If I Weren't a Mormon...

If I weren't a Mormon...
    I would drink wine at night.
    I would have my 10 piercings back in and probably more.
    I would have more tattoos.
    I would dress like this:

and like this:

     I would swear like a sailor.
     I would go out on Sundays.
     I would watch rated R movies.
     I may even have dreads. (Yup, I said it.)
     I would read 50 Shades of Grey.
     I would probably be divorced.

    I would do many more things that I am not comfortable sharing. So, doesn't doing whatever you want bring happiness? Satisfying every appetite. I have been there and done that. Although at times I feel like I want to do something that is not conducive to my covenants, I remember how I felt before becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was "free", but not happy.  That lie of "freedom" were actually chains of hell holding me down. (Don't mean to be melodramatic, but that's how I remember it.) I have changed my life to live for Heavenly Father and to do His will.

Now, that I am a Mormon:
     I understand my Divine Nature as a child of God
     I have taken back my power as a woman
     If I keep my side of the bargain I can live with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and hopefully my family after this earthly life.
    I respect my body and see it as a temple.
    I have greater compassion for others.
    I have a day of rest to remember my Savior.
    I fill my mind and senses with uplifting messages.
    I work hard on a marriage that brings many blessings.
    I have many children that I am brining up in the Lord.

The last sentence doesn't do that blessing any justice ;) Now that I am a Mormon I understand where we came from, why we are here and where we are going. I came to know this for myself as I was taught. This change has changed my life. It is scary for me to think where I might be if I did not join.

I will take all my post-baptism blessings (and they are) over my pre-baptism worldly, selfish life any day!

``````` I am not saying if you are not a member of this Church that you do not do, understand nor have these blessings. This is specific to my life. I believe we all have a right worship our God how and where we may as long as no one is being hurt. And if you choose not to believe, so be it. But please don't call me names because my faith is different- you are reading a Mormon blog!
 
   
   

Homeschooling

Wow! I made a bold decision. One that I have been teeter tottering with for a while and have actually done before. We will be plunging in and begin official homeschooling. (I emailed my letter of intent of homeschooling to the county, so yeah it's pretty official.) Add that to my writing, blogging, Primary 2nd counselor calling and college student status. You can officially call me squirrel nuts. Nah, I'm excited. This summer has been going so great with the kids at home and with the "homeschool" work we have been doing thus far. I will have to kick it in high gear and add a lot more curriculum but I am looking forward to it. More travel, field trips, learning and growing together- what doesn't sound awesome about that?! Well, thought I'd share and let my little blogosphere know what my personal life is up to!

Sifted Like Wheat

Sometimes when I think of Satan I think of some spirit in some far off land. I think of something not in my life physically. Something that, perhaps, is not in my reality. Then something happens and I am reminded that he most certainly is real and actively in my life.

When times start going well, is when I have learned to worry. Especially when my relationship with my husband is going super well, I am waiting for it. The last thing Satan wants is for us is to be happy, to uphold our covenants and make it to the celestial kingdom. When he sees that we are doing well he is going to tempt us and try to break us apart.  It could be a look, a word, a tone, a memory, a disappointment. Anything. No matter how big or little the issue he can try to use against you. He will use whatever he knows about you and use that against you. If it is addiction, depression, anger. He knows you. 

A few weeks ago I was hit really hard. I knew it was Satan immediately which helped me tremendously. He was trying to sift me like wheat.  I never truly understood the emotional aspect of the scripture when Jesus was talking to Peter about how Satan wanted to sift him like wheat.  I understood that the wheat berry is separated from the stalk and chaff. It literally tears the wheat apart. It is a violent process.  I now understand the emotional part. I was literally being torn apart and it was an internal, violent process. I knew I was being tested to see if I'd say "screw it, I'm doing what I want and I am no longer living the Gospel" or if I would stay faithful. 

I have never been through anything like that before. It made Satan a reality. It made all the times I had heard people say that "we are at war" a reality. We truly are at war. Constantly. Every Day. The armor of God is real to me now. It is a primary concept, I know, but I have a testimony of it. As we go through our struggles that is where our testimonies and our faith is strengthened. As we come out of the darkness and see the light, we know we have chosen the right side. 

As we go throughout our days putting on our armor of God let us not forget Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 

Pivotal Moments

                                                        Me with Michael Wilcox

I saw Michael Wilcox speak a few years ago at a Time Out For Women (for more info on the conference click here). I have read some of his books and enjoyed his presentation. I really wanted to meet him, but was too shy to walk up to him. 

This past TOFW he was a presenter again. Oh, how I have grown the last few years. I flagged him down and ran to him when I saw he was leaving on Friday night. He was in a hurry and said he would look for me the next day to talk to me more. When I saw him on Saturday he remembered me and we spoke. He autographed his book and gave some friendly advice to an aspiring writer and speaker. 

What really stuck with me (besides his height :) was his presentation. He re-told the story of Christ showing himself to Mary Magdalene in the sepulcher. When Mary, Peter and John went to Christ's sepulcher they saw it was empty. Peter and John turned around and went home, but Mary stayed and cried outside. Then she stooped down and looked inside to find two angels sitting. They asked her why she was crying and she said because she did not know where they had taken her Lord. She then turned around to leave and saw Jesus standing there. She did not know Him to be Jesus. She thought He was a gardener. He asked why she was weeping and she told him that she wanted to know where Jesus was taken. 

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary." (John 20:16) And this is the part that I love how Michael Wilcox explained; she turned herself.  The instant Mary heard Jesus say her name she knew who He was. The tone, the love in Him saying her name. She recognized, she knew it. I love how the scriptures do not say "she turned" but "she turned herself". That is the pivotal moment. Literally. She must have been casually speaking with the "gardener", but once she knew it was her Redeemer she turned herself to see Him. It was a conscious, physical act of turning oneself. 

I love this part too; she said unto him "Rabboni; which is to say, Master." (John 20:17) It must have been such a beautiful moment. In one moment and in one word her worry and distraught was over. In one moment she felt peace and love. 

I truly believe we all have these pivotal moments in our lives. The first question I ask myself is: Do I recognize them when they come? If Mary did not have such a strong testimony,faith and love for the Savior would she have recognized Him when he spoke her name? I think not. It was because of her faith that she knew who He was. The second question I ask myself is: If I do recognize the pivotal moment how do I respond? Mary understood down to her spirit the role of Christ. She knew and therefore called him Master.  

These beautiful moments in life. Life changing, pivotal times take action. A turning towards the Savior, a response of respect, a willing heart. I love that I have the gospel. I love that I have the Holy Ghost to guide me. I know I can not go go wrong as long as I remember Him. Even in the face of temptation, even in heartache, even with the pain in this mortal body I can make it through. 

LDS Temple Names

(Albuquerque, NM Temple)

At 23 years of age I was detoxing from my previous lifestyle, living with my boyfriend and working a $7.00 an hour job. I was  totally elated to finally, after years of searching (since I was 8), to find the Truth. 

One of my questions to the missionaries while I was investigating was about how heaven worked. I did not believe in a split down the middle heaven and hell. At 8 years old I went through my communion in the Catholic church, I knew in my Spirit that what was taught was wrong. I got so daring to say that if this is how our God worked then I would rather not believe in Him. The thought of someone being "good" enough for heaven or "bad" enough for hell and that there was one line to separate the two seemed absurd. 

One of the gospel principles I fell in love with instantly was the three degrees of glory. When I heard the Plan of Salvation it resonated inside me and I thought my insides were going to bust out and make a mess all over the missionaries' suits.
When I heard the Plan of Salvation everything that I had always known deep down on a spiritual level was put into words. This is it! 

Fast forward almost 11 years and I have been sealed in the temple, have had 5 children, stayed active the Church and have been going to the temple and doing temple work. (Learn more about temple work here and here)I have been doing other people's names. Which is wonderful and all, but I am the only member in my family and NONE of our family's work has been done. That has been hanging over my head. I have tried before but with obstacle after obstacle- even going to the temple with names ready and having issues. Anyways, I have decided that I allowed Satan to steal enough of my time away from doing my family's genealogy and temple work. 

I have 5 names printed and ready to take to the temple!!! I feel they have been waiting a while and I need to get a plan together as to how I will get there and be able to do this thing! I want my husband and I to personally do the names I have ready and then the rest can be done by others. 

There is a hastening of the work and it includes temple work for those waiting on the other side.  

I really enjoyed some of these videos over at Roots Tech from this year's conference. 

I'm Back!

After a 2 year? hiatus, I'm back!! What have I done the last 2 years?

1. Moved to Florida
2. Had 2 more babies (that adds up to 5 now)
3. Focused on my health (I am doing sooooo much better- more about that later)
4. Started writing 2 books (a YA novel and an LDS self-help book)
5. My original blog was porn hacked- so badly that I had to shut it down and start fresh. 


Which leads me to now. Ready to blog, finish my books, switch my kids from private school to public (to eventually homeschool when they hit middle school) and start my pre-requisites for nursing school. Woo, when I write it all out it sounds like a lot to take on. I'd rather be busy than bored. And now we are about to get our summer on!!!!