5 tips to a happier you

Great article by Natalie Norton.

Five tips to a happier you.

I want to be happy. We ALL want to be happy, but with the vast array of complex, relentless little variables of life, sometimes days (and days) go by without smiles, without laughter, without joy. Soon days become weeks, weeks months, and before we know it, we’re only a shell of our once vibrant, happy selves.

Here are 5 simple ways to be proactively engaged in the quest for a happier life. The beautiful thing is, happiness builds momentum! Just a little push, goes a looooooong way!

1. LAUGH! When is the last time you experienced the thrill of a deep, hearty belly laugh? Laughter is a natural energy booster, it protects you from the damaging effects of stress, it boosts your immune system, releases endorphins, and binds us to the ones we love! Rent a good movie, call your silliest friend, or get your butt to the karaoke bar, because you deserve a good laugh!

2. GET OUTSIDE! There’s nothing like nature to calm and cheer a weary heart. Even five minutes outdoors to watch the sunset can work wonders toward the wellness of the soul. Plus, recent research indicates that spending time outdoors not only stays the effects of seasonal depression, but going outside has also been proven to improve overall concentration and productivity!

3. BREATHE! Deep breathing is a necessity for stress management and happier living. Deep, slow breaths increase the availability of oxygen to the brain, which controls thoughts, mood, memory, emotions and more! Breathe deep! Breathe often! Be happy!

4. SERVE! Research shows that helping others is a significant key to personal happiness! Researchers have actually found a biochemical explanation for the joy and contentment experienced when we do a good deed!

5. SAY THANKS! Sincere expressions of gratitude lead to happier living. Not only does being grateful remind you of all the wonderful blessings that surround you daily, but it helps train your mind to focus on the positive aspects of challenges. Suddenly, rather than spikes in stress and anxiety as we pay monthly bills, we’re experiencing deep, profound gratitude for the roof over our heads! Daily gratitude changes attitude, and soon happiness reigns sovereign!

Here’s to a happier day, a happier week, a happier you!

Natalie

Oil Pulling

Check out this article on oil pulling.  Basically it is rinsing your mouth three times a day with coconut oil and an essential oil.

The Symbols of Christmas

 “Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the parts of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch are much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas we now observe. Teach them what it is that they truly represent.”

Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on the fireplace mantle. “teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen with its unchanging color represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heaven ward as a reminder that man’s thoughts should turn heaven ward as well.”

--sing “I lived in Heaven”

Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. “The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises and that the wise will still seek Him.”

--Sing, “Stars were Gleaming”

“Red,” said Santa “is the first color of Christmas.” He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. “Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God’s greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave His life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red it should remind them of that most wonderful gift.”

--Sing “Did Jesus really live again”

Santa found a bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. “Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd who gave h is life for the sheep.”

--Sing “Christmas Bells”

Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. “The glow of the candle represents how man can show his thanks for the gift of God’s Son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ’s footsteps. . . to go about doing good. Teach them to let their lights shine before men that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkling lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God’s precious children, their light shining for all to see.

--Sing “I am trying to be like Jesus”

Again, Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped candy cane. As he hung it on the tree, He spoke softly, “The candy cane is a stick of hard red and white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. The shape J to represent the precious name of Jesus who came to earth as our Savior. It also represents the crook of the Good Shepherd, which he uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs that, like sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed and a large red stripe that represents the shedding of blood of Jesus so that we can have eternal life. Teach these things to the children”

--Sing “The Shepherds Carol”

Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh fragrant greenery and tied with a bright red bow. “The bow reminds us that the bond of perfection which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors red and green and the heaven turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice. Even the wreath’s very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ’s love. It is a circle without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children.”

--Sing “Families can be together forever”

“But where does that leave you Santa?” I asked. The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa’s face. “Why, bless you, my dear,” he laughed. “ I, too am only a symbol. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I’ll ever be forgotten.”

“I think I’m beginning to understand at last, “ I replied.

“That’s why I came” said Santa, “You’re an adult. If you don’t teach the children these things, then who will?”

THANKFUL

Be thankful when you don't know something ... for it gives you the opportunity to learn. 

Be thankful for the difficult times ... during those times you grow. 

Be thankful for your limitations ... they give you opportunities for improvement. 

Be thankful for each new challenge... which will build your strength and character. 

Be thankful for your mistakes ... they will teach you valuable lessons. 

Be thankful when you're tired and weary ... because it means you've given your all. 

It's easy to be thankful for the 'good' things ... yet, a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks. 

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive ... find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

50 questions that will free your mind

 I found this BLOG searching for questionnaires.
It is a GREAT self help blog and
it has some pretty cool thought provoking questions.

These questions have no right or wrong answers.

Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 10 cups water or 10 cups canned chicken broth
• 1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup onions, chopped1 cup corn
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 teaspoons salt ( to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (3 1/2 lb) roasting chickens or 4 frozen chickens breasts
• 3 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

Directions

1. In 4-1/2 to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl, combine water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 4 t salt, 1/2 t pepper.
2. Place whole chicken on top of vegetables.
3. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Add noodles to slow-cooker; cover with lid and cook (on low or high) 20 minutes.
5. While noodles cook, remove and discard skin, fat and bones from chicken; shred meat.
6. Skim fat from soup and discard. Return chicken to soup to serve.

the temple reminds me...

Our Young Women in Excellence theme was,

The temple reminds me.

We gave them this picture and had some one sing the song below.

This past years the girls had a goal to go to the temple over 300 times.

They had a temple jar that we they put pebbles into every time they went.

After the jar was filled we to them on a over time trip where we went to 4 temples in 2 day.

It was an AMAZING experience!

12. The Temple Reminds Me
Words by Joy Saunders Lundberg
Music by Janice Kapp Perry
These words were written for the YW/YM to increase their awareness of the
temple and their goal to enter there someday. (JSL)


The temple reminds me of my eternal worth
The temple reminds me of joys beyond this earth
I love this house of holiness
Where ord'nances divine
Bring forth the blessings of God's love
And they can all be mine
Chorus
Have you seen the temple
On a dark and quiet night
Have you felt the power of
Its majesty and light
Its spires reach up to heaven
Its doors call out to me
"Come enter in and find the joys
That last eternally"
The temple reminds me of my eternal worth
The temple reminds me of joys beyond this earth
I want to be found clean and pure
Upholding every truth
That I may enter in God's house
As He would have me do
Repeat Chorus
The temple reminds me of joys beyond this earth
The temple, the temple reminds me