the following site has a few amazing photographs of the fire in Los Angeles County, California.  It is amazing to see the damage that a major fire can do, and amazing to see the men who fight to keep us safe.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/wildfires_in_southern_californ.html

Tags: Service

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Someone took a lot of time to put this together.  I hope you have a laugh with it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGPjI0lB3FE

Tags: Home Teaching

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So she and her son sit near me, at the end of the pew.  She looks familiar, but I am only in my home ward a few times out of the month.  This week the reat of my family are away so i can't ask them who this lady is.  About halfway though Testimony meeting someone from behind passes me a note; “The lady on your right is an investigator, her first time here”.  I say to myself, “Self”, I say, “you should go and bear your testimony”.  But then, so many others got up and their testimonies were so moving, so strong, it would be of no use for anyone to hear my babbling.

Then a scripture comes to mind, Revelations 12:11.  I read it and think, how can my testimony help anyone but me?  How does my testimony help anyone else?  It's importance I understand.  What good is it to you when I can't get it out?

I KNOW this is the Church of Jesus Christ.  I KNOW He lives; He speaks to and guides the men He chooses to lead His church.  I so KNOW the gospel is true.  I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that His church and His gospel has been restored on this earth by a true prophet, Joseph Smith Jr.  I KNOW I am a better man from what I have learned from the scriptures and I KNOW I am a better man because I have chosen to be worthy to hold His priesthood, to act in His name, as I serve others.  I know these things and more to be true.  How does that help anyone else?  I can’t even put a scratch on what my heart want to say, even here where there is no pressure from people waiting to hear me say something.  I just can’t find the words to say what my heart is trying to express.  In a nutshell, I have a burning in my heart that yearns to burst out and get you to understand what I know is true, what I know is right.  I just can't find the words that express what my heart holds. 

Any suggestions?

Tags: Testimony

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At the beginning of the year I was asked to manage a community garden for the Christian Alliance here in town.  I told them I was extremely busy but would look at what they had.  It soon took over most of my time.

I soon noticed that the alliance consisted of my stake and a small AME church.  I started asking questions about the other churches in the city and learned that many would join the alliance IF the LDS church was out.

I invited many to join with the community garden.  All of the food grown there was donated to a local food bank.  Again, only if the LDS church was not involved.

I’ve asked then to take all of the “politics” and “who believes what” out of it and let’s do something for those in need.  In the past eight weeks this garden has taken over 7,000 pounds of fresh produce to those who are struggling in these difficult times.  Not LDS people, not hungry people from AME, but everyone and anyone in need.  Again, I was told, only if the LDS church was out of the picture.

How could The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints NOT be considered a Christian denomination?  Not only because of the name, but the work that is done for every group of people.  Isn’t there somewhere in the scriptures that tell us, “by their fruit ye shall know them”?

Tags: Interfaith

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