conference conclusions.

If you missed general conference or want to figure out what in the world I'm talking about, check it out here and click on "sessions," "speakers," or "topics." I'm excited to watch and read the talks again over the next few months, but my current favorites are this talk, this talk, and this talk.

I thought this article, written after the Sunday morning session, was particularly sweet.

Learn more about the three newly called apostles here, here, and here.

People are taking the challenge to "ponderize" to heart and I love seeing all of the verses others are choosing. I love this verse + graphic for week 1! 

If you're short on time, check out these two videos (each just a minute or two long) played during the General Women's Session: Mother in Israel and Sisters in Zion. I especially love the friendships found in both videos.

I'd love to print out multiple quotes/pictures from here and post them on my fridge, bathroom mirror, and next to my computer at work. Friendly reminders are great!

And as always, beautiful & free conference printables from Alexa Z Design.

so great, eternal, everlasting, & joyful.

My favorite quote came from Sister Linda S. Reeves:

"I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling, sisters, that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, 'Was that all that was required?' I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of the love that our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything They asked to be back in Their presence again. What will it matter, dear sisters, what we suffered here, if in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with Them."

If you find yourself with some extra time this upcoming Saturday and Sunday and are looking for uplifting and positive messages, join me in watching General Conference here. 

gems heard in Primary, round 4.

As of yesterday, I'm done with Primary. I thought that I'd be a little sad about it, but I'm pretty excited to spend some time around adults and not be responsible for anyone else. ;) 

Without further ado, the last gems heard in Primary post:

For Sharing Time, the group had to act out something for one person to guess. We all started acting out picking an apple from a tree and taking bites out of it. The 5-year old boy who had to guess was confused...

Sister W: "We're picking something out of a tree and taking bites from it."
5-year old boy: "Um, a squirrel?"

-----

A 3-year old girl walks up to one of the counselors in the middle of her Sharing Time lesson, tugs on her dress to interrupt her, loudly whispers "I have two kitties," and quietly walks back to her chair.

-----

5-year old boy: "I wish I was 100 so I could go to class with the big kids. Well, maybe I'd be dead if I was 100."

-----

One of the 5-year old boys in my class was sitting in Singing Time with his feet together on his chair and his head bent down with his eyes closed, not moving a muscle.
I leaned over and whispered, "What are you doing there?"
The 5-year old boy opens one eye and squints up at me: "Yoga."
Another 5-year old boy overheard and stated: "I know 100 yoga moves!!!"

-----

3-year old boy: "My favorite candy is Star Wars!"

-----

Me: "Today we're going to talk about the Book of Mormon!"
5-year old boy: "What's the Book of Gorman??"
(He kept referring to it as the Book of Gorman all hour long.)

-----

Primary-isms, round 1.
Primary-isms, round 2.
Primary-isms, round 3.

beauty and order.

^^Picture from Saturday morning.^^

"As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein. As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives.

As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.^'

Such peace can permeate any heart—hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help."

Quotes taken from President Monson's talk found here. 

a quote everyone needs to read.

Take five minutes out of your day and read the rest of the talk here.
I can pinky promise you that it's worth it.

Happy Thursday!

really.

 

I find it comforting that God knows ME.  He knows the intentions of my heart--my spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional aspirations and efforts.  How great it is that He watches over me and directs the small and big things in my life every day because He knows me perfectly.  He knows who I am - who I want to be - and who I will become.

Happy Sunday!

unexpected places.

Last night I found myself sitting on a chair in the hallway of a broken down and grungy low-income apartment building.  A 4-year old lay on the floor next to me with a package of markers and a SpongeBob coloring book, all while kicking his feet together and softly humming to himself.  A young mother sat to my right holding her baby--a 4-month old who was alternating between complacency and distress, eventually giving way to her lethargy--soaking up all that was being taught and shared.  Across from the mother and I were two young men wearing suits, ties, and name tags.  They put their hearts into their message for this young mom and it was evident that they wanted to share all of their happiness with her.  It was there in that hallway in the rundown, low-income apartment building that I had one of the sweetest, most altruistic experiences to date.  I knew without a doubt that this young mother was being watched over and was loved so very, very much by her Heavely Father, and it was evident that she felt it too.

Want to know more about the message the two young men shared?  Read about it here.

time is a funny thing.

A coworker and I were talking last week about how 2007 feels like 3 years ago...not 7.  It blows my mind to think that it's been (almost) four years since I graduated from high school, because I could swear that was yesterday.

There's a line in Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project, that resonates particularly well with me:  "The days are long, but the years are short."  Most days, as my head hits my pillow at the end of the day, I think, "Wow, today was long and I'm exhausted."  Before I know it, the week has flown by--it's crazy!  

However, last week seemed to go by so slowly as I was anticipating this past weekend!  Saturday and Sunday, the days flew by as Ben and I sat around the tv listening to our church leaders address the church as a whole.  There was some goooood stuff, man.  Check out the talks here.  

One of favorite quotes came from Elder Robert D. Hales:  "May we love Him so deeply...may we have faith so completely."  My cup has been filled and my spirit has been lifted.

Onward and upward!

out with the old & in with the new.

"This year, mend a quarrel.  Seek out a forgotten friend.  Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.  Write a letter.  Give a soft answer.  Encourage youth.  Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.  Keep a promise.  Forgo a grudge.  Forgive an enemy.  Apologize.  Try to understand.  Examine your demands on others.  Think first of someone else.  Be kind.  Be gentle.  Laugh a little more.  Express your gratitude.  Welcome a stranger.  Gladden the heart of a child.  Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.  Speak your love and then speak it again."

Howard W. Hunter

infinitely more.

Yesterday in my Primary class we talked about a group of people in the Book of Mormon who had a mighty change of heart. Ultimately, this people chose good over evil, and were blessed by doing so. It got me thinking about how we're really more than the mistakes we make, and definitely more than our limitations--both of body and spirit.

I took a psychology class in high school and was taught about Carl Rogers and his humanistic approach to psychology.  It basically boils down to the belief that people are inherently good.  (Don't judge me if I have that wrong. ;)) I remember sitting in my seat listening to the teacher and thinking "Hey! That's basically how I think about humanity."  I guess little by little over the past few years, I've become more critical of humanity in general and developed the habit of assuming that (most) people are driven by selfish reasons.  And maybe it's because my eyes have been opened as I've grown up and had more life experiences?  I'm not quite sure.

The above quote is pulled from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from this past general conference which focused on mental and physical illnesses; however, I believe the quote is multifaceted.  I love the words for the fact that it can apply to our human nature and life circumstances, and I love the simple reminder it provides me.

Here's to trying harder to see past the imperfections of others, and trying harder to see people for their potential.  Fitting for the holiday season, isn't it?

xoxo

this weekend was a breath of fresh air.

+ a BYU football game

+ General Conference!

+ girls night & yummy cheesecake

+ brunch with friends

+ a walk in a gorgeous neighborhood

+ leaves on the ground

+ homemade cinnamon rolls

+ our first roast, potatoes, and veggies Sunday dinner

+ a husband who did all of the dishes ;)

Life is good & we are ready to take on a new week!

i stole a hymn book.

I stole gifted myself this hymn book from church.

A few months ago when I was serving as the ward librarian, I decided to reorganize everything and get rid of stuff from the 70s, 80s, and 90s that had been collecting dust and taking up space.  Whilst doing so, I came across an old cardboard box filled to the brim with stuff.  Church books galore!  Projector slides galore!  Lesson manuals galore!  However, at the bottom of the box were the greatest treasures.  All different editions of the hymn book.

My favorite thing about this 1978 version of the hymns is that it's a nice shade of navy blue, and not that heinous green color.  ;)

Shout out to Ben for preparing a talk yesterday an hour before church started, and actually being able to fill the 15 minutes with worthwhile commentary and thoughts!

oh, i love it so.

a wedding to remember. {picture overload!}

The main reason I took off last weekend for a short-notice trip to Utah/Idaho/Oregon, was for my cousin's wedding.  Oh, how perfect was their day!  (Except maybe for the 2.5 hour long sealing delay due to a brother stuck on the freeway an hour away from the temple. ;) Although...it made the sealing just that much sweeter!)  The ceremony was beautiful and full of emotion, and KC couldn't stop staring at Cassie the whole day long. :)

The luncheon and reception were held in KC's backyard in the middle of nowhere Oregon.  The setting was rustic, natural, and literally picture perfect.  It was one of those receptions where you talk to the old ladies about raising chickens, and to the old guys about where they served their missions 50+ years ago.  Meanwhile, little kids ran around playing games and watched horseback riders mosey on down the trails.  The sparkler send-off was fun for all and made for a whimsical ending.

Congratulations, Cassie and KC!  :)

it is sweet.

One of my favorite things about living in Missouri is being asked about Utah and Mormons when I tell people where I'm from.  A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being the first Mormon my hairstylist had ever met. ;) We talked about the fundamental truths of the gospel, temples, and even more specifically, sealings.  As I was telling her about how we believe in being married for time and eternity, she got goosebumps all over and had tears in her eyes.

"That's so sweet!" she kept saying over and over.

And I couldn't help but emphatically agree with her.  It is sweet.  And such a blessing.

Click on a topic to learn more:  Mormonism, temples, sealings

volunteer opportunities are the best.

A school for immigrant children--many of which are displaced war refugees--had their back-to-school event this weekend here in St. Louis.  Our church group went to help with registration, handing out backpacks, providing lunches, and just to help curb the chaos.  It was so wonderful to talk to all of the kids and watch waves of euphoria wash over them when they were handed a brand new backpack or even a snowcone! The girl above giving the camera a peace sign told me that I was "sooooo lucky" to have been born in America.  And you know what?  

She's completely right and I needed the reminder. :)

"beautiful place."

Saturday morning we jumped in the car with our friends and drove the 3 hours to Nauvoo (which translated from Hebrew means "beautiful place").  Three-quarters of us had been there before, but hadn't realized just how charming of a little town it is.  Seeing this small town quickly dispersed any equivocal thoughts I previously had regarding why the pioneers settled in western Illinois--besides God telling them to, of course. ;)  Situated right on the Mississippi River (the prettiest part of it, I'm sure), the temple sits on a bluff overlooking a grove of trees and the perfectly laid out streets.  It's breathtaking in the early morning and equally breathtaking as the sun sets.  We were fortunate enough to spend the day visiting the little houses and buildings in Nauvoo, doing a session at the temple, finding quaint local restaurants, visiting Carthage jail, and watching the Nauvoo Pageant that evening.  There's definitely a different feeling up there--one quite lovely--and I couldn't help but try to soak it all up throughout the day.

happy, happy Sunday.

Major blog catch-up coming later, but for now, just a simple little quote I threw together for my primary lesson tomorrow.  I love the message of hope and assurance it gives, and love how applicable it is to so many different situations.

Happy Sunday!

my happy place.

My awesome cousin, Mandie, came down from Chicago to spend the weekend with us.  {More on that later.}  One of the things we did while she was here was an early morning trip to the temple.   There's just something special about going there first thing in the morning before you have a chance to think about much else.

"I think there is no place in the world 

where I feel closer to the Lord 

than in one of His holy temples."

- President Thomas S. Monson -

Happy Monday!

the wedding video.

One year ago today! :)

If this video doesn't work, find it over here.