Opening a new store is so much fun—and so much more work than I ever expected. We laid our plans, had all our ducks in a row, and then. . . several of our product shipments were delayed, including books for the author signings.For those of you who've sent out email blasts and posted on your blogs, please update this information. There will most likely be updates and changes to the Author Signing schedule as well. Stay tuned.
I most sincerely apologize to everyone for this inconvenience.
There is a fantastic concert coming up and it's happening right in Orem, Utah on Wednesday, October 8th. Alvin and I are very excited about it and plan on being front and center to enjoy the music.
First, I have a Twilight Trivia blog. Each day between now and the release of Breaking Dawn, I'm posting about a dozen or more trivia questions about the Twilight series. By the time it's done, it will be the largest collection of Twilight trivia on the Internet. I know because I've searched and searched and there's nothing out there like this. This blog has two promotions right now:
Next, I have a Twilight Bracelet site where you can order charms, bracelets, pins and bookmarks that are connected to the Twilight series. Each charm on the site comes from information found in the books.
Candace
Candace, Ali and her sons
Ali and her boys
Come create a new fragrance for summer!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Drop in any time)
Location: Pleasant Grove ( e-mail for directions)
If you live in (or will be visiting) Utah County this weekend, come make something fun and yummy at my Make and Take Party!
Lori, Tristi (left, front to back);
Shellie, Lori, Tristi
Shellie (left), Sandra (front), Karen, Candace, Jeri (right)
Sarah Williams is a young Welsh immigrant, coming to Utah to join her sister Mary Ann Perkins. When the Perkins are asked to join the San Juan mission to pioneer a trail through Southern Utah, they take Sarah along to help care for the children. But a six-week journey turns into six agonizing months of hard work and toil as the Saints blast their way through a cliff to bring their wagons through what would become the famous Utah landmark “Hole-in-the-Rock.”"I was bout 9 years old," he recalls. "One night it was dark, and Daddy had to take the trash off and so I went with him. It wasn't an overcast night at all, and there was just kind of a glow that night.Let me pause here a moment and recount the story of another boy at the age of 14. He went to the Lord in humble supplication for an answer as to which church he should join.
"On the way back, I noticed there was this light reflectin' off the hood of the car. And I thought, 'I don't remember the moon (when we were) goin'.' And I felt somethin' pull my upper body up into the seat to look through the windshield to see where the light was comin' from.
"And when I looked up in the sky there was a single cloud and it was kind of lit up a little bit, as if a light was shinin' through it. And on the cloud was this lighted figure of this m an holdin' his arms out. And I was just fixated on this for what seemed to be an eternity.
"But I realized what I was seein' was real - and it was Jesus, or at least a portrayal of Him. All of a sudden, I felt somethin' pull me back into the seat and then I saw the light just fade away."
"It was the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt... to pray vocally. I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me...When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air." (Joseph Smith History 1: 14, 16 - 17 (paraphrased) To be referred to as JSH.)Back to Josh and Country Weekly page 29, top of the second column, second paragraph:
"Josh waited a week or two before telling anyone about it, because he was trying to process it all.Josh later shared his story with his Sunday school class and, eventually, with the entire church.
"I was askin' questions, I was prayin',' he declares. "I was like, 'Lord, why did you let me see this? What was the reason behind it? Was what I saw real?'
"I finally sat my parents down and told them what I had seen. They completely supported me, they believed me. They agreed that I had seen Jesus right there in the sky like that."
"No sooner,...did I get possession of myself,...than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the (churches) was right."Let's stop here a moment. Here we are reading two stories with a great many similarities between the two. Josh at the time did not know why he had been blessed to see what he had seen, and Joseph who went in search of answers to his questions. Both testify that they saw Heavenly Personages, both talked to religious officials about their experiences, but here is where the differences really begin.
"Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, and, conversing with him on the subject of religion , I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had." (JSH 1: 18, 21 (paraphrased))
"I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them. I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was thh cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution, and this was common among all the (churches) - all united to persecute me." (JSH 1: 21 - 22)What a difference!!!! Country Weekly goes on to quote Josh Turner as saying "I'm here to bring people hope and a sense of joy." The same can be said of Joseph Smith. Both men desire only to do the will of God and fulfill their divine mission.
"Why persecute me for telling the truth?"Joseph's mission from our Heavenly Father was for the salvation and exaltation of mankind. Satan wants others to be miserable like unto him. Joseph's mission was to be for the eternal welfare of man through the ages. Josh's mission is for the temporal relief and uplifting of man's spirit for their walk in mortality. Joseph's mission has great eternal promise. This is why the very jaws hell itself were open wide against him.
"It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?" (JSH 1: 20)
'Twas Brillig and Candace at today's Blogging Babe luncheon. Come on ladies, tell us the scoop on this one. And I must say, it does NOT involve Candace receiving revelation.
Donna over at Donna's Journey at Julia and Where Oh Where Has My Mind Gone, mother and daughter, presented the door prize today. That amazing mug you see is designed with our official logo.
Julia, which was unnecessary but exceedingly sweet. Here's a closeup of the mug:
Julia and Karlene
Donna and Ali
