Family, Isn't it about time...

I've actually had some non-member friends out here in Louisiana that have commented on the TV ads the church runs. They love them and would love to see more of them. LOVE IT!

Have Ya Ever Thought About It Like This?

To those of you in here in Lafayette, I'm sure the majority of you have seen this video on the Waihi's blog, but I needed to share it with the "other" side....

Thanks Vicki - This is awesome!

Face Clinging Aliens!!! They're EVERYWHERE!!!

I found myself in a situation not too long ago that made me do some sincere thinking about the oh-so-real feeling of fear/pain…and what “fear/pain” really is.

I’m going to use the example of health & exercise due to the fact that this is a bit more common than the situation I was in…

Side Note, and nothing to do with this post but need to share it: I don’t care what someone’s “weight” is. There are gals who are 120 lbs and couldn't’t run to the end of the block…starting from the ½ way point. There are gals at 160+ lbs. who can run 26.2 miles, for fun, on any given weekend. So, this is more about feeling like an athlete vs. looking like a model.

Real vs. Perceived

The natural man can perceive fear and pain, this is healthy. It’s what keeps us alive day to day. If we didn’t understand that stepping out in traffic would be painful and could kill us, we’d walk into traffic on a daily basis, if we survived.

So now I’d like to look at the, real or not, perceived fear & pain of choosing a healthy life style vs. sedentary. Why should I choose being healthy? Because I KNOW exercising will:

-Reduces the risk of dying prematurely
-Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease
-Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
-Helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
-Helps older adults become stronger
-Helps to control weight, build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat
-Prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure
-Helps release stress

Ok, so why is it that I DO NOT choose a healthier lifestyle?



- I’ve got a health issue, and I’m sure I’ll make it worse by exercising incorrectly, and I don’t have the $$$ to get a trainer/dr. to help me.
- I’m afraid of looking stupid at the gym
- I don’t have time
- I don’t have the right cloths
- Eating healthy and taking vitamins and supplements is too expensive.
- (maybe you can think of more reasons why I shouldn't’t work out?)

Now, as I lay in bed and think about working out, my highest perceived pain, comes from the reasons NOT to work out. It’s the most tangible and immediate consequence. So, I avoid, just like I would stepping out into traffic, and I lie in bed for another 30 minutes, to stay “SAFE”.

SAFE?

WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE!
Let me re-evaluate my options…my perceived fear and pain?

- premature death
- heart disease
- depression and anxiety
- weak and brittle bones
- high blood pressure
- more stress
OR
- the lame excuses I just noted on why I shouldn't’t workout… L-A-Z-Y!

Fascinating how our minds work, isn’t it?!

I remember a story I heard about "perceived" pain. Scientists were studying rats. They didn't feed it for a few days, and then put it in a container with food, now automatically it went straight to the food to eat, releasing itself from the pain of hunger. Ok, so they take the same rat, make it go hungry for a few days, then put it back in the container with food, BUT this time they put a little grid in the floor that as the rat runs to the food and crosses the grid it sends a little shock to the rat and the rat runs back to the side in which he started, not getting the food. (The shock would not have killed it.) The scientists then remove the metal grid that causes the shock, puts the rat back in. What does the rat do? It sits in the opposite end of the food and actually dies from starvation. The rat perceives his highest pain is the shock, that doesn't really exist, and chooses starvation without trying again.

Now, I think this is mean to the rat, but, it proves a good point. Many times in our, much more significant, human brain, we perceive greater pain than is really there. And then we seem to forget to look into the future of what real pain we will cause ourselves for avoiding the smaller, or perceived pain at the moment.

So, here is my new challenge, please feel free to take it with me, the next time you need to do something you KNOW you should do; -working out -calling someone you haven't spoken to in awhile due to hurt feelings, -roll out the slip and slide, put your swimsuit on and play in the water with your children, or -THAT one dream, THE one that burns within... But suddenly this "Alien" jumps on your face and clings to you screaming all the reasons why you shouldn't, just ask yourself, OUT LOUD, "oh, com-on, is this REAL, really?"



and then ask, "What are the consequences of NOT doing it?" If you need, pull out some paper... write out all the fear and pain why you shouldn't, and then, all you REALLY need is just 1 reason why you SHOULD!

Once you have conquered that, once thought to be real, face sucking alien...
This is how you will feel, and this will be how you will protect yourself from future face sucking aliens... !!

Rock on!

“Go Confidently In The Direction Of Your Dreams” — Henry David Thoreau

There is a lot out there about "DREAMS" and "DREAMING BIG"! Walk into any school, elementary, jr. high, and even high school. It's plastered on every classroom wall, school hallway and banners in the gymnasiums, they tell us NOTHING short of winners and how dreams became reality. As we grow older and move through life, we continue to read, write and do math...but what about dream? I've come across people who laugh and say, it's a "cliche', And even worse, I've met way too many who state they haven't any dreams. If we're not dreaming, we're not living. Some have said, "I'm too old for dreams and all I really care about is my family," Well, to me, being close to family is a BIG dream! So, what about dreaming of the ability to spend more time with them, is it money or time keeping you from spending your quality years at their side?

And what about us/you, as parents, do we tell our 3 year old that dreams of being a fireman, that's he'll never be strong enough and he's too dumb to be a fireman? Of course not, but why do we seem to come up with reasons why we can't obtain our own dreams...a little hypocritical, don't ya think?

What is your dream?

- Maybe you'd love to travel a little more. An adventure filled vacation for you and your spouse, or a learning experience for your children on a family trip.

- A small cottage on a big piece of land. a ginormous home in Beverley Hills, a, a pent house in NY, or a farm in Ohio...what about a grass hut in Africa?

- TIME? Just enough $$$ to get you out of the office full time so you can spend the afternoon in the garden? or serving in your local community...or even in a 3rd world country?

- Do you wanna dance? Learn how to play the accordion, take up a hobby that you've always wanted to do, but just didn't dare, you were just too scared?

WHAT is it that YOU want? CHASE IT! WORK HARD FOR IT! LIVE IT! YOU DESERVE IT! YOUR CHILDREN AND FAMILY DESERVE IT!

Love ya!

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.: ~Thomas Edison

HAPPY NEW YEAR-Across The World!!!

Tolling of the bell in MOSCOW:


New Year's Eve, or Noivy God as it is in Russian, is celebrated by gathering in the Red Square to await the tolling of the Saviour clocktower, As New Year arrives, people take to the streets and go calling on friends and neighbours, celebrating until dawn arrives.
_________________________

I wanted to write a quick post, because it's been WAY TOO LONG.  But I must be short for now, I'll be back to update on what I've been up to.  Life is Fabulous! (No, I didn't go to Russia, not yet anyway...)

So.... if you DARE, please leave a post of 1 or all your new year resolution/s.

Halloween at Cabin Bluff, GA

Scott's company had an "executive get-away" last month. They held it at a place called Cabin Bluff on Sea Island in Georgia. It was soo much fun, I've never been somewhere like this before.



There was about 40 of us at the resort, we had it all to ourself. Each couple was given a golf cart to get around in. There was a fishing dock that we could go out and fish off of at anytime. They had a large container full of live bait-shrimp and another container that was the largest tackle box I've ever seen. They also had coolers along the dock full of water and beer, all of this was for us to use at our will. Never did we need to pay for a thing.

The larger cabins had a beautiful "living room" and on the tables there were baskets, some had a wide supply of chips, some were filled with fruit and other goodies. It was seriously like being at home, we could eat out of the refrigerator as we wanted, it was awesome.

They had guided activities for us: We were also able to go hunt deer and boar, we took dogs out and went quail hunting. We could go sport shooting, clay pigon shooting, golfing, fishing, whatever we wanted and there was someone at our beckon call anytime for anything, yet there wasn't anyone around breathing down your neck telling you what you could or couldn't do.

Which way'd he go...which way'd he go? (Quail Hunt)


My Shooting Coach


Women Only Quail Hunt


It was fabulous. There was a cooler of beer and water at ever hole on the golf course, as well as on the bocce ball grounds. The service was unreal, I would LOVE to work somewhere like that! Well, I'd actually love to own something like that and be able to give the specialized service and attention to the groups coming in. They cooked beautiful yummy meals for us, and afterwards we go night fishing, play pool, sit around a large fire and tell stories, Halloween night it was a big costume party and we did karaoke all night.

I don't think I explained this well, but I've been meaning to get pictures up for awhile now and I just need to get them up...so here ya have it!!!

Our cute little cabin

The View to the dock



Pool Deck

One of Scott's many catches

Does something look a bit odd about this picture...nope, the gator has actually been placed on the ceiling...I love the south!!

One of the cabin lodges

Cabin lodge

It's Halloween Baby!!!

Some of the men and their stupendous karaoke skills






Our pimp'n ride, but we usually walked, it was beautiful!


So, uummm...how'd I get clear up here in this stand? Where'd I get this gun? You want me to sit here for how long????


Funny little story: as the guide was showing me how to load the gun, he handed me a bullet to put in the chamber, I paused and looked at him as serious and confused as I possibly could and asked him which way the pointy end of bullet went in...the look on his face was priceless!!! One of the gals standing close by said it was even more funny because I don't "talk" like them (the southern accent) and I sound like some yankee from the North East. Oh, it was a good laugh!

Keep Moving Forward...

If you have not seen the Disney movie, 'Meet The Robinson's', You really should. I don't believe it was one of Disney's big box office films, but there is A LOT to be learned from this movie and I personally feel it has one of the best lessons to be learned:

In the movie, each failure is a time to celebrate, every failure is an "Awesome Failure" because by failing we learn! If you give up, you've learned nothing! KEEP MOVING FORWARD! "Brilliant failures, lead to successful futures!"


"Around Here, However, we don't
look backwards for very long.

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors
and doing new things, because we're curious...
and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

~ Walt Disney

The TRUE POWER of Narnia...

I RARELY, RARELY, sit long enough to watch a movie...we don't have many in our "library". Other than Scott's hunting videos, 95% of our videos are based on true stories or movies with deep purpose/meaning and great lessons to be learned...to me.

I decided to turn on a movie as I puttered around the apartment this morning...again, I can't even tell you the last time I watched a video, or the last movie theater/movie Scott and I went and saw, so this was out of the ordinary for me...

I chose "Narnia". WHAT AN AMAZING MOVIE!!! The special effects are absolutely mind boggling,.. If you do not like my ramblings and "stories", "analogies", you may close this blog down now... :-) I won't take the time to depict each part of the movie, but if you believe in Christ, His great atonement and the role/s it plays in our lives and our part in our Heavenly Fathers great plan...this is a MUST see! Or, if you did not see/feel the symbolism in it the first time you watched it, PLEASE, watch it again. Also, it's VERY, VERY possible that you are all saying to yourselves, "duh, Jen"!, but I'm sharing it anyway...For those of you who have a deeper understanding of this movie, I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well...I really need to read the book!

Aslan, the Great Lion King, suffers greatly & even dies for the mistakes of a traitor, or a "prodigal child" - each of us

Each child represents characteristics that we have, good or...not so good.

* Lucy- The child like attributes that we should all carry with us, throughout our lives, VALIANT
* Edmond- The prodigal child, which we all are, none of us are perfect, yet he finds forgiveness, and Asland even states that his wrongs have been taken care of and should be spoken of no more. We should not only forgive those who have hurt us, but we must forgive ourselves and MOVE ON, learning from the past, yet remembering no more. JUST
*Susan-Motherly, or a care giver, GENTLE
*Peter- Protector, leader, courage, MAGNIFICENT

There is so much more in this movie that humbles me, yet also gives me HOPE to move forward, to always remember the great sacrifice and love our/my Savior and Heavenly Father has for me. The part of the movie that moved me to writing this post was the scene that Peter, the eldest brother, and Edmond, have learned that Asland was sacrificed and that Peter must lead the troops to battle the great evil. A little preface, Peter and Edmond have not said much of a kind word to each other during the movie...This battle will determine the future of an entire world, including themselves-not a light burden to be carrying on your shoulders. Anyway.. As Peter contemplates the battle that lies in front of them, Edmond tells Peter that he must lead them, and that their is a great army ready to follow him. Peter, states, "I CAN'T!" Then Edmond says," Asland believed you could," ... which at this, it means a lot, for Asland is the greatest king and is held in the highest honor of his people. ( This next part is the part that moved me into writing this post.) Peter than states, "So do I", Edmond stating his belief in his brother, Peter's hope brightens, his faith in himself and those he loves and is going into battle with, is what strengthens him enough to MOVE FORWARD, to not only face the great evil that stands in front of him, but to face the evil with courage, hope, determination and faith that they will win.

I've become such a softy in my old-young age...I had already cried at so many different parts of this movie, but I really let the ol' eyeballs squirt when this happened - let me tell you why...

I believe that the majority of the people who are reading this post know they are a Child of God, a son or daughter of the Greatest King, He did not send us into this "battle" called life to fail. He is not here in person, He will not deny us the OPPORTUNITIES and RIGHTS to grow and to learn how to become great sons and daughters. (Prince's and Princesses, Kings and Queens) Yet for me it is difficult to "move forward" at times, some times I just want to yell...well, I have yelled, "I CAN'T DO IT". As I turn to my Heavenly Father and BEG for Him to just let my life be perfect.. wink, wink... He sends an email, phone call, voice mail, or a note from one of my most beautiful sisters, telling me, "I believe in you." Those words may not be said, or written, but the very thought of the love I have for my sisters, and knowing how difficult life can be, I want to be strong and faithful for them. The true belief from a sibling has the overwhelming power to keep hope alive, and stretch my faith to higher grounds. The amazing examples that they have ALWAYS been for me deserves nothing less than my very best. We may not see the face of the Savior or our Heavenly Father each day, but we can feel His love and His faith in us as we turn to those we love the most, for that is one of the many miracles He puts before us.

To those of you who may be reading, who may not have the same type of relationship with your siblings or parents, I would like to challenge you to become that sibling, wife, daughter, son, husband, friend, etc. that inspires those around you to be the best they can be. And to you as a sibling, father, mother, etc. I plead with you to strive and even take some responsibility in understanding the true power of love, and belief and what it can do for your siblings/family and for yourself.

Toward the end of the battle scene, the great evil pierces the body of young Edmond, Peter sees this in action and the rage of love and determination moves him to a greater faith as he battles his way through to the great evil that seeks him. Though his love and courage are outstanding, he is a young man, with little experience, his skills fall weak to the greatness of evil shadowing him; after he has fought long and hard and given it his all and he is almost taken over by the great wickedness, a roar of courage and hope enters the scene as Asland "finishes" the battle.

The power we have as sisters, family should NEVER be taken lightly!! At times we may carry heavy burdens as we assume the positions/responsibilities of: wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, father, son, brother, grandfather, friend; please know that your Heavenly Father is aware of your sorrows, as well as your joys. The Savior loves and suffered greatly for each of us, don't let it all be in vain. Let us all fight this battle, called life, with love and faith and helping those around us do the same...Hey, it's all about finding "Joy In The Journey" right? RIGHT!

SLY

Spiritual Pep-Rally?

OK! So I want y’all to think back to the good’ol days of high school pep rallies! Especially HOME COMING! I’m sure there are some who did not feel the same I did, so I’m going to tell you what I see/feel when I think back on HOME COMING week at Kanab High School…There is MUCH more than what I will share here, I’m trying to keep it simple…wish me luck. ☺
















The red and white signs that plastered our town and businesses, our yards and our school proclaimed, “WE’RE THE BEST! BETTER THAN THE REST!” "GO! FIGHT! WIN!"The week was full of activities to get all of us excited for “The Big Game”. A giant bomb fire the night before the game seemed to represent the burning spirit of not only the school, but also us as individuals. Our beautiful community was bursting with KANAB COWBOY SPIRIT! We weren’t going to let anyone bring us down!

Now, there are A LOT of analogies that I could share here, but as I said I hope to keep to my main point of interest this morning…

Our lives are full of small and not so small “football games”. I feel that most of the time the signs we see around us say, “YOU CAN’T DO IT, DON’T TRY!” Then there is a flashing neon sign pointing to “the easy way out.” (The easy way out is different for all of us, maybe it’s drugs, alcohol, laziness, selfishness, confusion etc. etc.)

I want to challenge each of us to find ways to keep your personal pep-rally fire burning, not an easy task, believe me, I know.

For me, my recent, pep-rally; General Relief Society Meeting, General Conference, General Priesthood Session and an added bonus, Sheri Dew came out to Baton Rouge to speak to us, and shared her amazing spirit with us. New and encouraging signs like those that plastered the community just before Home Coming are now lining my thoughts; leaving very little room for the nasty neon lights, directing to the easy way out.


The re-occurring theme that stood out to me the last few weeks as these different events took place was, “FINDING JOY IN THE JOURNEY” Now, I don’t want to get too personal on this, so I’ll leave it at that, but I do ask that, if you have read this post, that you do 2 things:
(1) For the next couple of days, keep your eyes and hearts open to the simple miracles and blessing that you may usually walk right past, going unnoticed, or even cursing, under your breath. Make physical note of them.

(2) For the next couple of days, while doing your “boring, mundane”, chores, do them differently. For example, while cleaning your house; put your favorite music in and most importantly, TURN IT UP then “groove” as you scrape the boogers off the walls. Then going back to #1, write down you are so grateful to have boogers on the wall…for if you didn’t have boogers to clean, you would not have your beautiful children. I mean really, I don’t know the last time I had to clean boogers off my walls because my “grown-up” friends left them there.

This is getting long, but when I get my spiritual pep-rally, the “spirit fingers” come out and I get all excited about sharing what has helped be find greater “joy in the journey”… This past Sunday, Fast and Testimony meeting, I actually did spirit fingers from the pulpit…not realizing I had done it until I sat down…but, it was subtle, and it wasn’t like I did a toe touch to go with it or anything! ☺

Last of all, it’s easy to be excited when things are going well; The community has signs plastered around proclaiming “YOU ARE THE BEST!” and the ‘Rocky’ Theme song, “Eye of The Tiger” is blasting in the background, and the crowd is cheering your name! YOU CAN’T FAIL! Right?

Yet, much of the crowd you noticed started walking out of the game after half time, and they would have left earlier, but they wanted to see who won the raffle for the blanket. The last few minutes tick away on the scoreboard, and all you hear are a few crickets in the background. You say to yourself, “BUT I’m so close to winning, where is everyone, I don’t know if I can do this on my own?” The lights on the field power-off. It was a long rough game. As you lie on the dark cold field, not wanting to even try to get up, you’re alone, you’re tired, you hurt, you’re confused “Did I win? Did I loose?” you ask yourself. Then the sprinklers come on…the real important answer to the really important question is, do you stay where you are,give up soaking in self pity, because everyone left you? Or do you pull yourself from the ground and play in the sprinklers like you did as a child?



Find Joy in the Journey my friends! Find ways to keep yourself hearing "Eye of The Tiger" and seeing the "GO! FIGHT! WIN!" signs, long after the crowds have abandoned you. Learn, grown and better yourself from all of your little and not so little “football games”.

I love you all!!!

What About Now? Before It's Too Late.