Monumental Giveaway

The more I learn about the pilgrims and founding fathers the harder it is to comprehend how our country has strayed so far from the ideals and beliefs that it was founded on. From career politicians to socialized healthcare and lifelong welfare, banning prayer and all references to religion in schools (yet teaching about sexual practices contrary to their beliefs), infringing on second amendment rights, reckless national debt, and so on.

My Gospel Standards & 2013 Mutual Theme free printables

In my "home tour" post, I shared a few images I made in photoshop to hang on my boys' walls. I've sized them to 11x14 and added them to my free temple pictures site under the Fun Stuff link. Feel free to download and print for free!

I also had a request to for the 2013 Mutual Theme on some temple images. I've added these to the SLC Temple link as well as the Fun Stuff link on my free temple pictures website. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours! We wish you joy in celebrating the birth of our Savior and creating memories with loved ones.

Standing for Something: Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day- GIVEAWAY

This is a last minute giveaway and is only running for a day and a half so spread the word!

You  may or may not have heard that certain city governments are boycotting Chick-fil-A because of the CEO's support of God's definition of marriage. I don't know about you, but I thought that one of the motivating factors in the establishment of America was for freedom of religion. That means that our government doesn't get involved when a person adheres to a certain religious belief- especially one this nation was founded on. These individuals can boycott away- but they have no right to use our government to do so.

Christians everywhere need to stand up to support the Bible and the future of America by taking a stand in this issue. Some claim that Christian's stand for God's definition of marriage is "hateful". We and God, do not hate the sinner, only the sin. We cannot stand guiltless before God if we do not stand to support and protect His laws. Having an opinion and peaceably defending it is not hate. We are simply trying to protect long-standing traditions and values that this nation was founded on.

Chick-fil-A's company president Dan Cathy said it best:

“We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

and

“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” he said. “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.”

Three readers will receive a $10 gift card to Chick-fil-A! Enter today, winners will be chosen Monday so that hopefully the cards can reach the winners by Wednesday! And yes, I am aware that this goes totally against my "real food" pledge, but standing for something is more important. Besides, their chargrilled chicken sandwich with honey mustard sauce is to soooo yummy ;)

Please show your support and visit Chick-fil-A this Wednesday, August 1.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Winners must respond with their address on Monday or a new winner will be chosen

Source: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2012/jul/27/aug-1-chick-fil-appreciation-day-marriage/

General Conference Scripture Study

I just got my conference edition in the mail and am so excited to review the talks. We've been asked to make the General Conference Ensign edition part of our regular study so that those message embeded in our hearts. One thing I've found that really helps me, is to incorporate it with my scripture study and journaling.

I start by reading through the talk, writing down impressions in my journal, then looking up each scripture reference and writing impressions about them. Not only does this provide a fun way to mix up scripture study, but it helps me to really ponder and apply the talks to myself.

For example, when reviewing the October 2011 conference edition, I came across the talk by Matthew O. Richardson titled Teaching after the Manner of the Spirit. I kind of sped read the first page was about to skip past it, since I no longer teach Relief Society I didn't think there would be anything in it for me. But I decided to stick with it and after looking up a few of the scriptures and writing thoughts about them, it dawned on me that I AM a teacher. Every single day. And the most important kind of teacher. This most definitely was written for me and I that I need to learn how to teach my children properly "real teaching involves much more than just talking and telling...and...the Holy Ghost teaches by inviting, prompting, encouraging, and inspiring us to act". I was so glad I didn't let myself miss out on this talk.

Happy Easter

While we participate in egg hunts with our family and enjoy the beauty of spring, we also take time to remember the real reason we celebrate Easter.



Visit http://mormon.org/easter for more information about Jesus Christ. Because Christ was resurrected we too will live again!

Time Out- SLC

I attended my fourth Time Out for Women this weekend in Salt Lake City. As with the others, it was incredible! It was slightly larger than the ones I attended in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Nashville...there were 5,000 women there! I went with my awesome sister in law (the marathoner). It was fun to hear several presenters I hadn't heard before. I loved Brad Wilcox- he is hilarious...Hilary Weeks and Jericho Road were amazing, Sherry Dew and Emily Watts were inspiring and Laurel Christensen put a major stitch in my side...But the best part was Saturday morning we got to hear from Stephanie Nielson who was not even on the schedule! I had contemplated driving to Phoenix to hear her speak and was so happy I didn't have to! If you haven't yet had the opportunity to go to one of these events you seriously need to. It will change your life. And you'll never be around a group of funnier people. Ever.

And in other news...My sister Sara had her baby Lily, she's doing really well in the St. George NICU and they just featured her photo on the front page of the newspaper today. Check it out here.

Faith and Politics

I recently watched this adress by Senator Joe Lieberman at BYU. He spoke about how our nation was founded on faith and values and the belief in God. It's not very often you see politicians publicly promoting the good religion offers society. One of my favorite quotes was "America has been from the beginning a faith-based initiative and anybody who tries to separate faith from the public square is doing something unnatural and ultimately bad for our country."

He has published a book called The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath. In this day the Sabbath (for Christian's this day is Sunday) has become a holiday, a day of entertainment rather than a day to worship God and renew our soul. I think it is wonderful that a man in public office is taking a religious stand and setting the example for others to stick to their faith.

He also says "Faith in God, love of country, sense of unity, confidence in the power of every individual—these are the things that are going to carry the American people through crises greater than the ones we face today, and will, I’m sure, propel us forward to a better place if only we will return to those values and recognize them as a source of national strength...The greatest source of American strength and hope for the future is not in current devices and rigid politics of Washington, it is in the broadly shared faith and values of the American people.”

The full speech (skip past first parts) is located at http://byutv.org/watch/event/c4640ed7-2175-445a-9e63-b0e1a1d2c9f2 or on the BYU tv app you don't have to skip past anything...

Free pictures of the St. George, Utah Temple

Here are some pictures I took of the Saint George, Utah LDS temple. You may download these and additional images free for personal use by clicking on the Free Artwork link. If you use them in a fun project be sure to post a link in the comments, I love seeing how these images are being used! You may also order discounted prints online or feel free to donate a dollar or two so that I can continue to offer these free! P.S. Don't forget to enter to win Hilary Week's new CD!

Tissues please...Hilary Weeks giveaway!

If you haven't heard this song from Hilary's new album- grab a tissue and hit the play button.

We all face heartache and pain in this life. Much of who we become is determined by how we handle the trials that are given us. We were on a family hike a few weeks ago and came across a tree root. We discussed with my boys how all the twists and turns in the roots came when it encountered a rock or other tree and rather than stop growing, it bent and curved around it, and those twists and turns help it remain in the ground.This is a lot like life, when trials come we can choose to stop growing and become bitter and unhappy, or we can embrace those rocks and use them to dig our roots deeper and develop character and attributes to bring us closer to Christ.

In this season of thanksgiving, I am thankful for the life God has blessed me with, for my wonderful husband and three beautiful boys. I am thankful for extended family and friends who help life's journey be a little sweeter. I am thankful that in this world that is often full of fear, confusion, anger and pain, I can have faith in Jesus Christ, that he will guide my life and give me hope for the future. That is my thankful part, now for the giving part, I am giving one lucky reader a free copy of

Hilary Week's new CD album, Every Step!

To Enter, leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. What are you thankful for this season?

2. You are a public follower (click Join this Site in the sidebar on the right)
3. You have my button on your blog
4. You blogged or facebooked about this giveaway

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 8th. (Be sure to include your email address in one comment or have it linked to your profile so I can contact you if you win.)

U.S. Addresses only.
If the prize is not claimed within 3 days a new winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!

Giving back

One of my favorite scriptures is Jacob 2:18-19 "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

I can't help but think how God has blessed my life in so many ways. At times I feel like I could not possibly be happier. Yet I know there are those struggling in this world just to survive from day to day. I wish everyone could have the essentials of life so that they could enjoy this journey to it's fullest. While we make contributions to LDS humanitarian aid, fast offerings, and other worthy charities, it is wonderful to find new ways to help immediate needs and know exactly how and where your money is being put to use. What better way to thank God for our blessings than to help His children who are struggling?

The Chocolate on My Cranium blog is promoting a great cause to help single mothers attend college so they can provide for their children. 100% of donations go to these single mothers. When people join together much can be accomplished, even if each person only gave $5 or $10 it adds up to a significant contribution. I know most of us are barely able to cover the bills as they come in, but I'm sure we can all find a way to donate $5 and I can guarantee you will receive untold blessings for every charitable act, just remember the widow's mite, she was blessed above those who had much and gave much!

Are Mormon's Christians?

Amidst all the chaos in the world I keep hearing public statements questioning whether Mormon's are Christians (or rather claiming that they're not). I just want to add my conviction that YES! We ARE!

Jesus Christ- not Joseph Smith (as some claim)- is the founder of our religion. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he has called prophets and apostles to direct his church just as in ancient times. Joseph Smith was the prophet called by God who helped establish the re-institution of His church in modern times.

You don't have to believe it, but I do, and more than 14 million other people on the earth do. We teach of Christ, we testify of His love for us, we live by the teachings of the Bible. The Book of Mormon is ANOTHER witness that Jesus is the Christ. It does not replace the Bible- it confirms the truth of the Bible.

We believe in serving and loving and having charity towards all people. We believe in following all of the Ten Commandments (including the forgotten commandments like not taking God's name in vain and keeping the Sabbath day holy), we believe in being people of virtue (clean thoughts, speech and actions, avoiding the vulgar and profane), we live by a health code that prohibits addictive substances which rob us of our ability to have control of our life (drugs, alcohol), we donate of our own free will money to help build our churches and temples and care for the poor...Our Articles of Faith clearly state some of our beliefs and particularly the thirteenth article "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men...We believe all things, we hope all things...If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." We endeavor to follow Christ in all that we do and say. I think that makes us Christians.

Much has been said, much has been criticized. As a fairly intelligent person, I try to do my homework before forming an opinion about something, so I would ask before you judge, have you read the Book of Mormon? Have you read the Bible? Have you prayed to receive an answer from God? The Bible says:

James 1:5-6 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

One of the ancient prophets wrote a challenge to those who would read the words of his record found in the Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:4  "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

That is all mormon's ask. We don't want you to take our word for it- we want you to find out what's right for you. This is why thousands of young missionaries go into the world. To teach people about Jesus Christ and to challenge people everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, see if it testifies of Jesus Christ and to pray about whether it is true or if it is a work of fiction. We have nothing to gain other than joy in seeing someone turn to Christ and receive all that He has for them (eternal famililes!) Our clergy is not paid, they are regular people with full time jobs and provide service to the church out of love of God and duty to fellow men.

 

All the intellectual minds in the world may get together and decide what is true or what is not true, but the only one's opinion who ultimately matter's is God's. I testify that God does answer prayers and that he does guide and influence ALL who earnestly seek Him in faith and strive to obey His commandments. If you are interested in learning more about what we believe please visit http://mormon.org/  You can also request a free copy of the Book of Mormon or the Bible. If you have additional questions please feel free to email me, cariandanthony at gmail dot com.

Logan, Utah Temple Pictures

When I was in Logan for the Top of Utah Marathon I stopped to take a few pictures of the Logan temple (as requested by Stacie!) It is such an amazingly beautiful temple sitting high on the hill. Absolutely breathtaking. Images are available for free download on my Free Artwork link. Enjoy!

Also, super excited for General Conference this weekend! It's so awesome to be able to hear from our dear prophet and apostles. If you're looking for some yummies to much on while you're watching (a favorite tradition of mine) check out this post by the Red Headed Hostess! And check out some printable conference activities for your little monkeys too.

Free LDS Temple pictures & more!

I should have known I couldn't go a full month without posting anything! We haven't even headed out west yet (Saturday's the big day!)

I have created a new website where I share FREE pictures of LDS temples, as well as quotes/sayings that inspire my life (more to come there as well). These are available 100% free for personal (and church) use!

If you can, please contribute a small donation (right toolbar) or purchase deeply discounted prints online here.
Enjoy!

Defending the Family

Wow, what an amazing article! I love the Ensign. I can't pick it up without browsing through and reading at least half the articles in one sitting. It is impossible to read these words and not feel the spirit and desire to do better. I really enjoyed this article from June's edition, Defending the Family in a Troubled World. I'll just share a few of my favorite quotes from it:

"We live in a day when the love of many, even toward their own children, is waxing cold; a day when so many people love pleasures more than God; a day when good is called evil and evil good. Those who defend the traditional family, who stand for fidelity and chastity and all that once was considered wholesome and praiseworthy are mocked and ridiculed. On the other hand, those who see no problem with fatherless homes, who advocate abortion, who fight all attempts to limit pornography, and who seek to redefine the very essence of what a family is, are praised and upheld as champions of tolerance."

"...the messages we constantly hear in media, entertainment, and advertising sound like this:

“You’re number one.”
“Do your own thing.”
“You’re special.”
“Find yourself.”

Such messages are so pervasive that we unconsciously absorb them and sometimes repeat them. Yet they are diametrically opposite from the message of the Savior, as recorded in similar language in every one of the four gospels: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

We gain happiness and salvation not by blindly pursuing our own self and our own will. We gain salvation by submitting our will, indeed our very selves, to the will of God. We must lose ourselves to find ourselves."

"Those who honor the calling of righteous parenthood will find their souls refined, their hearts purified, and their minds enlightened by the most important lessons of life. They will rise to far greater heights of happiness than those who engage in the narrow and ultimately unsatisfying pursuit of self."

"Curiously enough, this new modern tolerance is often a one-way street. Those who practice it expect everyone to tolerate them in anything they say or do, but show no tolerance themselves toward those who express differing viewpoints or defend traditional morality...Believers of all faiths have every right to participate in and share their convictions in the public arena."

I could share more...but really every paragraph is powerful...and while you're at it check out the The Family: A Proclamation to the World which is referenced several times in this article.

Conference weekend

I love conference weekend! It's so nice spend an entire weekend together without any meetings or other obligations (including Sunday)! We started some herb seeds in the morning, shot off the boys' new rocket and of course listened to conference. I particularly enjoyed the talks by Elder Cook and Elder Maynes. Loved the poem quoted in Elder Maynes talk about the importance of parents leading and teaching children. Can't wait for tomorrow's talks!

Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away

In the parable Jesus told,

A grown-up sheep that strayed away

From the ninety and nine in the fold.

And why for the sheep should we seek

And earnestly hope and pray?

Because there is danger when sheep go wrong;

They lead the lambs astray.

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong, it won’t take long

Til the lambs are as wrong as they.

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead

For the sake of the lambs today,

For when sheep are lost, what a terrible cost

The lambs will have to pay!

-C. C. Miller

The Mormon Channel

Are you listening to this? If not you seriously need to check it out. 

You can listen online or download the free app to your iphone. I listen to these all day long as I'm cleaning or running around and they are absolutely amazing.

These are awesome programs to help inspire, motivate and strengthen. If you think your trials are too hard to bear- listen to Enduring it Well. If you need some encouragement and motivation, listen to Conversations. What a great way to learn from members and leaders of our church and invite the spirit into our homes.


The Osborne's

Time out for Women

Friday and Saturday I attended Time out for Women in Nashville with some great friends. It was wonderful, like always. Got to do some shopping, eat yummy food at cheesecake factory and be spiritually uplifted (all without any little distractions!) I did bring my camera but was too lazy to actually carry it around so all you get is a phone picture of the capitol and War Memorial...and three of the super fun ladies who came with me!

He looks so sweet and innocent...

Don't be fooled...

(and yes, we were ready to catch him)

And my picture today- I got to photograph this sweet little baby- less than 6 pounds! All my hats were way too big though, guess I better make some premie sizes...

The Osborne's

Almost Friday!

I LOVE the weekend. This weekend in particular- I'll be going to Time out for Women in Nashville! So excited. So my strange and random pics for the last few days (sorry for the low quality lately- I've been using my phone- too heavy to carry my camera around all day...)

Tuesday: Joshua loves to feed Grant- he grabs his high chair, pulls it over to him, takes away his food and feeds him...such a big helper!

Wednesday, I made a big batch of this yummy black bean salad/cowboy caviar and Grant downed three bowlfulls! Guess he's a fan...

 

Thursday: Joshua loves to build- while I was helping Ethan with his math, Joshua was very intently building with the Math U See blocks. Notice anything wrong with the second picture? What a silly boy... 

 

When Ethan was done with his math work he started writing something in the front of his math book-

I hope he is always this confident in his math abilities!

The Osborne's

Celestial University and silly boys...

In our Relief Society this year we're doing the Celestial University program. So one of my goals was to learn to knit/crochet. I found these adorable sock monkey patterns on etsy and have been having so much fun with them! I've also made a ton of adorable baby hats to use for my photography. In March I'm taking the challenge to take a photo a day and share it- so be prepared for some strange and random posts...

In other randomness... Ethan declared himself an artist with this drawing...

Grant loves to push his fat little finger through the middle of bread and spin it around...

 and...Joshua likes to entertain us during breakfast by sticking cheerio's to his face...

hope your mealtimes are as equally entertaining...

The Osborne's