Monday Messages-General Conference

I really am not sure who is following this blog, but by sending it out into the digital universe, I think perhaps some may wonder about my religion.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Twice a year, God's prophet (and his 2 counselors) of our day speaks to us, as well as the modern-day 12 apostles.  It is broadcast through BYU TV and online through lds.org.

This coming weekend is that time of year.  I am praying for specific things and answers to challenges I face and ways to help people I associate with.  I always go away uplifted and inspired.  I believe that God can speak through these leaders to touch on things in their talks that I need to hear.  Sometimes it inspires me to do better, sometimes it inspires me to give myself a break and sometimes it just fills my heart with joy and gratitude.

Sunday Blessings-children

This is true for me, except now I would add..."or Grandma."

Sometimes I don't appreciate this great blessing as much as I should.  But I remember how much I wanted children and how excited and anxious I was for each one.  I know they are each a special gift from my Father in Heaven.  I try to be a good mom, but I can honestly say from experience that it is far easier to be a good grandma.

Saturday Quotes-Wherever you are...

Sometimes it's difficult to be all there, especially if it's a place you don't really want to be or there are stresses back home or back at the office (for example).  It is a talent to be able to leave work at work or put aside the stresses of the kids, while you visit a sick friend or fulfill a church assignment.  But I think if you are totally present, you will be more successful and find more joy in what you are doing in the moment.  Those who do this well are the ones who make the greatest impact on other people's lives.  When you are with someone who is totally present, you feel like they REALLY care about you and understand you. 

Friday Favorites-Daisies and Peonies

My 2 Favorite Flowers

                        

Thursday Tips &Tricks-paper plate containers

Kids could color and decorate the plates for any holiday before you fill them.  Also could be inexpensive container for any sweet treat.  Also notice the wax paper to line it.

Wacky Wednesday-Deiter or Dumbledore

This would be a fun Family Night.  Especially if you've got a few Harry Potter fans at your house.  My husband is the biggest fan at our house.  You don't have to be a fan either.  It's still fun to play.

Here's the link for the questions:

 Who Said It? Deiter or Dumbldore?

Tuesday miTunes-"Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" by Phillip Phillips

I love both of these songs and have kept them in my playlist since I heard him sing "Home" on the American Idol season finale 2 years ago.  I really liked him as a person because he was so humble and had such an easy-going likable style.  The other song really grew on me and became more of a favorite than the first one.  Both have such a happy, hopeful feel.

Monday Messages-Tuning in to the Spirit

This is profound and inspires me to find a quiet place to regularly ponder.  Sometimes it is in the temple and sometimes it is outside, among the beauties of nature.  But along with a quiet place, it requires patience and time.  It takes effort but will be worth it.

Sunday Blessings-Prayer

I am grateful for prayer.  The act of praying keeps us humble and grateful and provides a way for us to petition God through His Son Jesus Christ.  I remember getting my first real answer to a prayer when I was in college.  I prayed to know if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was the true church.  I had been raised in it, but wanted an unmistakeable manifestation of it's truthfulness.  I prayed as earnestly as I could and then waited.  I waited for what seemed like hours but was probably about 25 minutes.  Finally, I felt a warming feeling filling my whole body and a voice in my head telling me 'Yes, it is true.  You know it's true.  You've always known it was true.'  Then along with those words I had feelings that I had known about the gospel of Jesus Christ before I was born, when I lived in heaven.  This event struck me so that I never again wondered if it was true.  And over time I have learned a little better how to distinguish between my own thoughts and answers from my Heavenly Father.  I don't get distinct answers whenever I pray, and I pray every day.  But when I need His help, he comforts me and inspires me.  Sometimes I do get distinct answers and I know that they were not my own thoughts.  Most often I pray for His constant guidance through the Holy Ghost and I can testify that I am blessed and protected and guided.    

Saturday Quotes-Prayers of a righteous mother

I hope this is true.  I hope I am righteous enough to have powerful prayers.  I have been so blessed and continue to pray that my family will also continue to be blessed.  But I know that all prayers are not immediately answered in the way and in the timeframe we would like.  Plus, our prayers cannot override the agency of others.  We have to pray that they will seek the spirit through their own prayers.  But we mothers still pray fervently for blessings for our children.

Friday favorites-Brian Regan-our favorite comedian

Brian Regan is funny without being crude or relying on adult themes or using foul language.  He has several videos and audios.  We especially love to listen to his CD's on long car rides.  It's humor the whole family will love.  This is just a little sampling, but the more times you hear the same bit, the funnier it gets.

Thursday Tips & Tricks-better bacon

First, I like to cook my bacon on the griddle because it doesn't spit as much and cooks a little slower but doesn't burn.  But for less shrinkage (especially on the ends) rinse the raw bacon under cold water piece by piece.  Really, we had perfect bacon when we did this.

Wacky Wednesday-between me and my life's goals

Tuesday miTunes-If We Hold On Together by Donna Summer

I really love the lyrics to this song.  It's from a little animated movie called "The Land Before Time" but the words seem so appropriate to getting through this crazy thing called life.  I especially like the lyric "Valley, mountain.  There is a fountain, washes our tears all away..."  I think of the savior being the 'fountain of living water' who truly washes away our tears.  I also like when it says, "When we are out there in the dark, we'll dream about the sun. In the dark, we'll feel the light..." which reminds me that no matter where we are or what dark things are around us, we can feel the light of Christ and it will warm our hearts and strengthen us.  And of course, I like that it talks about "holding on together." This makes me think of holding onto the Iron Rod (from the prophet Lehi's dream and represents the word of God.

Monday Messages-Thomas S. Monson on "The Things That Matter Most"

I love this man.  He is so wise and gentle when he teaches.  I need to remember that some things matter-the things of eternity matter.  People matter.  Doing good matters.  And some things don't matter at all.....like almost everything else.

Sunday Blessings-choice and accountablilty

Following up on yesterday's Dr. Seuss quote about making things happen in our lives.  Sometimes we may feel like things are happening TO us, but no matter what circumstances we find ourselves faced with, we can choose our response.  Part of this is accepting the consequences of our choices.  Sometimes we chose poorly and we need to pick ourselves up and move on, learning from that choice and choosing better next time.  Sometimes we chose well and things are favorable for us. Sometimes we didn't choose anything, but adversity challenges us.  Then we choose our response to it.  
No matter what, we need to praise God for His blessings and for "being there" with us through thick and thin.  He wants us to make choices and learn.  He doesn't cause everything to happen to us, but lets natural consequences help us learn and I think occasionally he "throws us a curveball" by handing us learning experiences.  Still other learning experiences are the effects of other people's choices.  But I know that He never leaves us alone.  He provided His Son to not only suffer for our sins, but as it says in Alma 7: 
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations 
of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will 
take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of 
death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, 
that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he 
may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to 
their infirmities.

He knows how to "succor" me, which means "to run to." I am grateful for His constant care and companionship. It is only by learning how to make good choices that we can become like Him.  I understand that He is in the details of my life, not making choices for me and not overriding natural consequences.  But holding my hand and helping me learn.  I am so grateful for the Father's wisdom in providing a Savior to suffer for us, that He would know how to "succor" us and help us learn and grow.  And by descending below all things and experiencing all our sorrows and pains, he is the only one who truly knows what we are going through.  Our part is to turn to him and let him heal us.

Saturday Quotes-Dr. Seuss on making life happen

I love Dr. Seuss.  I love the idea of making your life happen for you.  

Friday Favorites-Naps

Dear Sleep,

I know I didn't like you very much when I was a kid.  I distinctly 
remember being at daycare and how happy I was when I turned 
5 years old and didn't have to take naps with the "babies" any 
more.  But now I find myself longing for you.  Now it's hard to 
live without you.  I just can't seem to get enough of you.  

Most Sincerely,

Me

This is really my own sincere letter based on a Pinterest post.  But it's so true for me.  I have to get my kids up at 5:30 and take them to early morning seminary (or they wouldn't get there).  And on the other end, I can't seem to get to sleep earlier than 10pm.  I think I am one of those people who needs a little more sleep.  Anyway, I can get by a few days on less sleep, but by day 3 or 4, I have to get a nap in or be able to sleep in.  I think the best is when I can just wake up naturally with no alarm.  The second best is napping on a cool day in the sunshine.  My bed is higher up and the sun shines in my windows in the afternoon so that I can lay with my feet and legs in the sun but not my upper body or face.  I did that the day before yesterday and it was heavenly.

Thursday Tips & Tricks-Letter Walk

This idea could be adapted for FHE, Youth activity, family reunion game or car trip...

Find letters of the alphabet or things that start with that letter and tear off tab as you go.

Wacky Wednesday-someone else's show

For me, this means watching shows about refurbishing cars (I don't even really know the names of them) or "Motorweek" or reruns of "Stargate" and sometimes "Cops" but in general I don't mind because seeing that someone you love is enjoying it makes it not so bad.  Or I just do puzzles while he's watching so I'm still there with him. 

Tuesday miTunes-You Are the Sunshine of My Life

It's going to get cloudy today and we're expecting snow later.  But I do love that the sun is shining right now.  And I love the images.  It makes me smile.

Monday Messages-Positive thinking and daily affirmations

Whether you actually watch a video or just say positive things to yourself each day, you will find greater success.  I recommend taking time to ponder, pray, be grateful and think positive each morning and again each evening.  I know that God listens to our prayers and will help us achieve greatness.

Sunday Blessings-change

I am grateful for change.  They say that the inevitability of change is the only thing that never changes.  Growing up moving around was sometimes difficult and painful, but learning to adapt to new surroundings and circumstances provides strength and growth that can be had in no other way.  Some change is immediately felt and other times it is slow and imperceptible.
Today, our church family is changing.  It will be different for sure, but also brings an excitement and perhaps a new dynamic.  As I have said previously, I love to study group dynamic, so this will be especially exciting for me to see.
Some people get anxious or rebellious at changes.  I hope that our little church family will welcome any new members and learn to serve those that have greater needs than we do.  If we can embrace the changes as a new adventure and new friends to know, I think the dynamics will change for the better.

Saturday Quotes-When it rains, it pours...

I am so grateful that the sun will always shine again.

Friday Favorites-Death by chocolate cake

This is better than any restaurant chocolate cake.  It's so rich that I don't put frosting on it, I love whipped cream and raspberries.  


Pour dry Devil's Food cake mix, dry chocolate pudding mix (large size), 4 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 cup sour cream in mixer and blend well.  Fold in 1 package chocolate chips and pour batter in well greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Thursday Tips & Tricks-penny walk

My daughter and son-in-law did this on their first date.  It turned into a 5 hour walk...and the rest is history.  Kids would love this.

Flip the penny to decide which way to go (heads-left, tails-right) and then that's the direction you go.  Also, you could go at night with flashlights on a warm summer's evening.

Wacky Wednesday-When the queen is happy...

We all know this is true, but sometimes it's difficult to be happy all the time.  So we queens hope that those in the kingdom know we are trying our best and we would be happier if everyone took responsibility for their own happiness and peace.

Tuesday iTunes-Everything by Michael Buble

I know my husband loves me.  This is one of the songs I imagine him singing to me.

Monday Messages-The other prodigal son

This is such a great message.  For me, I have often felt sympathy for the other prodigal son.  The one who was always faithful and who didn't go off and follow the "ways of the world."  But over the years, I have realized that we are all lost in some ways.  None of us are perfect.  We all need forgiveness. And those who have been faithful (or who are at least trying to be faithful) have blessings that others do not have.  If we are of the 99 sheep, we are safe.  Not only should we not be jealous of the Christ, the Good Shepherd, going after the one sheep who is lost, but we should also reach out to the lost sheep.  With some lost sheep it is easier for me to reach out.  This talk by Elder Holland helps me understand that we are all children of God and He loves each one of us, no matter how much we've squandered our inheritance and no matter if we are like the other prodigal who is envious and prideful and unforgiving at first.

Sunday Blessings-a woman

I am so grateful to be a woman.  I don't know anything different, but I am still grateful for my ability to be a mother and to be the one who nurtures.  This is what I was meant to do.  It is my nature to be gentle, loving, softer, more emotional and take care of things at home. It is important to realize that gender is a part of our eternal identity, so I know that it was not chance that I am a woman.  I can think of nothing more beautiful and inspiring as a woman who knows she is a daughter of God and who has the spirit of God shining through her.  She is a light to all who behold her and an inspiration to be with.  She loves all around her and brings happiness wherever she goes.

Saturday Quotes-Women of God