Country School House

“We have these words to tell us about the purpose of the Creation: ‘We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.’ So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home. We are the spirit children of a Heavenly Father. He loved us and He taught us before we were born into this world. He told us that He wished to give us all that He had.” – Henry B. Eyring

Sixteen Sawtooth Stars

“You may think that you are completely insignificant in this world. But someone drinks coffee every morning from their favorite mug that you gave them. Someone heard a song on the radio that reminded them of you. Someone read the book that you recommended, and plunged headfirst into it. Someone smiled after a hard day’s work, because they remembered the joke that you told them today. Someone loves himself a little bit more because you gave him a compliment. Never think that you have no influence whatsoever. Your trace, which you leave behind even with a few good deeds, cannot be erased.”  – Christina Makeyeva

“I had always hoped that at the end of my life, I would have done enough small things that they would add up to having made a difference. And that is what most people do – not one great deed, but many small deeds over many years that in aggregate add up to a life well lived.” - Chesley Sullenberger

Love Note

I’m not big on Valentine’s Day gifts. I don’t wear jewelry (unless you count the rose gold band on my left ring finger). I’m not a fan of perfume. I do like flowers and chocolate, but I’m annoyed that they’re easily twice as expensive today as they will be tomorrow. I like the IDEA of a quiet, romantic dinner for two with candlelight, perfectly prepared steak or seafood, and someone else to do the dishes afterwards. But that’s pure fantasy. Nothing even remotely like that happens in real life. So, I usually tell John not to bother. We can always grab a box of See’s dark nuts & chews for half price on the 15th that will last me until Easter. But this year he surprised me. He came home from work Wednesday with a dozen perfect, ruby-red strawberries. He’d stopped to pick up a prescription and they were just sitting there. Maybe I like Valentine’s Day gifts after all.

Beacon Light

Franny Crosby was one of history’s most prolific hymnists. Under at least 200 different pen names, she wrote nearly 9,000 hymns and gospel songs, including “Blessed Assurance,” “Pass Me Not O Blessed Savior,” and “To God Be the Glory.” I grew up singing her “Give Said the Little Stream.” Before you imagine she got rich from royalties, I should tell you she usually received a dollar or two for each song. Much of that she donated to charity. Franny was either born blind or became blind when she was a few weeks old.  “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life,” she said, “and I thank Him for the dispensation. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I’d been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me. When I get to heaven, the first face that shall gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

Twenty Grandma's Stars

As the saying goes, “Find a penny and pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck.” Until a few years ago, I would find coins of every denomination nearly every time I went for a walk: on sidewalks, along the sides of roads, in parking lots and beneath drive-through windows. These days a whole week might go by when I don’t pocket a single penny. I guess it’s because fewer people are using cash. If you pay for everything with credit or debit cards, there’s never any change left over. Today is National Lost Penny Day – probably because it’s also Lincoln’s birthday, and because pennies have borne Lincoln’s head since February 12, 1909. You could celebrate the day by searching for lost pennies. I’d suggest looking in the pockets of clothing you haven’t worn in a while, under sofa cushions and beneath the floor mats in your car. Sidewalks just aren’t as lucrative as they used to be.

Four Grandma's Dishes Blocks

I don’t often write about murderers; Heather would definitely not approve. Troy Leon Gregg and a friend were hitchhiking in Georgia in 1973. Two men picked them up, and Troy shot them both and stole their car. Troy was arrested three days later and given the death penalty. He had an appointment with the electric chair July 29, 1980. On July 28, Troy and two other inmates escaped the Georgia State Prison by sawing through the bars: the first death row breakout in Georgia history. Their departure wasn’t discovered until Troy called a newspaper with the story. Wait. It gets worse. The trio drove to a bar in North Carolina to celebrate their freedom. Troy got plastered and assaulted a waitress. A biker gang found this offensive. They beat Troy to death and dumped his body in a nearby lake – the night before his scheduled execution. Something about this tale made me laugh. Please don’t tell Heather.

Sixteen Grandma's Stars

“As taught in ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World,’ all beings are created in God’s image. Each has a divine nature and destiny as a spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents. Knowing the divinity of Heavenly Father’s children, the adversary seeks to limit their earthly and heavenly potential. He uses tactics of deception, distraction and discouragement, also known as ‘the three Ds of the adversary.’ Satan seeks to deceive individuals by influencing them to forget who they are. He attempted to do this with Moses by calling him a “son of man” and urging Moses to worship him. However, Moses resisted and remembered he was a son of God, the only God whom he would worship. If people do not understand who they are, it is difficult to recognize who they can become.” – Elder Peter M. Johnson