Monday, July 16, 2012
bouncy ball
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Our walk and feeding the duckies
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Los Betos
So recently Adam and I have stumbled upon a wonderful Mexican restaurant. It is called Los Betos This place has just about the best Mexican food i have ever eaten. I am kind of picky about my Mexican food to be honest and to me this place surpasses some of the more expensive restaurants that I have been to. The tortillas are amazing, and just the beans and rice are addicting. When we went Adam just a plain cheese and bean burrito and that was hands down the best burrito I have ever tasted. But I ordered the chicken chimichanga (#16) this thing was massive. It came with a side of rice and beans and had some pico de gallo on the side. It also had some guacamole and sour cream on top of it. Now this was the most amazing chimichanga I have ever had. It was cooked to a crispy perfection and then the inside chicken was moist not because there was sauce inside but the chicken itself melted in your mouth. Oh it was heaven. I am so excited to go back there and try some more. And all of this food cost around $7. Talk about good food on a budget.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Kristen's Father's day talk
When president Uchtdorf was a deacon his branch president
pulled him into a class room and told him that he wanted to talk to him.
President Uchtdorf’s first thought was
“what did I do wrong?” But his branch president wanted to meet with him
because we wanted to extend the call of decon’s quorm president “he spent time with me and helped me
understand not only the what of
my assignment and new responsibility but, much more important, the why.”
In order to fulfill
our work in the church we must understand a few things:
1.
Understand
my relationship with the priesthood.
a.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the
companionship role of the priesthood and women: “In the true Patriarchal Order
man holds the priesthood and is the head of the household, … but he cannot
attain a fullness of joy here or of eternal reward hereafter alone. Woman
stands at his side a joint-inheritor with him in the fullness of all things.
Exaltation and eternal increase is her lot as well as his.
b.
“as a
marriage and family therapist in Victoria, Canada, I counseled with a couple,
bob and mary, who often had disagreements when they tried to make decisions
together. During one meeting bob said to me, “I try to preside and get things
done, but when I come up with ideas of what we need to do, she wont sustain the
priesthood!”
from this comment I could tell that he did not fully understand what it means to preside. when couple marry, they form an equal partnership in which they strive to make decisions together in a spirit of unity.
from this comment I could tell that he did not fully understand what it means to preside. when couple marry, they form an equal partnership in which they strive to make decisions together in a spirit of unity.
c.
Husbands
and wives are equal partners and The priesthood was put upon this earth to benefit
men women and children. The priesthood helps to strengthen faith and increase righteousness.
Strengthen families and homes and is used to serve God’s children.
2.
Ways I can
sustain and magnify the priesthood in the church.
a.
“Brothers
and sisters in order to truly sustain and magnify the priesthood in the church
we much devote ourselves to God’s work which is here in the church. When I
think about ways that I can magnify the priesthood I think about home teaching
and visiting teaching.”
b.
Sister Julie
b beck said this about visiting teaching but the same can be applied to home
teaching as well.
i.
“Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when
our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching
is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as
a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship. We demonstrate our faith
and follow a pattern established by the Lord as we report on our assignment
every month. If our watchcare were primarily about reporting that every sister
in the ward heard the Visiting Teaching Message printed each month in the Ensign
and Liahona, it would be much more efficient to read it aloud to
everyone in a sacrament meeting. Our reports are most helpful to the bishop and
the Relief Society president when we inform them of the spiritual and temporal
well-being of sisters and how we have been able to serve and love them.”
In president Uchtdorf’s talk Called the Why of the priesthood he
says:
“The what is important in our work, and we need to attend to it. But
it is in the why of priesthood
service that we discover the fire, passion, and power of the priesthood.
The what of priesthood service teaches us what to do. The why inspires our souls.
The what informs, but the why
transforms.”
We need to instill in ourselves the
passion and love of service. We must understand the basic principles of the gospel
and use them to fuel our fire to serve others. Develop a love for god’s
children and work hard to serve them.
“We need to be constantly reminded of the eternal reasons
behind the things we are commanded to do. The basic gospel principles need to
be part of our life’s fabric, even if it means learning them over and over
again. That doesn’t mean that this process should be rote or boring. Rather,
when we teach the foundational principles in our homes or in church, let the
flame of enthusiasm for the gospel and the fire of testimony bring light,
warmth, and joy to the hearts of those we teach.”
General conference is always a good time for both hearing
and doing. We can develop a renewed vigor after hearing the inspirational talks
during conference. When we listen to what the brethren have said and choose to
act according to what we are taught we are choosing to sustain our priesthood
leaders and heavenly father.
If we are in tune with the spirit we will be able to receive
inspiration in order to know what we need to do in our personal lives in order
to improve ourselves to be more like Christ. We can also receive revelation on
how to better serve others even though sometimes what the lord asks of us is
very difficult.
I would like to share a personal experience of when I followed
the spirit’s prompting. When I was newly married and lived in Rexburg I had a
hard time making friends and feeling comfortable reaching out. I felt so alone.
I was raised with boys so it was really difficult for me to feel comfortable
around girls. One day while expressing my loneliness to heavenly father I received
the prompting to start a craft club. I pushed the thought aside for a long time
and I used excuse after excuse thinking “people wouldn’t want to come” “people don’t know me well enough to want to
come to my house”. Soon I realized I was being a bit ridiculous so I offered to
have a craft club at my house. Only a few sisters came, but I became friends
with those sisters. After a couple of meetings one sister who was very shy and
quiet came to me and told me that she was feeling very lonely and prayed that
she would find some friends in the ward. We were both in need and because I was
willing to follow the spirit both of our prayers were answered.
Most of the time heavenly father uses us to answer each
other’s prayers and if we do not listen to the spirit’s promptings then we are
in jeopardy of losing that relationship.
Our heavenly father has given us so much and we are so
blessed to have the priesthood upon the earth. I know that if we strive to love
his children and serve those who are around us. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Adam's Father's Day Talk
Honoring Fatherhood through the Priesthood
Fatherhood is the most
crucial area of priesthood leadership. I
have the privilege to know personally many fathers, in my family, in this ward,
or both, that are excellent examples of men who honor the priesthood in their families
and homes. They show the Priesthood proper
respect and reverence, thereby showing the Lord proper respect and
reverence. It is through examples such
as these, that we can pattern our own lives, whether that means breaking free
from generations of improper practice, or continuing a legacy of righteous
leadership.
As far as the Father’s
responsibility in honoring the Priesthood in the home, often we focus on the 3 “Ps”
that are found in The Family, a Proclamation to the World, namely, that “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are
responsible to provide the necessities
of life and protection for their
families.”
The
paragraph preceding this statement, however, goes hand-in-hand with this
charge, and really clarifies further what should be done. Note that this comes BEFORE the 3 Ps:
“HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other
and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their
children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual
needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the
commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands
and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the
discharge of these obligations.”
These are
some very significant responsibilities that are essential in our battle with
Satan and his many forces, tricks, and lies.
I challenge you to read through The Family, A Proclamation to the World
again and think deeply on these instructions, adjusting as necessary, or
continuing strong if you already follow them.
In
addition to studying the duties and responsibilities of being a father, it is
important to realize that being a father is a calling given to us from our
Heavenly Father.
President Packer taught us
in the current Ensign,
“Now, fathers, I would
remind you of the sacred nature of your calling.
You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your
home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and
the adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from
the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
“The power you receive will depend on what you do with
this sacred, unseen gift.
“Your authority comes
through your ordination; your power comes through obedience and
worthiness. …
“Power in the priesthood
comes from doing your duty in ordinary things: attending meetings, accepting
assignments, reading the scriptures, keeping the Word of Wisdom.”
As we come to understand
the doctrine of the Character of God – that we have the potential to become
like Him, we will change our attitude and behavior in working to preside,
provide, and protect our families in righteousness. There are some who wish to be fathers and
cannot for many reasons at the moment.
However, we have the assurance that according to the doctrine of the
Character of God, we can become like Him and inherit all that He is waiting and
wanting to give us. His timetable is not
ours, and we must trust in His timing.
However, what we CAN and MUST do, whatever our circumstances may be, is
work to accomplish His will, and do what He would do in our place. This is the ultimate application of the
doctrine. This not only applies to our
calling as Fathers, but also in our other church callings, and in our callings
as Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers.
President Packer has stated,
“Every elder should know that a call is more than an invitation or a request,
even more than an assignment. Too frequently we hear such expressions as, ‘I
have been asked to serve as a counselor in the elders quorum presidency.’ It
would be more proper to say, ‘I have been called to serve as a counselor.’
“We do not call ourselves
to offices in the Church. Rather we respond to the call of those who preside
over us. It is the responsibility of those who preside to prayerfully consult
the Lord as to His will concerning a position in the Church. Then the principle
of revelation is at work. The call is then delivered by the presiding officer
who is acting for the Lord.”
We must continue to apply
the Doctrine of the Character of God as we work to accomplish our
callings. This will mean that we seek to
act, and not be acted upon. We seek opportunities
to act as fathers to help teach our
children to better understand the gospel and learn from mistakes. We seek opportunities to act as home teachers and visiting teachers to serve and come to
better understand our friends that we are called to teach. We seek opportunities to act in our individual callings or responsibilities in the church
to magnify (OR SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF) our callings. Think of a magnifying glass. You use it to more carefully study, bring
into better focus, and better view the importance of what is being studied. As we magnify our callings, we are that tool
that helps others see the importance of the area that we called to serve in, as
well as showing the importance of the Gospel itself. And as we magnify our calling as a father, we will magnify the importance
of our Heavenly Father in our lives, and the Holy Ghost WILL testify of this to
those who see your righteous example.
D&C 121:34-35
– Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they
not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world,
and aspire to the honors of men…
The French word for “Chosen” is “Elú”. The root of this word comes from the
translated word, “Elect.” Thus, many are
called, but few are “Elect.” How does
this help with understanding this idea of being “chosen?”
D&C 84:33-34 – For whoso is faithful unto the
obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying
their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. They
become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church
and kingdom, and the elect of God.
Elder Bednar has taught, “To be or to become chosen is
not an exclusive status conferred upon us. Rather, you and I ultimately
determine if we are chosen…I believe the implication of these verses is quite
straightforward. God does not have a list of favorites to which we must hope
our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted
few. Rather, it is our hearts and our aspirations
and our obedience which definitively determine whether we are
counted as one of God’s chosen…the fundamental purposes for the gift of agency
were to love one another and to choose God. Thus we become God’s chosen and
invite His tender mercies as we use our agency to choose God.”
Considering that it’s Father’s Day, what can we do to
magnify our calling as a Father?
President Henry B. Eyring in the last General
Conference suggested four things we can do as a priesthood father to lift and
lead your family home again to be with Heavenly Father and the Savior.
First, gain and keep a sure witness that the keys of
the priesthood are with us and held by the President of the Church. Pray for
that every day. The answer will come with an increase in determination to lead
your family, in your feelings of hope, and with greater happiness in your
service. You will be more cheerful and optimistic, a great blessing for your
wife and family.
The second imperative is to love your wife. It will
take faith and humility to put her interests above your own in the struggles of
life. You have the responsibility to provide for and to nurture the family with
her while serving others. That can at times consume all the energy and strength
you have. Age and illness may increase your wife’s needs. If you choose even
then to put her happiness above your own, I promise you that your love for her will
increase.
Third, enlist the entire family to love each other.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught:
“In an eternal sense, salvation is a family
affair. …
“Above all else, children need to know and feel they
are loved, wanted, and appreciated. They need to be assured of that often.
Obviously, this is a role parents should fill, and most often the mother can do
it best.”
But another crucial source for that feeling of being
loved is love from other children in the family. Consistent care of brothers
and sisters for each other will come only with persistent effort by parents and
the help of God. You know that is true from experience in your own families. Lead family prayers and family time, such as
family home evenings. Give children opportunities to pray, when they can pray,
for each other in the circle who need blessings. Discern quickly the beginnings
of discord and recognize acts of unselfish service, especially to each other.
When they pray for each other and serve each other, hearts will be softened and
turned to each other and to their parents.
The fourth opportunity to lead your family in the
Lord’s way comes when discipline is needed. We can meet our obligation to
correct in the Lord’s way and then lead our children toward eternal life.
You will remember the words, but you may not have seen
their power for a Melchizedek Priesthood holder preparing his family for living
in the same sociality that they will have in the celestial kingdom. You
remember the words. They are so familiar:
“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by
virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness
and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
“By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly
enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
“Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by
the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward
him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
“That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger
than the cords of death.”
These four opportunities that President Eyring has specified
will give us great power in seeking to be effective fathers. Wives and children can also follow these
instructions to sustain their husband and father in being a magnifying glass in
his callings.
I testify that as
we seek to Honor Fatherhood through the Priesthood, we will be guided by the
Holy Ghost in being the most effective in accomplishing our righteous desires. We will magnify our calling as a father,
giving the Holy Ghost more opportunity to testify of proper Priesthood
Leadership. Most importantly, we act in faith,
in coming closer to our Heavenly Father by doing what He would do in our place,
properly applying the Doctrine of the Character of God. As we do this, we CHOOSE God. We CHOOSE to be among His elect. I challenge each father, and prospective
father, to follow these guidelines and CHOOSE God. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Yummy Turkey burgers
These burgers do have a whole lot of flavor and were very filling.
give them a try and let us know what you think
Ingredients
- 8 slices turkey bacon or turkey bacon with black pepper or applewood smoked bacon
- 2 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional - parsley may be substituted
- 1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons, 2/3 palm full, ground cumin
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce, several drops (recommended: Tabasco)
- 2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
- Vegetable oil or olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/2 pound deli sliced pepper jack cheese
- 6 buns
- Red leaf lettuce
Directions
Chop your garlic and veggies.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until
crisp. Wipe excess grease from pan and return skillet to heat.While bacon cooks, combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro or parsley, bell pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with vegetable oil to coat. Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place sliced cheese over the patties in the last 2 minutes of cooking, use 1 or 2 slices for each patty, as you like.
Pile cooked cheeseburgers into buns. Spread sweet relish or jelly on bun tops and set red leaf lettuce into place, using the relish or jelly as glue. Top cheeseburgers with 2 slices of cooked, crisp bacon or turkey bacon and lettluce. Then serve with tortilla chips, tossed salad.
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