Miriam
and I watched Sam and Peter again Friday while Ruth ushered for the
Elk Grove Musical Theater Company performances. When we arrived Sam
had just turned on the movie Willie Wonka with Gene Wilder. I kind
of don’t get it. As they enter the first room, Wonka tells them
everything is edible. Everyone starts chomping away at the
landscape. I am not sure why it is a problem that Augustus drinks
from the chocolate river. It doesn’t seem to me that he broke any
rules at that point. Then he was told to stop and didn’t, but
still. I am also not clear on whether he fell or Wonka nudged him
into the river. I didn’t think he was likeable, but he hadn’t
broken any clearly stated rules until he was slow to stop drinking
out of the river. Later Charlie and Grandpa knowingly and
deliberately disobeyed when drinking the fizzy drink. Apparently the
redeeming quality for Charlie was when he gave back the gobstopper
instead of selling it to Mr. Slugworth. Did the bratty kids get an
opportunity to pass that test? I am not sure. As a morality tale, I
think it is a bit weak. In the kids’ version, Charlie confesses to
breaking the rules and declares himself ineligible to win, thereby
proving his character and winning. But the performing kids had fun,
developed friendships and talents, and did a great job.
Sam
and Peter were pretty good for us, too. Sam resisted going to bed
slightly, but not at all as badly, loudly, or long as in the past.
Peter even went to bed easily despite having had his pacifier taken
away a couple days before. A long, but pleasant evening.
I
donated platelets and red blood cells this week. Not sure I made the
wisest choice in what to watch. I watched two episodes of Mercy
Street. A PBS Civil War drama about a Union hospital in occupied
Alexandria, Virginia. Strong feelings, blood, misery. Kindness, , craven behavior, and noble. It is good. It is gripping.
Not very relaxing. But my donation went well.cruelty
After
introducing us to the Liahona, Nephi says that shows how by small and
simple things, the Lord makes great things come to pass. What? To
me a magical, complicated compass appearing out of nowhere in the
middle of the wilderness is not a small and simple thing. There’s
a lot of wow factor there.
I
am now going to mix up some of the small and simple things that
changed some of our Sunday School class members’ lives with some of
the testimonies from testimony meeting. It was a great meeting –
theme seemed to be redemption.
Sue
Altop was a wild, rebellious teenager who caused her parents a lot of
grief. When she was 18 or 19, the missionaries taught her and
changed her life and the lives of her posterity. Now her
granddaughter is serving a mission (coming home in April) near where
one of Sue’s missionaries lives.
Scott
suffered great heartbreak and loss of faith when he lost someone he
loved. He turned to the wrong things of the world for comfort and
fell away. It got worse when his sister died. Now he is on the
comeback trail. The sins and things of the world did not bring peace
or comfort, there is peace to be found in Christ. Subsequent
speakers welcomed him back.
Valerie
spoke of falling away, coming back and being welcomed, but falling
again. She is now on her 3rd or 4th return and
praying to get it right this time. She is grateful for the
acceptance and support of members.
Don
was laid off for a few months, but he needed to earn money. He job
hunted every day, usually going back to the same places. One day,
the spirit prompted him to go to the Army Depot. He resisted, but
the Spirit insisted. He asked the woman if they might have any
opening for a Machinist. She told him No. As he was leaving, the
Spirit told him to read the overseas job opening board. He was not
going to go overseas, but the Spirit told him to read it. He read
all the notices. None of them suited him. When he was done, the
Spirit told him to go back and ask about a job again. A different
woman told him that they just got word of an opening that morning.
She sent him to go talk to a man who turned out to be a good friend
and brother from the ward. Don said he was hoping for an interview
for the job. Wes said, you’ve got it. Soon they asked him if he
wanted to do overtime. He did. When Aerojet called him back to work
7 months later, he left with enough savings to buy a 7-11 and “teach
his kids to work.”
A
couple of years ago, Jon’s Stake President counseled him to go on a
date every week. Where do you find 52 people to date?! A year later,
still no prospective wife. A friend urged him to try a dating app.
Second swipe there she was. Now they are married with a baby and he
is a counselor in the Bishopric.
I
think there were more good story testimonies/class shares, but how
quickly I forget.
The
Lord can use simple things and guide us to needed changes in any
aspect of our lives.
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