Thursday, 8/3 3:47pm hey bps, life is good, I am blessed. I added a phrase besides those to my email signature this week: “Coast downhill.” I might be unique in Saint George as far as my bike riding style is concerned. I stand and coast whenever possible. Yesterday and today I have warn a red t-shirt so I would not get hit by traffic. But it doesn’t do a bit of good at 11pm at night, which was when I got home. I love being free and unique and independent. I fight against sameness. I just can’t help it. I am the only person who rides their bike to church each week and I have for 2 or 3 decades. I left FS at 8:45pm and rode to Washington Albertson’s. Green stuffed olives for $1/bottle, advertised. Of course they were sold out the first day of the sale! By 10 for $10. My Fresno brother made us a dozen bottles of green olives back in the ‘80’s. He cured them and everything. They made me allergic but I couldn’t resist. What a fun present/ gift. I got a rain check for the olives. No way I was going to bike over there after dark and leave/ return empty handed. Smith’s is having their grand opening! Next to Dinosaur land/ johnson farm. I stopped in to see about 18ct eggs 99cents. I bought the last 4 packs. On my bike? Yep. I had to transfer a broken one before I bought them. No light on my bike. I like to ride in the gutter so I am safe from traffic. But watch out for drains and rocks and logs! When there were no cars I rode on the white line. I did not jump any curbs with the eggs on board. But I did hit a few holes. I had put my red beanie/ stocking cap underneath the eggs in my basket so it could cushion the jarrings. I did not walk the dog that late. @@ Friday 8/4 Good Morning Brandon, Last night was BoM and I was stimulated. My Friday is so much more alive in a spiritual sense for having attended. Art Jones about drives me crazy sometimes. He wanted to talk and talk and talk after class was over. But he said something that has me thinking today. He said he would be willing to care for someone until they died again. He told of the last time of having relations with his deceased wife and how her thoracic cavity just sloshed around with fluid as he body was decomposing. He lifted her up on the bed and he undressed her and she sloshed and looked up at him knowing he had heard and wondering how he would respond. Pause. Crud, that so grosses me out. He had a harrowing childhood like me and his daughter drugged out and had operation after operation to prolong her life, this last one left her open for 8 days because she was septic and they finally just closed her up and said, sorry there is nothing we can do. He will have all his kids in town next week for the funeral. As you can tell he tells extreme stories and he does it in a soft voice. Small little man, pilot retired, out of money, missing bottom teeth, working at the temple, indexing and arbitrating a bit, trying to repent for a life of excess, wondering how he can earn more money because SS isn’t cutting it for him. Art Jones, Lusty Morgan, Bob Davis, Tony Minardi such intriguing characters! What a privilege to get to know them and be a part of their lives.tyhf! I love spell check. I love automatic hand blowers, soap dispensers and doors. It is so cool to watch how all these things work around us. I have ridden my bike to FS the last 5 days, the last 3 I haven’t had a choice. EricY is working on my head gasket. I rode home in the almost dark last night. Thunderstorms were flashing all around me. So pretty! I was glad none were near and active. I stopped at Lins and got 6 pounds of cheese. 12$ Can't’ beat that price very often. I biked a new path home. Like I said I ride in the gutter so I don’t get hit and I ride on either side of the road depending on if I need to see the traffic to feel safe. Don’t you wish you could do stuff like this? Wild and crazy and risky. In my backpack I had 3 slices of Swiss cheese so janice divine could use them as visual aids. She did. I also took 20 yellow apples harvested here at FS and after the lesson invited everyone to Swiss cheese and fresh apples. A few did the apples but no one did the cheese. So all the more for me. I spent $5 on those tiny cheese samples. I got 2 slices packaged individually so I could pass them down each side of class.
And then I saw a little wedge of Norway Havarti that had big holes as well that I just couldn’t refuse.
Now they are all in my fridge. :) Janice texted Tuesday asking what I thought of extending the lesson for 3 weeks. Of course I totally supported it. She emphasized that these teaching are so different than the NT if you analyzed the changes. With that input rolling around in my head I realized it could be time to do our Swiss cheese analogy again. Wednesday night I checked Albertsons and Smiths for Swiss. It needed to be holey to work. Guess who has the best cheese display with cheeses from Europe? Harmons. They even had 3 workers behind the cheese island ready to help customers. I told them of my crazy request and they did it happily. I am sure the class did not even register what they were really seeing. Swiss is a very strong cheese. A reuben sandwich has toasted rye bread, sauerkraut and melted swiss. The havarti says it is good in salads. The curing processes of cheese and all the different bacteria used and fungi is fascinating to me. I am allergic to many of them but it doesn’t keep me from watching others enjoy them. I feel grateful each time Janice points out the treats I bring and place on the back table. The class would be very different without me. I am sort of like that havarti cheese, good in a salad but a bit strong taken individually! I can’t tell you the fun I had anticipating sharing last night. I even borrowed some chalk and wrote this on the side board: “Holy Swiss Cheese, batman!” “Yes Robin is it.” Yay bible. More yay BoM! @ Here is the email I wrote janice this morning and the one she wrote me:
defensive
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com>11:26 AM (1 hour ago)to Janice
Good morning Anna Divine,
I vmailed you last night mentioning Valerie, Darrin, Hope n (Art) should have the lesson piped to them in another room. Of course I was just being silly/ teasing.
I got Art to lose his cool. Saw a side of him I have never seen before and it was acrid/ intense/ defensive/ offended/ protective/ justifying. I teased him about coming in late. No way! He had been there early and set up! I was the one who was late!
He later apologized for getting so heated under the collar. I was quite aggressive with Lisa at the start last night when she whined about me interrupting and that we had already had the opening prayer.
Me: I had tried to leave early enough to make it on time from FS on my bike. 6:35. As I mentioned in my vmail I was so excited to share, I had ridden to Harmons and had a plan. But I was ashamed of having arrived late. The library was locked so I had to interrupt you for some chalk. Then later I had to interrupt again to pass out the Swiss. I was super sensitive. What? me super sensitive? Yep. I'm not sure I have shown the side I demonstrated/ reacted/ defended to Lisa in a while. We are all just learning, no matter our ages. Your delay on passing me the chalk and then again when I asked for a minute was excruciating. . . but from you I take it as return teasing. Not from Lisa.
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com>11:26 AM (1 hour ago)to Janice
Good morning Anna Divine,
I vmailed you last night mentioning Valerie, Darrin, Hope n (Art) should have the lesson piped to them in another room. Of course I was just being silly/ teasing.
I got Art to lose his cool. Saw a side of him I have never seen before and it was acrid/ intense/ defensive/ offended/ protective/ justifying. I teased him about coming in late. No way! He had been there early and set up! I was the one who was late!
He later apologized for getting so heated under the collar. I was quite aggressive with Lisa at the start last night when she whined about me interrupting and that we had already had the opening prayer.
Me: I had tried to leave early enough to make it on time from FS on my bike. 6:35. As I mentioned in my vmail I was so excited to share, I had ridden to Harmons and had a plan. But I was ashamed of having arrived late. The library was locked so I had to interrupt you for some chalk. Then later I had to interrupt again to pass out the Swiss. I was super sensitive. What? me super sensitive? Yep. I'm not sure I have shown the side I demonstrated/ reacted/ defended to Lisa in a while. We are all just learning, no matter our ages. Your delay on passing me the chalk and then again when I asked for a minute was excruciating. . . but from you I take it as return teasing. Not from Lisa.
Whine over/ apology over, in case you didn't see it, I'm sorry for the outburst and interruptions. I just couldn't ignore my preparations. I was so excited. Perhaps someone bigger/ under better control could have just taken it home without sharing but not me.
Positives:
-Lisa included Art and his comment. [Man was he needy last night. You listened to him. I listened to him, and listened, and listened. But there are all kinds of service. I just like to know when it will end. That suspense of not knowing how long agitates me.]
-Darrin sat at the table.
-Darrin really, really got into the lesson. He was responding under his breath and sometimes not so under his breath for at least 30 minutes. Did you see some OCD in him? I did.
Joke: Snide remark: He didn't eat any apples. Too healthy I guess. (mean I know)
-Walt stuck around until you were free so he could thank you for the lesson.
-Lisa made sure you heard her thank you for the lesson.
-How many others thanked you for the lesson! We scuba dived last night, as you foretold/ previewed/ anticipated/ announced. We were internalizing all over the place! Did you see Julie? Did you see Ilene? So sweet.
-What? They set the class up for you before you got there? Wendy did it a couple of weeks ago. Do you realize Janice that that is evidence of respect and appreciation? So nice.
-Thank you for the personal service of sharing your chalk, triple combo, and roll. Aren't we fun!
Comment: We gloss over the application of those lessons/ guidelines/ commandments from Jesus so much of the time. We pay lip service and drag out the old time worn examples. But when we respond about how it affects us right now and how hard it is to do. . . and that we may never be able to do it. . . that is when we are real and present and feeling. So you prepared to have us scuba dive and you succeeded.
The funniest time in the lesson was watching Darrin ask over and over again what one of his passages meant and Walt join him at first but then allow Darrin to repeat it 10 or more times. Plus, watching you sit there quiet while he turmoiled! Ha , ha! :)
I enjoy you. I appreciate you. You made good choices on how to involve us. Like I said last night vmail, you include class members in your dialog and that makes people feel included! Yep, included used twice. And significant and important and sufficient and appreciated and valued.
Positives:
-Lisa included Art and his comment. [Man was he needy last night. You listened to him. I listened to him, and listened, and listened. But there are all kinds of service. I just like to know when it will end. That suspense of not knowing how long agitates me.]
-Darrin sat at the table.
-Darrin really, really got into the lesson. He was responding under his breath and sometimes not so under his breath for at least 30 minutes. Did you see some OCD in him? I did.
Joke: Snide remark: He didn't eat any apples. Too healthy I guess. (mean I know)
-Walt stuck around until you were free so he could thank you for the lesson.
-Lisa made sure you heard her thank you for the lesson.
-How many others thanked you for the lesson! We scuba dived last night, as you foretold/ previewed/ anticipated/ announced. We were internalizing all over the place! Did you see Julie? Did you see Ilene? So sweet.
-What? They set the class up for you before you got there? Wendy did it a couple of weeks ago. Do you realize Janice that that is evidence of respect and appreciation? So nice.
-Thank you for the personal service of sharing your chalk, triple combo, and roll. Aren't we fun!
Comment: We gloss over the application of those lessons/ guidelines/ commandments from Jesus so much of the time. We pay lip service and drag out the old time worn examples. But when we respond about how it affects us right now and how hard it is to do. . . and that we may never be able to do it. . . that is when we are real and present and feeling. So you prepared to have us scuba dive and you succeeded.
The funniest time in the lesson was watching Darrin ask over and over again what one of his passages meant and Walt join him at first but then allow Darrin to repeat it 10 or more times. Plus, watching you sit there quiet while he turmoiled! Ha , ha! :)
I enjoy you. I appreciate you. You made good choices on how to involve us. Like I said last night vmail, you include class members in your dialog and that makes people feel included! Yep, included used twice. And significant and important and sufficient and appreciated and valued.
class Janice Van Dyke 10:56 AM (1 hour ago) to me
What a class last night, huh? I thought they'd never stop talking! lol In response to your voicemail message, I think the group should be Valerie, Derek (?) is that his name?, Hope, Lisa and Art - at least last night he was Mr. Chatty.
And Julie wishes the class were two hours every week?!? Hahahahaha.
Loved all the input last night. Would have loved to keep the comments on track a bit more... Oh well, it's all good, right?
Thanks for the cheese and apples, and for always bringing things to share - spiritually and temporally!
Have a great weekend!
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com>
11:28 AM (1 hour ago)to Janice
And Julie wishes the class were two hours every week?!? Hahahahaha. MAN, DID I HAVE TO REPEAT THAT!Thanks for the cheese and apples, and for always bringing things to share - spiritually and temporally! YOU ARE SO WELCOME. @@ So bps, I did show a little self control last night. Valerie went on an on making an excellent point that we can answer others with all honesty by saying I hope so, I will do my best, and hedging a little instead of making a absolutely guaranteed commitment. I really wanted to add that we can be perfectly open along those lines with HF in prayer like that as well. @ Janice pointed out that GBH had to tell the church there were good people in other religions, why should he have to teach us that? Are we really that narrow minded? I really wanted to point out that once burned twice careful. If we have been mocked and persecuted for living the gospel we might be more protective and maybe in weakness even defensive. There is so much of the world we cannot safely take into our bodies/ minds. Perhaps we forget that advertising and billboards and temptations are not them same as people. We should differentiate between the wicked enticements of Satan and the wholesomeness of many nonmembers. So those two comments went unsaid last night because janice moved on in the lesson and forgot I had been on deck with my hand raised. Have you read 3N12 lately? Pure teachings of the Savior. We can never consider them too much. 14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil;
18 For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled.
19 And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.
20 Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God;
22 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee—
24 Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him, lest at any time he shall get thee, and thou shalt be cast into prison.
26 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost senine. And while ye are in prison can ye pay even one senine? Verily, verily, I say unto you, Nay.
27 Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;
28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.
29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;
30 For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been written, that whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.
32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whoso shall marry her who is divorced committeth adultery.
33 And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths;
34 But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35 Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white;
37 But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than these is evil.
38 And behold, it is written, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;
39 But I say unto you, that ye shall not resist evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; [In ‘74 my dad knocked me over out by the barn on our Dietrich farm. “Turn the other cheek” I told all my younger siblings. They still remember. Good job, Vern! Newly home from a year at BYU and working to earn $ for a mission that summer.]
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also;
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away.
43 And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;
44 But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.
46 Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled.
47 Old things are done away, and all things have become new.
48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. @@ One concept that finally got full credit was that we may not do it in this life. It takes time. We may need a change of heart in the next life to forgive awful atrocities committed against us in this life. Ilene just can’t forgive her ex spouse.
What a class last night, huh? I thought they'd never stop talking! lol In response to your voicemail message, I think the group should be Valerie, Derek (?) is that his name?, Hope, Lisa and Art - at least last night he was Mr. Chatty.
And Julie wishes the class were two hours every week?!? Hahahahaha.
Loved all the input last night. Would have loved to keep the comments on track a bit more... Oh well, it's all good, right?
Thanks for the cheese and apples, and for always bringing things to share - spiritually and temporally!
Have a great weekend!
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com>
11:28 AM (1 hour ago)to Janice
And Julie wishes the class were two hours every week?!? Hahahahaha. MAN, DID I HAVE TO REPEAT THAT!Thanks for the cheese and apples, and for always bringing things to share - spiritually and temporally! YOU ARE SO WELCOME. @@ So bps, I did show a little self control last night. Valerie went on an on making an excellent point that we can answer others with all honesty by saying I hope so, I will do my best, and hedging a little instead of making a absolutely guaranteed commitment. I really wanted to add that we can be perfectly open along those lines with HF in prayer like that as well. @ Janice pointed out that GBH had to tell the church there were good people in other religions, why should he have to teach us that? Are we really that narrow minded? I really wanted to point out that once burned twice careful. If we have been mocked and persecuted for living the gospel we might be more protective and maybe in weakness even defensive. There is so much of the world we cannot safely take into our bodies/ minds. Perhaps we forget that advertising and billboards and temptations are not them same as people. We should differentiate between the wicked enticements of Satan and the wholesomeness of many nonmembers. So those two comments went unsaid last night because janice moved on in the lesson and forgot I had been on deck with my hand raised. Have you read 3N12 lately? Pure teachings of the Savior. We can never consider them too much. 14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil;
18 For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled.
19 And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.
20 Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God;
22 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee—
24 Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him, lest at any time he shall get thee, and thou shalt be cast into prison.
26 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost senine. And while ye are in prison can ye pay even one senine? Verily, verily, I say unto you, Nay.
27 Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;
28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.
29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;
30 For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been written, that whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.
32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whoso shall marry her who is divorced committeth adultery.
33 And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths;
34 But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35 Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white;
37 But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than these is evil.
38 And behold, it is written, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;
39 But I say unto you, that ye shall not resist evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; [In ‘74 my dad knocked me over out by the barn on our Dietrich farm. “Turn the other cheek” I told all my younger siblings. They still remember. Good job, Vern! Newly home from a year at BYU and working to earn $ for a mission that summer.]
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also;
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away.
43 And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;
44 But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.
46 Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled.
47 Old things are done away, and all things have become new.
48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. @@ One concept that finally got full credit was that we may not do it in this life. It takes time. We may need a change of heart in the next life to forgive awful atrocities committed against us in this life. Ilene just can’t forgive her ex spouse.
We also spent some time trying to understand righteous wrath. After the lesson was all over Julie asked my my take. V- I have no problem with God being passionate. But he knows how to control and limit those passions. He knows their righteous expression. I don’t, I sometimes lose control.
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