Hope Works

 

oftentimes the things that we repeatedly think about and the things we repeatedly say 

become who we are and what others remember about us

a photo of my daddy sits by my home monitor 

his soft gaze looks at me as i work in the wee hours of the night and early morning

oh how i wish i could talk to him in person

but the words i hear my daddy say to me in my mind are the words i heard him say so often

words of counsel

words of encouragement

words of love

but so very often the words of hope

my father was a spiritual man who drew strength and wisdom from the words of the scriptures 

that lucky for me he passed on to his family

one of my favorite things i heard my daddy teach about was hope

my father's adopted definition of hope was an "earnest expectation"

taken from one of my most beloved chapters in scripture, Romans 8 verse 19 

and Philippians 1:20

an earnest expectation

in an address at a conference of women Lisa Valentine Clark said

'when we don't know where to begin, we begin with hope.  hope has the power to change our attitude.  hope sometimes comes from our actions and sometimes comes through inner feelings."

we begin with hope

with earnest expectation of a change in how you feel or a change in an outcome

earnest can be defined as 'resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction'

for me this anticipation of change in nature or change in situation 

must be coupled with a sincere and intense conviction in God's loving nature and his work and his glory

"to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"  (Moses 1:39)

which can only come through the process of becoming

most importantly, becoming as Christ

oh the joys that come

but oh the pain and the strife

no one is exempt

which means that we are each others' learning material and experts on how to find hope

we have all felt it sometime in our life 

we have felt of its transformative power

its sustaining power

its restful power

because of this universal reality of the state of man

to learn, to grow, to be stretched, to rise, to fall, to find peace, to feel despair, to find rest, to find joy

it is my firm belief that we each must speak up and

"be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you"

(1 Peter 3:15)

we must share our stories of hope

even if we are in the middle of it

even if we have not seen the light yet

we can speak of the light in our hearts

our speaking can spark a hope in the hearts of someone else

it doesn't need to be on a public platform

you just need to have an open and willing heart 

that if the opportunity presents itself in speaking to another in need 

that you will be ready to share your story and give an answer for the reason for your hope

your sharing may just be showing them where they can begin

it has been my honor to learn from so many in my life through the sharing of their stories

through my podcast The LifeBeats Project I have been continually amazed 

at the willingness of my guests and my community members so many to share their journeys for the benefit of others

i continually seek out opportunities to hear from the brave ones willing to share

recently i was able to attend a brilliant and inspirational TED talk like event called

Hope Works

put on by the Mormon Channel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

in which 6 speakers shared their life experiences and insights of how they feel hope and love

particularly through the light of the Savior Jesus Christ

as i listened to 

the honest and real feelings of a struggling mother trying to feel enough

a paralyzed equestrian vaulter trying to understand who she now was after her accident

a mother trying to explain what it feels like to see life in a whole new way after losing her child

a man trying to find purpose in his career and what he could do that would truly matter

a relationship coach learning from one of his patients of the pain of scars and on how healing can begin

and a man's enlightened experience of learning globally from people of other religions and background

i was filled

there was no podium, no screen, no barrier between them and myself

it was if they were speaking just directly to me

i could feel their pain 

but oh could i feel their joy

there is a power in hearing others' stories

those LifeBeats inside of us connect with the LifeBeats within their story

those core desires within us all

to feel loved, to want to serve, to want to reach our potential, to be understood, to want to feel needed, to want to feel that what we are doing and how we are living has meaning

if you are in need of a little hope

i invite you reach out to someone you love, someone you admire, a place of inspiration 

and hear how others have found hope in their lives

i invite you to hear the stories of the inspiring guests of my podcast The LifeBeats Project

you can even listen to one of the speakers from the event Hope Works that i attended over on YouTube

friends make hope an earnest expectation in your lives

draw on the stories and strength from others

root your sincere anticipation of that rest, peace, and joy that will come in our Savior Jesus Christ

for hope lives

hope conquers

and hope works 

when have you felt hope in your life?  how did you find it?

The LifeBeats Project Story Search Soiree

in the Spring i hosted a Story Search through my podcast The LifeBeats Project

in conjunction with Diana Putnam Photography's series Rose Colored Lenses

asking my listeners to submit stories of people who inspire them

or to share their own inspirational story

it is part of my mission to be able to share how extraordinary people are with you

i had 20 nominees submit stories

and how could i only share 2 of them with you

reading through each one of their stories was so uplifting and inspiring 

that i decided i would honor them all

welcome to the first Story Search Soiree

at my beautiful new home

keeping it simple was my goal

in order to focus on why we were gathering

people

and their stories

our simply beautiful decorations

felt ball garlands, floral buntings, wooden flatware, and sunburst napkins

were there to add sunshine and feminine fun

provided by the darling party and paper store My Paper Crush

dedicated to having all the pretty things in one place

you have a chance to win a $50 gift card to their darling shop

by simply following the steps shown on my Instagram post of the soiree

giveaway will end Thurs Sept 22 so hurry and enter

our guests were provided with some gifts as little physical reminders of how truly amazing they are

notebooks and pen by My Paper Crush

my favorite heartbeat necklace by Sweet Lemon Boutique

perfect for my brand and a special gift to my interviewed guests

beautifully burned wood leather wrap 'be brave' bracelet by Sweet Saltwater Designs

seven of us gathered together

some arriving after our photos

to share in a delicious meal made by my loving mother who knows how much cooking stresses me out

she used fresh vegetables from our garden as part of her main shrimp pasta dish

strawberry shortcake my favorite for dessert

i am glad we got the women behind the lens out in front

to know Diana is to love her

she has a heart of gold and a magical talent

the darling Ashley Lundgreen of Visage Artistry

when i envisioned this dinner

i imagined it to be for the purpose of coming together in meaning conversations and to share our stories

three of the attendees shared their stories through video

together we watched them and were able to discuss together the underlying stories

each of us shared a piece of our story

and we talked into the dark of the evening

creating connection and learning from one another

it couldn't have gone any more perfectly

here are the videos for you to witness the beauty of each of these stories

the passionate Carissa of Family History Modernized

i am so excited to share with you this coming week on my podcast The LifeBeats Project

about the new social media campaign i will be launching soon

to help give everyone who wants to share their story an opportunity to do so

to share that #lifebeatsforme

the incredible Tami Schlappi, one of our selections to interview on the podcast

hear her full podcast episode here

"Trusting in God and His plan even in times of great loss and when you plan doesn't align with His"

moms living happy: our new adventure, you and me

every once in awhile something seems to fall from the sky and land in your lap that was just meant to be

i know better

what would seem like some random fruit falling from the tree 

is more like a heat seeking missile with your heart's signature as its target

something designed for an impact just for you

this is how i feel about Moms Living Happy

a project that will change the way we look at ourselves as mothers

and which will reach out to the corners of the earth and bring together a community of moms who despite life's vicissitudes choose happiness

i am honored to be a co-founder in this brilliant endeavor 

to step into the homes of countless such moms 

and tell their courageous stories in video form

your story

you

and you

and you

so how are we going to hear your story

or the story of your inspiring friend, neighbor, or own mother

we need to hear from you

email us your stories at momslivinghappy@gmail.com

and who knows we could meet in your living room with a film crew 

to tell a story that needs to be told

of Moms Living Happy

so hope on over and see what we are all about

subscribe to our newsletter so you won't miss a single inspiring story

head on over to 

featured author on Power of Moms today

this morning i am honored to have my post

'the parable of the swing'

featured by the incredible organization Power of Moms

one dedicated to strengthening deliberate mothers in their day to day efforts of 

building, fostering, and molding

each member of their family

you may recall that i was able to attend a Power of Moms retreat in Las Vegas

this organization is filled with powerhouse women who dedicate their lives to the cause of motherhood

arming mothers with the tools, knowledge, and a confidence to thrive in this most important work

their community is one of sharing and support

a place to draw upon the insights of women of all experiences, faiths, and beliefs

i truly am grateful to be a part of such organization and team of women

thank you to these ladies for this opportunity to share a brief little moment i had with felicity which opened my eyes to how to face my own falls

my failures, my bumps and bruises

through her little tumble off the swing

i would love for you swing on by over here

read this little parable

and comment to show support to such an incredible group working tirelessly to do a world of good among the mothers of the nations

{a world of good} your own reflection

what do you see when you look in the mirror
does your reflection match how you feel
do you ever gaze into a face that couldn’t be your own
that’s not me
you peer ahead expecting to see yourself in a younger light 
or perhaps at a time in your life you felt most productive, successful, or happy

the goal would be to look at our reflection and see us for good that we find in ourselves now 
that very day
in that very moment
relishing in what those past events have made us today

but i think we have all experienced that longer than typical stare at that face ahead
reminiscing on your past appearance
your past lives
wondering how you got to be here

as this disease continues to take its toll on my husband
and as i think of the young age at which my daddy left this life
it has caused great introspection on my life and what i am making out of it
time seems to have compressed for me
my future self doesn’t seem so far away
who am i becoming now?
no longer can i think of aging as just a passage of time
taking you further away from what we might consider our prime
aging is a gift
a gift some are not afforded

the incredibly talented photographer tom hussey created a touching photography series called reflections
in which he portrays the elderly as they gaze upon their younger selves reflected in the mirror
after seeing these i knew i wanted to feature them as part of my
a world of good features
such beauty and grace portrayed in this photo series
truly no words needed

the emotion they evoke may be different for everyone
some may experience happiness, gratitude, or fulfillment
others regret, longing, or failure
but reflect
take a moment to see these through the eyes of your parent, your grandparent, your ailing friend, your kind neighbor
or perhaps yourself

what do you see when you gaze into that mirror?

what feelings are conjured up?

how do you view your past and what have you learned from it?

can we truly see the passage of time as a gift?

my hope would be yes

{a world of good} heather, a cancer survivor story

it is my honor this morning to feature another force for good in this world

heather von st james

a mesothelioma cancer survivor

who is sharing her hope and life with others

through a message she is proclaiming to the world

with hope, odds don't matter

i felt so humbled to receive an email from heather sharing her story with me

knowing that she recognized from what she read here on my blog

that ours is a community of caring and compassion

a place where hearts are shared, comfort given, and outreach made

it brings me great joy to help spread the work

of someone so dedicated to the wellbeing of others

for that is what my daddy did here on this earth as well

he worked tirelessly to 

succor the weak
lift up the hands which hang down
and strengthen the feeble knees                                           {Doctrine and Covenants 81:5}

lets give a warm Sweet Dreams are Made of These welcome 

to the courageous and beautiful Heather

as she introduces us to her journey of pain and triumph

I am 44 and a mother to a quirky little 7 year old, Lily. She is my only child, and my whole world. When Lily was just 3 1/2 months old, I was diagnosed with mesothelioma; a type of cancer that kills most people within 2 years. As I’m sure you can imagine, the first thing that came to mind when I was diagnosed was my baby girl and how I wasn’t going to be able to watch her grow up.

After intense treatment and recovery, I’m still here 7 years later and cancer free! My journey with cancer was a terrifying one and I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other people can look to for guidance, inspiration, and hope in situations like my own. My husband and I recently participated in a short video about my experience with cancer. I’m hoping to use this video as a tool to raise awareness of this horrible little known cancer that is such a deadly killer (and sadly, 100% preventable).

come listen to her and her husband cameron's courageous story

and witness her vibrant spirit

as she uses dedicates her life to helping those who have lost hope

to feel its outreaching beams once again

i have been accused my whole life of wearing rose colored glasses
and seeing life very optimistically
i have no intention of ever taking them off
there was no option other than living through this
i was going to beat it no matter what
there is more hope now than there ever was
so don't give up
don't take a death sentence is a diagnosis
there is hope

i invite you to share this video 
and connect with heather
read more of her spirit and love for life on her blog
living life with passion and purpose
heartbreak and healing
on visit her on facebook here
let her know what an inspiration she is
and to keep up her outreach to help those affected by asbestos, cancer, and any who have lost hope

{a world of good} the mayan eco homestead

i am constantly amazed at the choices and changes people make in their life to dedicate their time to doing good in this world
to causes and people they are passionate about
who see a need and dive in to fill the hole with their heart and hands
i am thrilled to begin today with a feature i am entitling
a world of good

inspired by my dear friend Greg and his beautiful family’s incredible quest
in 2011 he and his wife lucy decided that they wanted to do something different 
they sold all of their possessions, loaded up their car with their four children and started driving south from the US to Guatemala
there he met another American family, another Greg and his family of 7 
together their love for the Guatemalan people grew

in living amongst them, they discovered that they could help fulfill a real need
they became passionate about making a positve, permanent difference by teaching the Guatemalan people new skills instead of giving them handouts that only fulfill temporary needs
they founded the 

the challenges:

Guatemala is the 4th highest malnutritioned country in the world, and the highest in Latin America
despite the abundant landscape and year round growing season, the average Guatemalan diet is unbalanced, consisting of mainly corn. 
their diet lacks a variety of healthy foods, resulting in stunted growth, and slowed development.

compounding the problem of malnutrition is the poor living conditions of many of the indigenious people. They lack clean water to drink. 
litter, human waste, laundry water and dish water go back into the land where food is grown.
ultimately, the problem is a lack of ideas and resources. the Mayan people need knowledge about what and how to grow more nutritious food to improve their diet, and how to implement systems that can improve living conditions.

their first success:
they successfully orchestrated a Self-Reliance Project with a local family, helping them to start their own small homestead with garden boxes, chickens, vermicomposting, tilapia and pigs, as well as a composting toilet and solar hot water. this project has helped them to improve their nutrition and living conditions, and become self-reliant.

rachel dennings, the wife of greg #2, shared the words of this sweet Guatemalan on her blog discover, share, inspire

“My son was saying to me,” he continued, “This is what you always wanted. This is what you dreamed about, and now it has happened. Bless God.”
“And we have big plans, my son and I. We want to buy more chickens. The neighbors are asking to buy our lettuce and radishes, so we planted more. We sell 40 eggs a day, and have 30 baby chicks we hatched ourselves. One day,” he says with a huge smile, “I will have my own pick-up.”

for a man who previously made $129 a month, this is a whole new life for him, a new hope, with brand new and exciting possibilities.

they've helped one family...so why stop there?
Now we want to take this successful model to the next level.

the solution:

the Mayan Eco Homestead. it will be a 'model farm' -- a living, breathing 'YouTube video' -- to show the people how, what, and why.

as a natural, environmentally friendly farm, it will provide hands-on training at no cost, and education on things such as square-foot gardening, vermicomposting, permaculture, animal husbandry, grey water filtration, drinking water filtration, composting toilets, alternative energy, and more. We will also teach skills classes on things like soapmaking, food preservation, hygiene, recycling, and emergency preparedness.

the locals will have the opportunity to 'learn-and-earn', exchanging time spent working and learning on the farm for seeds, garden boxes, chickens, grey water and drinking water filtration and composting toilet systems, among other things.

Not only are we teaching skills, we're also providing necessary resources, without giving ineffective or inappropriate handouts.

once families have 'learned and earned', we'll be working one-on-one with them to provide individualized solutions -- we'll visit their home and help them implement what they've learned on the homestead

they have already purchased a two acre property with water rights, electricity, and an existing, unfinished structure
they plan to do much of the labor themselves, as well as hire local laborers to help the local economy

watch this short 5 minute video and hear straight from Greg and Greg the impact this project is making on the lives of the Guatemalan people

you will fall in love with their families
and their tremendous heart and vision

how we can help:

as you can imagine the list of items they will need to purchase to get this homestead project fully functioning is lengthy
to see a complete list visit here
we can help by making a donation of any amount

click to donate right here

your contributions will have a positive, immediate impact on the indigenous Mayan people

to read more of exactly where your donation will go read here

in return for your donation you may choose to receive an authentic craft from local artisans and support the local community
here are the beautiful items you will receive as well as what you are helping to buy with your donation
you could even have a queen bee or rooster named after youqueen bee briana
i like the sound of that
did i ever tell you i had pig named after me in high school
i guess i should have been flattered, as it was intended
having a hen named briana laying eggs for a Guatemalan's breakfast sounds sweet
can't wait to have a chatty hen house with all my friends

$5 - your name praised & a fish named after you

$15 donation: woven bracelet & a hen

$25 donation: beaded bracelet & a rooster

$50 donation: guatemalan scarf & a rabbit

$75 donation: shoulder bag & queen bee

$100 donation: burlap coffee bag & worm box

$150 donation: woven iPad bag  & bee hive

$250 donation: small painting & toilet

$500 donation: Huipil pillow case & chicken coop

$1000 donation: large painting & pond

$2000 donation: leather laptop bag & classroom

$5000 donation: the whole enchilada, you receive one of everything & housing

so lets help my friend Greg and his crew 

in doing good in this world

donate to their amazing project 

like their facebook page, share their donation page,
and help spread the word to others who would join us in this most honorable quest

giving someone the means to provide for their family and creating lasting health and skills for generations to come


*if you know of someone that is doing a world of good and would like them to be featured here at Sweet Dreams are Made of These, please contact me by email, just click on the mail icon at the top of my sidebar
there is so much good being done by courageous people
let's show them our support by helping them spread the word and donate to their causes