Wild Goose Chase

“Many of the personal rewards I’ve received in life have come as a result of someone inviting me to do a difficult task. In that spirit I would like to extend to each of you two invitations. The first is simple. I invite you to save money each week. The amount you save is not particularly significant; that is up to you. My second invitation is quite different from and much more important than the first. I invite you to ‘ponderize’ one verse of scripture each week. The word ponderize is not found in the dictionary, but it has found a place in my heart. So what does it mean to ponderize? I like to say it’s a combination of 80 percent extended pondering and 20 percent memorization. Read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week.” –  Devin G. Durrant

Lone Pine

“In my past profession I was a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and transplantation. In 1986 a young man named Chad developed heart failure and received a heart transplant. He did very well for a decade and a half. The last few years of his life, though, were challenging; he was in and out of the hospital frequently. One evening he was brought to the emergency department in full cardiac arrest. It became clear that Chad could not be revived. I declared him dead. Although disappointed, I thought, ‘Chad’s had good care. He’s had many more years of life than he otherwise would have had.’ Then his parents came in and saw their deceased son on the stretcher. In that moment I saw Chad through his mother’s and father’s eyes. I saw the hopes and expectations they had had for him. I now realize in the church to effectively serve others, we must see them through a parent’s eyes.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund

Duck's Foot

“May I give you some practical counsel? Many of your generation are facing crushing debt. When I was a young adult, my stake president was an investment banker on Wall Street. He taught me you are rich if you can live happily within your means. How can you do it? Pay your tithing and then save. When you earn more, save more. Don’t compete with others to have expensive toys. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Many young adults in the world are going into debt to get an education, only to find the cost of school is greater than they can repay. Seek out scholarships and grants. Obtain part time employment, if possible, to help you own way. This will require some sacrifice, but it will help you succeed. Education prepares you for better employment opportunities. It puts you in a better position to serve and to bless those around you.” – Elder Robert D. Hales

Gathering Basket Stars

“One lovely sister, a Relief Society instructor, was known for preparing flawless lessons. One time she decided to create a quilt that would serve as a backdrop to the theme of her lesson. But life intervened. There were children to pick up from school, a neighbor who needed help moving, a husband with a fever, and a friend who was lonely. The day of the lesson approached and the quilt was not completed. She worked all night on the quilt. The next day she was exhausted and barely able to organize her thoughts. But she bravely stood and delivered her perfect lesson. The quilt was stunning, the stitches perfect, the colors vibrant, the design intricate. At the center of it all was a single word that triumphantly echoed the theme of her lesson: Simplify.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Seaside Star

Some generous person with excellent handwriting gave me this recipe. I’ve made it as a side dish and as a main course. I’ve served it to my family at home and I’ve taken it to potluck dinners. It’s always a big hit. I just wish I could remember who to thank for it. If it’s you, please tell me so I can write your name on the recipe. And thank you.

Tortellini and Sausage Salad

2 13-ounce bags of tortellini (three-color tortellini is especially pretty)

¾ pounds bulk style Italian sausage (hot or sweet)

3 cups broccoli, lightly steamed and cooled

1 cup salad dressing (ranch or creamy Italian)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Brown and drain sausage; cool. Just before serving, combine pasta, sausage, broccoli and dressing in a large bowl. Toss and serve.

Four Houses

 “Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” – Pope Francis

Hey Diddle Diddle

There are many versions of this nursery rhyme, but my favorite is in “The Hobbit:”

There's an inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn beneath an old grey hill,

There they brew a beer so brown the Man in the Moon himself came down one night to drink his fill.

The ostler has a tipsy cat that plays a five-stringed fiddle;

And up and down he saws his bow, now squeaking high, now purring low, now sawing in the middle.

So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle, a jig that would wake the dead:

He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune; the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: ‘It’s after three!’ he said.

With a ping and a pang the fiddle-strings broke! The cow jumped over the Moon, and the little dog laughed to see such fun

And the Saturday dish went off at a run with the silver Sunday spoon.