Stress Management

This from my cousin Mike Smith. Thanks Mikey,

Elder Austin



A young lady in front of the room, confidently walked around 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 8oz. to 20oz.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on
how long you 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 management. 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, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down.
Don't carry it home... pick it up tomorrow.'

'Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you
can.

Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.

Life is short.

Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered !


And then she shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

1 * Accept 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 only make 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.

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

Opa's Scripture of the week 5-23

I started Opa's Scripture and Joke because I knew I would be gone someday and I wanted my children and grandchildren to know that Heavenly Father loves you and is there for you in ways that I as Opa could never be. Today I wanted to share with you sojmething a little different and the message is more for you as parents than for the grandkids. I just listened to a presentation by Michael Wilcox as he spoke about teaching ourselves and our children the important things in life. His talk is long, maybe an hour but is so impactful that every word was important. So Opa's request this week is that you take time, as a couple or also individually to listen to his message and try to apply it in your own lives. Here is the link where the talk is found: https://www.timeoutseminars.com/index.php?p_resource=account_webinars_class&p_wbn_pk=53352&p_wbc_pk=63957

Once you have brought up the link you will need to log-in to view it. The email address is arlainea@gmail.com and the password is pepperguitar. That brings up a window with various presentations stated in green on the upper left side of the screen. Go to "What the Scriptures Teach about Raising a Child" and click on enrolled. Then, in the next window go to "Session 2" in green and click on Start Session.

I promise you that if you will watch this video it will give you grreat help as a parent and strengthen your own resolve to be a more loving person.

Love you all,

Opa

A word from Sister Austin

May 20 2009
Dear Friends and Family,


Well, I think it is time to write another letter home.
We are now down to the last approx. 4 and 1/2 months of our mission. Hard to believe. It is a time of reflection and of re-dedication on our parts. We once again acknowledge and praise the incredible missionaries, the Elders and Sisters, in the field here in Germany as well as the world. Bless them, Bless them, Bless them. Please take time to offer a prayer of thanks for these dedicated and heroic children of God as they are about his work. I cannot begin to explain how precious this time as been with them and to be apart of this sacred work with them and this has given us a much greater appreciation for our own James and Chris A and Chris Haines who served missions not long ago. Our own testimony of the Savior has been strengthened by the countless efforts of the many thousands who serve now and have served since the restoration of the Church in 1830.


I was blessed with an opportunity this last week as a young convert in Chemnitz invited me to give a talk at her baptism. I sat down and the words came to mind that I wanted to say and then a wonderful missionary helped me set those words in German and no, it was not Elder Austin rather Elder Brechbühl, a new missionary from Switzerland. I gave my first official talk in German and loved every minute of it. We returned to our beloved Chemnitz and reunited with all our Young Single Adults that we have spent the past year with. I love it and so did Elder Austin. Many of the missionaries in the surrounding areas were there as well and we knew most of them because we have worked with them. It was a glorious reunion.

I am not sure if I have written about our last temple experience with the Young Single Adults in Chemnitz but if I have please forgive as I write again. Bishop Jentzsch of Chemnitz had issued me a calling in the Family History Center and encouraged me and Daniela, another YSA, to work with the newly baptized to get their family history started. So we had worked at this for several weeks. Trying to get all the information and then getting them set up on new family search and then getting the information to the temple. Well we were successful and were able to do baptisms for the deceased fathers of two YSA's. What an inspiring session. I sat watching this whole process and wondered if those fathers were present. In that moment I could feel strongly there spirits and with that this powerful feeling of gratitude. I felt how grateful these fathers were for the work that their daughters had completed and also in a most sweet and real way I could feel their gratitude for Elder Austin and I watching and carrying for their daughters. It was a sacred experience for me, one I will never forget.

Now we are working to get to also assist the young adults in Leipzig. It must be hard for them as they bid farewell to the previous couple they had grown to love and then to let a new couple into there hearts realizing they will be leaving as well. They are wonderful young men and women and we are just getting to know them. I must say we have both been blessed with our ability to love and accept them. The Spirit of Love is so strong and with that love our abilities to influence and bless increases I know.

Well I was able to bear my testimony as I have many times in Germany and in the German language this last Sunday. Elder Austin will be speaking on this next Sunday and we have both been asked to speak in 2 weeks.

This is amazing to me and the fulfillment of several dreams I had before we left as well as a dream my neighbor Pam had where I was speaking German. In my dreams I was bearing my testimony in German. I have seen the fulfillment of that dream many times and my sweet husband is always amazed not so much by my halting German but by the powerful Spirit that he feels.

Elder Austin and I have developed a deeper respect for the gifts and talents we each have. It is our desire to use these in a synergistic manner. That reminds me as I write this of the blessing of our Stake President before we left. He alluded to this very idea.

I have a testimony Heavenly Father has blessed us to work together and in greater harmony than ever before.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and we are honored to bear that testimony often as the Spirit confirms to our hearts this is the way and the light and the path to return to him.

love

Sister Austin

PS Elder Bednar recently spoke at a CES Fireside.... His talk was a clarion call of warning for all of us but particularly for the rising generation. I will send the link and hope you have a chance to listen to it. It is a warning for all but particularly for our young who are so involved with the computers and gaming etc.... I must say this was new information to me but I know it is something we all need to be aware of. http://www.facebook.com/pages/BYU-Broadcasting/26529238479

Slide show...

My church family

Reassigned...

Hello boys and girls,

As you have already we are being reassigned to another city to replace a couple heading back to the US in a few weeks. As our young single adults learned of our rapidly approaching departure there were several sad faces and tears, ours included. Many of the young adults are like children to us and we are almost like parents to them especially when theirs are not members so we have formed some strong friendships. Leaving those you love is always hard but the great thing about the message of the Savior is that no separation has to be permanent if we are willing to live according to his gospel because when we do he promised to send us the comforter till we can rejoin him all together in his kingdom in Heaven. Sounds pretty (literally) pie in the sky but I have come to know it is true. That overpowering desire to belong to something greater than ourselves is the force which has driven some to join gangs and follow a dark path but also been the inspiration that has led some to lay down their very lives with the faith that their children and they will be re-united with each other and the Savior in the world to come. I am certain the Prophet Joseph Smith had this sentiment when he wrote the following in Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants:"

D&C 130:1-2
1 When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.
2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there (Celestial Kingdom), only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

President Boyd K. Packer, in speaking about this scripture, stated the following in the Ensign, May 1995, p. 8)
“The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.'"

Opa's Scripture 2/8/09

"In the Bible there are many names or designations for Jesus such as, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Beginning and the End, The Master, the Bread of Life and many more. They are all mostly about his atonement and help us to understand what his sacrifice means for us. However, the Gospel of John is unique because Jesus uses a special designation not found in the other Gospels. It takes place the night before the crucifixion where the Savior meets with the apostles and tells them to love each other and pray for each other like we do for each other in our families. It is here in John 15: verses 12 through 14 that he tells them: 'This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.' He is telling the Apostles (and us) that he is our friend and will shortly lay down his life for us. We can show him we are his friend if we are obedient to him. I remember how important it was for me as a teenager to have certain friends and for them I would have done many things but not always the right things. With Jesus he never asks me to do the wrong thing like be mean, or take something from someone else because I am bigger, or say bad things about them to hurt them, and good friends would never ask us to do these things either. So make good friends and always try to do the right things and then others will know that we love the Savior and they will respect us for that and want to be our friend and also a friend to Jesus. I love you guys. Take care. Opa"