Exhilaration or Trepidation?

Looking at the New Year, two words come to mind: exhilaration and trepidation.  Which will dominate 2016?

Google defines the first as "a feeling of excitement, happiness, or elation."
[For example:] "They felt the exhilaration of victory."  [or "Be excited ."]

And the second as "a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen."  [For example:] "The men set off in fear and trepidation."
[or "I'm afraid this is the end of civilization as we know it."]

I'm excited!  May this coming year be rich with exhilaration in first place as we win the fight for religious liberty and life!  Go forward in faith, and show gratitude for them as gifts from God, who loves all of His children.

Be happy, and celebrate this New Year!

Happy girl & twin boys – three grandchildren who spark joy!

Our missionary friend Sarah with happy children

New Year's Day breakfast at older brother's home

New Week's Resolutions

Today is a new beginning – the start of a new week.  This Sabbath morning it occurred to me that I need some new week’s resolutions.  After some deep thought, here are a few I can confidently make public:

"Do a good turn daily."

Edit, and love working.
Enjoy healthy food five times a day.

Move like exercise twice; walk or longboard to the mailbox.

Recycle junk mail; remember it funds our reliable postal service.

Read a verse or recall a story from the scriptures every day;

(“Scripture Power!”)

Watch a sunrise and a sunset; share with my sweetheart.

Talk to a neighbor, and listen to someone in need.

Drive safely without texting or expressing anger.

Make a New Year’s resolution for 2016.

Enjoy family, and be happy; party!

If I fail to keep my new week’s resolutions, there’s always next week – another new beginning.

I like cake, too; (fast food for energy.)

Our frontier sunrise at GSLSP boardwalk

Park it while texting or being upset.

Toy piano from St. Augustine FL, Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix AZ

Simple Gifts of Love

A song I hear this season reminds me of the beauty of "simple gifts."  I recall our family history of relatively simple celebrations of Christmas.  Our ancestors must have known the value of gifts that represent simplicity as well as love.  What could seem more simple than showing love?


My Cannon grandparents showed it by giving a family party every Christmas Eve at their modest home on the Avenues.  A highlight of the tradition was sharing of talents – mainly music.  Parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins played Grandmother's historic piano and other instruments.  One loving couple always sang their favorite Hawaiian song(s) as a simple gift to the family; (they had served a Church mission as young marrieds in Hawaii.)  I remember one of those gatherings when I played "O Holy Night" on the old upright piano.  It should be no surprise that I have fond memories of the food as simple gifts, prepared by loving hands, mostly made from scratch; (I'm thinkin' Grandmother's chocolate cake!)  And yes, I actually loved the fruitcake Mother provided for Christmas every year.


In our youth, the real live tree in our own homes every Christmas was an act of love on the part of my father and father-in-law.  I can still remember the fresh smell which has been missing in our current home for years.  (No complaints – just to emphasize a happy memory.  As empty-nesters now, we value simplicity and convenience while enjoying the fresh trees in others' homes.)  Old ornaments representing family history and beliefs convey loving memories shared with relatives and friends.  Father's traditional reading of Luke chapter 2 about the birth of Jesus ... was a gift to us children on Christmas Day that set a lifetime pattern for posterity.  And I am forever grateful to Mother for sharing her love of sacred music, especially at Christmas time.


Most of all, I am thankful for the simple gift of love from our Heavenly Father and from His Son Jesus Christ, whose birth and life we celebrate this month.  May we feel it and give simple gifts throughout the coming year.


As my sweetheart Kay leads me to sing at neighbors' doors, "... we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"  With  love ...

"written for his children during the years 1846 to 1849 by Charles Dickens"

("Sir Henry Dickens' favorite portrait of his father.")