Pictures of the Family Get Together

Pictures equal a thousand words.


McIntire granparents with the "triplets"

Mom with Bp McIntire ;)

Pinata with Adam at the bat

Tara, Matt & Tanise



Adam with Tracie, Aunt Tanise


Bob & ReneeFillerup Grandparents, & Great Grandma Willey


Matt & Beth with my great-grandson, William Chung-Hoon age, 9 months

Aislyn and her Mommy, Daddy, Ella, Parker, & Baby Joel

Hank & Kimball



Aislyn & Aaron

The Three Muskateers, Triplets from heaven--

Today was indeed a "little bit of heaven." The spirit was so strong and sweet, the baptism was incredible. What a blessing to have all three at the same place and time for this occasion. Thank you all who contributed to the success of it. Those unseen hands who blessed this family with love and charity for one another. And a special thank you to Matt & Beth for being here with us to share it with them.



God bless us all as we stand as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to support these three choice children always.

De ja vue????

Ever get a phone call and know who is calling since you just had a mental impression about the person calling? I do that a lot. I know it is because we are all connected in some way. I have also had happen where I think about someone I haven't heard from or seen and all of a sudden they pop into see me or hear from them some other way.

Tara called me tonight and I had just thought of her out of the "blue" and was practically giggling as I answered. She had no idea why I was laughing. It happens ALL the time.


I find also that when talking to people I kind of get an insight and know what they are thinking. It really trips out some people, and me too! It must be a gift for which I am very thankful. It adds to my life every time.

I am grateful for the promptings of the Holy Ghost that tells me things and helps me have a "clear view" of what is 'coming around the corner', so to speak. I am also very mindful of the gift of being a vessel for others when needed.

It tells me how we are all so connected and the quantum physics of it all if you think about it!!

Quote of the Day. . . Food for thought--

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

Dale Carnegie

Grandma, Where Is Your Prince?

Aislyn with her new baby brother, Joel who was only a few weeks old at the time.


Yesterday at breakfast Aislyn, who just turned 8 years old asked me, "Grandma, where is your Prince?" I was surprised by her question and had to ask her twice what she said as she smiled and said it again.

That is a good question, Aislyn. I ask myself the same thing. . . often.

This new month ahead I am going to spend time focusing on going inside myself and ponder my goals and make some changes that will only help me be a better person. It is a journey, at best.

Looking for the GOOD in a Leader

Today, I saw a news comment by our newly elected President, Barack Obama. I must say I am impressed with his disgust of the CEOs of the bailout of Wall Street companies giving themselves $20 billion in bonuses. It was called "irresponsible."

I wait to see how this will be rectified and taken away from those who prey on the government handout and leave the taxpayers paying the bill. It is shameful to say the least. I give honest praise where it is warranted to President Obama.

I find that being positive about a leader or anyone else that my opinion of them was less than the majority, helps me to be humble and supportive. It is also more constructive rather than destructive to the beholder!

I am going to be positive and be open to the good that can be accomplished and see that it carried out in the way that goes with the office of our president, with responsibility.

I must say I haven't ever seen another leader such as Presidents Bush, Clinton, or Carter, make such a statement. It must be an historical first on all accounts. ;)

Reading an Amazing book in Covenants in Marriage

"Covenant Hearts--Marriage and the Joy of Human Love--"

This is the best book I have ever read about marriage relationship and the meaning of the covenants and all the fiery darts that attack the relationship. I am reading it with a friend and find it a great primer to what a couple learns through the thick and thin of their marriage.

I know we don't know everything. This book opened my eyes and the tenderness that couples should enjoy in working through day to day issues, whether it is with troubled children, children with handicaps, illnesses, employment or personal issues. As a therapist, mother and grandmother, I highly recommend this book.

It would be a good book for bishops to read and share with their ward members who struggle with commitment or couples staying married.

It is pointed out early on that marriage is a covenant not just a contract per se. There is a difference that is worth learning about and how the behavior of the individual is personally responsible in each equally. The covenant marriage is one that lasts, and the contract-type is one that is disposable and discarded at the rise of problems and terminated for lack of understanding their roles.

Elder Hafen is a Seventy and a former professor and has a lot of knowledge to share from the perspective of a Latter-day Saint. I appreciate his straightforwardness. Even at my age I can learn so much and take his counsel for a successful eternal companionship that will last forever. When one marries they should expect to stay married forever and to the same person.

There is value in reading it together and much opportunity for discussion. The key is to be open and teachable at any stage of your life, I recommend it for all from the newly married to the seasoned married and the pre-married.

Elder Hafen is in the First Quorum of the Seventy since 1996, a former president of Ricks College, former dean of BYU Law School, and recognized family Law Scholar.

Joyful Jubilant Learning article about Gratitude

Sharing THANKS! by Robert Emmons

It is my pleasure to share and review one of my favorite books published in the last twelve months, Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (2007, Houghton Mifflin) by Robert Emmons. Emmons belongs to the growing number of scholars, researchers and practitioners who call themselves positive psychologists. He teaches at the University of California, Davis and specializes in the study of gratitude and its benefits. Here is Emmons’ take on how we can become more grateful and by extension, happier.




1. Keep a gratitude journal. This does not have to be an onerous task, but a place to keep regular notes to ourselves about the gratitude-inspiring events we experience every day--our child holding our her hand to us, a friend's phone call, a note from an appreciative colleague.

2. Remember the bad. Remember also the slights of a boss, the sarcasm of an acquaintance, then the good in the present shines by comparison.

3. Ask yourself these three questions;

a. What have I received from______?
b. What have I given to________?
c. What troubles and difficulty have I caused_________?

(Emmons has found that these questions help us to see the reciprocal quality of relationships, to see our deposits and withdrawals into others' emotional bank accounts, and the deposits we have received from others.)

4. Learn prayers of gratitude. All spiritual and religious traditions have mantras or prayers of gratitude. If you don't know one, make one up. I am grateful for the challenges and the pleasures in my life right now.

5. Come to your senses. Appreciate your feet and legs that carry you to your appointed tasks and enjoyments. Be grateful for the functioning of your body, rather than focusing on its imperfections.

6. Use visual reminders--pictures of your family, stones or flowers from favorite hikes, teachers, mentors and friends for whom you are grateful. Gratitude comes with awareness.

7. Make a vow to practice gratitude. Say it out loud to a group of people. For many of us, commitment and accountability come with a public declaration of intention.

8. Watch your language. Language determines the nature and content of our thought; what we say to ourselves shapes our belief in ourselves.

9. Go through the motions. "Act as if," as they say in Alcoholics Anonymous. Act happy to be happy.

10. Think outside the box. Be grateful for your enemies, for what they teach you about how you want to be. Often the best leaders site bad bosses as a way they learned to be effective. Bad parents and bad teachers can instill good parenting and teaching in their children and students.

The most important learning for me in thanks! was the new knowledge that our brains cannot effectively project both negative and positive emotion at the same time. My regular practice of gratitude will likely crowd out some of my envy, self-pity, and anger and will certainly increase my awareness of the beauty and goodness all around me. The practical tips offered by Emmons really expanded my repertoire for gratitude first, and then happiness.
~ by author, Sara Orem

I found this article and liked it to share the list of benefits of gratitude. I look forward to reading the book.

Forrest, Forrest Gump 's mother said--

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get."

There are few things that we have control of what happens in our lives. Then again, there are others that are very significant that we DO have control. The wisdom is to be able to know the difference and grow from those choices.

This statement by St. Francis of Assisi comes to mind:
"
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference...."

May you so call upon God to bless you in your time of need for serenity.

"Be not afraid, I will never leave thee."


I need thee every hour,Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like thine, can peace afford.
I need thee; Oh I need thee,
Every hour I need thee! Oh, bless me now, my Savior I come to thee!

I need thee every hour, Stay though nearby,
Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh
I need thee; Oh, I need thee!
Every Hour I need thee! Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee!

"Be thou humble and the Lord thy God will take thee by the hand and give thee answers to thy prayers."

I know this to be true. Amen and goodnight!

K8's Happy Birthday Dinner--Let it Snow!!

Today was a day where there was at least three inches of snow after rain fell late last night. I came home from the temple with snowy-rain. The roads were clear of the icy slushy ruts from former snow fall. But as I woke up this morning more snow collected on the roads and it continued to snow off and on the rest of the day and evening. It was definitely a wet snow. We need it for the crops, as one of the brethren prayed for gratitude for the moisture received for them.

Today the Ks invited me over for K8's 8th birthday which is actually tomorrow. He, Aislyn and Adam will all be baptized on Saturday. This is a big event. I think I have a few pictures in my files of me holding Aislyn and Adam on their blessing days. Wow! Time sure flys by so quickly.
I gave him a large Hershey's Almond bar. His eyes got big as saucers. It was a peace offering until I go get his white shirt to go with his new suit he received from his other Grandma (Linda) and Grandpa Lynn. Way to go K8!!!


Quiet time out for Hank and his dad to talk after dinner--

Chicken Cordon Bleu was on the menu, along with green beans made with Lori's Sesame seed recipe, and her candied carrots as well. K8 picked what he wanted and the chicken was made especially for them from the market. K8 has good taste buds! Grandma Linda made her delicious eclair cake. I was so impressed with it I had two helpings. I hardly even do with one, but I made a special exception this time.

K8 on his new John Deere trike. He and K6 playing around on the new toy. It is the THING now with the neighborhood kids and play in the cul-te-sac together.

Church was great and the meaning of renewing my covenants was talked about in Sacrament meeting and in Relief Society. The spirit was so strong and sweet in both meetings. A high councilor spoke, besides the bishop. I cherish the feelings of going to church each week and feeling the holy ghost lift me. We talked in Relief Society about how the holy ghost is like our own personal GPS device. I couldn't agree more! Thank heaven for its guidance and I know it just doesn't turn on and off like a faucet. It has to flow from our worthiness to received its guidance.

I know the Holy ghost (my personal GPS) is there and can be my constant companion, it is up to me. I know God lives and Jesus is his only begotten Son in the flesh, and the Holy Ghost is there for me upon my worthiness to receive his guidance and love.

Immeasurable Blessings--

This week came to a close as I pondered the blessings in small ways that come from serving in the temple. I have learned to be thankful for the simplest of things that are really huge in blessing me and my life.


We are his "lambies" as he holds in the arms of His love!


The opportunity to greet the patrons is so rewarding. Tonight a couple came up to me after they finished doing sealings. Just the fact that they stopped and talked for a few minutes made my day! They are friends of one of Hank's best friends (ken) from high school, the Rogerson's. Of course I was able to brag on him and update them on what he is about right now. Motherly pride, I suppose. Nevertheless, they were thrilled and said hello to Hank from them.

I find joy in serving in the house of the Lord and appreciate every little assignment, even though at times it gets physically tiring, but I just pray it away and get the physical strength to carry on, an do! I am re-energized like the Energizer Bunny, maybe?

It gives to me more back than what I do to serve others. I know the blessing it is to say the sacred ordinances for those who cannot do it for themselves. I honor them and say the words especially to them as if they were there. The spirit speaks to mine and uplifts me heavenward. The feeling is indescribable, yet powerful all by itself. It draws me to my Savior and I love him and the sacrifice he made for me and takes on my faults and sins and loves me just the same. My cup runneth over with love.

The patrons come to the temple and find peace when they are there and so do I.

Astounding Discovery--Gratitude

I was visiting Tara today and wanted to check on Jacob, since he had his tonsils out yesterday. He seems to be doing well, and experienced some discomfort where the incisions were where the tonsils were cauterized and removed. Children are so resilient at his age,(7) and seem to heal quickly. He enjoyed the colored markers, color pencils, stencils, and stationary from Tracie and me. We gave him some popsicles that were different than the twin kind. He liked those too.

While I was there, Tara mentioned an article about the subject of Gratitude. She was so interested in a study that a Dr. Robert Emmons and his colleague, Michael McCullough did for a research project about gratitude. I was fascinated by some the findings, and she shared with me an article she had printed. She also said she ordered the book that was the results of the study.

I appreciated her sharing, since I know Tara doesn't have a lot of time to read other things and this was outstanding enough for her to buy the book and tell me about it.

Thanks, Tara.

Here is the article:

ACF completed story production on 12/31/2006 -->


Gratitude Theory</span>
The Osgood File (CBS Radio Network): 7/12/02
The Osgood File (CBS Radio Network): 12/19/01




Researchers find the virtues of gratitude include good health.

"In recent years, many scientists have begun examining the links between religion and good health, both physical and mental. Now two psychologists are working to unlock the puzzle of how faith might promote happiness. Dr. Michael McCullough, of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, say their initial scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person's sense of well-being.

From Cicero to Buddha, many philosophers and spiritual teachers have celebrated gratitude. The world's major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hindu, prize gratitude as a morally beneficial emotional state that encourages reciprocal kindness. Pastors, priests, parents and grandparents have long extolled the virtues of gratitude, but until recently, scholars have largely ignored it as a subject of scientific inquiry.

McCullough and Emmons were curious about why people involved in their faith seem to have more happiness and a greater sense of well-being than those who aren't and decided to study the connections. After making initial observations and compiling all the previous research on gratitude, they conducted the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving. The study required several hundred people in three different groups to keep daily diaries. The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day, while the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences. The last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. McCullough and Emmons also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.

"McCullough says these results also seem to show that gratitude works independently of faith. Though gratitude is a substantial part of most religions, he says the benefits extend to the general population, regardless of faith or lack thereof. In light of his research, McCullough suggests that anyone can increase their sense of well-being and create positive social effects just from counting their blessings."

My Commentary--

There is some truth in our own ability to recognize our own situations of gratitude and how we view them on a day to day routine. It is either learned from childhood or are discovered later in life by experiences that mold our thinking. I think the former is much easier as recognized at an early age, than to be tried into become more thankful later. Read or research if you like to know more....I want to know more, that is for sure. I have a theory. The more we are THANKFUL the more we are given and received. it is called reciprocity. God is so good to his children who remember to thank him regularly than those who have to be reminded by outside sources.

I know God hears our prayers of thanksgiving. I hear them everyday as Ella, Parker or Aislyn give their thanks for simple things in their childlike prayers. It is so sweet and I embrace their child-like faith and the love Father has for each of them and me.

A Milestone Birthday - Elizabeth H. McIntire

This is Sarah Elizabeth Hunt McIntire, born January 21, 1919, ninety years ago today.

This afternoon I was listening to a CD (one of six) of her life stories that were recorded when she was alive. The tapes were transferred to CD by Michael and given to the family. It is a treasure.

It was good to hear and reminisce about her life. She did a lot of research for the family history and left a legacy of love with her personal history tapes.

She reminds us all to make a record of the past for future generations to enjoy. I am pleased that she took so much interest and did what she did for her descendants. Her memory lives on.

Inauguration Day for Barack H. Obama Editorial

Alright, I must mention and acknowledge briefly about the installation of a new president today. I do this more for my posterity than for myself. If I had it my way, it would just be another day. But for the sake of the events and historical quality of this day, I submit this entry with some of my own perceptions.

These times are very much what we perceive and in the eyes of the beholder. I cling to the IRON ROD and know we will be guided by a living prophet, even Thomas S. Monson in these trying times. These times though are almost a repeat of history before I was born. The economic times is to what I reference here.

It is important that we as members of society take every opportunity to make our voices and sometimes opinions heard. Right? Well, I do so very liberally as I watch the news and and read newspaper. I am very patriotic if you have not observed, and feel deep in my heart the blessings of living in America in this free land where we are allowed to worship at the dictates of our own conscience.



So I include here a comment that I submitted to the Deseret News regarding history being made today with the new President, Barack Hussein Obama. Enough said:

RAIN ON YOUR PARADE

Yes, I agree we saw history, but not for the same reason everyone is whooping and a hollerin'. What we see is the rise of a man who had the connections from an undisclosed (foreign) source and did it with the backing of some very powerful deep money filled pockets. THAT IS HISTORY HERE PEOPLE. Watch, for the chances of it ever happening again after all is said and done is next to zero. So I cannot agree more that we saw history, but we are all in for a very long four years. Camelot was not what it seemed, and was no fairy tale. Somethings just don't change like that nor happen everyday by chance. There is always a price attached. God bless America!! Let's hope there is change, but for good.

Even if this comment never makes it to public view in the online news, I have exercised the right of free speech to say what I think. I thank my grandfather, Ricardo Rodriguez for the insight he had to move his family from Guanajuato Mexico in 1916, ninety-three years ago next month. Otherwise, I could have been raised in the streets of Guanajuato vending corn tortillas for a living!!! How fortunate I am and we ALL are to be where we live, and doing what we do due to the sacrifice of my grandparents (and other ancestors) who did give up to some degree their homeland. I don't know if I could do what they did or ever give up MY HOMELAND. I am so very blessed, you see.

Beauty-Full ,Age of Innocence & Accountability

Aislyn and Ella pose for a snap shot after I gave Aislyn her first perm. She was so excited to get her curlies, and style it with waves. I gave her a permanent after dinner. She was in heaven! She has asked for one for two years. Can you believe that? I gave Lindsay a perm here at the house yesterday. Aislyn could hardly stand it and begged and begged her mom for one too.




I first gave her cousin, Lindsay a perm a while ago and she (Aislyn) remembered it ever since. Aislyn's hair is very fine. I remember when she was a baby, and had very little hair until about age two!!!




Now she has had a taste of what the cost of beauty is and will be in her future life. She experienced the wet, drippy, smelly lotion, the sitting still and enduring the whole ordeal of having curly natural-looking hair. It almost looks as curly as Aunt Tracie's naturally curly locks!

I guess she will eventually see it as worth the time and inconvenience that goes beyond the every day upkeep of being beautiful. Her hair was not as long as cousin Lindsay's and it took half the time. Lindsay's was a three hour ordeal, and Aislyn's only about an hour and a half. Way to go Aislyn!

I was glad to do it and knew she would finally be happy about having her first perm and her first taste of enduring for the cost of vanity of sorts. Right? What we women do to look nice and be beautiful.

I am thankful that I received my cosmetology training so many years ago, a year after high school!! It was the best thing I could have learned and used all my life to bless my family, and generations and others with this talent.

Birthday Princess-AISLYN turns Eight!

Family gathered for Aislyn's birthday cake tonight, with grandparents and cousins, aunts, and uncles.

No Room at the Inn--what that feels like

Today was supposed to be Stake Conference. Our meeting house was location for the overflow and children with parents to watch and listen. The internet connection however was down, due to a car accident the night before. Aaron opted that we stay home, since the American Fork Tabernacle could not hold all the stake in one building.

There were others who missed the Conference as well, who went to our meeting place to be turned away. I felt very badly that we could not attend. We had our own meeting and discussed the Saturday night meeting, and our visit to the Draper Temple Open house.

It was a very inspiring time for all of us. We all wept and loved to remember how much we love our Savior and his great love for us. Even though we were not present at Sunday's meeting, we did feel the spirit bear witness to us and our hearts were touched just as if we had attended.

I am grateful for a priesthood holder son, Aaron who honors his priesthood and does everything he can to bless, guide and protect his family and his great love for God. I appreciate the example that he is and those of his brothers who I know do the same for their families too.

Family Time Together--

Grandparents Wes and Geraldine Dalley over for Sunday dinner, with Baby Joel



Candice, Aaron, Parker & Joel smiling had just finished dinner--

Draper Temple Public Open House Visit

I visited the Open House for the Draper Utah Temple this evening. It was a beautiful, magnificent building for the House of the Lord.The commentary below was online for a website as a reference. It is a must see kind of event.



[© 2008, David C. Moore. All rights reserved.]

Location: 14065 Canyon Vista Lane, Draper, Utah, United States.
Phone Number: 801-576-4240.

Site: 12 acres (including adjoining meetinghouse).
Exterior Finish: Temple white granite from China.
Temple Design: Classic modern, single-spire design.

Number of Rooms: 4 ordinance rooms and 5 sealing.
Total Floor Area: 58,300 square feet.

Announcement: 2 October 2004

Groundbreaking and Site Dedication: 5 August 2006 by Gordon B. Hinckley

Public Open House: 15 January–14 March 2009
Dedication: 20–22 March 2009

Public Open House

The new Draper Utah Temple will be open for public tours from Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, March 14, 2009. All are welcome to attend including children. Tours are FREE, but a reservation is requested. Please review the information below:
Reservations: You may reserve online (10-ticket limit), call 801-240-7932 in the Salt Lake area, or call toll free 1-800-537-6181.
Dates: Thursday, January 15–Saturday, March 14, 2009 (closed Sundays)
Hours: Sunday, Closed; Monday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; additional times may be made available depending on demand.
Cost: The open house is FREE, but a reservation is requested.
Parking: Parking attendants will direct you to an available parking space when you arrive. If you have handicapped plates or placards, please park at the temple, and you will be accommodated.
Dress: Church dress is encouraged.
What to Expect: Tours begin at nearby meetinghouses where you are organized into tour groups and view a short video presentation on the purpose of temples, followed by a shuttle to the temple for a self-guided tour of the interior. At the conclusion of the tour, you may mingle in the adjacent meetinghouse where Church representatives can answer your questions. When you are ready to leave, a shuttle bus returns you to your parking area.

Note: If you have your family with children, plan to not schedule to go any later than 6:00 p. m. We had the 8:00 p.m slot and we didn't leave until almost 10:45 p.m. Try to not go on a school night unless it is before dinner time. Eat first though!

I was invited to go with Aaron, Candice and the children along with Candice's neice and her husband who is a new convert of almost a year. Aislyn, Ella and Parker were very well behaved and able to last the three hours it took altogether for the wait and tour. I recommend if anyone goes to plan on it taking that much time, and NOT plan to do anything after because it will take away from the spirit of the occasion if you expect to get in there and out in an hour...it isn't going to happen that way.

So, a word to the wise; be prepared for it to be a reverent experience and enjoy the moment as it all unfolds. There ARE refreshments afterward at the Stake Center that is connected to the temple exit that goes directly to the Stake Center as part of the tour. It was a rewarding experience is all I can tell you, so be prepared to be open to the spirit of peace, joy and blessing to take your children into the House of the Lord before they are old enough to go by themselves. Parker was intrigued with the pictures of Jesus and recognized who he was!

It was truly a unique experience and my heart was touched to see the children so behaved, reverent and enjoy it without complaint or ask when we were going to go home. You never heard that once!! Imagine that.

Everyday and Maintenance Necessity

Today was just a regular day. I saw Tracie briefly when she came to pick up Luke after taking Jared to an appointment. Candice kept Luke to play with Parker, and Ella had some little friends over who were all sisters. They were so cute and love to come play and be with Ella.

I took them to school for Candice so she wouldn't have to take all of t he children with her. I had an errand to go to the City of American Fork anyway. I had a traffic ticket from back in November while going in the neighborhood to Costco to get ready for our Family Night with everyone. I could have fought it, I was only going five miles over. . .but it supports the city which creates jobs for the police, etc. and not worth the hassle.

Anyway, I paid the ticket since I missed the deadline and there are no exceptions to work with you past the deadline. The interesting things is that when I went initially the end of November to inquire about the class to abate the ticket, they didn't have the schedule for January and December was all filled up. I subconsciously didn't want to have to take the class either.

The new schedule was supposed to be out Dec 10, but I forgot about it until past the allowed thirty days. It is one of those things that I just had to accept my own responsibility and not blame anyone else for my lack of diligence.

So, today I took the time to get the New Year started with a clean slate. It felt good to attend to the problem and pay the ticket fee. Granted I had to do an alternate plan, but nevertheless it felt good to just DO IT.

I then went to get the tires rotated and had the mechanic check the leak around the radiator. It could be a hose for all I know. I will check into getting another bid, since the one the fellow gave me was in excess of $400.00. Wow!

I am told that these things happen with cars that are more than five years old. So there I am, grateful to have a car to repair! I count my blessings and accept that life has it challenges and to take them in stride. No discussion.

I went to the Sunflower Market afterwards and shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables. I also bought chicken tenders, shrimp, and fresh salmon (!) which none have no added hormones to them. I think I got a little carried away, and maybe should have bought less to have more toward the water pump for the car. Oh, well, I really had no idea I would buy as much as I did but thought of it after I paid for my groceries. I should be fine. I received an extra check that came to more than the groceries so I will not have to worry about it anyway. The windows of heaven were opened in my behalf. Thank you, Father in heaven.

Follow These 10 Simple Steps

I saw these in an email I received that I wanted to share--

Want to Change Your Life?

Are you Ready?

10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Change Your Life

1. Be honest with yourself. This changes everything. Start by asking yourself “Where am I fooling myself? Answer yourself honestly. There is no wrong answer. This simple exercise exposes the areas in life that you are trying to hide from. Trust whatever comes out - write it down. If you want to go deeper, try it with a friend – sit directly across from your friend and have them ask you over and over again – “In what ways do you fool yourself? Do this for five minutes – set a timer – have your friend ask you this question after each answer you give. This is a powerful exercise. As you discover the ways in which you “lie” to yourself, you uncover your blind spots. These blind spots create most of the discord you experience in your work environment, your relationships and your finances. Amazing.


2. Get real with your finances – if you are living way above your means and racking up lots of debt, now is the time to change that. You are not what you can buy. You may be caught up in the flurry of expensive tastes, going out and living it up, but it will catch up to you, believe me, it will catch up with you. Even my most wealthy clients are discovering the truth of this. Begin now by cutting back – I know it can be difficult – swallow that pride and be very real with what you can and cannot afford.

3. Seek help when you lack knowledge. This is so simple, yet it can be difficult. How often do you stumble through projects or assignments because you refuse to ask for guidance? This sets you up to fail – be ok not knowing everything. Find a mentor. Be open to learning from many different people and sources.

4. Be flexible. Knowing that everything isn’t always going to go according to the plan will help you become flexible. Flexibility leads to resilience. Resilience is one of those secret keys we discover after many years. Learn the skill now and be way ahead of the game.

5. Learn emotional intelligence. What is emotional intelligence – simply it is the ability to express emotion in a healthy and productive way. So often we judge emotions as good or bad. The simple explanation of an emotion is energy in motion. Move your emotional energy and your health, both physical and mental, will improve dramatically.

6. Move your physical body. No matter what shape you are in, you can move your body. Moving your physicality changes your physiology, your mental state and generates feelings of happiness. Turn on your favorite music and move. Get outside and walk. Go to the gym. Take a new class. Learn isometric exercises to do at your desk. There is no excuse not to move. Check with your doctor before starting any physical activity, however.

7. Laugh. Laughter is truly the best medicine. The brain doesn’t know whether or not you are really laughing or just pretending; it generates endorphins regardless. If you feel adventurous, find a laughter yoga class. Rent your favorite comedy. Get together with your friends and laugh with each other. We tend to be so serious. Laughter actually helps cancer patients heal faster. Again, it’s so simple!

8. Forgive. Forgiveness isn’t about condoning bad behavior, it’s about letting go of the pain, the blame and reclaiming your innocence and getting the gift of the lessons learned. Forgive yourself first for your judgment and the pain you experienced. This is so key to your wellbeing and health. Learn to affirm your ability love and forgive. My favorite book on this is a children’s book by Neal Donald Walsh called The Little Soul and the Sun.

9. Share your success. Take a few minutes each day to tell someone what a great job you did on anything you did great on. We so often focus on what we do wrong and we forget to acknowledge the things we are doing that are working so well for us. Remember to allow your friend to brag back to you. This will bring more success into your life.

10. Serve. Find a worthy cause that fits with your values and volunteer. Give of your time. Mentor a child. Do random acts of kindness. Anonymously give to those in need. Be generous with your time and your talents. You have no idea how simple acts of service change lives. It changes you. It changes our communities and ultimately, it changes the world.

When you take the time to really incorporate some of these suggestions into your life,you will be blown away by the results you are experiencing. Commit to 30 days and you will literally transform you life.