"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.

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf , "Happiness, Your Heritage," October 2008 General Conference

Receiving Personal Revelation

"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life."

Julie B. Beck, "And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit,” April 2010 General Conference

Obedience to the Father RIght Now

"Some will inquire, "Do you suppose we will finish this temple, Brother Brigham!" I have had such questions put to me already. My answer is, I do not know, and I do not care. . . . I have never cared but for one thing, and that is, simply to know that I am now right before my Father in Heaven. If I am this moment, this day, doing the things God requires of my hands, and precisely where my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I care no more about tomorrow than though it never would come. I do not know where I shall be tomorrow, nor do I know when this temple will be done. . . .

"This I do know―there should be a temple built here. I do know it is the duty of this people to commence to build a temple."

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 132

How to Spend our Time

"After suitable rest and relaxation there is not a day, hour or minute that we should spend in idleness, but every minute of every day of our lives we should strive to improve our minds and to increase [our] faith [in] the holy Gospel."

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 13:310, April 17, 1870.

Christ Exemplifies Obedience to the Father

"I cannot think it either accident or mere whimsy that the Good Shepherd in his newly exalted state, appearing to a most significant segment of his flock, chooses first to speak of his obedience, his deference, his loyalty, and loving submission to his father. In an initial and profound moment of spellbinding wonder, when surely he had the attention of every man, woman, and child as far as the eye could see, his submission to his father is the first and most important thing he wishes us to know about himself.

"Frankly, I am a bit haunted by the thought that this is the first and most important thing he may want to know about us when 'we meet him one day in similar fashion. Did we obey, even if it was painful? Did we submit, even if the cup was bitter indeed? Did we yield to a vision higher and holier than our own, even when we may have seen no vision in it at all?"

Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Will of the Father in All Things." BYU Devotional given 17 January 1989.

Thoughts, Actions, and our Value System

“We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we’ve selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make...

“Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions.

“And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct.”

~Benjamin Franklin’s The Art of Virtue, ed. George L. Rogers (1996), 88–90.

Building Strong Character in Our Children

“Education makes a greater difference between man and man, than nature has made between man and beast. The virtues and powers to which men may be trained, by early education and constant discipline, are truly sublime and astonishing.

“It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.

“But their bodies must be hardened, as well as their souls exalted. Without strength and activity and vigor of body, the brightest mental excellencies will be eclipsed and obscured."

~Letter from John Adams to his wife concerning the education of their children

The Benefits of Writing

“Reading maketh a full man;

Speaking a ready man; and

Writing an exact man!”

~ Sir Francis Bacon

Developing Character

"Thoughts mold your features. Thoughts lift your soul heavenward or drag you toward hell. … As nothing reveals character like the company we like and keep, so nothing foretells futurity like the thoughts over which we brood. … To have the approval of your conscience when you are alone with your thoughts is like being in the company of true and loving friends. To merit your own self-respect gives strength to character. Conscience is the link that binds your soul to the spirit of God."

--President David O. McKay, "Developing Character", Ensign, Oct. 2001, 22

Teaching in the Home

"The vital importance of teaching truth in the home is fundamental. The Church is important, but it is in the home where parents provide the required understanding and direction for children. It is truly said that the most important callings in time and eternity are those of father and mother. In time we will be released from all other assignments we receive but not from that of father and mother."

--Elder Richard G. Scott, "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!", April 2010 General Conference

The Lord Compensates

"The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It", Ensign, Nov 2008, 26–28

Love the Center of Everything

"Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God", Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24

Faith in Jesus Christ

"Faith is a spiritual gift from God that comes through the Holy Ghost. It requires a correct understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ, His divine attributes and perfect character, His teachings, Atonement, Resurrection, and priesthood power. Obedience to these principles develops complete trust in Him and His ordained servants and assurance of His promised blessings. There is no other thing in which we can have absolute assurance. There is no other foundation in life that can bring the same peace, joy, and hope. In uncertain and difficult times, faith is truly a spiritual gift worthy of our utmost efforts. We can give our children education, lessons, athletics, the arts, and material possessions, but if we do not give them faith in Christ, we have given little."

--Kevin W. Pearson, "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ", Liahona, May 2009, 38–40