By humility

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
Proverbs 22:4

My life is in thy hands;

my wealth belongs to thee.

No honor can I have

without humility.

It all is blown away

like wisps of cobweb soft;

have mercy when I sink

and bear me, Lord, aloft!

Photo Essay: The Lonely Street

It's 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning, on a street that normally is clogged with traffic -- mostly people going to church. This morning is different. So quiet I can hear the quibble of finches and the brittle booming of woodpeckers. I stand on the sidewalk for twenty minutes, and this is all I see.

So then I walk back to my patio.

Photo Essay: Chimneys.

On this day of fasting

Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
Helaman 3:35

On this day of fasting, we

ask in all humility

for thy gracious kindly aid

as through sorrow we do wade.

Earth is wracked with new disease;

nothing will it much appease.

Master of all life and death,

we need both bread and daily breath.

Our hearts we yield in fasting to

whatever thou shall say and do.

Have mercy, Lord; stretch out thy palm

to rescue us with healing balm!

Photo Essay: Wasatch Zen

The mountain is just as much

a prisoner in its place

as I am.

The odor of mountains
is sad at the top
and mellow at the bottom.

Speak in riddles
and the world will think
you know the answers.

To be educated is
to give ignorance
its proper respect.

Put away the mountains.
Put away the sweets.
Embrace loss to conquer it.

Lift up your heads

Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.
2 Nephi 9:3

In troubled times we still rejoice

to hear and know the Lord's own voice.

Through prophets that he sets in place

the Lord reveals his loving face.

And as the gray years gallop by,

and much we dreamt away doth fly,

we lift our heads until they're straight

because our children will be great.

For some the day is fading fleet,

but we believe that blessings sweet

await our progeny from God --

whose promises are firm and broad!

For the Lord shall comfort Zion

For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
2 Nephi 8:3

The Lord will comfort Zion though the heavens rain despair.

No wilderness of heart or mind is proof against his care.

Give thanks unto the Lord of Hosts, and never fear his wrath;

He seeks our welfare constantly, and softens the rough path.

Desiccated though our times may seem to doubting men,

we'll lift the rafters with our songs and gladly shout amen!