Day 19: Puzzle Skills

40 Days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 19: Puzzle Skills

This time of year many of us pull out a puzzle and set it up in the front room for family to gather and sit and talk while putting together the puzzle. The seasoned and experienced puzzler will sort the pieces according to trim, shapes and colors. And as the creation begins the lid of the puzzle- "The Big Picture" is placed where all can see it and refer back to it as the puzzle piece hunt begins. 

There's always a block in the flow of the puzzle especially if one of the pieces is missing or hiding from our view. 

Sometimes, I've spent as much or more time on the hunt for the missing piece then I do putting together the puzzle. 

So, if our life is like a puzzle we work on creating day by day. 

Do you have a clear picture of what the end creation is to look like to refer to?

Do you have the pieces sorted and in some sort of order?

Do you have any missing pieces? 

When I asked myself those questions and wrote down a list of how I can improve my life puzzle skills; it went something like this:

Yes I have a clear picture of the end "Puzzle" I call it Fulfilling the Measure of My Creation. sometimes I forget to marvel at the beauty of that big picture. 

No, my pieces are a mess! I need some order. I need to clear away the pieces that didn't belong in my puzzle box in the first place. The ones that don't have a place in my life puzzle. And sort the important pieces in some sort of order.

And my missing piece- my first response was Laughter. 

What was yours?

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."  -1 Corinthians 15:58

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."    -Moses 1:39

This is for my missing laughter puzzle piece- and for those just starting out on their life puzzles. 

Day 18: Centered

40 Days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 18: Centered

Today I noticed my little granddaughter Peyton had rearranged all the nativity sets in my home so all the figurines where circling the baby Jesus. It made me stop and ponder, "what has been the center of my focus today?" I know I had spent hours on line shopping which for me can be an endless maze I can easily get lost in.

As a little girl I found a drawing compass in the pencil drawer- I remember being fascinated by the ability to draw perfect circles if I fixed the pointed end firmly and stretched out the other end with the pencil on it. There's a great lesson to be learned from the simple drawing compass; we all have a spiritual compass. 

We are to keep our "fixed foot" firmly planted and centered in Truth/ Jesus Christ. The other foot the one with the pencil can be referred to as the "Searching Foot" reaches out to draw the largest circle possible taking in many truths. Truth is scattered around the world, God scattered truth like a sower throwing seeds. God is a light-giving God and dispenses truth as widely as the stars. God speaks all languages- I hear Him in the voice of a living prophet, but I can also hear Him in the voices of a sage, or an author, or a poet, or a musician or and artist. When their voices are centered in God- they too sow seeds of truth. I remember trying to use the compass by beginning with the searching foot first and my circles always went lopsided. There's order to being centered & rooted. My "fixed foot" is planted and focused in the gospel of Jesus Christ where I can draw a large circle from there taking in many truths our Heavenly Father has scattered through out the earth.

 "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."  John 18:37

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." -Buddha

So, stop today the hustle and bustle and center your fixed foot in baby Jesus. Then you can reach out from there for all the beautiful truths scattered around. 

Remember,

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store." 

- Dr. Seuss (another voice of truth)

Day 17: Equanimity

40 Days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 17: Equanimity

I was awoken today with the stomach flu which is always a horrible reminder to me of Equanimity. Cause I will usually lie in bed and try to be in charge of the storm ragging in me demanding it be calm! It is a struggle that I never win.

There is a famous quote by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr that says, 

"GOD, GIVE US THE GRACE TO ACCEPT WITH SERENITY THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED, COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS WHICH SHOULD BE CHANGED, AND THE WISDOM TO DISTINGUISH THE ONE FROM THE OTHER." 

I want to be transformed and changed enough to have the ability to accept the things I cannot change, and be humble enough to admit that my willpower and ego are ultimately powerless over most of the realities in my life. 

There are innumerable things we cannot change- The weather, the traffic, the flu and the behavior of others (even our children). 

It is so easy to get reactive when we feel like we aren't in control. We can get caught up in a storm of the struggle, stress, reactivity, blame and then react. Our reactions come in many forms some being- anger, cravings, numbing, self medicating and distractions. 

Equanimity is the art of meeting life as it meets you- calmly, without drama or fuss. I like thinking of it as standing still in the eye of the storm.

The lighthouse isn't taking charge of the storm it is simply "Staying Still."

We think we can change things by taking charge, by "grabbing the bull by the horns." But if you think about it, grabbing a bull by the horns would be a crazy thing to do. We change by finding Equanimity and learning to relax right in the middle of conflict-filled moments. 

Can you see yourself as the same person who maintains composure on a sinking ship, which allows you to help save the lives of others aboard? In truth, our Equanimity is full of courage and can save lives.

To me the Greatest Example of Equanimity is Jesus Christ. In His Life and Death He maintained His equanimity and submissiveness. He did the will of His Father in ALL things. This is where we will find our strength to stand still and be immovable in the storms and waves that crash against us. And 

come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  John 16:22

YOGA TODAY

Savasana

A restful pose usually at the end of the class. laying on your back, eyes closed, legs and arms extended and palms open to the sky. This is the Meditation part of yoga it  is a powerful tool for noticing and letting go of our habitual responses. I see so many students in my class fidget and sometimes leave the room during this part of the class. Savasana is the  practice of developing Equanimity by staying present, staying conscious, and most of all, just staying. 

Day 16: Remembrance

40 Days Transformation & Change of Heart

Day 16: Remembrance 

Today is Pearl Harbor day.

Take a minute to Remember Sacrifices made for you.

Sacrifices for your Freedoms, for your Peace and for your Happiness. 

A changed heart never takes such things for granted 

I will take time to Remember the sacrifices made by brave men and women for this country. What a brave things for those of such a young age enlist to do- what a heart wrenching thing for a mother to sacrifice also.

I pray that I will Always Remember the Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself as the Ultimate Sacrifice for us All! 

"He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth." 

I think that must be why when we sacrifice our time, talents, money or even our lives for others- it is made Holy.

"Nothing you give is lost to you or anyone, but cherished and preserved in Heaven."

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a SACRIFICE to God for a sweetsmelling savor." Ephesians 5:2

Day 15: Generations

40 Days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 15: Generations

I think my greatest desire as a mother is that our family reaches through the Eternities as one. That my daughter improves upon what I give her, and my granddaughter improves even more upon that.  

We all leave a legacy. 

It depends upon us what the legacy is going to be. 

My prayer is that I leave some laughter, loads of love, memories for the senses, some wisdom to be drawn upon when needed and a testimony and faith in Christ that knits our hearts as one.

Thank you Mom for your reaching through the Generations.

"Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children..."  Doctrine & Covenants 98:16

Day 14: Countenance

40 Days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 14: Countenance 

A Merry Heart maketh a Cheerful Countenance.

Proverbs 15:13

I'm reading Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' 

which begins with the dark description of Scrooge's countenance. 

"...nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked what it was o'clock, no man or women ever once in all his life inquired the way to such a place, of Scrooge... it was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance..."

What is your body language saying to others as you walk among men? 

Our subconscious brains read and discern emotions of others within nanoseconds of encountering each other. What message are you emulating? Are you approachable? Guarded? Smiling? Do you make or avoid eye contact? 

This morning as I walked the dogs in my favorite field I came upon a barbwire fence that was put up just yesterday forcing me to stop and turn around. Do you have fences up stopping others from getting to know you or creating barriers that stop progress?

If so try an experiment today of just simply smiling, have an attitude of Cheerfulness as you walk among others, reach out and serve others.
Then sit back and watch how it spreads to others and how it will lighten your heart also. 

Be The Light!

“Have ye received His image in your countenances?” (Alma 5:14.) 

Countenance does not simply mean a facial expression or visual appearance. The word comes from an old French term originally denoting ‘behavior,’ ‘demeanor,’ or ‘conduct.’ In earlier times the word countenance was used with these meanings in mind. Therefore, to receive Christ’s image in one’s countenance means to acquire the Savior’s likeness in behavior, to be a copy or reflection of the Master’s life.”  

^{I hope you can take the time to enjoy this short video}

                                                                                             The Coat: A Story of Charity                              

Day 13: Remove the Clutter

40 Days Transformation & Change of Heart

Day 13: Remove the Clutter

"The Path He leads us on is not a CLUTTERED Path.

It is Simple and Straight and Lighted by the Spirit."

There can be all kinds of Clutter in our lives,

it maybe our homes, workspace, cars or even our schedules or our mind. 

In my case sometimes I feel like it's everything in my life. 

I know Clutter is a toxic killer for Creativity and Productivity. 

And sometimes it's paralyzing not knowing where to begin.

In an experiment a group of women where asked to imagine for a whole week everyday as if The Holy Ghost was her constant companion. And to make notes of what changes they discover. 

How they spent their time, what they say and how they felt and report results.

Every single one stated that they felt inspired to first start off by cleaning up the Clutter. 

The Clutter in their rooms, The Clutter in how they spent their time, and the Clutter in what they talked about. 

Clutter can be how we waste time, I've battled a Netflix addiction before, trapped in the endless loop of T.V series. Then one day I was studying about addictions and realized I needed intervention. 

Repentance is a spiritual process that involves humility, confession, restitution, and a turning away from the sin.

When cleaning up the clutter those undesirable actions must be replaced with healthy and appropriate behaviors.

This can take time- one clutter at a time, begin with the space nearest you.

 "The block of granite which was an obstacle in the path of the weak becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong."

-Thomas Carlyle

 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgiveus our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.       1 John 1:4-9

Yoga Today

Meditation

Best way to clear the Clutter form the mind is to take the time to Meditate. 
Start simply with just laying or seated comfortably. Hush the Chatter of thought. focus on breath. close your eyes, stay awake, experience Calm.

There's a Zen saying,
"Everyone needs at least 20 minutes a day of Meditation,
if you're too busy for that
You Need a full Hour."