June Ends and Half Way Through the Year

Nicole reminded us that her summer vacation passes the halfway point this week and we note that 2008 is at the midpoint as well. One of Mom's favorite writers, C. S. Lewis, has a thoughtful perspective on the wonder we feel at the swift passage of time: he says,

"If you are really a product of a material universe, how it is you don't feel at home there? Do fish complain of the sea for being wet? Or, if they did, would that fact itself not strongly suggest that they had not always been, or would not always be, purely aquatic creatures? Notice how we are perpetually surprised at Time. ('How time flies! Fancy John being grown-up and married! I can hardly believe it!') In heaven's name, why? Unless, indeed, there is something in us which is not temporal?"

So when you feel the amazement of how time flies, consider that an affirmation that we are really eternal spirits feeling somewhat like fish out of water as we experience Time during our mortal sojourn.

June has brought the usual garden chores and delights. The peonies have come and gone but the dahlia roots Mom planted are starting to bloom and Dad's tomato patch holds the promise of fruit shortly. Dad has been busy each Saturday with maintenance chores -- Mom was startled to hear footsteps on the roof while she was upstairs. It was Dad checking the gutters (which need work) and the satellite dish (either it or the maple blocking its signal needs to be moved). Dad's walking along the edge and the peak of the roof makes Mom very nervous and she thinks it's time to call in the professionals for these jobs.

Nicole has been busy at church filling in for all the vacationing music people. She has played the organ in sacrament meeting and the piano in Relief Society and Primary. Her BYU and piano performance friend Mandy, who has been doing an internship at the Capitol, stayed with us for a couple of nights. Mandy, Ashley, and Nicole spent an afternoon tubing down the river at Harper's Ferry. The only imperfection of the day was when the car wouldn't start when it was time to come home. Dad did a quick rescue trip and thereafter installed a needed new starter in the car.

Wendy's piano students had their recital earlier in the month and Reed was one of the performers. He looked very handsome in his blue blazer and we were proud of how well he played his pieces.

With everyone else in the family, we are praying for Grandma Johnson's well-being. Since her fall a little over a week ago, she has been in the hospice area of her residential care facility. Fortunately, she is still alert and enjoys calls from the family. On July 20, she will be 92. We are grateful for her faithful example and testimony and the love she always expresses for all of us. She often says, "You tell [fill in the blank -- Wendy or Brett or Holly or Lisa or Sara or Nicole] that I love them."

Mom was invited to speak in sacrament meeting this month. This is a rare opportunity in our ward -- and since most of you missed it, her talk outline is attached.

Introduction:

• Gaining a testimony is one of the individual responsibilities bear to merit eternal life.
• Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "A personal testimony is fundamental to our faith. Consequently, the things we must do to acquire, strengthen, and retain a testimoney are vital to our spiritual life."
• Having a testimony is necessary for salvation: D&C 76:51 tells us that after we have received the ordinances of the Gospel, the requirement we must all fulfill to have eternal life is to have a testimony. "They are thy who received the testimony of Jesus...."

What is a Testimony?

C.S. Lewis tells us what a testimony is not. "A vague religion - all about feeling God in nature, and so - is so attractive. It is all thrills and no work; like watching waves from the beach. But you will not get to Newfoundland by studying the Atlantic, and you will not get eternal life simply by feeling the Presence of God in flowers or music."

"A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. Such facts include the nature of the Godhead and our relationship to its three members, the effectiveness of the Atonement and the reality of the Restoration." (Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Ensign, May 2008, 26).

Obtaining and Retaining a Testimony

• We don’t gain so much as recover and remember what we all knew in the Pre-existence.
• Desire is key – need to want it.
• “The necessary procedure is: study, think, pray, and do” (Pres. Kimball 72).
• Elder Oaks: “Desire, sincere prayer. Not a passive thing but a process where we are expected to do something.” [We all pay the same price for our testimonies – no discounts, sales, or bargains].
• “A testimony is a fragile thing . .. you have to hold on to it by study, and by faith, and by prayer. That which you possess today will not be yours tomorrow unless you do something about it. Your testimony is either going to increase or it is going to diminish, depending on you” (President Lee 43)
  

My Testimony:

I know that our Heavenly Father lives and we can trust in Him.

I know that Jesus is the Christ and that He atoned for our sins and made possible His Plan of Happiness. I know He is ready, willing and anxious to help us in our needs and troubles.

I know that Joseph Smith was God's prophet of the Restoration. I know President Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today.

Interested in a Family Vacation?

We have been having some discussion around the dinner table about having a Johnson family vacation with Mom and Dad, children and spouses, and those very special people we never see enough of -- grandchildren.

We would like your input of what would be fun and doable for you and yours. If Mom is counting correctly, there are 24 of us now whose needs and preferences should be considered.

Among the ideas that have been put forth are to have a family vacation/reunion in 2009 in some location such as a beach house, Disney World, Disney Cruise, Nauvoo, Aspen Grove. If you have another suggestion, please make it in the comments. Please use the accompanying poll to indicate your interest.

Celebrations and Stake Conference

Nicole spent Memorial Day weekend (and her birthday) in Colorado visiting with her friend Jeff Bullock and his family. We appreciate the kindness of the Bullock family in providing the birthday cake and celebration for her. A weekend of water skiing and boating at the family cabin was anticipated but since snowflakes were in the air, these activities were somewhat curtailed.

While Nicole was in the mountains, Ashley was visiting her friend Ryan Smith in California. Ryan's little brother Scott, age 10, was not quite sure how to deal with being displaced in his older brother's attention by this pretty new interloper. If Ryan put his arm around Ashley, David would disengage his arm. When Ryan and Ashley were in the car driving to the grandparent's house, Scott (in the back seat with his fifteen-year-old sister) pointedly declared to Ashley, "In our Church, we don't kiss until we get married." The teen aged sister rejoined, "Well, I know for a fact that [naming the brother on a mission] kissed a girl before he went on his mission!" Scott held his ground until a cell phone call to his mother settled the question. Solomon-like, Sister Smith assured Scott that "You are allowed to kiss once before you get married."

Mom and Dad dropped by Wendy's to deliver birthday wishes to her before going to the airport to pick up Nicole. One of Wendy's friends had made her favorite birthday cake for her -- chocolate with seven-minute frosting. Dad, who doesn't care for chocolate, declined the cake but Mom savored her piece and did not resist a second helping.

Our Amie celebrated her birthday on June 5th. We remember how smitten we were with our first little grandchild and how every morning it seemed like Christmas and to wake up and hurry to Wendy's and Steve's apartment in Laurel to "help Wendy" but really to cuddle and admire beautiful little Amie.

This week Mom and two other dear friends, Maria Bailey and Ann Bowler, went out to lunch at Bella Luna to honor her friend Carolyn Brammer on her birthday. All these women were in our ward when we moved here nearly twenty-nine years ago. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and sharing funny stories. Maria, who travels frequently to her home country of Peru, told of a time she had boarded her flight in Lima and as the plane started to taxi down the runway discovered she was missing her purse containing her passport, documents, credit cards, and money. In a panic, she alerted the flight attendant and expressed her distress so vehemently that the pilot turned the plane back to the gate. Her purse had become lodged on the security belt and bomb squad was there ready to dismantle her purse!

Our "birthday season" with Brian, Dad, Molly, Grandma Morris, Nicole, and Wendy in May and Amie, Brett, and Steve in June (not to mention Mother's Day and Father's Day) is nearly over. We love the cake and ice cream and getting together.

This evening we have a tired Dad recuperating after the last session of stake conference this weekend. After weeks of planning, a full day at the temple on Friday, Saturday meetings, and two sessions on Sunday, he is ready for a rest. Dad gave some fine talks and all the talks were inspiring and motivating. For the Saturday evening meeting, Nicole and Harmony White, an accomplished cellist, played a beautiful piano-cello arrangement of "I Need Thee Every Hour."

Kurt and Jennifer sent us a delightful family newsletter. We love the pictures of Kayla and Hailey who are so cute they should be stars on the Disney channel.

Holly flew to Utah to take advantage of an opportunity to take a special photography class over the weekend. Dave did a good job of getting the kids to church although Sadie's hair seemed to lack a mother's touch.