Choose to Become...

It's been a busy couple of weeks. First - we went to Utah for a quick trip to celebrate my sweet mother-in-law's 90th birthday - pictures and more on that later. Came home, worked a few days, then went to Kansas City last night and today with a few great friends for a Time Out For Women sponsored by Deseret Book. It was a great weekend - just what I needed to refocus my thoughts and energies and give myself a kick-start. I have some thoughts about what I want to accomplish during and for the Christmas Season and also some things I want to do for our first grandchild who will be born in April. There are LOTS of things to think about - but this weekend helped me remember to focus on those things that are of MOST worth.

We were blessed to hear the music of Michael McLean and Jericho Road. Tender stories told with the power of music is amazing!

We were blessed to hear presentations by: Jason Wright (author of The Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters); Dean Hughes - who has published over 90 books, Emily Watts; Anthony Sweat; Marilee Boyack; Mariama Kallon amd Emily Freeman. They each spoke on the theme: Choose to Become ~ "All things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23.

Here are some of the thoughts that were highlights and ah-ha reminders for me for what I need to do to become who I REALLY want to be.
~*~ Don't wait for the BIG moments to happen - but enjoy the small moments. They are just as important.
~*~ Don't let negative self-talk influence how you respond to situations. Learn to put a positive spin on those thoughts that come into your head. Change your perspective.
~*~ Expect hard things of your children. Don't make life so easy for them that they don't get the blessing of learning to work through challenges. Give them the stability of a FEW well-chosen traditions.
~*~ Comparison is the enemy of gratitude. You can be perfectly happy with the situation you are in UNTIL you compare it to someone else's.
~*~ Blaze your own trail. Don't try to be someone else - but find those things that are uniquely YOU and embrace them.
~*~ In our testimonies of the Savior - are we 'almost persuaded' or are we 'altogether committed'? Serve with humility and like Paul - hold back nothing.

And then this evening I saw this on Pinterest and it just seemed to fit with the thoughts swimming in my head about this weekend.


"We become what we want to be by being what we want to become." Richard G. Scott