For the Coming Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, I stopped on one of my absolute favorite talks from Conference.  It was given by Elder Robert C. Gay and can be found HERE.

Elder Gay recounts a story from his youth.  We've all had similar experiences of learning to tell the truth or not steal, I'm sure, but for some reason this story really struck me.  I think it was the way his father asked him, "Son, would you exchange your soul for a nickle?"  Go and read this story--it will hit you hard.

So, my question to myself and all of my readers for the new and upcoming year is "What will I exchange for my soul?"  This questions will require each of us to take a deeper look at our motives, our desires, and our willingness to answer the Savior's call to follow Him.  Since this is a personal thing, I won't go into details about what I am planning to do, but I hope each of you take time to ponder this question and to resolve to be a little bit better each day of 2013.

Here's the print I made with a quote from this talk~

I've also added a few words on how we can become an 11 on a scale of 1-10 when we utilize the Atonement of our Savior HERE on my paper crafting blog.  You'll have to see my card first, sorry, but hop over there if you have the time, I hope it inspires you!

Please feel free to use this print for PERSONAL USE only.  More information about disclaimers and printing policies can be found in the tab up top.  Happy printing!

Merry Christmas!

Promises of the Book of Mormon

I've got another General Conference quote to share with you today!!!  This one is from Elder Hawk's talk found HERE about the importance of the Book of Mormon in regards to the House of Israel.

Here's the print I made~

I love reading The Book of Mormon.  As I have served in different Church callings, The Book of Mormon has answered many questions I've had regarding my responsibilities.  Each time I've had a question about something, the answer came as I prayed and studied The Book of Mormon.  It helps in my daily life as well and I feel closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior as I read the words of the ancient prophets that were written for our day.

I know that it is a true book of scripture intended for us in the latter days and that men will learn about Christ and His gospel as they study it's precepts.  I feel so grateful and blessed to live in a day where each of us can have our own personal copy of this important volume of scripture.  I hope that you will take time to read it and pray to know if it is true.  I also hope that reading it will help you as it has helped me and will continue to help me in the future.

Please feel free to use this printable for PERSONAL USE ONLY.  More information about disclaimers and printing policies can be found under the tab at the top of this blog.  Happy printing!

Gifts of the Season

Isn't Christmas a wonderful time of year?  I LOVE making homemade gifts to give to people or finding fun new ways to give gifts in a unique way.  This year at work we did something so fun!  We had a "Hot Cocoa Bar."  Each participant brought a fun holiday mug to trade in for a new one.  I got the cutest one!!!

Here it is~

Isn't that darling?!  I just love it!  I think that this is such a great idea!  There were different types of marshmallows and peppermint sticks for stirring the cocoa.  There were different types of bagged powder cocoa and some hot water in a warmer.  AND donut holes!  What fun!  This had to be blogged because I want to keep this idea for later!

The other gifts that I want to blog about are the gifts I've made for the sisters that I visit teach for Christmas.  As you know, I've been creating printables for the October 2012 General Conference talks.  Well...I've finished them, I just haven't blogged them!  I got prints made and my companion and I have compiled the photos in albums to give to the sisters we visit. 

Here's a look~

It was seriously budget friendly to do this!  I had a 40% off code for the photos and the albums were just altered $1 albums from the store.  The total for each on was under $5!!!  And it's something that will encourage further study and inspire the sisters as they use the photos to decorate their homes. 

I think the next gift will be for Valentine's Day and it will be picture frames that these quotes will fit in.  Then each sister can display the quotes in a place that they will be able to reflect on them daily.  The beauty of this is that they can choose different quotes at different times in their lives!

I hope you've found inspiration in these two ideas--I will be back with more General Conference quotes SOON!!!  Merry Christmas friends--I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be able to do over the next few days! ;) 

Strong Families Start With Strong Marriages

Since I'm home sick, I thought I'd share another printable with you really quickly!  This one features a quote from Elder Perry's talk about becoming goodly parents.  I used a quote about marriage as the focus.  You might find this strange that I would focus on a quote about marriage from a talk about parenting, but it has been my experience that you can only be a goodly parent if you are living in harmony within your marriage first.

Here is the quote~

I am so grateful to have the husband that I have.  I know some of you might get sick of me saying this, but my husband is the best man in the world!  This week as I've been sick, he has taken care of me like nobody else--not even my mother--ever has or will.  He is just amazing. 

I know that as we continually strive to make our marriages second priority in our lives--second only to our relationship with God--that we will find so much more happiness and peace in this world.  Marriage is the only way that men can become like God.  It is the foundation for a happy home and happy families. 

Any time that I felt unhappy with my life during our short stint with foster care, I knew that I needed to work on strengthening my marriage.  It helped me get through it.  Anytime I feel that something in my life is not right now, striving to strengthen my marriage has opened up windows to me about what I need to do to become more perfect.  These insights usually come as my dear love and I talk to each other nightly about everything. 

I am so grateful to God for the amazing husband that I have.  I am grateful for my husband's parents who prepared him to be the man he is today.  I am grateful for the Atonement of the Savior that helps my husband and me to perfect our marriage and our lives.  I hope that each of you takes the time today to do something to strengthen your marriage.  It will bless you in ways that you never thought possible!

Please feel free to use this printable for PERSONAL USE ONLY.  More info about printing policies and disclaimers can be found under the tab at the top of my blog.  Happy printing! :)

Regrets

I know that we all have regrets from our life time.  Okay, I know that I do.  I can't speak for you.  Elder Uchtdorf's talk really hit home for me and I realized that living with regrets should be something that teaches you to be better.  We should learn from our mistakes and not continually make the same ones over and over thinking we can just repent each time.  Repentance is sincere change, not feeling sorry for a bit then going and performing the same sinful act again. 

I LOVE this statement that Elder Uchtdorf makes~

Isn't that simple perfection?  It's so easy.  Living the gospel can be SO EASY!

I was talking to my husband recently about how I am trying to do better at treating others the way the Savior would.  After one such incident, he told me that he was proud of me for trying to work with difficult people.  You know what I told him--because this is what I had realized--I am the only one being difficult. 

I am the one who decides how difficult to make a situation.  I am the only one who makes myself sad.  I am the only one who can make me happy.  I am the only one who can choose to rise above whatever I perceive is going on and choose to treat others as children of God anyway. 

This attitude shift has really effected my life and has made me so incredibly happy.  I hope that as we continue on the path set out by our Savior that we will see an increase in our happiness and peace.  I know that we will find both if we are doing all we can to live a righteous life.  I also know that when we follow the Savior, we will be able to live a regret free life and return spotless to our heavenly home.

Please feel free to use my print FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.  More disclaimers and policies about printing can be found under the tab above.  Happy printing! :)  And stay tuned...there are more General Conference prints to come! :)