Heart, Might, Mind & Strength -- Coloring Page #14

***Great news! I'm turning my coloring pages into a beautiful coloring book and journal, which will be published and ready to ship just in time for Christmas! If you're interested, you can pre-order now on Kickstarter!***

Today's coloring page is one of my favorite missionary scriptures - "O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength..." (D&C 4:2) But I think it's for more than just full-time missionaries -- it reminds me that I need to be all in, present and intentional as I seek to create a whole life that is in the service of God. The verse continues: "...that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day." Not perfect, but purposeful -- we do what we can and our Savior does the rest through the Atonement. Our best -- our heart, might, mind, and strength -- is enough.

Enjoy this free coloring page by right-clicking on the image below to save to your computer. There are two versions -- one has more of the verse and one is just the anchor image above. As always, feel free to share!

Lift up your head -- Coloring Page #13

***Great news! I'm turning my coloring pages into a beautiful coloring book and journal, which will be published and ready to ship just in time for Christmas! If you're interested, you can pre-order now on Kickstarter!***

These are some of my favorite words in the Book of Mormon. Heavenly Father doesn't want us to hang our heads in sorrow and discouragement. He wants us to take comfort in the covenants we have made to follow Him, to remember the promises He has made to us as well as the ones we've made to Him. He recognizes our efforts and He has a plan to fulfill every promise He has made to us, even if we don't see how it could possibly happen. A wonderful friend once told me, "If you give up on your miracle, you close the door on it ever happening." So hold your head high, even when things are really, really hard - God has not forgotten you, and you can be confident in that.

You can download this free coloring page by right-clicking on the image below. Feel free to share!

Faith, Hope, Charity & Love -- Coloring Page #12

***Great news! I'm turning my coloring pages into a beautiful coloring book and journal, which will be published and ready to ship just in time for Christmas! If you're interested, you can pre-order now on Kickstarter!***

I've always loved this scripture. It doesn't say being perfect qualifies us for the work, or always knowing what to do, or anything else. It says that if we want to help Heavenly Father in His work of saving souls (including our kids', our families', and our own), what we need is faith, hope, charity, and love. Sometimes I have just enough faith to hang on to hope, and sometimes it's hope that sustains me when my faith is struggling. Charity gives us patience with others and with ourselves, and love is the point of the whole thing. So when I feel overwhelmed by life, by all that seems to be required of me, I remember this verse and I try to realign my priorities and my expectations for myself.

Better than you think you are -- Coloring page #11

Happy Mother's Day! Being a mom is not for the faint of heart -- loving these little people with every ounce of yourself and worrying every day that you're screwing the whole thing up, wanting to give them the best of yourself without going completely bonkers in the process, trying to act like you know what you're doing when every day seems to throw some new craziness at you you have no idea how to deal with. There are days your heart feels so full, and days you feel totally empty. Wherever you are on that scale today, may these words lift you up. They're from a wonderful General Conference talk called "Behold Thy Mother," and would make a lovely read for today. You could even watch it while you settle in with a coloring page!

The Lord looketh on the heart -- Coloring Page 11

***Great news! I'm turning my coloring pages into a beautiful coloring book and journal, which will be published and ready to ship just in time for Christmas! If you're interested, you can pre-order now on Kickstarter!***

Happy Sunday! I've been thinking about this scripture a lot lately: "for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. I'm so grateful that the Lord knows my heart. He sees every part of us and loves us for the total person we are. We can bring every bit of us to Him, without reservation. I love this quote from Chieko Okazaki: "Heavenly Father doesn't want to hear only nice prayers. He wants to hear real prayers, honest prayers.....He doesn't want polite platitudes. He wants you! All of you!. He wants to be the center of your total life-the worried you, the mad you, and the sad you, as well as the inspired, happy, obedient, loving you." How often do we try to hide the parts of ourselves we don't like, because we're afraid others - and even our Heavenly Father - will like us less because of them? But He already knows all those parts of us, and none of it can ever diminish His love for us or our worth in His eyes. And as we bring our whole selves to Him, we can create a much deeper relationship with Him. And He is mighty to save.