Let's Celebrate Christmas!

I was feeling sad about some of the negative in the world, and in the news.

It seems so many are hurting, hungry, or are in mourning,

and still others may suffer in different ways,

When I was feeling down,

and wondering how can we continue to celebrate.

 I remembered the Who's down in Whoville.

I was reminded of how they celebrated Christmas morning,

even when they woke up to nothing at all.

It was a wonderful reminder, and filled me with peace and joy.

It also reminded me to keep things simple as I begin this Christmas season.

Joseph Smith Jr. and his Family

I love Joseph Smith's Family.

The recent June 2015 Ensign had a fabulous article about their family.

I loved it.

Here's a favorite quote from the article:

(Read the whole article if you can,

to better understand this quote)

"Remember this as perhaps the first lesson of Joseph’s life and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. In spite of failure, mishap, and bitter opposition—and in many cases precisely because of those things—Joseph Smith got exactly where he needed to be to fulfill his mission. So, if now or on some future day, you look around and see that other perhaps less-devoted acquaintances are succeeding in their jobs when you just lost yours; if major illness puts you on your back just at the moment critical tasks of service seem to come calling; if a call to a prominent position goes to someone else; if a missionary companion seems to learn the language faster; if well-meaning efforts still somehow lead to disaster with a fellow ward member, a neighbor, or an investigator; if news from home brings word of financial setback or mortal tragedy you can do nothing about; or if, day after day, you simply feel like a bland and beaten background player in a gospel drama that really seems made for the happiness of others, just know this: many such things were the lot of Joseph Smith himself at the very moment he was being led to the stage of the single most transcendent thing to happen on this earth since the events of Golgotha and the Garden Tomb nearly 2,000 years earlier.
“But,” you may say, “my life and earthly destiny will never be like that of the Prophet Joseph.”
That probably is true. But it is also true that your lives do matter to God, and your eternal potential and that of every soul you will meet is no less grand and significant than that of the Prophet Joseph himself. Thus, just like our beloved Joseph, you must never give up, give in, or give out when life in general, or missionary work in particular, gets utterly painful, confusing, or dull."

The Gleaners - Mothers!

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to each of You, My Heroes!

"In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. 

Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together

to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33)."
- Elder Bednar, More Diligent and Concerned at Home

Inspired Quotes as we begin the Holidays

As Christmas and the Holidays are quickly upon me,
and I start feeling the pressure to make sure it goes well,
and as I'm adjusting to a new home, trying to get it organized
and feeling like home, it's easy for me to start to feel overwhelmed.

I was reminded of some quotes recently, that made me feel much better.

"It is OK if the house is a mess

and the children are still in their pajamas

and some responsibilities are left undone.

The only things that really need to be accomplished in the home are

daily scripture study

and prayer

and weekly family home evening."

-Sister Reeves

"Simplicity. . .

is not a compromise

but a treasure."

-Mark Bittman

Mother

"Eve was given the identity of 'the mother of all living'. . .

before she ever bore a child.

It would appear that her motherhood preceded her maternity. . .

I believe mother is one of those

very carefully chosen words,

one of those rich words-

with meaning after meaning after meaning.

We must not, at all costs, let that word divide us.

I believe with all my heart

that it is first and foremost a statement about nature,

not a head count of our children.

. . .all of us are Eve's daughters."

-Sister Patricia Holland, Ensign, Oct. 1987, 33

The Witness

Were you able to watch or listen to our church's recent General Conference?

Each time you listen, there is always something you feel personally for yourself,

even though the speakers speak to thousands throughout the world.

This time I was so touched by President Packer's message,

and all of the Apostles messages.

They are older now, some of them I have grown up

watching most of my life.

I stand in AWE of the years, and years of service and travel,

and the infinite amount of time they have devoted

to sharing the message of the gospel.

It meant a lot to me as I listened to conference,

and strengthened my resolve to do a little better.

If you only have time for 1 talk,

I suggest Elder Uchtdorf's talk on gratitude.

Even though we all know we should be thankful,

he put it in a new perspective, that is helpful for each us.

If you have time for a little more,

I liked the combination talks of Elder Holland's and Elder Andersen's talks

about standing and defending for truth and God's laws.

I loved Elder Zwick's talk,

'What are you Thinking',

about marriage and I found insights into parenting too.

When my children fall down, I tend to get mad at them

"Why did you do that?",

instead of hugging them.

Elder Bednar's talk about the load was insightful as well.

When I put the load in context of 

our spiritual assignments that often feel like too much,

Church callings, temple and family history work,

scripture study, FHE, home and visiting teaching,

missionary work, church attendance, etc.

It all makes sense that this is exactly what we need to progress.

Then, in Sister Reeve's talk she reminded me that in order to accomplish the above,

we can let some of our temporal things go.

Even at times a clean, tidy house to have family spiritual time instead.

Elder Perry's quote about clarity was inspiring,

"I. . .challenge you to experiment upon my words,

and if you do, I promise that they will lead you to clarity of choice

when you are bombarded with choices and that they will lead to simple answers. . ."

Palm Sunday

Last night, I told Sadie tomorrow is Palm Sunday.

She looked at me with excitement and a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh" she said with glee, "We can wear Hawiian clothes to church tomorrow."

I love the Easter holiday. I'm so glad we can remember Jesus this week.
Celebrate his life, death, and resurrection. It's a wonderful story, and it's true.

Follow along this week on mormon.org about Jesus Christ.

"I will help thee"

I've been thinking a lot about fear, doubts, concerns, decisions, trials, etc.

The unknowns, the what-if's, the future.

Sometimes the older I get, the harder it is to make decisions.

I read Matthew chapter 8 vs. 23-27 today about fear.

The disciples boarded a ship, to follow the Savior.

"There arose a great tempest."

The ship was covered with the waves.

The disciples were scared, they were in a very bad storm.

They panicked. (Just like I would have done.)

The Savior was physically, and literally on the ship with them.

But, they were still frightened.

They thought they were going to die.

The Savior was calm during the storm.

He was sleeping.

The disciples awoke him, asking him,

"Save us; we perish."

The Savior said,

"Why are we fearful, O ye of little faith"

It's interesting to me that the Savior asked them

this question in the middle of the tempest.

He didn't ask them this when the water was calm.

When it was hard, really hard, that's when He asked them,

"Why are we fearful"?

I found great comfort today in the scripture, Isaiah 41:10.

"Fear thou not, for I am with thee;

be not dismayed; for I am thy God:

I will strengthen thee;

yea, I will help thee. . ."

I'm grateful for Elder Dube's Conference Talk

I loved Elder Dube's recent General Conference talk,

Look Ahead and Believe

Here's my favorite scripture quote from his talk:

"Ye cannot behold

with your natural eyes,

for the present time,

the design of your God

concerning those things

which shall come hereafter,

and the glory which shall follow

after much tribulation"

(D&C 58:2-3)

This quote reminds me of the pilgrims and their journey to a new land.

Be Believing

This is our family's 2013 school year theme.

It's from the scripture, D&C 90:24

"Search diligently, pray always, and

BE BELIEVING, and

all things shall work together

for your good"

Look for the Helpers

Often times during tragic events, I see this quote floating around in social media,

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,
'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”-Mr. Rogers 

I don't know if this is an accurate quote from Mr. Rogers.

It doesn't matter whose quote it is, because it is true. 

As I was learning about the news events of last night and today,

I saw image after image, and video of people (too many to count) - helping.

They were everywhere.

I'm grateful for the helpers.

I'm also grateful for our inspired church leaders,

who gave us many messages of peace at General Conference

just about a week ago.
Messages of Peace,
even when life and events around us don't feel peaceful.

A Sure Foundation

"Come unto Me"

For Peace at Home

Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness

Stand Strong in Holy Places

The Hope of God's Light

"Lord, I Believe"

Until We Meet Again

Your Holy Places

A Perfect Mother

-Mother and Son, by Robert Duncan

"There is no such thing as the perfect mother. . . .

We just do the best we can

with the help of the Lord, 

and who knows, 

these children who are struggling to be free

may someday rise up and call us blessed."

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

This little phrase

This little illustration is on my calendar for the month of May.

I suppose it has something to do with Mother's Day is in May.

It's a little ironic, though.

May is crazy for most moms and families.

There has been sports games and practices,

piano recitals, spring choir concerts, school plays,

end of year school projects, field trips,

birthdays, and good weather.

All of this leads to a lot of time away from home.

Still, this little phrase has been on my mind a lot lately.

As I've been thinking about

many different parts of my life and family needs right now.

It has been a nice little reminder for me.

I will miss Sister Beck

I confess, I cried a little when Sister Beck
was released as our General Relief Society President.

During her time of service, she said many things,
that were just what I needed to hear at certain times for me.
I will miss her.

She was featured in a recent LDS Living magazine.
I loved the article.
The online article is shorter than the original from the magazine.
If you need some good inspiration it is worth getting the magazine for the full text.

For my own personal use, I wanted to share some favorite quotes from the article that I loved.

Here are her words from the article:

"I don't think I've slept through a single night since I've had this calling. .  but
I've become more comfortable with how uncomfortable it is."

"The calling is lonely-it just is. . .There's nowhere for me to turn except to heaven most of the time."


In talking of sisters throughout the world experiencing challenges she says,

"In the end, it's between them and the Lord, and no one else can solve it.
And I've learned that's okay. . .I've been out in the world and I've seen hard things-
heartbreaking circumstances, just about every challenge. It's overwhelming and I'm not equipped. . .
A lot of that is lonely work between us and Lord and calling upon His Atonement to help us through our experience.
The journey is what makes us."



In speaking of working with the First Presidency and other general authorities she says,

"They make me want to develop more Christlike qualities and be trustworthy enough to be invited into their thought processes and to be a true helper. That's our charge-to be trustworthy enough among ourselves to be able to work together in that kind of unity."


"I think sometimes people confuse stardom with influence. A lot of conversation focuses on what we don't have and what we don't do rather than focusing on what we do have and what we can do."


"Who's going to do our part if we're chasing around saying 'I want a different one'."


Sister Beck believes one of the greatest myths that has been told to women is that they can have it all.
"Nobody can have everything and you especially can't have it all at once. There's an opportunity cost to everything."


How can we know if our choices are correct? Sister Beck suggests asking questions like,
"Am I aligned behind the Lord's plan for me? Is what I'm doing moving me toward eternal life or am I just enjoying my time in Babylon? (I have to ask myself that all the time Sis. Beck says). . .Is the Spirit confirming my choices?"


". . .I've learned to minimize my guilt. I used to be a very guilt-ridden person, but I've learned that the Lord uses many opportunities to teach me. I learn from experience when something didn't feel good, so next time, I do it another way. Don't carry it around your whole life."


". . .the world teaches us that we can have the dream now. . .[that] you don't have to work for anything and everything is peaceful and happy. . .Eve was willing to go through a long, hard mortal experience in order to work toward the promise of the dream - I don't think most women realize that. They're trying to make it be the dream now. We don't get that here. What we get here is the experience."


"I've also learned that life is pretty hard for most women around the world -from the lady on the farm in Africa living with the dirt floor and in a stick house to the woman in Hong Kong living in a high rise penthouse apartment, there's not a lot that separates them heart to heart. Life is still hard in many ways for the sister in the penthouse."

Tate said,

"I thought these melons were watermelons from outer space,

because they are white on the outside and green on the inside."

I think you're right, Tate. That's good thinking.

(Tate celebrating the 100th day of school earlier in the year)

Hair

I have thick, coarse hair. 

The older I get and more babies I have had - the more I need a good hair product.

My hair dresser recommended Aveda brilliant retexturing gel.  It works great on my wet and dry hair.

***** MOM*****

Special Note: I think you would like it!

I love this quote:

"I think hairstyle is the final tip-off
whether or not a woman really knows herself."

Sadie recently made this bow at our ward Relief Society craft Saturday.
She is very proud of her hairstyle with the bow.
I think she knows herself!

What are you going to eat Next?

"I don't think any day is worth living

without thinking about

what you're going to

eat next at all times."

-Nora Ephron, from RealSimple, July 2011 p. 2

(I selfishly made this chocolate cheesecake for Chris for Father's Day.

Selfish because Chris, it turns out, doesn't like cheesecake.

When I discovered this new fact about him, I wondered if we could still be friends.)

A favorite Pres. Hinckley quote

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.

The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. 

Life is just like an old time rail journey … delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”   -President Gordon B. Hinckley

Emma & Lucy

I watched this movie about a year ago, and really enjoyed it.

It left me wanting to know more about Emma. 

I found this book at Deseret Book. Emma and Lucy by Gracia M. Jones.
The author is directly related to Joesph & Emma Smith.

I enjoyed the book. It would be a quick, easy read for summer. It is fun to know more about these ladies.  I like learning about them, because when my life gets hard or I feel like complaining, I think of them. They endured so much and I quiet my complaints better.
I think we all experience Emma and Lucy moments in our lives.

"Since we are told in the Book of Mormon to liken the scriptures unto ourselves, isn't it reasonable that we might benefit by doing the same with the history of Emma and Lucy? I sincerely believe that through becoming better acquainted with the high and low moments in the lives of the Prophet's mother and his wife, we will find hidden strength for the challenges we face. . .Living as we are now in a world of uncertainty, it behooves each of us to ponder how Lucy managed to build a unified, loving, family while surrounded with every obstacle one can imagine, and to explore Emma's example of loyalty to her spouse and enduring compassion for the Saints."

-Gracia M. Jones