Unnatural Disasters and other AWESOME blessings

IAT = I am thankful

1. Patient piano teachers.
2. Pianos.
3. Fresh fruit slushees.
4. Summertime.
5. Happy endings.

This weekend the Bish and I and maybe some other players are headed to pick up/purchase a new van. "New" is relative of course. I don't believe in paying for a vehicle that costs more than our first house. So, we set a budget and we search until we find the perfect one. I guess I love taking trips. No, it's true, I do. So this is actually the 3rd vehicle in a row, that one or both of us has traveled to get. Dallas, Denver, Orem, Utah.

But there's a long story of blessings behind this purchase. See the cast of characters on the right side of the blog.

Because of our lovely commute, I have fuel efficiency on the brain and this isn't very fuel efficient.

 Yes, only a few short years ago, we had 9 passengers in this 12 passenger van. But for the Summer, we are down to 5, and will only have 6 for less than a year. So, out of the blue...really? We'll see. Out of the blue, I decided it was time to sell the van, and I realized in the process, that we could pay off our sweet little Mazda that RM2 was going to purchase from us, and replace the van with a more fuel efficient mini-van. 2 of our adult boys thought a mini-van was far less than cool. Really? I can't wait until they are parents and have budgets and other concerns. I will stand back and smile and bite my tongue and NOT say I told you so. Haha. And encourage them to dream.

But I am off track. This Mazda.

 BEST BLESSING OF ALL--NO ONE HURT

Oh! Oops. Saturday we got a call, that another salesman was driving the RM's car and someone wrecked into them. Thank goodness they had insurance and we had full coverage as backup. I was not upset. And within only a few hours actually found myself hoping it was totaled, except for I was a little worried about the RMs situation. But it would drastically help ours. More on that later.

And then we got a call Sunday from the Married Student. He wanted to tell us about this.

ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE HURT--SO GRATEFUL!

This is his DW's car. And it's paid for. Or was paid for. Another salesman borrowed the car and unfortunately was temporarily distracted and veered off the road. Totaled. Sigh. Well, I can't say I was happy or seeing the blessing, but I certainly felt more perplexed than anything. I wasn't upset, just truly perplexed. Two totaled cars in two days? Well, there has to be blessings in it. Unfortunately, there was only liability insurance on this one and it's a total loss. The driver also had no insurance. Well, hmm, we can't really help TWO children with wrecked cars, so I felt bad telling the MS that he was on his own. Fortunately, there has been some help offered by others and we are grateful. I choose to believe that a loving Heavenly Father will make this up to this wonderful young couple by blessing their bottom line now or some other time in the future.

So, before I got all of this news, we had sold our van and it's gone. The blessing to us is, the insurance will now pay off the Mazda, and our funds can go toward our new purchase. And we are giving some of the insurance to RM2 so he can eventually purchase another vehicle.

There is an AMAZINGLY HUGE blessing that I cannot even write about (until later, hee hee) that is going on. I am so excited about how our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers, how seeming trials, can turn into glorious blessings, and how if we don't throw ourselves off track by crying, whining, and complaining, He reveals His wondrous plan by answering our prayers in ways we never thought the answers could come. He weaves a wondrous tapestry out of our trials and leaves us in awe of the gifts given. But we must be grateful in the moment, and still, and looking for the beauty, to see it all. I promise, in a few weeks, I'll tell the missing part of the story.

But, I digress.

I drove two vehicles I really liked this week, and made an offer on one of them that was turned down. I know from experience now that I don't have to get hung up on the one I think I want in front of me. There is ALWAYS a better deal. So, I just kept looking. I knew I wanted a Honda Odyssey and was discouraged a few times at how far away some of the deals were. And so in frustration a few nights ago, I did what I did to get the exact van we've been driving the last 7 years. I made a list.

A goal is just a wish unless it is written down. I truly thing that writing down what we want, begins the process of bringing it into physical creation. I wrote a list like this when we got the big van, and because I wasn't finding what I wanted, I made this list. And while I wrote this list, I just said a simple prayer that we would be able to find it. This, or something better.

The Bish really wanted an '05, but in the ups and downs of the week with the insurance, I wasn't sure we could go newer than an '04. When I make lists like these, I always realize that I may get everything I want, and I may not. But, it will be the best possible and for us in all cases. Less than 24 hours later, I found it.

An '05 Honda Odyssey. Power everything, 7 passenger (not 8), Sage brush pearl grey, (that's a greenish grey), 92,000 miles, multi CD, DVD, leather seats. Woohoo! Price, after hearing the insurance payoff, is right where we want it to be. Woohoo! It's not in Arizona, but the next best place it possibly could be. Orem, Utah. Where we first lived when we were first married. And Utah feels like my second home. When I saw this van, I felt extremely happy, and that it was perfect for our family. I know stuff doesn't create happiness. But solving a problem does. It's exactly what I want for our needs, and that does make me happy.

But it gets better. Because the car is in Utah, the Bish felt like his mom might want to go visit her sisters. So, the plan was, we'd all drive up together and she'd visit her sisters and we'd drive the van back. Well, we can't convince grandma to go along but she may loan us her car, and we'll take the kids, and we'll both have passengers back, so I don't have to go alone, and maybe wreck our new car due to my African sleeping sickness disease. It's a joke. Kind of.

And the icing on the cake? Because the boys were going to be gone for the Summer not driving any of our vehicles, I took the 2 not driving our vehicles off the insurance. We also took the van off because it has sold. We took the Mazda off because sadly, it is dead. And I got an estimate for the new vehicle and combined with our other cars, our insurance bill has dropped MORE THAN HALF. Which means, most of that savings will make the payment, and we are way better off having gone through all of this. I have no idea why the Lord felt to bless us in such an ENTIRELY HUGE way, except to show me that other decisions I am making in my life, WILL BE MADE up. Simply because He can and He chooses to. I won't question it. I will simply PRAISE Him and THANK Him. And do my best to bless the lives of others.

And that is the very long story of how two totaled cars, made us way better off. As a final note, the darling couple has found a very nice vehicle and I just know it will all work out with them and they'll be able to pay that car off in NO TIME. Be believing. You just can't go wrong.

12 Simple Steps to Happiness

IAT = I am thankful

If I remember, :-) I'll start each post with 5 things I'm thankful for, because the book I'm reviewing says people who express gratitude for at least 10 weeks experience significantly more happiness. I've been doing it for years, but here we go.

1. Air conditioning!
2. Paved roads.
3. Philosopher's Notes.
4. Craigslist.
5. Unwrecked cars.

photo by Andrea Zampatti

OK, so I am not really going to review a book. I'm going to refer you to one through a program I LOVE with all that I am. It's called Philosopher's Notes. 100s of books at your fingertips summarized in six pages, with all the highlights of the Big Ideas. Love, love, love. So, I have them in pdf and mp3s and cds. It's a long story how Brian, graced me with a lot of it. But I'm grateful he did.

So, I was listening to the note for The How of Happiness, by SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY. Sounds like a great book from the note. But I'm not going to summarize all of the big ideas from the book; just one. Well 12 I guess. It's been scientifically proven that certain activities increase our happiness. Side note: Only 10% of our happiness comes from life circumstances, so if you spend most of your time and energy trying to increase your wealth, attractiveness and other nonsense, it only has a negligible and a temporary impact on your well-being.

But here are 12 things you can do, that over time will significantly contribute to happiness. And don't forget writing 5 things you are grateful for every day.

1. Expressing Gratitude
2. Cultivating Optimism
3. Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison
4. Practicing Acts of Kindness
5. Nurturing Social Relationships
6. Developing Strategies for Coping
7. Learning to Forgive
8. Increasing Flow Experiences
9. Savoring Life’s Joys
10. Committing to Your Goals
11. Practicing Religion and Spirituality
12. Taking Care of Your Body: Meditation + Physical Activity + Acting Like a Happy Person

Some of those are just plain easy, so get started today. If you want the details, then I suggest you subscribe to Philosopher's Notes, or get the book, The How of Happiness. Try a few of the 12 steps and see if you are happier.

Warning HS*E*P...Me

IAT = I am thankful for my gifts and talents

So, in the last few years I have discovered some things about myself. A) My friends in the healing profession have labeled me an empath. That's the *E* part in the title. I feel like some people's definition of empathic is not as definitive as it could be. It's not just being able to relate to how someone feels in a given circumstance, because of your own experiences. For some, for me, it's actually feeling the emotions of the other person. This comes in handy when I am helping someone overcome those emotions with EFT. It also can be quite distressing when the emotions are high.

http://healing.about.com/cs/empathic/a/uc_empathtraits.htm

B) I have also come to believe I may be a highly sensitive person or HSP. I haven't spent a lot of time reading about it, but surface information confirms, and a little test I took on one website seemed to agree. Grand. Highly Sensitive, Emotional, Feeling. I now understand why the last two years I have gone into full blown retreat. Stay home, keep to myself unless helping someone, and just lay low. It FEELS better. And I can get along in life better. One article I read said HSPs should carry a warning label. Haha. And to be just a little different. I am an extroverted HSP. So, imagine how it feels to be extroverted naturally, but driven to keep to yourself for the sake of your inner world. Probably why I throw myself into new experiences.

http://healing.about.com/od/empathic/a/HSP_hallowes.htm

I like the mention of gifts of the HSP in this article.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/28/5-gifts-of-being-highly-sensitive/

So, there is a little snapshot inside of my world. The girl with no skin. :-) (It's in one of the articles)

The POWER of I AM--I WILL be

IAT = I am thankful

A few years ago, I was introduced to a simple idea. I think it was through Carol Tuttle's book, Remembering Wholeness. She pointed out that any time we use the words "I am", that we should choose carefully the words that follow, because the words that come next, are what we believe about ourselves, and what ultimately becomes our reality. So, if we often claim, "I am stupid," stupidity will become our reality. Yikes! The power of words is more than we can probably even realize. I wrote a little about that here.

And so, the words I want to focus on today, are the words, "I am." What do they really mean? The phrase "I Am that I Am," comes to mind. So, I thought I'd try to find out what that really means. When Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to the children of Israel, God replied, "I AM THAT I AM. Say I AM sent me." See Exodus 3: 14. What exactly does that mean? I am who I say I am? That's partly what I have thought the last few years. We can apply that to ourselves by saying, "when I say I am ________, I am _________." For example. When I say I am stupid, I am stupid.

Wiki says the literal interpretation is, I will be who I will be. Because asher, a hebrew word in the phrase, can mean that, who, which, or where, other meanings could include:

I will be that I will be
I will be who I will be
I will be which I will be
I will be where I will be

I don't know why that leaves me reeling. But to me it is God's testimony that we can count on Him in every situation. He will be THAT, WHO, WHICH, and WHERE He says. Wow! There is no one else we can really trust this way. In John, He tells us many of the things "I am." I AM the bread of Life. (John 6:35) I AM the light of the world. (John 8:12) I AM the door. (John 10:9) I AM the Good shepherd. (John 10:11) I AM the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25) I AM the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) I AM the vine. (John 15:5) And because He is who He will be, He simply is all of that.

If we are children of the Most High, surely He wants us to strive to be like Him, so we can know Him. And He has set the example for us. Do we follow Him by being that, who, which, and where we say we will? If not, why not? We don't have to be perfect today. But we can try.

We use those words "I am" so loosely. Do we mean what we say behind it? I think those words are very creative and when we say them, they have the power to create what we speak into being. Especially if we say them repeatedly. James Allen says in relation to thought (which I believe is revealed in our words),

"Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err."

In Numbers 14: 28, we are told:

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

Please read that again! Let me paraphrase, "what YOU say, is what *I* will do to you. Wow! Makes me want to watch those words a little more closely. Especially the identifying, creative words, "I AM." So, I have been watching these very words very carefully the last few years, and changing my negative "I am" affirmations, to positive ones. Long ago, I drafted what I call, a Personal Proclamation. You can read about it here.  I've also added declarations recently. These are just a few chosen "I am" statements of things I hope to create in my life by focusing on them. I have a card with them stashed in my purse, pinned on my bathroom wall, in my vehicle, so I can say them when I have nothing else to do.

The inspiration for this post, was a friend, who used some pretty sad words about herself. I just couldn't let it pass. I encouraged her. I searched for something that would convey the power of "I am," and I found this Joel Olsteen sermon. And I loved it. I think it describes it really well. Check it out when you have 30 minutes. It's well worth it. Click below the picture.

The Power of I AM

A final thought, I read this amazing talk by now Elder Holland, then dean of religion at BYU. It occurs to me that if we are truly to be what we will be, we must rely on the TRUE I AM. By patterning our lives after His, we can become all he means us to be. And we will be what He would have us be.

The Beggar is Me

IAT = I am thankful

You know how you can read something a dozen times, and then for some reason, the 13th time, it has some kind of special meaning to you. Or you read something often and the meaning changes depending on your circumstance at the time. I've found that conference talks and scriptures are like that. Last week, I had that very experience. Because it was very personal, I'll leave some of the details out.

We read the following verses in Sunday School last week, from the Book of Mormon.

 16 And also, ye yourselves will ^asuccor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the ^bbeggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

 17 Perhaps thou shalt ^asay: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

 19 For behold, are we not all ^abeggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

 20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a ^aremission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his ^bSpirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with ^cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

 21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to ^aimpart of the substance that ye have one to another.

 22 And if ye ^ajudge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your ^bcondemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life ^cbelongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

 23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are ^arich as pertaining to the things of this world.

I've read those verses many times. And I always look at me as me, and the beggar as the beggar. And I have tried over the years to "administer of my substance" when I could. But, I have not always been free of the internal chatter over the reasons I am "having" to give. Sigh. I'm hoping my most recent insights will help me to stop the chatter and give from the desire in my heart to do so.

So, recent events had me contemplating, reviewing, praying, and other things. These other things, put me in a very humble mode. And I made a request of a few people I know. The request is private. But those individual people were the only ones who could help me with the request I made. And in all but one situation, each person responded lovingly to my request, and I was very thankful.

And then, we read the verses about beggars in Sunday School. And it hit me square between the eyes. I'm a beggar. Yes, I have even read those verses THINKING about my position to my Savior and how I am a beggar before Him. But I didn't really FEEL about it. Those recent circumstances and requests to others, came with full force to my mind, and I suddenly related very personally to the beggar. I was deeply moved that and grateful that my Heavenly Father has never treated me as I have sometimes treated the beggars that have come across my path. My Father has never been stingy with me. Has never pointed out to me, that He "told me so" or that I got myself into the mess I am in. He simply meets my need when I make a request or ask him to impart of His substance to me.

And then I realized of course that every person in my life is also a beggar. And they may not be dressed in rags, or holding a sign, or even directly requesting of my substance. But, if I know someone has a need, and I can fulfill that need, and I don't, isn't it the same as if I have denied the beggar? We each are beggars in some circumstance. Perhaps we need physical care, emotional support, a simple uplift, or merely mercy or forgiveness. How does it feel when that is withheld? It feels awful.

What if we looked at each other as beggars in need? And we gave a smile when needed? Offered a hand when needed? Gave a word of encouragement when needed? Wouldn't the world be a better place? I believe it would.

And as often happens, when I come to such a realization, an opportunity presents itself to see if I get the lesson. Suffice it to say, a beggar of sorts came into my path while I was in Canada. Someone in need that I could help. I specifically heard the word beggar, in my mind. And I am happy I was able to take action. I'll never see them again or know if it helped. But, I will be looking for those opportunities more often. And I hope that the one request of mine that remains, will be met some day. If not, I know that there is Someone Else who can meet all my beggarly needs and requests. And I hope that I can be as generous as He when opportunities come my way to offer of my substance.

Random Musings of a 1st Grade Sub

Long ago, I got a degree in education. For a few years, I was a certified teacher. But I was creating a family, so I chose to work and play at home with my children. On more than one occasion I used my teaching skills to home school, although I think parent is the only degree you need to do that.

The last three years, I've been a substitute in our local school district. I sub K-12. The most surprising thing I found, is that I really enjoy subbing for high school. I was terrified when I started. Seriously. And the bonus is, it's easy. Jr high is tougher, but you really earn your money in the primary and elementary grades. You'd better be on, or you'll lose them, and they'll eat your lunch.

The last two days I subbed for first grade. Here's some of what I discovered and experienced.

1st graders are full of wonder. How and when does wonder get squished out of us? Ok, maybe I'm still 6 at heart, because the hatching chicks in the other classroom and the caterpillars turning to chrysalisses in our class, completely fascinated me. I'm still trying to figure out how the caterpillars did it while we were in the room. I watched them like a hawk today and couldn't catch them. I seriously want to go next week and see the butterflies but I'll be in Canada dangit.

I giggled when the principal walked through the school yard with a huge box for the chicks and was mobbed by the primary kids who wanted to know what it was for and probably more importantly, whether they could play with it. Note to self, give 5yr old grandchildren a refrigerator box for Christmas. I'll be super grandma.

I had to wonder if any of my children went to school with no undies. Don't ask. I'm hoping the mother would be more on the mortified side than the clueless uncaring side.

I stifled a laugh when a darling girl on the playground approached me with a little handful of unknown treasure and asked me if she would get arrested for picking up trash. I assured her she would not and told her I thought she should get a good citizen award. Her little face lit up. She asked if she could have it. I told her if I were in charge she would. She asked me if I could be in charge. I laughed and told her she was wonderful but I wasn't in charge. At a later recess, I had an idea. I scrounged a quarter from my purse and "awarded" her for her good citizenship. She lit up again, and so did my heart.

Boogers! How in the world do primary teachers face the booger challenge day after day??? Bleck.

Children that age are devastated about everything. When someone cuts in line. When someone doesn't share or excludes them. When they get in trouble for talking or going to the bathroom. (Don't send me hate mail, I didn't punish for that). When they don't get to be the helper. It's all so sweet.

You know how people say, "those who can't, teach." Well I would encourage you if you know one of those people, to take your first two fingers in a V position and boink them in both of their eyes.I would never want to do all of that every day. I love waltzing in, teaching someone else's lessons, establishing enough of a relationship to get hugs in public and go home and do what I want the other days. With no parent problems or salary problems or all the other stuff that goes along.

Here's a picture of the hibernating caterpillars. I'm so grateful to get to be a sub.

Inspiration

IAT = I am thankful

If you are like me, you probably need inspiration on a daily basis. And since I am only speaking for me, I can say, I'm not always properly seeking inspiration, asking the right questions, or even keeping myself open to divine inspiration that I call revelation. But the still small voice, or the great big one, or true revelation are key to making good choices and decisions. When we have anything in our life beyond the ordinary, we need help bigger than ourselves. Well, that's what I think.

I wanted to do something last night when I was struggling between sadness and anger. Instead, I sought counsel from someone who might have a clearer perspective and was given great counsel, that put me in a pondering state. And in that state, an answer came, that was likely a much better answer and decision than the one I was considering. And that choice/decision led to some beautiful outcomes. IAT for that! Because in the talk I quote from below, you'll see that making decisions when emotions are out of control blocks the ability to receive the inspiration you need. Who knew?

Here are my favorite quotes and my thoughts about them from this recent talk in our annual General Conference. 

Did you know there is a difference between revelation and inspiration? I am sure I did, but I like this explanation. 

The Holy Ghost communicates important information that we need to guide us in our mortal journey. When it is crisp and clear and essential, it warrants the title of revelation. When it is a series of promptings we often have to guide us step by step to a worthy objective, for the purpose of this message, it is inspiration.

Here' something else I didn't know. Truly light bulb moment.

Relationships can be strengthened through the veil with people we know and love. That is done by our determined effort to continually do what is right. 

Here is Elder Scott's formula for receiving revelation.

*Fast.
*Pray to find and understand helpful scriptures.
*Read the scriptures.
*Ponder for meaning.
*Pray for inspiration.
*Ponder and pray if that is all.
*Listen for more impressions.

I think my formula has been, fast (sometimes), pray, maybe read a scripture, listen a little, run off and hope the answer comes. Luck out if it does. I think I should try Elder Scott's formula.

How I love when people speak in my language of emotion. How I wish my language of emotion was less likely to rule my life. But, I have EFT! Hooray. Many times, emotions DO NOT SERVE US. Pay attention to those emotions, and make sure you settle them however you settle them before proceeding for answers. There are enemies to revelation. And who would have though humor could get in the way? Certain kinds of humor can. I want my chances increased! I really like this part.

There are some practical principles that enhance revelation. First, yielding to emotions such as anger or hurt or defensiveness will drive away the Holy Ghost. Those emotions must be eliminated, or our chance for receiving revelation is slight.

Another principle is to be cautious with humor. Loud, inappropriate laughter will offend the Spirit. A good sense of humor helps revelation; loud laughter does not. A sense of humor is an escape valve for the pressures of life.

Another enemy to revelation comes from exaggeration or loudness in what is stated. Careful, quiet speech will favor the receipt of revelation.

There are also GOOD things we can do to increase those chances to receive revelation.

On the other hand, spiritual communication can be enhanced by good health practices. Exercise, reasonable amounts of sleep, and good eating habits increase our capacity to receive and understand revelation. We will live for our appointed life span. However, we can improve both the quality of our service and our well-being by making careful, appropriate choices.

It is important that our daily activities do not distract us from listening to the Spirit.

I know I have had times in my life, where I could not make the decisions needed without help. It is so gratifying to know there is Someone wiser who can help us.

I have seen individuals encountering challenges who knew what to do when it was beyond their own experience because they trusted in the Lord and knew that He would guide them to solutions that were urgently required.

The Lord has declared: “And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.” The words sanctify yourselves may appear puzzling. President Harold B. Lee once explained that you can replace those words with the phrase “keep my commandments.” Read that way, the counsel may seem clearer.

Tremendous gems in the following part. Am I haughty, prideful, conceited, desiring praise, recognition, letting my emotions rule, thinking of myself? Well, if I am, I guess I won't be getting much inspiration. Wow!

For spirituality to grow stronger and more available, it must be planted in a righteous environment. Haughtiness, pride, and conceit are like stony ground that will never produce spiritual fruit.

Humility is a fertile soil where spirituality grows and produces the fruit of inspiration to know what to do. It gives access to divine power to accomplish what must be done. An individual motivated by a desire for praise or recognition will not qualify to be taught by the Spirit. An individual who is arrogant or who lets his or her emotions influence decisions will not be powerfully led by the Spirit.

When we are acting as instruments in behalf of others, we are more easily inspired than when we think only of ourselves. In the process of helping others, the Lord can piggyback directions for our own benefit.

Maybe we already have been given answers and have ignored them. I believe when we do that, a portion of the Spirit withdraws and is unwilling to be a help to us. Unwilling is probably not the right word, becomes unavailable to us.

Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously.

If you feel that God has not answered your prayers, ponder these scriptures—then carefully look for evidence in your own life that He may have already answered you. (read the whole talk for the referenced scriptures)

How do we KNOW? How do we know we are getting inspiration or revelation? So important to know that process. Because our mind and our emotions CAN most definitely deceive us and I am sure I have been deceived by those things at times. He did not mention the agreement between heart and mind, but I think it's another way.

Two indicators that a feeling or prompting comes from God are that it produces peace in your heart and a quiet, warm feeling. As you follow the principles I have discussed, you will be prepared to recognize revelation at critical times in your own life.

The more closely you follow divine guidance, the greater will be your happiness here and for eternity—moreover, the more abundant your progress and capacity to serve.

What if you totally flub it up? Thankfully there is a plan for that too.

Should choices be wrong, they can be rectified through repentance. When its conditions are fully met, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior, provides a release from the demands of justice for the errors made. It is wondrously simple and so incomparably beautiful. 

This last part got me. I don't think I see prayer as trivial, but I may show by my actions that I act as if it is trivial. Here's a good question. What if I saw prayer as sacred, every time, rather than trivial? M Hm. I think I should ask that question every day.

Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

I'm going to go read it again. I want inspiration in my life every day, and I want revelation to be something I recognize and am worthy for.