Broken China

Whatever your struggle my brothers and sisters, mental or emotional or physical or otherwise, do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are like a broken vessel, we must remember that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind. I testify of the holy Resurrection, that unspeakable cornerstone gift in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ! With the Apostle Paul I testify: that which was sown in corruption will one day be raised in incorruption and that which was sown in weakness will ultimately be raised in power. – Jeffrey R. Holland

Royal Star Variation

Colonel John Pemberton was wounded in the American Civil War. During his recovery he became addicted to morphine. A resourceful man as well as a pharmacist, Pemberton began to search for a less dangerous alternative. His first attempt in 1885 was registered as French Wine Coca Nerve Tonic. The following year he produced a non-alcoholic carbonated version. Pemberton claimed his elixir could cure almost anything, including morphine addiction, headache, impotence, indigestion, fatigue and depression. The two “medicinal” ingredients in his concoction, coca leaves and kola nuts, also provided the drink with a catchy name: Coca-Cola. Coke has been completely cocaine-free since 1929, though it probably didn’t have all that much to begin with. Today marks the 128th anniversary of the invention of Coca-Cola. I’m not sure how to celebrate. I’m sure I have a recipe somewhere for slow-cooker roast beef that calls for a can of Coke. Maybe I can find it by this time next year.

Rolling Stone

My Easter preparations (aside from marshmallow Peeps and Cadbury Crème Eggs) usually entails screening of Ten Commandments or Ben-Hur, scripture study and lots of music. For the past two years it’s also included performances of Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God. When I tell friends I’m involved in this year’s production I usually hear, “I saw that show years ago. It was wonderful!” Most people have it confused with Savior of the World: a musical drama produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Christmastime. It has costumes, dialog and scenery. Lamb of God is more like an oratorio presented in concert form. (Google “Oratorio” if you’re confused. If you Google “Lamb of God,” you get a heavy metal band.) If you’d like to experience this inspired and inspiring music, there may still be tickets available at the door at Cottonwood High School tonight for tonight’s 7:00 p.m. performance or the tomorrow’s 2:00 matinee.

Maple Star Revisited

I’ve never been stuck in an elevator, but I think about the possibility every single time I step into one. It actually happened last week to four-year-old Kaelynn Kerr, her mother and her baby brother. Firefighters responded and decided the only way to get them out was up a ladder. I don’t know many preschoolers who can climb a ladder. I don’t know any willing to do whatever some strange man has just told them to do. But at least two of those firemen had kids of their own and knew just what to do. One of them played “Let It Go” from Disney’s movie Frozen on his smart phone while the other one sang to her until she relaxed enough to be carried up the ladder. I can relate. I’ve sung more than my fair share of Disney tunes to help my daughter through scary ordeals. Maybe if they piped Disney music in elevator speakers, I’d be more likely to skip the stairs.

Heartsease

My favorite flower is the pansy. It’s a member of the viola family, like violets and Johnny-jump-ups. Pansies come in orange, yellow, white, cream, and burgundy, but most will be some shade of purple or blue. Pansy flowers are edible. They can be used in stuffing for fish or poultry, and they’re a colorful addition to salads. I’ve even seen them in candies and desserts. The heart-shaped leaves are eaten raw or steamed, much like spinach. The word “pansy” comes from the French word for “thought,” possibly because the pansy looks like it’s thinking really hard about something. When a person is called a pansy it means he’s weak or cowardly. But pansy flowers are anything but weaklings. They withstand the rockiest ledges and nastiest winter storms. They continue to bloom long after the other autumn flowers have given up, and when the snow finally melts in the spring, there they are again, as if nothing had happened.

Ship of Dreams

The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium opens in Draper today, but a dear friend invited me to visit last week. I was very impressed. We’ve waited a long time for this day. It’s been more than a decade since we visited the tiny sneak preview at Gateway Mall. We were thrilled with the plans for the real deal, and we donated what we could to the cause. When the aquarium moved to the former Smith’s store in Sandy, we bought annual memberships and popped in at least once a month to visit the python, the octopus and especially the jellyfish. Last week about a third of the new building was up and running. The gift shop was doing brisk business and the café was cooking. The penguins, otters and sharks seemed happy with their new digs. But nearly everything else was a work in progress. No python, no octopus, and especially no jellyfish. There will be huge crowds today. Sure hope they’re ready for us.