Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Les Miserables
A few years ago my parents, Aunt Sue, Uncle Bryce, and I were in London and were able to see the musical, Les Miserables. I absolutely loved it and I finally got around to watching the movie and I fell in love with it as well! What a FANTASTIC story!
Val Jean was beat down, suffering under the cruel hand of JaVere over a petty theft committed to save his sister's life. When he finally completes 19 years of torment of work in the fields, he wanders about as an outcast of his neighbors, until taken in by a Priest. As Val Jean is caught with the expensive silverware of this rich parishioner, he stands paralyzed and afraid of his punishment. But then, the priest says that he forgot the special silver candlesticks, as well. From then on, Val Jean goes on his life journey redeemed-never stealing but always giving, and reaching out to the impoverished, hurting, and needy around him.
Val Jean is a great example of what Christ offers us. Whatever you have done, wherever you have been in your life, it is never too late. He wants us to enjoy life here on earth as we follow Him. GOD is like that priest…forgiving and offering not only the life of the sinner in return for a life of service to Him, but infinitely more than candlesticks or anything else we could imagine at the time, in this life.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie:
The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.
We bow to the man who kneels. A faith is a necessity to man. Woe to him who believes in nothing. A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. To meditate is to labor; to think is to act.
Laughter is sunshine; it chases winter from the human face.
Every blade has two edges; he who wounds with one wounds himself with the other.
And then...Here is my favorite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt-IBJpEMzA
And then...Here is my favorite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt-IBJpEMzA
Friday, January 29, 2010
Las Vegas
I had training in Vegas for 2 weeks so I ended up living in a casino for a while. I stayed in the Rush Tower (The Golden Nugget) which was recently built and I really liked it. Each day after coming home from a long day of training, I'd go out and stuff my face with food and relax until another long day of learning! I had a fun group of people who were mostly from Reno, Nevada and we got to know eachother quite well. We usually stayed in the casino and ate at their restaurants which were fabulous. My two favorites were the Chart House which served seafood and steaks and had a huge aquarium with tropical fish and The Grotto which was an excellent Italian restaurant. It was a great experience.
I was able to meet up with my friend Char and meet her awesome husband! We went to a great Italian restaurant and then had gelato and shopped.
This pool has a 3 story clear water slide zooming through a 200,000 gallon shark tank. 
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friends N French Toast
This past Saturday Megan and Kenny Stutz came and visited with me and I got to see their new baby boy, Will!! :) Yes, he is absolutely ADORABLE!!! He was quite a stinker trying to wake up since he was sick and didn't get much sleep that night, but we had some success and I whipped out that camera! I was so happy to see them. I have to admit...they are probably my favorite people in the whole world. We ate at Kneaders from breakfast and had the all you can eat french toast for only $5! However, this french toast is not your normal everyday french toast..let me tell ya! This french toast is made from their own homemade cinnamon bread, which is cut about 2 inches thick. This savory hot thick toast is served with some amazing homemade caramelly syrup, along with unique homemade whipped cream and some beautiful sliced red strawberries. Yum! It was was pretty dang good.
Thats my kind of laugh!
Pondering
Whistling...yes, he's quite talented.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Gifts for the Savior
While I was home for the holidays I searched for my mission journals because I'm getting so excited for my brother, Brian to get his mission call! I came across a talk I wrote that fits well for the holiday season. The topic was about how we get to the Savior and what we will give Him once we reach Him.
The Wise Men were righteous men. They WANTED to worship Him. They had that desire! They reached the Savior by looking for the star, recognizing it, and following it. Because of this, it made them WISE.
The Lord puts stars in front of us. We have to be LOOKING, RECOGNIZING, and FOLLOWING His stars. The Wise Men were spiritually sensitive, and knowlegable. They were able to see the star when others could not. D&C 1:26. The Lord told Nephi He was making the plates for a WISE purpose! Are we reading them so we can RECOGNIZE the star? Mosiah 2:36 The spirit will help us RECOGNIZE. If we're not LOOKING, we won't be able to RECOGNIZE. 2 Nephi 28:30 Are we FOLLOWING? 3 Nephi 14:24 The Lord says when we do these things we become WISE. We are spiritually led to Jesus Christ. But as we SEEK Him, what are we going to GIVE Him?
Matthew 2:11 The Wise Men gave Him GOLD, FRANKENCENSE, and MYRRH.
GOLD- valuable, the softer it is the more pure and easier it is to mold.
FRANKENCENSE- This was used in the holy temples. Not everyone could go in the temples but as the Frankencense billowed out of the temples, everyone had a chance to smell it and enjoy the scent. It was a highly valued perfume.
MYRRH-John 19:39-40 This was used to help preserve the dead.
Now, as you think of these gifts, they represent the "3 FOLD MISSION" of the church.
GOLD- Perfecting the Saints
FRANKENCENSE- Proclaiming the Gospel
MYRRH- Redeeming the dead.
We are like the Wise Men, preparing to meet the Savior with our gifts. Will we be prepared?
Joseph Smith said, "After all that has been said, our GREATEST and most important duty is to Preach the gospel"
These are the greatest gifts we can give Him. I love Jacob's last words in the Book of Mormon before he dies, "Oh be wise, what can I say more?"
The Wise Men were righteous men. They WANTED to worship Him. They had that desire! They reached the Savior by looking for the star, recognizing it, and following it. Because of this, it made them WISE.
The Lord puts stars in front of us. We have to be LOOKING, RECOGNIZING, and FOLLOWING His stars. The Wise Men were spiritually sensitive, and knowlegable. They were able to see the star when others could not. D&C 1:26. The Lord told Nephi He was making the plates for a WISE purpose! Are we reading them so we can RECOGNIZE the star? Mosiah 2:36 The spirit will help us RECOGNIZE. If we're not LOOKING, we won't be able to RECOGNIZE. 2 Nephi 28:30 Are we FOLLOWING? 3 Nephi 14:24 The Lord says when we do these things we become WISE. We are spiritually led to Jesus Christ. But as we SEEK Him, what are we going to GIVE Him?
Matthew 2:11 The Wise Men gave Him GOLD, FRANKENCENSE, and MYRRH.
GOLD- valuable, the softer it is the more pure and easier it is to mold.
FRANKENCENSE- This was used in the holy temples. Not everyone could go in the temples but as the Frankencense billowed out of the temples, everyone had a chance to smell it and enjoy the scent. It was a highly valued perfume.
Now, as you think of these gifts, they represent the "3 FOLD MISSION" of the church.
GOLD- Perfecting the Saints
MYRRH- Redeeming the dead.
We are like the Wise Men, preparing to meet the Savior with our gifts. Will we be prepared?
Joseph Smith said, "After all that has been said, our GREATEST and most important duty is to Preach the gospel"
These are the greatest gifts we can give Him. I love Jacob's last words in the Book of Mormon before he dies, "Oh be wise, what can I say more?"
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Kendrick Christmas Traditions
Christmas is the best time of the year. It's the time for traditions. It's the time of year when the family is all together and when you make memories that last forever. From before I can remember my family has always had certain traditions that I've grown to love and I plan to continue with my future family.
Throughout the years, about a week before Christmas all of us kids put one shoe on the fireplace before bed. This tradition comes from many European Countries. During the night Santa hops from house to house carrying a book of sins in which all of the misdeeds of the children are written. If they have been good, he fills the shoe with delicious holiday treats. If they have been bad, their shoes is filled with twigs or coal. The Kendrick kids were told the elves came and put the treats in our shoes. It was probably because we thought Santa was too busy and it didn't make sense to us.
Treats- We always made yummy sugar cookies before Christmas and seemed to eat half the batch by the time we were done. Yum! My mom usually bakes bread, cinnamon rolls, homemade carmel, and delivers them to neighbors as a little Christmas gift which everyone of course loves!
PJs- On Christmas Eve we each open up one present which is our new set of pj's. Then we are all cute and wearing our matching pajamas in our pictures on Christmas Day of opening presents.
Dinner- My mom would make homemade Clam Chowder and homemade bread on Christmas eve and it was delicious! Wow!
Santa's Plate- Before bed we had a plate for Santa with cookies and a carrot for his reindeer with a glass of milk. I always thought we would get more presents if we treated him well. :)
Morning Rules- Everyone had to wait till every kid was awake and the meeting spot was mom and dad's room and you better not wake up too early! And NO PEEKING down stairs! Oh, and there were a few years when my Dad was running marathons that he would go on long runs and we would have to wait until he got home to go down stairs!! It KILLED us!!! Dad!!!
Stockings first! Oh, and thats not a problem because Santa stuffed those stockings in the Kendrick house! It was always the coolest stuff! I loved it and dumped that sock out as fast as I could!
Breakfast- Strawberry Waffles and Whipped Cream...this is the breakfast you get on holidays in our home!
Trash Bag- My Dad doesn't like messes (I inherited that trait) so all of us kids know Dad will always be holding a trash bag for all the wrapping paper so there won't be a mess. LOL. Pretty classic in the Kendrick home.
Movies- On Christmas Day we always tend to go to the movie theater once all the craziness has died down and we need something fun to do! :)
But of course, we can't forget the real meaning of Christmas! Here are some great quotes I found:
"So who needs Christmas? We do! All of us! Because Christmas can bring us closer to the Savior, and he is the only source of lasting joy....
"We need Christmas because it helps us to be better people, not only in December but in January, June, and November.
"Because we need Christmas we had better understand what it is and what it isn't. Gifts, holly, mistletoe, and red-nosed reindeer are fun as traditions, but they are not what Christmas is really all about. Christmas pertains to that glorious moment when the Son of our Father joined his divinity to our imperfect humanity" ("Hugh W. Pinnock, Who Needs Christmas?," New Era, Dec 1987, 4).
"The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master....
"If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments" (Howard W. Hunter, "The Real Christmas," Ensign, Dec 2005, 22–25).
Throughout the years, about a week before Christmas all of us kids put one shoe on the fireplace before bed. This tradition comes from many European Countries. During the night Santa hops from house to house carrying a book of sins in which all of the misdeeds of the children are written. If they have been good, he fills the shoe with delicious holiday treats. If they have been bad, their shoes is filled with twigs or coal. The Kendrick kids were told the elves came and put the treats in our shoes. It was probably because we thought Santa was too busy and it didn't make sense to us.
Treats- We always made yummy sugar cookies before Christmas and seemed to eat half the batch by the time we were done. Yum! My mom usually bakes bread, cinnamon rolls, homemade carmel, and delivers them to neighbors as a little Christmas gift which everyone of course loves!
PJs- On Christmas Eve we each open up one present which is our new set of pj's. Then we are all cute and wearing our matching pajamas in our pictures on Christmas Day of opening presents.
Dinner- My mom would make homemade Clam Chowder and homemade bread on Christmas eve and it was delicious! Wow!
Santa's Plate- Before bed we had a plate for Santa with cookies and a carrot for his reindeer with a glass of milk. I always thought we would get more presents if we treated him well. :)
Morning Rules- Everyone had to wait till every kid was awake and the meeting spot was mom and dad's room and you better not wake up too early! And NO PEEKING down stairs! Oh, and there were a few years when my Dad was running marathons that he would go on long runs and we would have to wait until he got home to go down stairs!! It KILLED us!!! Dad!!!
Stockings first! Oh, and thats not a problem because Santa stuffed those stockings in the Kendrick house! It was always the coolest stuff! I loved it and dumped that sock out as fast as I could!
Breakfast- Strawberry Waffles and Whipped Cream...this is the breakfast you get on holidays in our home!
Movies- On Christmas Day we always tend to go to the movie theater once all the craziness has died down and we need something fun to do! :)
But of course, we can't forget the real meaning of Christmas! Here are some great quotes I found:
"So who needs Christmas? We do! All of us! Because Christmas can bring us closer to the Savior, and he is the only source of lasting joy....
"We need Christmas because it helps us to be better people, not only in December but in January, June, and November.
"Because we need Christmas we had better understand what it is and what it isn't. Gifts, holly, mistletoe, and red-nosed reindeer are fun as traditions, but they are not what Christmas is really all about. Christmas pertains to that glorious moment when the Son of our Father joined his divinity to our imperfect humanity" ("Hugh W. Pinnock, Who Needs Christmas?," New Era, Dec 1987, 4).
"The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master....
"If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments" (Howard W. Hunter, "The Real Christmas," Ensign, Dec 2005, 22–25).
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