San Jose Mission Shenanigans

 

Fredericksburg Fun

 

San Jose, CA Mission Christmas Party

 

Everybody Goes Home

 Deputy struck by a drunk driver while assisting a stalled vehicle on the highway.

Wreaths Across America

 

San Jose Mission Conference

We were privileged to have a mission-wide conference with Elder Carlos G. Revillo, from our Area Presidency.  Accompanying him were Elder Steve Merrill, our Area Seventy, and his wife Jeanne Merrill.  

Some zones met in-person, most were on Zoom.  

Sister Merrell reminded the missionaries that they carry the solution to life to those they teach.  Elder Merrell read from John 12:24 and taught us that laying our life down for Christ is more about aligning our will with His, than neglecting ourselves. 

Elder Revillo testified that each missionary was called by ‘divine design’ to serve in this particular mission, at this particular time, particularly with President and Sister Smith.  He also taught that us that one of the most important questions the Savior will ask us is, “Lovest thou me?”  And to ask ourselves “What are we NOT willing to give up?  What are we putting first before the Lord?”  Elder Revillo testified that this work yields much – ‘You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but cannot count the number of apples in a seed’.  We were all spiritually nourished!

San Jose Missionary Moment with the Boston Temple

 

Granbury Basketball Coach Breazeale 500th Win

Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, but when coach David Breazeale had a moment to reflect on the fact that he won his 500th high school basketball game Saturday at the James Wann Sports Center the memories came flooding in.

After his Granbury Pirates' win in round two of the Van Griffith KIA Invitational tournament, Breazeale joked that such an accomplishment was more about saying he was "just old." Still, he was touched by the fuss his wife.

 

Acton Middle School Christmas Choir

 

Granbury High School Pirate Basketball

 

Granbury Pirate Basketball

 HOOD COUNTY  NEWS -  Sawyer Schenewark got GHS (2-6) off to a strong start as he scored 13 of Granbury's first 20 points in the Pirates' 64-50 

Happy Four Year Old Birthday!

 

Granbury Basketball Interview

https://www.facebook.com/granburysports/videos/581231913087365

With All My Love

Dear Elder Schenewark,

Breyer wanted to make me a birthday cake last Sunday. Since the enter key had already been hit on your letter, I'm letting you know - it was a disaster. Not the actual cake, just the process in making the cake. She's a messy baker, which I have never minded, but this was epic. She tipped over the bowl holding all her wet ingredients and, if you don't know, eggs follow each other in a slippery slide. This slide was into my silverware drawer, With a nice vanilla smell, and just a tad of oil. Then, she has learned that the beaters have a nice notch on the base that allows you to secure it onto a bowl lip, and leave your beaters whipping, hands free. She tried that with the cake batter, and when the beaters fell, the bowl fell. Again, into my silverware drawer. down the cabinet, on the walls, the fridge, and floor. Wagner was happy to help in the clean up, and my silverware drawer has never looked so clean.

But her efforts in my present will go down in history as one of my favorite gifts. She contacted each member in the family and I guessed asked them why you and others love me, wrote their comments on a folded origami design, made by her, held in an origami paper box. Now center stage in my bedroom for frequent perusual.

Wednesday I rolled into work with a flat tire. I actually was suspicious Tuesday while driving to and from Sawyer's scrimmage i Saginaw - 55 miles away. I was very wiggly on the highway but thought it was wind. Wednesday morning I could tell there was no wind, so slowed down a bit. Fortunately I work with an agency that provides a courtesy patrol truck for the highways, and convinced them to help me in the work parking lot.

Sawyer got his second ACT score back and was a bit disappointed with the 31. If the two scores are combined it's a 35 - but BYU doesn't do that. For whatever reason, his 36 score in English last go around was a 28 this time, and his 28 in math was a 36 this time. He also made 82 free throws in a row - and for those of his loved ones who were willing to sponsor him - we paid up.

 This week the nation celebrated veteran’s day with a lot of social media posts indicating "thanks for your service." I grew up in the lap of luxury not having to enlist, and my father and uncle were optional enlistments – meaning there was no mandatory draft. I did get a notice when I turned 18 to register for the draft – as the back then computers had added an E to my Jo. I am grateful for the relative peace I've enjoyed in my lifetime, and am grateful for those whose sacrifice made my freedoms possible.

The Dallas County tax office had a food drive for Thanksgiving – asking for very specific items related to Thanksgiving such as corn, beans, gravy, cornbread mix, rice, stuffing. I put a box out by the time clock, and sent a "public service announcement" out to all the vehicles via an in car screen. I came back the following week to an empty box ☹  My lieutenant put together ten bags, including one of everything on the list, so I had that, but then at the last minute one deputy contacted me and told me he had put in a few items. He filled the box! I guess he’s a softie underneath his crusty exterior, a veteran, and I was grateful for his support. I am hoping for a few extra blessings on his and his family's head.

This is portion of a letter in 2016 from Grampy to Hunter - on his mission in Brazil. 

I hope that you have an obedient and hard working companion where you are – it makes things so much more pleasant when you are both on the same page.  You do know I suspect that your mission has several different aspects to it.  I suppose the chief one is to teach and baptize.  One of the others is for you to use your testimony, your leadership skills and your example of obedience and hard work to be the kind of influence on your companion that makes him better (if you have someone that lacks in those areas).  One of my favorite scriptures is in the D&C, section 121.  I have memorized practically all of it.  At the end it says : “let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly, then shall your confidence wax strong in the presence of God and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon your soul as the dews from heaven”.

Another is the book of Enos.  He was such a hard working and humble servant, yet he wanted to make sure he was cleansed of any sin and petitioned God day and night and was finally told his sins were forgiven and he was clean.  I love the next part where Enos asks God, but how is that done? (meaning how are his sins taken away) and God tells him that because of his powerful faith in Jesus Christ. 

So remember, faith is a power and most of the time we have no awareness of that when things get going bad in our lives.  My faith is one of the things that I try to work on the most and I have experienced the increase in power that is mentioned in the scriptures – but I know I have only scratched the surface. 

We pray for you.

I know your grandfather is praying for you know, and loves you dearly. He was in such awe of your god given talents. Use them on your mission. Have a wonderful week.

Mom

San Jose Missionary

So for five weeks, I've been chilling in Campbell, California. I got a new area, a new missionary, and poison ivy all on the same day. People keep saying how nice it is to see my actual face.

I discovered two weeks ago that you don't have to be on a campout to make tin foil dinners. I don't know who is trying to keep this a secret, but if I disappear it's because they've found me. I received the best compliment a chef can receive as well. No one said a word until their plate was clean. To everyone that cooks, this is about as easy as cooking gets as far as effort vs. quantity. Very filling, pretty cheap, almost healthy, super tasty (11/10).

I also made sushi, 8/10 with yum yum sauce

- Elder Schenewark

the telliest of tubbies

Missionary Moments with a Dog

 

The Blessings of the Temple

This is a portion of a talk my twin sister wrote in 2011. Ten years ago! She said, "I’m not a betting gal, but if I were, I’d be willing to bet that just about everyone here has had some experience with hard things.  At one time or another, nearly everyone has faced or will face accidents, illness, TESTS, unemployment, death, natural disasters or other emergencies that will require us to depend on the resources we have stored away. And by resources I’m not talking about powdered milk or wheat. Though we never know when we will face a challenge, we know that the Lord, in Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 has told us “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” President Gordon B. Hinckley, told us “We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for his protection and guidance. I have faith that the Lord will bless us, and watch over us, and assist us if we walk in obedience to His light, His gospel and His commandments.”  One such way the Lord watches over us, and assists us, is through our prophets.

When Brother Wurz asked me to speak today on the "Blessings of the Temple, he referred me to President Nelson's October conference address entitled, "The Temple and Your Spiritual Power." 

President Nelson said, "My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?

"It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.

"The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. 

"Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead."

"He is providing opportunities for each of us to bolster our spiritual foundations more effectively by centering our lives on Him and on the ordinances and covenants of His temple. When you bring your temple recommend, a contrite heart, and a seeking mind to the Lord’s house of learning, He will teach you.

"Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

"Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.

So when I think of the question Bro. Wurz asked, "What are the blessings of the temple?" I think of this power President Nelson described, endowed upon us by being temple worthy, temple attending, temple covenant keeping saints.

When Brother Wurz asked me to speak today on the "Blessings of the Temple," I immediately thought of my mother, as she served as matron of the Boston temple, with my father as President, for three years. In speaking with her my mother referred me to Doctrine and Covenants, section 109, which is comprised of the dedicatory prayer offered at the dedication of the Kirtland temple in 1836. In just the section heading of section 109, it states that temples are "built as a place for the Son of Man to visit," a house wherein Saints can "go forth in power." Verse 22 states that we "may go forth from this house armed with [His] power, that [His] name may be upon [us], [His] glory be round about [us], and [His] angels have charge over [us]." Verse 13 states that "all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord’s house may feel [His] power."

With six boys, having power might have had a different connotation. When they were younger, my boys loved letting their super hero personas take over. Traditional superhero powers might include the ability to fly, the ability to be invisible, the ability of super speed, or strength, the ability to control the elements. What are some of the powers of the temple?

When I think of the power of invisibility, I think of someone that, while not being seen, is going about doing good, acts of service to bring comfort and peace to others. President Monson said that "As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Such peace can permeate any heart... [I would repeat, any heart!] —hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help." Peace is a super power obtained in the temple.

When I think of the ability of controlling the elements, I think of Elder Packer who declared, "We need [saints] who understand the power of the temple endowment, and know how to call upon the powers of heaven." Last January Australia made international news due to its burning bushfires which have ravaged the country, burning around over million acres of land and causing the deaths of then 24 people and nearly 480 million animals. The Pacific Area Presidency invited local saints to join  them in a fast for the country. On Sunday at the conclusion of the fast, the Area Presidency wrote a letter thanking those who participated in the fast. It read, “As this Fast Sunday draws to an end for the Pacific Area we are heartened as an Area Presidency to hear reports of just how many members joined with the Pacific Area Presidency in dedicating a portion of their fast to petition the Lord for relief from the bushfires and drought conditions in Australia. We hope you are heartened to learn that Saints from around the world, including Texas, including Hood County, at their own volition, joined in the fast with you. We thank all who participated for this physical demonstration of their faith in Christ and their love and compassion for their fellow Saints.” The rain came a few days after the fast was held in Australia. This power is collectively cultivated in the temple.

President Nelson says, "We have been promised that “if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear.” This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties [and fear] of this era." The power of not being fearful is found in the temple.

What are some other super powers? Elder Christofferson, who recently helped with the dedication of a new temple said, "The covenants we make through temple ordinances permit Him to let His divine influence flow into our souls. This brings power in the priesthood, power to declare the word of God, power to gather scattered Israel, and power to offer redemption to the dead. It is the power to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. in other words, it is the power to lay hold of eternal life. It is the power to resist temptation and overcome evil. No combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over [us]" (DC 109:26). Super powers indeed.

The Bible dictionary states that "A temple is literally a house of the Lord. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness. Sacredness in our homes is indeed power in today's world.

Often when I am asked about my church, or if I want to volunteer information about this church, I tell them that one of the things I love most about my church is that my church teaches and practices the principle of sacrifice. We are a lay ministry, meaning our leaders receive no compensation for their service. Our children attend seminary. Our children go on missions for two years at their own expense. When President Monson was asked why so many Church members are willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple, he stated, “Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings,” he explained. “There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort.” And I would also add the sacrifice of paying a full tithe. The significance of altars, indicating sacrifice, being in every room of the temple, is not a coincidence. Sacrifice is necessary on our behalf to claim the powers from on high found in the temple.

When Nephi was told by his father Lehi that the Lord commanded him "that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records," Nephi accepted his father's revelation. He committed to the task, traveled about 14 days each way to the city of Jerusalem, which is about 180 miles, and "did consult one with another." Their first attempt in retrieving the plates, when they "cast lots," was left to chance. Their second attempt to retrieve the plates, when they gathered their "gold and silver and precious things" to trade for the plates, was the more worldly, material approach. When they went back for the third attempt to retrieve the plates, Nephi "was led by the spirit, not knowing before hand the things which [he] should do." Although Nephi was instructed not to go to the Lord's house, but Laban's house, he was successful because he didn't rely on chance, or worldly, material methods, but relied on the Lord and made the necessary sacrifices.

In 2015 then President Monson stated, "The building of temples is a very clear indication of the growth of the Church." In 2015 there were 149 temples in operation worldwide, and 13 more under construction, for a total of 162!!! In 2021 there are a total of 265!! In a six year period there are one hundred additional temples, including one coming to Fort Worth!

What are we willing to sacrifice to be able to go to the temple? To go to the temple in our own backyard? What blessings do we want upon us, our family members, and our home by making the necessary sacrifices to be a temple attending people? 

President Nelson said, “I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles(and I would add powers) He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.”

May we make the necessary changes to our lives, and our selves, to bring ourselves to the temple. To have a desire to cultivate the super powers found only in the temple, offered as a protection and a peace to us in these latter-days.

New York City Family Photo Fun