The Sacred Grove

This is where it all began.



In these woods, on a spring morning in 1820, Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was true.

In answer to his prayer, God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in vision.

Thus began the restoration of the Lord's church upon the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, but when I walk through these woods, that knowledge flows through me in a way it does nowhere else.

It is a beautiful, sacred place.

To read Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, go here.

Signed,

The Brown-Eyed Girl

Photo A Day Challenge - What You Read

Photo A Day Challenge - Lunchtime



Ok, so it wasn't today's lunch. But it was lunch, a few months ago.



Photo A Day Challenge - This Happened Today

The Cat Who Adopted Us

Just over a week ago, while crossing my lawn, I heard a loud, desperate meow. Looking around, I saw a skinny, tiger-striped cat running toward me as if I was the love of his life.

With all the dogs running rampant in our neighborhood, stray cats are rare. This one was so friendly, I had to believe that someone had just dumped him. Which made me feel really bad for him. But we already had a cat. We didn't need another one. So I petted him and Brown-Eyed Boy pulled his tail, and we left him outside.

I figured he would wander off by the end of the day. But he didn't. He sat outside our door, meowing pitifully every time he saw us walk by. Between that and darting inside the house every time I opened the door, I was not very fond of Kitty by the end of the first day.

When Mr. Brown Eyes came home from work, it took about five minutes of him listening to Kitty's mewling before he turned to me and said, "That cat has got to go."

I agreed.

But then we went outside to work in the yard, and we watched as Brown-Eyed Boy ran after Kitty with peals of laughter, as Kitty lovingly rubbed against Brown-Eyed Boys' knees, as Brown-Eyed Boy ran around the yard and Kitty ran after him, as Kitty put up with having his tail pulled and dirt and grass dumped on his head.

Mr. Brown Eyes shook his head. "We can't get rid of him now."

Nope. Whether we liked it or not, Kitty was now a part of the family.

Brown-Eyed Boy named him Bebot.

Welcome to the family,
The Brown-Eyed Girl

Photo A Day Challenge - Where You Stood

For the month of October, I am going to participate in this photo challenge. But since I am a slacker, I will probably be posting several posts a day, instead of one every day. That's just how I roll.


Chalk art in the garage



Nauvoo

The night we drove into Nauvoo, Illinois, I was tired, sick, and cranky.

And then I saw this:

I visited Nauvoo a couple times with my parents when I was a kid, but I hadn't been there since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it was rebuilding the Nauvoo Temple. The last time I was there, the temple lot was still just a big, empty lot. It always felt as if Nauvoo was missing something.

Seeing that temple shining in the darkness made me feel the Lord's arms of love around me, reminding me that He was aware of me, that He had not forgotten me.

I needed that.

For those who don't know, early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fled to Nauvoo after being driven out of Missouri. Their city flourished there on the banks of the Mississippi River, crowned by the beauty of the temple they gave their all to build.

Years later, when the Saints were again driven out of their home, this time to head across the plains to what would later become Utah, their beloved temple had to be left behind. It was later destroyed by fire and tornado.

In 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that the Nauvoo temple would be rebuilt. And so, this summer, when I returned to Nauvoo for the first time in thirteen years, the City Beautiful finally felt complete.

Love,

The Brown-Eyed Girl