I didn’t write a #SundayMessage last week. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I was in the heart of the Redwoods with no cell coverage. 🤣👍
Last week we took one of our daughters and her two children to visit our other daughter and her three children. What a wonderful time we had catching up! It was especially fun for me to watch my girls and their children reconnect and spend precious family time together while enjoying God’s beautiful creations.
This week my husband and I also spent time traveling with our dear friends Greg and Darla Sperry. We went to see my brother, Merrill Osmond’s, stage production. He produced and wrote the music for The Pioneer Legacy Celebration. It's a wonderful show celebrating the pioneers entering the Utah Valley. The cast of more than 100 people were absolutely amazing and brought tears to my eyes more than once because of what they went through. Merrill did such a great job! And once again, spending precious time with family is one of life’s greatest blessings. ☺️
The next day we visited Navajo Lake, Strawberry Canyon, and eventually Bryce Canyon before heading home. We also stopped at Cedar Breaks. The views there were simply stunning! ❤️
We spent our last night near Bryce Canyon with a dear friend, Tim Gates. He producer and performs a show at Ebenezer’s Dinner Theater. He is an incredible talent, and if you’re ever in that area, you really should go!
After the performance, we joined Tim, his family, and several friends around a campfire—reminiscing and yes… singing! Tim and I even sang #MeetMeInMontana together🥰🎶
One big highlight...Roasting homemade Rice Krispie treats over the coals. 👌Tim’s wife, Berta, made them. Her recipe is a secret, but she did give me one hint: “Use browned butter!” Yum! 😋 I’m definitely doing that!
You guys, the peace that comes from unplugging in nature is remarkable. Being surrounded by oceans, mountains, giant trees, and the majestic scenery God created is glorious, humbling, and energizing. There's so much beauty in the world to see!
As I’ve mentioned before, this year I’m reading through the Old Testament. On this trip, my grandkids watched me read every evening while we traveled. They became curious about the color-coding system I created years ago for marking my scriptures. ☺️ One granddaughter asked what all the colors meant.
I told her pink represents womanhood, motherhood, and family. Green reminds me of growing plants, so I use it for things that help me grow spiritually—wise counsel, sacrifice, commandments, prayer, and examples of faith.
Then she asked, “What’s brown for?”
I asked her what she thought.
“Dirt?” she answered.
“Yes!” I laughed.
Brown reminds me of things that muddy our progress back to God—temptation, warnings, destructive thinking, and choices that pull us away from Him.
Red is for Christ because of the blood He shed for us, and also for the counsel of God the Father.
Yellow is for the Holy Ghost because he lights our path when we choose to listen.
Then I told her, “If you mix red and yellow, what do you get?”
“Orange!”
Exactly. Orange reminds me of teachings and counsel by the Apostles—how Christ organized His Church, the authority He gave them, and the guidance they continue to provide.
Purple is for prophecies and promises, and I told them there are many great ones!
There are more colors, but I won’t bore you any longer. 🤣
To sit and watch my grandchildren choose a color, read the verses, and understand God’s word more deeply because they could connect the principles to a visual color, made every hour I spent reading and marking my scriptures so worthwhile.
I explained to them that reading God’s word and placing ourselves into each person’s story has always given me greater insight and understanding of what they may have been experiencing emotionally, and it allows me to see more clearly the consequences their choices produced.
I explained that this is why we read—and reread—these sacred stories. I also showed them how I write little journal notes in the margins of my scriptures so I can remember what the verses meant to me during different seasons of my life.
Through continuous study I have profoundly seen that history keeps repeating itself. Rather than learning from the past and allowing it to lift us higher, it seems the natural nan continually tries to invade, distract, and disrupt us and we see that common sense isn’t really so common. As I read, I often wonder, “If they saw these patterns happening over and over again, why didn’t they stop them?” But God patiently teaches us again and again His message, “Come back to Me.”
One thing I know from studying God’s word is this: these ancient stories teach us that it is both good—and often necessary—to remove ourselves from temptation if we truly want to become what God intends us to be.
Throughout the scriptures, I have learned that people change, but truth never does.
We witness by reading the heavy burdens that come from choosing darkness over light. Yet those same lives also testify that even in our darkest nights, through faith in God, there is always a way back.
Prophetic guidance from both the past and the present helps us walk forward with far greater peace. These stories remind us to be cautious and fiercely protective against the fiery darts of the adversary, whose only desire is to destroy.
Christ’s way is completely different. His way is to love, heal, protect, educate, and strengthen us so we can become confident in God’s great plan of happiness.
Throughout history, there seems to be a theme: the temptation to redefine God according to our own preferences instead of seeking to know Him as He had revealed Himself to us. But when we seek to do things His way, we come to know Him more fully. We learn how He desires to be loved, worshipped, and followed—not according to our ideas, but according to His, and this places ourselves safely within His loving arms.
I’ve heard many times that God’s commandments feel rigid or restrictive. My response is usually simple.
The difference between a wild horse and a useful horse is boundaries.
God knows this. His commandments are not designed to limit us—they’re designed to help us become everything He created us to be. Think about it. A doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, a musician, etc all become excellent through discipline. If everyone drove without rules, how would we know when to stop or go?
Rules bring order.
Order brings peace. So when life’s unexpected bumps and sharp turns come—when faith is tested, and confusing paths appear—knowing God’s path makes life not only bearable, but hopeful. It’s like looking through a dusty window. Instead of seeing brilliant light, we only see a dim version of what could be.
I don’t know about you…
But I like the light because there's so much beauty in the world to see!
Happy Sunday