Love – Pointing Toward Hope

A Perfect Brightness of Hope

Welcome to the pointing toward hope podcast/blog. I am Wendy Bertagnolli, your host for today. If this is your first time joining, welcome! I hope you can find a little bit of joy and healing as you listen and hear the stories of others who have overcome and found joy and healing in their lives. We believe that it is through our hope and faith in Jesus Christ that we can overcome the many trials and challenges of our day. If you have a personal story to share that you feel may help others to be able to find the light again, please reach out to me. I would love to have you on the show.

I’ll start today off by sharing a quote from President Russell M. Nelson, it reads:

We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying. Positive spiritual momentum will keep us moving forward amid the fear and uncertainty created by pandemics, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and armed hostilities. Spiritual momentum can help us withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.

~President Russell M. Nelson~

This was a talk he gave back in April of 2022 called spiritual momentum

Being caught in an attack by the adversary to erode our personal spiritual foundation can happen to anyone! Even the most stalwart people can sometimes find themselves in situations where the light of Christ is not burning as brightly in their life as it once was.

There can be so many reasons for this, grief, loss, miscarriage, lies, threats, surgery, pain, mistakes, death, betrayal, and so many more.

So How can we protect ourselves against the fiery darts of the adversary that are ever increasing in these days and times? I don’t have all the answers for sure. But I wanted to talk today about a few habits that we can work on that will help us withstand these relentless attacks of the adversary. Our world is certainly in the throws of darkness, rocking too and fro, knowing not which way to turn. I pray that we can be strong and immovable when it comes to fighting the battles that will come our way. And that we will not be moved in our desire to be a beacon of light in an ever darkening world.

And we can do that with the help of our Savior and by practicing some good solid spiritual habits. These habits will improve our abilitly to withstand all that we have been asked to face in the rough and unexpected times in our lives when we may feel less than stellar.

The first habit, and arguabley the most important, that I want to talk about comes from a talk given by Peter M. Johnson from the October 2019 General Conference. This is one of my all time favorite talks. I’ve mentioned it upon occasion here but it seems as though it is becoming an even more important warning as years go on. He states:

You are elect sons and daughters of God. You have the power to overcome the adversary. The adversary, however, is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using the three Ds:

Deception
Distraction
Discouragement

Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common among our Christian brothers and sisters. Whether in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints or other churches. Everyday, I see my friends being led away by the wiles of the adversary. And it usually happens slowly. I begin to see small differences in them and in their posts on social media. Then suddenly they declare that they no longer have a testimony, and at times, exclaim that there is no God. It breaks my heart, because I was once there.

I remember many days defending myself and saying that I was happier than I ever remember being. And the key word there is “remember”. Such an important word that has great meaning. It is stressed over and over again in the Book of Mormon and the Bible. And as we know, the opposition can take something that is meant to be good, and twist it and turn it to meet his agenda. And I believe that he has a way of seeing that we don’t remember the joy that the Gospel and our Lord Jesus Chrits bring us by exposing us to distractions. Hitting us with discouragement. And working in mischievous ways to deceive us.

In Heleman 5:12 Nephi remembers the words that his father Heleman had spoken to them saying:

And now my sons, remember, remember,that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ the Son of God, that ye must build your foundations; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and mighty storms shall beat upon you it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built which is a sure foundation; a foundation wheron if men build they can not fall.

And in verse 14 it says: And they did remember his words, and therefore went forth, keeping the commandments of God….

In 2016, my husband, Joe, was baptized a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I remember that during the time that we were having discussions and messages given to us by the missionaries, we felt the spirit of the holy ghost regularly. We would always be so happy after their visits and felt such peace, even though we were going through some really difficult things at the time.

I started to go to the temple once a week because I was in a position that I could, even though our temple is 45 minutes from our home. It usually would take half of a day. But I could definitely feel the power that renewing my temple covenants each week brought into our lives.

So many blessings would come right after or even during my sessions at the temple. To the point that we could not deny it. Do I still go once a week? I’m sad to say that I do not make it every week. I’ve found it really difficult to get back into that habit since the pandemic.

I think it’s really easy to forget the added strength that regular attendance at the temple brings into our life. It is meant to help sustain us in these latter days as things begin to get even harder, and as the veil gets thinner. We need to remember and practice keeping the commandments. The cloak of darkness gets heavier when we are distracted or deceived by the adversary. It gets harder and harder for us to get back on track. Soon we find ourselves living and acting in ways that we never would have believed previously.

Distractions are hitting us from every angle. And things happen daily that can make us feel great discouragement. We must REMEMBER the words of our prophet and leaders if we are to make it through the mud and the muck that we face each day. We recently had another amazing General Conference. Hearing from our prophet and leaders can be so uplifting and help us to stay the course or switch courses if needed. It helps us to remain vigilant in these tumultuous times.

In Peter Johnson’s talk he states:

In our day, there are many distractions, including Twitter, Facebook, virtual reality games, and much more. These technological advances are amazing, but if we are not careful, they can distract us from fulfilling our divine potential. Using them appropriately can bring forth the power of heaven and allow us to witness miracles as we seek to gather scattered Israel on both sides of the veil.

Let us be careful and not casual in our use of technology. Continually seek for ways that technology can draw us closer to the Savior and allow us to accomplish His work as we prepare for His Second Coming.

I have a dear friend that uses Facebook to share positive uplifting quotes daily. I know it is not an easy task to do this every single day. But she is diligent. And in so doing, she strengthens herself as well as many others who see her posts every day.

If we look for good uplifting content in our social media time, it can be a time of upliftment and fulfillment. But if we get caught up going down the rabbit hole of despair and discouragement it can completely change our day and at some point, if we continue this practice, it can change the trajectory of our lives.

You may think that could never happen to you. But, believe me when I say, it happens so slowly that soon you don’t even realize how the adversary is essentially coaxing you into this deep abyss. Either you find yourself depressed and discouraged over the state of things. Or Angry and bitter. Both of which do not come from the marvelous light of the Savior.

So how do we avoid these things? Well, some of the ways that I have learned on my own journey, include;

Removing Distractions
Journaling
Sharing your light by serving others
Remembering your worth

Of course the main things that we can do and always should be doing to remain close to our Savior and his marvelous light are: Personal Prayer and scripture study, fasting, attending the temple, and weekly partaking of the Lord’s sacrament. However, I’m not going to talk about those today. However, I don’t want you to foget how important those 4 things are. When I look back at my time away from the church and my Savior, these are some of the things that I can pinpoint that I had neglected and that, I feel, led me down the path that I was on. So please remember to participate in those habits regularly so that Satan has no room to send thoughts and ideas into your mind.

We’ve already discussed distractions, so let’s move on to journaling.

Journaling has become such a huge part of my personal striving to be close to the Savior and to never stray again. I find it so soothing and therapeautic to write my thoughts, hopes and dreams, on paper. Whether it’s a gratitude journal, a prayer journal or daily thoughts, journals can really help us to learn more about ourselves and keep us growing toward a closer relationship with our Maker.

President Henry B. Eyring in a talk that he gave in October 2007 General Conference called O remember, remember, he told a story about how he began Journaling. I’m not going to share it all because it is long and definitely worth going to check out. But speaking of his experience, he says this:

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

It is so important for us to remember certain events in our lives. I love How President Eyring shared the question that prompted his own journaling each day. We can each find a way that journaling can work for us. I can not tell you how many times I have gone back through my journals to read of specific experiences. It has helped me to remember the important and not so important moments that have helped strengthen me, and build and grow my testimony. I highly encourage you to start today. Even if you don’t have time to do it daily, start with once a week. You will be amazed by how much writing of your experiences will help you to grow and keep you safe from the attempts of the adversary to sidetrack us from our spiritual journey.

The third practice that I encourage you to take on is serving others more diligently. Listen to those little promptings from the spirit that whisper someone’s name and don’t wait. Immediately text or call them. Make up a little care package or take them a treat or dinner. In my experience both when being served and while serving others, I have seen lives change. I think it was Marjorie Pay Hinckley that said “Never suppress a generous thought”. All of those good and positive thoughts come from the marvelous light of our Savior. And it is for their benefit as well as our own. We can strengthen our own testimonies as well as help others by reaching out in service and taking every opportunity to help someone in need. Even if they are not in need, everyone loves to be remembered and thought of. You can literally make someone’s day brighter by just remembering them and letting them know it!

One experience that I had happened fairly recently. I had a thought come to mind to reach out to a friend that I hadn’t talked to for a few weeks. She responded telling me how she had been ill for several days. I immediately offered to help which she denied saying she was fine. But I didn’t relent. I said,”I’m bringing you lunch, what sounds good?” She replied that she hadn’t eaten anything in a day and half and that she really was hungry. I took her order and immediately went and picked it up and dropped it at her door. She was ill, so I didn’t dare expose myself, but I texted her and let her know it was at her front door. A few hours later she texted and told me how much that had meant to her and how good the food had tasted and she had enjoyed every last bite.

I remember feeling so blessed that I had been prompted to reach out. The food tasted so good to her, but the feeling that I had for having blessed her that day, I think was better than any food could taste.

We were meant to be here for one another. The Lord did not put us in this life to be alone. Remember the great commandment Love one another as I have loved you! If you will look outside of yourself and help someone in need, I promise you that you will be strengthened, uplifted and better able to fight off the adversary.

And finally Remember your worth!

In D&C section 82:10, we read: Remember! The worth of Souls is great in the sight of God.

There’s that word again. Oh how the Lord wants us to remember who we are! How divine and infinite we are in His sight.

In Sister Tamara W. Runia’s talk this past conference she said:, “Your worth is constant; it never changes. It was given to you by God, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to change it. Obedience brings blessings; that is true. But worth isn’t one of them. Your worth is always “great in the sight of God,” no matter where your decisions have taken you.”

In today’s world the adversary would have us believe that our worth is tied to certain things like successes or the perfect job, or by the shape of our bodies, or how many followers we have. He wants us to believe that all those perfect photos that we see on social media are real life. And if we don’t have that kind of life then we have no worth. He deceives us by spreading the lie that our worth is conditional, based upon what we do or believe. He covers our eyes with shiny distracting objects and lures us away into temptation.

Dont’ you believe it!

In the book of Mormon a father has a dream or vision where he sees mists of darkness leading people away from the word of God left wandering in unfamiliar paths. I think of this story so often. Because it seems that this vision is taking place at a rapid pace.

In 1 Nephi 12:17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.

The Lord has said over and over that He loves us and that he will never forsake us!

In Hebrews 13:5 we read: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

You are worth fighting for, my friends! Don’t believe the lies that Satan spreads. We are daughters and sons of the King! No one can take that away from us! In the darkest night and on our worst day, He still loves us! When we mess up and make mistakes, He still loves us. When we are struggling and fighting trials, He still loves us. And when we have good days and major wins, He cheers for us and still loves us!

Please don’t let Satan’s deceptions, discouragement, distractions, and lies cheat you out of your eternal destiny! Oh Remember, please remember how precious you are in His sight! Hold your head high and keep pressing forward. Look to the perfect brightness of hope that He promised us! I can testify that He is our anchor when things get rough, that we can look to Him for refuge in our difficult times. He loves us so much and wants us to return to Him! I know the Savior loves you my friends, and I do too! And I pray that you will believe Him!

That’s it for today, my friends! Please like and share and if you feel moved, please give the podcast a positive review. It really helps us to be found among all the other content out there! Have a great week!

A Little More Joy

Welcome! My Friends, to the Pointing Toward Hope Podcast/Blog! I am Wendy Bertagnolli and I am your host for today’s podcast! If this is your first time here, I’m so glad that you found us and hope you will stay a while. Go listen to past podcasts and feel the love that we share here. I know that over the years we have done something that will touch your heart. I talk a lot about finding hope and overcoming trials. And we have had many guests that have shared their personal story of how the Savior has helped them to get through really difficult things in their lives. There are so many that I could suggest that you go listen to but they all have a special place in my heart. It’s kind of like trying to pick your favorite child. There is just no way you can do that. They are all so special. And I am so grateful for all of the guests that we’ve had over the years.

I wanted to just take a second and send out a request for more guests to come and be on the show. You don’t have to live near me, we have the ability to do the show over the phone. So if you have a phone, that’s all you need! And part of our growth in trials, I have learned, comes by sharing what we’ve been through and how we’ve overcome. And by doing that we help others to know that they are not alone. So please if you have ever thought about reaching out, please do, I would love to have you share your experiences.

I have been thinking a lot about what different topics we could share and I keep coming back to the same place! And the Lord has whispered to me that it really doesn’t matter the topic. Everyone! Everyone has a story of something they have been through. In fact I was listening to a song earlier today on my way home from the temple and I had to put it on repeat because it just really hit me hardl. It is called “It wasn’t for nothing” by the band Jaren. And it just reminded me of all that I have done with my trials over the years. I have shed tears, I have wondered why me, I have searched and prayed for relief that sometimes took months or years to come. And yet now that I can look back. I see how many lives have been touched, even for just a small moment, by what I’ve been through and what I’ve overcome. There is a part in the song that says:

Someone will need to know,

your story down the road,

so you can look at them and say

it wasn’t for nothing, the pain and the waiting,

God heard when you called Him

Just know that He’s using the hurt and the heartache

for higher becoming,

so you can look back and say,

It wasn’t for nothing!

That just brings tears to my eyes because I know there have been so many times when I have tried to pray away the things that I’ve been through. And yet I know that there is a higher purpose for it. And I have become a new person because of the way that I have had to learn to live with my own diagnosis. It hasn’t been easy and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But I really have learned and grown and been able to help others through some really difficult times. Just by sharing what I’ve been through. And some of the things that I have learned because of it. I praise God everyday for where I am now. And I truly could not have gotten to this place without going through the hills and valleys over the past 10 years. Phew I did not expect that today! It’s quite emotional when I look back at all that has transpired over the past 10 years.

This is kind of a bit of reminiscing on my part today. I was sitting in the Celestial room of the temple today after my session and just feeling so full of the spirit. I always like to say a little prayer and pop open the scriptures. Bible or Book of Mormon, it doesn’t really matter I just grab one that is available. Today it was the Book of Mormon and I popped it open to Alma Chapter 27, which just happens to be one of my favorite chapters. I know, I know, I say that just about every episode. And it’s true. I have more than one favorite chapter. But chapters 26-29 of Alma really are some of my most favorites and I have marked them up and notated so much that when I go back to read them it’s almost just as much fun to read over how these chapters have affected me over the years. My little notes in the sidebars and the dates that I read them on, really help me to see the growth that I’ve had. And how God has answered my prayers.

There is one notation that I made in Chapter 26 verse 3. Apparently, it was in 2019 that I was first having the promptings that I should do a podcast/blog. I read verse 3 and then in the sidebar I noted that this was an answer to my prayer. That God was calling me to be an instrument in his hands to bring about His great work. At the beginning of the verse Ammon is speaking and it says: Behold I answer for you. And for me it was like the Lord was right there with me saying this is what I want for you. Ammon goes on to say:

The Lamanites were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work!

It wasn’t for nothing! Being in that dark abyss of depression. Because now I could help others to find the marvelous light of God!

Now, I know I haven’t been the most consistent with my podcasting. Especially this last couple of years. They’ve been pretty difficult. However, I know that myself and the guests we’ve had on the show have changed and touched lives. And hopefully brought people a little bit of joy in an otherwise dreary time.

On another day in 2021 I found verse 7 (chapter 26) and exclaimed it my new favorite! Apparently, I was having some difficult days at the time and I made a note after reading:

7 But behold they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are His: and He will raise them up at the last day.

8 Blessed be the name of our God: let us sing to His praise, yea let us give thanks to his holy name for He doth work righteousness forever.

And the note that I made that day: My new favorite! My new protection Scripture. I am in the hands of the Lord of the harvest and I am his and He will raise me up at the last day!

And if you are wondering what a protection scripture is, it’s one that you can turn to whenever you are feeling like you need that lift or the Lord’s help in your life. A little protection against whatever it is that you are facing during that particular time.

What a blessing this book has been in my life. I have just received so many answers to heartfelt pleas and I want that for everyone that is going through hard things.

Speaking of going through hard things. Are you all feeling as rough as me right now with the world in such tumultuous times? If there was ever a time when we need to feel peace and protection and joy, it is now. Maybe that is why I was brought to these chapters today. When I prayed today for help in preparing my podcast the talk from Elder Kearon of the 12 apostles from the last general conference, “Welcome to the church of Joy!”, immediately came into my mind. So I grabbed my Liahona magazine and rapidly started highlighting and underlining every time he mentioned the word “joy”. I counted 22 times! And I’m sure I probably missed a few. I think he really wanted to drive home the point that we are in this life together and that church is a place where we should feel the joy and comradery of those with us and around us. But that’s not how it’s always been for me or always is for that matter. And I’m sure that you could say the same.

In fact in verse 15 of Chapter 26 I mentioned in the side bar that this is the way that people with mental illness feel. It reads:

Yea they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; But don’t we all feel like that at some point in our lives? Maybe some of you are like me and are feeling that everlasting darkness in our world today. To that I say let’s finish reading that scripture, it goes on to say:

But behold he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea into everlasting salvation: and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love;

There was a time in my life that I definitely did not feel like I belonged to the church of Joy!

In fact I literally dreaded going to church. It was during a difficult time in my previous marriage. I felt really alone and when I went to meetings I would sit alone and no one would sit by me. I always felt like leaving and sometimes I did. This went on for many years. Until finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I left the church of Joy. Who wants to go to a church where there is no joy to be felt? Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling that way now?

Elder Kearon says in his talk “ Is the spirit of collective rejoicing what you find? Is this what you bring? Maybe you think this doesn’t have much to do with you, or perhaps you are simply used to how things have always been done.

Well that sentence really hit me: Is this what you bring? Looking back I know it’s not what I brought. I brought my anger and my whoa-is-me attitude. I purposely sat by myself in the back row just daring anyone to sit by me. I’m sure I had a scowl on my face and didn’t look particularly inviting to sit by. Has that ever been you? If so, maybe it’s time to try to see church in a different light. To ask yourself, what can I bring to church, not what can the church bring to me?

Elder Kearon put it this way: We do not gather on the Sabbath simply to attend sacrament meeting and check it off the list. We come together to worship. There is a significant difference between the two. To attend means to be present at. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us.

Over the years, as I was away from the church in my own dark night of the soul, I found myself missing the friendship and comradery that happens inside those walls. I began to long for that to be a part of my life again. I wasn’t quite ready to enter those doors again. But the stirrings of joy in rejoicing and praise of our Savior had begun to spring up. It would almost always surprise me, since I wasn’t attending church. And didn’t know at the time, if I ever would again.

I would see a woman from my local church at the pool in our neighborhood and I knew that she knew that I was a member who didn’t attend. I secretly wished that she would come up and talk to me. But I would avoid making eye contact. How silly is that? Have you ever done something like that?

When I eventually did find my way back to church, it was such a different experience. The people in my church were always happy and excited to see us (my husband came with me even though he was not yet a member). They would invite us to sit with them and were always smiling and happy. It truly was contagious and made us want to be there. There was one particular couple that always made space for us on their bench and we felt so safe and loved with them. They were an older couple without children and we always just felt so safe with them.

In fact they have since moved away and whenever they come back to visit, they make it a point to always stop by and visit us. We feel so loved by them and it truly is a joyful time when we see each other.

Another time that I remember feeling so much joy was when I seen a woman that I went to church with several years before at a grocery store. It had been many years and I seen her from far away. Have you ever had that feeling of “I know that person, but I just can’t place her?” That’s how it was until she came running up to me and gave me a huge hug. I remember having actual tears of joy come to my eyes, I was so happy to see her again. That’s how being at church and in the presence of others whom we know and love should feel for us. And that’s how we should make others feel when we see them as well. I want to be more of that type of person.

Oftentimes we are running late when we arrive at our destinations. Or when we are at church we might be running off right after our meetings to get to other classes. We don’t slow down and notice those around us who may need the simple lift of a smile and a hello! Connection with others is so important in our spiritual and emotional development.

Imagine our world if we greeted eachother with joy and excitement every time we met! It would be beautiful if we could be free from contention and malice in our society. Even with differing opinions, backgrounds, political leanings, and whatnot, we can all be a little more kind. A little more understanding and a little more respectful.

I like what Elder Kearon says about the original plan of our loving Father in Heaven.

He writes: Because of the loving plan of our Heavenly Father for each of His children, and because of the redeeming life and mission of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we can—and should—be the most joyful people on earth! Even as the storms of life in an often-troubled world pound upon us, we can cultivate a growing and abiding sense of joy and inner peace because of our hope in Christ and our understanding of our own place in the beautiful plan of happiness.

And I must state that this is not something that just happens just inside our church walls. It is happening every minute of everyday as we work to better ourselves from the inside out. And much of that inside joy and beauty comes from the way that we treat and respect others. There are so many ways that we can connect with others or stay connected.

With technology so readily available to us to just pick up the phone or send a quick text. The Lord is making it easier and easier for us to make and keep connections.

For many of my good friends, we like to go on “walk and talks”. We spend an hour outdoors in the sunshine enjoying being in one another’s presence. It looks like just what it sounds like. We walk and chat and in so doing we lift and buoy eachother up amidst the struggles and busy-ness of the day.

I have had several friends whom I’ve walked with for years and some have moved away. We try our best to stay in touch and continue to bring joy into eachothers lives. One such friend, that I deeply admire, moved more recently. And it was hard. We’d become so close! So we decided that a good way to stay in touch was to continue our walk and talks from afar. We had our first one a few weeks ago and it worked out so well. We both went out in our respective neighborhoods, put in our earbuds and chatted on the phone while we walked. It was divine. When I heard her voice a huge smile spread across my face and I could feel her smiling through the phone. I know that for both of us, it was a much needed reprieve from the day to day worries and craziness of life.

What I really want to say is that I know our lives were ment to be spent on so much more than scrolling our phones and being consumed with life. Our Savior wants us to have joy. He wants us to bring joy to others. And we are all a part of His grand plan of Happiness.

Just to sum things up. I want to share another scripture. In this passage Ammon is speaking of the conversion of many of their Lamanites brothers and sisters.This is also in Chapter 27 of Alma vese 27 and it reads:

And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things, and they were firm in the faith of Christ, enven unto the end.

I want that for myself! I want that for each of you. And again in verse 30 it states:

And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord!

What a joyous way to live! I had to look up the word zeal because you know I’m a words person. And in the side bar I noted that it means: devoted, diligent, dedicated, fervent, passionate and eager! Doesn’t having a friend like that just sound awesome?

What if we all tried to live our lives in this way? I imagine that! Our homes, workplaces, churches, even grocery stores would be places of the utmost joy.

Is it realistic to be filled with joy always? Of course not, but we can definitely make more of an effort to fill our cups and the cups of others with a little more hope, a little more kindness, a little more respect and a lot more joy!

That’s it for today, friends! As I mentioned earlier, if you have ever thought about sharing your story with others so that you can join me in proclaiming that you are never, ever, alone in your trials and challenges. Please reach out and we will set up a time to get you on the show. Remember to like and share. Have a great week everyone!

Hearing and Hindering Part 1

Recently I have been reading a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. It has been so good to learn more about the importance of creating good and solid habits. And I highly recommend picking it up if you are struggling with implementing good habits.

The funny thing is that whenever you are focused on something like that, you tend to notice it or be attracted to it everywhere. So I have had videos pop up on you tube or seen other information that seems to support what I am studying. It even came up in a talk from last weekend’s conference (see One percent better by Elder Michael A. Dunn) So I am concluding that this is something that I need to re-evaluate in my own life.

As I pondered upon some of my “habit stacking”, and the need to apply “the aggregation of marginal gains”. Which simply involves changing something by just 1%, thus changing the previous course that you were on. Which then ends up making a huge difference when put into action in a regular “habit based” routine. As discussed in Clear’s book as well as Elder Dunn’s talk.

It got me thinking about the habits or techniques required to know and feel the Holy Spirit and how it works for you specifically in your own life. Equally important is to know how Satan attempts to thwart your progression (usually by invoking the “aggregation of marginal gains” believe it or not. I talked about that in a previous post).

You see as we have been repeatedly taught there must be opposition in all things. So as soon as we begin improving our ability to listen to and heed the promptings of the spirit. Satan will begin to insert his way into that process to keep us from progressing.

So those two things are what I want to discuss today and next week. And I hope that you will be inspired to re-evaluate your life and your habits to see if you can improve your ability to listen to the guidance of the Savior, Jesus Christ through the conduit of the Holy Spirit. While at the same time improving your ability to ward off the fiery darts of the adversary.

So let’s just go back for a minute to “habit stacking” and the aggregation of marginal gains, as talked about in Atomic Habits. So here is a brief rundown of what habit stacking is. A simplistic way to explain it is, that you often decide what to do next, based on what you have just finished doing.

Think about your morning routine. For example, this is a sample of the first things that I do and probably many of you do too upon waking. First, the alarm goes off, and then after a few snoozes, lol, (no one is perfect right?) I roll out of bed, pull on my socks (I hate cold feet!), which reminds me that I need to quickly make my bed, which then leads me to the restroom, which reminds me to wash my hands, which signals me to brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair. See how that works? One thing leads to another because of the signal that is sent from the prior action.

Most of us practice these small habits on instinct because you have been doing them for so long that they become second nature. So how can we apply this to the gospel and how we listen to and understand how the Lord speaks to us?

Well for starters, we can take a look at our current habits and evaluate how they might be helping or hindering us from hearing and heeding the promptings of the Lord.

One thing that I want to quickly mention is that we are in the last 90 days of this year. So like me, many of you may have begun new habits or set new goals at the beginning of 2021. By now those habits or goals may be falling a bit. Trust me when I say it happens to pretty much everyone.

But what I am getting at is that instead of giving up and just cruising or coasting to the end of 2021, and starting over again next year. I would like to suggest that you put on your running shoes and sprint to the end of the year. Although we have lots of holidays and distractions, that is no reason to give up on the goals or habits that you have been working on since the beginning of the year. We still have almost 3 full months.

In fact, if you are to continue, or start back up where you left off. You will be applying the “aggregation of marginal gains”. Remember? improving by just 1% on a regular basis, which can significantly improve your endgame. In this case, where you would like to be by the end of 2021. So just a little plug there for you to look at what you may have already been working to improve.

Now back to where we were. Looking at our current habits and evaluating how they might be helping or hindering us from hearing and heeding the promptings of the Lord.

So let’s start with habits that are helping us hear and heed. It’s important to note that this will be different for each of us because we all “hear” the Lord in different ways. For some it may come through thoughts or impressions. For others it may come through music. Some people have very vivid dreams. What matters is that you figure out your way and then work to get it to come to the surface more often. And we can do that through implementing specific small habits.

So just to share an example of how I have learned that the Lord speaks to me, I am going to tell you about a journey that I have been on for most of this year. Well at least since the end of March. And I’ve talked about it briefly in previous posts.

Most of you know, if you’ve followed me for any length of time, that I have Bipolar disorder. Which is a mental illness and mood disorder. So I can have extreme highs and extreme lows in my mental health. However, this can be controlled through various means. I happen to apply a variety of means or habits, to each and every day to try and stay on top of it, because it can spiral down (or up) very quickly if I’m not vigilant in this. And I’ve talked alot about the things that I do to prevent that.

But in this example I just want to share what’s been happening this year and how I’ve learned to lean on and heed the promptings of the Lord when it comes to surviving basically a mental health crisis.

One of the ways that I choose to control Bipolar is to use medication, which usually works quite well (once you find a good recipe). So why on Earth, you may ask, would I switch medications when what I had been using seemed to be working pretty well? That’s a good question and one that I reflect on almost daily. However, I did it at the advice of my psychiatrist whom I have grown to trust with my mental health. The reason we did this, and we’d been discussing it over several visits, is because I hadn’t been sleeping well for many months. And that as I’ve talked about before is a strong catalyst for catapulting me into a manic episode. And that thought just scares me to death. I have a lot of truama from my past manic episodes. So the thought of being able to eliminate that worry was very appealing. So in the Spring we decided it was a good time to try.

As you may have guessed, within a few weeks we learned that it was not working as expected, in fact, funnily enough, it had the opposite effect of what we were going for. I actually slept like a baby, which was so great! However over time, in the waking hours, I became like the energizer bunny. Which is a good and bad thing. I mean I was feeling great! But in my case, GREAT is not always a positive thing.

Long story short, it has been a rough year to say the least! I was able to get back on what I was previously doing well on. But sleeping became a problem again. Although it is slowly getting better. It’s a process, that’s what I keep telling myself.

But what I want to share is what I’ve learned through this process when it comes to hearing and heeding promptings. And it has alot to do with habits and the process of changing by just 1% each day.

Several times over the past months I have been able to learn more fully how the Lord speaks to me. But it has not come without work and tears, prayers and reflection.

And now is where habit stacking comes into play. At the beginning of the year, I decided to add scripture study to my daily morning routine. I have been reading the scriptures regularly for the past few years. But this year I was impressed to make it more of a “study”. So my habit stacking looks like this.

After I do what I already mentioned in the morning, I go straight to my supplements and take my medication (taking in my first water bottle of the day), to me that is one of the most important decisions of my day and that’s why it comes first! That then signals me to feed the cat because that is the most important thing for his day! Plus he whines and whines if I forget, haha.

My journaling pens are right by the cat food so I am reminded that it is time to journal. But once I set my books at the table, that is a signal to pray so I take a few minutes for that.

Another thing that I started doing this year that’s a bit of a harder habit for me to remember, is after my prayer I put on my earpods and listen to some gospel music while I journal. (Earpods are charging by the pens for journaling so that should be my signal, but sometimes I miss it). This will be important to note later on.

I then begin the journaling process which usually takes about 15 minutes. I journal in the morning because I can report how I slept, record happenings from the day before and also impressions seem to come better to me in the quiet stillness of the morning.

When I finish with that, I open up my scriptures and start where I left off. But instead of just reading, my goal was to study. So I am very conscientious about noticing words, phrases, or footnotes that stand out to me. It takes about an hour from start to finish after getting out of bed to complete my habit stacked routine.

But then I am on to my day and the habit stacking starts again. Workout, shower, work, lunch!

You get the idea. One thing leads to another and once you do them long enough they begin to become habits and can have a significant change on the trajectory of your life.

I shared all of that because it is through these habits that I have developed the ability to hear and understand the promptings and impressions from the Lord. It hasn’t come all at once and it continues to develop. But every day I am progressing toward a greater understanding of how the Lord speaks to me. Which has been very very important this year in helping to guide me through the rough waters that I have been experiencing with my mental health.

It truly has been such a journey. And I am one to say that there are no coincidences. Do I regret swiching medications? Some days the answer is absolutely! But most days I am grateful for what I have learned about myself spiritually, mentally and physically over this past year. I believe that one of the reasons that we were so intent on changing my medication was because I had prepared myself for the learning and growing process, through the habits that I had already become good at. There was a growing, stretching, learning that needed to take place in my life.

It all dawned on me, a few days ago, that the Lord has a very specific process or pattern that he uses when communicating directly to me. And ironically, it involves my habits in my morning routine.

Why are morning routines so important? We are taught through Elder Dunn’s talk, in a quote from Neal a Maxwell. “Each assertion of a righteous desire, each act of service, and each act of worship, however small and incremental, adds to our spiritual momentum.” Truly, it is by small, simple, and, yes, even just 1% that great things can be brought to pass.

We learn from Alma 37:6 …but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;…

And 2 Nephi 28:30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom;

That sounds like a lesson in habit stacking and 1% gains to me!

So I’m getting a bit side tracked but let me just get to the point about the experience that I shared above of how it dawned on me how all of this came together.

Last week I had been having an especially difficult couple of days (down days). Those are the hard ones for me. I tend to rather enjoy the up days… but they are harder on the people who care about me, which is a good thing. On those few hard days, there was a point when I was crying out to the Lord to just make all the bad feelings stop… to help me to feel better, happy, content with who I am.

During those times, I tend to beg for my illness to be taken away. I tell Him how tired I am of carrying it. I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way at times. We all have heavy burdens that we carry.

But it was during my pleading that it happened. I was taught the pattern, or rather reminded, of the way the Lord speaks to me in a way that I can “hear”.

As I was pleading, I got the distinct feeling that I needed to find a certain song. )Most often music tends to calm me down and allow impressions to come.) But when I opened my phone to begin searching in my music app I noticed that the song that was next to play (of something I’d been listening to earlier) was flashing. Well that’s weird, I was thinking, it’s never done that before. But I continued looking for the song that I had in my mind, but for some reason that flashing made me think, hmmm, maybe I’m supposed to listen to that song. So I clicked on it.

It is a song called “Fragile” from Hilary Weeks Live All In . I hadn’t listened to the whole album yet and that’s the song I had left off on. I basically just sat there in awe of how incredibly omnipotent our Father in Heaven is. The words to that song just matched perfectly how I was feeling and somehow I just knew that the Lord knew exactly what I needed to hear. I needed Him to speak to me and let me know that He knew me, and He was very aware of what I was going through at that very moment.

If you are suffering, trying to put on a brave face every day for any reason, I suggest you go and listen to that song. It really was a calming balm to my soul.

But the really crazy thing is that I was so stunned and so sure that he was speaking to me that I kept listening, hoping the next song would have a message for me. Sure enough it did. The last 3 songs on her album are called Fragile, Someday down the road, and More Mistakes to make. I’ll link them in the show notes.

The reason those are significant is that in my pleading I felt like I had just made so many mistakes over the past several weeks and I felt worthless and like a failure. Which is pretty typical of someone who suffers with depression. When those 3 songs played in that order and it was just exactly what I needed to hear, I was thinking how? How does He know exactly what I need to hear? Of course the communication continued. And as I heard the words of each song I began to feel a little better, and the fog began to lift.

Next, I had the distinct impression that I needed to go study my scriptures. I felt an urgency that there was more for me to know at that moment.

In my mind I asked which book? Where should I search? And I heard the whisper, “the big book”! I knew immediately that it was my triple combination which holds all the books of scripture. Just a side note, I like to study from smaller versions so that I can mark up the wide margins. So I don’t typically go to “the big book”.

When this happens I almost always just randomly open my scriptures trusting that He knows where to lead me. Well, on the first try I got nothing, so I flipped a few pages and opened up to John chapter 10:1-15. The discourse on the good shepherd. Coincidence? I think not.

This is the one where Jesus is talking about how he knows His sheep and they know him.

But one passage caught me. And that is verse 7 And then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say until you I am the door of the sheep.

The door? What on Earth does that mean?

It had a footnote so I looked it up. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way the truth and the life…

It really felt like He was telling me, “look, I’ve got you! I know that you feel lost and broken in this moment, but I know how you feel and I’ve layed down my life for you! Don’t worry, you’re going to make more mistakes and more mistakes and it’s ok, because you are mine. Look to me… I am the way, the door.

So cool right?!

So what does this have to do with habit stacking and the 1%? Well, here’s my little interpretation or lesson that I learned. Take it for what you will but I do believe that the Lord was telling me, “here is how YOU receive my word.”

Pray
Music
Scripture
Write down your impressions

I think that my habit stacking or my morning routine of Praying, listening to music, reading my scriptures and journaling my thoughts and impressions is the exact pattern that He uses to speak to me personally.

Now I don’t know why Hilary Weeks wrote those exact words in those songs and then put them in that specific order on her album. I’m sure there are millions of people that her songs have touched. But I do know that for me, it was just what I needed in the exact order that I needed it, from the exact source that I needed to hear it from. Jesus!

As I have looked back after having this particular experience, there have been so many times when I have received answers to specific deep questions or trials have been eased.

Do they always come that way? No, sometimes it is just an impression or just through the words of a song. But I did find that through my 1% change of developing a habit stacking routine has significantly improved my ability to #HearHim.

He is the way, the truth and the life my friends! And I encourage you to take a look at your own morning routine. Or an evening routine if that works better for you. It’s going to look a lot different than mine. Look at what you can do to change by 1%. And then work to be consistent with it. Pray to the Lord and ask Him how He speaks to you. He will find a way to show you.

As I said earlier, this routine has been in the making for several years. It didn’t just happen overnight. It happened in the right place, and at the right time for me to learn what I needed to learn. Line upon line, precept upon precept. 1% will indeed change your life!

Be sure and tune in next week my friends. I will be talking about how Satan, unfortunately, uses the 1% as well.

Choose hope, choose joy and choose to stay! Have a great week my friends! Talk to you all again soon!

XO Wendy

You are the ONE

Today’s message is short, but sweet. And I hope one that will resonate with you as you hear these words. “You are the ONE”.

These past several weeks I have had so many things weighing heavy on my mind. It all started with an experience that I had a few months ago that will forever leave an impression on my mind and caused me to go into deep research mode in all of the scriptures from the Old Testement in the Bible to the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ we believe that we have many scriptures that have been given to us in these latter days. And we continue to be blessed with counsel and guidance from living prophets, seers, and revelators.

As I have struggled through this trial of faith, I have been so grateful that my Heavenly Father and mother and my brother Jesus Christ, see ME! Who am I, I have asked myself many times, to receive such love, compassion and understanding? And the answer is always quick and unfailing, “you are mine”. And you are “one” of my children whom we dearly love. It almost never comes in the same way. Most often it comes in the form of others lifting me and sharing their love with me. Messages that they have no idea, come directly from the Lord through them, to little ole me. But I see it and I recognize it and give praise for it. Because without it, I would be like a fish floundering out of the water, struggling for breath.

You see there are moments in this life, many moments when we need to be reminded that we are the “one”. The one that He sees and He loves, and He wants the best for. But it doesn’t come without work. It doesn’t come without asking, seeking and knocking. Sometimes we fall to our knees in anguish because it seems so impossible to get through what we’ve been asked to endure.

But I promise you, that if you will turn yourself over the Lord, if you will let faith lead you, if you will put your trust in the arm of the Lord and not in the arm of flesh, He will find you, the “one” that He has been waiting for to come follow Him.

Today I will be sharing some thoughts from Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s talk from General Conference, October 2000. Incidently, the General Conference will be held this weekend on October 2nd and 3rd. You can stream from the https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and I encourage all to watch, take notes, pray for personal revelation and then watch how the Lord caters to YOU, the “one” amongst many.

In His talk, Elder Rasband shares the following, “Throughout my life, I have come to know through my own experiences that Heavenly Father hears and answers our personal prayers. I know that Jesus is the living Christ and that He knows each of us individually, or as the scriptures express it, “one by one.”

This sacred assurance is taught compassionately by the Savior Himself in His appearance to the people of Nephi. We read of this in 3 Nephi, chapter 11, verse 15:

“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth” (3 Ne. 11:15; emphasis added).

To further illustrate the “one by one” nature of our Savior’s ministry, we read in 3 Nephi, chapter 17, verse 9:

“And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (3 Ne. 17:9; emphasis added).

We then read of the special blessing given to the precious children in verse 21: “And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Ne. 17:21; emphasis added).

This was not a small gathering. In verse 25 we read: “And they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.”

Certainly, there is a very profound and tender personal message here. Jesus Christ ministers to, and loves us all, one by one.”

I know that was a large portion of his talk to share but I felt like it so perfectly illustrated how Christ caters to the “one”. Even in the midst of a sea of people that number the grains of sand on the shores, He sees us each. He reminds us each that we are important and that He is very aware of the details of our lives that can be distressing for us.

As I said before, these last 2 months have been a struggle, but so many good and precious events have taken place that have reminded me that He sees me. It did not come without pleading and prayer and fasting. I was prompted to give up social media for a time. To clear my mind of clutter and unnecessary stress. I have been guided to the correct people, places and passages of scripture that have guided me on this continuing journey.

I have not found all the answers. Far from it. But I have learned a very important lesson. That the Lord works in “ones”. He does not forsake us. He never has and He never will.

So if you are having a similar struggle with something in your life. And you’re just not sure how you will go on or how it’s all going to work out. I want you to know that you are that “one”. He sees you, He hears you, and He will come to your rescue. It might not happen quickly. It might not happen in the way that you had hoped it would. But, it will come! Of that you can be sure!

Thanks for listening/reading. I hope that you will watch General Conference this weekend and let the Lord speak to you through his anointed ones. Until next time, my friends, choose to stay!

XO Wendy

Strength through adversity

Hi friends, Welcome to the Pointing Toward Hope podcast. I am your host Wendy Bertagnolli. This podcast is filled with positivity for anyone seeking to find more hope and joy in daily life. The goal is to reach as many people as we can to help them to overcome and find joy even in the midst of extremely hard adversity. Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe and leave a review so that we can help as many people as possible. If you or someone you know has a trial that you have been able to get through or are working through with the help of our Savior, please contact me so we can get you on the podcast. This is episode 42 and Chapter 5 of my book Keep up the pace.

Strength through adversity

You never really lose until you quit trying. —Anonymous

I would like to tell you about an experience I had that tested my ability to maintain a positive attitude. My husband and I had just given birth to our fourth child.

Because my three previous children had been born with the help of a physician through induction, I had prayed long and hard that I would be able to give birth to my last child on my own. I also dreamed, as every woman does, that I would have this child a little early.

I am sure you have heard the statement, “Be careful what you pray for because you just might get it”, well, I was about to find new meaning to that statement. Two weeks before my due date I awoke to a lower back ache. Having been through the process of child birth three times I knew right away that something was different and so I called my doctor’s office. My Doctor had gone on vacation but his nurse encouraged me to come in and be checked. Upon arrival at the office, the nurse checked me and determined that indeed I was going to deliver a child sometime soon.

After a long day of walking the malls and the halls in the hospital, I was finally admitted into the hospital that was filled to capacity with women waiting to deliver (12 to be exact!). Our baby boy was born at about 5:30 p.m. that evening. Things went relatively smooth with the birthing process considering I had a Doctor that I had just met. But, within minutes the nurse noticed that Cody was not breathing properly.

He was quickly whisked away to the nursery where they began a series of x-rays and tests. There were twelve babies born that night and only two nurses were on duty. The hospital was sorely understaffed, especially with an infant that required minute-to-minute monitoring. Consequently, my Doctor chose to have Cody transported to Primary Children’s Medical Center where he would be able to get the intensive care that he needed.

X-rays had revealed that his lungs were clouded and they seemed to be getting worse instead of better. Before transporting, a breathing tube was inserted and Cody was put on a ventilator. I was actually so relieved to see him breathing normally and finally sleeping, even if it was with the help of this machine. My husband checked me out of the hospital early the next morning and we drove straight to Primary Children’s Hospital.

The doctors and nurses had held a conference and decided to treat our son’s condition as a virus and had already started him on antibiotics. They also determined that because he was a little early, his lungs were not quite developed enough to fight off the infection, so they began giving him a drug called Cerfactin to help his lungs develop more quickly. He was showing improvement and the staff encouraged us to go home and get some sleep. I figured that would be a good idea since we had three other children who were still young and needed our attention.

That evening I received a distressing phone call from the hospital. They informed me that our little boy had taken a turn of the worse and that things did not look good. They felt that we should know that they had tried nearly everything and were not receiving a response. They encouraged us to come to the hospital in case the unthinkable were to occur. I did not feel strong enough to endure the possibility of losing him. I just couldn’t do it. So my husband went with a very dear friend who also happened to be our bishop.

While at the hospital they were able to administer a special healing blessing. They called upon God to heal his little body if it be His will. After standing helplessly by for a little while they decided to return home and hope and pray for the best. As my husband and I cried together that night we felt sure that our son would not make it through the night.

We talked of our great love for this child who was not yet forty eight hours old. We both felt it a great privilege to have him as a part of our little family, if only in spirit, for the past nine months. At about two a.m. that morning, we had heard nothing so we decided to call and see how he was doing. The nurse explained that, as a last resort, they had removed the breathing tube and to their dismay found that the cerfactin (the medicine they were administering to help his lungs develop) was clogging the bottom of the tube. The nurse said that they rarely ever changed the ventilator tube from an infant because it was so hard to re-insert, but they were out of options.

There is no doubt in my mind that angels were watching over our son that night and the Doctors as well.

Over the next twelve days it was a roller coaster ride. One day Cody would be improving and next he would slip back. It was very discouraging but I was determined to maintain a positive attitude. I visited him as much as I could but it was very difficult to see him in that environment.

The doctors had decided to put him on a temporary paralysis drug because he was bigger than most of the infants there and he would continuously pull the monitors off as he moved around. It was very difficult to see him lying motionless in the incubator.

We were unable to hold him for seven days, it seemed like an eternity. I will never forget the first time I was able to hold him, still attached to all the monitors and wrapped in a sheepskin blanket that made it hard to feel him in my arms, but I was in Heaven! The next few days became a sort of game as we would try to get him to eat enough and improve enough so that we would be able to take him home. I felt very fortunate to be able to take him home after just two short weeks, when some of the preemies that were his roommates had been there for months.

It was heartbreaking to see the parents come and go each day looking for any sign that their nightmare would end soon. I know it was hard for them to maintain a positive attitude day in and day out as they would receive the same bleak reports. I was amazed to hear their stories and listen to their determination as they would relive their experiences. “How do you get through it”, I remember asking one couple that had spent the better part of three months living at the hospital, a day’s drive from their home. “You get through it one day at a time . . . and you hope and pray for the best!” was their reply.

Positive attitude changes everything! No, we can not change the outcome of a situation. But we can certainly change the attitude with which we choose to face it . . . one day at a time. Not one of us is exempt from adversity. Every single person, at one time or another in their life, will face an illness, the death of a loved one, a divorce, etc. Granted, some people seem to have many more hardships placed upon them than others, but from my experience these people are the most tender, caring, and sensitive individuals I know. They can relate with others on a level that many of us can not. They help many to overcome and rise above the adversity that is placed upon them.

God gives us these trials to make us stronger and to help us learn more about ourselves and others in the process. We can choose to rise above adversity and be better for it, or we can let it control us and ultimately break us down. Most importantly whatever it is that you have been through or are experiencing this very moment……never, never, never, give up!

Your challenge this week: Write down your experiences of trial or adversity that you have had or are having in your life. Record your feelings and be blatantly honest.

If this is a past experience, reflect on the things that you learned from the experience and how you re-acted at the time, and what your feelings are now.

If it is something you are experiencing at this moment, record what you feeling and what you hope the outcome will be. Resolve to look at all of your trials as learning experiences. I have started to do that, while it is not easy to say to yourself while you are in the midst of a trial, “What am I supposed to learn from this?”, (or can I learn)it definitely helps you look at things with a new perspective.

By the way, for those of you that don’t know our son is now a thriving almost 16 year old with loads of energy and love to share. We are so grateful to have him in our lives.

Side note: he was 16 when this book was written. He is now a happily married 27 year old!

Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

XO Wendy

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