and repeat! It’s life’s best way to spend your time, talents, and everything you have to live and love your journey on Earth.

My endorsement in Rachel Matthews’s book Bring Forth Your Record: A Guide to Preserving Spiritual Experiences is as follows: “Write, work, achieve, and repeat…Then, read, use, and remember Matthews’ helpful motivations and fantastic examples to preserve your own spiritual experiences. For yourself or a friend, learn and begin to make a record too. Your life is worth preservation and Matthews teaches how to start in this book.”  and I’m super proud to say that I do love journaling and recording life from my perspective. Her guide to preservation is enlightening and wonderful.

Every day we experience and bear record of things good or bad. Our actions and reactions make waves amongst our friends and fellow associates. I like to believe that with the help of the Holy Ghost we can be blessed with seeing the good and turning the bad into better without hurting others in the process.

As a young child, I found great joy in writing about my little life and restating what I liked about Church lessons, and the feelings those stories gave to me. My writing was so simple. It rambled about honest things, nonsense, even with my super small sentences I could recall moments in history about swimming, going to the beach, eating strawberries, picking up rocks in the backyard, finding treasures, camping, and even parts about my siblings’ lives that were totally different to mine.

In high school, I preferred writing poems to explain my mood and record my days. I wrote about vacations, what I learned in world history class, and how many miles I did on track. The angst and emotions that were written in dark pen or marker to evoke even more feeling was insightful. It wasn’t greatness or glory I sought in those writings, but a retreat of swirling thoughts. It was at that time I began writing a journal only about spiritual experiences and Wow! that was inspirational in later years of my life. Writing gave me gravity to filter what was reality verses imagination. I could use those records as the basis for choice and accountability.

Then, in college, I sought truth seekers and wrote plenty of essays about life’s mysteries and the culmination of things that would make my life wholesome and fulfilling. Truth seemed out of reach at certain moments, but writing personal revelations and inspirations clarified and quantified that by small and simple actions I could build a stronger more faithful and useful life.

Preservation is key. And turning those key moments of feeling the Holy Ghost into rewarding written records allowed my spirit and soul to thrive and continues grow.

Please consider buying Rachel’s book Bring Forth Your Record: A Guide to Preserving Spiritual Experiences to learn more ways to preserve your personal history and all those spiritual experiences. You are worthy of being remembered your way.

#RachelMatthews #BringForthYourRecord #Journaling #Book

The joy of reading comes to those who practice quietly in their corner of the bookstore.

A bright book needs no nightlight.

Cheerful banter is better than boring chatter.

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WOW! it’s been quite the 2022 and books are bountiful. Sheppard’s Last Lamb may be part of a series. The Baptism and Holy Ghost book sets are on sale. English, Portuguese, eBook, and Spanish are available 🙂

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Happiness & Books my friends. Continue reading, writing and enjoying books.

Lately, I’ve been working with my counselors in the Primary Presidency of our local ward / congregation at Church to find a solution to the words and phrases of the scriptures:

expedient that the church meet together often, D&C 20:75 (20:55–75).

when ye are assembled together, D&C 43:8.

go to the house of prayer … upon my holy day, D&C 59:9 (59:9–13).

-AND- then, trying to abide by the 12th Article of Faith which states: We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Today, is my Sabbath day. It’s the day by which all other things in my life are prepared and pondered and adjusted for that week and as I assess my previous week and look forward to the next, I take count of my blessings.

I take count of my blessings. My sorrows, my joys, my improvements, my shortfalls.

-AND- then, trying to abide by the Prophet’s words:

April 2018 – President Russell M. Nelson, “The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God,8 the boy Joseph took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal revelation, and his seeking opened this last dispensation.

In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.” – Chapter 10: Prayer and Personal Revelation, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith.

And I clung to the words of the Prophet that said, “I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation,” and I heard him. And I realized that likening the scriptures to my own life was actually looking into my life and making greater efforts to be a better human being.

And I searched scriptures and talks and found my way to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I understand what Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy meant when he said, “my father taught me that the gospel had been restored and it is perfect but members are not yet, neither himself nor me. He firmly said, “Do not lose your faith because of the people around you, but build a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t look around, look up!”

Look up to Jesus Christ—the wise advice of my father—strengthens my faith whenever I face challenges in life. He taught me how to apply the teachings of Christ, as in these words: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” –

Doctrine and Covenants 6:21,36
Doctrine and Covenants

21 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

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Be of good cheer my friends & happy reading!

Love,

Annalisa

Annalisa Hall is the author of SHEPPARD’S LAST LAMB, illustrated by Alex Worthen, published October 11th 2016 by Bonneville / Cedar Fort Inc.

What does it take to be a good shepherd? Dress in the shepherd’s costume, act like the good shepherd, or finding sheep?

SHEPPARD’S LAST LAMB is about joy. Sheppard isn’t pleased he’s the SHEPHERD for the Christmas nativity performance, but he knows shepherds were special witnesses of Jesus Christ. He is given a toy lamb, he finds many more until his flock is whole, and this story teaches how the Good Shepherd is helpful, important, and kind. A lesson for children and adults alike to remember that we’re not whole until each one has been found, even the last lamb.

SHEPPARD’S LAST LAMB inspires children to embrace courage, kindness, and charity. Follow Christ like sheep follow their shepherd. Find and seek those weary and lost friends who need us.

THEMES Include: Christmas, Charity, Love, Self-Esteem, Tolerance, Problem Solving, Embracing and Accepting Yourself, Authenticity, Diversity, Easter, Jesus Christ, Atonement, Savior, Lamb of God, Lamb and the Lion, Zion

Also, lends for discussion about Jesus Christ, shepherds, sheep and lambs, Missionary Work, Search and Rescue, Hide and Seek

About a week before his 7th birthday, my son asked for a very specific style cake. I fretted and worried about how to make the cake he wanted within our budget. So the journey began…I opted to do cupcakes. I bought a pineapple. I did buy fancy candles to match the underwater jelly fish theme. I followed the Spirit and bought a few things and then laid them out on the kitchen counter and fretted some more. For hours, I baked, I carved, I decorated, I was inspired and I cried in hopes it would turn out.

His brother kept saying ‘Wow’ and his friends said ‘Wow’ and I was pretty proud that I had pulled something off that was slightly impressive for 3 hrs of work. When it was L’s turn, he knew it wasn’t what he’d asked for. Disheartening was the fact that I knew it wasn’t exactly what he’d wanted, but it was still amazing. Even at 7 yrs old, he knew that I’d spent a lot of time in the kitchen that day. He knew I had tried my best. I had presented something I hoped he’d appreciate because I’ve got my own set of handicaps and struggles about following directions and asking questions. Regardless of my deficiencies, He smiled up at me.

Placing his hand on my shoulder as I sat on the couch in exhaustion, he said; “Its not about the greatness. Its about your love.” and he gave me a hug.

He recognized and reminded me that I’d put a lot of LOVE into making it. That was good enough! I needed to remember that it wasn’t about me, it was about him. It was about following the Spirit and making something for him within my abilities (although I was stretched at times and leaned on the Lord for help). It was about showing my love for my son and making him smile on his 7th birthday. It was about LOVE.

Your efforts are appreciated. Your love is more great than cupcakes 🙂 Loves!!

#Cupcake #SpongeBOB #Birthday #Children #Empower #Love #Birthday #Hug

My father would sometimes take us to visit his place of work, a studio shaping clay models of cars.  My sisters and I would get to explore the drawers of tools, markers, and clay.  We’d crossed through elegant spacious rooms filled with drafting tables, huge sheets of white paper, and every color of pencil imaginable. Sneaking peeks of the works laid out by designers were often sleek and vibrant concept cars or yachts in neon, purples and oranges that made us giggle at such outlandish ideas for trucks, sedans and minivans. Into his work space, my father’s desk would be covered in canary yellow sheets with fine point black pen scribblings of circles, ovals and boulders. A rolling set of drawers housed his treasured tools – the rounded metal shapes, the wooden dowels, and other handcrafted gear that would sometimes match those drawings from his desk. These tools were his ticket to mastering and perfecting shapes.

At home the crafting, sculpting and artistry never ended. He’d pick up stones from the beach, pebbles from the driveway and find the curves he’d expand, expound and experiment with at work. Mugs, vases, and sculptures made on the potter’s wheel, out of plaster molds, or carved out of lumber scraps abounded the spaces and shelves of sheds out back. My sisters and I would interrupt him to play with clay, help with art projects, and hear stories. We’d craft messes and discover the vast collection of colors and glazes that would later become decorations on my mother’s walls or gifts to grandparents. My parents do not have college degrees nor have they possessed sports cars like the one’s my father help resurrect from paper and form into a shape that we’d see a few years later on the road.

But there were quiet moments of learning, reflection and study by faith. It was in one of these quiet moments in my father’s studio that I began to conjure my own shapes and stories. I recall one day he’d lined up a row of raw porcelain vases and was preparing them for the kiln.  His process was to reach for a vase in the first stages of formation, use a brush and coat it with a thick layer of glaze; then, slip it gracefully onto a rack for drying. If all went well, those grey painted vases would make it into the kiln for firing and they’d return as glossy colorful pieces.

As with everything in life, things don’t go according to plan. Sometimes a vase would fall from his fingers and shatter on the concrete floor of the garage. He wouldn’t yell or stop though. He’d simply reach for another vase and say, “No sense in worrying about that.” Even when every single piece would return from the kiln broken or warped or twisted, he’d take a breath and say, “Well, that didn’t turn out exactly as I’d planned.” Nothing was wasted, not even the broken pieces.  He’d scrap those into buckets for various uses or save the really “ugly” pieces as a reminder. He would keep creating more works of art. He’d continue, even when hundreds of attempts seemed to be unsuccessful.

When my father retired, he was a Master Sculptor. His skill technique and patience acquired over thirty years with shapes and proportion and visual perfection formed not only a lifetime of mastery, but a masterful way of teaching his children to forge their own paths by doing better. It’s the remembrance of those imperfect stones, rocks, scribbles and details that I find my ability to create, motivate and aspire to shape my own life one step at a time.

Daffodils and little lambs remind me that Springtime is upon us and Easter is near.

When I say down to write SHEPPARD’S LAST LAMB it was definitely about Christmas shepherds and so much more. Christ is our Shepherd. Christ is the lamb brought to the slaughter, perfect and pure.

Spring cleaning brings an opportunity to go through all the past, and make room for the future. Grudges are released like pollen into the air, irritating but necessary. I fuss with some and left go of others like dandelions (with a big roar).

Little lambs blet and blurt. I find that I wobble so much and then I remember that this is the time to start anew. I’m thankful for learning to do things the right way.

It’s refreshing to let go. To live free. To be unsheltered and roaming long enough to discover something divine.

May you enjoy your Spring time. . . a season filled with options! Happy writing!!