The King's Plan

I wrote The King's Plan as a book for our grandchildren and asked a former student and friend, Angela Hunt, to illustrate it.

to our fellow travelers

Long, long ago, in a kingdom far, far away
lived a king with his queen.

The king was wise, strong, fair, and gentle.
The queen was wise, generous, happy, and kind.
They had a big beautiful castle with lots of windows,
and an even bigger family with lots of children.

Their kingdom was filled with a forest of tall trees, sturdy rocks,
winding rivers, and dainty, colorful flowers.

The king and queen had many, many children.

More than they loved their castle, forest and flowers,
the king and queen loved their children.

The king taught the children important matters.
He laughed and played with them as he took them on chariot rides.

The queen helped them learn new talents and to love each other.
She read them stories of kings and queens before.

One day the king called all of the royal children
together for an important meeting.

He said he had a plan. This plan would give
his children the choice to be like him and
live with him forever.

The children were happy. They loved the king
and wanted to be just like him.

The king explained a king or queen
must be valiant and brave.
The plan would take the children to the
farthest corner of the kingdom
where they would travel through the
forest, rivers, and rocks to find
their way back to him in the castle.

He warned it would be difficult,
but it would be a plan of happiness
and they could learn many good lessons on the path.
They could learn to listen and trust him.
They could learn to care for each other
and love like he loves. He promised
if they followed the path, their journey
would help prepare them to be a king or queen.

The children cheered.

The king asked if someone would go through the forest and
mark a path to help the children find their way back to him.

Two princes quickly offered to go.

One said, "I will go.  I will do it."

The other said, "I will go, but I have a better plan . . ."

". . . there is no need for a path.
I'll drive everyone home in a chariot.
No one will get lost.  No one will get
scratched by the bushes or trip over fallen trees.
No one will be cold or hungry.
No one will make any choices.
Everyone will be safe in the chariot that I drive."

The prince turned from the king and winked at the children,
then faced the king again and said,
"Since I'll be driving the chariot
and this is my idea, I should get something a little extra,
perhaps your throne,
for delivering everyone safely to you."

His plan sounded very selfish.

The children thought about the king's plan
and the two princes' offers.

Most of the children wanted to walk
 the path the first prince would mark.
They trusted he would help
them follow it back to the castle.
They didn't want to be squished in a chariot.
They wanted to wade in the river,
smell the trees and flowers,
and watch the animals play,
even if it meant they might get bumps and bruises.

A few of the children, however, did not want to walk.
They wanted a ride.
They thought the path would be too hard,
too long, too hot, and too boring.

The king chose the first prince to mark his path.

After the children had thought long and hard,
the king stood and said it was time
for them to choose between the two plans.
Those who wished to follow his plan
and the prince who would mark the path
were told to stand.

Lots and lots of the children stood.
Some stretched very tall to show the king
they would even defend his plan.

When the king saw most of his children stand, he declared,
"So let it be written, so let it be done.  The first prince
will mark the path and lead the way."

This made the other prince who offered to drive the chariot,
and the children who wanted a ride, angry.

They stomped their feet, shook their fists, cried loud,
and threw a tantrum.

The king made them leave the castle forever.
He would not tolerate a royal fit.
They stomped out of the castle and straight into the forest.

With the castle back in order,
the king sent the prince to mark the path.

He nailed signs on the trees with directions to help the
children find their way, and then he walked it himself.

The king watched from the high window in the castle
and saw that it was a very good path.

Before the king led his children to the corner of the kingdom
to being their journey, he gave each on a messenger pigeon.
He told them to send messages to him anytime
and as often as they wished.
He promised he would read and answer each message.

He also gave his children a map of the kingdom and a lantern.
He said the lantern would burn brightly and light the way
if they stayed in the middle of the path.
He warned it would go dim or dark if they left the path.

He said he loved them and that he and the queen would be
waiting for them to return.

The selfish prince, and the king's children who followed him,
hid in the forest behind the rocks and trees.
When they saw the prince and children on the path,
they hissed and threw pebbles at them.
They whispered, "Com over here.  The path is boring.
Come play with us.  We're having fun."

Some of the royal children followed the whispers.
They put their lamps down on the path
with their pigeons and maps on top.

A few were never heard from again.

Others discovered they'd been tricked.  They didn't feel good
when they left the path.
They got bumps and bruises and cut by rocks.
They shivered and shook and ran back to the path.
They picked up their lamps and maps and wrote messages
to the king of what they had done and that they were sorry.
The pigeons carried the messages to the king
while the children stayed in the middle of the path
the rest of the way.

Some of the children didn't even listen to the hisses and boos.
They were too busy studying maps,
sending and receiving messages,
and helping others tread and follow the signs.

Soon, many of the children arrived at the castle.
The king and queen were very glad to see each one.

They had prepared a feast for the tired and happy children.

There are still children on the path today.
The hisses and boos from the forest and rocks are
even louder than before.

The selfish prince and the children who followed him
are coaxing the children on the path to stay
behind with them.

They know that soon the path will be empty
and they will be very, very lonely.

Everyone but them will be back at the castle
with the king and queen.

However, the king is in charge of his kingdom.
He knows his children.
He and his queen stand anxiously watching and waiting.
He calmly and clearly calls to their children to come home.

The End.

Along with the book we gave our grandchildren dress-up clothes (capes, swords, hair wreaths, lanterns) to act out the book.  Calvin and I put a picture of ourselves in the back of the book and wrote a paragraph to our grandchildren:

Grandpa:  I hope each of you will follow the good Prince's path back to the King and Queen.  Listen to your mom and dad, they are trying to help you stay on the path.  this is like Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness.  The sooner and the more we follow the signs and listen to the messenger pigeons the happier we will be, and we can return home to be with the King and Queen and the Prince who marked the path.  I love all of you.

Grandma:  There is a picture of each one of you grandchildren somewhere in this book, because the king's plan is just like Heavenly Father's and we are all here on earth following the path together.   I know Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers and wants us to be kind and take care of each other.  Jesus is like the prince and marked a good path that is the only way to our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.  Heavenly Father's plan makes Grandpa and me very happy and it can make you happy, too.  I love each one of you.

Feel free to use this book for your personal/not-for-profit use.  I hope you enjoy it.

Calvin Gregory Payne

He's here!  Calvin Gregory Payne was born January 4, 2018 at 2:03 in Mississippi and weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz..

He is named after his grandpa and great-grandpa -- a name full of meaning and love.

Michelle is doing great.  Ty's doing great, and his 3 sisters are thrilled.

What a blessing he is to his sweet family.  What a blessing his family is to a sweet boy.

Thank you for getting him here Ty and Michelle.  We're just so glad we have him.  Lucky us.

Calvin Gregory Payne

Michelle and Calvin

Ty and Calvin

Afton and Calvin

Michelle, Eliza, and Calvin

Kathryn and Calvin

17 December '17 Pictures

Jane:  I invited my new gym friend Yoko to come to church and then home
with us for dinner afterwards. Even when I warned her that our church was
3 hours long she excitedly said she wanted to come. I wish you could have
seen her humble reaction at every turn of the day. When she walked into
our home she put her hands together over her heart and said it was a dream
come true to be in an American home. When she sat down to eat she held
the roll up to her nose, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. Over and over
she thanked us for including her. She brought a hostess gift and then
sent a sweet thank you text saying it was a wonderful day for her.
Seeing Yoko’s sweet reactions reminded me how blessed
I am to have the fellowship of my church family, and the
opportunity to include others in that unique and wonderful blessing.

Ty: The girls kept getting out of bed. One of the times we heard them coming downstairs,
Michelle said, “Santa doesn’t like it when kids get out of bed!”
Eliza retorted, “He doesn’t even KNOW! He’s not here!”
This picture features my good-looking ankle.

Michelle: Ty and I got to play the roles of Mary and Joseph for the
Primary's "Walk through Bethlehem" at church today.

Afton: I'm getting in the Star Wars spirit.

Eliza: “The parking lot is sparkly and lots of colors!”

Kathryn:  Afton is teaching me all of her
accessorizing and posing techniques.

17 November 2017

Jane:  I made Thanksgiving Dinner place setting favors tonight.

Ray:  Celebrated a day I look forward to every year.

Cali: Scripture study with the family. 

Inman:  Learning to have family prayers like the rest of them.

Abe:  Reading bedtime stories 

Grace:  Got my hair done today after waiting way too long.

Henry:  Enjoying family date night pizza.

Hazel- got to spend some good one on one time with my mama.

Ty:  Getting excited for Thanksgiving in South Carolina!

Michelle: A candid from Eliza.
 I believe I was reading a book after being woken up from my nap.

Afton:  This is my favorite page from the Thankful Book I've been
making at school.  This page says, "Today I am thankful for my parents." 
(Please note those are poofy sleeves on Michelle ;0)

Eliza: Every day I anxiously await Afton's return from school.
This afternoon she helped us have a picnic in the backyard.

Kathryn:  Another candid from Eliza. 
I enjoy sitting on my mom's lap for some morning snuggles and girl talk.

And we did live after the manner of happiness . . .

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi listed several of the activities (2 Nephi 5) that he and his people were doing and summed up their lives with “...(we) lived after the manner of happiness.” (2 Nephi 5:27)

This is Nephi’s outlook even though he and his family were told to “...flee into the wilderness...” and start a new community to save their lives. They weren't popular or safe.

I love Nephi’s list. I agree with Nephi’s list. I want to share Nephi’s list. I think it's useful to anyone that wants to incorporate more happiness into their lives.

For the last few weeks, I have posted Nephi's insights along with a comment and picture about how that behavior has also brought me happiness.  This post concludes the series.

Zeph and Ezra, visiting this summer

Service

2 Nephi 5:18  ". . . I did for them according to that which was in my power."

"Hey Gramma, I got a good idea.  How 'bout I wash your car for you?"

Zeph and Ezra scrubbed it for an hour, then slide all over the car with their bodies to dry it.  It was sweet.  Zeph saw a need and did "that which was in his power" to help.  Not only did it provide us both with entertainment for an hour, it really did help.  

When I was a teenager, I remember President Spencer W. Kimball saying that when we serve ". . . it is easier to 'find' ourselves because there is so much more of us to find."  I believed it then and, after years of being blessed by service, I believe it even more now.  Service, though seldom convenient, does make us happy -- even happier. 

I am grateful the Savior did "that which was in his power" for us.  It wasn't convenient.  His example reminds me to give a more whenever I think I've done enough.

This video shares the a bit of the beauty of service . . .

We did live after the manner of happiness . . .

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi listed several of the activities (2 Nephi 5) that he and his people were doing and summed up their lives with “...(we) lived after the manner of happiness.” (2 Nephi 5:27)

This is Nephi’s outlook even though he and his family were told to “...flee into the wilderness...” and start a new community to save their lives. They weren't popular or safe.

I love Nephi’s list. I agree with Nephi’s list. I want to share Nephi’s list. I think it's useful to anyone that wants to incorporate more happiness into their lives.

For the next few weeks, I'll post Nephi's insights along with a comment and picture about how that behavior has also brought me happiness.

Recently Ty was training at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. 
We took advantage of him being so close and went to the temple together.
The only thing better than going to the temple is going to the temple with family.

Temples

2 Nephi 5:16  And I, Nephi, did build a temple and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon . . . 

Going to the temple feels like going home (which makes perfect sense since the temple is literally the house of God).  The Lord visits His temples and, like cologne lingers long after Calvin has left for a meeting, the Lord's influence lingers in His temples as well.

In the temple I learn truths that help me to understand life more fully and participate in sacred ceremonies and ordinances.  

In the temple I find answers to questions and am able to receive inspiration and comfort about things that may be troubling me.

In the temple I am able to serve others that cannot serve themselves.

In the temple I find happiness.

And we did live after the manner of happiness . . .

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi listed several of the activities (2 Nephi 5) that he and his people were doing and summed up their lives with “...(we) lived after the manner of happiness.” (2 Nephi 5:27)

This is Nephi’s outlook even though he and his family were told to “...flee into the wilderness...” and start a new community to save their lives. They weren't popular or safe.

I love Nephi’s list. I agree with Nephi’s list. I want to share Nephi’s list. I think it's useful to anyone that wants to incorporate more happiness into their lives.

For the next few weeks, I'll post Nephi's insights along with a comment and picture about how that behavior has also brought me happiness.

homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers on homemade bread

chickens eating the  wormy broccoli that's gone to seed

a favorite picture from the archives:  Atlas feeding the chickens

another favorite picture from the archives:  Zeph and Altas feeding the cows

we even grow our own mousers

Raising animals and growing a garden

2 Nephi:11  And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly ; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance.  And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.

Gardening and raising animals is good for the soul.  There is nothing like giving your chickens scraps and coming back later for an egg.  It's recycling at its best.

Gardening and animals not only provide food, but chores for children to learn to work, and opportunities for them to learn the law of the harvest and that they reap what they sow.  A garden with animals was where Heavenly Father put Adam and Eve to help them learn and grow.

I remember one gardening experience we had.  We were growing it with my sister's family.   It stretched between our homes. Both families worked and worked on the new garden spot.  We planted, watered, hoed, and waited.  We fasted and prayed for the garden's success.  We not only needed chores, we needed the food to stretch our incomes.  It was a most pathetic garden.  It was planted in once-sterilized soil and was struggling to grow.  

One day as I walked by that garden on the way to my sister's home, I prayed asking God why He hadn't blessed it, after all, we'd done our part.  I got a sweet rebuke, "You should have seen it if I hadn't blessed it."

Though that garden wasn't pretty, it produced like no other before or since.  The frost was uncharacteristically late that year and the beans produced enough for three families to eat and can all they wanted.  The corn did the same.  

When the Lord blesses us, be it with beans or chickens or a cat that has eight kittens, we prosper exceedingly and find joy and happiness.  I'm certain of it.

  

We lived after the manner of happiness . . .

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi listed several of the activities (2 Nephi 5) that he and his people were doing and summed up their lives with “...(we) lived after the manner of happiness.” (2 Nephi 5:27)

This is Nephi’s outlook even though he and his family were told to “...flee into the wilderness...” and start a new community to save their lives. They weren't popular or safe.

I love Nephi’s list. I agree with Nephi’s list. I want to share Nephi’s list. I think it's useful to anyone that wants to incorporate more happiness into their lives.

For the next few weeks, I'll post Nephi's insights along with a comment and picture about how that behavior has also brought me happiness.

Calvin and Ty butchering a hog two weekends ago

Calvin teaching our nephew Jake and neighbors, Rowdy, Raef, and Ryder
how to cut up a side of pork.

Calvin teaching our neighbor Britney how to make and bag sausage

homemade sausage pizza

homemade Canadian bacon pizza

Industry and preparedness

2 Nephi 5:17  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands.

Industry

There is a deep feeling of satisfaction that comes from producing our own food.  Once it's on the shelf or in the freezer, the work and inconvenience is soon forgotten. We find happiness in growing and preparing food and sharing the food and know-how with others.


Preparedness

2 Nephi 5:14  And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who were now called Lamanites should come upon us and destroy us, for I knew their hatred towards me and my children, and those that were called my people.

The cousin to industry, preparedness brings peace and stills fear.  One way we like to prepare for uncertainty is to keep our shelves stocked with food.  By taking advantage of the Fall grocery sales (butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, shortening, oil, canned goods) we are able to buy more food for less money.  Knowing we have 30 bags of chocolate chips will help me weather a crises ;0)