and Friends;
and Disneyland,
Art, Holidays, Health and Nutrition, Science; Fiction and otherwise
While the Spring weather here in Utah is a bit bi-polar; sunny one day, snowing the next, you might be able to squeeze in an Easter tea between egg hunts and snowball fights.
To me the real meaning of Easter is remembering and thanking Jesus Christ for his Atonement which places us back in line with God’s love and grace and hopes for our futures. I wrote this analogy to help explain why we need a Savior and how much His love means to me.
http://www.pammcmurtry.com/search?q=The+Miraculous+Atonement+of+Jesus+Christ%3A+The+First+Easter+
2. Zechariah, a prophet of the Old Testament foretold that Christ would be ransomed or betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for
thirtypieces of silver. ” (Matthew 26: 14 – 15)3. “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to
Pontius Pilate the governor. (Matthew 27: 1 -2)4. “When Pilate saw that he
could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27: 24)5. “And they stripped him, and put on him a
scarlet robe. And when they hadplaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.” (Matthew 27: 28 – 30)6. “And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” (Matthew 27: 31 – 32.)
7. “And they
crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” (Matthew 27: 35)8. “Jesus, when he had cried again with
a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27: 50, 51, 54)9. “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named
Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth” (Matthew 27; 58 – 60)10. “And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great
stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” (Matthew 27: 60, 65, 66)11. “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for
the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow…Andthe angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. (Mark 16: 1, Matthew 28: 2 – 5)12. “He is not here: for he is
risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead” Matthew 28: 6 – 7)
Glazed ham – we like Costco’s red foil-wrapped cooked ham
Green salad with dried cranberries, feta, sugared pecans and Girard’s light campagne dressing
Au gratin potatoes, this year we are trying a variation with
jalapenos, mmm.
Roasted asparagus
Green bean and onion ring casserole
Coconut pineapple ambrosia
Bunny buns (rabbit-shaped croissants)
Light carrot cake with pecans and cream cheese frosting
From the McMurtrys’ home to yours, have a blessed and happy Easter!
It’s said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so put on your best green and get ready for a little magic on the Kim Power Stilson show.
Find out just how much you know about one of the world’s greatest missionaries and the Emerald Isle.
For your St. Patrick’s Day dinner, this Leprechaun cottage garden is a nutritious craft that does double-duty as a appetizer and centerpiece
To make your own leprechaun cottage you will need:
And here is the recipe I promised for our favorite mustard and brown sugar-glazed corned beef:
To help set the mood for a fun and silly evening here are my favorite Irish-themed movies:
Darby O’Gill and the Little People: When aging Darby O’Gill is facing an unwanted retirement, the king of the leprechauns steps in to help him out of his dilemma. Worth watching to check out Sean Connery in his youthful splendor. This Disney film is great family entertainment but the scary banshee could be a bit intense for your little people. https://www.vidangel.com/
The Secret of Roan Inish: Young Fiona is mourning the loss of her mother, baby brother and island home when she hears rumors that the seals are looking after him until her family returns. Beautifully filmed, especially the scenes on the island of Roan Inish. https://www.vidangel.com/
Waking Ned Divine: A winning lottery ticket means a change of fortune for one lucky townsperson; if he can get a little help from his friends. Adult themes and a naked tush shot make this a movie for older teens or adults.
Magical Legend of the Leprechauns: A charming Gaelic interpretation of Romeo and Juliet with Whoopie Goldberg reigning in the little people and 2 love stories. Amazon.com
My daughter Heather Touchet’s art!
This is my recently published intellectual property. While trying to determine why nurturing the body and soul are important themes in my work, I heard an Arbinger Institute speaker describe a pyramid of influence in professional and personal relationships. The foundation of each included strengthening relationships before launching corrective measures; which in my mind means nurturing and building by nourishing and delighting the senses. My work has a two-fold mission; we can also promote tolerance and respect by encouraging cultural diversity and awareness and one of the most pleasant times to do this is at holidays.
Many of the news sites are listed by both their title and online address – I’ll make it uniform soon, I apologize and hope it is not too confusing. I have contributed to content by other authors, here is a partial list of websites:
American Airlines Magazine, AZCentral.com, BYU SiriusXM Radio 143, Chicago Tribune, The Daily Meal,The Deseret News, The Long Island Pulse, eHow.com, FamilyShare.com, The Guardian (U.K.), KSL.com, McClatchy News Service, Schurz News Service, Mint.com/blog, Natural Awakenings magazine, nobullying.com (Ireland), Yahoo.com and others.
17 March 2016
These 2 simple things help ensure your relationship will last – 23 Feb 2016
FamilyShare, Bedford Times-Mail, NewsOK, Herald Times online, Statesboro Herald, Petoskey News, Daily American, Herald-Mail Media ((Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia), Aberdeen News, Our Town Johnstown, Central Kentucky News, Statesboro Herald, Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Indonesia Post, The Washington Times, Bryan County News, Family How, Coastal Courier, assorted blogs
Deseret News, NewsOK, Reporter Times, dailyamerican.com, centralkynews.com, petoskeynews.com, ourtownjohnstown.com, heraldtimesonline.com, wn.com, travelagents.com, kardashiantoday.com (???), chronicle independent.com (South Carolina), gbtribune.com
Deseret News Web,The Signal (Spanish Channel), ourtownjohnstown.com, travelagents.com, dailyamerican.com, NewsOK, aberdeennews.com, heraldtimesonline, centralkynews, petoskeynews.com, particlenews.com, heraldmailmedia.com
Deseret News Web, aberdeennews.com, heraldmailmedia.com, signalscv.com, signalscv.com, heraldtimesonline.com, newsok.com, ourtownjohnstown.com, petowskeynews.com, dailyamerican.com, bryancountynews.com, gbtribune.com, coastalcourier.com, centralkynews.com, HighBeam Research
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or listen online:
https://byuradio.org/
“…only love can touch and hold them and be fair to them…”
Mothers, and fathers may wonder if our efforts to provide meaning and enrichment to our children has value or merit. The hours and the resources we spend to give them experiences that demonstrate our love, is it all worth it? There are those who will not or cannot sacrifice for their family, what does a lack of enrichment mean to a child? I read an article by a mother who doesn’t “do” leprechauns or elves or Valentine boxes. It is a sad thing to be child in that environment.
I believe that every act of kindness and love is counted in heaven and in the heart and that it helps build a defense against the cruelty of an indifferent and competitive world.
A person’s value is not counted like the dollars in a bank account, nor is it related to worldly wealth, in his letters Rilke writes:
“For the creative artist there is no poverty—nothing is insignificant or unimportant. Even if you were in a prison whose walls would shut out from your senses the sounds of the outer world, would you not then still have your childhood, this precious wealth, this treasure house of memories? Direct your attention to that. Attempt to resurrect these sunken sensations of a distant past. You will gain assuredness. Your aloneness will expand and will become your home, greeting you like the quiet dawn. Outer tumult will pass it by from afar.”
Criticism fails to “touch a work of art.”
So go ahead and bake those heart-shaped sugar cookies and read one more bedtime story. You are filling the treasury of your child’s soul and building a defense against the “outer tumult (that) will pass from afar.”
I hope you caught Kim Power Stilson’s and my tips for Valentine’s Day on her broadcast on BYU SiriusXM Radio 143. Here’s the show from Friday, February 12:
Happy Valentine’s Day
http://www.pammcmurtry.com/search?q=romantic+movies
Here’s a cute Valentine for your littles. Sew a tic tac toe game on a scrap of felt, use buttons for Os and small squares of felt with Xs sewn or drawn with a permanent marker. Glue a small heart in the center square.
Baby, its still cold outside, but our Valentine’s Day show will warm your heart! Tune in Friday, February 12th at 3 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Mountain to the Kim Power Stilson show on BYU SiriusXM Radio 143 to hear ways to make your relationships last and a few hot Valentine’s Day tips. See you then! Listen online at https://byuradio.org/
Thank you to my friend Melissa Jolley for sharing this life-changing article: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/happily-ever-after/372573/
Photo by WiseGeek.comhttp://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-choose-ballet-shoes.htm
Bullying is a pervasive problem worldwide. From unkindness in families to mass-killings in terror attacks, the power and rage of the adversary have been unleashed on humanity. “…And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man’s hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.” Pearl of Great Price; Moses 6:15.
In men bullying usually takes the form of physical abuse, but among women and girls it is more likely to be psychological.
We need to be so careful in our interactions that we are not purposefully or inadvertently bullying, injuring or demeaning others by our words and actions. You may find this article is helpful in identifying behaviors that are classified by the author as “girl-on-girl crimes,” it seems that sticks and stones may break your bones but that words may indeed hurt you. Take a few minutes to read this and assess your personal safety and that of those you love.
http://balletshoesandbobbypins.com/girl-on-girl-crime
We were completing a flooring project, welcoming Tim home after his LDS mission which saw him assigned to serve the people of Alabama for 2 years and happily greeting a dozen or so family and friends that came to celebrate with us. Plus it was Christmas. And we needed a trip to California to enjoy the company of the family members who couldn’t make it to Utah, also 2 years ago we promised Tim, when he returned, a trip to the beach he loves.
Now you may have guessed that I love to overdo it at the holidays. So here we are in January and I am promising temperance in my approach to 2016. Like my diet, we’ll see how long that lasts.
Welcome home Tim and good luck in your freshman year at the University of Utah, of course part of his heart is still in Alabama – ROLL TIDE!!!
Tim wearing the hat his brother Bill gave him for Christmas.
BTW It was his first day as a freshman at the University of Utah, how ironic.
The red decorations were originally purposed to celebrate Tim’s attending the University of Utah but were conveniently still in place to congratulate the Crimson Tide on their national championship.
ROLL TIDE!!!