Ephraim's Rescue: A Movie Based On The True Story of the Martin Handcart Company Rescue

Written and directed by T.C. Christensen, this film shares the story of the rescue of the Martin Handcart Company as they made the trek west in the brutal winter of 1856. The team led by Ephraim Hanks, sets out in the worst part of the year, not knowing if they will find the Company alive or dead, to bring them to their new home into the area now known as "Utah".

The movie is set to be released in select theaters May 31, 2013. Check for openings here:

Find a theater near you 

Paul Cardall has really outdone himself with this stirring CD filled with music to dramatize the story of the historical trek of a pioneer handcart group's journey across frozen barren land that would lead them to the promised land, but not without hardship and despair.

A clip of the movie, to be released May 31, 2013 can be seen here, with Mr. Cardall's epic and moving soundtrack...

Ephraim's Rescue Movie Clip

The following clip from the upcoming movie with the heart touching music composed and performed by Paul Cardall can be seen and heard here: 
Ephraim's Rescue: Music Score by Paul Cardall (Life & Death) 

 The CD is now available at various locations, including: 

Amazon.com , Deseret Book, Seagull Book, or paulcardall.com

    

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

Check out the Give-a-way!

Awesome Give-a-way!
Check it out!

http://themisterandlady.blogspot.com/2012/04/anothergiveaway.html?spref=fb

An Officer’s Life

Chief David Wunnenberg

*You wonder why he pulled you over and gave you a ticket for ...speeding,

He just worked an accident where people died because they were going too fast.
 

*You wonder why that cop was so mean,

He just got done working a case where a drunk driver killed a kid.

*You work for 8 hours,

He works for up to 18 hours.

*You drink hot coffee to stay awake,

The cold rain in the middle of the night keeps him awake.

*You complain of a "headache," and call in sick,

He goes into work still hurt and sore from the guy he had to fight the night before.

*You drink your coffee on your way to the mall,

He spills his as he runs Code 3 to a traffic crash with kids trapped inside.

*You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket before you leave the house,

He makes sure his gun is clean and fully loaded and his vest is tight.

*You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you,

He watches his buddy get shot at, and wounded in front of him.

*You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls,

He walks down the highway looking for body parts from a traffic crash.

*You complain about how hot it is,

He wears fifty pounds of gear and a bullet proof vest in July and still runs around chasing crack heads.

*You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong,

He runs out before he gets his food to respond to an armed robbery.

*You get out of bed in the morning and take your time getting ready,

He gets called out of bed at 2 am after working 12 hours and has to be into work A.S.A.P. for a homicide.

*You go to the mall and get your hair redone,

He holds the hair of some college girl while shes puking in the back of his patrol car.

*You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over,

His shift ended 4 hours ago and there's no end in sight.

*You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight,

He can't make any plans because on his off days he still gets called back into work.

*You yell and scream at the squad car that just past you because they slowed you down,

He's in the driver seat of the squad car, going to cut somebody out of their car.

*You roll your eyes when a baby cries in public,

He picks up a dead child in his arms and prays that it was crying.

*You criticize your police department and say they're never there quick enough,

He blasts the siren while the person in front of him refuses to move while talking on their cell phone.

*You hear the jokes about fallen officers and say they should have known better,

He is a hero and runs into situations when everyone else is running away in order to make sure no one else gets hurt and loses his life doing it.

*You are asked to go to the store by your parents, you don't,

He would take a bullet for his buddy without question.

*You sit there and judge him, saying that it's a waste of money to have them around,

Yet as soon as you need help he is there.

Daughters in My Kingdom

Visiting Teaching Message

We are daughters of our Father in Heaven. He knows us, loves us, and has a plan for us. Part of that plan includes coming to earth to learn to choose good over evil. When we choose to keep God’s commandments, we honor Him and acknowledge our identity as daughters of God. Relief Society helps us remember this divine heritage.

Relief Society and its history strengthen and support us. Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, said: “As daughters of God, you are preparing for eternal designations, and each of you has a female identity, nature, and responsibility. The success of families, communities, this Church, and the precious plan of salvation is dependent on your faithfulness. … [Our Heavenly Father] intended Relief Society to help build His people and prepare them for the blessings of the temple. He established [Relief Society] to align His daughters with His work and to enlist their help in building His kingdom and strengthening the homes of Zion.”¹

Our Father in Heaven has given us specific work to help build His Kingdom. He has also blessed us with the spiritual gifts we need to accomplish this specific work. Through Relief Society, we have opportunities to use our gifts to strengthen families, help those in need, and learn how to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said of discipleship: “By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours.”²

Let us remember we are daughters of God and strive to live as His disciples. As we do so, we will help build God’s kingdom here on earth and become worthy to return to His presence.

From the Scriptures

Zechariah 2:10; Doctrine and Covenants 25:1, 10, 16; 138:38–39, 56; “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2010, 129)

From Our History

On April 28, 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith said to the sisters in Relief Society: “You are now placed in a situation in which you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in [you]. … If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”³

Recognizing the power of Relief Society to serve others and to help individuals increase in faith, Zina D. H. Young, third Relief Society general president, promised the sisters in 1893, “If you will dig in the depths of your own hearts you will find, with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, the pearl of great price, the testimony of this work.”⁴

The True Meaning of Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

20 * It was I, your friend!

*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!

Author Unknown

We All Love President Henry B. Eyring!

Picture of my granddaughter
shows we are never too young to

 "Follow the Prophet"!

President Henry B. Eyring and Annabella Marie

Fall General Conference 2011

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints