Interesting Article

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/09/my-take-this-evangelical-says-mormonism-isnt-a-cult/ 

Finding Hope - 10th Anniversary of 9/11

With 9/11 approaching I wanted to share a few things with everyone. First, this video about a 9/11 survivor. I suggest everyone watch it. It is such a touching video and really makes you thankful for the things we have.

I would also like to share this article my sister-in-law shared with me by Thomas S. Monson. It is a wonderful article...

www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/911-destruction-allowed-us-to-spiritually-rebuild/2011/09/08/gIQAbkjKCK_blog.html

We should always remember the people that died and survived that day and always be thankful for what we have.

I Stand All Amazed....

This song is a song that no matter how many times I hear, brings tears to my eyes.

There was a talk by Jeffrey R. Holland in the 1986 issue of the Ensign called, "I Stand All Amazed"
It is a wonderful article and I highly recommend everyone take a moment to read through it.
www.lds.org/ensign/1986/08/i-stand-all-amazed?lang=eng

I truly do stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. Listening to this song, reading that talk, it all makes me think that we really are spirit children of God and that we should be truly acting that way every single day. We need to be constantly bringing ourselves closer to our Heavenly Father. Not only do we need to be reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, and going to church, but we need to be doing more. We need to be always looking for missionary opportunities. We need to be faithful in all things.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

"To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: “Keep the commandments”—nothing more, nothing less.

Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives—as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to “act in all holiness before [Him]” (D&C 43:9).

The scriptures describe a number of Christlike attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope. These personal character qualities stand independent of the organizational status of our Church unit, our economic circumstances, our family situation, culture, race, or language. Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help. The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. Christlike attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when we do not completely understand the reasons for them. In seeking to become more like the Savior, we need to reevaluate our lives regularly and rely, through the path of true repentance, upon the merits of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement.

Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. This worldwide conference with its music and spoken word offers spiritual power, direction, and blessings “from on high” (D&C 43:16). It is a time when the voice of personal inspiration and revelation will bring peace to our souls and will teach us how to become more Christlike. This voice will be as sweet as the voice of a dear friend, and it will fill our souls when our hearts are sufficiently contrite.

By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 15:13). We will “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (D&C 25:10)."

I am no where near perfect and never will be, but I do seek each and every day to be more Christ-like, as I hope we all do. I will always stand all amazed that "for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled, and died for me." I feel truly blessed having the gospel in my life.

What Matters Most

I love this video. It's simple yet has an extremely powerful message.

I think so many of us, if not all of us, at some point get caught up in our everyday things. Whether it be cleaning, running errands, doctors visits, etc. Sometimes our "to do" lists seems endless and when that happens we are forgetting what matters most. Especially as mothers, we often times feel that pressure to be "perfect." Perfect does not exist and is something no mother should strive for. Instead we need to look in the mirror and say "I'm not perfect. The laundry may not always be done, my hair might not always be perfect, but Heavenly Father knows that I am doing all I can to become more Christ-like." When we are finally able to distinguish the difference between what is important and what is not then we are finally able to enjoy life more and be happier. We are finally able to focus our time on what is most important. I have found that even when overwhelmed with errands or chores you can still turn that into a bonding time with your children. For instance, when I have laundry to do I make it fun. I tell our oldest to go grab his stool and basket. He smiles so big and hurries to get his items. Then I fill his little basket up with clothes that need to be washed and he tells me what color each item is before he throws it in the washer. I have started to learn to make household chores less of a "chore" and more of a fun bonding time for Wyatt and I.

Our families are something that matters most to us. We often assume that our family already knows how much we love them. But I love when President Monson says "we should never assume, we should let them know." We need to be constantly expressing our love to our family, letting them know how much we care and how much we appreciate them. When we say "I love you" not only do we say it but we must show that we love them as well. Show your spouses your appreciation for all the hard work they do. Always be telling your children what they mean to you. This video has always really touched me. I watch it as a constant reminder to put aside things that are of less importance and to spend my days expressing my love to those around me. The days that we set aside the things that are not important and replace them with things that are important we find ourselves happier and knowing that we are doing what we should be doing.

I am so grateful for my husband, my children, and our family. Each person in our family holds a special place in my heart. I love my family and will always continue to express my love to them.

The Beginning of Latter-Day Saint Mommy

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint. Lately, I have been truly inspired by recent talks and by church authorities to help spread the Gospel even more. I always look for ways to share the Gospel with others. I love blogging and thought what better way to share my beliefs than to create a blog dedicated to it and to hopefully reach people from all over. I will be updating this blog frequently throughout the week and will be posting new videos, quotes, talks, scriptures, photos, or just thoughts that touch me and that I can share with others.

Please feel free to browse around my blog and I will be posting my first offical post tomorrow.