Slaying Dragons

"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." G.K. Chesterton

Dragons, evil witches, magic spells, and curses all plague our fairy tales and give the prince and/or princess something to fight against. These stories are always a battle between good versus evil. Life is the same way. We may not run around talking to animals and singing our innermost thoughts, but we are all waging a battle with some sort of dragon.

Snow White had the evil queen, Prince Philip battled the dragon, Cinderella had an evil step-mother, and The Beast struggled with a life long curse. Just as each character has it's own specific foe our battles are very specific to us as well. You may be fighting a chronic illness, struggling to find your true love, or even dealing with tough family issues. No matter what you are going through isn't it comforting to know that good always triumphs, the hero always wins.

Is the battle always an easy one? No. In stories and in life all battles take a great deal of hard work, courage, perseverance, and faith. As we approach our inner dragons we must be properly armed, we need to have our sword and our shield. We need to have a belief in ourselves and our ability to overcome anything that comes our way. When we stand strong with a firm determination to never give up no matter how hard life gets we arm ourselves with a power that is extremely difficult to beat.

So, let us take a lesson from the stories we grew up with as children...we can win! Is life always going to be  sunshine and rainbows? No, but just as every life has struggles and dark times; every life has victories. Don't give up the fight and one day you will slay a dragon of your own.

Everyday Blessings

I saw a quote on pinterest one day that stopped me in my tracks and really got me thinking. It said, "God gave you 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you?" I wake up every morning and kneel to pray. In that prayer I thank Heavenly Father for bringing me safely through the night, but after reading this quote I had to stop and think; what had I thanked Him for throughout my day?

Here is another quote I love about gratitude:

"The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much." -Pres. Ezra Taft Benson (God,Family,Country, Salt Lake City. Deseret BookCo., 1974, p.199)

Everyday we are blessed with so many things that even if we used every one of our 86,400 seconds to say thank you it would never be enough. It is important that we take time to say thank you anyway!

Here are a few of the things I am grateful for today:

• My Family
• A Living Prophet
• Temples
• Friends
• Sunsets
• My Home
• Scriptures

What would be on your list right now?

Peter Breinholt sings a song on the topic of gratitude that I love! As you watch this clip I hope you hear a few things you could add to your list of everyday blessings to be thankful for. Enjoy!

Chronic Illness

I know that for the most part people mean well when they say things like in the picture above, but really it doesn't help. I've pretty much heard them all and it quite literally stabs you in the heart. Being sick is the last thing anyone with a chronic illness wants, I guarantee they've already tried getting rest, exercise, and taken every medication out there with a possibility of helping. We already know about everyone who has similar conditions who are either better or worse than we seem to be. Oh and just because we look good, doesn't mean we feel good.

I have struggled with illness most of my life. My illnesses are not ones you can see by looking at me, unless you happen to see me during one of spells. I have good days and bad days. I also have days that aren't that great, but I have to push through and find a way to live anyway. If you were to run into me at the grocery store on that day you wouldn't know the battle I'm fighting inside. You wouldn't be able to see how badly my body just wants to lie down, or how much pain I'm in. You wouldn't see how heavy my heart is because all I want is to feel better. I'm kind of a stubborn person and I don't like asking for help, so even if you were to come over on one of my really bad days you would still see a smile on my face and me acting as normal as possible; after you left I would crawl into bed and cry.

So, if you are a well-meaning person who knows someone with chronic illness you may be wondering,  what kind of things are okay to say? What kind of things do help? In my experience the thing that helps the most is just knowing you're not alone. Having a friend that comes over on a rough day and watches a movie with you, or calls to let you know you're on their mind. Those are things that help. Be thoughtful, think of things you don't like doing when you're sick and do that for someone else. On my bad days I absolutely hate cooking, so having someone bring me dinner is a huge help. I also hate having a dirty house, but I don't always feel well enough to clean it, so when a friend stops by to help wash my dishes I am overwhelmed with gratitude. There are ways to help without using any of the phrases above.

I know everyone is unique when it comes to facing trials, but I honestly don't think I'm all that different from someone else who suffers from a chronic illness. So, next time you come in contact with a friend or family member who is struggling please think before you speak. Do something that will actually help them. Let them feel your love.

For my friends who also suffer through chronic illness, let's remember that people do mean well and give them a break. I'm sure they are doing the best they know how.

Luvs & Hugs

Inspiration

What inspires you? Do you have a go to thing or person that you turn to when you feel the need for a bit of a lift? What is it about your "go to thing" that inspires you?

Let me share with you a few things that inspire me.

I love to surround myself with people who inspire me to be the best me I can be. They bring out a side of me that I love to see. When I am around certain people I feel better about myself. I feel confident, happy, and carefree. I don't worry about what they are thinking of me, or acting a certain way around them. I simply know that I can be myself. There are people I look up to and strive to be like. It's not that I want to be who they are, because I like being me. However, there are certain qualities that I see in others that I would like to bring out more in myself. I believe that everyone has some good in them, but there are certain people that no matter how hard I try, it is difficult to stay true to yourself when I am around them. They seem to suck the life out of me, and make my heart feel so heavy. Then there are those who make me feel light, happy, and comfortable. These are the people who inspire me.

Music is a very strong avenue for inspiration to me. Depending on the song music can inspire me to clean my house, write, sing, dance, cry, and simply feel. I believe there is a perfect song for every moment if you listen for it. As an example, I'm currently listening to a beautiful piece of piano music by Jim Brickman. The melody is so peaceful and inspires me to ponder. This pondering mood helps me to write the thoughts that are flowing through my mind. It helps me tap into that creative center somewhere inside and bring it out into the light. When I get ready in the mornings I turn on music with a beat. My hairbrush and I have a blast jamming out to the latest hits! Music is more than just notes strung together; music is the language of my soul.

I believe that the closer one gets to God the more inspired they will be in all aspects of life. I have found there are two specific places that I can go to feel close to God and the inspiration I seek. One is the temple, the house of the Lord. I love to spend time just sitting in the celestial room pondering on life. I can come here with questions regarding what I should be doing with my life, or how to work through specific problems and leave with the answers I needed. I always leave the temple with a cup brimming with peace, happiness, and inspiration to accomplish all my righteous desires. There is no better place on Earth to feel close to heaven. My second go to place for inspiration is nature Anywhere I can be alone with the sun, trees, and a gentle breeze are perfect. I've found inspiration while sitting on the beach listening to the waves rolling in, sitting on a rock listening to the wind in the trees, sitting next to a brook listening as the water runs over the rocks. Nature is such a powerful inspiration to me. I feel so close to God as I surround myself with His creations. I feel something so magical in these places that I find it hard to leave. The hustle and bustle of city living is gone and with it the stress of daily of living, all that is left is peace and tranquility.

We all have need for inspiration in our lives, whether it be to make changes in our lives help someone in need, or just get through the day with a smile on our face. I know that at the moment, I'm feeling really inspired to go eat a cookie and watch a chick flick!

Luvs & Hugs

Back in the Swing of Things

Hello everyone! I know it has been a while since I have posted anything here. I have been dealing with some issues with my health that have really needed my attention as well as working on a few other projects that took priority over posting to this blog. However, that is all changing right NOW. I have taken the time to set some things up so that I will be posting to this blog at least every other day.

I'll start off, by giving a quick update on where I'm at in life. My health has been pretty bad for a while now. However, about six months ago things got even worse. I've spent most of that time in and out of the hospital for a variety of tests including a spinal tap, and several injections into my neck. During this time I temporarily moved back in with my mom, so that she could help take care of me. To make a long story short, I am now at a point where I am feeling much better and was able to make back home a little over a week ago. It feels nice to be home, but I do miss being able to see my family every day.

Life moves on and time passes faster than I would like. On August 5th, I turned 31 and was therefore asked to leave my singles ward and start attending a family ward. This change hasn't been too big of a significance yet because I've been so sick that I haven't been able to attend church that much, but now that I am home and my records will be transferred to the family ward here things are going to start getting interesting. I'm praying for a smooth transition. I'm sure I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Although it's been a long time since I posted on this blog, there really haven't been any major changes in my life. I still get up everyday hoping for the best, and go to bed each night doing the same. I strive day in and day out to find things to fill my time, bring me happiness, and help others any way I can. I waste more time than I should checking facebook, browsing pinterest, and watching tv. I'm still the same me I have always been. So, if you haven't given up on me yet and are still reading this I hope you will continue to stick around and together we will share some thoughts along this journey we call life!

Luvs & Hugs,
Tiff