Tag Archives: blessings

Kindred Spirits You’re Destined To Meet

“When you encounter someone you were destined to meet the conversation will take flight as if it were on the wings of angels, complete strangers confiding in each other as if you were lifelong friends.” – Kevin Hall Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone for the first time, but having that feeling […]

Wish Flower Or Weed?

One day my husband and I were walking along a riverbank when I looked over and saw an awesome Wish Flower. I used to see them all the time when I was a little girl living in Puyallup, Washington. They were all over our backyard and as kids we would go out and pick the […]

Dare To Be!

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it. When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway. When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back. When […]

There’s No Kill Switch On AWESOME

“There’s no kill switch on AWESOME.”  – Dilbert A woman who worked with terminally ill patients often asked them what their biggest regrets were from their life.  One of the regrets shared was that they wish they had let themselves be happier.  Note the phrase “let themselves be happier”, which was them acknowledging that they […]

You May Be The Very Person That Can Do It

“You were born with the ability to change someone’s life. Don’t ever waste it.” We often hear that we must help ourselves before we can help someone else, and to some extent I believe that to be true.  But I also find it to be true that one of the best ways to help ourselves […]

A Parent’s Letter To Santa

Last week we took our children and grandchildren to go ride the Polar Express train for Christmas. As I was watching my daughter-in-law getting her two year old son and her four month old daughter ready to go it reminded me of how utterly exhausting it can be to a mother with small children. The […]

Making A List And Checking It Twice…Each Day!

We are getting down to the wire now as we are getting our last minute Christmas preparations done…I can’t believe we’re down to one weekend before the big day! As I sat making my last minute list of everything I still need to do and was checking it twice – buy groceries and don’t forget […]

From Bad To Worse To SERIOUSLY?!

It had been a rough day…you know that kind of day where everything seems to go wrong?  I’d been up til 4am working on a really important project in order to solve a problem. Finally I got so tired I couldn’t even finish my own sentences and decided to call it for the night…surely tomorrow […]

From A Cloud Of Depression Into The Sunshine

“To press on in noble endeavors, even while surrounded by a cloud of depression, will eventually bring you out on top into the sunshine. – Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson also suggests several things we can do to help pull us out of a cloud of depression and help bring us out into the sunshine: […]

How Lucky Can You Be?

Tonight I came across an audio file of a talk given back in 1964 by one of the greatest men I have ever known to walk this earth. When he passed away back in 2008 I was incredibly sad, but his influence in my life continues on to this very day. His name was Gordon […]

How To Have A Mental Breakdown

Some days…especially days when you are still awake at 1:45am in the morning working on your taxes that are due in less than a week …well, let’s just say those days are NOT a whole lot of fun. Days like that you’ve gotta find something to laugh about or you will lose your mind buried […]

The Best and Most Uplifting Talks EVER!

I’m so excited about this weekend!  In order to describe just how awesome what I’ll be watching this weekend will be I first have to remind everyone that I am seriously A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder)…anyone who knows me knows I have a hard time sitting still for, well, just about anything…but this weekend not only […]

The Love Of Work Is Success

“The privilege to work is a gift. The power to work is a blessing. The love of work is success.” – David O. McKay Last Friday I woke up at 4am to get ready to drive up two hours to Logan Utah so I could give the opening keynote speech for the Huntsman Venture Forum […]

The Big Difference A Little Kindness Can Make

To say it has been a rough week this week wouldn’t quite do it justice. We’ve spent the week in hospitals with a very sick little grandbaby. We are all going on almost no sleep this week and we’ve been sick with worry, but through all of it there has been something truly amazing that […]

I Never Knew

When I became a parent I never knew I could love another human being so much. I still remember the way I felt when I became pregnant with my second child – I remember wondering how I could ever love another person as much as I loved my first child. But then 23 years ago […]

Insanely Exciting News – Bust out the pink bling and sparkles!

Several months ago the day after we’d spent time together as a family (with my two kids and their spouses and our grandbaby) my husband said, “I think we are going to be grandparents again.”  “Of course we will be” I replied with certainty given all the incentives I’ve thrown out to bribe my children […]

My Merry Christmas Card To All Of You

I have never been able to plan ahead early enough to get family photos taken and printed out, gather updated addresses for everyone, and then send the photos out to everyone with a nice letter.  Yet I love it when I receive other people’s cards because it’s so fun to see their families grow and […]

Some Things Are Just Going To Have To Wait

It’s a pretty terrible feeling when you realize that you’ve waited too long to order your Christmas gifts and even with the beloved Amazon Prime account you still won’t be able to have all your gifts delivered in time. How has this month gone by so fast already?!  I’ve still got so much to get […]

Look Up And Enjoy The Lights

December is here and it just happens to be my favorite month of the entire year! I love Christmastime SO MUCH!  I love singing along to Christmas music on the radio. I love watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my hot cocoa and whipped cream. I love the spirit of Christmas in the air. I love […]

Be #UNselfie Today

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us we can turn our attention to #GivingTuesday .  Giving Tuesday is a day when we are encouraged to give of our time, give of our money, give of a gift, or give of the power of your voice  – it’s a day we should find […]

The True Measure Of Our Thanksgiving #LightTheWorld

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” -W.T. Purkiser Have you heard about the #LightTheWorld Worldwide Day of Service?  I want to give you a heads up now so you can get in on the fun!  December 1st is going to be the […]

Trials Are Empowering

“Have you ever gone through something difficult and that experience allowed you to empathize with friends or even strangers who were facing a similar challenge? Or have you seen others experience sorrow from difficult circumstances and turn their pain into a moving, empowering cause? The trials we face allow us to develop compassion for others […]

Leave Your Troubles On The Trouble Tree

I hadn’t thought about the story of The Trouble Tree for along time. But I was reminded of tonight as I came home from a long day of work. I was worn out and feeling overwhelmed by how much I still needed to get done and when I pulled in the garage and walked through […]

Sick? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!

Welcome to cold and flu season  **sigh**  In all my excitement for winter holiday season I somehow failed to remember that its also cold and flu season…that was until Saturday night when a sinus cold hit both me and my husband like a ten ton truck and the two of us had to get Nyquil’d […]

Only 90 Days Left In 2018! LET’S DO THIS!

WHAT??!! Only 90 days are left in this year?? How is that even possible?! It’s October 1st people – that’s how!  I can hardly believe it’s October already. But the good news is it’s October! And October starts off all the fall and winter holidays! First comes Halloween…then Thanksgiving…and then Christmas…Oh how I love all […]

Ethics, Turbulence, Leadership and Integrity

Last week I flew to Driggs Idaho where we held our BYU Wheatley Ethics Advisory Council retreat. I’d never been to Driggs or Jackson Hole so I was really excited to get to see both places for the first time. But we had a bit of a harrowing experience on the trip when the Pilatus […]

The Torch Bearer

Each of us have been born with special talents that God gave us so we might use them to benefit the lives of others. As we do, our own lives will be blessed as well. I love the following poem because its a great reminder to stay humble and recognize that our gifts are just […]

Another Look Unlimited Day

The day after a holiday is always a little rough. But guess what?! I just found out that the day after Labor Day is actually yet another holiday! Apparently its “Another Look Unlimited Day”, which frankly I’d never heard of before until today, but yeah…apparently it’s really a thing… What is it you ask? Okay, […]

As Much As Things Change, Some Things Will Always Stay The Same

The last day of August. I can’t believe summer is coming to an end. As sad as that is, I have to admit I am kind of excited for Fall. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Of course my birthday coming up in September and the fact I’ve convinced my family we […]

Not That You Should Own Nothing, But That Nothing Should Own You

“Stuff”…we all wish for it, we even work really hard so we can have the means to get it, but the truth is that often times the idea of having it turns out to be much more exciting than the reality of what having it entails… I’ve been as guilty as the next person when […]