Follow the Light!

A talk that Jeff and I heard on Sunday during General Conference that made us stop and think. In that talk we were challenged to pick out one verse of scripture each week and Ponderize on it. The speaker went on to say that Ponderize is not in the dictionary but his explanation of the word was it is more like a combination of 2 things.. the first is 80% should be pondering about this scripture and the other 20% was in memorizing the scripture. Then he went on to explain how to do that in 2 simple steps, here they are...

First, choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day.

Second, read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week.

Imagine the uplifting results of doing this weekly for six months, a year, 10 years, or more.

As you make this effort, you will feel an increase in spirituality. You will also be able to teach and lift those you love in more meaningful ways.

If you choose to ponderize weekly, you may feel a bit like a person who has enjoyed snorkeling in the past but has now decided to try scuba diving. With that decision, a deeper understanding of gospel principles will be yours and new spiritual perspectives will bless your life.

As you reflect on your selected verse each week, words and phrases will be written on your heart.⁴ Words and phrases will also be written on your mind. In other words, memorization will take place easily and naturally. But the primary goal of ponderizing is to provide an uplifting place for your thoughts to go—a place that keeps you close to the Spirit of the Lord.

The Savior said, “Treasure up in your minds continuallythe words of life.”⁵ Ponderizing is a simple and edifying way to do just that.

I have to admit, there are so many negative things in the world that floods our minds on a daily basis, through, Television, Radio and Internet. It is easy for our thoughts to become worried and discouraged. Why not have a higher place for our thoughts to go? It was a brillant idea and Jeff and I wanted to try and incorperate that in our day. Here is the scripture I picked...
St.John chapter 12

 35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

 36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. 

When I think of light, and people who have light in their lives, I am grateful to have them in my life. I am drawn to people who have that light, that hope, that happiness, that kindness that truly makes you want to be with them as much as you can. People who have that light, truly are the happiest people I know. I think that is exactly what type of people the Lord expects us to be at all times, not just on Sunday or when we know someone is watching us!
So this was one of the great spiritual message that I got this weekend.
I will let you know how it goes!
Good Night dear friends!

You can watch or read it yourself HERE:

The journey!

Throughout my life, I have always tried to take care of my body. But most of the time I was sick. As I got older, I realized how much the mind and body are connected and so... I began the long journey of healing both. The more I got healed on the inside, the clearer life became. Then I realized that it was vital as a Mother... to try to not only feed my kids well (which they have many stories to tell you about ), but to help them understand the Mind Body connection too!
It is a tough thing to teach to someone young, but vital for them to understand throughout their life.
Life is truly a journey!

"Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded."  ~ Goethe


Good night dear friends!

You almost have to read this twice...

I love quotes that make you really stop and think about your life, and this is one of those quotes. It is important to slow down and realize where our heart really is. It made me stop and evaluate my mind and my heart! Each day I will try harder to make sure that my thoughts are always in the right place.
Good night dear friends!

Side effects of cancer!

   A few weeks ago, I had mentioned that I had a few tests that I was concerned about. Now having survived Cancer twice, I am the first one to admit that just having Cancer...can give you side effects. I mean side effects other than the normal ones from the disease or the treatments. I am talking about the ones that happen in your mind and heart. If you were to ask me how often I think about Cancer now, compared to the first couple of years, I would say not often at all. Except when I get sick or find a lump or something that feels like a lump. Or if I get symptoms that I am not sure about or things like that. And I am sorry to admit but those side effects that come with them are the sick feeling that you get...the one that tells you that you can't do cancer again. The one that makes you sick to your stomach with worry, the one that makes all your thoughts focus on what MIGHT be wrong. The WHAT IFS are a terrible part of the side effects. A few nights before my tests, I cried during the night, I begged and pleaded with my Heavenly Father to either make everything come out normal on my tests, or if need be...make me equal to whatever trial I was going to face.

   Yes, Cancer does have side effects of the heart and mind like that. I don't have them very often but when I do, it is quite paralyzing and it totally drains my energy. So yesterday, I got the call back on one of my tests (that I had really been worried about ) and it came back perfectly normal (those were the nurse's words not mine ). I felt like jumping for joy, I immediately went back to my Heavenly Father and thanked Him for this chance to continue to live life to it's fullest. I have two more tests coming up in the next month or so I am trying to find my Happy Place, so I won't worry too much about them. I am telling you, these side effects are real and so hard to battle. I realize they are normal, but I sure don't like them or the way they make me feel. I know a lot of people would say to me "Just don't worry, I am sure it isn't anything". Actually that isn't really comforting, because that is exactly what people said when I went back in 3 years ago for a return mammogram... and it did end up being Cancer again. The truth is no one knows, so probably what I would rather hear is something like..." Oh Lynn, let's hope it isn't Cancer again, I will keep you in my prayers". That is about all we all can really do for each other any way. We can't stop bad things from happening to our family and friends, but we can have faith and pray hard for them...that is one thing we KNOW that works!

   So for all of you that suffered through my sad posts, and for those of you who kept me in your prayers...thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
    I wish I could say, I am better and won't have those type of side effects anymore, but I can't. I do realize that every year, they get a little less intense, so that is hopeful. Yes life is hard but... I am still grateful to wake up each day and spend it with my family, friends and YOU!!!!

"Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power."  ~ Blain Lee

"God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."  ~ Unknown

"The greatest battles of life are fought daily in the silent chambers of the soul."  ~ David O. McKay

Hitting the WALL!

Have you ever heard the statement made by many marathon runners, when they say "Around the 22nd mile, I hit the wall"?

Energy Dynamics 101

( Here's the scientific explanation )

“Hitting The Wall is basically about running out of energy,” says Dave Martin, Ph.D., Emeritus Regent’s Professor of Health Sciences at Georgia State University in Atlanta—chemical energy, that is, stored in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and obtained from the breakdown, or metabolism, of energy-containing fuel. The runner’s primary fuel sources are carbohydrates (in the form of blood glucose and glycogen, a polymer of glucose stored in the muscles and liver) and fats (free fatty acids in the bloodstream and muscle triglycerides, molecules containing three fatty acids).

I actually heard about it when I was on the track team, and our coach was explaining it and what to do to keep going AFTER you hit the wall. That mentality stayed with me for years, even though I wasn't running on the track, I was running or working or not sleeping so much ...that I continually hit the Wall, but remembered well, how to keep pushing and keep going. I actually thought that was a good thing?

Then I began to get so sick, and I was always trying to learn new ways to be healthy. One of the first things that I learned was how important it is not to push so hard, or so fast that you hit the Wall, that means your energy is gone and it seems like your shoes are filled with concrete. In healing your Mind and Body, you are taught to honor that Wall, recognize you are too tired, too sleepy, too worn out and to stop everything and let your body rejuvenate. What an odd concept that was to me, what a hard time I had learning that. But now I have to admit that more often than not, I do stop and rest.

Today however and actually for the past 3 days, I have Hit the Wall at some point and despite what I know, I kept pushing and totally ignored the wall. I realized tonight that I need to go back to honoring my body. Listen to what it is trying to tell me. The hard part for me is when it happens and I am doing things that I LOVE TO DO! I got to teach my Quilt Class today, which I love! Then I drove my son to an appointment, stopped and did some errands and then got ready and went and taught a class at church tonight. What a HIGH I am on, but oh...my body is paying for it. So I am telling you that ...I do know better, and I can't keep doing that or my body will get sick. So I am going to try to pace myself more. Why is it, even at my age...I am still learning so many lessons, and some of them OVER and OVER again?  Actually, you don't have to answer that... I know the answer! I will try to do better tomorrow.
Good night dear friends!

 

"Respect your efforts, respect yourself.  Self-respect leads to self-discipline.  When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power."  ~Clint Eastwood

"Take care of your body.  It's the only place you have to live."  ~Jim Rohn

"The body never lies."  ~Martha Graham

"Sometimes your body is smarter than you are."  ~Author Unknown

 

 

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Going to my Happy Place!

   It is just something we have always said to the kids, when something seems to hard for them to handle...like a Dental appointment, we tell them to just go to their Happy Place. I know that is much easier said than done, but there are times in our lives that we have to do that. For me it is an imaginary place, where I can get my head wrapped around whatever big task it is in front of me. I know where my real Happy Place is ... my home ( especially my sewing room ) but the Happy Place in my head takes quite a bit of effort to get there.
   I guess that really is what life is all about isn't it? Dentist's appointments, Doctor's appointment, waiting for lab results, anticipating a child leaving home, the worry of unemployment and on and on. I believe that everyone at one time in their life has to learn to go to their Happy Place. And for some of us ( lucky ) ones, we have to go there sometimes even once a day!.
   It really is a matter of faith for me. I know that I have to do something that is hard, that I really don't want to do, but it must be done. In some situations like I mentioned before, they can give you drugs to make you calm down or have the feeling of "whatever". I on the other hand am allergic to many of the drugs and so I don't have that luxury...I just have to go to my Happy Place!
   So I will take a deep breath, remember all the things I have accomplished before (that I never thought I could),and just close my eyes and get to my Happy Place as soon as possible. I do think this is Mind over Matter and for me...it takes a lot of FAITH and PRACTICE!

"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."  ~Mary Engelbreit

"Every thought is a seed.  If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious."  ~Bill Meyer

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."  ~William James