Goldilocks has been in my car...

Someone has been sitting in my seat and I can't reach the pedals anymore!

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The teenager has been commuting with his Dad to work, so I haven't had to share the car with him for a while. They are going into their slow season, so he got layed off this week, and has been out looking for a new job.

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So now he is back driving the car.... and I can sure tell, I get in and the seat is back soooo far... I can't reach the pedals! I had to laugh when it happened to me this time, I wasn't even close, not even tippy toes, able to reach them. The nice part about it, is he actually cleaned the car the day after I took this photo... the car was super grody, but now it's all clean and vacuumed and sparkling, just in time for the rain :)

I love my giant teenager!

Recapturing Beauty Challenge, Day 3; 10 Positive Things...

THE CHALLENGE:

10 POSITIVE THINGS

Make a list of 10 positive things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with your appearance--and 10 positive things you like about your appearance.

10 things you like about yourself:

1. I am easy to get along with, and look for something good in everyone.
2. I have a great work ethic.
3. I am a good listener.
4. I have a tender heart with compassion.
5. I am a good defensive driver.
6. I appreciate small simple things in life.
7. I am a good buddy to share popcorn with at the movies.
8. I am a happy morning person.
9. I am creative.
10. I am patient.

10 things you like about your appearance:

1. I am a good height, taller than average, but not obvious.
2. My eyes look good in blue.
3. I have healthy hair.
4. My hands - they are strong, flexible and coordinated.
5. I have a graceful "gate" when I walk (I know I am not a horse.... I just couldn't think of the right word for this in people).
6. My smile is infectious.
7. I have a confident outer appearance.
8. I wear cute shoes.
9. I have a good handshake.
10. I like my body hair as a Blonde, so I don't have to deal with facial hair or gnarly hair on the top of my toes, and have never had to shave the tops of my legs.

Your perception of yourself includes the physical. We won’t pretend it’s not important--physical factors are part of the mortal world we live in. We’ve challenged you to make two lists because both your inner and outer beauty affect you--and there will be times you feel insecure about both. Refer back to your lists and remember the positive.

Was it easier to come up with things you like about yourself, or things about your appearance?

It was so much harder to come up with things about my appearance than it was about myself, neither was easy. I really had to stretch to get 10 things I love about my appearance. I am still a work in progress. I still have much to learn and do on this challenge, because everything I wrote, I kept wanting to put a disclaimer after it, on both lists (like except when, or only because, or other than this, or most of the time, etc.). I have more work to SHUT DOWN that negative self talk. It's very chatty and annoying now that I am trying to focus on how beautiful I am. It's totally getting in the way. And has gotta go! I can really feel my happiness factor soar when I am able to shut the negative out. And I gain a confidence to be an even better more beautiful me when I am happy! And then I want to share it with everyone I know! Oh look out, I might be creating a monster!! As long as it's a happy monster like Sully I can deal with that (smile).

Recapturing Beauty Day 2: Define Beauty

THE CHALLENGE:

GOD’S DEFINITION OF BEAUTY

As I searched the scriptures, and read talks today to learn more of God's definition of Beauty... there were sooo many. Having a son, I am always encouraged by the 2000 Stripling Warriors who were strong and faithful because of the teachings of their mothers. Teaching your children about faith is beautiful. There were just too many branches of this to write down all my thoughts... my mind could go in a hundred directions from what we can learn from all the beautiful women in the scriptures.

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I read of Ruth and Hannah in the Old Testament; and understood that like them, we will all be faced with trial and adversity. We may not know or understand our trials or why we have been given them. These women in the scriptures developed beautiful virtues and qualities as they exercised their faith in the Lord. They possessed great Faith, Hope and Charity which enabled them to face their trials and be instruments in the Lord's hands.

We don't always have an option of choosing our situations in life, but we can respond with Faith and Trust in the Savior. It is how we choose to deal with our trials that truly shows our beauty.

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I know that as I "Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto mine own understanding" (Prov 3:5) and develop a pattern of Faith, Hope and Charity in my life. It will lead me to develop the true beauty of these righteous women in the scriptures.

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1 Samuel 16:7

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

I need to learn to follow my heart, and make choices from my heart. The paths that I choose from my HEART are beautiful!

Alma 32:28 "... a seed may be planted in your heart, behold if it be a true seed or a good seed... it will begin to swell within your breasts" If I nurture and give light to those things that are in my heart they will grow and increase my testimony!

".... if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief..." If I don't exercise my faith those good seeds leave my heart, because only the true and good seeds remain in my heart. The BEAUTIFUL seeds!

In a teacher development class the instructor shared a story of a Judge who told him that he never ever raised his voice in his court room. He would face criminals and murderers and he made a choice when he became a judge to never raise his voice to them and to always show them respect as children of God.

The instructor shared that he took that inside his heart and realized he raises his voice at his own children at home. But he didn't want to. He LOVES his children and wants his actions to reflect what is inside of his heart.

Of course listening to this, I could only look at the ground because I have my own issues with raising my voice at home. I choose to let small things set me off and I am a yeller :(

It is not how I really feel in my heart about my family, it is not how I want them to remember about my love for them. I have caught glimpses of myself when I am throwing a "fit" and it is NOT bEaUTiFuL. The instructor said he decided to make a commitment to not raise his voice at his children, and just work on it from Sunday to Sunday, one week. I can do that, I can commit to living what is inside of my heart and showing that to my family, instead of raising my voice. It might not be easy, but it will be worth it, to work on and improve. I want them to see me as a beautiful mother and wife.

So why is it hard to internalize and believe the beauty Heavenly Father see's in us, the beauty that is inside our hearts? Why is is sometimes hard to reach inside our hearts and find that beauty? Why is it sometimes hard to show the love and beauty in our actions that are inside our hearts?

There are allot of scriptures about "hardening of hearts". And this is when one depends on their own strength and their own wisdom. And this happens when we forget about our Savior. We forget who we are.

I think Beauty begins and ends in the heart, and the heart is a muscle.... our muscles need exercise to become strong, so our heart or our faith needs to be exercised everyday to remain strong and to keep from becoming hardened.

It is through our hearts that we are fully converted to the Gospel, and through our hearts that we receive personal revelation from God. He speaks to our hearts. He shows His love for us through feelings inside our hearts.

So I would venture to say that true beauty in the sight of God would be on the inside and not on the outside! It would be in our character and in our virtue and in our integrity and in our faith... that is where our beauty lies, not on the outside.

God is our Heavenly Father, and He knows us better than anyone--He created us! He knows most intimitately how beautiful we are, and He will tell us if we seek Him. A relationship with Heavenly Father is essential if we are to truly understand beauty and our worth.