Inner Peacemaker Parent Podcast

Bathing suit seasons sometimes trigger big feelings, so I wanted to share some ideas I have learned (and will be using again this season) to help us stay in-love with the gift of our bodies AND the bodies of others. THAT'S how I want to show up from a place of genuine love this summer at reunions, get-togethers, and gatherings. I'd love to share a few ideas with you if your heart might need it too.   

This episode is a short meditation for the start or end of your day, so it has: (#1) a simple way to ask God how you can be a support to someone else, and (#2) a way to give sincere thanks for the support you've received throughout today. (I'm trying to look up "at you" in the camera so I repeat a portion. Haha. I'm trying to be present with you which usually equals some real mistakes😅). I'm so happy to spend time with you in this episode filling up with gratitude for the support we've both given and received today. ===============================================For more love and support, you can join my free Facebook group for workshops and encouraging posts to fill you with God's love; it's called "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms". P.s. God loves you with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.

As the chicken-run in my backyard was being taken down this morning, I started having some big feelings. For years, I just "didn't get it" when others seemed SO attached to their family pet. But because I've now had 8 little chickens of my own, I now get it. The next home my family and I are moving to this summer, sadly won't be a place we are able to keep them, so it's time for our feathery friends to go to another nice home.  In this episode, I'll walk you through the steps I used today and the ideas that helped me to internally feel fully: heard, awesome, comforted, and creative. I hope this supports you and/or your child who may be dealing with some big feelings from changes with your family pet, too. ___________________________________________For more love & support for my fellow moms out there, please feel welcomed and wanted to join a free FB group "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms" for frequent posts of encouragement and mental health classes. 

This past Sunday, in my head, I unkindly judged somebody for something they chose NOT to do. And then a few hours later, I felt and did the VERY thing that I was judgmental about!!  I've always thought moments like this meant I was a hypocrite. The Greek root meaning of the word "hypocrite" translates to “stage actor” or “pretender.” Dale Renlund says if I am striving to do good, then I'm actually NOT a hypocrite. Sooo, there's hope for me and anyone else who might have moments like this! I felt some guilt inside of me rising up. I knew I could have chosen to beat myself up internally; I could have stayed in guilt and some shame. But I've learned that doesn't help me change. I now choose to be super kind to myself, say sorry to God for judging one of His kids, and then learn from it. Feeling guilt now triggers a chance to "Be Still" with God! I now see guilt as an awesome gift.  So much empathy and love coming my way to you if you ever feel this way at times.   

I had kind of a humbling experience going back and forth wondering if I had "received personal revelation," then not understanding the timing, and now what I've learned from it. Feeling grateful to be helped with a story from a 7 year-old and a thought about first responders; I needed these reminders as part of my journey to keep learning line upon line about this topic of personal revelation. 

It's ok if you don't agree with me on today's topic; honestly, I didn't agree with it for years when I first heard it! But now it's easily one of my most influential mental health tools to feel more inner peace about the good AND hard moments, and to feel more empathy & kindness when others are going through a half-empty kind of day. It's all part of the same glass. It's all part of His plan. Ok. I got this. Just one half-empty AND half-full day at a time. You got this. P.s. God always loves you even in the half-full or half-empty kind of moments.

I didn't remember this story of “when Saul was troubled with an evil spirit, David played for him with his harp and Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit departed" (see 1 Samuel 16:23) (Ezra Taft Benson, "Do Not Despair," Ensign 16 [October 1986]: 5). I love that is included in the Bible! There are so many awesome gifts of music!! This episode was really so much fun to write as I reflected on an experience during my grandfathers funeral, as well as a youth conference lesson showing a clip from Jurassic Park, moments of gaining testimony in myself and in my teenager, how my daughter listened to a song that made her "feel strong" inside,  learning about parts of the brain that get activated with music, and more. I really enjoyed and needed the reminder of how powerful this free, easy-to-use tool is and how MANY giftS it can bring. Don't have time to listen? I still got you! Here's one quote, then a couple ideas to consider implementing: One gift of music includes that “we [can] get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer" (President J. Reuben Clark Jr., in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 11). A piece of advice I was given my baby shower from the eldest (and wisest) in the room, wrote down on her 3x5 card for me to remember this counsel: "Sing to your kids at night." Have any older kids that are past that stage? Me too! One thing we can do is to put fun music on when you clean or are in the car together. Or you can share some of your favorite songs so when they hear it later in life, they'll think of you when they hear those songs. You got this, inner peacemaker! One messy, wonderful day at a time!  

“…Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34, NRSV). I appreciated hearing a vulnerable, open story of an apostle's worries & challenge in a financial experience & what he learned about sometimes taking life just one day at a time. I'm excited to also share with you a joyful moment at the airport that ties into the Bible story of the wedding feast.

Because my home was just involved in a house fire two days ago, I keep thinking about the power of water. To the woman at the well, to Lehi, and to you & me, there is a gift of water that we have access to everyday and it can powerful.  Reflecting on a scale of the power from a firehose, a garden hose, a water can, or spray bottle, how powerful does His love and power feel in our own life??

Elder Bednar recommends, “that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts" (“Pray Always,” General Conference, October 2008). To me, meditating is a just offering a very present prayer where we visualize. So, here's a short episode if your heart could use a calm minute to breathe and only give thanks for your blessings.

I'm sometimes surprised which experiences add to my belief in the resurrection of Christ. Today I share just three brief, personal experiences that helped His resurrection feel even more real to me. I noticed all 3 were aided by OTHER people; people that took time to prepare something for me or provided an opportunity for me. That has helped me reflect on the question: "What am *I* doing to help others (including my kids) to have opportunities to have experiences like this too?" Wishing you some memorable moments where the Savior's resurrection feels more real to you too.

This episode was something I didn't know I needed. I knew I'd be seeing some specific people again soon, and I've been surprised how my body has tensed-up already as a seemingly simple scene has re-surfaced to mind of a brief experience I had with them (YEARS ago!), where I walked away feeling really dumb and belittled. (I know now that it was my own thoughts around that circumstance, but I still had that story running around in my head! It was even causing me to freeze up and NOT really WANT to see them again. So interesting how powerful those experiences can be).I am so grateful for this topic of forgiving OUR debtors. I just really needed to prepare this week's episode. I very humbly feel grateful to have been led to a topic I personally needed. Don't have time to listen? I still got you. One of the reflective questions to get you thinking is to identify ANY relationship that feels damaged or wounded in any way, or a moment/experience you need to still forgive?? Who do I need to forgive?We read the words of the Savior's story in Matthew about the king who forgave his servant, but then the servant turns around to NOT forgive his own servant for an even smaller debt. The king finds out and says: "I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?"  (Matthew 18: 32-33).Best wishes inner peacemaker with your efforts to clean up/heal/strive to forgive where it is needed. So much love and empathy coming my way to you.

What do doughnuts, parachutes, & kings have in common?? They each are tied into a short thought to help us better see the gift of His mercy that can be balanced perfectly into justice. May this episode help you feel a reminder/glimpse of God's love for you when He gave you His atonement as a gift--a doughnut, a parachute, and a king---just for you! If you haven't gotten to your study of the Savior's atonement this week, in this episode, I got you.=======================================For more love and support on this and other self care topics, you are so welcomed to join us in the free Facebook group "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms."

My daughter did something "bad"/something not as nice at school, and she later felt guilty about it. She didn't know how to forgive herself so we brainstormed a sentence (mantra) she could say to give her some extra love and move forward. Thoughts about being so kind to yourself & how to use the Redeemer's atonement instead of stewing in anger towards your past mistakes. How to use the tool "Next time I will..." so you can move forward instead of sticking in the mud of shame or guilt. "Please don’t give precious space in your soul to [old grievances where you caused pain to another] any longer" --Elder Jefferey Holland“When the Lord requires that we forgive all men, that includes forgiving ourselves." --Elder Dieter Uchtdorf

I remember some big feelings I had right after dropping off a plate of cookies to a young mom I was asked to visit; instead of feeling proud of myself or joyful for taking care of another person, I felt...guilt!!?? Today's episode is all about the guilt we sometimes can still feel even after doing something "good," but in our mind it wasn't "perfect" or "not good enough" or "not quite right." I want to help you learn two tools to help you work through that big feeling so you don't have to spiral or comfort yourself with unhelpful habits and instead really take care of yourself. For more love and support on this and other topics, feel welcomed to join the free Facebook page "Creating Inner Peace: Christ-Centered Self Care for Moms" or go to creobalance.com.