Sunday Thoughts

I LOVE PRIMARY! The doctrine is taught so simply and the songs are so powerful, they make me cry every.single.week. This month the kids are learning the song "He Sent His Son" which is one I learned in primary several years ago and really, really love. As we were singing I realized that this song goes beautifully with this month's visiting teaching message about the Savior. I decided to type of the words to the song to give as part of the message when I go this afternoon. I love it how everything fits so nicely together and how uplifted I feel because of it.

P.S. In Sacrament Meeting today D.H. (a youth who used to be in our ward) played a powerful arrangement of We'll Bring The World His Truth (one of my very favorite primary songs) and As Sisters In Zion; I was a blubbering mess by the end of it.

Sunday Thoughts

I LOVE Primary!!

Apparently primary is the place I need to be at church in order to feel the Spirit most strongly. Even though I like being in Relief Society too, I really love the more active, energetic feeling of being in primary and I especially love the music. Not being able to sing well is one of my greatest sorrows in life, but in primary I belt out the songs and am often moved to tears while doing so (and not just because my voice is cracking and making unexpected changes from alto to soprano). 

We have a fantastic music leader who is able to teach the kids the words to the songs and the meaning behind them. Somehow she is able to hold the attention of a room packed with squirmy kids and adults who end up doing exactly what she wants them to do. We sang so loudly today that I'm sure the sisters in Relief Society could hear us in their room (I always loved it when I could hear the primary kids singing, it was like a soundtrack to the lesson we were having).

I love the truthfulness of the doctrine we sing in primary and feel like it gets to the heart of the gospel. I have many favorite songs but I lose it every time we sing "We'll Bring The World His Truth" especially during the chorus. Our music leader always has the kids stand up as the kids sing...

We are as the army of Helaman.
We have been taught in our youth.
And we will be the Lord’s missionaries
To bring the world his truth.

Seeing the room full of kids standing and singing these words makes me picture them as future missionaries and makes everything we do in primary seem vital. It's the best place to be!

Sunday Thoughts

Today our Bishop said,

"The Lord is mindful of you, 

even if you aren't mindful of Him."

Sunday Thoughts

While sitting in the movie theater watching "Admission" with Lori and Whitney yesterday (it wasn't really a kid show) I leaned over to Whitney and said, "Usually something bad has to happen before something good can". I was explaining a basic theme in story telling, but really for life as well.

Fast forward to today's Sacrament Meeting where one of our much-beloved youth was speaking because he is about to leave for a mission to Atlanta, GA. He told a amazing story of a kayaking trip the 16-18 year old Young Men took a couple years in Oregon. The river was dangerously high and fast, and they all had some near-death experiences. After one particularly terrifying experience he found himself on the shore scared out of his mind and asking God where He'd gone?! He was angry about his near-death experience and scared that more were to come since they still had 70 miles of river to traverse before finishing the trip. He told us how this experience had humbled him greatly and made him rethink his relationship with the Lord.

But here he is two years later giving a farewell talk weeping and saying that Jesus Christ is one of his best friends and that he is grateful he had that awful experience. It was powerful and thought provoking. It has got me thinking about life-altering experiences that have changed me, and what part I play in the lives of others. Needless to say I'm a weepy mess.

Sunday Thoughts

“Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way.”   --Sheri Dew

 I have to keep reminding myself of this about myself and about everyone around me!

Sunday Thoughts

I've been listening to last October's General Conference talks (again) while getting ready each morning and felt particularly inspired by Elder Eyring's talk from the Priesthood Session entitled "Help Them Aim High". In this talk he shares how he prayed to see the potential in each of his children so that he would know how to help them progress (wow, what a concept!) and then he carved height boards with an image and saying for each child.

 He said,

"The height boards I have described are only one way to help young people glimpse the grandeur God sees in them and their futures and the unique service He has prepared them to give. He will help you see how to do it for your children or for other youth you lead. But as you prayerfully seek to glimpse this future for yourself and to communicate it to the young person one on one, you will come to know that God loves each of His children as individuals and sees great and unique gifts in each of them.

God knows our gifts. My challenge to you and to me is to pray to know the gifts we have been given, to know how to develop them, and to recognize the opportunities to serve others that God provides us. But most of all, I pray that you will be inspired to help others discover their special gifts from God to serve."

I love these thoughts and shared them in our Key Scouters Meeting this morning (while blubbering of course) because as leaders of the Scouts (and also the Young Women as Girl's Camp Director) we are striving to help these kids recognize their potential and make good choices that will greatly affect their futures (no pressure). When I think back to my teenage years I am especially thankful for a wise Bishop who made the effort to know me. Whenever he talked to to me he looked at me with eyes of love and always made me feel like I was something special. He probably did that for all the youth, but he had a way of making me feel like he really saw who I was. This was an amazing gift for him to have and to share especially at a time when I was never happy with my parents!

Sunday Thoughts

Earlier this month (before my computer died) we had our Relief Society President's sister as a guest speaker on the topic of “Strengthening and Protecting Families”. She did an amazing job (I was a blubbering mess by the end of it) illustrating 5 principles of power she has learned from attending the temple. 1.    Gather 2.    Sacrifice 3.    Refuge 4.    Divide the light from the dark 5.    Work Gather—Alma 26:6, Family time doesn’t require an event it only requires a family (it’s about building relationships). The power comes from choosing time with family over spending time doing something else. We are laying bricks of a solid and firm foundation when we spend time together. Sacrifice—When we sacrifice the time to get up early to read our scriptures we feel a different spirit than when we read at night (which is still good, just different). Sacrificing binds our hearts to Him. Sacrificing for each other stitches our families together. Refuge—There are no judgments or criticisms in the temple it is a place of refuge from the world. Our homes should be a place of refuge where we help our children define themselves. We can teach them to be like the Stripling Warriors who came through battle bruised and bloody but with victory in the Lord. Divide the light from the dark—Teach the why's behind the don’ts. Teach kids to recognize how their prayers have been answered. Help them identify their daily interactions with the Lord. When they have dark experiences, help them recognize Satan’s influence and what darkness feels like, then help them return to the light through scripture and prayer. Work—The Lord cursed the land for Adam & Eve’s sake. The fight with Satan is real. Courageous families need to stand up and fight for each other and whoever you are called to protect. Challenge: Go to the temple and identify a principle of power for your life.

Sunday Thoughts

Every morning as I put on my make-up I either listen to General Conference talks or Conversations on the Mormon Channel. Yesterday I was listening to Sheri Dew's conversation with Elder Christofferson and his wife. The whole conversation is great, but this part stuck out to me (I had to find it online and transcribe it).

"High expectations  is our potential and what over time we can become. We ought to accept His correction, we ought to welcome it, because He’s leading us into greater things. But also remember at the same time that He’s not just standing on the side saying “go do this be better”, He’s helping us,  He’s giving us the gift of the holy ghost, He’s giving us constant help, direction, comfort and protection. He’s got the gospel in our lives and the commandments that are really the blessings that point the way how we go. 

He knows what we can be, He knows what makes us happy, He loves us, He’s showing us the way, He’s giving us help all along the way. He provided the gift of repentance, we can change, we can back up and start again." 

This reminds me that Heavenly Father really is our father and He wants the best for us. I understand this feeling from being a parent myself. I can see potential in my kids, I know where they can do better and how with increased effort they can achieve more and be their best selves. This makes me want to try harder and it give me comfort knowing the Lord is on my side cheering me on.

Sunday Thoughts

When will I ever learn? Seriously. First of all I was a minute late two Sundays in a row due to unjustified morning leisurelyness which caused me to have to do the walk of shame down to the 5th row bench (where we sit every week). There is no excuse for such tardiness, we don't have little kids, our church doesn't start until 11:30 and so on. Oh the humanity. My next infraction came when I looked at the program and groaned inwardly that there were high council speakers on the program. I don't know why I discriminate against them other than that I don't know them very well, but I should know that usually they do a good job.

Anyway, the first speaker was a young man who has been home just 4 months from his mission to Germany. He told an incredible story about the summer before his mission, how he thought it would be the last "fun" summer of his life and how he wanted to take advantage of it. Instead he slept in every day until noon and did basically nothing. Then one weekend his cousins invited him to climb Mt. Timpanogos (a serious climb) with them. They left at midnight so they could reach the summit in time to see the sunrise. He said that within 15 minutes of starting out he was tired and complaining. He was out of shape and thought it was too hard and he wanted to quit.

The cousins split up into 2 groups so that one cousin stayed with him and the others climbed faster and made it to the top. He only made it half way and kept telling himself he didn't care that he had quit and that this was good enough. But then his dad called to check on him and said, "So how is the top?" The son answered his dad's questions in a way that made him think he'd made it all the way to the top. As soon as the son hung up the phone he felt awful because he had lied to his dad. Upon returning home, he met up with his mom who asked him lots of questions too and learned that he hadn't actually made it to the top, she said, "You lied to dad." So the son went to take a nap and then later had a confession-type conversation with his dad who was incredibly upset with him and basically told him he didn't know who he was anymore and that things wouldn't be right between them until he made it to the top of the mountain. The son said it was the worst week of his life because his dad wasn't speaking to him and because he knew he'd let his parents down so much by lying. He spent the week exercising and then recruited his cousins to make the climb again the next weekend! He said they practically ran up the mountain and made it in 2.5 hours. He was able to call his dad from the top and make things right again.

It was such a moving story and really hit home as I thought about me as a daughter of God and how I try and fail so often and how even though I have good intentions I often don't try hard enough, am willing to accept defeat and talk myself out of pushing harder.

Sunday Thoughts

Today's lesson in Relief Society was taught by one of the members of the presidency about Alma chapters 23 and 24, which though I've read these chapters many times proved to be mind blowing to me.

Alma 24:18-19

 18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

 19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

How have I never noticed these "rather than" sentences?!! I don't know, but I am so grateful they were pointed out to me today. The teacher asked us what some of our "rather than" statements could be.

• Rather than making excuses they did their visiting teaching. (This was mine, hee.)
• Rather than being offended they gave them the benefit of the doubt.
• Rather than going shopping she went to the temple.
• They chose to be a humble people rather than a prideful people.
• Love your neighbor rather than gossiping or judging them. 

These are just a few, but doesn't it make your mind spin just a bit to think of all the "rather thans" you can choose to put in your life? I do believe this calls for the need to have a meeting with myself to see what "rather thans" I need to implement.

Sunday Thoughts

So today was the big day...after 7 weeks of thought and preparations it was finally time to give my talk. I had been totally calm up until this morning when the butterflies got busy and then while I was sitting on the stand I experienced some serious adrenaline (like save a baby from a burning building adrenaline) and heart palpitations (I'm not a fan) so it was a relief to actually get up there and give my talk. Here are some tidbits...

President Kimball said, “What gods do we worship? Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood."

Satan’s distractions are even greater during the week when we are away from church and have thousands of things vying for our attention. What are you distracted by? Do you spend too much time watching TV, working, exercising, reading for pleasure (guilty!), checking Facebook, shopping, sleeping, talking on the phone, checking sports scores, playing video games and so on? None of these things are bad on their own, but they all have the potential to distract us and keep us from doing the things that let the Lord know He is our true focus and only God.

1 John 2 :15 --Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Dallin H. Oaks said, “We look first to our Savior Jesus Christ. He is our model. Our model is not the latest popular hero of sports or entertainment. Similarly, our most precious possessions are not the expensive toys and diversions that encourage us to concentrate on what is temporary and to forget what is eternal. Our model—our first priority—is Jesus Christ. We must testify of Him and teach one another how we can apply His teachings and His example in our lives.”

Sunday Thoughts

As the date for my talk swiftly approaches I find myself thinking about and mentally giving my talk even though I don't actually have anything written down yet. I've decided my method (much to my chagrin) is to let the subject and my research percolate until the pressure of the deadline looms so greatly that I absolutely must put it together and write it down. (I've always wondered what it would be like to get things done early, but that just doesn't seem to be my way.)

The really great thing about having this on my mind for 6 weeks is that it has given me time to decide what I really think about it. What do you think about the First Commandment "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me?"

I'd love to hear some opinions about what it means to you and if you've found yourself serving someone/something other than God. I'll share my thoughts later.

Sunday Thoughts

We had a lesson in Relief Society a couple weeks ago that has stuck with me. The topic was "What Can We Do When Hard Things Happen To Us?"

• Keep focused on the eternities.
• Remember Jesus understands ALL we are enduring, we need to go to Him for help.
• Life as we know it is only temporary.
• Peace comes through hope.
• Serving those in need helps us forget about our own problems.
• When taking the Sacramanet consider the Savior's bitter cup and how He asked the Lord to remove it, but then proceeded gracefully when it wasn't taken from him (we should do this too).
• Turn to the Lord, exercise all your faith, share your burden with Him and allow His grace to lighten your load.
• Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning, all our struggles are for our good.
• When faced with trials we need to learn not to murmur.
• Seek the will of the Father.
• Become more earnest, sincere and faithful.
• Learn to serve and think of others, Christ was the epitome of service.
• Forgive others and do not seek to pass blame.

Sunday Thoughts

I have made good progress this week as I have spent some time each reading my scriptures and looking on the church website for talks related to the topic of my talk (Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me). I have found some really good material, particularly a talk from Elder Oaks given at a BYU Fireside in 1992. It is called Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall and covers many areas we might consider strengths that can lead to our downfall if taken to the extreme.

He said, "The idea that our strengths can become our weaknesses could be understood to imply that we should have “moderation in all things.” But the Savior said that if we are “lukewarm,” he “will spew [us] out of [his] mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Moderation in all things is not a virtue, because it would seem to justify moderation in commitment. That is not moderation, but indifference. That kind of moderation runs counter to the divine commands to serve with all of our “heart, might, mind and strength” (D&C 4:2), to “seek … earnestly the riches of eternity” (D&C 68:31), and to be “valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:79). Moderation is not the answer."

Interesting no?

He goes on to say, "How, then, do we prevent our strengths from becoming our downfall? The quality we must cultivate is humility. Humility is the great protector. Humility is the antidote against pride. Humility is the catalyst for all learning, especially spiritual things."

Sunday Thoughts

I've really been struggling this year with my personal scripture study. My habit in years past has been to start the Book of Mormon in January and finish it by my birthday in July, but I got kind of tired of doing that so I didn't do it this year or last year. I actually had big plans (always the kiss of death for me) to be like the Red Headed Hostess and get going on some amazing scripture journals to really help me put more depth into my scripture reading...but I didn't know where to start. I was having a debate of topic study and how to go about it, or character study or book study and just floundered so that I never got started. Instead I have listened to Conference talks and Conversations on the Mormon Channel, but that's not the same thing as reading my scriptures.

So here I am on summer vacation from work feeling like I have so much time to conquer this goal and dive in, but again where to start? Day after day I have said to myself, "I will get to that tomorrow and things are going to be great." But nothing has happened.

Then on Tuesday, I woke up with my heart racing from a dream. In this dream I was at some church-related site (there was a statue of Joseph Smith that's how I knew) and all these people were climbing a stone street that was covered with a light snow. I made it to the top of the hill but kept slipping and felt so panicked as I did so then ended up sliding all the way to the bottom as people kept passing me. It was truly horrible and I woke up feeling very flustered about it. But as I did some self-analysis I decided it had to do with my lack of focus on scripture study and feeling like I can't get my footing.

So later that same day after finishing up 4 Boards of Review for scouts at the church, Brother Johnston said he needed to talk to me. He asked me to speak on July 29th on the topic "Have No Other Gods Before Me". I immediately started putting on the calendar on my phone (I don't even think I said "yes") and recognized the connection this topic has for me (I'm always trying to get balanced and eliminate distractions) and the tender mercy of giving me a topic to research and refine with 7 weeks notice!! The Lord handed me my focus, let me know He is mindful of me, and gave me accountability and an outlet to share my thoughts. I don't usually understand the way the Lord works, but I really, really love it when I do.

Sunday Thoughts

Last week at the beginning of her lesson the Relief Society President related something her sister told her. Apparently Elder Holland spoke at her sister's Regional Conference recently and asked the people what they have done to change their lives since General Conference in April? He said if we're continually basking in the spirit of  Conference without making changes then we're not living up to our potential or the purpose of Conference!

I didn't realize it until then, but I am a Conference basker! In fact, when faced with this question I couldn't even think of which talk I should be implementing into my life right away. I have relistened to most of the talks and been rereading them too and yet I continue to bask in their goodness without actually changing myself. I feel embarrassed about this most basic thing.

Sunday Thoughts

Remember earlier this year when I was called to be the Advancement Chair for Scouts? I couldn't have been more surprised or clueless about a calling and I haven't had to do much thus far, so it has remained a big question mark in my life.

When I was called Brother Johnston said they wanted a woman because we are more organized and detail oriented than men, and they wanted this woman who had a son in the scouting program so there would be an emotional investment. It didn't take long for me to feel that emotional investment or to see how desperately things needed to be organized. Still, my ignorance of scouting has made me feel disconnected and somewhat panicked about what I am supposed to be doing (there really hasn't been any training thus far). But last month at our 8:00am Key Scouters Meeting (what the?!) I was in a room full of men with only one other woman who is the newly called Committee Chair. She just finished serving as the Young Women's President for the last 6 years and was in the Relief Society Presidency before that, she is the mother of 7 kids and is an inspiration to me. She led this Key Scouters meeting in such an efficient and spiritual way that I ended up being moved to tears twice and actually felt excited about scouting!

Fast forward to this morning for my 2nd ever Key Scouters meeting and 1st ever Board of Review. I was feeling like a fish out of water again and wasn't happy about it, but I felt the Spirit in our meeting and once again saw the importance of what Scouting is about (turning boys into good men through God), so I was grateful. Then an hour and a half later we had our 1st Board of Review (it was her first one too). We met with a 17 year old boy who was up for a rank advancement. We had him talk about the importance of scouting, what he has learned, what he hopes to accomplish and why it is important to him...we were in tears! The spirit was so strong in that room and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that this boy (and all our boys) get to work with good men to make themselves better and to learn their duty to God and to Country.

I still don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm starting to understand why I'm doing it. It is unexpectedly spiritual and I love that.

Sunday Thoughts

This weekend was our Stake Conference and proved to a battle for me and my tailbone (Randy's too). I always struggle with going to the Saturday Night Session because we're always on the hard chairs in the back (I suppose this could be remedied, but we'd have to sit for an extra hour to be earlier enough to get a soft seat) and often there are a couple speakers that make me want to slump over and whine like a 3 year old. This time we had a few good speakers (who went long) and a few "what the?!" speakers as well, the meeting was 2 hours and 10 minutes! I try to remember that we all hear what we need to hear, so maybe the speakers who torture me are enlightening someone else, but it never feels like that at the time. In my defense, I'd already spent 2.5 hours on a hard, metal chair for Whitney's dance recital that day so I was in a vulnerable state.

Here's what I gathered from this weekend's Stake Conference.

Saturday's Session

• We can have profound, sacred, revelatory experiences in terrible settings.
• It does no good to ask questions which are opposite to the will of God.
• Spiritual growth requires opposition and adversity. God will consecrate thine adversities for our gain.
• Everyone one of us will spend some time in Liberty Jail.
• Make scripture study a habit now, so you're prepared when trials come.
• Miracles often confirm one's faith, but they don't create it.
• Look for the hand of the Lord in your daily life.
• How has your faith been polished?
• Watchcare is the stepping stone to charity.
• See a need and do something about it.
• We are the Lord's hands on Earth.
• Pray before doing Family History work, it opens things up.
• The Holy Ghost is extremely personalized for each of us.
• Our relationship with the Holy Ghost is directly related to how we keep our covenants.
• There is nothing to restrain the Spirit in the temple except ourselves!
• Do we understand who we are and the magnitude of our covenants?
• We receive revelation more than we realize.

Sunday's Session (we were on padded seats, but it still hurt)

• Every mission involves sacrifice.
• The best way to prepare fro a mission is to read the Book of Mormon daily.
• The Lord knows and loves His missionaries.
• There's no sacrifice too great to make in order to serve a mission.
• Christ died for us, we can give Him 2 years of our lives.
• Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven.
• We are all at different stages of testimony development.
• Life was never intended to be easy.
• Reading the scriptures and Ensign help us receive revelation.
• Heavenly Father has our best interest in mind.

Sunday Thoughts

So there I was in the closing session of Thursday's classes, sitting high up on the bleachers with Michelle. The speakers were a husband and wife and had rehearsed their talk as kind of a routine with jokes and cheesiness between them. We were really put off by this and were feeling bugged, but were still taking notes. They were talking about lessons we can learn from Adam and Eve. One of their points was that we should look to God and listen to His voice. They said, "don't be swayed by the voices of the world, what voices are you listening to?" They compared this to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when the Lord comes to them after they have hidden themselves from them because Satan told them they were naked. The Lord says, "Who told thee thou was naked?"

The speakers then likened that to us and said, "Who told thee thou wast unhappy, inadequate, fat, unqualified...etc.?"

This has become the voice in my head this past week every time I think a negative thought or experience self-doubt. "Who told thee thou wast not good enough?" "Who told thee thine house isn't big enough?" "Who told thee your life isn't wonderful?"

I already thought I was careful about the media I let into my head, but this is making me think about it again. Is Pinterest making me feel unsatisfied with what I have? Is Facebook a great way of connecting with people or is it yet another way of seeing how great other people's lives are? These may just be huge distractions from the adversary to stir up discontent and insecurity and to keep me from working on the things that matter most.

Sunday Thoughts

As part of today's Relief Society lesson, the teacher invited her return-missionary daughter to share some of her thoughts/experiences regarding prayer. The first thing she said was, "I encountered all kinds of people on my mission, there were some who had never even heard of the concept of prayer." These words stung me and tears instantly came to my eyes. Prayer is such a huge part of my life that it never occurred to me that it wasn't an option for everyone. I know lots of people don't take advantage of the opportunity to pray, but it was devastating to me to think of people not knowing about the possibility. I would be so lost. I start and end every single day with a personal prayer, we say family prayer morning and night, plus prayers over the food and miscellaneous prayers in our minds throughout the day. Heavenly Father is never far from my thoughts. I can't even imagine what would be there in His place!

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: We have our first Court of Honor with me as Advancement Chair Person this coming Tuesday. I've decided this time is like being thrown into the deep end of the pool from the high dive!! I'm going kicking, screaming and plugging my nose!