I Am Your Child

He is in His Heavens

One of the great challenges of life is to live to receive the message and then to have the courage to obey it.

..... We're all alike, and we seem to want the best for us, but some times what we consider to be the best isn't right for us, especially when the Lord doesn't think we're ready for it. May I suggest that when you pray for something very special that you pray for two things. First, pray for the blessing that you want, whether it's a new baby, or a job, or better grades, or whatever; and second, ask the Lord for the blessing of understanding. Then if He feels for some reason that the blessing isn't appropriate for that time, the blessing of understanding will come. Then the frustrations that ofttimes come because we feel our prayers are not answered will blow away in the wind.....

I testify to you that the Lord is in His heavens. I testify to you that I know He listens to us and that I know He answers us. I also know that we must be prepared to hear Him. I testify to you that without prayer we will never really know our Heavenly Father or His Son, the Savior. And I testify to you that without prayer we cannot return to Him, for we will have closed the door. Now understand that He does not close the door—we do. I plead with those of you who are discouraged to not give up. I think we have all had at least one experience, and maybe many more, in our lives when we have had an unusually warm and good feeling about something spiritual. But those feelings, the warmth of the Spirit that comes as we learn to talk to the Lord, are available to all of us, and I plead with you to not give up.

Remember the incident that is recorded in the New Testament of how after the Savior had been crucified, some of the disciples had gone fishing? They had gone out on the Sea of Galilee that afternoon with their nets, and they kept throwing their nets over and over and over; and every time they threw their nets, they brought them back empty. They fished all night, and when morning came their boats were still empty. They were tired and discouraged by their failure, and they started for the shore. When they approached the shore they saw a man walking. They didn't recognize Him, according to the scriptures, but it was the Savior. As they got closer to the Savior, He told them to cast out their nets one more time. Now they didn't argue with Him; they didn't say, "We've tried"; they didn't say, "I tried praying and it didn't work," or "I'm discouraged." Instead, they listened; they had faith; and they obeyed. They lowered their nets in the waters one more time, and this time they brought forth nets overflowing with fish (John 21:1-6).

H. Burke Peterson

Plimsoll marks... true love is to help

One of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in these times. No one ought to have to face such trials alone. We can endure almost anything if we have someone at our side who truly loves us, who is easing the burden and lightening the load. In this regard, a friend from our BYU faculty, Professor Brent Barlow, told me some years ago about Plimsoll marks.

As a youth in England, Samuel Plimsoll was fascinated with watching ships load and unload their cargoes. He soon observed that, regardless of the cargo space available, each ship had its maximum capacity. If a ship exceeded its limit, it would likely sink at sea. In 1868 Plimsoll entered Parliament and passed a merchant shipping act that, among other things, called for making calculations of how much a ship could carry. As a result, lines were drawn on the hull of each ship in England. As the cargo was loaded, the freighter would sink lower and lower into the water. When the water level on the side of the ship reached the Plimsoll mark, the ship was considered loaded to capacity, regardless of how much space remained. As a result, British deaths at sea were greatly reduced.

Like ships, people have differing capacities at different times and even different days in their lives. In our relationships we need to establish our own Plimsoll marks and help identify them in the lives of those we love. Together we need to monitor the load levels and be helpful in shedding or at least readjusting some cargo if we see our sweetheart is sinking. Then, when the ship of love is stabilized, we can evaluate long-term what has to continue, what can be put off until another time, and what can be put off permanently. Friends, sweethearts, and spouses need to be able to monitor each other's stress and recognize the different tides and seasons of life. We owe it to each other to declare some limits and then help jettison some things if emotional health and the strength of loving relationships are at risk. Remember, pure love "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things," and helps loved ones do the same.

 Jeffrey R. Holland.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

2 cups Cooked Chicken

3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces

2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup

2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper

1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion

1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained

2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper

Salt And Pepper, to taste

1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Some things in life are temporary

 "Some things in life are temporary, and some are permanent. Our temporal life is temporary. Our trials are temporary. Our pain is temporary. BECAUSE of the Savior and His Atonement, our mortality will become immorality and we may dwell with God in a state of PERMANENT or never ending happiness. We know that the Lord will be victorious and that His victory will be permanent. That very thought should give us faith and HOPE." 

John Bytheway

"If the end goal is just to be clean, start again, be healed and go home, then WHY did we choose mortality, knowing full well we would get dirty, fail often, be broken and lose our way? Clearly there had to be something more that drove us to enroll in the earthly school than getting to go home when the bell rings. We came because we had FAITH that through the Atonement each lesson we learned could make us better, stronger and wiser. To that end, the Atonement is not just a helpful tool. It is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY. Christ does not just open the door of opportunity. 

He extends His Hand and HELPS us through it." 

Brad Wilcox 

Thank Heaven

Selah

Great souls tested through tears

"Rarely, if ever, is there a truly great soul except he has been tried and tested through tears, and adversity seemingly pruned by the hand of a master gardener. By applying the knife and the pruning hook the branch is shaped and fashioned to God's omnipotent design, in order that its full fruitage may be realized."

Harold B. Lee

One night a young idealist had a dream. He dreamed there was a new store in a nearby shopping mall. He went in and saw an angel behind a counter. Nervously, he asked what the shop sold.

"Everything your heart desires," replied the angel. "Then I want peace on earth," exclaimed the idealist. "I want an end to famine, sorrow, and disease.""Just a moment," replied the angel. "You haven't understood. We don't sell fruit here only seeds."

I pray that God will give each of us the courage and desire to strive for a pure heart, a willing heart, an understanding and loving heart. May we take the seeds offered to all of us, plant them, and nourish them that we may help harvest the matured fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Marvin J. Ashton

Banoffee Pie

by: Three Many Cooks

Ingredients

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, label removed

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons sugar, divided

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 large (or 3 medium) bananas, sliced

1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup shaved (or chopped) semi- or bittersweet chocolate

Instructions

1. Set sweetened condensed milk can in a medium saucepan with water to come ¾ of the way up. Bring to a

simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered and adding water as needed,

about 3 hours. Remove can from pan; let cool until warm. (Do not open too soon as milk may spurt if can

is hot.)

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix graham crackers

crumbs and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter and stir with a fork until well

incorporated. Dump crumbs into a 9-inch glass pie plate and spread evenly over bottom. Use a flat bottomed measuring cup to press crumbs evenly over pan bottom and up the sides. Using each index

finger, press crumbs around the top edge to even the crust and secure loose crumbs. Bake until fragrant,

about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Whip cream to fairly stiff peaks with remaining sugar and vanilla extract.

4. To assemble pie, spread reduced and cooled, sweetened condensed milk over pie bottom, top with

bananas, and then the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Can be made several hours before serving.

His Constancy

"Our Father in Heaven is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The prophet Mormon tells us that God is 'unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.' In this world where nearly everything seems to be changing, His constancy is something on which we can rely, an anchor to which we can hold fast and be safe, lest we be swept away into uncharted waters."

  Thomas S. Monson

Feel the Sonshine! :D

Wishing for you a day filled with unexpected miracles!!!

Today

Enjoy the fruit

  

That's heart

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 store-bought pre-made oreo crust (save the lid) graham cracker crust works too

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

12 oz. cream cheese (1 1/2 pkg.), softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

6 oz. white chocolate, chopped or 1 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and cornstarch until well blended. Stir in cold water and add raspberries. Cook over medium heat whisking frequently, until mixture reaches a boil. Allow mixture to gently boil about 5 minutes whisking constantly and reducing temperature slightly if necessary to reduce splattering, until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and force sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove seeds, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg and egg white. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Set mixture aside.

Melt white chocolate with cream in a double boiler until melted and smooth, or melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth.

Pour 2/3 cup cheesecake mixture into the oreo crust and spread evenly over bottom. Drizzle or spoon with 2 Tbsp raspberry sauce. Slowly ladle remaining cheesecake mixture over the drizzled raspberry sauce, covering all the raspberry sauce (you just don't want it to show through). Swirl cheesecake with a toothpick or knife (your just swirling that inside layer of sauce for now, be careful not to let the sauce show through). Carefully jiggle the pan to even out the top. Now, fill a clean medicine syringe with raspberry sauce and begin to pipe small circles in a swirl pattern over cheesecake. Take a toothpick or sharp pointy knife and beginning with the center circle, run the toothpick through the center of each heart (don't lift the toothpick out until you finish the last circle).

Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes, then turn oven off and leave cheesecake in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with saved lid and refrigerate until fully set about 6 hours. Top slices with remaining raspberry sauce and optional sweetened whipped cream.

God will always make a way

"God will always make a way where there is no way."  

   Gordon B. Hinckley

"the fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can't supply 

is proof that Heaven must be our home." 

C.S. Lewis

Grief is the last act of love we have to give to those we loved. 

Where there is deep grief, there was great love.

"…Hope stands quietly with us at funerals. Our tears are just as wet, but not because of despair. Rather, they are tears of appreciation evoked by poignant separation. 

They will change, erelong, to tears of glorious anticipation."

Neal A. Maxwell

"To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter, to be true even when we feel forsaken—all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate, divine tutorials which God gives to us—because He loves us."  

 Neal A. Maxwell

We Never Know Where 

Walking in His Footsteps Will Lead

Vaughn J. Featherstone

"Heavenly Father loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience: When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence. When He answers no, it is to prevent error. 

When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him." 

Richard G. Scott

Hope overrides, the disappointments of the day

"Hope is realistic anticipation taking the form of determination—a determination not merely to survive but to 'endure … well' to the end ."

"Those with true hope often see their personal circumstances shaken, like kaleidoscopes, again and again. Yet with the 'eye of faith,' they still see divine pattern and purpose.

"Hope helps us to walk by faith, not by sight. This can actually be safer.

When unaided spiritually, natural sight often shrinks from the odds. It is immobilized by improbabilities. Mauled by his moods and intimidated by his fears, the natural man overreacts to, while hope overrides, the disappointments of the day."

"Having ultimate hope does not mean we will always be rescued from proximate

problems, but we will be rescued from everlasting death! Meanwhile, ultimate

hope makes it possible to say the same three words used centuries ago by

three valiant men. They knew God could rescue them from the fiery furnace,

if He chose. 'But if not,' they said, nevertheless, they would still serve Him!"

"Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together, so do faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be carefully and constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs so little encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so naturally to the natural man! "   

"By pressing forward, we can stand on what was yesterday's horizon, thereby

drawing hope from our own experiences."

quotes by Neal A. Maxwell

Let it grow

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box (18.25 oz) strawberry cake mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla by hand. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to form a dough- stir vigorously until all of the pockets of dry cake mix are gone. Gently mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons each, onto prepared baking sheet. Stick a few more chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls if you want them for looks, if desired. Make sure the balls of dough are taller than they are wide. See here for more details.

Bake for 10 minutes – do not let the cookies get brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes; they will be very soft at first. As they cool, the tops may settle down; press them down gently with your fingers if they are not sinking much. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

"Sowing the seeds of love"...

As I Have Loved You

Mercy for sincere hearts

Reach High

Cute Valentine idea

Heart

Love is the only force that can compose the differences between people that can bridge the chasms of bitterness and animosity that so frequently and violently separate us. I call to mind these telling lines of Edwin Markham:

He drew a circle that shuts me out

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. 

But love and I had the wit to win: 

We drew a circle that took him in. 

In St. Martin's Place in the city of London, across from the National Gallery, is a beautiful statue of a woman in a nurse's uniform. It is erected to the memory of Edith Cavell, the English nurse who shielded wounded Allied soldiers from the enemy. She was caught and summarily executed. The inscription on her monument reads: "Brussels Dawn, October 12, 1915. Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness toward anyone."

He who most beautifully taught this everlasting truth was the Son of God, the one perfect example and teacher of love. His very coming to earth was an expression of his Father's love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".

I listened recently to the masterful address on the Atonement delivered at this pulpit by President Marion G. Romney in which he spoke of the manifestation of love by the Son of God who gave his life that all men might live. The Savior spoke prophetically of his sacrifice and of the love that induced it when he declared: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends".

And so, on this day when we think of love in a secular sense, I wish also to remind you of its greater import in a sacred sense. If the world in which we live is to improve, that process must begin with a change in the hearts of men, with an upward looking beyond self to love for God, given with all of one's heart, 

with all of one's soul, with all of one's mind.

The Lord has declared in modern revelation, "If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you". As we look with love to him, as we serve with an eye single to his glory, there will go from us the darkness of sin, the darkness of selfishness, the darkness of pride. There will come an increased love for our Eternal Father and for his Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer. There will come a greater sense of service toward our fellowmen—a little less of thinking of our own selfish pursuits, a little more of reaching out to others. And in our own individual lives as we seek for love and marriage, there will be a higher power on whom we can call for help and direction, a stronger resolution to live more worthy of a choice and wonderful companion with whom we may walk the way of immortality and eternal life. For this I humbly pray in behalf of each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Gordon B. Hinckley

14 February 1978

Month of heart

Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Cheesecake:

16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Carrot Cake:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 generous pinch of salt
1 (8 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
Dash of salt

Directions:

Grease a 9 or 9 1/2 inch springform pan.  Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together 2 packages cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth.  Beat in 1 tablespoon flour, 3 eggs and 1 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.  Set aside.

For the carrot cake:  in a large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly.  Stir in 1 cup flour, baking soda, cinnamon and pinch of salt, mixing well.  Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of prepared pan.  Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter.  Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter.  Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife.  (Do not marble with the knife.)

Bake in preheated 350˚F oven 60 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.  Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

When cake is cold, prepare the frosting.  In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 ounce cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice and a dash of salt.  Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.  Frost top of cheesecake.

Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Pass it on :D

Nurture your Self-Compassion

We ascend to a more purposeful life

Benjamin Franklin is known for many things; he was a founding father, statesman, scientist, philosopher, author, entrepreneur, inventor, and businessman. But as great as his achievements are, he was aware of his own failings and tirelessly sought to improve them. He wrote, "I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."

To help him in his quest for self-improvement, he began each day with what he called the morning question: "What good shall I do this day?" and ended with the evening question: "What good have I done to-day?" This desire to do good outweighed everything else for Franklin, including any desire to receive credit or compensation for the good he did. 

Among Franklin's many inventive contributions to the world was a fuel-efficient, economical home-heating stove, known as the Franklin stove. Obtaining a patent for such a useful invention could have brought a great deal of wealth, but when Franklin was offered a patent on his stove, he declined.3 He believed that any knowledge he had gained was not his personal property but something he should share.4 He wrote, "As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously."

The start of a new year gives us all a chance to think more "freely and generously" about the contributions we can make in the coming days and months. Perhaps as we look back to reflect on the past year, we can also look forward to opportunities to learn and grow and contribute. We would be wise, to ask ourselves Benjamin Franklin's morning and evening questions: "What good shall I do today?" and "What good have I done today?" Those daily, positive efforts will add up to make this a productive and happy new year. 

Lloyd D. Newell

Human beings have a special capacity to recognize the needs of others this, if nothing else, is what separates us from the rest of creation. And we all have something we can freely offer, even if it is only a smile and a word of encouragement. This is how we ascend to a more purposeful life: by reaching out to lift someone else. A well-known line of poetry says it best: "I'll lift you and you lift me, and we'll both ascend together." 

When did she learn she'd become Queen?

Joseph didn't know he'd be governor of all Egypt...

"God has plans, not problems for our lives.." 

"Trouble itself can be your way to strengthen 

and finally gain unshakable faith."

Henry B. Eyring

God uses the painful things in our lives to help others who are walking the same road. Joseph didn't know he was going to be a Governor of all of Egypt when his brothers threw him in a pit and sold him, 

trust God's purpose in everything!

A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. 

Tomorrow is busy worrying about itself, don't get tangled up in its worry-webs.
Trust God one day at a time.

"One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is 

our lack of faith in ourselves."

L. Tom Perry

"What we know is not always reflected in what we do."

David A. Bednar

"Temporary setbacks are overshadowed by persistence." Quentin L. Cook

"Some of the most heart-wrenching, discouraging events in our lives 

from which we long to be set free are actually designed to prepare us

with the very skills and understanding God needs us to have. As we draw closer to the Lord and put our total trust in Him, in His power, and in His timing, we can leave our fires of affliction more pure, more refined, 

and with more skills and understanding."  

Wendy W. Nelson

Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH:

4 cups Whole Milk

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Canola Oil

2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets

8 cups All-purpose Flour

1 cup (additional) All-purpose Four

1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda

1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder

FOR THE FILLING:

1 stick Butter

3/4 cups Sugar

2 whole Lemons, Zested

2 cups (Heaping) Fresh Blueberries

FOR THE GLAZE:

1 whole Lemon, Juiced

2 whole Lemons, Zested

3 cups Powdered Sugar

2 cups Whole Milk, Or As Needed

1 dash Salt

3 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Preparation Instructions

Makes 24 rolls.

For the dough:
Mix milk, 1 cup sugar, and canola oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until very warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and allow to cool until warmer than lukewarm but not hot.

Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the liquid, then add in 8 cups flour. Stir gently until totally combined. Mixture will be very wet and sticky. Cover with a tea towel, keep in a draft-free place, and allow to sit for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add in an additional cup of flour, as well as the salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined. Refrigerate dough, covered, until you need it. (Refrigerating the dough helps make it easier to handle.)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a large baking dish (or a couple of smaller dishes) generously. you could use a 9x13 or two 9-inch pie pans which is what I did.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted remove from heat.

Divide dough in half. Store one half in the fridge for another use (another batch of these, a batch of cinnamon rolls, a batch of dinner rolls). Turn the other half of the dough onto a floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle, about 30 inches wide by 10 inches deep. Roll as thin as possible! Drizzle melted butter over the dough, using your fingers to spread evenly.

Using your fingers, mix sugar and lemon zest so that it's a nice, light yellow sugar. Sprinkle it all over the butter. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface.

Beginning at the side furthest from you, roll dough toward you until it's in the shape of a tight log. Tuck as you go so the roll stays tight. Pinch the edges to seal the seam shut. With a sharp knife, slice into 1/2 thick hick rolls and lay the slices, cut side down, into the buttered baking dishes. Allow to rise for 20 minutes, then place in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top.

To make the glaze: Add lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, milk, and dash of salt in a bowl. Add melted butter and whisk together until smooth. Taste it and add more of whatever it needs.

Remove rolls from oven and drizzle the glaze all over the rolls. Be sure to get it all around the edges and covering the surface so they'll be nice and moist!

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Man's Search for Meaning

1941, Viktor Frankl was a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist in Vienna, Austria. The threat of Nazi concentration camps was increasing, but Viktor had found a way out: a visa that would allow him to take his new wife and his promising career to America and to safety.

But Viktor knew that when the Nazis came, they would take the elderly first—including, likely, his aging parents. They would need his care and support. Anguished, he searched his soul and sought heavenly guidance about what to do.

Then, one day, he came home to find a piece of marble on the table. His father explained that he had retrieved it from the rubble of a nearby synagogue that the Nazis had destroyed. Coincidentally, it was a fragment from an engraving of one of the Ten Commandments: "Honour thy father and thy mother."

Viktor had his answer. He stayed with his parents in Austria, and within a few months, Viktor, his wife, and his parents were arrested and taken to a concentration camp.

Over the next three years, Viktor discovered an important difference between those who survived the camps and those who did not: a sense of meaning. The ability to find meaning even in horrific circumstances, he observed, gave prisoners 

resilience in the face of suffering.

After the war was over, Viktor wrote a book, Man's Search for Meaning, describing what he learned. It took him nine days to write and eventually sold millions of copies. The Library of Congress has listed it as one of the 10 most influential books in the United States.

In one way or another, we are all involved in our own search for meaning. Our ability to find it depends a lot on where we're looking. We're likely to discover, as Viktor Frankl did, that life's true meaning does not come from pursuing our own happiness but from sacrificing for something bigger. Whatever that something is—family and friends, faith and community, volunteering and serving others—it can give our lives more purpose than we could ever find in just ourselves.

Lloyd D. Newell