is it me?

A few situations presented themselves to me today that have been in need of improvement. They involve a lot of people with all their own opinions and I am more or less the "spokesperson" and I have my responsibilities. There has been talk about the need for change. But the question that was asked to me today was this "If this change took place would it be beneficial for that situation? Would it help? Or is it just to change how things are currently?" Now I had a while to really think about this conversation as I drove the 3 hours from my house to my parent's house and it made me look at my part and what I could be doing better to help make the situation better. A drastic change isn't always necessary, change for the sake of change isn't always necessary, sometimes we just need to fulfill our end of the deal. Bring what we are in charge of to the table and help those who need it too so they can fulfill their responsibilities in turn. Maybe a look inside ourselves would help us see what change really needs to happen. Am I doing my part? Now that is a good question...I guess you could say I learned a little humility today.

refrigerator reminder

This is one of my favorites...

Happy Father's Day!

What a great to celebrate our dads, grandpas, brothers, uncles, nephews, son etc. I hope you have a wonderful day with your men! Here is a link to a video form the church...enjoy. 

Watch and share a new Mormon Messages video, "A Father Indeed," which portrays the life of a humble, "ordinary" father who has loved and served his family in extraordinary ways.

Happy Father's Day!

resource for personal study

The church has a website about the Savior and it is so very good. There are SO many wonderful talks, testimonies, and resources for personal study. In my browsing of the site I found an article by D. Todd Christofferson about "Becoming A Witness of Christ". When you get a chance look around the website and read over the titles and quotes and see if anything jumps out to you and helps you have a better day. Sometimes it's intimidating to me when I see a full page of text, or so much information, but just skimming over the highlights and clicking on topics, can be a big help in finding what you might be looking for. And you may not even know what that is, but that's when it finds you!

"It is within the capacity of each of us to become His witness." 

(D. Todd Christofferson)

blessings of the temple

Some of you may or may not know that Allen and I went to BYU-idaho back when it was Ricks College. Well, we actually attended under both names, but anyways, We get the alumni magazine in the mail and last night we were reading the latest issue together and I wanted to share the article that we read with you all. I won't include the whole article, but just a few sections that I loved the most...

(First)

When we think about temple work, the focus is on those ancestors who cannot do the work themselves. But the great blessing of participating in the temple ordinances and receiving your endowment comes to those who are living. A beautiful prayer was offered at the dedication of the temple in which Joseph Smith outlined a number of the blessings that come to people who attend regularly. Section 109 of the Doctrine and Covenants outlines these blessings.

 

Here is a summary of the blessings for those who attend the temple regularly:

 

1.         They will feel God's power in their lives.

2.         They will be taught words of wisdom.

3.         They will grow up in Christ.

4.         They will receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, to be comforted and led into all truth.

5.         They will be organized according to the laws of God.

6.         They will be prepared to obtain every needful thing.

7.         They will be armed with God's power.

8.         They will have the name of Christ upon them.

9.         They will have angels to guide and protect them.

10.       No weapon will be formed against them.

11.       No combination of wickedness shall have power over them.

12.       Those who fight them will dig a pit and fall into it themselves.

(Second)

The temple brings peace and joy to those who attend. From the helpful pamphlet, Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple, we read: "Sometimes our minds are so beset with problems, and there are so many things clamoring for attention at once, that we just cannot think clearly and see clearly. At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can ‘see' things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known."⁴ I watch as couples enter the temple for proxy endowment sessions. Many of them are in a rush because they are late. Others reflect frustration with each other. Many bring the activities and difficulties of a busy life at work and home still in their minds. It is a joy to watch these same couples leave the celestial room after a session at the temple. They often hold hands and reflect an obvious love for each other. The frustrations have subsided, and they return home with more determination to love their family and to serve the Lord.

("Blessings of the Temple" Val R. Christiansen, Rexburg Temple President, BYU-Idaho devotional, Oct 7, 2008)

What a wonderful reminder for us all. I really enjoyed the weekly devotionals while I was there at Ricks. And I love that the young people who are there now got to hear this address too as well as so many other great, inspirational messages each and every week. It just makes my heart happy.

The entire address is so great and I encourage you all to read the whole thing. Here is the link:

http://www.byui.edu/Magazine/articles/blessings.htm

http://www.byui.edu/magazine/

First: I read the "receipt" quote every time I'm at Wendy's. I love it!

Here is the quote from my fridge. I read it often, and share with others when they are discouraged from all the service. I even found out my husband reads it!!


"Those who serve with devotion, even when things don't turn out the way they would like, are not easily discouraged, fatigued, or frustrated because the promise of peace of mind and the companionship of the Holy Spirit will never abandon them." Elder Amado Ensign May 2008

I'm thankful the Lord hasn't pulled the plug on me because I haven't made the progress he was looking for.

visual reminders...SO helpful.

If your refrigerator looks like mine than it is covered in sticker charts, alphabet magnets, and kids art. But up higher, so the kids can't reach them, are quotes and various handouts that I've saved from lessons, visiting teachers and notes that I've scribbled on. For various reasons we save these friendly and helpful reminders. We hang them on mirrors, by our bedside tables and in our kids rooms. I love them. Weather it's a picture, photo, or quote they can be uplifting! Here is one from my refrigerator that I wrote down in the car at a stop sign after hearing it on the radio. It's scribbled on the back of a receipt. If you have any of these reminders hanging around your house that you love please share them with us! (They don't have to be picture. :)

pay it forward

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me (yeah for handmade!).
2. If you are one of the first three to make a comment, you are a winner! And you then agree to post this challenge on your own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it’s the spirit and the thought that count!
4. When you receive your gift, blog about it! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward. Enjoy!!!!
This should be fun!

sometimes you need a motivation boost

OK, so this morning I need some motivation. I have been running for about 2 months now. I've been doing free weights and an ab workout video and it has been going really good. Clothes are fitting better, the weight is coming off and I feel great. That is until the past few days. I'm losing my motivation! I did go and play basketball yesterday, but this morning I was supposed to go running, but I didn't. So here is a bit of positive motivation to start the day and recommit myself...

http://catalystchiroandrehab.com/getactive.html

(Thanks Dr. Coby)

I've been running using a training schedule that I found online and it has been really helpful. Here is the link to the website I found them on. I had to adjust the workout days because they have you run on Sundays. They are great and easy to follow and really help get you started! I've just completed the 5K beginner guide and now I'm starting the 10K beginner training guide.

http://www.foot-traffic.co.uk/catalogue.php?catID=277&opener=0-277&u=0a3d8b0038d0a8279b98bb9b38d71e12

Set a goal to exercise! It's great for you and the kids pick up on it too. Lead by example and all that.

stories from the Friend

Here are a couple of really great articles from the Friend that I came across looking for something else. They have to do with repentance and forgiveness. I especially loved "All Clean" and the way it helped explain the importance and reason behind taking the sacrament on a level that helped my little preschoolers understand it. Great to use in family home evening or Sunday lessons for classes or with your family.

“Broken Taillight,” Aug. 2003, 38–40

“All Clean,” Sept. 2007, 20–22

a few thoughts on prayer

The theme for sharing time this month in primary is Faith, prayer, repentance, and forgiveness strengthen me and my family. Last week we talked about faith and today we talked about prayer and I followed the suggested outline from the June issue of the Friend and it turned out so well. It was really a very special time for me to talk about prayer with these kids. I just felt so close to them and looking in to their faces I could see that they were getting it. I could see the light in their eyes. I wanted to share the quote I used for my handout and the scripture reference I gave to the kids. I printed them out on card stock and folded them in half horizontally, so the fold was on the top, like a card so the quote was on one side and the scripture reference was on the other. Then they could stand it up by their bedside to help them to remember to pray before they went to bed or when they got up in the morning and I invited them to look up the scripture reference and write down any thoughts right there on the card so they'd see that too.

"Prayer is the key which unlocks the door and lets Christ into our lives… Just as prayer is the means by which men address the Lord, so revelation is the means by which God communicates to men…. The path from man to God is prayer”—Marion G. Romney (Ensign, May 1978, 48)

2 Nephi 28:9 was the scripture reference and we didn't look it up. I challenged them to do so when they got home.

We also talked about King Mosiah and how he prayed to Heavenly Father about his sons going to preach to the Lamanites. Mosiah 28:1-6 with the answer to his prayer in verse 7. I had a different child read each verse.

It was just a very good, uplifting, and spiritual day in primary for me today. Sometimes I'm going every which way on Sundays, but it was a very good day and I hope the kids enjoyed it and felt something. It seemed like they did! I love my calling.

And I also noticed that this month's visiting teaching lesson is on prayer. I included the link below.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Prayer and the Blue Horizon,” Liahona, Jun 2009, 2–5

mormon messages

I absolutely LOVE this video. I can't help but be uplifted by it. The church has an official channel on YouTube. Go to 
http://www.youtube.com/user/MormonMessages?blend=2&ob=1