Personal Progress Faith: A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Dear Family & Friends,

My current calling is to serve as the Young Women Miamaid Advisor. As I serve and learn about the gospel with the young women of my ward, I have made it a goal to complete Personal Progress again. I am so grateful to participate in this program. It has helped my scripture study habits and the way I teach my own children.

As part of my Faith ten hour project I am in need of your help. I would like to collect as many stories, testimonies and thoughts about faith to make a book. I’d like this collection to be an informal family history book. This could be done as a family (FHE or Sunday activity) or something you do on your own. You can write a long story or a simple thought!

If you need help getting started, here are a few ideas:

·        Read “The Living Christ” and as you do, consider the Savior’s influence in your life and how your faith in Him has increased.
·        How have you demonstrated faith?
·        Describe the blessings you’ve received because of your faith.
·        Write your testimony concerning a gospel principle and how it has helped your faith grow. (paying a full tithe, the plan of salvation, temple attendance, repentance, prayer, fasting, etc…)
·        Children (or adults!) can illustrate a picture of what faith is to them

Thank you so much for helping me record these amazing experiences. I hope by writing our stories they will uplift and encourage those that read them.

I would love to have all stories by February 1, 2015 (Sunday). Please send them to my email or via Facebook message. If you have any questions please call/text/email/facebook.

With love,

Meghan

Journal Jar: Childhood Friends

March 21, 2013

Describe your childhood friends and something you did together.

The first friends that I can remember are Lauren Barlow (now Foster) & Megan Shane. Lauren lived up the street from me in our old home by Viewmont High School. We would play dress up and play with Lauren's American Girl dolls. I loved playing with her AG dolls because I always wanted one. I remember I lost my first tooth at Lauren's house while watching Mr. Limpet and eating mac & cheese :)

Lauren, Me, Megan

My elementary best friend was Mindy Smith. We did everything together! Every year during spring break (4th grade-6th grade) we would go down to her grandparent's condo in St. George. We would empty out the hall closet and shove a card table and two chairs inside and play "Veterinarian". One of us would be the secretary and the other would be the vet. We'd take care of imaginary sick horses & dogs. My most favorite/funny memory would have to be climbing on the roof of the Fisher Price log cabin in her backyard to watch her cute neighbor, Brian Roberts, mow the lawn with his shirt off...

Mindy & Me

My longest childhood friendship was with Amber Thorne. I moved in across the street from her in 4th grade and we instantly became amazing friends. We had so much fun together filming our cooking shows as Sunny & Moony. We jumped on the trampoline for hours, used scooters to get everywhere and went to Lagoon almost everyday of the summer. We would even dress alike. We had these disgusting matching orange tank tops that we wore with jean shorts. I went to my first concert with Amber (Brittney Spears- before she turned skanky).

Meg & Amber at the Brittney Spears concert

(yeah...that's my hair)

I had such fantastic childhood friends and I am grateful for the influence they all had on me. Love you all!

Journal Jar: Chore Time

March 20, 2013

Journal Jar Question: What were your chores as a child? What was your favorite and least favorite chore?

I remember my mom was a chore nazi. While back then I loathed Saturday mornings, I am grateful for her high cleaning standards. She taught me how to do my own laundry, wash a window without streaks & how nest to clean a toilet.

My favorite chore as a child was probably vacuuming. For some reason, I thought that if the vacuum was running, no one could hear me singing. I'd turn on my latest Backstreet Boy CD and sing along. I also enjoyed mowing the FRONT lawn (the back was just too big and difficult).

My least favorite chore was toilets (and still is my least favorite today). I'd rather do laundry everyday than clean a toilet once a week. I never really liked doing dishes. Today I still pawn off most of the dishes to my poor husband. Occasionally I'll plug in my iPod and get down with the dishes but that is a rare.

These are the only pictures I could find of me doing "chores" as a child

Journal Jar - Favorite Scriptures

November 11, 2012

JOURNAL JAR TIME!!!

List your favorite scriptures. What makes them your favorite?

Alma 34:38-41

Each verse has intense advise that I always need to remind myself but, my favorite of those verses is 41.

“but that ye have patience and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.”

This verse is even more special to me now that I am pregnant. Believe me, I am uber grateful that Heavenly Father has entrusted Calin & I with one of his children. However, being pregnant is hard… Who ever said being pregnant is beautiful and full of rainbows & puppy dogs was full of crap. Reading Alma 34:41 whenever I feel like I’m going to lose my mind (which is quite often) is a wonderful blessing. I am reminded that I will “rest from all your afflictions”. This promise is the light at the end of my very long pregnancy tunnel.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:33

“Fear not to do good…”

I was thinking about this verse while watching abc’s show, What Would You Do? If you haven’t seen it, the premise is basically strangers are put to the test in public places with awkward situations (put on by actors). The situations range from boyfriend abusing girlfriend, dad yelling at child for some dumb reason, or racial/sexist situations. As an audience we watch hoping that the unknowing strangers will step in & stick up for the “victim”.

I can only hope that if I were ever in that situation, this scripture would pop into my head…”Fear not to do good”. Would I stick up for someone in need of help? Would I stop a verbally abusive parent? My answer is yes. (I’m an optimist) I will not fear to do good.

I just thought this cartoon was hilarious because I'm pretty sure Calin has said those exact words. He is crossing his fingers for an early delivery...

Journal Jar- "When you grow up"

November 7, 2012

Tonight for relief society's enrichment night, we talked about the importance of keeping a journal. I used to be really good at writing in my journal but, since being married, I am ashamed at the lack of entries in my journal...

We read a talk given by Henry B Eyring that inspired me to want to be better at keeping a daily record.

 "As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done."

Our enrichment craft was to make journal jars & while folding my questions I decided that I was so diligent in keeping up my blog, I would just add Journal Jar entries too! Obviously these posts are more for me & my posterity to have but, I think that sharing life experiences are not only for yourself but for the benefit of others - enjoy!

JOURNAL JAR TIME!!!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Up until the age of 16, I wanted to be a doctor. As a small child I would listen to my teddy bear's heartbeat. When I could read and write, I remember turning the family room into a doctor's office. I had color-coded manila folders with patient information, my x-ray room (aka closet with a small lamp), waiting room for any willing person & a medical kit complete with stethoscope & blood pressure cuff. 

When I got into high school I enrolled in the CNA program. This is where I learned I DO NOT want to be a doctor :) Stitching up teddy bears was much less nauseating than blood & other forms of goo that comes from the human body.  

My childhood dream of being a doctor was just that--a dream. Perfect in my innocent child eyes but, growing up I was smacked with the reality that I could not handle the job of a doctor.