Spiritual Promptings

I had this thought today. Perhaps part of learning to be guided by the Holy Spirit isn’t just following the promptings we received, but also keeping a positive attitude and optimistic outlook no matter what path our life takes us down. After all, the path our life takes is one the Lord has planned for us, not one we can control. The only parts of it we can control, is how we react and what choices we make during the journey, but beyond that, we need to remember that life has many unexpected twists and turns, and we need to remain calm knowing that this is all for our good. So during those moments of uncertainty, we need to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost to remain confident that everything will be fine.

Joy in the Journey

From my Husband's trip to London

Today was Stake Conference at Church. Many members of the Church gathered together to listen to wonderful talks looking for guidance for our lives. Many wonderful things were said, but one part that I really liked said that Heavenly Father wants to bless us, and He would like to give us big blessings, but first we need to appreciate the small things in our lives. I like this concept. Something else I like about it is, that it is much easier to enjoy life no matter what we perceive is less than what we would like, when we just appreciate and are thankful for all the good things we have. When life doesn’t seem to be taking us in the direction we have chosen, it is easier to love it knowing that this is the path the Lord has chosen, so it is a better one than we had originally picked out.

Starting Over on 30 day goals

My Husband took this photo while in Europe on his business trip

Well, it happened, I messed up. Yesterday and today I ate Sugar and didn’t do well with the Lose it app either. The best thing to do right now is forgive myself and try again. I can make better choices and I can start right now.

30 day Challenges

Day 5 of no Sugar was hard. The first part of the day went fine, then I ate lunch late, so I was really hungry and ate a big lunch, which made me very sleepy, so I wanted Sugar to keep me going. I didn’t give in to the temptation, but it was really hard!

Day 1 of my new exercise routine went well. I was able to do the exercise Dvd, No more trouble Zones. It’s pretty intense, but I made it!

Day 1 of using the Lose it! App went well. I did want to eat more than what was recommended, but I managed to stay on track!

Our Will

A picture my Husband took while he was at InterContinental Carlton Cannes

I really like this quote I read by Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him” (“Insights from my Life,” Ensign, Aug. 200,9).

I do realize that things like tithing, are things we give back to the Lord what He has already given us. It never occurred to be that the only thing we can give Him that he didn’t already give to us, is our own will. It certainly isn’t an easy thing to do. I am really selfish and have a long ways to go.

No sugar Day 4

Day 4 without Sugar went pretty well. I didn’t give in to any temptations, so that is awesome!

Lose It! 30 day Challenge!

I am also going to start a new 30 day challenge with the Lose It app. I’m going to keep track of the amount of Calories I eat every day. Let’s see how changing my workout routine and watching what I eat affect my body for 30 days!

30 day goal - new workout routine

I’m going to start another 30 day goal. For 30 days I’m going to alternate between two of Jillian Michaels workout Dvds, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones. Let’s see what affect this will have on my body!

Prayer, the Passport to Spiritual Power



This is a picture my husband took on his business trip to Cannes La Croisette.

                                         

Today I was reading Chapter 5 In the Book Teachings of Presidents: Spencer W. Kimball called “Prayer, the Passport to Spiritual Power.” An aspect of prayer that I need to do better at is something he addressed with: “Prayer is such a privilege—not only to speak to our Father in Heaven, but also to receive love and inspiration from him. At the end of our prayers, we need to do some intense listening---even for several minutes. We have prayed for counsel and help. Now we must “be still, and know that [he is] God.” (Ps. 46.10)

I love praying. No one knows me better than my Heavenly Father, I don’t even know myself as well has He does. I enjoy being able to talk to someone who completely understand where I’m coming from and has my best interest at heart. So I like to tell Him everything. I mean, He already knows anyway, there are no secrets, so I might as well be honest. I need to be better at listening afterwards. To pay attention to the thoughts, ideas, and feelings that come to me afterwards. What better time is there then right after a sincere prayer, to received guidance.

Early Morning Workout

I really wanted to be lazy today and stay in bed. There are just those mornings where you’re not sure all your hard work is paying off. I mean, I’m not setting any records with my workouts, but I am doing more than nothing, so you’d think that it would be more noticeable either in muscle tone or in how my clothes fit. Then again, I look at myself every day in the mirror, more than once a day. I’m sure it is hard to notice any differences when you see yourself every day. It would be different if I saw a before and after picture with a year of time in between. It’s kind of like when you only get to see your Nieces and Nephews once a year and you can tell right away that they have grown so much in that year, but seeing your kids every day, you can’t tell as much that they are growing just as fast. At the same time, if I took a before and after pictures and didn’t see a difference, that would be super depressing.

I suppose there are a lot of different factors that go into getting in shape. And if I’m only willing to make small changes, then I’ll probably only get small results and it will take longer to get where I’m going. But, small changes are still changes, and they are easier to make vs. the big ones. So I told myself that I was going to just go for a walk and play Candy Crush. That got me out of bed and I did my 3 mile walk and did some weights that worked out different parts of my arms and back, so yeah me!!

Day 3 Quitting Sugar

Today felt pretty much the same as Day 2. My cravings for binge eating went down, so that was nice. I still got pretty tired again in the afternoon, and that’s when I really want to eat something loaded with sugar. The hardest part was when I needed to run to the Store to pick up a few items and passed the Cookie aisle. I really wanted all those Cookies! But I was able to walk right by. Out of sight, out of mind, or at least mostly. I’m looking forward to when I won’t be tired during the day anymore.

Today's workout

I did my 3 mile walk on the treadmill this morning. Then I worked out my shoulders today. I did 2 x 12 reps of the Shoulder Press, Incline Press, and the Chest Press. One of the perks of paying and HOA is having a workout room in a Club House to go to!

In times of trial, we must trust in God

Today I read a lesson by a Prophet of the Lord in our days, Spencer W. Kimball. The lesson was titled “Tragedy or Destiny?”. It was about the trials we face in our lives and how they have a purpose. One part I really liked said: “Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified? If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith”.

Trials are hard. I guess they are supposed to be. But without them, we wouldn’t grow and become something more. The difficulties we face are so hard to comprehend from our vantage point, especially in the moment they are happening. It’s hard not to panic and throw a tantrum about it. But those moments when I manage to remain calm and realize that there is a reason for all the craziness, are the moments I feel most at peace, no matter what challenges are going on, and it’s nice to feel peace.

I like what President Kimball said “In the face of apparent tragedy we must put our trust in God, knowing that despite our limited view his purposes will not fail. With all its troubles life offers us the tremendous privilege to grow in knowledge and wisdom, faith and works, preparing to return and share God’s glory “.

As much as we want to succeed in this life and reach the goals we have set for ourselves, God has a bigger plan for us that he would like us to succeed at and bigger goals that he would like us to achieve. These require a path with a lot more growth to be involved. I hope I can keep calm during the hard times and remember that He is God and knows what He is doing.

Teachings of Presidnets: Spencer W. Kimball Chapter 2: Tragedy or Destiny?

Quitting Sugar Day 2

Day 2

I woke up this morning not craving any Sugar, until I saw my kids’ breakfast cereal, that is. I just made myself walk away and think of something else, then I was fine. I was doing well, until I started feeling sleeping in the afternoon. That was really hard. When I’m tired, the only thing I want is some Sugar to keep me going. Though a Sugar “high” only last a few minutes and I crash even harder afterwards. So I just pushed through the drowsiness and within about 2 hours, I was feeling fine again. I did get a Watermelon today to eat whenever I really wanted something sweet. That helped a lot since it is sweet but full of nutrients and loaded with Water, which quenches any thirst I might be feeling and didn’t realize that is what it was. Sometimes we crave Sugar when what our body really wants, is to be hydrated, but we misinterpret the signals.

Organic, Probiotic, ACV, Stevia Drink

I make this drink at least once a day, usually for when I work out. It has probiotics from the Organic Greens Ormus supplement, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) which has many health benefits, and I sweeten it with a packet of Organic Stevia, which makes it a very low calorie drink! I have to admit that drinking a beverage with ACV and the Super Greens in it, takes some getting used to, but after a few days, it’s pretty good! It’s just like when you try to get your kids to eat their Veggies, at first, it’s a struggle, but once they get used to the flavors, there are no problems!

Ingredients

~ 1 Tbs Organic ACV

~ 1 Tbs Organic Probiotic Greens

~ 1 packet of Organic Stevia

~ 24 oz Water

Stir and enjoy!

How to be guided by the Spirit

I really like making my own decisions. I like deciding my own destiny. The only problem with that is that life gets in the way. I tend to try to fight unforeseen circumstances with all my might, just to become exhausted and frustrated.

How much nicer it would be to set goals for my life, but also realize this life is a test and I need to be prepared to face all of life's challenges. It would also be nice to pursue paths in life that my Heavenly Father would like me to travel. The direction He puts me on will undoubtedly bring me job, happiness, peace, and fulfillment.

A good way to get that guidance is by following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Since I'm no expert in this, I look to the experts for help. One of those experts is Elder Richard G. Scott. He is one of the Twelve Apostles on earth today. I read his talk "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance" to get advice on how to follow the Lord's will for me.

The first thing he says is there is no simple technique to receive personal guidance. We need to be patient in the process. Personal growth comes from the struggle to learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit. When we received the guidance, we received inspiration and also power to follow through with that inspiration.

So I like that fact that it is something we have to learn to do. That we will not be perfect at it right from the start. That the process takes time. Just like walking is a good thing for a baby to learn to do, it doesn't mean they will be good at it the first time they try or that if they fail the first time, they should give up. Instead, be try and try again until we get good at it.

When ideas come to us, we should write them down. It seems so simple, but it's a good point to remember. As good as my intentions may be at remembering something, I always seem to get distracted and completely forget about it, so writing it down is key.

He says that we should pray about the ideas that we have gotten. Also a good idea. I mean, it's hard to differentiate between ideas that are mine and ideas that came from God, so who best to ask if those ideas were the right ones than Him?

Elder Scott says we should ask if there is more we should know and give thanks for the guidance we've received. I know as a Mom, many times I feel like I'm being taken for granted. I do all this stuff for my kids and they live their lives like that's just how it's supposed to be. But when one of them thanks me for helping them or the things I do for them, it makes me feel appreciated and my efforts recognized. I'm sure our Father in Heaven would like to not be taken for granted either.

Elder Scott says that sometimes the thoughts that come to us are general feelings and sometimes they are unmistakable and obvious to the point where you can write them down clearly.

One of the key points he makes is that we need to pray with humility and gratitude. Being humble seems so simple, but really, to tell the Lord that I am willing to take the direction in life He would have me follow rather than continue on the path I feel is right for me, is kind of a hard thing.

I love my Heavenly Father and I know that is a bigger plan for me in this life as far as my progression goes, than the easy path I have pictured for myself. I would like to practice being more humble in accepting His will for me rather than fighting to stay on the path I have envisioned for myself.

Early Morning Workout

Let's face it, working out is pretty much what it sounds like...work. Even workouts I really enjoy and have fun doing, initially are hard to get myself motivated to do them. I'd rather spend my free time sitting in front of the Tv and catching up on some Tv series. 

One way I manage to get the workout in, is by doing it right away in the morning. This does mean I have to get up earlier than I'd like, but if I sleep in and tell myself I get to it sometime that day, I end up dreading the moment I'll have to stop my daily routine, take the time to get changed, and get myself to my workout. Whether that's in my living room or at some exercise studio doesn't seem to matter, both locations seem super inconvenient when I'd rather just be lazy. 

So getting the workout over with in the morning, starts my day off right. I already feel like I'm having a successful day because I've done something major that is good. Not to mention all those exercise endorphins that get you pumped up and ready to face the day. 

I like to exercise 6 days a week and keep Sundays my day of rest and recovery. I get up at 6 am and walk 3 miles on the treadmill for an hour. I know walking sounds lame, but if I can burn the same amount of calories walking for an hour as I would running for 30 mins, I prefer the less jarring, exhausting workout. Something I can do and still read a book or play a game on my cell phone. If I can enjoy the workout, I'm more likely to keep it up as opposed to trying to kill myself during a workout, not see immediate results, and lose all motivation altogether because it feels like too much effort with little reward.

And when there are those mornings where I really don't want to get out of bed, I just tell myself that all I'm going to do is walk and play Candy Crush, then it doesn't seem so hard, but something I'll actually enjoy. 

After walking on the treadmill, I like to do some kind of weight lifting. Cardio is good for the heart and burns calories and hopefully fat, but having muscles will help your body to continue to burn calories throughout the day, and hey, I like the idea of that. Again, I don't try to kill myself by working out every body part every day. This would get old fast, especially if I didn't feel like I was getting any really noticeable results fast. So I figure, slow and steady wins the race. I do a 2 x 12 reps of weightlifting for each part of my body, switching the focus everyday. 

Faith

I was reading an article in our Church magazine, The Ensign, called “The Power of Faith.” Faith has always been a subject I’ve been interested in. As I read the article, I came to realize that one of the things about Faith that I’ve always believed was true, the part where if you believe hard enough, meaning your Faith is super strong, then as long as it’s a righteous desire and God’s will, it will happen. But this article said that “Faith, Alma teaches us, is hope in true principles. To have faith does not mean we believe our Heavenly Father will always give us what we ask for when we ask for it.”

I liked what she said she did during a really hard time in her life. Instead of trying to have as much “Faith” as possible to change her circumstances, she said “Finally, I quietly accepted my situation, found ways to cope with my discomfort, and became content to save full understanding of faith and healing for a future time.”

I like that. I like the idea of calming myself down during circumstances in my life that seem way beyond my control. Instead of trying to fight against the current of life, settle down, relax, and stay afloat. Trust that the Lord is moving the current in a direction that is better for me.

I think I spend far too much of my time trying to figure out God’s grand plan for my life and how I can speed it up to the good parts. I forget that the bad parts serve a purpose as well and will help me become more than I am today.

Day 1

Day 1

I was wondering how my first day of going sugar free would be. I woke up feeling good and decently optimistic. I drank a bottle of water and got the kids and myself ready for Church. We had to be to Church early since the Choir would be singing during Sacrament meeting and Aliyah and I are in the Choir. We got there on time and ran through the songs. The Choir director was so sweet and brought doughnuts for the Choir members as a thank you for being there and participating.

I had no problem not eating them, and decided to give my share to my youngest daughter, who had come early with us, so that worked out well.

Then during Relief Society, the Lady that gave the lesson brought these wonderful looking Chocolate covered Pretzels. I was a bit sad that I wouldn’t be eating mine, but I decided that the health benefits of not eating it, were better than the 10 seconds of flavor I’d be missing out on. I let me girls share the treat with each other. My boys were home sick today.

I’ve done lots of online research about food and how it affects our mood. There have been studies that suggest that an Unhealthy Diet is a risk factor for depression. Studies also show a relationship between sugar and addictive eating. When we crave food, we usually crave something sweet. Stress causes us to seek sugar as a quick fuel for an energy boost.

I know that when I eat sugary foods, it doesn’t help me feel better about myself or have more energy, it does the exact opposite and I usually want to go lay down in my bed for a while.

But so far, day 1 is going well and I look forward to feeling better with each day that passes.

Exercise

I try to exercise every day of the week except Sundays. It’s not a perfect workout, I usually walk 3 miles on a treadmill, then lift some weights. I also enjoy taking Capoeira classes. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that incorporates music, dance and acrobatics. I’ve been doing it for almost a year and have master some of the most basic movements. Haha. I really enjoy it though.

There are plenty of times I really don’t want to work out. I mean, if I give it my all for a months’ time and don’t see some amazing results, it’s hard to stay motivated. Yes, I realize it’s an unrealistic timeframe, but it should be an accurate one just the same.

The main thing that keeps me going even when I don’t feel like I’m getting amazing results, is thinking that if I didn’t exercise, what would I look like then?

Goals are good

I love setting goals! This doesn’t mean that I am always successful at reaching them, it just means that I like the idea of trying to become something better and striving for that. And hey, if I fail, I can always try again. So I set up a 30 day goal tab so I could keep track of goals here and see if 30 days made any difference or not.

My first 30 day goal will be going Sugar Free for 30 days. I know this sounds crazy, but I’ve done it before and it was a great experience. I know that since it was such a positive experience that it might seem confusing as to why I stopped living this healthy lifestyle. The answer is that I had gotten so good at not eating sugar, that I felt like if I just had one item of food with sugar, I would be ok. It wasn’t going to ruin the whole no sugar thing if I just had one thing with sugar. Well, oddly enough, that one thing of sugar turned into several things of sugar and then went way overboard.

The first time I tried to go without sugar, it was really hard and I wasn’t sure it was going to be worth it. So I gave up after a few days. Then I tried it a second time, and made it about 73 days without sugar! And it was amazing!! I had less of an appetite, I was not as hungry as I usually was. I didn’t crave junk food. I had lots of energy and was able to stay focused on tasks. So yes, I found out that there were lots of benefits to going without sugar.

I am eager to get those benefits back, so am going to challenge myself to 30 days of no sugar…again.

Motherhood, a new beginning

My husband, Wagner, started a new job about a month ago. This job is really going to change everything in our lives, most especially, everything that I felt was the plan for our family. I had it all planned out, where we were going to live, where our kids were going to go to School, where Wagner would work, etc. This were going as I had planned, everything was right no track. We were so close to making my vision of the future a reality. Then, BAM, from totally out of the blue, Wagner got this new job that will be taking us away from the School I had envisioned for my kids, it would take us away from everything I had worked so hard to have happen in our family.

I have to admit that I was not a good sport about the whole things and threw a toddler tantrum about it. Yes, this was not a smart move, but hey, live and learn. Hopefully in the future, I can learn to pray about things before getting upset about it all.

The funny part about this is that one of the things I have most wanted my whole life, was to be a full time Mommy. And now with this new job Wagner will have, I will get the opportunity to be one. I will no long have to work full time and be a Mom part time. This is a wonderful blessing and I am very thankful for this.

This new life is going to be a big adjustment for all of us, but especially for me. I am so used to spending and dedicating all of my time to work, that refocussing my effort on my children, the home, my husband, and our family, is going to be something new to me. I know that it seems like this should be an easy thing, but I am really used to telling the kids and my husband that I don’t have time for them because I have to work. I’m used to getting into my “work zone” and not coming out till the job is done. I work from home, so this has been a must when trying to finish the tasks of my job. As a result, I have had little time for house work, homework, or anything other than my job. Getting up, moving around and cleaning all day, seems a bit exhausting and overwhelming, to be honest. Though working has not been my ideal way of spending my time as a mother, it has become a habit to just sit in front of my computer all day long. To now be up and about, will be so different.

Even though it will be a big change, lots of good things come only through change. So I’ll just need to take it one step at a time and pray always so that I can take advantage of the fact that I will actually have time to attend to my kids’ needs and not get so caught up in other jobs around the house that I don’t take full advantage of what I always wanted to be, a Mommy.

Pride

  During my Morning Scripture Study, I was reading some counsel that had been given by a spiritual leader, Ezra Taft Benson. He was talking about Pride. Sure, I’ve heard of pride before, but I’ve always thought of it as describing the feeling of thinking you are better than everyone else. But what he said in addition to this was “Pride is characterized by ‘What do I want out of life?’ rather than by ‘What would God have me do with my life?’ It is self-will as opposed to God’s will. It is the fear of man over the fear of God.”

  Wow, this really hit me hard. I mean, I am a goal oriented person. Not that I’m always successful at reaching the goals I set for myself, but I do like to have goals and come up with plans on how to achieve those goals. These goals are always things I want for myself. Things I want for my life. I never stopped to consider what the Lord wants for me or for my life. I felt that as long as I was choosing good, positive goals, then there was no harm done. And I’m sure, that for the most case, this is probably true. I think the Pride part comes in when all of my focus is on my goals, and what I want for my life, and don’t stop and pray for guidance as to what the Lord wants me to be doing with my time and my life.

  I have to admit that this will be a hard one for me to change. I’ve always felt like I was making good choices with my life and my time (Pride, thinking my plan is better than God’s plan). I’ve never asked the Lord what He would have me do. Mostly because I felt like if His answer didn’t match up with my desires, then I wasn’t interested…Pride.

   Yeah….I’ve got a long way to go, but the best way to change, is to take the first step.

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-the-church-ezra-taft-benson/chapter-18-beware-of-pride?lang=eng

Motherhood

The one thing I always wanted to be when I was growing up, was a Mother. I have been so blessed to have a wonderful Husband who has made this dream come true and helped me have four wonderful children. It has not been an easy Journey, but it has all been worth it.