15 Ways Live While You're Alive! ...

1. Don't be afraid to try something new! A great teacher and Prophet, even Gordon B Hinkley counciled us to Be Involved! We need to be a part of the life we're living! Regret is an emotion I wish I didn't know so well!

2. Be Cheerful! Grouches pull you down and step on your joy ... don't affiliate with grouches! And if you are one ....LIGHTEN UP!!!

3. Keep Learning! It keeps you interesting and keeps your mind sharp ... remember: "An Idle Mind Is The Devils Workshop!!" The devil can't teach a workshop in my mind!!!

4. Enjoy Simple Things! We tend to make things in life far more complicated than they need to be ... aren't we taught that "through small and simple things, great things shall come to pass" ... We also tend to try and find happiness in stuff ... if you're chasing happiness through material things ...you're never going to catch it!

5. Laugh Often! The long, loud, from-the-gut laugh that makes you gasp for breath and/or wet your pants is the only way to go! Find friends that make you laugh ... remember, a true friend will make you laugh until you snort and pee, and love you anyway!

6. Tears Happen! - go ahead and cry ... it cleanses the soul! Then move on! My favorite line from Camelot: " I'm wounded!" Said Sir Launfal, " wounded, but not slain! So, I'll just lie and bleed awhile then rise and fight again!"

7. Surround Yourself With Love! Don't waste your time on crap ... life is too short and too precious for you to spend time with anything less than love! Enjoy your family! Romance your spouse and celebrate your friends! Never be afraid to open yourself up to new friendships ... God lives in wonderful relationships and I enjoy being in His company!

8. Cherish Good health! If you have it ... keep it! If you don't - get the help you need and improve it!

9. Be Kind! Everyone is fighting some kind of battle! Your kindness may be just what someone needs to make it through another day!

10. Be Humble! I observe life and find that pride is a dangerous thing ... when we are filled with pride, we are not open to the spirit. Walk with God throughout your life ... but when you're filled with yourself ... puffed up ... there is no room for Him!

11. Be Grateful! True happiness is found in rejoicing in the abundance that we have been given! God gives us gifts everyday! Joyous, wondrous things! Focus on those things and celebrate the happiness you find!

12. Don't Take Guilt Trips! Go to Disneyland ... Go a little crazy...Go on a road trip ... BUT DON"T TAKE A GUILT TRIP! Christ atoned for you! That was His precious gift! Open that gift every day ....moment by moment if necessary ... and rejoice in His tender mercy and grace!

13. Be Still ! God speaks to us in the stillness. Listen to what He has to say. He will lead you and guide you and comfort you through all that this life gives you. Through trials, tribluation, peace and joy abound ... listen ... when you learn what His voice sounds like it is the music that causes your soul to dance! ... DANCE!

14. Pray! - " If any of you lack wisdom ..." (James 1:5) ask for it ... You'll be amazed at what God wants to tell you if you only ask and then listen to what He has to say!

15. Be Honest And Be True! - If you are, there is never anything to worry about! There are no secrets! And you are open to receive everything you ever wanted!

Little Boy

this is ny nephew at age 3 ... the last time I saw him ...

I am not going to blog about this extensively yet ... I don't want to invade my nephew's privacy ... but after 23 years I have been able to talk to my nephew on Facebook!

I wrote a poem years ago about him and I will post it here:

LITTLE BOY
written by Janalea Jeppson 1985

My brother's son
His mother's one
Together they are
just too young
for such a little boy.

At night I held him
close to me,
And sang a lullaby …
Two or three.
And kissed away
The tears in baby's eyes.

I heard the words
That he first spoke.
He told me his first
knock knock joke.
His voice became a song

that rang inside my heart

Little boy hopes
little boy dreams
Little boy mischief
Little boy schemes.
Sweet little boy
Is joy from God above.

Little boy laughs
Little boy tears
Little boy love
And little boy fears.
Little boy grows
bigger every year.

His mother chose to go one day,
To take the little boy far away.
Auntie's just don't have a say
Of where the little boy goes.

Though his voice is just a memory
Of all the little boy said to me …
His little boy feet
left footprints on my heart.

I will pray for him everyday
From the moment he went away
Auntie's just don't have a say.
Of where the little boy goes.

So Jesus, take my broken heart
Hold it close and never part
And send your spirit down to heal me.

Please bless that little boy as he grows
That part of him will always know
The love I have for him won't go away.

Oh No! Not again!

1.What State did you grow up in, and where did you go to High School? The state of confusion! :o) ... no, Utah! I went to East High School!

2. Tell about your family: I have spoke of my family numerous times ... you all know I have five brothers and 4 sisters and I am 3rd! I have 19 nieces and nephews . so, I'll pass on new stuff! My Oldest nephew is 26 years old now ... I have not seen or talked to him for 23 years ... I talked to me through Facebook! My heart is filled with joy!

3. What do you do in your spare time? read, craft, write and day dream!


4. What is your dream vacation? At the present time, I would like to be on a beach in New Zealand with a sexy, spiritual Samoan!


5. The characteristic that bugs you most about yourself? I am a slob! I don't like to admit it ...but it is true! Pray for me ...Please!


6. Your best quality (you CANNOT say you don't have one!) I am perfectly delightful in every way! So, it's so hard to choose just one! :o) (cheesy grin)


7. Who is the one person you would spend the day with if you could spend it with anyone in the history of time! I would love to spend the day with Jesus ... I would sit at His feet and hang on his every word ...and I would get a hug before He had to leave! Now that would be the best day ever!


8. Have you ever been picked on by a bully? Yes!! I would name names if this wasn't publicly accessible! I wrote a story about one bully in my life and it was published, In Chicken Soup for The Preteen Soul Part 2!


9. Most embarrassing moment? OK, I've shared two stories from my past ... I do not have a shortage of these moments in my life, however ... so ... (this did not happen at my current job ... it happened a couple of years ago)

I was scheduled to do a presentation at work and I was very,very nervous because corporate big wigs were going to be there! I have asthma ...it is stressed induced ... well you do the math ... I remember standing up to start my presentation and the next thing I remember was waking up in an ambulance! I passed out and I wasn't breathing! I passed out again ... OK, before I go on let me ask you...How come EM T's are so cute and you only see them in your most vulnerable moments? ...just asking ...back to the story. When I woke up again I was in the hospital, severely dehydrated and on oxygen. the Emergency room physician was soooooo cute! I said "Holy Cow, what a babe!" Well, kids, I thought that I was just thinking that thought it my head but I learned from his bright red face that I actually said it out loud ... I was ...needless to say ...mortified!

10. Most hated chore? Cleaning the toilet! Or maybe ... no, it's definitely cleaning the toilet!

11. Favorite comic strip? I love "Kathy" of course "Maxine" is wonderful ... and I will always love Ziggy!

12. Favorite TV show? "The Ghost Whisperer"

13. What is the best movie you have ever seen? That is relative to the time ... I loved "You've Got Mail" and "Just Like Heaven"


14. If you could go back and fix any regret what would it be? I wouldn't be such a fraidy cat ...There are a lot of things I would just go for ...if I could do it again!


15. If you were a doughnut-which kind would you be and why? I would be a Bismark ... a wonderfully frosted glazed treat ... filled with a delightful surprise of yumminess on the inside!

... now you play ...copy, post it on your blog with your own answers!

Embrace the vacuum!

My Stake President taught us about pressure treated wood last night at conference. Why? I hear you wonder? Well ... he is a great teacher and he likes to make those to whom he teaches ... think. I have pondered his words to a great extent and have learned things that I want to share!

First, for those of you readers that were as clueless as I when he began his talk, I have a definition here of what pressure treated wood is:

Pressure treating is a process that forces a chemical preservative deep into the wood. The wood product is placed into a humongous cylindrical holding tank, and the tank is depressurized to remove all air. The tank is then filled with the preservative under high pressure, forcing it deeply into the wood. The tank is then drained and the remaining preservative reused. The wood is removed from the tank and prepared for shipment to your local lumberyard. Empty cell pressure treated wood has a relatively low retention of preservative while full cell treated wood has the retention of the maximum quantity of preservative. Needless to say, this process makes the wood quite unappetizing to all vermin, insects, and fungus, which accounts for its 20-40 year plus lifespan under the harshest conditions!

After explaining the process of pressure treatment, he likened it unto conversion. Where was my conversion? Is my cell an empty cell or is it full? Wood rots without this pressure treatment. I would guess that's no conversion.

I have pondered the strength of my own conversion ... especially as I have felt this world getting darker around me ... you know, a lamp that has a three way light? Well over the last few months, I have literally felt the light get switched down one more notch. It's freaky! I feel we are in our own Zarahemla, and the gadianton robbers are hiding in the shadows of my own front door! It's scary! I have pondered the strength of my conversion when a friends son was faced with that test ... I blogged about that late last year.

I don't want to have an empty cell ... As hard as the pressure can be in life sometimes ... as loud as the voices of temptation can get, I will embrace the vacuum ... that fills the cell of my conversion. It is my full cell that makes me strong enough to stand when the winds of adversity whip around me ... taunting me to bend. Satan knows right where to get me ... he whispers despair ...he tries to suck away my hope. He plays upon my fears.

I find strength in scripture study and listening to the leaders of the church. Those who lead and direct us strengthen me. I find if I nourish my faith daily ... my hope does not diminish. If I do not take heed to the voices in the media that scream about the destruction of the the values I hold dear ...I can stand strong. There are things I use to watch on TV ...entertainment programs ...I have learned that I can't watch ... those who taunt my beliefs and call me unAmerican just anger me. Tolerance does not mean submission! Like I said before, I will embrace the vacuum that fills the cell of my conversion ... it is through that I will remain strong and steadfast!

D&C 20:37 states: "All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church."

I understand that the sacrifice I need to make to my Father in Heaven is to come unto Him with a broken Heart and a contrite spirit. Contrite is our need for atonement ... the broken heart is humility. It is with a humble heart that true conversion can begin ... My cell cannot be filled if first there is pride. Pride gets in the way ... it's a fungus that grows from the inside ...(remember, fungus rots wood). But, joyfully it because of the atonement, I can renew myself moment by moment if necessary, in Him who sacrificed for me.

President Bigelow shared the following poem:

If Thou Coulds't Empty All Thyself Of Self

(Sir Thomas Browne)

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self,

Like to a shell dishabited,

Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,

And say, "This is not dead,

"And fill thee with Himself instead."

But thou are all replete with very thou

And hast such shrewd activity,

That when He comes He says, "This is enow

Unto itself - 'twere better let it be,

It is so small and full, there is no room for me.

So, does emptying thyself of self mean becoming humble? I want to empty myself of self and have my Savior say, She is not dead let me fill her with me instead! I don't want Him to look at my heart and say it is so small and full, there is no room for me.