4.30.16

With these crazy 40 MPH winds tonight, my brain keeps singing "The wise man built his house upon the rock" but instead of rain, it's wind. We all face strong winds of adversity. We just need to widen our stance and dig in. With the right foundation, His, we will find ourselves stronger than the wind.

4.29.16

Day 4: Alma 32:1-16
*Worship Him in all things. With every beat of your heart & breath you take. If you're happy & you know it BLINK your eyes. We blink all day! :) I bought a CD of Primary songs all hip-hopped up, and this is one of them. It has been stuck in my head for weeks. One line that has me thinking : if you're happy and you know it, blink your eyes. Now I can't seem to blink without smiling. There is so much to be happy and grateful about.

4.28.16

Day 3: 2 Ne 32
*We promise to pray to Him continually. Why do we pray 1st thing when we wake? So He is with us the whole day, and all of our daily pursuits are for our good. Prayer is always 1st to go when we slack, it's our direct link to Him. The adversary wants to break that link. Do not let him.

4.27.16

Day 2: 1 Ne 1:11-20
*Lehi saw all of history, instead of bemoaning the end of his people, he praised God because of saw a loving God guiding His children.

**Heavenly Father knows each of us, He sees us, knows our successes and our struggles. He will guide us and bless us. If we come into Him, we shall not perish.

4.26.16

Day 1: 1 Ne 1:1-10
*Lehi went home after seeing and hearing much and The Spirit stayed with him. His home was a place the Spirit could dwell. It was a refuge.

**I know that I need to be better about this, I need to make my home a place the Spirit will dwell. It doesn't happen all at once or in the blink of an eye. It happens one prayer, one verse, one song, one step, one hug, one day, one minute at a time.

4.26.16

My motivation has been waning. I haven't wanted to do much of anything, I know that I need to, but choose not to. The missionaries just stopped by with a Testimony Challenge. I need it. Heavenly Father knows the needs of each of His children. He will come before our face and guide us and bless us.

4.23.16

Kearon. Sun PM.
Serve! Begin on your knees in prayer. The possibilities for us to lend a hand and be a friend are endless.
*The power of friendship and fellowship can extend beyond the eternities. Be a friend, first and foremost.

IwasaStranger.lds.org

4.22.16

Rasband. Sat PM.
We choose to follow the Lord while the world is going in another direction. We choose to hold fast to the iron rod, to be Latter-day Saints, to be on the Lord's errand, and to be filled with exceedingly great joy.
*I love this so much. It's a choice we all have to make.

4.21.16

Cook. Sun AM.
We can achieve all righteous requirements to qualify and fully repent of transgressions. This includes being willing to forgive ourselves and not focus on our imperfections or sins as disqualifying us from ever entering a sacred temple.
*I've been working on letting go, and forgiving.

4.20.16

Gong. Sun PM.
When trust is betrayed, dreams shattered, hearts broken and broken again, when we want justice and need mercy, when our fists clench and our tears flow, when we need to know what to hold onto and what to let go of, we can always remember Him.
*When our fists clench and our tears flow...

**Last night was a long night with an emotionally volatile two-nado. We both ended up zonking out on the couch while watching Rescuers Down Under around midnight...

4.18.16

Durham. Sat AM.
How do we as parents increase the spiritual capacity of our little ones?
1 we can bring to our children's attention when they are hearing and feeling the Spirit.
2 we can prepare our homes and our children to feel the still, small voice.
3 we can help our children understand how the Spirit speaks to them.
*I also read this as "how to increase the Spiritual capacity of my home." I need to better about preparing my home for the Spirit.

4.17.16

I'm already a day behind. :( This weekend was rough for me, and I was in a real sour mood. It took a while for me to push thru the storm clouds and find the sunlight again. But I did it. :)

Esplin. Women's.
Who in my circle of influence could I help today?
What time and resources do I have?
In what ways can I use my talents and skills to bless others?
What might we do as a family?
*I love these q's. I want my boys to serve, I need to teach them the joy of serving. :)

4.16.16

Don't be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. Accentuate the positive. Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life. - Gordon B. Hinckley
*I found this this morning as I woke to Karson crying.

4.15.16

Life is hard and trying for each of us. We all struggle with trials that seem beyond our strength. But, if we continue to look to the Light, and count the blessings, we will come to realize that we are stronger than we've ever imagined. He strengthens us when we look to the Light, when we just try.

4.15.16

I know the adversary hits us at our weakest point and he hits us right in our weakness. Today has been so hard, the hardest day in a long while. After reading Hales' talk I was so ready to make today great, and I woke up and got punched. It's hard, But we just need to see the light in our lives.

4.14.16

Hales. Sun PM.
Let us encourage our children and others to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost. In doing so, let us follow the example of the Holy Ghost ourselves, leading through gentleness, meekness, kindness, long-suffering, and love unfeigned.
*This touched my heart. I needed to hear this. I've been struggling with the boys lately, they intentionally pushed my buttons. I need to seek to constantly have the Holy Ghost in my life.

4.13.16

Owen. Priesthood.
Isn't it inspiring to see how a seemingly ordinary [people] can accomplish great things through service, even when [they] feel inadequate? "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
*We aren't told to convert them, or drag them to church but to strengthen (befriend, serve) our brethren. Build up the Children of God, so their hearts might be prepared to receive His word.

4.12.16

Christofferson. Sun AM.
Fathers manifest that love as they lay down their lives day by day, laboring in the service and support of their families. Providing for one's family...is not inconsistent with fatherhood-it is the essence of being a good father.
*I read this and thought, do I tell him I appreciate him, that I'm truly grateful for how hard he works? He sacrifices so much for our little family. Express your love, appreciation, and gratitude.

4.11.16

Alright, it's post-Conference time, and I'm rereading the talks again. I take notes as I read them, because I chase my boys during the broadcast and can't take notes. I take my time, and don't rush. I love searching for and highlighting the words that touch my heart.

Eyring. Sat AM.
We all have had seeds, or the word of God, planted in our hearts at one time. Each felt that the seed was good, even felt the swelling in our hearts, and experienced joy as our hearts and minds seemed to expand.
*This talk is amazing. This was a beautiful talk to start the Conference. We must pray for a soft heart, and to nourish the seed. Each Sunday, I go early to prepare the program, and I find myself praying for the Spirit to whisper to me.

4.10.16

Alma 48:17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
*Alma describes Moroni. Does it also describe me? What do I have to do, how can I be better, to be a (wo)man of God, like Alma and Moroni?
**Also, tomorrow the 40 day LDSConf challenge starts.
https://sites.google.com/site/ldsgeneralconferencechallenge/2016-april

***Also, sorry about no post yesterday.

4.8.16

Alma 46:12...he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-in memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
*When we put God first, the rest of our lives fall into place. He is the way, the truth & the light.

4.7.16

The boys and I have started to sing "I am a Child of God" when we wake up and when we go to bed and when we're sad. I want my boys to know that they were created special, and I was picked to be their mom. I want them to know they are Children of God, and He doesn't make mistakes.

I am a Child of God, and He has sent me here.
Has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear.
Lead me guide me walk beside me, help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do to live with Him someday.

4.6.16

We live in a wonderful time. Just 3 days (and not even full days!) after God has spoken to use via His Prophets, we have the entire conference at our fingertips. Please read the conference talks. These words are meant for us, right now, with these trials.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04

4.5.16

Alma 45:17 And now, when Alma had said these words he blessed the church, yea, all those who should stand fast in the faith from that time henceforth.
*That blessing is for us, here & now. The earth is blessed for the righteous' sake. The earth is blessed for us. The prophets of old saw us & cheer for us.

4.4.16

Alma 43:45 Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for... they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
*When we fight for a righteous cause, He surrounds us with His angels. He strengthens beyond what we ever imagined possible. He is there with us.

4.3.16

Tonight I'd just like to say thank you. Thank you reading these. Thank you for putting up with my obnoxious texting. Thank you for being you. You have kept me on track, and I have found joy in reading the Book of Mormon and in sharing my thoughts. You have helped to shape my life, and I thank Father for you. I love you. And remember, He loves you, with all His might, mind and strength.

4.2.16

General Conference is upon us, and today was an amazing day of powerful talks and soul-strengthening testimonies. Elder Duncan from the AM session said "None of us should ever be defined by the worst thing we've ever done." I absolutely love that quote. So powerful and true.

4.1.16

Alma 42
Plan of salvation. Plan of happiness. Plan of redemption. Plan of mercy. All these plans are the same. His plan, for us to return to Him. The word PLAN is found 8 times in this chapter. The most out of the entire standard works. The plan is so very important. Study it, it's our map Home.

3.31.16

I've been reading the chapters where Alma is talking/writing to his sons. Each chapter starts "And now, my son" it hits me hard every time. I have been impressed to write more down for my boys, share my thoughts, my testimony, my life with them. The more we can share, the more they'll learn, then choose.