" Lets Google it"

I find myself more and more saying "lets Google That" whenever myself or someone else has a question about anything. It seems like the Internet has the answer to EVERYTHING. I can get ideas from pinterest, new recipes to try, how to solve a math problem.I use Google map to find my way. I can't think of anything that the Internet doesn't have an answer too. I'm in aw of all the help and information that is available. But am I always turning to the right source for my answers, and help? I Know of a place I can go that knows more then the Internet, I know of a place that always has the right answer for me. I know of a place where I not only can find the answers of my heart but I can also find peace and love. It is on my knees talking to my Heavenly Father. When I have a problem, a question or need peace, before I google for help, or ask for my Friends opinion on
facebook, I need to pray for help because that is were the real answer is.

I Love November

I Love the Idea of a whole month set aside for giving thanks. I love that it is the month before Christmas. Every time I hear someone ask " Are you getting ready for Christmas?" I am reminded of The things I need to do to be ready to welcome the savior into my life. If Christ was coming to celebrate with my family on December 25Th of this year, What would I want to do to prepare? What would be the most urgent things for me to do? Would I be ready for Christmas when It came? Do I have enough time to truly become the person I want to be when I greet the savior? I'm I going to be prepared to welcome him into my home? Is He going to be the most important part of Christmas or is the store bought gifts going to be more important then the gifts he has given us and the gifts we give him? The ones more precious then gold.I am so grateful for a the reminder of giving thanks that thanksgiving brings and the preparation it allows for the greatest gift of all.

I struggle at times with being organized. I have been studying about order lately to try to gain a better perspective. I have come to the conclusion that order starts in your heart and mind. If I put God first I will have order in my life. Not necessarily always organization but I will have order. Sometimes taking time with others is first matter of order before having a neat clean home. (Remember the story of Martha.) If I put God first each day I will have everything in proper order. If I put my to do list before the spirit promptings I might be organized but not necessarily have everything in proper order. Not to say that I should have no goals for the day. Goals keep me on track and help me grow, but I need to try to always be open to the spirit to guide me as to what needs are most important and should be put first. Here's to a day of first things first.

cell phone vs bible

My sister in law sent this to me. I really liked it so I thought I would share it. Makes you stop and think.


Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat

our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go.....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.


Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Easter cookies

A Friend of mine, Cheryl, was kind enough to share a great Easter cookie recipe with me. It is much more then a cookie, it is the story of the Easter in an activity. Eliza and I had a lot of fun making them this year for Easter. We have defiantly found a new family tradition. For anyone interested here is the recipe.

Cookies for Easter to be made the evening before Easter. You will need to preheat oven to 300 degrees ( this is important- don't wait until you're half done with the recipe!)

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3
2. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30
3. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11
4. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27
So far , the ingredients are not very appetizing.
5. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Palms 34:8 and John 3:16
6. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents, the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3
7. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60
8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt 27:65-66

Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning,open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. the cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9
Have a great and thankful Easter

Celebrateing Christ birth and life on Christmas

The alarm clock rang at 4am. Same as it does every morning. This morning was different though. It was Dec 25Th. Mike gave me a kiss and wished me a Merry Christmas.He had stayed up all night making Christmas preparations for the family by himself and had not been to bed yet. After I had gone to bed on Christmas eve he had continued playing games with the kids late into the night. Once all the kids had gone to sleep Mike had remained up wrapping the gifts and setting them up under the tree. He had prepared a fire, had the tree lights glowing and beautiful Christmas music playing in the background by the time The alarm clock rang. He had made everything perfect for us. As the kids and I headed downstairs to great Christmas morning it was like walking into a Norman Rockwell painting. Christmas had started out wonderful--- until 5:45 came. As I tried not to cry I kissed my family goodbye and started my long drive to work. I really wanted to stay at home and spend the day with my family. I am well aware of how fast they grow up and leave. Sarah, Layton and Isaac had already left home and I would not be able to see them for Christmas. I miss them all the time, but during the holidays it is especially hard having them gone. I knew my Christmases with my children are numbered and so this made it even more difficult to get in the car and driving away.
The sky was dark and not a light was visible as I drove the long farm filled road to Quincy. No brightly decorated homes, just darkness, broken only by my headlights. Christmas music declared the wonderful birth of Christ over my radio as I drove.I started to ponder Christ birth and life. My heart was filled with gratitude for the atonement. I marveled at his life of sacrifice ,love, and healing. Feelings of gratitude for his life felled my heart. As I thought of his life I began to feel it a privilege to serve others. What better gift could I give to Jesus on Christmas?
This wasn't the first Christmas I had worked. Being a nurse means working the holidays. I had spent Christmas in a newborn nursery ICU, on an oncology floor and now with the elderly. I have seen loneliness, pain , sadness and even death on Christmas. My mind filled with stories of Jesus administering to people who were in the same circumstances as those I now cared for.
My mind then went to thoughts of my son Isaac, and all of those who are serving in the military. Freedom is such a great and precious gift to help others obtain. It is a huge sacrifice to be away from family, to go to foreign counties, and to put yourself in danger in order to help others. Isaac has all his paperwork and preparations ready so he can be deployed to Afghanistan in the next few weeks. He will be going to one of the poorest counties in the world. The military are not only fighting a war against terror and for freedom but are serving in other ways also. The humanitarian projects our military are doing are incredible and life changing for those who are living in war, terror, and poverty. He along with the rest of our military and their families are truly sacrificing to serving the weak and poor. As I thought of this, my heart swelled with love and pride for Isaac and the rest of our servicemen.
Not being home for Christmas might not be the easiest way to spend Christmas, but as I arrived at work I realized I was giving a wonderful opportunity to give service, and love to others. I felt overwhelming gratitude for my husband and his service to our family in the loving way he made sure that Christmas morning was wonderful. My heart swelled with pride for Isaac and our military as I thought of the sacrifices they are making this Christmas. I thought of the elderly I was now going to care for and the opportunities I had been given to spend this day with them. I did miss not being able to spend the day with my family but what better way could we Celebrate Christ birth then by practicing his teachings of love and service.

Studing for Dec

I have been reading the book of Luke this month. Since there are 24 chapters I will be reading one chapter a day up through Christmas eve. It has been wonderful reading about Christs conception, birth, life and ministry as I make preparations for Christmas. I am so grateful for this opportunity and the spirit it has brought to the holidays.
I am also studying about the Jewish tradition of swaddling clothes. This has been very interesting. When a man and women became betrothed, they did not visit each other during the betrothal. During the one to two years of betrothal the man would work on building a home and the women would also be working on things for their new life together. One of these would be embroidering a swaddling band. This band would be used in the marriage ceremony to wrap the couples hands. Latter the band would be worn as a girdle around the belly of the pregnant woman, then used to swaddle the child, then even used sometimes for the eventual purpose of wrapping the body for burial.
The symbols on the bands often indicated family history. Mary was from the tribe of Judah, so she may have used symbols common to that lineage such as a lion, a lamb, or a tree of life. As a descendant of David, she was also entitled to use the royal colors of blue and white. The symbolic significance of swaddling bands was so important that the embroidery on each side of the swaddling bands had to match exactly, with “right” and “wrong” sides indistinguishable. This symbolized the complete harmony of inner and outward life.As soon as I have done enough research I plan on embroidering a swaddling band.It might take some time until I can start because I want it to be as atheistic as I can make it. I am hoping I can have it done by April conference. Once I get the design figured out I will post some photos.