"The influence of Art is so powerful in shaping our lives for a higher appreciation of the creations of our God that we cannot afford to neglect an acquaintance with it. We should be as eager for its companionship as we are eager for chairs to sit upon or for food to sustain our lives, for it has as important a mission in shaping our character and in conducing to our happiness as anything that we term necessities.”

John Hafen (artist)

Plant yourself by a stream of water

Today I stumbled across these wallpapers that are so perfect for this blog, and of course they were in both English and Portuguese.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:3

 

É como árvore plantada à beira de águas correntes: Dá fruto no tempo certo e suas folhas não murcham. Tudo o que ele faz prospera! Salmos 1:3

Sanctification Through Sacrifice

“From the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.”

-- Lectures on Faith, 6:58 (see also D&C 98:11–15 and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 322.)

O Carvalho Majestoso Foi Antes uma Pequena Semente

The mighty Oak was once a tiny acorn.

As Raises do Carvalho Majestoso Pode Alcancar a Eternidade

The roots of a mighty oak can reach into eternity!

What Will Matter

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

            By Michael Josephson

Hummus

1 carrot, quartered
1 cup dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 bay leaf
1 onion, quartered
2 tablespoons tahini
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cayenne pepper, large pinch
Extra virgin olive oil, for ganish
Paprika, for garnish

Place the chickpeas in a bowl, add 1 quart water, and soak overnight (I sometimes skip this step).

Drain the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with 2 quarts water (or enough to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches) and add the bay leaf, onion, and carrot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very tender.  Skim the surface, if you desire (I usually don't).

Discard the bay leaf, and optionally, the onion and carrot.  Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid and leave  the chickpeas until they are cool enough to handle. Pick through for any loose skins and discard.  (Usually I just leave them in and blend them up with everything else, but you can take them out if you want to.)

Blend the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt (and the onion and carrot if you opted to retain them) in a food processor or Vitamix blender until thick and smooth.  With the motor running, gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, about 3/4 cup, to form a smooth creamy puree.  Season  as desired with salt and lemon juice.  Spread into a bowl or plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika over the top.  Serve with warm pita bread, crackers, pita chips, or cabbage chips (our favorite--just cup raw cabbage into wedge and dip into the hummus--it is delicious!). Other vegetables are also very good served with hummus as a dip: carrots, celery, sliced red or green pepper,etc.

Tips: Cook the whole bag of chickpeas and make a huge batch of hummus.  Divide the finished batch into about parts and freeze three of them.  Eat the other part of course.  Hummus freezes extremely well and it is always nice to have some on hand.

Also, refrigerated hummus has a short shelf life, so either eat it quickly (which is never a burden) or freeze it.