Enjoy the Little Things...

Socks

Warm, cozy and sometimes fluffy socks. The ones that fit snug in your shoes and warms your piggies, especially on those cold days.

This morning I got up and put my new, warm, cozy socks on and it made me smile. Sometimes it's just the little things that we enjoy.

Attacking Depression

Saturday we had a Stake Women's Conference. These theme was "Faith" ...nourished up in the words of faith... 1 Timothy 4:6.

We had keynote speakers, Derl & Laureen Sanderson. They talked about how we can "be the light" and what we need to do to become educated. That is, read the Book of Mormon and other doctrines. We can't expect just to know or to witness without reading and learning.

We then had to choose three of six speakers, which we rotated after so many minutes, and had brunch in between. I really wish we could have heard all of the six speakers.

The first one I went to was Jenny Hamsen. She talked about "Recognizing the Lord's Hands" in our daily lives. She talked about the trials she and her family has had and how she was able to see the Lord's hands even in the midst of the terrible things they had to go through. 

She gave some ideas such as:

• Focus on positive thoughts.
• Follow our promptings.
• Send fun things and inspirations to family and friends through Marco Polo or other apps.
• Keep a journal.
• Reflect each morning on the goals we would like to achieve and reflect each evening about what happened that day.
• Take time for quiet moments of gratitude.
• Church worship.
• Give service each day.
• Daily Repentance. Don't just wait until the Sacrament on Sundays.
• Search the scriptures, general conference address' and other resources.

The second class I went to was by Damon Andreasen and he talked about Depression.

He had some main things to watch and consider using his DEALS concept.

• Diet (eating good food, listening to good music, incorporate good smells, etc.)
• Exercise (exercising burns anxiety our of our body, learn to breathe and slow our minds down.)
• Activity (stay active, don't isolate yourself even when you want to hide.)
• Learning/Live your belief.
• Service/Sleep (give service even when it is hard. Get good sleep.)

He also encouraged us to keep a Positive journal. At least once a week, write three things you are grateful for and one positive experience.

I know that although a journal would be interesting and maybe even inspirational for my  posterity, it would be helpful for myself to look back, not only to remember when things happened but also to see how I got through hard things. Now if I can just make myself keep a journal.

The last speaker I went to was Carrie Gunter. She was told us a hilarious story/experience that happened to her. If only I could tell experiences as well as she did. Anyway, she emphasized on three things.

1. Learn how to laugh. Some things may be hard to laugh at while you are going through them, but finding the good and learning to laugh about it will help get you through.
2. Look at things with and eternal perspective. I need to practice this more. It even says in my patriarchal blessing to see things in an eternal perspective. Doing this will help us see more than the here and now trials.
3. Show gratitude. She told of a book that focused on giving 365 days of gratitude, in other words, sending 365 Thank You notes. It took them more than 365 days to complete but the results were well worth the effort.

The jest of the conference was to have faith and that we can choose happiness. Some days might take more effort but we can do it. No one else can do it for us.

We don't wait until we see what kind of day we are going to have. We choose happiness when we first wake up!

Old ways - New ways

  

This past Sunday was our Ward Conference and the Bishop talked about the changes that have taken place in the past few years. He quoted a scripture from Mosiah 2. “And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.”

Then we read in our lesson Luke 5:39 “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie says this; “The meaning of the Savior’s words can be understood in this way: “In following John, who was sent of my Father to prepare the way before me, you have conformed to the law of Moses [the old wine]. Now, however, [one] greater than Moses is here, even the Messiah, and as John taught, you must now follow him, even though it is difficult for you to ‘straightway’ turn from your old teachings and accept the new” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:186). Following the counsel of the scriptures and the living prophets can be very difficult when these inspired teachings challenge one’s personal views or traditions.”

So, what do these scriptures and commentary mean for me? Well, am I willing to embrace the changes that have happened with the two-hour block? Do I embrace the changes for the missionary dress codes, learning manuals, and the changes in the temple? Or do I mumble and grumble that I like this or that better?

We are blessed to have a living prophet and we are so blessed to have modern revelation and even personal revelation. We are even told in the 9th Article of Faith...

My goal is to embrace the change and see the good in all that is taking place.

Remember what we are told about the changes…”Take your vitamins, kids! We will all need them to keep up.”

Christ Heals and so can we.

lds.org

Winter semester started on January 7, 2019 and I took the opportunity to study the New Testament. I have never read through the whole Bible and I have never really taken the time to “study” it. I ordered the New Testament Student Manual to study along with the scriptures. I did this while I studied the Book of Mormon and I love it! The Study Manual has so many insights and commentaries that help me understand the scriptures a bit more.

This semester I also chose to focus and improve my “thankfulness”. There is much to be thankful for. I have always considered myself to be a thankful person. However, after last year's mental health struggles that Doran and I fought, I had an experience that forced me to understand a new meaning of being thankful. When times are good it is easy to say how thankful we are, but when times are tough, it is harder to see clearly.

One of the things I read about this past week was in Matthew 4:18-22 and Matthew 4:23. In these scriptures, it explains how everyone can be “healers” like the Savior, in that we can help heal others through our service. Even the small, simple acts of love and service can mean a great deal to someone else. When I was having a particularly bad day, a friend dropped some candy and a note off on my doorstep. It may have been just a small gesture for her, but it “healed” my broken mind and heart that day.

We don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving season rolls around to express our thankful hearts. We should be more mindful daily, all year round, of the many blessings we have been given. We can also do acts of service all year round and not just during the Christmas season. On my car visor I have a card that says, “Who needs me today?”. I need to look for opportunities and listen closer to the promptings that I receive and make sure that I act on those promptings, because, I may need to help “heal” someone that day.