'Twas battered and scarred, 
And the auctioneer thought it 
hardly worth his while 
To waste his time on the old violin, 
but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried, 
"Who starts the bidding for me?" 
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?" 
"Two dollars, who makes it three?" 
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"

But, No, 
From the room far back a gray bearded man 
Came forward and picked up the bow, 
Then wiping the dust from the old violin 
And tightening up the strings, 
He played a melody, pure and sweet 
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer 
With a voice that was quiet and low, 
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?" 
As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?" 
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?" 
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice, 
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered, 
But some of them cried, 
"We just don't understand." 
"What changed its' worth?" 
Swift came the reply. 
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune 
All battered with bourbon and gin 
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd 
Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, 
A game and he travels on. 
He is going once, he is going twice, 
He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes, 
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand, 
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought 
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

By: Myra Brooks Welch

Who's in the picture? Me with my 4th child when he was only 9 days old.

“Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

If you're anything like me, you are your own biggest critic. It's easy to master a new recipe or a new workout but it's extremely hard to master YOURSELF. However, I have found this much easier to do when I ask Heavenly Father to "take the wheel". He knows where we need to travel to, and if we trust him enough to "take over" our lives, he will guide us back to him.  With God, he have the ability to do "all things", not just some things. 

This week , take a moment to write down 10 things you love about yourself, and focus on your good qualities instead of your weaknesses. My husband always tells me "what you focus on, becomes magnified", so let's focus on the POSITIVE, and those positive thoughts will be magnified into positive actions. This may be a hard  exercise, but you will be so grateful you did this.
Don't Forget: Write down 10 things you love about yourself.

 

“When you go through difficult times, make sure you pass the test. Don’t be stubborn and hardheaded. Recognize that God is refining you, knocking off some of your rough edges. Stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God has called each of us to be champions; you are destined to win. If you will work with God and keep a good attitude, then no matter what comes against you, the bible says that all things not just the good things in life, but all things work together for your good.”  - Joel Osteen

President Thomas S. Monson shares an experience he had in the Navy in which he had to stand alone and reminds us that “we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.” 
Has there been a time when you have needed to stand alone in doing what you know is right? Share your experience below in the comments area.
Read, watch, or listen to President Monson’s full address “Dare to Stand Alone.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that the Spirit of Elijah is “a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family” (“A New Harvest Time,” Ensign, May 1998, 34). This distinctive influence of the Holy Ghost draws people to identify, document, and cherish their ancestors and family members—both past and present.

I am honored to know my ancestors, and for the change in my life that allowed my heart to turn to my fathers. I have attached my very colorful 6 generation pedigree chart as gratitude for those who paved the way for me. Looking at this chart makes me realize the importance of every single ancestor, and the significant role each one played to get me here, to have an earthly existence, to gain knowledge, so that I could return to my Heavenly Father again. For that alone, I am indebted to them.


Click image to enlarge.

To me, prayer is a gift from God. We all have the privilege of communicating with our Heavenly Father through prayer which enables us to become more Christlike. I have overcome many challenges because of prayer. I cannot afford to go one day without the guidance of my Heavenly Father, for it is He, whom I trust to steer me back to Him. 
Here are a few of my favorites quotes on prayer: 

“Things work out, it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in him, if we will pray to him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

• A. Salt Lake Temple
• B. Nauvoo Illinois Temple
• C. London England Temple
• D. São Paulo Brazil Temple

2. This temple was destroyed in 1848 after early members of the Church were forced to leave, but it was rebuilt and rededicated in 2002.

• A. St. George Utah Temple
• B. Nauvoo Illinois Temple
• C. Ciudad Juárez México Temple
• D. Bern Switzerland Temple

• A. Tokyo Japan Temple 
• B. Laie Hawaii Temple
• C. Boise Idaho Temple
• D. Orlando Florida Temple

4. Which was the first temple constructed outside of the United States?

• A. Bern Switzerland Temple
• B. Apia Samoa Temple
• C. Stockholm Sweden Temple
• D. Cardston Alberta Temple

5. This temple is located on the top three floors of a building that includes a mission office and a meetinghouse on its lower levels.

• A. Hong Kong China Temple
• B. Seattle Washington Temple 
• C. Dallas Texas Temple
• D. Helsinki Finland Temple

6. This temple, which was formerly the Uintah Stake Tabernacle, is one of the few temples that was converted from an existing building.

• A. Madrid Spain Temple
• B. Vernal Utah Temple
• C. Manti Utah Temple
• D. Anchorage Alaska Temple

7. These two temples were dedicated on the same day—November 14, 1999.

• A. Halifax Nova Scotia Temple and Regina Saskatchewan Temple
• B. Guatemala City Guatemala Temple and Columbus Ohio Temple
• C. Louisville Kentucky Temple and Seoul Korea Temple
• D. Papeete Tahiti Temple and Fukuoka Japan Temple

8. The upper exterior of this temple includes a sculpted depiction of Christ with His disciples.

• A. México City México Temple
• B. Ogden Utah Temple
• C. Oakland California Temple
• D. Washington D.C. Temple

"We should be careful about judging others, as we may be looking through our own “unclean windows.”

I love this video, check it out!!

This video is a lot like the last video I posted where children are asked certain questions about genealogy, and their responses are recorded. In this video, the same group of children were asked "what is a family tree?"

With your smart phone, or digital recorder ask the same question to your children and record their response. You might be surprised what they come up with. Happy Sunday!!

You will love this video!! Children are asked "what is an Ancestor?" Their responses are so funny
Last week, I taught a class to the Boy Scouts of America and I asked the same question to them, and surprisingly those 12 year old boys got it right!! They all knew what an Ancestor was. Great job BSA!!