No Chastening Seemeth to Be Joyous

I've realized that working on my personal progress is more than checking off tasks in the inspired booklets provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even though I haven't had time to work on it, I have realized that I am still progressing every day. Those are sometimes the moments when the most progress happens--when we're not expecting it. And it's even more potent when it's something we've failed in.

Today was one of the more difficult days in my student teaching. I was feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned. I guess you could say I gave up today. I didn't put in my best effort. Afterward I was reprimanded by my mentor teacher and all my frustrations came bubbling out--in tears.

He stayed after school and talked to me, or rather let me talk, and he shared a few things with me about what made teaching worth it for him. It was a large stack of notes from students. I questioned him about whether or not he thought the difference he was making in his students lives was really significant. He told me: Nobody can answer that question. But I have to believe that I can make a difference, otherwise it's not worth it to keep moving forward.

Then I created the metaphor of the puzzle. I said: each person is like a million-piece puzzle, and as a teacher you are one minor little piece!

Then my teacher, in his usual, optimistic manner, said: But if you are the bud of a rose or a ray of light, that little piece is significant.

I immediately thought of my Little Mermaid puzzle from my childhood and remembered the time I lost the puzzle piece with her eye on it. I told my teacher about it and said: If you're the eye puzzle piece and you're missing, they'll get rid of the whole puzzle. "But," I said, "I don't feel like I would be the eye puzzle piece. I feel like parents would be the eye piece."

"No way," he responded, "I've got a feeling that parents add more than one piece to the puzzle. They're the edge pieces."

"That's true. Because the edge pieces are the first things you do in a puzzle. Well, if you're smart."

With that I began laughing and he felt like he could leave me. Then I went home to my husband where I cried some more. I really want to be the eye puzzle piece in the puzzle--but how many eye pieces can there be in a puzzle? After discussing my failures I pulled out my scriptures and opened to Hebrews in the Bible, which reads:

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto those which are exercised thereby.

(Hebrews 12:11)

I felt strangely calm. My normal reaction would to lose all hope and fall into a fit of depression, but I didn't. Not to say that I will react with the same calmness next time, but this time was a success. This time shows progress--toward a life-long pursuit.

Now, I'm not sharing this because I want praise, and I'm not sharing it to vent. I share it because of the principle I learned. Failures are just part of the progress toward eternal life. We are all trying to progress toward becoming like Jesus Christ, which we do with His help. Failures not only will happen, but failures MUST happen. We can see chastening as an opportunity; opportunity for growth and perspective.

I feel bad for what happened, and I have a lot of work to do! But I have not lost the hope to keep trying. I perceive there will come a day when the second part of Hebrews 12:11 is true in my life. I will have a day where I realize that the peaceable fruits of righteousness have been yielded unto me. I'm not talking about after this life either. I mean one normal day, maybe some time a year from now, in the spring. I'll have a student tell me how I've made a difference and I'll think back on this day, and how it made that day possible.

Re-focusing on Christ

If you use Facebook or any type of social media you've likely heard the name Kate Kelly appear in vehement discussions about whether or not the church is still true, and other extreme comments and claims. I thought about writing my views on the subject, but then I decided I was a little bit tired of all this. And I came to the conclusion that all these discussions will only ever go in circles if we have taken our focus off the most important belief in the Church--that this is Christ's church, that He came and lived a perfect life, taught pure doctrine, and suffered and died for us.

Do we really believe that?

If we do, do we believe in Christ or do we actually believe Christ? Do we believe that he existed, or do we believe that His message of hope, peace, freedom, and power apply to us today?

Or maybe the more appropriate question is--do we know His message well enough to believe it?

I've seen many read the Book of Mormon just long enough to gain a testimony of it, and then set it aside believing that is enough. Many of us know the stories in the scriptures, especially those who have grown up in the church, or any church. But it's not enough to know the stories.

Flannery O'Conner, author of A Good Man is Hard to Find, said, "A story is a way to say something that can't be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is....When anybody asks what a story is about, the only proper thing is to tell him to read the story."

Similarly, my college professor always used to say, "the words themselves are the meaning."

There is a power in Christ's words that cannot be paraphrased. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin gathers his sons around his deathbed to share his last testimony with them before passing away. He testifies to them of the importance of the brass plates--or the scriptures.

He tells them, "I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct" (Mosiah 1:5 emphasis added).

The only difference between the righteous Nephites and the wicked Lamanites was that the Nephites had the scriptures always before their eyes, and the Lamanites did not. If not for that, they would have been the same. We see many Lamanites who became converted because of the words of the scriptures, and many Nephites who fell away.

To me, the story that best illustrates the need to know Christ through his words is the story of Lehi and the tree of life.

1 Nephi 8.

We know that the tree is the love of God.
The fruit is exaltation--the greatest gift of God.
The iron rod is the word of God=words given through ancient prophets in the scriptures and modern prophets in General Conference. We need both.
The great and spacious building is the pride of the world.
The fountain of filthy water is the depths of hell.
The mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil.
The forbidden paths are sin.

We know that there were some who didn't hold to the rod at all (didn't read their scriptures at all). They chose sin. Many ended up in the great and spacious building (distracted by the pride of the world) or fell into the fountain of filthy water (found that the holy spirit had withdrawn completely from them, thus being in the depths of hell).

Many held casually to the rod of iron (read their scriptures occasionally or read without purpose). They tasted of the fruit of the tree (felt God's love--exaltation, or returning to God's presence, was within their grasp). But what happened to them?

When speaking of the great and spacious building Lehi says, "And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away" (1 Nephi 8:33-34).

Every single person that "heeded" those in the great and spacious building fell away. To heed is to pay careful attention. I don't think we should shut ourselves out from things that are going on in the world and keep ourselves ignorant from attacks others are making on the church. But I do think that we need to be careful to make sure that we are first heeding Jesus Christ--that we make mention of His name more frequently, and that we think of Him and ponder His words.

Think about it: it was the Word of God that led to the love of Christ. If you want to get close to Christ, that's how you do it. Other primary answers such as prayer, obedience, Sabbath day observance--are all taught in the scriptures and will come naturally to those who search them daily. Every other principle and ordinance that we dispute and discuss publicly on Facebook is clearly stated there.

I'm sharing this not because I think I'm great at it, but because I can feel my own testimony weaken when I don't read my scriptures daily. I can feel my own judgment blur when His words aren't fresh in my mind. It really is like food for our souls. Our bodies cannot go very long without complaining of hunger. Why would our spirits be any different?

So many of the questions or discussions we read on Facebook/twitter/instagram/snapchat would be more profound and meaningful if we treasured up the words of Christ continually.

I was in a choir a few semesters ago, and we recorded Janice Kapp Perry's "I Testify of Jesus Christ." I created this slide show to go with it. Listen for my voice in the opening trio :) If you know me, that is :)

I leave this song as my testimony--I mean every word of it.

Or if that doesn't work, follow this link to youtube: I Testify of Jesus Christ

Views of an LDS feminist: Why I'm Glad to be a Woman and Someday, a Mother

I like being a girl.

There, I said it. I like being a girl because I like crafts. I like wearing dresses and dancing and putting on makeup. I like crocheting and doing my hair. I like playing the piano and reading and writing and serving others. I enjoy making treats for the sisters I visit teach and I love having girl-friends.

I also like going to work in my dress-suit feeling official and making two grown men, far older than I and with higher educational degrees, listen to my opinion and take it seriously. I like being the Assistant Project Manager in the department of Online Curriculum Development. I'm making a difference and I know that. My ideas are unique and they are good. I am contributing to the cutting-edge online world of education, and I am proud of that.

In July I will have my bachelor's in English and Spanish education. I also studied German for 3 years. I've worked in fast food, construction, office jobs, as a para-educator, as a teacher, and I've served a full-time mission.

I do a lot of the same things boys do, but I am not a boy and I don't want to be.

I like being a girl because being a girl is different from being a boy. Out of all the important things I have done and will yet do, being a mother will surpass all of my accomplishments. There is no doubt in my mind about this.

Satan is Attacking Womanhood
There is no doubt that womanhood as a whole is under attack. Women all over the world are fighting for equal rights with men. We have a lot of rights that women in the past have fought for and I am so grateful to them. We can vote, own land, run for political offices, where pants, be a CEO, fight in the military...you name it. If you think the world is suffocating your potential then it might be a personal problem. We've all just got to get it into our heads that we are enough--then we can stop being ashamed of our gender.

Too many women today don't want to be equal with men...they want to be men.

News flash: You're different. Any scientist will tell you there is a biological difference that cannot be denied. Why not embrace your distinct differences and stop trying to cast away all that makes you unique?

Maybe it was the way I was raised, but I have never felt that there was anything I couldn't do. My parents gave us chores all the time--sometimes the girls would wash the car and the boys would make the bread. The girls pulled weeds in the garden right along with the boys. We all pruned the fruit trees, we all took piano lessons, we all played sports for recreation, and we all played video games. But undeniably the most important thing they taught us was about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love this gospel, and I love Jesus Christ. I believe he has redeemed all mankind. "he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile" (2 Nephi 26:33, emphasis added).

Those words are true. I have a personal relationship with God and I have never felt less or belittled because of my womanhood. There is a lot of confusion in and out of the church right now about the priesthood of God. What is the priesthood and why is it "kept" from the women?

"The priesthood is the eternal power and authority from God" (True to the Faith p. 124). Preach My Gospel adds that the Priesthood is "the power and authority given to man to act in God's name for the salvation of His children" (p. 32). If priesthood power is used for the salvation of God's children it must mean that it is given to mankind so we can help one another. It is by nature a selfless power. So why this need to hold the priesthood? Why this need to be just like the men? Do we underestimate our power to do good? To serve? To play a role in God's plan--his work and his glory?

We Can't All be Goalies
On my mission I often confronted this concern with an analogy I thought up. When you play a team sport, each member of the team has a different position. In soccer you have your midfielders, defenders, attackers, goalies etc. What would happen if all players tried to protect the goal? They would never make any points, it would be no fun to watch or play--the game wouldn't even function.

Moses 1:39 says "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The work and purpose of God is to help ALL men and women return and live with Him again--and we ALL play a part in making that happen. How can people be resurrected with perfected bodies if they were never given a body in the first place? Men can't bear children alone, and neither can women. Men have been given the authority to perform essential ordinances for our return to Heavenly Father, but women, along with men, provide understanding of these ordinances. They help in the sacred preparation, nurturing, and support as their children and grandchildren endure to the end in righteousness. The fact of the matter is--nobody can do it alone. That's the point. We were never meant to get to heaven alone. In fact, we can't make it to heaven alone. Neither men nor women.

Women--don't let the world tell you that your role is unnecessary. If you let yourself believe that then Satan wins. If he can get women to believe that motherhood is a lesser calling, then what happens to the glorious plan of God? It's the same thing that would happen with our soccer game if everyone tried to be a goalie--it wouldn't function.

Strike me down with a lightning bolt, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that child-bearing is the very essence of the priesthood. Think again on the definition of the priesthood: the eternal power and authority of God. Is childbearing not a power of God? It is our most godly attribute.

Isn't she precious?

Let's also remember that when one player on a soccer team scores a goal the whole team rejoices. Let's rejoice in our role as women.

I love being a girl.

Easter Dinner!

So according to Map my Run I ran 3 1/2 miles the other day. It might have been four because afterwards I ran to Broulims, the local grocery store. But then I walked home because I was tired. and it's hard to run with merchandise.

I got my roommate to take a picture of me after my run

I just wanted to prove that I ran, and I'm feeling good :)

I ended up not running the 10k I'd signed up for in Utah because I had too much homework and didn't finish in time. But it's okay because that same day I got to attend a sealing of a family I taught on my mission and the baptism of my close friend's sister-in-law. It was worth being down in Utah just to be there for those even if I "wasted" 30 dollars on the 10k... I'll do it eventually :)

Right now I'm focusing on learning how to cook healthy, vegan food. I've been vegan for about a week and I love it! I've cooked a lot of fun recipes for my boyfriend and me. My boyfriend resists eating healthy food so I've been trying to find ways to make the healthy things taste good to him. So far it's been pretty successful. Get ready for a ton of recipes. I'll post everything I've tried this week and tell you how they turned out. I'll span it throughout a few posts. By the way, my boyfriend's name is Alaowei. 

I wanted Easter dinner to be really special because my Alaowei's brother was flying in from Nigeria to the states for the first time. Also the airport is like five hours away so they had been driving all day. They seemed to enjoy the dinner--I mean, Alaowei actually ate his whole salad. That is success :) I'm going vegan, but Alaowei's favorite food is shrimp, so I surprised him with that--everything else I cooked for that dinner was vegan though. I made Fettuccine Alfredo, All Hail Kale salad with papaya-ginger dressing, a strawberry drink, and pumpkin spice "cheesecake." 

Yep, there it is :) Fancy.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce 

My roommate Katie gave me this recipe when she found out I was trying to go vegan. It is delicious! It tastes just like Alfredo sauce but without the chest pain afterward :) This is the first time I've tried it. It called for butter and milk but I substituted them with olive oil and coconut milk, which I've written into the recipe. You can substitute the coconut milk for whichever type of milk you prefer. Aparently from the recipe card she gave me, my roommate got this recipe from Pinch of Yum blog. If you try it, let me know how it worked for you! Both my boyfriend and his brother loved it. Of course, I didn't tell them it was vegan until afterward :)

Ingredients

8 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

5-6 cups cauliflower florets

6-7 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1/2 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Directions

1. Garlic: Saute the minced garlic with the oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Cauliflower: bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.

3. Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add one cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic with oil, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more vegetable broth/water or coconut milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry add a few drops of water, vegetable broth, or olive oil.

Notes

I used vegetable broth, which was delicious, but I didn't like how much I had left over. I think if you boiled the cauliflower in water and then added a cup of vegetable broth to the sauce it would taste the same!

All Hail Kale Salad by The Detoxinista

Apparently the Detoxinista modeled this recipe after a salad at the Veggie Grill, which must be delicious because this salad definitely was! Like I said, my boyfriend actually ate his. And his brother got seconds :). this recipe makes 1.5 cups of dressing.

Ingredients

1/2 cup papaya chunks

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 oz fresh ginger, peeled

2 Tablespoons coconut vinegar (I used red-wine vinegar and it tasted fine)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (or just salt)

1/4 cup water, or more, to thin

Directions

In a high-speed blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until completely smooth and silky.

To prepare the salad you'll need:

1 bunch curly green kale

Papaya mango salsa from Trader Joe's (or any salsa of choice)

Maple glazed walnuts

Papaya ginger dressing (recipe above)

Shredded cabbage (optional)

1. Remove the kale leaves from the stems, and wash and dry thoroughly. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded cabbage in a bit of the papaya ginger dressing, and coat well. Set aside.

2. The Veggie Grill serves this salad with homemade corn salsa, but the Detoxinista prefers the Trader Joe's papaya mango salsa because it matches the dressing better. I bought a corn salsa from the grocery store that tasted great with it. 

3. Top the kale leaves with a bit of Ginger papaya dressing, then use your hands to massage the dressing well into the leaves. The kale will soften and wilt as you go!

Notes

This is normally an all-kale salad, but my kale didn't wilt as much as I hoped. I added other greens to the salad so as not to scare off the veggie-haters from healthy food. I added spinach and dark romaine lettuce to soften the overall texture of the salad. And it turned out great! I also didn't include the cabbage and therefore skipped step 1. 

Strawberry Drink

No picture, sorry :/

The first time I tasted this was on my mission in the home of a sister from Colombia. I thought it must have been some fancy recipe but it was just strawberries, sugar, and water. This type of drink is something the Hispanics make a lot with different types of fruit. They call it "agua de sabor," meaning water with flavor. It's light, fresh, and delicious because it's made with real fruit! 

Ingredients

1 16 oz bag frozen strawberries (whole or sliced, it doesn't matter)

Water (amount depending on your desired texture)

Sugar (to taste)

Place the strawberries in a blender. Fill the blender a little over 1/3 full with water. Pour in a very small mound of sugar and blend. Add more sugar if you desire. Your guests will never guess how simple it was to make :)

Raw Pumpkin "Cheesecake" by the Detoxinista

I was surprised by how healthy and simultaneously delicious this cheesecake was. Some vegan desserts either taste healthy or aren't healthy. But this one is neither. Don't expect perfect cheesecake texture replication, but it is still delicious, whatever category it belongs to. I definitely recommend this. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cashew butter

1/2 cup carrot puree

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 soft medjool dates

2 1/2 Tablespoons raw honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

1. If you're making your own cashew butter, throw 2 cups of cashews into a high-powered blender, like a Vita-Mix and blend on low until smooth and creamy.

2. This will make more than you need, so you can either save the rest or put in less cashews to begin with. You can also use store bought cashew butter.

3. Prepare your carrot puree. I threw about 1 1/2 cups of organic baby carrots into my Vita-Mix, and blended them on low for about 1 minute, tamping them down along the way. (You may have a little extra after this, make sure to measure after blending.)

4. Throw all of your ingredients into a mini-food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides occasionally. Adjust the flavor to taste.

5. Pour batter into a greased 4" springform pan, or a pan lined with plastic wrap. Place your "cheesecake" in the freezer to set overnight.

6. Slice and serve IMMEDIATELY from the freezer! The texture is perfect when frozen. 

Notes

Before blending my carrots I steamed them, because I don't have a vita-mix. I also added some water to my cashew butter, so it turned out much thinner than it was supposed to, but it still worked. Instead of a pan I simply used a plastic bowl lined with plastic wrap and let it set overnight. However, I don't think the texture was perfect immediately after removal from the freezer. I let mine sit out for at least a half hour before serving. It was too hard directly from the freezer, so I recommend taking it out in advance before serving.

So overall the dinner was a success! I am excited about learning to cook and I'm happy that Alaowei like it. I mean, he's the one that's going to be testing all my experiments! :)

Let me know if you try any of these recipes!!

Weekend!!

So this may be a little off topic, but I want to tell you about my weekend.

On Friday night I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning because I was painting wings.

Yep. Finger painting.

 So I'd heard about this Comic-con thing they were doing on campus and I knew a girl who would love to go, so I invited her. It turns out my roommate was really excited about it, too! So she got me all pumped about it and next thing I know we're painting homemade bows and arrows and wings in our living room at 4:30 AM listening to Celtic music.

 My roommate looked amazing by the way. She was Tauriel, the red head elf in the second Hobbit movie.

Check it out.

My roommate (the one in the middle) won runner up to best homemade costume!! The girl on the far right is our friend who writes her own stuff. She's a really good writer! She dressed up as one of her own characters who's part fox, so if you look closely you'll see she's wearing a fox tail :)

I'm really glad I decided to go. It wasn't something I would normally do, but I really enjoyed it! :) I kept thinking of my best friend Julia and how she'd be so proud of me for letting out my inner nerd. Come to find out from my brother later, I'm not nerdy enough. I guess just being a "fairy" is far too vague. Nice, but vague :)

Here are some pics:

The Wings!

My favorite part of the event was the corner dedicated to all things Star Wars

R2D2?? Yes, please :) Obie Juan, you're great, too. Seriously though, this R2D2 actually moved.

This is me the night before...It might have been difficult to sleep if it wasn't almost 5 in the morning...

Also, as we were getting ready in the morning my boyfriend sent me flowers! :) He is wonderful. He may think it's weird that I randomly play"dress up" without warning, but he doesn't let on :)

Hopefully these random moments help you get to know me better :) Tell me about you! Have you ever gone to a Comic-con or a cos-play before? If so what did you dress up as? 

Have you ever done something that was out of character and ended up loving it?

Oh yeah and this weekend I bought shoes for my 10k! I'm going to begin breaking them in tomorrow...hopefully I have enough time :)

your welcome New Balance.

I hope you enjoyed :)

10k. 6 miles. Let the Race Begin.

So, what do you do when you have homework and it's 12:30 in the morning and you should be in bed?
Write in your blog!
So maybe not procrastinating will have to be one of the values I work on...
Anywho, I discovered the coolest thing the other day. You can do your personal progress online! I guess I'm at the tail end of the generation that's still really impressed by The Internet and all Its capabilities. You may have to have an LDS account to be able to do that. But if you're not LDS and you want to do Personal Progress, just find an LDS Distribution Center and buy yourself a pink personal progress book. They're pretty cheap.

So I've decided on the next thing I want to work on. On March 15th I'm going down to Utah to run in a 10k. Now, you might be thinking that a 10k isn't that hard or that big of a deal. But it is. For me. :)

So I've already purchased the ticket to run in the race which includes a t-shirt and probably a water bottle or something cool. I really hope it does include a water bottle...

So in order to prepare for the 10k I'm going to run every morning. Since it's been about a week since I've run I'll probably start slower tomorrow. I won't time myself. Then I'll pick it up a little from there. This means I need o get to bed earlier...and eat healthier.

This is going to count for my value project in KNOWLEDGE. I only have it in Spanish so I'm going to translate it here as best I can. The recommendation for this value project says:

"Read Doctrine and Covenants 89. Think about what you can do to better your physical health. Develop and follow a regular exercise program and learn to cook and eat healthy foods contributing to a healthy diet"

So it starts tomorrow, everybody. The running and the healthy eating. I'll let you know how it goes!
Are any of you runners? What do you recommend in a runner's diet? How do you build up your endurance? How do you improve your time?
I'd love to hear any of your experiences in doing similar things!

I just completed Choice and Accountability #1!

But really, are you ever done with this one? ;)
Choice and Accountability #1

"A daughter of God can make wise decisions and solve problems. Read 1 Nephi 15:8; 2 Nephi 32:3; Alma 34:19–27; Ether 2–3; and Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9. Follow a pattern of regular scripture study and prayer to receive help in making personal decisions such as choosing good friends, being kind to others, getting up on time, or other decisions. Discuss with a parent or leader how regular scripture study and prayer helped you make correct decisions."

I've been working on this one since December. Right after my mission I was so good at reading my scriptures every day, but somewhere along the way I got busy, I got comfortable, I got distracted...who knows. Then it became a hit and miss practice and I missed the constant guidance of the Spirit.

Now I'm in school and I should be busier than ever to make time for scriptures, but I've noticed something amazing. Even when there's "no time" to read the scriptures, I do it anyway. I make time, I get up earlier, I bring my scriptures to school with me. I've learned that putting the scriptures first in my day is an act of faith. I have to trust that there will be enough time for everything else. And every time, without fail, there is not only enough time for everything else, but time to spare. 

So as far as making decisions goes, reading the scriptures and praying are VITAL!
I read one of my favorite scriptures today:
"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;" (2 Nephi 21:2)

If you have the spirit with you you have wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (power), knowledge, and fear of the Lord (humility). All of those things help in decision making! When I read the scriptures daily I naturally choose things that are better for me! 

Things I've chosen these past few weeks due to more scripture reading and prayer:
--healthier food
--less procrastinating
--good friends
--more creative and proactive choices at work
--waking up earlier
--going to the temple on a regular basis, etc.

When I read the scriptures daily and pray often my decisions are guided by the Lord  :)

What is Personal Progress?

           Personal Progress is a program designed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for young women. Anybody who wants to can do it though! Which is why I am still doing it, even though I'm technically out of the Young Women's organization.

           The Personal Progress program is based on 8 values in which young women complete small activities or projects. Each value has three "required" activities, a list of four additional activities from which young women choose three to complete, and a ten hour project of their choosing. Young women can work at their own pace and complete the program as many times as they choose. It is hoped that they finish it at least once during their time in the Young Women's program which lasts from ages 12 to 18. When a young woman completes her Personal Progress she is presented with a young women's medallion on a chain to wear as a necklace.

The values covered in the Personal Progress program are:
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity 
and Virtue

           I know this program is inspired. It helps focus our efforts to live the gospel. Personal Progress is designed in a way that you can do it over and over and grow from it every time. I hope to grow from this "journey" and I hope you'll join me by doing your Personal Progress, too!

Please share your own experiences and ideas with me!!