NEW Blog Button!

Shout out to all the wonderful women out there, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! I am eternally grateful for the influence my mom and all the other amazing women who have impacted my life. I know that the work you all do is more important than anything else in the entire world. I am so grateful for the love and amazing example my mom is to me!  Keep being the amazing Christlike examples you are!

You may have noticed a week or so ago that I added a blog button to my side bar.... that was terrible. <sigh> After reading lots of online tutorials I tried it and it failed. The little box wouldn't show up, the picture was super shrunk and it was hard to read. Well fear no more! I finally got a new one! I super duper appreciate anyone who put the first one on their blog! It means so  much to me, especially since I know it wasn't super convenient, since I didn't have the code easy to grab.

How did I finally figure it out? This grab button builder helped me SO much! All you have to do is put in the information and it works! Then copy and paste the code it gives you into a HTML widget and the little box beneathe it + the button pops up! It was magic;) haha but really it was SO easy!

Also this week I plan to add some other blogs' buttons to my sidebar. There are some pretty amazing ones that I have been meaning to add so watch out for that!

Have a great day!
-Shelby

PS: Check out the new let's connect page at the top.

uplifted & inspired

Conference was pure amazingness.

I just realized that was almost 2 weeks ago. Wow. That went by pretty fast. But it has stuck with me throughout the busyness.

As a slowly reread all the super inspiring talks, the importance of defending and growing close to family, the Savior's love and grace, being a light and example, and so many other important principles stick out to me,

I have been trying so hard to apply what was said in conference. I've been trying to read my scriptures and say my prayers more consistently. Aside from the broader areas it has helped me specifically too. Once a month members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fast for 2 or more meals, we fast for a reason. I woke up especially hungry and thirsty, but I knew that I wanted to fast. After printing out Elder Erying's talk and reading about the blessings and importance of fasting it helped me have the strength and determination to keep going. While this was a tiny example it really shows how conference can impact our lives.

My favorite talk (it is super hard to pick a favorite! They were all so good!) was Elder Holland's. I loved the story about the 2 brothers. It is such a comfort, a humongous indescribable peace and blessing, to know that the Savior lives and loves me (and each and every one of you) and will never let us fall. I can just see the scene between the 2 brothers, but instead I imagine me falling and the Savior's arms. No matter who you are or what religion PLEASE read this talk for me?

I could write pages and pages about how much I loved conference and how I feel so uplifted and inspired, ready to tackle the world and become a better person. Please don't take it from me though, go read a talk or 2....... or all of them.....preferably all of them:)

-Shelby

Happy Easter!
I know that my redeemer lives, what joy this sweet sentence gives. He lives He lives who once was dead! I know that my Redeemer lives! 

What joy this sentence does give! I know that Christ lives and loves us. I know he suffered unimaginable pain and sorrow so we could live again with him by becoming clean of our sins. He knows we are imperfect, and walks beside us, helping us become who we are destined to be and fullfilling our Divine Inheritance as sons and daughters of a living Heavenly Father. Since he has faced such devastating pain we can find peace and comfort knowing that he always stands beside us. He will lift us up and carry us through times of strife, darkness, and hurt. He is there. He loves us. He added purpose to our mortal ministry no other could. I know will all my heart the he broke the chains of death, freeing us from it's bondage.

"He lives, and while he lives I'll sing!..... He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.  He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Come and Hear

Source

General Conference is coming up and boy can you bet I am excited!!! General Conference makes me as giddy as a 5 year old in a candy shop where everything is free!(is that analogy even make sense?) You will probably hear a lot on various Mormon blogs about this wonderful thing we call conference. It is the opportunity to hear God's word. I loved the above print about why we have conference found at LDS Nest (Follow the link for other printable awesomeness!). So I am here to officially invite you to conference.

Who? Anyone at all.
When? (All times in MDT)   
General Women's: Saturday, March 28, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Morning: Saturday, April 4, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday Afternoon: Saturday, April 4, 2:00 p.m.
General Priesthood: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 p.m.
Sunday Morning: Sunday, April 5, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon: Sunday, April 5, 2:00 p.m.

Where? In Utah, OR online at lds.org
How? Go to lds.org it will prompt you to watch it live. If you can't watch it on the original air date or time you can watch the videos that come up a few hours later or read the talks that come out a few days later.

Why? I promise you will leave feeling uplifted and inspired. I know prophets are called of God. I know our Heavenly Father cares about us and wants to bless us. I know he lives! He leads and guides us and wants the best for us! Why would Heavenly Father leave us abandoned and only help those in bible times? He loves ALL his children and would never leave us comfortless. I know these things are true. Please watch or read at least a little General Conference,, do it for me, for yourself, and your Heavenly Father. Thank the Savior for what he did for us by dedicating some time to him. I promise if you have prayed and come with an open heart you will leave feeling inspired and loved as you discover your divine identity as a child of God.

Ideas for celebrating Easter

This Easter week, I am really trying to focus on the Savior and I thought you all might like to know what I am using! It is so important to focus on the Savior all the time, but especially close to Easter as we try to understand everything he did for us.  A lot of times it seems like Easter is a one time deal, where as Christmas has a whole season. Easter represents so many glorious things, the Atonement, the Savior, the Resurrection and all that was made possible because of them, so why does it get less attention?

I am totally referencing this GREAT resource! It is geared towards family activities, but it can be easily used for just you. The thing I loved most was how it had scriptures for each day and things to journal/think about.

These bible videos are great for understanding stories, especially with younger kids. Mormon Messages are also amazing!

I've been reading the mormon.org page about #becausehelives and #heishere, it also has things about each day of the week you can read. Later in the week I plan to post a picture with the #heishere marker. I'm also reading through the mormon.org page about Jesus Christ. It is super uplifting and a great reminder about all that Jesus Christ is and did for us.

Videos: ( I only linked 3 but there are SO many more on The Mormon Channel youtube account-they don't just apply to Mormons either, I encourage everyone to watch them!)

(I wouldn't encourage showing the last one to small children because it is super sad, the reason I included it is because of the words. It might be best to just press play and minimize it because I feel like the words are SO powerful. You can listen to the whole talk here.)

Most other links I would recommend are linked in the first source so you can find them there. Another great idea would be to look up talks about Easter, Christ, and the Atonement.

Journaling is my last recommendation. Some ideas are:
What role does Christ play in my life?
How do I see his influence?
What can I do to draw nearer to him?
What role does the Atonement add to my life?
Without Christ and the Atonement would life have purpose?
What purpose do they add?
How does the Atonement relate to grace?
What power is there in the statement he lives?
Thoughts on the Savior's love
How can we become more like the Savior?
Christ gave up all for us... what can we give up for him?
What blessings have you seen because of the Atonement?

What ideas do you have? Any great links you know of? I'll add them to the list!

I hope you all have an amazing Easter week as you strive to make Easter and the glorious truths it holds part of your lives.

-Shelby