November Trip - St. George for Thanksgiving

It was a WONDERFUL weekend with the whole family!  I'm grateful.  :)  ....for fall, for family, for home, for being together, for nice weather, for faith, for blessings of peace and safety and freedom and happiness.  Some of the highlights included:
* driving to St. George with Kayla and Kai and Kayla praying for me to get married and that we would survive the fog of Fillmore
* playing games with everyone - Moods, Spot It, MBTI and love languages
* playing at the park (x3 or 5)  :)
* a special birthday lunch for mom's 60th birthday
* swimming at Sand Hollow with the group (Noah giggling the whole way down the water slide)
* Thanksgiving dinner with the group (Kayla placing the nametags and Noah finding all the snickers bars before dinner)....and the mashed potatoes and peanut butter pie
* biking and running the river loop
* watching Mason enjoy the nativity scene at the St. George Temple and Noah climb right in to be a part of it!  :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Giving Thanks - It's How Happy People Live!

Happy Birthday, Dad! :)

Something I really loved today....

....in this there is safety and peace!!!

He will help us!

Remember that great verse - probably the first one that you ever memorized?  1 Nephi 3:7.  Nephi says to his father, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."  And after journeying and coming up with several ideas (that didn't work) and trying again and showing the Lord He was willing to listen and follow, he succeeded in obtaining the brass plates.

I feel like I have seen that promise come to life for me recently.  We have been encouraged to be more engaged in family history work.  I set a goal for myself to index 2000 names this year (that's more than twice the number of names I've indexed in my whole lifetime up until now).  I knew it would push me and I was off to a slow start.  I got serious about it again a few weeks ago and last week, as I was being more diligent, I stumbled across a very easy assignment (UK electors lists)....that helped me exceed my goal this week....and it's still November!  :)  I did some harder ones too, but finding this project helped motivate me to keep working....and then I found some other enjoyable projects (Jamaica, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana wedding and death certificates).  These projects gave me the chance to think more about these people and their lives - how they loved and lived and died.  It's exciting and wonderful work!  If you haven't tried it yet, sign up here. 

I know that this is just the beginning and there is so much more I need to do, but I know that the Lord will bless us and help us to accomplish that which He needs us to do or that which we strive to do in righteousness!  I know that this applies to other things - like actual family history research, finding a home, someday creating a family, etc, etc.  Those all sound a little bit more overwhelming to me now, but if He can help with indexing goals I know it applies to all aspects life as we work and have faith and trust in the Lord.  :)

I am ready now!

Today I was inspired by the response of Ephraim Hanks to Brigham Young, who asked for people to go bring the struggling saints in from the plains.  Ephraim Hanks simply responded, "I am ready now!"

I think that is also the call to us today - be ready NOW to give, to serve, to sacrifice, to teach, to share, to stand up, to go, to lead, to help, to endure, to be diligent, to live our covenants, to have faith, to make a difference, to be kind, to love, to live, to die.

I think this relates to the veterans who we celebrate this weekend.  They were ready to serve, to give, to sacrifice and went when they were called.

I think also of those suffering in the Philippines today after a huge storm.  There are many in need and I know there are many ready to help.  I hope we can all remember and help them where we can and/or think of those around us and be ready to help now!

I'm grateful....and inspired by these examples and want to "be ready always (see 1 Peter 3:15)."  :)

a previous lifetime...

It was fun to spend the day in Provo, at BYU...thinking about and remembering a previous lifetime!  :)

Recent Inspiration

You should watch this - Wrong Roads ... and read this - Marriage Isn't for You.  They are both WONDERFUL and teach truth and remind us who we are, where we're going and how we can get there....with patience, faith, love, trust in God, selflessness and love for others.  So good!!

I was also inspired while watching this movie again - Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration:

(At 30:45) "We're not just building a temple here.  The Lord is building us."

(At 41:00) "The worth of every soul is great in the sight of God."

(At 45:40) "The truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

(At 46:00) "A man filled with the love of God cannot be content in blessing his family alone.  He will be anxious to bless the whole human race."

(At 48:00) "The Lord intends marriage to last forever.  If a man is not willing to help and cherish his wife here, why would she want him hereafter?"

The Lord is My Shepherd

Here is the song that uplifted and encouraged me today:  The Lord is My Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd; no want shall I know.
I feed in green pastures; safe-folded I rest.
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand'ring, redeems when oppressed,
Restores me when wand'ring, redeems when oppressed.

Thru the valley and shadow of death though I stray, 
Since thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear.
Thy rod shall defend me, thy staff be my stay.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.

In the midst of affliction my table is spread.
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o'er.
With perfume and oil thou anoinest my head.
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?

Another good one:  My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

Christlike Attributes

This is a beautiful, wonderful, inspiring little video clip that reminds us of the life and example and teachings and attributes of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

October Trip - Lehi

Lehi was definitely the best place to visit and hang this month!  :)

Happy Birthday, Hailey!

Hanging out with this group always makes me happy - a little bit crazy, but always happy!  The pre-Halloween festivities were even better than the real thing!  :)

Homemaking

I have a traveler's, explorer's, wanderer's heart in many ways, but this past year I have been thinking A LOT about the importance of home!  Home is where the heart is.  Home is family.  Home is love.  Home is comfort and refuge, safety and peace.  Home is full of traditions and culture.  Home is much more than a building or place to sleep or furniture and decorations.  It is where we live and learn and study and grow.

We learn in the Bible Dictionary under the topic of Temple that "a temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed...a place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth.  Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness".  I love that and I think that our attitude towards home and the importance of home will determine the spirit that fills our home.

A few months ago we had a nice Relief Society meeting about creating a home.  The sister sweet 90-plus-year-old sister teaching the lesson focused on D&C 88:119, "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God".  She acknowledged all that needs to be done in a home and the importance of being organized, professional and finding balance.  Home is a laboratory for living and a refuge of peace, serenity, safety, respect, and fun.  The homemaker is the CEO and should be up on time and professionally dressed and organized with a calendar in hand.  She acknowledged that each family is different, but recommended family business meetings (where everyone brings their calendar), no toy boxes (but every toy having a place), study areas, wearing an apron, and planning out a weekly menu and shopping list.  It was inspiring to learn from her!  We can create an environment around us that invites the Spirit into our lives.

Growing up in Hawaii and having a traveler's heart has made me not very attached to things, but this past year I have been looking for a home and striving to create a home, even though my immediate family is very small.  :)  While I'm still searching for the right physical location and building and hopefully someone else to join me there :) ...there are some things I can do and that we should all think about doing regardless of what kind of home we live in.


There are many inspiring scriptures about home:

• Lehi dwelt in a tent because he was being obedient to the Lord (see 1 Nephi 2:15).
• Essentially, Captain Moroni rallied the troops to defend their homes (see Alma 46:12).
• One of my all time favorite scriptures about home is found in 3 Nephi 17:3.  Here the Savior has been teaching the people and He instructs them to to "go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."  I think that teaches us much about the sacred importance of what our homes should be.

One of the greatest resources we have today is The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  This divinely inspired document is full of truths that are important for us to learn and study and live.  This article from 2005 is inspiring:  A Practical guide for building a gospel-centered home, as well as the Guide to the Scriptures and the Topical Guide.


There are MANY wonderful General Conference talks about home:

• President Gordon B. Hinckley's April 1971 talk "Except the Lord Build the House..."
• President Spencer W. Kimball's April 1978 talk Living the Gospel in the Home
• President Thomas S. Monson's October 1988 talk Hallmarks of a Happy Home
• Elder Rex D. Pinegar's April 1990 talk "Home First"
• Elder Marvin J. Ashton's October 1992 talk A Yearning for Home
• Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin's April 1993 talk Spiritually Strong Homes and Families
• Elder Eran A. Call's October 1997 talk The Home: A Refuge and Sanctuary
• Elder Robert D. Hales' April 1999 talk Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty
• President Thomas S. Monson's April 2000 talk Your Eternal Home
• Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander's April 2003 talk Holy Place, Sacred Space
• Sister Susan W. Tanner's April 2003 talk Did I Tell You...?
• President Thomas S. Monson's October 2003 talk Bring Him Home
• Elder Gary E. Stevenson's April 2009 talk Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples
• Elder David A. Bednar's October 2009 talk More Diligent and Concerned at Home
• Elder Richard G. Scott's April 2013 talk For Peace at Home

....and inspiring music:

• For the Beauty of the Earth
• Love at Home
• Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth
• I Am A Child of God
• O, My Father

Ultimately we are here on earth to learn and prepare ourselves to return to our heavenly home (our real home).  I'm pretty sure we will feel most comfortable there if we have spent our time here focusing on building homes after the same pattern of faith, righteousness, goodness, kindness, and love.

Missionaries

For some reason and many reasons and all of a sudden, today I am particularly grateful for the wonderful opportunity I had to serve for eighteen months as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It's almost been 12 years since I returned, but that decision and experience has blessed my life in more ways than I can count or that I probably even know.  I'm grateful for the wonderful people I was able to serve with - companions, other missionaries, leaders and members who taught me so much!  I'm grateful for those that I met and taught and loved and served and learned from.  I'm grateful for the beautiful and wonderful places and neighborhoods that I got to know so well in South Korea.  I love Busan and Daegu!  I think there is at least one person or lesson or experience or scripture or place or blessing I'm reminded of from my mission everyday.

I LOVE this video - Mormon Missionaries!  This is what missionaries are and what they do.  For two years after returning from my mission I worked as a teacher at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.  Here's some information and a video that depicts what life is like there as thousands of missionaries prepare to go to all of the world to teach of Jesus Christ.  Here's a fun way some missionaries recently shared the joy of the Plan of Salvation!  :)  Recently Michael Otterson reported in the Washington Post of More Mormons on a Mission.

I'm excited each day when I think about the opportunities I have to continue to share my love for the teachings and Church of Jesus Christ.  Recently at a stake conference meeting our stake president asked all of the missionaries to stand up and sing a musical number, Called to Serve.  We are a unique stake because we have a whole branch of full-time church and family history missionaries, so I think everyone was looking to them to stand up, but the stake president waited for all of us to stand - we are all missionaries.

I recently read a WONDERFUL book by Clayton Christensen called The Power of Everyday Missionaries.  There is much we can do to reach out to those around us in love.  The best way to be a missionary is to love and invite and include and be friends with everyone.  There is power in living the gospel and not being afraid to share how it blesses us with others.

So, go forth and let your light so shine!!  :)

Stuck

Have you ever felt stuck?  That's kind of how I'd describe some things for me at the moment - unmotivated, holding pattern, waiting for something, temporary.  It can be hard to move forward when you're waiting for something - I partially don't even know what it is I'm waiting and I don't have full control either.  That's hard.  It' reminds me of this little video from my childhood:  Winnie the Pooh and the Gopher

     "Are you stuck?"
     "Oh no....just resting and thinking and humming to myself."
      ....      "What's your problem?"
     "First thing to be done is to get rid of that bear.  He's gumming up the whole project."
     "...He is the project!"

I can't explain all the reasons that I feel like this describes the situation exactly, but it does....and it makes me laugh and "hum to myself" instead of cry.  :)

The other day while walking around Temple Square I heard one of the sister missionaries ask a tour group as they were standing by the Seagull Monument, "Do you have any crickets in your life?"  :)  Do you know the story of the miracle of the seagulls?  They saved the pioneers' crops from being eaten by the crickets one of the first years the pioneers were in the Salt Lake Valley.  Those faithful people lived right here in my neighborhood, 165 years ago.  They fasted and prayed and Heavenly Father sent the seagulls to get rid of the crickets and save their crops.

That reminds me of this article in the Deseret News - the miracle of the cancelled fishing trip.  Life is full of unexpected changes, cancellations, and LOTS of waiting (I was reminded by my sister who is nine-months pregnant that we're all waiting for something).  :)  But we can choose our destiny and move forward in faith.

And we just need to move one day at a time.  As Elder Christofferson teaches, "I think it's not by chance God has created us in a way that we have to have daily physical sustenance."  We must turn to God for our Daily Bread.  We must look to Him and have faith in Him and remember Him as the source of our blessings.

Here's an interesting and timely article, The Key to Immediate Happiness, that has helped me think about the importance of getting unstuck, moving forward and "unpacking my bags."  I think I also need to go re-read A Single Voice.  :)