That Beautiful Christmas Feeling... :D

Merry Christmas! :D 

Decorations are up! The tree is lit. I have beautiful lit garland in the window... :) Christmas music is in the air (as well as lots of other good music about Christ; Christian music is a year round enjoyment of mine)...

 Ah.... it is Christmas time! :D

Yet, these do not guarantee to make the season feel like Christmas...

I recall going through this feeling (or lack of it) several times in the past. Always, the feelings of Christmas in the air would come - not immediately, with mere decorations and shopping... but Christmas would come as I would find it in my heart to go about doing good - serving, and bringing Christmas to others. Service is something that try to do all year. Sometimes I get busy and feel sad to think I am not doing enough. When I am serving, I feel close to my Savior and can feel his love for me, and then I just feel SO HAPPY! :D

Christmas Celebrations seem to become more and more simple at our house each year... This year my husband and I have shopped, decorated, listened to Christmas music, and watched a couple of Christmas movies. Sometimes, even when I do "Christmas" activities, I still doesn't FEEL that super awesome DEEP and HAPPY feeling of Christmas... 

When this happens, I do not despair, however! I know the cause as well as the remedy... :)

All the traditions we do CAN bring the feeling, or they can NOT bring the feeling of Christmas... when they bring our thoughts to Christ.... 

Year after year I have repeated Christmas traditions. Sometimes I do it without much thought, simply going through the motions. Other times, my heart and mind are so caught up in the experience that it becomes something immensely meaningful - something that fills my heart and mind with love, joy, and wonder! :)

And isn't that the point of Christmas traditions? ...to bring our thoughts to Christ and remind us of His gifts to all the world? To fill our hearts with gladness - To remember and rejoice in the fact that we are so completely loved and understood by our Savior? - And to remember and be thankful to God, that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can repent, be forgiven of our sins, and become more like Him?

This is the reason we feel so happy at Christmas time. The Joy and Happiness of Christmas - comes into our lives, as we think about our Savior and fill our hearts and lives with gratitude, love, appreciation, and a desire to serve our fellowmen as he does...

...Our family started out with so many traditions years ago. It seems that Christmas comes faster with each passing year, and that each year we seem to lose yet another another Christmas tradition. But as time goes on I remember and cherish the ones that bring that amazing happiness and light me up from the inside out; during these moments I say to myself, "yeah... this is it. This is what Christmas is!" These are the traditions I treasure and keep. So many others seem to be forgotten and drop off the list as time grows short and Christmas sneaks up on our family. As long as they are not our Christ focused traditions, I'm OK with it - It is Christ, that makes the season so beautiful and magical... 

This year it seems my family and I are doing very little in the way of traditions and it bugs me! However, something BETTER is happening, not at all something most would consider as a Christmas activity to make a tradition out of; and yet I think it may be one of the finest things to do with our time, especially this time of year to honor our Lord and Savior... 

Yes, by far, the best thing my family and I are doing this Christmas season is something we do year round... sharing testimony of Jesus Christ - This season I share it most with an incredible young woman. She is attending church with our family now, and I am so excited about all the things that she is learning and the questions she has had for so long which are now being answered! (I'm SO happy and excited for her!) :) I love her sweet spirit, and love for Jesus Christ! :) I feel the spirit of Christmas when I talk to others about our Savior's plan of happiness!

I don't know if your season is filled with the marvel of Christmas and a myriad of activities, or if your season is quiet; but whatever activities come (or don't this year,  I hope your Christmas season is filled with the love and happiness of Jesus Christ! :) 

Merry Christmas!

Corine :D

PS. Perhaps The only "Christmas" traditions that truly matter are the ones that focus on Christ!

God Bless - Thankful Hearts...

Hi friends! :) I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration! :D We all have so much to be thankful for!

I will soon share photos and stories of my life as of late (and soon reveal my new blog that I will soon create! :D), but today I have gratitude in my heart that needs to be expressed... so here I am again on this old blog! ;)

I love my life! :D - My life is so good! :) I am really enjoying life to the fullest! 

There was a time (a phase, you could say) when I focused on what life didn't give me. That was frustrating! No matter how many great things there were in life, I would still have moments in which the things I didn't have - got me down - a lot. And some of them were really big losses; it was a struggle.

One day the Lord said to me (during this very hard time when I was experiencing struggles which seemed too much to bear), "Be happy, despite your less than ideal circumstances." Because I knew it was the Lord speaking to my heart, I finally realized, 

...It must be possible - to CHOOSE happiness!  :)

I learned that a person doesn't have to have certain things they deem necessary for a happy life (or have certain things go their way) to be happy. A person simply needs to CHOOSE happiness, by choosing to be thankful for the many daily blessings from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Some may suppose that I only believe this because I must have, whatever it is they lack which they suppose one needs to be happy. But I know this - that the things which I once supposed I needed to be happy - I learned to be happy without - and that which I knew I needed, I learned to have faith I would one day have in the Lord's good time...

Some of the key factors that helped me to choose happiness included making the choice to accept the things I can't change and to focus only on the things I can change. 

Another was to choose to be thankful for everything - the good, and the not so good (which I knew God could turn into a blessing to me so long as I loved and served him). 

No more would I feel sorry for myself... I would count ALL experiences and all situations as blessings. 

I would remember why I was here on Earth and what my Father in Heaven desired for me to learn and be blessed to become as a result of every single experience - or lack thereof... 

Before I learned to be thankful for everything, I supposed that I had little in certain ways; after I choose to choose to be thankful for everything I discovered that I had SO MUCH! 

As life goes on, I am continually more thankful for my life. I am continually amazed that the challenges which I once saw as misfortunes, I now see as opportunities for learning and growth. I am not overwhelmed, but rather, I'm excited for the opportunities to overcome and learn and grow! :D And I realize that for everything I don't have which others have, I have something which others lack. I believe this is true for us all! And I have SO MUCH. I truly do. My life is so Abundantly Blessed! :)

Heavenly Father has blessed and continues to bless each and every one of his children in a multitude of ways. All we need to do to be happy, is to LOVE Him, as well as our Savior, Jesus Christ... and to LOOK for, and BE THANKFUL for - the MANY blessings they give to us - each and every day...

Here are a couple links to articles I read which got me thinking about gratitude and happiness. They really uplifted and inspired me! :) Perhaps they will uplift and inspire you, too...

Someone Else is Thankful For Less Than What You Have... 

Photo taken from one of my blogging friends (Thanks Keith! :D)- linked above...

Seeing is believing: Doctor, family say Centerville man's sight restoration 'a miracle' - Amazing and beautiful story of hope and faith! And of a man and his wife, who choose to focus on what they have, and have to gain - despite great struggles...

Doctors, Doctors, Doctors - A blog post written by the wife of the man written about above - A story of hope and faith that Jesus Christ can and will do - what the Doctors insist they can not do...

Wishing you all a wonderful and beautiful life of gratitude! 

Corine :D

Friends, I'd Like to Introduce You to a Couple of My Other Friends... :)

Hi Friends! :D

I know, I have been a TERRIBLE blogger lately! :o I figured out that I spread myself to thin with multiple blogs (can't keep three up) - so I ended up dropping the ball with them all. No worries, I'll be back! Only I will combine them all in one, creating a NEW blog, with new habits of consistency! :) It may not transpire in full until the new year, but it WILL happen! :)

For now though, I must share something with you all...

I have a dear friend named Teresa who has been through A LOT in her life and in a really rough spot. Her son, Garrett, is also a dear friend of the family's. We have been friends for as long as Garrett can remember. We are like family, and we love it! :) 

Garrett moved in with us a few weeks ago. 

We love having Garrett here with us! :D

Levi, and his "little brother," Garrett...

But his mother is having a hard time with it. 
She misses him...

He had a birthday here...

Teresa came to our house for her son's birthday!

Garrett is a really great kid and our family really loves having him here with us! But the reason he is with us is kind of sad...

I know times are tight for many... but I KNOW we can pull together to do this for Teresa and Garrett! :) 

You can be a part of this! If you would like to help out, please go to the following website  http://www.ahomeforteresa.org/  and make a donation. And, :D, THANK YOU! I really, truly, appreciate all that you do! :)

PS. Please remember me while I am absent from the blogging world. :) I hope you miss me like I miss you ;), and that you find me at my new blog soon!!!! :D 

Have a wonderful day and thanks a million for being a friend!

Corine :D

If We Forget Ourselves... HELPING HANDS

Hi! :D

I have seen SO MANY wonderful, inspirational, and or hilarious media - which have MADE ME SMILE... :D ~ I decided that I would like to try to start sharing some of them with you. Perhaps I will start a tradition of posting these on Mondays. Well call it "Media Monday." :) I hope you enjoy!  :D

Lots of love...

Corine :D

Saved By Grace

Hi! : D Life has been busy and good! My husband and I are working hard, accomplishing a lot, and a niece and nephew just visited our family (what fun! I Love those wonderful young people!). They just left this morning and I am anxious to blog some photos of our fun on my family blog! But here today, I plan to write about how I spent the remainder of this morning... lying around with my daughter, Mindy… just thinking, talking, and crying (happy tears) with her. I LOVE talking with THAT GIRL! :D

One of the things Mindy and I talked about is being saved by grace. We talked about how amazing it is that even though the greatest efforts we could ever hope to make could never save us, and of how even though we depend upon the grace of Christ to be saved… His grace is there, to forgive us of ALL THAT WE REPENT OF… Could the Atonement also exist to raise us up and perfect us to the level that we strive to reach? I don’t know if this is doctrine (the idea that Christ perfects us to the degree that we strive to attain), but it is something that came to my mind as Mindy and I talked, and I believe that even though we ARE saved by grace, Christ saves those who are true followers of Him; and that if I am a true follower – then I will be STRIVING to walk in His footsteps/live as He lives; and I do… It's part of what I do because I Love Him...  And it gives me joy to know that it gives Him joy to see me striving. :D

So… I’m OK with the fact that when I was a youth they called me, “Molly Mormon.” And I’m still striving to be perfect. I’m also very much OK with the fact that I’m NOT perfect. Because I understand that ALL of my efforts could NEVER MAKE ME PERFECT. But I also BELIEVE, in my Savior, Jesus Christ. And I believe that when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect” (St Matthew 5:48) He really meant it. He meant for us (His followers) to strive to be perfect. And even though He is the one who perfects us, I believe that the long hours, weeks, months, and years of striving for a goal, are what make the attainment of that goal sweet. And I believe He gives victory to those who are willing to work for it… Nothing is impossible for Him. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

I don’t imagine I will attain perfection in this life, but I do believe I should still strive for it - now and always. - And I will continue to find joy in striving…  :)

 

 

PS. Is there something you can do or change, to help you better follow Jesus Christ? I invite you to "Go and Do!" ;) And enjoy the journey!

 

Corine :D



Challenges - Endure them Well :)

This summer has been SO BUSY. I have a huge "to do" list that threatens to overwhelm me (Don't worry; I'm determined not to let those overwhelming thoughts take place in my heart! :)). There are other challenges, too. Sometimes I just wonder WHEN certain challenges will end! Then I remember, (LOL) Oh yeah... perhaps not until this life ends! ;) But it's OK. I just need to remember to ENJOY the moments of JOY laced among the fabric of the struggles of this life. LIFE IS GOOD. Everything that is challenging about life is challenging to make each and every one of us better and life sweeter, even if later. This life, this world, much of it is tough. But it won't last forever. And if we endure it well - one day we're going to find ourselves on top of the world! :D

PS. Some of our small daily challenges have to do with choices that others make, right? :o). Sometimes our challenge is to respond appropriately. Sometimes we are tempted to judge, or to be irritated or impatient. When this happens to me I try to remember that people act up when they themselves are struggling. It is during these times when they really need our love the most. Here are a couple quotes that put things into perspective...

Don't these just make you want to give the turkey in your life a big hug? :D

PPS. I am so anxious to find the time to write a good post about the happy things going on in life this summer! I hope I get my thoughts together and pen them down here soon!!! Wish me luck! :D

Corine :D

BRAVE

Hi...  I just found this great song and video. :)

And I think I should have watched it OVER AND OVER AGAIN (some time ago), to get the idea DEEP into my mind. :) I think I will. :D BECAUSE... COURAGE is what I have been working on developing for the past couple of years. I don't know why, but it seems that I will develop courage in one area of my life (and think I am now totally courageous! ;o) - only to discover that I have other areas in life in which I STILL need to be Brave (BIG-TIME!)! :o What's up with that???

I just realized that I need to figure out what I am doing to be brave in some areas of my life, and apply that principle to ALL aspects of my life. I wonder what it is that causes me to be so brave sometimes?

I have made some amazing progress - let me tell you! :o However, I still have room for more. And this song just gets me EXCITED to get BRAVER! :D

I hope you are blessed to feel brave! :D

Do you ever struggle with being brave?

What helps you to be brave?

Corine :D 

Principles of HOPE and True Confidence...

I found an AMAZING video recently which I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!. I know I already told you about it here, but I'll mention it again! :) The words amaze me, because they totally describe a healing that has taken place inside of me... allowing me to see and appreciate the beauty in myself AND IN MY LIFE! (It also tells who healed me and how! :))

Then today, I found another fabulous video on a friends blog. Both give insight to what helps a girl to feel beautiful and confident (of course, these principles must apply to young men as well, I would think...)

I have recently realized that a big part of winning the battle of good over evil, consists of being able to distinguish between truth and lies. Lies disarm, discourage, and disable us. Truth arms us with hope and power to overcome and sets us free! Did you know that with TRUTH there is always HOPE? :)  Satan disguises lies as truth by mixing a bit of truth in with lies so we will see lies as truth and lose hope; but if we recognize lies as lies, they can't discourage us. I REALLY believe that. I believe that if I truly want to be all that I can be and enjoy life to the fullest, then I have to BELIEVE TRUTH, not lies. Jesus Christ has helped me so much with this! He has CHANGED ME- by helping me to recognize lies woven into truth, disregard the lies, and change negative thoughts and beliefs to positive (there is ALWAYS hope! :)...

Now, for that MUST HEAR song which sums up so much of what I have learned... I actually put it on the sidebar of my blog, so you may have already seen it while here. But just in case...

I will also share with you the new video that I found today on a friend's blog. It is also amazing... :) This video hones in on the importance of VIRTUE. This is a topic which I at one time thought of only as sexual purity (which IS so important and really does affect a girl's confidence). I have since learned that virtue is even more. Virtue also has to do with having/believing thoughts that are true. When I believed negative things about myself (lies from the adversary) I was easily discouraged and didn't like myself or my life like I could have. I didn't realize it at the time, but negative thoughts are not only self defeating and demoralizing, they are also untrue, thus, they aren't virtuous thoughts...  We need to look for the good in ourselves, and think as kindly about ourselves as we would our dearest friends. We need to give ourselves, the hope we would give to our dearest friends! THIS HOPE GIVES CONFIDENCE TO OVERCOME! And only then can we have virtuous thoughts which allow us to have the spirit to be with us continually...

I hope you have a hope-filled and VIRTUOUS/confident life! :)

PS. A note to my best friends... Thank you, for always supporting and encouraged my choice to live virtuously. I love you! :)

Corine :D

The Great and Spacious Buildling...

I haven't read this book yet...

I didn't even know it existed, until I read about it on a friend's blog post... But I HAVE read Lehi's dream - over and over again; and I LOVE IT!... :)

Lehi's dream is one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon (perhaps my favorite). Why? Perhaps because it is one that I think of so frequently. I have looked at my life OVER AND OVER AGAIN, and asked myself, "Where am I RIGHT NOW in Lehi's dream?"

The first time I applied this dream to my life I looked back on my life and could seem myself in different parts of the dream at different times in my life. It was SHOCKING! Who would think that a good girl like me would ever be anywhere other than holding to the rod or partaking of the fruit? ;) Honestly though, I truly was surprised at what I learned... 

I learned that when I was worried about what others thought about me, pride caused me to let go of the rod; at these times I realized that I literally hid some of my beliefs so I would not be mocked, rather than sharing these sacred beliefs and letting my light shine. When I realized that I had actually been among those who let go of the rod when the people in the great and spacious building mocked me, I VOWED TO NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!

I won't give you a run down of my life and everywhere I have been, but I will tell you this...

The times I have loved my life the most, have been the times when I have been partaking of the fruit of God's love - when I was FILLED with the love of God, because I was so determined to follow His lead, and be the very best example I could possibly be! :) 

The HAPPINESS that come when one feasts on Christ's words and really talks to Christ - is inexpressible! You find yourself DOING SERVICE, and TRULY LOVING the Lord and your men. And the happiness just fills you up so you feel... FULL... :) The more I read and pray, the happier and fuller I feel! :D

I love to re-examine my life frequently with the backdrop of this wonderful vision. It is truly an inspired masterpiece worthy of contemplation! :D

If you haven't mastered the technique of comparing your life to Lehi's dream, I admonish you to give it a whirl! :) You may have to read the dream several times, and pray for inspiration to know how to see yourself in that dream before it finally happens. But I can guarantee that once you do - you will never be the same again! It will change you in ways you may not even yet dream about! :)

Happy Reading! :D

Corine :D

The Will of God

Hi.. :)

We all deal with personal struggles... Things we desire to change or improve in our lives. And like a roller coaster ride, we make progress, then regress. We progress further, and seem to regress again. It can be discouraging. Is it possible, that we are progressing, even when we think we are regressing?



There is one sure way that we can be sure we are progressing... It all comes down to trusting and yielding to God's will...

Ultimately, we must remember - HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST. :)

No greater happiness can be found than in doing what is RIGHT and in OBEDIENCE to the lord

 - no matter what the consequences - 
 - no matter the challenges. -

Ultimately, the long term consequences will yield greater fruits of happiness than any of us could EVER hope to experience via our own paths...

Sigh...
We ARE loved...

Corine :D

Marriage Defined...

Marriage between a man and woman verses marriage between two men or two women...

There is a great deal of controversy over this subject. Some feel it is unkind to tell two people they can not be married. I myself feel compassion for those who are attracted to the same sex and sincerely hope that they will live happy healthy lives. There are some laws which may cause two men or two women to desire to be "married." These laws need to be changed. For example, in some cases, there are laws which do not permit visitors to persons admitted in hospitals unless the visitor is married to the patient. I don't agree with such laws. People should have a right to choose who enters their hospital room. Some have no spouse and should be allowed any friend or family member of their choice to be with them - married or not. Some people are single, or desire another relative or friend to enter their room as they pass on. Redefining marriage will not solve this, or any other issue... Redefining marriage to accomplishing such issues is not the solution; eliminating these controlling laws is.

When brainstorming solutions to problems, I try to look at the whole picture, and how various possible solutions will affect everyone. I seek to refrain from judging, and simply look at all options with an open mind. Some will only consider another person "open minded" if the two of them agree. Interesting...

I heard a speech given by a very open minded 13 year old girl in which some (many) individuals judged her for being "hateful." I believe that those who were judging her do not understand her point of view. I do not see her point of view as hateful, but as one in which the entire picture is looked at, and not just the needs of the individuals who desire to be married. I think I'll copy and paste her speech here, then proceed to make my point...

"When I was eight or nine, I had a close friend whose parents were getting divorced. She asked me, “If you had to give up one parent, which would you choose?” I could not decide. My mom and dad both have their strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes down to it, I need both parents.

As a thirteen-year-old, it’s funny to watch adults fight about the issue of marriage. Sometimes adults act like selfish children. Most of what we heard [Wednesday] on the steps of the Supreme Court was all about adult’s marriage rights. From what I heard, children’s rights were basically ignored. Children are defenseless, so shouldn’t they be the main focus of the debate? When we favor the wants of consenting adults over the needs of children who cannot consent, something is very wrong.

Children shouldn’t be separated from their parents without a very good reason. When a child is separated from a parent through death or divorce, it is a tragedy that changes his or her whole life. When separation must happen, we should be honest enough to admit that the process is painful for kids. Gay marriage is hurtful to children because it becomes the tool that separates children from at least one parent. Why would the government encourage, let alone enforce, such hurtful separation?

And by the way, grown-up romantic feelings are not reason enough to separate a kid from a biological parent. When redefining marriage, we have to pretend that if the grown-ups are happy, then everyone is happy. Problem is, pretending won’t help. And if a kid like me calls them on it, things can get ugly very quickly.

Last March, I spoke at a Celebration of Marriage event at the Capitol Rotunda. After, the protesters got on Facebook and Twitter and said that I was being taught to be a “hater.” To that I say, no child needs to be taught to want a mom and dad. It’s a biological instinct. They have to be taught that it’s normal to be taken from one parent.

The protesters went on to call me every name imaginable. I can take the heat, but let me take a moment to speak a language they understand. When an adult gay man beats up on a thirteen-year old girl on Facebook, there’s a name for that. When you call a young girl brainwashed, bigoted, and a hater, there’s a name for that. When you dismiss my opinions and needs just because I’m weaker or younger than you, there’s a name for that. When you use the law to separate defenseless children from their mom or dad for no reason other than your desires there’s a name for that, too. It’s called bullying.

And in this case, they are trying to bully nature itself. In my U.S. History class, studying Thomas Jefferson was sometimes difficult. He was always talking about “unalienable rights” and saying things like “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” It took me a couple of tries, but I think I get it now. Here’s why:

On the day I was born, I automatically had a relationship with my mother and father. That’s the power of a biological bond. It happens naturally. That’s what “self-evident” means. We can try and fight nature, but nature will always fight back and win. Sure, we can pass any law we want. We can pass a law that says the sun doesn’t shine. Problem is, the sun will still shine. We can pass a law that says a perfectly good dad has no rights to his own child, a thing that happens often where marriage has been redefined. Problem is, he’s still the dad.

Whether you call it nature or God, each of us exists only through a mom and a dad. Every person has that exact same birthright. If ever I was “endowed by my Creator with certain unalienable rights,” this is it—to be born with a mom and dad. Why? Because it is impossible to be born any other way.

Traditional marriage is designed to protect this unalienable right given by the Creator that Jefferson spoke of. When we redefine marriage, we begin to fight against the unalienable rights of children. Tonight I am here to represent those children, and I would like to say one more thing in their behalf. We hold these truths to be self-evident: it takes a mom and a dad to create a child, so it takes a mom and a dad to raise one."

Now, I have a few words of my own to say about marriage...

Marriage is not a selfish institution... Marriage is about more than meeting one's own needs; it's about meeting the needs of others.

Marriage was created and ordained of God and to be shared explicitly between a man and a woman - in large part for the purpose of creating a strong family unit where everyone's needs are met. 

God created men and women, each with specific gifts and abilities that the other lacks. Men and women balance and compliment each other. A man and a woman can support each other, and together they can support and nurture their children - in a way that two women or two men could never hope to...

God made this miraculous and perfect support possible for each of his children by instituting marriage between a man and a woman and making the creation of children possible ONLY through a man and a woman. ALL of a child's needs are important. ALL should be met. God made sure that a woman could not have a child without a man and a man could not have a child without a woman; by doing so he insured each child would have both a mother and a father through the sacred union of a man and a woman; and He instituted "marriage" for this purpose...

I believe that everyone should have the right to live with and love whom ever they desire to, so long as they do not take rights away from another to meet their own desires. No one has the right to take away another person's rights... No one - Christian or not - has the right to redefine marriage/seek to change the parameters of an institution created by God. How ironic and self serving - to seek to take away a God given right to children, in the name of obtaining a man made right for one's self which, truthfully, can not exist.

I wonder if most people even realize the definition of marriage...

I looked up the definition of "marriage" in the DK Illustrated, Oxford Dictionary. Here is what it says: "1 the legal union of a man and a woman in order to live together and often to have children. 2 an act or ceremony establishing this union. 3 one particular union of this kind (by a previous marriage). 4 an intimate union (the marriage of true minds)." (a fifth definition is given for card games - not applicable here)

If two people of the same sex desire companionship, let them have it; but let them give it it's own name and not lie by calling it "marriage" - the uniting of a man and a woman. Let them have their relationship without taking away the unalienable/God given rights of children!

I hope this post is helpful... 


PS. Here are a couple articles I like regarding marriage..

Nurturing Marriage

Selflessness: A Pattern for Happiness

Here is a great quote from that speech... :)

 “How prudently most men sink into nameless graves, while now and then a few forget themselves into immortality.”

The Doctrinal Importance of Marriage and Children

I hope you have a wonderful day! :)
Corine :D

Through My Father's Eyes

Hi. :) I stumbled upon a beautiful blog of a beautiful girl. She had a scripture up on her blog about the true beauty of a woman, and learning to see herself in a more positive light. That post really got me thinking. So I finally came back to my blog to write briefly about this topic (since it has been a source of joy in my journey through life! :)... 

1 PETER 3:3-4

 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward ^aadorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ^aornament of a ^bmeek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

I have always felt a quiet peace regarding my own beauty when thinking about the beauty of my soul and not just my physical appearance...

I was blessed to read a book that helped me to learn to see myself more positively, as God does; it is a continuing work in progress... The book is titled "Through His Eyes; Rethinking what you believe about yourself." It is about learning to see yourself the way God does by recognizing beliefs that aren't entirely true and tossing them from your mind. Simple but powerful concept!

Another thing that helps me is to compare myself to a seed. If you were to take various seeds and mix them together then try to identify them you would probably not be able to identify many of them, and looking at them you might see "just a seed."

Being the creator of all seeds and knowing their true identity and potential, God views seeds differently. God knows each seed individually. When God see's a seed, He knows what that seed was created to become and produce; and He doesn't view it as "just a seed." He sees what it is capable of growing into and all of its amazing potential!


We humans are like seeds, and all too often this is how we see ourselves - as "just..."  

To compare one's self in the seed state to a full grown and productive state can be discouraging! No matter how much a person has “messed up,” total repentance and forgiveness is always possible. To be encouraged to continue moving forward, we must learn to see ourselves not as we currently are, but as we may become! And we must learn to see others this way as well! That is encouraging and empowering! :D Here is a talk/speech I like to read and listen to about learning to See Others As they May Become (which I like to apply to myself as well)... 

Another thing I try to do is to live with integrity. Sadly, some fear being caught in sin more than they fear sinning (perhaps not realizing that the true consequences of sin are so much more than losing face). It is part of my conviction to strive to always choose the right EVEN WHEN NO ONE KNOWS IT! This helps me to like myself more and brings peace. Learning to be less concerned with what others think of me and determining that all that truly matters is what God thinks of me has really brought a lot of peace in my life. :) 

All of these things help me to remember that I was created to be beautiful. 

They remind me that if ever I don't feel beautiful - I just need to pray to see myself through my Fathers Eyes...

Time for me to get going. I'll end this post with a bang! :) This song is BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING! :D



...and so are you! ;)

Corine :D

To the Weary on Mother's Day...

Mothers Day has just come and gone... For some it was a wonderful day - for others it was heart wrenching...

I remember going through times when I didn't like Mothers Day. My husband used to have the attitude that I wasn't his mother so he didn't need to do anything for me. It didn't occur to him to help our kids do something nice for me, either - he wasn't being insensitive, he just grew up in a house where they didn't really celebrate anything. His first birthday party took place when I threw a party for him after we were married. In addition, Mothers Day was hard for me because I was really hard on myself and beat myself up a lot. Mothers Day was a reminder of my own negative feelings of being a "failure" as a mother in certain aspects...

Many women struggle on Mothers Day for other reasons as well... because they have no mother, feel unloved by either their mother or children, or because they themselves struggle with infertility or are single and do not wear the title of mother. What a tough day it can be for so many... I don't think it should be that way. Mothers Day isn't about thinking about what isn't... 

In church (Sacrament meeting) yesterday we had a WONDERFUL talk given about what Mothers Day IS - and of how it is a day to pay respect to ALL women for their tender "motherly" hearts - regardless of whether or not they wear the title of "mother." I have a new perspective... I think from now on when Mother's Day comes - it will remind me to be thankful for the beautiful attributes that God has blessed all women with. I think I will remember to look around me and notice those who need nurturing... to extend a hand of service more frequently, not only to my own children, but also to the neighbor's children, and all other persons who I come in contact with - regardless of age...

ALL WOMEN are gifted with motherhood. Even Eve was recognized as a mother BEFORE she ever had children. So too, should all women be recognized for the compassion, kindness, love, selflessness, and every other "motherly" attribute which they possess - on Mothers Day - and every day.

Photos taken at a Relief Society Humanitarian Service Project my daughter and I attended (along with many other women who may not call themselves "mother") I took the photos after the project was finished - while the women were being spiritually fed! :)

This is a subject that visits my mind repeatedly... We are all inspired when we see success and the "ideal" situation - SO LONG AS THERE IS H.O.P.E. FOR US TO ATTAIN our own DREAM of attaining that "ideal", TOO - (coupled with GRATITUDE for what we already have ). Without both gratitude and hope it can be so easy to fall into despair and sorrow. Perspective is everything. I wonder if the hopeful and happy "childless" women who truly desire to be mothers - or the mothers who are less than what they hoped to be as mothers - are NOT discouraged - simply because of their thoughts and focus on all that they already ARE and on all that they can yet BECOME...

I seldom get discouraged anymore. I still mess up a lot. I still come no where  close to the "ideal" mother. But I'm OK. I'm still a good mom... I believe that where there is discouragement there are lies... "You haven't overcome it yet, therefore you never will." or "It hasn't happened yet, therefore it can't." It seems that whenever I was discouraged and I would finally stop listening to voices of discouragement and be TRULY HONEST with myself (which it takes being POSITIVE to do), I would discover that there was always some lie (or lies) buried beneath the truth, and that once I un-burried the lie(s) there was ALWAYS HOPE. I don't mean hope of having everything we want or right when we want it, but hope none the less - enough of it to make the situation truly OK...

I believe that where there is God, there is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ - there is always hope - even if it is simply hope for healing or hope to endure and be happy WITHOUT some of our dreams coming true; Hope that at least in the next life, certain dreams WILL come true. Or that somehow - happiness will not be diminished due to any unfulfilled dream of some unmet ideal...

We all have dreams that don't come true or are put on hold. 

In the mean time, let us all be thankful for what we have - and be sensitive to the feelings of others and the struggles others are going through. It's important to be HONEST - to not brag or strut try to make our lives appear to be something they are not (and that means not exaggerating - or humanizing). It is important to be compassionate and comforting to others - and to ourselves...

Hugs to all - as we patiently wait upon the Lord for the righteous desires of our hearts...

Corine :)

 PS. I truly hope that those women who still wait to hold a baby of their own will come to find joy in "mothering" their sisters, friends, cousins, nieces, nephews, neighbors etc. They ARE Mothers, as much as anyone else who calls themselves "mother."

PPS. In case you are wondering... yes - I had a good mothers day. :)

UPDATE: MAY 16TH - For those who still may see this, and who try and try to figure out the never-ending work in progress of motherhood - I have a quote for you... :D

"What matters is that a mother loves her children, and in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."

Elder M. Russell Ballard