Esther recently reminded me about praying together for a good cause, so this 4-min episode is a short prayer for you & your children (and/or grandkids) as they start their next school year or next chapter of their lives. So wherever your kids go to school, may this prayer be for them AND for you to enjoy the joyful moments together, and to have wisdom from God sent to your heart to help your kids through the harder parts of their journey. This prayer is for you. 

My husband and I are slowly learning more about how to grow plants, but we sometimes royally mess up (like when we planted our asparagus upside down!! Haha; you can judge us for that! That was hilarious!) 
One time, our neighbor helped us know that a beautiful "bush" in our backyard was actually an overgrown tree that was in desperate need of trimming! This week's episode is about the "cuts" from the Master Gardner in life that feel really (really) negative and sad inside of you even when your logical brain wants to "feel grateful" for the good. 
If the negative is sounding louder inside of you, this episode comes from empathy and love just for you. 

One time I put down the back seats in my car, put fluffy pillows and soft blankets in there with twinkle lights and homemade treats and drove around to different homes to offer a 10-min "homework break" to some of the young women I was asked to serve at the time. While they enjoyed treats, I read them a story I first heard years ago during my first time at girls camp. This powerful little story still (years later) helps me feel so special and loved.  

In this episode, I actually end up sharing two ideas today about HOW to remember your identity. I’d like to include a written down version of some of the mantras I verbally shared including references of where I got them (see below). *Remember to experiment and choose one that resonates with you! Or pick something from your patriarchal blessing or an impression you've had about how God feels about you.

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Shared mantras to help spark your own thoughts:   

 ~“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (the apostle Paul in Romans 8:16).

~"Wow, look at me! I am awesome! I am a child of God! He knows me! I love me! I am gifted—gifted with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion!" (Elder Gary E. Stevenson, General Conference, Oct 2023). 

•Favorite lines from Max Lucado’s book “You Are Special” include: 

“Every day I’ve been hoping you’d come,” Eli explained. 

{Punchinello asked:} “…Why don’t the stickers stay on her?” “…Because she has decided that what I think if more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them… If they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers.” (29). 

“…You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care.” 

“…Remember,” Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door, “you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.” Punchinello didn’t stop, but in his heart he thought, I think he really means it. And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.” End book quotes. 

•I am a beloved daughter/son. I have a divine nature and eternal destiny (lines come from the Family Proclamation, read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah OR the YW worldwide theme).  
•I am of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. (Boyd K. Packer said, “You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven.” In the Liahona: “To the Young Women and Men,” May 2019.)
•I am seeing my true reflection. ((Elder Uchtdorf “Our True Identity” video from the Emotional Self Resilience course from the Church))
•I say yes to all of me. (Jody Moore)
•I am valued beyond measure by my heavenly parents. (((Spencer W. Kimball, “Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, 105).))
•The worth of souls is great in the sight of God ((Doctrine and Covenants 18:10)
•I will be like the most High. ((Isaiah 14:14))
•She/he is learning line upon line, just like me. ((I use this often with my kids; comes from 2 Nephi 28:30))
•“I have much to give” ((idea from D&C 82:3 “..unto whom much is given much is required”)) 
•“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Paul’s words found in Philippians 4:13). 
•We’ve been studying Esther this week so I also love the thought of “{ I have} come to the kingdom for such a time as this” Esther 3:14

Perhaps you too have taken a lot of photos this summer. I noticed that I had some big feelings as I looked at a specific photo of myself. I felt both anger and disgust come up towards my body. 

I reflected on my main reason for no longer just pushing those feelings aside or thinking "I should just be grateful..." to why I intentionally choose to "be still" with those big emotions and with God. I've learned when I do and lovingly let those emotions share all they needed to "get out," that amazingly that kindness ripples into other areas of my life (for example: into my desire to exercise which is fueled by kindness for my body rather than anger & disgust towards my body). 

Don't have time to listen? I still got you! One thought is to share the way that helps me to "Be Still" is to humbly ask God to be with you. Narrow down the emotion you're feeling and then let it "get it all out." (It helps sometimes for me to write it down so it all can come out). I say I'm sorry to the emotion. Then I ask what is needed to help it. 

Take care inner peacemaker. 

P.s. I'm excited to be back for "season 2" of the recording of the "Inner Peacemaker Parent Podcast" after a needed break to help my family a little extra for a few weeks this summer). Until next week! 

Bathing suit seasons sometimes trigger big feelings, so I wanted to share some ideas I have learned (and will be using again this season) to help us stay in-love with the gift of our bodies AND the bodies of others. THAT'S how I want to show up from a place of genuine love this summer at reunions, get-togethers, and gatherings. I'd love to share a few ideas with you if your heart might need it too.   

This episode is a short meditation for the start or end of your day, so it has: (#1) a simple way to ask God how you can be a support to someone else, and (#2) a way to give sincere thanks for the support you've received throughout today. (I'm trying to look up "at you" in the camera so I repeat a portion. Haha. I'm trying to be present with you which usually equals some real mistakes😅). 

I'm so happy to spend time with you in this episode filling up with gratitude for the support we've both given and received today. 
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For more love and support, you can join my free Facebook group for workshops and encouraging posts to fill you with God's love; it's called "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms". 

P.s. God loves you with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.

As the chicken-run in my backyard was being taken down this morning, I started having some big feelings. 

For years, I just "didn't get it" when others seemed SO attached to their family pet. But because I've now had 8 little chickens of my own, I now get it. 

The next home my family and I are moving to this summer, sadly won't be a place we are able to keep them, so it's time for our feathery friends to go to another nice home. 

 In this episode, I'll walk you through the steps I used today and the ideas that helped me to internally feel fully: heard, awesome, comforted, and creative. I hope this supports you and/or your child who may be dealing with some big feelings from changes with your family pet, too. 
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For more love & support for my fellow moms out there, please feel welcomed and wanted to join a free FB group "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms" for frequent posts of encouragement and mental health classes. 

This past Sunday, in my head, I unkindly judged somebody for something they chose NOT to do. And then a few hours later, I felt and did the VERY thing that I was judgmental about!!  

I've always thought moments like this meant I was a hypocrite. The Greek root meaning of the word "hypocrite" translates to “stage actor” or “pretender.” Dale Renlund says if I am striving to do good, then I'm actually NOT a hypocrite. Sooo, there's hope for me and anyone else who might have moments like this! 

I felt some guilt inside of me rising up. I knew I could have chosen to beat myself up internally; I could have stayed in guilt and some shame. But I've learned that doesn't help me change. 

I now choose to be super kind to myself, say sorry to God for judging one of His kids, and then learn from it. Feeling guilt now triggers a chance to "Be Still" with God! I now see guilt as an awesome gift.  

So much empathy and love coming my way to you if you ever feel this way at times.   

I had kind of a humbling experience going back and forth wondering if I had "received personal revelation," then not understanding the timing, and now what I've learned from it. Feeling grateful to be helped with a story from a 7 year-old and a thought about first responders; I needed these reminders as part of my journey to keep learning line upon line about this topic of personal revelation. 

It's ok if you don't agree with me on today's topic; honestly, I didn't agree with it for years when I first heard it! But now it's easily one of my most influential mental health tools to feel more inner peace about the good AND hard moments, and to feel more empathy & kindness when others are going through a half-empty kind of day. It's all part of the same glass. It's all part of His plan. Ok. I got this. Just one half-empty AND half-full day at a time. You got this. 

P.s. God always loves you even in the half-full or half-empty kind of moments.