The HOPE of God's Light

 I know that by following this counsel my prayers will be more meaningful and I will feel even closer to my Father in Heaven.

Lift up your soul in prayer and explain to your Heavenly Father what you are feeling. Acknowledge your shortcomings. Pour out your heart and express your gratitude. Let Him know of the trials you are facing. Plead with Him in Christ's name for strength and support. Ask that your ears may be opened, that you may hear His voice."

—Dieter F. Uchtdorf, [read the whole article by clicking on the following link] "The Hope of God's Light"
Topics: Prayer, Trials

Turning AWAY from Bad Habits

"Do you find yourself hating what you are doing but not able to find the willpower to turn away from it? Then reach out and humble yourself. The Lord's enabling power is sufficient to change your heart, to turn your life, to purge your soul. But you must make the first move, which is to humble yourself and realize that only in God can you find deliverance."

—M. Russell Ballard, "Be Strong in the Lord"
Topics: Humility, Repentance

Sometimes that "hating what you are doing" is actually "hating yourself" and even the bad habits you turn to when you are depressed. I've already blogged about what my depressive habits are and you can read about those in this blog post ). When you are depressed it is hard to be "able to find the willpower to turn away from [whatever it is that you find yourself hating what you are doing]."

It may be hard, but the only way to receive help is through God's divine help. He will empower you to overcome anything. 

You will receive the ability 
                                              
                                         and power through HIM who 

                                                                                 is mighty to save.

Equally Yoked

This is our "castle" in the background.
 Actually this is Ben fiddling around
with that awesome program called Photoshop. LOL!

I desire for my husband and I to be equally yoked in our marriage. I know that he has felt that he was the one carrying all of the weight for the responsibilities of our family. I want him to feel supported, for our marriage to be free from contention, and for some more healing to take place. I know that some healing has already occurred. I am making deposits in our marital relationship banking account and I hope that my sweet husband can feel the difference. They have been small, but I am determined to be consistent and through the companionship of the Holy Ghost our bond with each other will grow stronger than it ever has been before.

"It is only with the companionship of the Holy Ghost that we can hope to be equally yoked in a marriage free from discord. I have seen how that companionship is crucial for felicity in a marriage. The miracle of becoming one requires the help of heaven, and it takes time."

—Henry B. Eyring, "To My Grandchildren"
Topics: Unity in Marriage, Happiness in Family Life, Companionship of Holy Ghost

The Sun is Still Shining!

The sun is still shining even when it's overcast and grey. I love the majesty and beauty of the sun's rays peeking through the clouds. It's like hope that peeks through the storms of depression. I've been borrowing my father-in-law's UV lamp that I affectionately call the happy lamp. It's been overcast, grey & dismal weather lately and I was willing to settle for some needed artificial sunshine!

A brief glimpse of the sun this afternoon!

Mighty Storms Beat Upon Us

Last night I couldn't sleep. The winds were around 80 mph and it was loud! I heard this crash and looked out the window to see this:

The remnants of the roof
of our neighbor's goat shed.

I couldn't believe it. That roof was heavy and recently built. The wood still looks new. I have done a close inspection but I know that it bent my metal trellis. 

Figuratively there are mighty storms in our lives and we need to strengthen our faith BEFORE the storm hits so that we will be able to be strong and withstand whatever is thrown in our path. A scripture in Helaman 5:12, from a book that was translated by our late prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. (The Book of Mormon), describes this perfectly,

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm 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."

Mood Behaviors Research by the Food Hospital

I came across two videos today that have to do with my blog post on November 6, 2013 about food additives and and the effect on mood behaviors. Kind of hits me that as parents we often punish and give consequences for our kids poor behavior but what if it's a result of what we feed our kids??

Gratitude Shown to Veteran Jim Wolf

Here is a story about hope, gratitude, transformation, respect, and love. One man, Rob Bliss, decided to give back to homeless veterans and create a video because he "...wanted to show how a physical transformation for some people doesn’t cover up who they are, but reveals who they could be." One person was able to show veteran Jim Wolf his potential and at the same time say thanks for his sacrifice for our country.  

that “an outward transformation is important, but an inward one is more important,” Marge Parlmerlee said, the lady in charge of the nonprofit Degage which helps veterans. "She said she hopes it also helps change stereotypes to give people a perspective that 'everyone is worthy of being treated with dignity and respect.'”

"We all know that war wounds are not all external,” Parlmerlee said. (Aren't the  mental health wounds we have internal as well?)

"If I can only get people to look at any homeless person on the street and see the mirror image of them — the image of someone who would look socially acceptable — realize that potential, that ‘what if,’ and root for their success,' Bliss said. You can read the full article that these quotes come from by clicking here 

When I shop downtown I see a lot of homeless people. I feel a Christlike love for them and a strong desire to help so I drop off donations at the homeless shelter. For the past two years after Christmas my family has dropped off sack lunches (with uplifting messages written on the paper sacks) at the homeless shelter. Last year my nieces and nephew got involved and it was a lot of fun to see them get excited about it.

The next time you see someone who may look a little scruffy, 
just remember there is 

             a child of God

                                                              underneath all of that.