Sacred Gifts

The Brigham Young University Museum of Art will open an all-new exhibition featuring 20 religious paintings on unprecedented loan from churches and museums in Eastern Europe and New York, many of which have never been on view in the United States. The exhibition, titled "Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz," runs Nov. 15, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014. Register for free tickets at sacredgifts.byu.edu. - See more at: http://entertainment.sltrib.com/events/view/sacred_gifts#sthash.8vv6UN3v.dpuf

The Brigham Young University Museum of Art will open an all-new exhibition featuring 20 religious paintings on unprecedented loan from churches and museums in Eastern Europe and New York, many of which have never been on view in the United States. The exhibition, titled "Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz," runs Nov. 15, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014. Register for free tickets at sacredgifts.byu.edu. - See more at: http://entertainment.sltrib.com/events/view/sacred_gifts#sthash.8vv6UN3v.dpufNov 15, 2013 - This all-new religious exhibition featuring beloved depictions of the life of the Jesus Christ by three master painters from the late 19th century . “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” will run through May 10, 2014.

We went to Provo on Saturday with our good friends, Boyd & Dot Williams to the Museum of Art to see “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” which will run through May 10, 2014. If you are in Provo before May 10, don't miss it.  You can read an article about the display here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587172/Sacred-Gifts-paintings-bring-history-stories-to-Provo.html?pg=all

One of the featured paintings in "Sacred Gifts" - "Agony in the Garden" by Franz Schwartz

 As we entered the Museum of Art we saw this really cool mobile or sculpture. Look closely and you'll see that it is made of hangars - YEP - just the regular kind you get from the dry cleaners; really FUN!!
 

Sculpture inside Museum of Art - HANGARS!!

Outside the Museum of Art

Boyd & Dot - Byde and Pam -Museum of Art

Dinner at the Cannon Center - We tried EVERYTHING!!

Sculpture outside the Museum of Art

New Provo Temple under construction

Giant flakes of snow covered the ground quickly on Wednesday

Snow outside our living room door GIANT flakes

On Friday night we attended the performance of the Contemporary Dance Group from BYU at the Conference Center Little Theatre. We marveled at their talent and energy! We have now attended the Young Ambassadors, the Ballroom Dance Company and then finally the Contemporary Group.  That will be the last we see before we return to Arizona. One of the really great numbers they performed was when they rolled in a trampoline and eventually put it upright and used it in their performance.

Trampoline used in dance number

This morning we attended the Tab Choir broadcast for our last time so had to take a picture. We will miss being in that historic building each Sunday to hear Music and the Spoken Word.

Tabernacle Broadcast February 23, 2014

One of the songs that was sung this morning was "Where Love Is" which was written by Joanne Bushman Doxey. She was also honored prior to the program because she was in attendance today.

I wanted you to see one of the flower beds near the tabernacle where the pansies are coming our of their winter slumber.  The pansies were planted in the fall and have been covered with snow for a good deal of the winter but somehow they survive the freezing temperatures and are now surfacing with their beautiful colors.

Pansy Bed

Purple pansies

White Pansies

The message today was "Treasures Around Us" and I'm going to include the complete text. It was a great reminder for all of us.

"It's been said that everyone has a story. And the older we get, the more stories we have. Truly, our "seasoned citizens" are treasure chests of experience and wisdom - and with each passing year, they become more valuable. But do we value and cherish their knowledge? Do we mtake the time to get to know them?

In the rush of today's busy world, seniors often get overlooked. Yet each one has a fascinating backstory. Each one has weathered life's storms and taken journeys the younger generation is just now beginning. They pursued their dreams, they fell in love, they raised families, and they built the towns we live in.

As life becomes more and more complex and challenging for the rising generation, it would be wise to seek counsel from members of previous generations. We'll likely find that the problems they faced and overcame - really aren't that different from what we face today.

One man made a point of taking his son to visit a grandfather whose health was failing but whose mind was sharp. He thought it would help the elderly man to have a young visitor. But the person who most benefited was the boy. His grandfather loved him openly and genuinely, encouraged his ideas, and made him feel important. And the grandson came to realize that, inside, older people still feel like young people. He gained new respect for the years of exerience his grandfather had and learned to appreciate his wisdom.

How wise are those who are not yet old but who seek the company of our elderly citizens!  There is scarcely a better source of practical knowledge, lived experience, or wise counsel.  We simply need to look beyond the aged exterior and realize, as Charles Dickens observed, that "every wrinkle is but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life.