Big Announcement in 36 hours and Counting...

Just a heads up, all.  Expect an announcement here within 36 hours.  But for now, here's a little thought I had today.

5 Simply Effective (yet Non-Invasive) Ways to Feel Better About Yourself

I've observed that over the last year a beautiful thing has taken place in the world:  people genuinely want to help other people feel better about themselves.  And, in turn, people want other people to help them feel better about themselves.  I love that we are improving our society by improving ourselves from the inside out.  

This trend has caused me to reflect on my own life and what knowledge or wisdom I have gained (mostly by trial and error) that I might effectively inspire other people to genuinely feel better about themselves by embracing their lives from the inside out without making them feel invaded.  So, I put a few ideas together and now, without further ado, I present to you:

 

1.  We are prone to uplift and compliment the doings of others, yet too often we fail to pay any attention to ourselves.  Vocalize to yourself ONE sincere compliment every single day.  Maybe you might say "Hey.  Nice eyes."  or "Good job not burning the toast." or even "You ROCKED that song in the shower."  Seriously.  Whatever you decide you did well, vocalize it.  Daily.  Your ears need to hear it.

2.  Passwords.  We all have them:  emails, Facebook, blogs, Pinterest, cell phones, PIN numbers, when people come to the door (okay, like I'm the ONLY one who teasingly asks my children for the password when they come to the door from taking the garbage out, right?), etc.  We've got a billion of them and on average, we type in a password of some sort at least twice a day, right?  So why not simply create a password that makes you think optimistically about yourself!?!  Examples:  iREAllYdorock1 or ulookAWSMtoday or yesIamAWEsome1987 or Ibelieve100inME or iwillSURVIVE2013.  PIN numbers?  Spell out a word/phrase that you have to repeat to yourself:  U-ROC (8762) or AWSM (2076) or ILVU (4588).  The possibilities are endless.  See how this could be extremely effective?  What would happen if you had to type in those phrases daily?  You. Might. Actually. Believe. It.  Right?  Hurry.  Change your passwords now.

3.  So...you ate an extra brownie.  So you didn't vacuum the floor with all the lines going in the right direction.  So you missed the basket on what could have been the final winning shot in the most inmportant game of the season.  So you accidentally sent a ridiculous text to your boss which was actually meant for your very BFF.  (Yup.  Did that one, actually. Awkward, really.)  So?  Let it go.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  That's a ridiculous thing to do.  You can opt out on dessert for the next three days.  People are just going to walk on the carpet anyway.  The past is the past.  You'll learn to double check who you're sending texts to.  Forgive yourself and move on.  Stop holding on to the burden of self-depreciating grudges.  You're doing your very best...and that means you're doing alright.  Accept that.

4.  Acknowlege the success of others is simply another person's success.  Celebrate it with them.  Do not take it as a dagger thrown towards your own life.  That's debilitating.  You will have your turn at acheivement.  And you, too, will want others to celebrate it with you.  So don't allow jealousy or pride or insecurity to get in your way of living a happy life.  It's amazing how liberating, how empowering it is when we truly give ourselves permission to unconditionally celebrate the joys in the lives of others.  (For a great read on this subject, soak in the 3rd paragraph of THIS LINK.  It's so very applicable.)

5.  I have found that I am a much stronger person if sometimes, when I begin a sentence, I say the magic words "I feel...". Too much of my life was spent suffocating emotions that I could not identify, thus resulting in a lack of communication and a lower self-esteem.  Last year, I made a conscious effort to begin at least one sentence a day with "I feel...". This allows myself to identify the true and present emotion in a conversation.  Those magic words will open a world of confidence inside a soul.  You could effectively say "I feel frustrated that..." or "I feel concerned about..." or "I feel so excited that..." or even "I feel so hangry that..."  (for the record, hangry is a word that describes being so hungry that you are angry that you're hungry...Yes, I've used it.  Many times.)  So, begin a sentence with "I feel..." and observe what happens inside.  It's a beautiful thing.

I'm anxious to hear what changes these ideas will make in YOUR life.  Which one will you begin work on today?   Plus, what else has worked for you?  Leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear any other suggestions you may have!!!

     

Two More Quotes of the Day

I couldn't decide which I liked better,

which I wanted to share more,

so you get them both...

Quote of the Day

"The world is filled with people

who achieve success

simply because they are willing to be

exactly who they are."

-Audrey Bandley

Sunshine and Shadows

I was sitting at the office this morning, contemplating life: the stuff I liked about it, the stuff I didn't. (Sometimes, like today, I feel overwhelmed by the stuff I don't like so much about life..it's easy to do. I mean, it's a challenge to embrace the "awesome" when you feel pushed down by opposition. That's just the way it is, right? Even the optimist sometimes has to search for the silver lining.)

Anyway, as I said before, I was sitting in the office, contemplating life when I looked out the window at just the right time. You see, there's a beautiful, sturdy, old brick church across the street from my office, complete with mesmerizing stained-glass windows. I love to look at it, bask in its character. Today, though, the thing that caught my attention wasn't the building itself, but rather the shadows cast on the side of the building by the small maple trees that line the path between the church and the road. The sun was appearing and it was bright and powerful this morning. Those shadows were so dark, so obvious, so defined. So frail.

That's when it occurred to me.

Life's shadows are often cast upon our sturdy, beautiful souls. They write upon our faces. They threaten to consume our identity. But they cannot.  In reality, shadows are simply a reflection; an illusion. The sun, until it reaches its zenith, casts those shadows.  Yet the sun is bright and strong and will, in time dissolve the darkness. 

This experience was a testimony to me that a shadow is simply a reminder that something brighter is appearing right now across the horizon of life.

So, it is now forever etched into my life.

Whenever there is a shadow cast (whether literally or figuratively speaking), I will always take a moment to pause, look around for the source of light and then move forward through the darkness with strength, holding tight to the hope of what will rise just beyond the horizon.

Quote of the Day

I've said this so many times that I finally put it in writing...

Strong Too Long: Applying The Atonement in My Life

Source: stumbleupon.com via Audrey on Pinterest

I'm a pretty strong person.  In fact, my name means "Noble Strength".  I've tried really hard every day of my life to live up to my name.  Once in a while, though, I wish my parents had called me something that means "big, fat sissy-wimp".  Would've been much easier to live up to.

I normally keep my personal life very private and secured.  But something is different today.  I woke up early this morning with a deep prompting that I need to publicly open up this page in my life in order to help someone.  Perhaps sharing this experience is only for me and my need to finalize my healing process.  Perhaps it's for you or for someone you know.  Perhaps it's just because.  I don't know.  But, I learned long ago, if the Lord asks...then do it.  So, I am.

My life has been a very, very difficult climb.  I've just about survived it all.  You name it, I've seen it.  I have walked through the scriptural "refiners fire" over and over and over again.  Since the day I was baptized at age eight, my life has been one long, uphill battle.  One I was determined to conquer.  One I am determined to win.  My strategy?  I've become very good at holding my head up, seizing the day, counting my blessings and all the other little things we're told to do.  If something is hard, I simply tell myself, "I can do this."  And then I can.  I am pretty much a pro at optimism.

But this has been a hard, hard, hard, hard summer.

Now, I'd rather not give out too many actual personal details.  It will not do you or me or anyone else any good for the world to know exactly what has happened in my life.  This story is not about "those details".   This story is about the ending.  Therefore "those details" would only hinder the tale, distract from the purpose. 

Just know that, after years and years and years of remaining strong through disappointment after bitter disappointment, trial after pain-filled trial, emotional blows from family and friends and strangers and what-nots, each leaving behind many, MANY unanswered questions (which, I believe, is ALWAYS what hurts the deepest) and then exerting the energy to rise every time to meet each challenge directly in the face with pure love and forgiveness, at one point late this spring, one final massive heartache knocked me completely off my optimistic platform.  Emotionally, I was mortally wounded. 

I've often asked "Why this time?"  "What's so different about this circumstance?".  Truth is, it was not exactly the hardest thing I'd ever faced!  Not by a LONG shot!  I've come to the conclusion that I actually think I've been an emotional time-bomb waiting to explode for a long, long time now.  I believe that for years and years, things have just piled and piled and piled up and, finally, the last proverbial straw just broke the camel's back...and shattered it's heart...and dissipated it's deepest hopes, allowing the pain from all the other disappointments from over the years to seep in and do the same.  The results were a very confused, very, very shaken little girl.

For six months, I lived with a heart shredded into a thousand unfitted pieces.  I would wake in the morning with painful tears of sorrow.  I would crawl in bed each night weeping.   The hours before dawn were spent with uneasy rest, unfit dreams.  I could not shake this misery and pain of loss and disappointment.  I began to put stock in the feelings of discouragement, of failure, of incapability, of fear that were so very, readily available.

Through many priesthood blessings (given by my amazing husband), I was given beautiful promises of peace and of comfort and of hope, reflecting what I knew the Lord could give so freely, but my darkly-clouded mind wouldn't allow my heart to grasp them.  The confusion in my heart created many sleepless nights.  I dove into the scriptures, spent hours on my knees, read and listened to General Conference talks, recorded my testimony, searched for forgiveness, extended forgiveness, surrounded myself with things of the Spirit.  I researched and tried to come up with solutions and answers to the many questions that overtook my mind and did everything spiritually I possibly could, still I could feel nothing but despair.  My mind became a constant tug-of-war between having faith in that which I had been promised and the desire to simply give up.  I tried hard to stay afloat, but I was sinking...and fast.  Perhaps I had already sunk.  I was in trouble and I knew it.  But what else could be done? 

This went on for six months.

Early one evening, upon spending yet another evening of confusion, my face drenched with tears, I once again found myself on my knees praying through my weakness.  For what seemed like the trillionth time, I poured my soul to Heavenly Father.  I told Him once again of my suffering, of my confusion, of all my heartaches and my pains and my fears, of my failures, of my feelings of neglect and inadequacies, of every circumstance of all my life and of my desire to overcome.  I repeated nearly word for word exactly what I had told Him for months now about my desire to move on and embrace life for what it was, but that somehow I just couldn't.  I spoke softly.  I spoke loudly.  I got angry.  I got repentant.  I talked to Him like I would talk to my brother or my husband or my own father.  I spoke openly until I had absolutely nothing more to say.

And then I stopped.

And I thought. 

And as I did, I saw (or actually rather somehow felt) a tunnel of light into my soul.  I did.  It channeled into my heart and spoke the words " the atonement".

Now, I knew all about the atonement.  I knew how our Savior, Jesus Christ, had suffered for our sins and the mistakes of this world.  I knew how He could make wrong things right and redeem all mankind who sought after His grace.  I knew He gave to all men.  I knew this with all my heart!  I had a burning testimony of the Lord and the power of repentance.  But this was different.  I had nothing to repent of!  I had nothing that needed change!  I just simply needed help. 

Again, I felt the word "atonement" spoken.

Not once, not one time, had I ever thought that I could turn this excruciating anguish, this field of oppression, this hollow existence over to Him to carry.  But I remember praying to our Heavenly Father through very clenched teeth, "Father, please!  I've done literally everything I can do.  I've looked inside, I've looked outside and I have found nothing more that I am capable of.  I cannot do anything about this.   I have tried.  I have loved.   I have forgiven.  I have a life to live and I want to live it as Thou hast designed me to.  Please, Father.  I can do no more!"  And with that, sobbing and weeping, I remember uttering the begging words, "Jesus, my dear Savior!  Please take this from me.  I'm turning this over to You.  I have nothing more that I can do."  I prayed for a long, long time in this manner.

I don't even remember closing my prayer.  I fell asleep.  (Somehow I ended up on my pillow.  I'm sure it was my wonderful, incredible husband who loved me enough to lay me there and tuck me in.)  Still, I slept.  And I slept all night with no nightmares or uneasy dreams.  But, in my mind (or rather in my heart) I could almost see my Savior walking away, down a long dusty road, carrying the load that was once mine.  And He never looked back.  It wasn't a "dream" or a "vision", per say.  It was just simply a visual thought in my heart.

The next morning, I discovered that I still did not have any information.  I still did not have any knowns about the unknown.  I still lived in a world of confusion and unanswered questions. But, I awoke with peace in my heart, feeling the familiarity of hope in my soul.  And that early morning, as I stood looking in the mirror, the following thought changed my life:

"Audrey, you have done all you can do.  You have done ALL you can do.  There will always be unanswered questions.  There will always be confusion.  But. let. it. go.  Move on."

So I did.

And I have.

And I guess that's the message I'd like to share with you-my faithful readers, my complete strangers, my family members, my neighbors, my friends.  Whatever it is in your life that is pulling you down, whatever is holding you back, whatever is keeping you from rising or living or embracing the beautiful life that you have been blessed with, whatever unanswered questions you have, whatever confusion you are facing, whatever pains or burdens you may carry...IF you have done all that you can do, IF there is simply no more that you are capable of, IF you have tried with all your might and it still seems to fall short...then turn it over to the Healer, the Savior, even Jesus Christ.  He IS there for you.  He WILL carry the load.  He WILL make up the difference.  He WILL make it amount to enough. There may be times you are left with unanswered questions, with unknowns, with uncertainties, with burdens, but the sting of your broken heart can be healed.  All you must do is simply allow the atonement into your heart and turn it over to the Lord.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusted in him,

and I am helped..."  

Psalm 28:7 

  

Thought of the Day

Source: holadesign.blogspot.com via Audrey on Pinterest

Perfect or "Christ-like" Perfect?

per·fect: [adj., n., pur-fikt; v. per-fekt] conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type

Christ·like: [kriyst-liyk] like Christ; showing the spirit of Christ

At the beginning of our Relief Society lesson today, our wonderful teacher taught us from the talk "Forget Me Not" given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. The following quote was read:

"I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way:
God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.
Let me add: God is also fully aware that
the people you think are perfect are not.
And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others-
usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths..."

click HERE to read the entire article
(SO worth your time, by the way...)

This quote got me thinking of the pressures I put on myself to be "perfect". (i.e. the "perfect" house, the "perfect" FHE, the "perfect" job, the "perfect" meals, the "perfect" wardrobe, the "perfect" body, etc., etc., etc...) Ultimately, I found myself thinking of someone else who could do all those things (or who has all those things) SO much better than I do. Which is bad, by the way.

At which point, I had the "a-ha moment"
where I literally was dumb-founded
as I wondered at what point had I began trying to become
WORLDLY PERFECT, instead of CHRIST-LIKE PERFECT.

All the attributes that I listed previously are good aspirations, none of them are necessarily evil or wrong. We should take care of our homes and our bodies and our families. We should aspire for uplifting FHE's, we should present ourselves in a humble manner and dress modestly well.

BUT, like the scripture says:

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matt. 6:21)

Am I desiring to reach those goals in an effort to "show and tell"? Is my purpose for those things to one-up my neighbor or to make others envious? Do I put stock into what someone might say more than how they would feel? Do I really accept what I am capable of or am I trying to compete with what I feel others can do so much better? Am I trying to grow closer to Christ as I try to achieve these perfections...or am I trying to be noticed?

Am I trying to be "perfect" or "Christ-like perfect"? Meaning: are the pressures I put on myself done with the right spirit, drawing me closer to Christ, helping others to see the light of His Spirit inside? Or are the pressures I put on myself distracting the Spirit, causing confusion of where I stand and why...bringing unhappiness and discouragement?

Ultimately, this is a very personal decision. A question that cannot be answered by anyone but myself. Only I can truly decide what is right for me and why. It is between me and the Lord to judge where my heart truly stands.

BUT, as I am fully aware, there is always room for much, much improvement.

You ARE Worth It!

Once upon a time...

earlier this year...

I was put on the spot as I was asked to speak to the Young Women of a very amazing ward.
It was basically a "tell me a little about your life and discovering your divine potential" sort of talk.

I spoke a bit about my life and how it got me where I am today,
cried a tad, tiny bit,
and turned all sorts of colors

(I do that when I get emotional).

There was enough time at the end for a
Q&A sort of period.
(They come up with some pretty good questions, btw!)
But one 16 year old stopped me in my tracks.
Floored me.
Deer-in-the-headlights sort of stop!

She asked (with her head bent so low and her face so very down that I could barely hear her),

"Do you ever get so discouraged that you feel like giving up? Question if it's all ever worth it?"

I stared at her for about 10 seconds, as I pondered the depth of this question
and the courage it took for a young girl to voice exactly what I had been struggling with for the past several weeks? Did she know that those thoughts had been prevalent in my mind just that very morning? Did she know how I had been praying for answers to those very questions!?!

After I became aware that my staring at her was probably making her a little uncomfortable,
somewhere deep down inside
resonated this answer:

"Do I ever feel discouraged? Absolutely, positively every day of my whole entire life! Every day I face the challenge of 'can I really fall one more time?' or 'can I possibly stand one more rejection?' or sometimes even 'is it ever really worth it?'.
Every single morning I RISE and look in the mirror and have to ask myself those questions...
and every single morning I must be strong enough rise and look in the mirror to find the answer hidden deep inside myself.
I must decide every morning that I AM worth reaching my divine potential...whatever that may be. I must decide I AM strong enough to brave the storms.
I must decide I AM surrounded with limitless potential
and that I AM good enough.
And I must trust that I AM worth whatever Heavenly Father has told me I am.

This event changed my life forever. I will never forget the power that I felt in every inch of my being. I will never forget the connection I made, knowing that these beautiful children of God need to feel the same power in the same exact words I tell myself every morning,
every time I sit down to write,
every time I step foot into a studio,
every day of my life.



My dear friends, regardless of your situation in life,
regardless of your gender, your age,
your past or your present,
YOU ARE WORTH IT!
You have limitless potential.
You are worth every ounce of energy,
every ache,
every moment,
every try
until you have no more!
You are WORTH pushing through it all.
You are WORTH your divine potential,
never EVER doubt it;
never EVER give up;
never EVER stop reaching and trying.

You ARE worth it.

Quote of the Day

Peace is not a purchase away.
Peace is not when the final installment is paid.
Peace is not when marriage comes
nor when ALL the children are enrolled in school.
Peace is not when the last child returns from the mission field.
Peace is not when an inheritance is received.
Peace is not when the scars of death start to heal.

True peace must not be dependent upon conditions or happenings.
Peace must stem from an inward contentment built upon
trust, FAITH and goodwill
toward God, fellowmen, and self.
It must be constantly nurtured by the individual
who is soundly anchored to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Only then can a person realize
that the trials and tribulations of daily life
are less important than God's total goodness.
Lasting peace is an eternal personal quest.
Peace does come from obedience to the law.
Peace comes to those who develop character and trust.
~
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
"Peace-A Triumph of Principles"
Ensign, November 1985, pg. 70

Dear Girls...Oh! Be Brave!!!

Once in a while,

life leaves you breathless.
Sometimes it's because your panting, trying to keep up.
Sometimes it's simply because life takes your breath away,
sweeps you off your feet,
leaves you in a state of euphoria.

Nope.
That's not my case.
I'm just the prime example of the first case.
Busy.
Good busy.
But busy, nonetheless.

:)

Part of that busy-ness was the
beautiful opportunity to participate in
TWO presentations
for
TWO different Young Women activities
on the same night.

Busy...but beautiful.

I've thought a lot about those wonderful YW from
Fairview and Nephi the last couple days.

(I always wish that I had the chance to sit and talk with each of the YW individually.
It's the best part of my "job", my favorite part of the evening.
This night proved a little bit crazy in that I didn't even have the chance
to speak with the youth in Fairview after the event!)

BUT,
needless to say, the youth in both wards
made a very, very strong impact on my life.
Their enthusiasm, dedication, and
the goals they have set ignited in me a spark to be a better person.

So, this blog post I dedicate to the
beautiful Young Women I met this week,
as well as to those I will meet in the future:

My beautiful, brave young women, I encourage you to not only find the courage to
"arise and shine forth"
as we spoke about...

but also:

You have the strength. You have the choice.
You have the gift and the power and the ability.
You were saved for this very reason.

Be brave enough to show the world
where true peace and joy and happiness lies.
Be brave enough to speak kind words, to do good things, to love as Christ would love.
Be brave enough to stand alone
or to stand together
wherever you may be.
Be brave enough to shine the brilliant light
that you were blessed with,
that was put into your souls for this very reason.
Be brave...Be brave...Be brave...

Another Quote of the Day

I KNOW I just barely did a "quote of the day", like, 2 hours ago...

but then I found this one...

and I really needed to hear it...

so I just sorta figured 

that maybe someone else out there needs it, too.

I Am...

On Wednesday, I drove to SLC for a Soundcheck Series workshop taught by
life coach Tony Lister.
It was supposed to teach me how not hold myself back in my career.

I didn't exactly know what I was in for.

The class didn't just change my focus in a business sense.
It has changed my life.
I brought it home and shared it with my husband.
It has changed his life.

Obviously, I cannot share the entire seminar with you.
But I can share ONE perspective that I feel will benefit you, if you keep an open mind.
I want it to change your life, too.
(No, I am not being paid or encouraged to endorse this. I really, truthfully feel like this is powerful stuff and I'm sharing this by my own free will and choice!)

Here we go:

Many of us define ourselves as: what we've done, how much we've accomplished, what has happened to us, who we're related to, what we think, what we eat, how we look, where we've been, what we're called, how we act, what we own, what we wear, etc., etc., etc...

But all of that is false. We are NOT those things by definition. Those things do NOT make us who we are.

For example, my name is Audrey Bandley.
I am a singer/songwriter.
I have a normal body with legs and arms and brown hair and blue-ish eyes.
I try to keep my body healthy.
I drive an old beat up Ford truck and live in an old-ish home.
I am a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, assistant, teacher, neighbor and some girl down the street.
I make mistakes...quite often...
Life hasn't always been fair, but I have risen above challenges.

Now, those are what I would generally use to identify myself.

BUT...

If you take away my name....I still exist.
If you take away my possessions...I still exist.
If you take away my mistakes or my successes or my accomplishments...I still exist.
If you know nothing about my past or anything that has happened to me....I still exist.
Everything can be taken away from me, but I still exist.

So...these are not a definition of who I am.

So, exactly who am I?

I am my soul.
I am intelligence.
I was created from intelligence: the Lord took matter unformed, molded it into intelligence and called it "me".

And, as such, and because I am essentially "intelligence" at the very core, I am capable.
I have limitless potential.
I have ability.
Therefore, I am.

The scriptures tell us that we were all created from matter unformed...
that our spirits are intelligence.
We each have limitless potential.
We each have powers and abilities
that we refuse to put to use
because we allow our past or our mistakes or our fears or our possessions
or our lack of possessions
or our insecurities
to hold us down.

We must overcome. We must look inside at the core of our very selves to embrace that which we can become. Because we have something important to share. We were each blessed with something that the Lord needs us to share in order to change the world.

So,
put the following quote on your fridge or your mirror or your dashboard or anywhere else you may see it often:

Every person has the ability to inspire others to greatness.
The quest is to remember the greatness in yourself,
and share this greatness with the people in your world.

-Tony Lister

Read this often.
Embrace this truth.
Accept your greatness.
Start inspiring others....now...

The Talent Beneath

[Beware: this is a lengthy, but very thought-provoking post, of which I think you should read!]

We've all read Matthew 25: 14-30.
(If you haven't you really ought to. It's one of my favorites...and this post will make SO much more sense, if you're familiar with it.)

We've all said we feel like the servant with only ONE talent: because we cannot hit a ball or carry a tune in a bucket or create beautiful heirloom quilts. We have all felt like the Lord passed us by when handing out the talents in heaven.

I hope to change our minds

I was discussing this topic with my gospel doctrine teacher this past Sunday. He's a very skilled and well-versed man. He is a phenomenal teacher. I learn so much from his lessons. It always makes me feel so happy when I attend his classes. When teaching the parable of the talents this past Sunday, he mentioned that he felt like the servant with only ONE talent for the same reasons as I listed in the previous paragraph. This led to a discussion, after class, just between the two of us which ultimately led us BOTH to realize that the true talents in this world aren't necessarily being able to run fast or draw well or sing beautifully.
Those are the RESULT of the truest of all talents.

Example:

One might say that I am a very talented singer, a very gifted songwriter. To that I say thank you. But I don't deem those as my real gifts. Here's why: I didn't come out of the womb knowing how to read music or to stylize the control of my voice or write beautiful lyrics. Heaven knows that it has taken me an awful lot of work, a lot of heartache and a lot of sweat and blood to be where I am today (which is still leaps and bounds from where I hope to someday be).

But the Lord DID placed inside me the gift of determination, the gift of persistence, the gift of perseverance and hope and desire.

And through using and developing those very base gifts, I have developed other abilities that I wasn't necessarily born with but which I desired to do. I couldn't have ever learned what I have, had I hidden or buried THOSE pure talents because I was afraid.

And that's how it is for all of us:

The star quarterback doesn't throw touchdowns at birth; he uses his strength and his determination to develop that ability.

The artist doesn't design high-class artwork until she develops patience, awareness and feelings.

The motivational speaker cannot influence others unless he discovers courage, testimony and gentle persuasion.

The gardener doesn't naturally have a green thumb; she developed her desire and wisdom over time.

And that's how it is with us:

The man who shares love, concern and time ultimately is considered a talented father.

A woman who acts on promptings of compassion and faith is known as a talented friend.

A person who is thorough, attentive and willing becomes a talented leader.

I believe that we were ALL blessed with many, many talents that we do not recognize; many that we don't understand are true gifts. YOU are blessed with amazing abilities that stem to the very core of your creation. YOU use these talents on a daily basis to work and live and serve the Lord. Through discovering the true talents that lie beneath, through being willing to recognize them and develop them and then using the those gifts, we will become as the servant in the parable, of which the Lord will say unto us:

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of the Lord".

And you will see that the talents beneath
are those which are the truest.

Parable

Today, I am thinking about
Rain.

I love rain.
I especially love the summer rain.
There is nothing more satisfying than a pure drop of heaven
in the middle of the heat.
And today it is raining.

So, I write to you a parable:
(I actually wrote this in my mind while pulling out LOTS and LOTS
of evil, terrible morning glory from my garden this past weekend...)

There was a young girl who wore galoshes, which were very cute,
and she was living in the midst
of a dry and terrible drought
in the middle
of a dry and terrible desert.
Nothing would grow. Everything was dead.

But then it rained.
It rained and it rained and it rained.
And it rained
till finally, the rain subsided and the desert wasn't a desert any longer.
It was a flood and nothing could grow.


But over time,the sun came out
and the plants began to grow.
And grow and grow and grow.

It didn't take the girl who wore galoshes long
before she noticed that with the rain and the sun
perfectly balanced together
grew not only magnificent plants of
food and beauty
but it also grew
weeds.
Lots and lots and lots of horrible, everlasting, suffocating weeds.

And she spent hours and hours
day after day
pulling out those weeds so her good plants could grow.

Still, the young girl was happy
because she could wear her galoshes
and because she knew that
even though her life would be spent plucking and pulling
the terrible and never-ending weeds
that came from the sun and the rain,
there was joyfor she was strong enough to face them
and there was balance in all things.

Moral to the story:

Sometimes life is sunshine
but too much sunshine
can leave one feeling dead and unable to grow and develop.
Sometimes life rains-
too much rain can make one feel
overwhelmed and flooded with misery.

But
when the rains end
and the sun comes out
and there is balance once again,
it is then that we begin to grow.
And we grow
and we grow
and we grow
and the nasty, evil morning glory weeds grow too,
which, if not pulled out immediately, will eventually choke our spirits.
But we have the strength to fight off the weeds
and pluck them from our lives
and then
we become
our fullest and strongest potential,
which we never would have reached
had it not been for the elements in our lives.
(illustration by me :)

Quote of the Day

When I graduated from the Young Women's, my leaders gave me a beautifully-framed picture with the following truth:

Though the picture has long since been broken, the quote ever remains in my heart.

Perspective

per·spec·tive/pərˈspektiv/Noun

1. The art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point.

2. A view or prospect.

I think a lot about perspective. I think everyone should think a lot about perspective. I think that we are all way too one-sided about things, seeing only the surface.

It's my birthday tomorrow.
In the past year I've really tried hard to take on different perspectives. I've worked hard at seeing things in a different light. I want to be wiser.Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
But, it always makes me feel better knowing there's more than one way to look at things.
Here are a few perspectives I've been working on:

Old: You spilled WHAT? I just cleaned the floor!!!
New: A chance to burn a few more calories!!!

Old: My clothes are so old and worn out.
New: The vintage look is in.

Old: I'm old.
New: I'm not nearly as old as my mother.

Perspective is a funny thing. We can see everything from one light and then someone comes in and sheds a whole new light on it. It's incredible! Take these examples, for instance:

A woman was caught in adultery. (John 8)
The Pharisees could only see a bad woman, a thorn to society, someone committing an upardonable sin.
From Christ's point of view we see a broken and repentant heart, someone who wants a better life.

D&C 88 holds the Word of Wisdom, guidance for the way we treat our bodies.
If we read through the world's eyes we see restrictions and rules.
If we read with Christlike perspective we see freedom and health and opportunity.

So here are a few new perspectives to think about:

Old: Boy, is he a jerk!
New: Wonder what has happened in his life...

Old: Why don't things go MY way!?!
New: Heavenly Father knows best.

Old: This is impossible!
New: I'm learning. I'm growing. I'm going to be better.


It's not easy. A positive perspective takes a lot of work. It is a constant trial of mind over matter. It is taking the bad and seeing the good. It is looking deeper than the surface.
But, it is worth the effort.

I challenge each of you to try looking at something negative from a positive perspective today. Then, I'm curious to see what you did and how it helped.
Share your experience with me.

It IS my birthday, after all...

Quote of the Day

Sometimes God brings us
low
before He can
lift us higher.

-Joseph Smith

Quote of the Day

We could never learn to be brave & patient,
if there were only joys in the world.

-Helen Keller