LOVE.

"Love wasn't put in your heart to stay. Love isn't love until you give it away."-Michael W. Smith

Hearts.

So I am currently watching the LATEST episode of Project Runway...my latest addiction, and this episode is a challenge to make dresses for real women that have a heart defect. And it has just brought me to tears. I know this little boy....he is very close to MY heart and the hearts of SO many people. His name is Nick. He is my nephew. He says the DARNDEST things, is SUPER cheeky, full of energy, super smart, and the cutest brother to 2 other DARN cute boys. When Nick was born, he was born with a heart defect. His heart has a tumor inside, which cannot be removed. Since he was born 5 years ago, he has had many surgeries, had a defibrillator inserted inside to take care of his heart when it forgets to do it's job. He is such a tough little boy, and he just keeps chuggin' along in life, doing the best he can. His mom and daddy are amazing and work so hard to be happy and make life so fun for their little boys. We are so blessed to have the health that we do. We are so blessed to have the experiences we have. We should be so thankful for everything we have and always remember to keep others in our prayers. Faith is such a wonderful blessing...God is real.....

Hug o' war

"I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins."-Shel Silverstein

Have I Done Any Good?

"Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him. He speaks to you and to me:

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

-Thomas S. Monson, “What Have I Done for Someone Today?,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 84–87

Kids.

So, kids say the DARNDEST things...and I just HAD to steal this one from my sister.....Her kids are SO fun!
'Tonight while I was making dinner, Nick approached me and announced that he had a secret. I leaned in with interest and said, "Okay... What is it?" He tilted his head up and said in his "duh mom" voice: "I can't TELL you... It's a secret!...... But maybe if I just say it soft so no one hears me..."
I say "OK." And then he says so sweetly to me "Ok. My secret is-- why do you cook food SO GOOD?!"
I laugh and smile down at him and say "'Cause I'm AWESOME!"
Nick looks up at me, tilts his head, kind of squints his eyes and says "Um.... I think cause of Grandma."'
It's true...our mom is the BEST cook!

Love.

The great test of life is obedience to God

The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

The great commandment of life is to love the Lord.

-Ezra Taft Benson, “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4

I have been thinking.....

How blessed are WE to be able to come to earth, given such wonderful bodies, have SO many wonderful experiences and memories, and to be surrounded by such wonderful people. We all have the opportunity to find a wonderful eternal companion and raise wonderful families. How blessed we ARE! Heavenly Father made this ALL possible. He loves us SO much and wants happiness for us. We owe SO much to Him, and all He asks in return is to show love to those around us and follow His commandments. If we do, He will feel OUR love for Him.

Today I Feel Especially Poor...

But this made me feel better....
"If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy."

Dr. Seuss is SO Smart!

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than YOU."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

I love Dr. Seuss!

Feelings

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

It's Cloudy Today, Yet Still....

It's so BEAUTIFUL! I love to think of how blessed I am to live where I am. At anytime! Whether it's Hawaii or good ol' Idaho, or wherever I end up next, I am so blessed.

092. For the Beauty of the Earth

Text: Folliot S. Pierpoint
Music: Conrad Kocher; Arr. by W.H. Monk

---

1. For the beauty of the earth, 
 for the glory of the skies, 
 for the love which from our birth 
 over and around us lies; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour 
 of the day and of the night, 
 hill and vale, and tree and flower, 
 sun and moon, and stars of light; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye, 
 for the heart and mind's delight, 
 for the mystic harmony, 
 linking sense to sound and sight; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For the joy of human love, 
 brother, sister, parent, child, 
 friends on earth and friends above, 
 for all gentle thoughts and mild; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For thy church, that evermore 
 lifteth holy hands above, 
 offering up on every shore 
 her pure sacrifice of love; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For thyself, best Gift Divine, 
 to the world so freely given, 
 for that great, great love of thine, 
 peace on earth, and joy in heaven:  
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 

Just do it!

"Do what makes you happy. Be with who makes you smile. Laugh as much as you breathe. Love as long as you live."

LIMITLESS

"Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner." -President Gordon B. Hinckley

Happiness

Alma 41:10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."

Joy

As our family is our greatest source of joy in this life, so it may well be in the eternity"
-President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1979, 33-34

I Think I Can, I Think I Can!

Tillie the Little Engine: I think I can, I think I can, i think I can, I think I can...

Rollo the Clown: When your feet are dragging on the ground stand up and face whatever you're afraid of!

Rollo the Clown: When pandemonium is all around...

Missy: That's when you find out what it is you're made of.

Rollo the Clown: If you will just believe it's true then there is nothing you can't do. There's not a mountain that you can't climb. There's not a river you can't make it over. There's no tomorrow that you can't find if you try! I know you're gonna make it! Nothing can stop you now!

Tillie the Little Engine: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Be Brave!

"Cry a river, build a bridge, get over it."

Don't Give Up!

“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

Families Can Be Together Forever

I have been thinking a lot about the eternal blessing of a eternal family. How wonderful it is to know I can spend infinite moments with my husband. I am so happy to have been raised knowing the important things I must do on this earth in order to receive these blessings. What greater reward could God give us for being righteous, than to give us eternal life with our loved ones? When loved ones die, do not despair, please remember that they are in the arms of our Heavenly Father. We can live with them forever. There will be infinite times after this life for all of us to spend with our children, spouses, and family. I hope we can all find this peace, even during the hardest times.

"The eternal nature of our body and our spirit is a question often pondered by those who live in mortality. All people who will ever live on earth are members of a human family and are eternal children of God, our loving Heavenly Father. After birth and tasting of death in mortality, all will be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God the Father. Depending on our individual obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments of God, each mortal can have the blessing of attaining eternal life; that is, returning to live in the presence of their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, having eternal increase for all the eternities to come. Through making and keeping the sacred covenants found in the temple ordinances, individuals can return to the presence of God and will be reunited with their families eternally." -Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 64

Still.....LOVE

"Love is like the Sun it shines bright and warms your heart"
I hope everyone had a BRIGHT sunny day!

Love of our Father

“The same Everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.” -St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622)

Trials

Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) wrote:
“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God.”

"Eventually, all the pieces fall into place-until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment, and know that everything happens for a reason"

Love

"Life is eternal. The God of heaven has also made possible eternal love and eternal family relationships."
- Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Marriage That Endures,” Ensign, May 1974, 22

I am so happy to KNOW that I am going to spend my eternities with my parents, my siblings, my husband, my children, and THEIR children. As long as I do as Heavenly Father asks me to, I will receive that MIRACULOUS blessing. What greater joy could their be in this world, than to know that life on this earth is not the end? We have forever to spend with our family. Those that we love most. We are so incredibly blessed.

Forgiveness

"I think it may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed"
-Gordon B. Hinckley

Well, I have been thinking about forgiveness for a few weeks, and today I feel the need to share some thoughts...
Forgiveness can be hard. REALLY hard. But it such a necessary part of the entire Salvation process. It can seem so unjust what others do to you or anyone else, but keeping ill feelings towards another only hurts yourself. It makes your life turn upside down, or at least a little tipsy. And who doesn't want peace in their life? In order to have that peace, we have to learn to humble ourselves and forgive. It can be so difficult. I know that I have had to learn that the hard way, many times around. But now I have peace. I trust that I will be be happy because God promises that I will have peace and feel such great happiness if I forgive. By forgiving, I am trying to be more like my Savior Jesus Christ. And above everything else that happens in my life, being like Him is most important.

"Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way. The great Atonement was the supreme act of forgiveness. The magnitude of that Atonement is beyond our ability to completely understand. I know only that it happened, and that it was for me and for you. The suffering was so great, the agony so intense, that none of us can comprehend it when the Savior offered Himself as a ransom for the sins of all mankind.
It is through Him that we gain forgiveness. It is through Him that there comes the certain promise that all mankind will be granted the blessings of salvation, with resurrection from the dead. It is through Him and His great overarching sacrifice that we are offered the opportunity through obedience of exaltation and eternal life. May God help us to be a little kinder, showing forth greater forbearance, to be more forgiving, more willing to walk the second mile, to reach down and lift up those who may have sinned but have brought forth the fruits of repentance, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more."

Gordon B. Hinckley, “Forgiveness,” Liahona, Nov 2005, 81–84

Miracles

"Miracles happen every day. Not just in remote country villages or at holy sites halfway across the globe, but here, in our own lives." -Deepak Chopra

I've been thinking about all the wonderful things that happen just when I need them to happen. What a miracle! Miracles happen all over the world every day. Heavenly Father is constantly showing His hand in our lives by amazing blessings and miracles. I am so grateful for all that He has done in my life. I constantly feel His love.

We Are Happy

"We are happy as we pray every morning and every night, when we can feel that the Lord hears us and is always willing to bless, forgive, and help us. We are happy as we feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives—as we feel the Spirit when we have to make important life decisions. We are happy as we go home after a stressful and tiresome day at work to the arms of our families, as they express love and appreciation for us. We are happy to talk to our children, to enjoy the family, to get together on family night. In short, we can feel happiness every day in our lives through little things we do, and we are fully happy as we keep the commandments of a loving God who cares about us."
-Claudio R. M. Costa, “Fun and Happiness,” Liahona, Nov 2002, 92–94

There is Sunshine in my Soul!

There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today

Joyfully

1. There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

[Chorus]
Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

2. There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King,
And Jesus listening can hear
The songs I cannot sing.

3. There is springtime in my soul today,
For when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flow’rs of grace appear.

4. There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which he gives me now,
For joys “laid up” above.

Text: Eliza E. Hewitt, 1851–1920

Music: John R. Sweney, 1837–1899

Isaiah 60:19

Psalm 16:9, 11

For the last few weeks, this song has been going over and over in my mind. I find myself singing it all throughout the day. I have been thinking about all the things I hear every day that are so sad, and I realized that sometimes I just need to find a little sunshine. I have decided that I am going to search for a story, a talk, a thought, a quote, to share that just might brighten someone's day. Happiness is a wonderful thing.