Meeting Kenzy

Hi my name is Kenzy.  I am so excited to be part of this group and to learn from all of you beautiful women out there.  I am 27 and a newlywed as of 9 months ago.  The love of my life has been my best friend 9 years.  We dated 6 ½ of the 8ish years before we got married, but we won’t go into right now because I’m supposed to give you a brief introduction and not the next Twilight series.

Most of my life now revolves around my superhero husband and my two sweet dogs.  Before that I was very much into sports and schooling.  Both gave me very important lessons in life that I will expound on probably in the near future.  It was shortly after high school that I found my sweetheart and found out what love really was. 

Eddy and I have been through some of the craziest adventures and some heartrending experiences.  Both have brought us closer together with the help of a loving Father in Heaven.  My husband’s family has a history of mental illness in his family and needless to say this apple, my sweet Eddy, did not fall far from the tree.  I wouldn’t ask for him to be any different because I fell in love with him as he is and not who I wished him to be.

I am blessed to stay home with my dog-children.  I say that because they play, make messes, get dirty, snuggle and love like children do.  As yes they talk.  No I’m serious!!! Gypsy has sign language ears and Shadow uses her eyes and head tilt to let you know their opinion of life.  After playing with these two, completing regular household fun stuff, and the unexpected, I love to go to my craft room and make quilts.  I love taking fabrics of all varieties and bring them together to make something beautiful for others to enjoy.

So you have heard from our awesome team, but now it’s my turn to give you the TRUE dirt on them. ;)

Megan: This lady is freaking awesome.  Have you ever had one of those friends that somehow gets you to sign up for a crazy, farfetched half marathon, marathon, or worse… Ragnar?  Megan unfortunately has a cousin that is that exact same way and it’s harder to dodge family.  She and I have had wonderful talks as we trained for events and I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing she is.  Megan is so in tune with the Spirit and has stood as a shining example every day of her life.

Britt: Volleyball has been a big part of hers and my life.  I was constantly amazed at the work ethic this chic had and I wanted to be just like her growing up.  She taught me that no matter how hard it gets, you can dig deep and find a way to endure just a little more.  Very very strong and talented right here folks.

Beth: We are twins separated by mothers that are sisters.  She and I share a love for horses, sports, cats, dogs, and most importantly…. ICE CREAM!  You want someone who will be there for you through thick and thin?  She is your girl.  Very determined in all that she does and doesn’t give up too easily.  I love being able to joke with this girl and she always brightens my day. 

Alyssa:  This supermom is the bomb as well.  She has more energy that an 82 year old that is for dang sure.  I love that she is always there for her cute family and is always finding fun things to do with her girls and her husband.  Alyssa’s laugh is so infectious that if we recorded it and played it through the satellites, then everyone would be happy in the world.  She has a huge heart and you will get to see that here as we go along.

Nancy:  This woman is the boss, bee’s knees, cats meow, and all the other catchy sayings that I can’t think of right now.  Talk about a humble, spiritual giant! The things you could learn from her are endless.  She loves lighthouses and she has definitely been a lighthouse in my life when some storms came in and I was having a hard time finding the way to safe harbors.  Her testimony shines so brightly, and the love she carries with it is unstoppable. 

So challenge for this week is to pick a 1 day a week, biweekly, or month that you can consistently give 10 minutes of your time to write down the people that are shining examples to you and why. Then pick one attribute that you want to work on and tell your support team so they can make you accountable.  You can do it!

Getting Reacquainted

Hello Soulful B Sisterhood!

It's been a long time since I've been an active part of this beautiful blog, but I'm ready to try and start fresh. We've seen some really amazing posts with the new design, and I can hardly wait to share my thoughts with you on my powerhouse support team. I hope that your support teams are coming together to bring out the brilliance in each of you.

Since I last wrote, my life has changed quite a lot. I am turning 25 in just a few short months. I have graduated from SUU with a BIS in Agriculture. I've moved back to Northern Utah, and am trying to figure out the next step in my wonderful journey. I am a horse fanatic, and still enjoy all the time that I can get with these truly amazing creatures. Some of my most profound life lessons have come from working with them. I also enjoy the outdoors, whether it be hiking, fishing, or whatever. I am also very athletic, and especially love volleyball. I also enjoy coaching now that my playing time is limited. I have also have a new found love for genealogy work, and do what I can when I can.

Now to give my thoughts on my fellow sisters :)

Megan: A great older sister. She's a great example of patience and love. It's not easy letting your little sister be a tag along for several years. When I had no friends to spend my time with though, I knew I could count her as a true friend. 

Brittnee: I have always looked up to Britt. She is a great example of how to push through hard times, and strive to do your best. Her example of strength helped me find my own.

Kenzy: We share a passion for horses, and it was her that introduced me to working with them. She is amazing at seeing the little details that are important and lead to greater understanding of things.

Alyssa: My awesome sister-in-law is just as awesome as super woman, even though she is too humble to admit to it ;) It has been a true blessing to feel of her testimony and see how to brighten it through sharing. She is also a great example to me of how to be a great mom.

Nancy (a.k.a. mom): Thanks to her constant love, support, and hardwork, I have grown up with a knowledge that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. Her testimony has also helped strengthen me and been a light in the dark times in my life. She is a great example of living what you believe and sharing the light you have.

I have only included a few short things about these amazing sisters, as you will get to find out more of their amazingness for yourselves as we continue on this journey together.

Challenge:

My challenge to you this week, is that you find a picture of a brilliant light (sun, a star, a lightbulb, etc) and set it as the wallpaper for your cellphone, computer, or whatever device you use on a daily basis (and post it to instagram #soulfulbsisterhood) for one week. Picture yourself and those of your support team in this light as individuals, then all together. Record in a journal or somewhere your thoughts and feelings, and then comment on the blog and facebook about what impressions you felt.

Until next time,

Beth

Meet Alyssa Dean

Hi everyone, another member of the Soulful B Sisterhood... I'm Alyssa Dean said "A-Lisa"... trust me my name has been a struggle my entire life... sigh.

I happen to be 28 years old- going on 82, yes 82. I married my high school sweetheart Brian in September of 2005, and he also happens to be Megan's loving brother. I have two of the most precious, crazy, dramatic, challenging, and loving little girls. I work full-time graveyard shift 5 nights a week as a Registered Nurse and Full-Time as a mother 24-7. My husband is going to school full time to be a high school teacher and working part time as a pharmacy technician which equals him being gone- all the time. All of this means I sleep very little, but I see it as a beautiful blessing from my Heavenly Father (most of the time) and when you read my posts, you'll understand why. 

In all my spare time (belly laugh), I enjoy baking for people, crocheting blankets, remodeling anything that I can find (and my husband will let me), organizing, blogging my family's life, cuddling, and napping- yes napping. I believe you can never write enough thank you notes, and stamps hold a special place in my heart. I was certainly blessed with a love for the elderly-I could just adopt every old person I see. I happen to enjoy yard work, cooking, and cleaning... Just don't make me do the dishes- yuck! 

People would tell you I am one those super women who can do everything- without tired bags under my eyes and while smiling.  It's a lie. We all know it.Truth is I am an amazingly happy, capable, and blessed Daughter of God- not because my life is without challenges or because I don't require sleep,  but because I so often choose to focus on the blessings that surround me. I chose to put the most important things first. Even though the struggles are real, I believe you can too. I am excited to share my testimony of the beautiful Daughter of God you are, of the light that our Heavenly Father place inside you, and joy that He desires you to feel each and everyday. This is going to be BRILLIANT!

At this moment, its 5 am. It’s not unusual for me to be awake on the computer at 5am, after all, I work the graveyard shift. What IS unusual is the excitement I feel at being able to be a part of the Soulful Brilliance Team and the hope I have that as I share my testimony that it will somehow inspire you. 

A simple quote sums up my feelings of why I chose to join the soulful brilliance team. 

Marriane Williamson said, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." 

The women who will be writing on this blog are powerful beyond measure, we are gorgeous, talented, and fabulous women of god- JUST LIKE YOU! When we try to down play our great gifts and power, when we shrink or play small, we are only allowing Satan to first control our thoughts of inadequacy and second stop the light Heavenly Father has placed within us from reaching others. In other words... we let Satan win. 

The scriptures say. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16) 

You might feel like you don't have any light within you, perhaps you truly don't feel gorgeous, talented and fabulous. Maybe you feel let down, unrewarded for your efforts, lost and alone. It is my testimony that our Father in Heaven made you, he doesn't make junk! He makes beautiful Daughters of God with special talents and abilities. Within you he has placed light. He loves you, he desires for you to be happy. He desires for you to feel full of light and brilliance, and it is my testimony that this is the reason he inspired the women of the Soulful Brilliance Sisterhood to share their testimonies, life experiences, and light with you... Welcome to our blog, we hope you'll stay.

Challenge: Hang up Marianne Williamson's quote on your bathroom mirror, REMEMBER you are powerful beyond measure. Invite 3 of your family members, friends, co workers to read this blog and join us at #soulfulbsisterhood and www.soulfulbrilliance.blogspot.com . 

Welcome

Welcome to the Sisterhood

Hi, I’ve been racking my brain as to how this is “supposed” to look all week. Here it is my week and my thoughts have not come together the way I thought they were “supposed” too. Who is this blog for? I would like to say any of you women out there with the idea that things have to look a certain way and if they don’t then something has gone askew in the universe. That if you aren’t the “supermom” that you think you “need” to be. If you’re 31, 25, or any other age unmarried and wondering what have I done or not done to have a significant other in my life to fill that other “better half”(for lack of a better word). Maybe marriage has come your way and the “ideal relationships” seems to be someone else's fortune. This blog is for all of us looking for comfort in the imperfections of this mortal life and the perfection of a loving Heavenly Father (I choose that name for the knowledge I have gained and the extreme love I have for a higher power, the Universe, Energy, light, and any other name that encompass Him).

I’ve been a part of soulful brilliance from its beginning. I can’t say I’ve taken the active roll in spreading the brilliance (I can count on one hand my blog posts). I was struggling with how I wanted it to look or who I wanted it to influence. While Meg took the reigns and had a more clear vision in her mind of what she desired it to look like and who it would influence. I felt a tug at my heart and a burning desire has come into my vision to share with all women any age, race and even religion. We are all powerful spirits here to serve and lift each other. I have such a great love for all of my sisters and I look forward to expanding my knowledge and sisterhood here in the soulFULL brilliance.

I’m blessed to be working with some very soulful sisters of light.

Meg is full of light and truth a spiritual giant. She has a love for teaching especially assisting others in seeing their soulful brilliance.  

Beth the youngest of this group of sisters, but so full of love a true peacemaker.

Nancy shares her beautiful light through her example of faith. I’ve learned so much from observing her. She has taught me how to love and surrender to the will of the Lord and how to release judgment and just love.

Alyssa is so dynamic. She flows through life with such passion and brilliance. She blesses so many lives with her light and love.

Kenzy is so genuine in loving and accepting others where ever their path has taken them.

We have gathered to share our journeys to soulful brilliance and to continue growing together in the soulful sisterhood. I’m so blessed to have such a large sisterhood (support team if you will).Who’s in your sisterhood? Why have you chosen them to be a part of your life? We are all on this journey together. Our sisterhood is always expanding and changing as trials and challenges come into our life or the flow of constant change swoops us into a new chapter of life. People are placed in our path to shape and mold us along our perfect path. please share with us some of your journey to soulful brilliance what is it for you and how does your soulfully brilliant sisterhood assist you in shaping your path.

Challenge: this month it's to  gather your sisterhood. Take the time to write about it in a journal and then test your nominations do these people truly fill your soul with brilliant light? A few places that I've found brilliant sisters is in my family and by gaining friends through work, my ward/church group, and neighborhood. Who do you choose to share your soulful brilliance with? 

please share your sisterhood with us by commenting here and/or post a photo on facebook or instagram #soulfulbsisterhood

I look forward to this journey of growth and expansion in my soulful sisterhood.

Namaste,

Brittnee

Welcome to the Soulful B Sisterhood!

Made with Rhonna Designs App

Dear sweet friends!  I'm so excited for the chance to introduce you to something new!

This summer has been an eye opener for me.

I've learned some things.

I've been reminded of some things.

I've had the opportunity to shift some things.

One of my big shifts is on this blog.

All of us in life get overwhelmed 

and at times we face challenges that seem insurmountable.

Of all the tools we can use to help us get through

what seems impossible, the most important is to

build a support team!

All we have to do is look through the scriptures,

look at the church,

look at all things around us,

and we will see that Heavenly Father

created all living things to support each other.

In Alma 8, we read about how

Alma goes to the city of Ammonihah

to preach to the people.

He is rejected and leaves.

An angel comes to him and 

tells him to to return to the city

and tell the people that if they 

don't repent the Lord will destroy them.

Alma returns to the city and 

meets a man named Amulek,

who feeds him and gives him a place to stay.

Amulek then supported Alma by going

with him to preach to the people.

He was Alma's support team!

In the church we have different organizations

that support each other.

Relief Society

Priesthood

Primary

Young Men

Young Women

Sunday School

They all work together!

Inside those organizations we have more support!

Visiting Teachers

Home Teachers

Presidencies

Bishoprics

Teachers

Librarians

Music Leaders

Music Players

All working together!

One of the best support teams 

Heavenly Father gave us when he sent us to earth 

is our Family!

I can't even begin to tell you all

the ways my dear sweet family 

has supported me throughout my life

and especially in the last three years

as I've come to discover and live

in my Soulful Brilliance.

Especially five special women.

Each of them has been a light for me.

Each of them has helped me remember

my greatness and light

when I couldn't see it.

They are just ordinary women like you and me.

They are my heroes.

I watch them doing quiet acts of service for others.

They change people's lives.

All without recognition.

They are amazing!

Each of us comes from a different stage in life.

Some of us are single.

Some of us are newlyweds.

Some of us are married with young children.

Some of us have been married for 32 years

with grown children and sweet grandchildren.

While we come from different stages,

Each of us has a firm testimony

born through great challenges and 

learning experiences.

We are each amazing examples of love

 and trusting in the Lord.

I'm so excited to tell you that 

they will all be joining us here on Soulful Brilliance!

We are starting what we've decided to call the 

Soulful B Sisterhood.

I don't want to tell you too much about them

so they can introduce themselves,

but here they are!

Brittnee has already been a part of the sbteam

from the beginning.  She and I dreamed

Soulful Brilliance up together!

She has been an amazing coach and mentor

for me throughout my life.

She taught me how to ride a bike.

She taught me about vision.

And she has been an amazing

example to me of always believing in yourself.

Beth also has been a part of the team for awhile.

She is the most amazing sister ever!

I have always loved her peacemaker personality.

She is an amazing example of overcoming

challenges and believing in your dreams!

Kenzy has been a member of the team 

for a short time. 

She is an amazing example of patience and perseverance.

She and I ran a marathon together

a little over three years ago.

I was tired and starting to slow down

and Kenzy just kept plugging on down the road.

She lives her life doing that same thing each day.

Alyssa is my amazing sister-in-law

and new to SB! I'm very excited

to have her with us.

She is an amazing example 

of charity and supporting others!

Nancy, whom I fondly call Mom,

is also new. I can't even think

of words that can full describe 

her greatness and brilliance.

Other than the Lord,

her testimony and support

have been the most important factor

in my success in life.

She is amazing!

Each month we will be discussing ways

to discover and live in 

our soulful brilliance.

We will also have a challenge

to work on together throughout the month!

Each week two sisters will post their thoughts

along with a small challenge to help you during the week.

Please comment on posts and share your stories!

You never know who you might be able

to support by sharing!

Also, use the hashtag #soulfulbsisterhood

on Facebook and Instagram to share!

September is the month you will

introduced to our sisterhood

and be given a short message

and challenge from the sisters.

This month I would just encourage you

to think about who has supported you

in your life.

Heavenly Father and the Savior

are our greatest supporters!

They love us so much,

they sent us to earth together

to help and lift each other.

One of my favorite quotes is 

from Lucy Mack Smith,

"We must cherish one another,

watch over one another,

comfort one another

and gain instruction,

that we may all sit down in heaven together."

The Relief Society organization in

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

has been an amazing support in my life.

I've had the opportunity to be taught by and to teach 

some amazing daughters of God.

It is an amazing place where 

we can come together

and support each other.

September Challenge

My challenge to you in this month of 

September is to 

look around you and 

choose some women in your

life who are or can be

a part of your support team.

Two of the best places to look are

in your FAMILY

and in your ward RELIEF SOCIETY!

Invite them to join your team

and to read Soulful Brilliance

and join us in the 

Soulful B Sisterhood!

When you have done this,

Post a picture of you with your team

on Instagram or Twitter 

using the hashtag #soulfulbsisterhood!

We really all need each other to 

make it through our lives and 

to reach our goals!
So let's work together!
Let's support each other!

We look forward to seeing your posts

and reading your comments!

Luvz,

Meg :0)

If you would like to email our team

our address is soulfulbrilliance@gmail.com.

The Temple

Today I'd like to share with you my talk from sacrament meeting yesterday. This is the very rough draft as I didn't go through and fix anything from how I typed it up in my notes so please forgive any grammatical errors and if it doesn't make sense in some sections.  Just know that I love temples! 

My love of the temple started at a pretty young age.  I grew up in a family where I was taught the importance of going to the temple and being married for time and all eternity.

Then when I was a teenager I ran into a huge trial, or like I like to call them a learning experience.  My family had moved when I was in Junior high and when that happened I made some new friends but they weren’t the best people to have as friends, so when I got to high school I was working on finding some new friends to hang out with and it was hard. During that time my mom became my best friend.  She was always there listening to me and giving me encouragement.  Spring of my sophomore year in high school she was diagnosed with cancer.  Our lives got turned upside down and it was really hard for me.  One night I had just had enough and I remember kneeling down next to my bed and just pleading with my Heavenly Father to help me make it through this no matter what happened.  The next day at school I was sitting in my English class and my teacher was telling us about our next assignment, which was to write a poem about our mothers for mother’s day.  As she was helping us brainstorm some things, I lost it.  Now I hate crying, and add to that I was sitting in an English class crying practically hysterically. I remember how embarrassed I was.  After class I had two different friends that day talk to me about their mothers.  One of them her mother had passed away recently from cancer and another whose mother was going through some health issues with her heart.  They each bore their testimonies about how they knew that because their families were sealed in the temple they knew they would be together forever with their mothers.  That reminder totally turned around my attitude about this learning experience in my family’s life.  I also made a promise to myself that day that no matter what I would be married in the temple.  That summer I received my PB and was told in it that as I regularly attend the temple I would receive many blessings.  And that has been so true!  I love how that is not just true for me, but for every single one of us. Some of us might have only limited use recommends to go do baptisms for the dead, some of us might have full use recommends, and others of us for various reasons might not have recommends, but I know that we can all receive of the blessings that come from the temple.  The conviction of the blessings of an eternal family blessed me immensely in my life.  Thirteen years down the road I ended up dating a guy who wanted to get married, but wasn’t worthy to go to the temple. I had already made the decision that that wasn’t an option, so I didn’t have to stress out or stew about what I should do. Even though it was hard to do, I ended up breaking up with him and moving on.  And I’m so grateful for the amazing blessings that decision has brought to my life.

In D & C 109 we read the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple which was given to Joseph Smith in a revelation.  In it there are many blessings mentioned.  To date I’ve found 25 of them, but it seems like every time they read it I find more.  I’d like to talk about several of them today.

Armed with thy power

Verse 22 we read that we will go forth from the temple armed with His power. What is His power? It’s the power to resist temptations. The power to be courageous when we are faced with challenges and difficulties in our lives. The power to bear one another’s burdens.  The power to share our burdens and allow others to help us. It is the power to more fully live our covenants both those made in the temple and those we make when we are baptized. That in turn leads to the power of happiness.  Thomas S. Monson taught, “Sacred convenants are to be revered by us, and faithfulness to them is a requirement for happiness.” I can testify of that truth.  I can always tell when I haven’t been going to the temple regularly.  I’m grouchy I feel weighed down with problems.  On the other hand when I have been attending the temple regularly and consciously keeping the commandments and being faithful to the covenants I have made at the temple, I am happier and less stressed.  I’m just overall better able to deal with the things going on in my life. For many years attending the temple regularly for me was at least once a week.  Now that my life has changed, Burk and I go every other week. I know that we are all busy and sometimes it’s hard to find the time, but I know that if we attend regularly however that looks for us, we will be blessed with the power we need to live our lives the way the Savior intends for us to live them.

Sometimes it is the power to be able to teach others and help them on their journey.  About two years ago I received a call in my ward to teach the temple prep class.  I was very excited about it as I love the temple, but I was really nervous to be teaching such sacred things to young adults. I knew there would be a lot of them as it had just been announced in General Conference that the age to go on a mission had been lowered.  Each week new people would join my class, most of them young women preparing to go on their missions.  I went to the temple each week, thinking about my lessons and praying for guidance in helping my students understand and come to have a love of the temple.   I received the help I needed and through His power and the help of the Holy Ghost those young single adults came to have a love of the temple in their hearts.

Thy glory round about them and thine angels have charge over them

Another blessing of the temple is that we will have Heavenly Father’s glory round about us and His angels will have charge over them. I absolutely love this promise. I know that many parents of missionaries also love this promise as they send their children out on missions, especially those who go to other countries to preach the gospel. 

China

This promise has a special place in my heart and I have a testimony of it for several reasons. I had the opportunity at the young age of 19 to go through the temple.  I was about to leave to go live in China for a short time to teach English. When I decided to go do this, everyone including me thought I was crazy.  This was completely out of my comfort zone and I was scared of all the things that could go wrong while I was there, but the day I left my father gave me a blessing and reminded me that I had been to the temple and that Heavenly Father’s angels would be there watching over me and helping to protect me as I listened to the promptings of the Spirit.  It was a comfort to me and I know it was comfort to my mother.  One night when I had been there about three or four weeks, I went on a weekend trip to Xian, where the terracotta warriors are located. After a day of running around sightseeing, I found myself being left behind on a dark corner because there hadn’t been enough room in any of the taxies my friends had gotten into.  I was terrified.  They had told us to never go anywhere alone and here I was alone.  On a dark street.  I couldn’t find a taxi anywhere and after saying a little prayer felt like I should walk down to the next street to look for a taxi.  Instead of finding a taxi I found one of the others in my group who had also been left behind.  We were relieved to have found each other.  We couldn’t find a taxi anywhere, so we decided to pull out our map of the city and walk to our hotel.  At first it was an amazing adventure.  We met a new Chinese friend who tried to help us find a taxi, but again no taxies anywhere.  She eventually had to go on her way and we were again walking through the streets toward our hotel.  We walked through the bustling center of the city and saw some fun and amazing things. And then we had to turn down a dark street to get to our hotel.  Down that street we both started feeling nervous.  We turned another corner and were suddenly surrounded with the homeless people of the city.  In the dark.  Alone.  Only we weren’t alone.  We stopped and said a little prayer, we felt that we should continue on our way.  It was still scary, but I felt the power of the Heavenly Father strengthening us on our way and I truly believe that we were surrounded by angels keeping us safe.  A couple blocks down we ran into a young woman and her small daughter.  They helped us find our way safely to our hotel.  This experience is one that I’ve never forgotten.  Every time I feel scared or trapped or like I’m in a dark place in my life, I remember this.  I remember that I have angels surrounding me. 

2 Kings 6

In 2 kings 6 the prophet Elisha is surrounded by the armies of the king of Syria.  His servant was scared and asked Elisha what they should do.  In vs. 16-17 Elisha says, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Have you ever felt surrounded? Disappointed? Discouraged? I love this quote from Jeffrey R. Holland, “In the Gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil and you must never forget that.  When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection.  They will always be there, these armies of Heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.” I testify that this is true.  I have had so many times in my life when I’m going through learning experiences and I have felt the armies of the Lord helping and protecting me.

There are so many more blessings that can be found in DC 109, I really encourage you to search it and see what you can find.  Because of time, I’m going to move on to some other blessings of the temple that I would like to share.

The Truth about ourselves and our divine nature

Another blessing that I have found in the temple, both as a youth doing baptisms for the dead and as an adult being able receive my endowment and be sealed to Burk as well as participate in doing that work for the dead, is that I am reminded every time I go of my divine nature.  I’m reminded that I am a child of a loving Heavenly Father who wants me to succeed gloriously in my life. This has become a huge blessing for me in the last three years.

  Three years ago I was super depressed. Basically I’d had gone through a really hard thing for me. I was just going through the motions of life.  I’d get up and go to work and come home and lay around doing nothing, go to bed and then get up and do it all again. Before I had been going to the temple once a week and I had stopped doing that. I hated my life and I especially hated myself.  I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I was a failure. And a whole slew of other limiting beliefs about myself. I was sinking deeper and deeper and one day I knew I need to do something to help myself or my life wasn’t going to get any better, so I kneeled down and prayed fervently to my Heavenly Father to help me.  He answered my prayer with a go to the temple. So I went. I left there feeling so much better and knowing what I needed to do: talk to one of my cousins who I was living with at the time.  She had been having a challenge like mine and I had watched her over the last three months change into a confident person.  We had an awesome talk and she connected me with a woman named Marci.  One thing led to another and with Heavenly Father telling me that is what I was supposed to do I started a program called the 90 day mind and body transformation.  I learned through Marci……I decided that since this was a lot of teaching of the world that I would add my own studies to my learning and search out what the scriptures and prophets and apostles have to say about it.  I started going back to the temple once a week and it was there in the temple that I really began to be reminded that I was a daughter of God.  That I had a divine nature, I divine DNA. I was reminded that my life had a purpose and I started to receive these amazing revelations about the truths about myself. About my gifts and talents and the things I would get to do with them.  It was an amazing gift for me and helped me to step eagerly into what Heavenly Father needed me to do.  Sadly sometimes I still get depressed and have hard times, but as I have continued to attend the temple regularly and to fast and pray I am again reminded to see myself as my Heavenly Father sees me.

Hannah and the pouring out of her soul

Another blessing of the temple is that we can find comfort, healing and answers to prayers.  One of my favorite Old Testament stories is the story of Hannah.  Hannah was a faithful woman who had a challenge.  She was married and she was not able to have children.  To add to her heartache her husband’s other wife would always remind her of it. One year they all went up to the temple for their yearly trip to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord.  While they were there Hannah was again reminded by the other wife of her plight and she becomes very upset.  So upset that she’s weeping and she’s not able to eat.  She describes herself as a woman of sorrowful spirit.  Finally she goes up to the temple and in her own words, “poured out my soul before the Lord…for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken”. Last year I had the chance to go to tofw and one of the speakers there (S. Michael Wilcox: Face to Face) talked about this and pointed out something that was really powerful to me.  Hannah had been praying for years to have children, but it wasn’t until she went to the temple and poured out her heart to Heavenly Father and gave him all of her pain that he answered her prayer. She was blessed to have a boy named Samuel.  When he was weaned she took him to the temple and he spent his life as a servant of the Lord.  Hannah went on to have three more sons and two daughters.  How many times do we pour out our hearts to the Lord in the temple?  I know that is something I constantly struggle with.  I’m afraid that I’ll seem ungrateful, or that all I’m doing is complaining.  I feel like I’m lacking in faith or being selfish. But he is waiting to hear from us. He is waiting for us to pour out our souls to him.  To empty them, so he can pour in to them answers, peace, comfort or other things that we desire or need.  I know from experience the power of this concept!  A little over a year ago, just before my 30^th birthday, I was sitting in the temple thinking about my beautiful awesome life!  I was feeling so grateful and just full of joy.  I had finally come to a point in my life where I was feeling like I was on the right track.  I loved myself!  I was discovering more about myself and the path Heavenly Father desired for me to go.  I had just finished the first draft of my book and life was just amazing.  And then I remembered the one thing that I had been desiring for so many years, finding an amazing man to marry in the House of the Lord.  As I was sitting there I was feeling all these feelings of selfishness and lack of faith.  I had been praying for years to have this blessing in my life and my life was amazing except for this one thing.  Then I remembered Hannah and her pouring out.  And I sat there and poured out my soul to the Lord about this. Four weeks after my birthday Heavenly Father answered my prayers and brought Burk into my life.

The Blessings of Family History

Something that all of us can work on that will bring temple blessings is family history work! When I received my Patriarchal Blessing, I was told to work on my family history.  I immediately went to work, and joined my grandma at the family history library several times that summer. I had a hard time continuing it because it was a lot of hard work. 

One quick story, when Burk and I were engaged, due to some circumstances we got the chance to wait to set a date and call the temple to make an appointment to be sealed. It was really hard for me to be patient and wait. We continued to go to the temple every other week and that helped, but sometimes I was just plain frustrated. One day at church when I was having a particularly hard time, we had a lesson about family history and its importance in our lives.  Heavenly Father taught me something important that day. I was having a hard time waiting the few months to be sealed to my eternal companion, but so many of my ancestors have waited years, decades, even centuries to be sealed to their families! That day I was very thankful for that experience so I could learn this.This summer I have been able to play around with the new fun things on familysearch.org and do some of my family's work. Family history work has never been easier!  

Friends, the blessings of the temple are real.

If you have a recommend use it as often as you can.

If you don’t have a current recommend work towards getting on.  Work on family history. Spend time on temple grounds.  You will be blessed as you do this!

The Truth About Me

This week I've really been thinking about the truth about me.  I've been realizing that these truths about me aren't always positive.  There are some truths about me that are not fun to realize or remember.  My favorite thing about these truths are that they come with a huge BUT behind them.

The truth about me is that I'm a completely imperfect perfectionist, BUT I have learned and get to constantly remind myself that life is about the progress, the learning and  the growing NOT trying to get everything to be perfect.

The truth about me is that when I get overwhelmed (usually because I'm focusing on chasing perfect) I often fall into my old patterns of depression and feeling bad about myself, BUT I realize once again that I perfectly in my perfect growth process and that I get to pull out my toolbox and get myself back on track.

The truth about me is that I haven't experienced anything really traumatic in my life, BUT the experiences I have had and the things I have learned from those experiences are amazing!  I know that as I share my story with others I can help them to know they are not alone.  I can help inspire others to continue on the path and to never give up.

The truth about me is that I'm scared of failing. I'm scared of not being good enough.  I'm scared of disappointing others, BUT I get to realize that all that fear is coming from Satan because "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7). Satan wants me to fail because if I succeed, I can change lives and stand as a witness of Christ!

The truth about me is that sometimes I get to take some time to be depressed and feel all those negative emotions that are swirling around inside me, BUT when I have felt them, I feel better at having acknowledged them and discovered why I was feeling them.

The truth about me is that I am an amazing daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me as only He can love.  He knows the truth about me and loves me anyways.  I know the truth about me and I get the opportunity to love myself anyways.  I am far from perfect, but I have a gift that is so amazing!  A gift from a Brother who loves me and wants me to succeed in my life.  I have the gift of the Atonement in my life!

THE TRUTH ABOUT ME IS THAT I'M NOT PERFECT, BUT I LOVE MYSELF ANYWAY!

Luvz,
Meg:0)