Replacing Negative Thoughts with Positive Thoughts

Have you ever found yourself replaying one scene from your day over and over again? Have you ever said something to someone, they commented back, and a few minutes of interaction becomes hours of your emotional and mental time? I am a textbook over thinker, I always have been. I am sensitive to people’s perception of me (which by the way if you are wondering is different than caring about what people think about who I actually am). I often find myself spiraling into a black hole of negative thoughts and projecting my insecurities onto other people. I think this is unkind. We should give others the benefit of not subjecting them to our doubts. The less we judge others the less judged by them we will feel. I have been thinking about the Saviors interactions with those he taught and lived with and it has always struck me that for a person who was constantly being scrutinized by others he was always very self-assured. He knew not everyone liked Him (or actively hated Him) and yet that never affected His ability to teach, heal, comfort and counsel. In this, as in all things, we should follow His example. This is one of my main goals for the New Year, along with the traditional trying to wean myself off of sugar, to not give in to negative thoughts. There are so many positive, happy things to think on and a happy confident demeanor allows others to feel comfortable with who they are as well. Think on that, it is worth your time.

-Kristin

Thanksmas

Christmas time!! Oh how I love it!! The cold air just smells like Christmas to me. When Fall has given up and everything is gray and muddy I love to see how the snow comes in and just smooth’s everything out. That is what I feel during this time of year, I feel like I am being smoothed, refined. I have heard all the “Bah Humbug” arguments against this time of year “it is too commercial nowadays” and “Shouldn’t we focus on being good ALL year round?!”  and let me tell you, I ignore them all! It is not that I don’t see the worldliness creeping in to tell us that to have a truly Merry Christmas we need to “BUY ALL THE THINGS!!!” but I see past that to something that I think rings true about this time of year. People tend to be kinder during this time of year, more generous, slower to anger and more willing to focus on family and friends. I don’t think it is a bad thing that there is a time of year when we try harder. After all do we not feel like better, kinder versions of ourselves when we go to the temple? When we are with family? When we attend baby blessings, baptisms, conference? Allowing ourselves to slow down, refocus and enjoy the change in routine is refreshing. Lest you think that I have forgotten about Thanksgiving I have not. I consider Christmas and Thanksgiving as working together (Thanksmas!) to get us to refocus on what is important.  My challenge to each of you (all 5, 10, 15… I am not sure of our circulationJ) is to not give into the stress of this time of year but allow it to smooth you, no matter how hard this past year was look at this time as the respite from the routine, an escape from whatever stress has taken away the day to day joy of living. Okay, I am off my soapbox but I am going to slip it in (hopefully I am the first to do so), have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!

-Kristin

The first and great commandment

I've been thinking about how so often when people criticize religion they say something like, "you have so many 'thou shalt nots'". And when you start listing them that's true - there are all kinds of things we have been told to avoid. But religious or not, if you start to list all of the things that are bad ideas you will come up with a super long list! I think we get caught up in all of the "thou shalt nots" too much though, because Christ told us that there really are only 2 commandments - and neither of them is a "thou shalt not"!

Matthew 22:37-40 reads, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If Christ could have his way he wouldn't have had to teach anything else but to love God, love ourselves, and love all we come in contact with at least as much as we love ourselves. If you're struggling with a long list of things you aren't supposed to do, just remember that the "thou shalt nots" are only there because we're just not as good as we could be at "thou shalt LOVE".

-Lisa

Care for Your Soul

"Let us imagine care of the soul, then, as an application of poetics to everyday life"
- Thomas Moore

It is an important part of our daily rituals and goals to care for our soul. We each have certain routines or purposes that help soothe and care for our soul. Whether that is calling a friend, taking a nap, hugging a child, going for a walk, eating chocolate, dreaming, fantasizing, praying, or maybe just living.

We need to remember that while it is very important to care for those around us, and help serve wherever possible, we can't forget ourselves. As we incorporate all of our many roles and responsibilities into our lives, lets not forget ourselves, our soul.  We would do well to strive to uplift ourselves as well as those around us. To strengthen our own hearts even as we strive to strengthen those near us. And to have patience and forgiveness towards our own mistakes as we also have patience for and forgive those dear to us.

Shakespeare wrote:
 "This above all: To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man"

When we strive to be true to our-self and strengthen our soul, then we can more fully serve and strengthen those around us. Let us lift up our hearts and strive to be the best that we can, So that we can be the helping hand to those around us more fully.

-Cherstin

Stake Goals

     This year our stake goals are focused on ways to be. Let me explain;  In the past 4 years that we’ve been a part of our stake the goals have usually been about going to the temple, doing genealogy work, and paying tithing or fast offerings. All of which are righteous worthy goals. However, this year our Stake President was inspired to set goals that are more focused on looking and working inward. This year’s 4 goals are:

 1. Truly forgive one another

2. Cast out unrighteous thoughts 

3. Love and care about another person more than yourself  

4. Obey the commandments exactly for one year

     This past weekend was our stake conference. We were able to hear from our stake leaders and receive their counsel and guidance concerning our stake goals. I would like to share some of that counsel and guidance. 

   Forgiveness is a requirement in the Lord’s kingdom.  Yes, we all feel hurt or disappointed at times and yet in order to heal and move on we have to forgive others whether there was an acknowledgement of our feelings or not. We also need to remember that we cause pain to others and need to be forgiven for our sins and mistakes. So a forgiving heart will in turn receive forgiveness.  

    Because of our fallen state and none of us are perfect, we all have unrighteous thoughts from time to time. So the goal isn’t to not have unrighteous thoughts, it’s to cast them out immediately and not allow them to stay in our mind or dwell upon them. We have been taught about how to handle unrighteous thoughts-depending on what they are…we can sing a church hymn, say a prayer, leave a situation, recite a scripture, etc…but the important thing is take righteous action against the bad thought. 

   Generally speaking, I feel that mother’s do a good job on #3. Rearing and nurturing children requires many sacrifices on our part. We sacrifice our time, put ambitions or goals on hold, literally take care of someone else before we meet our needs (eating, showering, etc…) We do this because we see that our children require some priority shifting on our part. But what about that person or those people that seem to know just how to drive us crazy, push our buttons, or make us angry at the snap of a finger? It’s harder to extend love, compassion, patience, and forgiveness to those that we feel hurt or disappointed in. But to truly love and care for someone else more than our self gives us the opportunity to become a “good Samaritan.”  To embrace someone who we wouldn’t necessarily spend time, means, energy, or as much effort on truly helps us become more like Jesus Christ.  Of course this one requires a lot of prayer as you seek guidance on how best to follow this counsel, but it is an opportunity for tremendous personal growth. 

   Our Stake President spoke specifically on #4-keeping the commandments exactly for one year. Can we even name all 10 commandments? In order to keep them exactly we need to know what they are ☺ I appreciated my stake president’s talk. He explained that “exactly” does not mean, not allowed to make a mistake. There are commandments that we can be perfect in fairly easily as a faithful Latter-Day Saint. We can pay a full tithe, not commit adultery, don’t steal, not take the Lord’s name in vain. But there are times that we may fall short in keeping them or others exactly. To this he explained, that we keep trying. If we fall short or make a mistake, we don’t give up. Sometimes we quit something because we don’t think we can live up to the expectation. Rather we acknowledge the mistake, repent and pick up where we left off. The Lord understands where we’re at and just wants us to keep trying. Our president gave the analogy of becoming a good archer. The first few times you pick up a bow and arrow you will most likely not even come close to the bulls-eye. But you just keep aiming and shooting, and soon you will hit the target. So we need to do a personal inventory on where we’re at with the commandments. To those we follow naturally and more easily, great, keep going. On those that we don’t hit the bulls-eye every time, keep trying, harder, and consistently and we’ll get there. 

  As I have personally been working on these goals for almost 6 months I have had some interesting experiences because that’s how life is. When we’re trying to be obedient we’re usually given a challenge directly related that principle ☺ I’ll share one example. It’s not anything huge, but it turned out to be a family matter. One weekend a couple months ago, we had spent a Saturday celebrating my son’s 5^th birthday as a family and were going from place to place. On our way back home that evening I didn’t bother paying attention to the gas gauge- my gas light hadn’t come on and we live close to church. I also wasn’t thinking ahead to anything that had been scheduled/planned for Sunday. Well Sunday morning came and I realized that we had a very busy Sunday! We had a very special baptism to attend in another ward that was a good 25 minute drive each way and then that evening was a ward farewell get together for a family that was moving. Later as we were driving to the baptism I looked at the gas and realized that we were pretty low. I explained to the kids that if the gas light came on we would only have enough gas to get to the baptism and back home. That most likely meant no farewell party later on. My children offered prayers and kept their fingers crossed, but sure enough the gas light came on as we were driving. After the baptism we made it back home with no problems, but our gas was very low and there was no way we could make the drive out to the farewell without running out of gas. The kids were all very disappointed (I was too!) especially because the family moving were good personal friends of ours. So we had a family council about what would be the best decision. Do we go and get gas to attend the fare well and rationalize my unpreparedness or keep the Sabbath Day holy? I apologized to my family as I felt I was the one who was irresponsible. It was difficult for my children to accept that we weren’t going to the farewell, but they agreed that we shouldn’t go buy gas. We ended up staying home that night and spending it as a family. I felt really bad, and yet no one was mad at me. I’m so thankful for my children’s understanding and forgiving hearts and being willing to keep the commandments. We also had a playdate later that week with the family before they left!  From this experience I learned how important it is to be prepared for the Sabbath and that also means having gas in the car. Fortunately it was only a get together we missed out on, I would have felt much worse had someone been seriously ill or in need and I couldn’t have just jumped in my van and gotten there! 

    I’m grateful for these inspired stake goals that have given me the opportunity to do some work in my heart and hopefully allowing me to become more Christlike. I realize that you are not in the same stake as me, but I feel that goals are applicable to any disciple of Christ.  

Bodies

I’ve been hearing a lot about people who have injuries or sicknesses lately, and it got me thinking. Most people go through life with some sort of weak system; it could be a less than perfect intestinal tract, a weak immune system, a bad wrist, an imbalance of hormones, or a knee that never recovered from an accident. Some are more severe than others. Regardless of what it is, we are all battling something.  But that is what makes us humans. We were sent here to be tested and things will be hard.

Think of what a glorious day it will be when our bodies are made perfect and we no longer have these weaknesses. Have you ever injured something and had to go easy on it for a week, or a day, or a month? We don”t realize how much we use every part of our body on a regular basis, until we cant use a part of it. Think about your thumb. Minor part of your body, right? But if you had to go a day without using your thumb, you would value it so much more! Think of driving your car, or picking up a toddler, or writing a grocery list, or texting, or chopping a vegetable. Thank goodness for thumbs.

Our Heavenly Father designed our bodies to work together as a whole - to function together so that we could fulfill our life missions successfully. Sometimes our bodies struggle, but one day, they will be made perfect. What a merciful gift from God. I am grateful for the imperfect body God gave me and for the way it carries me as I try to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

--Jashley

A Soft Answer

I've had laryngitis since Saturday. I haven't been able to raise my voice above a whisper; finally today my voice is sort of coming back, but my neighbor said I sound like a grouchy man so I'm back to whisper for now:).

But it's taught me a lot. Things have gone so smoothly! And that's not to say my 2-year-old hasn't thrown tantrums about the same things he throws tantrums about everyday, that my 4-year-old hasn't stopped talking back, or that my 8-month-old doesn't scream between every bite since we just can't feed him fast enough. Pretty much nothing has changed except me, and that's made all the difference. I can't grouch right back at my kids when they're cranky, or yell to tell them to hurry and get their shoes and get in the car. Less than 4 days ago I'd yell because I'd start quiet and they wouldn't hear me and then I'd get louder and louder and louder and say the same thing again and again - and usually my kids still weren't listening til they finally turned around and saw that I was mad at them. Doesn't seem quite fair to anyone does it?

Without a voice, I've taken an extra second or two to consider my response, and I have seen that truly "A soft answer turneth away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1).

My Purpose

I was walking Tommy up and down the Las Vegas strip in his umbrella stroller. Hauling a diaper bag and a few M&M World gift bags, sporting a getting-biggish pregnant belly. We were determined to have some fun during Robert’s accounting conference. And despite the heat (100+!) and the smell (cigarettes and BO) and the loud music, we did manage to make friends with a dragon and try a lot of Hershey and M&M candy.
 
I was expecting the foul smells, the hot air, the almost-naked ladies posing for pictures with tourists, the big lights and fantastic buildings, alcohol and slot machines. What I wasn’t expecting was the amazing sense of purpose I felt for my life while visiting this strange city. While I wasn’t the ONLY one pushing around a stroller, I was close to the only one. And the sight of Thomas brought a smile
to every person’s face that we saw in an elevator, waiting in line, waiting at the crosswalk. And I mean a genuine, childlike, grin. We heard many stories of “ours are 18 and 20 now!” or “I remember those days,” or “If mine look like him I’ll have 10!” Here we were in the “city of fun,” and the most genuine smiles I saw were on the faces of those who looked at my child.

I looked at everyone around me in the city—there to have a good time—to go out to eat, to spend some time at the black jack tables or slot machines, see some (dirty!) shows, and have a few drinks. I looked at so many glamorous people living/working on the strip that were just looking for the next “good time.” I saw young men dressing up in superhero costumes and asking for tips from every picture or interaction, so obviously trying to find a way to make enough money to go have a good time. I looked at everyone having a good time in the city, and thought they all looked so...lost.

I have never felt so much purpose for my life than while walking that strip. I had no makeup on, looked kind of frumpy in my ill-fitting clothes, and had to constantly find a way to entertain Thomas whenever we had to wait in line. Instead of going to see a Broadway show or glamming up, or going shopping or doing something for myself, we went to look at the ducks; we spent LOTS of time looking at the dragon that growled; I spent an hour catching Tommy as he jumped into the pool. Boy, we really stuck out (especially Tommy’s high-pitched, enthusiastic little voice). And I have never been gladder. I have a Purpose in my life—and it is a real, and powerful Purpose. Although there are many other purposes in my life, my children and role as a mother is the most important and overarching I could imagine. My purpose is so much more than to have a “good time.” Working hard and making a sacrifice for something that really matters is what real fun is. My purpose is to teach my children what real fun is, and that they have a Purpose so that they don’t have to be always
looking for the next “good time” Las Vegas style.

In Las Vegas, my Purpose shone brighter than I ever noticed it before. I think it may have been the first time that it really struck me what an absolute blessing dedicating life to family can be. Maybe because it was against a backdrop of so many who seemed without Purpose. Against a city thriving on the lost.

I felt strong and confident walking down the Strip with my stroller and frumpy clothes and Divine Purpose.

...And we’ve decided we’ve seen enough of Vegas to last a lifetime! 

-Carson

Being realistic with expectations

This week I attended a seminar about LDS woman and depression. The speaker, Kris Doty a professor at UVU who specializes in woman and depression, spoke about something that she called “toxic perfectionism” and it really struck a chord with me. There is an inherent conflict in doctrinal idea of “Be ye perfect” and the social culture that pervades the church that we never can be. Doctrinally to be “perfect” is to be complete or whole. This is not achieved in our lifetime. The Savior only put himself on the same level of perfection with Heavenly Father AFTER he had been resurrected (3rd Nephi 12:48). If the Savior in his mortal life was never considered “perfect” why do we think that we can be? This idea that we have of the “perfect” Mormon woman is someone who:  reads her scriptures daily, cooks a Gourmont meal every day, sews her kids clothes, exercises daily, always looks good for her spouse, does her visiting teaching on the first of every month, bakes fresh bread, does school projects, works on the side, cuts her kids hair, gardens and keeps an immaculate house. The list could go on and on but one of the points that Prof. Doty brought up is that this woman does not exist!! And this is not a bad thing! The gospel plan is often referred to as the “Plan of Happiness” and the gospel does bring a great peace and joy into our lives, this does NOT mean however that if we go through periods of unhappiness or depression that we are somehow not living the gospel to its fullest. If we place upon ourselves the pressures of perfection we will find that we cannot maintain that pace for long without sacrificing our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Enduring to the end will be much easier if we can realistically set boundaries for ourselves concerning what we can do. This gospel makes me happy but sometimes I am sad and that is okay.

Kristin

Join the #BoldChristian Challenge

A friend of mine, Katelyn Fagan of What's Up Fagans, recently created the #BoldChristian challenge. She is encouraging Christians to participate in daily uplifting challenges, and then to share their experience on social media.

As she outlines on her blog:

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When will it start?

The challenge will begin on Monday, October 6, 2014 and run until Monday, October 20, 2014. Each day you will receive an email the night before the next day’s challenges. Each email will include the day’s “theme” and what challenge(s) go along with it. There will be applicable scriptures (from the KJV), and some ideas on how to meet the day’s challenge. I am doing my best to make them open-ended and easy to adapt to whatever your life situation may be.

Examples of Challenges:

• Ask for prayer requests and share about your testimony of prayer as you do so.
• Carry your scriptures with you all day, and read for one minute every time you sit down.
• Share your testimony and conversion stories.
• Invite others to read the Bible, go to church, or pray.
• Defend God’s name.
• Pray over your meals in public.
• Share about your favorite scripture or scripture stories
• And more!

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When I read about this #BoldChristian challenge, I immediately thought of several recent talks from General Authorities. Elder Bednar recently admonished that members of the church, "...sweep the Earth as with a flood" with uplifting, Christ-centered messages. 

I know that social media at times can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and draining even, but I also know that modern technology was created for God's purposes. He gave us the technology that we have in order to further advance the work of salvation throughout the world.

I too challenge you to join the #BoldChristian challenge HERE. I'm guessing it might put you outside of your comfort zone, might be annoying to or completely overlooked by friends, but just the thought of social media being flooded with testimonies of Christ feels so right to me. 

That's why this blog was created in the first place. 

To close in the words of Elder Bednar: "My beloved brothers and sisters, what has been accomplished thus far in this dispensation communicating gospel messages through social media channels is a good beginning—but only a small trickle. I now extend to you the invitation to help transform the trickle into a flood. Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth—messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood."

Let your light so shine.

I've been thinking about this scripture recently:

Picture from eofdreams.com

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

"Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick.  And it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

The scriptures teach us that light comes from the presence of God (D&C 88:12), that light gives life to all things (D&C 88:13), and that Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12).  I think it is interesting that although light is often referred to when talking about Christ, here Christ is saying that we are the light.  I think it follows that the more and more we become like Christ, the more of Christ's light we possess.

Ye are the light of the world.  "Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.  Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up––that which ye have seen me do" (3 Nephi 18:24).  As the light of the world, we are to follow the teachings and examples of the Savior.  We are to act as He would, were He here.  We are to say what He would say, were He here.

A candle gives light to all.  It is no respecter of persons.  The light is given liberally to all, and cannot choose who to shed its light on and who to it withholds light from.

That being said, I think we should point out that we are not called to be flame throwers.  We are not to be forceful with our testimony, cannot force others to feel the spirit, and cannot force others to choose the right.  We are called to be candles.  We are small, we are quiet, and at times, our example is not noticed.  But when the thicker darkness comes, we will still be there, shining the light of Christ to warm those nearby.

Our responsibility as a candle is to shine.  It is to give.  It is to love.  It is not to hide, nor to be frustrated.  Our responsibility is not to judge.  A candle burns quietly, consistently.  A candle does not cower when laughed at.  Instead, a candle will still burn and give light to the mocker.

--Is this not following the example of Christ?  Did not Christ visit the sick and the afflicted?  Did not Christ dine with the sinners?  Did He not quietly and beautifully forgive those who had crucified him?

Christ's light never faltered. 

There are times of trial in life.  There are times of disappointment, discouragement, and darkness.  There are times of hopelessness, and they come to everybody.  In times like these it may seem that the darkness is too overwhelming; that it is too much for us to let our light shine.  In times like these we must turn to Christ to help restore our light.

There will be challenges and struggles, but there will also be times of peace, love, serenity, and deep assurance that all will be well.  We can remember that the light is stronger than the darkness.  That Christ's light will never falter.

We can let our light so shine.  We can hold fast to the iron rode.  We can turn our head and find a neighbor to bring with us to church.  We can express love to those we meet.  Because we know who we are and we know who's light we are shining.  And we can have confidence in that.

"That which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (Doctrine & Covenants 50:24).

Add to Your Faith Virtue and to Your Virtue Knowledge, by Walter Rane.

Women and the Priesthood

I have heard several stories and even read articles about how there are LDS women who feel unequal without holding Priesthood. This makes me so sad. It makes me sad that women feel cheated when Heavenly Father has already given us such divine roles, responsibilities, and stewardships. We are equal. Yes, there are several definitions of the word "equal", some mean exactly the same in every way, but that's not what men and women are supposed to be. Just like 2+2=4, 1+3=4. Two different equations with different components, but they are exactly equal in their sum. We are different for a reason. We are physically, emotionally, and spiritually different for a reason. Equal means evenly proportioned or balanced and that's exactly how God made us. Men and women complement each other. Here is a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball that explains it perfectly.

“Men and women are complementary. I have mentioned only a few of the special blessings God gives his daughters in helping them to become like him. His sons have their own special opportunities. And in his wisdom and mercy, our Father made men and women dependent on each other for the full flowering of their potential. Because their natures are somewhat different, they can complement each other; because they are in many ways alike, they can understand each other. Let neither envy the other for their differences; let both discern what is superficial and what is beautifully basic in those differences, and act accordingly. And may the brotherhood of the priesthood and the sisterhood of the Relief Society be a blessing in the lives of all the members of this great Church, as we help each other along the path to perfection.”

Heavenly Father loves all of us. I know that. He would never, ever cheapen the mortal experience of any of His children. He knows what we each need to do, experience, and learn to return to Him. He knows the desires of our hearts, but He also knows what is best for us. Everything is according to His time and His way. That being said, it is His Priesthood. It does not belong to the current prophet, nor the Quorum of the Twelve, nor some committee whose minds can be changed by petitioning to receive the Priesthood. God owns it and will do as He wills with it. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." - Isaiah 55:8

I know that God loves us all as His children because He has told me. I have knelt and prayed to know His will and He has made it known to me through the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that if you seek answers that He will give them.

I would also like to refer you to these talks on womanhood:
Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor by James E. Faust
Women of the Church by Gordon B. Hinckley
Woman--Of Infinite Worth by Russell M. Nelson
Equality through Diversity by M. Russell Ballard

--Camille

"To Love another person is to see the face of God"

"To love another person is to see the face of God". This is one  of the closing lines in one of my all time favorite musicals "Les Miserables", I heard this closing line dozens of times this summer as I was in the show, I played a very memorable "Woman number 3". It was not until the last week and I realized that the show was almost over that I really started to let some of the messages sink in, this line, this closing line that had been saved for the end of such an epic show caused me to wonder. What were they thinking? Victor Hugo, Claude Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer, why did they save this for the closing moments. In a story about redemption, the balance between justice and mercy, fighting for what you believe in, survival, hope, despair, why was this simple line so moving? Of all the emotions that we can feel as human beings the closest we ever come to feeling celestial emotion is love. When we love without thought for ourselves, when we love with our whole hearts and without any expectation of gain, we are the closest that we can be on this earth to the celestial beings that our Father in Heaven would have us be. So, why would we "see" God when we love others? We have been told that we need to receive his image in our countenances', but when we look at others in love that is when we see his image in them. We can see the worth of the soul, we become more willing to sacrifice for that person, more willing to build them up and help them see what we see in them. We see God in them. We are allowed this brief opportunity to see what eternity is like. Wrapped in a compelling story and amazing showtunes is an eternal truth that our Heavenly Father loves us, that we are all allowed the chance to better ourselves with hope of redemption because of our Savior. No matter how we view ourselves when those who love us look at us they see the face of God, that is powerful, that should change our perception of ourselves. My take home message from this epic summer of musical bliss was to learn to look for my Father in Heaven in others, He is there, I just need to love others to see Him.

-Kristin

Families

Today, I would just like to testify of the importance of families. One of the main reasons we are here on this earth is to get married and have children and teach them the ways of our Heavenly Father. I have wonderful parents who did that. I was raised by a mother who was virtuous and taught me to be proud I am a woman. I was raised by a father who demonstrated righteous dominion in our home. He displayed characteristics that I wanted in a future spouse and taught me to value the priesthood. 

I grew up and got married and I married a wonderful priesthood holder who takes care of us and helps us all be better. I try my best to be a virtuous woman, like my mother. I want my children to grow up and be glad that they had righteous parents. I recognize that not everyone has that, and it breaks my heart. But whatever your background is, I challenge you to improve on it. Make your home better than the one you grew up in. Satan knows how crucial the family is and we have to be ever stronger than previous generations to keep him out of our homes. With the lack of structure in families that exist in our society, we can see that our society is headed down a dangerous path. 

People have commented to my husband and I about not wanting children. They say that they are too much work and it isn't worth it. But to those who choose not to have a family, I say "It is worth it!" There are hard days but it is worth every long night, every snotty nose, and every tantrum to see your children choose righteous paths and learn the things that you try so desperately to put in their heads. Children are a blessing from God. Families are central to His plan. I challenge everyone to create a stronger family shield against the Evil One and put in more effort to teach your children righteous ways. 

---Jashley

"Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection"

Today I saw, "Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection" on the LDS.org website and I immediately clicked the link. What followed was a beautiful talk reminding me about the all encompassing power of the Savior's Atonement. Below is a short excerpt:

"The Savior’s freely given atoning love helps us become more forgiving and less judgmental of others and of ourselves. This love heals our relationships and gives us opportunities to love, understand, and serve as our Savior would.

His atoning love changes our concept of perfection. We can put our trust in Him, diligently keep His commandments, and continue in the faith (seeMosiah 4:6)—even as we also feel greater humility, gratitude, and dependence on His merits, mercy, and grace (see 2 Nephi 2:8)."

Most times, my concept of perfection is completely skewed. An immaculate home, beautifully dressed children, a roast on the dinner table at exactly 5:30 when my husband arrives home, and of course my homemade apple pie for dessert (which I made 2 of to give one away, of course). While I'm typing this I realize how completely ridiculous this is, but apparently deep down, that is what I expect of myself- even if I don't neccesarily want that (I hate apple pie!)

But when I truly focus on the Savior, on what He wants for me, and on what He expects of me, I realize that perfectionism (at least my idea/the worlds perspective) is a tool of Satan. He wants us to get overwhelmed, unmotivated, depressed, & anxious over our weaknesses, to the point that we want to give up. That is not how the Savior works.

His infinite love surpasses anything we can comprehend, and as our Advocate with the Father, is fighting for our success. He loves us. He will always love us. And all He wants for us is to wake up each day, with a renewed hope that we will be better than yesterday.  

Hope

Next week my little family is moving to Ohio. The closest person I know will live over 500 miles away. I have never been farther than 30 minutes from family for longer than weeks.  Needless to say, I am terrified. I try to have a smile and be excited about this 'adventure'.  I try to be positive and optimistic. But the truth is, I am terrified. I don't want to go.  I want to stay in close reach of my family, my comfort.  I know this is a good path for us to take, but all the uncertainties keep creeping up in my mind.  The negative and unsure thoughts keep overpowering the good thoughts. I can only think of how hard life will be, how I hate packing, and how I can't do this.

But I'm wrong.

I can do this.

In quiet contemplation, I get a burst of hope. A chance to see the light, that not all is wrong. Not all will fail and be miserable. I see that there will be a chance to start a new, to hope for our future and to strive for our goals.

Don't give up. Don't give up to the despair that can so easily find a place in our hearts. Don't give step to the negative thoughts.  Fight for the hope of the future. That things can and will get better.

This video helps me to remember to always have HOPE.  Enjoy.

-Cherstin

Stand Ye In Holy Places

We talked about standing in holy places at church today. While the discussion was taking place, I imagined having a spot in my home called the "Holy Place." Just a little reading nook surrounded by a cone of silence. You know, nothing major. And, if it's not too much to ask, a button that summons Rosie the robot who will clean my house and feed my children until I'm feeling a little more "holy."

The more I think about it, the more I like this idea of having a space to retreat and regroup. I think a secluded spot to gather myself together again would be great, but where? Let's see…the bathroom? "Mommy! Are you in there? Can you see my fingers?"Maybe not. Oh, I know! My room! I can just lock the door..."Mommy! (banging on door) Mommy, the door's locked! (rattles handle) I can't open it! Mommy, open the door!" I may need to add some headphones into this equation. My kids can sense a closed door from across the house. For some reason, this really disturbs their little world. They freak out like I've hitched a ride to Australia. Hmmm...Australia. No...no, not practical.

Joking aside, my home is supposed to be a refuge from the storms of the world, not just for me, but for my family and those we invite within its walls. So, what does a holy place look like? I imagine it to be a safe place, a spiritual refuge. A place where the Spirit can teach, where words are kind and love is felt. It is a place of repentance and forgiveness. Anyone who has been inside an LDS temple knows what it feels like to be in a holy place. This is the pattern I want to use in my home. The temple is also always clean and quiet, but there are no graham crackers, Legos or little voices that know only one volume. I don't think the Lord will mind if I file "spotless" and "quiet" under "unattainable" right now, but that doesn't mean that a spiritual refuge is out of my grasp. Sometimes, holy places are covered in grape jelly and filled with very loud, high-pitched voices.

Making my home a holy place starts with me. I am the heart of my home. You know the saying, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobodyhappy"? Well, I believe it goes the other way too. I have a strong influence over the tone and mood of our home. It's a big responsibility, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by it. My inner toddler has been known to throw an "it's not fair" fit over it (usually an Oreo and a nap quiets her down). But, that’s just the way it is. If I want my home to be a holy place, I need to scheduletime to feed my spirit through prayer, scripture study and meditation (6am anyone?). It means I need to check my spiritual meter during the day, and recharge when I'm running low. Maybe that means locking my bedroom door and clearing a spot in my closet. I can't and I'm not expected to do it alone. The Lord is invited into holy places. In fact, holy places are centered on Christ. Through the Spirit, He is there to guide, teach, listen, and heal.

Making my home a holy place means that I forgive myself like I forgive others. That's an important one for me. I'm not perfect. Not even close. I married someone just as imperfect, and we passed it on to our children. That's okay, because holy places aren't filled with perfect people. They are filled with people who love each other and are willing to repent and forgive. Holy places have people who repeatedly fail but keep working, because holy places are places of learning. In holy places, we study and pray together, we serve each other, and we lift each other up.

I want my home to be a holy place, so my family can have the experiences we need to fortify ourselves against the bombardment of the world. I imagine us taking that little piece of heaven with us as we interact with friends and neighbors, sharing light and love wherever we go. I hope we can spread peace and joy in our daily travels, and when the storms come, we can find refuge in our holy places.

--Holly

Worth it?

I want to tell you a story of a time when I was extreme foolish. This experience has had a profound impact on my life. I was five. I was the owner of a beautiful metal box that had a built-in combination. My dad gave it to me. It was the greatest thing. I kept all of my prized possessions in there (my stick-on earrings, gel pens, and my hello-kitty eraser). Well, one Sunday, my older sister, Kate, had a huge bag of skittles in Sacrament meeting. She would not share and it wasn’t even the regular size, it was the party-size. I tried and tried to convince her to share, but she would not. In a final desperate attempt, I offered her my beautiful box if she would share with me. She gave me SIX SKITTLES for my box. Six. I agreed to accept six skittles in exchange for my box. Eating my skittles, I was (mostly) happy at the time, but I very quickly regretted my decision. It was a straight-up Jacob and Esau situation. And I was Esau. I still can’t hear about that story without cringing and thinking back to that trade I made. I sold myself short. I lost sight of what was more important to me.

I often think of this in relation to things on a grander scale. Many things can be substituted for the box and many for the skittles. While I know we do give up things that are important for things we want now, I think that more often instead of actively giving things up, we get distracted. The box is eternal life and the skittles are Satan’s distractions. Satan is the master of distraction. We get distracted easily by things that don’t matter instead of focusing on the eternal. How many times do we give the internet or Netflix most of our time? How long do we hold on to grudges or are quick to take offense? Perfectionism, jealousy, comparison, and seeking worldly success are all distractions from what’s most important. Through these distractions, we are selling ourselves short of our divine potential. Just as a bowl of pottage wasn’t worth Esau’s inheritance and six skittles not worth the box, neither are Satan’s distractions worth our eternal salvation. Never make that trade.

--Camille

Family History

This past Sunday I was asked to speak in church about family history. And honestly, my first thought was, 'really? what do I say?... Go... do family history!  yay!'

Luckily I was told to base it off of Elder Cook's most recent conference talk, 'Roots and Branches'. It is a wonderful talk and I would encourage anyone interested in Family History to read it. What a great message it has. It is so important to find our family members!

So, here is a little story from my talk, which emphasizes why we need to do our family history work.

"You know, we can all do family history in some degree or another. My family just had a big reunion in June and while there, my brother told us a story about his 10 year old daughter.  He said that it was a Saturday morning.  At 7 in the morning. He told us he was laying in bed, enjoying his only day to ‘sleep in’.  Well, it didn’t last long.  He heard a soft knock on the door, and in came his oldest.  She had in her hands a paper, and said the simple words, ‘Hi, daddy, I found a family name for you and mom to take to the temple’.   What?!  I was astounded when I heard this. Not only was she awake and dressed at 7 in the morning, which, lets face it, is quite the feat in and of itself. … but she had been awake since 6:30 and what did she choose to do?  Play with her sister?  No… Annoy her brothers? Nope…. Wake up the baby? Uh uh… She choose to quietly get on the computer, and no, not play games, but search for her family. To find a family member who had not had all their temple work completed for them."

Well, I just love my family!

Obedience

I have been thinking about scriptural accounts of people following the counsel of the Lord and their leaders. It has got me thinking how things work out for the people that are obedient and it doesn't work out for those who are disobedient. 

For example:

-Daniel prayed even when it was forbidden and the Lord protected him in the Lion's den.
-Jonah ran away from the the Lord's assignment. That didn't work out for him- which he learned from the stomach of a whale. However, once he repented and was willing to be obedient, the Lord blessed him.
-The Israelites who were willing to look to the serpent were healed, those who were unwilling, died.
-Laman and Lemuel wouldn't be obedient to Nephi and Lehi's counsel and because of their disobedience, they were about to be swallowed up in the sea. Fortunately, they repented and the Lord spared them.
-The early saints headed west, as commanded, and they were finally able to live in peace without being persecuted.

I testify that when we are obedient, the Lord blesses us and things work together for our good.

--Jashley

Come

I had the privilege of attending a Youth Conference as an adult leader this last weekend. The theme of the conference was “Come Unto Christ,” which is the 2014 Youth theme. 

Our conference was held in Nauvoo, Illinois, the historic site of departure for the Mormon Pioneers. This group of people were facing intense persecution by those around them, and were eventually forced out in order to find religious freedom. Having grown up in Illinois, I’ve been to Nauvoo nearly every year that I can remember. I have found this “City of Beautiful” to be a place of solace, pondering, incredible personal growth, and deep admiration. The pioneers had such a desire to follow God that they, quite literally, “came” unto Christ. They left most of their belongings, their jobs, their friends and family, in order to find a place that they could worship their God in peace.

When I think of the phrase “come unto Christ,” I immediately picture the statue, the "Christus.” 

Christ is standing there with His arms wide open, beckoning us to Him. When I think of this statue and the Mormon pioneers, a lot of symbolism comes to my mind. When the pioneers of old were asked to leave their homes, they did so with a strong & unshakeable hope of something even better to come. They would endure hardships, disease, and even death in order to get to their sacred destination, but their hope and faith in Christ sustained them.

At times, when I am striving to “come unto Christ” and become more like Him, follow His commandments, and do what He would have me do, I too have many hardships–trials that seem unbearable at times. And yet, because of my Hope in my Savior, I continue to take the steps (tiny as they may be) towards Him.

As apart of the conference, we also had a theme song which we sang every day. It quickly became one of my all-time favorite songs. The following are lyrics that particularly touched me:

So let Him in, and He will take away your pain.

When you feel His love You'll never be the same.

Come unto Christ. Come unto Him,

And by His grace Be made holy again.

He's calling your name. He's waiting for you

With arms open wide. Come unto Christ.

{Link to the music video HERE.} 

I have felt of His love many times in my life. Even at times when I did not feel deserving of His love–or any love at all. But it was His healing, the healing of my soul, that gave me the strength to overcome. I recently heard that the prayer for strength is one that is always answered & I know this to be true.

He really can heal all wounds. He is calling your name, pleading for you. To come. Come unto Him. He knows that it is His rest we so desperately need, and so He is waiting for us­—to Come unto Him.

--Aubrey 

Choose to accept His healing grace

I was reading in Mark a few days ago and was reminded of the huge miracle in Mark 6:56, "And whithersoever [Christ] entered into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment; and as many as touched him were made whole." I realized that I'd never considered just how literal the comparison is between Jesus and the brass serpent that the children of Israel need only LOOK at to be healed. And I wondered, "How many people just didn't bother to touch Jesus? How many just didn't even try to bring their loved ones? How many were just as stubborn as the Israelites that perished, rather than lift the tent flap?" But then it struck me - how often do I deny the miracles Christ can work in my life? How many times a month/week/day do I think "I'll do this myself!" instead of saying that brief prayer to invite divine guidance and support? 

There are certainly days where I find I am just going through the motions of motherhood, and the day ended up feeling empty, so much went unaccomplished, and there was contention and selfishness in our home all day. I might as well have been lying sick in bed for all the good I did anyone. Why do I have to get through, and make my family suffer through, an entire day before realizing I could've said a prayer or two at several key points during the day, could've sung a hymn instead of what I said, or could've just thought "what would the Savior say to this child?" before confronting them? Why am I so slow to invite Him into my life when I KNOW it is the Savior's healing and empowering grace that makes all the difference on the days that go well? Am I any less stubborn than those who remained in their homes or tents?