Thursday, February 26, 2015

Eating Healthy- by Amy Smith

Hello friends! 
I have struggled for years to be in control of my eating, and I'm happy to say I'm finally there.  I can eat "just one" chip or brownie or slice of pizza. It took me about 5 months of constant vigilance, but I'm there!  I've been there for over a year now and I will never go back.  
I know you can take control too!  It is so liberating!  These are some things that helped me be successful: 


1. If you can’t see yourself eating the way you are for a year, it’s not the right “diet” for you. You’ll lose weight on a deprivation diet, but you’ll also gain it all back plus some when you start eating normal foods again. So, I give you tip #2.

 2. If there is something that you cannot live without eating each day, build it into your diet for one meal in your day. For instance, I can’t live without popcorn (with butter).  It just makes me happy.  So, I have a bag every day.  Of course that won’t keep me full until my next meal, so I give you tip #3.

 3. Balance carbs and protein- a simple rule of thumb is to make sure that whatever you are eating has close to half as many grams of protein as it has carbs. My bag of popcorn has 35 carbs and 5 grams of protein.  This is not going to keep me full.  If I add 2 oz of chicken breast (13 grams of protein) I now have a more balanced meal. I’ve satisfied my popcorn craving and I won’t be starving until my next meal.

4. Fat is your friend. Too much fat is bad, but you need fat! Lots of diet foods are low in fat or have no fat, which is good- but if you aren’t eating enough fat that will make you tired and slow and you’ll be more likely to grab a candy bar! I like to eat cottage cheese (my protein) inside a cantaloupe (my fruit) with 6-10 dark chocolate almonds (my fat). 
 
5. Eat often.  I eat every 2 ½ to 3 hours.  I am never hungry! 

6. Have a healthy snack in your car.  When I am on the go I have a hard time eating good and balanced meals.  So I always make sure I have a bag of beef jerky in my car. I also have a small bag of nuts and some pretzels.   That’ll keep me from stopping at a fast food place!
7. Track your food.  This will help you see what you eat. This can help you understand what food your body does and does not like!  Plus it can help you balance your meals.  Myfitnesspal.com andfatsecret.com are my favorite tools for tracking my food.

 8.Make a Plan. I am most successful in my eating when I make a meal plan the day before.  It’s easier to stick to healthy eating if you know what your next meal is going to be!!!  Myfitnesspal.comand fatsecret.com are great for this as well!

9. Drink Water. This will help keep you full and give you extra energy! 

10. Chew Gum.  It’ll make you think twice about putting that extra chip that fell out of your kid’s lunch into your mouth!

Wishing you happiness and success on your quest!

Much love,

Amy

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Results from Week 3- Look into your past!

Everyone-

Wow! What fun things you did and great memories that you shared! I am so glad you embraced this week's challenge and had fun. Some of you created new family traditions which is such a bonus!! I can't wait to get out there and do some of the things you did. Reading your experiences brought back memories for me too! Thank you so much for sticking with the challenge and for all your efforts. You are lighting up the world! You are also lighting up my life with all your sweet messages and compliments. I am so grateful for your friendship!

Some really really really exciting things are happening with my family. Things that are truly miracles and I will share more with you later but I know God hears our prayers and he answers them on his time schedule... but he IS listening and he is working on it, and someday we will see all that he has done and is doing and we will never stop praising him and telling him "Thank you for everything!" That's how I feel today, like there are not enough thank you's in the world for what the Lord has blessed me with. So grateful!

40 people filled out the survey and this week. Excellent! All together you earned 1,083 points!!! That's a lot of good decisions made and some great big steps down the path to the tree! Wonderful job to all of you who are sticking with this. I love those of you who are low in points but STILL WORKING ON IT! That's how life goes. Keep on going!!

Guess what... One of our tree goers just got her MISSION CALL!! Julie Whipple is going to serve the Lord for 18 months in the Des Moines, IOWA mission and she leaves July 8th! I know you are all joining me in a big CONGRATULATIONS to her!! That is so exciting! She is going to bring so many others to the tree. :)

Below are the cool charts and then some inspiring stories about this week and the fun things experienced and the hand of God felt in our lives! Notice that not one person rated themselves as a 1 in the effort category. Looks like prayer beat out scripture for the most positive influence in your lives this week. Pretty interesting!

Thoughts on Looking back at our past- Week 3

My husband and I met while serving our missions in Taiwan. I haven't been back in 27 years, but we are planning a family trip to Taiwan and China in April. We really want to go back to the city where we met, TaoYuan, and show our children around that area. I told my husband I really wanted to find my old apartment in TaoYuan, but most all of my missionary journals and missionary photo albums are at my parent's house in Idaho, so it didn't seem possible. However, when going through some old letters and pictures this past week for the challenge, I came across two letters I had written to my grandparents while I was living in TaoYuan. Yeah! Now I have just what I wanted, my old address while serving in TaoYuan. I just know that Heavenly Father knew that was important to me and he made it possible. He is so mindful of us! Even in the small things, which feels even more personal sometimes than the big things. :) – Janet Seto

Thinking about the past seemed almost forced on me this week, as my teenage daughter had to go through something difficult and I naturally remembered a similar experience in my own life. It was humbling to realize I still have so many faults and maybe haven't kearned or grown as much as I thought I had. –Jennie Blaser

It brought back a happier time in my life. Filled with fun memories and very little stress. – Tava Udall

I read through some old journals and I loved seeing the excitement and passion I had for the gospel back then too. For some reason I thought i was more of a punk but there were some sold journal entries where I just bore testimony of the gospel and my gratitude for my blessings and miracles, and it helped me reignite that fire inside. – Trellany Udall

God has a plan for everyone. He knows who he wants us to be – Dan Brimhall

I spend one afternoon looking on Family Search at photos and reading a few story of my ancestors. That is always such fun to learn about family that I had never met. –Cindy Sorensen

Loved reading about when my kids were little and remembering funny things about them I had forgotten. Being a young mom is exhausting but incredibly joyful and rewarding! – Sarah Crawford



Thoughts on MYSTERY CHALLENGE- Do something fun from childhood!

It was fun to think of things I did and share them with my own children. – Michelle Steen

Had so much fun going to the playground with my husband and kids. We played hot lava, tag, follow the leader, etc. it was so much fun climbing all over the play structure, swinging on the swings, going down the slides (even though I shot down one so fast I landed flat on my back), and doing the monkey bars. We did most of our playing at night after we walked to the playground with flashlights. Now we have decided to make it a regular tradition. My daughter had an evening play date lined up and almost didn't go because she was afraid she would miss our night walk to the playground. Super fun! – Janet Seto

Nothing beats pushing the furniture off to the side of the room and having a good dance session to Micheal Jackson's Thriller album. – Dorothy Winters

Wonderful! – Brenda Reber

For Valentine's day my husband bought 2 bikes so we can ride together. That's been a blast. I loved this challenge. – Karen Harris

I chose to do some finger painting, something I loved to do in school years ago. I got some shiny paper, cooked up some flour and water finger paint and went at it. More fun than doing it myself was doing it with my children and grandchildren. It took them a bit to get used to the idea of smearing it all over the paper. We did it for some time and they seemed to enjoy the freedom of making designs, pictures and names over and over again. – Mary Anne Koski (my mommy!)


Climbed trees! Jumped on the bed! – Randa Carter

It took me a while to break through the stress and noise of life to find the childhood memories. When I finally got through I had a good time remembering the fun times of shooting off model rockets. Infact, I even found my old rocket box with all the gear and remnants of past expiditions. – Dave Petersen

I was able to go to the park with 2 of my daughters and 5 of my grandchildren. When I got to the park I hear my 2 year old grandson shouting, " grandma, push me, grandma push me". So that was great fun pushing Preston on the swing. After My four year old grandson is asking me to swing with him and to push him on the swing. As I was swinging on the swing I could not help but to remember when I ask my grandmother Coleman to push me on the swing in her yard. My grandparents lived in Manassa, Colorado and in their tree was a rope swing with a wooden seat, that had a notch cut on both side of the broad to hold the seat in the rope. It was great fun to have my grandmother push me on the swing. such a great memory! That same day my cousin posted a picture of the schoolhouse that my grandparents lived next door to. My grandmother taught school there. In the photo of the school it showed a slide that was connected to the schoolhouse. The slide was very scary looking and was two story high. A few years after having such a great memory of swinging at my grandparent's home, the school and my grandparent's home burn down. – Cindy Sorensen

Sang along to the piano as my daughter played hymns. I've always loved singing and always want to sing along when she plays and she finally let me! (it stresses her out) – Sarah Crawford

OTHER AH HA MOMENTS and ENCOURAGEMENT!

One night, I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning and obsessing over things to the point that I was creating mountains out of molehills. I went downstairs and threw up a desperate prayer to God and reached for a Book of Mormon. I literally flipped it open, almost in a daring-God attitude, and the first verse I read was Alma 42:29 "and now, my son (daughter), I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more". – Jennie Blaser


So grateful that my friend, Tava Udall, asked me to do this challenge with her. It was so much fun digging up pictures of us from our past and recalling the many wonderful memories that we share. Heavenly Father knew I needed this challenge for many reasons, and through my earthly angel, Tava, here we are doing it together! – Janet Seto

Now... get outside and enjoy the creations that our loving Father in Heaven and His son have created to bring you joy and happiness every single day! 

LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!!
Sarah

MYSTERY CHALLENGE: Write a note to a friend! Last week we looked into the past and read notes from dear ones, this week we give back and fill up their mail boxes (or email inboxes) with love from us! Pray about who might need to hear from you.

Yes! I love reaching out to my friends!3928%
No. I'm just stubborn that way.11%

Which challenge was hardest for you this last week?

Praying twice daily107%
Scripture reading daily1914%
Exercise 3x weekly4230%
Eating healthier3022%
Rotating challenge (Looking back on your life)1813%

Which challenge had the most positive influence on you this week?

Prayer4935%
Scripture2820%
Exercise107%
Eating Healthy54%
Rotating Challenge (Looking back on your life)107%
Mystery Challenge (Do something from your childhood)32%

How much effort did you put into the challenge this week?

5- Third time's the charm! I did great!54%
4- Third time might be charming, but I was a little lackluster1511%
3- Just your average week.107%
2- Lacking luster and motivation107%
1- Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!00%

How was looking into your past and seeing yourself through the eyes of others?

I had so much fun doing this I'm going to keep doing it a few more days (weeks)86%
I had lots of fun doing it, but that's good for now43%
It was fun, but a little emotionally exhausting129%
It brought up some bad memories54%
It brought up some good memories1813%
It was nice to remember how many people love me96%
I discovered some things about myself I had forgotten or didn't know!107%
I'm glad this week is over. Time to live in the present54%



I hope you are enjoying nature this week and really think about how it helps us feel closer God and Jesus Christ and the Spirit.


The positive impact of Nature in your life!

As the cheerleader for nature week, I have put together a few nuggets for you!  I will offer a handful of ideas of how to enjoy being in nature when you can’t get outside much. (I happen to live in Wisconsin and it’s a wee bit chilly) I’ve also included links to 2 articles which study the benefits of being in nature.

To begin, this article has a simple list of benefits for adults and kids.

This brief article, “You Really Really ought to spend more time in nature,” offers more thoughts.  http://www.theguardian.com/news/oliver-burkeman-s-blog/2014/jan/21/spending-time-nature-mental-health

(There are is a ton of info online; these two articles keep it simple and are relatively brief.)

Here are some ways to enjoy benefits of nature when you just can’t get outside (followed by excerpts from articles):

Sit in the window and soak in the sun!  (I do this a lot!)
“The fresh air and sunlight have the largest benefits,” Preston says. “For example, with increased exposure to natural sunlight, incidents of seasonal affective disorder decrease. When individuals are exposed to natural sunlight, the vitamin D in their skin helps to elevate their moods.” 

Think about old times spent in nature.  Look at old photos if you can.

“Research has shown that people on wilderness excursions report feeling more alive and that just recalling outdoor experiences increases feelings of happiness and health.”

Breathe in essential oils from trees.

“Breathing in antimicrobial compounds found in the essential oils of trees increases relaxation and improves stress management resulting in increased vitality and less anxiety, depression, and anger. It also may decrease risk of psychosocial-stress related diseases.”

Get a plant! 
“’We have a natural connection with living things,’ says Ryan. ‘Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments.’  These studies, concludes Ryan, underscore the importance of having access to parks and natural surroundings and of incorporating natural elements into our buildings through windows and indoor plants.”

Have a beautiful week,
Katie

Monday, February 23, 2015

Trees and Nature in the scriptures

2 Nephi 24
Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and also the cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us.

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, … And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess.
[D&C 59:18, 20]


Moses 6:63
 63 And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

Lots of love!
Sarah 

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Get ready for WEEK 4!

Good afternoon wonderful people-

So… Are you ready for week FOUR? I can’t believe we are already one fourth of the way done with our challenge! How was last week’s journey of looking at your childhood and trying to see yourself through different eyes? I hope it was fun, refreshing and eye opening. I can’t wait to hear how it went and see what you learned about yourselves. Did anyone maybe see more in themselves than they thought was in there? Did it help in some small way to see yourself through God’s eyes? I really hope you found some benefit in the experience and will keep trying the new challenges each week and MOST importantly, keep working on the four daily challenges! If you can do nothing else… PRAY and READ your scriptures and He will help you find time and energy for the rest!

I am so excited for this week and to explain to you why and how nature is such an important part of this challenge. As you know, I lost my sister, Liza to suicide four years ago. One thing that really helped me cope with her loss, and feel close to God, and close to my sister, was being in nature. There were several reasons behind this. One was how much Liza loved nature and trees. She worked for several summers for National Youth Corps, clearing trails in the Oregon and Washington mountains. She loved trees and being in nature and it was very healing to her, and she was actually making a lot of progress emotionally before everything fell apart. After losing her, I started paying more attention to the beautiful world around me and tried to let it’s beauty sooth my grieving soul. But an experience that my sister-in-law, Jennifer Koski had, one week after my sister’s funeral, made me look at trees and all of nature in a whole new light which was such a blessing! Here are some of her words describing her experience (this is just a portion of her experience, I attached her entire essay).

“That I May Learn from Vaulted Skies” 

If it is true that sorrow stretches the soul for joy, it was not long before I received a generous return. I had tasted a measure of hell; little did I know I was about to receive a portion of heaven. 

February 12, 2011. Just about one week after Liza’s funeral I had an astonishing, beautiful experience – perhaps one of the most memorable of my life. I was driving to the store, not thinking about anything in particular, when I turned onto a tree-lined street.  Right before my eyes, every tree I could see revealed itself to me. The unfolding scene was so beautiful I caught my breath. Each tree seemed acutely aware of me, and I of them. The trees appeared to be reaching toward me with compassion, their branches stretching out to offer an embrace. As peculiar as it may sound, I felt connected to, and cherished by those trees. I felt immeasurably loved and remarkably comforted. I don’t have any more words to try to describe it.  

This seemed all the more strange since I’ve always thought bare, winter trees looked so drab and lifeless. Now I felt the opposite – scarcely has anything appeared more beautiful. For several weeks, just the sight of a tree warmed me. I would look at trees as I drove and think in my heart, “Oh thank you! Thank you!” February used to seem the ugliest month of the year, but this year it was one of the most beautiful. I wish others could see what I saw. 

It wasn’t until much later I made the connection between these experiences and being deceived by appearances. I recalled that dark night of hopelessness. In contrast, this encounter with the trees seemed opposite.  What on the surface appeared desolate, I saw to be marvelously alive and filled with love. I experienced what Wordsworth might have meant by “Moving about in worlds not realized.”

When Jennifer told me this story, it became so special to me, even more so when she reminded me that I had made her a necklace for Christmas a few months before, the pendant was a tree. Not a tree with leaves, but a tree with just branches.

A few weeks later, on a Sunday in March, I was feeling surrounded by gloom again myseld and it was so bad and all encompassing that I asked my husband to give me a priesthood blessing. While we were still at church he found an empty room and invited our friend, Rick Neiner, to help him administer the blessing. Immediately, I felt so much better and then later that afternoon my friend, Brooke Sampson, came over with a gift for me and it was such an answer to prayer, it was perfect. She had printed up a talk, by Elder Hugh B. Brown and gave it to me to read. She said it had helped her during a hard time. It was so tender and perfect and exactly what I needed to hear. And it tied into what Jennifer had experienced as well, so I knew Brooke had been inspired to bring it by that day. I knew God knew me and was blessing me through my family and friends and that I would be ok. This story is about so much more than nature. It really ties perfectly in with our challenge!

Here is the talk. ENJOY! At the end is the survey link! Please see the Mystery Challenge in the survey and complete the survey by Monday at midnight. 

AND…Get out in NATURE this week. Give yourself points each time you exercise outside, or go on a walk, a hike, (or if it’s cold outside, give yourself points for reading your scriptures in front of an open window, or maybe look online for beautiful pictures of trees or bundle up and have a snow adventure). Be creative and feel the sun on your face and enjoy this beautiful world that God has given us to help us feel His love and the love of all the things that surround us!

The Currant Bush
by Elder Hugh B. Brown 
of the Council of the Twelve
This month the New Era is happy to introduce the first in a new series of articles to be published in the magazine: Stories from General Authorities. Over the years our General Authorities have recounted stories that have touched the hearts of their listeners and changed behavior. Many of these stirring examples come from their own lives or from the lives of friends and acquaintances. All ring as true today as when first recounted. It is with the permission and blessing of the authors that we print these Stories from General Authorities.
You sometimes wonder whether the Lord really knows what he ought to do with you. You sometimes wonder if you know better than he does about what you ought to do and ought to become. I am wondering if I may tell you a story that I have told quite often in the Church. It is a story that is older than you are. It’s a piece out of my own life, and I’ve told it in many stakes and missions. It has to do with an incident in my life when God showed me that he knew best.
I was living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet high. It was going all to wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and went after it, and I cut it down, and pruned it, and clipped it back until there was nothing left but a little clump of stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded (and I haven’t entirely gotten over it), and I looked at it, and smiled, and said, “What are you crying about?” You know, I thought I heard that currant bush talk. And I thought I heard it say this: “How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me, because I didn’t make what I should have made. How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.” That’s what I thought I heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and some day, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down, for caring enough about me to hurt me. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.’”
Time passed. Years passed, and I found myself in England. I was in command of a cavalry unit in the Canadian Army. I had made rather rapid progress as far as promotions are concerned, and I held the rank of field officer in the British Canadian Army. And I was proud of my position. And there was an opportunity for me to become a general. I had taken all the examinations. I had the seniority. There was just one man between me and that which for ten years I had hoped to get, the office of general in the British Army. I swelled up with pride. And this one man became a casualty, and I received a telegram from London. It said: “Be in my office tomorrow morning at 10:00,” signed by General Turner in charge of all Canadian forces. I called in my valet, my personal servant. I told him to polish my buttons, to brush my hat and my boots, and to make me look like a general because that is what I was going to be. He did the best he could with what he had to work on, and I went up to London. I walked smartly into the office of the General, and I saluted him smartly, and he gave me the same kind of a salute a senior officer usually gives—a sort of “Get out of the way, worm!” He said, “Sit down, Brown.” Then he said, “I’m sorry I cannot make the appointment. You are entitled to it. You have passed all the examinations. You have the seniority. You’ve been a good officer, but I can’t make the appointment. You are to return to Canada and become a training officer and a transport officer. Someone else will be made a general.” That for which I had been hoping and praying for ten years suddenly slipped out of my fingers.
Then he went into the other room to answer the telephone, and I took a soldier’s privilege of looking on his desk. I saw my personal history sheet. Right across the bottom of it in bold, block-type letters was written, “THIS MAN IS A MORMON.” We were not very well liked in those days. When I saw that, I knew why I had not been appointed. I already held the highest rank of any Mormon in the British Army. He came back and said, “That’s all, Brown.” I saluted him again, but not quite as smartly. I saluted out of duty and went out. I got on the train and started back to my town, 120 miles away, with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. And every click of the wheels on the rails seemed to say, “You are a failure. You will be called a coward when you get home. You raised all those Mormon boys to join the army, then you sneak off home.” I knew what I was going to get, and when I got to my tent, I was so bitter that I threw my cap and my saddle brown belt on the cot. I clinched my fists and I shook them at heaven. I said, “How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?” I was as bitter as gall.
And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, “I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.” The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness and my bitterness. While kneeling there I heard a song being sung in an adjoining tent. A number of Mormon boys met regularly every Tuesday night. I usually met with them. We would sit on the floor and have a Mutual Improvement Association. As I was kneeling there, praying for forgiveness, I heard their voices singing:
“It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me;
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.”
(Hymns, no. 75.)
I arose from my knees a humble man. And now, almost fifty years later, I look up to him and say, “Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.” I see now that it was wise that I should not become a general at that time, because if I had I would have been senior officer of all western Canada, with a lifelong, handsome salary, a place to live, and a pension when I’m no good any longer, but I would have raised my six daughters and two sons in army barracks. They would no doubt have married out of the Church, and I think I would not have amounted to anything. I haven’t amounted to very much as it is, but I have done better than I would have done if the Lord had let me go the way I wanted to go.
I wanted to tell you that oft-repeated story because there are many of you who are going to have some very difficult experiences: disappointment, heartbreak, bereavement, defeat. You are going to be tested and tried to prove what you are made of. I just want you to know that if you don’t get what you think you ought to get, remember, “God is the gardener here. He knows what he wants you to be.” Submit yourselves to his will. Be worthy of his blessings, and you will get his blessings.


I love you all so much! Please share some pictures stories or experiences from this week with us. Email me pics or tell us stories in the survey! I will share them next week! NO GO ENJOY NATURE and FEEL THE LOVE!


Love-
Sarah

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Goals and Decisions… Become another person!

So, did anyone notice my strange subject of my email yesterday? Hello Threes? Did you think this was some cryptic combination of TREES and Three or something?? Well, it was just a random typo! It was supposed to say, "Hello There!" I have no idea what happened... So silly!

Anyways- This gives me an opportunity to share a little thought with you about decisions and goals. At stake conference a few weeks ago, and President Wyeth (i'm pretty sure it was him) talked about the difference between GOALS and DECISIONS and it really stuck with me and relates to this challenge we are doing. I wrote down this summary or what he said…

"We shouldn't make decisions where goals ought to be or make goals where our decisions ought to be. I shouldn't have the goal to read my scriptures every day,I should decide to read every day." 

In essence, goals can be things that aren't directly in our control, that our actions can hopefully lead to, like I could have a goal to be in a musical at the Hale Center Theater someday, but I can't actually MAKE that happen, it depends on many different factors, especially the people who decide whether my audition was good enough or not. But, it's a great goal! But I could DECIDE to take voice lessons, or practice every day. Those are things that are in my control, that I can do if I so choose.

I think seeing things this way helps us realize we really are in control of our life in the sense that we can set goals (feel the love of God more in my life) and then make decisions, (read my scriptures every day, say my prayers twice daily) and set ourselves on a path to achieve our goals. When we see that our actions each day are really a product of what we have consciously decided to do (or not do) perhaps we will be better at following through on doing those things that are hard or trying to establish those new habits.

Have you ever tried to become another person? I had this conversation with my daughter the other night. She was running through the airport in Seattle/Tacoma and literally about to miss her flight. She was in line for security and I was on the phone with her yelling at her (oops) to just ask people if she could cut in front of them because her flight was leaving in 20 minutes! She was a teenage girl, traveling alone and I knew people would understand and let her through. She kept saying, "NO!! I CAN'T! NO. MOM I CAN'T DO THAT!" and I told her, "YES, YOU CAN! Just BECOME a person who can do those kinds of things!" After a little more yelling (encouraging) she did it! No one cared at all. A nice couple let her sneak across the rope (instead of zig zagging back and forth) and the security guard let her through really quick, and she got to the gate just as they were shutting the door to the tarmac and yelled "STOP! Don't shut the gate!" 

Sometimes you just have to do things that don't necessarily feel like "you" at first. Maybe you have told yourself (or someone told you- maybe even the adversary) that you're just not a person who does that. "I don't just go up and talk to people I don't know!" "I'm no scriptorian." "I don't really talk to God when I pray." or "I'm just not one of those people."  BUT YOU CAN BE… Just DECIDE to be. I used to be a person who lived the gospel, but wasn't a super scripture reader or super spiritual or anything. That just wasn't me. I felt like my older sister took that role and I was someone else. But 11 years ago when I decided to start reading my scriptures every day, BOOM...I became another person! I was a person who read their scriptures every day. I was a person who felt the Spirit, who got inspiration for the lessons they taught each week. A person who felt the Holy Ghost in my heart when I listened to others teach. A person who just LOVED the Book of Mormon and sharing what they learned! I got to experience so many things that I had heard other people talk about but I didn't really experience myself until I changed into that kind of person! It really came with just a simple, straightforward DECISION! I didn't have any goals in mind, other than I knew I needed more help from God in my life with my eating disorder, and life in general, but I NEVER thought that one simple decision would lead to me being totally healed!! Otherwise I'd have started years before! I had been told all my life the importance of reading my scriptures every day. Why did I wait so long to be one of THOSE people?! THOSE people are really happy! If I hadn't made that decision, I honestly can tell you I wouldn't be here right now. Scary.

So, pick the thing you are struggling with most, or the thing you  know would help you the most in your particular situation, and just simply DECIDE that you are going to be one of THOSE people who do that. Then you will get those blessings. YOU WILL! You will love the person you've become and all that goes with it and you will wonder…Why did I wait so long?? … and what else have I been NOT doing (or am doing that I need to stop doing) that I can start doing and receive those blessings too? It works and that's what this challenge is all about. Taking steps to more happiness, and more blessings. More JOY! You already know what to do. Just decide to do it and follow through on that decision. Pray for help and you WILL receive it!

I love you and have faith in you and your strength and in the strength and love of our Father in Heaven. You have a great mission on earth and the Lord will help you find it and fulfill it, one step at a time. I hope you are all enjoying looking back into your childhood and please share pictures or stories with us. You can post on Facebook or reply to this email with some. We can't wait to see!

Thanks for listening. I am so proud of all of you! Have a wonderful weekend and know that you are loved!

Lots of love!
Sarah 

p.s. on a silly note, this email keeps reminding me of a silly movie! Any guesses?? ("Become another person. Become another person.")

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

RESULTS WEEK 2

Ladies and Gents-

You have really brightened up my day and the lives of countless others with your smiles, and hello's and conversations with total strangers! I wonder if any of them talked about you at dinner or carried that smile in their heart all day. I can't wait for you to read each others' responses! Also- GREAT work with the decluttering! I love how everyone made that challenge their own and worked on what they needed most. We got rid of physical junk, emotional junk, virtual junk and let lots of love and sunshine in their place! This is exactly what this challenge was supposed to do and I think it's pretty cool how the weekly challenge and the mystery worked together this week too! :)

One fun thing I noticed as I was working on things yesterday... When I was putting together the final list of which order we would do the challenges (and had my sisters look it over), I wasn't looking at a calendar or anything, just trying to put them in an order that flowed well, where they built on each other and where we would have harder and easier weeks balance each other out. Well, it just so happens that the week that I chose to be the week we focus on Jesus Christ and the atonement (the MOST important aspect of the challenge) ENDS ON EASTER SUNDAY!! How super special is that? Heavenly Father loves us and he wants us to focus on the Savior that week for sure! I can't wait! God is love!

So... This week there were 47 of you that answered the survey! YAY! Some joined in who missed last week, and we lost a few but I hope they are following along and will still come back and fill out the survey, or just enjoy the emails and be inspired to make whatever changes they need. BUT- THANK YOU for sharing with us, and great job on a  very productive week! 

We have 4 people with 40's this week and 3 with perfect 80's! Does that mean they are perfect?!! Hardly! Hahaha! Great job you guys! I have noticed something interesting in the surveys, those who say they are putting forth the biggest effort are those who are feeling the biggest benefit and vice versa. I hope if you are struggling you will take a little faith from those who are trying harder and you will see that a little more effort brings forth a LOT more blessings and we all need blessings! You can do hard things (and this week's challenges are both pretty darn fun).

Will you please write down some stories you are learning about yourself, or take a picture of some fun old pictures you are finding of yourself and email them to me so I can share them with the group later this week or next week? That would be sooo fun!!

HERE ARE YOUR COOL RESULTS! ...below those I will be some of your responses and I'll send more out later in the week (hopefully with your baby picture or stories...send them in!!)

Which challenge was hardest for you this last week?

Praying twice daily1010%
Scripture reading daily1717%
Exercise 3x weekly2929%
Eating healthier2323%
Rotating challenge (Declutter your life)1414%

Which challenge had the most positive influence on you this week?

Prayer3333%
Scripture1919%
Exercise88%
Eating Healthy55%
Rotating Challenge (declutter  your life)1414%
Mystery Challenge (Be nice to strangers)99%

How much effort did you put into the challenge this week?

5- I was ON FIRE this week!22%
4- Maybe not on fire, but definitely SMOKIN!1717%
3- Did ok but I am still motivated to push on!2424%
2- Not a great week. Hopefully next week is better.66%
1- Cant. get. going.00%

How did the "Decluttering" go?

I decluttered so much, I can't find my house!00%
I got rid of some excess baggage! YES!1616%
I have more time on my hands now!1111%
It was really hard to say goodbye to the things I got rid of00%
I'm so glad I did it!1515%
It didn't really make my life feel any different11%
I took a first step, and that is good for now.1212%
I'm so glad this week is over! I'm re-cluttering my life this week!00%

Thoughts on Declutter your life!
I am still in the process of unpacking after a very intense life change and I feel as if I am still in transition. The place I found myself de cluttering was my pantry/refrigerator although there wasn't much to begin with. I am in a rebuilding place in my life and I am not in the emotional space that has allowed me to let go yet. I feel that the move forced a letting go and I find myself still grasping. So this was a very tough week. – Hillarie Miller

I still have quite a bit to work on! One step at a time... – Kari VanNoy

I was able to get my family involved. We've gone thru closets, the garage, even our shed out back! We decided to have a garage sale next weekend! Thanks for the motivation to rid my home of clutter! It feels good to "let go" of this stuff!- Maralyn Nava

Gave stuff to other people who need it more.- Angie Clouse

My desk - everything ends up on my desk. I think that's the point where everything - time & space, dreams & desires, callings & assignments, the physical and spiritual worlds of my life all collide. In other words it’s the crossroads of life. So decluttering it took a lot longer that I expected because it effected every aspect of my life. I didn't complete the job yet, but got well over 85% of it handled - the last 15% is the toughest part and it will take a special time allotment in order to complete this one task. – Dave Petersen

I'm reading the book, the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing by Marie Kondo. Instead of focusing on things you want to get rid of, she encourages you to focus on the things you want to keep. She also recommends organizing by category. So this week I took every last item out of my closet and laid it on the floor. As Marie suggests, I asked myself as I handled each and every article of clothing, "Does this bring me joy?" If it brought me joy, I kept it; if not, it was gone. She believes we should be surrounded only by the things that bring us joy. I love looking in my closet now. It makes me feel so happy, light, and excited, not to mention peaceful. Amazing transformation. Can't wait to get onto the next category. – Janet Seto

Over the past year I have been in a massive declutter mode. I have gotten rig of a third of my stuff and it is SO freeing! Thank you for reminding me to keep moving in that direction. – Caralee Alldredge


It created more order physically, and order contributes to our emotional health and creates more mental space to feel closer to the Spirit. – Carolyn Calton

My divorce is almost final and I'm in the process of splitting our stuff anyway, so this challenge was helpful in giving me extra motivation to purge. It feels GREAT! It's still going to take a while to reorganize to be "mine" but here's to new beginnings!! – Janell DeWitt

Thoughts on Mystery Challenge: Talk to strangers!

I liked this challenge- my tendency is to withdraw and I found I felt much more connected when I reached out even with just a friendly gesture. I will try to continue this challenge every day and much beyond the direct focus of our group. It helps me get outside of myself. – Hillarie Miller

This was fun for me! I enjoyed it. – Kari VanNoy

Loved it! I tried to look every one in the eyes when talking to them and saying hello to strangers that I would normally just walk by. It felt good! – Maralyn Nava

It's interesting & sad all at the same time that our phones have become our walls or our shield to have to avoid personal contact & so I found it very difficult to even get people to look up & allow human connection it's a true tragedy. – Tava Udall

Yes at work with the people I take care of. – Angie Clouse (nurse)

This was the easiest challenge so far. – Dave Petersen

I ended up being at the right place and time to help a group of snowbirds. They were all so appreciative and thankful and I loved being able to make new friends. And, I was going to just send some lemons to a non-member neighbor with my kids. Instead, I decided to go and ended up visiting for 1/2 an hour and it was awesome! – Jennie Blaser

Friendliness is such a gift that spreads one smile to another. I was caught off guard by a hello this week bc I wasn't the first to say it. It felt so nice. I want to continually light up other people's day like that. – Caralee Alldredge

It was interesting how that one little thing changed my perspective on a lot of things. It gave me a reason to look up & smile. I found myself being generally happier because I was more focused outward than inward. – Janell DeWitt

Fun! It's such a reciprocal blessing. Thanks for the challenge! – Rani Halliday

This one wasn't a stretch for me. I always like to look people in the eye and day hi - Sany Harenberg

I liked it! Being in anew area it was good for me instead of shying away I met people :) – Jessica Despain


Lots of love!
Sarah 

480-236-2326