Sunday Quote

Do you think our heavenly parents wander through the heavens in morose agony over their straying children?  I don’t think so.  I know they feel pain, but I honestly can’t picture them living in eternal misery.  Ask yourself why they do not do so, and it will make a difference in your life.

Perspective.  PERSPECTIVE.  That is the answer.  God deals with pain through and by virtue of his infinite and perfect perspective.  He not only knows what we have done and what we are doing, but He also knows what we will do in the future.  If, as the prophets have taught, many who are heirs to the blessings of the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will either in time or in eternity be reconciled to the covenant family, then all we need to do for the time being is to seek through fasting and prayer for a portion of our God’s perspective – His omni-loving patience, His long-suffering, His ever-open arms, and a glimpse of the big picture.  Such a perspective will not only serve us well here, in the midst of our sufferings, but it will empower our souls and fashion us into the image of our Master, who is the personification and embodiment of charity, or the pure love of Christ.

Robert L. Millet

Sunday Quote

It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.

Gordon B. Hinckley

What does a teacher make?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To emphasize his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? She paused for a second, then began...

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 minutes without an iPod, Game Cube, or movie rental.
"You want to know what I make?" She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God-given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America .

I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."

Bonnie paused one last time, then continued, "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

What do you make Mr. CEO? "

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Sunday Quote

Say yes to hope, no to mope.

Losing Weight is Expensive!

I cannot believe how much it costs to lose weight. 

First, I am paying nearly $43 a month for Weight Watchers.  But I absolutely love Weight Watchers.  It teaches you how to eat , how to make the right food choices, and how to budget your points throughout the day.  They have an app for the smart phone, which makes keeping track of my points so much easier.  I love them.

And it is working.  As of last week, I have lost 26 pounds! 

But then we get back to the money.  Because I am shrinking out of my clothes!  I had a bunch of capri’s in my closet that I pulled out yesterday to wear, and none of them fit.  They were all too big!  So now I have nothing to wear for summer.  All my t-shirts are ginormous.  I have started wearing The Teenager’s t-shirts, which kind of annoys him.  Even my pajama pants are too big!

And let’s talk about bras.  I have shrunk out of those as well.  Or I should say out of it.  Because I only had one that semi-fit me to start with – it was too small.  But now it’s too big.  Fortunately, as I was looking for a smaller pair of pajama pants, which I found tucked in a back drawer under my bed, I found 8 bras from skinnier days!  All of them were the good Victoria’s Secret bras!  3 of them were too big (I skipped a whole size!) and 3 of them were still brand-new in the plastic!  I was thrilled!  And so is my checkbook.

Anyway, I am looking at having to buy a whole new wardrobe for summer, and I still have over 30 pounds to go!  But I will not complain.  I love being skinny-er.  I am not skinny yet, but I am getting there.  The Doctor took me shopping last week for an Easter outfit, and it was so much fun to try on clothes!  They fit well, and I didn’t feel like an elephant!  I used to dread shopping for clothes, but not anymore. 

Now, if someone wanted to just give me a couple hundred dollars to pay for them!

Anyone?

Sunday Quote

I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured being.  Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is – the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance” (D&C 59:15). That arises from the perfection of his attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man.

Heber C. Kimball

General Conference Spring 2012, Sunday Afternoon

Sunday PM

Elder L. Tom Perry

· The Book of Mormon delivers us by teaching a pure and most correct way of the doctrine of Christ

· 2 similar stories

o King Limhi -the Lord was slow to hear their cries because of their iniquities

o Alma and his people in the land of Helam – the Lord answered their cries quickly because they were peaceful and more righteous

· Why does the world need both the Bible and the Book of Mormon? The BOM establishes the truth of the Bible

· When used together, they confound false doctrine

· Turn our tents so the door faces the temple, the Book of Mormon, and the gospel

Elder M. Russell Ballard

· Liahona compared to GPS

· Tool even more remarkable than the GPS – promptings of the Holy Ghost, atoning sacrifice of the Savior

· It is our homes and families in this time

· More than half of the children born in the US to women under 30 are born to single mothers

· Education is very important

· The most important cause of our lifetime is our families

· As members of this church, we can bridge the gap

· The Lord uses this church as a tool to pull his children together

· No other success can compensate for failure in the home

· We need to things in the right order – marriage first, then family

· No career can bring you as much fulfillment as raising a family

· Husbands and wives should be equal partners in the marriage

· Use the family resources of the church

Elder O. Vincent Haleck

· Left his home in Samoa and came to US to go to school

· His parents fasted and prayed on a certain day every week to help their children

· Where there is no vision, people perish

· When you serve a mission, you bless the lives of many, and change your own life

· We act when we fast and pray

· The Savior said: What manner of men ought ye to be? Even as I am.

Elder Larry Y. Wilson

· The right to use the priesthood is directly related to righteousness

· Anyone time we try to compel someone to righteousness is not God’s way

· We cannot wait until our children are leaving the home to allow them to make their own decisions

· We must teach them to pray and how to receive answers to their prayers

· Do my children feel welcome and loved when they come home? Am I giving them compliments?

Elder David F. Evans

· We must talk and testify of Christ to our children

· Letters from home are not just quick emails

· Our missionary experiences have to be current. You have to continue to naturally share the gospel

· Is all the work worth it if only one person is brought into the church? Yes!

· Never delay a prompting

· As we act on the promptings, miracles will occur and lives will be changed

Elder Paul B. Piepir

· Through a still small voice, he will testify of Christ

· That which comes from above is sacred. Light and knowledge from heaven is sacred

· Sacred things are to be treated with more care.

· The opposite of sacred is profane, temporal, worldly

· Secular is important for daily living, but you must place the sacred above the secular

· What greater witness can you have, than from God?

· Those who choose to abandon even one sacred thing, will have their mind darkened

Elder Neil L. Andersen

· What thinks Christ of me?

· Being a disciple in these days will be a badge of honor in the eternities

· Discipleship is not a competition, but an invitation

· It is a lifelong migration toward a celestial world

· What would Jesus do?

· We must believe in Him in times of peace, and in times of difficulty

President Thomas S. Monson

· We live in troubled times

· HF is mindful of our trials, and desires to help us

· Pray always

· Settle disagreements among family members now

General Conference Spring 2012, Sunday Morning

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

· Spirit of envy, contention, revenge and hatred has led to the most sad stories in the scriptures

· It is easy to judge others when we have these feelings

· Forgiveness is vital – Blessed are the merciful

· Those who pass judgment on others are inexcusable

· Refusing to forgive is a sin

· It is required of us to forgive all men, including ourselves

· Stop it! It’s that simple

· Replace judgmental feelings with compassion

· Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you

· We all depend on the mercy of God

· The more we allow the love of god to govern our hearts, the more we love others

· Love your enemies, bless them that curse you

· The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment from our eyes

· He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone

· We are not perfect, we must let go of our grievances

Elder Russell M. Nelson

· Our degree of gratitude is a measure of our love for God

· Our bodies are gifts from Heavenly Father, they did not happen by chance

· The attributes by which we will be judged someday are all spiritual

· Just as the body requires daily nourishment, the spirit does as well

Elder Ronald A. Rasband

· This life is training for eternal exaltation

· Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God

· If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if he needs help or would you just jump in and help him?

Sister Julie B. Beck

· Relief Society is the greatest women’s organization in the world

· It is an important part of the restoration of the gospel

· Much of the growth in the church will come from women

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

· This doctrine is easy to understand, even for a child

· How does the Savior reveal his doctrine? In person, through messenger, spirit to spirit, in a council

· Not just a consensus among members but a revelation from God

· Throughout your life, follow the laws and commandments of the gospel

President Thomas S. Monson

· In our fast pace lives, do we ever pause for moments of reflection

· Where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also

· The spirit and the body are the soul of man

· There are consequences attached to our actions

· The race is not to the swiftest, but the prize goes to him who endures

· We were not sent to earth to float along with the current

Sunday Quote

We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how to respond to what happens to us.