What's a Servie?

I was going to post this a few months ago, and felt that I needed to wait to share it. Now I know why. It goes along perfectly with LDS General Women's Conference tonight. Wasn't it AMAZING?!  If you didn't get a change to watch it, make sure you make time to do so.

So you have never heard the word "Servie?" Yep, I made it up!

Here's the story behind it:

Last fall, my husband and I took a trip that we had been anxiously anticipating for years. We discussed, researched, and finally planned what we were going to do and experience on this tropical vacation. Oh, the sights we would see and the people we would meet. I couldn't have been more excited!

Once we arrived, we began pulling out our cameras to take pictures of the beautiful people we encountered, and the gorgeous scenery and views. As the trip went on, we were shocked by how many people weren't taking pictures of what they saw and experienced. Instead, they were more focused on taking self-portraits of themselves-many using a selfie-stick so they didn't even have to go outside of their own realm to ask someone to take the photo for them.

As we watched throughout the course of this vacation, we noticed how most of these people were more focused on their own hair, clothes, facial expressions and how THEY looked, instead of enjoying the beauty around them, or seeing the potential needs of those in their midst. They missed the opportunity of meeting new people, learning about new cultures, and small service opportunities. 

This made we realize how much as a society we can get sucked into ourselves. By focusing only on what we are and have, we tend to become self-absorbed, and tend to end up unhappy and wanting more. If we instead look outward through the lens of charity, we will be able to see needs of those around us, help them, and also realize the many blessings we have been given. This allows us to feel peace and happiness that can't be attained through selfishness.

Easter Traditions

Have you seen this video? What a tender reminder of what Easter is really about.

One way we help our children remember this sacred holiday is to have the Easter bunny come on Saturday morning instead of on Easter Sunday. This allows us to enjoy the fun part of the holiday with treats, baskets and egg hunts, but then focus on the Savior, the Atonement and the Resurrection on Sunday.

Happy Easter, friends!

Our 2016 Family Theme

I am late in posting this, but am excited to share with you our 2016 family theme.:

I Know It. I Live It. I Love It.

It's from the 2012 General Conference talk by Sister Ann M. Dibb's talk by the same name, "I Know It. I Live It.  I Love It."

I loved her insight, "We are followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Such conversion and confidence is the result of diligent and deliberate effort. It is individual. It is the process of a lifetime."

If you remember my post from December about the creating a family theme and setting goals each year, you will know that we like to focus on our theme each year for most of our Family Home Evening lessons and activities.

We decided to break down each of the three statements by Sister Dibb and focus on one each month, and then start over again on the 4th month.

In January, we focused on "I Know It," and taught lessons about the basic doctrine of the gospel. We learned more about the Atonement, the Sacrament, and making covenants. We also did some heated scripture chases, and played some fun games on the subject.

In February, we focused on "I Live it." We did some impromptu service projects about how we can live in such a way as to help others who are in need, taught about bearing testimony of what we believe, and challenged the older children to bear their testimony in fast and testimony meeting. They both did it!

In March we are studying the "I Love It" portion of the theme, and are going to learn about being a missionary, having a good attitude, smiling, and being a good example as we try to find joy in this journey of life.

A special note that I want to add here is that we DON'T spend a lot of time planning or prepping our FHE lessons or activities. The lessons are simple, prepared quickly and contain few bells and whistles. We also keep the total event short and sweet. The collective attention spans of 4 children ages 9 and under isn't long!

Instead, we have determined that consistency and simplicity have served us better in this effort and will continue to strive to teach in small but precise steps.

Join the Challenge! Less than 10 minutes a day!

If you haven't yet joined our 2016 General Conference Talk Abundance Challenge, check it out on Instagram @abundantlife30.

Trust in the Messenger = Faith in the Message

Today's GC talk ("Chosen to Bear Testimony of My Name", by Elder Bednar) impresses me to share with you all the reason I started this 2016 General Conference Challenge.

You see, I have learned that by
taking the time to listen to, study and then implement the talks given by our beloved Church leaders, I have developed a greater love for and trust in these humble, wise men who are messengers for Heavenly Father.

By having a stronger relationship with and trust in these messengers, I have a deeper and truer faith in the messages they teach.

My hope is that you will share this journey and deepen your trust
in and love for our LDS prophet and apostles.

Who will you invite to share this journey with you?

Service Challenge!

Hey Friends! I wanted to issue a "Ring a Bell Challenge."

I've modified the famous "It's a Wonderful Life" quote a bit since many times the angels who serve others are on the earth-US!

This challenge comes from a personal experience and then a challenge I issued to myself after to be a cheerleader to those who are struggling.

I deal with chronic foot pain and decided to train for a marathon. Hardest challenge of my life!!! As I began the race, my foot seared with pain during the first half mile and I knew I was in trouble. I fought the entire length of the 26.2 miles, but as I neared the last mile or so, I was so exhausted and in so much pain that I thought I would just stop there, and go home. I felt like I was going to pass out and couldn't take another step.

At that moment, a woman on the side of the race course, a spectator, saw me struggling. She wildly rang a cow bell and cheered me on very loudly. Even though it was MY race, and she couldn't run it for me, her support and bell ringing gave me the confidence and strength I needed to endure to the end of my race.

Soon after this experience, a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. I struggled with knowing how to best help her. This was her trial, her race to run, and I felt helpless in how to best support her. I thought back to my race and the support of my cheerleader. So, I bought her a cowbell and gave her a message telling her that when she felt lost, alone and tired, to ring the bell loudly so she could remember how many people were cheering her on in this race.

Since that time, I have given away a dozen or so cowbells with similar messages to friends who are being challenged in their race of life.

We often wonder how to help someone who is struggling. May I suggest that it doesn't take money, skills or even a lot of time. It just takes a bit of love. We can all be a cheerleader.

Please take a moment and cheer someone on this week. You just may change a life.

2016 General Conference Talk Read Along Challenge

**For a  new 2016 General Conference Talk Challenge that features the most recent talks, follow me on Instagram at #abundantlife30

Here, you will be able to access links to the talks, see abundant bite quotes from apostles, and gain insight and inspiration from others.

Here's how it works:

We will spend time reading, reflecting on and implementing the talks given in the most recent (Oct. 2015) General Conference. 

We will spend  2 days on each talk to give you time to listen to/read the talk and then to reflect on it.

1st Day - Read or Listen to the featured talk and think about the reflection question.

2nd Day- Answer the Abundance Challenge questions and think about how you can personally implement the teachings of the talk into your own life.

I realize that we are all busy, but if you devote a specific time each day for this, it becomes a habit and is so much easier to "make time" to do. 

For example, I find that dirty laundry at my house is in more abundance than I would prefer! Instead of watching television while I fold, I now listen to these General Conference talks. My husband listens to them in the car during his morning commute.  it's not easy, but it's so worth it, and I find that somehow, I end of listening to talks I really need to hear on certain days.

Enjoy!

Example:

Goal Setting for the New Year!

A new year is just around the corner, and I get just as excited for this time of year as I do about Christmas.

Setting family and personal goals is something that we are taught is very important for our progress as Latter-day Saints and as eternal families. Personally taking time to do this has truly changed my life and that of my family.

Some years ago, I felt very impressed that this was something that we needed to implement in our family, and after much prayer and reflection, we created a family theme with coordinating goals for that year. Since that time, we have created a new theme each year based on what is going on in our family, or in the world around us.

We have implemented family themes such as:

"Be Brave"

"Come What May and Love It"

"We Are Super, We Can Do Hard Things"

"Because I Have Been Given Much, I Too Must Give"

"Find Joy in the Journey"

From a few years ago

We have been able to work towards and accomplish many spiritual, secular, physical and emotional goals and have also been able to regroup and recover when we have experienced disappointment and failure. We have learned the value of hard work, tenacity, grit, sweat, determination and team work.

We use the first Family Home Evening in January to discuss our new theme for the year, and then we determine what monthly goals we can set in an effort to work towards this goal.

I have found it to be critical to have goals written out and posted in an area where everyone can see them. We use a Christmas card display rack that I keep permanently hung near our mud room where it is in a high traffic area for family members to see on a regular basis.

We discuss our progress multiple times during the month, and at the end of the month, we assess where we are at. If we have accomplished our goals, we create new ones and move forward. If we are still working on them, we regroup and try again. Sometimes a goal is even scratched completely if it is deemed to be too difficult or unattainable at the current time. We are flexible with this process to allow for growth and support, without putting too much pressure on family members.

2014 Family Theme and Goals

Our 2014 Goal Kick-off FHE included making lists of things we can do to "Be Brave" and then we used a slingshot like David did when slaying Goliath to nail these items to show that we can conquer when we try to be brave. The kids had a blast!

There are so many books and talks on this topic, but for the purpose of this blog, I would like to share with you the talk "How to Achieve Eternal Goals," by Elder Robert D. Hales

In it, Elder Hales discusses some of the most important goals we can make, as well as how to determine how we can set other personal and family goals.

Through the process of trial and error, I have seen and experienced how goal setting and progress can help us to have a more abundant life.