Thursday, June 22, 2017

Little Red needed her Glasses

The kids and I have recently been reading old fairy tales and nursery rhymes. A few days ago when we came upon Little Red Riding Hood. While reading the story, we came to the part where Little Red was noticing the drastic changes in her grandma.

My kids asked plainly, "Why didn't she SEE the wolf?!" 

I simply said, "She must not have had her glasses on!" Ha ha. 

So in honor of this funny moment, I made this picture for my brother-in-law Carl. 
He's an optometrist, and thought he would get a kick out of it.

Don't forget to have your eye exam and to wear your glasses! 


Sunday, June 4, 2017

Seek for things of a BETTER

One of my most favorite recent scriptures I have studied is in 
Doctrine and Covenants 25:10. It says, 

"And verily I say into thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better."

I have enjoyed pondering this scripture over the past few weeks, and yesterday I overheard a general conference talk quote this scripture again. I thought after having it so close to my mind and then again hearing it from someone else, I needed to write my thoughts about it. Not just to the world, but to my children, for this blog is my "testimony journal."

If there is anything important to write down, I believe that your testimony is the most important thing to document for your children and future family.

The world is constantly changing. From ideals, morals, fashions, designs, and much more. But one of the few things that is always constant is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the strong stable rock, while the sandy world continually shifts around us. Anyone can get sucked up into "things of the world." Dwelling on things that make the world view you as important, or changing your ideals to please other people's changing emotions. 

Change can be wonderful, but it can also be a personal demise. Change to things of "a better" can bless your life and the lives around you. Continual self evaluation of who you want to be, and who the Lord wants you to be is something everyone needs to constantly check. 

"Knowing where you are going and how you expect to get there 
can bring meaning, purpose and accomplishment to life."
-M. Russell Ballard

"Our task is to become our best selves.
One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again,
no failure ever need be final."
-Thomas S. Monson

Changing to the "things of the world" will leave you constantly adjusting your personality and life to please others instead of pleasing God. It's hard, especially in your school years to not worry about what others think of you. What clothes you wear, what brand of shoes you own, what extra curricular activities are "cooler" than others, how you speak and treat others etc. 
Who are they to judge what you do, and say who you should be?

One of my ALL time favorite quotes is,

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

You choose who you want to be! Not the world, not the people around you, YOU CHOOSE! It is one of our greatest blessings. We have the freedom to choose who we want to be! We are in TOTAL control of what we allow, and who we allow into our lives. 

Anyone can adjust their personality and take what they like and dislike to create who they want to be. I have learned from EVERYONE around me and have created who I am today. 

I learned from school, that I didn't want to make others feel bad about themselves by name calling. I hated being called names like "nerd," "weird," "dumb," etc. I kept a strong face during those years and acted like they didn't bother me, but deep down they hurt. I promised myself I would never cause those feelings of worthlessness in anyone by name calling. 

Someone opened the door for me at school, I felt good when I was simply placed before someone else in a small chivalrous act that rarely happens today. 

My Aunt Judy wrote me a birthday card in my middle school "awkward years" that changed my LIFE! She told me how special I was, how beautiful I was, and how sweet I was to others. She told me things that I didn't see as traits I possessed. She made me feel special when friends were few, and kind words from others were even fewer. I promised to always share compliments about others through cards, texts or emails. Any kind word spoken from the heart is never unnoticed.

"Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient will remember them for a lifetime."
-Thomas S. Monson

In more adult years I would be around others who would gossip or talk negatively about someone, even their close friends, I wondered what they said about me when I was absent? I decided then and there that I NEVER wanted to talk bad about ANYONE; I didn't understand their circumstances or life experiences to lead them to such decisions.

"There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize.
Thus the commandment.
"Judge Not."
-Thomas S. Monson 

I found at a young age that I decided who I wanted to be. I recognized I didn't want to make certain choices that people who were close to me were making. I saw the negative effects that came from those choices and knew I didn't want to go down that path. 

You choose who you want to be. Take the influences around you, good and bad and mold yourself like clay into the person YOU choose to be! 

True joy and happiness comes when you are working hard to align your goals and priorities with those that are in sync with the Lord's.
I pray we can always, "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better," because there is too much beauty in this world around us to go unnoticed.