Gratitude Journals

I had fun making these for my friend who is making Gratitude Journals (designed in Canva).

Book Review - Upheld: Ordinary Women Discovering an Extraordinary God

If you want to feel uplifted and hopeful, I have the book for you....

Upheld: Ordinary Women Discovering an Extraordinary God

Grace Lane is a pen name. This book was actually written by five women with the common goal of sharing their experiences and hopefully uplifting others. One of the authors is my dear friend who I have known since elementary school. I witnessed her trials from an outsider's perspective. Reading this book helped me to learn how she truly felt and what she learned. I admire how she relied on the Lord and had such strong faith throughout her experiences. I can only hope I would have been that strong had I been in her place.

Rebekah: 

Writing about motherhood and her husband’s health struggles, Rebekah lives true to the meaning of her name—to bind. Life’s experiences have shaped her into a wise, steadfast daughter of God who has the beautiful ability to make others laugh through her clever wit.

Jeni: 

Jeni’s stories revolve around the loving care of her son with special needs. Knowing that he will not live out his childhood, she’s armed with strength and determination to give him the best life possible. The bright hope Jeni finds through the Savior will encourage the lowest of hearts.

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is passionate about sharing the Light of Christ. You’ll feel this in reading about the challenges she faces with her spouse’s addiction and divorce. Through sophistication, uplifting words, and a touch of spunk, she’s a modern-day disciple “gathering in the fold” and feeding His sheep.

Faith:

A woman of intuition, Faith has a distinctive gift for understanding people. Her personal goal in life is to help women recognize their potential in whatever role they fill. She writes about her battle in overcoming abuse as a child and her fight with low self-esteem.

Dawn:

A single mom for ten years, Dawn not only believes the motto “Light trumps darkness”, but she lives it every day. Her short stories are about finding God after a heart-crushing divorce. Dawn touches many lives through her unwavering testimony and simple ways.

I love that they use the grapefruit as a symbol for their common project and goals.  Of course grapefruits smell wonderful and are good for you but that wasn't the reason they were selected. Grapefruits don't grow alone. They grow together clustered on trees. This was symbolic to the Grace Lane Authors because it represents the power of women working together. Their challenges differ but they share the fact that they are women of God doing the best they can. I know I have drawn strength and encouragement from my tribe of women. By reading this book you will join their cluster.

They also have a Grace Lane Authors Blog that has wonderful posts.

Click HERE if you want to buy a copy of their book and/or sign up for their newsletter.  You'll be happy you did.

Effective Conversation Skills

What makes a good conversationalist?

We've all experienced awkward conversations. I just had one at a recent family event and that motivated me to write this post. Eight of us were seated at a luncheon and half the people at the table made the experience uncomfortable. One of the individuals actually fell asleep sitting up to avoid interaction (super awkward!).

I personally love conversing with others and have been comfortable talking to anyone and everyone since I was a toddler. But I recognize that conversations may feel torturous to different individuals.

Whether you are a natural conversationalist like me, or someone who would rather go hide in the bathroom than have to talk to people, here is some advice.

7 helpful hints:

FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Whether you are on the phone or conversing face to face, try your best to focus and concentrate on the conversation.  Treat the person like they are important and don't multi-task or think about something else. If you are busy or distracted, politely excuse yourself from the conversation until you can eliminate the distraction or complete the other task. No one likes to feel like the person they are talking to doesn't really care.

Book Review - At the Pulpit, 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women

At the Pulpit is a refreshing collection of women’s voices from the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The book contains 54 speeches given by women from 1831 to current day and is an impressive collection that shows the strength of women in the church. After reading the words of these eloquent women, I felt empowered and grateful for their examples of courage, compassion, and faithfulness. 

Life can be very full and busy at times.  I worried that I wouldn't be able to find time to read and review this book at first.  But during quiet minutes, I found myself drawn to it to bring me peace. I loved the stories and I felt stronger and more motivated after reading it.  Sister Jacobs had it right in the infographic below.

In the first chapter, I was impressed with the leadership of Lucy Mack Smith (aka “Mother Smith,” mother of Joseph and Hyrum Smith). In 1831, Lucy Mack Smith was part of a group that was planning to travel to Kirtland, Ohio from Fayette, New York. Two prominent males in the group refused to lead the group during the journey and deferred to Mother Smith. She rallied the troops and handled the finances, food, lodging, and spiritual guidance. At one point, the group was stuck in Buffalo, waiting for the ice to break in the harbor. Another party there encouraged Smith and her group to hide their religious identity to avoid prejudice. Smith rejected the advice and instead “boldly proclaimed her Mormon beliefs” to the townspeople.

Eliza R. Snow’s speech to the Salt Lake City 17^th Ward Relief Society really struck a chord with me in regards to how church callings should work.  She said, “Each member of the society should study to know her place, and honor herself by filling it honorably , and all move forward like machinery that is perfect in all its parts. Let no one overstep her mark or in the least crowd against another… And if this principle shall be carried out in every department, the society will move like clockwork.”  Her beautifully chosen words and appropriate similes describe how callings should be handled not only in just olden days but now as well. Each person is to learn and magnify her calling and not hinder others from fulfilling their responsibilities by enabling them or doing things that are outside their realm of stewardship.

Early Return LDS Missionary - The Importance of Waves

The Importance of Waves

After my son put his mission papers in and we were waiting for his mission call, I had a very spiritual and important dream.  In my dream, I saw the place where my son would serve his mission.  It was an island with a strong European influence.  It was so definite in my mind that I had absolutely no doubt he would be called to an island like that. The second important part of my dream was when I saw great giant waves in the ocean.  I had the feeling that these weren't literal waves but symbolic waves. At first I felt a sense of panic but then I had the strong and undeniable feeling that I should completely trust the Lord and turn everything over to Him.  Little did I know how important this dream would become to our family.

I know that Jesus Christ can calm all of our inward storms and He will help my son because He loves him and wants him to feel joy and grown and learn. My son ended up returning home from his mission earlier than expected. We are so proud of his desire to serve and all his hard work. A mission is a mission no matter how long you serve.

Here's an analogy that helps show how the Lord will help us through the stormy seas and help adversity be for our gain.

Tossed upon the Waves (click on title to read original article)

In the middle of my anxiety and despair, I reread the account of the Jaredites crossing the “great deep” (Ether 2:25). I can only imagine their anxious anticipation as they entered their barges. Their journey might be perilous, but they knew they were headed to “a land choice above all other lands” (Ether 2:15).

Of their journey, we read:

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

“And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

“… When they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.

“And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind” (Ether 6:5–8).

These verses became personal to me. I felt that I was in my own barge, with winds of anxiety beating upon me and waves of depression swelling over me and burying me in the depths of despair. When I was “encompassed about” and would cry unto the Lord, I would break through the surface but would then be buried once more.

I read verse 8 again: “The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land … and thus they were driven forth before the wind” (emphasis added). Then it hit me. The very wind that caused the mountainous waves to bury the barges also blessed the Jaredites on their journey. I had been pleading with Heavenly Father to calm the wind and waves, but without them, I might not reach whatever “promised land” He was leading me to.

These verses changed my outlook on life. My anxiety and depression had increased my reliance on Heavenly Father. Without the wind and waves, I might never have come to know God as I have—and the Jaredites might never have reached the promised land.

For now, a few years after this experience, my winds of anxiety are no longer gusting and my waves of depression have ceased to bury me. But if and when the tempest returns, I will call upon the Lord and be thankful, knowing that calm seas don’t carry barges to the promised land—stormy seas do.

Early Return LDS Missionaries - Anxiety and Depression Resources

Many people don't understand depression and anxiety. I get it.  If you, or someone you love, haven't experienced it personally it is easy to misjudge and think someone can just overcome it with a positive attitude.

Signs of Depression

• A persistent sad, helpless, hopeless, or worthless feeling.
• Decreased energy and motivation, and increased fatigue.
• A loss of interest in activities one used to enjoy.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
• Appetite change and weight loss or gain.
• Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up.
• Thoughts about death and suicide.

Here are some informative articles, videos, blog posts and podcasts that may help provide some understanding about depression, anxiety, and early returned missionaries.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng&_r=1

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-05-012-elder-hollands-counsel-for-early-returned-missionaries?lang=eng

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865628809/6-lies-early-returned-missionaries-tell-themselves.html?pg=all

http://ldsmag.com/what-this-mission-president-would-like-every-early-returned-missionary-to-know/

https://typedlettershome.com/2016/10/06/a-letter-to-every-erm/

http://www.provomormondude.com/2015/09/dealing-with-depression-as-latter-day.html

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2016/02/depression?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/new-era/2016/09/dealing-with-depression?lang=eng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxK2E2OFJhQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZdr56g_efQ

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/02/my-battle-with-depression?lang=eng

https://www.mormon.org/blog/dealing-with-depression-and-mental-illness#d

https://www.mormonchannel.org/listen/series/mormon-channel-daily-audio/his-grace-being-an-early-returned-missionary

http://www.ldsliving.com/A-Video-About-Early-Returned-Missionaries-Every-Member-Needs-to-See-Understand/s/80052

Games to Play in the Dark

Here are some fun games to play with teenagers that I found online.

Blair Witch Hide And Seek

What you Need:

Two mobile phones

How to Play:

Wait until it's dark and turn out the lights. One person hides with a cell phone. In the pitch black, everyone goes looking for this one person. Every so often he must call the other phone and give clues to where he is hiding. If you have one, get a night vision video camera to follow the guests, and watch the tape later.

Murder in the Dark

1. Get the number of cards of people in the game. EX: 7 people means 7 cards. In the cards, make sure to include the Jack and a King whilst the rest of the cards are number cards. Pass out the cards, but make sure no-one sees them. When you are done, everyone can secretly look at the cards. The person with the Jack is the murderer and the person with the king is the detective.

2. Make sure your'e in a house. Turn off all the lights. The object of the game is to not be murdered. If you're the murderer, the object is to murder other players. Everyone else is a victim/detective. 

3. To "Murder" someone, you have to sneak up behind them and tap on their shoulder, which means they are now dead. Then the "Victim" has to lay on the floor. However if you try and murder the detective, he will not die and will just ignore you!

4. If a player comes across a "Murdered" person, he must turn on the room light and yell "MURDER IN THE DARK!" Then everyone has to assemble in the room and the person who yelled has to guess the murderer. If the player guesses correctly, then the game is over. If he guesses incorrectly then you turn off all the lights again and all the murdered victims are brought back to life and the game continues.

5. The only time the murderer wins is when he/she murders every player, except for the detective.

Mannequin Hunter Game

Dark room

flashlight

How to play:

You need at least five people for this game and make sure you have plenty of room to play. The room must also be as dark as possible so draw the curtains and shut the door. All of the players go into the room except for one person who is named the hunter who must wait outside with the flashlight. The person outside the room must count to thirty whilst the other people will act like mannequins in a store and stand as still as possible and try not to laugh. 

The Hunter then enters the dark room and using the flashlight he must locate the players. Once he finds a player then he must try his best to make the mannequin move, talk or laugh. If they do then the mannequin is out of the game. 

Click HERE to see the games on the original website.

Book Review - Bible Origami by Todd Huisken

Let me start by saying that this book makes me happy. I will explain.

Since my youth, I have struggled with spatial things. Things such as folding paper airplanes and answering those test questions that involve imagining how an unfolded patterned cube would look when folded back up. These things tend to frustrate me and make me feel helpless.

Fast forward to my adulthood. Todd Huisken (creator of Bible Origami) reached out to me to review his new origami book.  Todd was my dear friend during our freshman year of college but after we graduated we lost touch. We reconnected when he found my blog and asked me if I would give an honest review his book.

Author, Todd Huisken

Todd sent me a copy of his book, "Bible Origami," along with some paper so that I could try creating some of his designs. (I'd kept my spatial inadequacies hidden so he had no idea how challenging this would be for me.)

So I bravely sat down to try my hand at "Bible Origami."  I started with making Joseph's Coat of Many Colors. I followed the directions and illustrations exactly. Imagine my surprise and delight when I was able to do it! I literally screamed out, "LOOK WHAT I MADE!" (Sure, my family mocked me a bit for my over-enthusiasm but they were happy for me.)

Stake Activity Day - "There's No Place Like Home"

I am currently serving as the secretary in our Stake Primary Presidency.  I loved this recent Stake Activity Day event! Feel free to copy anything you'd like from the activity. 

We had a committee of around 20 people working on it and it was incredible.  Everyone magnified their responsibilities and I have to say it turned out to be quite a memorable event for the girls.

This was our poster (I took our stake name off to make it generic).

Our invitation. We printed them as 4x6 pics at Costco.

We based the theme around the Wizard of Oz but adjusted it to fit our desired goal.  Our theme was "There's No Place Like Home with Our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ."  Our focus was trying to prepare the girls to attend the temple someday and then eventually return to live with Heavenly Father.

Rustic & Romantic Wedding Reception

This wedding reception was AMAZING! 

The bride really didn't want a "cultural hall" reception at the church but decided to have it there anyway out of convenience and affordability. It turned out incredibly beautiful and proved that even a basketball court can be transformed into a magical scene.

How darling is this couple?  They are not only beautiful on the outside but also on the inside.  I can't even tell you how incredible they are.  They will have a wonderful life together.

Entry area.  They used a piece of furniture from their future home.

Rustic and Romantic Wedding Luncheon

Two of my son's best friends were married and it was a wonderful day. We love this adorable couple!

The luncheon that the groom's family provided was delicious and the decorations were beautiful. They served pulled pork with BBQ sauce, homemade rolls, honey butter, potato salad, baked beans in little cups, corn, and fresh fruit.  White cloth tablecloths had a burlap topper and then fresh flower arrangements.

The fruit structure in the middle of the tables was really fun.  It was also smart to have two serving tables with the exact same items to help with line control.

The awesome wooden sign in the backdrop was made by the groom.  I heard rumors that it could become their headboard later.

 Lemonade, water, and IBC root beer hit the spot since it was a super hot day.

They served desserts and drinks on the same table.

What a cute little "Happily Ever After" sign to dress up the table.

They served small servings of brownies and bar cookies labeled with chalkboard signs.  My favorite thing was the mint brownies (not pictured). Yum!

They also played a fun game in front of everyone at the reception.  Bride and groom were seated back to back.  They gave each other one of their shoes so they each of them had a bride shoe and a groom shoe. Then the cute couple was asked questions such as "Who said I love you first?" and then independently they had to hold up the correct shoe to answer the question.

I'm not sure if the game coordinator created their own questions or found them online.  Here's a website that I found online that explained the game well and listed a bunch of questions. (The picture is from their website too).

Red, Black and White Wedding Reception (with a Nod to Comic-Con!)

Loved attending my friends' daughter's wedding reception.  This couple loves Comic-Con but they didn't do the reception in that theme (although they were tempted!).

Here are a few subtle Comic-Con things at the reception:

These characters were in a cute frame on the sign in table.

Notice the Batman symbols on the cake.

Can you spot the Batman symbol?

Wedding Chalkboard Graphics

 Here are some random wedding-related things that I designed using the chalkboard style theme.

This is for a cake table for my friend's daughter.

These were for a bridal shower for a friend of mine.  I used these on small chalkboard easels next to some candy jars.  One jar full of Riesen candies and the other had mints in it.

Simple and Stylish Wedding Reception (with Donuts and Milk Bar)

One of our good family friends married her sweetheart this month.  The bride has some serious graphic design talents and the mother-of-the-bride is a professional photographer (as well as a full-time 6th grade teacher).  Love the style and simplicity of this reception.

Sign-in table.  You could leave words of advice to the newlyweds in the little wire basket.

I'm guessing the bride designed this.  Too bad I don't have decent photography skills judging by the glare on the glass!

Gift tables.

A spot for cards in between the two gift tables.

Backdrop for the receiving line.

Giant pictures on the wall were very simple and tasteful.

The Atonement - Lesson Idea

My friend Melissa gave a wonderful lesson in Relief Society last Sunday.  To prepare, she read through all of the General Conference talks from April 2016.  As she studied the talks, she pulled out various quotes and concepts about the Atonement.  We discussed each theme and quote as she asked questions in class and we had an awesome, heartfelt discussion.  We all desperately need the Atonement so I appreciated that she chose to give a lesson on it.

Because of the Atonement, there will be no unfairness

I can emphatically state that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things, there will be no unfairness. “All that is unfair about life can be made right”. Our present circumstances may not change, but through God’s compassion, kindness, and love, we will all receive more that we deserve, more than we can ever earn, and more than we can ever hope for.

Dale G. Renlund, April Conference 2016

How can knowing that everything will be made right help us now?

 (That is the essence of faith)

Forgiveness through the Atonement sets us free

There is not a soul alive who will not, at one time or another, be the victim to someone else’s careless actions, hurtful conduct, or even sinful behavior. That is one thing we all have in common. Gratefully, God, in His love and mercy for His children, has prepared a way to help us navigate these sometimes turbulent experiences of life. He has provided an escape for all who fall victim to the misdeeds of others. He has taught us that we can forgive! Even though we may be a victim once, we need not be a victim twice by carrying the burden of hate, bitterness, pain, resentment, or even revenge. We can forgive, and we can be free!

            Kevin R. Duncan, April Conference 2016

What is the connection between being forgiven and offering forgiveness to others?

How does forgiving others free us?

The Atonement brings us peace

Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. Nevertheless, we have been promised peace-with a condition attached. Faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice is, and forever will be, the first principle of the gospel and the foundation upon which our hope for “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” is built.

            W. Christopher Waddell, April Conference 2016

Would anyone like to share a time when they have felt peace, even through a trial?

The Atonement can help us discern what it right for us

When trust is betrayed, dreams shattered, hearts broken and broken again, when we want justice and need mercy, when our fists clench and our tears flow, when we need to know what to hold onto and what to let go of, we can always remember Him. His infinite compassion can help us find our way, truth, and life.

            Gerrit W. Gong, April Conference 2016

When you think about the burdens that you are carrying, what could it mean when he says “know what to hold onto and what to let go of”? 

Relying on the Atonement can ease our burdens

God rarely infringes on the agency of any of His children by intervening against some for the relief of others. But He does ease the burdens of our afflictions and strengthen us to bear them, as He did with Alma’s people in the land of Helam. He does not prevent all disasters, but He does answer our prayers to turn them aside…He does blunt their effects.

            Dallin H. Oaks, April Conference 2016

What are some strategies for turning our burdens over to the Lord so he can help us bear them?

(Prayer, fasting, finding a support system)

The Atonement gives us strength to keep trying

With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed.

            Jeffrey R. Holland, April Conference 2016

Would anyone like to share a time when you just kept trying, even though you felt like you weren’t succeeding?