Six Friendship Stars

 

“Feeling we don’t belong, struggling with doubts, or being limited by traditions are just a few of the reasons we don’t immediately answer the call to come home. But life’s deeper questions do not go away. As President Nelson taught, ‘The truth is it is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it!’ President Oaks declared the journey home starts by reanchoring on the Savior. Only Jesus Christ can fully restore that light and joy into your life. We all struggle. We need patience, service, and love from others. To those who are trying to help those they love, hold on to the truth. Keep your covenants. Helping others requires you to stay in your covenants. To those who are struggling to come home, know it is your Savior calling you back. In the end, everyone must make their own choices to come home.” – Elder Clark G. Gilbert

In Session

 

Early Wednesday morning, August 26, there was a glacial collapse that caused a catastrophic flood along the Trishuli River in the border area between Nepal and Tibet. Rajendra Dawadi, the principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, Nepal, was teaching a class when a colleague rushed in to tell him the news. At 9:10 a.m., only the older students (ages 11 through 18) were in the school. But the younger ones would soon be there. Rajendra knew he had to act fast. He rang the school bell and told everyone to evacuate the area for higher ground. He called the bus drivers who were still on their way to tell them to turn around and avoid the danger zone. Roughly ten minutes later, a wall of mud, rocks and debris destroyed the entire area. Rajendra’s quick thinking saved over 900 people: every student and all but two of the faculty and staff.

2026 Utah State Fair Quilt Challenge

 

We hit the state fair on opening day yesterday. We should have bought tickets online first, because the ticket booth line was easily an hour long. We checked out the quilts in the Pioneer Building. I was surprised (but really pleased) to see mine wearing a blue ribbon. I guess I’ll find out what the ribbon’s for after the fair closes. We visited the dairy cows and goats, and admired the 4H displays and the butter cow. The rides and games were still setting up, but there was lots of fair food. We had curry mac & cheese with brisket burnt ends, chicken fried rice, and crab cake corn dogs with seviche. It was over $60 for three rather small servings, but the food was good and absolutely unique. We hit a pineapple Dole whip food truck on the way out. That wasn’t exactly fair food, but it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Double Sawtooth Star

 

Ron Swanson is a fictional character from Parks and Rec. He’s based on a real person: a Libertarian government official working in Burbank, California. As Libertarians believe government should interfere as little as possible in the lives of citizens and the free market, he’s a bit of an oxymoron. This is just part of what makes him so funny. Here are a few of my favorite Ron Swanson quotes:

"The less I know about other people's affairs, the happier I am. I’m not interested in caring about people."

“There’s only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk. Which is water that’s lying about being milk.”

“You choose a thankless job. You can’t be upset when nobody thanks you.”

“Fishing relaxes me. It’s like yoga, except I still get to kill something.”

“When people get too chummy with me, I like to call them by the wrong name to let them know I don’t really care about them.”

Four Friendship Stars

 

The first time Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning, he was a Virginia park ranger. The bolt burned along his right leg and blew a hole in his shoe. The second time, he was driving his truck. His eyebrows and lashes burned off, and his hair caught fire. The third time, Roy’s right shoulder was scorched in his front yard. The fourth strike happened when he was inside a ranger’s station. His hair caught fire again, and he had trouble putting the flames out. Afterwards, Roy carried water, just in case. It came in handy when he had to extinguish his hair again a year later. The sixth lightning strike happened as Roy tried to run from an oncoming storm. The seventh time, Roy was fishing. Lightning burned his head, chest and abdomen. A bear approached to steal Roy’s catch, and Roy beat him off with a stick. While his hair was on fire.

Double Churn Dash

 

Isabella Lucy Bird was a clergyman’s daughter, born in North Yorkshire in 1831. From early childhood, she suffered from a painful spinal condition, fatigue, insomnia, and depression. She was frequently bedridden. When her doctor suggested a sea voyage, her father handed her £100 and said to stay away until the money ran out. The letters she wrote as she traveled became her first book: An Englishwoman in America. Isabella visited Australia, Hawaii, the Rockies, Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaya. Having decided her initial ventures were pointless, Isabella studied medicine and photography. As a missionary, she traveled to Tibet, Iran Kurdistan and Turkey. In Kashmir, she helped to build a hospital and dispensary. Wherever she went, she wrote about what she saw and heard and did. Her photos and stories captured a world that was quickly vanishing. When Isabella died in Edinburgh at the age of 72, she was planning another trip to China.

Fifteen X Blocks

 

“We anticipate our marriage with faith and confidence because we conscientiously prepare for the covenants we make in the house of the Lord. But even with our preparation, we of course each have weaknesses, and we realize that our lives will require more unselfishness, more repentance, and more forgiveness. Kathy and I had engraved on the paper napkins for our wedding reception these words of William Shakespeare: ‘Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds.’ In those first months as she got to know me better, I kept the leftover napkins all around our apartment. While embracing the happiness and sorrows of life’s experiences, we etch our covenants indelibly upon our souls, and we keep our eyes focused heavenward, toward the glorious destination awaiting us. We know the divine attributes we seek will not all be perfected in this life. Eternal marriage is an eternal journey.” – Elder Neil L. Andersen