Look to the Light

This is a beautiful video!

He Lives: Testimonies of Jesus Christ

General Conference Highlights

An Apostle's Role - Elder Bednar

New Book Coming Soon

I'm really proud of my brother-in-law for getting this book published! He's worked on it for about 10 years now, so it's quite the accomplishment. It will be available on January 8, 2011! For more info, go HERE.

Book of Mormon Kick-Off

I can't wait to start reading The Book of Mormon again today! I hope some of you will join me in at least making scripture study a regular habit. I know it strengthens me each day as I read!

My reading schedule is in the sidebar, if you're interested in reading it in 90 days with me. 

HERE are some great links from the Church about The Book of Mormon.

Happy reading!

General Conference Resources

This time around, I'll just direct you to another website that has a ton of great links. Enjoy! :)

Latter-day Homeschooling: General Conference Resources

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The Book of Mormon in 90 Days

About once every year or so, I get the urge to read The Book of Mormon at a fast pace. I love studying individual verses and chapters at a more leisurely pace, but there's something about reading it quickly that helps me get the big picture.

So once again, I'm going to read The Book of Mormon in 90 days, and I invite you all to join me! I wanted to end on Christmas Eve, and that means starting on September 27th. I have a schedule made up with how many chapters to read each day, so just let me know if you'd like one. I'll also keep a list in the sidebar of what chapters to read for each given week.

The Book of Mormon is a wonderful book, and I know that as we read it, the Spirit will fill our homes. I know Autumn is a busy time for many, but please consider reading it with me!

Recent Videos from the Church

Recently, the Church has put out some really excellent videos on YouTube. I appreciate the time they take to make these videos. You can't help but feel the Spirit as you watch them.

Voice of the Spirit - I remember when Pres. Faust gave this talk. It's an excellent reminder about how to shift our lives so that our priorities are where they need to be.

Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth - This video reminds me that I need to be mentally present when I'm with my children. So many times, I'm thinking about other things. I need to just be there for them. I have a quote taped to my computer screen that says, "The best thing to spend on your children is your time." (Louis Hart) How true that is!

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light - This man taught me that I need to forgive, no matter how big the offense.

No Regrets - I loved this video, because I, too, have a testimony of seminary. I think that's where I really became converted to the Gospel. I've been a member my whole life, but seminary opened my eyes to things I hadn't before realized. It taught me the ways of the Spirit.

Two Brothers Apart: The 5,000 Day Project - This video really affected me, mostly because I see glimpses of my daughters' relationship in the relationship between these two brothers - some of the good and some of the bad. It gives me hope that all the bickering will soon disappear, and my girls will be best friends all the time, not just some of the time.

An Unlikely Parenting Scripture?

I was reading in 3 Nephi 14 today. It's one of my favorite chapters. As I was reading verses 3-5, I was suddenly reading them in a different way than I've ever read them before. I've been thinking about parenting a lot lately, and these verses really stuck out to me. (I replaced "brother" with "child.")

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy [child]’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy [child]: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy [child]’s eye.

So many times in parenting, we think it's our job to correct our children's every mistake. However, I'm beginning to see that it's much more important to lead by example - to "first cast the beam out of [my] own eye." They'll learn more by watching me than by listening my words - I've heard that said many times. But it's finally starting to really sink in. Parenting is an inward process. I need to work on making myself a worthy example to follow. Changes will happen faster that way than if I were to tell them what to do all day!

Motherhood

This video hit close to home! It's an excellent reminder of why we do what we do. (I'm pretty sure I cried through the entire video!) You can read the whole talk HERE.

And here's a picture of why I do what I do:

Good Things to Come

This video goes right along with my last post. It's always good to remember that there ARE good things to come. As I'm dealing with recovery, I'm glad that my good thing has already come - my sweet little girl. She makes the pain completely worth it.

But even during those trials that don't seem to have any good in them, we can't forget that they're only temporary. I love how Elder Holland states it: "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."

You can read the entire talk here.

Patience is Enduring Well

“Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Continue in Patience,” Ensign, May 2010, 57

This one hit pretty close to home this week for me! I found out last week that at 38 weeks, this baby inside of me decided to flip around and NOT be head-down anymore. This meant a whole slew of adventures over the past week, but it comes down to me having to have a C-section on Saturday. Talk about "bearing hardship with fortitude." That's a tough one. But hopefully, I'll be able to keep this quote and this talk in the back of my mind over the next few weeks! "Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"

Of the Temple

Today was the dedication of the Gila Valley Arizona Temple. Church was cancelled throughout Arizona so we could attend it, via satellite to our stake centers. The dedication was beautiful, as is the temple. We weren't able to go to the open house, so it was nice to see what the inside looked like.

One of the stories President Monson shared in his talk was very powerful to me. Hopefully, I get the details right. He spoke of the time when he went to Tonga to organize the first stake there. He was talking to one of the men who was called to be a high councilor, and he asked if he had been to the temple. He said yes. He then asked if he had been sealed to his wife and children. The man got emotional as he said that he and his wife had 10 children. Because of the cost of making a trip to the temple (the closest being in New Zealand at the time), they were only able to take four of their children with them to be sealed to them. They were, of course, saving money to take the other six to the temple - even if it took his entire life, he said.

I started crying when I heard this! I live 5 minutes away from a temple, and how often do I appreciate it like I'm sure this man did? I can't imagine only being able to be sealed to half of my children!

The story has a happy ending, however. When he got home from Tonga, President Monson told the story of this man to his family one night. One of his teenage daughters was a part of the seminary council at the time, and they decided to have a fundraiser for temple funds for the Polynesian people. They raised enough money for that family to all be sealed, in addition to several others.

I'm so grateful for the temple, and especially for the ability to be sealed together as a family. I'm glad I chose to be married in the temple, so my children are automatically sealed to us. I'm also grateful for the chance to live my life so that I'm worthy of that sealing.

Our True Identity

Of the Priesthood

I have a great testimony of the power of the Priesthood. This testimony was strengthened last night.

Being almost 8 months pregnant, I've had a lot of heartburn for a few months now. Over the last week or so, it had gotten worse and worse, lasting longer and longer. Finally, last night, I was in so much pain - I was even getting heartburn from milk! It was really bad. So I asked my husband for a Priesthood blessing.

It was a simple blessing, but it was perfect. The heartburn immediately left. It's been 24 hours now, and I haven't had heartburn once. To me, that's a miracle! I'm so grateful for the Priesthood and its power to heal.

Happy Mother's Day

Your beauty doesn't lie in what you wear or how you look. It lies within. This video of Stephanie Nielson reaffirms that fact. She's truly a beautiful woman.

I love what she says about motherhood. Motherhood really is a synonym for beauty.

Of the Book of Mormon

This is an excellent video to watch over and over again. Today, there's a Facebook/YouTube challenge going on to see if we can get it at the top of the YouTube lists, so make sure you watch it again and again today! :)

Of Service

I'm about seven and a half months pregnant right now, and unfortunately, the extra hormones tend to make me kind of depressed sometimes. It comes in waves, so I'm thankful for the ups! However, my last "down" was a couple of weeks ago. It was just a hard week; it seemed like everything went wrong all at once. But of course, the Lord works through angels on earth! (Who gave that talk a few Conferences ago? Elder Holland? ... Found it!)

The very next Sunday after my hard week, our sacrament meeting topic was President Monson's talk from last October, What Have I Done For Someone Today? One of the speakers gave an excellent talk that was just what I needed to hear.

She related a story of one of her dear friends, whose entire family suffered from clinical depression. She knew all of her friend's siblings were on some kind of medication for it, but she also knew her friend wasn't taking anything. One day she asked her how she could handle the depression without taking anything. Her friend said, "I try to serve someone outside of my family every single day, as early in the day as I possibly can. I don't need medication when I do this." What a testimony of service! Because of her service to others, her body was physically able to produce what it needed to, to keep the depression under control.

I know service has that capability! I'm so much happier when I'm serving others. (As a side note, I have noticed that it's the days that I'm physically unable to serve others that my spirits fall. However, even sending a friendly email is something almost anyone can do while not feeling well!) I know that as we serve, we're not only helping those we serve, but we're blessing our own lives, as well.

Of the Book of Mormon

This video is much more powerful than any words I could write. But my testimony is the same. I know The Book of Mormon is true!

He Lives

We were out of town for Easter, so I didn't post anything. But this message is true all year long!

Resources

I have to mention a brand new website/blog! It's called Latter-day Homeschooling, and they have some wonderful resources. It's not just a bunch of homeschooling articles - there's TONS of stuff for ALL Latter-day Saints.

One quick one I wanted to mention was their recent post with links for free resources on Nauvoo, Easter, and General Conference. The General Conference link is especially amazing! You'll find a little bit of everything for a wide range of ages. I was going to make my own General Conference packets for my kids, but now I don't think I will. There were several that I had never seen before that look perfect.

Perspective

General Conference Ideas

Before each General Conference, I usually provide a list of resources - mostly, activities for children. We'll be going out of town next week, so this time it's a little early, but here are a few of the pages I plan on using.

I found these on sugardoodle.net:
- Conference Coloring Activity

- LDS Coloring Pages - this is a list of the coloring pages from several years' worth of the Friend - if you would like to create your own coloring packet for your children. (I'm definitely going to do this!)

And most of the links I've provided in the past would also work this time around. Click HERE for my April 2009 list (which is missing Elder Andersen - but the non-Apostle activities would still work), and HERE for a link to some great resources from October 2009.

Consistency is Key

“Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. ‘Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great’ (D&C 64:33).”

David A. Bednar, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 19-20

Scripture Power - Too Cute!

Gospel Principles

The new manual for the next two years for the Priesthood and for Relief Society is Gospel Principles. I just wanted to bear my testimony of this book! I remember reading it growing up - sometimes on my own, sometimes as part of family scripture study. It was definitely one of those books that I would go to if I had a question.

And now as a mother, I've begun to read it with my oldest daughter. We homeschool, and a few months ago, I was trying to decide on a "reader" to use (something for her to read out loud to me, to practice enunciation, etc.), and as I was thinking about it, I had a very distinct thought that I should use Gospel Principles. I'm not one to get very distinct thoughts like that very often, so I definitely listened to it! And now, I love that she reads it on her own, and I love hearing her say things like, "Mom, I'm on Chapter 4, and we're only on Chapter 2!"

As we study from this book for the next two years, I know my testimony of the basic Gospel principles will be strengthened. And I know yours can, too, as you read it!