The Grandparent Chronicles

                    PRECIOUS   MOMENTS When Annette’s father passed away, her mother decided to that she would like the family to remember him in a special way. On the anniversary of his passing, she would gather, with as many of her children as could, at the Precious Moments chapel in Carthage, Missouri. There we would each write a memory or fond thought of Dennis and record them for posterity in the journals there provided for that purpose.   So, on November 6, 2022, we were there on the anniversary of his passing. Those who couldn’t make the trip sent letters to read. As we recorded our thoughts and read the letters, not a dry eye was to be found. All there experienced a very “precious moment” while at the Precious Moments chapel.   The following thought that came forcefully to my mind and heart that day is the topic for this month’s   Grandparent Chronicles.     “Precious moments can and should be ...

                                                        Polished Stones   On the northern coast of California, near Fort Bragg, is an amazingly beautiful beach called “Glass Beach.” It’s colorful gems of blue, red, green, amber, and crystal clear are what remains of a previous dump site where broken bottles were deposited.   Over time, the grinding sand and tumbling waves have smoothed all edges and what remains are beautiful, smooth, and polished glass gems. Nature accomplishes this same feat over hundreds of years with hard jagged rocks.   After years of tumbling by waves and sand, sharp rocks are transformed into beautiful, polished stones. For centuries, man has refined ways to duplicate natures process. From ancient Egyptian slaves stirring selected chips of stone in a trough with sand and water to Lapidaries in India usi...

COUSINS   (WHAT EXACTLY IS A 2ND COUSIN TWICE REMOVED ??) Recently, Annette and I had the privilege of being with lots of my cousins. (See picture) We had gathered to pay tribute to a life well lived, Bill Norman, (my cousin Darlene's husband.) As we visited with all these 1st cousins of mine (our parents were all siblings), we were introduced to some of their children and grandchildren and enjoyed getting acquainted. It was fun to meet these wonderful people and enjoy their personalities. I knew we were all related, but unsure what our relationship was actually called. What exactly is a 2nd or 3rd cousin? What is a cousin once or twice removed? I had heard these terms but had to admit to myself that I didn't clearly understand their meanings. Not long after our gathering, I noticed on Family Tree two "Cousin Charts" with explanation of just what those cousin terms mean! We thought it might be fun to share with you our newfound knowledge (for those of you who just mig...

   THE VOICES WE    CHOOSE TO HEAR    Around 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians of  “so many kinds of voices in the world.” If Paul were alive today- with the invention of radio, television, the internet and social media, we can only imagine the increased concern he would have with the thousands of additional voices vying for our attention! “The voices I hear are persuasive, seductive, fascinating and confusing.    Speaking across the earth, they are part of a mighty battle that is being waged for the minds of men.”(Gordon B. Hinckley April Gen Conf. 1966)   “Too many voices are deceptive, seductive and can pull us off the covenant path.”(Russell M. Nelson, “Make time for the Lord”, General Conf. October 2021) “If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the spirit will be diminished. If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and ...

                        Ellen Jane Perks Johnstun BLESSED, HONORED PIONEERS July 24, 2022, marks the 175 th anniversary of the Latter-day Saint pioneers entering into the Salt Lake Valley, when Brigham Young declared “this is the right place!”   Each year since, Latter-day Saints celebrate this culminating event with parades, rodeos, and devotionals.   Russel M. Ballard said, “what we celebrate on July 24 th is mainly the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and His inspiration for our early leaders and faithful pioneers.”   Our family is blessed to have some of these faithful pioneers as our ancestors. These faith filled ancestors made great sacrifices because of their testimonies in Jesus Christ and his newly restored church they ardently believed and followed. We’ll highlight one of their stories here and encourage you to become acquainted with their faith filled lives, learning from their lives and ...

                                                       CHUTES AND LADDERS  In our Wade family game closet is a game that our children enjoyed playing called Chutes and Ladders. It was introduced in the USA in 1943 by Milton Bradley. It’s a simple game of 100 squares. Players spin a spinner or roll the dice to determine how many spaces to move. If you land at the bottom of a ladder, you are allowed to climb to its top. If you however land at the top of a slide, you quickly slide to the bottom of the slide. The winner is the player who manages to navigate the playing board, ascending to the top and landing exactly on space 100. Don’t expect to win the game without experiencing a few ladders of success and more than a few slides of failure. Did you know that the concept of this game dates back to India in the 2 nd century B.C.?   It...

 Sister Wade scrubbing the Temple Hill bathroom floors        A   SEASON  OF  SERVICE  On May 5,2022, our mission service as the Sacramento Temple Grounds Caretakers ended. After 20 months there, plus our 10 months in Kiev, Ukraine, we had been missionaries for 2 ½ years. Like all mission endings, we left with mixed emotions. We were excited for the future yet sad to leave the many friends and experiences we had come to know and love. We asked ourselves- What lessons have we learned? What experiences have we had to better prepare us for the future? What insights have we gained that in sharing, could benefit those we love? (you!) 1- We learned the same lesson shared by king Benjamin with his people in the Book of Mormon ( Mosiah 2:17,18)   “and behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”…”ought not ye to...