family theme

my mom took me to education week at byu for my birthday.  in one of our classes, i was inspired with what i want our family to concentrate on this school year...

-MA SA LAA CH'OOL-

a presenter talked about his humanitarian trip to Guatemala and said when the Q'eqchi people greet someone, instead of asking "how are you?" they ask, "ma sa laa ch'ool" which actually means, "ARE YOU HAPPY IN YOUR HEART?"

we have decided to work on this as a family this year.  

are you happy in your heart? 

 i love the whole idea of how are you, being replaced with are you happy in your heart because really how you are and choose to be, really determines if your heart feels happy, content and joyful.

our family discussed a few things we have to be and do to allow our hearts to feel that way... gratitude, forgiveness, service, repentance, keeping the commandments, and doing things we love were a few that came up during family night.  each month i want to spend a family night focusing on one of the these things that will help us have happy hearts.  

my hope is when we have happy hearts, it can have a healing effect on those around us.  i love the story in the scriptures of the lady who knew if she just touched Jesus's robe, she would feel better.  i have been around people that their countenance alone brings comfort and peace.     

we have so much to be happy about, but sometimes i get so focused on one stressful thing and it can be a joy sucker!  i can allow my worry to take over and i lose focus of the big picture and it has been good for me to do a 'heart check' every day and see what adjustments i need to make to feel happy in my heart.  sometimes it has been to forgive, sometimes it has been compare myself to others less,
re-prioritize, serve happily, or focus on the happy things around me.

most of all, i want my children to know we have a great reason to rejoice and allow our hearts to rejoice--we have a Savior and we know Heavenly Father's plan of HAPPINESS!!!

so, here's to developing happy hearts in and around us this year!
and now, we say, "have fun at ch'ool!!"