Take Time to Do What You Enjoy

Please Read and respond:

What do you enjoy doing? Are you taking the time to do it? Are you talking about it and sharing your ideas with someone? Do you have the emotional support and encouragement you need to follow your passions? Will you identify what you need to do to be able to share and follow a dream, and enlist the help you need to grasp it?

We all face obstacles, but let's have a little more faith in ourselves and each other. Our talents and gifts far outweigh our inabilities and deficits. Let's not let anxiety and fear cripple us.  Let's allow love and anticipation to motivate us. With God's help, and with the sustaining support we can and should give each other, we will not only be able to walk; we will soar!

Let's give this Christmas gift to ourselves and to each other, continuously.  In so doing, we will become happier, more fulfilled; and be able to light the world with the love of God, with an increased confidence in our ability to serve Him and each other.


Give yourself a gift. Take time to do what you enjoy, and #LighttheWorld.

Family Sabbath Observance

This is a talk that I gave in Sacrament Meeting on 9 August 2015:

After God created the world, He rested on the seventh day. This became the Sabbath. During this time, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. So the Garden of Eden was not only a place, it was a time. It was a day of rest, worship, spiritual instruction, and learning, before Adam and Eve were sent out to face the lone and dreary world together.

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made" (Genesis 2:2–3).

Once Adam and Eve left the garden, they continued to follow God's commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

After the children of Israel were led out of Egypt, the Lord explained to Moses that if the people would observe the Sabbath day, it would be a sign between God and them of His covenant (see Exodus 31:13) . Surely, a people delivered from bondage would have been happy to be allotted a day without work. We can see that the Sabbath day isn't new, but do we also see that it is not antiquated?

No, this law given by our Father in Heaven is not out of date. It pertains to us here and now. In fact, we are promised in our day that if we observe the Sabbath that “the fulness of the earth” will be ours (D&C 59:16-20).

Can you imagine how different the world would be if everyone kept just this one commandment? Can you imagine how different it would be if even all the Latter-day Saints observed the Sabbath day to keep it holy? I believe that through the keeping of this commandment, we will be much better prepared to keep the first two great commandments of loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and of loving our neighbors as ourselves. There are some steps each of us can take individually and as families to improve our Sabbath day worship.

So how do we do it?

I think that it is important that we don't become like the Pharisees in Christ's day by just creating long lists of do's and don'ts. That misses the mark. It doesn't really benefit anyone, and it does not show gratitude to our Heavenly Father. But there are some fundamentally important things that we must never forget.

If we want to learn how to observe the Sabbath day better, we can find a lot of clues from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He worshiped in Synagogues on the Sabbath. He taught; He healed; He served.

So first, if keeping the Sabbath day is a sign of our covenants with God, we need to remember our covenants and renew them. We can't do this on a golf course, in the mountains, or at the beach. Why? Because the sacrament is not typically served in those places, by someone holding authority and authorization to institute it. If we are to worship Heavenly Father in Spirit and in Truth, we must do this in the manner that He has commanded us.

Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-13:


“And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High; Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times; But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.”

How can partaking of the sacrament on Sundays give us focus for our worship that day and strength for the week ahead?

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a recent member of the Quorum of the Twelve said: “Windows must be washed regularly to clean away dust and dirt. … Just as earthly windows need consistent, thorough cleaning, so do the windows of our spirituality. … By partaking of the sacrament worthily to renew our baptismal covenants, we clarify our view of life’s eternal purpose and divine priorities. The sacrament prayers invite personal introspection, repentance, and rededication as we pledge our willingness to remember our Savior, Jesus the Christ" (Talk given Oct 1995).

Maybe, and probably so, if we do these things as families, our eyes will be more clearly opened as to how we can progress together as families towards our goal of eternal life. While another important part of Sunday Church worship is meeting with our fellow saints and strengthening one another, today we are going to concentrate more on how we can use the Sabbath day to strengthen our own homes and families.

The best starting point should be for us to look at what is working for us now and also to seek the Spirit to determine what we need to incorporate into our Sabbath day observance to pay devotion to the Lord better and to strengthen our families more. One thing to remember is that the Church is here to support us in teaching our children the gospel and not the other way around.

So if you are not having family scripture time or family home evenings, Sunday would be a good place to start. I know that when my husband worked six days a week, we did have family night on Sundays.

Are we reevaluating our own lives and our goals? Sunday is a great time to review our Patriarchal blessings. It is also a great time to help our children learn to set goals, referring to our church's programs of Faith in God, Duty to God, and Personal progress, allow with long-term educational and temple worthy goals, such as vocations, missions, and temple marriage; plus, short term goals of personal interest. When we set goals, reviewing progress and accomplishing milestones, the Lord is pleased with us; and we feel the satisfaction of our growth through the validation of His Spirit. As we help our children through this process, they will experience those same feelings, which will increase the binding of their relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and with us as their parents. As we teach our children to rejoice in each other's accomplishments and to aid each other in their goals, they will also grow in unity.

Overbooking our activities with our children will not be relaxing to them or to us. So we should allow for quiet, reflective, renewing time for everyone. But Sabbath days should also concentrate on family togetherness. So family dinners together are extra important on this day. We can also share our thoughts on the past week's activities and our schedules for the new week. We can discuss church meeting topics and our feelings about talks and lessons. Even when we don't agree with presentation, we should remember to be kind and not to demean our leaders or fellow worshipers.

Some things our own family has done on Sabbath days: when we are on vacations, we always still make it a point to attend church, especially Sacrament meeting; and to observe the Sabbath in the best way we can, even if we are visiting with those who don't attend church. Last month, after church and a family dinner, we drove to see four of the Utah temples and to feel the spirit on those grounds. We often drove to the Redlands temple site on Sundays while it was being constructed. I believe that this did not only mark the growth of the temple, but the growth of our children's testimonies of the importance of the temple.

Bob has been doing indexing for years, and we have followed in his example to do some indexing on Sundays. Sunday is a great time to work on our own family history, including genealogy research and journal writing. It is also a great day for writing letters to extended family, or phone calling, or Skyping.

Many times we have visited with extended family or friends on Sundays as well. Sometimes we have had others over to sing around our piano. While we might not have scripture time every single evening, we are sure to do so on Sunday, and on Monday as part of family night. If we are going to make visits with other people, whether socially or as home or visiting teachers, we need to make certain that we are not imposing upon their observance of the Sabbath day.

I know that the Butlers watch Bible stories with their children on Sundays. The church has great videos with stories from the life of our Savior. We can all watch and benefit from them. They are readily available at mormon.org, or we an purchase the set from Distribution for a excellent price.

As our children grow older, it is still important for us to still have Sabbath day rules in our home, but it is also important to allow for agency. The best way to lead is always by example.

I hope that we can all feel the importance of Sabbath day worship and gain the Spirit of that worship in our own families. I know that Heavenly Father will bless us as we keep His commandments and honor the covenants that we have made with Him. Each Sunday we make promises to always remember His Son and to keep His commandments. That is a wonderful gift and protection for us as we start our new week. We need to remember that Sunday, our Sabbath, is the Lord's day, so we need to center our thoughts and activities around Him throughout the day, worshiping Him and serving as He would have us do. In doing so, He will bless us.

This is a picture of our family taken on 17 July 2015:

Strong Will is Better than a Pill

Strong Will is Better than a Pill

I am overweight. There are times in my life that I have been the correct weight, but I have had to be diligent about getting a couple hours exercise every day and eating between 1200-1500 calories every day. To lose weight I've had to eat between 750-1200, plus really boost the exercise. I've felt great when I've done this, but I haven't always been diligent about taking the time to plan healthy eating or extra exercise.

Each of us metabolizes food differently. Fad diets and pills, supported by doctors and clinicians, will keep appearing. Ultimately, anything can work if you lower your calorie intake and increase your activity. It's important to get to know your own body and what foods might hold you back. Many today find that they feel better if they cut out fatty and sugary food and if they limit or cut out gluten altogether.

I think that this life was given to us partly so that we learn how to manage ourselves, including bridling our passions. Americans, generally, want a quick fix today. Consider how many months, or years, it took for you to get to the weight you are. If you desire to lose 20-80 lbs, you can't expect to do that in a week or a couple of months. Another part of this life is to learn to be patient with ourselves, forgive ourselves, and not to give up on ourselves. So if you want to lose weight, you should develop a realistic plan, chart a course, and stick to it. As you do so, you will find that your extra weight will not continue sticking to you.

I have just recently committed myself to try again. Some of the challenges that we have in life are ongoing. That does not mean that we are losers; it just means that we haven’t mastered them yet, and that there are many things that we can learn along the way, if we have the right attitude and if we are humble and seek appropriate help.

What do I consider appropriate help? First off, you need to be able to count on yourself; so you need to be honest with yourself. I have found that paperwork is important. President Spencer W. Kimball said that a goal is not a goal, but only a wish, until it is written down. Well, if you want to lose weight, you might have a specific target in mind, but break that up into smaller increments, so that you can readily reach smaller goals that will lead you to your ultimate goal. (Losing 1-3 pounds per week can be a healthy and doable choice provided that you are increasing your vegetable and fruit intake and getting plenty of exercise. If you lose 5 pounds the first week, do not expect to continue that way, but keep it realistic. If you can a little the first week, you might actually be improving muscle tone, so do not get discouraged.)I have found that to be honest with myself, I must write everything down. This time around, I am writing on a paper tablet that I can carry with me, and then I am transferring the information to three different Excel documents. One is titled, Food Intake, and I need to let you know that I plan on having at least 5 fruit or vegetable servings each day and a minimum of 8 glasses of water (which usually becomes 10); other than that, I am NOT cutting out sweets or junk food altogether this time around, but they are being truly limited so that I can eat the 5 necessary servings, plus other healthy meals and still keep my calorie count below 1400. (I realize that this is higher than what I said earlier in this post; but I am much more overweight than at earlier times in my life. After I have met a target weight, I may have to adjust calorie count to continue to lose, but I am hopeful that I’ll be more energetic and can boost my activity instead.)

The second chart is entitled Measurements. So I took key measurements when I began my “diet” or “change in life-style.” I measured my neck, bust, under bust, waist, belly, hips; then I measured upper arms, lower arms, wrists, thighs, calves, ankles. I am planning on measuring 4 times each month. I really haven’t done this before, but I feel like it will help me in seeing results that the scale might not always show. I’ll measure again on Friday, so we’ll see what that information holds.

The third chart is entitled Daily Activity. Right now I am using a glider (while I listen to the Book of Mormon), a Ab Lounge, and a stationary bike (while I watch Dr. Who). I also count minutes walking, either outside or while shopping. (Disneyland days will be great walking days.) As I lose some, so that my legs will not have to be supporting so much weight, I will start my outdoor walking on a regular basis again. A year or so ago, I was walking 2-8 miles a day, about 4 days a week. (Not everyone that is overweight is incapable, like so many believe. But I know that I can be capable of so much more.)

What else is appropriate help? Look to your Heavenly Father. Pray to Him morning, all through the day, and again at night. He knows your desires, and he can help you obtain your goals better, more quickly, and more long-lastingly than anybody or anything else. I think as you prioritize your day and your life to meet your food and exercise needs, you will find that the Lord will help you prioritize other things in your life that will help you feel more in control and more successful. After all, He glories in your happiness and success.

If it is possible also find a mentor or an inspiration. If you have a spouse, child, parent, of friend that you can trust with your goals, tell them. Those people can kindly help keep you on track. They can encourage you and even exercise with you. They can be your personal cheer team. Maybe you can find a walking or a running partner or group. Make sure that whether or not you have someone to report back to that you always report back to God.

Now, I need to give my son credit for being so inspiring. In his young adult life, he had gotten really overweight. Before his mission, he was overweight, but he was still pretty fit. On his mission, he lost a lot of weight, and returned home looking fantastic. He was involved in BYU’s swing dance team and he played a lot of soccer just for fun. Then he hurt his knee, and he gained a lot of weight again. (Family genes.)

Well, this determined young man decided that this was not going to define him. Upon graduating BYU, he came home, took the CBEST and began student teaching. Then he enrolled at LaVerne and earned his Master’s in Education degree and his teaching credential in English. While being a student and either substitute teaching or student teaching, he developed a plan. And he saw it through.

Since he had hurt his knee, he began with weightless exercise. He used our exercise bike, cranked up to the fullest tension, and would pump hard for two hours while watching a movie. To kick off his diet he was only eating between 600-800 calories a day (which I would not suggest to any 6 foot man). He had determination, and he got results. Then he started playing basketball at the ward on Tuesday nights, first with the older group, then with the younger. So he was playing 5 hours straight from 5 to 10 p.m. Yeah, he was losing the weight quickly. Then with his busy schedule, he also started doing Dance, Dance Revolution on the Wii to get a quick workout when he didn’t have time for longer ones.

He got in shape and he looked buff. People were awed. But then he went on to even bigger goals, He started running. And he is fast. While working on his master’s, he was running about 30 miles a week. Usually, this was broken up into 4 days: two 5 miles, one 8, and one 13. He has participated in many ½ marathons.

When our ward ride bikes to the beach, he decided to run. But he just decided the night before, so he hadn’t stored up on carbs. I’m glad that he had the sense to stop when he knew he should, but he almost made a marathon that day. (He would have made it if there were people handing him drinks along the way.) I think he ran about 20 or 21 miles, then he walked of the trail for another to find a convenience store. He bought a Gatorade and a large fountain soda. When he paid for them, he asked the clerk if he could pay for a refill on the drink right then. She looked confused, and he said, “’Cause this one will be gone in a couple of minutes.”

I know this wasn’t supposed to be a post about my son, but I am pretty proud of him. He is now an officer in the Air Force and he is currently in flight school. He is training as a CSO (Combat Systems Officer). The CSO is way more than the navigator; he needs to know everything about the system, the weapons, and the crew, and, essentially, oversee it all.

Anyhow, this post was in response to the many fad diets and pills that circulate and show wide controversy on the Internet. I don’t believe in them. But I believe in myself; and I believe in God, and I know that He will be my help as I put my trust in him. I admire many people who are meeting the challenge of living healthy lives in unhealthful environments and against odds stacked against them. I’m thankful for the challenges that God has given me that of necessity help me to be humble, and also give me understanding into the lives and hearts of others who have weaknesses and sadness. “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27) The Lord’s promise is that He can help our weaknesses become our strengths. No pill can promise that.