A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit

Hi hi! On November 29th, 2020, I spoke in my ward's sacrament meeting! Yay! It had been a while since I'd presented at our podium, so I was excited to be given the opportunity again! 😀

To prepare for my big 12(+/-) minutes, I spent a few days listening to General Conference talks and reading the scriptures. I had an overall idea of how I wanted my talk to go, but then came the time consuming part of putting it all together!

I spent about two days writing, reading, editing, and practicing my talk in my basement. It was a fun endeavor because I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church sooo much! 💗 But I was also tired while working on everything because Thanksgiving was the day before I actually started writing my talk; I was worn out from a busy week and a full day of cooking! #colormetired! 😂

I felt the time crunch—hello adrenaline! 😁—but finished writing my talk with plenty of time to get everything ready for Sunday morning—and I got to workout to one of my faaavorite fitness videos on Saturday night! Yeah yeah yeah! It was such a great workout, it made me smile my guts out! Plus, after sitting at my computer for pretty much two days straight, I needed some serious physical activity! On Friday morning, I went walking with Greg for 38 minutes and did stretching yoga for 40 minutes before I started writing, but by Saturday night I was super antsy to get my body moving!

And now, here's my talk! 😀

A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit

Adrie Peterson

11/29/2020

In 3 Nephi 12:19, Jesus Christ teaches us, “And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

In 3 Nephi 9:20, He further teaches, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost…”

At times, it may feel difficult to humbly approach our Savior with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Younger Saints might not know exactly what it means to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Others may wonder if it’s really necessary to possess either.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught that a broken heart is a repentant heart, and a contrite spirit is an obedient spirit—that “it is the gift of [ourselves]—what [we] are and what [we] are becoming.”

Elder Bruce D. Porter explained that “Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead.”

In the Church’s Gospel Topics, the section on sacrifice describes a broken heart and a contrite spirit as “a willingness to repent of sins and a desire to follow Jesus Christ and align one’s life with His commandments.”

So why should we desire and strive for a broken heart and a contrite spirit? In our beautiful sacrament prayers, we are taught that if we “…are willing to take upon [us] the name of [Jesus Christ], and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]; …[we will] always have his Spirit to be with [us].” That alone is a beautiful promise!

Yet in 2 Nephi 2:6–7, we are further taught that “…redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”

Thus we see that in Jesus Christ’s extraordinary sacrifice of not only redeeming all of humanity—so that we may live eternally with our dearest loved ones—He is also willing to be with us spiritually each and every day of our lives! Through the spectacular gift of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ can absolutely influence our lives for the best! We simply must freely give our whole hearts and souls to Him—and ultimately to our Heavenly Father—because as Jesus tells us in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

Despite the marvelous promised blessings that come from giving ourselves so completely to the Lord, at times we may struggle.

In 3 Nephi 11:11, Jesus Christ gives us some pretty important reasons as to why we should not only want to give ourselves to Him, but why we should happily jump at the chance! He shared His perfect heart with us when he vulnerably said, “…behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”

Wow. That clears things up pretty quickly, doesn’t it? Thinking of our perfect Savior suffering for the benefit of everyone makes His thought-provoking request not only logical, rational, and reasonable, but a true privilege and honor to willingly participate in.

So what does that mean for each of us individually? How do we implement this wonderful, life-changing idea into our lives? For a little more motivation, Elder Porter beautifully said, “The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”

I become a little teary when thinking of all the utterly unexpected ways I’ve been molded and shaped in my life by the hands of the Master. Every single experience I’ve been given has greatly improved my soul. I’m so thankful I’m willing and open to learn from all of my trials and challenges—for I absolutely would not be who I am today without them!

Elder Porter shared that “a broken heart and a contrite spirit are also preconditions to repentance,” and that “when we have received a forgiveness of sins, a broken heart serves as a divine shield against temptation.” The protection of a divine shield sounds pretty great to me! 😀

President David O. McKay taught (as quoted in President Thomas S. Monson's General conference talk), “There is one responsibility that no one can evade. That is the effect of one’s personal influence.” 💛 That is such a vital message for everyone! Our life missions are meant to be unique, but each of us has the glorious opportunity to make a significant difference in our world if we are simply willing to be fully open to what our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Having a close relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost is yet another major reason to connect with Jesus Christ through our own broken spirits and contrite hearts. When we break down the walls surrounding our individual wills, we basically become unlimited in the ways Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can utilize us for the benefit of those within our circle of influence! It’s beyond exciting to think about how each of us can reach our highest potential and simultaneously bless the lives of others!

I absolutely love this thought that President Thomas S. Monson wanted each Latter-day Saint to internalize,

“The Redeemer chose imperfect men to teach the way to perfection. He did so then; He does so now. 

“He calls you and me to serve Him here below and sets us to the task He would have us fulfill. The commitment is total. There is no conflict of conscience. 

“As we follow that Man of Galilee—even the Lord Jesus Christ—our personal influence will be felt for good wherever we are, whatever our callings.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared a sweet story about a man he felt prompted to call to a stake presidency in Latin America. The brother owned a bicycle, but no automobile. Elder Holland said, “Many leaders across the Church don’t have cars, but I was nevertheless worried about what that might mean for this man in this particular stake. In my terminally-ill Spanish I pursued the interview, then said, ‘[Brother, don’t you have a car?]’ With a smile and not a second’s hesitation he replied, ‘[I do not have a car, but I do have feet and I do have faith.]’ He then said he could ride the bus, ride his bicycle, or walk…he smiled—‘like the missionaries.’ And so he does.”

We each need to remember that outside of the fundamental principles, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, don’t have a list of requirements as to how our lives should look. There is no standard checklist of worldly accomplishments or endeavors to which each of us should be checking boxes. Instead, we should individually be striving each day to be inspired by the Holy Ghost to live the lives that our Heavenly Father envisions for us—the ones that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected for! Our gift to Them in return is then following through on the inspiration we receive—regardless if we like the answer, or not.

In helping us achieve our goal of desired closeness to God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost, Elder Christofferson wisely shared, “As a first step, you must lay aside any feeling of pride that is so common in the world today. By this I mean the attitude that rejects the authority of God to rule in our lives. …You hear it expressed today in phrases such as ‘Do your own thing’ or ‘Right and wrong depend on what I feel is right for me.’ That attitude is a rebellion against God…”

Throughout our wonderful marriage, Greg and I have experienced so many crossroads where we knew without a doubt that our Heavenly Father had different plans for us than what we wanted or expected. Each time we realized—through amazing spiritual confirmations—that our carefully prepared plans needed to change, there was inevitably a grieving period involved. Yet after we let ourselves mourn our wishes and dreams for a little while, we eventually came full circle and were in harmony with Heaven. Hindsight being 2020 (sorry, I couldn’t resist! 😄), we clearly saw each and every miracle that was brought into our lives simply because we followed the inspiration and revelation we received through the Holy Ghost. The simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly beautiful!

One recent example of this happened in September 2019 when Greg was hired to do his dream job. It was such a miraculous happening in our lives, there’s zero doubt that divine intervention was involved! Thus, we weren’t thrilled when a few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg was notified that his salary would be reduced by 20%. Even worse, just one short, blissful week after his salary was returned and we thought life was happily trending toward “normal,” Greg’s company let their employees know of the upcoming merger with a competitor. They were transparent in the fact that every employee could possibly face a layoff.

At that point, I was beyond disappointed because Greg had already been through two major layoffs with previous companies—I knew all too well what could be coming to our family, and I was worried about the potential upheaval. I spent the next four months planning and preparing to the best of my abilities for the possibility that Greg would have to start all over again in his career for the third time.

As Greg and I patiently waited for the “layoff ball” to be dropped in our laps, we received a surprise knock at the door. It was our ward mission leader with our stake's two full-time missionaries! As we chatted with them, Greg shared that he was waiting to see if he would be laid off the next day. Our ward mission leader instantly got a sad look on his face for our situation. After we talked about it some more, I said to the missionaries, “…so please put us on your prayer list and pray that Greg keeps his job!” They enthusiastically agreed and said they would pray for us. We set up an appointment to do another Zoom meeting with the missionaries, and they went on their way.

What those kind men don’t know is our very happy history with the Church’s missionaries as a whole, and their positive influence in our lives. While Greg and I have always been so strong in our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church, we have still been helped by the missionaries throughout our time spent living in Colorado, Texas, and Utah. Thus, when the missionaries unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep the very night before Greg was to find out if he would keep his dream job or be laid off, we took it as a blessed sign from Heaven that regardless of the outcome, the Lord was aware of us and He had a plan for us. 💛

The happy ending to that story is that Greg was one of the lucky ones who kept his dream job—for now. He knows that as the merger of his two companies continues, there is a possibility that his responsibilities and job title could look different. My heart aches for Greg’s coworkers and their families who didn’t experience the same positive outcome as we did. Yet in that same breath, I have full faith that there is a plan for each of those former employees, too. I know they will be cared for, led, and directed on the path the Lord has for them! While we never know what’s coming our way, we can and must have faith that we will be taken care of regardless of what happens.

This life is meant to challenge and change us for the best! 💗 One of our goals should include not only enduring life’s challenges, but enduring them well—to the best of our abilities. I wholeheartedly believe that if we are willing to stay close to our Heavenly Father by being dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, we will not only become strong in our trials, but we can find joy as we struggle through our challenges.

As we choose to give our broken hearts and contrite spirits to the Lord, He promises us marvelous additional blessings found in Ezekiel 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Oh, how I love that scripture!

(Bear testimony.)

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 😀

**********

So, there you have it! I wish I would have finished writing this blog post sooner, as I've forgotten most of what happened after I gave this talk. In my defense, there has been a lot going on in our COVID-19-pandemic-mess-of-a-world, so I've been a little distracted over the past six months! 😄

I do remember that my talk was received positively, so that was a huge relief! I more than loved getting such kind text messages, phone calls, and emails from people who watched my talk (online and in person) and gained something beneficial from it. It really meant a lot to my happy soul! 💛

Lastly, it's super fun that my official YouTube debut was giving this talk in my ward's sacrament meeting! Ha ha. 😄 Yay yay for all of this amazing technology that continually blesses our lives! I hope you have a wonderful day! 😁

Home Church and the Book of Mormon

Happy Sunday, everyone! 😁 I hope you are all doing well on this lovely sabbath day! As with every Sunday, I have church on my mind! Boy oh boy, do I love all things related to church, spirituality, divinity, and religion! 😇

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I have mainly been doing home church since March 15th. That said, on May 19th (The 23rd anniversary of when my darling Gregor proposed to me!! 💕💍💖), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced: "we now authorize some meetings and activities to be resumed on a limited basis using a careful, phased approach." Yay yay happy day! Hip hip hooray! #clapclap 👏

Thus, on June 21st, we so very happily celebrated our return to worshiping with our ward members in our actual church building! It was such an exciting event! We've been on a rotating schedule of doing home church on the first, second, fourth, and fifth (if applicable) Sundays of every month; we have in-person sacrament meetings with our wonderful ward members on the third Sunday of every month. Our second in-person sacrament meeting was this past Sunday, July 19th—it was so great, I loved it so much!

While I dearly miss regular in-person church, my family and I have been having some absolutely amazing and profound home church experiences together!

I began having my family focus our home sacrament meetings on the brilliant Come, Follow Me program that was introduced to the Church's membership in July, 2018. It's absolutely not a coincidence that the Church implemented their "home-centered, Church-supported" study program in January, 2019—one year before COVID-19 became a global pandemic. It's fully amazing that we had had an entire year of studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ at home together with our families in greater depth than we ever had before.

Talk about inspiration! 💛 They didn't know it at the time, but the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were unknowingly preparing Church members for the worldwide pandemic that would paralyze our entire planet just one year later. It truly blows my mind when I think of their level of inspiration! 🤯

After the first couple of weeks of our family home church—consisting of opening and closing prayers, studying Come, Follow Me, and partaking of the sacrament, I felt greatly inspired to have us start watching the Book of Mormon Videos on one of The Church's YouTube channels. I told Greg of my feelings, and he agreed with me. Yay! 😍

Each week after that, my family has had opening/closing prayers and partaken of the sacrament as usual, but I've now included having us watch and discuss a couple of Book of Mormon videos, followed with our stake leadership's weekly YouTube video message—which we've sometimes discussed, but sometimes those talks stand on their own and they haven't needed further discussion. Oh, and to make our experience even better, I signed into my YouTube account through our Roku YouTube app so we can watch the Book of Mormon together on our big-screen TV—which is so cool cool cool! 🤩 *Bonus points if you know what "cool cool cool" is from! 😄

It's been utterly astounding to me how greatly the Book of Mormon Videos have enhanced our home church! They instantly and fully bring the Spirit into our home! They give fresh insight, important context, and beautiful, tender feelings to the stories we've read and studied for years—I've had little tears while watching them more times than I can remember! 🥺 They show great examples to my family that I will be forever grateful for! 💗 And they always lead to wonderful, faith-filled, hopeful discussions about this life and eternity. They succeed at what movie makers for generations have tried to accomplish: positively impact audiences in ways they'll never forget! The Book of Mormon Videos evoke such depth of emotions that totally complement the way one feels while reading the actual book. 📘

I still absolutely love reading, studying, and listening to the scriptures. Watching the Book of Mormon Videos will never take the place of traditional scripture study by book. I know beyond any doubt that the Holy Ghost gives us the gift of vital truths when we sincerely read and study the scriptures. The holy scriptures are there for our benefit and use—every single day of our lives! Yet the Book of Mormon videos are one more brilliant way to really come to understand and love the messages that the Book of Mormon prophets, writers, and contributors are trying to convey and help us implement into our lives.

When I knew that the Lord wanted me to show all of the Book of Mormon Videos to my family, I decided to create a private playlist on my YouTube account. You see, The Church's YouTube channel has a ton of Book of Mormon Videos: longer videos, and snippet videos of particular stories that are also part of the longer videos.

While it's helpful to have so many excellent videos—especially for when you're teaching a specific principal found in the Book of Mormon, it's also a little confusing to know if you're re-watching snippet videos that you've already seen in the longer videos. Trying to navigate which videos my family should watch for our home church was a little time consuming; I clicked on too many videos, wondering if we should watch that snippet video, too, or if we'd already seen it.

Thus, I created my first-ever playlist on YouTube! 👏😃 You laugh, but that was quite the momentous occasion for me! It's taken me many years, but I am finally an active participant and huge fan of all the goodness that YouTube has to offer. And of course, I stay away from all the weirdo, strange, and trashy videos out there. #nothankyou! 👎

I'm sooo grateful to my beloved church and its participating members for creating such lovely, spiritual masterpieces that will positively affect countless souls and bless humanity forever! Or, at least for as long as technology survives! 😄

I can't wait until all of the Book of Mormon Videos are completed and released! 2021 can't come soon enough, and it's not just because we want the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic to finally end! Ha ha. I hope that The Church will one day release a full-length Book of Mormon Movie with all of their fabulous videos rolled into one big cinematic masterpiece for the world to enjoy in movie theaters! Wow, can you imagine how spectacular that would be?! 😁

But back to the inspiration of The Church's leadership...again, I'm amazed at the perfect timing of the release of the Book of Mormon Videos. They were given to us exactly when we needed them: less than six months before COVID-19 upended our lives. Just wow. I'm super thrilled that even more of their wonderful videos are coming 👏—they will continue to support and inspire us through these crazy changes we're experiencing on nearly a daily basis! #pandemicfatigue 😟

Today, I decided it was time to release my playlist publicly(!) so that others can enjoy it, too! Yay! I reviewed all of the videos in my playlist, and they are all up to date. 👍 I'll update my playlist every time The Church releases a new video.

Without further ado, here is my beloved playlist of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! I dearly hope you'll press play many times and let your soul go on a life-changing journey that will bring you joy! 😇 

*As with anything, having the right mindset before participating in an activity makes all the difference. If you can watch the Book of Mormon Videos with an open heart and mind, your experience will be that much better. I highly recommend praying before watching them for the first time: pray that your heart and mind will be open to the Spirit; pray that you'll understand and internalize the many great truths being offered; pray that your soul will be willing to make those changes that will bless your life and others; pray that you'll have a soft heart toward things you might not understand or agree with.

Please know that I love The Book of Mormon with my whole heart and soul! It has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. Yet I'm most definitely not simply just a "blind" follower of my religion. I have spent uncountable hours upon hours studying, researching, and praying about all things related to Heaven. I have spent my entire life desiring to be extremely close to God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ—the literal Savior of our world and all of God's children. I have done everything possible to cultivate a working, successful relationship with the Holy Ghost who allows me that closeness with Them and Their angels. I continually choose to allow Them into my life to influence me for good—even though the outcome of whatever comes my way might not be exactly what I wish for or desire at the time. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are two of the most important aspects of my life and who I fundamentally am—I love them and refuse to ever be separated from them! As the saying goes: I am true blue, through and through! 💙😊

Photo Credit: Gospel Media Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Finally, I must share this fascinating tidbit: as I was writing this blog post today, I received an email from my ward's clerk. In it, our ward was told about our new in-person sacrament meeting schedule. Much to my delight, my ward now gets to meet more often than we have in the month of June and July! Yay! We're not back to in-person sacrament meetings each and every Sunday, but I'm so grateful we get to at least meet together twice a month now! 👏😀

Some may be skeptical, but I truly believe my ward's news that was delivered today is a beautiful tender mercy just for me! Yes, this updated sacrament meeting schedule will benefit our entire ward, but today's announcement was an incredible reminder to me that my Heavenly Parents, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost dearly love me and are very aware of the desires of my heart! And yes, I am super cheesy today! Okay, let's be realistic: when am I not cheesy?! 😂 I can't help but relish the overwhelming feelings of love from Heaven that are sent directly to me. And it feels really good. 💛💛💛

"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

– 1 Nephi 1:20

*If you'd like to read, listen to, and study the Book of Mormon in its entirety, download the app! 😀

• Android

• iOS

If you'd like to read the Book of Mormon online, please click here and have a happy day! 🤗

Be One: Being One with the Saints

Hi! 😀 Yesterday morning, I was a speaker in my ward's sacrament meeting! I had several friends ask if they could have a copy of my talk, so I decided to publish it here on my blog! 😃 While I had such a great time researching and writing my talk (I would have enjoyed the process even if it was only for me!), I'm so very happy others found my words to be helpful! 💛 I hope you enjoy them, too! 😘 Have a wonderful day! 😁

✯✯✯✯✯

Be One: Being One with the Saints 
Adrie Peterson
03/17/2019 

Good morning! 😀 I’m super excited with the topic I’ve been asked to speak about, which is: Be One: Being One with the Saints. 

To begin, let’s discuss what it really means to be considered a saint. We’re not talking about the worldly view of sainthood—you know, the one that engenders the image of perfection with a halo on top—rather, the true, foundational definition of saints contained in the scriptures.

While summarizing the Book of Acts with my daughter for her World Religions class, I enjoyed knowing that the first disciples of Christ—the believers—were always called saints—even though they fumbled their way through everything and frequently made mistakes. In the Bible Dictionary, it clarifies that in the New Testament, saints are all those who entered into the Christian covenant through baptism. In Guide to the Scriptures, a saint is defined as a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Mosiah 3:19 explains that we becometh saints through the atonement of Christ the Lord. Romans 1:7 tells us that those who are “beloved of God” are “called to be saints.”

From these examples, it’s evident that if we’ve been given the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we’ve been baptized in His name, and we’re striving our best to be His disciples, and we’re faithfully utilizing His Atonement, and we are obviously “beloved of God,” then we, too, are called to be saints—the latter-day version! 😊

Okay, so now that we know all current members of the Church of Jesus Christ are called to be Latter-day Saints, why is it important that we continually be one with the saints?

As you well know, we are currently living in a fallen world where things are definitely less than celestial.

Journalist and author, Sebastian Junger, has written a book that talks about how our modern society—while great for ease, convenience, physical health, safety, affluence, and other positives—is actually causing us significant psychological problems, which include increasing rates of depression, PTSD, and suicide.

He points out our great need for belonging in tight-knit communities that highlight loyalty, meaning, and opportunities to help others. He explains that when humans don’t have those close, interpersonal relationships with opportunities to participate, collaborate, and be involved in others’ lives, we will absolutely not do well. He further states that, “Humans do not survive alone in nature—they don’t survive psychologically, and they don’t survive physically—they die in every sense.”

He also writes about how contempt is especially corrosive to the unity we humans are seeking and yearning for because it implies that one group doesn’t deserve society’s benefits.

All of that said, Mr. Junger shares this good news: that being embedded in a close community buffers people from their psychological problems. He absolutely believes that the way to save humanity begins at the community level.

I couldn’t help but associate all of that information with the significant benefits of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s amazing to see how our Church—and all it encompasses—meets every one of his criteria for psychological health and well-being. We just have to be willing to fully participate in the Church—to the best of our abilities! 😊

To further back up my feelings, I’d like to share a little of what I’ve been learning through my study of positive psychology—which is defined as: the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

Positive psychologists have found that the ancient Greeks were right in their definition of happiness, which is: the joy that we feel in striving for our potential. Researchers have also found that joy is inextricably linked to meaning, and happiness is linked to the way we live our lives. They’ve concluded that real social connection is as predictive of how long we’ll end up living as obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking. Their findings prove just how much we genuinely need each other!

After all I’ve experienced and researched in my life, I can’t think of a better place where people can go to strive toward their potential, find meaning, and experience happiness, than our Church. Truly, living the gospel of Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness! 😊

For years, scientific studies have found that when people practice and experience more gratitude, they report feeling happier, healthier, and more connected to others. Grateful people also feel humble and have a larger response in the brain toward charitable giving.

Positive psychology research also shows that when meditation is combined with gratitude, the body relaxes, breathing is regulated, and the brain experiences feelings of safety and love. And those benefits last longer the more a person practices it. In fact, if a person meditates on gratitude for less than two minutes every morning for 21 days, they will become happier and more optimistic!

While that happy information is fantastic all on its own, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg has found through his research that prayer is much better and more powerful than basic meditation or mindfulness training. He has proof that when athletes—who believe in God—pray, something happens in their brains that actually improves their athletic performance!

But let’s take all of that information a spiritual step further. I find it fascinating that in our Church, we know through revelation that the second step of prayer—after lovingly addressing our Father in Heaven—is to express gratitude and thanksgiving. It’s wonderful that, from day one, we are taught the four principles of prayer. Yes, Heavenly Father created His plan so that every one of us will succeed in happiness throughout our entire lives if we will simply pray with gratitude every day! 😊

“Happiness researchers” have also discovered that when people write in their journals about gratitude—including reflecting on all the people and even their ancestors who helped them get where they are in their lives—their brains show a greater neural response to giving, their gratitude increases, and their overall happiness increases, which helps them rise to their challenges of daily living.

They also found that when people write in their journals about one meaningful experience they’ve had over the past 24 hours, their brain doubles the value of that experience. If they do that journaling exercise for 21 days, they’ll find an upward trajectory of meaning in their lives which results in greater happiness!

That reminds me of our Church leaders’ continual counsel to keep a journal, and the power that accompanies our writing efforts. It’s not a coincidence that the scriptures contain verses that urge record keeping. And just think about the amazing opportunity we’re given to do temple and family history work because of our Church. The blessings of turning our hearts to our fathers and mothers are legitimate!

I could go on for days about the scientifically-proven physical and emotional benefits of exercising! Every day, our bodies are meant to move at whatever level of ability we’ve been given. When we follow the crucial health principle of physical exercise, our brains understand that our behavior matters—which is optimism—which causes us to create an entire constellation of positive habits around us. And this falls right in line with the scriptural teaching that each of our precious bodies are temples of God, and we must care for them as such.

Positive psychologists have also found that random acts of kindness are happiness multipliers. Not only do random acts of kindness make the receiver happy, but as soon as the giver starts talking about those acts, or thinking back on them, they immediately start to smile. Random acts of kindness also show us how powerful we are—that we have the power to change the reality we see around us; that we can improve the lives of others!

Obviously, we can choose to do random acts of kindness for others every day of our lives—it’s exactly what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do! But again, we have so many additional opportunities to bless the lives of others because of our membership and dedicated service in the Church.

I enjoy knowing that the science of positive psychology is now validating what many souls have found in religion for thousands of years. Science keeps showing that the things religious traditions have been teaching are actually valid. Oh how I would love to introduce those researchers, psychologists, and scientists to the benefits of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

But wait! There’s more! 😀

While researching stem cells, I came across a study that floored me. Dr. Omar Yilmaz, a gastrointestinal pathologist and professor, has discovered that a single 24-hour fast dramatically improves the function of stem cells and their ability to regenerate—regardless of the age of the patient.

I’ve personally experienced and witnessed the awesome and humbling miracles of following the Lord’s commandment of fasting, but this new information about stem cells was positively thrilling! And just as a side-note reminder from President Joseph F. Smith, “There is such a thing as overdoing. A man may fast and pray till he kills himself; and there isn’t any necessity for it; nor wisdom in it.”

Last year, I was excited to learn of the scientifically-proven physical and emotional benefits of singing in a choir which include: strengthened feelings of togetherness; regulated heart rates; reductions in stress levels and depression; improved symptoms of Parkinson’s and lung disease; improved feelings of social well-being; and increased life expectancies.

I’ve always loved singing in ward choirs because each musical experience fills my soul—so I would have kept participating regardless of what the research shows. But you must admit how fun it is that science is now backing up what D&C 25:15 has taught us for years: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

Yet, when we really think about it, should any of this wonderful news I’ve shared today surprise us? Because as we know from Moses 3:5, “...the Lord God created all things…spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.” Of course, our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us! He has clearly told us that His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men and women—He has fully provided our way to happiness! All we have to do is follow His plan!

Three days ago, I was introduced to the amazing conversion story of Dusty Smith on one of my favorite podcasts, “This is the Gospel.” As I listened to his testimony of how he became a member of our beloved Church, was subsequently excommunicated, and ultimately and humbly came back into the fold 26 years later, I was overcome with emotion! His utterly miraculous story shows just how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and every one of us, and how intimately involved They are in our lives! Brother Smith’s incredible experiences remind us how vitally important it is for each of us to be one with the saints.

Finally, we are taught in 1st Corinthians 1:10 and Ephesians 2:19–20 that we should strive to have no divisions among us, be perfectly joined together as fellowcitizens with the saints, and be of the household of God who are built upon the cornerstone of Jesus Christ.

What it all comes down to is that our Heavenly Father dearly loves each of us and wants us to be like Him! He wants us to experience true joy through continual learning and personal growth. He wants us to follow the supreme example of Jesus Christ and return home to His eternal family. 💛

I encourage each of us to follow Elder Quentin L. Cook’s wise words. He said, “As individuals, we would do well to evaluate our effort[s] in pursuing missionary work, temple and family history work, and preparations to meet God.” Yes, truly, this life is our time to prepare to meet God! 😊

I have a great love for our Heavenly Parents, our Savior, and His Church. I am a true believer in every sense of the word. I am enthusiastically and gratefully all in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 😊

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 💛

Speedy Answers to My Fast

Before I begin, I just have to say how much I love the title I created for this blog post! #ifeelsoclever! Ha ha. Okay, now we may proceed! 😊

Remember how I posted back in December about my issues with some of my extended family members? Well, those separate relationship issues recently came to a head. One of the issues was extremely worrisome and significant enough to my soul that I made an appointment to speak with my bishop about it—I really wanted to get his ecclesiastical take on the situation.

As a side note, I might write about all of this in greater detail someday, but out of respect for my extended family members, I'm going to stay vague for now.

My bishop kindly listened as I very tearfully explained my story and that of my extended family member. After my bishop and I talked for a long time, and he could see that there was truly nothing else I could do on my end with this extended family member, he suggested that I fast for myself to help me through my struggle. My bishop gave a lot of great advice and counsel, but the fasting just for me idea stood out the very most. Here are the scriptures my bishop shared with me—I included some additional verses that I like:

Isaiah 58: 6, 8, 11, 14:

6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
8 ¶ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth...

Aren't those verses awesome?! I've heard them before, but I'd forgotten them because there are so many great scripture verses to remember! 😇 

Initially, I was surprised at the idea of fasting for myself, but after I thought about it for a few minutes, I decided to try it! I've always had great faith in the law of the fast. I've consistently fasted throughout my life for everyone else—my fasting list for people that I care about is forever long! 😇 Also, I've fasted for Greg and I as a couple, and for our children, but I've never fasted specifically and only for myself.

At first, I felt kind of squirmy inside at the thought of focusing only on me and not fasting for anyone else this past Fast Sunday, but at the same time I knew it was exactly what I should do. So I did it! 😀 I fasted and prayed for my peace of mind, patience, and especially for resolution to my issues with my extended family members. How those things would be resolved, I had no idea, but I fasted for direction and comfort, and I was ready for any answer(s) I would receive!

I say "would receive" because I fully expected Heavenly Father to answer my prayers and fasting through the Holy Ghost. I had patiently endured my issues for a very long time (we're talking months, and years in one instance). I felt like I had done my best with what I had been "given." Yes, it was time for some divine intervention to help me move past those issues because they were starting to affect me in a negative way. And don't even get me started on the dreams (while sleeping) I was having in relation to my issues with those extended family members! Oh, my issue-related dreams were not my favorite! 😬

After Greg and I broke our fast together, I felt much better. Nothing had been resolved yet, but I loved hearing my wonderful husband's voice praying for me—yes, he specifically fasted for me, too, and I'll love him forever for it!! Of course, Greg and I pray together all the time, and I love him for innumerable reasons, but this (him fasting/praying specifically for me) just adds to my adoration of him! Speaking of my husband's wonderful voice, I think Greg should start doing voice-overs! I'm going to see what I can do to get him in that industry! 😃 #randomthoughtsbyAdrie! 😄

The amazing news is, one of my issues with one of my extended family members was resolved literally one day after I fasted!! Said extended-family-member and I had been emailing each other the day before my fast, and cleared up everything by Monday! Yay! Some might say that emailing isn't a great way to resolve conflict, but in our case, emails were the only thing that would have worked because even after seeing each other in person, it was glaringly obvious that we still had issues with each other. I even had a nightmare about said family member a couple of nights after we saw each other in person! When I awoke, I knew it was time for me to take action asap!

I also know that because I fasted that Sunday, I was inspired as to how to respond in my final email. My extended family member might not have particularly liked what I had to say, but, oh my goodness, it felt sooo great(!) to write what I hadn't been able to express in any way for seemingly endless months! I tried to show as much love and compassion with my words as I possibly could without being a door mat. Yes, it's a tricky balance to show love to others while simultaneously standing our ground and staying true to who we are!

The other issue with my other extended family member—the one I met with my bishop about—didn't go away quite so instantly (a one-day turnaround is pretty exciting, right?!!), and it felt like our situation got even more difficult the day after my fast—which was a little concerning, to say the least.

Interestingly, and not coincidentally (As I've always said, everything happens for a reason!), I went walking with two of my dear friends that same Monday morning after completing my fast (on Sunday). As we were walking and talking about each of our issues with our extended family members, my one friend said, "Have you heard about Bold New Mom?" I was like, "What?" because I had never heard of that bold new mom. My friend then explained about the podcast she had recently found and how she thought of me in my situation with my extended family member that I was struggling with. My other friend immediately chimed in and said, "I love Bold New Mom! She has some great stuff!" And that was the end of our discussion about Bold New Mom.

But later that night, my mind wouldn't let go of the podcast that my friend had told me about. I give full thanks and credit to the Holy Ghost for reminding me of what my soul needed to do! 💛 As I pondered if I should look further into the podcast, I reminded myself that my friend who brought up Bold New Mom is a very easy-going, go-with-the-flow type of girl. She doesn't usually give out advice, recommendations, or her opinions unless she's specifically asked—which is why it surprised me that she brought up the podcast out of the blue. Thus, I knew it was something I should definitely look into. I texted said friend about the podcast information, and the rest is history!

After Googling Bold New Mom, I discovered Jody Moore's website and especially her fabulous podcast—I linked you to her first episodes. Here's the link to her podcast, Better Than Happy, in iTunes. I don't know when she changed the name of her podcast, but I really like the new title! 😊

I never expected any of this to happen(!), but I have spent the last week cocooning myself in Better Than Happy podcasts, extensive note-taking, analyzing, pondering, praying, and writing! This amazing week of self-care has helped me more than I ever could have imagined! In my wildest, most faith-filled dreams, I could not have envisioned this specific result happening! And it was all made possible because of my special fast on Sunday, April 8th, 2018!

I mean, I had complete and utter faith that I would absolutely get the help that I needed from our Heavenly Father through fasting, I just had no clue as to how that help would manifest itself. I also couldn't have possibly fathomed how completely my soul has been healed over this past week! Yet that is exactly what has happened!

In fact, when I was talking with my bishop (two weeks ago), I explained to him how much I hoped I could get a significant/direct answer to my fasting and prayers because if I didn't, my situation with my extended family member was getting to the point that I felt I might need a therapist to help me get over it. Yes, it was that much of an issue for me. My bishop assured me that they (my ward in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) would help me with therapy if my insurance wouldn't cover it. I was grateful for his kind thoughts, but I didn't feel like I was to that point just yet. I was definitely waiting for inspiration from the Holy Ghost as to what I should do.

So yeah, finding life coach Jody Moore was truly an inspired event in my life(!)—one that is not a coincidence and was most definitely meant to happen! Interestingly, that Monday walk-and-talk with my friends was the first time we've gotten together to go walking—and it was my idea! Yay! 😀 Yet when I say "my idea," I totally laugh because I know I was inspired by the Holy Ghost to suggest that my friends and I start walking together! (I texted them in March, and together we set up our walking date for April.) Also, I know my dear friend was fully inspired to tell me about Bold New Mom! If she wouldn't have spoken up, I don't know when or if I ever would have found Jody Moore and her fabulous, amazing podcasts!

Also, I feel strongly that I wasn't meant to find Jody's podcasts until now. That seems so silly to say because she's so helpful, but up until very recently (we're talking within the last month), I really didn't have any extended-family relationship issues that I couldn't deal with—and I was dealing with them just fine in my own way. I am a strong woman. I have confidence. I know who I am. I am spiritually in tune with our Heavenly Father. I study, research, ponder, and pray about everything in my life. I've never felt the need for a therapist or a life coach. I honestly didn't feel there was any issue I've dealt with (or would deal with) that I couldn't find an answer to or work through "on my own."

I say "on my own" because the Holy Ghost has always told/shown me everything that's best for me to do—and I've done it! I'm very much in tune with Heavenly Father as to who I am and what I need to do to make my life work in the very best way possible. Of course, I'm not perfect! That goes without saying! I've definitely had my struggles, but I've always found my way to sunshine and happiness—every time! 🌞😎😁

That said, I was also smack dab in the middle of grieving that specific relationship with my one extended family member (the one I spoke with my bishop about) for several months. Our relationship had changed drastically over the past few years and I needed to grieve all of it first before I could move on in Better Than Happy Land.

So even if someone would have told me about Jody previously, I wouldn't have felt a particular need to check out her content. Even when I wrote about my extended family issues back in December, 2017, I was handling everything okay; even when I was struggling, I wasn't truly ready to find Jody's brilliant advice. Yes, I had to get to my personal breaking point—and I arrived there about three weeks ago. Thus, last Monday was literally the perfect time for me to discover Better Than Happy!

Do you see how all of this was so meant to be?!

It's mind blowing and humbling in the same moment to think about everything that has transpired in just the past three weeks(!):

1. I was inspired to meet with my bishop.
2. My bishop was inspired to counsel me in the way that he did—and especially in advising me that I should fast and pray for myself.
3. Greg was inspired when he prayed for me as we ended our fast together.
4. I was inspired as to how to respond to my one extended family member over email.
5. I was inspired to set up my walking date with my friends—far in advance of my important week.
6. My walking/talking friends were inspired to take our conversation in the direction it went—about our issues with our extended family members.
7. My one friend, in particular, was so inspired to tell me about Bold New Mom.
8. I was inspired to later ask my friend for information about the podcast, research it, listen to 37 episodes, and do the "self" work that needed to be done.
9. Jody Moore was inspired to become a life coach and begin her own podcast series!
10. Brooke Castillo was inspired to do all of the study and research she did in order to create The Life Coach School (with her husband) in the first place!

Not only has this experience helped me tremendously with resolving my extended family relationship issues, it has strengthened (yet again!) my unshakable testimony of fasting and prayer.

I have never doubted nor questioned my relationship with our Heavenly Father—through our Savior, Jesus Christ—but there have been times when I've felt picked on because I didn't receive the immediate answers from Him that I so desperately desired—answers that I knew He could freely give me if he wanted to! *And yes, I fully acknowledge that Heavenly Father gives us trials to help us grow and become our best selves! That said, there have been times when I've wished my "trial" path was a smidgen of a bit easier! 😉

Several weeks ago, this thought entered my mind so strongly:

Trials are meant to strengthen you and give you compassion for others.

I 100% believe in and agree with that brilliant statement! Again, trials are given to us so that we can truly become our best selves! I've written about trials before in my blog post, "Receiving Our Trials with Thankfulness." So even though we may not want those soul-trying trials at the time, in the end, they are always given to us for our best benefit!

All of that said, I still have some significant work to do in relation to my other extended family member. I'm not out of the woods quite yet, but thanks to this amazing week I've had—of doing the self-care work I know Heavenly Father wants me to do—I can actually see a glimmer of the Road to Resolution that I've been searching for! And I will happily hike the remainder of my journey through the thick trees because I know I can do it! 👊😁🌲

I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for listening to my prayers, accepting my fasting efforts, and blessing my life in exactly the ways I needed! 💛 I'm unbelievably happy (and slightly overwhelmed!) to have received such speedy answers to my fast! It's truly amazing to me!

Finally, here's a wrap-up about my experience with listening to the Better Than Happy podcast:

Even though I could have listened to Better Than Happy through iTunes, or on my iPod Touch, I chose to access Jody's podcast through her website on my smartphone. (My LGV20 is my absolute favorite!) Instead of listening from Episode 1, I started listening at Episode 5—which was my friend's recommendation.

After finishing Episode 5, I knew I wanted to explore more of Jody's awesome thoughts! Thus, I went through the entire Better Than Happy podcast list and opened the links to all of the podcast topics that I felt applied to my situation with my extended family member in any way.

I initially listened to the following episodes (not in this exact order): 3, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21, 29, 33, 65, 81, 94, 97, and 122. After I finished those episodes, I decided to look at Jody's podcast list again and see if there was anything else that interested me. As you might have guessed, yep(!), I found an additional 17 podcasts to listen to! Here's round two of the Better Than Happy podcasts I listened to (not in this exact order): 27, 36, 37, 47, 50, 53, 73, 77, 81, 83, 85, 86, 87, 107, 110, 114, and 126! After I felt satisfied with my podcast learning, I went back and listened to episodes 1, 2, 4, and 141.

If you're wondering how and why I kept track of the episodes I listened to, I just opened each episode in a new window of my phone's Chrome browser. When I finished listening to everything I was interested in, I went into my Chrome browser again, wrote down all of the podcast episode numbers I had open, and then I closed all of those tabs. I kept track of those podcasts because I want to know which ones I listened to—in case I want to refer back to them at a later date.

I listened to a bunch of the Better Than Happy podcasts out of numerical order, which was fine, but after I take a little break, I'm going to go back and listen to Jody's podcasts from Episode 1 all the way to her most current episode! I can't wait to begin this adventure again! 😊 Her podcasts really are perfect for listening to while doing household chores—they make the time fly by! And they're simultaneously turning listeners into better humans! It's a true win-win!

*If you want to start listening to Better Than Happy, I highly recommend starting right at Episode 1, as she guides you through everything you need to know from there. Yes, you can understand what she's teaching if you start at a different episode, but based on my experience, I believe it's better to start at the beginning because it's a very good place to start! 😁 #DoReMi 🎶

I seriously wish I could recommend the Better Than Happy podcast to every human on planet earth! 😀 Jody Moore is a living example of the parable of the talents. She knows and understands the talents she's been blessed with, she's practiced and honed her skills in marvelous ways, and she is actively blessing humanity by freely sharing her special gifts with us!

As a fun tidbit, Better Than Happy has received 1,671 reviews (to this date—her reviews keep increasing daily) on iTunes and only four of those reviews (0.0024%!) have been negative! Jody should feel ecstatic that she continually produces a five-star podcast! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wow! I'm so happy for her success! And I'm grateful she's continuing to create so many helpful podcasts!

I also researched The Life Coach School, which is where Jody received her life-coaching certification. It looks like a really great program, they've turned out some amazing life coaches! I listened to the first three podcast episodes of The Life Coach School, and they were great, yet I just didn't feel the deep connection to Brooke that I instantly felt with Jody. There might come a day when I feel the urge to listen to more of The Life Coach School's podcasts, but right now isn't the time.

I greatly enjoy Jody's connection to my beloved church; I believe it helps that she's a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because she brings an additional spiritual perspective/dimension that I didn't feel/experience (so far) while listening to Brooke. That isn't meant to be anything negative (not in any way!) against The Life Coach School, it's just that I found the important connection I was looking for in Jody, and I'm sticking with her for the foreseeable future! 😁

Thanks for reading, I hope you have a wonderful day! 😘

Adventures with William Wurlitzer!

In March, 2017, I went on a piano adventure and bought a new/used piano! But before I get into my new-to-me piano story, let's take a walk down piano-memory lane...

I had been using my great grandparent's old Story and Clark piano since 2003—when my Grandpa Charles was so generous to give it to me after my Grandma Ardis died (in 2001). My grandpa's gift was such a blessing in my life!

At the time I received my great-grandparents' piano, my church calling was Primary pianist. Before my grandpa so generously helped me out, I had to go to my church building to practice the assigned Primary songs. Thankfully, my weekly outings to my church building didn't last long. I was thrilled to be able to practice Primary songs in my very own home! I was also excited to refresh older songs I had "perfected" in my youth while taking piano lessons and performing in recitals and Federation competitions.

Because my family's historical piano was moved nine times while in my possession, it really started showing wear and tear everywhere. I felt so badly about its worn-out condition, but we needed our piano, so it always went with us wherever we moved!

Fast forward 13+ years.

Once I gained many more piano students (I don't remember the exact tally, but it was more than 15), I decided I not only wanted but needed a newer piano. I asked Greg what he thought about me buying a new/used piano and he agreed it was a good idea—a smart business decision! Up until that moment, I had never realized that I was a small-business owner, but it's true! 😊

As I prayed what to do about my piano needs, I received the distinct impression that I should go to the Piano Gallery in Murray, Utah, and buy the black Wurlitzer piano. That was a very random thought considering there's a Piano Gallery closer to my house up north, and especially considering the fact that I was being told so specifically which piano brand and color to buy. Thus, I knew it had to be divine inspiration and decided to follow through on my answer.

But before we went to the Piano Gallery, I decided to do my due diligence and check KSL.com's classifieds. (I always do my part when receiving heavenly answers!) There were so many used pianos and I searched through every single one of them(!), but nothing felt right. Greg and I even looked at purchasing a 30-year-old Yamaha upright in our own little city, but when I saw/played it in person, it was nothing close to what I wanted. I was most definitely not feeling it! To me, the price of that old Yamaha was outlandish for a piano in not-great condition!

As I prayed again—this time to "present my case" and confirm my decision—I had the same impression: Piano Gallery, Murray; black Wurlitzer piano.

It was a rainy Saturday when we pulled into the Piano Gallery's Murray parking lot. As cheesy as it sounds, I can truly remember it like it was yesterday! Aww! They were having a sale that day, so I was super hopeful at what I'd find...until I walked through their side-front doors! I was blown away at the high prices of their pianos! That dinky little used Yamaha upright was looking pretty great at that point! Ha ha.

After practically drooling over the amazing, gorgeous, lovely, and inspiring grand pianos (Oh, they were so unbelievably great!), I yanked my soul back into reality and forced myself to walk to the smaller used pianos section in the back of the gallery. Yet I was pleasantly surprised at what we found: I saw many great used pianos! Yay! There were also new, beautiful Yamaha spinets and uprights, among other brands that I don't remember. Still, there was nothing in my price point that I wanted to pony up for, so I walked mindlessly toward the section of used medium-grand pianos.

That's when I stopped in my tracks: I saw a GORGEOUS black Wurlitzer grand piano! It was sooo shiny and looked absolutely perfect! But once I saw the price tag—which included the on-sale price that was still too much money(!)—a little, tiny piece of me died inside. It was waaayyyy over our used-piano budget. 😢

As I continued walking through the rest of the store, I never saw another black Wurlitzer piano. Add to that, I never saw another Wurlitzer piano at all! Not a one! It was true: The only Wurlitzer piano in that entire store was a black, medium-grand beauty!

I was very befuddled in that moment. I had received very direct and specific inspiration of what I was supposed to do, yet what I found at the Piano Gallery was not at all what I expected. But I had followed through on said inspiration up to that point, so I decided to go back and play the black Wurlitzer. I was nervous as I walked over to play it because I knew I was entering dangerous territory! You laugh, but when you follow inspiration like I do, there's a point of no return and I knew I was nearing it!

When I finally played the lovely, black, medium-grand Wurlitzer, it absolutely did something to my soul! I was overjoyed in that moment of contact! I knew I just HAD to have it! I also didn't know what to tell my husband! Aahh! 😄

Greg was taken aback when I told him of my gorgeous find, and about the inspiration I had received. The look on his face said he wasn't entirely sure of what to do. He suggested asking if the Piano Gallery was firm on the Wurlitzer's price. They were very firm on their price and pointed out it was on sale, but they also said that we could do in-store financing if we wanted. (It was zero percent interest if the piano loan was paid off within six months.) We asked the store manager, Mike, how long the sale with special financing would be available. I don't remember what he said, but we told him we'd think about it and let him know. I'm pretty sure he envisioned that we wouldn't be back! Ha ha.

I felt defeated when we left the Piano Gallery. I was super bummed we hadn't bought a piano that day like I planned! Frustration set in as I literally could not stop thinking about the black, medium-grand Wurlitzer! It was at the forefront of my mind for endless hours—and especially while I folded laundry!

At my extended family's party that Sunday night (one day later), I told everyone of our piano adventures. I explained how difficult it was going to be finding a piano we could afford that was nice enough and made my soul sing like the black Wurlitzer medium-grand did!

Greg and I talked about the beautiful Wurlitzer grand piano again on our drive home. I was shocked when Greg said, "Let's buy you your piano!" I argued with him, explaining our tight budget (Greg was still attending Harvard online; our expensive, growing children; etc., etc.), and pointing out everything that was wrong about buying the expensive-to-us Wurlitzer. Greg rebutted with the fact that my piano-lessons money could pay for the piano within a year and that it could be written off as a business expense! While both of those were valid points, I still completely worried about what such an expensive purchase would do to our family's budget and well-being! They were legitimate concerns!

That very next Monday, March 27th, two days since I first met Mr. Wurlitzer, I went online and searched for "my" piano. I was stunned to see the price of it online was $1,000 less than the sale price in the store! I excitedly told Greg and he said, "We are buying you your piano!" I squealed and replied, "Really?! We're doing this?!!" He said, "Yes! We'll finance it and pay it off with our savings before the loan starts charging interest." My soul soared!

At that point, I had a new worry: that my incredible find would have already been sold out from under me! I immediately called Mike and asked him about the price of "my" piano. He said the online price was correct and the piano was still for sale. I asked him if the price could be lowered any further than that, considering the internet price was lower than the price in the store, but he said that was it. I told him I wanted to buy it, but I'd have to come later that day. He said he would hold it for me until 4:00 p.m., but after that, it would be available for someone else to purchase. I said okay, thanked him, and told him I would see him soon!

I was absolutely giddy with excitement! Not only was I was purchasing the black Wurlitzer that the Holy Ghost specifically told me to buy(!), I was also buying the piano that I fell head-over-heels in love with! Again you laugh, but piano love is a real thing! People have fallen in love with pianos for centuries! I have nothing to back up my statement, but Google it and you'll see that I'm right! Ha ha. 😍

I drove myself to Murray (so Greg could pick up our kids from school) asap to buy my piano. I was glad I'd be finished with everything before my piano lessons began that afternoon! I had so much time on my drive to think of ways to shrink our budget for six months—so we could get a head start on our piano loan payments; I knew we could do it!

When I went into the store and told them which piano I wanted, I could barely contain my excitement! I looked over the black, medium-grand Wurlitzer one last time (to be absolutely certain of my decision), found a piano bench I wanted, and headed over to sign the paperwork. As a funny side note, I took longer deciding what piano bench to buy than I did my piano! 😄

While sitting across from the store manager, Mike, I looked at his family photos around his desk. I suddenly realized...I knew this man! I was 99% certain he had been in our ward (church congregation) 13 years ago! I asked him if he had ever lived in Layton, and he said, "Yes." I then said, "I think you were in my ward in Layton!" We talked and confirmed that we were indeed in the same ward!

I was utterly amazed when I remembered that Mike was on my list of "substitute pianists" for my calling as Primary pianist! Oh, wow! I had suddenly come full circle! I also remembered the incredible vocal talents of his darling wife, Stacie. Even now, 14 years later, I can still recall their soul-touching performances in our ward's sacrament meetings! I was stunned to learn that his wife had never created an album of her astounding gift! As we talked, I was blown away thinking of the many things that had to fall into place for that moment to happen!

I mean, comon'! What are the odds that I would choose the very piano store that not only produced my perfect-for-me piano(!), but also included the man who used to be in my previous ward who was on my list of substitute pianists?! Those odds are ridiculous, and most definitely not a coincidence!

Back-in-the-day, I tried to convince Mike's fabulous wife that she needed to create a CD of her vocal talents. As I recently searched the internet for Stacie—to see if she's created a CD like I recommended (😁)—I was disappointed to see she hasn't done anything yet. I remember Mike telling me that Stacie now teaches singing lessons (or something like that), which is truly wonderful for her to pass on her gift!

Side note: I found a performance of Stacie and Mike (from their family reunion) for you to watch! So yeah, please feel free to say, "You're right, Adrie! She's amazing!" Ha ha. Yes, I'm an internet sleuth! #notastalker! 😆 Of course this performance is not professional, and I wish you could see them in a sacrament meeting setting(!), but their talents as a musical couple are impressive!

Stacie and Mike Raddatz Opera Aria

The next several days were a blur of getting my house ready for my black, medium-grand Wurlitzer to arrive! I spent a long time researching where I should place my piano and realized I had to switch around my entire living room! You see, the bass side of a grand piano needs to be on an inside wall, away from windows with direct sunlight, and away from blowing/direct air. I actually had a great time rearranging everything! It totally reminded me of moving houses/cities/states again, which I was so grateful we didn't have to do!

In my spare time before bed each night, I researched my new piano (the make and model number) to make sure I had made a good decision. I know, I know!, that seems like such a backward move—especially considering that I'm such a researcher! Yes, I should have researched my piano before I bought it! Yet I was so completely certain of my actions that I didn't feel the need to research any of it beforehand.

In the hours I spent looking online, I realized that I could not have made a more perfect piano purchase if I tried!! Even if I had spent hours upon hours researching pianos and pricing, I still would have absolutely come to the same conclusion: the shiny, black, medium-grand Wurlitzer was the perfect piano for me and my situation! Even today, knowing all that I know with hindsight being 20/20, I would still make the same decision over and over again! And that backed-up/solid/researched knowledge feels incredibly great!

My new piano was safely delivered and installed (woohoo!), and my great-grandparents' piano was sent to my dad's living room! He was super excited to receive his family heirloom and is looking into getting it restored. Yay! Yay! Happy piano days!

After I had my piano for a few hours, I decided I'd better name my black beauty, I also decided my piano is a boy! I know, I'm the silliest! I looked at all the "W" boy names and narrowed it down to like nine or 10. In the end, William Wurlitzer sounded the best to me and I named "him" exactly that! I'm very happy with my naming choice! 😁 Oh, and I forgot to mention that William was tuned a few weeks after I brought him home!

In an email I sent April 3rd, 2017, I told the family of my birth how much I love my piano and presented some of the reasons why I have such cheesy piano love:

• I love it because it sounds so amazing!
• It's so beautiful to look at! 😍
• It challenges me in my mind, heart, soul, and physical abilities.
• I'm able to create something from inside of me that doesn't exist without my piano.
• It gives me all the feels! 💛
• My piano connects me to my family in ways that I can't without it.
• It brings an amazing spirit into our home.
• It energizes me as a player, and as a listener. Sometimes I'm like, "Wow! I just played that! That just happened!" 😄 Ha ha.
• My piano makes me feel like I'm contributing something 100% worthwhile to our world—it's an activity that's actually making the world a better place!

Nearly one year later (almost exactly 😁), those reasons still totally apply! Buying William Wurlitzer was and is one of the best decisions I've ever made! Thankfully, my Gregor agrees with me! My medium-grand piano is literally the purchase of my lifetime! It's been a financial struggle, for sure, but it's worth every penny. The great news is, our bank account has nearly recovered from our life-changing purchase! Yay! I still remember the oh-so-happy day I paid off my piano, I was so excited and jumped for joy!! There is just something about finally owning what you love and have worked so hard for! 😍

*By the way, no, this blog post is not an advertisement to get you to go buy a piano! Ha ha. I'm simply stating the fact that there is almost nothing on Earth so lovely as live music that you or your loved ones create yourselves!

I've also thoroughly enjoyed watching my wonderful students fall in love with my piano as well! They're fascinated to watch all that goes into making a piano play! They also love playing their own songs they've created on my piano. Wow, I love watching their growing minds work! So yes, buying William Wurlitzer has been highly beneficial to my piano students, too! We have such a great time playing the piano together! I absolutely know that having my students play on an "above average" piano truly helps inspire them to play their very best!

All of that fun aside, last fall, a few of my piano's keys began sticking. #ohno! 😬 I became really concerned when they weren't becoming unstuck! I worriedly thought, "Did I buy a lemon?! Did the Piano Gallery pull the wool over my starry-eyes and take advantage of me?!" I researched everything that could possibly be wrong with William Wurlitzer and came to the conclusion that, no, the Piano Gallery didn't do anything wrong—sticky piano keys are very common, especially in older pianos like mine who've been through big transitions. The only thing I could do was hire a piano tuner/technician. Thus began my search for a piano doctor!

While I liked the piano tuner I used to tune my great-grandparents' piano, I couldn't find a website for him anywhere (and I really searched!), so I didn't know if he did piano repairs, or not. Because William Wurlitzer means the world to me, I decided to go with a piano tuner/technician who has an active, functioning website that clearly states all of his/her services, accomplishments, certificates, and customer reviews! After all of my research, I narrowed it down to one gentleman who has really great piano credentials—and his resume outside of piano tuning/repair is truly amazing!

I then texted my friend (and wonderful mother of three of my darling piano students!) who recently had her piano tuned, to see if she could share her piano tuner's information with me. I wanted to make sure there wasn't someone better than the guy I chose. Yet after waiting 27 minutes (I checked my sent texts 😄), I felt the Holy Ghost tell me that I'd made a good decision and I should call William Wurlitzer's new piano doctor immediately! 😁

By the way, "piano doctor" is not our piano tuner's company name—it's just the nickname I gave him! I clarified that because there's a piano doctor website, but he's not the piano guy I chose.

When I called to set up William's appointment, I signed him up for every treatment the piano tuner/technician offered besides an appraisal! It was a pricey list of services, but it was fully worth it—and I can write it off as a business expense for my 2018 taxes!

It was a super exciting day when William Wurlitzer was taken apart, completely dusted inside and out, cleaned, fully repaired, and perfectly tuned by our new piano doctor! I was utterly fascinated by everything our piano technician was doing! He really knew his stuff! And he made my mind completely relax when he told me that William Wurlitzer's sticky keys were 100% fixable! Oh, it was such a relief to my piano-loving soul! I could finally breathe again and boundlessly love my piano without any worries! I know my reactions are extreme, but this is how much I truly love my piano! 😍

My favorite part of this whole "Fix William Wurlitzer!" adventure was when our piano doctor began playing my piano (to see how in tune it was)—he's a fantastic pianist! I felt like I was an important patron at a five-star hotel restaurant! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Greg mentioned how great of a pianist our piano doctor was, too! But the best news (besides the repair of William's sticky keys) came when our piano doctor began tuning the piano. Turns out, William Wurlitzer held his tune pretty well from his initial tuning in 2017—which shows, again, that I bought a high-quality piano! Yay me! 👍

I was super impressed with our piano doctor because he tuned mainly by ear! Our previous piano tuner used an app on his smart phone to check his work—which is totally fine, don't get me wrong! But I love the fact that our new piano tuner/technician understands pianos and music as a whole to the degree that he knows every note by ear! #amazing!

And it gets even better! There was one octave, or so, in the higher notes of William Wurlitzer that always sounded a little bit "pingy" or "tinny" when played. It's like they were in tune, but just one teensy little degree out of tune. And those notes had been "off" since I bought the piano, so I thought there was just no fixing them. Yet our piano doctor put those babies right in tune, and they no longer have that tinny/pingy sound! Hip hip hooray!

As I was getting ready to pay William's piano doctor, we ended up chatting while he cleaned up everything. It was a nice conversation, but I was floored when he said he just moved into a house east of my neighborhood! He moved into my stake (several church congregations grouped together) less than one month earlier! I was beyond amazed at the new/additional "coincidence" to go along with William Wurlitzer's story! But I know it's not a coincidence!

I mean, seriously, what are the odds that out of all the internet options available, I would choose a master piano tuner/technician that just moved mere minutes away from my house?! Yeah, slim to none is what I said, too! Ha ha. Yet I know our piano doctor wasn't my discovery: I know the Holy Ghost inspired me with my best possible outcome for fixing William Wurlitzer and putting my mind at ease!

After experiencing nearly one full year with William Wurlitzer, I say yet again: the Holy Ghost is a legitimate spiritual personage—the third member of the Godhead who tells us the will of our Heavenly Father! The Spirit speaks the truth, and He told me exactly what was the best choice for me at each crossroad of my piano adventure! Any and all who will cultivate a righteous life and continually listen to the Holy Ghost, and act upon what He says, will be blessed forever! I'm so thankful I was given so many opportunities to rely on my faith throughout this past year with my beloved piano!

These amazing experiences (among many others) remind me that we are known and deeply loved by our Heavenly Father, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father gives us exactly what we need, and, many times, He gives us what we want! 😁 The nicest thing is when we, as individuals, align our needs and wants with our Heavenly Father's knowledge of what is best for us!

We must always remember and never forget just how loved we are(!) and that we matter to our Heavenly Father! Our lives are most definitely not small, nor insignificant! Each of us are a vital part of God's very great plan of happiness!

Lastly, my grand piano adventures with William Wurlitzer show that creating beautiful music is very important to our Heavenly Father! We have all been given access to inspiring, uplifting, soul-changing music through multiple avenues. Our musical options in today's technological society are unmatched by previous generations! We are so blessed to have music everywhere! Some people are obviously more talented than others in the music world, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't all still try to create beautiful music to the best of our abilities! Yes, each of us needs to decide now how we will daily incorporate essential music into our lives...I know what I've chosen! 😀