Sher-ingTime

Read this closely to see the many ways the spirit can bless and change us physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually. A few of my favorites are that it makes us smarter, prettier (or more handsome), better socially, kinder, healthier, and happier! Who wouldn't want these??

"The gift of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features, it tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being" (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p.61)

So perhaps our energy would be more efficiently expended if directed towards obtaining and retaining the spirit instead of striving for each of these attributes individually in a different/worldly way. Next time you skip church, a devotional or fireside, scripture reading, or prayers in order to study for school, exercise, or take more time beautifying yourself, remember that, while good activities, it would actually be better* to first do those things that would bring the spirit in your life. It would really be more productive than would be your own weak humanly efforts. It is true that if we seek first after God and godly things, we will be blessed in every other aspect of our life.

*(See talk by Elder Oaks in October '07 conference, Good, Better, Best)

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I was getting her ready for bed last night and she was standing up after I had taken her jumper off over her head. She was playing with the maraca in her hands when all of a sudden she looked at me intently and staggered four-and-a-half steps, falling into my arms! I was so excited I ran and told Lee. He ran upstairs and she did it again for him! Naturally, when we got the camera out, she didn't want to perform, but after a few attempts we finally caught a step or two as proof! So far today she has yet to repeat the feat, but at least we all know she can do it!

I was just looking through the Sunday School study guide I received on Sunday and found this great quote from Marion G. Romney:

I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity--the pure love of Christ--will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980).

Isn't this what we all want in our homes?

I'm still reading a book I commented about a while ago (had to turn it back to the library before I was finished) called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell. Because it is a little complicated to explain, I'll just quote a little bit of the background as well as what the research showed.

"A few years later, a German team of psychologists conducted a simliar study. They had a group of subjects look at cartoons, either while holding a pen between their lips -- an action that made it impossible to contract either of the two major smiling muscles, the risorius and the zygomatic major -- or while holding a pen clenched between their teeth, which had the opposite effect and forced them to smile. The people with the pen between their teeth found the cartoons much funnier. These findings may be hard to believe, because we take it as a given that first we experience an emotion, and then we may -- or may not -- express that emotion on our face. We think of the face as the residue of emotion. What this research showed, though, is that the process works in the opposite direction as well. Emotion can also start on the face. The face is not a secondary billboard for our internal feelings. It is an equal partner in the emotional process."

What can we learn from this? First, if you want people to think your jokes are funny, make them hold a pen in their teeth! Second, if you're feeling down, make yourself smile anyway. A smiling face creates a happy emotion in your brain. Putting yourself into situations where you are forced to smile no matter what will actually help you to really feel happy. Don't mope around and hang out in your room by yourself. Get out there and get smiling!

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I was my favorite flavor! This is what it had to say about me:

"Your personality is as friendly and appealing as strawberry ice cream (especially the kind with chunky bits of real fruit). You've got a slightly sarcastic sense of humor, and you rarely stress out or take things too seriously. You are cute and sweet, but with a mischievous side. You are a bit of a troublemaker, but only because you're determined to avoid a plain vanilla life. "

What do you think? Sound like me?

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