Keep Climbing

Sometimes when God wants to teach me something, He has to repeat it over and over and over again before I get it. For example, just recently a BYU-I talk from President Eyring has come up over and over again. One day I stumbled upon it while looking for something to listen to. Then it showed up in a letter to my stake presidency. And then, just this past Sunday it was brought up repeatedly in my Stake Conference. Coincidental? I think not. 

Turn on Your Light

"Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world. . . will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different - in happy ways- from women of the world." - President Spencer W. Kimball

 (quoted by Sister Sharon Eubank in her October 2017 General Conference address Turn on Your Light.)

I want to be one of these women. I want to play an active part in this growth.

I'm Back

Maybe you noticed, and maybe you didn't, but the entire year of 2017 I did not write a single post -not one. Man have I missed writing and documenting my life! I've missed the creative outlet this space provides, and most of all,  I've missed you.

Love/Hate Relationship

I have a love/hate relationship with blogging and this blog.

Can you tell?

 Some days I love it, other days I hate it.

Some days it feels like torture to write up a blog post, other days I can't get to my computer fast enough. When I capture a moment I want to remember forever, I can't wait to write about it. However, on the other hand, when my kids whine and cry and don't want any pictures taken, it frustrates me and I want to quit. 

Often I feel like what I share on this little piece of the internet is dull, plain, and boring.  I think, "Why do you even bother"?

Some days it drives me crazy that my blog is the only way some people keep in touch with me. Other days, I'm happy and excited that I'm able to share our family's happening.

Maybe it's hormones. Maybe it's stress. Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis.

Whatever it is, I keep coming back to this crazy little blog.

I love having a place where all my photos and events are stored in chronological order and available from any device. My children love to read it, and sometimes they spend hours looking back through the years of memories this blog holds.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, sorry for being so wishy-washy.
If you're still here and reading this. . . . 

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Service with a Smile!

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Service (SUR vis)- an act of helpful activity, to help, to aid.

Serving others brings happiness into my life. A couple weeks ago, my girlies and I had the chance to attend the General Women's Session of Conference in the Conference Center.

The talks that night were all about service and serving others. As I've pondered about service and what I can do to serve more, I've had the following thoughts:

1.  Service does not have to be grandiose. It can be small and simple.

Sometimes I forget that as I go about my daily tasks, as routine and mundane as they are, I am serving.  Through every load of laundry, every dish washed, every meal served, every story read, and hug given I am helping or giving aid to my husband and children. 

Just because it is done in your home, day after day, it still counts.  You're still giving service - probably the best, most important service you can possible give.

2. In her talk, He asks us to Be His Hands, Sister Esplin reminded us that "When we reach out in love and service even in the smallest ways, hearts are changed and softened as others feel the love of the Lord."

This got me thinking: 

I, as a mother, have the opportunity to serve my family in small ways everyday. How do I serve them?  It is happily and cheerfully, or is it ornery and with a bad attitude toward? Do I see my "motherly duties" as chores or as opportunities to serve my family? Is my family able to feel the love of the Lord through my service to them? Is contention decreased and hearts softened through my service to them?  I sure hope so.

3. Sister Esplin also said, "We give service when we don't criticize, when we refuse to gossip, when we don't judge, when we smile, when we say thank you, and when we are patient and kind."

As a mother, this is what I strive for:

- to criticize my children less and praise them more.

-to refuse to talk bad about my kids and husband to others

- to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and believe that they're doing the best they can

-to smile especially when I feel like yelling or rolling my eyes

-to thank more, especially for the tiny little things

-to be patient and kind

So I guess what I'm trying to say is to never discount the service you do in your home and for your family no matter how routine, boring, or unimportant it may seem, it's not.

"The most important work service you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home."

BE HAPPY!

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I've been thinking a lot about happiness, and I ran across this quote by President Thomas S. Monson.

"Of this be sure: you do not find the happy life, you make it."

What are you doing to make "the happy life" for yourself?

Mists of Darkness

It has been really foggy in my neck of the woods lately.  This morning it was clear when I drove #4 to the bus stop, but on my way back (a total drive time of 1 minute), the fog started to roll in. This is what it looked like an hour and a half later when I drove #5 and #6 down to school.  See the sun just peaking out over the mountain?

I already shared this on my Instagram (@rachsgoodlife), but I'm going to share it here too.

Super foggy again at my house. Ironically this morning I read a talk by Cheryl C. Lant. It fits perfectly with the foggy weather. In her talk she poses the question: "What are my mists of darkness?" ----------------------------------
This caused me to think about my own mists of darkness. What are the things that are clouding my judgments, obstructing me from seeing and achieving my goals and visions, and what's blinding me from seeing the hand of God in my life? Do I let myself get lost in the mists of darkness Satan places over me? Do I let him discourage me? ----------------------------------
Just like mother nature's fog, if I'm patient and persevere, the Son ☀️ always comes and dispels the mists of darkness- ALWAYS.

Be an Example and a Light

Yesterday was a dark and gloomy day.  It didn't rain or snow, but it was cloudy all day long.

Last night I glanced out my window to see the top of the mountain illuminated, while the valley below still sat in darkness.

It made me think of the prophet, President Monson's reminder in his latest conference talk to let our light shine.

". . .as the world moves further and further away from the principles and guidelines given to us by a loving Heavenly Father, we will stand out from the crowd because we are different. We will stand out because we dress modestly. We will be different because we do not use profanity and because we do not partake of substances which are harmful to our bodies. We will be different because we avoid off-color humor and degrading remarks. We will be different as we decide not to fill our minds with media choices that are base and demeaning and that will remove the Spirit from our homes and our lives. We will certainly stand out as we make choices regarding morality—choices which adhere to gospel principles and standards. Those things which make us different from most of the world also provide us with that light and that spirit which will shine in an increasingly dark world.

"It is often difficult to be different and to stand alone in a crowd. It is natural to fear what others might think or say. Comforting are the words of the psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” As we make Christ the center of our lives, our fears will be replaced by the courage of our convictions."

Such a good reminder for us all.

Don't follow the crowd!

 Go ahead, BE DIFFERENT!

 "Bravely let your light shine for all to see"!

Don't You Quit!

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a whirlwind?  You keep spinning and spinning hoping that on the next spin you'll pop out on top.

This year, I'm working on Spiritually connecting with a bunch of things (you can read about that HERE).  As I've been working hard to better myself, the Adversary has also been working hard to thwart my plans, my hopes, my goals, my desires, really any little thing he can.  There are times when I feel so accomplished, content, and happy with where I am and how far I've come.  I feel like I've finally 'got it all together'.  I'm doing good!  Then that whirlwind comes around and sucks me back down to its pit of discouragement, frustration, doubting, and even at times, sadness.  

For the past six months I've been going around and around in this crazy whirlwind.  I'm hoping by year's end I'll end up on top a better, stronger person.

We all have tough times, moments of discouragement, and occasions when life seems to be beating the crap out of us. This, my friends, is the Adversary at work.  He's good at what he does, after-all he's had several 1000s of years to perfect his skills.  How do we beat him at his own game?  How do we make sure we end up on top?  We trust God, and center our life on and around His son, Jesus Christ.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. - Helaman 5:12

Having a life centered on Jesus Christ means that we keep trying. We must trust that God knows what is best for us, and then keep doing the things He has asked us to do, no matter what.- 
We pray even when we feel like we're not being answered.  We continue to read and study the scriptures everyday.  We get up and exercise, and feed our body healthy foods even if we're not physically getting the results we want.  We strive to be kind to those who don't deserve out kindness.  We continue to serve others.

As long as we keep trying, no matter how hard the devil tries to keep us at the bottom of the whirlwind, Christ will buoy us up and we will end up on top.

I love this quote from Elder Holland:
 “Don’t give up. . .
 Don’t you quit. 
You keep walking. 
You keep trying. 
There is help and happiness ahead. . .
You keep your chin up. 
It will be all right in the end. 
Trust God and believe in good things to come."
(source)
And that is exactly what I plan to do.

Foolish Virgins

Last Saturday, after a long day of shopping for a Homecoming dress (but that's another story for another day), my oldest daughter and I attended the General Women's Meeting.

art by Walter Rane

In that meeting, Sister Linda Burton, General Relief Society President, shared her thoughts on being prepared to enter the temple and keep our temple covenants.  She quoted Alma 49:8 

"Behold, to [the Lamanites’] uttermost astonishment, [the Nephites] were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known.”   She followed up the sciputre with the question

"How can we better prepare ourselves for temple blessings today?"

Sister Burton likened the parable of the 10 Virgins to being prepared for temple blessings.

Just last week I had my own "Virgin" experience.  

Last Sunday members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah were invited to attend the dedication of the Ogden, UT temple.  I with #2 and #4 decided to attend the 10:00 am session and Clint and the two other boys would attend the 1:00 pm session so someone could be home with the two little girls who are not old enough to attend yet.  The three of us were ready and arrived at the church (in the pouring rain, no less) 10 minutes early to find all the doors locked.  WHAT?!  No one was in sight.  The chapel doors were shut, the cultural hall doors were too.  By this time there were a few other people attempting to get in too.  I decided to check my ticket just to make sure we had the right time.  That's when I noticed the Attendance Instructions on the back that stated, "Please be in your seat at least 30 minutes before the session begins.  No one will be admitted after the designated hour."  After explaining this to the others, one gentleman exclaimed, "Well, at least now we know how the 5 foolish virgins felt."  Yes, we did,  And it did not feel very good, having the doors locked, being turned away and having to go home spiritually empty.  Thank goodness, unlike the 5 Virgins, we had two other chances.

Sister Burton pointed out that "Sometimes we feel sad for the five unwise virgins. Can’t we just be kind and share our oil with them?" Her answer was simple:  No, "The oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared."

Just like the 5 foolish Virgins, no one could share their obedience of following the Attendance Instructions, nor their punctuality.  That was only something I could do myself.

President Spencer W. Kimball explained why it is impossible to “share oil” with others when he said, “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures – each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thought and actions … these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.”

Sister Burton closed her talk by encouraging us to prepare to receive oil drop by drop and be prepared to keep sacred covenants made in Temples. Doing this will empower us and bless our lives.  

Be Prepared.  Add Oil to Your Lamps. You do not want to be left out!  Trust me, I know!

"Here am I, Send Me"

(photo source)

When God asked who would come to earth to prepare a way for all mankind to be saved and strengthened and blessed, it was Jesus Christ who said, simply, “Here am I, send me” (Abr. 3:27).

Just as the Savior stepped forward to fulfill His divine responsibilities, we have the challenge and responsibility to do likewise. If you are wondering if you make a difference to the Lord, imagine the impact when you make commitments such as the following:

“Father, if You need a woman to rear children in righteousness, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman who will shun vulgarity and dress modestly and speak with dignity and show the world how joyous it is to keep the commandments, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman who can resist the alluring temptations of the world by keeping her eyes fixed on eternity, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman of faithful steadiness, here am I, send me.”

Between now and the day the Lord comes again, He needs women in every family, in every ward, in every community, in every nation who will step forward in righteousness and say by their words and their actions, “Here am I, send me.”

My question is, “Will you be one of those women?

Read more HERE