Love with all your Heart: Plain and Simple

Dear Sisters,

We are seeing every day more and more hate among our fellow Americans. At one point, I was worried about terrorists harming us, but they don't have to do anything, because we are destroying each other with violent acts of hate.

I have asked myself so many times, "What can I do to help build the kingdom of God among people that are filled with anger and frustration, so much so that they think the only way to deal with things is to take the lives of others".

Here is the problem, as I see it, righteous women are not doing enough, plain and simple. I hear the voices of those who feel offended, and those who think they are have every right to say, do and take what ever they want. I don't hear Christian women standing up for what they know is right. An example; it is not hateful to fight for our privacy from the other sex in public bathrooms. We have to protect our children and ourselves. What is is more important protecting our children or giving anyone the option of using any bathroom they feel they want to use? There has to be another way, but it's not going to happen unless we stand up for what we know is right. Our side needs to be heard, but we have to do it in a way that is not hateful.

I have no issue with any person in this world, as long as they don't harm others. They can live whatever way they want, but if they ask me or include me in a conversation, I will stand for God's way and tell them their choices are not right in the sight of God and his people. But I will never make them feel like they are less than a child of God.

I have been praying lately to be more loving, of all people. It's not easy because I have lived a life time of certain ideals and beliefs. But I have found my lifetime has made me judgemental, and that is not right.  So, I need to make some changes through devoted prayer, and trying to not look at people with thoughts in my mind about the choices that others make. We can accomplish anything we set our minds to but it won't always be easy.

However, if we show God that we are trying then we will get the help we need to make things right. Now, I am not saying we condone the wrong that is being done, and just sit back while this great nation falls apart. No, we need to be heard and let the world know that we don't want certain things that are harmful to our families.

We have sat back for way too long, and not enough of us are willing to fight for righteousness. If we stand together we can make a mighty change, but we must stand together in love and unity. Don't be afraid that you will be labeled as a prud, or a bigot. Stand firm and strong in all that is good. We will have the angels to stand with us.

I get pretty frustrated with people who don't communicate, like at work, I send emails to people about issues and they don't respond. I don't know if they read my email, or are working on the issue, or even just ignoring me. How hard is it to email me back and say something like, "We are currently working on the issue and will get back to you by the end of the day", or something like that. It's a common courtesy.

I think the same thing is happening in the hate that we are feeling in today's world. We don't listen to each other. People are quick to blame another, and not even know the person they are mad at. More than half the people who die or get hurt by an angry person are innocent. If you have a beef with someone, go to the person, not someone else. How hard is that?

And, you don't have to go with malice in your heart. We all have good and bad days, if someone offends you, take a moment to see the whole picture. Do an act of kindness for that person, to see if they are just having a bad day. We can't walk in someone else's shoes, there are so many factors in a person's life that make them act the way they do. We never know what tragedy they have experienced, or what underlying problems that exist in their lives. 

All we can do is stop taking things personally, stop being selfish and see if we can help make someone's day better, in hopes of saving the lives of others.

Sister, if we are going to protect our families and friends, we need to start showing more love to all those we meet on a daily basis. A simple smile or hello, can make all the difference in the life of someone hurting; just a small moment can do miracles in a hard world.

The scriptures tell us the hearts of many will be cold, and we do see that today, especially in the lives of our young people. What can you do to help them feel love again? Many of them have been given a stinky life, and they know no other way. We are all given the Light of Christ in our heart to know right from wrong but without someone to lead and guide, that light can quickly be burned out. Stop judging and start finding a way to help.

Think about it but remember to never put yourself or anyone else in harms way. Lets talk more, share a Coke and smile, (teeheehee, I work for Coke). Recognize that we are all different and lets take a moment to see what another might be feeling. Find a way to show the love and blessing we have in our lives. Blessing don't have to be monetary, but can be a sincere listening ear.

Jesus showed us how to love all people, we don't have to agree with their life style but we don't have to hate them for it either. That goes for anyone who is living a life style that is not Christian, don't hate us either. We are not here to judge but to help. If you don't want religion or our help then that is your choice but don't take my religion from me. If I want to mention God or pray then let me because that is my safe place, that is how I feel.  If it is offensive to you simple tell me and I will see what I can do to still maintain my freedom of religion and allow you to maintain your freedom to not have to endure it.

It's time to act now before Satan gets into the hearts and steals the lives of our brothers and sisters. He can't ever win, but he can try to take as many lives down with him as he can. We can't let him do that. We are stronger than him, we will win the battle if we stand firm and show love to all people. We just need to communicate and have a loving heart; it's that easy, plain and simple.

All my Love

Hello My Righteous Sisters,

Happy Easter!!! This is such an important day for mankind. I wonder how many people really know that? Today signifies new life, life everlasting, and it was all for us. Do people know what Jesus has done for us? Do we really understand the concept of the Atonement of Jesus Christ for us?

These are things we should be contemplating on a daily basis, not just Easter or Christmas. We should be thinking about how we can become more like Him so that His sacrifice will not be wasted. I look at his examples and see many things we could be doing, but today I would like to talk about showing compassion for those who suffering.

I am currently sitting in the hospital with my youngest daughter who is an unmarried young adult. She has a few health issues, but we came in a little over two weeks ago and are still here with some new issues. We have seen many people come and go, some as roommates with my daughter or some in rooms across the hall from us.

Unfortunately, some have not had anyone to come visit them (unlike my daughter who can't get rid of me). I was saddened by this because I could feel their loneliness. Jesus gave of his time to talk to and heal the sick and lonely. Most of us can't heal but we can certainly share our time with those who are sick and lonely.

For those patients in the hospital who had family visiting and caring for them, it was easy to see the love that was being poured out on their loved ones. But could they give of themselves like that for a stranger? I asked that of myself as well. I have never been in love with the medical field and chose to go a different path than most of my extended family who did choose jobs in the medical field. But having to be here with my daughter and help her through this journey has opened my eyes to things I never thought I would see.

It has also opened my heart to those who are alone in the hospital all day. I wonder if I can put aside my lack of desire to be around anything medical, to visit and share time with those who are sick and lonely, and stuck in the hospital?

Easter Message

I know this is something I can do to become more like Jesus. If being in the hospital environment is too much for me I know there are others that would love for someone to come visit them in their homes. At church, we could ask our clergy who in our congregation, could use a visitor. That could be a good place to start. Or, perhaps we have some neighbors or family that need a visit. There are so many places we could start. We just have to ask for direction and listen to the Spirit for that direction so we know who needs our unique gifts and friendship.

God gave each of talents and gifts for the purpose of sharing with one another to help each other along the path of life and back to our Father in Heaven. Becoming like Jesus requires effort on our part. So I would ask that you look at your life and responsibilities and see what time you have to give to another. Perhaps you don't have time to visit people, another place you could help someone is when you are in a waiting room for an appointment. The Spirit may prompt you to smile and share some kind words to a person sitting next to you. There are always opportunities to help uplift another, mostly by just listening to someone who is lonely.

I pray you will seek those who need to feel loved and know that they are not alone. You never know, but you just might be the answer to someone's prayer.

All my love

Becoming like Jesus Christ - Obedience, the First Law of Heaven

My Dear Sisters,

Today, I would like to begin a series of posts that will help us to learn how to become more Christ like. If we can become more like Him, who was perfect, then we can be strengthened in faith and endurance. We will have the promised blessings that come only through obedience to that law. Each month we can learn a new attribute and work to apply it in our lives so that we can be on a path to becoming Christ like.

"When we obtain any blessings from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
D&C 130:21

First, we must learn what we are to obey. What are the laws of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We will learn that through scripture study. However; we all know some laws already like the 10 Commandments so we could start there. Choose a commandment and start applying it to your life.

More than likely you are not murderers so choose one you are having problems with, like lying. Most people have issues of lying so this could be a place to start learning how to become obedient to that commandment. When you fall short in this law don't give up but remember the Atonement of Jesus Christ and and pray for forgiveness then continue working on it. It won't happen over night and you will be tested from time to time but work hard to overcome the weakness and live a more perfect life.

"As we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenants with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life...obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson




By following the laws of the Gospel and commandments we have promised blessings in our lives. As Elder Christofferson said, as we are obedient we will always have blessings and guidance in our lives.  Wow, that is good to know. I can testify that it is true. I have experienced continued blessings in my life so many times. And now I know that it is because of my persistence in trying to be obedient.

Let me share one example with you. I am from the East, but I had an opportunity to live in the West. I love the West. It is where I belong, or so I thought, well it's where my heart is. Anyway, for a few years I kept feeling like I should consider moving back East to Florida but I would always resist and stayed there. One year I finally asked myself why I wanted to stay so badly and I realized that I loved my life there. I wanted to live the rest of my life there, I was so happy.

But that year I felt very strongly that I should move my family back East. I prayed a lot and struggled a lot with the decision to move back. My heart was broken and cried as I left the home and my life that I came to know and love. But I began to focus on my new life. I wasn't a pleasant person to be around for a little while because I was not happy to be back. But I knew I was being obedient to the prompting I received so I tried to find some happiness in being there. That year we were welcomed back with 4 hurricanes, I left Florida after experiencing Andrew in South Florida, so needless to say, I was very unhappy.



I began to pray about my life and why I was there. I chose to follow the prompting and as I began to live my life there I came to see several reasons why we needed to be there. One reason is my children really didn't know their family well because we only visited every other year. So this gave them the experience of cousins, grandparents, etc. They have come to love those people they call family.

Another reason has to do with my bio-dad. I never got to have a real good relationship with him because he remarried and had a new family. But after I moved back we had a small falling out because I never went to see him, and he lived about 45 mins away from me but I drove 4 hours to see his grandmother, his mom. So he was mad at me but I felt like he could come see me too.

After a few months I got a message that he was in the hospital and it wasn't good. I vowed at that time that I would go see him as often as I could and I was blessed with another year and a half with him before he passed away. I was also blessed with the peace in knowing I had done my part in the relationship. I couldn't have done that living far away.

There are so many other reasons why it was good for us to be in Florida at this time of our lives. I have prayed recently about moving back west again, and I received an answer that I should wait another 3 years. I don't know why but I believe that if I am obedient I will be blessed with the knowledge and peace of mind that I need to make these changes again. I will be blessed in ways I can't see at this time. I know and trust Him with my life.

I will never forget that obedience is the first law of Heaven. If Jesus is my example then I have to make obedience my priority forever. I pray you will seek to perfect yourself in this area in becoming more like Jesus.

All my love

Service - This Is How We Can Become Like Our Savior

Hello My Dear Righteous Sisters!

Now that my children are grown I have been trying to find out what God would have me do with my time. I have looked at several different things but one thing I keep asking myself is how can I become like my Savior; how can I love as He loved?

I wanted to be able to see people through His eyes so that I could love them as He does. Earlier this month I had my eyes of understanding opened as I realized that to love everyone as He does is to do acts of service for them. When we serve our hearts are open and we begin to feel the love of our Savior in our lives and for the person/people we are serving.

Wow, that was very simple, or is it? Jesus lived a life of service and so can we. He was the perfect example of love and we should be looking to His life as our example. We do this by reading and studying the scriptures about His life. Once we know the scriptures we can act more like Him. We can make better choices and use of our time.

I learned that He wants me to be like Him, who is like the Father. There is no happier way to find peace and joy in our lives than to live like Jesus did. This world needs more people like Him. So, I thought that my blogs for 2016 should focus on how we can become more like Him. By becoming more like Him and doing what He did we will find peace and joy in our lives as we bring peace and joy to others.

However it's not always as easy as it sounds. The key to all of this is to act. We can learn everything about Him and how we should live our lives but if we do not act it will all be for nothing. The pure love of Christ is to act in service for our fellow man. We all have struggles in this world, its necessary for our growth, but we all need each other and those acts of kindness can help strengthen us and those we serve.

To serve one another is to love one another, and to love one another means we are becoming like Him who is the greatest of all.

Merry Christmas!!!

 All my love

Why do you Think Abortion is your Only Option?

Hello my Dear Sisters of this World,

I was out running errands this morning and saw a sign at the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Mango, Florida. It was talking about abortion and remembering the lives of the babies and their mothers. It made me think a little about this issue. I have participated in fasts and lots of prayers for this to stop but it's obvious that abortion is here to stay. I truly doubt it will ever go back to being an illegal practice, doesn't mean I will stop praying that it does, but I just think that it will never change.

However, a thought came to me, I call it inspiration, and it said we need to convince women that there are other options. If we can't make the practice of abortion go away then let's help women see the other choices they can make and why it is the best thing to do. Threats and making someone feel horrible about themselves hasn't worked, so there has to be a better way.

Lets look at this for a moment.  We should ask ourselves the question why does a women decide to do this? I can think of several reasons but I may not say them without it sounding hateful and I certainly do not hate these women who choose to do this. We can't walk in their shoes but we can show them that the other options can bring a sense of happiness in making a choice to let the baby live.

The Lord has commanded us not to take another persons life, it is a sin when we break a commandment and this is a commandment. But we can choose to avoid the sin by looking at the other options that are available when a baby is not the best thing for the mother at that time.

 “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it”  (D&C 59:6)

What are the options? Of course the best option is for the birth mom to keep her baby but sometimes that is not possible. So we have to think of other options with her. One choice is to have the child and give it up for adoption. Adoption is not a horrible thing. Have you ever seen a woman who is unable to have a child of her own. Her heart is so broken every time she see's a new baby. She knows that she may never hold a child of her own. Do you know that by making a choice to give her the baby will bring joy to so many people. It will bring happiness to the new mom, the baby, and giver of the life! That's a lot of good that is being done.

There are programs available where the birth mother can choose who she wants her baby to go to. That is awesome to be able to choose the home the baby will be raised. Some people are even good about letting the birth mother be involved in the child's life as well, now that is amazing. What a good heart on both sides.

 Life doesn't have to be filled with hatred and ill feelings towards one another, make any situation a good thing. The birth mom goes on with her life and still get's to see her child grow and the adoptive mom gets to raise a baby as her own. Peace (long sigh) of heart and mind. To me that is the only option. But there are other options, the key is to not make abortion an option.

We have to show love and not judgement to the birth mom, she needs moral support and sometimes financial support. What are we willing to do to avoid the decision of abortion? That is something that is between you, the birth mom and Heavenly Father. When we include Him in our decision we always choose the right one, doesn't mean life will be all wonderful and perfect, but it does mean it will be the right one and everyone will be blessed for it.

Now perhaps you are thinking about a very young girl, or a victim of rape, or even a mother who's life is on the line. Those are good examples of the fight today. People use those instances as a valid reason to have legal abortion options. But as I always say when we give in to something for the benefit of good, it gets abused and turned around so itis used for bad.

But even with those situations I would think the baby is worth fighting for as well. No, I have never been in that situation, nor have I known anyone that was ever in that situation but I would try to help the mom to see that the baby is a victim as well. We all experience challenges and trials in our lives but it's what we do with them that makes or breaks us. So if a person is raped, no matter the age, the mom can get help to get her through the tough times she will have in carrying the child. It will not be easy and it is a hard choice to make, but in the long run it can give the personal healing power to her soul.

As for the health of the mother, that is a tough one too. I think one of the saddest things in life is when a mother dies and leaves her young family. I'm sure it is one of the most unfair things in life. But God'd plan is one that we do not always undersand. The choice in all these situations is between the mother and God; we can not judge. We can only try to help no matter the choice.

I had a young friend who was pregnant and she did not want to be. I remember her calling me and asking for advice. I tried and tried to talk her out of the thoughts of abortion. She was a Christian but she was just so overwhelmed with grief. She had  broke up with the young man for a good reason but she did not want to raise a child alone. I was so heartbroken when she told me she had the abortion, but I couldn't let her see my disappointment in her decision.  I had made a lot of wrong choices in my life so I was not in a situation to judge her decision, all I could do is let her cry on my shoulder and be her friend.

I know she has her regrets but all we can do it try to help them make a good choice and if they don't , be as supportive as we can. I will not back down on my fight against abortion and the taking of a life. I believe woman should choice to save the life of the baby and then if she can not raise it , give it to a home where it can be raised in a good environment. Prayer and reflection on the situation will only aid in the decision. May God direct our lives for the good of everyone. And may He be allowed to direct your decision in the matter of abortion whether you are the birth mother or someone who cares enough to help someone make the best choice, and that is for all life.

Would Jesus have condemned the mother? No, he would have showed her love and support. He would have done everything He could to show her the best choices. And yes, he would have been disappointed if she chose to have the abortion. But we are given the gift of freedom of choice, and with that comes consequences of our choices. Not ones that are decided by people but ones that go with choices that are made.

We have to stand as righteous women and fight against evil. The person is not normally evil but the act of abortion is. I pray that God will direct your path to doing good in this fight for life. Love as Jesus loves and help build up His Kingdom.

All my love!!!

Enough! Are you Spiritually Prepared?

My Dear Sisters,

I have so enjoyed all the spiritual messages we have been given today in General Conference. I always pray ahead of time that I will be in the right spirit in order to hear the messages from our Heavenly Father. I fear some do not prepare for General Conference as they should.

We are counseled to fast and pray for answers to our problems and challenges in life; to receive messages that the Lord would have us know during our conference. But how can you be spiritually prepared if all you are doing is looking for the negative. You are missing out on some good things because you are not spiritually prepared.

For those of you who are not members of my faith, every 6 months we have a General Conference where all the members of the church go to a church building or watch on TV, our church leadership as they speak and uplift us with good messages about how we can become better people by following after the example of Jesus Christ. They suggest ways we can do this and how we can strengthen ours families and others. We do this within 5 meetings in 2 days. I always walk away from the conference uplifted and inspired to change my ways to become more like Jesus.

I would say to all those who are complaining about things they don't like in the church, you need to stand back and be honest with yourself. Ask, "Why am I in this church?" If you do not sustain the leadership then you do not sustain God. If you have a problem with the choices made in this church, by our leadership, then you need to take it up with God! These are men of God and I will testify to this because I have received witness of these men at different times in my life.

This is Christ's church!!! He will have it ran on His terms, and not ours. I fear some sisters believe in the leadership but do not want to say anything for fear of offending someone else. But remember we all have a voice and we should stand up for what we believe in, too. If all those who question the leaders can say what ever they want then why can't we? It is time for us to stand up for truth and righteousness. There is man's ways, and then there is Gods ways, and they often times do not fall in line with each other. The question is who's way do you stand for? Once you figure this out then stand up for those ways.

This is the time that was predicted that men's hearts would fail them and we can see this happening. If you have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ then now is the time to renew that testimony through some of the counsel we received today. Hold to the Iron Rod, get back into reading and studying the scriptures and you will see what God wants you to see, what he wants you to do.

Sisters, I love you and I know God loves you. And, you have every right to voice your concerns about things that bother you but there is a wrong way and a right way. Be sure you know what God's plan is before you take a fight to the leaders of His church.

We are living in a time where there are no more gray areas. We are either on the right side or the wrong, we need to be sure we know which is which. I pray for you every day to make the right choices in the right ways. Turn your hearts to God and know what He would have you do, be spiritually prepared to receive the answers God would have you receive. You will then be able to sustain your choices.

All my love

Stand as Light to the World

Dear Sisters,

Wow, what a mess this world is becoming. This wonderful country that we live in is supposed to be a place of righteousness and protection, but our own country is so filled with evil and hatred. My blog today is for you, as righteous women, to take a stand for God; become that beacon of Light for all to see. The world needs us now more than ever.

So many souls are lost and don't know where to go for help. As God's beacon we can illuminate the way back to God. As Christian women we shouldn't be fighting against one another saying who's religion is right or wrong, but we should take the good part of all of us and reach out to the poor of spirit, or those who are struggling with life or, those who are blind to the ways of God.

We have been blessed with much good in our lives and now we are to take that good and share it with others. Most will not want to see God's ways, and will turn away from us but even one soul in need can make a difference in the joy of our hearts and the glory of God.

I was reading the other day in the scriptures about what God's whole purpose is for us. It says, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)" That means His whole purpose is to help us gain eternal life, to live forever in joy with Him. That is awesome! It woke me up as I realized that God's plan is all about me, and everyone else, but it's all about me!!!

So, if that is God's plan, and I am in a good place right now, then aren't I supposed to take the blessings that God has given me and share them with others? And as I do, I realize that I am helping to build His kingdom by bringing souls unto Christ. What a concept, my goals in life changed at that moment of understanding.

So where do we begin? Look at this world, our own countries and towns. Instead of loving people we are learning to hate and kill them. What's wrong with that picture? It's not Gods way, it's Satan's way. He is laughing at us as we are destroying our brothers and sisters. Where is the peace on earth, goodwill to all men? Well, it has to start with us.

Righteous women we can no longer stand on the fence, it's time to choose a side and take a stand. We can all join together to fight against the evil one. So we start by committing ourselves to God and his plan, not mans. We have to say that we are willing to be instruments in His hands, then go and do.

There are a lot of battles going on over family, marriage bonds, and issues of race. There are issues of immigration, and child protection. There are so many places to take a stand and fight. The battle for God is not necessarily a physical one but a battle of the mind , heart, and soul. There are homeless people in our country, and those in abusive situation. There are those lost to alcohol and drugs. There are so many who are lost and can not find their way. They need us now.

We don't have to preach at them, but love them by helping them. Words are probably not going to make a difference with most people but our actions will. If we will stop and help our neighbor, or a person standing in line at the store, or volunteer to help at a hospital - we will see a big difference in the way people feel about the world around them; we can give them hope. And that is what we all need, hope mingled with faith will bring souls to the right place.

Never give up on a person, keep being a friend. Don't put yourself in a dangerous position but help where you can. Pray for guidance and listen for the answer, it will come. God loves you and will bless your life as you bless those for good.

There is a story where a man was walking on the beach and saw someone pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean, The man remarked that this person couldn't possible save all the starfish that washed up on the shore. The person smiled and said no, maybe not, and bent down picked up a starfish then threw it in the sea, and said but I just saved that one.

We won't be able to lead everyone back to God but maybe we can help with this one, or that one. All we have to do is try, and God will do the rest. Let's fix what we can, or at least stand firm in God's plan. He needs us to do our part now, before it's too late. Never give up, keep fighting for what we know is right and pleasing to God. We may find it exhausting but that's why we are here; to
continue the fight until our Savior returns.

All my love

First Pray, Then Listen, and Don't Forget to Act

My Dear Sisters,

Last month I talked briefly about praying to our Heavenly Father. He loves us and wants to hear from us each and every day. But prayer is a part of a two way communication, speaking and listening. Many people don't think our Father speaks to us but He does, all the time.

Can you imagine calling your parents and doing all the talking? Would your parents not speak back? Of course they would and so does Heavenly Father. However, we have to learn how to listen and recognize his voice and promptings, then act upon what we learn. I would like to share with you how to recognize His messages to you.



Our Heavenly Father talks to us in different ways. I have had the blessing of hearing a still small voice. I have heard it in dreams as I woke up in the mornings. I have heard it quiet places. I have heard it as I pondered my questions. It was always amazing to me to feel that love and know He has answered me.

Sometimes we feel a peaceful feeling when He answers us. As we toil over an issue in our lives we are told to research our choices and make a decision, then take it to Him in prayer. If we feel peace and good about our decision then he is manifesting it is a correct one. Sometimes we may feel a burning around our heart. But if we feel absolutely nothing or are still confused or unsettled then we need to rethink our choice.

Sometimes our answers come when we are reading something, or a thought comes to our mind. I am learning to recognize the constant companion I have in the Holy Ghost helping to understand what my Father would have me know. I can't count the times I have made a decision about something not knowing why and found later that I was lead by the Spirit. I was so happy to see that I listened to Him.

Sometimes He answers our prayers through others as they come to our aid or say something that triggers an answer to our prayers. I have stood before a congregation and bore my testimony only to find that it was the answer to a question that someone was searching for. Or vice-versa, for me, I have heard people say things that was exactly what I needed to hear.



There are so many ways that He answers us and let's us know He is listening and cares about our worries. But with that in mind how is it then that the world is in so much trouble. Our Father has given us all the tools we need to live happy and successful here in this earth. He continues to be there for us and help us, as we need, on our journey. He has given us the Holy Spirit to always be with us. He hears us and loves us so much.

I can never deny knowing He is there because He has protected me from danger. He has blessed me with the things I need in life because of obedience. He has held me in times of great sorrow and loss. He has  given me courage to walk away from things that are not good for me. He has blessed me with opportunities to see the beauty of nature. He has blessed me with joy in witnessing a new life and the passing of an old one.



I could go on and on because I have been blessed to see those things that bring the greatest joy simply by being obedient, and keeping a good communication open with Him through constant prayers as well as putting myself in a place to recognize His communication to me. I feel so loved; how can I not be happy?

But I will say there are times that I fall and have to be reminded that He is there helping me. And for that I am truly grateful. I can do anything with the knowledge that He loves me and each one of us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So all you have to do is talk to Him and then listen for His answers because He is always there.



Once you receive your answer or are prompted to do something then act upon it. Don't doubt just go and do. Everything always works out even if you don't know how to make it happen. I loved my life in Utah and wanted to live there for the rest of my life but I kept feeling the prompting to move back to Florida where most of my family were. Finally, after a couple of years of struggling with leaving my life there, I found the courage to move my family where the Lord would have us be.

I have been back for 11 years now and have found many reasons as to why we needed to be here. If I had not acted upon what I was told by my Father above, I would have missed very important blessings and direction for my life, and that of my families. It was the right thing to do and I love Him for leading me back to Florida, even though I still want to live out west.

Also, never forget to thank Him for those blessings and answers. It is easy to find the answers and forget to thank the One who sent them. Gratitude is the key to more of what we need.

Until next month, I pray God's blessing on you as you turn your heart to Him and start that journey with Jesus as your Savior and example.

All my love!!!

p.s. Next blog post will be Sept. 6th. See you then!

I Will Do What the Lord Will Have Me Do

My Dear Sisters,

I have been remiss in my writings for quite some time due to my discouragement of not having any readers. Seemed the only time anyone viewed my blog was when I had crafts, food or the like. Was anyone reading my blog for it's true purpose?

So what is the purpose you may ask? The title of this blog should say it all, it's to help all women to stand up for righteousness; righteousness is goodness, to stand for all that is good. We must stand up for this each and every day of our lives. If we don't, well, if we don't then we will continue to go the way the world is going and that's not so good. Open your eyes sisters and see where we were, where we are, and where we are heading. I know it's not pretty, but we have to see what is happening around us and how we can do what ever it takes to protect those that we love and help others to do the same.



I have prayed for direction and divine purpose for the messages that come from this blog. You are welcome to comment how you feel, but remember that because I have prayed for Divine guidance, you will be arguing with God. So think your argument through very carefully because He always wins.

So over the past few months I have been praying for what I should be doing with my life, now that my children are all adults. Well of course, I still have to be a mom and give my opinion to things in their lives, and be the best Graggy (that's what my grand-kids call me) I can be. But I have asked the Lord what HE would have me do. I kept getting the same feeling about writing. I have good book ideas that have been in my head for years but the thought about this blog came to mind several times.

I was reading something the other day that talked about developing our talents, well I knew writing was something I needed to work on so it all began to make more sense that my part of building the Kingdom was through writing in this blog and other things, which you will learn about a few months, or so down the road.

I worried that no one would read it, or I wouldn't have anything worthwhile to say but I was assured that I just needed to do my part and He would do the rest. So that's how I got back here. This blog won't be about arts and crafts, food, or any how tos, but it will be about things that I see can that might be a help to you in raising your family, standing for truth and righteousness in all things, and to help you build God's Kingdom here on Earth.



So in my message today, I believe I should be talking about prayer because I can truly testify that He hears and answers our prayers. Since this blog is not only for followers of Jesus Christ perhaps some of you have never prayed so I want to talk about that today.  My blogs will be short and too the point, and I will only be putting a message out monthly, planning on the first Sunday of every month.

So here we go; when we pray we should pray to the one and only true God. When we pray we talk to him sincerely and freely about what ever we want to talk about; it's like talking to your mom or dad. Just tell Him what you want, He already knows what you want or need but it helps us if we tell him what we want or need. The why's behind that will have to be saved for another blog post.

He wants to hear from us, like our earthly parents he wants that weekly call, more like daily, or even more often. He wants to be a part of our lives. And when we trust in Him to answer with our best interest at heart, we will find that He really does love us and will always answer our prayers, not always the way we expect but the way that is best for us.

So a small thought, as we look at this world around us what should we be praying for? Our enemies for sure, all those who are standing for God and good things of this world, and definitely our families to be strong and good. There are so many things we can pray for, we just have to give it some good thought.



Jesus Christ taught us how to pray to the Father in the New Testament, see Matt 6:9-13 . When we pray we should always open with calling on His name like Dear Heavenly Father, or Our Gracious Heavenly Father, something like that.

Then we need to thank Him for everything in our lives. Gratitude is one of the most important elements of worship. When we show gratitude we can easily be blessed with more because our Father knows we appreciate the gifts that He showers us with, and yes, trials are things we should be thankful for because we can grow so much through the things we experience in our lives.

After we thank Him we need to ask for what we want or need. He will answer our prayers and it's usually through someone else. If we, who are Christians, are listening to the Spirit we will be prompted to do things we would not normally do on our own. This is a two sided blessing; to the giver and the receiver. A lot of our prayers will be answered with a peaceful feeling that everything will be fine.

I remember once struggling with finances, and I was exhausted after working all day in a physical job, I became very emotional. I prayed for help with my struggles then I received a spiritual message saying, "Why are you crying? You know everything always works out for the best." The peace came and I knew my prayers had been answered. And, as always, things worked out.

Then we close with our Savior Jesus Christ's name, and an Amen. So it would be something like - in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. It can be that simple. It all just needs to be from your heart. The heart is key to your physical body and it is key to your spiritual self.  So pray from the heart.

Now that you know how to pray you should pray for spiritual guidance to know what to do in your life, as I have done. Then put yourself in places to hear the Spirit talk to you. He is always talking to us but there is so much worldly noise that we can not hear what He is saying. Remember the still small voice, that is Him. Go to quiet places and listen. Your thoughts will be directed for His work, for good work, one that will bring you and those you serve much joy in this life.



Well, I have made this longer than I said I would but I hope you have learned something or been reminded of things you already knew today. God loves each and everyone one of us and He knows each and everyone of us individually, like a parent knows their children. If you truly want to serve God or just do good, then it starts with prayer and receiving that guidance to do what He would have you do. Start your journey with God through prayer, and I promise you will find true joy and love in your heart.

All my love

P. S. My next blog post is scheduled for Aug 2, 2015- Help God get these messages out, share with everyone.

America Foretold in Matthew

So I have been studying the New Testament focusing on the 4 Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As I was reading in Matthew 21, I found verse 43 which says;
Matthew 21:43

"Therefore say I unto you, The ^akingdom of God shall be ^btaken from you, and ^cgiven to a ^dnation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

He was talking to the Jews about this. He told them that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be given to another nation to bring forth the fruits, what are the fruits? Doing good, building the Kingdomof God and we do that through missionary work, to save souls. And what nation is He talking about? He is talking about the American continent.

Look at the rich history we have in such a short span of time. Once this country was founded real growth began. This country began its history on grounds of religious freedom. Once people were allowed to worship as they pleased and allowed to act upon the principles of the Gospel, this country began to blossom.

Who can deny it? God Please Bless America. I love this land which has been blessed so greatly by our Father in Heaven. Let's help Him keep it free from evil and tirany.

Quiet Toys as Easy as 1-2-3

When my children were young I would sometimes let them bring one toy to play with during family church time but they still weren't very quiet. My son would make action  figure sounds, or my daughter would pretend out loud. Sometimes it was embarrassing, and we were always afraid of taking away from the spirit of the meeting.

But President Monson said once in a Stake Conference, "Parents, don't worry that your children are not quiet during meeting times, we have to remember that they are big spirits in tiny bodies full of wiggles." We all laughed. But we still wanted to teach our children that they needed to be quiet and reverent at church.


So we went to coloring books or reading books quietly. That worked but never lasted the whole time of the family meeting. Then one day someone behind us let my children play with a quiet toy that they had made. It was awesome and my kids loved it.

Creating a Sunday bag is a good idea that can be helpful in keeping little ones quieter. A couple of treats, mess free, are good starters. Some picture books are good during the passing of the sacrament.

You can create your own sacrament books by finding pictures of the things Jesus did while on this earth. Put them inside a clear page holder and then put them inside a small binder. You could even create a book of nature (animals, flowers, etc) doing the same thing.

Here are some ideas that I have found for making quiet time toys. I hope they are helpful and easy as 1-2-3 to create.

Make a felt play board, the instructions are as easy as 1-2-3:
1) find a small box with a lid.
2) glue a piece of felt to fit the inside of the lid
3) cut out different kinds of felt pieces to create pictures, they store inside the box

 Make a seek and find bag:
1) take a zipper pencil bag with a window in it
2) fill it with beads and misc shaped items, shake it up good, after it is zippered
3) make list of the misc items for your children to seek for, while looking through the window,  among the beads, make sure you put in enough beads in it to make it a little challenging for the kids to find.

Lace Cards
1) Create a few patterns like the one in the picture and create cut outs from foam squares
2) Use a single hole punch and spread wholes about an inch apart.
3) Get shoe string laces to guide in and out of holes.

This last one is a Popsicle stick puzzle:
1) Paint Popsicle stick several different colors
2) create designs on white paper squares using different colors to match Popsicle sticks.
3) have children try to create the design on the paper using the Popsicle sticks.

Well, those are just a few ideas, there are tons more that are so easy to make and helpful in quiet time needs. Have fun creating!!!

Family Search for Family History

Family Search is a LDS Church owned web site. Family Search has made leaps and bounds recently to create a better webpage and collection of data. Everyday they are progressing to create tools to help with your family history search. Here is the link, take a look and see all the new stuff. It's open to everyone throughout the world.

Familysearch.org

It was just announced that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have free access in the near future to some paid websites like Ancestry.com and Myheritage.com. This is awesome. Family Search has also made deals with many places to give us access to important documents and even obituaries. That's even more awesome.

I can see God's hand in this work because of technology is rapidly changing for good, and it is making the search for ancestors more possible and easier. I love that and it should inspire many to want to seek for those who has gone before us.

With all this new research processes in place, we first need to turn our heart to our families.

The prophet Joesph Smith said,"The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead..." HC 6:312

Wow, that made an impact on me. I have thought a lot about this and found that he was talking to me. This is my greatest responsibility. When I started looking for names and putting together my family history, they were just names but when I started studying more about them and the times that they lived in, they started becoming more than just names. AND...when I took those names to the temple the true meaning of it all...God's purpose...began to unfold before me. My heart was turning to my fathers and I couldn't get enough of it.

Family History work is now my passion. I love this work and joy that comes with finding family and developing my tree. One thing that was an eye opener was when I started tracing the female side of the tree. It was easier to find the stuff on the male line but when I started working on the female lines I realized that there were so many more people to see.

I truly can see now how we are all related, as you do one line then the next and on and on.. your story never ends. And we are all connected, Family Search is trying to show us just that, we are all one big family.

I hope you will look in your hearts to see and understand this great work that God has entrusted to us. The work that brings us all together as God's family. Our ancestors need us to do this for them, the work that they can no longer do. And we need them to help us grow in understanding God's plan for us. I love my Heavenly Father for this great plan of happiness because I know the joy I get from doing this work.

High Cost of Milk

Good Grief!!! Milk costs what now!!!

I cannot believe I am paying over $4 for a gallon of milk. I think it's time to buy a cow. Or...maybe there are other solutions. I have been able to find it under $4 by going to places like Dollar General and Family Dollar, you have to shop around to find the best prices but if everyone goes to the same place does the demand for more milk increase the price (economics 101)?

With cost aside, milk is a necessity in life. Milk gives us certain vitamins for healthy bones and teeth. I read an article recently that list 3 reasons all people, of any age, need to drink milk.
3 Benefits to Drinking Milk Daily

1) It reduces risk of some diseases like colon cancer, osteoporosis, as well as hypertension.
2) It builds strong bones and teeth.
3) Milk helps you sleep.

The article says even when you are lactose intolerant you can find milk product that helps you to still have the milk you need daily in your life, but I think that costs even more. :(

Now that we know some of the benefits to drinking milk, how do we get past the cost of milk? As I said earlier, shopping around is helpful, I shop around my area for the best prices for everything. Another option is one my mother did when I was a kid while living in a high inflation period. She used to buy powdered milk.

She would take a gallon of whole milk and she would pour half, or sometimes thirds, into other containers. Then she would make a few quarts of powdered milk and add to the whole milk. This gave us a 2% or 1% taste of milk. We never knew the difference but it always helped her to stretch her budget money. She was a single mom working long hours to make ends meet and this was a solution to her problem. I thought it was a brilliant idea to saving dollars and still getting the vitamins you need.

I just recently read an article that asked the question about powdered milk being bad for you. I've attached it here for you to read for yourself.
Is Powdered Milk Bad for You?

Lets look at the cost of Instant Non-fat dried milk:

Walmart Brand $7.78 for 25.6 oz
Shelf Reliance $21.19 for 3.38 lbs
Ebay (variety of product) $47.50 for 10lbs

There are a variety of places you can find the product, you have to shop for what is best for you and your family. Here are some tips that can be helpful.

Powdered Milk Storage Tips

Saving Money with Powdered Milk

The shelf life of the dry milk product varies but average is about 8-10 years.
Shelf Life of Dry Milk

If you are someone like me then you want to be prepared for times of high cost in foods, or disaster; having an option for milk on hand is comforting. We use milk in preparation of many foods daily, using powdered milk as a substitute can also save money. So drink the regular stuff and use dry milk for cooking.

I hope this information is helpful, I know it was for me in my research process. I would love to hear more about your use of powdered milk or creative ways you saved money using powdered milk.

Hasten the Work of Salvation

We have been commanded to hasten the work. What is the work; to progress the cause of God. Moses 1:39 says that His work and His glory is us! So how do we help in that? We build the Kingdom, which is to strengthen one another and to help people find Christ.

When we think about that we pretty much think of missionary work and helping in that area but it also means to help those who have passed on. We do this through family history work. We are running out of time and now is the time to get this work done.

I have just recently been called by our Stake at church to be a Family History Director, there are two of us. The other one focuses on the Family History Center, and I focus on getting people into the Family History Center to do their work.

I love this calling because I love this work. But I have come to realize that with that love and helping other to get busy in it, I have not done as much in mine as I should have by now. Genealogy has been a part of life for over 30 years. But I am still just barely getting it organized.And that is the key, getting organized. There are many ways to keep your records but you have to choose one or it can be time consuming just trying to...well organize.

Some ways to organize your records are by keeping a hard copy in binders, or filing cabinets. But what if you have a fire, flood, or storm that destroys those records? Keeping a soft copy is good, too.
You can store it on a SD card, a CD, or just on the computer in organized files, and even on an external hard drive.

But what if your computer gets fried or stolen? What if you lose those SD cards or CD's? The way modern technology keeps changing, those SD cards might not be able to be used in the near future.

Hmmm, what else can you do to save your records? I think one of the safest ways is to record this information on websites that specialize in family trees. This is one way people learn about their ancestors is by sharing information on the websites. Ancestry.com would be a great place a to share that info but it has a price attached. It's worth it if you use it a lot, but if you do it only once in a while, well it may not be advised.

Ancestry.com

Familysearch.org is an excellent place to store your information, its free!!!

Familysearch.org

They believe that we are all one big family and if we all submit our trees then we can see how we are related to one another. I thought that was pretty cool. There was a team of 150 people who submitted as many names in their tree as possible and they found that 148 of them were related within 9 generation, that is way cool.

Your ancestors are calling you, it's time to answer and find them. Time is short and technology has made easier than ever. Hasten the Work now!!!

Continued Ways to be More Like Jesus

At the end of last year I started sharing ways to be more like Jesus. A young man preparing to go on his mission showed me this information in the Preach my Gospel manual. I would like to review what I had posted from before and then add the rest.

So I posted thoughts about Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love) found in November 2013. I mostly wanted to focus on understanding the concept then showing ways to apply it in our lives.

Faith - Just believing in something with out tangible proof. We do this each day we arise from our beds and go through life. We have faith that we can get through the day and that there will be another tomorrow. With faith great things can happen in our lives but we have to be willing to let go of those things that hold us down. We have to have faith that we are not alone that God is there and wants to help us, always.

Hope - Hope goes hand-in-hand with faith. Hope is to want something and believe that it can happen. We hope that the Savior will return someday and redeem what is His, that would be us, those who are followers and do much good in the world.

Charity- This is love, this is the main purpose we are here. We have to find love in our hearts for everyone and do what we can to help them to find the same. There is only one way we can do this and that is by following the footsteps of our Savior and become like Him. When we do this we can do great things by small acts of kindness.

Virtue - This has been defined as what you think or do when you think no one is looking. If you are good then you produce good, no matter what, if not then you do not. It is a matter of self control, you can control your thoughts and actions to become virtuous. Proverbs 31:10-31says that a Virtuous Woman is of great worth. Why, because everything she does is good for her and those around her. Read the scripture and liken it to yourself today to see what you need to be doing to help build the Kingdom of God.

Knowledge -We should gain more knowledge of the teaching of our Savior and of other things. The scriptures tell us we should seek learning by study and by faith. I love to learn new things, things that make me a better me. I love to know what I am talking about when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in order for that to happen I have to study the scriptures and learn His ways. They say that with more knowledge comes more power.

Patience -When we are patient we find that we don't get angry too often. This helps us to be able to develop more love for people. There are so many reasons to get mad at things people do but with patience we can forgive and move on. Wed can take the time to figure out that maybe that person who cut us off was on their way home to a sick family member, or they would get fired if they didn't get to work on time. We do not know why people do what they do but we can find in our hearts forgiveness and not dwell on the negative.

Humility - If we are humble we have the heart to submit to the will of God in our lives. That means we are teachable and willing to make changes in our lives to do what ever we are asked of God, so long as we realize it is from Him and not other sources. Humility shows that we trust in God to direct our lives for good. It's hard sometimes but we have to be ready and willing to do whatever He asks and trust that all will be well.

Diligence - This means we will be steady and continue on a righteous path. Its easy to waver but being diligent requires effort on our part. we have be willing to continue to stand no matter what evil winds howl around us and they will. We have to endure until the end. When we do this we will find peace and joy.

Obedience - Jesus was obedient to His Father in Heaven. He was submissive to His will. We should be, too. If we are obedient we can find peace and joy in our lives. I tell my children that as a parent I don't make rules just to have control or be mean, I do it for your safety, which makes you happier. The same is for Heavenly Father, he tells what we should do because He knows that we will be protected and happier if we do those things; works for me.

In all of these Christ-like characteristics we have to be focused on the Savior. He needs to be foremost in our minds so that we are willing to do things and become more like Him. These attributes will strengthen who we are and will help us become the people we need to be to move on to the next level of our progress. Ponder these things and seek answers to how they can work in your life. You will come to know true happiness and peace that we so need today. May God bless your life as you seek to put the Kingdom of God first.

Saving by Making Homemade Treats

This year I am trying to save as much money as I can but not everyone in the house understands that concept. So I tried to think of ways to save money but still meet the wants of my family. As I was browsing I found some cool recipes that keep the favorite treats in the budget. Yes, it may require more of my time to prepare them but this helps to keep up with two of my goals, savings and family fun.

Better than Krispy Creme Bites

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

 Mini Banana Cream Cookie Pies

Chocolate Cookie recipe