July flew by which is good because August is my birthday month!!!!
Here is a list of all my favorite things (and links) from the past month
T.V Show: Grantchester- I have my Mum to blame for this one. While I was visiting her for the past couple of weeks, she introduced me to this show and now I am hooked! We ended up watching all three seasons in about a week maybe two. We couldn't stop! It was so addicting!! But hey when the temperate outside is over one hundred degrees what else is there to do? You literally have only one choice which is to plop down on the couch and watch TV while the fans blows directly on you. Anyways, getting back to the show, it is so good. Sidney Chambers is a vicar in the village of Grantchester, and helps his detective friend, Geordie Keating solve murders. This show also dives into their personal lives, and love, marriage, and the choices we make. You can watch it on pbs.org or on amazon instant video. If you like a little drama mixed in with your murder mystery, then you won't be disappointed.
Music: I have been a fan of Celtic Thunder since the beginning. I went to the very first tour they did in the United States. It was amazing. Neil Byrne and Ryan Kelly, were and still are, members of Celtic Thunder, but tour the United States as a duo. There album Echoes has been playing on my phone over and over. I love listening to it in the car, and now my girls will sing along. It is seriously the best. Their voices are so unique and blend so well together. Bonus you can really hear their Irish accents coming through the music, and it is beautiful. I wish they would do a concert here in Utah. I think a lot of people would love this music. I listen to this album on spotify I also follow them on facebook which is where they give updates about upcoming tour dates and album releases.
YouTube Video/Podcast - I just recently watched another gospel solutions for Mormon families on their YouTube channel and loved it. This one was called How to Teach Your Kids that Scripture Power is Real. There were great insights and ideas about how to teach your kids about the power that comes from reading from the scriptures. I also loved the stories that were shared. I have lots of idea about fun ways to read the scriptures with my kids. They also mention that it isn't easy with little kids but just to do your best and the blessings will still come. With time, and lots of patience family scripture will be a positive light in our day.
Random - is anyone else addicted to Malteasers? When I go to my Mum's house I eat a ton of them! They sell them in this giant bucket at Costco, but for whatever reason, they don't sell them at my local Costco (which is probably a good thing.) I could, if I wanted to, eat that whole bucket in one sitting. They are seriously so freaking delicious! If you find them at your Costco stock up cause you will be mad you didn't get two. Quote
and that is it!
let me know what some of your favorites from the past month were
I honestly didn't think I could love this talk anymore than I already did. I also didn't think there was much more to learn from it. I had thought, quite foolishly, that I had absorb it well enough the first time around. As you all probably know, the more you study something, the more you learn. In church, we learn the same thing over and over. We read and reread the Book of Mormon because we know that every time we do we learn something new. Something we hadn't noticed before ends up jumping of the page and smacking me right in the face. Something that I needed to hear at that particular time in my life. This talk, the second time around, did exactly that. Words, sentences, even paragraphs started jumping off the page. I had more thoughts about what I was reading, and how I could apply them into my life. I was feeling the Holy Ghost whispering to me to remember that, or focus on that, or that is important better write it down. I even stumbled across a YouTube video that the Mormon Channel posted that was inspired from this very talk (video below.) I am so grateful that I was able to gain new insights from this beautiful talk.
Here are four things I learnt when reading this talk:
#1. Mary is everything I hope to become - Elder Clayton said, "Mary had unshakable confidence in Him and in His divine power." She knew the Savoir. She knew he had the power to do anything. She didn't need to ask how things were going to work out because she had such unbreakable faith in Him. While reading this talk I kept thinking, I can also come to know the Savior like Mary did. Maybe not as intimately as a mother knows her son, but I can feel and know his love for me is real. As we study the scriptures, partake of the sacrament, and exercise our faith in Him, our testimonies of Him grows. Then we can willingly do "whatsoever He saith unto" us.
#2. We shouldn't take those Sunday School answers lightly - You all know exactly what I am talking about. When the teacher asks questions and the answers are always pray and read your scriptures. If you listen carefully, the answers become quite robotic. Everyone (including myself) gets that same monotone voice. Elder Clayton states over and over in this talk about the importance of intentionally doing these seemingly casual Sunday School answers. He said, "Those who are deliberate about doing the "small and simple things" are blessed with faith and strength." I don't want my daily habits of faith to be an afterthought or something I do just to tick a box. I want to be deliberate in my choices to follow the Lord; knowing that by doing this I will be more prepared to face the trials of life.
#3. God will always bless us our righteousness - but there is a catch. He will do it on his timetable, not ours. This has always been a hard one for me because I lack patience (although with three kids I am learning more and more about it.) I want the answers and or the blessings now. Elder Clayton said, "God ask us to bear with Him- to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleds with us to "dispute not because we see not." I look back at the blessings that have come my way, and I glad those blessings came when they did.
#4. With God, we can become more - my favorite quote from this talk is in the picture above where Elder Clayton said, "When we trust and follow Him, our lives are transformed. We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be." It is impossible to comprehend exactly who we can become, but I know that with God I can reach my divine potential and eternal destiny.
If you didn't know, I love this talk!
I encourage all of you to read and reread it. I know the word that Elder Clayton shared with us are true. I am grateful for everything I have learned and been inspired to do or change.
