There and Back Again: Week 24 Great Plan of Happiness, Life and Death

This week a friend of mine passed away. She was the mother of the friend I went to Jr. Prom with. She had 7 talented kids! She was the Elementary Music Teacher for Sequoia elementary in Pleasant Hill. She was a woman who WORKED hard, PLAYED hard, and was very spiritual and musical. Her kids were amazing. When I was attending the Winter and Spring concerts of my younger siblings, I would see hundreds of kids, well behaved, singing GREAT songs from the bleachers in the auditorium while she was down on the floor with the audience, playing the piano, standing up and singing along and directing with head motions. It was fantastic, hilarious, impressive, etc. I never dreamed of being THAT music teacher, or being any kind of music teacher except maybe a private music teacher after my "real" job was done for the day. ( I had been teaching piano since I was 15). Life is funny with it's twists and turns, I went from being a Chemist to a teacher, and suddenly one day, just to help out for a year, at the request of a friend, I started teaching music part time at Windsor Creek Elementary. I was in a learning curve, building the plane while I was flying it and suddenly I knew what to do...Nada Fluckiger came to mind and she continued to inspire my program for 15 years.

RIP Nada, I love you. Thank you for your example. The world is a better place because you came to it. I have a another friend who is about to have their fourth child...any day now actually. People are coming to and going from this planet every second. WHY do they come? Where do they come from? What are they supposed to do here? Why do they go? WHERE do they go to? Where did YOU come from? Why are you here? Where are you going? All those questions can be answered when you study God's Great Plan of Happiness for you. When I was teaching my children the answers to these questions so they would know what they were supposed to be doing here and what they were supposed to be caring about, I started drawing pictures for them. They were very young at the time I started and I felt pictures would be more useful than a bunch of blah blah blah. As they asked questions and we studied them out together in the scriptures and from conference talks by real prophets and apostles I started collecting and categorizing the information until, ten years later I hired a REAL illustrator and published the information in a book.

My friend Amy Jensen of Accent Printing helped with the layout and printed the books. They are amazing! She does such a great job. The first edition sold out, the second edition is now available and is being sold in a local bookstore here in Nauvoo. https://ebornbooks.com/locations/ Or you can contact me if you want one.

What I love about The Great Plan of Happiness is that it keeps my life's ups and down, pains and joys, fears and courageous moments in perspective: Centered on Jesus Christ. I have peace knowing God does have a plan. As chaotic as life appears (especially when I engage in the news!) God really is in control. I have a work He wants me to do and it's not hard for me and the Lord. I have no fear of death because I know what's next and that those I leave behind WILL be OK. I trust that no matter what happens to me or others (and believe me, BAD things happen to innocent and good people all the time) God can heal it and use it for our growth to become who we need to become for the next adventure after this Earth Life Test. Abraham 3:25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. Will I be loyal to Christ even when things are unfair, painful, easy, boring, etc?

Here's a super simplified comic that outlines the Great Plan of Happiness. If you want to know more...you know how to find me! I love you, and more importantly our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit LOVE you and they are all working together for YOUR good!!! Elder Cullen and I had the opportunity to attend several Easter Season Devotionals, Firesides, and Events these past two weeks. It's been wonderful. Here are some pictures of the Easter Art and Music Festival. Finally Here are some photos I took on the banks of the Mississippi. The Sun was setting in front of me, the moon was already high in the sky and it was a magical moment!

Kite Contests, Conference and EASTER!! WHOO HOOO!!!

Yesterday we had a kite making/flying contest. ALTHOUGH our kites did not fly well, we did get prizes for prettiest homemade kite and smallest kite. HAHAH! It was a wonderful day. The morning started with lightening, high winds and heavy rain and ended in the late afternoon with clear skies, warm winds and perfect conditions for us and our friends to fly our kites! Isn't this life? It can really stink, be scary, and uncomfortable, but if you continue to be creative, support others by showing up, and maintain your relationships with God, family and friends...it will end warm and delightful. Learn more about that at conference! This weekend is General Conference, with sessions on Saturday at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 5 PM and Sunday at 9 AM and 1 PM. It is a wonderful opportunity to feel the Savior's greater love, and intentionally begin your worship this magnificent Easter season. The church continually expands the ways that we can watch and listen to conference. Did you know you can listen to all sessions on your smart speaker? Just say, "Alexa, open General Conference." Copy and paste- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/broadcasts?lang=eng to watch conference via the church website. Copy and paste - https://www.youtube.com/@churchofjesuschristgeneralconf/streams to watch conference via the YouTube: General Conference Channel.

I read a fantastic article today about preparing for Easter. Since it's on the 20th, they have 20 quotes (one for each day in April) to hang up in your house, study, or pass along. Cut and paste this link to print off cool quotes https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2025/04/digital-only/20-inspired-quotes-to-celebrate-jesus-christ-this-easter?lang=eng

There and Back Again: Week 22

There is something to said about being "Silly". I think that, within reason, being silly is a great way to lighten ones life and what better time to do that than your birthday! Elder Cullen turned 71 this week. YAH...I just never imagined my husband being in his 70s...it just seemed so far away and now...BAM. Here we are. At our FM Devotional one of the missionaries made him a balloon hat that was twisted to look like a candle. There was another elder who also had a birthday last week. Elder Cullen planned out with the balloon making sister missionary that he would pop it, so she gave him three.

Happy Birthday to YOU! POP! Happy Birthday to YOU! POP!Happy Birthday dear ELDERS! Happy Birthday to YOU! POP! It was hilarious and made everyone laugh. A silly/fun way to start the day. Elder Cullen also insisted on having a food adventure for his birthday. It started out normal...homemade yogurt with unsweetened applesauce, nuts, and cinnamon. Then lunch was homemade gormet hamburgers and homemade fries. Delicious. Then DINNER was SILLY. Can you guess what it was?

FROG LEGS!!! I looked up a french recipe. We bought the legs from a "regular" grocery store that had an exotic meat section which included alligator, tuna steaks, bison, frog legs, etc. Guess what? They tasted like stringy chicken. lol It grossed me out and brightened my week because they LOOKED so silly I was giggling off and on all week about how silly they looked. It made the week more fun. So there's a time to be silly and a time to be respectul and clear minded. My oldest, Autumn, and her husband just found out that they are being moved to Knoxville, TN. Far away from family on either side. SO disappointing for us, but God has an adventure for them and now we get to visit a state we have never been to before. We drove up to their Iowa City house on Sunday just to spend a few hours with them and process the news.

This week I had a few opportunities for some crucial conferontations and conversations. If you have an expectation of someone and it is not met, met, or exceeded and you don't acknowlege it, it can damage your relationship with that person. For example: I was expecting you to finish fixing such and such by Tues. so I could blah blah blah. That did not happen and you did not contact me to let me know what happened. What can we do to make sure blah blah get's done on time? OR I love that you promised to call about so and so and you did it! THANK YOU. OR...I was expecting such and such to be done and you did it a day early and it's perfect! WOW! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I love it when that happens. I was on both sides of hard and contentious confrontations throughout this week. As I saw where I was headed, or being taken, I immediately started praying in my head for Heavenly Father to keep satan away from us so we could work this out well without his contentious and lying spirit around making things worse. I also prayed for guidence on how to speak and what words to speak and tone to use so the issues could be resolved and the relationship preserved. And I prayed for my enemies to have their hearts softened so we could be friends. Thank heavens for the silly parts of my week because this week could have been very very rough. I believe angels guarded everyone involved. All potentially relationship damaging situations resolved and I believe we were left stronger and more trusting and trusted. The greatest miracles in life are the miracles of a changed heart. If you want to learn more about crucial confrontations or crucial conversations...you can buy those books with that title, or go to youtube and watch the crucial learning videos, or the B.S. Guys (Behavioral Science Guys). TOOLS for Work, Home, and Play that help you to be more Christlike. Also I found a GREAT QUoTE about angels.

LAST but not LEAST...today we hunted geodes and that was VERY VERY peaceful and fun to be in nature, hear the birds, the babbling creek dancing and tripping over rocks and whooshing over waterfalls with the warm sun overhead and just me and Reg being best friends together. Thank you Heavenly Father for a great week.

Cant wait for Conference NEXT week! Come listen to a real prophet and apostles teach messages from Jesus Christ.....https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng

There and Back Again: Week 21

Recently, Elder Cullen and I visited Carthage specifically to take the Carthage Jail Tour and learn more about the murder of Joseph Smith. There are many books out there about this and a really great movie depicting it called "Six Days in August". I loved how the physical make up of the grounds lead you from Joseph's first vision, through some of his other important revelations and ends at the jail where he was killed.

There is a very sombre energy there that leaves one feeling very in awe of the human Joseph Smith who from his first encounter with Christ muddled through with all his faults and weakness and developed strength and courage and finally stopped fearing his enemies and his friends completely and allowed himself to be taken off the earth.

I admire the example of Joseph's life, that, like David, Paul, Saul, Moses, and all of the prophetes of old, God uses regular people who sometimes obey and sometimes disobey by trying to do things THEIR way instead of God's way.

It gives me hope for myself. I know there are jobs that my Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to do for Them. I know that sometimes I'm awesome and sometimes I am a FOOL...literally. I have tons of skills and there are many things I lack. God takes me as a whole package and gives me the opportunity to serve Him and experience joy, repentance, growth, repentance, joy, growth, and round and round. God is the BEST at building kingdoms with broken tools. We must all follow His example by allowing people to be broken and valued at the same time. To LIFT each other.

To have each other's backs and help each other be our best selves. To give each other Grace.

To allow everyone to do something to help Jesus build his kingdom and let them be on the learning curve and not expect perfection BUT do expect them to be willing to strive for perfection as we prepare for the return of the PERFECT ONE.

There and Back Again: Week 20

Since I was eighteen years old I have been a memeber of the Relief Society. It was established March 17, 1842 and is the oldest women's service organization in the world. It's motto is "Charity Never Faileth". Joseph Smith counseled those first sisters, "That the Society of Sisters might provoke the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor-searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants-to assist;by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community" We were to relieve the poor and save souls. We were to exhort; to encourage, to embolden, to cheer, to advise, to excite or give strength, spirit, or courage.

The Relief Society was started by two women who saw a need and wanted to help. At that time all the men in the town were sacrificing one working day in ten to build the temple. These women wanted to help by sewing clothes for the workers. These simple beginnings were blessed by Jesus Christ and through the prophet Joseph Smith they were organized by priesthood power to help Jesus with His work of blessing and caring for the entire WORLD! From this simple beginning we are now 7 million strong.

The temple is the sacred, joyful, space where one can make covenants with God to be what He wants us to be and to become like Him. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. The Relief Society wanted to support the building of this amazing place.

The Relief Society helps us women to love and serve people more: our husbands, our children, our friends, and our neighbors (who hopefully are our friends too). The Society also gives us opportunities serve as Christ did, by learning skills that help us to be more efficient and effective...How to cook nutritious meals, budget, garden, change a tire, build things, parent better, sew, clean, create, learn technical skills, and how to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and more. Beyond what we get from the relief society, we give.

We are a sisterhood where we support and uplift each other. When I was three months pregnant I had to have my appendix removed. At that time Autumn and Spring were 2 years five months and 9 months old. I had to be on bedrest for 3 weeks so I wouldn't loose my precious Benny Boy. The women of the Relief Society came to my home every week day as Reg left for work. They cared for my two children and cleaned my house and fed me and the children and left dinner steaming on the table as Reg came home. It was overwhelming. I remember shouting from my bedroom, "OH! Don't mind the laundry, I'll do that when I can walk. It's not a big deal!" and my Relief Society Sisters calling back. Let us serve you, we don't mind. I'm telling you, when I was fully healed and could go back to church, I ALWAYS signed up on the clip board when there was a compassionate service need.

Last Sunday we had a Relief Society commemeration. Here in Nauvoo, in the VERY room where the first Relief Society was organized, we re enacted that first meeting and then listened to our current President speak to us. ENJOY video of this awesome meeting at this link. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/miscellaneous-events/2025/02/00-full-broadcast?lang=eng

There and Back Again: Week 19

Back in the 1840's a Purple Pineapple signaled to society that your were big on HOSPITALITY! A good time would and could be had in this house.

This is the home of Edward and Anne Hunter. They were converts from Chester County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Edward was a man of some means, and after he joined the church, he sold his prosperous farm and helped most of his Church branch relocate to Nauvoo.

Before he moved to Nauvoo, he contracted to have his house built. It is a nice, big home, complete with carpet, wallpaper, a clock and a piano! Edward and Anne had no living children when they moved into this home. The furnishings represent Edward's position in the community and his ability to entertain guests. He was apparently an early adopter of technology, and he helped Nauvoo prosper through river trade and land sales in the midst of the Industrial Revolution of the 1840's

The hunters were good friends of Joseph Smith. Edward was a bishop and had the responsibility to accept tithing donations and fast offerings and then redistribute them to those in need. He also helped organize labor tithing. Labor tithing was where workers donated one working day of every ten for temple construction.

So after Elder Cullen and I took the tour of the Hunter Home we asked ourselves, what does our home signal to others in our community? I reflected on when we were searching for a renter who could care for our home for 18 months while we were on this mission. After pondering for a couple of weeks she called us and said, "After praying about it, I think I would love to come live in your Jesus House". We have pictures of our Savior, Jesus Christ in EVERY room...no joke, more than one. My principal's kids used to come to my home for piano and violin lessons. He used to Joke about Jesus looking back at him everywhere he looked! I had to laugh. Our home also says we love reading, art and music.

And when you visit our home, I hope it also says, "YOU are welcome here, come have fun, learn something, and relax!"