This Life

1.  2 Corinthians 5:17–21 
“Reconciliation is the process of ransoming man from his state of sin and spiritual darkness and of restoring him to a state of harmony and unity with Deity. … Man, who was once carnal and evil, who lived after the manner of the flesh, becomes a new creature of the Holy Ghost; he is born again; and, even as a little child, he is alive in Christ” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:422–23).

We become reconciled, when we acknowledge our need for our Savior's atonement and grace and our responsibility to live by His commands.

2. "...this great, misunderstood story of Mary and Martha. We like to talk about Martha as the bad woman and Mary as the good woman, but we know that Martha is the one who invited the Savior into her home—it was her home. Aren’t we told to do that? Isn’t that a good thing? And some of you even have little plaques that say, “Christ is the center of our home.” That was Martha. Then she was serving Him, and isn’t that a good thing? That was what women were expected to do and what we’re expected to do. But the Savior took this opportunity to invite both Mary and Martha to be official participants in His work of discipleship and He said that this was the “good part.” It was the needful part that would never be taken away from them. When you read that with a spiritual understanding, and you learn about Mary and Martha and what happened to them later, that Martha was a woman who bore fervent testimony of the Christ, and then you see the work they were participating in in the scriptures, you will learn that this was the Savior inviting them officially to be part of His work, not to be bystanders, but to be included in what He wanted to accomplish." Julie Beck...I love this vision of Martha, because I am a Martha-type more than a Mary-type. Julie Beck is my hero the past few years.

Mom

3. Took Mom to Cedar Breaks, when she visited...Liked it so much Son and I took my Beloved there for his birthday a few days later. This love of nature started, when I used to lie on the sidewalk and watch the Arizona Sunsets as a child. Camping trips with Girl Scouts and my adult family furthered it. But the Wild Days and Nature Journaling we did weekly for our homeschool fixed this love in my heart. I was so sick last weekend. Driving the 29 miles from my home to Cedar Breaks was the best medicine ever. Imagine, this place of beauty so close to home and I never even saw it before.

View at Cedar Breaks

Spencer, Ginger, and Joseph

Blue Columbine~Lovely

Tiny Cedar Breaks Visitor's Center

Beauty in Form

4. I saw and recommend highly a sad but hopeful movie last night, The Help. I cry in my heart for the problems between the races in the United States past and present. We are all God's children. Just as He made a multitude of different colored flowers, He made us different colors, cultures, and so forth to make the world a lovely place. Although not all my attempts to reach out have been well received, I hope through continued love, hope, acceptance, and service, I can do my small part to mend the breech.

5. Studying ethics and philosophy right now. Wow! I knew there were a lot of different views, but what an eye opener. I cry for those who don't know the joy found at the feet of Jesus. It also amazes me how things like ethics, philosophy, economics, politics, history, the arts, and literature fit together so nicely.