June Newsletter 2

Physical & Emotional Goal...Nix sugar and white flour from your diet, which are included in cold cereals, bakery items, refined pastas, soda pop (sugary and artificial), candy, and most snack foods. Instead of these foods eat fresh, frozen, and dried fruit, thinly sliced, flavored or plain, dehydrated zucchini or kale chips, nuts, seeds, frozen, pureed banana ice kream, and freshly pressed vegetable juices. Blend 2 c. soaked sunflower or pumpkin seeds with tomatoes, peppers (sweet and/or hot), soy sauce, cilantro, chili powder, and nutritional yeast (optional) to form a paste; taste the mixture and adjust seasonings until it is yummy to you. Mix in zucchini slices or kale. Spread on in a single layer on dehydrator sheets and process dry at 110F until crispy, usually over night. Store in air tight containers. "The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit. That’s why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom. He also said that we should retire to our beds early and arise early (see D&C 88:124), that we should not run faster than we have strength (see D&C 10:4), and that we should use moderation in all good things. In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us. Food can affect the mind, and deficiencies in certain elements in the body can promote mental depression...Rest and physical exercise are essential, and a walk in the fresh air can refresh the spirit. Wholesome recreation is part of our religion, and a change of pace is necessary, and even its anticipation can lift the spirit." Ezra Taft Benson, October 1974

Spiritual Goal..."We want our sisters to be scholars of the scriptures. … You need an acquaintanceship with his eternal truths for your own well being, and for the purposes of teaching your own children and all others who come within your influence...We want our homes to be blessed with sister scriptorians—whether you are single or married, young or old, widowed or living in a family...Become scholars of the scriptures—not to put others down, but to lift them up!” Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985). One good way to get more scriptures into your head, is to hear them over and over. Previously, one of our goals was to use our chore time to listen the same conference talk multiple times for one week before moving onto the next talk. This helps us know the current words of the prophet, apostles, and other servants of our Heavenly Father. Another wonderful use of chore time is listening to and pondering the scriptures. Often sisters say we can't find time to study our Sunday School lesson. However, if we use chore time to listen to it 2 or 3 times during the week, we may feel more inspired to actually study the lesson, become scripture scholars, and even scriptorians. This is very powerful in building the testimony. “Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God, to be more like Him in our daily walk, to feel His presence with us constantly? If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book...There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance. … [You will also enjoy] increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, [and] increased spirituality and righteousness. These promises are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God” Ezra Taft Benson, October 1986 Since we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants at this writing, the following quote is especially meaningful. “Excluding the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants is by far the greatest external witness and evidence which we have from the Lord that the Book of Mormon is true.” Ezra Taft Benson, Apr. 1987

Financial Goal...Now that things are looking up, can we do better at giving things away? LDS Charities has all sorts of ways to give of our abundance to those blessed a bit less than we. We can support a missionary. We can help a returned missionary get an education. With our contributions, we can help build wells, schools, and sewing rooms, provide hygiene, school, or new born kits, supply quilts, dresses, pajamas, or underclothing, or help provision all sorts of humanitarian work around the world. Surely, we can help one of the least, when our houses are in order.

Storage Goal...Last month we talked about dehydrating excess produce from our gardens. If you don't yet have a dehydrator, consider purchasing the best one available, the Excaliber 9 tray. About now cherries are getting ripe. After eating your fill of fresh cherries, consider the several ways to preserve the harvest. Dehydrating a freezing preserve the most nutrients. Bottling and jamming are other alternatives. However, they require added refined sugars that are not health building. Dried cherries are a great addition to hot cereals on cold winter mornings. When our granddaughter visited last winter, she especially loved breakfasts that included rice pudding. 1/2 c. cooked brown rice blended with 1/2 banana, 1/2 t. cinnamon, and 1 c. water. In a small sauce pan,  mix pureed rice kream with 1/2 c. cooked brown rice, 1/4 diced apple, and 2 T. dried cherries (or dates, raisins, figs, blueberries, etc.) Heat until steamy. Yes, this meal has sugar, but it is in the form of complex carbohydrate. Additionally, fruit contains some protein, numerous vitamins, lots of minerals, and a plethora of soluble and insoluble fibers that temper the absorption of complex carbohydrate. Table sugar is simple carbohydrate, which is uncomfortable to and unhealthy for liver, pancreas, heart, and brain.

Emergency Evacuation and Pantry Kits...Our kits should be quite extensive at this point. Often many people are not prepared for emergency situations. Should we say to the little child sitting next to us, 'Too bad, so sad, your mama didn't bring you anything. We are not hungry at all!' I don't think any woman could do that, but the idea of short changing our own children or grandchildren is not pleasant either. Now that we are well stocked and prepared in case of evacuation or power outage, we ought to plan on a bit more to feed that little child.

Provident Living Goal...Because CC is a desert climate, be concerned with storing water and lots of it. Also, consider recycling grey water to water fruit trees or other uses and harvesting atmospheric moisture to water the garden. As you can see this idea can be beautiful."I have on occasion cited the need for many reservoirs in our lives to provide for our needs. I have said, 'Some reservoirs are to store water. Some are to store food, as we do in our family welfare program and as Joseph did in the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. There should also be reservoirs of knowledge to meet the future needs; reservoirs of courage to overcome the floods of fear that put uncertainty in our lives; reservoirs of physical strength to help us meet the frequent burdens of work and illness; reservoirs of goodness; reservoirs of stamina; reservoirs of faith.'" Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle