Real girls aren’t perfect.
Perfect girls aren’t real.
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
-J.K. Rowling
Sometimes we need to forget some people from our past because of one simple reason. They just don’t belong in our future.
Marriage vows are like promising to have sleepovers every night with your best friend.
-Lynsie Petig
Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
She who gossips to you…will gossip about you.
When life becomes more than you can stand…kneel.
Being nice to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you’re a fake. It means you are mature enough to tolerate your dislike towards them.
Never sacrifice who you are just because someone has a problem with it.
Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations.
-Gordon B. Hinckley
This business of training little humans for life is a mind-boggling process!
Sometimes we expect more from others because we would be willing to do that much for them.
A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.
-Max Lucado
The best way to get even is to forget.
Don’t let a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.
We must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy.
If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently.
You shield it and protect it.
You never abuse it.
You don’t expose it to the elements.
You don’t make it common or ordinary.
It if ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new.
It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by.
-F. Burton Howard
You shield it and protect it.
You never abuse it.
You don’t expose it to the elements.
You don’t make it common or ordinary.
It if ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new.
It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by.
-F. Burton Howard
The best security blanket a child can have is parents who respect each other.
-Jane Blaustone
-Jane Blaustone
Butterflies don’t know the color of their wings, but human eyes know how beautiful they are. Likewise, you don’t know how good you are, but others can see that you are special.
We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it Love.
-Dr. Seuss
-Dr. Seuss
Still in love after 70 years
Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
The secret to having it all, is knowing you already do.
"Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it."
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not plastic bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. After school the kids got together to play baseball, football or hockey depending on the season. They didn't need an expensive facility to play in, fancy uniforms, or even a coach. The idea that parents would get up at 5 am and drive their kid 40 miles to an arena for hockey practice would have been inconceivable. And, we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to tick us off.
Thank You
None of us will sin without first ignoring the prompting not to do it
It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.
After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.
Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.
Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love
Dieter F. Uctdorf
Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
Joseph Campbell
Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until Heaven. But for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.
Jeffrey R. Holland
Only God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, a victim into a victory.
Fe = Iron
Male = Man
Female = Iron Man
Grace is defined as the Lord’s enabling power, and with the power of His grace, not only can we find contentment, but we can be at peace, and we can be kind and loving and patient beyond our natural abilities because we can “always have His spirit to be with [us].”
An eternal perspective makes every problem temporary, no matter how permanent it may seem right now. And access to this divine perspective is available only from God.
A shipbuilding company had this statement in its advertisement: “All our timber comes from the north side of the mountain.”
Why the north side? What does that have to do with timber? After investigation, I found out that the best timber grows on the north side of the mountain because of the rigors of Mother Nature. The snow is deeper, the cold is colder, the wind is stiffer, and the sun is not so warm as the south side of the mountain. The harshness of the weather is a contributing factor to the toughness of the timber.
Human character is not much different from timber. Often the best in personality grows on the “north side of the mountain.” We grumble about our hardships and difficulties, yet those difficulties help us to grow and become mature. Each of us can look at our lives and see that the times when we made the greatest personal progress were probably when we were living on the ‘north side of the mountain.’
Children are a handful, while teenagers are a heartful.
I never thought I could cry so much in life, as I have over the last 4 years. And I still have 3 more children to get through the teenage years.
Help.
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
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
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.
Say yes to hope, no to mope.
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? 
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
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
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
We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how to respond to what happens to us.
136 operating temples at the end of 2011
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
· Parable of the Laborer – workers hired at different times during the day, but paid the exact same amount
· Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?
· Don’t be hurt or envious when good fortune comes to another person
· The race we are really in is the race against sin
· Envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving
· Coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing
· The formula of faith is to hold on
· Don’t hyperventilate about something that happened at 9:00 in the morning when the Lord is trying to bless you at 6:00 in the evening
· Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is being merciful
· There is nothing you have done that cannot be undone.
· Even if you are the last laborer at the 11th hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning
· To the husbands and fathers: Awake and arise from the dust, and be men. Brethren, step up.
· It is never too late, so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time.
Elder Robert D. Hales
· Parable of the Prodigal Son
· We should strive to come back to ourselves and to the ones we love
· How do we strengthen our desires to repent, become worthy? How do we help our youth?
· We become converted and spiritually self reliant as we serve others, worthily take of the sacrament, become worthy to obtain a temple recommend
· Ponder on the atonement during the sacrament, not just think about the ordinance
· We can help youth experience the sacrament by studying the atonement
· Worthiness to hold a temple recommend gives us the strength to obey our temple covenants
· All of us have the duty to assist the youth by helping them become self-reliant
· The saddest words are “What might have been”
Elder David S. Baxter
· Message to single mothers in the church
· Whatever your circumstances, how blessed are you
· You cannot change the past, but you can shape the future
· Your children will grow up and call you blessed
· In the kingdom of God, there are no second class citizens
· To the weary mother who thought she could not do it and wanted to come home to HF just for one night, she heard Him say, “You cannot come to me now, but I can come to you.”
· Single parents, I testify that Heaven will smile upon you
Elder Ulisses Soares
· Whatsoever a man soweth, that will he reap
· Let us not be weary in well doing
· In order to avoid bad influences, we must be continually sowing in the Spirit
· Let all bitterness and wrath be put away from us
· The promises from the Lord are conditional upon our obedience
· If we will stay on the Lord’s side of the line, we will be protected
· Do my actions place me in the Lord’s or the enemy’s territory?
· Banish any influence that would take our focus away
· You can’t be right by doing wrong, you can’t be wrong by doing right
Elder Quentin L. Cook
· The world has become more secular
· We recognize how busy you are, we know it is common to render long hours of devoted service
· This service extends through the entire membership
· God loves all of his children, He desires all of them to return to Him
· It is not up to us to judge
· Rescue those who have become inactive
· The family is the most important unit in all of eternity
· What we are speaks so loudly that our children may not hear what we say
· Praying with our children may be more important than any other example
· 2 Nephi 25:26
· “And it came to pass”
· Reading the Book of Mormon every day with our families: Persistance is the answer, and a sense of humor helps
· Reading the Book of Mormon: Regardless of the challenges you face, do not become discouraged
Elder Richard G. Scott
· The Holy Ghost communicates important information
· Those who have gone on are aware of us and our struggles
· The separation is temporary
· Why does the Lord want us to pray and to ask? Because that is how revelation is received.
· Be cautious with humor. A good sense of humor helps revelation, loud laughter does not.
· Careful quiet speech, good health practices can all help revelation
· Revelation can also be given in a dream.
· Recording can help enhance remembering revelations
· When we serve others, the Lord can piggy back directions to our lives
· If you feel God is not answering your prayers, ponder the scriptures, then look at your lives and see if He has not already answered you
· Should choices be wrong, they can be rectified through repentance
· As you continue to live righteously, you will always be prompted to know what to do
· Communication with our HF is not a trivial matter, it is sacred
President Thomas S. Monson
· Your questions will be answered
· Change your lives
President Boyd K. Packer
· You are holding a nation in your arms
· Children should have 2 parents – a father and a mother
· Life was not mreant to be easy or fair
· Husband and wife first calling is to each other, then to children
I made the comment a few weeks ago that I would gladly kill all my children so they could go to the celestial kingdom. I would take the punishment and spend my life in jail and eternal damnation if it meant they would be okay. President Packer’s talk helped me to realize that I don’t have to do that. Christ already gave up his life so my children could return to the celestial kingdom. They just have to accept his atonement and sacrifice for them.
Sister Cheryl A Esplin
· Teach our children to understand the doctrines
· It’s more than just importing the doctrine, it’s helping them pull it into their very being
· As children learn, their understanding is expanded, which leads to more learning and more understanding
· They will become more self reliant and more responsible
Elder Donald L. Hallstrom
· It is possible to be active in the church and less active in the gospel
· Activity in the church is the outward appearance
· Activity in the gospel are less visible and less difficult to measure, but they are of greater eternal importance
· 1 – deepen our understanding of Deity
· 2 – focus on the ordinances and covenants
· 3 – unite the gospel with the church
· If we comet o our meetings to be taught, we will never be disappointed. If we come to be entertained, we will be disappointed
Elder Paul E. Koelliker
· How do we help our children feel the spirit? How can we help them have the desire to follow the gospel?
· Feel the desire in our hearts
· As we understand our HF plan for us, we desire to help others understand
· When we live the gospel, our ability to help others increases
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
· Christ offered the ultimate sacrifice, His precious blood he freely spilt
· The atonement is at the center of the plan of salvation
· We must make sacrifices of our time and resources
· Our sacrifices as Latter-day Saints are among the most of Christians
· How do we persuade others to serve? We just ask them.
· Those who understand the gospel know that no sacrifice is too great
· As you sacrifice for each other and your children, the Lord will bless you
President Henry B. Eyring
· Prayed for a trial, received a confirmation that Heavenly Father heard his prayer
· All these things shall be for thy good and give thee experience
· Why do trials come?
· The Lord has promised he will not desert us
· Our foundation of faith must be carefully prepared to withstand the storms of trials we will endure
· Personal integrity and correct choices prepare the solid ground
· The metal framework is the gospel of Jesus Christ, serving God and others persistently
· Acting on even a twig of faith allows God to help it grow
· You receive no witness until after the trial of your faith
· Trials make clocks seem to slow down or even stop. God just wants us to be polished and be ready for Him.
· In all conditions, we can choose the right.
· We can live with perfect hope.
· We are never alone. The Savior has promised angels on our left and on our right.
This year my Dad and Mom invited all of his children to participate in March Madness with them. But not the basketball kind. The Book of Mormon kind.
The challenge? Read the entire Book of Mormon in one month. It averaged out to 7.7 chapters a day, or 17.1 pages a day.
When I started, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up the pace. And there were a few times that I got behind and then had to catch up. I think what really saved me is listening to it on my phone while I crocheted. The crocheting was repetitive, so I could concentrate on the scriptures. I really enjoyed listening to it in big chunks at a time. I understood the people and the stories so much better because I was getting more of the story at a time.
When I got near the end, I didn’t want to put it down. I read the last 5 days worth in 2 days. I was enjoying it, and I was excited to finish it. I finished 3 days early while I was at the swimming pool for the Princess’ swimming lessons. As I sat there, I closed my eyes and prayed and got a confirmation that it was true. I have really gained a love for it over the last month.
I am so very glad that I did this. I think I want to make it a yearly tradition. I also realized that I do better with scripture reading when I have a schedule and have to stick by it. Then I can't just blow off a day. I have to be accountable for it.
Our Heavenly Father doesn’t usually offer explanations. If we come to understand why things happen in this life, that’s a bonus. Usually we have to wait.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I get road rage. It’s not pretty. I really try to control it, but when I get behind the wheel, I seem to turn into a different person.
Goofy Motor Mania
But after The Teenager got 2 speeding tickets in 3 weeks, (“But I was only going 20 over, and the cop reduced it down to 10!”), resulting in $270 in fines, plus $40 for a defensive driving course to get some of the points off his record, I realized that I needed to be a better example.
So yesterday, I decided to try something completely new to me. Something so wild that I thought I was going crazy.
I drove the speed limit the whole day. The whole day.
It was so liberating! I was relaxed, I didn’t yell at anyone, and when I arrived at work, I wasn’t stressed out! I couldn’t believe that just by obeying that simple law, I could rid myself of the road rage. I am truly amazed and humbled. I am going to try and drive the speed limit from now on.
Oh, and another thing I discovered? I thought drivers would be racing around me and getting mad at me. Nope. Most people drive the speed limit too! Who knew?!?!
A mission is a strange experience
It is a trial and a test
A mission throws you at the worst
Yet teaches you the best
I’ve never been so happy
I’ve never been so depressed
I’ve never felt so forsaken
I’ve never felt so blessed
I’ve never been so confused
Things have never been so clear
I’ve never felt my Heavenly Father so distant
He’s never been so near.
I’ve never been so discouraged
I’ve never been so full of hope
I feel I could go forever
I think I’ve come to the end of my rope
I’ve never had it quite so easy
I’ve never had it quite so tough
Things have never been so smooth
Things have never been so rough
I’ve never traveled through more valleys
I’ve never ascended so many peaks
I’ve never met so many nice people
I’ve never met so many freaks
I’ve never had so many ups
I’ve never had so many downs
I’ve never worn so many smiles
I’ve never worn so many frown
I’ve never been so lonely
I’ve never had so many friends
Boy, I hope this is over soon
Gosh, I hope it never ends
My life is but a weaving between my God and me,
I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful, in the skillful Weaver’s hand,
As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has planned.
Benjamin Malachi Franklin
“If God be before us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
There is no law that says if someone knocks on your door or rings your doorbell, you have to answer it. If I don’t want to answer it, I don’t. I am speaking of solicitors. I just let them stand there. I know that they have a hard job, but I don’t want to deal with it. That is my right.
You know who’s jersey you have chosen to wear, so get off the bench and keep fighting. In the meantime, keep the faith.
I have seen this idea on the Internet several times, and we thought it would be fun to try it.
Next time, we will do it on foam board. The paper wouldn’t stand on it’s own, and it got warped from the heat. But my kids loved doing it! And…so did I!
As you watch the news, it appears we’re down, and we’re getting creamed. We’re in the midst of a tough contest, but we’re going to be okay. The Savior will be victorious, and we know it.
I love Christmas. Everything about the whole Christmas season. I especially love decorating for Christmas. I have a ton of decorations. Pretty much everything comes out of my living room and I replace it all. I especially love Nativities, and I try to add one each year. We counted and I think I have 21.
I feel very strongly about working on Sunday, or rather NOT working on Sunday. I believe that you should avoid it as much as possible. I know that there are jobs where Sunday work is unavoidable. But there are times when it can be avoided. And one of those times is as a teenager.
I have told my children that I would rather they didn’t have a job, than work on Sunday. I believe that if they get that ingrained in their minds as teenagers, then they will gain a testimony of it for when they are adults. There are plenty of places for teenagers to work, and there are plenty of people who will work on Saturday. My kids don’t need to.
Taylor recently started working at McDonald’s. When he was hired, he told them he couldn’t work on Sunday. The manager gave him a lot of pressure to cave, and even told him to talk to us and ask us if he could work on Sunday. But Taylor stood firm. He told him he could work every Friday and Saturday night, but not Sunday.
And you know what? He has never been scheduled for Sunday. Even working 32 hours a week, he has had every Sunday off. I know that Heavenly Father is proud of him and is blessing him for making that choice. And he will continue to be blessed.
The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this, is that we are still down here on the field, trying to decide which team’s jersey we want to wear!
Jeffery R. Holland
A wonderful question to ask oneself is, “What is it like to be married to me?”
If I were married to me, would I be happy? Would I love being around me? Am I fun to be with?
I am very fortunate that I only have to go into the office 2 days a week. I get to work the rest of the time at home. However, there are certain things that can only be done at the office. So when I am there, I am crazy busy, trying to get everything done. It is just a rush.
The Doctor loves his drive home because he can decompress from work and be all relaxed when he gets home. Driving home is not relaxing for me because I get road rage too easily. I am constantly trying to calm myself down.
So when I get home and sit down in my chair, I take a deep breath and relax. It feels like I've been holding my breath all day, and I can finally breathe.
It's wonderful, that first breath at home.
Therefore, strengthen your brethren [and your sisters] in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, in all your doings.
D&C 108:7
I have a confession.
When no one is home, and I am cooking supper, I sometimes pretend I am on the Food Network and have my own show. I talk to the “camera” and tell the story of my food and how I am preparing it. It’s quite fun!
Don’t laugh at me!
Do you do anything in private that you wouldn’t do when others are around? BESIDES the obvious…we don’t need to go there!
I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around, your children will be gone and you will be home alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don’t be a whiner.
Marjorie Pay Hinckley
We have certain expectations of our children:
- We expect them to go to church. There have been times in their lives when they were younger that they have said they don’t want to go. We just say, “I understand, but that’s what we do.” So when they became teenagers, they know they are going.
- We expect them to be respectful. We don’t let them talk bad about people, especially their dad and me. We are not their friends, we are their parents and deserve respect. They say Mr. and Mrs. and Brother and Sister. We try very hard not to let them call adults by their first name.
- We expect them to be present and on time for family prayer and scripture study every morning. We believe this is a very important commandment which bonds our family together. If they miss family prayer, they don’t get use of their cell phone that day. It’s great motivation to get them going every morning.
- We expect them to get good grades. They are very fortunate to all be extremely smart, and there is no excuse for bad grades. If they are really struggling in a class and not understanding, that is one thing. But if they are getting bad grades because they are lazy, that is a problem. I check their grades several times a week, and if they fall below a B-, they lose their electronics until the grades go back up.
- We expect them to fast on Fast Sunday. This starts when they are little. When they turn 6, they start fasting one meal, usually lunch. When they turn 8, they fast both breakfast and lunch. We talk a lot during they day about what they are fasting for (are they fasting, or are they going hungry). This may seem a little young, but it gives them a good foundation to stand on when they get older.
- Basically, we expect them to obey the commandments. We do work with them and help them understand why, and help them to develop their testimonies.
- We expect them to practice their music instruments. Thanks to my mother, I play they piano, so I have been able to teach them piano. They will never be classical pianists, but if they can play the hymns, that is all I want. They each also play another instrument, thanks to the music program at the schools. The Teenager played the trumpet for 4 years, and now plays the guitar. The Artist plays the drums, and is trying to learn the guitar. The Chocoholic plays the flute. And when The Princess is old enough, she will get to chose an instrument as well.
- We expect them to help out around the house, including daily chores. We have a chore chart which lists who has which chores that week, so they know when I say, for example, the table needs to be set, who is responsible for that. It eliminates a lot of arguing.
What expectations do you have for your children?
I don’t know what will happen today, but I can choose to respond delightfully to anything that does happen, good or bad.
There is a quote going around on Pinterest which says, “Good moms have sticky floors, dirty ovens, and happy kids.”
I take issue with that.
I have clean floors. My oven is clean (mostly). I have clean bathrooms. I have a clean kitchen. My carpets are vacuumed. Our bedrooms are clean.
And my kids are happy. I am a good mom.
Having happy kids does not mean I have to have a dirty house. We work together to keep it clean. We don’t spend all day cleaning, but we do clean everyday.
And we are all happy.
So don’t try to make me feel guilty for having a clean house.
The Spirit isn’t just there to make you nice while the world is beating you up. The Spirit is an infusion of enabling power and allows you to push back against the world.
President Joseph F. Smith stated:
“The Lord has given unto us garments of the holy priesthood, and you know what that means. And yet there are those of us who mutilate them, in order that we may follow the foolish, vain and (permit me to say) indecent practices of the world. In order that such people may imitate the fashions, they will not hesitate to mutilate that which should be held … sacred. … They should hold these things that God has given unto them sacred, unchanged and unaltered from the very pattern in which God gave them. Let us have the moral courage to stand against the opinions of fashion, and especially where fashion compels us to break a covenant and so commit a grievous sin” (“Fashion and the Violation of Covenants and Duty,” Improvement Era,Aug. 1906, p. 813).
Modesty is not just about covering your garments. Too many think that if you can’t see the garments, you are okay. Well, I don’t know about you, but my garments really don’t fit very well. The cup size is always wrong, and they pull down in the front. A lot. So I could justify wearing lower cut shirts. But that is living the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law.
I don’t want to see your boob crack. Neither do my teenage boys. They have enough temptations to deal with. They don’t need it from women who have been to the temple. Please cover up. If not for me, for my boys.
“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in.”
Haruki Murakami
I have a bit of a dilemma right now. I am not sure where to go with my blog. It’s not my journal. I have a journal that I write in. Every single day. I also don’t like putting pictures on the internet. I have heard of too many cases of pictures ending up where they shouldn’t. And I don’t feel like anyone even reads this anymore. No one wants to hear my opinion because I am too opinionated. So many people in my ward read this blog, and I have caused too many hard feelings, so I don’t feel like I can even be honest here. I’m thinking my time in the blogosphere is about over. I have enough Sunday Quotes to last until next year, so every Sunday, check back and there will be something to read. I might pop in once in a while, but it won’t be regular.
You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to.
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