Ryan loves Moving!

Ryan loves the song Move It! He dances even if he sits down! So cute and crazy.

Here's my latest inspiration for the New Year....

Many of you know I was a Gymnast growing up. Many of you have extra curricular activities that take time and concentration. You will be able to relate to what I am going to share with you.
My time as a gymnast would have been a waste if I did not focus on each step to becoming better. In this sport, my coaches had us verbalize our goals as well as write them down. We had Goals that we wanted to accomplish a year or two away, and then we planned the small steps it would take to capture those long term goals. When I took this seriously, and went to practice everyday, I would eventually accomplish my goals. When I skipped practice and lost my focus on the smaller steps, I would get frustrated and even angry with myself, because my long term goal was either pushed back, or never accomplished.
As we proceed into this new year, I think it is important to set new goals that we would like to accomplish. I think we need to evaluate ourselves spiritually, first. Are we doing what we are supposed to be doing? Do we need to improve on something? Are we still headed towards our eternal goal, which is to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again? Well, there is always room for improvement, even for perfect little old me! Hopefully these steps and ideas can help us all refocus on our LONG TERM Eternal Goal.
First of all, To return to Heavenly Father, and return with Honor, we have to fulfill all of the covenants or promises we have and will make with Him. To do this, we have to follow a few important steps. Receiving your own endowments in the Temple, and being Sealed to our families for time and all eternity, are two steps I would like to focus on. You cannot enter into the presence of Heavenly Father without accomplishing these things.
What kind of small steps or short term goals can lead us to the temple doors? First of all, We have to be baptized by the proper authority, and by immersion, to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. This proves our dedication to the Lord. After this, we must stay worthy in the Lord’s eyes. This is pretty Broad and can prove difficult at times, but if we perform the smaller steps, (such as praying often, reading our scriptures, attending church meetings, serving others, and accepting church callings) it is not a challenge for us to stay worthy. Third we must accept our worthiness, and open our hearts for the most gratifying joy you will ever experience.
It is my hope that we can look upon Returning with Honor with anticipation, and then evaluate ourselves and focus on the smaller steps. We can improve upon these small goals, so we can make our wait that much more enjoyable. Do not let time pass you by. I would hate for you to feel the way I did in Gymnastics when my long term goals were sometimes unreachable.
I am so blessed to work with girls that keep me in line. My small step that I will be working on is reading the Book of Mormon this year. This although small in the realm of our BIG GOAL, will also need smaller steps if I am to accomplish it (such as setting my alarm clock 15 minutes earlier, Setting out my scriptures so I almost trip on them when I wake up). You can break it down as little as you need to. The important thing is that you are constantly working on improving your worthiness to the Lord everyday. May God be with you, in improving your life. I love you all and thank for your examples.
Sincerely with love, Sis Whetten