Melon Man has done a number of very sweet and CRAFTY things for me over the last 5 years. One year, he wrote me a letter from him and the dogs on a huge piece of shipping paper from my business. He drew little pictures for some of the words and he attached things like coins and such to represent other words. It was so sweet. I put it up in my office at work and kept it up for weeks. Even now, I have it folded up and filed in my "personal stuff" file at work and every once in a while I take it out and read it and thrust my hand to my heart thinking of what a great guy he is. Yeah, sometimes he bugs the crap out of me, but I still love him. (I know I really bug the crap out of him sometimes too!).
Another year, we were in Michael's buying something and he comes up to the register with a bottle of red craft paint and a bottle of white craft paint and some small brushes. I asked him what that stuff was for and he said he was going to fix some of the paint chips on the little red wagon. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. It didn't even phase me. I totally believed him. I AM SO FREAKIN' NAIVE!!!
Anyhow, I had to work really late that Valentine's Day and I didn't get home until 11:00 or so that night. I walked in the house and went to bed. It wasn't until the next morning that as I was backing out of the driveway that my headlights caught a GINORMOUS red heart on a pole in our front yard! I just had to jump out and take a picture of it!
Once the Glimmer Mist was dry, I quickly snipped all of the words into individual little word magnets and voila! Done!
I dumped all the words into a bucket with some clear cellophane and a ribbon, put a couple "I love you" magnets on the outside and wrote up a little card telling Melon Man how much I loved him.
I'm not sure what he thought about my little creative gift because he didn't say much and he kind of just looked at it like....huh.....so, maybe I'll have to leave him a little naughty note on the fridge with some of the words and then maybe he'll see what fun it can be!
Really though...I DO LOVE this guy. He's tender and loving and is a good man. He has a good testimony of the gospel and is good to me. I'm so glad he's a permanent part of my life...forever. Love ya Melon Man.
Church was pretty good today. I was incredibly touched by two things today. First, the power of the words of the Sacrament prayers. I hear them every week and often it feels like I'm just going through the motions. But, every so often, one of the priests doing the blessing says them with such feeling that it really makes me stop and pay more attention to the actual words and their importance.
Take, for example, the blessing over the bread:
First, we are actually having a conversation with our Heavenly Father, through our brother and His Son, Jesus Christ. Second, we ask for the bread to be blessed and sanctified to our souls. Sanctify - to set apart to a sacred purpose. The sacrament really is a sacred part of our meeting. Third, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son - have you ever noticed how the sacrament trays are covered with a white cloth and when the cloth is fully laid out that it looks like a body? Fourth, and witness unto thee that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son. We ARE witnesses of Jesus Christ...truly. Do we realize that when taking the sacrament? Fifth, and always remember him and keep his commandments; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them - we covenant to keep the commandments and to remember him always and if we do these things, his spirit will always be with us.
Next, and this is the one that REALLY made me think, is the blessing over the water.
These words in particular really touched me. I mean, I know that Christ's blood was shed for us - in Gethsemane and on the cross, but for some reason, these words just really meant so much more to me today. I don't really know why. Maybe I just needed to hear them more definitively today. Maybe I just needed to remember his sacrifice for me. Whatever the reason, it worked and it was very moving. When I went to drink that simple little cup of water today, it meant something completely more to me. Isn't it amazing how little pricks of the spirit touch us in ways that we never thought of before and draw us closer to Christ?
After the Sacrament was over, Ashlyn Hurst and her husband spoke. Ashlyn's talk was REALLY good. She is a good speaker. Her talk really made me stop and think about my testimony and my spirituality. Her talk was on spiritual preparation. She said that we must prepare far in advance. It's not something that happens overnight. We can't just go to the store and buy our testimonies. The most poignant part though was when she said that our testimonies and spiritual preparation have a short shelf life. They must be used and they must be REPLENISHED. It made me think of our food storage. We are admonished to gather enough food and water to last us a year. What happens if we don't use that food? It eventually goes bad and we lose it. We must prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. We must gather that testimony, that spiritual preparation. We must use it, rotate it, share it. Then, we must continue to replenish it on a daily basis through church attendance, temple attendance, prayer, scripture study, wholesome music and other media, family, and service to others. Only then will we be spiritually prepared to handle all that is ahead of us in this otherwise evil and wicked world as we ready ourselves for the return of the Savior.
What a great day! What great messages!
Church was pretty good today. I was incredibly touched by two things today. First, the power of the words of the Sacrament prayers. I hear them every week and often it feels like I'm just going through the motions. But, every so often, one of the priests doing the blessing says them with such feeling that it really makes me stop and pay more attention to the actual words and their importance.
Take, for example, the blessing over the bread:
• • • • •
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
• • • • •
First, we are actually having a conversation with our Heavenly Father, through our brother and His Son, Jesus Christ. Second, we ask for the bread to be blessed and sanctified to our souls. Sanctify - to set apart to a sacred purpose. The sacrament really is a sacred part of our meeting. Third, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son - have you ever noticed how the sacrament trays are covered with a white cloth and when the cloth is fully laid out that it looks like a body? Fourth, and witness unto thee that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son. We ARE witnesses of Jesus Christ...truly. Do we realize that when taking the sacrament? Fifth, and always remember him and keep his commandments; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them - we covenant to keep the commandments and to remember him always and if we do these things, his spirit will always be with us.
Next, and this is the one that REALLY made me think, is the blessing over the water.
• • • • •
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
• • • • •
These words in particular really touched me. I mean, I know that Christ's blood was shed for us - in Gethsemane and on the cross, but for some reason, these words just really meant so much more to me today. I don't really know why. Maybe I just needed to hear them more definitively today. Maybe I just needed to remember his sacrifice for me. Whatever the reason, it worked and it was very moving. When I went to drink that simple little cup of water today, it meant something completely more to me. Isn't it amazing how little pricks of the spirit touch us in ways that we never thought of before and draw us closer to Christ?
After the Sacrament was over, Ashlyn Hurst and her husband spoke. Ashlyn's talk was REALLY good. She is a good speaker. Her talk really made me stop and think about my testimony and my spirituality. Her talk was on spiritual preparation. She said that we must prepare far in advance. It's not something that happens overnight. We can't just go to the store and buy our testimonies. The most poignant part though was when she said that our testimonies and spiritual preparation have a short shelf life. They must be used and they must be REPLENISHED. It made me think of our food storage. We are admonished to gather enough food and water to last us a year. What happens if we don't use that food? It eventually goes bad and we lose it. We must prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. We must gather that testimony, that spiritual preparation. We must use it, rotate it, share it. Then, we must continue to replenish it on a daily basis through church attendance, temple attendance, prayer, scripture study, wholesome music and other media, family, and service to others. Only then will we be spiritually prepared to handle all that is ahead of us in this otherwise evil and wicked world as we ready ourselves for the return of the Savior.
What a great day! What great messages!
1 comment:
That Mr. Clintamous - what a thoughtful guy. I LOVE the sign. Not a lot of guys would think of something like that. Loved your magnets too. What a cute idea!
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