crying because it was so important for her to vote! They explained to me that voting was our God given right as a citizen of the USA and it was so important! They had no automobile but they hitched a ride to vote! (they found the receipt)Here these two old people who had a an old farm house and 84 acres of land and were dirt poor, they lived off their land, yet they were proud americans who loved the USA and taught this 5 year old a lesson that I have never forgotton! And it is my prayer that you will always stand up and vote your convictions and be proud to be an american!!
Quote of the day "We're writing the gospel a chapter each day, men read what we write whether faulty or true, say what is the gospel according to you"
I love you all and I am so grateful that I have been given a few more years with much less back pain. how thankful I am to the great docs and the wonderful prayers that went up in my behalf, they tell me I am way ahead of the curve in healing from this type of surgery!
love, grandma
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