Tuesday, December 1, 2009

December ...2009....Families

As we leave the Thanksgiving holiday for another year and prepare and think of the Christmas season ahead it is quite natural to think of our many blessings....all the things we are grateful for. Both holidays are a time when we get together as family and enjoy each others company as we celebrate the reason for the season. For me, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the harvest of another year and to celebrate the beginning of this present great nation from the time of the pilgrims coming to America. We gather together to enjoy lifes bounties and pay tribute to our ancestors who labored before us to make our lives better. Christmas time we come together to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ. There are not greater blessings in this life than to have a family to congregate with and enjoy these two very significant holidays. The love felt in family relationships is certainly one of lifes greatest blessings. Below are a few quotes that my daughter, Mindi, found and put in a book with pictures for Bob and I on our 50th wedding anniversary. They are special thoughts relating to family:

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." George Bernard Shaw

"Call if a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." Jane Howard

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." Thomas Jefferson

"Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights and our comfort when we occasionally falter. " Brad Henry

"What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life...to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories." George Eliot

"You don't choose your family...They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." Desmond Tutu

"In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony." Eva Burrows

"A father's goodness is higher than the mountain, a mother's goodness deeper than the sea." Japanese Proverb

"No road is long with good company." Turkish Proverb

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end." Author unknown

"Families are like fudge...mostly sweet with a few nuts." Author unknown

I remember reading a story one time...I don't remember the title or the author, but I'm sure many of you have read it. It told of a family whose father and mother lived on a farm in the midwest. The children were grown adults and all living away from the family farm. This Christmas each one had already alerted the parents that because of work or other committments they wouldn't be able to come home for Christmas. Then as the day drew near each one felt badly that the parents would be home alone when it had always been such a great family get together. So each one unbeknown to the rest at the spur of the moment made arrangements to hurry home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to be with their parents. As Christmas Eve came...one by one the children showed up at the family farm. What joy was experienced and described as the family gathered to the surprise of the parents and each one that came.

Families are a work in progress. Each one has the responsibility to make the family ties stronger
...to show forth the love and concern over each other that help to draw the family together. This time of year is the perfect time to make our schedules include time for the family. To plan occasion for each one to come and be together and enjoy each others company. Usually it is the natural thing as is illustrated in the first story above...other times it takes an effort to draw the family together and make sure everyone is invited and feels the love of the other family members. I pray we will each have a joyous Christmas holiday with our families. With love, Maurine Winters

December...2009....FAMILIES

November...2009....Responsibility

The Relief Society message for the month of October in the Ensign was about nurturing the rising generation. As I read it, I felt a great responsibility to help in the effort of raising a righteous posterity and in helping in the community to do the same for the children that surround us. I remember what a profound influence some of my teachers and relatives had on me as I grew up. I'll always be grateful for the nurturing of those adults in my life when I was young. How necessary and how important it is that as adults we do all we can to help the children.....to love them and teach them right from wrong and be an example to them.

Lloyd D. Newell in one of his spoken word addresses said these words: "Almost instinctively we know that the children entrusted to us require even greater care...and are of far greater worth...than whatever else we may acquire. Taking the time to show love, to be kind, to listen thoughtfully may not always be easy or convenient, but, when we encircle our children with the best of ourselves, they will...as will we...be blessed."

Susan Revit, Bayville, NY wrote on this subject:
"I always wanted a white shag rug, I thought it would look nice.
Then I had my first child...that made me think twice.
I always wanted some Lenox pieces to put on the table and admire..
and then we had our first child and I opted for a clothes dryer.
I always wanted glass top tabletops and crystal like a bell..
and then I had our first child and thought plastic would do just as well.
I wanted so many things and always wished for them, but
when I saw my first child, I wanted children so much more."

Erma Bombeck wrote an article years ago telling the women who were housewives to stand up and be counted...that being a housewife and a mother is one of the most important jobs in the world. She wrote she is not a materialistic person. She never had a favorite dress, a lucky dinner ring, a classic car or anything she valued as a collector. If someone breaks into her house and finds money...let him have it. But don't touch her photo albums of her babies or as they grew. She says further that any intruder taking the pictures of her family will not make it to the door. I'd say she took the responsibility of being a mother to heart and loved it and wanted to perserve the memories.

As we search to be successful in our lives and as we ponder the things we can do to help influence the lives of those younger than we, we would do well to consider the great responsibility of being an example of righteous living and giving.

Words to live by:
More often than we ever expect, other lives our lives affect.
If it is to be....it is up to me!
The rules for success won't work, unless you do.
If you don't know where you're going, any road will do.
You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.
Service is love in work clothes.

FARMS - The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies had an article in their magazine a few years ago that I clipped out and kept. It said,"The premortal house of Israel was arranged into saving relationships. No one in our lives is there by accident. The family is central to the Creators plan for the eternal destiny of His children. All activities in life as in the church are designed by our Heavenly Father so we can have a saving influence on each other. Indeed, it sems that God has assigned a valiant spirit to break the chain of destructiveness in some families, likewise a rebellious spirit sometimes to a choice family that he might be saved." In view of what that paragraph says, we all need to labor diligently and take on the responsibility of working toward saving ourselves and then loving and extending our help to those in our realm of influence.

Responsibility: The definition is a duty, a charge or an obligation. We have the choice of what we feel responsible for, but certainly we have an obligation to all those around us to be the best we can be. After the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this past month I feel more the responsibility we have as members of His church to show forth more love and caring. It seemed every talk was based on showing a Christlike love for those around us. It is my hope that we can follow that counsel. With love, Maurine Winters

October 2009....Evidence

It has been said that when one enters a room, even if they just walk through, that they take something to that room and they leave something there...a thought or a feeling. Something tangible is left in that room. Think of it...when someone walks through a room if there is anyone there, they will see them and have a recollection of them being there. They may even have some thoughts as I have hade at times..."Oh, it's good to see them." or "I need to talk to them before I leave today." "How good to see them well again and here." The person walking through will have a recollection of being there and who and what they saw and their feelings of the occasion. How amazing that such a simple act can leave such profound evidence of the occasion.

Yes, when you go into a room or when you leave it there is almost always evidence that you were there. Criminal courts count on that and search for that critical forensic evidence that will convict perpertrators of their crime.

A teacher once said, "You must be so careful what you do and say around children because you never know which moment will be the moment they will choose to remember and how it will affect them." There is much evidence that a good teacher has so much influence on those they spend that critical time with as children learn and grow. How we hope that every teacher is aware of the great responsibility to influence children for good. They must leave no question about their integrity and virtue. When they walk in the room there should be confidence that all is well. The same certainly applies for parents. What an awesome responsibility to know that those moments you spend with your children are so vital.

When we go to pray, read the scriptures or go to church meetings aren't we supplying evidence to Heavenly Father that we want to do what is right, that we intend to follow Him and Jesus Christ our Savior? On the other hand if we ignore these important things in our lives aren't we telling Heavenly Father that He and His desires don't really matter to us? We know that when we do something for our fellowmen that we are in reality serving our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. In light of the way evidence frees or convicts us...we need to work at having it speak good for us. What evidence will speak out for us at the end of our lives? Will we leave enough evidence of the good we did that it will speak well for us? That evidence will determine our eternal life.

Thje evidence keeps mounting that proves Joseph Smith to indeed be a prophet of God. Elder Russell M. Nelson in a recent talk said that in the church today we have people who are translating the Book of Mormon into other languages. Generally speaking they can translate a page a day from a known language to another known language. When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from an unknown language to a known language he did it in less that 90 days all 531 pages. During that time he had to move from New York to Pennsylvania because of the persecution . None of the intended interruptions to his work caused him to detour from the task. When you think of his resolve and his statement about not being able to deny his testimony, it becomes more apparent that he was chosen to restore the gospel to the earth in this dispensation. He knew he had seen the vision of the Father and the Son and he knew that God knew it and he dared not deny it. Joseph Smith was between 22 and 24 years of age. He only had three years of formal education. He included in the writings the history of two distinct and separate nations as he described the religious, economic, social and political cultures and institutions of those two nations. He wove into the history the religion of Jesus Christ and the pattern of Christian living. The first edition has stood with no changes in the text except for spelling of words. He announced to the world that this narrative was not fiction, but true, sacred history. Millions of great people, intellectual scholars, have subscribed discipleship to this record and its church..."The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." Many other conditions are set forth in honoring Joseph Smith for being loyal and true to his beliefs, for bringing forth the restoration of the pure and simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. During the same time of the translation he was writing information that would fill the Doctrine and Covenants of the inspiration and revelations he was receiving from Heavenly Father. Finally, after suffering persecution and revilement for nearly two decades after he finished the book he gave his life for his testimony that it was a true record from God, our Eternal Father. Just as the prophets of old he was unwavering in his calling as a prophet and fulfilled it in a glorious way. We worship Jesus Christ, as we honor our prophets for leading the way and providing us with great evidence to "follow Him".

As we look forward to hearing our prophet and apostles speak this weekend at general conference we pray that we will be in tune with them and have a desire to increase the evidence of our discipleship in the coming days. With love, Maurine Winters

Friday, September 11, 2009

September News...Balance

Recently I read a book my daughter brought over named "Oxygen". It was so fascinating in the first chapter as the author, Carol Cassella, who is an anesthesiologist, talks about her work. She discusses the work..."the precision and focus, it's balance of technical skill and clinical judgment, finessing the interplay of heart and lungs while the brain sleeps." The great technology that allows a surgeon to operate and correct a problem in our bodies without us having to feel the horrific pain is unbelieveable. The word balance struck a cord with me and as I read further it seemed to be a powerful word in not only describing her work, but also of the many balances in the human body and then all around us on this earth. As we realize the many blessings we enjoy in this earthly experience we realize more and more how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do indeed live, love and care for us.

An example of health maintenance is involved with balance in our lives with emphasis on the physical, social, intellectual, emotional and the spiritual in order to live a completely healthy life. When one is emphasized over another or one is lacking or left out there is an unhealthy imbalance. Our growth and development as a well rounded individual is thwarted. Also, we are aware of the food groups that we need to balance in our eating habits so we can stay healthy and strong. It is so important that we have certain foods and plenty of water daily.

There is an appropriate balance of light and darkness so we can get the proper amount of sleep and activity as we work and play during the day and retire for our rest at night...that is except for the young who seem to have the two mixed up. The amount of rest and activity is a balance we need to maintain for our physical health. There are also many thoughts about how we need to balance work and play. A vacation from our work or usual activity is so important. The Lord has set the pattern for balance in our lives by giving us six days to labor and do our work, then the seventh for rest and time to worship and draw closer to Him. What a great blessing that is in helping us maintain the balance we need for a happy life.

People all over the earth balance the weather by what they wear. Closer to the poles heavy clothing with extra padding from head to toe make it possible to live there in colder climates. Near the equator there is little need for much clothing and because Heavenly Father has provided His own balance for us there are extreme amounts of foliage to help keep the earth at a livable temperature. Our bodies also adjust to the conditions where we live. Someone who has grown up in either climate have adjusted to that climate and find it difficult to move to the extreme opposite.

Last Sunday I listened to a tape of John Lund, a popular LDS speaker who talked about communication. He was talking to young marrieds and said that we come from unique and diverse family backgrounds and when we marry it is often difficult to find our verbal common ground. He said some families don't verbalize as much as others and in fact some just drop hints and it is difficult to determine just what it is they are really saying or wanting. He was quite humorous in his approach...but he told how men are usually happy with not much communication whereas women like to verbalize their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, women have more women friends who they communicate with far more often than men have men friends who they visit with on any subject. I thought about how that communication balances our social life. How I love my women friends and how I enjoy visiting with them and exchanging information about our lives, our children, etc. This past month I took a trip to Atlanta, Georgia with my daughter Mindi. We had such a good time together and while visiting friends there, I was able to visit a wonderful friend, Dr. Lane Price, who has given me the opportunity to communicate so many thoughts and ideas. What a restful and delightful visit we had from our usual pattern of life. Yes, having good friends brings great balance to my life.

What about marriage? Isn't it just about the best balancing act there is. When you put a man and a women together it is so interesting how many things that are "men things" or "women things". I remember reading one time how man and woman don't need to be incompatible...especially if he has income and she is pattable. There was more to that little essay about how he wants the windows open and she wants them closed, he pushes the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube and she squeezes it from the top. Several little truisms were included in that article...I'm sure you have your own set of differences...but most of them are just little things that really don't mean much in the balance of a wonderful marriage. Since there should be a man and a woman in a marriage and knowing Heavenly Father's teachings on this subject...I think there is such wisdom in having parents...one man and one woman. A child gets a balance of ideas and habits that affect his life for good. Men are usually stronger physically and can more readily take on the role of being the protector. Women are usually more emotional and have a softer side and can provide more understanding for the youth in the home.

You may have heard the saying.."It's not what you gather, but what you scatter in this life" . I'm sure that one important balance is to gather good and then scatter it wherever and whenever we can. There are no doubt many other examples of the balance needed in order to make our world go around smoothly. The ones we can do something about and have control over are the ones mentioned above. I pray that we can all keep a healthy balance in our lives so we will be happy, productive, and ready to meet the Savior when this life is over for us.
With love, Maurine Winters

Saturday, August 1, 2009

August Newsletter....2009

PRIDE VS HUMILITY....
Every now and then I get feeling pretty proud of what I've accomplished with some little thing or another then something else happens to bring me back to earth quickly and remind me that for everything that has happened in my life for the good I have had a lot of help, but I can only blame myself for those things where I've fallen short and not done so great. I find that when I'm proud of others for their accomplishments or when my heart is filled with humility and gratitude for the things I have been able to do with the help of Heavenly Father and those family members and friends around me, I feel the greatest satisfaction.

I've learned that being prideful often leads to being judgmental...a trait that we certainly don't want to fall into the trap of. At times we feel that we are doing pretty good, we are doing our daily activities with success, we feel that we are a contributing member of society and doing some good. If we are reading the scriptures, praying, attending our church meetings, etc., we have a feeling of well being and that all is going well. When we start feeling that we are just a notch above another, we need to think again. I remember my Dad saying, "There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it doesn't behoove any of us to criticize the rest of us." We need to be so careful not to let pride creep into our minds and become judgmental.

Several years ago we had invited a friend to have the missionary lessons. At that time there were stake missionaries and holding that calling two older men came over to our home to teach this friend about the gospel. One of the men was so humble and sweet that his demeanor touched both my husband and I and the friend. This man was teaching a certain principle of the gospel and I thought was doing a fine job, but he stopped and said something like this, "Im sorry I want my companion to explain this , he does so much better than I, it's so important that you understand and I do mainly because of his teachings to me." At the end of the lesson this man bore the most beautiful testimony of the gospel and how important it was in his life that I will never forget the feelings we had at that meeting. The spirit was strong because of a humble servant of the Lord.

On our recent trip to the Holy Land we had a good man, one of the leaders of the group, who was so knowledgable and taught us so much and who had just such a humble nature. I don't know how one cultivates that ability, it must be one of those personality traits that are a part of the makeup a person is born with. At any rate, we learned so much from this man and I continue to learn as I visit his web site. He has a collection of much of the work he has done as a researcher for the church on his web site. It includes much of the ancient records and writings that were sifted through when the Bible was first written. When the decision was made what to include in it, there were many writings left out. I can see why as I read them, many of them are wordy and difficult to read, however some are amazing. I was thrilled to read two of the ancient books about Mary's passing. They tell of the time Mary, mother of Jesus, passed away, and of the miracles surrounding that time. You can read the "passing of Mary" in the web site: www.bhporter.com
It is found by clicking on the extra biblical teachings, then under the apocrypha section, scroll down to the acts section, then to the "passing of Mary" book. I didn't start out planning to put this information in the newsletter, but thinking of the humble nature of the man who shared this information with us, it has followed to pass it along.

There are numerous scriptures telling us about humility and pride. One covers both: Matthew
23:12, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that is humble himself shall be exalted." There is a beautiful song in our hymn book that deals with the subject. "Be thou humble in they weakness and the Lord thy God shall lead thee, shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answers to thy prayers. Be thou humble in thy pleading and the Lord, thy God shall bless thee, shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares."

As we associate with those around us, it is interesting the personality traits of individuals. When we are in the company of someone who is humble and sweet in nature, they bring a peace and a comfort which radiates the atmosphere while you are with them. While you are ready to end the conversation with a prideful person and escape, you are attracted to stay and hesitant to end the conversation when in the company of the humble. Can we cultivate an attitude of humility and avoid the trappings of being prideful? Let's try to invite those traits into our personality this month as we focus on being more humble and less prideful. With love, Maurine Winters

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

SIMPLIFY....JULY NEWSLETTER...2009

My sister, Janett Morrell, recently went to an estate sale for a woman who had passed away leaving everything to her brother and his wife. As she visited with them and saw the huge amount of things available for the buyers, she understood their dilemna with what to do with all of the material possessions this woman had left for them to go through and decide what to do with. They had a shed, a garage and numerous rooms in the house all filled to the maximum. How were they to dispose of it? Most of us have way too much stuff in our homes and the attached buildings and to leave them for another family member to deal with when they have all of this stuff in their own home is overwhelming.

Several years ago our oldest son was living next door to an elderly gentleman. When he passed away there were two nephews who came to dispose of the property. They brought a moving van and gathered the things of worth to them and packed them up to take back to California. The house was still full of stuff. Because of time limitations they asked our son to take the rest of the things to the city dump. They would pay him to clean it out, so they could put the house up for sale. He was a young married man and could use some of the things they were purposing he take to the dump. He told them he would do it for nothing if he could keep the things he could use. The deal was made and much of the furniture that was left was a great blessing to our son and family. However, I know that the things of most worth when he passed away were the feelings of love they had developed for him. They have talked of that friendship and their esteem for him many times since.

Above experiences and others I've had cause to remember, remind me that all we can take with us is what we have learned and what we have done, or in other words what we have in our mind and heart and how we have treated those around us. I've decided that if someone admires something I have...I will give it to them. If my children or grandchildren need something I will offer them mine...if they will take it...it's theirs. I have too much stuff and yes, some of it will be hard for me to give up because it has such sentimental value to me...my children or someone else will have to dispose of those things. Most of you readers are younger than I and there are things you would like to have as I did at your age. I can assure you those things you acquire over the years will not bring happiness. They may bring a certain satisfaction for a short time, but never joy and happiness. The things of sentimental value to me are the things others have given me. They represent the feelings of love we have for each other and are more precious than any of the things I have acquired through the efforts of myself or my good husband. The love we share and our family is of so much more value.

Recently I read the account of one of the survivors of the Hudson River Plane Crash. She said that as she stood on the wing of that airplane waiting to be rescued many things passed through her mind. She recognized that life is not about many of the things we do, the errands we run, etc. ...she said that now she would hug those she loved until they let go. She would definitely view life differently. Shouldn't we all take a moment to think of those things in our life that are priceless and place less importance on the stuff we are accumulating or the stuff we are doing each day and more on the things of greater worth. I won't deny that it is wonderful to live at this time in the history of the world when we have so many conveniences to enjoy. I would be hard- pressed to give up hot and cold running water in the house, a furnace for heat in the winter and cool air in the summer, a refrigerator, a clothes washer and dryer, a microwave, a recliner, a nice car, a computer and the list goes on. I know however, we should be mindful especially now when the second coming of the Savior of the world is imminent and as we prepare for His coming to think more of the things of eternal worth and dwell on accumulating them rather than the things of this world.

Yes, we all need to simplify!! Perhaps one of the best ways we can do that is to put our efforts in this life into collecting:
(1) words of kindness, of encouragement, of love and support.
(2) feelings of acceptance, of understanding and of forgiveness.
(3) smiles, hugs, listening skills and time to share...all of which can be dispursed to those around us as we associate with our families and friends and even those we scarcely know. I dare say our lives would be full and purposeful and bring us much joy and happiness in return. With these thoughts I send my love to you, Maurine Winters

Monday, June 1, 2009

LIVING WITH PURPOSE

PURPOSE is an interesting word that suggest action. I can visualize someone walking
quickly down the street, their stride punctuated with an urgency as he hurries to his destination. I can visualize someone with a book in one hand and a pen in the other with furrowed brow as he studies some project out in his mind. I can visualize someone with a tool in his hand and an object he is working on...with sweaty brow as he works to accomplish a task. I can visualize athletes working hard in practice so they can perform well when the contest is at hand. I can visualize a mother or father tenderly guiding their children, teaching them correct principles so they can face lifes challenges. When there is a goal in mind and we focus on that goal we are driven to accomplish its purpose.

The meaning of the word purpose is to plan, aim, intend, design, resolve, or determine. It is an action word calling on mental and/or physical energy to complete a task. A young man in our ward, Emmett Clayton, gave a talk on purpose a few weeks ago and during the talk I thought what a great idea for a newsletter. He told how powerful the word is and how it guides us in our lives as we have goals...to focus on the purpose of our lives and never give up.

Regardless of our purpose there are tools we need in order to accomplish the goals. In another Sacrament meeting talk a few years ago I heard and quickly wrote down the formula a man gave for three tools we need to navigate this life with purpose. He said we need: (1) a shield to protect us from evil influences, (2) a sword to fight for the right, (3) and a shovel so we can pitch in and work for the good of the Kingdom of God. He elaborated on each tool and concluded with the fact that we can enjoy the use of each of these tools if we are actively engaged in the Church of Jesus Christ. By adhering to the principles of the gospel we can put on the whole armor of God. We can add to that a sword so we can be armed and useful in the army of those who are standing for truth and righteousness. Then, of course, there's always a shovel available when there is work to be done to further the kingdom.

Computers are awesome in helping us with our purposes. Recently I signed up for Facebook on the computer network for that program at the urging of my daughters. I was and am amazed at the way we can contact and be contacted with everyone who we ever knew who has signed up for the same program. It has been of great interest to connect with sisters who served on Temple Square with us who we have not had contact with for several years. I was shocked one day when I saw that a man who came to Temple Square was asking to be my friend on the internet program. Years ago two of our dear sisters took Andrey Sidorin on a tour and he asked to learn more about the church. They called in the Salt Lake missionaried and they taught him the lessons, he was baptized and we attended that wonderful meeting. He went back to his home in Tajikistan and we didn't hear any more about him. The story of that event in in the book "Angels on Temple Square" on page 132-34. I was thrilled to converse with him over the internet. What a great tool the computer is for companies and for individuals. Of course, Satan has made it available for his dark side programs and we have to use our shield and sword to protect us against those programs. We even need our shovel at times to throw out things that may hinder us in our purpose in this life.

My brother has a grandson, Porter Ellett, who is a wonderful example of working to accomplish his purposes. When he was four years old he had an accident that caused his right arm to be useless. It didn't grow properly and later in life he had it amputated. Not having the use of his right arm didn't slow him down. He wanted to do all the things other kids did, so he worked hard all of his life to be able to do those things. He loved sports and worked hard to participate in them. As a result he played in high school and was a star athlete in basketball and baseball. He talked to a group of students in our area and told them he figures there are three places in reaching our goals. First you experience failure, you don't want to accept that so you move to the second step. You work, work, and work so you can move to the third step. There you experience success...but success is fleeting, so often you have to go back to step two and work more. There are some things he has conquered. He has learned some difficult things like how to tie his shoes and tie a tie. He is now serving a mission in Los Angeles, California and Im sure his ideas of living with purpose is touching many lives. He is a great young man.

I believe that every part and program of the Church of Jesus Christ is to aid us in living the gospel in our lives. We all need to take part in the great plan of salvation which will aid us in our quest of returning to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ forever, which is the grand purpose for and of this life.
With love to each of you....Maurine Winters

Monday, May 4, 2009

Mediterranean Cruise... May news

In making plans to celebrate our 50th anniversary and feeling that we wanted to do something really special, Bob and I talked about tours and cruises. As we read some of the possibilities we were drawn to the Mediterranean Cruise offered by LDS tours and signed up for it. The next few months we paid our dues and made plans for the trip. Our first day out was exhausting as we spent the entire day and night traveling.We arrived in Genoa, Italy on the 26th of March. The first day we were greeted and taken to our hotel where we slept for a time. Then as we were more or less on our own for the evening, we hooked up with another couple who looked as lost as we were and went for a walk. We found a little pizza shop and had dinner there. We loved the Italian waiter who gestured and talked in limited English to help us.

March 27...We spent the day touring Milan, Italy. We had a young lady tour guide who gave us a brief history of the area and took us to some places of interest. One of the places was the Cathedral of Milan. It was huge with ornate carvings and tall spires and could only be described as spectacular. We had our first gelato...Italian ice cream cone....delicious!

March 28...We boarded the Poesia Cruise Ship with 2498 other people. There were 400 who spoke English, the rest we were told were from a variety of European countries. It was great fun to listen to those from other countries as they spoke in their native tongue. We had to figure out the Euro money system which we would be using now. In our group of 200 we had a couple of Canadiens and one man from Australia..
..the rest were from around the U.S. The Poesia was a huge ship...14 stories tall, with a huge theatre, swimming pools, many shops, restaurants, anything you could find in a small city. Bob and I found it a great temptation to eat too much, the food for every meal was prepared so beautifully and there were places where you could get an ice cream or some other treat in between meals. The ship docked at Chivatevecchia, Italy where we spent some time walking around the port. Some of the party had taken a pre tour to Rome and they came aboard then. We attended the theatre that evening where a pianist violinist, soprano and a tenor entertained... great talent.

March 29-30..For these two days we met for seminars with our LDS tour guides who briefed us on what we would see in Israel and gave inspirational talks that we felt were worth the trip by themselves. One was about the Gospel and Abraham, the other about Israel, The Holy Land and the Holy Sites. One seminar was about A Modern Day Prophet. We made friends with some of those we were in meetings with and had good get acquainted visits. It was exciting for us to watch out of our balcony as the ship made its way across the Mediterranean and occasionally see land and try to figure out what country we were passing. The food and entertainment still great.

March 31...Today we arrived in Haifa, Israel. We traveled inland on buses where the day was spent around the Sea of Galilee. We visited the Mt of Beatitudes and the valley where Jesus fed the multitudes with 5 loaves of bread and two fishes. We spent some time in Tabga and Capernaum then boarded a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee. As we took that ride our guide told us about the many miracles Jesus performed in and around the Sea. On the other side near Gergesa we ate a meal with fish from the Sea of Galilee. We saw orchards of olive, citrus and pomgranite trees, and grape vinyards. The valley was green and fertile while the hills are very rocky.
Bob said now he knows why they stoned people there...rocks are a very handy weapon.
All of the buildings in the towns are constructed with rock walls. The bus came to Gergesa and took us back to Haifa and the Ship Poesia. During the night the ship traveled down to Ashdod, Israel.

April 1...This morning we departed on bus to travel to Jerusalem. From morning to evening we walked and traveled to many sites each pertinent to the days Jesus was there. We went to the walled Old Holy City were we saw the Dome of the Rock. It marks the spot were Solomon's temple was built, where Abraham came to offer Isaac his son as a sacrifice and where the temple was when Jesus established his church. The walls have been rebuilt 18 times around the old city as different invading groups have tried to destroy the Israelites. We saw the wailing wall but were told by the military that we couldn't stay there as the new Prime Minister was to be sworn into office and it was taking place today. We were ushered quickly around the buildings and off the premises. Surrounding the Dome of the Rock is a huge plaza with rock flooring. As we left Mt. Zion we walked through all sorts of little shops. Next we visited Gethsemane...there is a part of the area fenced off where the olive trees date to the time of Jesus. Some of the outer trees aren't so old and we were able to sit there, look into the place where Jesus knelt and think of His great suffering for us. Our group had a short meeting there in the garden and sang the song..."I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. Confused at the grace that so fully he profers me. I tremble to know that for me He was crucified, that for me a sinner He suffered, He bled and died." It was a very spiritual experience!! We then visited Golgotha and walked down a trail to the Garden Tomb. While there we discussed the great day when He was resurrected and spent some time in that area of the gardens. We always had a tour guide from the country we visited and then our own guides who traveled with us who gave us information specific to our religion. One of the things that impressed us was as we visited Golgotha it was pointed out that while there were earthquakes, darkness, and turmoil here on earth at the time the Savior gave up His life for us, there was probably great excitement and jubilation
in the heavens as He completed the atonement. It was a beautiful day in Jerusalem and it was easy to picture it as a day similar to the day of His resurrection.

We were served a meal at the only Kibutz that serves meals to visitors and enjoyed the atmosphere of the city of Jerusalem. Nearly all of the buildings are constructed of this white stone and are uniquely beautiful. We learned the population of Israel is almost equally divided between Muslim and Jewish. The construction of the Jewish buildings are with pitched roofs and those of the Muslims are flat on top. That was an interesting little side note that our guide pointed out. She told us in the Jewish communities they still rely on a matchmaker when someone decides they want to marry. There are no activities or chances for the opposite sex to intermingle with each other, so they depend on a matchmaker to find someone complatible for them. Then they meet and discuss whether or not they have common interests. Their dates consist of them asking each other...Where do you want to live? How many children do you want to have?, etc. All of the discussion is pointed at whether or not they want to marry. If they decide they don't want to marry each other, they go back to the matchmaker again who tries to find someone else. The weddings are huge celebrations that carry a lot of tradition.

As we left the Kibutz, we traveled on the south side of the city and our guide pointed out Bethlehem over on a close by hill. We didn't get to visit there, but it looked much like many other villages we saw as we traveled from Ashdod to Jerusalem and then at night back to the ship.

We had some interesting encounters there in Jerusalem. Bob had a boy come up and push a small olive branch at him and want $1. for it. Bob bought it then wondered what he could possibly do with that little olive twig..just couldn't turn that cute little boy with the wistful expression away. We got a kick out of one man selling his wares crying..."Two for $5. or three for $10." One of our friends made the comment that she couldn't buy anything more...She said, "My husband says we are hemorraging money on this trip."

April 2...We traveled all day on the Mediterranean. We had seminars: Bruce Porter talked about the Beatitudes and the Higher Law, Alan McKay about scripture tools, and an overview of Ehpesus and Athens. We had classes from Richard and Kathy Hinckley Walker earlier. Each meeting was exceptional.

April 3...The ship docked at Ismir, Turkey. We spent the day at Ephesus where Paul taught the people there. That part of Turkey is very fertile and we saw many orchards of different varieties of fruit. We had a wonderful visit there. The ruins of Ephesus were amazing.

April 4...Today we toured Athens. We visited the first Olympic Stadium. We saw the statue of Harry S. Truman...they honor him because he was instrumental in helping them rebuild after the war. We visited their parliament building and watched the changing of the guard, much like our ceremony in Washington D.C. at the tomb of the unknown soldier. We visited the Acropolis and walked around the Parthenon. The hill there was completely marble and was very slippery to walk on, so they have covered the paths with some kind of asphalt to make the climb possible. We saw Mars Hill where Paul tried to tell the people of Athens about the "Unknown God." We were told that they didn't listen to Paul so he left Athens and went north to Corinth. Our guide said that is why there are two letters to the Corinthians and none in the Bible to the Athenians.

April 5...We were at sea again today so our group of 200 held a Sunday meeting. Our speakers talked about the symbols of ancient temples and the joy of temple service. We were updated on general conference taking place in Salt Lake City and told that we have a new member of the twelve...Neil L. Anderson.

April 6...We spent the day in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We visited the old walled city. We were impressed with the small islands and the inlets around the area. It is a beautiful city with an interesting history. Tonight on the ships top deck we saw a group singing and having a great time...We wished we could join in...but alas, we didn't know the language or the song. We have so enjoyed this trip. We felt each day that it was worth it if we just had the one day here. The cathedrals are impressive and every country has its beauty. Tonight we had a disembarking meeting...our trip is coming to an end.

April 7...This morning we checked out of the ship and into a Marriott hotel in Venice, Italy. Along with some friends, the Jacobsens, we toured Venice taking a water taxi up the main canal through town. We saw boats anchored up just as we would have our cars lined down the street parking on the side of their homes and businesses. It was a delight to be here and see this beautiful city.

April 8...We were at the Venice airport at 5am for our flight home. We flew from there to Frankfurt, Germany, to Philadelphia, PA, to Denver, CO then on to Salt Lake City, UT where we had parked our car. The next day we slept and tried to get back on schedule with our time zone. On April 10th we drove home to Toppenish, WA.

I never felt I had to walk where Jesus walked...or visit the Holy Land to know that He came to earth. I know now that I will never read the scriptures nor sing the hymns without a special feeling for having been there. It is indeed a sacred place. I'm so grateful that we had this opportunity and blessing. We loved the trip and wish each of you an opportunity to visit the Holy Land one day too. There were many other things I wanted to include in this newsletter...but it was becoming way to long, so I'll just hope that you have the same experience one day. Thanks for letting me share. With love, Maurine

Friday, May 1, 2009

April news...

AGE AND AGING...

In reading a novel this winter there was quite a lengthy discussion about aging. In the story the thought was that when we are young we think about things in the future. We plan and prepare and look forward to what is to come. Then there is a natural flow of the future and what is past in ones life as we reach middle age. When we are in the old age bracket our thoughts turn more often than not to the past and to thinking of how things were and what we did when we were young. The young rarely if ever think of when they will be old..it may cross the minds of the middle aged now and then...but in old age just so not to occupy all of ones thoughts about how old one is...thoughts turn to what is past and we enjoy thinking of past achievements, past relationships, past joys and to enjoying the memories or not according to the file of experiences had.

When we are young we are usually pretty confident that we can jump any hurdle. As we grow older, experience along with education helps to keep that feeling alive. It is still pretty easy to carry along with the expectation that we CAN DO IT! Then all of a sudden we turn 70 years old and the memory isn't as good as it used to be, we can't run or even walk as far as we used to be able to. Many things we did easily become a chore and time flies by so quickly that the things we plan to do just don't get done in the time frame we had planned. The aches and pains start to become a daily part of our life and deciding what we can and cannot live with becomes a part of our thought processes. Now I know that most of you can't relate to this... but I want to warn you that it will come way too fast. It sort of sneaks up on you and one day you find that you are part of the old age group....you are now where your grandparents should be. You will just turn around and then your children will be grown up and off on their own. The next time you turn around the grandchildren will be grown up and out on their own doing their own thing. The phrase "take time to smell the roses" is not just a meaningless phrase. It is so true...just take time to look into the eyes of your children each day and listen to their thoughts and ideas about what is going on. Take time for your grandchildren...even if it means sitting on a hard bleacher for hours to watch and cheer for them in a baseball game or some other activity they are involved in. It will pay great dividends for them and for you.

Most of you who read this newsletter are in the young category and will be thinking of things in the future and dwelling on what you can do to make it better for you and those you love. At my age...I have some advice. Let today rule..live today the best you can! In an article written by Fern Hughes Hunt she says among other things the following. (1) Today, I will open the windows of my heart and release the love that dwells within, sharing it's warmth with all I come in contact with. (2) Today, I will do something good for someone, I will be more thoughtful, patient, and cheerful. (3) Today, I will replace all fear with faith, all despair with hope, all weakness with courage and all idleness with purpose. (4) Today, I will give thanks to God for this life, and seek His guidance that I might know the promise of everlasting peace and happiness as tomorrow brings forth Life Eternal". These are some of the things we might try to do each day so that the end will be better than the beginning. As you look back and relive the past through memory lane, you will feel good about all you were able to do and be grateful for your time on earth.

Bob and I are taking a trip to celebrate our 50th anniversary and will be out of the country for the first part of April...so I'm sending this newsletter off early. When I return I will send a full report of our days away from home. I love each of you and think of you as I send this letter. May Heavenly Father bless you in all you do.
Love, Maurine Winters

March News...

MUSIC APPRECIATION...
From the beginning of time and for as long as man has lived there has been some form of music. According to Wikipedia the earliest recorded mention of music in in India, China, and Japan histories. Some of the great composers are from the classical and romantic era such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Shubert. The creativity of the composers over the years is so amazing. We have some wonderful music to enjoy both old and new.

With string instruments, the wind instruments, the drums, what great music has been created. Some is very indicative of the land where it was first composed, some are hard to trace the roots of, but we don't forget the melodies, they stay in our heads and every once in a while we find ourselves humming or whistling a tune that we once heard and liked.

Because of the beautiful music made by musical instruments...and who knows which came first? We have some of the most talented singers. We are thrilled with their performances and the beautiful music they are able to bring to us because of their amazing ability to vocalize the words and the music we love to hear. Whether it is an opera, a broadway musical, or some local concert we might find ourselves humming the tunes from it. There is nothing like stage productions...whether it is Phantom of the Opera or Lion King, you can't beat the entertainment. There is that magical quality that causes an uplift in both the feelings of the heart and the thoughts of the mind.

Then there is the dance. What would the dance be without the music to guide the thoughts of great choreographers and bring the athletic ability of those who labor to bring us the beautiful compliment of the music, the song and the dance together?
As a young dance teacher at one time in my life, I thrilled at the words of wisdom of teachers who taught me..(1) "No matter how you try, you cannot hide the structure of the dance inside." (2) "Correct posture is the line of your body that connects heaven to earth." (3) "Everyone has the makings of a great dancer, a heart that beats a rhythm, the breath we breathe creates a rhythm, so with very little effort anyone can be a dancer and enjoy moving to the beat of music, maybe not in front of an audience...but at least for one's own enjoyment." The last idea comes from a great dancer and teacher...Martha Graham.

February was the month of love...think of your favorite love songs. From when Bob and I were dating there are a few songs that I still remember with fondness as they were so romantic and held some of my feelings in their words..."It had to be you, it had to be you, I wondered around and finally found it had to be you." "Because of you there's a song in my heart, because of you our romance had a start...because of you the sun will shine, the stars and moon will say you're mine, forever and never to part." As a family at our larger family reunions I remember coaching our family to sing and act out "Zip a de do da, Zip a de ay, My, oh, my, what a wonderful day." One of our sons wasn't thrilled to be in the company and have to entertain with that song...but I bet he still remembers the words and the melody...maybe even the actions we did.

Whether you like to attend the theatre for opera, choir, band, orchestra, symphony, or one of the many musical instruments alone, there is some type of music that appeals to nearly every person. It varies in theory, composition, production and performance...but always finds an audience with those who identify with it. I love to hear the Sunday music...the Tabernacle Choir and even the music our ward choir sings. How blessed we are to have so many wonderful hymns that help our spirituality as we listen to or sing them in our Sunday meetings. The words to the songs in the hymnal are short sermons that teach us some principle of the gospel and the music is very soothing to our spirits and gives us the rest we need once a week even with our music.

As we think of the great music in the world today and what a blessing it is in our lives we can thank our Heavenly Father for making it a part of our earthly experience. For this month, let's be grateful for the music we have to enjoy and it will help us with our January focal point to have happy days all year long.

With love, Maurine Winters

Sunday, February 1, 2009

February - Month of Love


February is the month of love. As we are out and about soon after Christmas we begin to see hearts...boxes of chocolates in heart shaped boxes, teddy bears carrying hearts with love messages, and many sizes of valentines. There is no denying that love is one of the greatest forces in the human experience. We felt that love in December when we were wrapped up in Christmas activities, now again in February we are reminded to think of those we love and remember to communicate that love.

One of the nicest stories of love that I heard this past year was given by Lloyd D. Newell on the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast. He told of a young man who traveled with a corp of volunteers to an orphanage far away from his home. The group had worked hard to raise money and provide the orphans with a playground, mattresses, shoes, and food. When they arrived there to deliver their donations, the children beamed with excitement. They were grateful for the generous gifts, but the young man could see that more than anything, they wanted to be loved. He said they ran to him, sat on his lap, and lifted his arms over their shoulders...they literally put his arms around them, showing him how much they wanted to be hugged. The young man couldn't help but realize that of all the gifts he had been given, of all the gifts he could give away, nothing compared with love. Brother Newell at the conclusion of his words said, "We don't need to measure love as if it were in short supply. We need not reserve our love only for those we're comfortable with or those who have shown love to us. Be generous with your love and you'll never run out of it. Love regenerates itself
....it grows by giving it away."

The scriptures are full of passages reminding us that this gospel is a gospel of love. We are admonished to love our parents, love our husbands and wives, love our children, love our neighbors, love one another, love God and keep his commandments. The commandments are laws to aid us in showing our love. We are reminded all of the time in our Sunday meeting lessons that this is a time of trial and that there are many who are suffering from all sorts of maladies and problems and we need to share the burden. We need to help each other through loves door. It is easy to talk of love, it is easy to see examples in all of our lives of expressions of love that have been given and received. So the message we need to receive is that we need to examine our lives and improve in areas where we are lacking. We need to create more love in our hearts and show it more in our dealings with each other.

I read an article about romance and marriage written by Darrell Sifford wherein he was teaching about the art of loving. He thinks there are three things we can do and none of them depend on body chemistry. All depend on a decision of the mind. First, COMMITMENT...We need to make up our minds to work at the relationship to make it better. We can make the decision to make our marriage work right from the beginning or any time in between. Second, CONCENTRATE on the other person. We need to turn off the TV, put down the newspaper, and look into each others eyes when we talk. We need to listen to what is said and respond to it. Third, CONCERN for the other person. When you have committed to another person, and decided to really concentrate on their needs and wants, you can cultivate more concern for their total happiness. He says that if we really try to send that message of how much we love someone it won't take long before they feel that love land respond to it.

For the month of February perhaps we can concentrate more on how we can show more love to those around us. That decision will help us in our January focus to be happy. My theories are: "make someone happy and you'll be happy too"....or "give love and it will come back to you." If we would each bake a few Valentine cookies and distribute them to our friends and loved ones....think how much love we could spread.

With love to each of you....Maurine Winters

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Yes, we all want a happy new year! Isn't that we wish each other every year at the old years end? Isn't that what we are all striving for? So, for this newsletter, let's discuss the word HAPPY, and see if we can figure out how to truly have a happy year. Just what is the formula for achieving happiness? The dictionary says that happy means: glad, content, lucky, and fortunate. I would add blessed. I would venture further to believe that one way to be happy is for us to count our blessings.

There are those thoughts we all labor with sometime in our life....I would be happy if I were out of school...if I were prettier, if I had more talent, if I were smarter, if I had a new car, if I had a good job, if I were making more money, if I were married, if we had no bills, if the kids would mind, if I could catch up on the laundry, if we could fix up the house, if I could retire, if I could solve this problem, if we could take a vacation....if, if, if.
So we go through life thinking if it weren't for that elusive thing I don't have right now, I would be happy. We all know, however, when we really think about it that those if's are a waste of time....a terrible waste of life.

There are those who actually have disabilties or problems that would be difficult to live with day in and day out, but guess what? Those people with daily problems to live with usually have a better attitude about life and how to manage the troubles than those of us with no real hardship facing us day after day. We know to be happy every day all day is unrealistic...but by focusing on looking for the good in situations and the humorous moments, we can be a happier people.

For the year 2009 let's see if we can make an attitude change...take on the mottos we have heard:
DON'T WORRY...BE HAPPY. LAUGH AND BE HAPPY. MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY AND YOU'LL BE HAPPY TOO. Have you ever been in the situation where you heard someone laugh and you couldn't help but laugh yourself? There is a lady who works in our local grocery store who has the most wonderful laugh.
I can be anywhere in the store and hear her laugh and have to laugh too. It doesn't matter what the humor is with her...it makes everyone who hears her happy. Could we do that with a little practice? It's true some have that magical ring to their laugh...maybe it's because they have already conquered the art of being happy and that laugh comes straight from the heart.

We can try to be happy each day and enjoy it as we work at having those things in our lives that we think will make us happy. It's called "act as if". Let's laugh a little more, see humor in daily happenings and not be so quick to criticize or see the gloomy side of things.

What do the scriptures say about being happy?
Proverbs 3:13..."Happy is the man who findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding.''
Proverbs 14:21..."He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth, but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he."
Proverbs 16:20.."He that handleth a matter wisely shall find gold, and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he." (aren't proverbs wonderful? They go right to the heart of the matter)
St. John 13:17.."If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
1 Peter 3:14..."But if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of terror, neither be troubled." Mosiah 2:41..."I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For they are blessed in all things both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end, they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true, for the Lord God hath spoken it." Then there is the statement written by Joseph Smith: "Happiness is the object and design of our existence." In a recent talk given by Brother Benjamin De Hoyos of the Seventy, he said: "Happiness is a position of the soul. Life doesn't have to be as hard as we sometimes make it". It's so inspiring to read the words of the prophets...their words are profound as they stir our souls to remember the truths.

So, let's put a smile on our face every morning this year and decide to have a happy day. Let's just say to ourselves when we get out of bed...I'm so happy today is here. It's going to be a great day! I've been told with that kind of an attitude that every day can be a great day. When we look for the silver lining even though there are clouds...there is always something good to find.

Remember, it's not the things that happen to us that define our life...it is the way we react to them. So let's focus on having a Happy Year one day at a time in 2009. May Heavenly Father's choicest blessings be yours throughout the coming year. Love, Maurine Winters