Enjoying Life.... for FREE!!

With our move across the country, we are limited on funds for entertainment, probably more than ever. I am not sad about this in the slightest. This gives our family the opportunity to explore the world using our imagination! Here are some suggestions as to how you can do the same- saving some extra pennies to put into that dream vacation fund along the way.

Did you know that each major city has an information center? At these locations, you can usually find maps and brochures free of charge. Much of the time, the maps and brochures have many activities listed around your town.... for free! As we traveled across the states, we collected many of these maps for our own home education purposes. How fun would it be to get a map from each state?

Utilize your local library! Today, I picked up a library events calendar (found online as well). Here are just a few items of business on it:

- Services for students: tutoring, reference library, subject guides, etc.

- Adult events: Scrabble club, knitter club, coloring club, creative writers alliance, writers' guild, etc.

- Children and Family events: Chess for kids, Lego club, Family pajama story time, Movie night, etc.

- Book clubs

- East TN History Center events: Genealogy, history discussions, TN reunions, etc

There are also events listed on the library bulletin board.

Local colleges will have free movie nights, author readings, as well as other community activities.

The Chamber of Commerce is also another great place to gain valuable information to the happenings around town.

When there are lack of funds, it may be time to get creative, but this can be a great blessing. One of these outings may inspire a passion in your child or yourself in finding and enjoying your light!

Living freely,
Mama Dragon

Today, I Honor You

Dear Sir or Madam,

You do not know me, and I do not know you. I am writing this letter and sending it with a prayer to heaven, to find you. Since the time of the Revolutionary War to the current war in the Middle East, you have gone forth proudly, nobly, and without hesitation to defend your beliefs. You knew that there was a greater good to accomplish, an evil to terminate, and so you put on your uniform, manned yourself with your weapons, and went to fight. You might have had six weeks of training, or you might have been a farmer that only knew how to till fertile soil. You did it anyway. 

You battled on the front lines with less than an hour's sleep and hardly anything in your belly. Tired and fatigued, you allowed adrenaline to pump through your veins so you could find that enemy and take him down, so his leaders would lose power and eventually lose control of the war. You even looked the enemy in the eye and realized he was not that different from you. He, too, was following orders, perhaps also drafted into a battle without choice.

Image courtesy of: headlinepolotics.com

You missed your family back home, yet you stayed where you were, because that is where your father, grandfather, great-grandfather also stayed. Somehow in your heart, you knew that is where you needed to be, and you were willing to pay the price- any price- for freedom.

You fought so that I, a stranger, could sleep at night in peace, wake in the morning and have breakfast with my family, send my kids to school or homeschool them, attend any church of my choosing, or have different opinions from my neighbor on presidential candidates, marriage equality, education reform. You battled harsh weather conditions, grenades thrown at you, firing from the enemy, shell shock..... because you knew that one day, evil would be destroyed and good would overcome. You did that because you knew it was needed, and right. 

Then, one day, the enemy drew fire on your battalion and there was nothing more you could do. In one final moment, you were injured and eventually died, or you were killed from one fatal shot. Maybe, just maybe, God allowed a bit more grace for you and you died without any suffering. Perhaps your last breath left your body as angels gathered around you, ready to take you to a place of peace and rest. Perhaps the angels in attendance were your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who understood what it was like to go to a Heavenly Home before you had the chance to return to your earthly one. 

To you, sir or madam, I sit here in tears, praising God for you. I pray for your family, that they may have comfort in knowing that you are a true hero. Today, I honor you, dear Soldier, for giving everything you have, until your dying breath, so that I could be free. May you fly high with the angels and rest in God's everlasting care. 

With gratitude-

Mama Dragon

Guarding Liberty

When my daughter was 6 years old, she became the youngest member of the National Patriot Guard Riders. (I will save that story for another day.) Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to the Salt Lake International Airport and honor WWII veterans who were coming home from the Utah Honor Flight. These are men that came home after the war without fanfare. 70 years later, they received it. 

That day was a very wet, cold, and rainy one. We met the Utah Guard at the nearby State Fair Grounds for our planning meeting. While the adults gathered, the children entertained themselves.(She wants a motorcycle so badly!)

Because of the whether, the flight had been delayed by three hours. It was dinner time, so many of us decided to go to a nearby restaurant and grab a bite to eat. My daughter got on a high and got really, really silly with some of her "crew".

When we got to the airport later that evening, we took our places with the flags. 

Missy B stood next to her new friend ready to honor the Great Men of our country. 

Because all of these 40 or so gentlemen were all in wheelchairs, it took another hour before they arrived at our location. 30 minutes prior to their arrival, the girls started getting extremely tired. It was nearly 10pm and they were tired and cold. I took them just inside the entryway of the airport where I encouraged them to lie down and place their heads on my lap. I rubbed their backs and sang quietly to them. 

Just as these girls were relaxed and ready to doze, I look over to see dozens of elderly gentlemen being wheeled down the corridor by their escorts. Nudging the girls I told them, "Girls, look! This is it! This is what you have been waiting all day for!" I pointed towards the crowd coming towards us. I said to them, "Girls, I know you're tired and cold, but let's go get our flags ready and show these men how grateful you are for their service. Shine your smiles at them and show the your gratitude! You can do this!" Missy B's young friend cried that her legs hurt and I offered for her to stand with her mother, also a rider holding a flag. No, she wanted to be with her pal. The three of us went to our designated area and got our flags. 

The girls took their flags and got ready. I told my daughter, "B, you think of your great-grandpa Berry (my maternal grandfather, still living) and you think of our great-uncle Dale (his brother who has passed away). Some of these men may have served with them. You take all your love for Grandpa and Uncle Dale and you give it to these men. Show them you love them and let them know how grateful you are for their service, for giving us our freedom!" Missy B's tender heart broke as she misses her Uncle Dale greatly. She had a special bond with him. As I dried her tears and hugged her, she put on her "warrior face" and prepared to greet these great heroes of our nation.

One by one, these gentlemen were wheeled past us. As they came by the girls, these precious young ladies stood tall to salute every one of them. Then, they reached out their hands to shake the hands of heroes and said, "Thank you for your service." One by one, these frail men broke down in tears, taking those small hands in theirs. As they passed by me, I would bend down to them, taking their hand and thanked them. Some of them broke down weeping thanking us for the honor we gave them that night. Some of them wept so hard that I hugged them and kissed their beautiful, wrinkly cheeks. Our hands clasped those that were missing fingers, crippled with arthritis, or had major burn damage. It literally pained them to shake our hands, but they did it anyway, because it connected us as human beings. 

Afterward, the men were bused to the Fair Grounds where a big ceremony was held in their honor. Missy B needed to get home, since it was after 11:30 pm by this point, but I know they were adored by the hundreds of people waiting for them.

Being there to honor our Defenders of Liberty was one of the highlights of my life. It was a sacred experience as we paid our respects to these incredible men, who sacrificed so much for our freedoms. I am grateful to know the Utah Patriot Guard and have my daughter be an official member. It brings tears to my eyes that we are able to show our love to the true heroes of liberty. God bless our military. We salute you. 

Guarding Liberty-

Mama Dragon

BANACHOS!!

Me with my Superhero,
Paul Cardall

In June 2013, I was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called ARVD. During the summer, I was on strict bed rest as I awaited my pending heart surgery. Day in and day out as I had nothing else to do but read books by Jason Wright and Paul Cardall (fellow heart warrior and composer) and watch "Little House on the Prairie" I tried to mix things up a bit. I loved to cook so I researched some recipes I could try on my good days. 

One day, I had a sudden craving for nachos; yet, I wanted something sweet as well. How could I mix these two great items of goodness, I wondered. We had no chips, nor did I have the strength to make cheese sauce. However, we did have bananas and pecans. Inspired by my husband's campfire stories, I began to brainstorm. Hmmm.... This could be amazing, I thought. Against doctors orders, I dragged myself out of bed and began to create. 

First, I sliced bananas onto my plate.

Wondering what could go better with bananas than chocolate, I added some chocolate chips onto them as well. 

Wanting a little more flavor in the mix, I added a small handful of mini marshmallows and melted it all for 30 seconds in the microwave. (For this picture, I used marshmallow cream, as we were out of marshmallows. It spreads just fine after melting it.) 

Then, for the crunch, I originally added a handful of pecans, although for this picture I used sliced almonds. 

It was the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and creamy. I have since then used walnuts and sliced almonds as well. All are divine. 

Sometimes, you just need to follow your heart (pun intended) and free the Divine creativity that may be locked up inside you. For me, allowing myself to create Banachos was worth the 5 minutes I was out of bed. (They kind of make me want to put on a sombrero, grab some castanets, and yell: BANACHOS!!) To this day, it is one of my favorite sweet snacks. When we unlock our potential, we are given opportunities to share our light from within. 

Creating freely- 

Mama Dragon

Joyfully Living.... Guilt Free

This morning, I was in a lengthy phone conversation with a dear friend. During our visit, I felt compelled to write about several items we were discussing. She told me to write them down. I did not. When I got off the phone, my sick daughter (who is missing school today) tells me that I was on the phone all morning. Yep! I told her I had been talking to that friend for one hour and 30 minutes. I shut out the world, although I answered children's questions when they asked, but for the most part, made it about my friend and I. It was a motivating and uplifting conversation and just what I needed at the end of a difficult week. Within minutes of hanging up, I had forgotten I was supposed to write those items down, of course. Ha! 

There was a time in my years of motherhood that taking this time to talk on the phone would have brought forward an emotion of guilt: guilt that I was taking time for me, guilt that I was not ministering to my children, guilt that I was not cleaning, or cooking, or mending something, guilt for...anything. I would have spent the rest of the day beating myself up for not being more productive with my time. I would have apologized the moment my husband walked in the door after work for not having done something better. That would have happened.... once upon a time. 

It has taken me many years to understand something about myself. In fact, this discovery is only in the past year as I have gone through a serious emotional transformation. The something that I have learned is: I am worth that time! I am enough! (I will talk more on the idea of"enough" another day.) There is nothing to be guilty for! In fact, we, as mothers, need that time on the phone! We need that break! It is how we keep our sanity! 

There is a beloved pioneer woman that I have come to know and love through studying her life. Years ago, I learned that as a mother raising several young children, she often had a mother's helper (aka nanny, or hired help) to keep her home going. What an idea! Why is it that we, as women as a whole, beat ourselves up to be perfect? Why is it that we do not allow ourselves to go without makeup, wear comfy clothes instead of fancy ones, or have a messy (aka: lived in) home? We do not have to follow the handful of women in Pinterest that seem to "have it together"? If you need extra hands, seek them out! There is nothing wrong with asking for some help. If you do not sew your curtains or make your vintage wall hangings, then don't! Find other ways to let your light shine! We do not all have to be the same. 

Let me ask you- when you decorate your home, or clean it, or bake cookies... are you doing it because you love to, want to, or feel like you have to "just in case" someone stops by? Be honest. You should be doing it for you, not to impress them! I make curtains and pillows because I love to! I make bread because I enjoy it (and it saves me money). I organize the way I do because it is what works for me. We do not have to follow all that we see on social media. When all is said and done, do what you can, the best you can (not the best they can) and it IS enough! No guilt! Just joy! 

Joyfully living- 

Mama Dragon

To My Friend- Whose Heart Belongs to God

Dearest K,

     At first I thought it was a fluke, feeling the promptings of writing such a personal letter on my blog. I thought to myself: Why in the world would the Lord have me do that?!  Then I realized that this letter is not just from me to you, but perhaps it is to anyone who is moving on in their lives. Maybe it is from another friend or family member who also battled these feelings as you gained strength and found light again after S's death. You have used yours and S's story as a way to help others. This public, yet personal, letter seems to cry out to do the same. Use me, it pleads. Allow me to touch another soul. So, I do. Now I find myself sitting down to write and the words flow like a brook, winding its way through the forest, just as these thoughts find their way from my heart to yours. 

I remember when I first met you. M and S were great friends from their growing up years and we all ended up in the same church congregation together. There you were, sitting in the class that would encourage us to be friends. You had your short hair, spiky in the back, while sporting your stylish glasses. Who is this new sister? She is adorable. She is probably way to cool for me. We could never be friends. I reached over the chairs (or did I sit next to you?), extended my hand and said, "Hi! I'm Jen! Are you new or visiting?" With the best smile you could offer (in what I later found out was a very nervous moment for you), you responded with your name and you were new. I asked if we could be friends. You laughed and said yes and the rest is history. It makes me laugh to know that it was years later we found out how terrified we both were. 

Over the years, our paths have taken our families separate ways, both moving to various states for work or school. Then Facebook came into our lives and we reconnected, until you left that for a time. When I tracked you down later, I was elated that we would both be back in AZ at the same time to visit. Yet, there was no time during that busy holiday season to connect. "Next time we're both in town, we'll all get together," you reassured me. Little did we know, there would not be another next time.

Shortly after, you were diagnosed with a terrible dis-ease that nearly took your life. All I could do was pray for you. I had no money to offer for treatments. I could not come hold your hand in another state. I could not tend your children. All I could do was pray.  During that same time that you were battling cancer, I was battling my own illness with my heart. I knew that somehow, even though we rarely talked, we understood each other's struggles. I had my surgery and when you got a clean bill of health, I praised God for saving my dear, darling friend. 

Two months after I experienced a miracle and the doctors were able to correct my heart issue, the devastating news came: Your darling S, my husband's best friend, passed away suddenly... from a heart attack. Oh, the ironies! Oh the cruelty! You survived and he was taken. My heart that had been failing for years was mended and his heart (that you did not know was struggling) suddenly stopped working. There was a guilt there that brought my rejoicing to a halt and for months M and I grieved over the loss of our dear, wonderful friend. 

When I least expected it, tears would fall and the "next time we're both in town..." would come to mind. I followed your life (hooray for social media stalking) and sent you my love. I have prayed for angels to buoy up you and those darling boys who missed their coach and hero- their dad. 

Then, one day, God took your broken heart and found a way to mend it. He helped you find grace in the darkest of nights through your three heroes- your boys. He brought light into your life by an amazing, supportive community, work associates, and parents (both yours and S's) who continued to carry you when you could not stand anymore. He brought you joy through a new little friend named Gus. Most of all, God allowed the Atonement of Jesus Christ to ease the sadness and despair and turn it into a place of beauty and healing. One day, God lead you to a place that most mortals do not have the opportunity to be... He lead you to another chance at love. 

My dear friend, the first time you shared a date with E on social media, my heart leapt and I knew it was he who would complete you once again. I know that when S left this world, he took a huge part of you with him. God, in all His goodness, took that hole in your heart, and found another man not to be "second best" or for you to "settle for" but to fill that hole with happiness, light, laughter (which is such a huge part of you) and most of all hope! God heard your tender pleas and knew that your boys needed a father, one who would love them as much as S, and one that would adore you and cherish you as you deserve. You so deserve to be cherished! 

The day of your wedding, I asked angels to carry my thoughts and love to you. I wanted to see you happy, but at the same time, my heart was broken. I so wanted to accept E in your life but did not want to let go of S. He was a strength and guiding force to so many. How could we move on? How could you move on? I called my sister and cried. I was torn on how to best support you. She shared great insight with me, that during your time of illness, surely you and S talked about what would happen if you were the one to leave this life behind. She shared that she knew S was supportive of your choice, that maybe he had a hand in leading you and E to each other. 

I prayed more, and came to acceptance through this thought: Your heart belongs to God. That is how you live your life- to follow Him. In doing so, He will place in your life the exact people you need at the exact moment you need them. At this time, you and your boys needed E, and he needed you so God allowed your hearts to be united in holiness and love. 

To E, I say: thank you for loving my friend so completely. I look forward to one day meeting the man who stole her heart. To my beautiful friend, My K, who has carried me through the years, let me say this: I love you. I support you. I am cheering you and E on. M and I will always miss our friend, but we know he is where he needs to be, watching over you and your sons. What a blessing to have a guardian angel that has loved you so perfectly! What a miracle to find love again in this life! Go forward with a perfect brightness of hope, my incredible friend. For when your heart truly belongs to God, there is so much joy to behold. 

Love you forever, 

Jen (aka Mama Dragon)

Chicken, Chicken: Who's Got the Chicken?

As I prepared to type this post, the title came to mind. It is reminiscent of childhood games. Of course, thinking of childhood leads me to think of favorite foods. One of my favorites is chicken noodle soup. Well, it is one of my favorites now that I have mastered it on my own. Of course the most important ingredient is: chicken! For today, let's talk about how to make a dollar stretch in preparation of chicken dishes. Stretching our dollars is a way to guard the light of our homes. (When I am careful about where I spend my money, I feel better about not letting it go to waste.)

When I shop, I am a frugal shopper. This means to find the best bargains for the least amount of money. Sometimes, that takes planning. Other times, you are blessed to stumble across great deals. This was the case last week when I found 10 lbs. of frozen chicken leg quarters for $4.50 total! That was only 45 cents per pound!! Although I wished we had room in our freezer for more, we grabbed one bag. I put it in the fridge to defrost it a bit, then the next day put it in the crockpot. Just dump it in, even frozen. There is no need to add any water, unless you want a broth (which I will share later in this post.)

Cooking in the crockpot

Because there was too much chicken for my 7-quart crockpot, I put a few pieces on the stove, added 1/2 cup of water, covered, and simmered on med-low for several hours. Once the chicken was cooked, I put it on a plate to cool. Then, I took off the skin and took out the bones. A nice benefit to cooking it in the CP for several hours is usually you can just pull the bones right out and the meat falls right off. 

Cooked chicken

After taking the meat off the bones, I put the bones back in the pan, covered with water, and let it simmer for another hour or so. 

Making bone broth

Bone broth has many health benefits so I did not want to miss out on this opportunity to make something so delicious and for practically nothing. 

When that was done simmering, I removed the bones and am left with more than 2 quarts of chicken bone broth. At this point, let it cool and store in the fridge, or freeze it in a freezer bag or freezer bowl, or can it with a pressure canner. Any way you store it, make sure you enjoy it! Now you have delicious meat and broth for several upcoming meals. [Note: I ended up with 10 cups of shredded chicken plus 3 quarts of bone broth. Yum!]

Eating well-

Mama Dragon

Costa Vida Love

Upstairs from me lives an adorable young couple. We met when one day the husband knocked on my door, needing the phone number of our bishop (local clergyman). A short time later, I met his wife at church and we became super fun friends. They are such a joy in my life. 

This cute couple works at the nearby Costa Vida restaurant, which is yummy, to say the least. Whenever I see them, our ongoing joke is me yelling, "Hey! Where's my taco?!" They always respond with, "Come to our work and get one!" It's a fun way to be friends and have a little humor in our relationship as we get to know each other. At the end of a very long, difficult day on May 5th, I teased them again as I yelled out my window when they walked by. That day was an exceptionally difficult day and humor kept me going. 

Pork tacos = Perfection

That night, they drove passed me in their car as I stood outside another apartment building (yep, we live in an apartment!), crying. Stopping to check on me, I could not even talk. I had just witnessed a very difficult domestic scene between a weeping mother (a friend of mine) and a CPS worker. My heart was broken and as I cried on her behalf, my friends stopped to check on me. I shook my head that I could not talk then, so they said they would check on me later. I texted her that night to let her know I was ok, but my friend was not. She promised me tacos. It was all she could do. 

Thursday (the next day) I ran a quick errand. When I returned, there was a bag from the beloved restaurant sitting on my kitchen table. In it was some serious goodness and at 4:30pm, I ate dinner. 

Not wanting to be entirely selfish (kind of) I shared the deliciousness with my husband and together we enjoyed a bit of heaven. (Don't worry- I fed my kids later... just not that!)

The one item I did not share, however, was my cookie. I take this very seriously when considering sharing an item of such caliber. Sure, it was 5 inches across. Yes, it was plenty big for two people to indulge. When it comes down to it, though... sometimes, a woman just needs her chocolate to herself. I made the correct decision.

How grateful I am to this thoughtful couple who did a seemingly small act of service, but one that made a big difference to me. Like butterflies bring a quiet beauty to the world, this couple brought beauty into our home and into my life. It reminded me I am being watched out for, and that I am loved. 

In our home, we strive to do service on a daily basis. As we allow ourselves to be recipients of service as well as offer it, our loads are that much lighter, the world is more beautiful, and life is so much sweeter.... like this cookie. 

Feeling grateFULL-
Mama Dragon

Love from Leo (Or is it Danny?)

[Note: This piece is written with the intent of being slightly sarcastic and humorous.]

As we all know, Sunday is Mother's Day (in America) and I happen to be a mother, so the timing is

The return address is from Leo

great! I usually expect my kids to do a little something, because I know they love me and they know I work hard to take care of them. What I do not usually except, though, is to receive Mother's Day cards in the mail.... from total strangers. 

The card says
"Uncle Danny"

At first, I was flattered. How sweet for someone to think of me! Then, I became slightly creeped out that someone, a total stranger, from another state no less, had my name and address. Maybe it was from a company I do business with. Nope. Maybe it was a long lost cousin. Nada. This card, which is written partly in text language (which I detest for the most part) came from some stranger. Thanks you Leo, or Danny, whomever you are, for thinking of me this Mother's Day. If you don't mind, though, I would rather reserve the holiday for those in my life I actually know- aka, my kids. 

Puzzled-
Mama Dragon

Praying for Freedom

Picture from official NDP website

Today is National Day of Prayer. For my friends in other countries, or the ones in this one who don't know, National Day of Prayer is the one day of the year we come together as fellow countrymen, and pray together for our country to be saved by God. From their website:

"The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Our Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible."

Prayer unites us! It is the communication that carries our feelings from us, to the angels, to God. Prayer comforts in ways nothing else can. It lifts us in the darkest hours and brings forth miracles in the morning light! Today, I will be praying for God to soften the hearts of our current government leaders, so they may get back to supporting our Constitution and living by it! I will pray that we can each make better choices in our own personal lives and be more willing to trust in and submit to God's will. I will pray for my own home, that it may be a safe haven from the world and those that dwell here will do feel welcomed and loved.

May we each come together and observe this day- so that it may be the hallmark of unity it was designed to be. Take a moment and pray. 

Heartily praying-

Mama Dragon

Balancing Act

Do you remember as a kid, you would stand on one foot and try to hop without falling over? Do you recall using the cracks on the sidewalk and pretend it was a tight rope? These acts of balancing were symbolic for what was to come in our adult lives: finding balance. 

On a regular basis, I get asked "How do you do it all?" This is in regards to homeschooling, canning, writing music, serving my neighbor.... etc. Here are a few things that those in front of the scene do not realize is going on behind the scenes... I don't. Just like our invisible tight ropes, life is a balancing act. Each of us has to find our point of balance and it will never be the same as another's. 

When my husband and I were newlyweds, we decided that for the time being, I would work outside the home. Eventually, we wanted me to be home with our children. I worked up until my 6th month of pregnancy with our first baby, which was miraculous in itself, because of so many complications. When he was a couple of months old, we decided I was going to return to work for the time being, to lighten my husband's load. He was in school full time, working a full and part time job, and not getting more than a wink of sleep each night. In me returning to work, he was able to decrease his load somewhat when he left one of his jobs. I was blessed in finding a job that allowed me to take my baby with me. 

When Eldest reached about 6 months old, I remember hearing one of my church leaders speak about motherhood in our semi-annual church conference. He explained that God's desire for families was to have mothers be the nurturers of the home, and if she was able, the mother should be home with the children. We took that seriously and after consulting the Lord in prayer, I left my job and came home- permanently. 

Eldest is now preparing to graduate from high school in a few weeks and I have been blessed to be a stay-at-home-mom these 17 years to our four children. It has not been easy financially, nor always emotionally, but it has been worth it. 

My balancing act comes in the form of being a SAHM. I do not "do it all" but as a SAHM, part of my responsibilities are to help us be financially frugal (I do not clip coupons, just FYI), see that my children are getting a proper education (two kids are homeschooled, two are in public school), and raise them up in righteousness (I'm a Mama Dragon). I write music when the Lord inspires me to but it is currently not my full-time occupation. (The past two years, I have hardly touched music because I went through a health crisis and my family also needed me to focus on them.) Why wouldn't I do all of these things? They are part of who I am, and who I care to be. I do not let any one area rule my entire time so in them, I am able to find balance. 

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

When we are following our own path, finding our own balance, there are no absolute rules. In my church, there are guidelines, but things can be adjusted to individual needs. Each of us has multiple responsibilities- be it family, job, church, community service opportunities, etc. We each do what we need to do in order to find balance. The key is to not let any one area take over our entire existence. The key is to stay upright so that we do not fall. 

When a gymnast trains, they do not learn only the balance beam, or only the parallel bars, or only the rings. they learn each area of the gym. As they train, they may find they are stronger on one event than another, but they still remain a sense of balance so they can perform in each area.  That is how we should balance our lives! 

Make a list of all the areas you have a responsibility: home (meal planning, cleaning, helping with homework), work outside the home, church and community, hobbies. Then, prioritize your list. In my life, it is God, Family (including time for myself), Church, everything else (which changes according to seasons of my life). Take some time to really think through these areas and create your own gymnastics routine. One key to this is learning it is absolutely alright to say NO! This took me a very long time to figure out, but when I mastered it, my life became bearable, and breathable. Perhaps you need to cut out social media time in order to plan menus. Maybe you need to give a little more responsibilities to your growing children in order to have time to play the piano once in a while. Instead of being PTA president, maybe you can just be a member! I cannot do it all! I don't do it all! I have to honor the no's in order to make room for the yes's. 

When I am on the balance beam (figuratively), I cannot do rings, vault, or unevens. I can, however, adjust my time at the gym in order to accommodate all the areas I do need to practice and have a successful dismount in the end. Life is a balancing act. Adjust your routine as needed, for when you find balance, you find peace. 

Balancing the world- 

Mama Dragon

Gateway to Happiness

What makes you happy? How do you find happiness in an ever increasing dark world? The Savior walked and talked with the lowliest of souls. He paid them heed, and they were blessed. I believe service, especially like unto the Savior, is the gateway to happiness.

In the book of Matthew, we read:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

It is an honor to know individuals who have started organizations, or head up service events, that change lives. They come from different backgrounds, and have varying spiritual beliefs. Over the next few weeks, I will highlight their works. These are people who take these scriptures to heart, becoming one with Christ and doing as He would do. They are heroes in my book, changing lives day by day. I look forward to sharing their stories with you.

You do not have to run an organization to to charity work. It is in the small, day-to-day acts that we also find joy. These friends have a visible happiness that comes from serving others. For when we do that, we will experience true charity, which is the pure love of Christ. How can we be anything other than happy when it is in His footsteps we follow.

Living Happiness-
Mama Dragon