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April 2014 General Conference Some Favorite Quotes

Last weekend was the semi-annual general conference.  As I was watching on TV I was playing around on Facebook.  And people were posting clever, creative quotes from speakers while they were still speaking.  I loved it because most of the time I had just thought "that's a great comment - I need to remember it" or I had actually just written it down in my conference notebook.  Check out conference for yourself: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/04?cid=HPFR041114678&lang=eng


Check out this as well as her blog, website, and Facebook Page.  I loved her stuff before I even realized she is married to the son of a fellow Marine that Roger (my husband) introduced to the church and baptized in about 1967. The Gospel makes it a very Small world.
 http://mycomputerismycanvas.blogspot.com/2014/04/general-conference-quote-collection.html

 Enjoy.

As time goes by . . . (stole this title)

In the 1950's I could be found turning cartwheels around my front yard in a small town in Ohio.  I  was carefree and happy.

In the 1960's when I was in high school and dating a guy who called me Pollyanna (because of the movie and my sunny attitude) I was focused and happy.  Our life together was going to be just what I had always dreamed about.

In the 1970's I was a young wife and mother, very busy and happy most of the time.  Our life together was almost as I had dreamed it would be.

In the 1980's the love of my life was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, no longer able to work as a computer programmer.  And, with a leap of faith, I went to work and cared for him and our two children.
Not exactly living the dream I had thought I'd be living.

In the 1990's the kids left the nest and my husband died.  I asked myself "dream - what dream?  was there ever really a dream?"

In the 21st century I am happy to not be living in a dream.   If I could still turn cartwheels I would.  Looking back on my life I wonder how I ended up here and that's when I remember that rather than relying on dreams I have taken My Leap of Faith many times.

In 2014 I am submitting my papers to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) as a "senior sister missionary."  Talk about a LEAP OF FAITH.  I've decided to start a second blog entitled Mission Miracles.  It will begin with a couple of miracles that happened prior to my son's mission which began in 1993.  And then I will add miracles that are making it possible for me to serve at this time.  And other miracles and tender mercies and magical moments that make preparing for a mission a marvelous experience.

I Know That Was You God! Thanks!

I can remember my mother using the word "weary" to describe how tired she was.  I really hated that word. To my it was symbolic of being sick of doing things she didn't want to do but felt like she had to do.  I now recognize it as a feeling or emotion not a physical thing.  It was also an indication to me that she was not strong enough to handle her life.  (Sorry mom - I was young.  I realize now that you were trying to be what you thought you should be even if it made you "weary".)

I'll be honest, I'm a little like my mom.  So, like her, I found scriptures to support our weariness:
2 Thessalonians 3:13 (New Testament) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Doctrine & Covenants 64:33·Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. 

Galatians 6 The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians:  Be not weary in well-doing.

As I looked out on this grey, rainy, dreary day the "shoulds" in my life were going round and round:   places to go, people to see, people to help, listen to, things to do... things to do...  and I realized I felt "weary" just like mom used to feel!  However, I know better!  Really... partly because of my personality, partly because of my profession and training, partly because of this blog which reminds me that sometimes it's all about My Leap of Faith.  
So here's how my day is progressing:

I give myself permission to edit and play around with pictures on my computer...

Copied this from Facebook and edited it to please me.  It reminds me of  the drawings I used to ask clients to create during counseling sessions.  I usually created one at the same time.  It became an image of a SAFE PLACE so when things felt fearful or out of control or overwhelming or sad or... even weary ... you can close your eyes for a minute and picture yourself in that SAFE PLACE.  Imagery can be a powerful tool.

       I give myself permission to grieve...

No one said that I had to quit grieving - I guess it was my own rule  
Austin (Tanya's youngest) is here this week and I have cried because Tanya is not here to 
see her children become adults and because I can no longer hear her sing, see her remarkable smile, 
give her a hug and it's sad so I am going to grieve . . . allowing yourself to grieve can be a  powerful tool.

I give myself permission to "not do everything" and "not please everyone" to quote Michael Mclean...

Good music can be a powerful tool.


I give myself permission to play computer games, watch Inspector Lewis, stare out the window, wear my soft, lavender robe all day...

And on this gray, gloomy day all of a sudden I don't feel weary any more.  I feel grateful that I have the freedom to give myself permission to choose!

Gratitude can be a powerful tool.

“The Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. …" (2nd Nephi 2:16)

Why - why do I really want ____________? You fill in the blank.

A friend shared this cute video with me.  When this little guy lands on all four feet it reminds me of how graceful I am when I go to the gym and exercise.  Well, graceful may not be the correct word.  I actually look about as awkward as this dog.  But I love  the sense of accomplishment when I am done and I also love how strong and energetic I feel for the rest of the day!  So I continue to go to the gym and I am happy about it.

In a lesson at church a few weeks ago we talked about the difficulty we have have changing the way we do things even if we know that what we are currently doing may not be the best for us.  I was joking about counting weight watcher points and reaching my total for the day by eating breakfast.  One of the women later said if you want to be somewhere you have never been before, you have to try things that you have never done before.  And then she said "ask yourself WHY - why do you really want to have this outcome?"

So I went home and pondered on this.  I don't care so much about losing weight - it is honestly more about my health.  I am now in the winter (I think) of my earth life.  I sincerely want to be healthy and feel strong and energetic like I do after a good workout.

I decided to stop counting points (not that I had ever done so successfully so why did I keep doing it?) and I decided to make one change in my eating.  I will be aware of how many fruits and vegetables I eat each day.  No more pretending that a baked potato with butter, cheese and bacon bits counts as a vegetable.  It has been really hard.  The first day I ate a salad with lots of bacon bits, cheese, and dressing as well as an apple with the Jif chocolate silk (remarkable chocolate and peanut butter mixture). The next day I got up and asked myself why I had done this?  But a small part of me was proud that I had made the effort.  So I ate a can of green beans (love them - low sodium), a salad with a little bacon, cheese and dressing, and an apple with just a little bit of the chocolate silk.  I felt strong and energetic.  

Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to honestly answer the WHY question. Why do I want to have better eating habits:  honestly, to be strong, healthy and energetic.

Of course there are other reasons I want to watch my eating and go to the gym.  I'm going to list a few and give myself permission to have these feelings:

1.  I like how I look in my yoga pants and I wear them every time I go to the gym.
2.  I like the feeling of self control that comes when I get out the green beans or lettuce or apple.  Instead of "beating myself up" because I ate the chocolate silk with the apple I remind myself that I ate the apple, too , and I know I would not have eaten the apple without the chocolate silk.
3.  I like seeing people at the gym who are younger than I who have as much or more trouble than me completing their workout.
4.  I like being able to say "I go to the gym."
5.  I like  not worrying about what anyone thinks of me while I am at the gym. I'm pretty sure they hardly notice me and I barely notice anyone else.  I love the anonymity that is there.
6.  I like being able to say "I just ate green beans and I love them" and then eating a cookie to make it feel like a real meal.
7.  I like glancing up to see someone watching me work out and think (probably a false assumption) that they are impressed by how hard I am working!
8.  Basically, I like being able to answer the question that prompted this blog:  Why do I really want to go to the gym and eat healthy food?  So that I can be strong, energetic and healthy.


Oh, and in case you didn't know:  IALAC.  Look it up or ask a young woman going to camp this year.  It's our theme and it is true - I AM LOVABLE AND CAPABLE AND SO ARE YOU!

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