Dan loved Christmas. We'd put on Christmas music of all genres and decorate the whole house. We'd buy the tree a few weeks before Christmas, and it would stay up for months, until I convinced him that one hot bulb would send the entire thing up in flames. Only then would he reluctantly agree to take it down. We always spent Christmas day alone. At night we'd dress to the nines and take pictures. Dan would make some outrageous dinner, usually a goose, and acorn squash, rice, cranberry sauce, etc. In this photo I'm wearing a beautiful dress Dan bought in Santa Fe at one of our favorite stores, Spirit of the Earth. He had excellent taste, and loved surprising me.
I look at this photo and think how young and happy we look. And so innocent! We had absolutely no idea that our life together would soon be turned upside down.
Ever On is dedicated to Dan Fogelberg and his artistry
in song... ...a place to meet and talk of our love of the music, of the lyrics, of the
way his hands seem to effortlessly and delicately become one with the
instrument and of his voice... ...that of a herald angel. Dan
Fogelberg creates a
sound that takes you to your beginnings and beyond, takes you to a place
of timelessness, mystery and wonderment... ...a place where dreams
become reality if only for the span of that particular song... ...but...
...those few moments are a gift from beyond our memories... ...and once
again we are in the heavens... ...if only for the moment.
No other singer/songwriter in
the world
can paint an image in words
as eloquently as Dan Fogelberg.
Ever On was picked for the name after his song by the
same name.
It is a travelers prayer.
May you carry it with you as you travel the web.
Many Thanks To Joe
WhalenAnd WHPC 90.3
FM
The Radio Tribute To Dan Fogelberg on Joe's
Frontiers* WHPC 90.3 FM Long Island
February 4, 2008
February 11, 2008 December 22, 2008
Daniel Grayling Fogelberg
1951~2007
*Frontiers (Monday 9:00pm / Thursday 10:00am Eastern) A
variety of music is spotlighted in this weekly program.
Joe has interviewed Patrick Moraz of Yes/Moody Blues and
Jerry Jeff Walker to name a couple.
Dear friends,
Dan left us
Sunday, December 16, 2007 at 6:00 a.m. He fought a brave
battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with
his wife Jean at his side. His strength, dignity, and grace
in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were
an inspiration to all who knew him.
I'm
so grateful to all of you who wrote to Dan through The
Living Legacy website with your stories of how his music
touched your lives; with your uplifting words of
encouragement; with your declarations of admiration and
friendship.
Dan was a strong and private man, but even the mountain must
tremble, and during the toughest times he gained solace and
comfort from reading your letters and learning that his
music had been a source of light in your lives. Greatest of
all though, was the feeling you gave him that his time here
had served a purpose.
I hope you will find some peace in knowing that the joy and
comfort you found in his music winged it's way back to him
through your words, prayers, and good wishes.
Thank you,
Jean Fogelberg
"There is no darkness in this place that we're bound
Love is the only thing that matters" ~ DF
A Valentine Song
In February of 2005, Dan went to Colorado for a few
weeks to supervise some ranch business and to do some
work in the studio. I stayed in Maine to oversee the
final construction phase of our Maine house. It was
hard for us to be so far apart for so long, especially
since we would miss Valentine's Day together.
On the afternoon of the 14th, the florist brought me a
dozen long-stemmed red roses; FedEx brought me a CD
with a song Dan had written for me just for
Valentine's Day. The song is called "Sometimes A
Song", and it will be available for digital download
at iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody and WalMart.com the week
of Valentine's Day.
100% of proceeds from all digital sales will be
donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Thanks for all of your support, encouragement, and
condolences.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Jean
This is one of eleven previously unrecorded
songs (nine originals) that will be
released later this year on a CD Dan titled "Love In
Time".
Special thanks to Irving Azoff and Bob Ludwig of
Gateway Mastering Studios.
Download
"Sometimes A Song"
from one
of the following locations and support Dan's Quest.
The
limited edition Dan Fogelberg "Quest" Lapel
Pin
"CONTINUE
DAN'S QUEST / BE INFORMED / GET TESTED"
3/4"
(same size as a penny) Cloisonne lapel pin with green,
red, gray, and white enamel on gold metal. Cost: $10
plus shipping & handling, all proceeds go to the
PCF to fund prostate cancer research. This 3/4"
size is a limited edition of 5,000.
Designed
by Jean Fogelberg exclusively for the Prostate Cancer
Foundation.
The
symbolism of the design:
~
The Scottish sword - Dan was half Scots-Irish (as many
of you know, his mother was born in Scotland); he fought
a valiant battle against cancer; and he was my knight in
shining armor (and apparently, many of you felt the same
way).
~
The Fleur-de-lis (flower of life) was used in Scottish
heraldry, and is said to symbolize many things, but
among them: purity, light, life, and hope.
~
The guitar is a rendering of one of Dan's favorite
Stratocasters, used on stage over many years.
~
Deep forest green and gold were Dan's favorite color
combination.
From Jean Fogelberg:
Dan and I battled Advanced Prostate Cancer for three and a half years. Those
were difficult days, but during that time we were bolstered by the knowledge
that research was being done, and the hope that a cure would be found "any
day now". That cure didn't come in time for Dan, but there are thousands of
men out there right now hoping and praying a cure will come in time for them.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation funds research at over 150 organizations all over
the world. They have funded over 1,400 projects aimed not just at early
detection and a cure, but also at finding treatments that will put less stress
on a man's body and allow him to live a more active, pain-free life while
fighting prostate cancer. Two of the research projects they are funding right
now are being conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Dan was
treated.
You can help the PCF continue Dan's quest for a cure by making a credit card,
PayPal, or check donation. Large or small, every donation is appreciated.
Donations in Dan's memory have exceeded $50,300. To date, downloads of "Sometimes
A Song" have raised over $7,000 and the "Quest"
lapel pin has raised over $16,720.
Thank you in advance for your donation, for paying tribute to Dan, and for
helping to further prostate cancer research in his name.
"Life
is not measured by the number of breaths we take...
...but by the moments that take our breath away."
Thanks
For The Quote Holly!!!
"Love In Time" Release Date Set For August 13, 2009
In 2003, while compiling material for a CD of live recordings, Dan came across some rough demos he had recorded earlier in his career. He felt inspired to finish them and worked on the songs until May of 2004 when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. We decided we would get treatment in Boston, as we were in the process of building a home in Maine and felt that it would be healthier to be there where Dan could sail and ski, and the new house would be an engrossing, therapeutic project to work on. Dan began receiving the standard course of treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital and we became immersed in all the minute decisions of home building, with trips to Boston every other month for tests and shots.
In January and February of 2005 Dan returned to Colorado to resume working in the studio while I stayed in Maine to oversee the final construction phase. While there he recorded three new songs, one of which was "Sometimes A Song", a valentine for me that would later be released as a download on Valentine's Day 2008 to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In April of 2006 we returned to Colorado together. The ranch was for sale and and we needed to start sorting and organizing things. It was the most beautiful time of the year, warm and lush and everything in bloom. Dan completed, sequenced, and wrote the liner notes for the CD he titled �Love in Time�. He put it in our safe deposit box in Maine and asked me to release it after he was gone.
We never gave up hope that we would somehow beat this disease: we knew every cancer is different and every person is different, but we also knew the odds were against us. Dan was the strongest, bravest person I've ever known and I believed (as did our friends and family) that if anyone would be able to conquer this cancer, it would be him. He fought for every day with incredible determination and grace, and lived every minute to the fullest, sailing right up until two months before he died.
Dan left us on December 16, 2007 but his music continues - a living legacy to one of the most versatile and talented musicians, singers, and songwriters of his generation.
~ Jean Fogelberg
Dan Fogelberg Release - First in Six Years
Fred Migliore, host of FM Odyssey, the long-running nationally syndicated radio show,
has released a two CD interview retrospective with Dan Fogelberg.
There�s been enormous
response!!! Go to fmodyssey.com!!!
See What People Are Saying About This Release!!!
Dan passed away from advanced prostate cancer on
December 16th, 2007 at the age of 56.
During that interview, Fred engaged Dan in a wonderful, animated
conversation about Dan�s first 25 years in the music business. You will hear 13
full-length songs, including "Same Old Lang Syne," "Nether Lands," "The Last Nail,"
and "Mountains To The Sea," as well as Dan's thoughts on many of those songs.
This 2 CD Collector�s Edition is available for
$29.95 at fmodyssey.com
$3
from each CD sold will go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation in Dan�s name.
�This is a must for any true Dan fan. We have had the pleasure of hearing this, and it is indeed a treasure!�
- Dan Fogelberg's endorsed fan site, TheLivingLegacy.net
Click this link to get your copy today in time for Valentine�s giving!
Christmas came early for me as I just finished listening to Dan Fogelberg: A Retrospective Interview! I purchased this cd, not for the music (as I have it all, of course!) but for the rare chance to hear this private man speak about the inspiration and thoughts behind his incredible works. Much to my happiness, the interviewer, Fred Migliore, did an outstanding job of engaging Dan with insightful, well thought out questions. To hear Dan laugh, reminisce and enlighten us with each track was a treat I shall treasure! Cheers to FM
Odyssey for making this available for all to hear! - C.H.
What an exciting finished piece of artwork. Fabulous, warm, heart wrenching, memorable and on and on. Thank you very much for taking the time to pull this project together. - David and Ellyn, TN
I received the cd set and I am telling everyone about it because I am enjoying the interview with Dan Fogelberg and I am truly fascinated with the stories behind the songs. Thank you so much for sending it to me. I am so glad I decided to buy this for myself as a Christmas gift because I will treasure it for the rest of my life. - Michele M.
Just finished listening to my Christmas present - Dan's interview CD with Fred. What an awesome gift to have for years to come. This candid interview revealed answers to questions that had been going around in my head, such as what or whom is the song Tucson, Arizona (Gazette) about. I'll be truthful - I did not want this interview or CD to end, as it felt like Dan was being interviewed today and that we would be hearing from him again in the future. - Aaron B., Montana
That's
right... ...for every 2 CD Interview sold a total of $6 will be
donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation in Dan's name...
...$3 from FMOdyssey.com and $3
from Ever On.
Go to FMOdyssey.com
and click on the BUY NOW button... ...on the 2nd page after clicking
that button there will be a drop down menu. Select Ever On from that
menu to get $6 dollars donated in Dan's name... ...any other
selection only donates $3.
Hey my fellow
DanFan Brothers... ...have you been tested this year? When Dan
passed away I made a resolution to get tested every year and made an
appointment with my doc. The DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) is never fun
but it only lasts a few seconds. Dr. Poirier said my prostate felt
normal. Next I went for lab work - the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)
test. Normal levels are below 4.0 and my level of PSA was 0.4. Those
are the results from 2008.
2009 came and I
made my appointment again. I forgot about needing to fast for 12
hours prior to the lab work so I have to return for the PSA test.
The DRE for 2009 indicated that my prostate was normal. I'll let you
know about the PSA when I get it done within the next week.
Ladies... ...get
your husband, boyfriend, brothers, fathers and any other males you
know 40 years old and above to make the appointment and get
tested.
William Isaacs,
Ph.D., has spent much of the last decade testing his self-discipline
with the greatest puzzle of all, the human genome. He is searching
for the genes involved in hereditary prostate cancer (see "What
is HPC?" ); his initial tests took him through the body's
23 pairs of chromosomes at the astonishing rate of about 10 million
base pairs (genetic building blocks) at a time, and gleaned a
handful of promising sites that deserved further study.
After those giant
strides, however, the next part has had Isaacs creeping at what
seems a snail's pace--if his previous tests were the equivalent of
flying over an area, now he's conducting a house-to-house search,
examining hundreds of genes, one at a time. He is working mostly in
the dark: He doesn't know how many genes he's looking for, and --
although he and colleagues have narrowed it down considerably -- he
still isn't sure exactly where to find them. Worse, nobody has ever
looked at these genes before. So before he can even determine
whether or not a gene looks promising, he must first figure out what
it is. Think of an explorer sailing in uncharted waters, facing a
string of islands, investigating each one and producing a
topographical map. "Each one of these genes," he explains,
"could be a Ph.D. dissertation in itself, just to identify and
characterize the gene, get the structure and sequence it," not
to mention comparing all of this new information in the DNA of
hundreds of men with HPC and their families.
And yet, slowly
but surely, this hard work is paying off: So far, Isaacs and
colleagues at Hopkins and the National Human Genome Research
Institute have found good evidence that at least two of these
defective genes do indeed exist: One is somewhere on Chromosome 1,
and the other, most recently discovered, ties on the X chromosome --
a milestone in cancer research, this is the first time the X
chromosome (which sons inherit from their mothers) has been
definitively linked to a major cancer. Isaacs would love to start
figuring out the role those aberrant genes play in the cascade of
events leading to prostate cancer. Instead, he is steeling himself
to keep turning over those pieces -- in this case, the pieces are
thousands of undiscovered genes--until he can see the puzzle in its
entirety. Although they haven't yet pinpointed the faulty genes on
either chromosome, Isaacs and colleagues have identified certain
characteristics that suggest which mutation a family may have: In
families with a mutated HPC1 gene.
Continue
Dan's Quest ~ Be Informed ~ Get Tested
Tell
EVERy ONe
about Ever On matching the $3 donation
on purchased CD's from FMOdyssey.com
With Faith In Every Footstep Along The Mission Road
March 24 2009 at 12:59 PM No score for this post
With Faith In Every Footstep Along The Mission Road
I'm proud of my children...
Their Mother passed away April 13. 2008 after a two year fight with cancer just shortly after her 45th birthday. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her mother lost her fight with cancer. Kristi was only 17, a Senior in High School with a job afterwards and Saturdays and HOMEWORK, sings in the church choir, takes part in compassionate service projects as needed, faithfully giving 10% tithing each time she gets paid, Parker had just turned 19, helped carry his Mother's body to the gravesite, graduated high school with honors, earned his Eagle Scout Award, completed his first year at Arizona State University while working two jobs, has accepted the calling as a missionary, accepted the calling to leave his home for two years, accepted the calling to learn the Russian language , accepted the calling to carry the same book that brought his ancestors to America... ...to the Ukraine... ...a place not so far from the homes his ancestors left behind... ...but an eternity away from his... ...and why? Because of the message this book has for all the inhabitants of the Earth... ...Another Testament that Jesus IS The Christ, The Messiah, The Savior of the world, that He IS The Way, The Truth and The Life... that He suffered and died for us... ...me and you... ...the sinners that we are... ...because of the love He has for us... ...and that He rose from the dead a resurrected being with a body of flesh and bone, that He came to this the American Continent to visit and teach the inhabitants thereof... ...inhabitants that He spoke of in the Bible wherein The New Testament:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN CHAPTER 10
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
These children of mine have set the example for me. I am moving forward again on a path of heart as opposed to a path of convenience. And I see my life changing to where the path of heart and the path of convenience are joining together to be traveling the same direction. I did not serve a mission... ...but I'm doing the best I can now. I've met with my Bishop and look forward to being ordained an Elder for the first time in three or four months and going to the Temple. The LDS temple in Kiev, Ukraine is under construction and is scheduled to be complete in Spring of 2010. The plan is for me to be ordained an Elder and temple worthy so that when I fly to Ukraine in November 2010 to pick up Parker, for us to go through the temple there before returning home. What Parker doesn't know is that I plan on bringing his younger sister, Kristina, with me to surprise him. I have a lot of saving to do as I live on a fixed income of Social Security Disability. Kristina will be close to 20 years old then so I'm hoping and praying that she too will have a temple recommend so all three of us can go through the Kiev, Ukraine Temple as a family. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I'm sharing the gospel. I've handed out one Book of Mormon physically to Omar from Sudan... ...he is a driver that came to pick me up and take me to an appointment... ...the time before I had ridden with Yusuf and had started to discuss God and Jesus with him but I froze up... ...this time I was ready so I put my testimony and contact information and links to Parker's farewell in the Book of Mormon... ...I wasn't sure if Yusuf was going to pick me up so I didn't write his name in it... ...I'm glad I didn't because I was still able to hand one out to Omar after we discussed family, prayer, God, Jesus and the beauty of the day, I had one sent to Gail over the internet and she also has agreed to attend a Sacrament meeting for the first time... ...tonight she said she is going to become a Mormon... ...She is sweet and kind and loves her family very much... ...I told her that I would travel from Arizona to Texas to baptize her when she's ready... ...Again I live on a fixed Social Security Disability income so I'm gonna have to figure something out. Another lady, Tamna, requested me as a friend on MySpace. I went and looked at Tamna's profile where I read that she had just moved to St. Augustine, Florida and that the church she attended was too far away and did anyone know of a church nearby... ...I went to http://mormon.org and clicked on worship with us and located the address to the St. Augustine Ward and sent her the information as well as the link to Parker's farewell and promised her that if she would listen and pray about what she heard that the Holy Ghost would testify to her that it is the truth. I've sent Joseph Smith: The Restoration to my Catholic friend Laura and I plan on talking more about the gospel when her schedule permits... Wendell from Kentucky stated that his brother is LDS so I promised him that if he would read the Book of Mormon and pray that he too would come to know that it is true. Last Friday at the Doctor I had two more opportunities placed in front of me to share the gospel again. I had taken a book with me titled "Sharing The Gospel With Others" by President George Albert Smith. It once belonged to my maternal Grandmother - Jennie Mortensen - In it she had written:
Property Of Jennie Mortensen
Who desires to share the wonderful blessings & testimonies within the pages of this book.
It must have been Smith day at the clinic. The first couple I sat next to was an this elderly black couple. I had the book on my lap and the lady may or may not have seen it but shortly after I sat down she pulled a small New Testament out of her handbag and started reading silently. I grabbed a piece of paper and put my name, address, phone # and email as well as the links to Parker's Farewell and James Conlee's music. I tore the picture of Jesus out of a church program I had and got a paper clip from the office assistant and clipped it to the information I had written down. As she read it she said her last name was also Smith and she shared with me the story of how she had always wanted to be a missionary - like Mother Theresa - I talked with her about Parker and Kristi and then I was called up to the desk to be checked out of the office. The lady at the desk saw the book in my hand and said that it looked like an interesting book... ...I talked with her about Parker and Kristi and the church and she gave me a yellow sticky-note to write down the web links and my contact information. I then went to walk away and a man in Army fatigues had heard me talking so I turned to him and his name tag read "Smith" . he saw the book in my hand and said that he was familiar with who George Albert Smith was - it was his way of saying that he was LDS.
And I left feeling great...
With all these I tell them that this could very well be the most important decision they will make in their life.
Update as of March 9th, 2009:
Pray for missionary experiences and they will come:
I had just received two Books of Mormon from the Free Media link at http://mormon.org and had prayed for opportunities to hand these out. It was early in the morning and my door was open letting the beautiful Arizona sunlight join with the Light of Christ to start my day off right.
I noticed my neighbors, Jesus and Marta, from across the street back their truck into the driveway and lower the tailgate down and lift the hatch on the camper shell. I grabbed a Book of Mormon and quickly as I could added a three page testimony. I then said a prayer and headed across the street. I shared my testimony with them and they said the would read the Book of Mormon.
Then I found out they were moving out instead of moving something in. Luckily they are only moving just down the street - as a matter of fact I can see the house they are moving to from the house they are moving from - they are making the move because the rent is $1,500 where they were at and only $800 where they have moved to. Now they have six children ranging from age 2 to 15 so they have a lot of stuff to move. I helped move a couple of large loads and had to take a break. They said we could start again in the morning.
The morning came and I called the area mission and requested two Spanish speaking Elders to come lend a hand in moving not only the family into the new home but also the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives. Although the Elders for this area were not available they were able to send Elder Maxwell and Elder Oakey to help for an hour. In that hour we were able to get Jesus' flatbed trailer hooked up and loaded with a lot of heavy furniture.
The Elders had to leave soon but in the time there I had them give El Libro de Mormon (The Book Of Mormon - Spanish Translation) to Jesus and Marta as well as talk to them about Eternal Families. Jesus and Marta agreed to start meeting with the missionaries to learn more about the gospel.
Later that day the Elder's from this area stopped by - Elder Lehman and Elder Cole - We went over to help move some more but Jesus and Marta were done for the day. I asked for a Spanish Book Of Mormon from Elder's Lehman and Cole in case I had another opportunity to hand one out.
I walked with the Elder's a while as they headed towards an appointment. I told them I would need to repent when I got home for coveting their position as missionaries. They headed off into the sunset and I walked on up to Fry's Marketplace to pick up my prescription.
Leaving Fry's I stopped to speak with the elderly gentleman that meets and greets people as they come through the door. I started talking about the beautiful day God had given us and he agreed. I asked if he believed in God and Jesus Christ and he said yes. I started talking about Kristi and Parker and the gospel but try as I might I could not convert him. After a bit of me sharing my testimony he smiled and then told me that he is already a member of the LDS faith. We talked a bit more and then I headed towards home.
THEN I REMEMBERED...
My dear friend Gail in Texas had ordered pizza from my favorite pizza shop - Dominos at University and Country Club in Mesa... ...one for me and two for Jesus and Marta's family... ...so I started running... ...I ran off and on for that two mile stretch... ...whew. I arrived... ...and the pizza arrived... ...a second time... ...I apologized and thanked the delivery gal. I then took two piping hot pepperoni pizzas across the street to a surprised Jesus and Marta. Thanks Gail... ...such a sweet gesture. The Lord will bless you for your kind and thoughtful ways. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
I went to visit my friends Scot and Ruth who have been clean for 8 months now. I am so proud of them and so very happy for them. They have been given custody of their two year old daughter, my goddaughter, Reese, after two long years. While I was there I shared my testimony with them orally as well as writing it in a Book of Mormon. Their case manager stopped by for a home visit while I was writing my testimony. It turns out that he, also, is LDS.
Later in the evening they ordered pizza and I shared the video Joseph Smith: The Restoration as well as another church video Family Answers. I left these two videos for them as well as the Book of Mormon and asked them to pray about what they had seen and heard so far, and about what they would read. I promised them that they would come to know that these things are true.
I asked them if they would attend a Sacrament Meeting with Kristi and I and they agreed they would. Before I left I asked if it was okay to kneel in prayer to which they agreed. As we knelt I prayed giving thanks to God for all He has given us and asked that he would bless this family that they would know the truthfulness of my words.
Here is a link to a song page of How Great Thou Art with a precious picture of baby Reese.
Mi amigo Jose stopped by mi casa. Jose habla un poqueto Ingles. Mi habla un poqueto Espanol. I gave Jose El Libro de Mormon. He read it all night long and told me that he had peace in his heart once again. He said he cried. He said he knew that Father in Heaven and Jesus loves him. I saw a side of Jose that I had never seen. We'll see what happens.
Another friend that I trade computer help with stopped by the other night and while here he shared with me that he is agnostic. Mike said he does believe in a supreme being and he does believe that Jesus was a man that walked the Earth but he doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I left it alone at that point and figured I would come back to it another time. Last night that other time arrived. Mike stopped by again and I shared with him the analogy I learned from Parker of the Bible and the Book of Mormon being an arrow that points to Jesus being The Christ - The Son of God. He liked it. (So do I. Thanks Parker!!! It's a blessing and a joy to have Elder Smith as my missionary companion.) I grabbed a Book of Mormon and put a promise in it that if he read it and prayed to his Creator to know the truth that he would come to know, by the Power of the Holy Ghost, that it is true and that Jesus is The Christ . I shared with him my testimony of the power of faith and prayer and how it helped me get over that mountain on the way to Flagstaff when the alternator in the Camaro was no longer working as it was designed - more a paperweight than an alternator. I tried to share Joseph Smith: The Restoration video but something was wrong with my computer sound. so I emailed him my testimony and pointed him to the video.
When my son, Elder Parker Smith was in the MTC he started off by saying:
"The food provides physical nourishment... The scriptures provide Spiritual nourishment... The language provides frustration... And the Lord provides hope"
A couple weeks later he wrote to inform us that his District at the MTC was getting ready to start Speak Your Language week, weeks ahead of past districts.
And now he's in the Ukraine [Since Jan 21, 2009] and has handed out his first Book Of Mormon
He basically said: "Take that! It's the key to your salvation!"
Also he writes:
"I got to bear my testimony in Russian to the branch and that was awesome. The three hours following was a mental workout as I tried to understand as much I could. The fact that I didn't understand everything isn't the point though. I will be able to do that in due time. What is of utmost importance is that I felt the Spirit there, and I now have come to see for myself that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same wherever you attend, and that this is worldwide, and that it will be true forever and eternity. Oh, how I love it!"
And he said:
"Us four Elders just started a youth night for our branch. It'll be good to strengthen their testimonies, to spend time with each other, plus it'll give them a great opportunity to do missionary work also. So we'll see how that goes."
He states that:
"They [Ukraines] have some very strange remedies that are supposed to work for everything. Like they think if you put an onion to the part of your body that hurts, then you'll get better. Or if you eat meat, you're supposed to get over a cold. Well you know what, people of Ukraine? I have a remedy for you... It's called Priesthood power!"
That reminds me of a conversation I had just this past week when I was asked by Gail if I could have one superpower what would it be and I said that was easy... ...the power of the Priesthood which is the same power that Parley Parker Pratt called upon to heal the blind lady, the same power that Moses called upon to part the Red Sea, the same power that Jesus called upon to raise Lazarus from the dead, the same power that God called upon to create the Heavens and the Earth... ...the same power my son Parker called upon to give me a blessing, his first, after he was ordained an Elder.
He also wrote on difficulties of tracting:
We were tracting one last flight of stairs before we had to get home, and in order to get back to home before curfew, we decided to each take a door on the last floor. Fortunately/Unfortunately, someone came to each of our doors (which is rare). They talk through the door, so we're each trying to introduce ourselves, and so the entire time we are trying not to laugh at the same time because we're all saying about the same thing (good evening, we are representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ, we want to share a brief message with them about whatever...). But yeah, it turned out terrible. Duffy ran away from his door because the old lady on the other side was getting upset and he couldn't say anything without laughing, and Lamarr and I continued to try to talk to our doors, but it was so hard to hear.
I asked Parker to pray, giving thanks throughout the day - to carry a prayer in his heart like a song - to ask God to help him to know where to go, what to say, to get those doors to open - I told him if he will do this with a humble heart, knowing that God is the answer... ...and listening for Him to speak... ...he WILL hear His guidance and be able to act accordingly... ...and those apartment doors will become faces... ...the faces will have names... ...and in hearing the truth Parker gives them from his heart, those names, in time, will begin with Brother and Sister.
Elder Smith then went on to say:
I love this work, though. It was exciting being a threesome while contacting too. It's weird having three missionaries talking to one person... I assume it would be a bit overwhelming for that one person. So what we did is when someone wanted to talk, two of us would stay and the third would go find someone else to talk with. I cannot boast in myself, but I just want to say that when I was that third person, I really saw the Lord working through me. There was this one older lady (there are a lot of them here) that I started talking to as best as I could, and I was just helping her carry her water jugs and bags that she had, and we talked for a good fifteen minutes before the other Elders finished with the person that had contacted, and then Lamarr sorta took over, but it was great to be an instrument in the Lord's hands, and I still have another 20 months to continue doing this. I love this work.
Well... I could go on... ...but I'll leave you with my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and a hymn text I wrote with a friend that I will be submitting to the Church for acceptance as hymn text this year... ...oh what a joy and blessing it is to have been born and raised in a Latter Day Saint family. What a joy it is to know that life is eternal. What a joy it is to know that Jesus is the Christ. What a joy it is to know the plan of salvation. What a joy it is to know God the Father and to feel of His love. What a joy it is to know that we also have a Mother in Heaven, a Goddess, that reigns as an equal with our Father in Heaven and to feel the unconditional love that she, too, has for each and every one of us. What a joy it is to know that Joseph Smith stood face to face with God, with Jesus, with Moroni, with John the Baptist, With Peter, James and John. What a joy it is to remember as a young boy singing "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet" and knowing that David O. McKay was that prophet. What a joy it is to see the gospel roll forth, to see Gordon B. Hinckley receive guidance to build so many beautiful temples so the work of God can be done by more people. And what a joy it is to say that I know that Thomas S. Monson is a man called of God, by prophecy to stand at the head of Jesus Christ's church here on the Earth and that he in fact does receive revelation from beyond the veil as to how to guide the people of the Earth. Oh what a joy it is indeed. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Brother Brett Martin Smith 1916 North Macdonald Mesa, Arizona 85201 brettsmith@everon.info 480-306-4360
Member of : Hillside Ward Lehi Stake Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona Bishop J.R. Stock
But attending with my daughter: Harris 2nd Ward Maricopa North Stake Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona Bishop Paul Rowley
It was time for the 2002 Arizona Spring Singles Conference for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and the theme was Lift Up Your Heart. Entries were being accepted for Conference Hymn and Conference Poem.
I had never written a hymn before and wanted to give it a try. Sandi Penrod Adair joined with me in this endeavor. We wrote the first draft and took it to Brent Jorgensen to ask if he would write the music. He looked it over and said he 'might' do it but he wanted us to go re-write it... ...yuck... ...I thought it was fine but went prayerfully to the task of the re-write.
Feeling confident that it was hymn-worthy we once again took it to Brent and once again he looked it over and said he 'might' do it but he wanted us to go re-write it... ...yuck... okay back to the poets world although I didn't want to re-write it... ...Sandi coaxed me on and patiently looked up scriptures to help us know what to write.
I'm now glad that Brent sent us back to the drawing board because I do believe this third and final version of Lift Up Your Heart turned out as a work that would be pleasing to the Lord. We took it back to Brent but he said he was going to be working on a different piece for entry of the Conference Hymn.
Well, someone suggested we try Linda Leavitt and so we gave her a call and she agreed to write the music. She got it done the day before the entry deadline arrived and called a gentleman she uses for transcribing the music. This is done on a piano that records the music as it is played and prints out the sheet music. One problem, the man was on vacation. So, we could not enter it into the Conference Hymn category but we did enter it into the Conference Poem category.
Brent entered his work into the Conference Hymn category and it was selected as the Conference Hymn and we (the choir) learned it and sang it at the conference. Ours was selected as the Conference Poem and we read it before hundreds of members of the congregation at the closing conference fireside.
We never did get it put to music but I hope to someday. I plan on sending it in for possible acceptance as Hymn text which is a selection process each year by the church. Deadline is March 31 for this. The picture is a drawing I did of Jesus using a painting by Greg Olsen entitled "The Savior" as the subject.
Lift Up Your Heart
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice Sing praises to Him who dwells on high Lift up your heart, be glad and rejoice Honor to Him who for us did die Lift up your heart; glorious psalm His love is our calm at the eye Lift up your heart, He steadies the storm He is love, He is peace, He is Life
Though my soul it may roar and be troubled Though my spirit at times it does quake I will not lose my faith through the battle God is my refuge and strength
Though the suf'ring seem long and I weary I'll endure to the end of each day I will not lose my sight in the darkness God is the light and the way
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice Sing praises to Him who dwells on high Lift up your heart, be glad and rejoice Honor to Him who for us did die Lift up your heart; glorious psalm His love is our calm at the eye Lift up your heart, He steadies the storm He is love, He is peace, He is life
I'll let not my heart fill with torment I'll let not my soul be afraid I'll strengthen with might by his Spirit I'll lengthen the peace in my day
I'll open my heart to the Master I'll baptize my days with His love I'll then know and feel of His comfort Soft as the song of a dove
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice Sing praises to Him who dwells on high Lift up your heart, be glad and rejoice Honor to Him who for us did die Lift up your heart; glorious psalm His love is our calm at the eye Lift up your heart, He steadies the storm He is love, He is peace, He is life
Text: Sandi Adair and Brett Martin Smith 2002 Artwork: "The Savior" Brett Martin Smith 2002
On the same evening that Elder Smith opened his mission call we had the pleasure of attending the fireside where this dedicated couple shared their testimonies and pictures of serving as the Ukraine Donetsk Mission President.
Elder Devin James Shumway March 9, 2009-Present
Elder Parker Martin Smith Ukraine Donetsk Mission PO Box 30150 Salt Lake City, UT 84130
This address is done through a pouch service, so do not include anything but the following.
Postcards or Single sheet of paper written on one side, folded tri-fold (blank side out) with 2 small pieces of tape at seam, leaving ends open, 1 stamp. Write info above on center, include complete return address at top left corner.
To send packages or anything of that sort use the following address:
Elder Parker Martin Smith Prospekt Bogdana Khmelnitskogo 67A 83087 Donetsk, Ukraine
Thanks To Elder Bronson Shipp For Posting The Following ROXOLANA Info On His Blog:
Best Shipping Method
ROXOLANA International Trade 2200 Route 10 West, Suite 04 Parsippany NJ 07054 (937) 538-3888 (800) 725-8685 email: roxolanaltd@roxolana.com
Contact them for instructions and shipping labels.
Correct Your Spelling Supply Stationary And Stamps Print Your Letters And Fold Properly Address The Envelopes Lick 'Em , Stick 'Em And Stuff "Em In A Pouch Send A Copy Of The Letter To The Elder's Email Send A Copy Of The Letter To Your Email
For Your Convenience, A Copy Of Each Letter Is Retained At DearElder.Com And Is Easily Retrievable On Your Account Page.
* I * 6 * Y
Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having
trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota
of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It
takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram'
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This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors /advertisers use the
number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
AGAIN , PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY
In Memory of Cyd Marilyn (Campbell) Carr-Smith - The mother of our children
Parker and Kristina and the mother of Justin and Dyan from a previous marriage
who I love as my own, and in Memory her mother Vicki (Larsen) Campbell - Two
beautiful women, courageous Latter Day Saint women, who were dedicated to living
a Christ centered life, dedicated to their families and teaching them correct
principles, not only by words, but also by example. These women, these beautiful
ladies, both lost their fight with cancer within a two and a half years of each
other. Shortly after Vicki lost her battle with cancer, Cyd was diagnosed with
this same dreadful disease. Both of them fought a valiant fight, with dignity
and grace, to their very last mortal breath... But God is eternal, Life is
eternal, Love is eternal. My life is better, having been blessed by having them
in it. Thank you Cyd! Thank you mom!
Cyd Marilyn
(Campbell) Carr-Smith
Mom
March 31,
1963 ~ April 13, 2008
~ Brett and Cyd
~
Parker's Parents
~ 1988 ~
~ Dyan,
Brett, Cyd, Parker, Justin ~
~ 1990 ~
~ Cyd ~
~ The Mother Of
Four ~
~ Two
Wonderful Children From Her First Marriage ~
~ Justin Tyler Carr ~
~ Dyan Lucile (Carr) Abbott ~
~ Two Wonderful Children From Her Second Marriage ~
~ Parker Martin Smith ~
~ Kristina Laur�n Smith ~
And Then The Cancer Came
Parker's 1st haircut and 1st haircut with a purpose
Parker and about 20 other boys shaved there heads in support of Cyd
Chad and Vicki Campbell
On Their Wedding Day
After Leaving The LDS Temple
Where They Were Married
For Eternity.
With Faith In Every Footstep Along The Mission Road
On the same evening that Elder Smith opened his
mission call we had the pleasure of attending the fireside where this
dedicated couple shared their testimonies and pictures of serving as the
Ukraine Donetsk Mission President.
Elder Devin Shumway
March 9, 2009-May 25, 2009
Elder Kerr and Elder Shumway
Elder Tilgner is from Wulfen, Germany. He
enjoys all sports. He also enjoys auto mechanics. He has served as a
Primary teacher and a counselor in the Elders Quorum Presidency. He is
talented in organizing and motivating and is very creative. His trainer
is Elder Smith and they are serving in Petrosky.
Sign Up For A Free Account At DearElder.Com
And You Can Write
Your Favorite Missionary From There.
3 We believe that through the aAtonement
of Christ, all bmankind
may be csaved,
by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4 We believe that the first
principles and aordinances
of the Gospel are: first, bFaith
in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, cRepentance;
third, dBaptism
by eimmersion
for the fremission
of sins; fourth, Laying on of ghands
for the hgift
of the Holy Ghost.
5 We believe that a man must be acalled
of God, by bprophecy,
and by the laying on of chands
by those who are in dauthority,
to epreach
the Gospel and administer in the fordinances
thereof.
8 We believe the aBible
to be the bword
of God as far as it is translated ccorrectly;
we also believe the dBook
of Mormon to be the word of God.
9 We believe all that God has arevealed,
all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet breveal
many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10 We believe in the literal agathering
of Israel and in the restoration of the bTen
Tribes; that cZion
(the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that
Christ will dreign
personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be erenewed
and receive its fparadisiacalgglory.
11 We claim the aprivilege
of worshiping Almighty God according to the bdictates
of our own cconscience,
and allow all men the same privilege, let them dworship
how, where, or what they may.
12 We believe in being asubject
to bkings,
presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in cobeying,
honoring, and sustaining the dlaw.
13 aWe
believe in being bhonest,
true, cchaste,
dbenevolent,
virtuous, and in doing egood
to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of
Paul—We believe all things, we fhope
all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to gendure
all things. If there is anything hvirtuous,
ilovely,
or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Joseph Smith
LDS Mormon
Links
– LDS Mormon links directory for all
Latter Day Saints. We hope all Latter Day Saints will find this LDS Mormon
link directory helpful. Everything at freeldsart.com
is Mormon related and free to use for all Latter Day Saints.
This
blog
is full of thoughts, experiences, and ideas concerning LDS topics and
life. My hope is that through my blog we can come closer to truly becoming
Latter-day Saints. I also hope for it to be a guide to those who are
seeking for the truth, for those who want to learn more about The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and|or for those who need guidance
in joining the church and Becoming LDS.
17 Points
of the
True Church of Christ
Christ organized the Church (Eph 4:11-14)
The true church must bear the name of Jesus Christ
(Eph 5:23)
The true church must have a foundation of Apostles
and Prophets (Eph 2:19-20)
The true church must have the same organization as
Christ’s Church (Eph 4:11-14)
The true church must claim divine authority (Heb
4:4-10)
The true church must have no paid ministry (Acts
20:33-34; John 10:11-13)
The true church must baptize by immersion (Matt
3:13-16)
The true church must bestow the gift of the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17)
The true church must practice divine healing (Mark
3:14-15)
The true church must teach that God and Jesus are
separate and distinct individuals (John 17:11; 20:17)
The true church must teach that God and Jesus have
bodies of flesh and bone (Luke 23:36-39; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 1:1-3)
The officers must be called by God (Heb 4:4; Ex
28:1; 40:13-16)
The true church must claim revelation from God
(Amos 3:7)
The true church must be a missionary church (Matt
28:19-20)
The true church must be a restored church (Acts
3:19-20)
The true church must practice baptism for the dead
(1Cor 15:16&29)
“By their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt
7:20)
Elder Parker Martin Smith
Ukraine Donetsk Mission
PO Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
This address is done through a pouch service, so do not include anything but the following.
Postcards or Single sheet of paper written on one side, folded tri-fold (blank side out) with 2 small pieces of tape at seam, leaving ends open, 1 stamp. Write info above on center, include complete return address at top left corner.
How does pouch mail work?
The Church offers a free mail delivery service called "pouch mail" for letters to missionaries serving in countries where regular mail services are not reliable. Each week, they send one box of letters to each pouch mission office, with aims for more successful, timely letter delivery.
Pouch mail is sent out every Monday, but letters must be submitted by noon the previous Thursday to get into the Monday batch.
Ukraine Donetsk Mission is a necessary part of the address for the Church to know which box of letters to put your letter in.
To send packages or anything of that sort use the following
address:
Elder Parker Martin Smith
Prospekt Bogdana Khmelnitskogo 67A
Donetsk, Ukraine 83087
Do Not Include the words
"Ukraine Donetsk Mission".
If you do it will be returned!!!
Also know that most packages that are sent mid-November through mid-January will be opened and have
items stolen before they reach the mission office. This happens often at other times of the year but almost ALWAYS at this time of year.
Thanks To Patrick
& Amy Shipp For Posting The Following ROXOLANA Info On
Elder Shipp's Blog:
Best Shipping Method
ROXOLANA International Trade
2200 Route 10 West, Suite 104
Parsippany NJ 07054
(973) 538-3888
(888) 725-8665
Contact ROXOLANA for instructions
and shipping labels.
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