031626, Monday, My dad's 110th birthday

Vitals: 

Weight: 230.1

BP and Pulse: 127/81, 80

Reported Sleep: 4:49

Yesterday's Steps: 3,006

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 44: 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

"Judah and his brothers needed to take their youngest brother, Benjamin, to Egypt. Initially their father resisted. But Judah made a promise to Jacob—he would bring Benjamin home.

In Egypt, Judah’s promise was put to the test. Young Benjamin was wrongly accused of a crime. Judah, true to his promise, offered to be jailed in Benjamin’s place. “For,” he said, “how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?” Judah was determined to keep his promise and return Benjamin safely. Do you ever feel about others the way Judah felt toward Benjamin?

Isn’t this how parents feel about their children? How missionaries feel about people they serve? How Primary and youth leaders feel about those they teach and love?

No matter who you are or your current circumstances, someone feels exactly this way about you. Someone wants to return to Heavenly Father with you."

Elder Michael T. Ringwood of The Seventy

031576, Sunday

 Vitals: 

Weight: 231.2

BP and Pulse: 133/75, 74

Reported Sleep: 6:29

Yesterday's Steps: 5,815

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

"Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, was sold into slavery in Egypt. Because of treachery in the house of Potiphar, Joseph went to prison. Pharaoh had two troubling dreams. Hearing of Joseph’s discernment from the chief butler, he sent for him to interpret the dreams. Joseph told him through inspiration that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh not only recognized this true interpretation but he trusted Joseph and appointed him to be second only to Pharaoh in power. The years passed and the famine came. In time Joseph rescued all of his brothers and his father from starvation. Because he earned the implicit trust of those who were over him, Joseph enjoyed a great amount of freedom. Like Joseph, you too can be trusted by others, but trust must be earned."

President James E. Faust, Apostle 

031426, Saturday

Vitals: 

Weight: 230.1

BP and Pulse: 128/83, 78

Reported Sleep: 7:11

Yesterday's Steps: 6,520

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

"When considering the principle of preparedness, we can look back to Joseph in Egypt for inspiration. Knowing what would happen would not have been sufficient to carry them through the “lean” years without a degree of sacrifice during the years of abundance. Rather than consume all that Pharaoh’s subjects could produce, limits were established and followed, providing sufficient for their immediate, as well as their future, needs. It was not enough to know that challenging times would come. They had to act, and because of their effort, “there was bread.”

…Being temporally prepared and self-reliant means “believing that through the grace, or enabling power, of Jesus Christ and our own effort, we are able to obtain all the spiritual and temporal necessities of life we require for ourselves and our families.”

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, First Counselor, Presiding Bishopric 

031326, Friday

Vitals: 

Weight: 229.7

BP and Pulse: 126/80, 71

Reported Sleep: 5:24

Yesterday's Steps: 3,732

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

"Joseph was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. The Pharaoh, being so impressed, made Joseph one of his servants. Again the Lord was with Joseph. Soon Joseph rose to a position of being second to the Pharaoh in all the land of Egypt. There was something special that distinguished Joseph from all the other servants. Pharaoh remarked what made Joseph different from all of the others when he said, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”

You will notice in each situation in which Joseph found himself that the Lord was with him. It was easy to recognize the special spirit in him because of the way he lived and heeded the voice of the Lord to direct him."

Elder L. Tom Perry, Apostle 

031226, Thursday

Vitals: 

Weight: 229.7

BP and Pulse: 116/69, 74 

Reported Sleep: 7:17

Yesterday's Steps: 2,443

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 39: 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

"We learn a great lesson from Joseph. When he was presented with a temptation, he immediately separated himself from even the appearance of evil. All of us have events in our lives which find us in challenging situations.

When we are confronted with that which is evil and degrading—whether it be the wrong kind of music, a television program, or Internet sites which place us in the wrong environment—how strengthening it is to remember the story of Joseph: “And [he] fled, and got him out.” He removed himself from the temptation."

Elder L. Tom Perry, Apostle 

031126, Wednesday

Vitals: 

Weight: 229.4

BP and Pulse: 134/75, 79

Reported Sleep: 5:29

Yesterday's Steps: 3,765

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 39: 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

"What are we doing today to engraven in our souls the gospel principles that will uphold us in times of adversity?

For example, what did Joseph who was sold into Egypt plant in his soul to reply, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” when avoiding pressure from Potiphar’s wife to break the law of chastity?...

What [Joseph] did was allow the Spirit to write gospel principles in [his soul]. This writing doesn’t happen overnight. Profoundly exposing our souls to the principles of righteousness will make a difference in our preparation for spiritual quakes. This exposure can be enhanced by pondering and by cutting off bad influences."

Elder Walte4 F. González of The Presidency of The Seventy 

031026, Tuesday

Vitals: 

Weight: 230.1

BP and Pulse: 127/82, 78

Reported Sleep: 5:47

Yesterday's Steps: 7,106

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 39: 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

To give what you have been denied is a powerful part of divine healing possible through faith in Jesus Christ. To live in such a way that you give, as Isaiah has said, beauty for the ashes of your life is an act of faith that follows the supreme example of a Savior who suffered all that He might succor all.

Joseph of Egypt lived a life with ashes. He was hated by his brethren, betrayed, sold into slavery, wrongly imprisoned, and forgotten by someone who had promised to help. Yet he trusted in the Lord. “The Lord was with Joseph” and consecrated his trials to his own blessing and growth—and to the saving of his family and all Egypt. 

...Through the Savior, Joseph’s life became “beauty for ashes.”

Sister Kristen M. Yee, Second Counselor, Relief Society General Presidency