Bathing suit seasons sometimes trigger big feelings, so I wanted to share some ideas I have learned (and will be using again this season) to help us stay in-love with the gift of our bodies AND the bodies of others. THAT'S how I want to show up from a place of genuine love this summer at reunions, get-togethers, and gatherings. I'd love to share a few ideas with you if your heart might need it too.

This episode is a short meditation for the start or end of your day, so it has: (#1) a simple way to ask God how you can be a support to someone else, and (#2) a way to give sincere thanks for the support you've received throughout today. (I'm trying to look up "at you" in the camera so I repeat a portion. Haha. I'm trying to be present with you which usually equals some real mistakes😅).

I'm so happy to spend time with you in this episode filling up with gratitude for the support we've both given and received today.
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For more love and support, you can join my free Facebook group for workshops and encouraging posts to fill you with God's love; it's called "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms".

P.s. God loves you with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.

As the chicken-run in my backyard was being taken down this morning, I started having some big feelings.

For years, I just "didn't get it" when others seemed SO attached to their family pet. But because I've now had 8 little chickens of my own, I now get it.

The next home my family and I are moving to this summer, sadly won't be a place we are able to keep them, so it's time for our feathery friends to go to another nice home.

In this episode, I'll walk you through the steps I used today and the ideas that helped me to internally feel fully: heard, awesome, comforted, and creative. I hope this supports you and/or your child who may be dealing with some big feelings from changes with your family pet, too.
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For more love & support for my fellow moms out there, please feel welcomed and wanted to join a free FB group "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms" for frequent posts of encouragement and mental health classes.

This past Sunday, in my head, I unkindly judged somebody for something they chose NOT to do. And then a few hours later, I felt and did the VERY thing that I was judgmental about!!

I've always thought moments like this meant I was a hypocrite. The Greek root meaning of the word "hypocrite" translates to “stage actor” or “pretender.” Dale Renlund says if I am striving to do good, then I'm actually NOT a hypocrite. Sooo, there's hope for me and anyone else who might have moments like this!

I felt some guilt inside of me rising up. I knew I could have chosen to beat myself up internally; I could have stayed in guilt and some shame. But I've learned that doesn't help me change.

I now choose to be super kind to myself, say sorry to God for judging one of His kids, and then learn from it. Feeling guilt now triggers a chance to "Be Still" with God! I now see guilt as an awesome gift.

So much empathy and love coming my way to you if you ever feel this way at times.

I had kind of a humbling experience going back and forth wondering if I had "received personal revelation," then not understanding the timing, and now what I've learned from it. Feeling grateful to be helped with a story from a 7 year-old and a thought about first responders; I needed these reminders as part of my journey to keep learning line upon line about this topic of personal revelation.

It's ok if you don't agree with me on today's topic; honestly, I didn't agree with it for years when I first heard it! But now it's easily one of my most influential mental health tools to feel more inner peace about the good AND hard moments, and to feel more empathy & kindness when others are going through a half-empty kind of day. It's all part of the same glass. It's all part of His plan. Ok. I got this. Just one half-empty AND half-full day at a time. You got this.

P.s. God always loves you even in the half-full or half-empty kind of moments.

I didn't remember this story of “when Saul was troubled with an evil spirit, David played for him with his harp and Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit departed" (see 1 Samuel 16:23) (Ezra Taft Benson, "Do Not Despair," Ensign 16 [October 1986]: 5).

I love that is included in the Bible! There are so many awesome gifts of music!!

This episode was really so much fun to write as I reflected on an experience during my grandfathers funeral, as well as a youth conference lesson showing a clip from Jurassic Park, moments of gaining testimony in myself and in my teenager, how my daughter listened to a song that made her "feel strong" inside, learning about parts of the brain that get activated with music, and more. I really enjoyed and needed the reminder of how powerful this free, easy-to-use tool is and how MANY giftS it can bring.

Don't have time to listen? I still got you! Here's one quote, then a couple ideas to consider implementing:

One gift of music includes that “we [can] get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer" (President J. Reuben Clark Jr., in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 11).

A piece of advice I was given my baby shower from the eldest (and wisest) in the room, wrote down on her 3x5 card for me to remember this counsel: "Sing to your kids at night."

Have any older kids that are past that stage? Me too! One thing we can do is to put fun music on when you clean or are in the car together. Or you can share some of your favorite songs so when they hear it later in life, they'll think of you when they hear those songs.

You got this, inner peacemaker! One messy, wonderful day at a time!

“…Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34, NRSV).

I appreciated hearing a vulnerable, open story of an apostle's worries & challenge in a financial experience & what he learned about sometimes taking life just one day at a time.

I'm excited to also share with you a joyful moment at the airport that ties into the Bible story of the wedding feast.