Rejoice! I am grateful for....

1.  Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins. 

2 men, 1 dream of bringing the family together with high quality old fashioned ice cream.  Their dream certainly changed my life.  I remember being a young child and the joy I would feel being taken to the Baskin Robbins in Kearns on 5400 South.  It was always one of my favorite treats of my life and I am so grateful for those wonderful memories.  Today, I still LOVE Baskin Robbins ice cream and was treated to a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake for my birthday.  IT WAS AWESOME!!  As I try every day to eat better and better and give many things up, this will be one that will either be the last or never let go.  Burt and Irv, thank you for fulfilling your dreams.  You make my dreams come true too!  And I mean that with all my heart as I am eating a leftover piece of ice cream cake. Cheers fellas!

2.  Beautiful, inspiring, and loving friends of my life.  I remember long ago crying my eyes out and venting my sorrows to Brian.  "Why do they have to be so mean?" I remember saying.  I remember going to my closet and praying to be taught how to be a better friend to those around me.  So hopefully I could be a good friend to others and be blessed by them.  Oh, how that plea has come to fruition ten fold on their part, still working on me.  I love the women who are a part of my life.  I love all the variety of women in my life.  Some I see constantly, some every once and a while and some is just contact by social media.  I am so blessed by their talents, their perspectives and their personalities.  I am spoiled by my girlfriends and I hope that I can be just as good for them as they are for me.   Thank you ladies, for everything that you have done for me.  Thank you for teaching me that there is a sisterhood bond that is deep and enriching and is as beautiful as a woman's touch!

3.  My family.  I am so grateful for Brian and Shae that it overwhelms me sometimes.  I truly have wonderful people in my life that are so very close to my heart.  My husband is a good man.  He is such a hard worker and I am inspired by his vision for our future.  There are so many possibilities and he keeps me focused on keeping my head down and working our guts out so that one day, we can achieve our dreams.  I love that he is humble and when things are off, he will work hard to get things back on track.  He is so good to me and I am so lucky to have him in my life.  Shaeler is also one of my greatest joys.  My baby is 7??!!  This is unbelievable!  She is growing up into a beautiful girl inside and out.  She makes me laugh more and more everyday.  Her quotes, her sense of humor, her questions, her observations are signs that she is not a baby anymore.  She is growing up.  I am just trying to soak it all in as much as I can!  I love you both, oh so much!

4.  My Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost!  C'mon, you know me, you had to see that coming right?  I can't help it!  I end with all gratitude to them because everything I have, every blessing, every lesson, every breath is because of them.  EVERYTHING!  I would not be who I am, without them.  I am trying so hard to be a better person everyday because they inspire me for goals that are not of this world.  I know who I am, I know their part and I have work to do in this life.  I prefer to do that work with their constant companionship so that I can get it kind of right.  And to feel that peaceful healing when I mess it all up.  I am so grateful for all that I have been given.

A Book, An Idea and A Teaching Opportunity

I found this book as I was preparing for Girls Camp this year.  When I found out the theme of the book, I instantly bought it.  The book is called:

"The Princess and the Kiss"

A Story of God's Gift of Purity

Here is the description of the book from Amazon:

A loving king and queen present their daughter with a gift from God - her first kiss - to keep or to give away. The wise girl waits for the man who is worthy of her precious gift. Where is he and how will she ever find him? The surprising answer in this marvelous parable will touch the heart of parent and child alike.The Princess and the Kiss beautifully portrays the ageless message that "love... comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith"

I have read this book many times to Shae and she loves it and I love it too!  It is very funny and classic and conveys of message that I love.  If you have a daughter, I HIGHLY recommend getting this book for her.  Especially as the media is becoming more and more bold on degrading the female body and spirit.

A little while later, I had an idea.  Would this not be a great theme for New Beginnings, Standards Night or YW in Excellence?

The possibilities are endless on this one.  Also, this craft from "Under My Umbrella" would be an absolute perfect and gorgeous hand out for the event.

Go to http://undermypolkadotumbrella.blogspot.com/2009/12/glass-jar-lantern.html to get instructions on how to create these amazing jars!!

I can honestly say that as I work with the YW and their leaders, virtue and chastity is one of the biggest problems that are spiritually wounding our young women.  We as mothers, leaders and women need to be bold on our stance of virtue and chastity and very clear of what the standards are that have been set by prophets of God for their safety and protection. 

If you would like a brush up on what the For Strength of Youth booklet teaches us, click here.

My Perspective on Prayer

10 years ago, I had a friend that I would go walk with early in the morning.  She was a non-denominational Christian and I am a Mormon girl.  When we would go for our walks, she would ask if I would be upset if she prayed out loud during our walks.  Out of curiosity, I agreed and proceeded to listen.  Her prayers were very positive.  She always prayed for others, she prayed for help in all things and she recognized God in all aspects of her life.  Other than a few things, our prayers were much alike. 

One day, she asked me why I didn't pray out loud with her?  I explained to her that it was not the way that I was taught to pray.  Which then turned her question into, why do you pray the way you pray?  Being a young girl of 21, and just fresh into the adult world on my own, I never questioned why I did pray the way I did and who/where does it tell me to pray like that. 

I couldn't answer her.  I didn't know how to answer her with an educated, doctrinal sound answer because the only answer I had was it was how we are taught to pray in the LDS church. That conversation has haunted me for years, as it could have been an opportunity to share with her our commonalities with prayer and also the scriptures in the Bible and the Book of Mormon that teach us how to pray.  There are so many times I have replayed that moment in my mind with what I wish I could have said.

Fast forward to yesterday as I was spending time with Brian as he was playing on the Internet and we watched a preacher give the opening prayer for a Nascar Race.  In the past, these prayers are very humble and enjoyable to hear, but the prayer we heard yesterday was beyond disrespectful and prideful, that I had a rush of emotions that I wish that I could share my perspective of prayer with that man as I wish that I could talk with my old friend.

So today, I would love to share my perspective on prayer and the things I have learned.  I actually have made up a laminated card that I keep with me to review every once and a while to remind me of the things I have learned and studied about prayer.  My hopes are that some may be educated, some may find their own inspirations and some may find the commonalities we share in saying a prayer. 

How Can We More Effectively Communicate with God?

1. We should pray frequently.  We should be alone with our Heavenly Father at least two or three times each day: '...morning, mid-day, and evening.' In addition, we are told to pray always.  This means that our hearts should be full, drawn out in prayer unto our Heavenly Father continually.

2. We should find an appropriate place where we can meditate and pray.  We are admonished that this should be 'in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.' (Alma 34:26.) That is, it should be free from distraction, in secret.

3. We should prepare ourselves for prayer.  If we don't feel like praying, then we should pray until we do feel like praying.  We should be humble.  We should pray for forgiveness and mercy.  (REPENT).  We must forgive anyone against whom we have bad feelings.  Yet the scriptures warn, our prayers will be vain if we 'turn away the needy,  and the naked and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart [not] of [our] substance...'

4.  Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent.    We should not use the same phrases at each prayer.  In all of our prayers it is well to use the sacred pronouns of the scriptures - thee, thou, thy  and thine when addressing Deity in prayer.  Elder Bednar has counseled us to use our morning prayers to "design and create our day."  Our evening prayers are to report back to Heavenly Father on how we did.  We should pray about:

a. Our work against the power of our enemies and the devil.

b. For our welfare and the welfare of those around us.

c. Counsel with the Lord pertaining to all our decisions and activities.

d. Be grateful enough to give thanks for ALL we have.

e. We should confess his hands in all things.

f. We should ask for what we need, taking care we not ask for things that would be to our detriment.

g. We should ask for strength to overcome our problems.

h. We should pray for inspiration and well-being of the President of the Church, the General Authorities, our Stake President, our home teachers, our family members and our civic leaders.

i. The Holy Ghost will help you know about what you should be praying for.

j.  Pray for spiritual gifts and patterns to help you become more like the Savior.

5.  After making a request through prayer, we have a responsibility to assist in its being granted.  We should listen.  Perhaps while we are on our knees, the Lord wants to counsel us. 

'Sincere praying implies that when we ask for any virtue or blessing, we should work for the blessing and cultivate the virtue.' - David O Mckay

When counsel is received, have the discipline and strength to act on what has been asked of you.

This is just the beginning of what I have found on prayer.   Some personal notes to add to this is that I never really thought that the actions of my day was/is preparing me for my next prayer.  Striving for a worthiness by my actions, sayings and  thoughts directly relate to my self preparation before I kneel and pray to God.  If I want sincere communication with Deity, I better live the life that shows the proof of my willingness to be obedient and follow the Saviors example.  The other perspective I love is Elder Bednar's counsel in designing my day.  My thoughts turn directly to the temple.  Just think that if we have the power to design and then create our days, what would you want your day to be like?  Then you go and do it and report back that evening, the personal growth, the goals obtained are immeasurable!!  AMAZING!  There is so much more to learn and be taught and I am eager to continue to add to my knowledge.  I have found that when I consider these items, that my prayers are more in depth, much longer and also so much closer to feeling the spirit when I do.  I hope this helps you on your own quest for knowledge.  Happy Praying!

Take My Son...

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas,

There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

There was silence...

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE

What are your actions bidding for today?