coming up for air

i've blogged about conference before, but have you ever wondered why it's so great? the video will help you understand (it is only one minute long!). 
 
the first session just ended and it's been amazing so far. you can even see my tweets (shift your gaze a little to the right and up just a tad, ah! found it? the feed is just right there on my blog) about some of my thoughts on it, hashtagged #LDSconf.  anyway. tune in if you'd like some bits of hope: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch?cid=HPFR100413105&lang=eng  :)
 i feel like this is a little bit of light i can receive after i've been in a lot of fog, and before i head into more.

come, listen to a prophet's voice!

did you know.....

{via here}

i've been so busy lately, but there is nothing that will bring me more lasting peace, happiness, and understanding, than listening to all the sessions of conference this weekend.

i know this, because i've been doing it twice a year for 25 years. ;)

wanna try it out? from lds.org: [conference is] held Saturdays and Sundays (today and tomorrow!!) at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. mountain time. For the April 2013 conference, the President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, will be speaking during the Sunday morning session at 10:00 a.m. MDT on April 7.

inspiration, anyone?

if you're looking for it, you should look here. :)

(click photo for the fb event)

saturday and sunday.
all sorts of awesome.
check it out here. 

red notebook

today, i had an epic salt lake adventure.

7 am departure, makeup in the car, four fabulous friends, awesome parking voucher, wheelchair escapades, really good seats, awesome speakers, laughing and crying, strengthening friendships, pictures with miss holga, mad dash to the car, lightening speed-sandwich making in the back of a trunk (not as shady as it sounds), running into friends, inhaling sandwiches, scoring plaza seating (!), matching nails with matching phones, beautiful music, more amazing talks, more tears (goodness...), lots of inspiration, contemplation, and peace.

clearly, i attended two sessions of conference. :)

i hope you are enjoying it, too! if you like uplifting, encouraging, strengthening and helpful perspective, then it is simply wonderful. i mean, if you're into that happiness kind of thing. ;) 

watch it here tomorrow, two different sessions at 10am and 2pm MDT!

consider the daisies

you might know the saying. as jeff reminded me,

don't worry too much about what's happening under it all.
the roots are growing, even if we can't see them.
and too many good things have been ruined because some people can't resist pulling up the daisies to see how the roots are doing.

but i just can't help but think that sometimes it's hard to tell whether i'm pulling up the daisies or just haphazardly yet faithfully watering them everyday, but without taking thought that water might not be what they need (perhaps they need more sun, or less water, or ...vitamin...water...?)

yeah.

i'm super stoked for general conference this weekend. i have an impossible schedule -- i don't see how i can get everything done in the physical amount of time that i have.

but.

i know that if i put God first, watch conference (four sessions!) and do my best, things will work out. they always do. and if they don't, they're probably not as important as i think they are.

the cool thing is, no matter who you are, there is bound to be something that will help you. and it's so accessible: you can even view it here. one click away to potentially life-changing info.

cool.

i am beyond excited to hear what insights lay in store for us this weekend. i hope it helps my garden situation.

 

anticipating the best weekend

i don't have much time to post, because general conference is starting in a couple minutes. for those who don't know, this is a time where our prophet and church leaders speak to us regarding things that will help us in these hard times. all of us. the things that matter most.

with how crazy life can get and in a world in need, everyone can benefit from conference. i am SO. EXCITED. i've been anticipating this since last conference, 6 months ago. i have SO much to do this weekend, but have come to learn that, to quote Ezra Taft Benson,

"when we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives." 

i KNOW this is true.

to watch it live, click here! 

the sessions are today from 10am-noon and 2-4pm, as well as tomorrow (sunday) from 10am-noon and 2-4pm, mountain standard time. all the sessions are different, but we strive to watch all of them because they are all amazing! if you can't take the time this weekend, they are archived.

while a happy man takes a walk

this morning, i read this talk. it was wonderful, and said many things that have been on my heart and mind lately, better than i could. so, here is some of it:

Those who live in thanksgiving daily, however, are usually among the world’s happiest people. And they make others happy as well.


Gratitude turns a meal into a feast and drudgery into delight. It softens our grief and heightens our pleasure. It turns the simple and common into the memorable and transcendent. It forges bonds of love and fosters loyalty and admiration.


Pray with all your heart. Consider the love your Heavenly Father has for all His children. Open your heart to His cleansing word. Feast on the words of holy writ. Cherish the messages of modern-day prophets and apostles. Forgive others who have offended you. Don’t waste another moment feeling self-pity. Every day drain from your heart the feelings of resentment, rage, and defeat that do nothing but discourage and destroy. Fill your heart with those things that ennoble, encourage, and inspire.

i completely agree with everything that is discussed in this talk. there are so many things to be grateful for in life, and i realize that i don't recognize those things often enough.

i heard a speaker in church the other day tell of a unique challenge that was presented to him, a goal of sorts. two dear friends took that same challenge upon themselves this week, and even knowing what they've done with it has blessed and inspired me.

this is my little book that will hold my list!

today, i will take that challenge as well: i will start a list of 1,000 things i am thankful for. i will do this by december 1, which will help me reflect upon these things daily until Christmas season (what else could be a better precursor?) if you (you, reading this! regardless of location, religion, or any other factor) feel even a tiny bit inclined to do the same, i encourage you to follow that feeling and do it. what a blessing it is to recognize our blessings!
after all,

Not everyone can be a star quarterback; not everyone can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company; not everyone can win a gold medal at the Olympics; but everyone—everyone—can live in thanksgiving daily.
 {via the aforementioned talk}

...My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven. {from president monson in this talk, which is equally amazing}

explanation + conference (!)

i know. i have abandoned my blog without prior warning. for this, i feel terrible. BUT--it's not permanent. just until finals are done---uggg. so much to do. but then i'll share all my fun projects with you and that'll just be dandy!

to show my apologies for my lack of blog, i'm gonna share with you the best thing that's happening on this wonderful easter weekend--lds general conference! it's the conference where we get council and guidance from our leaders and it's wonderful that anyone can watch it. in fact, here is the link to watch it online. i love love love it.

{conference is held in salt lake city, UT from 10am-noon and 2pm-4pm on both today (saturday) and tomorrow (sunday). every session is different, with different speakers.}

i hope that whatever you do, you have a wonderful weekend as well! and i'll be in touch soooooon! probably about 2 weeks. :)

hope

nope, this post isn't the concert reviews either. i promise, they're still coming. already written. i just delayed them for something that is more meaningful to me:





i really needed to see these. maybe you do too.

Come What May, and Love It

From the LDS newsroom:

SALT LAKE CITY | 2 Dec 2008 | Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last night, age 91. Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11.30 pm of causes incident to age.

I loved last conference especially, because though he looked frail in his old age, he spoke with the power and confidence of a man of God. This conference I especially loved how the leaders of our church were all so united. I specifically remember that when Elder Wirthlin was done talking and Elder Holland got up to speak he started by saying, "There is no apostle more loved, than Joseph Bitner Wirthlin".

In this last conference talk, Elder Wirthlin said,

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life."

With the counsel of learning to laugh, seeking for the eternal, understanding the principle of compensation, and trusting in the Father and Son, his last conference talk focused on his mother's counsel: "Come what may, and love it." He was a wonderful example of that in his life.

i think my favorite part of the LDS Newsroom abstract was this:

His oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present [when he died]. A member of the family had been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.

They are together! Him and his wife! As Jeff put it, that's a pretty great Christmas gift. :)

Their wedding day, May 26, 1941