Time Experience Thoughts

This Boy (Like His Brothers) By Scott L. Vanatter, September 21, 2011, poem in honor of Cade’s birthday This boy, Like his brothers, can cover a lot of Ground! We can feel that in this boy, As in his brothers, real faith and true joy Abound. This boy that follows his leaders - His mother, his father, and others - thus also Becomes One. We plainly see the shine of this boy’s deep inner smile - And all his brothers’ - which lights our way back into the bright presence of The Son.

How Priesthood Leaders Have Blessed Me and My Family And Helped Us Come Closer to Christ Talk by Scott Vanatter at Oakton Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting, June 11, 2011 INTRO Melchizedek priesthood leaders are taught that “…this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth . . . the key of the knowledge of God.” That “…in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.”(DC 84: 19-20) Good morning brethren. My topic is, “How Priesthood Leaders have Blessed Me and My Family -- and Helped Us Come Closer to Christ.” My family and I have been blessed by inspired words of ward and stake priesthood leaders. We’ve also been blessed by their dedicated lives – by what they do, by who they are. Their eternal perspective, and their connection with us, has created within us a lively, real world hope. This ‘hope in Christ’ provides us calm assurance that we can do it -- we can live the gospel, repent and progress and come unto Christ…. [1] ORDINANCES As impor...

~ Grandma's Christmas Thoughts ~ Someone recently said that in the doldrums of winter while all the earth goes to sleep and the gardens die and the trees go bare (at least here in Virginia) that this is truly the best season of the year… There is a spirit that permeates the world. Imagine a world without Thanksgiving and Christmas. To me, as the years roll by, the two holidays become inseparably connected. Thankfulness turns to honor and worship of that One Sacred Life that gave us ALL. It is a season in which we celebrate new life… the birth of our Savior… the hope of the world. It was also in this season of the year that new life came to our family—twice. Every year, I remember rocking my tiny little infants in front of the Christmas tree, gazing into the sparkling lights, and singing Silent Night as a lullaby. Imagine a new mother, holding her infants in her arms, and deeply contemplating the layers of meaning in that song not only for the world, but for our family. To me, they ...

Detail from Christ with Boy , by Carl Bloch. Recently on the cover of a special issue of the Ensign magazine. (Just in front of my desk, to the left.)