February is a month filled with hearts, balloons, chocolates and reminders of love!  With the month of love upon us, we are going to Love on Purpose! In this episode we are going to discuss the many different forms and uses of the word love and dig deep into what it is! We are going to discuss the emotion of love, how it feels, where it comes from, and how we communicate our love to others.  We will discuss HOW to love on purpose when loving seems hard, lastly, discuss WHY. Why choose love? Because it is the best feeling in the world! Join in this episode to hear all about loving on purpose!

Greek Meanings for Love

Do you ever feel like your day gets away from you? Like you are a victim to all of the comings and goings and moving parts of the day, but don't have any sort of direction? This podcast will help you start and end your day with purpose! My friend Marla Beech has created a First Aid Kit that does just that! It helps us connect with our SELF first and then deepen our connections with others.  In this interview, we discuss the parts of her First Aid Kit. The compass, binoculars, magnifying glass, and field notebook along with the purpose behind all of those components and how to use them!

It is clear, concise, and such a great tool!

To find out more about Marla and her programs and products go to https://hunkeedori.com/

Click HERE for her Empty Nest Course

Click HERE for her Camp Connection Course and use promo code JESS for 50% off!

In a book or document, there is a little space around the outside of our page that is called a margin.  This helps create a border around the words, but also then creates some white space around the page.  How many of us create margins in our lives?  A little space in between tasks. Or are we scheduling one thing right after another? These margins can be very valuable to allow our minds to wander, think, process, receive spiritual impressions, and connect to ourselves, to others, and to God.  Join in this episode as we discuss margins! We will explore why we may not have them, why to incorporate them, and how!

Gordon B. Hinkley quote on Meditation

My husband Jarred and I were having a discussion one morning in December and he mentioned his word for the year was intentional.  I said, "That's funny! Mine is deliberate!" They mean basically the same thing! Doing things on purpose! Although most of us are intentional with some things, maybe there are some areas we could do a little better. Maybe it's with our relationships, maybe our health, maybe our scripture study or spirituality.  At any rate, whether we choose to work on goals or pick words for the year, we've got to be intentional about them if we want to get the results we want.  Listen in to this podcast as Jarred and I discuss being intentional and what that looks like for the two of us and our family!

At the beginning of the new year, we can set goals and have aspirations, and heck, even just want to finish a project! But sometimes they just seem too big.  We can find ourselves not moving forward because it will take too much time, we don't have enough time, and frankly, we just don't want to! We had this problem with Stockton when it came down to reading his 20 minutes daily.  It just was too much at once, so we compromised, 10 minutes now, 10 minutes later.  By breaking up these 20 minutes into two 10-minute chunks Stockton's reading has skyrocketed and we've had so many fewer meltdowns and power struggles! This 10-minute rule can be applied to anything! A room that needs to be cleaned, a chore that needs to be done, a goal that you want to work on, just give it 10 short minutes! Once we get some momentum, we may end up even going past that initial 10 minutes! Listen in to hear more about my 10-minute rule and how you can apply it to your lives! Because "by small and simple means are great things brought to pass!"

Every year I pick a word to focus on for the year and this year's word was "Becoming." As I have gone throughout the year I've been taking notes and paying attention to what that word means to mean and learning all about becoming. In this podcast, we discuss what I have learned throughout this year! And it comes down to one thing: humility.  Becoming who we have been destined and designed to become comes down to us realizing our own nothingness, but yet also our greatness.  It comes down to loosening our grip on life and what we thought things "should" look like, and it comes down to being willing to be wrong.  Being willing to have our ideas challenged and questioned.  We all have seed's within us to become the mighty oak! Listen in to hear more!

Andy Grammer The Good Parts

Beware of Pride, Ezra Taft Benson

Choose to be Humble

Life is like a movie, full of suspense, thrills, and highs and lows.  As we near the close of 2022, have we taken the time to reflect on the year? If so, what parts do you see? Do we see good parts or bad parts? Our brains are naturally wired to look for problems and challenges to keep us safe and alive, but we can CHOOSE to see the good parts.  In the Book of Mormon, the family of Lehi went traveling in the wilderness and the sons each had a different version of the story.  Nephi's was full of abundance amidst the challenges, and Laman and Lemuel's was full of hardship and complaints.  Lehi said, "I choose the good part." We too can choose the good part. We can see the good in our circumstances and learn from the challenging times rather than close in and focus on them.  At this Christmas Season, let us reflect on the year and choose the good parts!

Feeling Good! Do you know how powerful that is and what it does!? When we feel good we show up as our best selves.  We have energy, we are open, and we take action.  In this episode, we discuss three things that we can do to keep our heads in a good place! First, filter your inputs. There is so much coming at us, some we can control and some we cannot. So let's control what we can! Watch what comes in and keep the filth and negativity out! Second, pay attention to that inner critic. That inner critic is not nice, is judgemental, always finds fault with you, and is looking for danger.  Far too often we listen to that voice! Don't believe it! You are human, doing your best! And third, help people! Just go out there and help people! By serving, loving, and giving small acts of kindness! A smile and a listening ear can go a long way.  It changes how you feel, helps the other, and has a trickle effect! Feeling Good is not just physical, it has more to do with our mental health as well! Try these 3 tips to feel good today!

Hank Smith post on listening

Earlier this month I noticed someone wrote on our whiteboard 23 days until Xmas.  It took me by surprise and I made a mental note to have a discussion with our kids about this.  Later that very day our 9-year-old asked, "Mom, what's Xmas?" We went into detail about why that sometimes is used to reference Christmas and then I had him tell me what was missing. What is it that is missing? Christ.  Many of us this time of year can lose focus of what Christmas is about.  The beginning of the month is full of excitement and then we can slip into overwhelm and exhaustion.  It is during those times it may be helpful for us to remember truly what the season is about.  Join me in this episode as we discuss where we see Jesus in our stories and commit to doing better. 

Wisdom and Order Neal A. Maxwell

Turning Enemies into Friends Sharon Eubank

The Holiday Season is here! That means there are lots of extra holiday parties, gatherings, and goodies! Unless we make some conscious decisions ahead of time we can end up with some weight gain at the end of the season from overeating and overindulging in the good food available.  In this episode we discuss 10 tips to help us enjoy the holiday foods without weight gain!

1.  You get to eat whatever you want, in moderation.

2. Decide what it is you want and like.

3. Exercise

4. Drink Water

5. Eat protein.

6. Skip a meal

7. Fill your plate with veggies

8. Limit grazing and BLT's

9. Imagine your future self

10. Focus on the people

I hope these tips help you enjoy the season, food, and celebrations with the ones that we love as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!