Don’t Underestimate Children
I never talked baby talk to my children. From the moment they were born, I talked to them as if I was speaking to an adult. I didn’t want to get in the habit of treating them as if they couldn’t understand. My experience had been that some adults didn’t give children...
The God of Broken Things: A Journey in Applying the Atonement
I am surrounded by amazing and faith-filled people. My sister, Daciana Washburn recently shared some of her thoughts and struggles applying the Savior's Atonement in her life. Her struggle is so applicable that I asked if I could share her words with you. ...
Curing Misery
Too often, the feeling of being in a dark hole, completely alone in my misery, overwhelms me. Feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, and even stupidity assault me. When I am in this dark place within, compliments do not reach me. A visit from a friend might...
We Are All Teachers
There has been a sense of peace within me since I went to the temple to take out my own endowments. And with that peace has come an urgency to really focus on teaching my daughter the gospel. It’s so funny how everything kind of rolls into one. Yesterday in...
Heaven Helped Me
We recently had a challenge at church to do Family History and focus on the temple often for a month. So I put down the novels and picked up my laptop. But my family is all pretty into family history. And I thought it was all done. I couldn't find records to go...
Hope and Optimism are Powerful
How strong is your hope for the future? Are you optimistic? Eric Barker’s article “11 scientific studies that will restore your faith in humanity” talks about scientific studies that support the power of optimism and hope. Reading his article reminded me that the...
Let the Holy Spirit Guide
Alma is lauded as a great prophet. He taught that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Jesus Christ. This supported King Benjamin’s words to his people and echoed the prophecy of Abinadi to the wicked King Noah. These three...
Cemetery Sleuthing
You never know what you’ll discover when you start searching old cemeteries for your ancestors.
Heaven Help Me
Like many of you, I enjoyed conference. You probably take notes while you are listening to the beautiful testimonies, counsel, and direction. I do, too. I do not have shorthand skills, so frequently I abbreviate and defer to the forthcoming printed copies and online...
Measuring Mission Success
I love lists! I love to write down what I plan on doing and crossing off tasks as they are finished. Sometimes, I will write down stuff I’ve already done, just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing off the chores! A cathartic release happens when I see a list of...
God Loves Broken Things
"God Loves Broken Things! Let me repeat myself, GOD LOVES BROKEN THINGS!" These words were the first words spoken by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a Stake Conference held on May 20, 2017. This article will reference...
Rising
I’ve made thousands of loaves of bread. I have a very simple recipe that I’ve used for decades. Grinding my own flour, feeling the warmth of the dough as I knead it, the smell of baking bread and honey butter...it has been a wonderful constant in my life. About a year...
Marriage, Family and Me
What do you do when you just 'don’t feel like it'? Like, your mind says “yes”, but your heart says “no”? Potentially, this could be an incredibly touchy subject, but lately my friends, I have been suffering from a case of the “gimme’s”. And that, I think, is exactly...
Time to Be All In
I don’t think many people get married while thinking, “If it doesn’t work out, I can get a divorce,” but divorce does happen for many reasons. Similarly, not many people are baptized while thinking, “If it doesn’t work out, I can always leave the Church.” Yet, most of...
Christ Gave His Life so You Can Change Yours
The other day I saw a quote by Richard G Scott that read, "He gave His life so that you can change your life." I read this at the most perfect time in my current situation, so I immediately saved it into my phone to keep as a reminder. It's been a little while...
The Seven Month Itch
According to mission myth, the two periods when most missionaries go home is at the three month mark and the seven month mark. After our missionary shared this bit of missionary lore with us, I began to think about it and it made sense. My husband and I have...
My Big Mormon Blended Family- Unity in the Lord’s Time
Aloha Family, If someone came to me five years ago and said, “You will mother five beautiful daughters,” I would have laughed and told them they were crazy. The first reason would be because I suffer from infertility and the second reason would be my sanity....
To Look or To Be- What Were You Made For?
It’s almost summer. For us that means wonderful, healthy, non-screen, fun things to do as a family. Maybe it’s the beach. Maybe it’s a pool or a lake. Waterfalls are amazing. I love being in and around water. Now perhaps you’re not thinking of how the water feels on...
Advocate
When my Down syndrome son was born, agency people and programs came rushing at me. One phrase kept being repeated: “You have to be his advocate”. “Yea, right!” I thought. “How can I go to battle for him when I don’t even understand what all these options are that...
My Mormon Experience Learning About Sufi Muslims
“Every word must end in God, every breath must end in Him. Man’s entire life must reach God; that is his true prayer. That is the culmination of the prayer of the Sufi. One who attains the clarity of perfect faith is called a Sufi.” ~M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen ...
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