⛱ August

"I felt the spirit when I paid the full amount for my BB8 BopIt." -Daniel

Hinckley: 

-Bless society with our talents and learning.

-There is nothing in all this world as magnificent as virtue.

For you, my dear friends, the sky is the limit. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Particularly, pay no attention to what some boy might say to demean you. He is no better than you. In fact, he has already belittled himself by his actions. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church.

Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal. He has given you this glorious Church, His Church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you, to bless you with eternal marriage, to seal upon you a covenant between you and Him that will make of you His chosen daughter, one upon whom He may look with love and with a desire to help. May God bless you richly and abundantly, my dear young friends, His wonderful daughters.

We need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier. 

When your heart is filled with worry, you don't have room for love. -Me

-Precision in folding socks (10 steps in folding one pair of socks at the temple) is likened to the multi-step precision in raising children and building an eternal family. 

-Multiple streams of happiness: marriage, gospel, kids. What you can bring in to flow happiness. Recognize what makes you happy. Make a list if things that bring happiness. 

-Eyring autobiography 

Troubled & worried vs faith & peace; "We are aware of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them."

How do you "steal the center" (from Christ being the center)? 

Still the noise

Irritable? Are you studying the scriptures?

Prayerful Watchfulness (Monson)

-A Deep connection to our savior is what stills the soul. 

"The devil’s designs of despair, discouragement, depression, and despondency can be defeated in a dozen ways, namely: repentance, prayer, service, work, health, reading, blessings, fasting, friends, music, endurance, and goals." Benson

"To lift our spirits and send us on our way rejoicing, the devil’s designs of despair, discouragement, depression, and despondency can be defeated in a dozen ways, namely: repentance, prayer, service, work, health, reading, blessings, fasting, friends, music, endurance, and goals." Benson 

*Then Jesus beholding him loved him. -Palmer '17

How can I behold them and see them as they truly can become?

'Twas I, ''tis I no more. 

Refining and sanctifying power of the temple. 

D&c 97:9

Your heart might get broken, but that's how you know you have one. 

It is by obedience that we gather light into our souls." -Uchtdorf

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life." - William Morris

How often I have read Alma chapter 56 and have thought on the consequences that sin of the Anti-Nephi Lehi's had affected many. Today I looked at it differently. Look at how a merciful Heavenly Father provides for those who make mistakes. There's more than One way to be blessed by the Lord. Just look at the strengthening experience that was for those 2060 soldiers who were "forced" into battle because their parents had covenanted not to. So much good still came, in spite of the sins that their parents made yet had sufficiently repented of. Give God room to work his miracles.

Conversation with Dad: "you have to be careful around those (race of people), they're known for kidnapping pretty girls." That's the only time I can recall him calling me pretty. 

Alma 57:24 "I immediately gave orders that my men who had been wounded should be taken from among the dead." Severe battle wounds, but not unto destruction. Likewise, my sons (and all of us) may leave teenage years & life with battle wounds, but not unto the destruction of their souls. Our souls will receive blows, but not unto destruction.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” – Rick Warren

Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – Dr. John Trainer