Isn't technology awesome?

I have downloaded general conference to an MP3 that Nathan has and I am able to take it to work and the gym and anywhere else that I want to listen to the Lords words through his prophets and apostles and block out the world and their nonsense words. It is awesome how much technology changes our lives and can edify all of Gods children.

Isn't it totally sad that there are some of Gods children too that use it to their destructive advantage as well?

I watched a couple of YOUTUBE videos this morning on the Bible and another on the Temple and as you know, there is a place that one can post a comment. I watch the video and am totally uplifted by the spirit and am reminded of the need of temples on earth and the greatness and awesomeness of the Bible. As I read through some of the comments, I noticed that there was a comment from someone that lacks truth and understanding. That person swore in their post. As soon as I read it, the spirit left my heart because I felt so bad that they didn't understand what the video was trying to say and that they were rejecting the spirit of a loving Heavenly Father who was trying to touch them and teach them that they are loved, that they are needed and that they are a daughter/son of God.

I told Nathan today after I watched them that it seems to me that those who are the most bitter against the church are those who once have been in tune with the spirit and who once had a testimony. It seems like those who are not members will actually defend those they know and will step up to the plate if someone begins to go off on a tangent. Just like the scriptures say, that those who have once been in tune (like the Nefitas & Lamenitas) and know the truth will be the ones that will criticize it the most and try to destroy it the hardest.

Nathan and I thought, "well, if they don't like it, why don't they just leave it alone". If you see a dead animal on the side of the road, do you stop your car, look at it and stay there and suck up the stench, the view and hold on to picture you see? I don't think so. I think you'd go away and stay away.

If you are in the ocean and see a shark, do you stay there or do you leave and never go back and leave it alone? I wouldn't go back. It doesn't make sense to and it doesn't make the situation any better.

Oh well. Thank goodness that the Lord loves all of us. I pray that those people who don't know about the Gospel will one day learn and will one day pray to the loving God and know that he will answer their pray. That answer will come in a number of ways, such as a peace in their heart and mind, a phone call from a friend that is a member, a knock on the door by missionaries, a member neighbor inviting them to church or church sponsored activity. That one person will watch a video (technology), see a commercial on TV, talk to a coworker about the church or something and then they will be taught by the Holy Ghost to act upon that interaction and follow it.

I know this to be true. I know that this is the way that my Heavenly Father communicates with me. I know that my Savior loves me and through him, I'll return to my Father. I can't wait. This life has its beautiful and hard times and they are so well worth it.

Water Aerobics, it is official

OK, this is really weird...I had applied to teach water aerobics at the YMCA BUT nobody got back with the director to be a reference for me so I was going to throw in the towel and actually cancel the membership. OK, well, today, I'm at the gym and Evelyn says, hey Karen, in a couple of weeks we'll be training are you still up for it? I told her Heck yeah, I thought that it was a NO GO because nobody had gotten back to me so I was going to forget the whole thing!
Amazing. I'm so excited. I need to get some awesome music so I need to ask someone at church or work to get me some SWWEEETT music for the official water aerobics instructor!

Needless to say, I don't have to cancel my membership at the gym, it is just now FREE!

Have a great weekend.

And how do you get such a testimony?

I am listening to conference here at work. I couldn't help but be taken by Elder Ballards talk and read it as he spoke. This section really made me think about what we do in this life and how people try to find peace in their lives. Elder Ballard says that it comes through the following:

Well, there’s no new technology for that, nor will there ever be. You cannot do a Google search to gain a testimony. You can’t text message faith. You gain a vibrant, life-changing testimony today the same way it has always been done. The process hasn’t been changed. It comes through desire, study, prayer, obedience, and service. That is why the teachings of prophets and apostles, past and present, are as relevant to your life today as they ever have been.


Learning the Lessons of the Past
Elder M. Russell Ballard Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
General Conference, 4 April 2009

More pictures

Here are a few other pictures

This is of Page High School right outside the north side of the campus

Nathan and I have concluded that we'll be doing the raft trip some day and that it would be BLAST. This picture is taken from the bridge above

This picture was taken from the HS north side of campus looking out as the sun was setting.

It was so cold (anything under 70 degrees for Karen is cold) and it was Easter and just so beautiful. I was out walking Kale again while Nathan was studying.

This was of the huge land mass just south of Page and I think just south of Flagstaff as we were on our way home back to Phoenix. Obviously Nathan took this picture. Kale loved the longs walks too.

Page Arizona

Here are a few pictures of me while I waited for Nathan to finish his interviews with Page School District over Easter Weekend

Karen, Kale and Glen Canyon Dam

Nathan was back at the hotel studying
Beautiful shot of the other side of Glen Canyon Dam

This is what happens when you take a dog on a trip and make him ride in the car 4-4 1/2 hrs

He would not move his nose off the bag and Nathans clothes. It was hilarious. This is how he was the entire trip home. He was pooped!

Some other pictures will be coming soon so that you can see the school district and school that Nathan interviewed with.

Hillbilly Mirror Humor

After living in the remote wilderness of West Virginia all his life, an old hillbilly decided it was time to visit the big city. In one of the stores he picks up a mirror and looks in it. Not ever having seen one before, he remarked at the image staring back at him,'How about that! Here's a picture of my daddy.'He bought the mirror thinking it was a picture of his daddy, but on the way home he remembered his wife didn't like his father, so he hung it in the barn, and every morning before leaving for the fields, he would go there and look at it.His wife began to get suspicious of these many trips to the barn. One day after her husband left, she searched the barn and found the mirror. As she looked into the glass, she fumed, 'So that's the ugly biddy he's runnin' around with.'

How bad can it really get?

Need I say more?

Hilarious!

Awesome General Conference

I know that I haven't written in a while and I haven't had really anything to say. It seems like everything has been tied together recently. It is amazing what happens to time when you keep busy and do what you are asked and supposed to do.

General Conference was fabulous. I started it off actually a week before by being involved with the Young Womans Conference. That was fabulous. The incorporated the 8th YW thing, Virtue. The talks were awesome, they were uplifting and I felt the spirit very strong. Then, Pres Monson spoke on Courage and what we can do to take hold of it and move forward and it tied very sweetly in to the new motto, Virtue.

Nathan was able to help Ben a few times this week with his newly designed and beautifully landscaped front hard. They laid sod (grass) and it looks awesome. I've had the privilege to work and get some OT with it too so that was nice.

I had to give Kale a bath something terrible because he laid in the dirt at Bens, got wet and he was just a huge ball of clumped hair. It was gross and I didn't like to pet him because he was so dirty. He didn't care for it to much, he kept his nose in the corner the entire time but he did like the water spraying on his belly...he appreciated that.

Conference was fabulous. I learned that it is what I do with my fellow brothers and sisters, members or non that will make or break me. I need to serve them, be an example to them, share my thoughts and feelings to them about the Gospel and the Savior and let them make their own choices about what they want to do in this life, accept it or reject it. I also learned that I need to be careful with what little money Heavenly Father gives me. I can spend it unwisely and lose TONS of blessings or I can spend it on the bare necessities and share with others and be richly blessed.

I also had to reevaluate myself and my home, is my home as the temple is? Is it quite, is it calm, does the spirit dwell there with me and my family? Does the Savior walk around in my home as he walks in each of the temples that dot the earth? Is my home clean physically and spiritually where the purest person ever, Jesus Christ can dwell there? I have been thinking about that since I heard that talk. I wonder to myself if I am worthy enough to have him there with me and my family while I am at home or even while I am out and about being involved with life, work, gym, church and other activities. I wonder if Kale knows any different as well. Are my television shows clean enough, do I have a picture of the prophet on the wall, is there a picture of the temple, are my scriptures where I can access them easily and do I have a serene place where I can go if I need to go on bended knees to thank Heavenly Father for ALL that he has given me.

I think that this talk was the one that knocked Karen over. There were TONS of other great and inspiring ones, but this is the one that was given to inspire and uplift me the most.

I can't wait for the Ensign to come out. I'll have to pick up a 2nd one as Nathan and I fight over it and hide it so the other can't find it. I also love to listen to the talks while at the gym so I'll have Nathan add it to the MP3 and also my shuffle.

Monday was a terrible day at work, all I wanted to do was go home and suck up more of General Conference. It was like I realized that there are crazy people in this world and now I have to be a part of them. It was like GC suggested, serve others even no matter what and all will be blessed. I don't know if the blessings came that day or not or if they are still in the works, but wow, it was a LONG day.

We had a wonderful dinner with friends at Traci Astles home. There were friends that we hadn't seen in a long time. Babies are growing and everyone is happy. It was wonderful.

Saturday afternoon was fabulous too. We left right after GC and went to Mesa so that I could take Collette to Desert Book Womans Night! It was a lot of fun. She was totally excited that there was free stuff, there were treats (free again) and that there were discounts on everything in the store. Not only that, but we each got in the mail that day $10 discount card so of course, we used that too. We both bought a crock pot cook book and we were so excited. I've got to try it ASAP and feed the hubby. I usually find things that he doesn't like so I feel like an idiot! He is definitely gringo because he likes things that I never would eat but my MOM would!

Collette and I met her mom at Desert Book in Mesa and then left about 6, barely made it to Costco to pick up some pizzas and take them back to Bens to cook them and feed Darwin, Ben and Nathan when they got back from conference. They all raved about how wonderful it was and how awesome each speaker brought the spirit and uplifted them.

We watched Friday Night Lights which was OK, I've seen better HS sport movies, it isn't at the top of my exciting list.

I love life. It gets hard sometimes, it gets tough, but you know, dang it, it happens. I love to breathe, I don't care to much to sweat while I work out, actually I hate it but I do it anyways, I love to read the scriptures and come home to my house. I actually, seriously enjoy my job. I work with some wonderful educators across the country, don't get me wrong, there are some real winners out there, but I have to say that the majority of them are fabulous!

I love my calling in nursery. I have missed my little kids and can't wait to see them on Sunday!

Love,

Karen