Be Your Best You

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "What lies behind, and what lies before us, are tiny matter compared to what lies within us."
I have thought a lot about those words. I have wondered if I worry to much about what I can't change. Or worry about things that have not yet happened, and then lose sight of what that worry does to me at the time.
Do I punish myself for my past. Wishing I could change what has been done. Do I hold on to the past and wish I could have done it better. Or do I learn from where I was to be better now.
Do I dwell on the future hoping it will be all I dream for. Or do I work now to improve me to make those dreams real.
Can I focus on now being the very best me I can be. Can I look inside to make sure that right now I am kind and gentle. Can I right now learn and grow from where I am. Can I right now forgive myself for not being perfect and decide that that is what my Savior is for. Can I right now decide that I am good enough.

Book #3

The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox
"Christ doesn't just make up the difference. He make all the difference."
This may be my new favorite book. I loved it. Brad Wilcox has a way of letting you know. That yes you must do all you can, but it is a matter of obedience and faith. There is a gap between us and the father. But Christ has already filled it. He has already made up the difference.
He likened the atonement to the sacrament pray. We know it must be perfect. But the young men can keep trying with no limit on how many times they can do it until they get it right. They are not made to feel less for making a mistake during the pray and they get to start new the next Sunday.
The atonement works like that. We can keep repenting and improving. Even if we make the same mistake again. Of course we should not try to continue to sin. We must keep working towards improving our selves. But if and when we mess again. (I know I do.) We can turn to our Heavenly Father and because of our Savior we can be forgiven.
This book is amazing. I thought I would come away feeling worse. Feeling like I can not make it back to my Heavenly Father. Instead I felt hope. Knowing that I am imperfect and knowing that is why I came here. I came to this earth to gain a body and become like my Father in Heaven.
I am so thankful for the knowledge. Hope is a very good feeling.

Women's Conference

I know I still need to share book #3. It is coming. I thought I would share how wonderful women's conference was, so next year you all will want to come.
First I have to thank Tracy for going with me. I called her a little more then a week before and said please join me. It was nice that she could come. We had such a wonderful time and learned so much. And the brownies down there are a little piece of heaven.
We went to 5 classes a day and I thought I would share a few things I learned from some of them.
One class we went to was I love to see the Temple- Temple worship in our life
Spencer W Kimbell said " If you understood the ordnance's of the temple, you would crawl on your hands and feet thousands of miles to obtain them."
They added, As we return and when we are ready the Lord will teach us. Regular attendance will bring Revelation. Principle by principle.
Another class we went to and the one I think I loved the most. (not just because Bro Christansen was my stake pres and because I love him,) But because I learned so much.
Faith is not only a feeling. It is a decision.
He said Faith will take a long time to become what we want. " Be as perfect as you can"
Your faith is as good as your understanding of Christ. The more you understand him and love him the greater your faith.
Satin will tell you that your faith isn't good enough. You are not good enough. That is when you need to pray " Help me not to demand of myself that which I can not do."
To gain greater faith you have to accept yourself. Then do your best to become acquainted with your savior.
That is what I learned anyway. I loved going. I find women's conference to be a recharge just in the nick of time. I always come away better then I went.
You can read some of the talks online. But I would recommend you just go. Find the time for yourself. You will always be grateful for the help along the way.

In this moment

Do not wait to be beautiful. Be your beautiful, authentic self right now.
If the world offers up negativity and despair, surprise the world by giving back love and kindness. Send out the energy that you wish to experience, and you are certain to experience it.

Happiness and fulfillment are alive in this moment. Allow them to flow freely and creatively through your life.

Fall in love all over again with the miracle of being. Your imagination is great and magnificent, yet it cannot hold even a fraction of the possibilities.

You'll do, say and act your best when you feel your best. Feel the limitless wonder of this very moment.

Be beautiful, alive, aware and filled with the energy of the possible. In this moment, is every dream made and fulfilled.

-- Ralph Marston

Book #2

The Use of Adversity
by: Carlfred Broderick

he states " The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain. It is resource in the event of pain."
I love a book that has a silver lining.
This was a talk Bro Broderick gave a women's conference a few years back and I wish I had been there.
I love women's conference it is such a recharge. This talk would have been on my must go to classes.
Stories of hard times and the blessing that come from them. A look at other lives that are hard, and how we can grow from their stories.
I sometimes need help finding the silver lining in my hard time. This book reminded me that there is ALWAYS one. Blessings always come from trial. That is how we grow.

A Great Read

I have just worked through three new books, and I must say I loved them all, but I will only let you know about one at a time.
First
Take Two Chocolates and Call Me in the Morning
by, Emily Watts
12 Semi-Practical Solutions for the Really Busy Women

What a great book. Reading this was more like talking to a friend then reading a book. It was wonderful, full of wisdom we all know somewhere in the back of our heads but never can quite pull it out.
AT first I thought am I really so slow that I needed someone to point out the obvious, and then I thought yes. It wasn't that I am slow but maybe that I am not slow enough.
Most of the information in this book requires me to slow down. Pay attention. enjoy the ride.
I have to say that my favorite chapter is Quit Trying to Finish the Laundry. When I read this book again (and it will be soon) I think I will just start with this chapter and then get back to it when I go back to the beginning. I love the fact that she reminds me that there are things I can get done and things I can not. I should stop trying to get done the things that have no end, and stop making myself feel bad for not getting them done.
I have to say if you feel you have to much to do, your plate may be getting smaller, a nap is something that happens between 11pm and 5am this may be the book you need to slow down for.
That Emily Watts is a smart smart cookie.

Clay Balls

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with
a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but
they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into
the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one
of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the
remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found
thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the
beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in
treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone,
maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look
like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than
someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us.

If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the
brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in
friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

Author Unknown