One Dozen Floating Stars

 

“Our Father wants a deeper relationship with all His sons and daughters, but it is our choice. As we choose to draw nearer to Him through a covenant relationship, it allows Him to draw nearer to us and more fully bless us. God sets the conditions and obligations of the covenants we make. When we choose to enter into that relationship, we witness to Him, through the symbolic actions of each covenant, that we are willing to abide by the conditions He has set. Through honoring our covenants, we enable God to pour out the multitude of promised blessings associated with those covenants, including increased power to change and become more like our Savior. Jesus Christ is at the center of all covenants we make, and covenant blessings are made possible because of His atoning sacrifice.” – J. Anette Dennis

Thirty-Two Pin Cushions

 

Their last name was Karnofsky, but Louis always referred to them as “my Jewish family.” He met them when he was seven. The Karnofskys adopted Louis like a stray cat. In their home, he acquired a taste for Jewish cuisine that would stay with him his whole life. Louis’ first job was working for the Karnofskys, helping their sons collect rubbish and deliver coal. On one of these trips, they passed a used B-flat cornet in a pawn shop window. It was selling for $5; far beyond Louis’ reach. The Karnofskys helped Louis save up enough to buy this treasure, which he used to earn more money playing in pubs and bars. Louis Armstrong would grow to be the first super star of jazz. He always wore a Star of David to honor the family who had taken him in. He was proud to speak fluent Yiddish. His nickname, Satchmo, comes from the Yiddish word for “fat cheeks.”

Brown Dress

 

“I’ve long believed part of our problem with resolving race issues in America is our inability to accurately name what we are. Aside from the occasional Johnny and Edgar Winter, there are no white people. Any child with a box of crayons can tell you white people are, in fact, beige. Following this crayon logic, one can easily see there are no black people. They’re brown. Or perhaps raw umber. Maybe burnt sienna. Frankly, every time I hear someone comment on our first black president, I can’t help thinking, ‘No, he’s not. He’s more like caramel.’ Which is why I think we should all get in the habit of calling each other what we really are. How can you racially slur a man by calling him ‘beigey’ or ‘umber?’ The answer is you can’t. Because that’s exactly what he is. The melanin doesn’t lie. Buy a box of Crayolas and see for yourself.” – Chuck Lorre

Deep Blue Crab

 

"Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom." - John Adams

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." - George Washington

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance." - Woodrow Wilson

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." - Benjamin Franklin

"Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power." - John Adams

"Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people." - Thomas Jefferson

"The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American!" - Patrick Henry

Martha Washington Star

 

Vallvidrera is a town in the mountains of Spain, near Barcelona. You can reach Vallvidrera via bus or funicular. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mallorca and the Pyrenees. The people who live in Vallvidrera claim to have invented the game of curling 500 years ago, a year ahead of the Scots. There’s no actual evidence of this, but they don’t let a little thing like that bother them. Vallvidrera does have a curling team. Every year, the team meets at the reservoir to see if the ice is thick enough to play. It never is, primarily because the temperature there seldom dips below the 40’s. The curling team has never actually played. But they don’t let a little thing like that bother them. They all head to a local restaurant and order brunch. They raise their glasses and shout, “Jugarem!” which means, “We shall play!” in Catalan. 

Thirty-Two Teacups and Saucers

 If you’re ever in need of a good comeback, try one of these:

“I don’t have the time or the crayons to explain this to you.”

“I’ll never forget the first time we met, but I’ll keep trying.”

“Somewhere out there, there’s a tree working very hard to produce oxygen so you can breathe. I think you should go and apologize to it.”

“Your family tree must be a cactus, because you’re all a bunch of pricks.”

“Stupidity isn’t a crime, so you’re free to go.”

“What doesn’t kill you disappoints me.”

“Remember when I asked for your opinion? Me neither.”

“The people who tolerate you on a daily basis are the real heroes.”

“Someday, you’ll go far. I hope you stay there.”

“Don’t be ashamed of who you are. That’s your parents’ job.”

“I understood everything you said. I’m choosing to ignore you.”

Everyone’s entitled to act stupid once in a while, but you’re abusing the privilege.”

Nine Floating Stars

 

“In his closing remarks at the October 2019 general conference, our dear prophet reminded us about an important step in achieving covenant confidence, saying: ‘Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person.’ Therefore, if we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple. ‘Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.’” - Elder Ulisses Soares