One by One by David A. Bednar // Book Review

A huge thanks to Deseret Book for sending me a free hardback copy of this book to review. As always, opinions are my own.

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I am a huge fan of Elder David A. Bednar. His conference talks always inspire me to increase my knowledge of the gospel and become closer to the Spirit. Anyone else feel the same way? 

I've read quite a few of his books, and if I'm being honest, a lot of the information goes over my head. He's just SO knowledgeable! However, when I saw his new book, One by One, I got so excited because this is a topic I love learning about! The book is all about the pattern of how Christ ministers to and loves individuals. One by one!

Basically we get a "guided tour" through the scriptures showing us all the ways that our Savior ministers one by one. Elder Bednar also shares some really inspiring stories from his own life. I found myself making notes in the margins and sharing what I was learning with other people.

This book is one of those books that is bound to stay on the Deseret Book Bestseller List for quite some time, I'm sure of it! 

WHERE TO PURCHASE: 

Deseret Book 

Amazon

3 Ways to Carry the Spirit of General Conference Throughout the Year + a FREE month of Deseret Bookshelf PLUS

This weekend is General Conference! Which to me is seriously one of the most wonderful times of the year!! I love the feeling I have throughout the weekend and how rejuvenating and motivating it is. I wish that feeling could last all year.

So I've been experimenting with different ways that I could MAKE that feeling last all year and I wanted to share my top THREE ways that you can keep that spirit of #LDSConf with you in the 6 months between each conference.

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1. Use Conference Talks for Family Home Evening

When my husband & are on an FHE kick (it doesn't happen all that often...) we like to read conference talks together and share our thoughts and feelings. We often read one and then can talk about it for 30+ minutes. The church published magazines (Ensign, New Era, & The Friend) all have great ideas each month for incorporating conference talks into your Family Home Evenings.

2. Use Deseret Bookshelf PLUS for Gospel Learning 

Have you heard about Deseret Book's new subscription offer? It's called Deseret Bookshelf PLUS. It's AMAZING! For just $9.99/month ($6.99/month for Platinum Members) can listen to unlimited audiobooks + access to over 1,500 eBooks.

There are so many books by our General Authorities that you will have available to you. There is something so powerful about hearing (and reading!) the words of those who are in tune with the spirit. Want to read...?

Broken Things to Mend by Jeffery R. Holland

Increase In Learning by David A. Bednar

No Ordinary Women by Elaine Dalton

The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright (THIS IS ON MY TO READ!)

These (and many more are INCLUDED in your Deseret Bookshelf Plus. I'm seriously obsessing over it you guys!! You can even try it for FREE for an entire month! Use it on your commute, while you're at work, before going to bed, while taking a bath, etc. We spend so much time staring at our phones, we may as well be reading/listening to something worthwhile!

I usually prefer to read, but some days I just want to snuggle up in bed and listen, and that's why I love that this app gives you both options!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE MONTH

3. Set General Conference Quotes as your Phone Background

As soon as the conference starts the LDS bloggers get their fingers ready and make BEAUTIFUL prints of the most prominent quotes. For the longest time I had the quote, "Many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential." by Elder D. Todd Christofferson set as my wallpaper. Our lives are busy and it was a reminder that although there are lots of good and important things I COULD be doing with my time, only a few are really ESSENTIAL.

So choose a quote you love and put it on your phone (or wall!) so you can reminded of what you learned in General Conference.

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So now... tell me what YOU do to keep the spirit of General Conference alive throughout the year!

Thanks to Deseret Book for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own.

2,200 Scriptures

Ashley tagged me in an Instagram post the other day about a scripture challenge that President Russell M. Nelson gave in a fireside. He also wrote a post about it on LDS.org. The challenge is to read every single scripture that refers to Jesus Christ as found in the Topical Guide.

There are over 2,200 scriptures about Jesus Christ between the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. WOW. 

At first it didn't sound like a ton but now that I've started the challenge I can see that this is a HUGE commitment. President Nelson completed the challenge in 6 weeks. After sitting down for 30+ minutes a couple times this week to work on the challenge, I'm not so sure I will complete it that fast! I'm gonna try and crack down on my social media time and really spend time in the scriptures learning about Christ. I'm going to do as much as possible before General Conference!! 

He even said in the article... 

"To those of you who feel you don't have time, if you will make a sacrifice, you will be well rewarded and very, very grateful for the change of perspective, increased knowledge, and improved depth of conversion. I know this is true because I have seen the same rewards in my own life." 

HE MAKES US AMAZING PROMISES!!! 

His full devotional address can be read HERE and I'd highly recommend reading it if you are thinking about completing the challenge. 

I hope you'll join me! I'll hope you'll commit to give up a few things you love in order to make time to learn more about and become closer to Jesus. We will be so blessed for our efforts.

My scriptures are still fairly new and I haven't marked in them at all. I decided to use a yellow marker to highlight the verses I have read from the Topical Guide to kind of keep track! Feel free to use that idea as well :) 

Let's get it! 

You've Got This! How to Look Up When Life Has You Down - Book Review

I was sent You've Got This- How to Look Up When Life Has You Down to review and I must say I truly loved it! The book is made up of multiple popular authors, speakers, bloggers, etc. It is aimed at teens but everyone can benefit from the stories and lessons in it. 

One thing I really like about the book is each story only took 10-15 minutes to read. Which is perfect for winding down at night or taking a social media break to read something uplifting. 

All of the stories were uplifting and really helped me understand trials a little better. I feel like I learned how to look a little harder at my trials and see some silver lining. We can find joy in the messiness of life and this book is a perfect reminder. 

It's the perfect stocking stuffer for teens so pick one up from Amazon today! 

The Sacrament Is For Me - Book Review

I've been so blessed to be offered so many amazing book reviews lately. I hope you are loving them, I sure am! The most recent book I've received to review is The Sacrament is For Me by Jessica B. Ellingson. 

It is a really cute rhyming children's book that explains how we should act during the sacrament. It explains why we take it and how to make it a special time. I absolutely love the focus of Jesus Christ in this book, I feel like one issue I find in church is I don't hear enough about Jesus! But maybe that's because you can never hear enough about Jesus ;) Either way, I love the reminder this book is for children and adults on why the sacrament is for each of us. 

Any book that rhymes is automatically a winner to me. I love the way the words flowed in this book. I've wondered how we will be able to teach our future children (and foster children!) the way we feel about sacred ordinances like the sacrament, and books like this are the perfect way. How blessed we are to live in a dispensation with so many resources at our beck and call!

If you'd like to read more reviews and/or purchase the book you can pop right over to Amazon and check it out!

Defenders of the Family - Review

I was given the opportunity to review a new book called "Defenders of the Family" by Benjamin Hyrum White. I've been wanting to build our collection of children's books as we prepare to start our family and this book looked like a perfect one to add to our collections.

It was!

 This book has comic book type illustrations which kids will love! It goes through many of the roles of family, why families are important, and how we can strengthen our families.

I loved the simple descriptions that were used in the book and I wanted you to see what the inside looked like so you can see that below!

The book describes perfectly what Heavenly Father's plan is for families. It would be absolutely perfect to read to children to help them understand.

Like we learned in conference, if we don't teach our children about God and Jesus Christ, the world will.

This book can be purchased HERE from Amazon.

OCTOBER 2016 GOALS

I was reading my blogger friend Ashley's October Goals and it inspired me! I love reading what goals others are working on and how they are achieving them. I've been off/on with blogging for awhile and have been feeling a little more inspired lately so here I am! I decided to share some of my October goals with you to keep you in the loop. 

We are in transition on a lot of things right now: becoming foster parents, becoming biological parents, selling our home, Colten graduating, new jobs, etc. So instead of worry about all the things I can't control, this month I'm really trying to focus on what I CAN control. Which is me! So here's my goals based on Luke 2:52.

WISDOM 

Read 4 books this month. I just finished No Ordinary Women by Elaine Dalton on audiobook and loved it! Now I'm starting a book about yoga and so far so good. I'll try to do an October book update like I did for September. 

STATURE

Practice yoga every day- even if it's only a couple of stretches before bed. 

This is something I'm working on to try and help with my anxiety, and so far I feel like it's been helping a lot! 

FAVOR OF GOD

10-30 minutes of "SIT" time every day. I need to write a full blog post to explain this concept, but basics of SIT time is that I spend time Studying wherever my heart desires as long as it is spiritually uplifting, spend time in Intentional prayer/meditation, and give myself Time to write in a journal.

FAVOR OF MAN

Go on a fall-themed date with Colten! I've been wanting to go pick pumpkins and make caramel apples so we are definitely going to figure out how to make this happen. Fall is my favorite season!

That's all for now. I've been working through my mental illnesses and it has been very life-consuming for awhile. I finally feel like I'm getting a routine down that works! But I am still giving myself grace when I fall and need to pick myself back up. I hope you'll do the same for you this month.

Let God Love You - Book Review

Wendy Ulrich is one of my favorite authors. As a psychologist, I just feel like she GETS me. She understands the mental challenges we experience, and she understands that they affect us spiritually. 

I recently was given the opportunity to review her newest book from Deseret Book titled, "Let God Love You- Why We Don't, How We Can." The idea behind the book is coming to understand that our past and current relationships have affected the way we picture God. 

If we've had relationships that were really good, and then that person let us down, or abandoned us, or turned against us, we know the pain and trauma those experiences cause. We may start to put those ideas into Heavenly Father. Well if my husband left me, why wouldn't Heavenly Father? If my best friend gets impatient with my long stories, why would Heavenly Father want to listen? If my parent abused me when I made mistakes, how could God ever love me after this mistake?

See what I'm saying? After reading this book I realized just how many incorrect ideas I have about Heavenly Father that have come from past relationships. This book is amazing at helping you uncover what it is that is keeping you from closeness with God.

There are so many quotes in this book I want to share! But the best thing to do would really be to go buy the book from Deseret Book and read it! Here's one of my favorites I shared on Instagram. 

"Christ's disciples once asked Him to teach them to pray. He can teach us too. Sometimes we need more practice with submissive prayer, or grateful prayer, or penitent prayer. Sometimes we need to try praying longer, out loud, or with a paper and pencil in hand. And sometimes we need to simply invite God to join us at whatever empty chair we can see or can imagine, opening our heart to let Him come close, and sit with us as we wrestle with a problem, or feel sad, or just stare in wonder at the night sky."

This book has changed my perspective on how to get closer to God. I'm so grateful I took the time to read it. I have so many quotes marked in it. Most books I donate or share with a friend after reading, but this one is going to stick around so I can re-read it someday. God is truly waiting for us to let Him close! His love is unchanging, it is simply, always, there. 

2016 Worldwide Indexing Event - Join Me!

In junior high/high school I was really into Indexing. Every Sunday I'd log on to the internet (Insert wee oohh weee ooohh noises here), download a batch, log off the internet, complete the batch, log back on (wee oohhh wee ohh) and upload them to FamilySearch. I LOVED it. It was easy and pretty fun, and any type of service just makes you feel good inside. 

That's why FamilySearch decided to try and break a record this year! From July 15-17th, FamilySearch International is sponsoring their 3rd annual "Worldwide Indexing Event" to try to bring 72,000 indexers in 72 hours online to index the world's records and make them available online. 

That's what Indexing is. So my Marriage License/Record would be filed somewhere in Salt Lake since that is where I was married. Say this was 1890 and there wasn't a computer to store the file on, they kept PAPER records of every marriage. Now, FamilySearch has photos of the paper records, and WE are looking at them, reading the information and typing it out so it is in a searchable document so others can find their ancestors. SO COOL. Other types of records are available too, like birth and death certificates, draft records, Census documents, etc. 

If you'd like to join me, click HERE and enter your email to receive some reminders about the event. Invite your friends over, grab some Swig sugar cookies and make it a night to remember by Indexing an entire batch, which usually takes less than a hour. It's the easiest way to assist in Family History work, and also one of the funnest ways.

Let me know if you're going to join, and we can meet up and do it together! Let's break some records!

You Can Do Good Right Where You Are

I've been in a writing rut lately. I haven't really blogged or journaled anything super meaningful in awhile. I think it's because I've been trying to write this post but I didn't know how. Prepare yourself for this post, it's a long one. And please, read all the way to the end. It has a happy ending ;)

My life is a hot mess right now. In January I quit a really frustrating job to go be a 4th grade teachers aide which I have loved even despite its own challenges. I took a $3/hr pay cut and took 29 hours instead of 40. In February, husband was on the brink of losing his job so I took on a 2nd job working for Albion Apparel in their shipping department. In March he was offered a position at the same company in a different department, much more stability and a boss who loves him. But the pay was cut by almost 40%. It it worth it while he finishes school (November can't come fast enough!) but it's been tough for sure. In April we finished my home salon, business license and all, and I have really enjoyed starting to take hair appointments again. 

And despite all the changes and challenges, we have been really, really happy. And really, really blessed. But I've been in a rut. An emotional, spiritual rut.

I feel stuck. I couldn't quit any of my jobs, even if I wanted to, because for the first time in our married life, my income is necessary. (we skipped the poor college student phase as newlyweds, so I've been joking that our time had finally come.) I've also joked that I am not cut out to work full time, because between my two jobs I was barely working over 40 hours a week and it was taking a toll on me. My anxiety/stress levels were operating at their highest levels and melt-downs became a weekly issue instead of monthly/bi-monthly.

And guess what else? I'm ready to be a stay at home mom. So ready. It hit us like a lightning bolt back in December and we both wanted a baby. We are both ready for that phase in our life and so excited, but it isn't here yet. And we aren't pregnant. And that is hard. I can't imagine doing this for years and years. Wondering if on Day 39 of my cycle I'll start my period or test HCG +. My cycles are crazy and they always have been, so what if we can't even get pregnant? What if. What if. What if. 

In almost every aspect of my life I feel like I don't quite fit in. We are the youngest couple in our home ward and have no children. I'm not super skinny and fit and super-model-esque like the girls I work with. I'm the youngest teachers aide at the elementary school. I'm the youngest in our group of friends. I haven't really had my own gang of friends since high school/college and I left them all behind in Logan to get married. Why do I have to be so different? Why don't I have the magnetic personality of my brother in law? Why don't I have the gorgeous hair and body like my co-worker? Why don't I have 2 children by now like my fellow YW leaders? Why did I drop out of college to go to hair school when I will never make a lot of money doing it? How did I gain 40 pounds after marriage and why is it so hard to lose it when I'm doing everything right and working my butt off at Yogalaties!?

My life for the past few months has been surviving one day at a time. 4th grade is out for the summer which means I'm only working one job right now, but I kicked up my hours at my second job and left open two days a week for hair appointments. After a melt-down over my new summer hours, and a weekend of praying, pondering, relaxing in Ledgefork campground near Kamas, UT, I asked Colten for a blessing of comfort and counsel. 

I won't quote the blessing word for word (though I wish I could because it was incredible!), but I will share one thing. In the blessing, my Heavenly Father told me that he knows the challenges I am facing, but that He made me UNIQUE. He has made me different than a lot of people for specific reasons. He told me that I will influence those around me as I strive to share goodness. I am unique and important in HIS plan. He wants to recognize the good I can do in the phase of life I am in. I matter to HIM. And this is not verbatim, but He basically told me to get off my butt and begin doing the things I know I should be doing so that I can have His spirit with me at all times. 

Oh. my. lanta. A breath of fresh air. How easy is it to forget that we are unique for a reason? That we have a sphere of influence that only WE have? That you can be a good person at any age, in any phase of life and guess what else? In any type of body. 

YOU CAN DO GOOD RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. RIGHT NOW. IN WHATEVER PHASE OF LIFE YOU ARE IN .

My problems haven't disappeared completely. I still felt anxiety when I woke up this morning. But I made it to Yogalaties, and I listened to the Book of Mormon on my 25 minute drive to work, and I tried to be a hard worker and a good listener to my co-workers, and when I came home I kissed my husband and snuggled my puppies. I might not have children to influence, I might not make $60,000 a year (or even $20,000 to be honest), I might not have the sexiest body, or the prettiest hair and makeup... but I matter right where I am. And God needs me. And just as important... God needs YOU. And I sincerely hope and pray, that wherever you are right now, you feel the Spirit confirming to you that that is true. You can do good, right where you are. And God needs you.

On the Edge - Book Review

I received a copy of this book from Cedar Fort Books in exchange for an honest review. 

I love reading a good, honest memoir. I remember hearing one time that our stories matter, because our idiosyncrasies make us unique, and they might just be exactly what someone needs to hear. Some of us learn a lot more from one person's unique life experiences rather than general advice for the general public.

I enjoyed reading "On the Edge" by Stuart Edge. In the book he chronicles his life, from growing up normally to his parent's divorce and a random move to Mexico. (I was cheering for his mom as she followed a dream of hers! Girl power!) Later in the book he talks about the various he jobs he had after returning home from his LDS mission, including cleaning portapotties. He talks about how that job set him up for his future. I won't give it away, but I will say it was inspiring to hear how his different jobs led him to his current job as basically a YouTube all star.

As someone in a lot of "transition" life phases right now, his words spoke to me. There is good that can be found right now in whatever job you are in and that it could just be another step in God's plan for you and He just might be preparing you for a glorious future, even if you're not destined to be a YouTube star ;)

I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a light-hearted read or who just wants to know about how his career got started. As a blogger, I found some of his business parts very interesting! He talks a lot about how he was making videos that made others happy, but they weren't making him happy and weren't reflecting his overall goals. He spends his time now making videos that are more "Stuart"-y and doesn't worry as much if they don't go viral. Bloggers can learn a lot from that! If you don't love what you're doing, change something!

I'd also love to recommend this book to teens as I think they will love the stories and Stuart Edge is basically a celebrity to them! He has so much good advice that teens can learn a lot from.

Stuart's book "On the Edge" can be purchase from:

Amazon

The Sacred Gift of Childbirth- Book Review

I recieved this book from Cedar Fort Books in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been the person who writes and re-writes my packing list whenever my family would go on vacations. I like an itinerary, I like to know the plan. I'm a planner. I like to be knowledgeable about the places we are going and the things we will experience. Whenever I watch scary movies, I look up the entire synopsis before seeing it. Surprises just aren't really my thing.

When it comes to child birth, I've been afraid. I've heard horror stories and bad experiences. I come from a family with a lot of emergency and planned Cesarean births. I have friends who have had traumatic experiences giving birth no matter what way the baby came out, and I've been scared. I'm excited to be a mom one day don't get me wrong, but the whole pregnancy and childbirth thing has scared me a bit.

I had a friend who is way into the whole "doula thing" and it got me interested. Like, who are these crazy home birth people anyway? I had a friend recommend a book called The Gift of Giving Life a few years ago and holy cow it completely changed my perspective on pregnancy and child-birth. It really reminded me of how sacred and holy that experience can be. Easy? Not usually. But sanctifying? Yes.

So when I was given an opportunity to read The Sacred Gift of Child Birth by Marie-Ange Bigelow I took it. The book is all about learning how to make empowered choice for you and your baby. Marie is a certified doula and childbirth educator and is passionate about helping women have positive outcomes for birthing. I learned SO much reading this book and even read a few paragraphs to Colten throughout.

"The events that bring a child into the world are sacred and purposeful. They are designed by a loving Heavenly Father who has entrusted women with the responsibility of bringing His spirit children into the world. This responsibility is an honor and a blessing. When a woman understands this priviledge and sees Heavenly Father's hand in childbirth, she can find joy, strength, and faith through this experience." 

Isn't that beautiful? I've never had a contraction, never birthed a 10 pound baby after 9+ months of being uncomfortable. I've never dealt with morning sickness or the heart rate of my baby dropping suddenly during labor. I'm definitely inexperienced, but I loved this book and feel empowered by it.

"Consider three possible reasons for the pain in childbirth: First, there must be opposition in all things. Second, the pain of childbirth molds and refines women as they transition into motherhood. By experiencing the pain of childbirth, they have a deeper understanding of and gratitude for Christ's suffering for them, which helps them become more like Him. Third, the pain communicates to the mother that birth is imminent."

I have found so much knowledge in pondering on the reasons behind pain in childbirth. This book chronicles pretty much the entire process of birthing a baby, and not in a "Ew gross I didn't need to know that!" way, but in a "Wow, I'm so glad someone is educating me on this kinda way."

"It's important to remember that laboring mothers are NOT contracting for the majority of the time. About 20% of active labor is spent having contractions. The other 80% is typically free of discomfort and allows mom time to rest and refocus."

I don't know why but that quote changed me so much. How cool to think that child birth was designed in a way where 80% of the time you are mostly free of discomfort. Time to literally rest from your labors.

I have a few more chapters to read in this book, I didn't want to blow through it fast because I've been learning so much! I'll be so grateful to have it on hand in the future when I am pregnant and preparing for my own little one. Knowledge is power and if you prepare, ye shall not fear!

The Sacred Gift of Child Birth by Marie-Ange Bieglow can be purchased from:

Amazon 

Deseret Book

What I Hope My Young Women Know

The Young Women's program shaped my teenage years. It taught me so many things and introduced me to so many people. I gained my own testimony of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon, and the temple by completing Personal Progress. I dreamed of one day being a Young Women's leader and having the kind of influence my leaders had on me. 

I've been in the Young Women's presidency for just over a year now. I'm winging it. I love the Young Women with all my heart, my heart breaks when they go through trials. Sometimes I feel like I can't get the words out right, or don't have the courage to tell them all I hope they know. I hope when my Young Women become young adults, college students, wives, mothers, business women, etc, that they look back at their time in Young Women and remember a few things that I am striving to teach them.

Photo from: Hello Lovely Shop

I hope you know that when it comes down to it, this gospel is His. It is not complicated, in fact, it is very simple. All we need to do is become more and more like Him each day. I hope you keep Christ at the center of everything you do, and that when you doubt the truthfulness of the gospel (because I think we all do at LEAST a few times in our lives) that you re-focus your testimony on Jesus Christ because it will help you find the knowledge you need. 

I hope you know that your body is sacred and glorious. I hope you find ways to take care of it. I hope you know that having a perfect body does not bring true happiness. I hope you NEVER let someone tell you that you are responsible for someone else's virtue. You are in charge of your own virtue and that is it. No matter what you are wearing, I hope you demand respect from those you associate with. You are more than your body.

I hope you look forward to the future with optimism. You have already overcome so much. The Lord saved you for THIS DAY because he knew he could trust you. Your future is glorious! Whether you want to be a doctor, a hairstylist, a wife, a mom, a teacher, or a dentist, I hope you chase your dreams and keep Heavenly Father in the loop about them. He will help you reach your dreams, he wants you to succeed. 

I hope you turn to the scriptures for answers. I hope you drink deeply from their pages. The Bible & The Book of Mormon were written for you. You will have the spirit with you to a fuller extent when you do. I hope you know that everything we do in Young Women's is to prepare you to go to the temple. I LOVE THE TEMPLE. Do not let anything get in your way from becoming endowed. You will learn the ways of heaven in the temple. Go regularly now and never slack off, the temple will bring you peace. My garments are invaluable. I wear them with gratitude and happiness, how grateful I am that I can figuratively take a piece of the temple with me and wear them everyday. They are worth the fashion sacrifices. The promises associated with them are INCREDIBLE and life-changing. Get to the temple so you can learn more about those beautiful promises.

I hope you save sexual intimacy for marriage. Why? Because it is awesome! Yep, I said that. Intimacy with your spouse will be amazing! Heavenly Father intended it to be. I hope you know sex is so good, and that is why you want to save it for that special someone with whom you will spend eternity. This is why Satan is working so hard to convince women that their bodies define their worth. But he is WRONG. You are more than that. And if you've already given it away, I hope you know that you can be clean again. Jesus Christ atoned for this very reason. You can be forgiven, you are not used-merchandise. You are God's own precious daughter. He would not have you belittle yourself one moment longer. Repent and move on. Choose to save your procreative powers for marriage and you will never regret it!

I hope you will be kind to others. In a world full of cyber-bullying and real-life bullying, I hope you stand up for yourself and others. I hope you stand up for the lonely, the lost and the outcasts. The Lord needs you to be His hands here on earth. You have roles only you can fill, you are irreplaceable and the world is better because you are in it! I hope you step away from electronics and social media sometimes to be still. This is something I am working on, but oh how my spirit aches for stillness. 

I hope you turn to me in times of trial and sadness. One of the worst things I've ever done in my life is try to make it on my own. Turn to those you trust for help, listening, and love. There is power in numbers, we all need each other. We are truly all just walking each other home. 

Turn to Jesus Christ. Let Him be there for you. Pray to FEEL His arms wrap around you. Learn of Him. Learn of His life, His atonement, His love for you. Teach His ways to others. Try to live like Him. Turn to Him when you need a friend. In my own personal deepest, darkest moments, Christ has become my very best friend, and I would not trade that relationship for the world. He is the gospel. The Church is Jesus Christ's. It belongs to Him. And He loves you so very much. He wants you to be happy and He wants to be YOUR very best friend too. He is the reason we are all going to make it home. That's the number one thing I want you to know.

Because of Christ, we are all going to make it home. And what a beautiful day that will be.

H A L L E L U J A H !

Happy week leading up to Easter!

We've been going through a lot of life stresses (aren't we all) so it hadn't really caught up with me until today just how quickly Easter is arriving. I just realized it today when I was asked to participate in a musical number for Easter Sunday. 

I wanted to share this Easter Message about Jesus Christ. It is truly a beautiful video. To see more click HERE.

Because of Jesus Christ, I can overcome bad habits. I can be a better wife. I can be forgiven for my past mistakes and any future mistakes I make. Hallelujah.

Because of Jesus Christ, I can live forever with my family. I can find comfort in times of trials. I can have hope in a future better than I can even dream of. Hallelujah.

Everyday MOMents: Book Review

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use a link in my post and make a purchase I will receive a portion of that purchase in return. I received this book as compensation for a review post. 

When I first was presented with the opportunity to review the book "Everyday MOMents: Discovering Christ in the Details of Motherhood" by Jessica Poe I was wary. I'm not a mother yet so I wondered if this book would have any value to me. I decided to give it a shot, I figured if nothing else I could pass along to my own mother or another mother in my life who could use some inspiration. As it turns out, I feel like this book was written specifically for me.

Jessica Poe is an everyday, ordinary mother doing her tasks in an extraordinary way. This book focuses on her decision to look for heavenly and spiritual "stories" in her every day tasks. From doing dishes, to weeding her garden she found Christ in the details because she ASKED Heavenly Father for spiritual eyes to see.

I don't want to ruin the book, but I do want to share a few things that touched me.

+ At one point, Jessica Poe states that she finds that she feels trapped in a "surround-sound lifestyle". Quoting Richard G. Scott, "Have you noticed how Satan works to capture the mind and emotions with flashing images, blaring music, and the stimulation of every physical sense to excess? He diligently strives to fill life with action, entertainment, and stimulation so that one cannot ponder the consequences of his tempting invitations."

I too, find myself living in a "surround-sound lifestyle". Jessica's suggestions gave me hope and courage to make changes so I can be STILL more often.

+ She speaks of how her children play pretend. They often choose to play school, home, go to the grocery store, etc. all in the name of "play". She loves how this type of playing pretend is practice for their futures as productive adults in society.

This is like when we go to the temple. She says, "Though there are different settings and ordinances available to participate in, all prepare us to stand in the presence of God- a future as real and faraway-feeling to us as adulthood is to a child... our real temple attendance qualify as beneficial and enjoyable preparation for the future." What a beautiful comparison.

+ I also love how she encourages us to keep a journal of the experiences we have that we can see Christ in. When are those moments when you feel his influence? Write them down. Keep a notebook handy to write down the experiences you are having that are touching your heart and strengthening your testimony.

With Mother's Day coming up, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a Mother's Day gift! It is an easy read that can be read quickly, or slowly and still be thoroughly enjoyed. Jessica Poe will have you cheering for motherhood and the incredible influence that a righteous woman, who stays close to the Spirit can have on those around her.

This book can be purchases on Amazon.com 

2016 YOUNG WOMENS NEW BEGINNINGS // THE WIZARD OF OZ

I'll be completely honest. For New Beginnings this year... we scrambled. We had just called a new secretary, the president's mother was very ill, my life became a living stress basket and we threw this together in less than a week! One of our YW suggested the theme from a pin she had found on Pinterest.

Thank heavens for Pinterest and for The Dearth Duo sharing a wonderful post idea about their Wizard of Oz New Beginnings them! THANK YOU! 

To get all the ideas and all the printables make sure to check out her site.

We have a combined YW class presidency instead of one for each class because our numbers are so small, so we had each YW In the class presidency speak for a few minutes. One of them sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and played it on her guitar. She learned it in 3 days! We were blown away by her talent. 

We also had a craft for the YW while the leaders and parents mingled. We used this activity to notify parents of important dates and a brief overview of Personal Progress. Look how amazing it all turned out? Our brand new secretary KILLED it on the decor. I brought the bread, butter and jam. Woo! Go me!

The girls painted the temples white and added glitter. They turned out beautiful! I was jealous and wanted one for myself ;) I'm always amazed by the women in the church. It seems like everyone's talents really pull together to make amazing events like this happen. I'm so grateful to be surrounded by so many talented women and young women. It is truly a dream to minister to the young women in our ward!

UNSTUCK : BOOK REVIEW

I recently saw the cover for "Unstuck: How the Savior Frees Us from Our Favorite Sins" by Robert Reynolds and was impressed by the cover. I do love me some white space and simple design, so it really jumped out at me. I looked at reviews on Amazon and they were pretty good! So I ordered it with two day shipping and waited for it to arrive.

As soon as it arrived I put off the other book I was reading (I'm one of those people) and picked up Unstuck. The author is an entertainment lawyer in Las Vegas and also the manager of a few rock bands including The Killers & Imagine Dragons, so I knew it was going to be interesting.

The book focuses on the fact that all of us have at least one sin that for one reason or another we just can't shake. We can't get "unstuck" even though we've worked hard to make permanent changes in our life! I know I relate to this on more than one level and I must say I really enjoyed the book! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book: 

_________________________

"Remember Satan's premortal plan: restrain agency so people have no choice to obey. Satan is still pushing that devious proposal. Even the most well-intentioned parents, spouses, and leaders who use unrighteous manipulation and coercion to elicit obedience are reading Satan's playbook! Ironically, the consequences of sin and manipulation are identical- restrained agency. In both cases, spiritual growth is stunted." 

"Ultimately, the secret to overcoming temptation is not about willpower exercises, therapy, or snapping a rubber band on your wrist whenever you slip. We are not simply to become less like Satan. We are to become more like Christ. Thus, the most effective focus is not avoiding temptation; it is the Savior." 

"Caring for our physical welfare also brings a happier, more balanced life. Physical health allows for increased mental clarity and emotional balance and demonstrates our spiritual priorities. Like fasting, exercise can bring us closer to the Lord as we subjugate the flesh's lazy tendencies for a higher purpose."

"As simple as this sounds, documenting the miracles in your life and continually remembering them is a great secret in maintaining a mighty change of heart and continuing to "feel so now" (Alma 5:26). Perhaps his practice is effective because it helps us remain humbled, that great condition to receiving and retaining the mighty change of heart." 

_________________________

The book is a pretty easy read. Robert Reynolds shares stories that wrap it all up and shares quotes from modern prophets and apostles that really get me fired up in a good way! I breezed through this book pretty quickly though I think one could benefit from a deep study of a topic like this. How does the Savior free us from our favorite sins? I love that Reynolds sends us to the scriptures a TON in this book to show us exactly how the Savior can free us from our own captivity. 

All in all, I'd recommend this book to any saint who is a struggling sinner. aka. All of us. We could all use a little more knowledge of the Atonement and a good pep talk here and there. This book is that. 

ON TAKING OFFENSE

In our bi-monthly presidency meeting last Sunday, the Young Women's 2nd counselor shared the following quote and it really struck me.

HAVING THE COMPANIONSHIP OF THE SPIRIT WILL MAKE US BETTER PEOPLE. WITH THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY GHOST, WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED, NOR WILL WE OFFEND OTHERS; WE WILL FEEL HAPPIER, AND OUR MINDS WILL BE CLEARER. OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS WILL INCREASE. WE WILL BE MORE WILLING TO FORGIVE AND SPREAD HAPPINESS TO THOSE AROUND US. WE WILL FEEL GRATEFUL TO SEE HOW OTHERS PROGRESS, AND WE WILL SEEK THE GOOD IN OTHERS. 

-ELDER FRANSISCO J VINAS ("THE PLEASING WORD OF GOD," GC, OCTOBER 2015)

I can't even count the number of times I've been offended by something that someone else has said or done! I even have heard, and repeat the joke, "If you've never been offended at church, you aren't going enough!" We laugh because almost every single person who has attended church knows that it is run by imperfect beings who sometimes don't filter, and occasionally make biting remarks in order to hurt and offend. Yet, if we truly have the full capacity of the Spirit with us, we will not be offended.

One thing I have been focusing on in my life is trying to say constant prayers throughout the day. One of the things I have been praying for it to feel the Spirit more and to be able to feel Heavenly Father's presence with me, even in the menial tasks. I love the promises in this quote!

+ We will not be offended

+ We will not offend others

+ We will feel happier

+ Our minds will be clearer

+ Our love for others to increase

+ We  will be more willing to forgive

+ We will spread happiness to those around us

+ We will feel grateful when others progress

+ We will seek the good in others


Aren't those some amazing promises? I know it's so easy to take offense. I was once offended by the primary chorister as I played the piano and she would say, "Let's let Sister Jolley try that again and see if she can do it WITHOUT mistakes this time." I literally did everything I could to make sure we were out of town on Sundays because I had been so offended by a woman who truly knew nothing about me and never took the time to care for me. It didn't matter what she thought! My Heavenly Father knew that I was doing my very best with what I had.

I know over the past few weeks as I have PRAYED for and ASKED to have the Spirit with me more often, I feel more like me. As I type those words I feel the truth bomb coming down hard.

Having the Spirit with you at all times will help you live up to your full potential. You will feel more like you as you strive to have the Spirit with you. What a beautiful promise. 

What Happened In My Premortal Life? - Come Follow Me Young Women'sLesson

I taught my Young Women this past week and man was it a ride! I never get nervous teaching but we had a huge turn out of girls (7 instead of our usually 2 -3) and members of the bishopbric in there as well. It also was a subject that is so special to me- premortal life. So I WAS nervous and I get sweaty when I get nervous. Just keepin it real ya'll.

I try to not worry about handouts and paying for online resources, but occasionally I just really like the resources available from Red Headed Hostess. For this particular lesson I purchased her lesson kit for $4.50 so I could have all the printables.

I started out by asking the girls if they remembered what they had learned the previous week. I always "cheat" and look up the previous lesson before hand in case no one remembers. Once they had the lesson title they always remember something! And it is really fun to hear what types of things they hold on to from previous lessons, also it is an opportunity for them to bear quick testimony. 

After we got that chatter out of the way, I had "What happened in my premortal life?" written on the board and asked for a scribe. I told the girls we were going to have a little buzz session and think of as many answers to the question as we could. After a few of their answers I asked them what Christ's role was in the premortal life so we could add that to the list. I try really hard to incorporate Christ in all of my lessons! With so much gospel "fluff" I'm always surprised how many meetings we can sit in without Christ ever being mentioned and my goal is to always make sure he is the focus of my lessons or that he is at least mentioned. 

After getting as many answers down as the girls could think of we looked up two scriptures: 

Abraham 3:22-26 (What was our first estate? What is our second estate?)

Moses 4:1-4 (Satan seeks to destroy the agency of man. Why do we need agency?)

We had the bishopbric visit to announce our new YW class presidency so our time was cut short. If time had permitted, I would have also had them look up. We talked about what we learned from those two scriptures. I've put what we focused on in parentheses next to the scriptures. 

Revelation 12: 7-9,11

D&C 138: 55-56

One thing our girls and us leaders have focused on is that not only do we want to get BACK to Heavenly Father, we quite literally want to become LIKE him. So we talked about why agency is essential if we want to learn how to become LIKE our Heavenly Father. 

I had 2 copies of "The Influence of Righteous Women" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf printed off and split the class in two. I had them read the section titled 'A Unique Feminine Identity' as groups and then individually write down the one quote or idea they liked best from that section. I gave each girl the chance to share letting them know they could just say PASS if they did not want to share. 5/7 shared and I'm always blown away by their answers! 

Because of the bishopbrics visit we were already out of time and I hadn't even covered nearly all the material I wanted to! I sent them home with the printable from Red Headed Hostess for Individual Worth value experience #1 and encouraged them to check if they had completed it and if not try and get it done that day. 

I closed with my testimony of premortal life and how important our agency is and the role the Savior has played in all of this. I'm always amazed by the new Come Follow Me curriculum and how much the young women participate. We spent a ton of time answering questions and I wish I could remember them all but it makes me so happy to see the youth hungering and thirsting after gospel truths. What a blessing they are to this world!

February Ponderize // Seek Peace

Does January just feel like it was whirlwind to anyone else? It sure does to me!! The month flew by and we were so busy with so many awesome events and activities. Not to mention my resignation from my current company and a job offer at another! (More on this in a later post) 

To be honest, t's been a while since I've felt a lot of peace in my life. Do you feel like peace is something that should just *magically* happen when your life is in balance? That peace should just be sort of a prize you win for living your life righteously? That's how I've always felt about it. Whenever I was in the *right* job or married to the *right* man or doing the *right* things with my time, then I'd feel peace. 

And maybe to some extent that is correct. However, as I was reading the book of Psalms this past month I came across this scripture: 

Psalms 34:14

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." 

Seek peace? Pursue peace? What does that look like? What does it look like to seek after and pursue something like peace? Would it mean a change in your priorities? A change in how you spend your free time? Would it mean giving up a toxic relationship or creating a new relationship with someone who inspires you? Would it mean more time in the scriptures? In prayer? In the temple? Would it mean more 1:1 time with your spouse? With your mom? With a neighbor? 

What does seeking and pursuing peace look like for you? I for one, have had this TRUTH BOMB moment with this verse. Like guess what guys? It's okay to pursue peace! Everything in your life does not need to be perfect for you to feel peace! Jesus offers you a peace so different than the world can ever provide. We just have to seek it. Maybe that does mean spending more time getting to know him, and I mean REALLY getting to know him. So for this month, I'll be seeking and pursuing peace in a world that is full of stress, anxiety and over-scheduling. I hope you'll join me in your own pursuit of peace, because nothing can truly beat the peaceful feeling we get from Jesus Christ, our Savior.