You Are FaBOOlous

 You are fabulous and faBOOlous!  

God is good!  Our spirits are great! Let's make our actions match the awesomeness with which God put in each of us!  Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Click HERE for a free pdf you can print on 8.5x11 paper! 

The Connection: Where Hearts Meet

The Connection: Where Hearts Meet came from the joint dream of Elizabeth Styffe and Karyn Purvis.

In 2012, they created an interactive, small group, facilitated study program based around 13 videos and a workbook. The Connection: Where Hearts Meet is based on Bible truths and research-based interventions. Though designed as a way for the church to help adopted and foster kids/families, it can bring healing to all people.

In 2022, Elizabeth created an abridged version of the workbook for zoom classes.

Karyn Purvis was the Reese-Jones Director and co-founder of the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX., the co-creator of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® and co-author of a best-selling book The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis and David R. Cross.   www.child.tcu.edu 

Elizabeth Styffe co-founded the Global Orphan Care Initiatives with Kay Warren at Saddleback Church. Click Here to get to know Elizabeth.     

STUDY GROUPS

Ernie and Pat Casarez teach free classes on zoom using the abridged workbook 3-4 times a year. They also teach free TBRI classes on Zoom.

If you're interested in joining a free group study on Zoom using the abridged workbook or an in-person group study with the workbook, send me a message with the "contact" tab above.

Preview the SESSION ONE Video and Workbook.

Preview some of the Discussion Questions from the 13 sessions 

You can buy the Workbook $23, DVD $24, or Both $37 through www.pastors.com

EXTRA HELPS

TBRI: Some concepts in this resource are informed by or derived from an intervention called Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®), developed by TCU’s Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD).  www.child.tcu.edu   

TBRI®: Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (YouTube)

TBRI® Animate: Attachment (YouTube)

TBRI® Animate: Toxic Stress & The Brain (YouTube)

TBRI® Animate: The IDEAL Response© (YouTube)

TBRI Engine Plate (YouTube)

Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain (YouTube)

Life help from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

Parenting Help, and Strengthening the Family facilitated group study

ADHD is Awesome by Kim and Penn Holderness (book)

Brainstorm by Dan Siegel (book)

Limitless by Jim Kwik (book)

ACEs Study -Ted Talk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (YouTube)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire

Empowered to Connect was create with support of Dr. Karyn Purvis to help parents and caregivers have knowledge and skills to create healing environments for children who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

The Out-Of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz (book)

"If your feet are still planted on this earth, you're still in the journey of becoming glorious to increasing glory. And so, I want to encourage each of you to begin a journey, the journey that scripture tells us will lead us to healing. And interestingly, in the last 30 years, science caught up." -Karyn Purvis, Session 13 

Stake Conference - Sunday Session

 These are my notes from our local church's Stake Conference yesterday.

Bro T.’s talk

    I’d like to talk to the youth. There’s a song you might know…  “If you don’t walk as most people do, some people walk away from you, But I won’t! I won’t! If you don’t talk as most people do, Some people talk and laugh at you, But I won’t! I won’t! I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you. That’s how I’ll show my love for you. Jesus walked away from none. He gave his love to ev’ryone. So I will! I will! Jesus blessed all he could see, Then turned and said,  “Come, follow me.” And I will! I will! I will! I will! I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you. That’s how I’ll show my love for you.”

    My ancestors and I know what it’s like to be treated unkindly. Be kind and forgiving always.  Jesus shared the golden rule.  Love, do good, and pray for others. 

     When our family moved to Utah, my son was in 11^th grade.  He hated lunch breaks because he was alone. One day a girl noticed him and cheerfully asked him to join her group of friends. We are grateful for that kindness 21 years ago.

     Compassion is when you want what is best for another. Extend compassion by doing simple things… say Hi, smile, pat someone on the back.

    I’m going to share The Parable of The BB Gun. When I was 11, a neighbor boy invited me to shoot his bb gun. We went to a field and I stood 20 feet away while he shot things. He pumped his gun 12 times and suddenly he aimed at me.  I thought surely he wouldn’t shoot me.  I dove to the ground and covered my head, then glanced up and felt a searing pain in my eye and saw white. I thought I was in heaven.  I ran home bawling my head off.  The bb went in through my eye lid and I had a huge black eye. I did not lose my vision. In my baseball pictures a few days later my hat is pulled down almost to my nose.

            Fast forward 35 years and I was playing a game with the scouts.  I got kicked in the nose and went to the ER. They showed me an x-ray of my fractured nose but, they were more concerned with the copper bb they saw in the bottom of my left eye socket. It didn’t bother me so they left it there.   Now, I’ve never resented that boy. I didn’t wanna be his best friend, but all I felt was gratitude it was not worse.

            How will you choose to react to the unkindness of others?  Jesus said nothing to Pilate. He had a mission to fulfill. Through his atonement, we are all called back to him. We are called to bring others back with us.

Sister C’s talk

            Youth can get blessings from the temple.  President Nelson tells us that spending time in the temple helps us know who we are, who we can become, and how we fit in God’s plan. We are all different, yet the temple unifies us. We are promised many blessings if we attend the temple. It’s peaceful and quiet and helps us change. 

            President Eyring tells a story of his daughter doing temple baptisms. She was willing to do more and more until the last one on the list was done!  She did what the Lord would have her do.

            PresidentNelson taught that nothing will help you, protect you, bolster your testimony, or open the heavens more than serving in the Lord’s house.  Temples help us come closer to Christ and be like Him.

Sister O’s Talk

            I never had to go to church as a child in Smithfield, yet when I wanted to go, I was always supported.  My mom had me memorize Psalm 23. My dad and brother were dying, yet she taught me to write God’s words in my heart.  He IS my shepherd, always and every day.  Thanks Mom.   Memorizing The Living Christ has helped me. A while back, President R. asked me to write my own version of the living Christ to share at this conference.   I call it My Living Christ.  These are the feelings of my heart and my testimony.

 I marvel that He can save me from myself. He experienced all of me. He lived perfectly to show me He can overcome my imperfections. He rose from the dead so He can raise me. He fought for me. He wants me. He is my king, master, and God. He will gloriously return and rule as king of kings. May He always rule over me and my life. He died so I can live. He extends me mercy and frees me with forgiveness. He gives me calm. When I fail, the master builder builds with me again. He is my loving God. He helps me feel His love when I am so unlovable. He lives now so He can be aware of all of me. He is always the answer. May you each know that He is your Savior. I know my Redeemer lives to be all I need Him to be. I thank God for His son, Jesus Christ.

The Primary kids sang I Loveto See the Temple

 Sister L’s talk

Enos told of his wrestle with God. This week I’ve been on my knees in a wrestle with God. The Words of Mormon say, “I do not know all things, yet God knows all things.”   So many things in life fail but charity never will. I love my Savior. We’ve been through a lot and he helps me through it all.

 Brother J’s talk

Othello, by Shakespear, is a tragedy that didn’t need to happen. Othello loves his wife. When he comes home from war, they bring each other such joy. A lower officer, Iago, is jealous of Othello and wants to make him fail. He starts to introduce doubts and leads Othello to believe lies about his wife. Othello ends up smothering his wife only to discover, too late, that Iago had been lying all along. His wife had been faithful and full of love for Othello.  Othello had never asked his wife about the lies, just trusted Iago. Othello’s perception was the only thing that changed.

            Why would I tell you such a story? I see this too often in our youth… the gospel flame fades over time. Gospel items take a back seat to less spiritual, worldly sources of entertainment and interests. Do not let go of God’s truths. Nourish your testimony and worship God daily. Recognize when Satan tries to distract you. Do not let Satan win. Develop a habit of worshiping in the temple regularly.

            Satan, like Iago, is jealous. He wants to make us miserable and makes us doubt truths we already know. We must develop habits that will sustain us. Create joyful scriptures study and temple worship opportunities for your kids, but do not force them to go. Be an example to your kids of good, righteous habits. God’s love for us is infinite and unchanging. Our love for him is fragile. Our covenants will strengthen us and let us not be deceived.

Pres. R’s talk

Elder Bednar will be dedicating the Layton UT temple on June 16th!  There will be 2 sessions which will replace our normal Sunday church service.  He invites everyone to take someone with you to the temple open house from both sides of the veil. As you go through the temple, take some time to see the murals! They are beautiful. 

            Our goal in life should be to develop a Christlike character.. Here’s 4 ways to do that.

1. Luke 2:52 (And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.)    Strive to improve daily. Come to know Christ through studying the scriptures. Our faith will grow. Increasing our faith and improving is repenting.

2. Acts 10:38 ([He] went about doing good) Go about doing good. Minister (be a friend) to all, all the time.  Striving is the goal.  Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself.

3. Moroni 6:2-6 (Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end. And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they  might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.)

We take Christ’s name upon us through covenants. We need Jesus’ church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Matthew 28:20 (teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.)  Witness to others. What does the atonement have to do with missionary and temple work? Everything.  Make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

4. Ephesians 1:10 (That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him) The gathering is happening. Help others in normal and natural ways. Jesus is the beginning and the end. 

I am thankful for Joseph Smith. He translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. The Priesthood has been restored to the earth. I will speak good of Joseph Smith. I know more about Jesus because of Joseph Smith!  Jesus will come again, and we will be ready!

Song – I’ll go where you want me to go

My thoughts... How blessed we are to share our faith with each other and help each other on this crazy earth journey.  Hugs and have a blessed day!

Stake Conference - adult session

As I was walking to the church to attend the adult session of our Stake Conference, I visited with a friend and her sweetheart while they were working on their boat. They jokingly asked me to "tell us what we missed." ... I'm grateful for that suggestion because I took better notes and am able to share the info with my family and theirs... if they wanna read it :) 

 The Layton Utah Temple open-house has begun. All of us are invited to go see it. The youth in our area will be going next week with their youth leaders. I'll be going another day and hope to have someone to go with me... I'm excited! 

 Brother T.'s talk 

     Anthony Ray Hinton was on death row for almost 30 years. He was innocent. He was strengthened by him momma and the truths she'd taught him. Ray chose to focus on others problems, not his own. He'd try to help em laugh. He got released just shy of his 59th birthday.  We need to hold onto joy amid the turmoils of life. 

     To be a disciple of Christ, we will carry burdens... ours and others. Seek after joy. Not the joy of material, worldly things like Satan teaches, but eternal joy from keeping the commandments of God. Look to Jesus and give thanks daily.

      My dad was a Fish and Game warden. He now has dementia. I knew for sure that my dad had dementia when we went on a fishing trip. We stopped to get our licenses and when I got out of the car, my dad didn't budge. I said, "Dad, let's go get our licenses." My dad said, "Nah, I don't need one." What?... He was a Fish and Game Warden...I'd seen him take poachers fishing equipment. I know he will be made whole again! Focus on the joy that will come to us and others as we befriend and lift others and share Jesus' love. 

 Sister B.'s talk

     Live our life daily to prepare for the next covenant... baptism?, the sacrament?, or in the temple. What kind of life do you wanna live forever? Prepare now. How do you define and label yourself?... a child of God, child of the covenant, and disciple of Christ. God loves you more than anyone else. Help your testimony grow. Work for it. Nurture it. What truths do you know? What do you doubt? 

 Brother R's talk 

     This is my family's journey over the last 10 years... 10 years ago, we were active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We learned some history and made a choice to step away from the church. It was a hard decision to leave. We continued to study the Bible, love others and teach out kids the values we believed. We searched for other churches but nothing felt right. Five years ago, we were living in Texas and decided to move closer to grandma and grandpa. We moved back to Utah.          About 1 year go, our daughter was invited to take the missionary discussions. She was hesitant because she'd lost friends because she wasn't a member of The Church. She had an amazing missionary that told her, "God loves you. God knows you personally." She found peace and knowledge. Later, my wife and I decided to talk to the missionaries. One day, while driving home, I stopped by the bishop's house. He was working in his yard, and I asked if he could come by sometime to talk... as the bishop. He was surprised. Grandpa baptized my daughter and it was beautiful! The next day, my son said he was ready to be baptized as soon as tomorrow... that would have been nice to know a couple days earlier when the whole family was already together :). We are all baptized now. 

        How can we help others? Be genuine and kind. 

     There was a lady who asked her friend if she wanted to come to church with her. The friend said no. The lady asked her friend if she could go to her church with her. The friend was surprised and said yes. They ended up studying the Bible and discussing it and growing spiritually together. 

     Something that helped our family was my mother-in-law told us, "Whether you go to church or not, We love you. We want you with us." 

     A neighbor invited us to have the missionaries share a message with us. I told em No :) Thanks for thinking of us, but we're ok... He stayed my friend. 

     See everyone as a child of God. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Be a friend. Love 'em. Do you have questions about the gospel? Good! Stretch your soul. Learn about the Savior. Is there a God? Is Christ real? The last ten years have been a faith journey. Jesus put people in our path to help us! Do you wanna be with your family forever? Moses 1:39 tells us God's purpose. (For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.) This is what our life is all about. 

     Song - I Wonder When He Comes Again 

Sister O's talk

    My Cancer Journey. was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2019. I had 3 kids, my youngest was 5 months old. I had many physical and emotional struggles. I knew Jesus could heal me but wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask for His healing.  I was inspired to prepare a book to help the living relatives after my death. It had important documents, passwords, and more.  Let me tell you, shopping for a headstone is not a fun date night.   

    I felt like I can and should pray for healing, yet prepare for the worst.  Put my trust in God, not just in the situation.  When I had a brain surgery, I was grateful for the book in case I had memory loss.  It helped my husband and I.  Attending the temple helps me focus on the big picture. God's angels will have charge over us to help us.

    My 5-month old baby needed to take a bottle cause of radiation I'd be having.   We tried every type of bottle and had others try to feed her without me around and at 21 days, she would take nothing. I prayed in the dark and finally, that night she took to the bottle like she'd always had it.   We had to find more breast milk cause she had an allergic reaction to the formula.  We were blessed by many others and she had plenty of milk because of others generosity. She drank her last bottle when she was 15 months old.     Many folks blessed our family with everything from meals, to helping our kids with homework.  Doctrine and Covenants 25:10 says, "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better."  Joseph Smith taught, "If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates."  As of January, I am cancer free!  This trial has blessed me with spiritual growth. Focus on Jesus. Focus on keeping covenants.

Pres. R's Talk

    Read, watch, or listen to President Nelson's last conference talk each Sunday until the Layton Temple is dedicated on June 16th. 

    My wife and I gave some tours of the Layton Temple.  

...We see all the white clothing which reminds us that we all want to be unified and pure.  I'm not someone who goes to art museums, but the paintings are amazing!   There's a stain glass window which shows the Savior. It was in a Presbyterian Church which was being dismantled. It is now in our temple!       By the celestial room, there is a painting of the Savior's ascension and it's beautiful.  In the chapel, a painting of "all will be gathered to Him" includes a lady running to the savior and tossing away her worldly things.  In the east sealing room with a really high ceiling, my wife reminded us that what we DO in the temple is more beautiful than what we SEE in the temple.       We heard the song, "Nearer my God to Thee."   

Go to "The House of the Lord"   Brother Walter Spate made a painting which included an image of the  the Pearl and the Box, a vase of calla lilies, and the Sao Palo Brazil Temple.  Someone mentioned that it needed pearls... Brother Spate painted people at the temple.  He said we are the pearls, the beauty of the temple.  Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price. 

Me...  I feel so blessed to know about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that I'll live in a way that God can use me as a tool to bring joy to this world.  It sure is beautiful!   Hugs and prayers for y'all to have a blessed day.

Sunrise - A little bit of heaven

Love more.   Fret less.   Let it go.

IT WILL ALL WORK OUT.

What is The Old Ship Zion?

The Old Ship Zion, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we need to hold on with both hands.

God is at the helm of The Old Ship Zion! The definition of helm is, "the steering gear of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel. A position of leadership or control: at the helm of  His church."

 A ship is made to take people somewhere.  Elder Ballard taught, “Our ship’s destination is the full blessings of the gospel, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Celestial Glory, and the presence of God.” We need to do our part and work together, because ships need taken care of and repaired at times. We weren't designed to be stagnant, to just enjoy the ride once we got on the ship, but to improve, learn, help each other, and get back home to God!  We can't make it back by jumping out and doing it all on our own.

Given the challenges we all face today, how do we stay on the Old Ship Zion?

*God gave us Families!

*God gave us The Sabbath Day - a delight (Click here  to print a 'bucket list' of Sabbath activities)

*God gave us Scriptures which provide a map of where we came from, why we are here and where we're going.

*God gave us Living Prophets (imperfect human beings, striving to do God's will.) We should try to see God’s hand working through those He has called.  

Have a blessed week!


images from www.lds.org

Sabbath Day Observance - a delight!

The Sabbath is a special day which God created for our benefit!



Blessings of the keeping the Sabbath day holy:
-Happiness and joy
-We partake of the Sacrament
    -We renew ALL our covenants
    -Brings us closer to the Savior
    -Helps us be stronger
-We strengthen our testimony
-We strengthen or love of God
-We show our willingness to serve God
-We make the Sabbath a delight!
-We show our devotion to God

Ideas to help us keep the Sabbath day holy:
-Hold family council (see below)
-Family History work
   -indexing
   -organize pictures, scrapbook
   -journal (write the most precious things that we'd like others to know)
   -visit relatives and listen to stories from their life
-Share the gospel on social media
-Walk with friends or family
-Enjoy dinner or dessert with friends or family
-Write letters or emails
-Family games
-Watch church movies (The Mormon Channel)
-Listen to spiritual music
-Learn the Hymns for next Sunday's service (ask the chorister)
-Listen, read, or watch General Conference talks
-Visit the sick, elderly, or lonely
-Make food together
-Prepare for Family Home Evening (a social, learning time)
-Study the Savior's life
-Fast
-Pray
-Wear our church clothes all day to help us remember the holiness of the day!

Family Council
-Avoid regimentation!!!!!
-Pray for guidance.
-It can be informal (during a walk, calm moment, or individually with a kid at bedtime)
-Use inspiration
   -Try to feel the Spirit's inspiration and do what it says!
-Let the kids help solve the problems.
   -What can we do about ____?   What are your ideas?
-Share burdens and joys.
-Discuss family issues and concerns,
-Discuss individual and family challenges.
-Discuss individual and family goals and plans.
-Council to keep on track spiritually.

God wants to help us individually and as a family. He will guide us as we seek His help!

Please share some of your own ways to observe and keep the Sabbath day holy.

Joseph Smith - an instrument of the Lord

God uses prophets as instruments in his hands.  He also uses flawed people like you and I! What kind of an instrument are you today in God's hands?

  When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he read James 1:5  ...If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.   He asked God and received an answer! He saw God and His son, Jesus Christ!  God does still talk to us!  Without Joseph Smith, we wouldn't have the Book of Mormon or the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Click here to see a You tube video about Joseph Smith with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Praise to the Man!

The gospel of Christ is plain and simple enough for all to understand.  The atonement of Christ makes bad people good and good people better! Christ loves us beyond our comprehension and has given us many beautiful gifts to help us. The Holy Ghost is one of His gifts and it often speaks to us in a voice that we feel more than we hear.

   Take a few minutes and think about (or write down) the blessings that have come to you and your family through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here's just a few
-Music
-Temple Sealings and ordinances
-Service
-Friendship
-Continuity
-The spirit to guide us (even if we don't understand why at the time)
-Family History
-Peace
-Comfort
-We know God's plan and what to expect

Don't just nibble... go on and Feast upon the words of Christ! When we feast, it's never alone, there's not only one serving, there's no end in sight, and it's often combined with a celebration!  Let's enjoy and share this wonderful feast of knowledge and peace so others can find the joy and comfort that we have found!

Remember, your future is as bright as your faith!  Be optimistic, because we know the Savior wins!

Why are you so happy?

Elder Uchtdorf told a lovely story during last General Conference about an 11-year old girl, Eva, spending the summer with her Great Aunt Rose who was annoyingly happy, in spite of life's challenges.  During this summer, Eva grows to love her Aunt, and she learns some wonderful truths that help her find more faith, hope and love!

“I imagine there were many dark and dreary days for the pioneers.
 Their life was so hard—we can’t even imagine.
But in this painting, everything is bright and hopeful.
This girl has a spring in her step,
 and she is moving forward and upward.”

 The Savior often taught through the use of parables or stories. We can each learn something different by hearing the same story, because the Holy Spirit can speak to each of us individually!

*What did the spirit say to you as you pondered your scriptures, heard a song, or listened to a friend?
*Did the Holy Spirit help you pray and talk to God as a dear friend?

The Gospel of Christ leads us to love and help others as Jesus would if he were here. Helping others will help us feel happy! Aunt Rose said she was happy because faith led her to have hope, which led her to love. To love someone is to know them. We know them as we spend time with them and learn about their different traits, struggles, and joys.

*If you're not feeling very happy, start, or continue, a gratitude journal. The more good we try to find, the more good we'll see!   

*Find something today to do better than you did last week! Strive to keep the Sabbath holy by preparing for the Sabbath during the week. Plan ahead to get to the temple!

Life is hard - we get to learn and grow with each trial. You have a choice with each trial you encounter.   Will your attitude be, "I'm going to just sit in the dust." or, "I'm going to pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep going!"  Sometimes we don't want to 'endure' hard things, but we can look back after and appreciate the good that came because of the trial.  Perhaps we met a dear friend because of it, or we now have empathy to help another get through their trail.   Our trials seem endless, but with faith, all will be well!

Do you remember taking a test in school and the teacher never leaving the room? It's the same with God! He will not leave you during your test of life. He wants you to succeed and will help each of us recognize where we are going off track so we can quickly get back on!

God has given us the Temple as a tool to help us stay on track.

*Obstacles of going to the temple might be...

baby sitting  -  traffic  -  work

*Strategies to get to the temple are...

young women = free babysitting

car pooling or go to an early session

planning ahead (put it on the calendar)

We have also been blessed with the Sabbath day! 

The way we keep the Sabbath day Holy is an outward manifestation of our covenant to always remember Christ.   (Ezekiel 20:20 And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God)   Try to help invite the Spirit with each activity you pursue.

Did y'all know you could limit the affects of the adversary by doing family history and indexing?!!!

May we each strive to have the Holy Spirit with us, especially as we teach!  Imagine if we could help our kids, and others, know how to turn to the Lord and our Heavenly Father when they are struggling Let us help each other as we continually find the faith, hope and love to accept His will!

Hugs!

2016 Primary Songs in ASL

The kids at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints get to learn songs in Primary that go along with the yearly theme. Near the end of the year, they sing and share what they've learned with the whole congregation!
The 2016 theme is I KNOW THE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUE

Here are links to the songs in ASL!!!

I Will listen with my heart  - also titled "If I listen with my heart"
I will follow God's plan  - Children's songbook 164-165
Stand for the right  -  Children's songbook 159
Praise to the man  -  Hymns 27
I love to see the temple - Children's songbook 95
The Lord gave me a temple  - Children's songbook 153
Scripture Power  -

Happy Signing!

Personal Visa to the 'Planet Adversity'

Why are we here on earth?    Click here to find out more!  


Your temporary Visa has been approved...
Welcome to the Planet Adversity.
      *Note... you are only here temporarily and you wanted to come to Earth!

Heavenly Father created situations so that we would have to work and learn to provide solutions for ourselves. "God left he earth unfinished, for men to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the ore in the earth..."

Possible Pitfalls

1. sickness  (mental or physical)
2. death of loved ones
3. financial problems
4. wayward children
5. loneliness
6. loss of (or poor) employment
7. addiction
8. substance abuse
9. jealousy
10. gossip
11. anger
12. stress
13. theft
14. unfairness
15. accidents
16. apathy
17. wars
18. weeds
19. bullying
20. chocolate

Our trials are often not taken away, but we are strengthened so that we can bear them!

Comforts, Helps, and Strengths
Heavenly Father provided help for us!

1. commandments
2. revelation
3. Jesus
4. prayer -  Mosiah 27:14  "He has prayed with much faith concerning thee..."   An angel came to Alma the younger because his dad, Alma, had prayed for him.
5. scriptures
6. priesthood
7. each other
8. patriarchal
9. blessings
10. temples
11. talents
12. nature
13. music
14. faith
15. hope
16. love
17. gifts of the spirit
18. fasting
19. sacrament
20. chocolate

We came here to learn how to rely on our Heavenly Father!

Blue Galilee
Bright sea,

whose sleepy depths

He more than knew,

whose raging heights

He overthrew,

where triumphantly He walked,

upon whom lovingly, He gazed—

I am like you.

He walks beside me like a friend,

just as His feet impressed the sand

along your breezy shore,

just as he stood and walked the waves

so far above your watery floor.

Great sea,

On wind-tossed Galilee,

my raging storms

He also stills.

Oh gentle sea,

blue Galilee,

my depths He knows,

my soul He fills.

   --Gay Grimes

May you be blessed this week as you discover the comfort, help and strength that God has given you to bear the trials you will face.

Life Is Good AND Jesus Loves You!

Think of, or write down, the things that make you happy!

Elder Uchtdorf, in his talk Happiness, Your Heritage, asks, "What do you suppose is the greatest kind of happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God’s happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness."

We were created with the purpose and potential of experiencing a fullness of joy.

The purpose of our great voyage on this earth is to seek and experience eternal happiness. 

One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

Everyone can create...   If you feel you can't create, start small.

• Try to see how many smiles you can create today.  (This was my favorite!)
• Write a letter of appreciation.
• Learn a new skill.
• Identify a space and beautify it.
• Allow the spirit to guide you as you create!

Being compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people.

Service heals us!

• Sit by someone new and introduce yourself.
• Offer true words of encouragement.
• James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, said, “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”
• Allow the spirit to guide you to help others!

As you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others, God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment.

If ya need a lift, these songs are a good place to start!

 You can make the pathway bright!
There is sunshine in my soul today!

May you find joy today through Christ!

Faith, Hope, Charity

Faith is the first step in coming closer to Christ!

Faith in Christ  → Believe  → Accept → Trust → Obedience → Protection
   ↓
Hope
   ↓
Charity  → loving others and helping them as Christ would have us do.


3 Nephi 9:13-14
... will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

May we be humble enough to faithfully obey, is my prayer.

Remember ....being humble does not mean we are weak, it means we have strength to do God's will - with His help!

What kind of friend?

What kind of a friend are we?

Are the folks we hang around helping us become our best selves?

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 Paul teaches the people in Corinth, and us, about having Charity, the pure love of Christ.  

We can see how we are doing by substituting our own name for the word charity.

Have your kids to place the name of themselves, their friend, or their newest crush in this verse and see how they are measuring up.

______ suffereth long, and is kind;

______ envieth not; 

______ vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

______ doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,

______ is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

______ rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth.

When we become more like Jesus, we become the right type of person for someone else to like being around.

May God bless us all on our journey back to Him!

Ponderize - a new word?!

Devin Durrant  is the first person I've heard use the word Ponderize. 

 He said, "The word ponderize is not found in the dictionary, but it has found a place in my heart. So what does it mean to ponderize? I like to say it’s a combination of 80 percent extended pondering and 20 percent memorization."


I started ponderizing a different scripture each week. I'll add them here as I study them!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks;  for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.

The Family A proclamation to the world - paragraph 6
 Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens where ever they live. Husbands and wives - mother and fathers - will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

Thomas S. Monson
Charity is... having patience with someone who has let us down.  Resisting the impulse to become offended easily. Accepting people as they truly are - with their weakness and shortcomings, seeing their eternal attributes.

Ephesians 5:8-11
...Walk as children of light: for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Scriptures - what Mosiah 15:9 says to me

I read in Mosiah 15:9 that Christ atoned for us and is 'standing between us and justice'.

 I could picture in my mind - me standing, facing Heavenly Father and feeling ...sad and full of guilt for my mistakes. Then Christ comes up to stand by me, not in front of me, but with me, and lets our Heavenly Dad know that He, Christ, has already taken care of my mistakes. He has completely paid my debt which caused Him to feel the pain and negativity of it all.

     

      I feel humbled to know that Jesus loves me enough to suffer for my sins. It makes me want to strive harder to not incur anymore debt, which he so willingly took upon himself, even though he didn't make any mistakes of his own.

  Verse 17 says to publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever.

 Verses 26-27 give a warning for those who rebel against the Lord and die in their sins.  Those who willfully rebel against God, having known the commandments and not kept them, cannot be redeemed and justice will have claim on them.

God is merciful and His son, Jesus, has already atoned for us. It's now up to us to stand a little taller in the face of temptation, take an extra breath and be a little kinder now than we were a minute ago. We need to be humble enough to accept the gift of repentance and make life more peaceful around us!

May we all prepare now for the day when we will stand before our Father in Heaven with our Savior by our side!

Finding Inner Peace

After moving from one coast to the other, and all the chaos and blessings that come with it, life is starting to calm down again... if that's possible.

      This morning I went for a run and I was amazed at my ability to stay a little more calm amid the chaos of the day. My motivation for running before everyone was up this morning came from an awesome blog www.abundantmama.com. It has some amazing tips for Mommas who want to be their best and are trying to make the right choices, but keep making mistakes.  We are all filled with human weakness and our stumblings frustrate the crazies out of us, yet also bless us as we come back to Heavenly Father saying, "I can't do it alone. I need you. I want to follow you!"

     While reading this blog, I read about some ways to be a more calm parent.   I needed to be reminded of the things that help me be my best self.
These are five things that I know help me make better choices through my day, and give me peace!

1 - Exercise!   If ya told me 13 years ago that I'd enjoy running, I'd have called ya nuts.  I had to learn how to run in a way that relaxed my shoulder muscles so my ear wouldn't hurt (weird, I know).  I had some friends in ND teach me how to run relaxed. Then, in Mississippi, I learned that running is a whole lot more mental than physical.  I just have to decide to go and then listen to my body to know if I can push a litter harder or if I need to slow down. After I ran this morning, I felt calm and ready to begin my day with a smile when the crazies kicked in!

2-Prayer!   Some people meditate, I love to pray! It centers me, fills me with peace, forgiveness, and helps me figure out things that I couldn't figure out before!  It clears out my head.   One of my favorite places to pray is by a window as the sun starts to color the morning sky!

3-God's Word!    God is so amazing! He asks us to feast upon His words. Tells us that He'll answer us if we ask. Gives us prophets and apostles to guide us in the struggles that we face each day. He blessed us with the Bible which teaches us why we're here and about the amazing mercy of our brother Jesus, who loved us enough to suffer for our sins and die so we can live again! Then, He gave us the Book of Mormon which teaches us more about Jesus, His Gospel, and gives us the stepping stones we need to make it back to Heavenly Father!  We are so blessed!

4-Journaling!   I've always kept a journal, in some form or another, yet after we adopted our 3 kids, I started a 'Life Unexpected' journal. It's on the computer, I don't have to worry about punctuation, grammar, or anyone reading it.  I just type as the thoughts come (I can type them faster than writing them) and it's amazing how I can figure out solutions to my problems by... well, I don't know if it's because I am seeing them, thinking them, or reading them, but it helps!  I'm able to express my frustrations, joys and everything in between. If I don't want anyone else in the world to ever read it, I hit the magic 'delete' button!!!   I end up realizing that I am smiling as I'm typing and have just taken a deep, 'the load is off my shoulders' kind of a breath!

5-Soften!    This doesn't mean to be a pushover, it is a way to recenter myself, like counting to 10 when you're mad. First, I take a deep breath and tell my body to soften. Then I slowly relax my muscles, starting with my shoulders, neck, jaw, chest, back... all the way down to my fingers and toes.  Finally, all of my muscles are relaxed — including my jaw and tongue and eye muscles — and I am fully in a softened state.  Ready to think clearly and make a more logical choice!

I'm grateful for seen and unseen angels that God's placed in my path! Last night, my angel was Shawn Fink!  Thanks Girl!     You helped me and my family have a better day!

How do you find inner peace?

Patience, the capacity to endure...

I love reading the scriptures with a dictionary close by because it helps me understand God's words so much better.    Today I was reading about patience in  Preach My Gospel under the section about Christlike Attributes.  I read  “Patience is the capacity to endure….”  And I stopped to look up those words and here’s kinda what it turned into.. 

Then I  wrote down my own definition of  Capacity to Endure…

   The Ability to keep going in spite of something that is the source or cause of suffering.

 Then I was confused again and tried to figure out why there was nothing about having a  positive attitude  in the definition and I had my ‘aha-moment’!!!    God has given all of us the capacity to endure because we are his children.  Patience is when we use that ‘capacity to endure’… without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious!

So to sum it up…  Patience is the ability which God has given each of us to keep going, in spite of something that is the source or cause of suffering,  trouble, delay or opposition,  without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious!

Now I pray for God's grace as I strive to use that ability and develop the patience I need to face adversity calmly and hopefully.