Our Best Bites & Lost Symbol

I have been on a reading frenzy ever since my Mom and Step-dad bought me a kindle for my birthday. My favorite things thus far are Our Best Bites and Lost Symbol.


Ill tell you a bit about each one.
First is the Our Best Bites, by Sara Wells and Kate Jones
It is a cook book, and I know what you are thinking, because I thought the same thing, "do I really need another cookbook?" The answer is yes, yes you do. I have been using these recipes all week. My favorites have been her homemade tortillas, breadsticks and perhaps my all time favorite, low calorie, easy to make alfredo sauce. I have a husband who just happens to love alfredo sauce, and even for his highly developed sense of a good alfredo sauce, this has been his favorite so far.

We have also been trying to cut back on sweets at our house. Luke gets teased sometimes based on his weight, and I have come to realize that doritos and cake (or what ever sweet is in our house) should not be my only food groups...GASP!! I know what am I thinking! Anyway, I have been allowing us to have one desert a night. One night we had tacos made with the homemade tortillas (as mentioned above) we had left over tortillas and I decided to top them with nutella and strawberrys. They were an instant hit at our house. The mixture of chocolate, fruit and a little bit of salt that comes it the tortillas were to die for.

you should totally look at this book, available at deseret book and amazon.com

oh and they also have a wonderful blog called our best bites, go check it out!

The other book that I read is Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. I am normally not a mystery type of person, and I can always figure out what is going to happen next. With this book however, I was totally left guessing until the last moment. If you have read (or seen the movies) DaVinci Code or Angles and Demons, you will recognize the main character Robert Langdon. The novel is set in Washington D.C. where a case around the city leads to all sorts of clues all relating to the secret society, the Masons. I love it because it includes a little bit of fantasy and some history. It really made me think a lot about my own beliefs (in a good way), and what I know. It is defiantly worth reading, even if it is just for fun! Apparently the movie is supposed to come out in 2012. 

This next week I am going to try and read at least one Harry Potter book. Since the last one comes out on Friday morning! It will be the end of an era!

Peculiar in a Good Way

I am reading the book, Peculiar in a Good Way, by Mary Ellen Edmunds. I found a copy of it at the Deseret Industries since I could not find one at Seagull or Deseret Book. Lizzie had picked this one out.

It is about our being "peculiar". It is about the possibility of each of us being peculiar among the peculiar. On the cover there are three of the same kind of flower, but two are pink and one is red. She says that we stand out when we are a lily among roses, or a cactus among palms, but we can also stand out when we are daisies among other daisies.

To be peculiar means to be distinct, uncommon, rare, holy, set apart. In the sense the Lord has said it literally means "we are His special treasure, purchased with His blood." (John Tanner). Why does the Lord ask us to be a peculiar people. Mary Edmunds says that we can't DO good unless we ARE good. Sometimes I do not feel that I am doing anything right and that I am continuing to make the same mistakes over and over. I don't want to do these things. I WANT to be good. This statement made me realize that I am doing good. I am helping those around me. I am reading my scriptures, praying, be kind and loving to my family, trying to exemplify my calling, and just trying to be better each day. If I am doing good or at least trying to good therefore I must be good inside. Knowing and believing this has helped me to repent and to seek the Lord more.

She gave us an exercise (which I have not done yet, but will soon) to help us figure out how to make us more peculiar or to help us become the best we can be. She said to take a blank piece of paper. Draw an arrow that goes to the left.

On the flat line write a bunch of things you think we do as active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She says that this line is the things we are doing to be an indication only of being "active in the church."

Then she said look at the downward line. The farther you draw it out the farther it is from the flatline. This downward line is sin. Write down some of these things; big, little or otherwise. Sins of commission and ommission.

The upward line is like the downward line. The farther you draw it out the farther away from the flatline it is and the further up you go. This line goes to heaven. This upward line has to do with the condition of the heart and soul and not just the actions, she says. This is line those who are striving to have the Lord's image in their countenance. It those who want to be like Christ.

She says she does worry that when people do this activity they will feel the things on the flatline will be thought of as unimportant. The things on the flatline are very important, but can they be better. It is about good, better and best. (Do you remember that conference talk?)

When we are on the upward line, we cherish our time and make the best use of it. We are striving to be better each day. She said to pick a few things on the flatline and put them on the upward line to work on to make them better. If you are praying now, make those prayers more meaningful. Pray with real intent. If you are reading your scriptures make it more pondering and understanding.

This goes right along with the other book I have read, "I Hate it When Exercise is the Answer."

I love this book because I want to be more peculiar, more set apart. I want to be His special treasure!

New Month, New Exercise

Last month my exercise was number 28: Find you mission. After thinking about it all month, reading through the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, and listening for inspiration. I realized that my mission is to be a good friend, daughter, sister and wife. I am supposed to be an inspiration and an example for all of those who I come in contact with. It has been hard for me to realize that I will never be a professional soccer player, or a lawyer, or a historian. I can strive to be something even more important for those who are in my life.

My goal for April is...

Exercise #21: Shining  

Make a conscious effort to establish eye contact with and smile at as many strangers as you can. Notice how many of them smile back. You've just shared the light--automatically. I am also going to try to spread light in other ways as well. So share a little sunshine:D

Exercise #2: An Exercise in Forgiveness

I have been working on Exercise #13 and trying to wake up happy. It has worked. My days have gone better since I started doing it. I am now going to add the next exercise.

Exercise #2: Forgiving.

The next time someone or something hits one of your hot buttons, let the anger wash over you for about for ten seconds. then step back, try to analyze why the experience made you mad, and make a conscious decision to forgive the person and get on with your life. I am working on one exercise a month, so this is the exercise for April. I encourage all to read this book and start doing the exercises. They will help you.

Book List

I decided to make a list of the books we are reading or have read so you can choose to read any and all of them. Please add your comments for any of the books. We have enjoyed the comments so far and we have enjoyed our book club.

Getting Back to the Basic Values

I just finished reading the book, "Winners Never Cheat," by Jon M. Huntsman. It is about everyday values that we learned as children, but may have forgotten. This book was written for business and business owners, but he says it applies to all relationships and ventures.

Mr. Huntsman started with nothing and has made himself and his company very properous by following the values he has learned. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and truly lives what he preaches.

The following are the values we need to remember:
1. Lessons from the Sandbox. Everything we need for today's marketplace we learned as kids.
We learned all the values we need to live when we were kids, we just sometimes forget them.

2. Check your moral compass. We know darn well what is right and wrong.

We all know when we are doing something right or wrong. It is something we are born with. We need to remember and use this conscious when we make decisions.

3. Play by the rules. Compete fiercely and fairly -- but no cutting in line.
I remember playing as a kid. We included everyone and we didn't dare try to play unfairly. We lived by the rule "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." So true.

4. Setting the example. Risk, responsibility, reliability -- the three Rs of leadership.
If we want our children or others to follow these values, we must follow them. I always tried to let my children see me live the gospel, so they would want to live the gospel because they saw how happy it made me.

5. Keep your word.
We must do what we say we are going to do. There was a time when just a handshake meant a binding contract. Make it that way today. Make your word your bond.

6. Pick Advisors Well. Surround yourself with associates who have the courage to say no.
It is always easier to be better when those arround you have the same values as you do. Surround yourself with people who make you want to be better and pull you up not down.

7. Get Mad, Not Even. Revenge is unhealthy and unproductive. Learn to move on.
This one can be hard, but it is never good to dwell so much on what can't be changed or on what someone else has done to you. You become bitter and angry. It occupies your world. You tend to lose everything that is worthwhile while you are trying to bring someone else to your level.

8. Graciousness is next to Godliness. Treat competitors, colleagues, employees and customers with respect.
Use the golden rule. Treat others like you would want to be treated. If you are kind and respectful to others they will be the same the to you. If you are mean, it will come back to bite you in the butt.

9. Your name is on the door. Operate businesses and organizations as if they're family owned.
Treat your employees and those around you like they are family. Would you do certain things to people if they were part of your family.

10. The obligation to give back. Nobody is self-made; return the favors and good fortune.
Donate your time and your money to others. Give to those who don't have as much as you. We are given all that we have from the Lord. He gives us the ability to work and to earn money. Keep what you need and then give of the rest. I know this to be true. I just need to be better at doing it with a willing heart.

Mr. Huntsman states at the end of the book that acceptable moral values are child's play, not rocket science. He is right. We have learned these values and they should be easier to do than we make them. If we are struggling, we should look at where our priorities lie. Are they where they should be and are we living the values they way we know we should?

Exercise

My Mom came up with the idea to do one of the exercises from "I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer" each week. Rather than go in order I thought I would pick one that stood out the most to me to work on. I picked...

I thought I would do a little each day this week in this exercise. It tells you to list what you are good at, and look at your patriarchal blessing to see other gifts that you have been given. 

So this is what I am going to do this week while I am on Spring Break.