Hello!
I hope you all had a fantabulous Christmas!
It's that time of year again. The time of year when we reflect on the good, bad, and ugly of the last year, and we start thinking about the upcoming new year and the things we would like to have happen. It's the time of year when many of us start thinking about the resolutions we would like to make.
Before you set those lofty goals, I would encourage you to examine the motivation behind those goals. If you are setting goals to PUNISH yourself, then you will really have a hard time making yourself better. You cannot build yourself up by tearing yourself down. Negative begets negative.
Dan Millman, "The Peaceful Warrior," said it best in his book, No Ordinary Moments, "Let's examine our motives as well as our goals. If we want to change because of an underlying lack of self-worth, that lack will undermine our efforts; even if we get where we're going, the lack will remain. Beginning from a place of unconditional love for ourselves, with the recognition that we are good and strong and brave deep inside - a peaceful warrior now - encourages us to become even better, not out of lack, but out of our longing for a full and meaningful life, for the challenge of personal evolution and a chance to turn dreams into reality."
I have pondered this quote MANY times! If we begin out of a focus on what we lack, "even if we get where we're going, the lack will remain." The best motivation, the one that feels good, that feeds the inner fire, the one that keeps us going when it's tough to take even one more step forward is LOVE! Do you love yourself enough to be the best possible YOU that you can be? It has to start with that self-love.
In the same book, Dan Millman said, "Let's take a moment to accept and appreciate ourselves as we are right now- to love, understand and honor our body, our mind, and our emotions - our strengths, our weaknesses, our habits, and our failings. Self-acceptance and compassion provide the support and open the way to change."
True positive change comes when we accept "what is" and start where we are. Then, invite in the positive. Focus on the positive WHY of each of your goals. Pray about what God would have you to do and who He would have you to become. Come back to those motivations time and time again, and fail not to continue on your path!
Much Love <3
Heather
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Party Time!
It is that time of the year. Parties and presents galore! I'm head room parent for my fourth grader's class. We just got done with the Christmas party! 😊 Sometimes I can get a little too caught up in the planning, and it sucks the joy right out of it. This time, I decided to go a little more traditional, and a lot more easy. Plus, I saved some of the games to play when my family all gets together. BONUS!
I got most of the ideas off of Pinterest. I'll give you the links so that if you are looking to throw a party or just to entertain your children you can have easy access :)
This printable has a lot of songs on it! For school, I took out the religious songs, but for my family we will leave them in! I also thought that you could play this game by having someone describe the song without humming or singing and without using any of the words on the card. There are a couple different ways that you can do it. Click here!
I got most of the ideas off of Pinterest. I'll give you the links so that if you are looking to throw a party or just to entertain your children you can have easy access :)
1. Ornament Craft
These are super easy crafts! I think the kids enjoyed putting them together. Click here!
2. Drawing a Snowman on Your Head
This is a really quick game, but it is funny to see what happens! Each person has a white paper plate and a marker. Someone reads instructions for them to draw, but they have to hold the plate on their head! No peeking! Click here for instructions!
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| This is one stunning result! |
3. Christmas Song Pictionary
This printable has a lot of songs on it! For school, I took out the religious songs, but for my family we will leave them in! I also thought that you could play this game by having someone describe the song without humming or singing and without using any of the words on the card. There are a couple different ways that you can do it. Click here!  |
| Super cute Santa, sleigh, and reindeer! |
4. Christmas Song Madlibs
There are five free printable Christmas Song Madlibs here! This is a good time filler. The kids were laughing at the results.
5. Christmas/Winter Charades
Super cute printable here. I laminated them so they would make it through 4 groups of kids and still be good to play later.
6. Christmas Scattergories
Click here for the printable!
7. Oreo Snowman Pops
This was our treat. The kids dipped oreos in white chocolate. They added mini chocolate chips for eyes and a mouth, and added a orange chocolate chip (Pumpkin Spice? What?!) for the nose. (Seriously, I don't love the pumpkin spice chips...but they were orange!)
The kids thought they were delicious!!! There are a lot of tutorials on this. Here is one of them. I preferred using the mini chocolate chips instead of using frosting. It was so much easier!!!
Merry Christmas, Everyone! I hope it is full of joy and happiness and togetherness!
Much Love 🎅
Heather
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Feast Upon the Words of Christ: Making personal scripture study more meaningful
Happy Sabbath, Everyone!
Do you ever feel like you know that you should read the scriptures, but it seems hard to get into them? Today, I'd like to share how I have made scripture study more meaningful for me, and how I have tried to "feast upon the words of Christ." This does not mean that I am in any way an expert or that my ways are better or different than other people's ways of studying scripture. I still have a LONG way to go before becoming a proclaimed (even self-proclaimed) scriptorian!
I do have a true love of the scriptures. They have helped me in more ways than I can put into words. They are a true gift from a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to Him. When I study the scriptures, the Spirit is with me more strongly, and I feel the Lord's guiding hand more profoundly in my life.
I have found that periodically changing my method of scripture study helps me to stay more engaged and interested. One of the most important things about scripture study is not how to study them, but to be CONSISTENT in your study of them. Sometimes I spend a few minutes studying; sometimes I spend a longer amount of time; sometimes I miss a day or two, but I try to make it a part of my daily routine, and it has been so helpful for me!
President Boyd K. Packer shared the following story:
"Years ago, Elder S. Dilworth Young of the Seventy taught me a lesson about reading the scriptures. A stake was struggling with tensions and difficulties among the members, and counsel needed to be given.
I asked President Young, 'What should I say?'
He answered simply, 'Tell them to read the scriptures.'
I asked, 'What scriptures?'
He said, ' It really doesn't matter. Tell them to open up the Book of Mormon, for instance, and begin to read. Soon the feeling of peace and inspiration will come, and a solution will present itself.'
Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment." (Find the whole talk here )
Here are some ways that I have studied the scriptures:
Pick a topic that you would like to learn more about and look up scriptures specific to that topic. The Topical Guide is so amazing for this. The Bible Dictionary can also be helpful. Use the footnotes to create a scripture chain or to lead you to understand certain verses better.
At the end of each talk there are "Notes" that give references to scriptures and resources used. They may also include the speakers notes about a specific topic. The talk may have the scriptures listed within the talk. These are usually found in parentheses. For my scripture study, I'll often read a conference talk and then read the scriptures that are listed at the end. This gives me greater understanding of these scriptures and helps me to understand them in a new way.
Do you ever feel like you know that you should read the scriptures, but it seems hard to get into them? Today, I'd like to share how I have made scripture study more meaningful for me, and how I have tried to "feast upon the words of Christ." This does not mean that I am in any way an expert or that my ways are better or different than other people's ways of studying scripture. I still have a LONG way to go before becoming a proclaimed (even self-proclaimed) scriptorian!
I do have a true love of the scriptures. They have helped me in more ways than I can put into words. They are a true gift from a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to Him. When I study the scriptures, the Spirit is with me more strongly, and I feel the Lord's guiding hand more profoundly in my life.
I have found that periodically changing my method of scripture study helps me to stay more engaged and interested. One of the most important things about scripture study is not how to study them, but to be CONSISTENT in your study of them. Sometimes I spend a few minutes studying; sometimes I spend a longer amount of time; sometimes I miss a day or two, but I try to make it a part of my daily routine, and it has been so helpful for me!
President Boyd K. Packer shared the following story:
"Years ago, Elder S. Dilworth Young of the Seventy taught me a lesson about reading the scriptures. A stake was struggling with tensions and difficulties among the members, and counsel needed to be given.
I asked President Young, 'What should I say?'
He answered simply, 'Tell them to read the scriptures.'
I asked, 'What scriptures?'
He said, ' It really doesn't matter. Tell them to open up the Book of Mormon, for instance, and begin to read. Soon the feeling of peace and inspiration will come, and a solution will present itself.'
Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment." (Find the whole talk here )
Here are some ways that I have studied the scriptures:
1. Chronological Order
This one is fairly self-explanatory, but just reading The Book of Mormon from cover to cover has great value. It gives you the context of the scripture stories and helps you to understand the timeline. I have yet to read The Bible in chronological order. Nice job to anyone who has! I may try it sometime!😉
2. Specific Topic
3.Using the General Conference Ensign
I love reading General Conference. With little kids at home, it is sometimes very difficult to watch/listen to conference even though Heaven knows we try! I love that the conference issue of the Ensign comes straight to my home for my own convenience!
At the end of each talk there are "Notes" that give references to scriptures and resources used. They may also include the speakers notes about a specific topic. The talk may have the scriptures listed within the talk. These are usually found in parentheses. For my scripture study, I'll often read a conference talk and then read the scriptures that are listed at the end. This gives me greater understanding of these scriptures and helps me to understand them in a new way.
4. Study with a Church Manual
Studying with a manual really gives a clear direction for your scripture study. The manuals that I have used are pictured below. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has so many resources (many which are available on-line). I have found these helpful in my personal study, outside of any classes.
5. "Ponderize"
"I invite you to “ponderize” one verse of scripture each week. The word ponderize is not found in the dictionary, but it has found a place in my heart. So what does it mean to ponderize? I like to say it’s a combination of 80 percent extended pondering and 20 percent memorization.
There are two simple steps:
First, choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day.
Second, read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week." Elder Devin G. Durrant (Find talk HERE)
When I was doing this for a while, I would look the chosen scripture up and look at all the footnotes and cross-references. This really helped me learn more about the verse(s) chosen for the week!
6. Study the Sunday Lessons
For the last three years, I have been in Primary (which I loved). I was recently called to be a Relief Society teacher (yay!). I love studying the lessons! They truly invite the Spirit and deepen my understanding. I haven't consistently studied the Sunday School and Relief Society lessons, but would like to do so in the future. I think it prepares us to learn and to participate on Sunday!
The possibilities for scripture study are endless. These are just a few! Always remember to include prayer in your personal scripture study. The Lord will guide you on how and what to read. May the Lord bless our consistent efforts to make His word a regular part of our lives!
Much Love ~
Heather
The possibilities for scripture study are endless. These are just a few! Always remember to include prayer in your personal scripture study. The Lord will guide you on how and what to read. May the Lord bless our consistent efforts to make His word a regular part of our lives!
Much Love ~
Heather
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Why "Fail Not to Continue?"
As promised, I will now let you in on the reason that this blog is called "Fail Not to Continue." This concept has truly been life changing for me! So much of life is about continuing, about falling down and getting back up, about going forward in a positive direction and not letting setbacks become true downfalls.
I've always wanted to write a book. I haven't because I don't yet have the follow through to complete a whole book. That is one reason that I decided to do a blog. I may not have the time/talent/energy at this point to complete a book, but I can complete a post! You've got to start where you are. Anyway, I was talking to a dear friend about what I would call a book if I wrote it. I felt strongly that that book would be "Fail Not to Continue." We never truly fail unless we fail to continue in righteousness.
I came across this phrase in the scriptures. Doctrine & Covenants 84:80 says, "And any man that shall go and preach this gospel of the kingdom, and fail not to continue faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind, neither darkened, neither in body, limb, nor joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry, neither athirst." (emphasis added)
Well, Nephi told us that the scriptures are for our profit and our learning. He also taught us to liken the scriptures unto ourselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23). I believe that Heavenly Father does have a sense of humor and that He cares about the things that we care about, because He loves us that much. These concepts came through loudly and clearly when reading D&C 84:80.
As many of you know, I suffer from daily headaches and have had a constant headache for almost every waking hour for the last 20 years. Sometimes it's just a dull pain (that I can ignore quite easily); sometimes it's a full out migraine. I've been on the search for a solution to this annoying problem. I had just gotten a book for healing headaches, and it included a specific diet. I've eliminated many foods from my diet before, but this was a seriously intense elimination including eliminating some nuts, fruits, and veggies that others would consider "healthy." I was feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged. Food is strongly linked to emotion with me, and changing my diet has been very difficult for me. I thought, "That's it! There's just nothing for me to eat. I'll just have to STARVE!" haha...as if! Well, right then, in my despair (I know I'm dramatic; I was born that way), I opened the scriptures to this verse. This is where Heavenly Father's humor comes in! "And they shall not go hungry." Ha Ha!! He knew what I was thinking, and He spoke to me from the scriptures! "CONTINUE! You've got this! Go in a good direction, and I WILL HELP YOU!! It will work out!"
WOW! This concept applies to so many different situations in our lives. Had a bad family home evening? It's ok! Continue faithfully! Go forward, keep trying. Stopped reading the scriptures? It's ok! Pick it up again! Start reading now and continue, and when you get off (and we usually do), get back on and continue.
So friends, "Fail not to continue!" He is aware of you. He loves you. You will be blessed for your consistent efforts in righteousness.
Much Love💗
Heather
I've always wanted to write a book. I haven't because I don't yet have the follow through to complete a whole book. That is one reason that I decided to do a blog. I may not have the time/talent/energy at this point to complete a book, but I can complete a post! You've got to start where you are. Anyway, I was talking to a dear friend about what I would call a book if I wrote it. I felt strongly that that book would be "Fail Not to Continue." We never truly fail unless we fail to continue in righteousness.
I came across this phrase in the scriptures. Doctrine & Covenants 84:80 says, "And any man that shall go and preach this gospel of the kingdom, and fail not to continue faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind, neither darkened, neither in body, limb, nor joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry, neither athirst." (emphasis added)
Well, Nephi told us that the scriptures are for our profit and our learning. He also taught us to liken the scriptures unto ourselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23). I believe that Heavenly Father does have a sense of humor and that He cares about the things that we care about, because He loves us that much. These concepts came through loudly and clearly when reading D&C 84:80.
As many of you know, I suffer from daily headaches and have had a constant headache for almost every waking hour for the last 20 years. Sometimes it's just a dull pain (that I can ignore quite easily); sometimes it's a full out migraine. I've been on the search for a solution to this annoying problem. I had just gotten a book for healing headaches, and it included a specific diet. I've eliminated many foods from my diet before, but this was a seriously intense elimination including eliminating some nuts, fruits, and veggies that others would consider "healthy." I was feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged. Food is strongly linked to emotion with me, and changing my diet has been very difficult for me. I thought, "That's it! There's just nothing for me to eat. I'll just have to STARVE!" haha...as if! Well, right then, in my despair (I know I'm dramatic; I was born that way), I opened the scriptures to this verse. This is where Heavenly Father's humor comes in! "And they shall not go hungry." Ha Ha!! He knew what I was thinking, and He spoke to me from the scriptures! "CONTINUE! You've got this! Go in a good direction, and I WILL HELP YOU!! It will work out!"
WOW! This concept applies to so many different situations in our lives. Had a bad family home evening? It's ok! Continue faithfully! Go forward, keep trying. Stopped reading the scriptures? It's ok! Pick it up again! Start reading now and continue, and when you get off (and we usually do), get back on and continue.
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| My reminder on my bedroom wall |
Much Love💗
Heather
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Peppermint Chocolate...OOO La La
'Tis the season for peppermint chocolate smells and eats!!! If you know me (and if you're reading this, you probably do), you probably know that I love to make natural stuff...lip gloss, deodorant, bath salts, etc. Well, I recently found a new BODY BUTTER recipe that I love! Find the recipe on Pinterest HERE!
I've made body butter before (thanks to my good friend who introduced me to body butter making 😂). The colder it has gotten the harder the body butter has gotten. I basically have to scrape it with my finger nail, let it melt in my hand, and then rub it in. Don't get me wrong, it's still great! I especially like this stuff on freshly shaven legs.
Recently, I found a great recipe that stays soft! Plus, it is FABULOUS for dry and cracked heels! BONUS!! I slathered this stuff on my feet (very nice feeling as well with the peppermint essential oil), put socks on, and PRESTO I could tell a huge difference by the next day. Happy Dance!!
I don't usually follow recipes exactly (if you've been to one of my salve making classes, you know that is true!). I used peppermint essential oil instead of the other essential oils listed. (The chocolate smell comes from the pure cocoa butter.) I also used a few different carrier oils along with the sweet almond oil.
I gave some of this body butter to the kids' school teachers along with a tag that said, "Wishing you a 'smooth' Holiday Season!" It makes a great gift!
There you have the sweet smells...now on to the sweet eats! I'm the queen of posting yummy looking stuff onto Facebook to "save for later." Well, you know, later usually means never. This time, I ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING I POSTED! Plus, it turned out great!
Oh, and true to Heather fashion, I didn't follow the recipe exactly...I added a few drops of peppermint essential oil (and maybe not as much extract). I used dark chocolate chips. I also put them in the freezer instead of the fridge (I'm impatient like that). For some reason, these babies tasted even better the second day.
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| The Harder Body Butter |
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| Softer Body Butter 😁 |
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| Ignore the extremely LONG palm and short fingers (weird camera angle? Yes!). Notice the soft, buttery texture and imagine how great this feels on your feet!!!! |
I gave some of this body butter to the kids' school teachers along with a tag that said, "Wishing you a 'smooth' Holiday Season!" It makes a great gift!
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| Shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. ROCK STAR ingredients! |
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| Mission Accomplished |
There you have the sweet smells...now on to the sweet eats! I'm the queen of posting yummy looking stuff onto Facebook to "save for later." Well, you know, later usually means never. This time, I ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING I POSTED! Plus, it turned out great!
I made peppermint patties dipped in dark chocolate, and the kids have been eating these like crazy. Yes, the "kids" have been eating them...wink, wink.
Click here for the recipe if you want to try it! Make sure that your dough is really stiff. If not, it kind of runs and flattens as it sits. Also, better not roll them out too thin. They kind of fold in the chocolate if they are too thin.
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| YUM! |
Happy Body Butter and Peppermint Patty making!!!
Much Love❤
Heather
Top 4 YouTube Workouts!
Hello, Everyone!
I created this blog just as a place to put all my randomness. I can't promise what I'll post about, or how often. It will always be a surprise😀 Don't you love surprises? Anyway, I started this as a post for Facebook, and it was getting so long. I know not a ton of people like LONG posts, so I figured a blog was a better venue. Here we are! I will post more about why the blog is named "Fail Not to Continue" another time. Also, I'll try to customize stuff and add some cute stuff later. For now, I'm posting about WORKING OUT! BOOYA!
This year I have refocused on a health and fitness journey. I'm not an expert, just sharing what's worked for me! Today, I would like to share with you, my top 4 favorite FREE YouTube workouts! I LOVE YouTube for working out. Feeling tired? Type in "recovery workout." Only have 20 minutes to work out? Search "20 minute workout." Feel like doing a dance workout? Look for "Dance Cardio." Anyway, you get the idea. Some of us think that we have to have a lot of time or a lot of money or a lot of equipment to even start our fitness journey. We want to have a perfect plan all lined up and decorated with pretty bows. NO! That is too overwhelming. The BEST thing to do is just START!!! Just do it! Start moving! Only have 10 minutes? Use it! Need some tube time? Work out while watching TV. Heck, I've even worked out while the hubby's driving the car, and I'm sittin' in the front seat. I don't do it perfectly; I'm not in perfect shape; I don't have perfect form, but I'm trying; I'm doing. That's what matters. Take the perfectionism OUT of the equation. Anyway, that's why Youtube has been so great for me. I can work out in front of my computer or TV in my own home. Now, on to my favorites 😊
1) Yoga is so great for body mind integration! I also find that it is great for connecting both sides of the brain. Plus, the strength and balance that you gain from a yoga practice will actually help in your other types of exercise. It will help to prevent injuries. It's also very grounding. There are just a ton of benefits to yoga. If you are new to the practice, I recommend "Yoga With Adriene." My good, similarly-minded friend introduced me to Yoga With Adriene. I started with Adriene's "30 Days of Yoga." I also like her "Weight Loss" series. She really helps you connect to your body and "Find what feels good!"
2) Love me some kickboxing! Makes me feel strong and fierce (even though you know I'd be the first one attempting to run away from any type of danger!) I love training to kickbox, but don't actually want to kickbox because I don't exactly enjoy getting hit...lol. I like a lot of the HASfit workouts. I feel like the coach is really down to earth and motivational without being too arrogant...you feel me?
3 POPSUGAR fitness is my #3. There are a variety of workouts!
4) Last, but not least! Fitness Blender! I often pair their cool downs with some of my other workouts. Sometimes, I choose one of their full workouts as well. I feel like they explain the movements very well and help you to keep good form.
By the way, I'm looking for a good zumba/dance cardio FULL workout on YouTube. I've found individual songs that I like, but would like a continuous workout! Post in comments below if you have found one 😊
One last tip...If I'm working out on my computer, I love to save my fav YouTube videos to my Pinterest account. If I play the videos off Pinterest, I can often do them commercial-free. Yay! Plus, it keeps all my favorites in one spot for easy access.
Fail not to continue, My Friends!
Much Love,
Heather
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