This has been a different weekend. It started Friday with me staying home for Fred Zepeda's funeral. He passed away from caner, exactly a year after my sister passed away. Last year Sheri and I traveled to Boise for her funeral. This year I stayed home for Fred's funeral. Friday also Sheri returned home from her trip taking Miranda to school. I convinced her to come home a day early because of impending storm. Saturday I went to the movie "A Monster Calls" which was about cancer.
Saturday we also had stake conference adult session, with Anna coming over to watch Tony. We saw heather briefly at the conference, but she was taking off after to go to Fremont with friends who were to give her a ride the next day to the airport.
Sunday made a year since my sister's funeral. She died of esophageal cancer. Sunday was a continuation of stake conference. I sang in the choir like usual. It was very fun. Conference was very good. Weatherford T. Clayton of the seventy presided. Dianna came over after conference, as did Jeremy and family.
Jeremy came to our house with Baby Asher, and Sheri sent them to the hospital because he wasn't breathing very well. Turns out he has RSV which has contributed to his having pneumonia. Asher is about ten months old so right on the edge of the vulnerable age. He is now getting oxygen and having his fluids monitored.
We went to visit, Oakland USF pediatric Hospital, and upon coming home, picked up the boys at Charity's. My temporary crown fell out. So Monday I was at the dentist instead of going to work. Fortunately the new permanent crown was in, and I was able to complete this round of dental work, two root canals and one crown.
Showing posts with label stake conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stake conference. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2017
Sunday, June 28, 2015
A couple Historical Things from Stake Conference
The current mission president, President Jardine, announced that the new mission president of the Modesto Mission was arriving at 2 p.m. today. Consequently we are now part of a new mission, and the missionaries serving here have a new mission president.
The second historical event is a new ward was created in our stake this evening. This was announced at Stake Conference, and then a special p.m. meeting was held to announce the boundaries and new bishop of the Mountain House Ward. Yes Mountain House has been in the news as not having any water. Now they have their own ward. I understand they will be meeting in the church on the West of Tracy.
By the way, Stake conference was great; very motivating--to pray, read scriptures, love our children, rescue, invite.
The second historical event is a new ward was created in our stake this evening. This was announced at Stake Conference, and then a special p.m. meeting was held to announce the boundaries and new bishop of the Mountain House Ward. Yes Mountain House has been in the news as not having any water. Now they have their own ward. I understand they will be meeting in the church on the West of Tracy.
By the way, Stake conference was great; very motivating--to pray, read scriptures, love our children, rescue, invite.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
My Thoughts on Stake Conference
Stake conference resulted in the reorganization of our stake presidency. I attended the temple session, which was very well attended. President Crockett spoke of his observations of the temple, and it reminding of our role as children of our Heavenly Father. He compared our relationship of parents to our children to that of Heavenly Father and mother to us, and how there are many similarities, and the temple teaches us of these.
Saturday was the adult session. It started with President Crockett giving a farewell address.
This was followed by the wives of all the members of the stake presidency also giving testimonies. During this, a brother in the audience had a grand mal seizure. Several members of the stake with medical experience intervened. We waited for a time while music played. and the ambulance came.
After this brother Nathan McGuire spoke. He is a member of our ward. I thought he was a member, but I thought wrong. He was baptized a couple months ago. His testimony and story were very moving. Many people had the sniffles, including Sheri and myself.
We also had two Seventies talk. Elder Sabin who is an area seventy and and Elder Haleck who is in the Second Quorum of Seventy.
Elder Sabin shared stories from his life, addressing four life questions, statements, "What if it is true?" "She said yes?" "I'm a father." and "No one really dies." From this he talked of seeking your own personal testimony, that marriage is more than just going to the alter, but takes work, parenting also takes positive effort. It is not all being liked by our children, but being able to guide and counsel. It does not end when they leave the home, and finally, facing life after the death of a loved one. A couple of his children had lung disease, and he shared going through the process of death, knowing that death is not death, but moving onto a different realm. He shared and experience his grandfather related of when he came home from his mission. Grandfather said, "This is like when my mother died." He explained that he had seen people from beyond the veil waiting for his mother's passing, and greeting her, just as they were greeting the returned missionary.
Interestingly Elder Haleck shared a similar experience. He was apprehensive of his son serving a mission in an inner city environment (Cleveland). When he was set apart the Stake President said, "You will have a special guardian from beyond the veil." When he returned home, his son related how they often went through very bad neighborhoods, but it seemed no one even saw them. He explained he felt the influence of his grandmother protecting him. "You know grandmother would never let anything bad happen to me."
Sunday we were presented with a new Stake Presidency. President Crockett again bore his testimony, as did President Smith. Also President Norman and President Brown and finally President Maxfield.
The rest of the meeting was presented again by Elder Sabin who talked about fathers. His own father, after being a missionary in Washington, served in the Navy during WWII. He was promised if he remained true he would be uninjured. One time he had a sense to get out of his bunk. He jumped up, and got behind a smoke stack when a bomb struck where he had been, sending shrapnel all over. Through his example, he influenced a couple ship mates to be baptized.
Elder Haleck invited those who had been to the temple, but were not currently holding recommends, to correct this situation, and take advantage of the keys restored by Elijah. He also talked about missionary work, and helping the missionaries with inviting. He said missionaries do not go out alone. They go out with the influence of their parents and their home wards. He suggested that as we would like people to help our missionaries, we should be helping those who are serving in our wards.
I pray for our missionaries, and I am now seeing the great promises of working in the kingdom for the last time. The Lord has blessed our efforts, but as the Bishop pointed out this is the result of a long season of working hard and preparing for the harvest, which we are now seeing.
Choir sang for the session Sunday, "The Lord is my Shepherd" and "Come Let us Anew." For the Saturday adult session a soloist sang
Saturday was the adult session. It started with President Crockett giving a farewell address.
This was followed by the wives of all the members of the stake presidency also giving testimonies. During this, a brother in the audience had a grand mal seizure. Several members of the stake with medical experience intervened. We waited for a time while music played. and the ambulance came.
After this brother Nathan McGuire spoke. He is a member of our ward. I thought he was a member, but I thought wrong. He was baptized a couple months ago. His testimony and story were very moving. Many people had the sniffles, including Sheri and myself.
We also had two Seventies talk. Elder Sabin who is an area seventy and and Elder Haleck who is in the Second Quorum of Seventy.
Elder Sabin shared stories from his life, addressing four life questions, statements, "What if it is true?" "She said yes?" "I'm a father." and "No one really dies." From this he talked of seeking your own personal testimony, that marriage is more than just going to the alter, but takes work, parenting also takes positive effort. It is not all being liked by our children, but being able to guide and counsel. It does not end when they leave the home, and finally, facing life after the death of a loved one. A couple of his children had lung disease, and he shared going through the process of death, knowing that death is not death, but moving onto a different realm. He shared and experience his grandfather related of when he came home from his mission. Grandfather said, "This is like when my mother died." He explained that he had seen people from beyond the veil waiting for his mother's passing, and greeting her, just as they were greeting the returned missionary.
Interestingly Elder Haleck shared a similar experience. He was apprehensive of his son serving a mission in an inner city environment (Cleveland). When he was set apart the Stake President said, "You will have a special guardian from beyond the veil." When he returned home, his son related how they often went through very bad neighborhoods, but it seemed no one even saw them. He explained he felt the influence of his grandmother protecting him. "You know grandmother would never let anything bad happen to me."
Sunday we were presented with a new Stake Presidency. President Crockett again bore his testimony, as did President Smith. Also President Norman and President Brown and finally President Maxfield.
The rest of the meeting was presented again by Elder Sabin who talked about fathers. His own father, after being a missionary in Washington, served in the Navy during WWII. He was promised if he remained true he would be uninjured. One time he had a sense to get out of his bunk. He jumped up, and got behind a smoke stack when a bomb struck where he had been, sending shrapnel all over. Through his example, he influenced a couple ship mates to be baptized.
Elder Haleck invited those who had been to the temple, but were not currently holding recommends, to correct this situation, and take advantage of the keys restored by Elijah. He also talked about missionary work, and helping the missionaries with inviting. He said missionaries do not go out alone. They go out with the influence of their parents and their home wards. He suggested that as we would like people to help our missionaries, we should be helping those who are serving in our wards.
I pray for our missionaries, and I am now seeing the great promises of working in the kingdom for the last time. The Lord has blessed our efforts, but as the Bishop pointed out this is the result of a long season of working hard and preparing for the harvest, which we are now seeing.
Choir sang for the session Sunday, "The Lord is my Shepherd" and "Come Let us Anew." For the Saturday adult session a soloist sang
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Elder Haleck Conference Speaker
http://www.lds.org/church/leader/o-vincent-haleck
Elder Haleck is speaking in our stake conference. He has been a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy for over two years. He talked in April 2012 conference about vision.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/having-the-vision-to-do?lang=eng
His theme was people without vision perish. The vision we should have is to see ourselves as the Lord sees us.
Our stake presidency will also be reorganized. This Sunday at 10 a.m. Northland Building.
Elder Haleck is speaking in our stake conference. He has been a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy for over two years. He talked in April 2012 conference about vision.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/having-the-vision-to-do?lang=eng
His theme was people without vision perish. The vision we should have is to see ourselves as the Lord sees us.
Monday, February 4, 2013
My Stake Conference Thoughts
All of Northern California had stake conference yesterday. It was also conference for 68 stakes throughout Northern California. Both the adult session Saturday, as well as the session seen by 68 Northern California Stakes on Sunday, dealt with the new announcement with regards to the age of missionaries.
We have all heard about the excitement with regards to this announcement, and the great movement among our youth. The number of missionaries in the field is going up at least 50 percent, maybe more. You might think this is a temporary increase due to the overlap of the next year or so. I don’t think so. I think the new age will encourage young people to go on missions. Sometimes when you put something off it doesn’t happen. Less and less people will be putting off their missions.
On the stake level they talked about the great excitement among our youth. The missionary preparation class has almost doubles in size. There are at least 25 people who are working on getting their papers in. This is in comparison to the normal of four or five. Of course some of them will have to wait until the finish high school. But the bottom line, our young people are preparing to go on missions. And not only are they preparing, many of them are going to be better able to carry out their missionary tasks.
L. Tom Perry also talked about this excitement. Where normally two apostles doing the missionary assignments is normally enough, he said it is quite common now to require six apostles to work on this project. He watched people’s faces in the conference center when the age shift was announced. He read this announcement as part of his talk.
However, this change causes a concern on my part. Caleb is one of those who was excited by the change. He is attending the missionary preparation class and is excited about serving after finishing high school. But what if we as members, do not catch this same excitement? Then we will have more missionaries, without more work to share among them. Missionaries want to be busy. If there is not an increase in the amount of work to do, how will they keep busy?
This was the idea I came away from conference. It falls on us as members to also catch this spirit of excitement. That excitement needs to be carried forward to inviting people to hear the missionaries. In Caleb’s case, I don’t think it is too early to start praying that the members, in what ever area he may be assigned, will catch this missionary spirit, and begin planting seeds that he can harvest.
At the Saturday session it was mentioned members should be doing the finding, missionaries the teaching. However Elder Perry said missionaries have two jobs, to find and to teach. However the more time they can spend teaching, the more success they will have. Members can help with the finding. I think of Paul saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1: 16) I want to stand firm like Paul, and give my voice by inviting people to come unto Christ by listening to the missionaries.
We have all heard about the excitement with regards to this announcement, and the great movement among our youth. The number of missionaries in the field is going up at least 50 percent, maybe more. You might think this is a temporary increase due to the overlap of the next year or so. I don’t think so. I think the new age will encourage young people to go on missions. Sometimes when you put something off it doesn’t happen. Less and less people will be putting off their missions.
On the stake level they talked about the great excitement among our youth. The missionary preparation class has almost doubles in size. There are at least 25 people who are working on getting their papers in. This is in comparison to the normal of four or five. Of course some of them will have to wait until the finish high school. But the bottom line, our young people are preparing to go on missions. And not only are they preparing, many of them are going to be better able to carry out their missionary tasks.
L. Tom Perry also talked about this excitement. Where normally two apostles doing the missionary assignments is normally enough, he said it is quite common now to require six apostles to work on this project. He watched people’s faces in the conference center when the age shift was announced. He read this announcement as part of his talk.
However, this change causes a concern on my part. Caleb is one of those who was excited by the change. He is attending the missionary preparation class and is excited about serving after finishing high school. But what if we as members, do not catch this same excitement? Then we will have more missionaries, without more work to share among them. Missionaries want to be busy. If there is not an increase in the amount of work to do, how will they keep busy?
This was the idea I came away from conference. It falls on us as members to also catch this spirit of excitement. That excitement needs to be carried forward to inviting people to hear the missionaries. In Caleb’s case, I don’t think it is too early to start praying that the members, in what ever area he may be assigned, will catch this missionary spirit, and begin planting seeds that he can harvest.
At the Saturday session it was mentioned members should be doing the finding, missionaries the teaching. However Elder Perry said missionaries have two jobs, to find and to teach. However the more time they can spend teaching, the more success they will have. Members can help with the finding. I think of Paul saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1: 16) I want to stand firm like Paul, and give my voice by inviting people to come unto Christ by listening to the missionaries.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Stake Conference thoughts, and a few other ideas.
Paul Pieper, of the Quorum of seventy was the visiting general authority at our stake conference. He talked about having hope in Christ. He concluded "No one is beyond the reach of Hope in Christ. ...There is brightness of hope in the Savior." He mentioned two ways in which Satan tries to destroy our hope in Christ. The first is by telling us that there is no Christ, or the Christ did not accomplish the atonement. He talked of Korihor, who represents many anti-Christ people in the Book of Mormon. "How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ." (Alma 30:15) Of course this was before Christ's coming, rather than after he has come. But we have witnesses in the scriptures of his coming. Still, for many this is not enough.
President Monson said something in this last conference that I have been pondering. It has to do with receiving truth that is spiritually discerned, rather than intellectually or physically. I think this is a struggle for many people, as they want to see, and know intellectually, and not have to exercise faith. These are his words:
"It may appear to you at times that those out in the world are having much more fun than you are. Some of you may feel restricted by the code of conduct to which we in the Church adhere. My brothers and sisters, I declare to you, however, that there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments. That Spirit cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world participates. The Apostle Paul declared the truth: 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' (1 Corinthians: 14) The term natural man can refer to any of us if we allow ourselves to be so. We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, 'The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.'" (Isaiah 32:17)
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/stand-in-holy-places?lang=eng
I like the part about things being spiritually discerned. My father, in his older years, gave up discerning things by the spirit, and decided to rely on his own abilities. He would not read the Book of Mormon but relied on worldly wisdom. As a result, he became a bitter man.
I have listened to a C.D. of Jeff Goodrich songs many times, ****"Back to Galilee." There is one song I have enjoyed particularly called "Beyond the Sun." Jeff Goodrich talks of his experience of visiting the tomb in Jerusalem, and the feelings he was having. "From beyond the Sun, beyond the moon; beyond the stars where the galaxies bloom, there come the whispers of heaven, that tell my my Savior lives; He lives."
I know some people would say that these feelings are not real, they are manifestations of ours own desiring. Or perhaps like Scrooge they would say they are some gastrointestinal action, some undigested undone potato. Jeff Goodrich also answers this as the song continues. "From deep in my heart, deep in my soul, deeper than mortal has strength to control, I hear the whispers of heaven, that tell my my Savior lives; He lives"
There are spiritual powers. They are real, and the testify that Christ lives. If you have doubt of this, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon, which testifies of Him in written word, and in spirit.
Elder Pieper talked of another way in which we separate ourselves from the hope of Christ. This is by deciding that we personally are unworthy of receiving his atoning sacrifice. However if we feel this, we again deny Christ. While there is no happiness in sin, there is repentance, and the atoning cleansing which comes from Christ Remember, He has gone below all things, and has paid the price for all, if we accept Him as our Savior. "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
God lives, and we have hope in Christ. In this troubled world, we have hope in Christ. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
President Monson said something in this last conference that I have been pondering. It has to do with receiving truth that is spiritually discerned, rather than intellectually or physically. I think this is a struggle for many people, as they want to see, and know intellectually, and not have to exercise faith. These are his words:
"It may appear to you at times that those out in the world are having much more fun than you are. Some of you may feel restricted by the code of conduct to which we in the Church adhere. My brothers and sisters, I declare to you, however, that there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments. That Spirit cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world participates. The Apostle Paul declared the truth: 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' (1 Corinthians: 14) The term natural man can refer to any of us if we allow ourselves to be so. We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, 'The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.'" (Isaiah 32:17)
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/stand-in-holy-places?lang=eng
I like the part about things being spiritually discerned. My father, in his older years, gave up discerning things by the spirit, and decided to rely on his own abilities. He would not read the Book of Mormon but relied on worldly wisdom. As a result, he became a bitter man.
I have listened to a C.D. of Jeff Goodrich songs many times, ****"Back to Galilee." There is one song I have enjoyed particularly called "Beyond the Sun." Jeff Goodrich talks of his experience of visiting the tomb in Jerusalem, and the feelings he was having. "From beyond the Sun, beyond the moon; beyond the stars where the galaxies bloom, there come the whispers of heaven, that tell my my Savior lives; He lives."
I know some people would say that these feelings are not real, they are manifestations of ours own desiring. Or perhaps like Scrooge they would say they are some gastrointestinal action, some undigested undone potato. Jeff Goodrich also answers this as the song continues. "From deep in my heart, deep in my soul, deeper than mortal has strength to control, I hear the whispers of heaven, that tell my my Savior lives; He lives"
There are spiritual powers. They are real, and the testify that Christ lives. If you have doubt of this, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon, which testifies of Him in written word, and in spirit.
Elder Pieper talked of another way in which we separate ourselves from the hope of Christ. This is by deciding that we personally are unworthy of receiving his atoning sacrifice. However if we feel this, we again deny Christ. While there is no happiness in sin, there is repentance, and the atoning cleansing which comes from Christ Remember, He has gone below all things, and has paid the price for all, if we accept Him as our Savior. "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
God lives, and we have hope in Christ. In this troubled world, we have hope in Christ. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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