The Power of Primary

Too bad Donald Trump didn't attend Mormon Primary. He would have had these messages indelibly stamped on his soul (and possibly a star on his forehead for good behavior).

Jesus said love ev'ryone;

Treat them kindly too.

When your heart is filled with love,

Others will love you.

Words and music: Moiselle Renstrom, 1889-1956 Page 61 Children's Songbook

I want to be kind to ev'ryone,

For that is right, you see.

So I say to myself, "Remember this:

Kindness begins with me."

Words and music: Clara W. McMaster, 1904-1997 Page 145 Children's Songbook

Help me, dear Father, to freely forgive

All who may seem unkind to me.

Help me, dear Father, to truly repent,

Making things right, and changing my ways.

Help me each day, Father, I pray;

Help me live nearer, nearer to thee.

Words and music: Frances K. Taylor, 1870-1952 Page 99 Children's Songbook

If you chance to meet a frown,

Do not let it stay.

Quickly turn it upside down

And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowning face.

Change it for a smile.

Make the world a better place

By smiling all the while.

Words: Daniel Taylor Page 267 Children's Songbook

1. "Give," said the little stream,

"Give, oh! give, give, oh! give."

"Give," said the little stream,

As it hurried down the hill;

"I'm small, I know, but wherever I go

the fields grow greener still."

Singing, singing all the day,

":Give away, oh! give away."

Singing, singing all the day, "Give, oh! give away."

2. "give," said the little rain,

"Give, oh! give, give, oh! give."

"Give," said the little rain,

As it fell upon the flow'rs;

"I'll raise their drooping heads again,"

As it fell upon the flow'rs.

Singing, singing all the day,

"Give away, oh! give away."

Singing, singing all the day,

"Give, oh! give away."

3. Give, then, as Jesus gives,

Give, oh! give, give, oh! give.

Give, then, as Jesus gives;

There is something all can give.

Do as the streams and blossoms do:

For God and others live.

Singing, singing all the day,

"Give away, oh! give away."

Singing, singing all the day,

"Give, oh! give away."

Words: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915 Page 236 Children's Songbook

This one wasn’t in the Primary Songbook when I was a child but it helps when we have a problem with empathy.

If you don't walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you,

But I won't! I won't!

If you don't talk as most people do,

Some people talk and laugh at you,

But I won't! I won't!

I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.

That's how I'll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.

He gave his love to ev'ryone.

So I will! I will!

Jesus blessed all he could see,

Then turned and said, "Come, follow me."

And I will! I will!

I will! I will!

I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.

That's how I'll show my love for you.

Words: Carol Lynn Pearson, b. 1939. (c) 1987 IRI Page 140 Children's Songbook

"Good Morning"

In the leafy treetops, the birds sing "Good morning."

They're first to see the sun.

They must tell ev'ryone.

In the leafy treetops, the birds sing "Good morning."

Nearly every morning

when I'm in the guest room

attempting my own yoga practice

(appropriate from someone approaching 80),

while I'm doing "tree pose"

I focus on a bird in the tiptop of the Blue Spruce

across the street.

I don't see him there any other time of the day.

Is it the same bird every morning?

Why does he perch on the top fragile branch?

Why doesn't he nestle down where it's safer and warmer?

Why doesn't he go south for the winter?

And for my brother, DeLoy,

the forester,

what is he called?

Hopefully soon,

I'll have pictures of flowers nodding.

In my pretty garden, the flowers are nodding.

"How do you do?" they say.

"How do you do today?"

In my pretty garden, the flowers are nodding.

*Taken with a telephoto lens from my upstairs window.

Photo taken in January.

DeLoy's friend, Karen, thinks it is a Western Scrub-jay.

"He's up where he can feel the sun warming him up."