Unplugging for 10 Days

Every October and April, my church holds a General Conference.  This meeting is broadcast globally for all the women of our church to hear from our leaders and our prophet.  It is a beautiful meeting that inspires, motivates, and blesses my life.  One of the greatest reasons I decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Restored Church) is because we believe that God still speaks to humankind and provides guidance for our lives.  Having the opportunity regularly to hear from our prophet and hear what God wants for us is crucial to my own happiness and confidence in life.
In the most recent meeting, held the weekend of October 6-7, our prophet, Russell M. Nelson, counseled us to hold a 10 Day Social Media Fast.  He also asked us to omit any other sources of media from our lives that bring impure thoughts to our minds.  As we unplugged for 10 days, he asked us to record the impressions we received and follow through with them.

When I first heard his request, I was excited to follow the prophet's counsel.  I have lived long enough to know that when I follow his counsel (as he is the mouthpiece for God on the earth today), I am blessed in ways I had never considered.  My second thought was how am I to run a business where my primary platform is social media, without being on social media.  However, he gave no caveats and in my heart of hearts, I knew I needed to follow this counsel and fear not.  I was a little nervous, but I replaced fear with faith and began my fast the very next day.
Today, marks day 10 of my fast.  I have learned more than I ever thought possible.  I would like to share those things with you in an effort to inspire you to heed this counsel and unplug.  It will only benefit you.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am passionate about my business and plan to continue using social media as my platform, but I also plan to have stronger parameters around my time spent engaging online to protect myself and my family from the dangers I realized I had become susceptible to.

My Most Significant Impressions

1. Prior to the fast, I had been frustrated for WEEKS about how addled my brain felt.  I was suffering from intense mental fatigue and despite my best efforts, I could not figure out how to come out of the fog this was causing.  I was scattered, irritable, and rushed in every way.  Unplugging from a constant barrage of information and unnecessary urgency finally gave my brain the solace is had been needing.  So, unplugging on a weekly basis for one day a week will become my new normal.  Sundays which I already use as a day of Rest will be taken up a notch!

2. I realized what my REAL priorities are! My marriage, my children, my family and friends, my spiritual relationship with God, and my business.  However, the time I was spending in what I said were my most important priorities did not quite match up.  I found a super helpful YouTube Video that I have taken into practice and it is helping me align my activities with my priorities.  If you have 30 minutes, it is worth your time! After a week of using this time management system, my productivity, peace of mind, and priorities have sky-rocketed.



3. I was reminded how important it is to listen to that still small voice.  Some call it a gut feeling, intuition... I call it the Holy Spirit.  When you hear truth and act on it, your are blessed immeasurably and often in ways you would not have foreseen.  My family relationships, especially my marriage, feel more connected.  My mood and energy are where they have longed to be for months.  My relationship with God has become more in tune.  Being a woman and a mother on the earth at this time is not a coincidence.  I am grateful to be alive at this time.  The responsibilities are great, but I am up to the challenge.
 I am so grateful for our prophet's message and that I took what seemed like a risk and heeded his counsel.  If you'd like to see his message in its entirety, here you go. Enjoy and if you choose to take the social media fast challenge, let me know! I would love to hear about your experiences.

 

Seminary

On my drive home from St. Augustine last week, I received a phone call from an old friend. It was a surprise and an honor when I found out the reason for his call. David has been called to be seminary teacher for our church in Montana where he lives. For those that don't know, seminary is a religion course for high school age students in the LDS Church. In places like Utah where a high percentage of high schoolers are Mormons, seminary is a class they can take in their regularly scheduled school day. Everywhere else it is early in the morning before school.
David reached out to me because of my seminary experience. I attended three years of seminary. One of those years was prior to my baptism in the LDS Church. He wanted permission to share my story with his seminary students as a testimony to the lifelong blessing seminary can be in their lives.  He asked a few questions, so I decided to record my answers for my own posterity here on my blog.

Why did you attend seminary?

At the age of 14 I made my Confirmation in the Catholic church. I was raised Catholic and have had a great love for my Heavenly Father my entire life. I have always loved the scriptures and learning more about God and what He wants for my life. After making my Confirmation, organized religious training provided by my church ended. This was a huge disappointment for me. I was discussing this with my dear friend, Gena, and she invited me to attend seminary at her church. She said it was before school and they would be studying the Old Testament. Immediately I knew this is what I wanted to do. I counseled with my parents and they agreed to help me keep this commitment as I was only 15 and could not drive myself. My dad spent the next school year getting me to seminary before the sun came up.

What do you remember about seminary?

I remember it not always being easy to get up and get to seminary. However, my parents were raising me to keep my commitments and on sleepy mornings my dad helped drag me out of bed. I also remember that despite being tired some mornings, seminary helped set the tone for the remainder of my day. I felt as if seminary helped me don the armor of God and prepare to be in the world, but not of the world.
Camaraderie with my fellow seminary students is also a wonderful memory. We all went to the same high school and would often hang out together between seminary and school. I think what I remember most is the feelings associated with seminary: love, hope, comfort, confidence, peace.

When did you get the most out of seminary?

I got the most out of seminary when I was well-rested and was up to date on my personal scripture study. Getting enough rest was quite difficult because in addition to seminary and schooling, I was very involved in dance, cheerleading, choir, and other after-school clubs. The Lord truly did bless me though, because as I put Him first all my other obligations fell into place. I managed to keep my grades up and had enough energy for all that I wanted to do. Reading my scriptures always helped me get more out of seminary. I was able to participate more in class and invite the Spirit into my own home.

How has seminary blessed your life and the life of your family?

Seminary has blessed my life in so many ways. I think the most important thing to come from my seminary experience is my conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptism into the LDS Church. It has changed the entire course of my life. I think I would have been a good person because I was born of goodly parents and raised well. However, joining the LDS Church has opened up a life that I love: filled with a joy beyond measure. 
In seminary I developed a love for the scriptures. I LOVE the scriptures. More importantly, I know that if I ever lack wisdom or need counsel that the scriptures will provide the answers. As a mom of four, I now am sharing my love of the scriptures with my young children. We read every morning during breakfast.  Our oldest is 6 and he is learning to read. He reads a couple verses on his own each morning and doing so has even helped him improve his reading skills.
Seminary also helped me to set goals and create self-confidence as I accomplished each goal, i.e. memorizing scripture mastery verses, reading an entire volume of scripture, etc. I continue to use strategies from seminary days in setting goals as an adult.
Because of the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ that I created and nourished during my seminary years, I have gone on to graduate from BYU, marry in the temple, and serve diligently in my many roles as a woman in the church. I rely on my testimony every day. It is a part of me and living without it would be miserable. My faith and ability to follow the Holy Spirit helps me bless my family daily. Especially as I teach my children correct principles and counsel with my sweet husband.

What would you say to seminary students today who are attending seminary?

I think that high school students might think I'm an old, out of touch mom. Maybe I am, but I'd like to think that I'm not. I would encourage seminary students to stick with it. I know that it is hard to get up early every morning and keep up with studies, extracurriculars, and a social life. I know because it was hard for me too. I also know that because I made Heavenly Father and seminary a priority in my life, everything always fell into place. I had enough time to do everything I needed and wanted to do. I still find that to be true. 
I'd also encourage you to read your scriptures. Really immerse yourselves and learn to "liken the scriptures unto yourself" as Nephi counsels. You will find immeasurable joy and comfort and wisdom from "feasting upon the Word."
One last thing I'd encourage is to become friends with those other sleepy people sitting next to you. Good friends will be a boon for you throughout your life. Your teacher is an example of that. Miles have separated our friendship for many years, but it hasn't quelled the love I have for him.

Please share your testimony about seminary.

I view a testimony as something I KNOW. Not something I think or feel. It is something that I know is true without doubt. My simple testimony of seminary is that I know without it, I wouldn't have a testimony of any gospel principles. Immersing myself in the scriptures through seminary helped me to plant seeds of faith that grew through nourishment and years of action on my part. Seminary helped me lay the foundation for my life. That may sound dramatic, but I know that for me, this is true. Seminary opened the door to my testimony. A testimony that I continue to build upon to this day. That's the great thing about testimonies: they are always growing.

Those are the questions I answered for David. There is a follow up to this story. Two days after David asked me to answer these questions, my dear husband was asked to serve as a seminary teacher in our area! I am so excited for Jared and for David. They have been given a great task in helping the youth begin building their own testimonies. What an amazing opportunity for both of them! I'll admit, I'm a little jealous.
I have one more thing to share. When Jared was released from serving as the Young Men's President at church today, I just started weeping. It was totally unexpected because I was so excited about his new opportunity and I knew it meant a release from his previous calling. I was just overwhelmed with God's love for me and for our family. Jared served as Young Men's President for three years. During that time, we had two newborns (Landon and Miriam), he had two new jobs, and we had countless blessings. I am grateful for a husband that is willing to serve the Lord and our family. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that loves me and always has my back.

Faith

I've been participating in a challenge to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover by October set forth by my local church leaders. This isn't the first time I've read the book cover to cover and it won't be the last. I make a sincere effort to do so once a year. Each time I read the Book of Mormon something extraordinary happens. I find something new. Maybe it's just that something new resonates with me. This time around, it was the subject of faith. One of the Book of Mormon prophets, Alma, teaches the people in Alma 32 about faith and how to grow one's faith. It is a great chapter and coupled with Hebrews 11, really helps one to understand  the concept of faith.

Faith is not just the religion someone practices.

Faith is not just a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

(Sorry, I just had to.)

Faith is an all-encompassing way of living one's life. Faithful is a word I want used to describe me. I strive daily to live by and increase my faith. I am a prayerful person and I don't just believe my prayers are answered, I know my prayers are answered. Quite often answers to prayers require a leap of faith.

Boyd K. Packer had this to say about faith. "Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness. If everything has to be known, if everything has to be explained, if everything has to be certified, then there is no need for faith. Indeed there is no room for it.
"The prophet Alma said: 'Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is that faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it... And now as I said concerning faith--faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.' (Alma 32:17-18, 21).
"There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen...
"There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. Few possess it. It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Direct and channeled, it has great effect.
"But faith must be faith. One man tried 'experimenting' with faith. He had spoken to his certainty that an event would transpire, and his desires were not brought to pass; the event he so much yearned for did not happen. Afterward, his bitter comment was, 'Well, you see, it didn't happen. I didn't think it would.'
"In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression 'seeing is believing' promotes the attitude, 'You show me, and I will believe.' We want all of the proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith.
"When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about--that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith" (Boyd K. Packer, "What is Faith?" in Faith, pp. 42-43).

"Believing is seeing." I love that! Here's to being less skeptical and more faithful. If you're waiting for a sign to do something, maybe the Lord is actually waiting on you to take a leap of faith.

Gratitude

In my reading this evening, I came across this quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf (a leader in the LDS Church). It was so good, I thought I'd share.

 

"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what. This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer. When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation... In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace... How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before  thanking God that there is rain? Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges. This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul." ("Grateful in Any Circumstances," Ensign, May 2014, 75-76)

Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple Dedication

Several weeks ago, we had the privilege of taking our family to tour the newly built Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple. You can read all about that HERE.

 

The Open House ended a couple of weeks ago, and the temple was dedicated today with three special dedicatory services. Now that the temple has been dedicated, only worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may enter the temple to perform sacred ordinances for themselves and for ancestors that have passed away. Temples are a very important part of our beliefs because we believe the ordinances performed in holy temples are necessary to live eternally as families in the presence of God. Because this is such a special event, churches in the state of Florida were allowed to forgo regular Sunday meetings and participate in the dedicatory services via live satellite feed. Jared and I were able to attend and it was truly a special experience.

 

My favorite part about the temple is how I feel when I enter its doors. I find a peace in the temples of our church that I rarely feel in the outside world. In the temple, I feel my Heavenly Father's love for me. I feel unburdened by the troubles of the world. I feel closer to my ancestors, especially those I knew personally and miss on a daily basis. I feel peace and hope and love. I felt all of those things today. In addition to these wonderful feelings, I felt a great pride for the members of my church here in Florida. Many years of dedication and endurance and sacrifice were put forth by many wonderful people to make it possible for the temple to be built in Fort Lauderdale. I believe we are one of the few states in the eastern part of the United States that has two temples. This is such a blessing for members of my church.

 

I am grateful we were able to play a small part in today's dedicatory services. It was truly a spiritual experience I won't soon forget.

 

Come to Zion

Jared and I gave talks in church a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed our topic and was really inspired. Thought I'd share it here in case it could inspire someone else.

When we first received the assignment to speak on Zion, I began pondering that word, Zion. Such a beautiful word: simply two syllables, but with a hugely profound meaning. I began to think about my own personal experiences and my role in building up Zion. I know that Jared plans to take a more doctrinal route, so hopefully with our powers combined we can inspire each of you to take a more active role in building up Zion here in the Conway Ward.

My first experiences in a Zion community came as a newly baptized youth in the church. I grew up in what used to be a pretty small town, St. Augustine, FL. Some of you have probably been there on field trip or a weekend getaway. St. Augustine, itself, has an enormous sense of community. Many of the families living there have done so for more than 500 years (my mom’s ancestry included). Everyone knows everyone and it is hard to get away with anything. Within this community, I had the privilege to be a part of the St. Augustine Ward, a Zion ward. Not only did the people love one another, but they went above and beyond to minister to one another with the pure love of Christ.

I’d like to share a few personal stories that illustrate my experience.

When I was 15, the youth in the St. Augustine Ward were planning a temple trip. I was still awaiting my 16^th birthday to be baptized and couldn’t go into the temple to perform baptisms and confirmations. Jennifer Collins, my young women’s leader at the time insisted that I come anyway. Apparently, she had a plan for me. Instead of attending the temple trip with the other youth, Jennifer spent the entire day with me. We toured the temple grounds, drove the bookstore where she bought me a journal, and enjoyed the peace the temple brings. I felt so loved and special.  The Collins family is still in the St. Augustine Ward. I see them when I visit my parents. Jennifer has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for nearly a decade, yet her testimony hasn’t wavered. She continues to be an example of a woman of faith with a pure heart and a desire to be obedient to Heavenly Father. I am blessed to know her.

Without a priesthood holder in my home, I greatly benefited from Bishop Stephens’ care and concern. He was always checking in on me and finding ways to help me learn about ministering unto others, especially my family. Bishop Stephens regularly met with me for personal interviews as I gained a stronger testimony. He always checked in on my parents and challenged me to share the gospel with them. I KNEW he loved me. Bishop Udy, the former bishop and father of my dear friend, Gena, who was integral in my conversion, also ministered to my family. Even after I left for college at BYU, he would come by my home to teach my family. I am truly grateful to have learned from these dear men about the Priesthood’s role in building up Zion.

 I have been in several wards since then and maybe one other had that same feeling of Zion about it. I think that Conway Ward is well on its way to joining the ranks of a Zion Ward. I see in front of me wonderful people with testimonies of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who try day by day to improve and truly live the gospel.  The people here truly love one another. I have felt this love very recently. Just last week, I had my tonsils out. A few of you dropped off meals for my family so that I could get the rest I needed. A few of you brought me frozen treats to help soothe my ailing throat. Many texted or called to check on me. I felt so loved and so grateful for my ward family.

The prophet Joseph Smith knew the trials and tribulations we would face as Latter-day Saints. He said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 160–61).

In creating a Zion Ward and Stake, we must start by creating a Zion home life. Are we building Zion in our homes? It doesn’t matter how many people live in your home, one or 12. What matters is that you are doing those basic things: prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, family home evening, and church attendance (and really, not just showing up, but taking an active role in the church as home and visiting teachers and serving in callings). These basics allow us to build, strengthen, and refine our testimonies. Armed with our testimony, we become an integral part in building up the stakes and wards of Zion. I know that we can improve in these areas, brothers and sisters. Start small; don’t try to improve on all these areas at once. It is too overwhelming and frankly, you are setting yourself up for failure if you use this approach. Pick one or two things and improve those first. Start with the easiest for you and your family so you can feel some measure of success. Once that area is strong for you, move on to the next area. I challenge each of you to start today with one of these things. There is no better time to start.

Here in our ward can build up Zion by striving to be pure in heart, becoming unified, being obedient, caring for the poor and afflicted, receiving the blessings of the temple, teaching one another and learn our duties more perfectly, and preaching the gospel to the world. Today, I’d like to focus on how we can become more unified in the Conway Ward. President Eyring’s October 2008 General Conference talk, “Our Hearts Knit as One,” eloquently teaches us why unity is so important and how we can achieve unity with one another.

President Eyring clarifies that unity is not something we can achieve on our own. He said, “[Heavenly Father] cannot grant [unity] to us as individuals. The joy of unity He wants so much to give us is not solitary. We must seek it and qualify for it with others. It is not surprising then that God urges us to gather so that He can bless us. He wants us to gather into families. He has established classes, wards, and branches and commanded us to meet together often. In those gatherings, which God has designed for us, lies our great opportunity. We can pray and work for the unity that will bring us joy and multiply our power to serve.”  I love that; we can’t do it alone brothers and sisters. And, we are promised that as we achieve unity, our power to serve will be multiplied!

The scriptures provide great examples of how we can achieve unity. Everything Alma and his people were inspired to do was pointed at helping people choose to have their hearts changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is the only way God can grant the blessing of being of one heart.

In Mosiah 18 we read:

“And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church. …
“And he commanded them that they should teach nothing save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.
“Yea, even he commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people.
“And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
“And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the children of God.”

President Eyring shares two more principles of building unity. I read directly from his remarks, “A second principle to guide our progress to become one is to be humble. Pride is the great enemy of unity. You have seen and felt its terrible effects. Just days ago I watched as two people—good people—began with a mild disagreement. It started as a discussion of what was true but became a contest about who was right. Voices became gradually louder. Faces became a little more flushed. Instead of talking about the issue, people began talking about themselves, giving evidence why their view, given their great ability and background, was more likely to be right.

You would have felt alarm as I did. We have seen the life-destroying effects of such tragic conflict. You and I know people who left the fellowship of the Saints over injured pride.

Happily I am seeing more and more skillful peacemakers who calm troubled waters before harm is done. You could be one of those peacemakers, whether you are in the conflict or an observer.

One way I have seen it done is to search for anything on which we agree. To be that peacemaker, you need to have the simple faith that as children of God, with all our differences, it is likely that in a strong position we take, there will be elements of truth. The great peacemaker, the restorer of unity, is the one who finds a way to help people see the truth they share. That truth they share is always greater and more important to them than their differences. You can help yourself and others to see that common ground if you ask for help from God and then act. He will answer your prayer to help restore peace, as He has mine.

That leads to another principle of unity. It is to speak well of each other. Think of the last time you were asked what you thought about how someone else was doing in your family or in the Church. It happened to me more than once in the past week. Now, there are times we must judge others. Sometimes we are required to pronounce such judgments. But more often we can make a choice. For instance, suppose someone asks you what you think of the new bishop.

As we get better and better at forging unity, we will think of [Moroni 7:18] when we hear that question: “And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.” 

Realizing that you see others in an imperfect light will make you likely to be a little more generous in what you say. In addition to that scripture, you might remember your mother saying—mine did—“If you can’t say anything good about a person, don’t say anything at all.”

I learned so much about myself while preparing this talk. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that helps me to learn and improve and repent as needed. I am grateful to be in this ward family. I know that as we strive to build Zion in our homes and strive to become more unified as a ward, we will create a Zion ward right here in Conway. We will also have this promise President Eyring shares, “With the unity I see increasing, the Lord will be able to perform what the world will think as miraculous. The Saints can accomplish any purpose of the Lord when fully united in righteousness.” I add my testimony to his. This is the Lord’s true church upon the face of the earth, our Savior lives, we can utilize the atonement at any time to repent and be comforted and gather the strength to be better and move forward with one heart. As we do so, the Lord will bless us with miracles as individuals and as a ward family. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Our Savior's Love

Twice a year our local congregations gather together for what we call a Stake Conference. This weekend, we held one of those conferences. We were informed it would be a broadcasted conference, which isn't out of the ordinary. That is done from time to time. Jared and I weren't up for the 30 minute drive to our current church building (our regular church building which is only 7 minutes away is being renovated), so we drove to another building that happens to be closer. To our surprise the actual live conference was being broadcast from that very building! This means we were able to be in the presence of an apostle of the Lord. What a powerful experience it was.  Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and others were there to address us, along with stakes throughout Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. It was pretty cool to be so close to all the action. 
The messages were inspiring and reminded me of my important role in helping others, especially those in my own family to come unto Christ. Sometimes I struggle to share my testimony with those I care about the most. I worry about offending them or annoying them, but I need to be better about it because of my great love for my family. One of my greatest desires is to be sealed for time and all eternity to my dear family. I have faith that one day, we will dress in white and kneel at the alter in the temple to be sealed together as a family. That will be a glorious day. 
Here's a video featuring Elder Nelson. I hope he inspires you as much as he does me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMwKxmTLaCs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Grayson's First Primary Talk

Grayson gave his first talk in Primary (our church's children's organization) on Sunday. He was a little shy, but Jared helped him out. He did a great job. Since he is only 3, we helped him find a scripture and a quote from a prophet. He came up with his list of things he is thankful for and talked about each one. I wrote his responses down and organized it into the official talk you see below. We love our sweet Grayson and are grateful that he has a love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Let thy heart by full of thanks unto God.  Alma 37:37

Thanksgiving is this month and we are all thinking about what things we are thankful for. Heavenly Father wants us to be thankful each and every day. As we think about our blessings, we are happier and healthier. Here are some things I am thankful for.

1. Jesus Christ.  Jesus loves us and I am thankful for all he does for me.

2. My family. I love my family and they are super fun.

3. Taking walks. I love to take walks. They are fun and I get to see so many of Heavenly Father’s creations. On our walks, I have seen beautiful trees and flowers, frogs, slugs, a baby raccoon, birds, dogs and cats.

4. Miriam. I love my baby sister. I love to hold her, sing and talk to her, tickle her, and play with her.

5. Good foods. I am thankful that I have enough food to eat and that my mom cooks me yummy things.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude… you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I am a Child of God

Today was the annual Primary program at our church. Once a year, the Primary (children's organization) is in charge of the sacrament meeting at church (about 45 minutes). Each child participates with a speaking part and they sing songs that they have been learning throughout the year. Our theme this year is "I am a Child of God." I work with the children in the Primary, but I am not in charge. This is a relief because I love serving the children, but have my own mini-Primary and usually am a major busy-body on Sundays. I get to help out and teach without being in charge of the program. It's great. On Friday, I learned that our Primary President was put on bed rest and would not be able to attend practice on Saturday or the performance on Sunday. I suddenly found myself in charge and had a hard time wrapping my head around that.
The program went off wonderfully. The children did a fantastic job. The Holy Spirit was really strong. Overall, I'd deem it a success. I am so grateful for answers to prayer and the wonderful women that serve with me in Primary that helped me overcome my insecurities and weaknesses to direct a successful program.
As a proud Mom, I just have to say that Ethan and Grayson were especially cute today. Ethan is turning into quite the public speaker. Grayson loves to sing, but is also a little shy so he wasn't all that exuberant.

16 Years

16 years ago, on August 18, I was baptized a member of the LDS Church.  I was 16 when I was baptized, so that means half my life ago.  Crazy!  I was able to spend part of the day in the Orlando Temple for the sealing of our dear friend, Natali, and her new husband, Matt.  It was one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had!  I am so proud of Natali and excited for the life she and Matt are starting. 
Being in the temple and being reminded of all the covenants I've made with Heavenly Father, I was also reminded that I made the right choice 16 years ago. 

I love to see the temple

To make this post easier to understand, a brief lesson on Mormon temples is required.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples to perform sacred ordinances for ourselves and our ancestors.  There is a temple right here in Orlando.  Jared and I were married there and it is a beautiful place.  For more information:  http://mormon.org/family-history/  or http://lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng

Orlando Temple

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do some temple work for my sweet Nana, Grace Pomar.  I loved this woman so much.  I feel very fortunate to have known her for 29 years of my life.  She was beautiful inside and out and I miss her everyday.  She was the kind of woman that people would meet and walk away truly loving her.  Nana inspires me to be a better mom, a better wife, and a better woman.  I love how she used to tuck her chin into her neck when he laughed and the silly poems she taught us about lizards and doodle-bugs.  I love her fudge and that she once sent a batch all the way to Utah for me to enjoy when I was a freshman at BYU.  I recently found a letter she wrote to me that highlighted the events of her week.  I cherish it. 
When I went to the temple yesterday to do her work, I was surprised to find a youth group from St. Augustine was there and would be helping me out.  Kind of an amazing coincidence considering I had no idea they would be there and it really could have been one of hundreds of youth groups there that day.  I felt the Holy Spirit so strong and really felt she was there smiling down on me.  I felt connected to her in a way that I haven't in a long time.  It was truly palpable.  One of the best experiences, other than receiving my own ordinances and marrying Jared, that I've had in the temple.

I Love to See the Temple

I haven't been to the temple since way before Landon was born. Probably almost a year ago! So sad, but it is really difficult to go with three itty bitties at home. I got my temple recommend renewed this weekend and decided we should all go to the temple. Today we (the kids and I) went to the temple to have a picnic and walk around the grounds. They were extremely well-behaved and we had a great time. We felt the wonderful Spirit of the temple even though we didn't go inside. It was so fun and wonderful. Here are some shots of our adventure.

 Enjoying our delicious picnic!

 View from our shady picnic spot.

 Landon and me.

 Landon and the temple.

It was so sunny!  The boys can't keep their eyes open, so this is the best shot I could get. 

Front of temple.

More than conquerors through him that loved us

After feeling so sorry for myself yesterday, I read this article today and it helped my perspective.  This is really a small trial in the eternal perspective of things.  And, in the end, I will be better for it. Also, this is nothing like going through a divorce, losing a child, or struggling with infertility.  I'm going to focus on those around me (even in my own family) that need lifting up and stop dwelling on the one little thing in my life that I don't like.  Plus, my patriarchal blessing (a blessing given in our church that is specific to each individual) tells me that I will be blessed with more than I need so I can help others as long as I pay my tithing.  So, the Lord has already promised me that I will be able to pay my bills and take care of my family as long as I keep the covenant of tithing.  Since I'm doing that, I should be good to go.  The link to the inspiring article is below.  No matter what you are struggling with currently, its counsel applies.  Check it out at

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/more-than-conquerors-through-him-that-loved-us?lang=eng

Service in the Lord's Church

As many of you know, our church doesn't have a paid ministry, which means each member of a ward (or unit) holds a calling. A calling is basically a responsibility that we believe the Lord has asked us to do (as He inspires the Bishop--leader of a ward) in order to serve in the Church. For the last five years (well, nearly five years), I have been serving in the Young Women's organization of the Church. I loved serving in this capacity. I grew to love the girls I worked with and learned so much about Heavenly Father's plan for women and more importantly, for ME! I also took the opportunity while serving in Young Women's to complete the Personal Progress program and received my award in November 2009.

Today, I was released from this calling and asked to serve in the Primary as First Counselor in the Primary Presidency. The Primary is responsible for the teaching of the young children in the Church (ages 1.5 to 12). I have only served a brief time as a Primary teacher when I was about 18 years old and home from BYU in the summer, so I am very nervous. I joined my church at age 16 so never experienced Primary as a child, so this is my first real venture into Primary. I am excited to learn new things and to serve the Lord in a new way. Now that I am a mom, I have truly learned that children are "an heritage unto the Lord." I hope and pray that I will be able to help the children of the Church learn how much Heavenly Father loves them and that they can return to live with Him again as they desire and try to keep His commandments.

I am very sad to leave "my" girls and the exemplary women I served with in Young Women's. 2010 is proving to bring many exciting changes and it's only January 10!

You sound like a bunch of Mormons!

Funny story... Jared and his brother, Kevin, are in this course together at UCF that is called Cornerstone. It is a requirement for anyone majoring within the school of business. All semester they've been working with a team of people, Bernardo, Sam, Yolexa, and Pedro. They are providing a teacher's appreciation breakfast for Ventura Elementary, where they've been working with teachers and students in the Junior Achievment program. With the economy how it is, they haven't been able to secure as many donations as they needed, so I offered to bake pumpkin muffins for the breakfast. Jared also got his mom to commit to making some muffins as well. He and Kevin were informing the group of this and Sam blurted out that they sounded like a bunch of Mormons. Jared happily informed him that we are Mormons. He and Kevin thought it was so funny. Sam was a little embarrassed, but it turned into a missionary experience for them. He's even going to give Bernardo, who is dating a LDS girl, a copy of the Book of Mormon. Just thought I'd share how awesome Jared and Kevin are for being such great examples.

Girl's Camp

So, I went to our Church's Young Women's Girls Camp a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed getting to know the girls and the other women I serve with better. These girls are so strong and love Christ. Even though I'm one of their leaders, they are such a great example to me. Here are a few photos of our wonderful girls!