Movie Monday: Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful

What makes YOU feel beautiful in the eyes of the Lord?

Close Call

Something fell out the dishwasher and as a natural reaction I quickly moved out of the way and then this is what I saw:



Yikes! Yeah, the floor could have been my foot, my bare foot. It was a close call, I'd say. I can't believe it actually fell so straight that it stuck right into our hard wood floor. I am sure glad that I had to just simply pluck the knife out of the floor ever so easily rather than the very possible alternative.

This experience got me thinking about the phrase "close call" and I decided to look up the definition. So I discovered in other words I had just experienced a "narrow escape" and another definition added a "narrow escape from danger". Yes this was a narrow escape from a dangerous situation. I was indeed grateful of the outcome.

And now after replaying the scenario in my head I can't help but think of a much more dangerous narrow escape we sometimes experience in life.

Do we sometimes play with fire? Do we sometimes toy with sin?

Or do we break the glass and run or simply swim away?

There truly is no need to experience a close call when it comes to sin. We can have a very wide escape if we never tip-toe close to the line. Let us stay away from Spiritual Close Calls, it is much better than the alternative! Don't you think?!?

You're Never Alone

A Young Women's Positive Influence on Priesthood Bearers

I couldn't resist posting this great quote from Sister Ardeth Kapp. She shares a list of ways this influence may be shown. I think all women, young and old, can take something from these questions and these thoughts:

“Young women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, [1] do the young men you associate with know that you have a standard of excellence from which you will not depart? [2] Do they know by what you say and do that you honor and respect your parents and that [3] you follow the counsel of the leaders of the Church? [4] Do they know you will delay dating until after you are 16 because a prophet of the Lord has given that direction? [5] By your actions do they know that you have made up your mind to be good and that you will not weaken? [6] Can they look to your friendship to gain confidence and respect for themselves? [7] Will your language, your dress, your choice of entertainment, music, books, and movies help the young men who associate with you develop admiration and respect for womanhood? As young men are exposed to the world’s distorted role of womanhood, [8] can they see in you the refinement and sweetness that encourage an attitude of reverence, respect, and honor for that sacred calling?

“Strange that I had not realized before, but it is not as a young woman encourages a young man to go on a mission that her greatest influence is felt. Rather it is through her actions as she reveals her commitment and testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ and gives evidence through her power and influence in the advancement of good” (“By the Way She Is,” p. 13; numbers added).

What a great thought provoking quote to ponder ourselves and also to pass on to the young women in our lives.

Picture Courtesy of LDS.org

Too Good

A few weeks ago we had a great lesson in Relief Society from the manual titled, "Valiant in the Cause of Christ". The whole lesson was great but there was one line in particular that was read and discussed that stuck out to me. I'll share the line with you shortly, so read on.

Have you ever thought that there was such a thing as being too good? If you do not now, think back to the time when you were a teen...maybe you were the one who people thought was "too good" or maybe you looked at others and thought that the things they did were silly and that they were "too good". Or that they or you were a "Molly Mormon" or a "Peter Priesthood". I think that we all have been and thought in one or both of these perspectives at some point in our lives, whether now, when we were younger, or both.

"You Cannot Be Too Good."

The line that so profoundly struck me was this great declaration from the Prophet Joseph Smith, “You cannot be too good." The word 'too' means "to an excessive extent" or "more than should be". So basically he stated clearly that we can't be overly good. There comes no point when the good that we choose to do and the righteous choices we make become too much when kept in balance with the guidance of the Spirit.

Of course we can excessively engage in something that is good, for example, we could read our scriptures (a good thing) too much if it was taking us away from being good parents. (I don't think too many of us have that problem, but it is just an example :) So it is possible for us to over exert ourselves in one area causing us to neglect other important and good things.But with that said, I want to move away from the exceptions and focus more on the wonderful side of this statement - "You cannot be too good."

Commandments Can Be Made Personal

The Lord said, “And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with com­mandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me” (D&C 59:4, emphasis added).

The commandments that we have received from God are not few in number but we can dig deeper by seeking and then following the personal revelations that we each can receive. I believe that the Lord expects this of us as He said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect” (Mat. 5:48)."

President Hartman Rector, Jr. Of the First Council of the Seventy said, "[Set] personal commandments... You should make up your own special and specific list of commandments. Such commandments would depend on your own past experience and your own particular weaknesses.

I love this idea of personal commandments. There are so many things within the Church that are left without specific and exact command. There are many things that are left to our own personal choosing and thus require us to set these "personal commandments" or boundaries for ourselves.

My Personal Story of a Personal Commandment

I hesitate to bring up this personal example but I feel it will better illustrate the blessing of seeking and following these personal promptings and setting commandments or guidelines for ourselves. I also think that it perfectly illustrates Satan's desire to make us think we are being "too good".

Now the reason I hesitate to share this story is because I don't want you to think that I think I am just great or too good but what I hope to convey is that personal commandments can uplift us and strengthen us especially in our own areas of weakness. I also want to convey that although we all know we have much to work on and are trying our best, Satan can squeeze his way in and try to make us feel that what we are choosing to do is "too good" or rather that we are going overboard and/or being silly.

So here is my story. Just after I graduated from High School my best friend and I set a goal for ourselves. We often sat in front of her house in my car and talked about all sorts of things from boys to spiritual matters. On this particular occasion we talked about movies. We talked specifically about PG-13 movies.

By the end of the conversation we both had resolved to not watch PG-13 movies anymore. There was more to it than just a simple conversation between two teenage girls, I felt the Spirit confirm to me that this is what I was to do. I have not watched a PG-13 movie since. This of course was a personal decision, not a commandment given directly or specifically from the Church. For me it was a matter of my own weaknesses, the feeling I had when I watched these movies, and lastly the realization that almost all, if not all, of these movies had at least that "one part" or that "one scene".

As I have followed this "personal prompting and commandment" I have received blessings, and of course some opposition. The blessings were of my weaknesses being made stronger, my sensitivity to violence, language, and sex greatly heightened, and an increased amount of self-control.

As our journey began with this new boundary it was difficult at times but not too hard because we were generally together and so we went through it together. After that Summer we both went our separate ways to college. At first it became a little tougher. I often had to warn dates of my decision and sometimes I was greeted with simply a surprised look and others a more direct questioning of my choice. At times I wondered by Satan's encouragement, if I was being silly or if I had gone overboard in my choice. But after more time passed it became easier to forgo watching these movies. It became more natural and if others were to find out about my choice there reactions began to not matter so much to me. There now have even been instances where the material displayed in PG movies becomes offensive or hard for me to watch. The making and keeping of this personal goal or commandment has been a great blessing in my life.

Testimony

I know that what Joseph Smith said is true. "[We] cannot be too good." We can always be better. We can set personal commandments for ourselves. We can make personal decisions with the guidance of the Spirit which will strengthen our weaknesses and help us become better, not too good, but better.

I know that Satan will try to convince us otherwise. He will try to make us uncomfortable. He will try to make us feel silly or even weird. But I know that as we follow the commandments of the Lord and as we listen to the promptings of the Spirit and make choices in our lives accordingly we will be strengthened, we will become more sensitive to the Spirit, and we will gain greater self-control in our lives. I know that as we do these things we will draw closer to reaching this commandment given from the Lord, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect” (Mat. 5:48)." We will never be too good but we can become better as we strive to be more like our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pictures Courtesy of LDS.org

Mormonad: Text Messaging

So we all know that our world has become a world of text messaging. It is widely used by teens and adults alike. As odd as this might seem I have never sent a text message and I am not even sure if I know how to. Gasp, I know. I am behind the times.

Text messaging can be used for so much good. I've heard of many parents using it to keep track of their teens and stay connected with them. I heard about the stream of text messages that were sent out when President Hinckley passed away which ended in many students dressing up the next day at school. There is good in it.

On the flip side I have seen and heard of students texting during class at school, seminary, church, and church activities. And now because of this Mormonad and Video I see that it not only happens in these situations but also in social settings.

We need to be so careful with how we use our cell phones and text messaging and make sure we teach our children the same. We need to "Keep Texting from Taking Over". This is the title of an article written by Russell and Brad Wilcox and has a great message.

Here is a quote from this great article: "Like all communication tools, cell phones with text messaging capabilities can be positive or negative depending on how they are used. Stories can be told of a texted birthday greeting that made someone’s day or a disaster that was avoided because someone was warned quickly and effectively in a text message. Still, not-so-positive stories can also be told of teenagers texting their friends during Sunday School or seminary lessons, of people being hurt by the content of a message received, or...of people avoiding or disregarding those around them in favor of texting someone else.

Let us be careful of how we use this great media tool.

Mormonad Homefront Commercials

I found these videos yesterday at Mormontimes.com on their page called Today in the Bloggernacle. They are entertaining, funny, and send a good message about spending time together as a family. Enjoy!

The Value of Self-Esteem

I came across this great talk and couldn't resist posting it here. Self-Esteem seems to be such a universal problem and I thought we all could benefit from Elder Fausts great words. This was a CES Fireside given by Elder Faust in May of 2007, titled "The Value of Self-Esteem".



I will share a few excerpts here or you can click on the link above to read the talk in it's entirety:

"Tonight I would like to talk about self-esteem—what we think of ourselves, how we relate to what others think of us, and the value of what we accomplish...Self-esteem goes to the very heart of our personal growth and accomplishment. It is the glue that holds together our self-reliance, our self-control, our self-approval or disapproval and keeps all self-defense mechanisms secure. It is a protection against excessive self-deception, self-distrust, self-reproach, and plain old-fashioned selfishness."

He goes on to share Six Keys for Healthy Self-Esteem:

First: Keep Your Agency
This means that we must not surrender self-control nor yield to habits that bind, to addiction that enslaves, nor to conduct that destroys. To keep our agency we must avoid the deadly traps and pitfalls from which there may be no escape.

Second: Humility
I mean the humility that comes with inner strength and peace. It is the humility that allows us to accept and live with our own warts, without cosmetics to hide them.

Third: Honesty
Being true to one’s own self is the essence of honesty and a keystone of self-esteem.

Fourth: Love of Work
While there are those who are gifted, most of the world’s work and some of the greatest contributions come from ordinary people with a talent which they have developed.

Fifth: Ability to Love
The commandment given by the Savior was to love others and yourself.3 Am I secure enough in my love of myself to laugh at myself, to admit mistakes, to graciously accept a compliment? Am I secure in my love of others to smile and say hello to a perfect stranger?

Sixth: Love of God
The sixth and most essential key to self-esteem is the love of God. King Benjamin reminds us, “How knoweth a man the master whom he has not served . . . ?” (Mosiah 5:13). In Paul’s epistle to Titus he reminds us that there are many who “profess that they know God; but in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16).

Here is a portion of his closing remarks, "...Nobody is a nobody...I testify that God loves each of us—warts and all. I testify that he knows each of our names. I testify that each of us has a potential in this life and beyond the grave that exceeds our fondest dreams. I testify through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are engaged in His holy work."

I've always loved lists in talks. They help me to have a direct plan of how to acheive the objective hoped for, in this case better self-esteem. Along with these six keys one of my favorite lines was that "Nobody is a nobody." I think we all have moments when we forget that.

This talk also reminded me of a small portion from a talk given by President Benson called "Beware of Pride". He addresses a different side of pride that we don't often think of:

"The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not. Their self-esteem is determined by where they are judged to be on the ladders of worldly success. They feel worthwhile as individuals if the numbers beneath them in achievement, talent, beauty, or intellect are large enough. Pride is ugly. It says, “If you succeed, I am a failure.”

If we love God, do His will, and fear His judgment more than men’s, we will have self-esteem."

What powerful messages from President Faust and President Benson. Let us strive to see our individual worth and let us strive to see the worth in others because "nobody is a nobody".

Let Us Raise Our Voice of Warning

My heart has been filled lately. It has been filled with a greater desire to be missionary minded. My hope is that my missionary mindedness will not just be missionary thoughts but will be transfered into missionary actions.

I have had some great opportunities lately that have come in very simple ways. As simple as fullfilling my role as a visiting teacher or knocking on a strangers door to deliver a birthday card.

About a week ago I read the First Presidency message given by President Eyring in the January Ensign and felt a fire lit underneath me to get up and work. As I read it, it hit me in an extremely powerful way and I felt the great urgency and the great obligation that I have to follow through.

I now want to share some of the powerful words from this vital message.

If You Know You Should Warn
"Here is the charge given to each of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (D&C 88:81)."

There is Danger in Not Warning
"The Lord would not use the word warn if there was no danger. Yet not many people we know sense it. They have learned to ignore the increasing evidence that society is unraveling and that their lives and family lack the peace they once thought was possible. That willingness to ignore the signs of danger can make it easy for you to think: “Why should I speak to anyone about the gospel who seems content? What danger is there to them or to me if I do or say nothing?”

Well, the danger may be hard to see, but it is real, both for them and for us. For instance, at some moment in the world to come, everyone you met in this life will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, is to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. They will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you. It’s easy to say, “The time isn’t right.” But there is danger in procrastination."

The Keys to Missionary Work
"I can still remember my mother speaking softly to me one Saturday afternoon when, as a little boy, I asked her for permission to do something I thought was perfectly reasonable and which she knew was dangerous. I still am amazed at the power she was granted, I believe from the Lord, to turn me around with so few words. As I remember them, they were: “Oh, I suppose you could do that. But the choice is yours.” The only warning was in the emphasis she put on the words could and choice. Yet that was enough for me.

Her power to warn with so few words sprang from three things I knew about her. First, I knew she loved me. Second, I knew she had faced similar situations and had been blessed by making the right choice. And third, she had conveyed to me her sure testimony that the choice I had to make was so important that the Lord would tell me what to do if I asked Him. Love, example, and testimony: those were keys that day, and they have been whenever I have been blessed to hear and then heed the warning of a servant of the Lord.

I testify that only accepting and living the restored gospel of Jesus Christ brings the peace the Lord promised in this life and the hope of eternal life in the world to come. I testify that we have been given the privilege and the obligation to offer the truth and the choices which lead to those blessings to our Heavenly Father’s children, who are our brothers and our sisters. Jesus is the Christ, He lives, and this is His work."

These are only a few selections of this powerful talk and I urge you to read it in it's entirety.

We can and we must show a greater love to our neighbors, our colleagues, and our families and friends. We can and we must be good examples. We can and we must share our testimonies of the truth. We know what other's do not know. We have been warned. We have the truth. We have testimonies.

I urge us all today to find the courage within ourselves to share what we know with someone who has not yet been warned or who has forgotten the warning they had once received. I challege us all to pray for opportunites to share the gospel, to have the courage to bear our testimonies, and to stop procrastinating the sharing of this urgent message.

Let us go knock on our neighbor's door, mention the gospel to a co-worker, or share our testimonies with our loved ones. As I felt when I read this article I hope we can all feel and act on the urgency and the obligation of this charge.

Let Us Raise Our Voice of Warning!

I'd love to hear your wonderful missionary experiences or thoughts on different ways we can reach out and share the gospel.

Prayer Printables

Image Credit

Prayer Puppets from Sugardoodle.net
Prayer Chart from lds.about.com
Praying to Heavenly Father Puzzles by Julie Wardle from LDS.org
Prayer Puzzle from Sugardoodle.net

For additonal prayer ideas and printables you can visit this page.

Give Joy To Everyone This Christmas: Give of Yourself

In the First Presidency message for this month, President Monson talks of the opportunities there are for giving of ourselves and spreading joy:

"Times change; years speed by; but Christmas continues sacred. In this marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved."

As I watched the video (link below) and looked at the faces of people from all walks of life, from all over the world, I felt a great connection with them. We are all Children of God. We are all important. We all have needs. And we all can give of ourselves to make someone else's day or month a little brighter, a little bit more joyous.

My hope is that we will all find opportunities to serve and to give of ourselves during this Christmas season and throughout this next year. My hope is that we will remember our Savior - that we will remember what He has done for us and strive to more like Him and give of ourselves.

I was introduced to this song and video from another blog and thought I would share it here. It was produced by the Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communication. I hope you enjoy it by clicking on the link below and I hope that we will all strive to help everyone around us have more joy this Christmas Season:

Joy To Everyone This Christmas

Trials: Be of Good Comfort

This last week was quite a tough one for our little family. We hit bumps and pot holes continuously throughout the week. We had one particular trial that seemed to take all of my energy and emotions - it seemed to take over all of me. It was an overwhelmingly emotional week. It was draining and frustrating and sad, and very dissapointing. One day I may write more personally about the whole situation but it is still too fresh and I think to wait some time may be good for me.

But as I have been dealing with this trial along with the many other bumps and holes we hit throughout the week I have been gratefully blessed with a peaceful assurance that my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ are there - that They know me, that They care about me, and that They will never leave me. I have felt the peace of knowing that my Father in Heaven does listen to my heart-felt prayers. That my Savior does understand - that He does know what I am going through.

At moments I am still overwhelmed and I am still brought to tears but the other night I was blessed to be guided to these wonderful verses:

Mosiah 24:13-16
"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort...

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

And now it came to pass that the burdens...were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."

I know that I was visited by the Lord during these trials. I know that I have been stregthened and taught.

The last line in these verses says, "Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." The following day after I read these verses my trial did not dissappear but I felt a greater peace, a greater amount of comfort, and I felt like I could lift my head a little and smile.

I know that we are all watched over and cared for. I know that we are not left to fight our trials on our own. I know that we are loved by our Heavenly Father and by Jesus Christ and that they will never leave us but will visit us in our times of need and will give us comfot if we will have greater faith and patience.

Mormonads: Thoughts - Our Hidden Sin

I couldn't resist posting all of the mormonads on thoughts. They are all so good and I hope they will provoke some analyzing on how your thoughts are doing. I think that controlling our thoughts is something that everyone can work on and is something that we easily put off because it is such an easily hidden sin - that is until our thoughts start to reflect themselves in our actions, and that doesn't take too long.


We must be so careful with our thoughts because they can have a great effect not only on ourselves but on those that are around us. We must be kind to others in our thoughts. We must be moral in our thoughts. We must be clean in our thoughts. We must be positive in our thoughts. We must be smart in our thoughts. We must watch our thoughts.

Mosiah 4:30 says, But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith...ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

When looking up the word 'watch' in the dictionary it brings to light what it truly means to watch your thoughts. When you read the definitions below think about how you could better watch your thoughts:

• to be alertly on the lookout
• to be careful or cautious
• to keep awake, for a purpose
• remain vigilant, as for protection or safekeeping
• to keep guard
  












President Boyd K. Packer - Worthy Thoughts
“One who can control his thoughts has conquered himself.”

Mormonad: Differences...and 6 of my Quirks

I may have been tagged by my sister but I have a sister-in-law with my same name so I am not super sure. I generally don't get tagged since I don't have a personal or family blog and if I do I wouldn't normally respond but I thought it would be fun (whether I was actually tagged or not) to join in this one and give you a little peek at what I am like. Of course I would feel weird not adding a little spirtual twist so stay tuned to the end of the post for that.



So here are 6 of my quirky habits... I am not going to tag anyone else since most of you that check this blog are complete strangers. Enjoy my weirdnesses and think about the funny quirks you have.

1 - When I can’t sleep I stick my pillow on my head. This began in college when I had a roommate stay up late doing homework with her lamp on (annoying you might think, but she was actually one of my favorite roommates). To block the light I would stick the pillow on my head and now I have no light to block and for some reason it still sends me to the ZZZs a lot quicker when I am having a hard time getting there.

2 - So many of you will think this is crazy but I still bounce my son (just shy of 2 years old) before he goes to sleep. But that is not the quirky part…here’s my quirkiness - I actually count the number of times I bounce him. This habit began when he was younger and a very tough sleeper. I had to determine how many times I would sway back and forth to keep myself sane and know that when I hit that number I would put him down whether he cried or not. Well now it just stuck. I’ve kept counting but the number has decreased. I little OCD, I know.

3 - I actually like some of the cartoons my almost two year old watches on PBS kids. As sad as this may sound I kind of look forward to the song at the beginning of Sid the Science Kid…”I love my Mom.” “Uh-huh” “My Mom is cool.” “Uh-huh” - those of you with kids may know what I am talking about. If we turn it on after the beginning of the show I am actually slightly bummed. It’s catchy, what can I say.

4 - Now this one is pathetic…I am obsessed with checking the stats of this blog. I love to see where the people live that check the blog, how many visits the blog got the previous day, etc. I check every morning. Then if that isn’t enough I check at least 3 different times during the day to see if I have any comments. Sadly most often it is none. Obsessed, I know.

5 - I love words, especially their official meanings. For some reason I really like to look common words up in the dictionary – words that we all really know but I like to hear the official definition. Words like: live, change, continual, etc. There is just something about a good definition that does something for me. :)

6 – I never tuck our sheets in when I make our bed. I hate it when they are tight and you get in and feel like a mummy…I get Claustrophobic I guess. Some would still tuck to make it look nicer but I figure I would just pull them out before bed…why bother.

So you may be thinking, "She's weird" or "I can relate to that" or "How funny". But isn't it great that we are all so different - that we all have different things to add? Isn't it great that we each are unique with different talents, with different quirks, and with different experiences? How would the world be if your quirk was mine and mine was yours and there was no diversity? Well, it would be boring.

President Howard W. Hunter said, We are all different and unique individuals; we have each had different starting points in the race of life; we each have a unique mixture of talents and skills; we each have our own set of challenges and constraints to contend with.

1 Corinthians adds that each individual is needed. We are all a part of one body and without each of us, invidual and unique, our body would not be whole.

1 Corinthians 12:12-21
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one abody, whether we be Jews or bGentiles, whether we be cbond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the ahead to the feet, I have no need of you.

Operation NICE

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

So my sister pointed me in the direction of this blog. It is filled with experiences of others' acts of kindness as well as assignments to do specific NICE things. I really enjoyed the site and thought I would share it here---->Operation NICE

I also like the kindness corner at one of my favorite websites, Sugardoodle.com---> Kindness Corner.

Reading these sites made me think of this thought provoking hymn - Have I Done Any Good?

1. Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed. Has anyone’s burden been lighter today Because I was willing to share? Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there?

[Chorus] Then wake up and do something more Than dream of your mansion above. Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, A blessing of duty and love.

2. There are chances for work all around just now, Opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,” But go and do something today.’ Tis noble of man to work and to give; Love’s labor has merit alone. Only he who does something helps others to live. To God each good work will be known.

[Chorus] Then wake up and do something more Than dream of your mansion above. Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, A blessing of duty and love.

Text and music: Will L. Thompson, 1847–1909, alt.

There are opportunities right in our way so let's wake up and do something more - let's go and do something today.

Serving with Children

"One of the greatest challenges we face in our hurried, self-centered lives is to follow the counsel of the Master "to do it unto one of the least of these my brethren." Take the time today to reach out to help someone less fortunate, to strengthen and lift a brother or sister in need." -Gordon B. Hinckley

I recently received a calling in my ward where I have many opportunities to serve. As I have been trying to fulfill my calling I have learned a great lesson. My one year old son and I will often go on service excursions together. On one of our walks to visit several members of the ward we had a slew of cookies we were delivering. My little boy would hand them the cookies when they came to the door (he loves cookies), and then as we would walk away I would tell him how nice it was for him to share his cookies. Even though he is young I think that he started to understand what we were doing. Once we had completed our little journey he couldn't stop saying, "How nice" and "Cookies". I think he started to grasp, just a little, what service is all about.

I have always been one to enjoy being a part of service organizations and service projects but since I have a child now I have found it harder to find time away for serving. I have found myself saying that I miss service but I don't know how to serve with a child. Through experiences like delivering cookies my son has started to teach me that service can come in small packages and that he can and is so anxious to be apart of it. My new goal is to seek out more opportunties for our WHOLE family to serve together.

If anyone has any ideas on how to serve with young children I would love to hear them.

For a few ideas on how to serve with young children click HERE.

Teaching Children about Service - to read this article click HERE.

Mormonad - Trash Talk

Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

What a bold reminder that we will be accountable for the words that we speak.

My son is at the age where he repeats everything we say. It has caused us to watch ourselves and we have started to notice that some of the things we say are not needful and definitely not the best thing to be saying. It has made me ask myself, "Do I really need to use the "sister" words or the substitute words to swear words to express my feelings?"

Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Mar 2001, 16

Many people try to substitute other words for swear words, but Elder L. Tom Perry warns that so many times those substitute words are so similar to the swear words or vulgar phrases that everyone knows what you meant to say and your vocabulary hasn’t really changed. Elder Perry suggests a simple activity to break the habit:

“First, make the commitment to erase such words from your vocabulary. Next, if you slip and say a swear word or a substitute word, mentally reconstruct the sentence without the vulgarity or substitute word and repeat the new sentence aloud. Eventually you will develop a nonvulgar speech habit” (New Era, Aug. 1986, 7).

Mormonad - Down on Yourself

How often do you find yourself feeling down? Just a few weeks ago I was feeling low. I wasn't being my usual self and I was pulling my usual self down. I think that we all have days or even weeks like this so I thought that this post would be a good reminder of how the things that make us unique are wonderful and that we are all Children of God and have great potential.

COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHERS
“Comparing yourself to others can … result in either feelings of inferiority or superiority. … Accept yourself as the unique person that you are without comparing yourself to others. Doing this will help you love yourself properly without conceit” (Clark Swain, “Q & A,” New Era, Mar. 1979, p. 38) and I would also add that it will help you love yourself without being "down on yourself".

Q&A in the New Era: I have a bad habit of comparing myself to others. I know I’m being unfair to myself, and it makes me discouraged. How can I stop? To find out some answers to this question click here.

REALIZE YOUR FULL POTENTIAL - click HERE for full talk
With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. I invite you to look beyond the daily routine of life. I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities. I exhort you to prayerfully make worthy choices that will lead you to realize your full potential (Richard G. Scott, “Realize Your Full Potential,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 41–43).

I love the story of "The Ugly Duckling" He was different than the others but his potential was immense. Enjoy the video below.

The Ugly Duckling - Disney Silly Symphony

Mormonad - Lies

James E. Faust, “Honesty—a Moral Compass,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 41

"We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving...Honesty is a moral compass to guide us in our lives."

We are expected to be honest with others as well as honest with ourselves but I don't think it is unusual to find ourselves telling little white lies to others, to ourselves, to our children, or to our spouses. We live in a world where this has become common place. It is time to do as President Faust said and live truthfully. It doesn't take long for a little bit of yarn to create a big mess. So I give a challenge to us all to find an area in our lives where more honesty is needed.

This is an old Church Commercial (sorry it isn't great quality).

It is both entertaining and a good reminder to be honest.

Mormonad - Gossip

First I will share a personal experience where I was the victim of gossip. My sophomore year in high school I was asked to go to PROM and it was going to be my first date ever. I was a little nervous but also incredibly excited. I thought it would be a fun date since I was going with a boy that was simply a friend from one of my classes. The date turned out to be a good experience for my very first date.

During the weeks following the dance, my date started acting very weird around me and in many cases completely ignoring me. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I decided to not worry about him and forget the whole situation. A few months later I was at our final stag dance before the end of the school year when one of my guy friends somehow brought up how I had tried to kiss my PROM date. I was shocked at his remark - I told him that I did not try to kiss him. He was surprised. I asked him why he thought that I had and he told me that my date had told everyone that I had tried to kiss him. So while I was unaware, gossip had spread that I had tried to kiss my date. I was hurt, frustrated, and embarrassed that this lie had spread to all of my peers. This is only a small example of how gossip can hurt someone.

What an ugly thing gossip is. Whether we are passing on accurate or misleading information it is so often hurtful and definitely unnecessary. Why do we feel so inclined to spread information about others to our friends, our spouses, our children, or to anyone who might find joy or excitement in hearing the latest failure, mistake, or embarrassing situation of an individual?


I think that gossip so easily rests on our pride. It fits perfectly with the quotes in the previous post given by President Benson, "We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them." I think that this is so often our reason for gossiping "to elevate ourselves above others".

How dark and hurtful gossip can be. As the Mormonad says, Don't Pass It On! I would also add to that, don't be the first to get your hands dirty either. Leave gossip alone and share the good things you find in others.