More Light

"You know, you do a disservice to all the women around you by doing so much. You know that you make them feel inadequate as they try to measure up to you." Those words were spoken to me as I sat waiting for church to start. He was only trying to encourage me to slow down and take care of myself, but those words hurt, and they made me want to dim my light and hold back from sharing the talents I have to bless the lives of others. They also fueled my post, something I was waiting for my Heavenly Father to help me with all week. 

I used to be in the same boat as many of you. I thought my talents had to be seen to be "talents". I thought if I wasn't the best pianist, singer, or some other showy talent, I had no talents. Divinely this is just NOT the case. Our loving Heavenly Father has placed in each of us talents that are worth so much MORE than we can understand, and talents that he uses to direct his work. 

I happen to pray for a few things nearly every day. Yes it's kind of routine in word but extremely heartfelt and pure, and I feel it's the reason I even exist. I pray that I can listen to the spirit and act promptly, that I can find those people in my life who need to feel his love, and that I can be His hands and serve those who are asking for his help. 

He answers my prayers because I have been blessed with being able to use my talents to be His hands countless times.(which others may see as doing "too much") I go and do what the spirit prompts me to do, I serve with all my mind, might, and heart, and I have watched miracles happen as I have been allowed to use my talents in a way He directs and desires.

It's not that I am trying to "do a disservice" to those women around me, or make them feel "inadequate". It is that I have realized the talents my Heavenly Father has given me and I have gone to work! It is amazing what we are able to accomplish as women when we ask for His help. We can DO SO MUCH MORE when we shine our light and use our talents. Truth is our Heavenly Father needs us to use those talents that is why he has given them to us.

Kenneth Kope's More Lyrics are perfect for this week as we think of what MORE we could do with our talents. Even better if you have the time, listen to it HERE. It's powerful. (I'll post the lyrics at the end of the post)

I know it feels at times that we have nothing MORE to give. That we can do no MORE. I testify that as we use our God given talents, and pray that we might be His hands, we will be the cause of much goodness-even miracles. By shining our lights, and with His help, we can do so much MORE in bringing the light to others. 

With Love, 

Alyssa

Monthly challenge: work on recognizing your light. Write down the talents that you have put it up on your wall or mirror so you see it every day.  Add to your list throughout the month as you recognize your light.

Weekly challenge: Get on your knees, and with your list of talents tell Heavenly Father you want to do MORE with them, ask that you might be His hands and be led to those who need your light.

MORE

More steady, more sure

More trusted, more pure

Some say it doesn’t matter

More trained and more aware

More aim to get me there

I climb this far

You raise the bar

You want my heart

 CHORUS:

More fierce desire

To stand against the wind

More blazing fire

When dark is closing in

More love inspired change within

So there’s more and more of me to give

More words to learn and know

More etched upon my soul

Some say it doesn’t matter

More tried, more true

Less me, and much more You

I stretch this tall

You sound the call

You want my all

REPEAT CHORUS

You keep reaching out—You’re calling out to me for

More strengthened shoulders

To face the war with sin

More wise and bolder

To save the souls of men

A more faithful soldier to the end

You want more and more of me to give

More and more of me to give

More love, more light, more purpose, more serve with all my might

I need more hope, more faith, more patience, each day I pray for more

More and more of me to give

More fire, more zeal, more spirit to know what’s real

More courage, more joy, more, more and more of me to give

More grateful, more true, more humble to trust and do

You call, I hear

I’ll walk the path that’s set in stone

My heart is fixed on getting home

And what on earth could ever matter more?

More and more of me to give

More

Let your light so shine

This month is about recognizing our light. When it comes to recognizing my light I feel like it is a continuing growth process. I found that growth process accelerated about 2 years ago as I surrounded myself with like minded people. As I chipped away at the layers of caked on mud some brilliant light began to shine.  I became aware of my talents and how my light was showing up for me and others around me. I know now that to recognize and use my light is to recognize and honor my Father in Heaven. I have also found that as I hold gratitude for my talents I’m able to stretch and grow new talents.

My Father in Heaven wants me to share and stretch my light and as I do he will use my talents to touch and serve others. You never know how you will serve others as you recognize your light. The Lord wants us to rediscover our divine light because as we do we become valuable instruments in his hands to share and spread his light.   

Monthly challenge: work on recognizing your light. Write down the talents that you have put it up on your wall or mirror so you see it every day.  Add to your list throughout the month as you recognize your light.

Weekly challenge: allow yourself to just say thank you. Don’t try and weasel your way out of the complement just simply say thank you. It will change you I promise that you will recognize more of the light within you as you simply own your talent and your beauty.

Namaste,
Britt 

Recognize Your Light

I had been working hard
to learn to love myself.
I had started eating good foods,
exercising regularly,
and studying the Gospel.
It was a hard road.
Then one day I found
a scripture in Mosiah 4:30,

"But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish.  And now, O man, remember, and perish not."

I had read this scripture so many times.
I had never considered needing to
watch my thoughts and words
about myself.
It started to make sense.
I looked at the path that had
brought me to this place in my life
and noticed that it was the thoughts
and words I had been telling myself
that had led me to limiting beliefs
about myself and my life.
That I wasn't good enough.
That I wasn't pretty enough.
That I was a failure.
These thoughts and so many more
had bee swirling around in my head
for so long that I had started believing
them and had started living as if they were true.

Finding this scripture was a wake up call.
I know the Holy Ghost was trying to teach
me something very important.
That the thoughts I think
and the words I say about myself
needed to be watched.
And if I didn't watch them
I was going to perish
physically,
emotionally,
spiritually.
I wasn't going to be able
to develop my light.
I wasn't going to be able
to live the life Heavenly Father
 needed me to live.

That night I hung this scripture up on my mirror
and worked day and night to better watch
my thoughts and words about myself.
I started to chip away at the dark
negative thoughts surrounding my brilliance
and started letting my light out.
That was the night I truly stepped into
the path of discovering my Soulful Brilliance.
I started gathering proof all around me
that I was enough!
That I was beautiful inside and out.
That I was a successful daughter of God!

The better I did at this the more I was able
to see the brilliance Heavenly Father created me with.
I started to recognize the ME God created me to be!
I discovered that that brilliance was made up
of hundreds of the tiny points of light.
When they came together,
the light was blinding.
The light was a beacon.
A beacon of hope to many people.
Heavenly Father used my newly rediscovered brilliance
to draw people to me.
People who only I could help
with the gifts he had given me.

All those tiny points of light,
were gifts and talents He had blessed me with!
So many times I hear people say
they don't have any talents.
Perhaps they are looking for
obvious talents like playing an instrument
or making people laugh
or being an amazing artist.

This month I would like to encourage
each of us (myself included) to look deeper!
Moroni has said,
"...deny not the gifts of God, for they are many..."
(Moroni 10:8).

There are so many gifts from our Heavenly Father.
The gift of teaching.
The gift of a testimony.
The gift of comforting others.
The gift of faith.
The gift of healing.
The gift to be healed.
And so many more!

Heavenly Father is willing to help us
discover our gifts and talents.
He wants us to know what they are
so we can use them to build the
Kingdom!

There are people out there
who only you can help,
but if you don't see your
gifts and talents you may miss
the opportunity to help them.

This month the Soulful B Sisterhood would like to challenge you
to start a list of your gifts and talents--the tiny points of light that
make up your Soulful Brilliance!
Start with one or two, hang your list where you can see it often,
and add to it throughout the month!

Some good places to go to find your light:
-your patriarchal blessing
-pray for revelation from Heavenly Father
-ask your sisterhood!
-look at others gifts and talents and see if you can see them in yourself

I know that as we see more of the light
inside ourselves, we will shine brighter
and be able to assist and serve others around us.
Heavenly Father is waiting for us to ask, discover and use
the light He created us with.
So let's start discovering!

Please post pictures of your path of discovery
and your gifts and talents on Facebook and Instagram,
using the hashtags #recognizeyourlight
and #soulfulbsisterhood!

Luvz,
Meg

They Did Have Light Continually....

Megan has graciously allowed me to add my introductory post this week (two weeks late). 

My name is Nancy and I have the honor of being the matriarch to this Soulful “B” Sisterhood. I am 52 years old and Megan and Elizabeth are my daughters. Alyssa is my daughter-in-law but I think of her more as my own daughter. Brittnee and Mikenzy are my nieces.  

A Book of Mormon prophet, who we refer to as the Brother of Jared, took some clear stones to the Lord in prayer. He said, “And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.” (Ether 3:4). The Lord then touched the stones which then provided light to all the people especially during darkness and storm.

The prophet then wrote, “And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.

These beautiful women that I share this sisterhood with have been such lights to me. I have had some growth opportunities over the years that could have broken me and although I know that mothers are supposed to light the way for children during such storms, it was these brilliant rays of light that created a path for me to safely follow.

Megan – A beacon of light – I have often referred to her as being “born old.” She came instilled with wisdom and light from her infancy. She is immensely loving and nonjudgmental. Her light is so beautiful and bright that it draws you to her just so you can feel its warmth on your face. I particularly love to watch the faces of children light up when she addresses them. She has a smile that lights every dark corner and reminds you that God is there! She is “a beacon upon the top of the mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.”

Brittnee – A light in dark places – I have always loved Brittnee as if she were my own daughter. She found a way to always be strong during difficult circumstances. Family is always first with her. She leads with love and over the past few years, as she has found her center, her leadership has strengthens us all and led us out of dark corners. She has this infectious smile that makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world when you’re around her. She is forgiving and generous and always looks for the good in people.  “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:”

Alyssa – A light of charity – There are just not words to express my feelings for this angel of light. I wonder how I could be so blessed as to have our circles intersect. She is my light of service. She is always giving all she has and when she gives it is nothing but her best. I have never met anyone more able to maximize every minute of her life for goodness and light. More than once my dimming flame was reignited with the blaze of her light. I am so blessed. “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with her.”

MIkenzy – A light full of smiles – She is a bright light, continually burning, looking for small ways to make a big difference. She simply loves everything and everyone “that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” She is patient and kind and I have seen that patience bear miraculous fruit and tasted of its sweetness. I am so blessed to feel the warmth of her smile. 

 

Elizabeth (more commonly y known as Beth) – A light of meekness – “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” Do you ever watch animals and children and how they are drawn to certain people? Elizabeth is one with that gift. All you really know is that you need to stand in her light. She doesn’t flaunt it. She doesn’t advertise. She just is!  She looks inward to find her center and then stands firmly rooted in truth creating this beautiful life you can look to for strength in the storms.

As you can see, I am so blessed to share light with these amazing women in my life! I challenge you to look at those closest to you and define one aspect of each one’s light and how it has enhanced your own. My life has been greatly blessed through rubbing shoulders with such brilliance and I am so much more than I was because of it. 

Picture by CORE Glow Driveways

Two Are Better Than One

Wow! September went by fast!

I hope you have enjoyed

hearing from these remarkable women!

I'm excited to learn more from them.

I realized the other day that 

I should introduce myself too! 

Afterall, we have some new friends joining us!

My name is Meg.

I'm 31 years old.

I am a teacher.

I am a writer.

I am a listener.

I am a daughter of God.

I have a cat named Binx.

I just got married six short months ago

to the most amazing guy in the world,

My-Handsome-Guy-with-the-Killer-Smile.

We've only known each other for a little

over a year, and he's had to deal

with me falling off my rocker a few times.

But he is ever patient, loving and supportive.

A little over three years ago,

I was feeling depressed and 

laying around feeling sorry

for myself everyday.

One night I was at the end

of my rope and was praying,

asking Heavenly Father to

help me find my way again.

To be happy again.

To have light in my life again.

He answered me in an amazing way!

He led me on a journey of seeing

myself as He sees me and

living in the light I have always had

because He created me that way.

He gave me special talents and experiences

that have guided me to become the 

amazing woman I now am.

Shortly after I started down that path

of discovering my Soulful Brilliance, 

I felt the desire to share my story

and help others to discover

and live in their own Soulful Brilliance.

And that was the start of this blog!

I hope that as you continue following us

and join us in the Soulful B Sisterhood,

you will be able to see 

the light you already have inside.

The light Heavenly Father created you with.

He gave you talents and experiences

that have combined to help you become

the person you are today.

This month we talked about having

a support team, or a sisterhood.

We have met each of the sisters

in my sisterhood.

Were you able to do the challenge

and gather your own sisterhood?

If so please post pictures 

on Instagram or Facebook

using the hashtag #soulfulbsisterhood.

We want to see the amazing light 

you have gathered into your space!

If you haven't had a chance to 

read the posts or do the challenges yet,

please feel free to start now!

There is no deadline to have them finished!

As you create a support team,

or sisterhood,

you will find that you will

be more successful and

will feel more light and happiness

in your life!

I discovered a scripture this month

in Eccles. 4:9-10,

"Two are better than one; 

because they have good reward 

for their labour. 

For if they fall, 

the one will lift up his fellow..."

This has been true for me in

my sisterhood,

and most especially in my marriage.

I know we haven't

been married that long, but

I've seen the truth of this scripture 

especially in the last few months

as I've been falling

and been lifted up by my husband.

I'm constantly amazed at 

the blessings Heavenly Father

pours down on me!

I am especially grateful

for the reminders I have

read from my sisters.

The challenges they have given

have helped me to regroup

and remember my Soulful Brilliance.

I have been feeling so much better,

and I'm excited to learn more!

October is going to be a treat!

Stay tuned for the next post

October 3rd!

Luvz,

Meg :0)

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