love story part eighteen: my endowment

I was three days away from marrying the man of my dreams in a temple of God.  But before I could do so, I needed to become endowed. 

Now many of you who are not of the LDS (Mormon) faith may not know what this means. So here's the quick version of a very important part of my religion...

In the temple we are taught about God's plan for us, we make covenants, and we are promised blessings. We receive ordinances that enable us to live in God's presence. The word "endowment" means "gift" or "bestowal." As part of this ordinance, we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple. See pictures of the insides of Mormon temples here.

One's personal endowment session must take place before they can receive the blessings of a temple sealing (marriage.) Before members can serve missions for the church, they receive their own endowment as it can serve as a strength while they spend 2 years of their life serving the Lord and sharing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, because Mr. Jolley was a returned missionary, he had received his a little over 2 years earlier, but now it was finally my turn.

I grew up singing...

"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday.

To feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare while I am young, this is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple, I'll go inside someday.

I'll covenant with my Father, I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place, where we are sealed together.

As a child of God I've learned this truth, a family is forever."

Having my sweetheart with me there made it even more wonderful. Even though I had studied and prepared for this day, I did not have any idea just how beautiful and wonderful it would be. In my mind, the temple taught me more about Christ, eternal family relationships, and personal change than anything else in my life ever had. The temple is about changing your heart, mind and soul so that you can become more like God.

I had never felt more at peace in my life. The whole hour drive home from my endowment I was cuddled into Mr. Jolley's arms and saying over and over again. "I love you, I love you, I love you..." And praying that the next three days before our wedding would fly by.

the inadequate wife: getting back up when you let yourself down

"A few weeks ago during a usual meltdown session brought on by my own actions, my husband asked me how he could help. I didn't know how he could, he was the reason I was crying. And it wasn't anything he had said or done. It was my own issues of self-worth I was battling, an ugly battle, with many casualties. Despite his pleas to tell me that he loved me, and that I'm a good wife to him, I still felt miserable. I felt inadequate..."

Read the rest of my guest post over at Life With Amberly today!

love story part seventeen: problem with the ring

On a Wednesday just 3 weeks before my wedding I attended a wonderful Disney Princess bridal shower put on by my family. EVERYONE was looking at my ring, and of course they were, it was gorgeous and I was obsessed with it. 

I drove straight from my bridal shower where everyone was admiring my ring to my fiances apartment that evening to see him. Sometime in that drive I lost a diamond out of my ring, and a pretty noticable one. I noticed it right away and told Mr. Jolley. We looked everywhere for it. 

We realized it had a 90 day from purchase warranty, so I called Zales customer service hotline that next day. Because it was an online purchase there was really nothing the customer service hotline could do besides have me mail in the ring and wait 2-4 weeks to get it returned. I started to freak out, I NEEDED a ring at my wedding. 

Zales told me because it was an online purchase they couldn't fix it in store, it would have to be shipped out and take 2-4 weeks to fix. I checked with other companies to see what it would cost to just have the diamond replaced and it would've cost half of what the ring was worth to fix it in time.

 In a final hail mary, I ended up taking it to a Zales store and explaining my situation, almost in tears and using all my self control to not be a major brideszilla. I had a WONDERFUL lady named Rebecca help me. She told me we could see if they had the same ring in store that they could trade me for, but they didn't. She told me the ring design I had was one that had had many problems and she'd seen many returned with the exact same diamond missing.

So we found a sturdier ring that looked just like my old one and she gave it to me for an incredible deal. It was SO similar to the ring Mr. Jolley proposed with, and neither of us cared, because at least there was a solution to our current problem. We both loved the ring, and it was the exact same style Mr. Jolley had surprised me with at our proposal. 
The top ring is the one I currently wear on my finger, the bottom was the one he proposed with, diamond missing on the right.

my skin care routine for dry, dehydrated skin

I've struggled with acne since I was a freshman in high school. I feel like I've tried everything from ProActive to Neutrogena. One of the toughest things about my acne is that I have INCREDIBLY dry skin. And most acne preventing products contain ingredients designed to dry out your skin. On average I drink over 100 fluid ounces of water a day, and it still doesn't help much. 

In high school I saw a dermatologist. I took antibiotics to clean my skin from the inside out, and I used two topical medicines on my face day and night that both cost close to $100. It was pricey, but it worked.

Last time I went to the dermatologist she suggested a few new drugstore products, and it has seriously given me the best skin of my life!

I start with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It is a soapless cleanser so it doesn't dry out your skin at all! I apply it directly to my skin and wipe off with a wash rag, no water required. There should be a little bit of a filmy feeling on your skin. 

Next, my dermotologist told me to apply Cetaphil Moisturizing cream to my face liberally. This stuff is SO thick. I was really worried at first to put such a thick cream on my face, but it's SO moisturizing I can't imagine myself living without it.

I finish with a generic of Duac. This is a prescription you would have to get from a dermatologist, but I pay $10 for a three month supply. So even with my yearly copay to my dermatologist it still costs me less than $100 a year on my skin. If you struggle with acne I'd definitely talk to your doctor about Duac, and then see if your pharmacy carries the generic. 

What tried and true skin care products do you love? 

ask brooklyn march 2014

Every month I answer YOUR questions right here on the blog. Remember you can click HERE to use the form and ask me anything you'd like! 

How do you balance fun/tv/entertainment and spiritual/uplifting/inspiring things? Do you feel like it's a battle between those activities?

A million times YES! Every day is a constant battle, don't believe me? Check my planner. That thing is so chock full of everything I want/need to do with my life. Here are a few things I personally do that help me make the most of my time, but remember that what works for one person might not work for another!

-I only watch TV at the gym. I take my iPad and watch it while I bike, use the treadmill or use the elliptical. It works for me because I only watch shows that are on Netflix or on the gym TV's. (That's how I watched the Bachelor, at Planet Fitness on Monday nights LOL)

-I try to use the time in the car to pray, listen to church music, or reflect. Sometimes I need a good jam sesh to some rockin music, and I think that's okay, but usually I use it to focus on spiritual things.

-I use my bath time as social media time. If I ever go on a tweeting spree, it's probably because I am taking a 45 minute bath. It might not be the safest for my poor iPhone, but I haven't dropped it in yet... (knock on wood). I used to use bath time to read self-help books and loved that too!

-At least once a week I take a night to myself. It doesn't matter if that means not attending blogger meetups, getting behind in school work, or not getting all the house clean, I NEED that alone time to recharge. I mostly blog during this time, but I also love to bake, read and watch Disney movies. Whatever it is that I need to recharge. Sometimes it feels selfish, but I'm a better wife, friend and human being when I give myself recharging time.

What's your favorite brand of nail polish?

Essie all the way! WOOT WOOT! Although for $5-$9 a bottle, I don't buy it very often. But it's definitely my favorite when I feel like splurging a little more.

How can I show my boyfriend I love him more?

Have you heard of the Five Love Languages? You should tell him you have a quiz for him to take even though it may seem silly. The quiz can be taken on this website.  Learning my husband's love language has helped our marriage a ton!

Support him at events, be patient when he's upset, give him extra kisses, tell him he's handsome or hunky or hot. Above all be kind, because its pretty hard to find kind people these days. 

How do you blow dry your hair so it doesn't get all poofy and fuzzy near the part?

Always blow dry your hair in the direction you hair grows. This will seal down the cuticle helping to prevent frizz.

WRONG WAY TO BLOW DRY YOUR HAIR: This will cause frizziness because you are blowing your hair all over the place. 

RIGHT WAY TO BLOW DRY YOUR HAIR: Notice how the blow dryer follows the hair growth? That's what keeps your hair from getting frizzy. 

I also would suggest investing in some quality products, they may a 110% difference in the quality of your blow dry.

Some of my favorites...

It's a 10 Leave in Conditioner

My Amazing Blow Dry Shake n Spray

Paul Mitchell Quick Slip

Remember to submit your questions for next month's Ask Brooklyn HERE!

dialects of the five love language, yup, it's a real thing

Hello A Little Too Jolley readers! I'm Amberly from Life with Amberly & Joe and I'm so excited that Brooklyn's letting me hang out on the blog today! She is one of my favorite bloggers, and I am always inspired to be a better wife after reading her posts. I love the fun date nights that the Jolleys plan and I was really excited when they spent one date took The Five Love Languages quiz. I love talking about love languages, it's one of my favorite books and I love the concept behind it.

When my husband and I took the love languages quiz before we got married, my top two love languages were Quality Time and Physical Touch, his were Physical Touch and Quality Time. They've changed a bit since then, but we both still value quality time. I was so excited because I was sure that meant we'd understand each other and our relationship would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been the case. The second or third time I read the book, The Five Love Languages, I learned about different dialects in our love language of quality time and discovered why. Meaningful conversation with my husband is important to me. I love to talk about our future and and I like to ask him random questions that might help me get to know him just a little bit better. Joe loves spending time with me, no technology, no distractions, just us, cuddling on the couch or doing something we both love together. When I ask questions or get too involved in a conversation, Joe gets anxious and doesn't know what to say. Just sitting around together, especially when we're watching TV, makes me antsy and I have a hard time not pulling out my computer or my phone so that I can feel productive at the same time. We speak the same love language, just in different ways.

Recognizing our differences and making an effort to "speak" that dialect of my husband's love language has made a huge difference and it keeps us both happy! I'm constantly learning new ways to speak his love language better and the more I learn, the easier married life is. I chose the best man to journey through life and learn with, I don't know what I'd do without him! What have you learned about your love languages since you've bee married or in a relationship?

Amberly

those crazy mormons: christ's ministry and the great apostasy

"Those Crazy Mormons" is a blog series dedicated to answering common questions about Mormon beliefs, culture, and history. If you have further comments or questions, please feel free to 

email me at brooklynjolley@hotmail.com. 

How does God reveal His gospel?

God reveals His gospel in every dispensation. This includes calling a prophet and giving Him priesthood authority. The priesthood is the power and authority given to man to act in God's name for the salvation of His children. Prophets learn the gospel by revelation and in turn teach the gospel to others and testify of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer.

What is apostasy?

The Bible has recorded many instances of God speaking to prophets and it also tells of instances of apostasy. Apostasy refers to a time when the people turn away from the truth, rebel against authority and reject prophets. Each period of apostasy is ended when God shows His love by calling another prophet.

What is a prophet?
A prophets is called by God, given priesthood authority, and acts as a steward to oversee the household of God here on earth. The first prophet on earth was Adam. Through revelation He learned of mankind's proper relationship with God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. He learned of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. Other biblical prophets include Noah, Abraham and Moses. Each prophet was called by God to begin a new dispensation of the gospel.

Scriptures about Prophets
Amos 3:7
Acts 10:34-43

Did Christ start a new dispensation?

Yes. A few hundred years before the birth of Jesus, people again fell into apostasy. When He began His mortal ministry He established His church again on the earth.

What did His earthly ministry consist of?

 During His earthly ministry, the Savior taught His gospel and performed many miracles. He called twelve men to be His Apostles and gave them the priesthood authority by laying His hands on their head. He organized His church, fulfilled prophecy and was rejected and crucified. He fulfilled the Atonement which allows us all to repent of our sins, and eventually live with Him and our Heavenly father again.

What happened when Christ died?

Before His death, Christ gave His Apostles the authority to teach His gospel, perform the ordinances of salvation, and establish His Church in the world.  But wicked people persecuted the apostles and killed many of them. With their death, priesthood keys and presiding priesthood authority were taken from the earth. (Matthew 24:9, 2 Nephi 27:5)

Over time, without the apostles, doctrines of the gospel were corrupted, and unauthorized changes were made in Church organization and priesthood ordinances such as baptism and conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost. Much of the knowledge of God, Christ and the Holy Ghost was corrupted or lost. Priesthood authority was no longer on earth which led to the creation of many churches.

The world was again in a state of apostasy.

Other Posts in This Series:

What do Mormon's believe about God?

What is "Fast Sunday"?

lulu lemon giveaway!

Happy 1st day of Spring lovelies! To celebrate, how about one of you gets a $50 gift card to LuLu Lemon yeah? Enter below and good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 words that empower me

Words. Oh the power they have. 

Words can crush someone's self-esteem in an instant, and yet in the same breath they could inspire someone to reach their goals and chase their dreams. 

I've always been a firm believer of positive self-talk. There is just something so empowering about saying positive things about yourself, to yourself and others. Sometimes I catch myself saying things like, "Ah I am so stupid." just to quickly say, "I'm not stupid this is just a hard problem. But I can do it." 

I've definitely been laughed at a time or two for my silly comebacks to myself. But nothing can change the way I choose to empower myself through my words.

1- Begin

2-Inspire

3-Love

4-Shine

5-Change

Those words cause me to stop and think. They empower me to be a better person today than I was yesterday. They help me make important choices and they affect my relationships.

What words do you find empowering?

love story part sixteen: bridals & groomals

We had pictures taken in our wedding attire a couple of weeks before our actual wedding. We did this for many reasons and I'll try to write a post about it soon. But I am SO glad we did Bridals & Groomals together. It made for a very relaxed and enjoyable time snapping pics with my soon to be husband and imagining our future together. Again our photographer Scott Sumner was AMAZING and I'm so grateful for his talents and how well our pictures turned out.

 Did you have a favorite??