Inside the Box

I call this my "treasure box" that my daughter Mary made in a summer art class when she was 9 yrs old.

Mary had spent hours making this small ceramic box which is about 4x4x4in. On the day she brought it home, I knew this box would always be a special symbol to me of Mary's character because of a little incident that happened. The box was on the front seat of the car as we drove home and her little brother, Nathan, wanted to help carry it in the house for her. As he tried to pick it up, the lid slipped and a corner cracked off. Nathan felt so bad and started to cry, but to my surprise, Mary's first response was, "Nathan, I know you didn't mean to do that. It's ok, we can try to fix it."

I have often wondered what makes us react to life's challenges in a good way or bad way. How do we have control over our actions and reactions? I know that it all begins in our thoughts. I see this box as a creation of Mary's character that she molded, shaped and put inside it her own qualities of tenderness, unconditional love, compassion, and kindness. When she reacted to her bother, her true self came out: tender, loving, compassionate, and kind words and actions. She showed me that "people are more important than things". We glued the lid back together and it sits on our shelf as a reminder of these principles I learned from her example that day. 

So what do I have in "my box"? How do I fill "my box" with the right characteristics that are who I am and what I am trying to become? 

 I am a happy and healthy person that loves to help people. I fill my box daily with healthy habits that I can pull out when the unexpected happens. I take a few minutes each morning to visualize what my happy and healthy life looks like that day. I visualize the emotions I will feel as a I exercise, eat regularly, drink lots of water. I visualize how I will notice people around me and recognize their needs and take the time to develop relationships with people. I also recognize I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and has a plan for me daily. I humble myself and pray for His blessing and guidance that I will find those He needs me to serve. 

When we feel a discomfort or uneasiness about something, I refer to it as a "cognitive dissonance". This tells us our expectations of ourself are not aligned with our actions. When our actions are aligned with our thoughts, we can feel peace and happiness. 

These are daily steps I take to reach my full potential for a Happy and Healthy life.

"One Day More"

Summer 2014 flew by so fast!! Every day I told myself it is "ONE DAY MORE" with my family as we anticipated sending off Ben on a 2 year mission to Lyon, France. I have no regrets and I lived every day to the fullest. There are no "last times" because we will be together again and I look forward to the growth and wisdom that will come to me and to each of my family members as we love and support Ben on his mission.

This summer, I learned a lesson I needed....  "One Day More" is to find gratitude and joy in the moment and it begins in my thoughts before my actions. When I would think of our days as "the last time we will....", I would get so sad, depressed and almost panicky that it had to be perfect. It felt heavy to carry. But one day the words to a song from Les Miserables kept coming to my mind... "One Day More", and I loved it!! "ONE DAY MORE" to live my life to the fullest, to enjoy being in the presence of my loved ones, to smell, to see, to touch, to taste, to feel happy and joyful about our eternal family!!!

Now that Ben is gone, I embrace "One Day More" in a new way: of spiritual growth, of new experiences, of spending time with my children who live at home, of working through the aches and pains of separation for a time, of letting go of my children as they enter independence, and of gratitude for being a wife and a mother!!

Celebrate today and everything that goes along with it because one day it will only be a memory!!

Giving Thanks!

I realized this year how much I love November. It stirs up some great memories and emotions of gratitude that are unique to this season of the year. Somehow I can feel deeper gratitude for the smallest things: a quiet night at home with the family, playing board games with Nathan, listening to my kids share their favorite Christmas memories, helping my recently widowed mother go to the grocery store, resurrecting favorite Christmas piano duets with Brittany, smells of homemade treats, and the anticipation of Christmas from sounds and lights that slowly pop up randomly around town.

My family is the greatest blessing to me. I am most grateful for the legacy of love, loyalty and commitment that was established by my parents. They established their life based on faith and obedience that I was taught and I hope to pass on to my posterity. My father passed-on to the next life 6 weeks ago and this is our first holiday season without his physical presence. I feel a great peace and comfort because of the example he set of righteous patterns. I continue to live by his example and daily follow the good patterns that he established in our family. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Obedience to the commandments of God, Honor to my parents, Trust in God's plan, and Respect for our fellowmen.

Now that I am a grandma, I feel an even deeper commitment to living a righteous life and leading by example to trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ, so my posterity "will know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:25) Living righteous patterns is the best gift I can give those who will follow in my footsteps.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2013!!!

Beauty Comes from Within

I have been obsessed with the changing leaves this season. For some reason, this year the color of the fall leaves has touched me in a new way. As I have intentionally looked at the trees, the colors and lighting from the sun, I have been amazed at the strength, boldness, beauty and purpose of each individual tree. When fall comes, one tree is not dependent on another tree to know when to change colors.

Each individual tree changes colors when it is best for that tree and creates a colorful contrast by being different from its surrounding trees. This alone is beautiful, but I have noticed one more element that increases the beauty even more, the addition of sunlight. When the sun shines just right on a tree, it illuminates the tree and it enhances its colors to become more beautiful than it could on its own and enables the tree to reach its fullest colorful potential and beauty. From the perspective of the tree, it doesn't seem to stand out as anything special, but to those who are looking at the trees, they can see and feel the unique beauty of each colorful contribution.

So it is with God’s children. We all have the potential of incredible strength, beauty and purpose, but we may get stuck thinking we need to camouflage ourselves with the trees or the people around us, being careful to not stand out. If we can look inside ourselves to find our natural beauty, talents and strengths and if we can be bold and strong to let our colors show, then can we enrich those around us and we become our best self. Now this is all possible and good, but there is one more element that increases our beauty that we don’t want to forget. The most important color­enhancer is the Son, meaning the Son of God, which shines on us and illuminates our inner beauty far beyond our own ability. He can help us become who He wants us to be, if we repent and remain humble, we can reach our full potential in a way only available through His love and atonement for us.

Quote: Each little seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light. 

Finding My Purpose as a Mother

I am reflecting today about my purpose as a mother and how fast life passes by as I cradle my first granddaughter in my arms. Words can't express the love and emotion one feels as they watch their own daughter go through her first child's birth.

It feels like it was just yesterday that I had my first baby and welcomed her into my loving arms. I felt a new love for my husband as we began establishing a family and creating a home of love and opportunity for that baby. I thought I knew what love was.

Then my second daughter was born and again I felt increased love for my growing family. With each birth of my 5 children my capacity to love grew and grew. How blessed I felt to have these babies born into our family. What joy and happiness filled my life as I could raise them and teach them of their purpose on earth.

Then a year ago, my second daughter chose an eternal companion that joined our family. I was not sure I was ready to let my daughter get married and leave home. She held a special spot in our family and I would miss her. But as I watched the love and happiness she felt with her new companion and I saw the love and tenderness he expressed through his words and actions, I was comforted to know she would be able to progress in life with him and fulfill the measure of their creation. I wasn't losing a daughter, I was gaining a son!!

Now this little family has welcomed home their first baby girl, Lacy Lou Jeppesen- Born on Sept 2, 2013 at 9:10 am, weighing 7lb. 11 oz and 19-1/2 in. long. After a struggle in the NICU for 5 days, little Lacy Lou has come home from the hospital with a monitor tracking her every breath for oxygen. Every inhale/exhale is a miracle within itself.

I am holding her in this quiet little apartment thinking about how much love I have for her. Again, my love for my husband and our eternal family is inexpressible. This baby gives purpose to my life, to her mother and father's lives and to the whole extended family. She has a strong family link on every side that already love her and care for her. What a blessing for a baby to start her life with incredible love.

I was given a special insight to my second daughter before she was born. I had the impression that she was going to be a Mother in Zion and that it was my responsibility to set the example, to teach her to be a mother and welcome children into this world. Reality was that she loved babies and baby stuff and she observed every mother around her. She always wanted to be a mother and has maternal instincts that were unusual for her age. So now I see her purpose in life being fulfilled. Being a mother is what she is created to do.

This infant in my arms is a fulfillment of a spiritual prompting I had over 20 years ago about my daughter and it is a fulfillment of my purpose in raising a Mother in Zion!!

The Power of Daily Habits

As I woke up this morning, I felt light, rested, rejuvenated and happy to face another day. I reflected on other days when I didn't feel as good. I've felt tired, heavy, sad, wanting to climb in bed and not come out at all. What makes the difference? I am still the same person, but why does the way I feel about myself change?

It donned on me today that the way I feel today is due to my daily choices yesterday, and it is also a build up of choices over time. What I chose yesterday really does affect how I feel today and my future. Here's my example last night. At night, I often get to the point that I think about "eating one more little thing" (which often leads to another "little thing"). I didn't last night and today I was so glad!! My choices last night lined up with my real desires and I feel an inner peace with myself.

I have been living a healthier life for almost a year now. I made a commitment to myself to choose healthy habits and live them daily. With my focus on my long term goal of being a happy, healthy and fit person, my actions are in-line with my desired outcome. I don't need anyone saying "don't do this or don't eat that or don't think that", I already decided what being happy and healthy would feel like to me and my choices are governed by my desired outcome.

I am living with integrity!! My actions match my deepest desires of who I really want to be and what I can become. I am not perfect, but the majority of my choices in eating healthy, exercise and what I surround myself with daily, are right and with small consistent efforts, I will maintain a healthy body, mind and balance in life.
Optimal health is a journey, not a destination!!

Here's to another day on my healthy journey:)

Enjoying Life as is Happens

I've been waiting for the perfect moment to sit down and write an amazing post on my blog. Well, that perfect moment is now. Whatever time I have, wherever I am, whatever I'm doing is perfect for now. I am learning to seek the joy in every moment.

Seeking for the little things in life that touch my heart, that make me feel happy, that let me know someone loves me are the things that bring me the greatest joy. The sunshine on my face, the touch of a child, the sound of birds chirping, the color of blooming flowers, the closeness of my children around me, the quiet times in the early morning, feeling the wind on my face, the smell of the outdoors.

Today, it is being with my family as we embark on a trip together. What relationships can I build? What bonds of friendship can I strengthen? What characteristics can I observe in my children that helps me understand them better? Who has God created them to be and for what purpose in life? I am on a journey to make the most of my time with my family.

BonVoyage!!