Jumping Into a Ward

Whether you’re brand new to a ward or you’ve lived in the same ward for 30 years, there are always new ways to take initiative and make a difference. While it may feel natural to ease into a ward gradually, the Lord is hastening his work, and we should as well. (In the Church of…

A Hero’s Welcome

My toddler doesn’t know how to say “I love you,” but he doesn’t have to. When I walk in the door, he says it all by giving me a hero’s welcome—smiling, lighting up, and exclaiming “Mama!” If that were the only thing he did, it would still be enough to convince me of his love….

15 Ways to Increase our Capacity to Receive

In the fall of 2017, I went to General Conference with the question, “How can I stop being weighed down by the feeling that I’m not good enough?” My answer came when Elder Holland said, “Our only hope for true perfection is in receiving it as a gift from heaven. We won’t earn it.” Since hearing…

Select Your Search

Since writing these weekly posts often makes me feel like I’m getting on my soapbox, I’ve made a point to notice how I feel when other people around me get on their soapbox.  (In other words, when people share an opinion that they think would change the world if only everyone else learned about it…

Words You Live By

What words do you live by?  In other words, what quotes are not only your favorite quotes but are also the words that instantly spring to your mind and become your default-mindset in moments of pressure?  If you don’t already know what those words would be, now is the time to decide. Recently, podcasts by…

On Strike Against Stress

“Stress is not normal.  Stress is common, but it’s not normal.  Joy is normal.” —Elaine Grohman, energy healer This current semester has been significantly less stressful for me than past semesters.  Why?  Because I had a very simple realization: Stress is the manifestation of fear. I can imagine you thinking sarcastically, “So . . ….

“Good Enough”

Like almost everyone, I’ve often struggled with the thought, “Am I good enough?”  Deep down, the wiser part of me has always known that this thought is counterproductive, but until recently I couldn’t articulate why.  On my mission, I recognized I had a case of “toxic perfectionism.”  Yet somehow I couldn’t let go of my…

Plateau or Phase Change

Can any of us really tell when we’re truly changing?  I think that even when we recognize that we’ve had a change of heart, it’s nearly impossible to recognize that change of heart in the very moment that it’s happening. In chemistry, one calorie is the energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram…

Joy Breakthrough

I will never cease to be intrigued by the process of change.  How do different types of people go from having no desire to change to suddenly wanting desperately to change?  And when the first few attempts at change seem to fail, what gives people the power to keep trying until they succeed?  What determines…