Prayers really are answered....

This very topic has defined my life in the past year and a half. To hear it in conference was amazing.It was beautiful, well spoken, and a wonderful reminder. To hear it again was a wonderful reminder....

Favorite quote....

View more from this wonderful
talk at Judging Others? Stop It!

Come Listen to the Prophets Voice.....

The "Before" picture....

I look at this picture and can't begin to think of all the things that these two sweet girls have gone through in their lives. My sister and I have both struggled to find the peace that we once had as these children. this is actually the "Before" picture. Before our lives were altered forever and we were sent down the road that we ended up at today.
I don't know that I would take back our lives, maybe I would take back all of the hurt and shame. However, the strength I have received has made me who I am. The bond that I have with my siblings I don't think we would have had we not had to go through what we have endured.
I know when people ask the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I know why they do. Because it makes them stronger!!!It makes them testify of faith and the knowledge that Heavenly Father can bring you through anything if you just put your hand in his and let him guide the way.

It could not be simpler.....

 Love One Another

Sweet peace....

"Sometimes we carry unhappy feelings about past hurts too long. We spend too much energy dwelling on things that have passed and cannot be changed. We struggle to close the door and let go of the hurt. If, after time, we can forgive whatever may have caused the hurt, we will tap 'into a life-giving source of comfort' through the Atonement, and the 'sweet peace' of forgiveness will be ours. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that healing comes only with help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. . . . You can tap into that higher power and receive precious comfort and sweet peace." ~James E. Faust "Instruments in the Hands of God," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 115

 I love the feeling of having found the sense of this higher power, comfort, and peace that as been spoken of here.I have such a strong testimony of this that I just want to be able to share it with everyone. For many years I have been a bitter, angry, unhealthy person unable to let go of the unhappiness that was held in the past, not even knowing what some of that unhappiness was. It was through our savior and my faith and trust in him that I was able to understand and work through my bitterness, my anger, and my resentment. I was told by many to have faith in the Lord, to just trust him. but until I learned how to do that for myself and how to truly let go of all that I was holding onto I was never close to finding that peace. I think that once I was able to understand and heal the anger I was holding onto from my childhood, the anger and resentments I still carried as an adult went along with them. I know that many of you have seen this change in me and have seen this change in my life. I promise you that this is what it can be attributed to. If you can find the strength to have faith in you father in Heaven, trust in him, trust that through the Atonement of our Savior you too can find the strength needed to forgive others and to forgive yourself, you will find you way to that sweet peace....

Wordless Wednesday....

Spiritual Yoga

Happy Martin Luther King Day......

This man had so much to say in his short time he was here on this earth. He did so much good for so many people. This quote is just one the many favorite I have.

Perfect song to welcome the Sabbath day.....

When I logged into my face-book account this morning this is the first post I had.
How poignant, I knew I had to share.

A Gift to the World.....

Always there when I need it.....

Oh how I needed to hear this talk so much today. I was speaking with my mother-in-law and learned that we had once again been left out of a family gathering, a pretty important one at that.It hurt my heart so badly but then, there, posted on my facebook wall was this talk from President Hinckley.This talk helped me through once before and it helped my through today. I am so very thankful for such tender mercies sent my way.

♬♪ We Listen to a Prophet's Voice ♫♭

This weekend my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, hold our Semi-Annual General conference. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what we believe about. Join us at LDS.org
 to listen to the words of our prophet and the leaders of our church.

The Civility Experiment

In light of current events,
I would love to share this with anyone who will listen...

So many need to hear this, so many need to understand this!!!
Thank you MMB for sharing this.

Word-full Wednesday....Love One Another

Thankful Thursday...

As the sunrises on I new day, I feel a huge weight has been lifted. My heart is no longer heavy. As I poured out the thoughts and feelings I needed to express to family over the past few days it has been a great release for me. I have held in what I needed to say for a long time now.
I am so thankful for the direction we are able to receive from the prophets and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am thankful for the support given to me from the leaders in my ward. I am thankful for my family and friends that are there for me, that they let me know how much they love me and want me to be a part of their lives.
I was reading a discussion on MMB about reflecting on one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Their are three strong words that were a huge part of this story and a huge part of my life as well.

~But if not~

As Shandrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prayed and asked the lord to save them from the fiery furnace they stated, but if not they would never stop believing in him, they would never turn their hearts away.

Such strong words and such a strong message. I pray every day for reconciliation with my husbands family. I pray everyday something will be changed. That hearts will be softened, that compassion will be shown but if not ~ I will continue to love them, I will continue to pray for their heath and their safety. I will continue to love and have faith in my Heavenly Father.

I am so thankful for that knowledge that things will be okay even when the

but if not

happens. I know that heavenly father will still love me. I know that my family will still love me and I know that all will be okay.

Share your words...

In the past several weeks I have read several blogs where people have declared they have had to edit, change, or not post, things that they have wanted to say or strongly have an opinion about. They have done this out of fear from what others may think or feel about what is being said.It makes me so sad to read about that. Such wonderful and special people they are. They have so much to offer to their families, to their friends, and to the world. It is sad to know that there are people out there unwilling or to afraid to share their happiness and testimony with others. I believe that those of us that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints should share these things with others. Especially those things that could be edifying and uplifting to others. We never know when what we write might be just the words that someone else needed to hear.

"Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."~Thomas S. Monson
"How Firm a Foundation," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 68

Word-full Wednesday.... Better late then never

"Now let me take a moment here to note that we must take care in our families not to cause spiritual or emotional snakebites in the first place! In much of today's popular culture, the virtues of forgiveness and kindness are belittled, while ridicule, anger, and harsh criticism are encouraged. If we are not careful, we can fall prey to these habits within our own homes and families and soon find ourselves criticizing our spouse, our children, or our extended family members. Let us not hurt the ones we love the most by selfish criticism! In our families, small arguments and petty criticisms, if allowed to go unchecked, can poison relationships and escalate into estrangements. Instead, just like we learned with the poisonous venom, we must 'make full haste' to reduce arguments, eliminate ridicule, do away with criticism, and remove resentment and anger. We cannot afford to let such dangerous passions ruminate

--not even one day."
~By David E. Sorenson
"Forgiveness Will Change Bitterness to Love," Ensign, May 2003

Once again I have been blessed with words I need to hear and words I need to share. Nothing hurts worse then to have contention within a family, to know you are not included, to know that life goes on without you. All I can do is pray that one day things might be different. I have faith in the knowledge that one day it truly will be all okay.

Families are Forever!!!

Angelic Mortals...

“We are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us. . . . Heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."
Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels, Ensign," Nov. 2008, 30
I am so honored to have so many angels in my life. I was thinking about that alot today and as I reflected on my family and friends I thought about what a great blessing they are in my life. I realized that I have also been honored to also have the opportunity to truly know and be a part of the lives of many of Heavenly Father's angels right here on earth.
Although I love to spend time with family and friends, I am so happy that I have chosen the career that I have. I am able to not just go to "Work" I am able to really make a difference in someone's life. For me there is such an incredible sense of satisfaction in my life with my job and I believe that it is directly because of the opportunities that I have each and every day to be near and involved with so many special angels.

The best is yet to come...

Sometimes things just seem to come at me at the right time. I know and am grateful to know that this is coming directly from Heavenly Father. He seems to provide me with just the right scriptures, thoughts, or stories when they are most appropriately needed. I can be in deep meditation or prayer about something in my life and I can open up the scriptures and there is the exact thing I am needing to read. The same goes with the Daily Gems. It seems if I am searching for something in my life I will open my email and there it is.

This morning was no different. It has been a long week, and as I woke up this morning I just wanted to stay in bed. Since that wasn't an option I got up to face the day. After reading scriptures, I went in to check my email and sure enough there in the Daily Gems was a piece of this talk from Elder Tom Perry. I went into the Church archives and there in the archives was just what I needed.
"There are cycles of good and bad times, ups and downs, periods of joy and sadness, and times of plenty as well as scarcity. When our lives turn in an unanticipated and undesirable direction, sometimes we experience stress and anxiety. One of the challenges of this mortal experience is to not allow the stresses and strains of life to get the better of us—to endure the varied seasons of life while remaining positive, even optimistic. Perhaps when difficulties and challenges strike, we should have these hopeful words of Robert Browning etched in our minds:“The best is yet to be”. We can’t predict all the struggles and storms in life, not even the ones just around the next corner, but as persons of faith and hope, we know beyond the shadow of any doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and
the best is yet to come. "
L. Tom Perry, "Let Him Do It with Simplicity," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 7
As I struggled through this week, there has been so much thought and prayer about what the next life holds, loss of family, loss of friends, and that eternal struggle with making everything right with the world, for myself, for my family, and for all of the people in my life that I care so much about .

I am so thankful that I have a Heavenly Father that provides me with the encouragement that I need to get through my challenges. I am thankful to have such a wonderful husband and amazing son.I am so thankful I have wonderful family and friends that support us when life sends those struggles and storms my direction and I am most thankful for the knowledge that

THE BEST REALLY IS YET TO COME!!!

HE has Risen...

Today is a day that the world should never forget. As I reviewed the story of the resurrection to teach to my Primary class, I had such heartache thinking of all that Jesus went for all of us. All the candy and bunnies and eggs should never take precedence over what Easter is truly about. May you carry the spirit of the Resurrection always in your heart

and forever remember Christ's great love for you.

Have a happy and peaceful Easter Day!