S.M.I.L.E. revisited

I love the scripture in 2 Nephi 9:39 "Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be Spiritually-Minded Is Life Eternal." Maybe it was in seminary, I can't quite remember, but somewhere I learned this fun acronym. 

 It also made me think about something I read last week about how our spirits are dual. We have spirit matter that makes up our spirit, and then physical matter that makes up our bodies. The two are kind of at odds with each other because of the nature of our flesh, and the goodness of our spirits. If we listen to the flesh and entice our spirit to succumb to the numbing effects of physical pleasure, then that is being carnally minded, which we read is death, spiritual death.  On the flip side, if we control our physical appetites and passions and allow our carnal nature to succumb to the goodness of our spirits, we become spiritually minded and it will lead to eternal life. 

Here are few quotes that I loved from the talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson that I read last week that I mentioned above:

"We are dual beings of flesh and spirit, and we sometimes feel out of harmony or in conflict. Our spirit is enlightened by conscience, the light of Christ, and naturally responds to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and desires to follow truth. But the appetites and temptations to which the flesh is subject can, if permitted, overwhelm and dominate the spirit."-D. Todd Christofferson

"Jesus was also a being of flesh and spirit, but He yielded not to temptation. We can turn to Him as we seek unity and peace within, because He understands. He understands the struggle, and He also understands how to win the struggle."-D. Todd Christofferson

Part of the struggle that I have had is within myself deals with food. I love food! I love making food. I love eating food. I am a foodie. For as long as I can remember I have also found comfort in food. In high school it was the consolatory bowl of CoCo Puffs after a stressful day. In college it was food that wasn't always so good for me, but it filled a void inside. 

After getting married, I continued to eat and eat. It wasn't so bad while I had my babies because my body was using all that fuel that I kept feeding it.  In the last 5 years or so, I have slowed down physically but haven't slowed down the food intake. Obviously the unbalanced state of my eating habits has taken its toll on my body. Plus the stresses of moving around the country for my husband's educational pursuits and being home all day with my children for three years while we homeschooled and had unlimited access too food didn't help either. 

About a month ago I got sick. Nothing too serious, but I did go see my doctor to be sure. The problem resolved itself, but along the way I did some blood work and had a CT scan of my lower abdomen.  I found out that my cholesterol levels were unhealthy and that I was developing arthritis in my lower spine. These conditions that normally arise later in life are now affecting me as a 37 year old. Not cool! 

I felt a need to change. I've wanted to change for years and I feel like I finally got my figurative "kick in the pants".  After recovering from my sickness, I fasted.  Something happened during that fast. I began to feel my spirit come to and say in effect, "I'm in control here."  I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt like my spirit was in control and the appetite that I had feed for so long was beginning to quiet down. 

Since that fast I have started to listen to my spirit more and eat things that help me feel good. It has been three weeks and I am discovering a harmony within myself that I never knew was possible.  It hasn't all been because of me. I have included my Savior's help along this journey to inner unity. 

"Most importantly, we may look to Jesus to help restore the inner unity of our soul when we have succumbed to sin and destroyed our peace." -D. Todd Christofferson

It's not like I was committing major sin by eating a few too many cookies. But I was dulling my spirit and didn't feel at peace inside. 

"As we endeavor day by day and week by week to follow the path of Christ, our spirit asserts its preeminence, the battle within subsides, and temptations cease to trouble. There is greater and greater harmony between the spiritual and the physical until our physical bodies are transformed." -D. Todd Christofferson

 It is a daily battle for me. I have to constantly remind myself that I am in control of my body and what I put into it and how I use it. I have tried to not use the shame or guilt tactics that are always part of dieting, but instead think about how something I may want to eat will make me feel. The more I am able to make good food choices, the less tempting the other stuff is to me. Just like Elder Christoffersen said, "The temptations cease to trouble." Does that mean I don't ever eat junk?  No. But I am learning how to control how much and when I eat it.

"Becoming at one within ourselves prepares us for the greater blessing of becoming one with God and Christ." -D. Todd Christofferson

I've never really thought that eating better would affect my spirit so much. I have felt closer to the Holy Ghost and definitely more at peace with myself.  So the scripture in 2 Nephi 9:39 Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal has taken on new meaning for me.  It now means that my health is important and I have a choice whether to continue down a path that will probably lead to a shorter more painful life, or I can choose to control my appetite and have a healthier future.  I know that with the help of my Savior I can do anything!

S.M.I.L.E.

I love the scripture in 2 Nephi 9:39 "Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be Spiritually-Minded Is Life Eternal." Maybe it was in seminary, I can't quite remember, but somewhere I learned this fun acronym.  It helps me to smile when I an down. It also made me think about something I read last week about how our spirits are dual. We have spirit matter that makes up our spirit, and then physical matter that makes up our bodies. The two are kind of at odds with each other because of the nature of our flesh, and the goodness of our spirits. If we listen to the flesh and entice our spirit to succumb to the numbing effects of physical pleasure, then that is being carnally minded, which we read is death, spiritual death.  On the flip side, if we control our physical appetites and passions and allow our carnal nature to succumb to the goodness of our spirits, we become spiritually minded and it will lead to eternal life. 

 

Here are few quotes that I loved from the talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson that I read last week that I mentioned above:

 

"We are dual beings of flesh and spirit, and we sometimes feel out of harmony or in conflict. Our spirit is enlightened by conscience, the light of Christ, and naturally responds to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and desires to follow truth. But the appetites and temptations to which the flesh is subject can, if permitted, overwhelm and dominate the spirit."

 

"Jesus was also a being of flesh and spirit, but He yielded not to temptation. We can turn to Him as we seek unity and peace within, because He understands. He understands the struggle, and He also understands how to win the struggle."

 

"Most importantly, we may look to Jesus to help restore the inner unity of our soul when we have succumbed to sin and destroyed our peace."

 

"As we endeavor day by day and week by week to follow the path of Christ, our spirit asserts its preeminence, the battle within subsides, and temptations cease to trouble. There is greater and greater harmony between the spiritual and the physical until our physical bodies are transformed."

"Becoming at one within ourselves prepares us for the greater blessing of becoming one with God and Christ."

How the Gospel of Jesus Christ has impacted my life.

When I was younger I thought I knew who I was.  For a while I was a cowgirl. I wore Wranglers, and boots and listened to country music.  Then I decided that I wanted to be unique so I started listening to the Beatles and wearing bell bottoms. I mistakenly thought that my clothes and music defined me.  Around that same time I began to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I started to realized that I was so much more than what I wore or what I listened to.  I began to see myself in a new light, as a daughter of God.  As my understanding grew I began to change.  I started treating my family better because I could see them for who they really were. I started making choices in my life that were based on eternity, not just what others would think of me. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ has changed how I look at myself, others and the world around me.  Where as before I could only see in the moment and was swayed by every changing trends, I now am grounded in eternal truth.  Now I see that I am a daughter of God and that I have infinite potential.  I see that each member of my family has that same potential too.  I am continually trying to see others the way that God sees them.  This eternal perspective has had a tremendous impact for good in my life.  My trials are still there, but knowing where they fit into God's plan for me, helps me know that have access to help from my Savior and that everything will work out in the end.

Identity

This past week I have been studying 1 Nephi chapters 15-22 in the Book of Mormon.  In these chapters, Nephi and his brothers were married to the daughters of Ishmael, Nephi was commanded to and builds a ship, the entire family embarked on their journey to the promised land, and Nephi prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ.

After reading these chapters I was struck by the reality that Nephi knew who he was. He identified himself as a son of God, and because of this eternal perspective that he had, his whole life was changed for the better.  Here I will list a few examples to show how Nephi's relationship to God helped him to know who he was, and to highlight how this knowledge influenced his actions during times of trial.

 In 1 Nephi 15:5 Nephi stated, "I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall."

Nephi had the special opportunity to see in vision the rise and fall of his people. He struggled under the weight that the future held for his posterity, but it didn't keep him down for long.

After Nephi regains his composure, he asked his brothers why they were arguing with each other.  They responded that they didn't understand the parable that their father had spoken of.  Nephi responded simply, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" His brothers said, "We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." Perhaps a little exasperated Nephi replied, "How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."

Here I noticed that Nephi's first reaction when there was a misunderstanding of doctrine was to ask the Lord.  He had obviously tested this method and knew that it worked.  He understood something that his brothers didn't and that is that God answers prayers if you really want to know and have faith to receive and answer. 

Another example of Nephi understanding how God works is in 1 Nephi chapter 16.  Here Nephi's brothers are complaining because Nephi's explanation of the parable was too hard for them to understand. Nephi encouraged them to keep the commandments diligently. They made improvement and Nephi said, "I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness."

Nephi wasn't just being a know-it-all.  He knew that there was a much bigger picture that was going on and he was trying to do his best to help his brothers see the bigger picture too. He had felt the joy that comes from keeping the commandments and he wanted them to feel it too.

One of my favorite examples of Nephi's eternal perspective was in 1 Nephi 16:14-25 when his family had been traveling and stopped to hunt for food. Unfortunately Nephi's bow broke. His brothers were hangry and so was his father.  I'm sure that Nephi was hungry too, but again he responds to an unpleasant situation with the faith that everything would be OK. Nephi said "I did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God."  Nephi knew that complaining would only make it worse. He knew that the Lord would provide a way for them to get food. He trusted the Lord implicitly, because He knew the Lord.

1 Nephi 16:23 reads, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?" His next  move was another one of faith. He knew that if he did his part and had faith and went through the right channels that the Lord would provide. 

I know too that the Lord will provide for us in our time of need.  If we take the time to step back and view our trials with eternal perspective we can respond with in faith like Nephi did. When we can see ourselves and the people around us in an eternal perspective we can be filled with hope that everything will work out. And lastly when we see and identify ourselves as children of an Almighty God, we will start to understand like Nephi that the Lord is in control and that we can overcome anything with His help. 

Murmurning vs. Supporting

Murmuring vs. Supporting

I recently started the Pathway program through BYU-Idaho, and am taking a Book of Mormon class. For one of my assignments I get to write about something I have learned during the week while studying the 1 Nephi 1-5. I have chosen the topics of murmuring and supporting as displayed by Nephi and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. 

First let me give you a little background.  Nephi and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, were sons of Lehi. Lehi lived in Jerusalem around 500 B.C. and was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah¹. Lehi had a vision where he was commanded to leave the city of Jerusalem because it would be destroyed. Lehi obeyed and took his family and a few possessions them and traveled out into the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. 

Before leaving Jerusalem, Lehi prophesied to the Jews about the coming destruction. The Jews murmured and mocked Lehi. They “angry with him, and also sought his life, that they might take it away².”

Lehi’s sons, Laman and Lemuel, were also angry with their father.  They didn’t want to leave Jerusalem and the comforts that surrounded them.  Lehi describes them as being “stiffnecked³” and encourages them to keep the commandments and fill themselves with righteousness⁴.
Laman and Lemuel were struggling. “For behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.⁵” The word murmur means, “To grumble and complain against God’s purposes, plans, or servants⁶.”

So why were Laman and Lemuel grumbling and complaining so much? Why couldn’t they understand that their father was in essence saving their lives by getting them out of Jerusalem before it was destroyed? The answer is clear, “And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.⁷”

Laman and Lemuel could not or would not see the bigger picture. They lacked an eternal perspective of their situation. They couldn’t see past their noses. They couldn’t accept the fact that Jerusalem could be destroyed. They were so angry and intent on being right, that they sought to take away the life of their father.

Nephi on the other hand was experiencing the same trials as his brothers, but his response to the situation was completely different.  He responded with support for his father and humility to do whatever he needed to do.

So why was Nephi’s response so different? Why did he have such a positive outlook? I personally believe that it was he did understand the “dealing of that God who had created [him]⁸.” Nephi could see the bigger picture. He had eternal perspective of God’s purposes in his life.  He had heard his Dad talking about the things he had felt and seen in visions and decided to find out for himself if they were true. He says, “I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. ⁹”

This same pattern murmuring and supporting applies to everyone. I am sure that all of us at some time in our lives and found ourselves in the same boat as Laman and Lemuel. Maybe we don’t like something we have been asked to do. Maybe we resist change, or struggle. Maybe we can’t see the big picture in our own lives.  I know I have felt some of those feelings before. I resisted when my husband said that he wanted to return to school for eight years. It meant leaving a comfortable situation behind and going away to an unfamiliar place. But thankfully I did it! My husband knew it was the right thing to do for our family. I finally humbled myself like Nephi and asked the Lord if what my husband was feeling was right.  I got my answer and felt the confirmation that it was right and we would be OK. I couldn’t exactly see the big picture at the time, but now that we are almost done with this schooling journey, I can look back and see that that the Lord’s hand was in it the whole way.

So when we find ourselves struggling with the hand that we have been dealt, we can remember how Nephi dealt with his trial. He humbly desired to know, he earnestly prayed for answers and he went forward in faith not knowing every single step he would have to make. I know from experience that the Lord is bound to bless us as we step into the darkness and walk by faith.  I know that when we support our leaders and try to do our best that we will not be lead astray.  I know that when we struggle and find ourselves grumbling and complaining, it isn’t too late.  There is always a way back to peace.  We can soften our hearts and let go of pride and the peace will return in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

1.     See 1 Nephi 5:13; 7:14. Bewareof Bondage – Quentin L. Cook

2.     See 1 Nephi 1:20

3.     See 2 Nephi 2:11

4.     See 2 Nephi 2: 9-10

5.     See 2 Nephi 2:11

6.     See Guide to the Scriptures “Murmur”

7.     See 2 Nephi 2:12

8.     See 2 Nephi 2:12

9.     See 2 Nephi 2:16

2013 in Review

 January

Ok, the snow pictures were really from last December, but I couldn't help add them because it hardly ever snows here!

One of our favorite places, the library.

This is what mornings at our house look like.

February

February brought us birthdays.  Eliza turned 11 and Annie turned 8.

 It also brought us lots of fun with friends!


March

History activity where we used purple cabbage to tie dye some t-shirts

School work

Dr. Price in the making.

Doesn't he look great in glasses?

Eliza and a big magnolia branch.

Watching planes land at the Memphis Airport

St. Patrick's Day

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Flags and Star Magnolias

 The next few pictures are at the Memphis Botanical Gardens.  We had grandparents come visit us for Annie's baptism and enjoyed showing them around town.

Add caption

On the banks of the Mississippi

Annie's baptism dress

 And who can visit Memphis without going to the best BBQ joint in town.  The BBQ Place on Madison never disappoints!

Sad to see the Parents go.

April

Dogwood

petting the rays at the zoo

The kids all play soccer in the spring, it was a lot of fun for us and them.

Jaran's team won the championship!

 Eliza played for the first time.  She loved it!

Annie scored a goal for her team, and they also won the championship in their division. 

Tomb Rolls to celebrate Easter

April always brings us together for General Conference. 

 April also brought us lots of school work.

Will & Annie tackling math

Worm dissection

History reports

Fun with friends!

Entertaining neighbors

and cool clouds

May

Will had an opportunity to go with a group from school on a RAM (rural area medical) trip.  They went to Bristol, TN and were set up in the center of the Bristol Motor Speedway.  He was able to see lots of patients who had waited for days to receive care. It was a great experience for him.

Caves near Bristol

Rainy Memphis Skyline

On our way to AZ

Road Trip!

TEXAS!

Everything is cooler in Texas!

Albequerque!

BLUE SKYS!!!! Oh how we've missed these wide open spaces!

Finally made it to Arizona! (I always think of the U2 song "God's Country" when driving into AZ.)

My niece Mashayla went to the temple and we had the opportunity to go with her. 

Fun in the Sun

AZ State Capitol

Mother's Day Sushi Style

Best Pizza ever!

Making Sushi at Marmy's house

Sushi experts!

Cynthia (our Filipino Auntie) introduced us to Synagong soup with the whole shrimp. Delish!

Filipino ice  cream

Stow away

Snowflake temple

On the way home. Driving into NM.

Rest Area Lunching (saved a ton of money!)

June

Will and I were Ma's & Pa's for our stake youth trek activity

Before

After

Awesome water slide at our Bishop's house (and yes, I slid down!)

Mississippi Mud Boys

Park near our house and the planes that are always flying overhead.

July

We picked blueberries at a local blueberry plantation. And the best part, being able to eat while we picked. YUM!

August

We started school again in August.

 Jaran  turned 13 on the 13th of August.  We now have a teenager!

 And he got his favorite book, the bathroom reader!

We took a little break from school to visit Southern Alabama/Florida.

Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL.

The first lighthouse I've ever seen. So cool!

Orange Beach, Alabama was so awesome.  The water is warm and the beaches are beautiful.  I'll go back in a heartbeat!

shark tooth

Mississippi State Capitol building in Jackson, MS

We were lucky to see the Blue Angels fly for a little bit, and then land.  Soo cool!

September

Annie got braces.

October

Napoleon Dynamite visited on Halloween.

Napoleon Dynamite and Deb

Creeper 

Halloween fun with the Peyson family at our Bishop's house.

Jaran saved the day when he snaked our drain to get rid of a nasty spaghetti clog.  He is our handyman in training.

November

We celebrated our 14th anniversary with these nummy sandwiches

fruit dipped in yogurt while using chopstick

Annie loves to write.

Jaran at his desk

Eliza's Magnolia report

Books we are reading this year

Will changes his clutch

He loves working with his hands, but is so glad he doesn't have to do it everyday.

Our 10+ year old crock pot bit the dust

All better!

Turkey Bowl Boys (they said they felt like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story").

December

 The girls decided to make frosted sugar cookies.  They found a recipe and went to work.

 Later I found Eliza and Toby completely covered in flour! 

 But the cookies turned out pretty good for it being their first try.


Will studied his buns off for finals.  His favorite studying spot?  Our closet of course!

 An ice storm hit earlier this month.  It was cool to see, and they actually canceled church because it was so bad.

 Jaran made me this lovely card for Christmas.

 We were treated to a fun evening and a giant pizza.  It was awesome!

 The is always fun, especially when they bring the reindeer.

 Sisters

 Like father, like son,

 We got to see Peter Pan on stage.

 And the best part of the season was getting to talk to our niece/cousin Mashayla who is serving a mission for our church in the Philippines.

 We had Christmas brunch with the ASL Sister missionaries in our area.

 And yesterday it snowed!!!

 Yeah for once a year snow!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Prices!!!