Making Life Bliss, WHILE You Have "Way Too Much" to Do!

Good morning! :D

I have been doing A LOT of work the past couple or few months, and I am re-learning some important principles...

One. When you have a lot to do, DO the LITTLE things FIRST.

So often, when we have a lot to do it is easy to ignore the little things that make us healthy and happy. Like exercising, taking time to unwind and relax, reading our scriptures either alone and or with our family, praying to our Father in Heaven, and any other thing that we do on a daily basis that is important to ourselves or our families... (like reading to little ones or to yourself, helping kids with homework or mission preparations, preparing meals and eating with our families, and even doing work around the house to keep it clean and tidy).

Time and money have some things in common.

• If you do the big things first, you will never find time or money for the little stuff and will have the stress of never having enough.
• If you budget the small things first, you will find the big things get done by and by and there is always enough.

And one more thing...

• ALWAYS take time to enjoy life and take care of yourself with food, family, fun, friends, exercise, and sleep! If you do, you will feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the world!

If you work AND play, and CHOOSE to be happy RIGHT NOW, with things EXACTLY as they are, WHILE STILL STRIVING FOR MORE... I promise you, life will be a lot happier! :) Helen Keller said it better...

That is what I keep learning. I was letting the house get a mess and trying to focus on all the big projects with the mess around me. I found it hard to concentrate and felt melancholy and a little discouraged as it seemed I had SO MUCH MORE to do than I could possibly find time to do.

But when I switched gears and decided to get back to living TODAY, rather than putting life on hold until I accomplished certain goals. When I tidied my house, took a break and had fun until ready to work again, and then did many small things that needed to be done – Suddenly, my list of things to do didn't seem so overwhelming, and in my nice environment I had more mental and emotional energy to keep working! I felt lighter and happier. And no longer felt like I was drowning with no end in sight. I could see that I was making headway, and everything was OK.

Well, I still have a lot to do, so I better get moving! :) Miles and I are gathering things we don't need from home and from work, to go to the dump and to drop off at a thrift store for others to enjoy. And I have more of Levi's mission supplies to purchase and gather, and the Fun To Sail store to finish organizing. Sigh. :) And more. Much more. Painting to finish at home. Pictures to put back up on the walls after painting and outlet covers to put back on the walls etc. It won't get done overnight. But that's OK! :) We ARE making progress! And all of our hard work IS paying off! Even now, while in the thick of work, our lives are blessed by it! 😊

I pray your lives are blessed, too!

Happy day! 💖

Corine :D

The Struggles and JOYS of Motherhood & Family

Hello! :)

Yesterday was Mother's Day! :D And it was a WONDERFUL day!!!

I got to go to Relief Society with my wonderful and amazing daughter, Mindy... who spoke up and talked about me when they asked what we learned from our mothers, or how our mothers made an impact upon us... I am so blessed to have a daughter who DEEPLY loves and honors and loves me, privately AND publicly! I am so blessed and I love her so much!

It was also a really cool experience, because what she said was really quite similar to what I was thinking - about what MY OWN MOTHER has done for me - (which I briefly vocalized after my daughter – and wished I had not been taking notes up to the last second... so I could gather my thoughts better to honor my mother more when I spoke of her). I realized that my family has a heritage of generations of women who have loved the Lord fervently and above all else, with perfect consistency, and taught their children to do the same. I feel so very blessed that my daughter has me, and that I have my mother and that she in turn had hers (my grandmother Ruth, who passed away before I was even born – and who I feel I somehow know and love despite not having met her in this life).

I am SO THANKFUL for each one of these women and the connections we share! Those that came before, and those that come behind me! I am SO THANKFUL for the love that they have for God, and for me, and for each other. We are a blessed family! :)

I also feel deeply blessed to be in my family unit starting with Miles and I...

A wonderful and beautiful thing has happened to my psyche in the past couple of days. I have come to realize more fully what a TRULY HORRIBLE thing it would be if the marriage between Miles and I were dissolved. I see our family – SO CLOSE – SO HAPPY – And so secure in our unity! (I LOVE my family SO MUCH!) What a tragedy it would be, if the link that tied that unity together were severed! It would be like taking a bright, happy chain of togetherness and joy, and breaking each piece from the others... then letting them lose to float in space without light, gravity, or time... Such a lonely tragedy!

I don't know if I can adequately describe what has gone on in my mind. I don't know that I will attempt it. But I am content to say that as I took just a moment to wonder what life would be like if Miles and I ceased to be together, I realized that EVERYTHING would change, and not at all for the better! Oh what a tragedy it would be for our entire family... for Miles and I as a couple, and also for our children and family unit! Though, during bleak moments of struggle in the past I could... I can now NEVER entertain the idea! I will never leave Miles and could never let him leave me!

In church today, there were things said in both Sacrament meeting and in Relief Society which solidified these thoughts and feelings and caused my new testimony to take root and grow very large and strong!

Karen Jolly talked about the weather here in North Idaho in the spring... First we have a TON of SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! Followed by a peak of sunshine that makes you think it is over, but which ends as quickly as it begins, followed by MORE snow! Then, yet another peak of sunshine, followed by RAIN! RAIN! RAIN! She said that if you are new to NI you may worry that the sun will NEVER come out! But if you have lived here, you are calm and rest assured that it will. And you can assure the new comers that the sun WILL come out to stay! Spring WILL come!

This analogy was used to describe the life of a mother, and of how seasoned mothers can assure new mothers, that their work has meaning and their mothering goals WILL materialize! Things WILL improve! All the work IS worth it!

I reflected on how this is also true of a marriage... :)

In Relief Society the teacher had the word WORK written on the left side of the board. And we sisters listed the work involved in being a mother (dishes, laundry, teaching, fighting kids etc.). On the right side she had the word JOY, and we sisters listed some of the joys of motherhood (hugs, hearing “I love you” from our kids, seeing them accomplish milestones, seeing them love each other between fights lol). Later on, towards the end of the lesson, she added, “This reminds me of our Father in Heaven's 'WORK and GLORY.' ~ This” she said pointing to the words listed under the word work, “is OUR work. And this” she said, pointing to the words listed under the word JOY “is OUR glory.” I felt the Holy Spirit SO STRONG when she said that!

And again, I applied this not only to being a mother, but also to being a wife or husband, sister or brother, daughter, son, or friend...

Life is like that.

In anything we do, accomplish, become, etc. There is always a great deal of work and struggles involved in making it possible for wonderful things to happen. But FOCUSING ON the JOY makes the work A DELIGHT. No one said that at church today. I think it was more implied that the work was worth the joy. But to me, focusing on the joy MAKES the work a delight!

I'm certain that when Christ suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross for us, he did not say, “This is too hard. It is just not worth it.” Thank God He knew it was!

We all have our own crosses to bear.

They are all worth the sacrifice. :) I am certain of it.

I say these things with deep gratitude to my Father in Heaven for teaching me. And I say them with certainty, peace, and joy ... in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Happy Marriage (Happy Life!) - Make it a PRIORITY! ;)

April 15, 2017 Saturday morning

Hello world! :) 

Yesterday I was busy catching up on business and other record keeping again ...though I have all this to do and complete by Monday, along with a garage to clean out today to un-bury stuff so I can find things that belong to my dad and things I want to pass on to him and my siblings that belonged to my mom. Oh yeah.. I didn't mention that. My dad and a friend of his are coming on Easter morning, tomorrow morning. And I have to work on Monday so these things must be done in advance. And then there's Easter shopping and baking preparations... This weekend there is a LOT to do!

My point is that despite the work I was am knee deep in, I felt I needed to tear myself away from it and go on a date with Miles. We tried to have a date the day before and that didn't happen, and relationships are VERY IMPORTANT! So I think they should come FIRST. So... I DID IT! :D Yes, it was a small accomplishment to tear myself away from the work to be done! ;)

Miles and I had NO IDEA what to do when we left for our date. We went to Super One and got a healthful drink for each of us, and then we went to Hayden Lake and took a walk around the dike as we watched the sun set. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! I took a couple photos of us together on my camera...

...then he took a couple of us on his. 

It was a friendly competition of sorts to see who could get the best background. ;) I think we both like our own best. LOL But mostly, we both love to see the two of us together, smiling and happy and in love. :D THAT was a WONDERFUL date! :) It lasted only an hour, perhaps. But is on the top of my list for favorite dates! :)

Now... In addition to all the other stuff I told you that we need to do, Miles and I also have an office to clean this morning! :o So, I best get on with it!

I love you life! And I love my family! And I LOVE my God! ☼

… in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

♥ PS. I love my friends, too! :)

Corine Evon (Stanford) Moore :D

New Years Celebration - Japan Style! ;D - Mostly, MISSIONARY MIRACLES! :D

Hi all! I accidentally posted my missionary daughter's letter HERE, (meant to go HERE). I decided to leave it here as a reminder/memory maker! :D Love you all! Sorry life is way too busy to write much these days! Hugs! :)

Hey family! :D What's up?!

Today, Sister Keiser and I are going to a shrine in Narita to celebrate New Years and see some New Years culture. Even though it's the second, in Japan it's still basically a holiday because of how big New Years is here. It's pretty exciting.

The last three weeks have blown by with tons of amazing miracles from God. I've literally never been so happy or so overwhelmed by miracles in my life. I've been working so hard but it feels so easy. There's little stress that doesn't lead to happiness in the end and little worries I don't forget about as soon as the moment passes. There were a ton of miracles over Christmas and I feel like they are all just building and steam rolling on themselves. 

I've lost a lot of the energy to write unfortunately. Haha. Sorry.

We're working really hard on building up the young women. Watching Hiromi chan with Sara Shimai and her husband Shuugo has been probably the most rewarding experience of my mission, and it isn't even a baptism. I have seen so many miracles and had so many strong spiritual experiences regarding less active members in the church that shock me, that I never expected to have on my mission. It is a huge thing to me and makes me so happy. Hiromi chan has been a struggle but she is finally here, finally coming to church. Watching her bond with ward members and seeing how much they care about her and want to help her is amazing! I just feel so happy that I have been a part of it. 

We had another girl, Angie chan come to church for the first time since I have known her yesterday. And two days ago her sister Naomi told me of her powerful conversion story to the church and to prayer and inpsired me to know how to support her and work with her better. She is so sweet and has such a powerful spirit. Then two days ago we met another one of our youth who through more miracles will be coming to church! Probably with Hiromi and Sara. I am just... so happy. All of these girls minus one talked to us about their friends who they are trying to invite to church and activities and all want help with English. There is SO MUCH to see and do here and I am way excited about it.

The Lord has been placing people in our path crazy ways, when we need to see miracles it has been happening and I have been shocked at the very specific times in which it starts to come.

Over the course of my mission I've come to find that as soon as we repent, as soon as we rededicate ourselves to God and tell Him that we are dedicated to doing our best and to following Him, the blessings of God pour down upon us. God knows our hearts so as long as we are sincere, we can start over immediately, instantaneously at any moment in our lives. That is the mercy of God. This is one of the biggest things that I have learned on my mission. 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! Set good New Years resolutions!

Love you all!

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