Recipe of the Month: Kristy Ford
Energy
Balls
1
Cup Oats (slightly ground)
½ Cup
ground Flax seed
½ Cup
Peanut Butter (can be substituted with another nut or seed butter)
1/3
Cup Honey
½ Cup
Dark Chocolate Chips (can be substituted with another chip or even coconut)
1 tsp.
Vanilla
1
tsp. Chia seeds
1. Spiritual Self-reliance: Kim Foster
President
Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know
for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the
resurrected, living Son of the living God” (“Fear Not to Do Good,” Ensign, May 1983,
80).
Dieter
F. Uchtdorf Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
A
testimony provides proper perspective, motivation, and a solid foundation on
which to build a life of purpose and personal growth. It is a constant source
of confidence, a true and faithful companion during good times and bad. A testimony
provides us with a reason for hope and gladness. It helps us cultivate a spirit
of optimism and happiness and enables us to rejoice in the beauties of nature.
A testimony motivates us to choose the right at all times and in all circumstances.
It motivates us to draw nearer to God, allowing Him to draw nearer to us (see
James 4:8)
Testimony
brings increased personal accountability and is a source of purpose, assurance,
and joy.
How
do we gain a testimony?
First:
Desire to believe.
Second:
Search the scriptures.
Third:
Ponder, fast, and pray.
Fourth:
Do the will of God; keep the commandments.
This
is not a one time effort. Your testimony needs to be nourished continually.
Always searching and always going to the Lord in prayer. Our testimonies are
strengthened through the gift of the Holy Ghost. Make choices everyday that will allow you to
feel the influence of the Holy Ghost.
“The
inspiring influence of the Holy Spirit can be overcome or masked by strong
emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences
are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating
a jalapeño pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the
other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the
Holy Spirit” (“To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2009, 8).
Our
personal testimony and faith in the Lord will bring us peace, joy, strength and
desire to do what he requires of us.
Parable
of the Ten Virgins
Being
wise means being prepared for the unexpected with an extra measure of faith,
testimony, and the Spirit in our lives.
Sometimes we grow complacent, thinking we have enough to get by. But
following the Savior means more than just getting by. It means always striving
to draw closer to Him, preparing for those times when our patience, faith, and testimony
will be tried.
Elder
David A. Bednar stated “Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of
a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of
conversion.”
Knowing
by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ is important and
necessary. But earnestly coming unto Him and giving our whole souls as an
offering requires much more than merely knowing. Conversion requires all of our
heart, all of our might, and all of our mind and strength (see D&C 4:2).
In
speaking about the Parable of The Ten Virgins, Elder Bednar poses this
question….
“Were
the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating
correctly that the oil of conversion cannot be borrowed? Can the spiritual
strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to
another person? Can the knowledge obtained through diligent study and pondering
of the scriptures be conveyed to one who is in need? Can the peace the gospel
brings to a faithful Latter-day Saint be transferred to an individual experiencing
adversity or great challenge? The clear answer to each of these questions is
no.
As
the wise virgins emphasized properly, each of us must “buy for ourselves.”
These inspired women were not describing a business transaction; rather, they
were emphasizing our individual responsibility to keep our lamp of testimony
burning and to obtain an ample supply of the oil of conversion. This precious
oil is acquired one drop at a time—“line upon line [and] precept upon precept”
(2 Nephi 28:30), patiently and persistently. No shortcut is available; no
last-minute flurry of preparation is possible.”
“Wherefore,
be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil
with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom” (D&C
33:17)
2. Financial
Self-reliance: Stephanie Ingram/Bethany Jones
Every
family has the responsibility to provide for its own needs to the extent
possible. The responsibility to manage family finances should be shared between
husband and wife with an attitude of trust and openness. Wise financial
management can provide security and promote family well-being. Members may
experience financial troubles due to unemployment, overspending, unexpected
emergencies, or mismanagement of finances. Paying an honest tithing, living
within your means, saving for unexpected expenses, and avoiding debt are
essential parts of financial stability.
See below
for some good recourses for learning to budget:
A few
years ago, the episode “Family Finances” was aired on BYUtv and has been
archived on their website for public viewing. It is an excellent show,
(presented by The School of Family Life and The College of Family, Home and
Social Sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah), that is based on
interviews with typical families dealing with their finances as well as
discussions from three financial educators: Craig Israelsen, PhD and Bernard
Poduska, PhD of Brigham Young University and Deanna Sharpe, DFP, PhD of
University of Missouri.
The church resources
on finance are very simple and straightforward. They are a good place for
people www.providentliving.org. One for the money
pamphlet http://store.lds.org/images/estore/products/000/2800_33293000_o06.pdf
I just use excel and
make my own worksheets. And I am happy to email a blank one to anyone that
would like to use excel.
My Brother-in-law
suggested this site: http://www.youneedabudget.com/ There
is a free 34 day trial, then it's $5 per month.
3. Physical
Self-reliance: Linda Smithy
I was asked to talk about
ways we can focus on our health through 2016. I broke it down into two
sections, first was exercise and second was food. Because it takes us roughly
64 days to change our habits and make new ones; I listed out 6 changes you
could make in 2016 in each area, and focusing on one of those ideas for two
months creating your new healthy habit. I'm going to outline them below:
Exercise:
1. If you aren't already
trying to get some cardio activity in each week, you need to be doing a minimum
of 30-60 min of walking 5 days a week. I don't have a lot of time and I'm
pretty sure most of us don't; I'll admit that I do conference calls while walking
my neighborhood or even better is when I can connect with a girlfriend and
catch up while burning calories.
2. Branch out and find
an exercise class you enjoy; it will help you hold yourself accountable! I find
that when you have to pay for something you tend to make sure you get the most
for your money, and you might enjoy yourself more while working out doing
something you like!
3. Incorporate
stretching/yoga into your routine. Stretching helps alleviate a lot of aches
and pains as well as post exercise muscle soreness. Another great benefit is
that it helps your body deal with stress better!
4. Add in some weights
to your exercise routine. Weights can sometimes be scary for females, but using
weights amplifies your metabolism and calorie burning. Remember, you
don't have to use super heavy weights; just enough weight that you can feel
your muscles being used to move it! I recommend choosing weights that you can
achieve ~8-12 reps for 3 sets of each exercise you are doing.
5. Cardio can get
mundane and boring which makes it really easy to not want to do, so why not
switch it up?! Try cycling, swimming, running, interval training,
rowing... their are endless options, just don't give up, switch it up!
6. Start combining the
above. Personally, I like to mix up my cardio with weights so I do 30 min
of cardio followed by weights, or I'll walk for 30 min on the treadmill before
heading to yoga class. combining the above will help to challenge your
body and ultimately benefit your health even more!
Healthy Eating:
1. First, don't take
anything away yet. Start by adding in 1 serving of green vegetables in your
daily routine. Green vegetables offer a wealth of nutrients and fiber.
Americans in general tend to eat a very poor nutrient diet low in fiber, and adding
in some green vegetables is the perfect start!
2. Start your day with a
large glass of water before eating, and keep drinking water all day long. By
doing this, you are waking up your digestive track and flushing out the toxins
that your body has been striving to clean out of your system while you sleep.
Water is also great for your skin, helping it to stay more supple and have more
moisture.
3. Now its time to take
away the bad stuff and cut out fried and high fat foods. Focus on
preparing meals that are grilled, broiled, baked, and steamed. You're striving
to keep your insides healthy and trust me your body will thank you for this one
and you will lose weight faster.
4. Avoid processed
foods. Processed foods are low in nutrients and are more harmful than
good. These products typically turn right into sugar and get stored as
fat. They are full of unnecessary chemicals and substances that don't
benefit your overall health.
5. No DIET or Low-Fat
foods. Companies are genius marketers, but they aren't genius
nutritionists. They have replaced nutrient dense, good, filling fat sources
with chemicals and substitutes that clog your arteries and your digestive
track. Avoid these as much as possible!
6. Last but not least,
avoid sugar. Sugar creates inflammation in your body, and inflammation creates
disease. Sugar in very small amounts is ok, we all need birthday cake on
our birthday, but not every day!
So, if you are trying to
lose weight I'll let you know its 80% the food that goes in your body and 20%
exercise. Start slow and don't overwhelm yourself. Like I always
say, you can't eat an elephant in one bite and you won't change your body
overnight. Make small changes and take pride in those changes and build on them
like building blocks and you will feel, look, and be healthier!
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