CHARACTER......from the Duggars

TRUTHFULNESS
vs. Deception
Earning future trust by
accurately reporting past facts
Ephesians 4:25
ALERTNESS
vs. Unawareness
Being aware of that which is
taking place around me so that
I can have the right responses
Mark 14:38
SELF-CONTROL
vs. self-indulgence
Instant obedience to the initial
promptings of
God’s Spirit
Galatians 5:24-25
WISDOM
vs. Natural Inclinations
Seeing and responding to life
situations from God’s frame of
reference
Proverbs 9:10
RESOURCEFULNESS
vs. Wastefulness
Wise use of that which others
would normally overlook or
discard
Luke 16:10
ORDERLINESS
vs. Disorganization
Preparing myself and my
surroundings so that I will
achieve the greatest efficiency
1 Corinthians 14:40
ATTENTIVENESS
vs. Unconcern
Showing the worth of a person
by giving undivided attention
to his words and emotions
Hebrews 2:1
OBEDIENCE
vs. Willfulness
Freedom to be creative under
the protection of divinely
appointed authority
II Corinthians 10:5
HOSPITALITY
vs. Loneliness
Cheerfully sharing food,
shelter, and spiritual
refreshment with those God
brings into my life
Hebrews 13:2
REVERENCE
vs. Disrespect
Awareness of how God is
working through the people
and events in my life to
produce the character of Christ
in me
Proverbs 23: 17-18
DISCERNMENT
vs. Judgment
The God-given ability to
understand why things happen
I Samuel 16:7
THRIFTINESS
vs. Extravagance
Not letting myself or others
spend that which is not
necessary
Luke 16:11
INITIATIVE
vs. Unresponsiveness
Recognizing and doing what
needs to be done before I am
asked to do it
Romans 12:21
SENSITIVITY
vs. Callousness
Exercising my senses so that I
can perceive the true spirit and
emotions of those around me
Romans 12:15
SINCERITY
vs. Hypocrisy
Eagerness to do what is right
with transparent motives
1 Peter 1:22
GENEROSITY
vs. Stinginess
Realizing that all I have
belongs to God and using it for
His purposes
II Corinthians 9:6
DILIGENCE
vs. Slothfulness
Visualizing each task as a
special assignment from the
Lord and using all my energies
to accomplish it
Colossians 3:23
FAITH
vs. Presumption
Visualizing what God intends
to do in a given situation and
acting in harmony with it
Hebrews 11:1
CONTENTMENT
vs. Covetousness
Realizing that God has
provided everything that I
need for my present happiness
I Timothy 6:8
RESPONSIBILITY
vs. Unreliability
Knowing and doing what both
God and others are expecting
me to do
Romans 14:12
JUSTICE
vs. Fairness
Personal responsibility to
God’s unchanging laws
Micah 6:8
VIRTUE
vs. Impurity
The moral excellence and
purity of spirit that radiate
from my life as I obey God’s
word
II Peter 1:5
JOYFULNESS
vs. Self-pity
The spontaneous enthusiasm
of my spirit when my soul is in
fellowship with the Lord
Psalm 16:11
THOROUGHNESS
vs. Incompleteness
Knowing what factors will
diminish the effectiveness of
my work or words if neglected
Proverbs 18:15
DISCRETION
vs. Simple-mindedness
The ability to avoid words,
actions, and attitudes which
could result in undesirable
consequences
Proverbs 22:3
PUNCTUALITY
vs. Tardiness
Showing high esteem for other
people and their time
Ecclesiastes 3:1
HUMILITY
vs. Pride
Recognizing that God and
others are actually responsible
for the achievements in my
life
James 4:6
COMPASSION
vs. Indifference
Investingwhatever is
necessary to heal the hurts of
others
I John 3:17
BOLDNESS
vs. Fearfulness
Confidence that what I have to
say or do is true and right and
just in the sight of God
Acts 4:29
FLEXIBILITY
vs. Resistance
Not setting my affections on
ideas or plans which could be
changed by God or others
Colossians 3:2
DEPENDABILITY
vs. Inconsistency
Fulfilling what I consented to
do even if it means
unexpected sacrifice
Psalm 15:4
LOVE
vs. Selfishness
Giving to others basic needs
without having as my motive
personal reward
I Corinthians 13:3
TOLERANCE
vs. Prejudice
Acceptance of others as
unique expressions of specific
character qualities in varying
degrees of maturity
Philippians 2:2
DECISIVENESS
vs. Double-mindedness
The ability to finalize difficult
decisions based on the will
and ways of God
James 1:5
GENTLENESS
vs. Harshness
Showing personal care and
concern in meeting the needs
of others
I Thessalonians 2:7
FORGIVENESS
vs. Rejection
Clearing the record of those
who have wronged me and
allowing God to love them
through me
Ephesians 4:32
AVAILABILITY
vs. Self-centeredness
Making my own schedule and
priorities secondary to wishes
of those I am serving
Philippians 2:20-21
SECURITY
vs. Anxiety
Structuring my life around that
which is eternal and cannot be
destroyed or taken away
John 6:27
CREATIVITY
vs. Under-achievement
Approaching a need, a task, an
idea from a new perspective
Romans 12:2
CAUTIOUSNESS
vs. Rashness
Knowing how important right
timing is in accomplishing
right actions
Proverbs 19:2
DETERMINATION
vs. Faint-heartedness
Purposing to Accomplish
God’s goals in God’s timing
regardless of the opposition
II Timothy 4:7-8
DEFERENCE
vs. Rudeness
Limiting my freedom in order
not to offend the tastes of
those God has called me to
serve
Romans 14:21
PERSUASIVENESS
vs. Contentiousness
Guiding vital truth around
another’s mental roadblocks
II Timothy 2:24
ENDURANCE
vs. Giving-up
The inward strength to
withstand stress to accomplish
God’s best
Galatians 6:9
PATIENCE
vs. Restlessness
Accepting a difficult situation
from God without giving Him
a deadline to remove it
Romans 5:3-4
ENTHUSIASM
vs. Apathy
Expressing with my spirit the
joy of my soul
I Thessalonians 5:16,19
GRATEFULNESS
vs. Unthankfulness
Making known to God and
others in what ways they have
benefited my life
I Corinthians 4:7
LOYALTY
vs. Unfaithfulness
Using difficult times to
demonstrate my commitment
to God and to those whom He
has called me to serve
John 15:13
MEEKNESS
vs. Anger
Yielding my personal rights
and expectations to God
Psalm 62:5

I have become so much more skeptical as of late.  Read this, and perhaps join me.

Saman Mohammadi

Glenn Greenwald writes in his article, “The ‘war on terror’ – by design – can never end”:

“There’s no question that this “war” will continue indefinitely. There is no question that US actions are the cause of that, the gasoline that fuels the fire. The only question – and it’s becoming less of a question for me all the time – is whether this endless war is the intended result of US actions or just an unwanted miscalculation.
It’s increasingly hard to make the case that it’s the latter. The US has long known, and its own studies have emphatically concluded, that “terrorism” is motivated not by a “hatred of our freedoms” but by US policy and aggression in the Muslim world. This causal connection is not news to the US government. Despite this – or, more accurately, because of it – they continue with these policies.
One of the most difficult endeavors is to divine the motives of other people (divining our own motives is difficult enough). That becomes even more difficult when attempting to discern the motives not of a single actor but a collection of individuals with different motives and interests (“the US government”).
But what one can say for certain is that there is zero reason for US officials to want an end to the war on terror, and numerous and significant reasons why they would want it to continue. It’s always been the case that the power of political officials is at its greatest, its most unrestrained, in a state of war. Cicero, two thousand years ago, warned that “In times of war, the law falls silent” (Inter arma enim silent leges). John Jay, in Federalist No. 4, warned that as a result of that truth, “nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it . . . for the purposes and objects merely personal, such as thirst for military glory, revenge for personal affronts, ambition, or private compacts to aggrandize or support their particular families or partisans.”
If you were a US leader, or an official of the National Security State, or a beneficiary of the private military and surveillance industries, why would you possibly want the war on terror to end? That would be the worst thing that could happen. It’s that war that generates limitless power, impenetrable secrecy, an unquestioning citizenry, and massive profit.”

Scripture Keys for Today:  Mosiah 8

-The working of miracles is to benefit fellow beings

-The wisdom of men is blind

 17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

 18 Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore

 he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.

 20 O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them!

I've had this exact question...and so have my friends

A new Post from Spencer, Answering E.

December 12, 2012 by shayne777

Question for Spencer–How do you keep a balance of living in this world (i.e. the culture of this world) with striving for Zion? As I have read your story, I too am filled with joy and a deep desire to prepare myself for a Zion life. I find myself becoming more and more serious and my conversations becoming “heavy” to those around me. I have intense desires for a Zion life–I have ever since I was a young child and became “aware.” I find that this is not good for my children who need a mother who is “light” and unburdened by the call. Yet when I learn these things of Zion, the cultural norms of our world (I’m speaking of things that would be considered “acceptable” to our LDS culture–movies, TV, books, politics, medical practices, to name a few) seem to repulse me and I become more unrelatable–respected, but unrelatable. How then do you, knowing what you so definitively know, operate as a father, husband, friend, community member, etc.?
(Spencer)
E, I will attempt to discuss this process. May the Lord be with me.
When we are shown the great love and compassion the Savior has for all that He has been given by the Father. Who we are, every one of us has been given to Christ by the Father or we would not be on this site.. He knows our needs, and our wants. When we see this clearly, our needs and wants diminish considerably, we change and we see the process so much clearer and far more deeply. This clarity is then imparted to us in regards to what all of us must past through so we can lay this mortal by and put it all, everything, holding nothing back on the altar and consider each person in their present place, in their present progression in a new light. The Lord gives us this vision and we become changed by it. Dificult, Yes. Necessary, for sure. He then shows us our standing before the Lord, as we progress through this veil of tears and into the place where Zion penetrates our wanderings and daily walk until it consumes us. The things of this world then seem to start taking care of themselves. A transition takes place in us and our efforts can then become multiplied, blessed and sanctified. People then begin to know instinctivly that we love them in ways that are higher then how we used to Love, act and how we used to be. Higher than the lone and dreary world which bogs us down and causes us to flee from the world because we are fearful it might splash on us and contaminate our efforts. Because it certainly has the tendency to drag us down with it.
We then no longer are motivated out of attraction, lust or the desire for status or power or gain. Our pride becomes swollowed up in the Love He shows us and the purpose that burns in our bones like a fire shut up within them. Our desire to do this and become this, is known by the Lord in the same fashion that we are known.
We than start treating others as He treats us. They become caught up in the rapture of His purposes and begin to accept all other souls in the place they dwell and our desires become the spark which moves them to see with new eyes and feel with a new heart. Others than begin to lift up their heads and turn to the Lord and transform themselves bit by bit till they are no longer comfortable with where they reside and live. The discomfort of it all cause them to shift, move and reevaluate their present status.Through this they then begin to look to Him and Do all that they do in the Name of the Lord, that He may begin to sanctify their service, work, thoughts and actions to their own good and the good of all that are around them. We can not become a community of Monks and bring this wortk forward.
Thus Zion is established. For the desire of Zion is to become one. One in heart, one in purpose, one is spirit. O N E ! Even as The Father and the Son are ONE. This becomes a mighty work. The energy continues to grow and like “ Hurricane Sandy” it becomes a mighty force that desroys, shakes up and causes change, all old things are taken away or destroyed and the only place to move is to stand still and mourn or move forward and learn of Him who is the author of this change.
Recall with me in the garden of Eden, on the Tree of Good and Evil, on this very tree which the Father and the Son had planted, we find opposition. Good and Evil. Change comes from loss, pain, struggle movement. We must recall, the Lord said, “Be ye therefore even as I am”. To align with Him we must be like Him. And often that takes going below it all while also being above it all. Can we receive only those parts of sanctification which are glorious, without seeing, and experiencing that which is painful, trying and difficult? I do not believe this is the path. He will succor us. He will lead us along. It is the path to Him and the Path to Zion. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life. I testify of Him in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen. (Spencer)

To contemplate

“[The Latter-Day Saints] are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel — ships, planes, missiles, fortifications — and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).
“We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us — and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Nephi 1:7) — or he will fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many). This he is able to do, for as he said at the time of his betrayal, 'Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?' (Matthew 26:53). We can imagine what fearsome soldiers they would be.
“What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves; to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies.”

— President of the LDS Church Spencer W. Kimball⁶

We need BIG Desserts for BIG Families....and so today I went searching for a killer Chocolate Cake recipe and I found this recipe over here:    I am Baker

I did it a little differently, of course.

First off, my recipe is doubled from the original if you check the link and now are confused as you begin to peruse the indgredients.

I creamed all of the wet ingredients and then just kept whipping them until I was done mixing all the dry ingredients.  It was pretty fluffy by the time I added the flour and such.  I mixed on low until it looked really creamy....and since we don't do coffee.. I substituted 1/2 cup hot water and 1/2 cup real vanilla extract to mix in gently at the end.  The last step is not officially doubled since I would have needed 2 cups of watery liquid...but it seemed like enough, so I quit adding.

I baked it in a large cake pan, almost like a sheet pan size but with higher edges at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  This should feed around 24 people generously.

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups good cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1 cup softened butter
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
•  1/2 cup vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water

Seville Quilt for Ginger

 

Made this Seville quilt  from a pattern available at cluckclucksew.com.  The fabrics are from a fat quarter bundle by Robert Kauffman and some random pieces from my stash (gotta love that).  It is a gift for my Mother-in-Law, Ginger, who is now doing missionary work in Cape Verde.  We sure do miss her.

I sent this one off to be quilted.  Trying to do this large of quilt on my machine made me want to cry.  It was quilted by The Quilt Barn in Kimberly, Idaho.  I said,  "I want botanical with lots of motion," and they did a beautiful job.  Finished up the binding, threw it in the washer and dryer so we could get to that wonderful crinkly and textured finish...and now what a beautiful treat to enjoy looking at.