I am about to do the impossible, wish me luck!

Tomorrow I am getting ready to go on another trip and I keep telling myself to stay positive. It will all work out in the end. I can do this. I can’t say much about it because it’s a surprise! Here are a few quotes to keep me focus and relaxed because I get so anxious each time I travel alone. 

 

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  – Nelson Mandela

 

“Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.” – G. M. Trevelyan

 

So many things in life can either feel impossible or appear impossible.  Our immediate reaction to something difficult is often to tell ourselves “that’s impossible”, or “it can’t be done”.  Often times we have that reaction before we even stop to consider if, in fact, there is a possible way to accomplish it.

 

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given, then to explore the power they have to change it.  Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration.  It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary…Impossible is nothing!”   – Muhammad Ali

 

Perhaps it easier to tell ourselves it’s impossible because it gives us an easy out – a way to save face with others around us because there is no shame in not attempting that which is impossible to do…right??  And so we stop ourselves from even trying….

 

“What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.” – Anthony Robbins

 

Just stop and think about it.  Really think about it. What if you didn’t allow your mind to determine something is impossible.  What if you came at each task with the attitude of “it is definitely possible and I am going to figure it out.” 

 

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi

 

“Very little in life is as fulfilling as the moment when you accomplish that which appeared to be impossible…

And in that moment of accomplishment you literally feel like you are on top of the world!  You have shown yourself and the world that it could be done.  Sure it might have been hard, and sure it might have seemed scary going into it, but most worthwhile things do.  It is exhilarating!

 

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

 

Today’s challenge is to go out there and do the impossible – don’t fear it – just start by doing what’s necessary and then what’s possible and it’s all good from there.

 

It’s kind of fun to do the Impossible!

 

Con amor,

Vero

Say what?

 

I have been thinking lately how important it is to be careful when we say anything. Words are a powerful thing. Words can build and lift, comfort and calm, teach and inspire.  To the opposite, words can destroy and demolish, incite and enrage, criticize, embarrass and demean.  It has been said that in an average day a person will speak somewhere between 10 and 20,000 words. Which means we have that tons of chances every day to say something positive or to say something negative, the choice is totally up to us.

 

There is an old saying that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Whoever came up with that saying had it completely wrong…what it needed to say is “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but unkind words will always hurt me…and a broken bone can heal with time, but the damage done by unkind words might never heal.”  Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of verbal abuse or verbal assaults knows all too well how true this is…

 

What is important to keep in mind is that people who speak negatively of others are people who first have felt negatively about themselves, they are those who are constantly thinking critical thoughts about themselves.  After a period of time of only seeing the negative in themselves, that person begins to only see the negative in others too, and often times they start to voice that.  They become incapable of seeing the positive, and instead they only complain and condemn.  They remain in misery themselves and they become determined to make everyone around them feel miserable too.  Often times, they may try to mask their unkind words with sarcasm and humor, relishing in the laughter they get at the expense of someone else.  What they don’t realize is that the laughter they are getting is from people who laugh out of fear, not out of admiration, because the last thing those people laughing want is to become next on their list to be torn down.  What it comes down to is this, people who speak negatively are not loved; they are feared.

 

When we are tempted to say something unkind we need to remember this:  Negative words, once spoken, can’t be pulled back.  We can apologize and try to make amends, but even that won’t make the memory of our words disappear.  Even if the person we offended forgives us, they are likely to remember our words for many years to come and the damage done to their heart may never fully heal.  

 

Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds; 

You can call back your kites, but you can’t call back your words. 

“Careful with fire” is good advice, we know; 

“Careful with words” is ten times doubly so. 

Thoughts unexpressed will often fall back dead. But God Himself can’t kill them, once they are said!

-Will Carleton

 

We must remember that the words we say reflect the person that we are, whether they are good or bad, they are reflecting what we think and feel on the inside to everyone observing on the outside.  Our words reflect our character.   That goes for both the words we speak as well as the words we write.  In today’s world we see so much of people writing horrible things on Twitter or Facebook or a myriad of other social media outlets.  Bullying is no longer just for the playground, cyber-bullying has run rampant on the web.  And people seem to take more liberty with being unkind in writing then they would dare attempt to verbalize in person. Putting word in written form hurts no less than words spoken, and sometimes it can hurt even more.  When I have come across that type of tearing down I can’t help but think to myself: how miserable must this person who wrote this must be to have taken time out of their day to post something so destructive and degrading about someone else….making that effort takes being a truly unhappy person who wants nothing more than to spread their misery…it’s really very sad. I can’t stand when people make derogatory comments when they refer to our Church leaders, they obviously don’t have a clue. 

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum we have those who use their words in positive ways.  They are optimistic and happy and they look for the good, both in themselves, as well as in others.  They are encouraging and kind and they use the power of their words to build and encourage.  People are drawn to them because they know they will lift them up, give them hope, and inspire them to be better.   These people are loved, and it is easy to see why. I absolutely love people who use the power of their words to do good.  I love learning from them and I love being around them.  They make the world a happier place and they inspire me to use the power of my own words for good.

 

Con amor,

Vero

Act of Valor

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

 

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

 

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

 

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

 

That is an amazing poem by Chief Tecumseh.  This poem appears at the end of the movie Act of Valor and it is an incredibly touching moment in the movie when it is read.  I love the meaning expressed in this poem.  I love the message of living your life respecting and serving others and using your talents to their fullest extent while staying grateful for all you have.  Most of all I like the message it shares of living your life in such a way that you don’t have to be afraid to die, but rather you can face death someday knowing that you did your very best with all that you had been given. Death has entered many homes due to the pandemic. Today we learned that two of our employees had a parent died from COVID-19.

 

Live your life in such a way that when this life ends and you stand before God you can feel comfortable standing before Him knowing that he will be proud of who you are and what you did with the time you had here. I can think of no more noble goal than that one.

 

Con amor,

Vero

Our assignment will continue

So we had the meeting with Bishop Causee where we learned that we are staying one more year in Argentina. I need to figure out a way to enjoy my time here. This would have been an incredible place if it was not for the pandemic and their politics. I will take time this next year to enjoy my home and be present! 

 

Today I came across this AWESOME quote:

If you are depressed you are living in the past.

If you are anxious you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.

 

And I realized that is SO TRUE!  When I think about the future I start getting anxious about it because I know the stress it will hold to catch back up after the trip.  But when I stay in the present I find myself super happy and excited and grateful to be taking this special time with my family and I feel totally at peace.

 

What I don’t want to do is start letting my anxiety about the future start to take up the beauty of the time I should be enjoying.  And without question if I allow myself to start worrying about the mountain of catching up that is exactly what will happen…it will suck the joy right out of my vacation.

 

And so I am committing myself to let the future go for right now and just stay focused on the present and trying to enjoy it to the fullest.  However, I will admit that doing that takes a serious commitment and effort because the natural part of most of us tends to constantly worry about the future or dwell on sadness from the past and we don’t naturally enjoy the present moment.  The number of depressed and stressed out people in the world today attests to that fact.  So it sounds like all of us could use a little more of focusing on the present and enjoying it more.

 

 “Learning to live in the moment, to be present in the now, means paying attention to everything you do as if you’ve never done it before.” – Eve Adamson, PhD

 

 My goal for the rest of this assignment is not to let yesterday or tomorrow take away from my today.  I am going to try and live in the present and enjoy every beautiful second of it. Hope you’ll all do the same.

 

Con amor,

Vero

All We Need to Know

My mom and I listen to books on tape together. I love the classics because they usually have been translated to Spanish. One book I would love to read with her is “All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten” We learn so many simple life lessons as a child, yet often times we overlook how those simple rules apply to us as adults. The fact is that those life lessons, if remembered, will help us all our lives, no matter how old we are.  I love the words of Robert Fulghum:

 

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

 

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat. . . .
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup—they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned—the biggest word of all—LOOK.

 

In his book by the same title he shares how these rules all apply to us as adults but just reading those short sentences above is enough to get your mind thinking about how you should apply those to life today. We all tend to view life as complicated, but what if it really is as simple as following those simple rules we learned as a child?  Something to consider for sure…

 

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”   – Robert Fulghum

 

Con amor,

Vero

Sunday Sermon "Unselfish Service"

Our Savior gave Himself in unselfish service. He taught that each of us should follow Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others.

“If any man will come after me [He said], let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24–25; see also Matthew 10:39).

As a group, Latter-day Saints are unique in following that teaching—unique in the extent of their unselfish service.

Each year tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints submit their papers for full-time missionary service. Seniors put aside the diversions of retirement, the comforts of home, and the loving companionship of children and grandchildren and go forth to serve strangers in unfamiliar places. Young men and women put work and education on hold and make themselves available to serve wherever they are assigned. Hundreds of thousands of faithful members participate in the unselfish service we call “temple work,” which has no motive other than love and service for our fellowmen, living and dead. The same unselfish service is given by legions of officers and teachers in our stakes and wards and branches. All are uncompensated in worldly terms but committed to Christlike service to their fellowmen.

It is not easy to give up our personal priorities and desires. Many years ago a new missionary in England was frustrated and discouraged. He wrote home saying he felt he was wasting his time. His wise father replied, “Forget yourself and go to work.”¹ Young Elder Gordon B. Hinckley went to his knees and covenanted with the Lord that he would try to forget himself and lose himself in the Lord’s service.² Years later, as a mature servant of the Lord, Elder Hinckley would say, “He who lives only unto himself withers and dies, while he who forgets himself in the service of others grows and blossoms in this life and in eternity.”³

Last January President Thomas S. Monson taught Brigham Young University students that their student days should include “the matter of spiritual preparation,” including service to others. “An attitude of love characterized the mission of the Master,” President Monson said. “He gave sight to the blind, legs to the lame, and life to the dead. Perhaps when we [face] our Maker, we will not be asked, ‘How many positions did you hold?’ but rather, ‘How many people did you help?’ In reality,” President Monson concluded, “you can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people.”⁴

A familiar example of losing ourselves in the service of others—this one not unique to Latter-day Saints—is the sacrifice parents make for their children. Mothers suffer pain and loss of personal priorities and comforts to bear and rear each child. Fathers adjust their lives and priorities to support a family. The gap between those who are and those who are not willing to do this is widening in today’s world. One of our family members recently overheard a young couple on an airline flight explaining that they chose to have a dog instead of children. “Dogs are less trouble,” they declared. “Dogs don’t talk back, and we never have to ground them.”

We rejoice that so many Latter-day Saint couples are among that unselfish group who are willing to surrender their personal priorities and serve the Lord by bearing and rearing the children our Heavenly Father sends to their care. We also rejoice in those who care for disabled family members and aged parents. None of this service asks, what’s in it for me? All of it requires setting aside personal convenience for unselfish service. All of it stands in contrast to the fame, fortune, and other immediate gratification that are the worldly ways of so many in our day.

Latter-day Saints are uniquely committed to sacrifice. In partaking of the sacrament each week, we witness our commitment to serve the Lord and our fellowmen. In sacred temple ceremonies we covenant to sacrifice and consecrate our time and talents for the welfare of others.

II.

Latter-day Saints are also renowned for their ability to unite in cooperative efforts. The Mormon pioneers who colonized the Intermountain West established our honored tradition of unselfish cooperation for the common good. Following in this tradition are our modern “Helping Hands” projects in many nations.⁵ In recent elections Latter-day Saints have united with other like-minded persons in efforts to defend marriage. For some, that service has involved great sacrifice and continuing personal pain.

Our members’ religious faith and Church service have taught them how to work in cooperative efforts to benefit the larger community. Because of this, Latter-day Saint volunteers are in great demand in education, local government, charitable causes, and countless other efforts that call for high skills in cooperative efforts and unselfish sacrifice of time and means.

Some attribute our members’ willingness to sacrifice and their skills in cooperative efforts to our effective Church organization or to what skeptics mistakenly call “blind obedience.” Neither explanation is correct. No outside copying of our organization and no application of blind obedience could duplicate the record of this Church or the performance of its members. Our willingness to sacrifice and our skills in cooperative efforts come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, from the inspired teachings of our leaders, and from the commitments and covenants we knowingly make.

III.

Unfortunately, some Latter-day Saints seem to forego unselfish service to others, choosing instead to fix their priorities on the standards and values of the world. Jesus cautioned that Satan desires to sift us like wheat (see Luke 22:31; 3 Nephi 18:18), which means to make us common like all those around us. But Jesus taught that we who follow Him should be precious and unique, “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) and “the light of the world,” to shine forth to all men (Matthew 5:14, 16; see also 3 Nephi 18:24).

We do not serve our Savior well if we fear man more than God. He rebuked some leaders in His restored Church for seeking the praise of the world and for having their minds on the things of the earth more than on the things of the Lord (see D&C 30:2; 58:39). Those chastisements remind us that we are called to establish the Lord’s standards, not to follow the world’s. Elder John A. Widtsoe declared, “We cannot walk as other men, or talk as other men, or do as other men, for we have a different destiny, obligation, and responsibility placed upon us, and we must fit ourselves [to it].”⁶ That reality has current application to every trendy action, including immodest dress. As a wise friend observed, “You can’t be a life saver if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.”⁷

Those who are caught up in trying to save their lives by seeking the praise of the world are actually rejecting the Savior’s teaching that the only way to save our eternal life is to love one another and lose our lives in service.

C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. … What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come … the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”⁸

A selfish person is more interested in pleasing man—especially himself—than in pleasing God. He looks only to his own needs and desires. He walks “in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world” (D&C 1:16). Such a person becomes disconnected from the covenant promises of God (see D&C 1:15) and from the mortal friendship and assistance we all need in these tumultuous times. In contrast, if we love and serve one another as the Savior taught, we remain connected to our covenants and to our associates.

IV.

We live in a time when sacrifice is definitely out of fashion, when the outside forces that taught our ancestors the need for unselfish cooperative service have diminished. Someone has called this the “me” generation—a selfish time when everyone seems to be asking, what’s in it for me? Even some who should know better seem to be straining to win the praise of those who mock and scoff from the “great and spacious building” identified in vision as the pride of the world (see 1 Nephi 8:26–28; 11:35–36).

The worldly aspiration of our day is to get something for nothing. The ancient evil of greed shows its face in the assertion of entitlement: I am entitled to this or that because of who I am—a son or a daughter, a citizen, a victim, or a member of some other group. Entitlement is generally selfish. It demands much, and it gives little or nothing. Its very concept causes us to seek to elevate ourselves above those around us. This separates us from the divine, evenhanded standard of reward that when anyone obtains any blessing from God, it is by obedience to the law on which that blessing is predicated (see D&C 130:21).

The effects of greed and entitlement are evident in the multimillion-dollar bonuses of some corporate executives. But the examples are more widespread than that. Greed and ideas of entitlement have also fueled the careless and widespread borrowing and excessive consumerism behind the financial crises that threaten to engulf the world.

Gambling is another example of greed and selfishness. The gambler ventures a minimum amount in the hope of a huge return that comes by taking it away from others. No matter how it is disguised, getting something for nothing is contrary to the gospel law of the harvest: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7; see also 2 Corinthians 9:6).

The values of the world wrongly teach that “it’s all about me.” That corrupting attitude produces no change and no growth. It is contrary to eternal progress toward the destiny God has identified in His great plan for His children. The plan of the gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us above our selfish desires and teaches us that this life is all about what we can become.

A great example of unselfish service is the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose vow committed herself and her fellow workers to “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.”⁹ She taught that “one thing will always secure heaven for us—the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives.”¹⁰ “We can do no great things,” Mother Teresa maintained, “only small things with great love.”¹¹When this wonderful Catholic servant died, the First Presidency’s message of condolence declared, “Her life of unselfish service is an inspiration to all the world, and her acts of Christian goodness will stand as a memorial for generations to come.”¹² That is what the Savior called losing our lives in service to others.

Each of us should apply that principle to our attitudes in attending church. Some say “I didn’t learn anything today” or “No one was friendly to me” or “I was offended” or “The Church is not filling my needs.” All those answers are self-centered, and all retard spiritual growth.

In contrast, a wise friend wrote:

“Years ago, I changed my attitude about going to church. No longer do I go to church for my sake, but to think of others. I make a point of saying hello to people who sit alone, to welcome visitors, … to volunteer for an assignment. …

“In short, I go to church each week with the intent of being active, not passive, and making a positive difference in people’s lives. Consequently, my attendance at Church meetings is so much more enjoyable and fulfilling.”¹³

All of this illustrates the eternal principle that we are happier and more fulfilled when we act and serve for what we give, not for what we get.

Our Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others. If we do, He promises us eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7), the glory and joy of living in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I testify of Them and of Their great plan for the salvation of Their children, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

Con amor,

Vero

Life is too Short

These words come from Loretta Laroche, who is absolutely fabulous. She teaches people how to let go of stress and allow humor into their lives. She is definitely one of my favorite motivational speakers. Seeing as how today was a very long and stress filled day, I decided I could use a good laugh and a good pick-me-up so I am going to share some of Loretta Laroche’s tips on how to wake up every day ready to put on your Party Pants!

 

Eight Reasons We Can’t Lighten Up

1.      We’re too busy. Let’s face it? Will we ever not be busy? 

2.      We’re afraid of what they may say. I don’t know who they are, but they sure stop the laughter for a lot of people. 

3.      The committee is meeting. Many of us are filled with inner critics who want us to be terminally serious adults.

 4.      We need to be right. It’s hard to laugh if we’re always proving a point. 5.      We have a tendency to judge and criticize. (This comes up a lot, doesn’t it?) 

6.      We’ve got too many rules and regulations. When we behave like drill sergeants and life is a forced march, it becomes difficult to chuckle. 7.      We need to suffer before, during, and after anything stressful. 8.      We’ve got too much ego. When we’re overinflated, we can’t laugh because we’re afraid we’ll lose our sense of importance.

Good everyday life boosting exercises:

* Wake up every day and shout, “I’m back!? (if you are living with someone, tell them, too). *  Make sure to stretch first thing in the morning. I read that this is a healthy way to start the day and also makes you feel refreshed. * On weekdays, pretend you’re on a “working vacation” and appreciate every moment of the day. * Tell at least three people in your life of how happy you are to be breathing. * Play your favorite song to start off your day (It makes a difference). * Reflect on what you did yesterday that made you happy and think on how you can improve today!

Ten simple truths that lead to an amazing life:

            An amazing life requires resilience.

            An amazing life requires living in the moment.

            An amazing life requires optimism.

            An amazing life requires acceptance.

            An amazing life requires humor.

            An amazing life requires creativity.

            An amazing life requires moderation.

            An amazing life requires responsibility.

            An amazing life requires connection

            An amazing life requires that you WEAR YOUR PARTY PANTS 

  I hope that all of you will have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY.  LAUGH.  ENJOY LIFE!  I will close with some silly/fun jokes that I hope will help all of you to have a LAUGH today   *What do a grape and an elephant have in common?  They are both purple…well…except for the elephant… *Contrary to what most people would say, the most dangerous animal in the world is not the lion or the tiger or even the elephant. It’s a shark riding on an elephant’s back, just trampling and eating everything they see. (Jack Handey) *My wife and I took out life insurance policies on each other — so now it’s just a waiting game. (Bill Dwyer) *A guy is sitting at home when he hears a knock at the door. He opens the door and sees a snail on the porch. He picks up the snail and throws it as far as he can. Three years later, there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and sees the same snail. The snail says “What the heck was that all about?”

 

Con amor,

Vero

Notes and tidbits

A few notes from the footnotes of Latter-day Saint leaders’ general conference talks

 

Here are some leftovers from my reporter’s notebook in recent days.

 

First, a few tidbits from footnotes that speakers appended to the talks they delivered during the 191st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

· In his general conference talk on the Constitution, President Dallin H. Oaks said, “Today, every nation except three have adopted written constitutions.” He revealed which three in a footnote: “The three countries with unwritten codified constitutions are the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Israel. Each of these has strong traditions of constitutionalism, though the governing provisions are not collected in a single document.”

· As I did research for my story about what people from the worlds of law and politics had to say about President Oaks’ talk, I found a 1992 Ensign article he wrote titled “The Divinely Inspired Constitution.” In that article, he had noted that there were six countries at the time that had not adopted written constitutions. Between 1992 and now, dozens have nations have adopted updated or replaced their constitutions.

· Elder Neil L. Andersen mentioned in his conference talk that fewer children are being born, saying that God’s commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. In his footnotes, he wrote that, “For example, if the United States had maintained its fertility rate of 2008, just 13 years ago, there would be 5.8 million more children alive today,” citing an article published by the Institute for Family Studies.

· From a language point of view, I enjoyed reading a footnote provided by Elder David A. Bednar because it seemed to anticipate the current American vernacular that people should “walk the talk.” He quoted a 1946 comment by President Harold B. Lee in which he urged church members to led conference talks “be the guide to their walk and talk during the next six months.”

· President Joy D. Jones, released during the conference as the Primary general president, included a long footnote from a 1995 conference talk by President Nelson:

“Years ago as a young medical student I saw many patients afflicted with diseases that are now preventable. Today it is possible to immunize individuals against conditions that once were disabling — even deadly. One medical method by which acquired immunity is conferred is inoculation. The term inoculate is fascinating. It comes from two latin roots: in, meaning ‘within’; and oculus, meaning ‘an eye.’ The verb to inoculate, therefore, literally means ‘to put an eye within’ — to monitor against harm. An affliction like polio can cripple or destroy the body. An affliction like sin can cripple or destroy the spirit. The ravages of polio can now be prevented by immunization, but the ravages of sin require other means of prevention. Doctors cannot immunize against iniquity. Spiritual protection comes only from the Lord — and in his own way. Jesus chooses not to inoculate, but to indoctrinate. His method employs no vaccine; it utilizes the teaching of divine doctrine — a governing ‘eye within’ — to protect the eternal spirits of his children.”

· Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared his personal feelings about a specific scripture:

“The words of Doctrine & Covenants 58:42 are some of the most inspiring and encouraging in scripture: ‘He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.’ What joy this gives me to know that, if I continue to repent, in that future day when I shall fall on my knees before my Savior and Redeemer, he will lift me up and embrace me. My sins will not only be forgiven, they will not even be remembered.”

Finally, a note from talking to Judge Thomas B. Griffith, who, as I wrote about last week, was named by President Joe Biden to the new Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States. For my article on President Oaks’ talk, Griffith pointed me to an article he wrote for the “Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy” titled “Civic Charity and the Constitution.”

 

In it, Griffith outlined four moments in American history when civic charity helped shape America for the better. Those examples, he noted, came from the book “Bonds of Affection — Civic Charity and the Making of America: Winthrop, Jefferson, and Lincoln,” by Elder Matthew Holland, a General Authority Seventy.

 

 I might suggest that one to read in our book club.

Con amor,

Vero

Hottest market ever!

On Monday Cristi and Brooks made an offer on a house that was accepted. This home came on the market on Friday and was sold by Monday which is about all it takes now days to sell a house.  

Sixty percent of homes on the market are in contract within two weeks, setting a record of all time. The same thing happened to Vale when she was making offers on homes. There were several contenders as there is usually now days so the most attractive offer gets it! 

According to real estate agents, active listings are down 42% from this time a year ago. That has caused house prices to jump 17% in the last year and is predicted to increase another 10% in the next year.

Why?

Scarcity.

According to this article: "Some homebuyers have reached their limit on bidding wars and soaring prices," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "Add to the mix a dwindling number of homes for sale and rising mortgage rates, and the typical family that is still searching for an affordable house may have missed the boat.”

But Fairweather said there may still be options for those who are trying to find affordable housing.

“First-time homebuyers who were already stretching their budgets will have to make bigger compromises on size and location or resign to renting for another year,” Fairweather said. “However, those who are flexible should look to the condo market where there's still a bit less competition. Looking ahead, Biden's infrastructure plan aims to incentivize zoning for multifamily homes, which could increase the supply of affordable homes and provide even more people a path to homeownership, but there is no guarantee the incentives would be enough for local governments to change their zoning practices."

There could also be a surge of foreclosed homes hitting the market in the coming months. That is because moratoriums on foreclosures are slated to be lifted this summer. The result could be millions of homes going on the market.

The other side to that is millions of home owners could be looking for new housing.

In response, the federal government told lenders on Thursday to be better prepared to assist home owners who are delinquent and facing foreclosure when the moratoriums lift.

Data from servicer Freddie Mac indicates that fewer Americans are struggling to make mortgage payments than early in the pandemic, suggesting programs have helped keep people in their homes.

“Freddie Mac is focused on understanding how consumers are thinking about their current and future financial situation amid a pandemic,” said Donna Corley, executive vice president and head of Single-Family Business at Freddie Mac. “While the housing market appears to be healthy and has recovered faster than the rest of the economy, many segments of the population are still struggling. To date, we have helped hundreds of thousands of borrowers get and stay current on their mortgage, and we continue to work with our conservator and industry partners to offer ongoing support.”

Remember the economic class in College about supply and demand?  This is what happens. The demand has simply priced up the bidding process for buying a home. I wish I had kept my home on Metropolitan way and the home on Diana way. Together they are now worth about a million plus! 

Good luck to those out there who find themselves in the predicament of trying to buy a home. Grateful that most of our children have a roof over their heads to call their own. 

Con amor,

Vero