Inktober 2021 has been fun!

 

Day 30-Hyperbole Poem

 Day 30-Hyperbole Poem

Poetry that stretches the truth is tons of fun

I can write it all day long

There are millions of things we say

Every time we sing a nursery song

Rock-a-bye baby in a treetop

Is usually considered a crime

Whoever called a star a diamond

Must have had buckets of wine

So think of your years as a child

And forever sing those songs

Don’t ever forget to stretch the truth

And you will never go wrong!

Day 29-Poem in My Pocket

 Day 29-Poem in My Pocket

Poems are like photographs 

They each paint a picture

They can be beautiful or tragic 

But that’s how life is, and we live it anyway. 

Poetry and photographs are art

Art helps us to feel emotions

Let your emotions soar!

Day 28-Cinquain Poem

 Day 28-Cinquain Poem

Laundry

Dirty, clean

Washing, drying, sorting

Never ending job like dishes

Necessity

Day 27-Terse Verse

 Day 27-Terse Verse

What’s a parrot with a potty-mouth?

A dirty birdy

What’s a puppy who’s been playing in the rain?

A soggy doggy 

What’s an overfed feline?

A fat cat

Day 26-Pensee Poem

Day 26-Pensee Poem

Breathing

Necessity

We need it to live each day

Take a breath, breath it out, live life

Be glad we have two lungs

Day 25-Tanka Poem

 Day 25-Tanka Poem

I’m ready for the rain

It is needed in our life

As well as on earth

For without it we can’t grow

And become our better self

Day 24- Tautogram Poem

 Day 24-Tautogram Poem

Mermaids moving memorable moments

Making melodious memories momentarily 

My misty memories make me melancholy 

Making many more memories

Day 23-Free Verse Poem

 Day 23-Free Verse Poem

Words can be like weapons 

They can cut like a knife

We can use them in anger

And cause others strife

But we need to be better 

Our language to use

Spread hope and share love

It’s all what we choose

Our world is in turmoil

Don’t add to the gloom

Be kind and understanding 

Be the best in the room

Day 22-"All About Me" Poem

 Day 22-“All About Me” Poem

Vicki

Faithful, true, loving, and joyful. 

Sister of Dolly, David, Valerie, and Jamie as well as Steven, Karen, Kathy, Kris, Karleen, and Patty. 

Lover of Peter, libraries, and the Lord

Who feels sorry for mistakes, happy for family, joyful in the Gospel

Who needs love in return, the feel of the sun on her face, and to see kindness in the world. 

Who gives her heart fully, love to all, and understanding 

Who fears not being enough, not doing enough, and not loving enough

Who would love to see more of the world and true love for all

Resident of this beautiful world 

Firth

Day 21-American 767

 I really don’t like spiders

They’re creepy and crawly

Unless they’re in a book...EEK!!

Day 19-Nonet Poem

 Day 20-Nonet Poem

We love our three pets so very much

They bring us ton or love and fun

They’re part of our family

It’s sad when we lose one

When they teach us love

And give it back

To our hearts

And more

Love

Day 19-Book Spine Poetry

 

Day 18-Acrostic Poem

 Day 18-Acrostic Poem

Unreal and fanciful these

uNlikely creatures cause little girls to

Instantly fixate and obsess the

Colorful stories that surround them.

“Once upon a time” in storyland our

Reality is suspended and it opens our minds to

uNicorns!

Day 17-Haiku

 Day 17-Haiku

People should be free

The way our Lord wanted it

Free to choose their life

Day 16-Tyburn Poem

 Day 16-Tyburn Poem

                  Happy

                  Comfy

                  Laundry 

                  Sleepy

Coming home, happy, comfy feelings

But then there’s laundry, sleepy healings

Day 15-Shadorma Poem

 Day 15-Shadorma Poem

Jesus Christ

Our Lord and Savior

Redeemer

He loves us

He’s prepared a place for us

We are eternal

I love Him

I want to see Him

He loves Me

His great plan

Makes that possible for me

For us all

Day 14-I Wish, But I Am Poem

 Day 14-I Wish, But I Am Poem

I wish I could sing more

Like when in our singing group from our teen years

And I dream of singing together again

I am missing those days long ago

We used to have so much fun 

But now we live far from the others

I’m glad I can still sing with my husband’s guitar playing

But now, I’d love a chance to be “Morning Sunshine” once more.

Day 13-Tricube Poem

 Day 13-Tricube Poem

Chocolate

Hot or cold

Fills me up

Morning time

Ev’ry day

Make a cup

Whipping cream

Is supreme

Drink it up

Day 12-Brevette Poem

 Day 12-Brevette Poem

Humans

L e a r n

Lessons

Day 11-Color Poem

 Day 11-Color Poem

Yellow is the sunshine

Like the fire that warms your heart

Like the flowers that carpet the meadow

As happy as a child’s laughter

Day 10-Windspark Poem

 Day 10-Windspark Poem

I dreamed

I was a leaf

On the wind

Floating in the breeze

Sleepily

I dreamed 

I was a child

In my mother’s womb

Waiting to begin my life

Happily

Day 9-Rhyme Royal Poem

 Day 9-Rhyme Royal Poem

Having technology can be a pain,

There are good things and bad things about it.

When “PCs” lock up and make you insane,

You’ll want to throw it out, give it a hit.

You will cry and you’ll shout and swear a bit.

Then, lo, it reboots and you give a hoot,

You no longer need to give it the boot!

Day 8-Octopoem

 Day 8-Octopoem

Hanna

Her favorite color was the blue of Little Mermaid’s tail

The seasons never really mattered to her, just being warm

Home was her favorite place to be, everything she loved was there

She didn’t like the cold, it hurt her hands

She preferred wearing stretchy pants and Ariel shirts

She loved cuddling with her Daddy on the couch

Her favorite TV show was Full House and Mary-Kate and Ashley videos

She loved McDonald’s burger and knew the Golden Arches!

Day 7-Japanese Dodoitsu Poetry

 Day 7-Japanese Dodoitsu Poems

Writing poetry is fun

It’s a joy for ev’ryone

Each day, try and get it done

Rhyming in the sun

Here’s another quick one. 

This poetry form is odd

Like the dodo, now extinct

It stretches your fingers wide 

As you count each word

Day 6-Pyramid Poem

 Day 6-Pyramid Poems

I tried 2 slightly different forms I found on the internet.

Photographs

Old photographs

Old photographs teach

Old photographs teach history

Old photographs teach history graphically

Old photographs teach history graphically so we can learn lessons and not repeat them.

Puppies

Cute puppies

Cute brown puppies

Cute brown puppies play

Cute brown puppies play happily

Cute brown puppies play happily in the grass

Puppies are like soft squishy stuffed animals you want to cuddle

If I were a puppy, I would want belly rubs all day long.

1Valerie Heighton Cullison

Day 5-5Ws Poem

 Day 5-5 Ws Poem

Our parents

Did their best as they raised us

In our childhood homes

When we were young

Because they loved us.

Day 4-Rictameter Poem

 Day 4-Richtameter Poem                 

                    Easter

                 Finally here

         We remember our Lord

       The loving Savior of us all

His body was placed in a borrowed grave

    He came forth from the Garden Tomb

          Now we can live again

              He paid the price

                      Easter

Day 3-Triplet

Day 3-Triplet Poem There’s places we’ve been years ago That call us to come back, you know But that will require lots of dough!

Day 2-Couplet

April Fools Jokes are so silly and random But be prepared when they come in tandem

Day 1-Lantern Poem

Quilt Comfort Colorful Cuddle up with Calm

Talk on the Atonement from March 14, 2021

A few years ago, when I was the Primary President in the Spencer 5th Ward, we taught the children a song that grew to be favorite with all of us, The song was "Gethsemane". Jesus climbed the hill, to the garden still, His steps were heavy and slow Love and a prayer took Him there to the place only he could go Gethsemane, Jesus loves me so he went willingly, to Gethsemane He felt all that was sad, wicked and bad, all the pain we would ever know while his friends were asleep He fought to keep, His promise made long ago Gethsemane, Jesus loves me So He went willingly, to Gethsemane The hardest thing that ever was done The greatest pain that ever was known The biggest battle that ever was won This was done by Jesus, the fight was won by Jesus Gethsemane, Jesus loves me So he gave His gift to me In Gethsemane Gethsemane, Jesus loves me So he gives His gift to me From Gethsemane I love this song and every time we sang it, it made me cry! This song says in a simple way, what the Atonement is. I'm so grateful for our Savior's love and His willingness to do this for us. In April of 2019, Tad Callister gave a Conference talk about the Atonement. He said, "The Atonement is a series of divine events that commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, continued on the cross, and culminated with the Savior's Ressurection from the tomb. It was motivated by an incomprehensible love for each of us. It required a being who was sinless; who had infinite power over the elements-even death; who possessed a boundless capacity to suffer the consequences of all our sins and ailments; and who in fact, descended beneath it all. This was the Mission of Jesus Christ-this was His Atonement. He overcame it all for each of us, no matter what. It doesn't matter what we do, His sacrifice was made so each of us can return to His presence. We can be eternal families because He conquered it all; physical death, spiritual death, our afflictions and infirmities, and our weaknesses and imperfections." I know from my experiences, He did All the work for us, He loves us that much! None of us is perfect, and He understands this. I'm grateful for my testimony of this truthfulness, because I know we will be together again with our loved ones we've lost. The Great Plan of Happiness is a wonderful gift to each of us! I can't wait for the day when I will be reunited with our parents, and especially our daughter, Hanna, who had 18 years on this earth. Her health was always fragile and it was hard to lose her just before her 19th birthday. I know she's waiting for us, with a strong, healthy spirit. I love our Savior. In the book, "The Continuous Atonement" by Brad Wilcox, he tells the story of a young man from the BYU Ward he was Bishop of, and the struggles this young man had feeling he was unworthy. He had gone to the Bishop and repented of all the things he'd ever done wrong. Then he repeated his mistakes. He now felt he was unworthy and lost for good. He stopped going to church and avoided the Bishop. Brother Wilcox finally went to the young man's apartment and asked to come in so they could talk. The young man let him in, but said, "Like that will make any difference. Just face it, Bishop, the Church isn't true. No one can prove there is a God. It's all just a joke, so don't waste your time!" Letting the spirit guide, after wanting to lay into him, the Bishop was able to get the young man to open up. After his repentance, he repeated his mistakes. They continued to talk. The Bishop asked, "So the church is true and there is a God after all?" "Of course", was the response. "So you just need another chance?" "But that's the problem. D&C 58:43-By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-Behold he will confess them and Forsake them." I confessed; I didn't forsake. So I didn't really repent. It's over." The Bishop said, "Tell me about the Savior's grace, then." The young man said, "Oh, you know-2 Nephi 25:23. 'It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.' We do our best and then Christ Makes up the difference. But I did that, and it didn't work. I still went out and did the same old dumb thing. I blew it. Nothing changed." The bishop said, "Hold on, what do you mean Christ makes up the difference?" He responded, "Well, just that. You have to do your best, and once you have done your best, Christ makes up the difference." Bro. Wilcox then said, "Christ doesn't just make up the difference, He makes All the difference. He requires us to repent, but not as part of paying justice-Only as part of helping us to change." Christ makes all the difference, and that means all the time. The miracle of the Atonement is that He will forgive our sins. That includes not just multiple sins, but also multiple times we commit the same sin. There's always hope! That's what the Atonement provides-it is continuous! I'm so very thankful for all the wonderful things I've learned throughout my life, from the time of my Baptism at Eleven. We've experienced so much joy, but also sorrow, as it was intended. Our daughter, Hanna, was born prematurely in 1985. She spent 7 weeks in the hospital before coming home on oxygen. Her health was always tenuous. She had several surgeries during her life, she was Autistic and in Special Ed. There were many times when she got sick, we thought we'd lose her. Each of us learned so much love from her. When she died in 2002 during an MRI, we had in reality, been prepared by our Heavenly Father. We know that we will see her again. We know she's a perfect spirit who just needed to gain a body as part of the Plan. I'm so grateful for this knowledge. We were blessed to have her in our lives. I love Jesus Christ for all he did for us! I'm thankful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the truths he brought back to the earth, even when persecuted. I love the Book of Mormon. Every time I read it, I learn more. I know President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God. He is the perfect leader for right now! I love this Gospel. One final quote. Neal A Maxwell said, "His relentless Redemptiveness exceeds my recurring wrongs." That is what the Atonement of Jesus Christ is all about.

My Testimony

It’s about time I put down my testimony of the last year and what’s been going on with me spiritually. My testimony has grown daily from the day of my baptism on October 17, 1964, when I was 11 years old. A little bit about myself, I was born in 1952 along with my twin sister in Santa Monica, California. We have an older sister and brother, and then a younger brother. We lived in Long Beach, California until December of 1962, when we moved to Phoenix, Arizona. We know that we were supposed to move there so that our family would find the Church. We had been Presbyterian since before we were born. Our dad, who was divorced from our mom, went boating on Lake Havasu, and the boat he was on flipped, sending him to the bottom. He was able to save himself, but his cigarettes were left on the bottom, which he felt was a sign, that he needed to find a Church that taught people to abstain from smoking. So, he found the Ward missionaries, Nephi Allen and Charles Alexander. He took the lessons and was baptized, then asked them to teach us. He wanted us to receive the same blessings. We were taught the lessons, and when our mom was convinced, she immediately wanted to know if her ancestors lived for naught, so the missionaries taught us about work for the dead! We were all converted right then. We were all baptized on our older brother’s 16th Birthday. It was a momentous day for us! We got involved in the Ward and felt right at home there, our mom teaching in Primary! We loved the Gospel! Then in 1968, we moved back to Santa Monica to be near our maternal Grandmother, after our step-grandfather died. I loved my years there as a teenager. I met my future husband in Jr. High and introduced him to the Gospel. He was finally able to be baptized when he was 18, against his parents wishes, but it was what he wanted. We were married in the LA Temple in 1973 and have been blessed with 7 children. We moved to Utah in 1978, then bought our home in Magna in 1980. About a year ago, we started to consider the need to move because of the house’s split entry. We didn’t really get serious until about 6 months ago, when our daughter, Shannon, who has never married, suggested we buy a house together. Wow, did things really start to happen quickly, once we made that decision! We prayed about the decision and we both felt good about it, so we started to get things going. We found our Real Estate Agent, Becky Nay, because of our longtime friendship. After meeting with her, we started looking. We saw a few homes we liked, but were too late to bid or got outbid. Then our niece stepped in and asked to buy our house to flip. We prayed about that decision and felt good about it, so we let everyone know. Then we looked at this house in Herriman, felt it was right and won the bid. A week or so later, Becky let us know how crazy things got right after we bought the house, and we know everything worked out because it was meant to be! We are grateful for this Ward and can’t wait to get to know you all better. We love the gospel and know it’s true. I love the Gospel, I love my Savior and I know the Book of Mormon is true. I’m grateful to have it to learn more about the truths of the Gospel and our Savior’s love for us. I’m very grateful for the Atonement and the wonderful gift it is. Without it, we would be lost.