All of us who call ourselves “Christians,” have a sacred responsibility to follow in Jesus Christ’s footsteps and take upon ourselves His name. This not always easy to do. We wake up each morning with a desire to follow Him, but bad habits, over-busy lives, and a multitude of distractions get us off course by the end of the day. We often go to bed feeling discouraged with ourselves because we haven’t lived up to the righteous desires of our hearts.
Read MoreMany times, during Jonathan’s teenage and adult life, I didn’t know where he was living or if he were alive or dead. All I could do was keep fervently praying for him morning and night. I’ve always loved the scriptures, which reminded me of how much my Heavenly Father cared about my son. I knew the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, would not abandon Jonathan.
Read MoreFebruary 25, 2020 is the three-year anniversary of when my son, Matt, had to have emergency brain surgery to save his life. Each year at this time, we thank God that Matt is alive and still with us. We are grateful he is doing as well as he is. The main medical problem Matt is still plagued with are occasional grand mal seizures. Once I asked Matt how he deals with all these problems. He simply answered, “This is my reality, and it’s all good!”
Read MoreAll people need a touch of friendship. It can be a smile, a hug, a text or email, or even a note or card. If the thought of someone comes into your mind, act upon the impression you receive to brighten that person’s day. I love the quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley, “Never suppress a generous thought.”
Read MoreMy husband and I have worked hard to spend quality time together throughout our married lives despite his time-consuming business career and raising our large, wonderful family of eleven children. We are proof it can be done! But it isn’t easy. We learned long ago to slow down a bit, cherish the simple things of life, and continually thank God for each other.
Read MoreMy hope and prayer for each of us in 2020 is that we will all get back up whenever we fall down—literally or figuratively. If your New Year didn’t start out being very happy (as mine didn’t), don’t give up hope. As I always say to my family, “There are good things up ahead!”
Keep having faith. Keep trying. Keep doing the best you can for that particular day. Try something new or return to something old that worked well for you in the past. And always remember to be “gentle” with yourself.
Read MoreThroughout my life I have sought to understand how to receive and act upon personal revelation from the Lord. I used to be afraid that if I did pray and feel a spiritual impression that I should do something, I would feel embarrassed or unhappy after I did it. That has NEVER happened. Instead, I always feel joy.
Read MoreIf you have not kept your commitments to marriage in the past, you can change. Through sincere prayer, humble repentance, and marriage counselling when necessary, you can learn to be a person of integrity. All commitments, big and small, need to be honored. Being where you say you will be, doing what you say you will do, and acting as you say you will act, are all part of keeping commitments. Complete faithfulness to your spouse in body, mind, and spirit, will bring an exultant joy in your lives.
Read MoreRead good books. Learn from history. Follow exemplary role models.
Be strong. Be courageous. Be cheerful.
And “Never, never, never give up!”
Read MoreMarriage is complex. Creating a happy marriage is a continual, day by day process. Every couple needs an anchor in marriage that never moves, is always consistent, and teaches true principles amidst the storms of life. I believe that anchor should be God.
Read MoreOur family is our most important treasure. Teach your children the religious doctrines and moral principles you believe in so they will have a clear vision of how to live their own lives, which they can pass on to their own children someday.
Read MoreWhen I go around the country and visit my grandchildren, I always offer to sing songs and give backrubs before bedtime. The most requested song is one that I wrote when my own children were small called, “The Love of Children.” I’m so grateful that I’ve passed on the “love of children” to my children and that they love and cherish their children as much as I always loved and cherished them.
Read MoreIn 1989, I wrote a song that I titled, “Because We Are a Family.” While it was originally written as a serious song to inspire my son Jonathan, it became a theme song for our whole family. Although it was totally a surprise to me, I was delighted when two of my teenage grandchildren got together during spring break on March 24, 2019 and made a hilarious video production of “Because We Are a Family” and put it on YouTube!
Read MoreI have a memory of my grandmother, Lillie Dalton Gillespie, always whistling while she cooked and cleaned in the kitchen. I formed the habit years ago of turning on music when I cleaned my own kitchen. Whenever I feel negative emotions in my home, I begin humming or singing a song with a positive, happy message. I also hum or sing when I feel happy!
Read MoreOn March 15, 2019, my husband David will turn 70 years old. SEVENTY! That is unbelievable! He seems so young and acts so young! On March 30, 2019, we will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary. Perhaps being happily married, raising eleven children, and now enjoying twenty-six delightful grandchildren has helped him stay young.
Read MoreI now have a new favorite book that I think everyone should read! It’s called, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD. Although it is quite technical and full of research studies, I found it fascinating. I learned once again about the importance of getting a full eight hours of sleep each night in order to function at your peak performance each day.
Read MoreWhile you can’t change unfortunate circumstances, you can change your attitude. The old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine” is so true.
Read MoreI’ve always liked Valentine’s Day. I think it’s a fun time to let our family and friends know how much we love and appreciate them. When our children were still at home, we would decorate lunch sacks and put homemade valentines or “love notes” in each other’s sacks, which we would read on Valentine’s Day. Now that our children all live away from our home, my husband David and I will sometimes make each other homemade valentine cards—just for old time’s sake!
Read MoreWhen you choose to obey God’s commandments, even though you might not understand why you should, you receive many spiritual and physical blessings. Confidence in yourself increases in direct proportion to your faith and trust in God.
Read MoreI’ve been working on my self-esteem program since 1989. That’s thirty years—a VERY long time! Will I ever be finished with perfecting this program? I don’t know. Maybe, but maybe not. I want to get it completed so I can share it with the world, but even if I don’t, at least it’s helped me! Do I do it perfectly every day? No. But as my husband David always says, “At least we have a program—we know what we need to do!”
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