Sacrament hymn lullabies

I'm not sure why, but I've always felt weird singing to the Bubs. It's silly! Because I love singing! If you ask me to sing at church or something, I'll gladly say "yes!" And she doesn't know how good my singing is. She just likes how it sounds, and she likes the smiles we share when I sing to her.

I finally broke out of my comfort zone and truly sang to her yesterday because she was fussy, and we were just trying to make it until Steve got home. The hymn book on my piano was open to the sacrament hymns and I just started singing what it was open to. As I sang about our Savior's sacrifice and love for us, the spirit spoke so much peace to my heart. I think because it was a different setting than where I usually sing these songs, I really listened to the words as I sang and remembered the meaning of Christ's atonement for all of us.

Even though she still fussed a little bit, I know we could both feel the calm and peace that entered the room as I sang these beautiful songs of love. She has already taught me so much about how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and I'm so grateful for all that we're learning on this journey.

Here is the last verse of my favorite sacrament hymn, As Now We Take the Sacrament.

As now we praise thy name with song, The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts, And silently we pray
For courage to accept they will, To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full. We'll walk thy chosen way.

The Ogden Temple

Hubs and I got a really great opportunity to visit and walk through the Ogden Utah LDS Temple open house. They recently tore down the old temple and built this newer, bigger, and more efficient one for the growing needs in the area.

If you are in the area, I strongly encourage you to go. It is so beautiful, and it is so exciting that the temple will be open soon! Ogden-ites have been anxiously awaiting the opening for a long time!

You can reserve tickets HERE for tours of the temple.

I love attending the temple (no matter the location) because of the Spirit I feel there. No matter my situation or circumstance, I feel peaceful and loved. I learn new things about my Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, and myself every time I attend. And I remember how truly blessed we all are when I go.

If you would like to learn more about what happens in LDS temples, visit HERE.
If you would like to see some pictures of the interior of an LDS temple, visit HERE.

Motivation Monday

So I watched this TED Talk this morning. (It's Spring Break on campus and I was all alone in the office for a few hours. I decided to learn something. Whaaat?! I know.) I suggest you watch it - it's only about 12 minutes long and it's profound. I knew some of what he said, but I learned some new things that can be quite helpful. Also, he's pretty funny.

So I'm putting something he said into practice. I don't know that it will be every day ... I'm sure it won't be every day ... but I'm going to do some gratitude journaling, and write about a positive experience I've had in the last 24 hours.


Gratitude:

1. Singing and music. I love singing - especially with my hubs. We got lucky, and our voices blend well, and we both enjoy singing for family events or church events. It's just fun and we definitely enjoy sharing our testimonies of Christ through the songs we sing. Music has an unbelievable ability to touch the hearts of people in ways that are inexplicable.

2. Rain. We have had an extremely warm winter the last few months. We really only had 2 or 3 big snows. And it all melted so fast! Living in a desert, we were a little concerned about our water supply for the summer and for our plants. Our stake (and I'm pretty sure most stakes in Utah) have been fasting and praying for some sort of precipitation to help us with our concerns for the summer. And you know what? It rained! A LOT. And I'm so glad it did.

3. A warm bed. Even though we've had crazy warm winter weather (jealous?), I still get cold. I am so grateful that I have a soft, warm bed to climb into every night.


We were asked to sing a duet in a ward yesterday. We love the song we sang. It was a great experience to share my testimony and belief in Christ with others - especially through song. I know that music has a way of reaching people's spirit that may not be reached otherwise. And when you truly believe in the message that you are singing, your heart overflows with love for Christ.

My favorite lines from the song are:
Every sorrow will be swallowed up in Him.
For in His hand is healing for the weary soul.
This I know, this I know because He lives.

There are times lately when my heart has been weary, and I'm physically tired because of my weariness. I have experienced the cleansing relief that is felt when you lay your burdens on Him. He can and will heal and mend my heart.

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Have you read or heard any good TED Talks lately?

Take A Moment...

Sometimes I have to take a moment. Do you do that?

Since the New Year, I have felt that our lives have increased in extra activities. It's been weird. I'm used to having weeknights pretty free. But suddenly, nearly every night has some sort of activity inside or outside our home planned.

Because of this, I have needed to learn and remember to take a moment.

The stress and busy-ness get to me really quick. I am pretty introverted, so being around a lot of people constantly wears me out - so much. I get stressed, tired, and frazzled. And sometimes I forget who I am.

This last week especially, I have had to ponder on how we are children of God. So I take a moment, ponder, and remember that I am a child of God. He loves me. I don't do this willy-nilly. I sit and really imagine Him with me, comforting me, and listening to my stories. He truly loves me. When I do this simple thing for just a few moments, I regain some eternal perspective. I remember why I'm here and what I'm striving for.

So, take a moment. Remember who you are. Remember you are a child of God. You really are.

The Year of Emergency Preparedness :: 2014

I had one more big goal that I did not mention in my last post. We are making a big goal in our home - to BE PREPARED. It should've been done a while ago since we live in Utah and we are both in the scouting program. But we're just a little slow in that department.

We have been trying to do this but were never really committed. The main goal is to split up the year into certain categories for each month. Then we'll focus on getting materials, gear, procedures, etc. that are necessary for that category. A big reason we are doing it this way is because we don't have tons of extra money laying around - we need to spread out the expenses and budget for our needs.

Not only should we be doing this out of common sense, but also because it's a commandment to be prepared in temporal and spiritual things.

Doctrine & Covenants 38:30
I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

I'm still working out the order of what we're going to focus on. But January is going to be the month of learning procedures and techniques. I'm hoping to get lists, clear out space for storage, and see what has worked for other people.

In our ward, we had a lesson including things from this brochure:
http://ussc.utah.gov/publications/roots_earthquake_low.pdf
I plan to use this as a close guide for what we will be doing.

So here is to the beginning of the new year - the YEAR OF PREPAREDNESS!

January - The month of learning the procedures

You Are My Hands

"As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"You Are My Hands"
April 2010 General Conference

So grateful for my hubby's talk in church today. He quoted from this talk (highly recommend reading/listening to it...right here on lds.org), and this part really touched me today.

Try a little harder...

This is my new background on my phone. It's a great, simple reminder to continue improving.

I'm trying a little harder to be a little better every day. I'm especially trying to master the basics of being in line with my Father. I want to do what He needs me to do. I want to be what He needs me to be.

For Peace at Home (and in my heart)

I am so happy that I am blessed to have the love of Christ in my home. As I re-listened to this talk this morning, I was reminded of where my home and heart should be centered.

I know I will learn more about centering my life on Christ this weekend.

"Greater peace will come as you couple your efforts to be obedient with serving those around you. So many individuals who have what they perceive to be meager talents humbly and generously use those talents to bless the lives of those around them. Selfishness is the root of great evil. The antidote for that evil is exemplified in the life of the Savior. He shows us how to focus our lives outward in unselfish service to others."
Elder Richard G. Scott
For Peace at Home
April 2013 General Conference 

Thankful Journal

I started a Thankful Journal tonight. When I'm frustrated or upset with life in general, counting my blessings always reminds me to stop complaining.

First up, this sweet fella that I get to call my husband.

Sorry, my craft room lighting is not ideal for great pictures of crafts.

Answers to small prayers

When I was younger I always thought that Heavenly Father had some sort of line-up system of "Prayers to be Answered" on his to-do list for the day. I imagined that the really important prayers were given more priority because they were more life-altering or significant in the grand scheme of things. I thought the prayers were lined up, one by one, just waiting to be responded to and sent back to us with an answer.

If that were the case, I feel like many, many people would be waiting quite some time for answers to prayers. Because we have very important prayers, but we also have prayers that are seemingly insignificant or small. Or at least we think they are small. How long would we have to wait for our answer??

Fortunately, my thoughts were somewhat wrong, as many thoughts are when we are in our innocent years of being a youngster. Over the years I learned about God being everywhere all the time. He is All-Knowing and His knowledge and presence is everywhere. He is omnipotent.

Because of this all-knowing power that our Heavenly Father has, He is able to see every prayer as important. He knows my heart's desire and what I need in any moment. When I pray, he hears it immediately. It's important to Him. When I pray asking for something that seems insignificant, He hears it immediately. He doesn't say, "Wait one moment, dear, while I answer these millions of other prayers that are more important than yours." He says, "My dear, you are important to me and I hear you."

Now, I won't go into receiving answers to prayers because it makes this topic a bit more complicated. But if nothing else, I know Heavenly Father hears my prayers. He hears them and He will answer them. I know this because of the small and simple answers I have received in response to my small and simple prayers. He is listening to us and our prayers.

He loves us dearly and simply.

To my future family

Dear future family,

There are a few things I want you to know.These things are simple (personal) truths that I have found to help me through my journey in life thus far. These simple habits and thoughts have helped me change my perspective into a more loving and accepting perspective. I am not perfect at these, but I continue to work on them at all times. I hope these can also help you when you are in a tough spot or need some guidance and love.


1. Be kind to everyone -- to their face and not to their face. 

This seems like common sense. Yet, many people in our world do not see the value in being nice to everyone. Many people only see value in being nice to the people that can get them want they want. In reality, everyone has something to offer. And everyone deserves kindness. Remember to be kind to people even when they are not there. Gossiping can tear friendships apart and hurt feelings quickly.

When you are genuinely kind to others, they are more likely to be kind in return. Some people will not return that kindness, and that is just fine. Continue being kind. If for no other reason, be kind because you want to be Christlike. He was the ultimate example of kindness and love, and we need to follow in His way.

2. Show gratitude whenever possible.

Again, this seems like common sense. Yet, I sometimes forget to say a simple "thank you." And for many people, a simple "thank you" will suffice. It doesn't matter the service - getting you a drink, taking out your trash, holding the door open, or saying "bless you" - please make sure to show your thanks.

The form may not ever be the same -- a smile, a card, a letter, a phone call, or a word. But always make sure to take that extra 2 seconds to tell your waiter, sister, friend, coworker, stranger, neighbor, mother, father, and Father "thank you." Our Father wants to hear from us often - no matter how mundane our words seem.  Those two simple words - thank you - will help your heart grow in unbelievable ways.

3. When you are frustrated, take a breath.

It is so hard when someone is frustrating you. But just take a moment and do not reply. Let aggravating moments pass by and replace them with understanding. There are many ways to interpret a situation, and I implore you to choose the more compassionate view. We do not know what battles people are fighting, what hardship people are coping with, or what terrible news a person just received.

Please note the Savior's example when dealing with difficult personalities. He served them with kindness and a heart full of love. He loves us all, no matter what mistakes we have made (or how frustrating we are). Remember Him when you need help dealing with a difficult situation or person. We are all children of God.


We are trying to start growing our family, and we hope that blessing comes to us very soon. There are so many things I wish I could tell you now before I forget. I have the strong impression to make a record of these things - including some of my testimony. Not only are these things for my future family, but I hope I will remember them in times of hardship or trial. We will continue to share these family truths with you as our lives keep growing.

We love you, future little ones.

30 Day BoM Challenge

I am proud to announce I am right on track with reading the Book of Mormon in 30 days! I knew I'd be good at this challenge because I loooove having the end in sight. I am loving this challenge. I have noticed two huge changes between reading the Book of Mormon this time and reading how I usually read it (a chapter or two per day).

1.  I am able to actually remember the events that happened from book to book. I can follow along much better with what concept is being taught. I can actually see how certain things are connected to create a bigger picture in the end. I am only in the middle of Mosiah and I still know exactly what is going on! YAY for reading comprehension!!

2.  I notice themes more often. I usually read with something in mind that I want to look for and remember. This time, I thought reading it in 30 days would be enough, so I just wanted to read it. However, this time around I am noticing many more themes than usual. It is great!

My favorite theme in the Book of Mormon that I've noticed every time I read it is the promise that if we keep the commandments we will prosper. It repeats that theme a lot, especially in the beginning. Such a great promise.

This time around I have noticed the theme of the atonement of Jesus Christ being organized as the way to salvation from the foundation of the world. Finding our salvation through Him has always been, is, and always will be the way to salvation and eternal life. If there is one thing I love, it's rules. I love guidelines and when someone says, "if you do this, this is exactly what will happen." The scriptures do things like this all the time and I cherish those parts because it's like instructions for life and what I can expect later on.

Once again, I am so glad I chose to do this challenge. I'm learning every day and I'm so happy to have this chance to learn and grow.

Journal Writing

About once every 6 months (usually around the time of General Conference) I am reminded of how important it is that we keep journals ... and how little I write in my journal. Uggh. This is one area that I have always wanted to be good at in life, and I have never been able to motivate myself enough to do it regularly. But since I've been pretty good at blogging lately, I've just decided to dive a little deeper and use my blog as a journal.

Obviously I'm not going to be writing all my deepest, most personal feelings. But I want to write more details of our lives and what feelings/experiences are impacting our life right now. We have many things going on - with the house, starting a family, family time, church, school, work, and so many other things. So here's to hoping I can kick-start my journaling process. Bonus: My far-away family will get to hear a little more about my life. :)

I'd like to start the process with mentioning my sweet hubby. I got to hear him sing in a ward yesterday and I love his tenor voice. And I love seeing his testimony shine in his eyes when he sings about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have an amazing partner for this life. And I am so grateful to be celebrating our five year anniversary next week!!! I can't even believe it's been five years!!!

We had a special walk this evening together. We talked about our jobs and how we're a little bit very unsure about things in our near future. It's frustrating. We are frustrated every day. But somehow we've learned to cope with the stress. We are in this together and we've found ways to talk it out and release the stress for a while. I'm so happy that we have a home to be a haven away from the world, and that we can bring the Spirit into our home every day. It's an enormous comfort to help keep us sane.

In Mosiah chapter 4 verse 9, it says:
Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend.

I love the simplicity of this verse. Simply believe in God and all His power. He knows things I don't know, and He is the one that makes sure I have the experiences I need to have. I learn from these experiences and gain new perspectives on life and what I am doing here. I'm grateful to know that someone is in control of our situation and our future. And thank goodness, it's the most wonderful person I could ask to be in charge of our life.

Scout Camp

Steve got to go to Scout Camp with our ward's scout troop this year. Double whammy considering we just went on Trek a few weeks ago!! He really enjoyed himself and they camped in a beautiful area. He said it was up above Yellowstone, so it was in the 70s-ish the whole week. Well, that's nice, while I was roasting in our 90 degree weather. 

Steve's lovely view from the campground

Inspections

The troop needed to do a service project while they were there. They decided to improve the camp's axe yard. Here is the before:

They made a nice little kindling pile-area, and put up the poles and strings for drying lines, and left a little door to enter. It was a major improvement. Here is the after:

Well, even though I had to sleep alone all week (which is rough!!) I'm glad he went. He had quite a few of these lovely pictures to show me. I love clouds. Looking at the wonders of our world really reminds me of what our Father in Heaven has given us to enjoy.

Take a moment today to count your blessings. :)

30 Days

Well, I kiiiind of feel like a failure. A little bit. At the beginning of the year, our stake presidency challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by July 1st. I think we got to about 2 Nephi ... chapter 2. A couple of people (that are cool and actually completed the challenge) spoke about it in our ward today. I really enjoyed their testimonies about hearing how reading the word of God blessed their lives.

I know that I made a mistake and I can't fix it because it's in the past. But I do strive to read scriptures/Ensigns often. A week or so ago I found a blog that had talked about a missionary blog they found with a challenge and cute little card to try and read the Book of Mormon in 30 days. (Here is the blog where I saw it: Right here and she actually linked to the original blog where she found it.)

After seeing that and then hearing people talk about that challenge today in church, I decided I was going to give it a try. I figured it would kind of feel like a way to make up all that I didn't gain. And on the plus side, I like having a schedule to follow and being able to see the end. So I think 30 days will be great.

I am going to follow the timeline on the card except for one day. We are taking a 3 day vacation soon, so I am going to read one day's worth in that 3 days. We are going to be suuuper busy during that va-cay. So really I guess I'll be doing this challenge in 33 days. Still - I think it's way manageable.

So I'm off to grab my scriptures and start reading like a maniac!! I am excited and think it will be a good experience. I am hoping I can make Steve buy into trying it with me!

Trekkies - picture overload

And I'm not talking about Star Trek. I'm talking about our amazing family that we got to have the Trek experience with. We called ourselves the Trekkies and our motto was Trek Long and Prosper.

For now, I am going to just give you a picture overload. I will do a separate post about my experience. It was something I will never forget.

Here are the kids just getting started pulling our cart. (You can tell it just started because they still have such big smiles.)

The first night we had a dance. Here are some pictures of a few kids from our ward, and Steve doing some dancing.

We had been sunscreening all day long, and at the end of the day I thought I had still gotten a burn. But then I was washing my arms and legs with baby wipes, and realized I just had a really sweet dust tan.

One of our kids found a cool caterpillar. And it had the design of a penguin on it. Funky!

Sweet sunset from our camp.

Here is the start of our third day. They were sincerely the best ever.

 We had guides on horses the whole time we trekked.

This area was almost like a preserve - they just let nature take its course here as much as possible. So there were bones/carcasses along parts of our trail.

Walking and walking and walking some more.

Ooooh mornings. We will never be friends. (Believe it or not, I was smiling in this picture.)

We look pretty good for the third day.

Look at those girlies kicking butt pulling that cart!

There was a lot of going up and down hills. It got a little crazy at times, but we did it. It really made you appreciate the experiences the pioneers had.

And we're done. (That's the only reason I'm smiling.) Just waiting for the closing devotional and then to go home.

We hiked three separate days. After the 2nd day, the soles fell off of my shoes. These were the only tennis shoes I brought, so I had to be resourceful for the 3rd day of hiking. (Also, like my leg dust tan?)

All our handcarts lined up. Can you tell how tired we all were??

Driving home. A few of the boys from our ward zonked after about 15 minutes of driving. I won't lie, so did I.