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!	39	28%
No. I'm just stubborn that way.	1	1%

Which challenge was hardest for you this last week?

Praying twice daily	10	7%
Scripture reading daily	19	14%
Exercise 3x weekly	42	30%
Eating healthier	30	22%
Rotating challenge (Looking back on your life)	18	13%

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

Prayer	49	35%
Scripture	28	20%
Exercise	10	7%
Eating Healthy	5	4%
Rotating Challenge (Looking back on your life)	10	7%
Mystery Challenge (Do something from your childhood)	3	2%

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

5- Third time's the charm! I did great!	5	4%
4- Third time might be charming, but I was a little lackluster	15	11%
3- Just your average week.	10	7%
2- Lacking luster and motivation	10	7%
1- Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!	0	0%

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)	8	6%
I had lots of fun doing it, but that's good for now	4	3%
It was fun, but a little emotionally exhausting	12	9%
It brought up some bad memories	5	4%
It brought up some good memories	18	13%
It was nice to remember how many people love me	9	6%
I discovered some things about myself I had forgotten or didn't know!	10	7%
I'm glad this week is over. Time to live in the present	5	4%

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.