Monday, February 18, 2019

good morning, to you!

So...I'm not going to do a study group.  It's not that I'm deep sixing the idea before it even starts...it's just not the time.  The idea and desire are right but I guess the timing is off.  Maybe it will just evolve without anything formally happening?  I have so much energy inside of me, about the Gospel and my love of it and my belief in Prophets, that at times I just don't know what to do with all of these feelings! 

I'll keep blogging.  I think I'm a slog blogger.  For sure I am a mole in the hole that writes a blog called A Candlestick and yet hides it under the proverbial bushel basket.  My Baptist Sunday School teacher loved that song.  She would sing with gusto and cup her hand over her CandleFinger.  I'm confident about my gospel feelings but feel I am so very very human that I hesitate to share how open I am.  well....in the meantime...life goes on!

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Early this morning I listened to the most recent BYU Devotional (1-22-19) by Lawrence E. Corbridge.  This has to be one of the best talks I've ever heard.  I mean EVER!!!  I'm trying to figure out how to find the link to share but in the meantime...do yourself a huge spiritual favor and use your techy skills to find it and give yourself a treat!!  I'd heard about his most unusual Church assignment before and wondered how he survived.  He was to read everything that is against the Church!  I was curious as to why he was given such a task and how it was used.  He didn't share that but wow, oh wow, he is powerful and I LOVED it!  Found it!!  here
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Communication--Sunday in RS a sister mentioned one way to reach out and minister is to send a hard copy.  I thought about that and how I still seem to be trying to find my way  in expressing myself and reaching out.  I thought back to my love of letter writing and how it used to be such a huge part of my life.

I remember getting up on Saturday mornings, the cold Alaskan weather made the hour feel chilly, and seeing my Mother sitting at the kitchen table with paper and carbon paper and paper clips and envelopes strewn all over.  Her coffee cup at the ready, for her pleasure, as she focused on the task at hand...communicating to family in Missouri- the happenings of our little family in the far away frozen North.

I knew she sent the original copy to her Mother, my Grandmother Clark and the copies went to my Aunt Bonnie and my other Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and really, I don't know how many she faithfully sent.  She would eventually progress to a manual typewriter and then eventually- many years later, when they were affordable- to phone calls.

After greeting me, she would tell me to get ready to write my 3 letters--Grandmother Clark...Grandma and Da-Daw Ransdell ...Aunt Bonnie Ransdell.  I always said the same thing...I don't know what to say.  She would always say the same thing...tell them about the weather and ask them about theirs.

When my wonderful Aunt Bonnie knew she wasn't going to live much longer, she tore all photos of me out of her album and mailed them to me along with all of those letters that I'd done as a young girl.  She had a collection saved them all in a binder.

In today's world it is so easy to send emails or PM.  It's free.  some like it and some don't.  I like one brand of e-cards and sign up to have access to them.  I think at times I go overboard on the e-cards but usually with permission.  I have friends that enjoy them and also my SS class.

Eons ago, I loved shopping for stationery and would buy lovely boxes, and would write in such detail that sometimes I'd use the entire box for one or two letters!  They weren't reams of paper and the paper size was small.  I loved stationery!  Still do!  I have some gorgeous stationery, all heavy, not like vellum, ivory hued, with my name embossed.  I communicate mostly with family on my royal looking paper.  One Granddaughter loves that we stay in touch that way.  She bought her own similar stationery and I gifted her a fountain pen.  We both love our pens!

Hard cards...take time and money but I still love them.  That being said...so far I've addressed 23 Valentines (family and SS class) with 8 more cards, recipients to yet be decided!

The real deal about all of  this, no matter how the heart-felt feelings/sentiments arrive...someone took the time to express that you were on their mind!

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I can't resist sharing this song.  My Baptist SS teacher did her "candle" in a circle.  Mrs. Koester was wonderful.  here you go!

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