19 Jan 2025, Sunday

 19 Jan 2025, Sunday

Prioritized Daily

Isabella "Bella's" 12th Birthday; it is also the day Robert E. Lee was born in Westmoreland Co., Virginia in 1807 and is also National Popcorn Day

Gause's has Abbington Memory Center church services

10:30 am - Lehi 7th Ward

Ellie, Ocie, and Anndalyn Hobbs depart for Austria 

Note: On podcasts, I got a more updated study that determined there are approximately 117 billion people who have lived on planet Earth.  There are over 8 billion living today.                                                                        You can only see the star of Bethlehem through the darkness.  

I was living in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia when James Daves, a friend of mine, who worked with me at Lockheed Aircraft in Marietta, told me about a couple of guys who came by his apartment in the latter part of 1965 and talked to Tinna, his wife.  This was my second introduction to the Mormons.   The first came when I was about 12 years old, living on the farm at Pleasant Hill.  There was a movie series, Death Valley Days, on TV.  It was about the miracle of the Seagulls eating the crickets saving the wheat field and saving the Mormons from starvation, as told by the Old Ranger.  (One of the show's sponsors was 20 Mule Team Borax).  I found it up on YouTube TV and watched it again today.  I had thought all or most of the men working in the fields had church clothes, white shirts, vests, and hats, on.  It was just the leader, Brother Snow.  But the fact that any man would wear church clothes had impressed me.  I had never forgotten the essence of the story, about the miracle of the seagulls, in the desert.                           When I met the missionaries they told me about Joseph Smith, a 14-year-old boy, seeing God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  They also told me about the Angel Moroni who showed Joseph Smith where the gold plates were buried and Joseph Smith translated them into the Book of Mormon.   As a child, I had enjoyed fairytales and this story was good if not better, and as far-fetched as any fairytale.  I was selling pots and pans as a second job when I got off work at Lockheed.  If I could get the names and addresses of the Mormons living around Atlanta I could make a small fortune.  If the Mormons believe this, I could sell them anything.

Debbie and I were up at 7 am, had prayer, showered, shaved, and had prayer together.  Abby got to bed about the same time as we went to bed.  Andrew got out of his bed and slept with Abby when she came home last night.  This morning I sent Bella a happy birthday text on a thread with other members of the family.  Debbie, Abby, and the children fixed breakfast this morning.  Abbie took Carter to church early so he could help get the sacrament ready.  Debbie and I brought Mckay and Andrew to church at 10:30 am.   The stake president was there and announced that next Sunday the bishop and his counselors, and the present entire bishopric will be released and a new bishop and counselors will be sustained.  After sacrament, we attended Sunday school and the children to primary and young men and women's classes.  When we got home Abby, the other children, and Debbie made lunches, everyone having something different and sharing with each other.  Rae Lynn called; Brody, age 10, had surgery on his foot and leg.  He had an infection in the bone, similar to Joseph Smith Jr. as a young seven years old boy about 200 years ago.  Beth called on her way back home with Maggie and Andrew from Maggie's soccer tournaments in Las Vegas.  I tried calling Bella, Matthew, Michael, and Gracie but got their answering machine.  I left a message.  Later I got a text from Bella, Madeline, and Autumn.  Debbie and I had family prayer with all the children, Abby, Carter, Mckay, and Andrew.  Later they watched a movie on TV.  I read and when Debbie came up we had prayer together.