The purpose of my blog is to share with you ideas on how to cultivate a good life – and record it. I hope that’s what you gain from coming here.
There is one thing I have always tried to be careful about. This is a quote from my blog last week (on Oct. 3):
Depending on how long you’ve been familiar with me, my brand, my blog … most of you know that my faith is at the center of who I am as a human being. I most definitely consider myself a religious person. However, it is not my style to shove religion down anyone’s throat. So much of my personal happiness is because of the principles I’ve learned in my life as a Christian – but I don’t expect everyone to share all my same beliefs. And I’m very respectful of the fact that probably every religion (and the lack thereof) is represented in my readership here. I love that.
I wanted to preface with this because today I watched a talk by a man – a leader in our Church – that I respect and appreciate so very much. As I was deeply moved by his message about Regrets and Resolutions I couldn’t help but feel very introspective. But I also couldn’t get you (my reader) out of my mind. What he shares is completely timely for so many of us, especially those of us who love the art of doing something with the memories we’re making and the lives we’re living. I thought about sharing some quotes, examples, and even my own feelings about what he said, and expressions of what I’d personally like to work on right now.
And then I realized that there is no better way to convey this message than to just invite you to watch with your own eyes, feel with your own heart, and decide what message is in here – for you. Something that you need to hear right here, right now. No matter what your religion or nationality or location or marital status. This message applies to each of us.
Part of cultivating a good life is opening your heart and allowing the wisdom of another be just the boost you needed right about now.
I just finished watching this for the second time today – definitely one of my favorite talks. Thankyou for sharing!
WOW! That was powerful. If I hadnt known better I would of thought you had wrote up all that for him. That was great & I would love to be able to find this again to reference back..Thanks Becky!
Amen!
That was very moving- and spoke to me personally. Thank you.
Fantastic and powerful
I love hearing him speak! I wasn’t able to see conference today, thank you for sharing!
Such a lovely talk. My favorite so far…
I’m not a religious person but I can honestly state that what he said resonated deep within me. A wonderfully powerful speaker.
While I am a Christian, I am not a member of the Mormon community.
However, I frequently enjoy listening to the messages of your Church Elders. So many times I have felt deeply that they were speaking directly to me and my situation. Once again this wonderful message has found me at the exact time I needed to hear it. Over the last few years I have found myself looking back with so many regrets, and it eats at me at times. So many moments and experiences I wish I could rewind and do over, if only with the wisdom and knowledge I now have. But it is not to be and I need to accept that.I appreciate you sharing this teaching with us and pray that I can begin to really live each day with a purpose. Learn to be happy now, not “someday” or in the future when everything is exactly as I think it should be. Just be happy today right now, with the life I have and make sure that I love the people in my life while I can still tell them so.
I will be watching this one again to remind me to live & love with no regret.
Thank you for posting this powerful message, Becky! I will be listening to it many times, I’m sure. There are so many truths in this talk!
Stumbled upon this via my auntie Theresa’s likes. As a non-”Christian” I never let the messenger get in the way of the message, and found this a nice experience and message on this insomnia-driven morning. Have a day filled with gratitude.
Well stated, I too am a non-”Christian” but enjoyed it was you did.
Amazing message. I don’t usually take the time to watch posted items but something made me watch. I’m so glad it did. Very powerful and meaningful. Thanks for sharing!
Becky,
Thank you for posting this-I have been struggling with this concept a great deal and his words are helping me move forward. I also came across your class this week and signed up. Thank you for sharing your talents. I believe the next 12 weeks will allow me to reflect and move forward for myself and my family.
What a terrific message! This resonated with me very much and I’m grateful to you for sharing this. Can this be posted on the videos page so that we can watch it again?
I am Jewish, and while I appreciate that you are careful about what you share regarding religion, I also appreciate that you share these universal principals with us. I love that you and your family are dedicated to these lessons and show us all by example how to cultivate a good life.
Thank you for sharing this. While I am not religious, I find many different faiths have truths that we can all learn from. This speech really does apply to everyone and is a great reminder to all of us who try to think and act this way, but sometimes get caught up in the trivial things.
Thank you for this message. That message is very clear, concise, and to the point. I LOVE all of his views on the technology and personal human contact. This is a message for the world in its present state and for the world to come.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful message. I have been struggling with simplifying our family life so I can be fully present in the moment and have struggled with how best to balance work and family. This message was just what I needed this morning and helped me to find peace with my decisions.
Thank you. I needed to hear this message today.
I burst out in tears listening to this message today. It literally was divine that you shared this message and I am so grateful. So many things are coming together for me right now including Project Real Life, going to Brave Girls Camp in a few day and now this message. It is so interesting how when you open yourself up to receiving HIS messages how just the right ones come into your life. From the bottom of my heart thank you again for sharing your talent, your interests, and youself with us. What a blessing!
Becky, long before I realized what an amazingly talented person you were, I would read your journaling in issues of CK and so admired your strong faith. I, too, have a strong faith which I hold dear. In this age when so many are trying to “water down” faith and the existence of God, this post was so inspiring. I’m so happy to see your business going so well. Many blessings to you and your family.
Thanks so much for posting this, Becky. It was such incredibly good timing for me. Honestly, it was just what I needed, right when I needed it the most. I’m very grateful.
Thank you for sharing this video with us. Like you said, this message is important for all us: Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, Mormons, and Christians. Notice that I said Mormons AND Christians. This is your space, Becky, but I will say it is confusing for me that you, as a Mormon, call yourself a Christian on your blog. The differences between Christianity and Mormonism are HUGE. I am not sure if you simply are not aware of the differences, see negative connotations associated with Mormonism and are avoiding calling yourself one or what. I don’t know how you would feel if a (fill in the blank: Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist…) lived their life…worshipped…etc…based on the belief system associated with their faith, but then proclaimed themselves a Mormon. It seems disrespectful to both the faith they practice and they faith they proclaim. Am I making sense? I hope I am. You have proclaimed yourself a Christian in other posts as well and I’ve always been concerned and confused by that.
Thank you again for sharing this message and God bless you.
As Mormons, we are also Christians. While I agree that there are differences in the Christian religions and the Mormon religion, we are still very much Christians. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and is the literal Son of God. He atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane and died for us on the cross. He is the foundation of our religion, everything we do and believe revolves around his teachings.
We are not in any way trying to slip into the Christian religions when we say that we are Christian, we are reaffirming our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Yes, there are differences, but we all are really striving for the same thing; to live our lives according to His teachings and to return to Him. Not all that different after all.
Thank you, Jolene, for sharing your thoughts on this. I won’t further debate as I respect this blog as Becky’s personal space. I really do appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Thank you.
Hi Kristin, I respect you sharing your thoughts & concerns. I hope that you will allow me to expand a little more.
Our church is not called the “Mormon” church…that was a nickname given to us a long time ago by people not of our faith. We don’t mind the nickname, but our church is actually called “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. Christ is at the very center of our faith & our worship services. I grew up in East Texas & was the only “mormon” in most of my classes at school. Many of my friends had been taught at their churches that I was not a Christian, just because I was a mormon. I found this to be very confusing to me because I was taught about Christ every single week at church & every day at home. We believe in the Bible which is centered on Jesus Christ. We believe that Christ lived a perfect life & died for all of us. We believe that he will return to the earth again. We strive to pattern our lives after Jesus Christ, in our very thoughts & deeds. So, you see, we are Christians to our very core & we respect & love all of God’s children…no matter their faith…but we are indeed Christians.
By it’s very definition to be Christian is to accept that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, to follow his example and strive to be like him. This fact alone can create a wide range of people who call themselves Christian.
I am frankly shocked with all the wonderful examples of Christ-like love and service Becky shares on her blog one could ever doubt she is a Christian. You may not agree with the theology of Mormonism, but it doesn’t make their members not Christian.
It is in fact disrespectful to make accusations based on ones opinion or information obtained from those who speak out against the Mormon faith in the first place. Do you call a plumber when you need help with your taxes? Of course not, how reliable could they really be? I’m sure they’d mean well, but they could end up costing you a lot!
I am with Kristin, I do not like the blurring of the lines between Christianity and Mormonism. The Mormon religion has simply sculpted a God to their liking and named him Jesus Christ. Even one of the Mormon leaders, President Hinckley says, “…The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak….” If we do not serve the same Christ, why would Mormons identify themselves as Christians? It is very confusing. I recommend 2 videos which can be found on sourceflix.com, the first is “The Bible vs. Joseph Smith” and the second is “The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon” (this one can be viewed for free on sourceflix.com) both are very enlightening for Mormons AND Christians.
Becky,
I, too, was so moved by Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk. It caused me to think so much about what I need to improve on in my life. Thank you for your wonderful example…the things you post are so uplifting. I read through the other responses here from those who watched his talk and assume that you’ll be replying to them. I was tempted, but figured since it’s your blog, I’ll resist (and I’m sure you’ll do a much better job than I could do
I love that you share your beliefs! It takes courage and I admire you so much for that !! I loved this talk.
So very much what I needed today. God is good that way. Thanks for sharing.
LOVE this! Thanks
AMAZING. absolutely AMAZING! Was I the only one crying within the first 3 minutes? Going to listen to this on all the days i need to STOP and realize how many happy things are right in front of me and that I need to concentrate on being the person God wants me to be. THANK YOU BECKY!!
Cindy, no, you weren’t the only one crying within the first three minutes. I was right there with you on that. Becky, thanks so much for sharing that. I have been reflecting lately, especially since starting PL, how much I regret not having children. When I see the picture on other’s PL books, it especially hits home. I just need to turn my focus onto what I can do for others, and how much I have to share with the world. Thank you again for that wonderful message.
This was beautiful and stirring and I cried. So it must have been exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you for sharing.
I cried from beginning to end. We have just rejoined our faith this month. For the past 10 years we have been on a journey to find where we belonged. We have found ourselves right back at the beginning. What we were searching for was right in front of us. As our son is now 8 it became more and more important to us that he know about the Christian faith, especially since he believes in God from the deepest depth of his being. He speaks of Jesus and want to know about him. I too feel a great sigh of relief to feel like I am back home.
Thank you for sharing this today. I will spend some time writing some goals and becoming less wrapped up in all of the nonsense that swirls around and focusing on the important non regrettable parts of life.
The video presented was heartwarming and very thought provoking. Absolutely.
As a Christian, one must believe in the following, regardless of what denomination, to be called Christian:
Christ is the Son of God, born of a Virgin, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and is coming back. Period. If you believe in these with your whole heart, then you are a follower of Christ. Calling him a good teacher or good example is not enough. He is the TRUTH, the Way, and the Life.
Thank you Becky for this wonderful video.
Rosa,
Since tone and emotion are often hard to convey when writing I just want to preface my sincerity, and that my intensions are heartfelt.
The first part of what you stated is accurate among the Mormon religion as well…. Belief that Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, died on a cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and is coming back. He is the Truth, the way, and the Light. All absolutely true. Where I’m told by my active in their faith, evangelical/born again Christian friends there is a separation in belief is in your statement… If you believe with your whole heart then you are a follower.
Have you ever watched kids play “Follow the Leader”? The kids doing the “following” DO everything the “leader” does. If the leader climbs up a hill the followers climb too. If the leader digs in the sand, the followers dig too. If he runs as fast as he can across the grass, they run too. In these simple examples my point is that to be a “follower” takes work, It may be hard for some kids to climb the hill, dig in the sand, or run fast. But they do it because they are following.
The Mormon religion believes that faith without works is dead. Of course you must have faith, but In other words you cannot simply just believe, you must DO as Christ did, you must act as Christ acted, serve as He did. And since no one is perfect, this takes work. If ye love me, keep my commandments…not if ye love me, just believe my commandments. Keeping the commandments takes effort, some more than others as everyone is at different stages in their lives.
Please understand, I am not trying to convince you these things are true. You are free to believe whatever you want. I’m just trying to further explain my earlier post.
Becky is an example of DOING and serving as Christ did, showing love and compassion for others as Christ did. She does these things because she applies (not just believes) what Christ taught… “Inasmuch as ye have adone it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” There is an understanding that when you serve others, uplift, teach, help, support your fellow man that you are showing that you love Christ because you are striving to be like him.
It is not OK for an earlier poster to say she is not Christian. It’s just not.
As an evangelical believer myself, we believe faith and works go together also. You first have faith, then your works are the “fruits” of your faith. I did NOT make any comments about who arent Christians, like the post above mine. My pastor has taught us that there is a small remnant of God’s chosen people, true believers, in every Christian sect and denomination. Not every person who calls themself a Catholic, protestant, Methodist, Lutheran, or even Morman, will go to Heaven, just because they call themselves a believer. My point is that many people out in the real world say that Christ was a good teacher, a good rabbi, a good example, etc., but as CS Lewis once put it, that is unacceptable. He was either God as he called Himself to be or a liar or madman. You have to make up your mind. in my mind Jesus Christ is who He said He was. That is all. Dont worry, I am not offended by anything you have said, I see the love and sincerity in your words. you are obviously very kind and sincere.
Thank you for sharing this! As I listened, I was surprised to find that these things are ones I struggle with every day.
When I heard this talk last weekend I immediately thought of you, Becky and your words of wisdom from your Big Picture Class last week. You were so inspired!!! Seriously. “Beginning with the End in Mind,” was right along this same track. So, good for you for being so in tune, and thanks for priming me for conference!
I absolutely loved this talk; one of my favorites during Conference this year!
thanks becky for sharing ! It is truly refreshing to listen to His word. very encouraging
Thank you for sharing this timely word! I needed to hear it, and it is so relevant. Look at how The Heavenly Father works….I stopped by your blog looking for more Project Life inspiration, and came away with a new sense of peace, and a reminder of what is really important as we journey through this life…I wish you and your family continued Blessings!
Thank you for this timely message, Becky! I’m in my parents’ house, visiting from 500 miles away, and as we enjoy each other’s company, I did sense that we’re disengaged. Tired. Too electronic. We’ve even reprimanded the (6 in a small house) children for moving around too much! I’m going to replay this one more time before they awake this morning, and then treasure the last 2 hours we have together before we leave until Christmas. You’ve blessed my day, thank you! Erika