[split]

today i am feeling a bit "split". for one reason or another i woke up on the wrong side of the bed & i just can't "snap out of it"! what's my prob? i am hosting a princess tea party for my 4 year old this afternoon & somewhere inside me i know i am so excited, but my brain won't let me go there! i'm afraid i don't have any "brights" to share with you this morning. i am hoping to transpose myself into my normal state of mind--and soon! i've got a party to throw, several little girls excited for entertainment!

my only saving grace today is petra. she offered to come pick sabrina up for the afternoon so i can get ready. i seem to talk a lot about her, but she is one of those friends that just knows me so well! i don't like to confess to myself i need help most of the time, but she knows how particular & eccentric i can be when it comes to entertaining. i can throw myself into a tizzy quite easily if i'm not as prepared as i'd like or when little kiddies are hanging from me. so thank you sweet friend!

i absolutely love the actual "party" itself, so i'm thrilled to do it, i just need to relax and enjoy the prepping!

okay.


oh, i've had several requests to add comments back on here, so i suppose i will!

[Leadership & Self-Deception]

.an international bestseller.
.too many rave reviews to type out.

we did it! sam and i went away for the weekend!

we have never left our baby over night with anyone, so i was a little apprehensive, but she did just fine!
my dear sister Lindsey and her cute husband Todd came to our home and stayed with our girls.
we really appreciate their kindness and sacrifice!
thanks you guys!
it was a much needed breather for us!

what i'd love to acquaint you with today is this incredible book we listened to on the way home! sam recieved this book from his new employer as a required read.
we were so impressed!
both of us agree that everyOne should read this!
maybe you've heard of it, Leadership and Self-Deception

it is not just for the office!
sam and i learned so much and we're so eager to apply it to our own lives and our family's!
we downloaded this book on audible.com

.get out of the box.

[my pickle predicament]

i don't know who this cute woman is, but she's strong!

cleaning out the refrigerator is always one of those daunting chores, but i love it when i finish! so today, i threw away 3 jars of pickles!!! what in the world am i doing with 4 jars? i do admit i have much affection for those crisp little green things, however, i am again reminded of my need to plan!

i am the first to admit my shopping impairment... i keep telling myself and my dear husband that i will write out my meals and buy accordingly, but i just get up to my ears in other trappings & run to the store on a whim!

so today after throwing away millions--okay, not millions, but a bountiful myriad of pickles. i am again made aware of how much i bear a grudge against throwing away food! plain foolishness! so i now aspire to get my junk together and devise a course of action!

you may be asking yourself right now why you would care about my pickles gone bad, but this is a reminder for me to step it up and not get myself into a "pickle" like this again!
i'm really not a pun girl, it's just worked out for me the last little while :)

[scripture power]

the last time i went to mark my scriptures, i decided it would be so nice to have more room!

i write all over the sides, in the middle crack -- it appears so chaotic.

wouldn't it be nice to have a "notes" section down the side of the page or something?

don't take this idea... i think i'll try to mark-it it :)

[silent chambers of your own soul]

last night i grabbed my old jr. high scriptures. i began flipping through them while searching for a great scripture. meanwhile, i find carefully pasted between the pages a talk given by President Ezra Taft Benson given at the Boise Institute of Religion Dedication Sunday, November 20, 1983. his words are powerful and i'd really like to share what i was given way back in my jr. high seminary class... who knew i'd be finding blog post material from 7th grade? Awesome!

highlights from In His Step

"While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time: God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest and most valiant children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. That is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God."

"Each day the forces of evil and the forces of good enlist new recruits. Each day we personally make many decisions showing the cause we support. The final outcome is certain--the forces of righteousness will finally win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this battle--and how tall we will stand? Will we be true to our last days and fulfill our foreordained missions?"

"Great battles can make great heroes and heroines... Some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul. David's battles in the field against the foe were not as critical as David's battles in the palace against a lustful eye."

... "The tactics which the enemy will use against us will vary from time to time. He will seek to exploit our weak spots, so we must be alert to the devil's devious designs--the subtle sins and clever compromises as well as the obvious offenses."

"We must remember that the devil seeks to make all men miserable like unto himself. We must also remember that the Lord loves us and seeks for us the fullness of joy which He enjoys. We must choose whom we will serve."


i would publicly like to thank my Heavenly Father for my testimony of his restored gospel! i cannot imagine living in this world we live in today and not having the peace, comfort & help my family & i have been given during these tumultuous times. we have so many frightening challenges to face each and every day. so many families are being torn apart by drugs, alcohol, adultry, pornography, pride, lust, money and the list goes on and on. we really do need to take serious action to protect our families from the devil's destruction! lets help lift eachother up and build strong spiritual walls of protection!

i say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.