Quick to Observe - Portuguese man 'o war - more

Warning!

We were walking/jogging the other day on our usual route, and ran into a few college students on the beach. They pointed out these baby Portuguese Man of War Jelly Fish that had washed up.  We hadn't noticed them before and were very surprised. 

These kind of Jelly Fish can leave a nasty sting with their venomous tentacles, imposing a risk to unaware swimmers.

Sister Martin pointing out the Portuguese Man 'O War, washed up

This was obviously a sign to not go swimming there on that day.

This reminded me of something President Zarbock has mentioned on more than one occasion. He said we should be "Quick to Observe". There are many danger signs in today's world that we must beware of. We should not only be on the alert continually, but point them out to others as the college students did to Sister Martin and I. 

"Quick to Observe" also applies to decisions and choices we make on a daily basis. We need to be quick to see the warning signs of temptation, and have the courage to take actions, such as reading the scriptures, praying daily, and follow the living prophet.    

Elder Bednar gave an excellent talk on this where he said, 

As used in the scriptures, the word observe has two primary uses. One use denotes “to look” or “to see” or “to notice”—as we learn in Isaiah 42:20: “Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not”.

The second use of the word observe suggests “to obey” or “to keep”—as is evident in the Doctrine and Covenants: “But blessed are they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy” (D&C 54:6).

Thus when we are quick to observe, we promptly look or notice and obey. Both of these fundamental elements—looking and obeying—are essential to being quick to observe. 

Here's a link to the full talk...Quick-to-Observe

I have a long way to go on mastering and applying this concept, but I keep trying, determined to improve.

Zone Conference

Days filled with an outpouring of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is when miracles happen. For that is when we truly begin to understand and learn by the Spirit. That calm, peaceful feeling that teaches us beyond what our mortal brain can comprehend. Zone conference was no exception. 

I will admit that sitting for several hours in a meeting is not always easy on the body. I found myself standing up in the back once or twice just to stay awake. But it was worth the effort. We were enlightened that day by the inspiring words of our leaders, who are great examples of how to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

A few key points remembered:

Be...Careful, not Casual.

Exact obedience.

We are a mission of miracles.

Moroni 1:2 ...Thou Art....Quick To Observe (Mormon was only 10 years old)

What a Great Day! (Zeph 1:14)

....and much more

Sister Kuau

Outing with the Senior Couples on Guam

We had the unique opportunity to go to "Underwater World", Guam's large Aquarium. It had an amazing array of sea life. Here's a few pictures.

Sister Martin looking through the glass at a Shark at Underwater World

It looked a little like the one in Salt Lake City that Debbie and Christian enjoyed. They posted some pictures of a few of our Grandchildren on Facebook.

The turtles were as fun to see as the sharks.

Goodbye Elder and Sister Strother

We said goodbye to a beautiful couple, Elder and Sister Strother, going home to New Zealand. They were serving on the island of Yap. We will miss them so much.

Elder and Sister Strother teaching us a hand jive to the song Rockin' Robin

Sister Martin and Sister Strother, a few hours before their flight home