Christmas on Temple Square Celebrates Birth of Christ, Welcomes Holiday Visitors

I took these pictures one year ago on temple square.  It is always so beautiful especially at Christmastime.

Christmas on Temple Square Celebrates Birth of Christ, Welcomes Holiday Visitors

Thanksgiving Break Visit to the Zoo and Aquarium

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We had a great day visiting the New Orleans Aquarium and IMAX. awesome! Plus tasting some traditional yummies.

Wonderful Thankful Day

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thanksgiving morning

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Happy Thanksgiving to you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Excerpts from

James E. Faust, “Gratitude As a Saving Principle,” Ensign, May 1990, 85

A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.

But there is a truism associated with all types of human strength: “Use it or lose it.” When not used, muscles weaken, skills deteriorate, and faith disappears. President Thomas S. Monson stated: “Think to thank”. In these three words are the finest capsule course for a happy marriage, a formula for enduring friendship, and a pattern for personal happiness.” (Pathways to Perfection, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973, p. 254.) Said the Lord, “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.” (D&C 78:19.)

As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us. President J. Reuben Clark said, “Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them.” (Church News, 14 June 1969, p. 2.)

Best wishes for a wonderful season,

Sincerely,

Elder & Sister Matson 

The Self Employment Workshop is full of great information and these two learned how to project income profits and losses and tricks of the trade of self employment.  You can learn to avoid huge mistakes in starting your own business.  It is a great class to take from your local LDS employment center and, if you are really serious about starting a big business,  you might also contact you local unit of SCORE a volunteer group of retired professionals who work through the Small Business organizations.

Joy is a brand new convert who brought her 13 year old son to join the church so that he would have great mentors and realized she needed to join it herself and not just take her son but really BRING him.  Tom, is  a convert of 5 years and newly active and working in our center part time as a resource development specialist. What a privilege to work with such fine people.

Did I say that I love baptisms. This great little man is just 9 years old but he is so enthused about getting baptized. It was a wonderful evening being there and talking small parts to help make it special. He was taught by the sister missionaries and baptized by Elder Nebeker who got to experience his first baptism.

This Egret likes to fish in our pond at Pelican Pointe.  I had to grab the camera when I saw she was out this morning.

Sister Winiters is going home-boohoo

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Sister Winters is a powerful missionary and has served a wonderful mission.  We will miss her but we know that she will be blessed for her service when she returns to her home. 

Elder Matson's Birthday

What a blast with gag gifts because he always says he is going to Home Depot "you can do it, we can help" That is our motto too.

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We talk about how to set up a small business in our Self Employment Workshop and the model we use is a lemonade stand so we made four different kinds of lemonade and served it. Then I gave them the surprising costs of each kind of lemonade. They were Hot sour, Strawberry, Creamy (with ice cream in it) and Perfectly Simple Lemonade. This week, they are to decide where they would put a lemonade stand and other details. It is just for practice and then they will also bring some plans for a business they may actually decide to set up. We do some lessons on Marketing and on financing and so forth. They were excited about the class.

We are Thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord on a mission in the south

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We are thankful for you, our friends and for all the people we serve and serve with. We are so blessed.  As they say in the south "Have a blest day!".  HAPPY THANKSGIVING  ... GIVE THANKS

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love him.

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Slidell Ward RS Sisters are all so Wonderful

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these are some of the wonderful sisters in the Slidell Ward.  I hope to be able to get a picture of every one.  they are all so wonderful.

Baptisms

What a wonderful time.  Four baptisms close together all in the Slidell Ward.  Three of them in the last two weeks.  Jerry was asked to "help baptize" Terry.  It worked out just great. Big guy, small older baptiser.  Two big guys and one meduim sized  one in the font.  It was perfect. On the program,  Jerry spoke on Baptism and I spoke on the Holy Ghost. What a wonderful day!  We are so thrilled for Terry.  He is so sincere. He has just begun on a great path of blessings for one so worthy.