My New Book Cover

My next book will be released August 2013. Can't wait to share the message. You are precious to God--more precious than rubies.

Sweet Service with Candy Posters

Okay, all you Young Women Leaders!  Activity Day Leaders!
And MOMS needing a fun service-oriented Family Home Evening!
Get ready for some SWEET SERVICE.

Here is a fanstaticaly FUN service activity!  That won't seem boring at all.  (And yea, sometimes youth think service is boring.  But it's not!  And this is a great way to spark some interest in reaching out and uplifting others.)

Make CANDY GRAMS.  Here's how.  

1) Buy 10 Candy Bars (or how every many you like) and 2 large posters.
2) Divide the girls into two groups.
3) Tell the girls they are in charge of creating a "Candy Gram" for a person in the neighborhood.  Choose someone who is in particular need of an uplift.  Perhaps someone having health issues, or just in need of a little encouragement.  It can even be someone who needs a "sweet" thank you!  Or someone who just had a new baby.
4)  Give each group 5 or more candy bars, depending on how many you bought.
4)  Challenge the groups to write a "Candy Gram" message using the candy bars as words, as seen below.
5)  Set a timer so there is an element of racing against the clock.
6)  With markers, have the groups write their message on a poster board and glue the candy bars in the right spots.
4)  Deliver the "Candy Grams"!!!  And feel the sweet spirit of service!!!

Making Candy Bar posters is a tradition at my house.  Birthdays.  Fathers Day.  Congratulations.  Inspiration. Believe me! I can make a Candy Gram for any occasion!  Here is one of them we made for neighbor who had cancer. My kids really enjoy making them.  :))

This next one, I didn't make, but loved it!  It is a congratulations to a young women who finished her personal progress.  So fun!

To check out this one, CLICK HERE.  It's a graduation Candy Gram.  

For more ideas visit Sugardoodle   And enjoy your SWEET SERVICE!  

I am a Guardian of Virtue

Oh, how I loved the Young Women General Broadcast this past month, particularly Sis. Dalton's talk on being Guardians of Virtue.  Now, you might think I loved it so much because I happen to be the author of a book called Women of Virtue.  Not so.  Just take a look at this picture and you'll see my two best reasons why I love the thought of being a Guardian of Virtue.

These are my two oldest daughters.  To me they are precious, and bcause I am their mother I have the privilege of teaching them about virtue; how virtue brings true happines, strength, and wisdom to one's self and to others. 

Because of my book, I have spoken to hundreds of Young Women and Relief Society sisters on the subject of virtue, for the last two years.  I can attest there are many good and virtuous young women and women willing to stand as Guardians of Virtue.  For that I am grateful. 

In the words of Sis. Dalton, "Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to be happy. The way to do this is to 'walk in the paths of virtue' and 'cleave unto [your] covenants.  In a world ever growing in moral pollution, tolerance of evil, exploitation of women, and distortion of roles, you must stand guard of yourself, your family, and all those with whom you associate. You must be guardians of virtue."

My name is Jodi Robinson. 

And I am Guardian. 

And I will stand as a witness at all times, and all things, and in all places, as I strive to live the Young Women values. 

And I do all of this because I belive in being a Guaridan of Virtue.    

Do you? 

A Future for Tomorrow-Getting Help for Eating Disorders

Haley Hatch Freeman's true story is a testimony that there really is a Future for Tomorrow. (More info below about her book and scheduling her to speak.)

I only wish my friend Melissa had that same chance.

October 21st, seven years ago, was the day my friend Melissa passed away. She died from an eating disorder.  I won't attempt to explain this disorder in any great detail; however, I would like to share some insights I've learned that have changed me forever.
  

Melissa was only 19 when she died from complications stemming from Annoexia, an eating disorder that affects 1 in 10 girls (See Center for Change WEBSITE. http://www.centerforchange.com/). At her lowest, Melissa weighed only 79 pounds.  She was 5'7".  She battled annoxeria for six years, beginning with some body image issues at 13.  The white board in her room spoke volumes of the dialogue that went on in her head.  Written in black were these words:  "FAT IS NOT A FEELING."  She had learned that while in treatment at the Center for Change in Provo, Utah. Treatment had worked for a while. But soon even expensive counseling and the intervention of her family, friends, and doctors would not bring a cure for my friend.

The night before Melissa died, I sat next to her hospital bed stroking her hair and singing to her "I am a Child of God." Watching her skeleton chest heave up and down while hooked up to all sorts of tubes, I reminisced about the day trips we took in my Jeep with my three little kids in tow. Melissa's parents both worked full time and when it got to the point that Melissa needed to be with someone all the time her parents entrusted me to take care of her. I loved having her with me. We visited her dad at Orchard Street Market. We shopped at Wal-Mart and went to see the flowers at Thanksgiving Point. I taught her how to crochet and how to make Tortellini with cream sauce. She would paint my daughters' toenails and liked listening to Cherie Call, Mercy Me, and David Tolk.  Any outing tested her physical stamina to the max because she was so frail and weak.  She got Pneumonia and her condition worsenened. The night she left my house to go to the hospital, I knew she wasn't coming back. Her physical body had had enough.

At first I thought, "Why can't someone MAKE her eat!"  But I learned so much about eating disorders.  Particularly that it isn't about food.  And MAKING someone eat is only a quick fix.  And a fix that sometimes is as impossible as parting the red sea. 

Eating disorders are complicated and, although, I am not a doctor or a professional, I have learned some very important insights. Melissa's choices, early on in her teens, as innocent and naive as they might have started out, set into motion consequences that she was not able to reverse. Choosing to starve herself and then binge and throw up had damaged Melissa's body to the point that her immune system became weakened preventing it from staving off other illnesses such as pneumonia and infections.

I know there are other Melissa's out there who are struggling with an eating disorder and experiencing confusion about their body. They need outreach, intervention, love and acceptance, and, often times, they need medical and psychological help.

All girls, at some time or another, struggle with body image. We can help these young women by setting good examples and developing a strong body image of our own. We can teach and reinforce gospel truths about the body as being a temple for soul. We must also understand the way WE view our bodies, as adult women, will have an effect—whether it be positive or negative—on how our daughters and other girls view their bodies. Dr. Ira M. Saker, author of Regaining Your Self: Breaking Free from the Eating Disorder Identity: A Bold New Approach, has treated eating disorders for more than three decades. He states:

"…the family environment has a huge influence. If the family is very preoccupied and concerned with food, weight, and appearance, they can pass this concern on to their kids. I've had patients as young as five tell me how worried they are about eating the 'wrong' foods and getting fat. Children who grow up seeing constant dieting, constant concern about weight, and constant working out, absorb the messages that food is the enemy and appearance is all....Parents can assist in their child's recovery by becoming teachers by example."

Melissa's parents are at not at fault for her eating disorder—not at all. They did everything they could to help their daughter. And I love them dearly. This is just a reminder that as parents, and especially as mothers, we have to be vigilant and very careful in how we view and treat our bodies so we don't negatively influence the young and vulnerable. ALL women can do something to help influence young girls' body image in a positive way. In fact, we have an obligation, as women of faith, to model a healthy body image at all times, in all things, and in all places.

Shortly, after Melissa had passed away, I was standing near a group of women in the hallway at church listening to their conversation. One of the women said, "Oh, I've just got to lose these 5 pounds so I can look good when I go to Hawaii." Another said, "I've just given up. I'm never going to be thin." Another said, "I've starved myself all week so I could eat dessert." Another said, "I've exercised all week and I still haven't lost a pound!"

At that moment, I looked over to my right and quickly realized several young women were standing close by. They had heard everything. They were 13, 14 and 15—and each of them had a very puzzled look on her face. These young girls looked up to these women as their leaders and examples and these women had just committed a great "faux pas." These young women were not yet mature enough to filter out grown-up "nonsense." Ironically enough, this all happened, the Sunday after we buried Melissa.  (Oh, the damage we can do when we are not watching ourselves.)   

Since my experience with Melissa, I am very careful to always talk positively about my body in front of my daughters or anyone else's daughters. I try hard to reinforce optimal health, getting enough exercise, eating good foods, and eating enough of them to keep my body strong. I also let my kids see me indulge in my favorite treats so they understand that food, in and of itself, is not bad. A body needs a Hershey bar now and again! The key is moderation. Broccoli is best. But cookie dough won't kill you. (Don't tell my grandmother.  She thinks I'm a re-covered cookie dough eater.)

Teaching my children to be grateful for the body God gave them and helping them to love and appreciate that body, in its unique and special design, is my job as a mother. I desire to help my children make choices based on eternal truths, doctrinal principles, and Church standards. And I do it in memory of my friend, Melissa.

Getting HELP?
If you or a loved one needs help, don't put it off. And don't doubt for a moment that God won't help you, because He will.

A Future for Tomorrow is a truthful, heart-felt account of a woman's journey to wellness. Haley has included journal entries and has chosen to be "real" about her experience in battling anorexia. It gives us outsiders an inside look into the mind of someone with an eating disorder. Haley is blessed now to be recovered and is a wife and mother to two beautiful kids. She shares her story and teaches classes so if you'd like to schedule her to speak contact her at: http://www.haleyhatchfreeman.com/.

Other resources for eating disorders:

The Center for Change (world renowned treatment facility located in Provo, Utah)

Books: Click Here

Book Review--The Parable of the Golden Pathway by Jenny Phillips

I admit it.  I'm a page surfer.  That's what I call a person who curiously opens up a book and reads the first few pages to test out the water and then skims a few in the middle, before sneaking a peek at the ending to see how it all works out.  (Weird, I know.  Am I the only one who doesn't mind reading a book even though she knows how it's going to end?  Do I need therapy or what?!)

So, yesterday, I purchased Jenny Philllips NEW book, The Parable of the Golden Pathway. And, yes, I was in my "surfing" mode.  Cramming in a quick "surf" while watching my son at the skate park and taking my daughter to a band concert, I perused the 20-something page storybook with unanticipated expectations.  Big mistake! 

Later on, when life quieted down, I immersed myself in the 20-something pages and realized all the beautiful analogies I had missed in that quick surf at the beginning of my day. 
The Parable of the Golden Pathway is a powerful little parable.  "The story recounts the travels of three young siblings, Sarah, Ori, and Tabitha, along the golden pathway to the kingdom of the Light Maker."  It illustrates the temptations, trials, consequences, and rewards that youth—and others—face in their daily journey to obey God’s laws.  The book promises that you will see yourself in the three main characters as they struggle to remain on the path and reach the Ligh Maker's kingdom.   

I see a Family Home Evening Lesson in sight.  (I'll let you know how it turns out.) 

YOUNG WOMEN IDEAS:  By the way, Jenny Phillips offers some suggestions for Young Womens activities at Resources at jennyphillips.com.  You'll want to check those out.

For Jenny Phillips' The Parable of the Golden Pathway, I give it my GOLD STAR. 

Take time to sit down and read this inspiring parable to your children. It's worth it!

What are YOU Reading? Here's my two latest holiday picks.

Positively Delightful

I have a NEW favorite holiday poem.  It's called Bethlehem's Star by Bevan Olsen.  I paid only $2.99 for this 12 page story that is sure to become a family favorite for years to come.  You can read the whole poem  and see the illustrations when you click on the link. 

Google-Bethlehem's Star

I bought my copy, of all places, at my local grocery store.  And I'm so glad I just happened upon it.  You can order it on-line.  Here's a link for Google.  Again, a great price for a Christmas tale that touches your heart.

"It's time to give the gift."  That's the voice Annabelle keeps hearing, so she has to make a choice.  And it isn't easy.  Find out Annabelle's quest to give the perfect gift in the The Modern Magi.

Over Thanksgiving, I read The Modern Magi, by Carolyn Pearson, with my entire family. It's only about 60 pages, so it's an easy read to enjoy with your kids.  The story is about a woman named Annabelle who is forced to examine her willingnes to give a "true" gift, which means giving up something she wants most.  This lovely tale that teaches us about the meaning of true gift giving.  Everyone loved it!  Absolutely loved it.  I bought copies for friends and family.  Oops.  I think I just gave the surprise away.   Don't tell. 

HAPPY READING!  Amazon--Modern Magi

The Lesson of Abundance—A Mom and 3 Kids in a Minivan and a Tied Fleece Blankets

“Mommy, is that a man under that tree?” my young son asked innocently as he stared out the window of our white mini-van. Sun rays lasered through the glass catching the blonde highlights in his curly brown hair. It was pleasantly warm for a late November day. Leaves were blowing across the brownish-green grass of Pioneer Park, an indication that snow would fall by morning.

As we drove down the block, my son fixated on the clump of miscellaneous clothing items heaped up against the tall oak tree at the edge of the park. I noticed two feet jetting out from underneath it.

“He’s a homeless man, Cody,” I said furrowing my brow. “So sad, isn’t it?” I pushed on the gas as we passed by.

Why was that man homeless? And why was he sleeping underneath a pile of clothes in the middle of the park? Those were the next obvious questions—ones that I couldn’t answer as easily as the first.

Turning west, we saw much of the same. To the left was a woman snoozing on a park bench with a large, overstuffed bag at her side, most likely full of every belonging she owned. To the right was a man waving his hands over his ears, talking frantically to himself.

My kids asked, “Is he alright?”

Whether or not he was on drugs or just suffering from mental illness, I couldn’t tell. But what I did know was that he had nowhere else to go. Like the others, he was homeless.

I explained to my kids that at least a few of these people would stay the night at the local shelter. They’d get a sack lunch, and a place to warm up before heading back out into the city to find shelter under a tree or in an alley. That’s what homelessness was.

Spying a slide and monkey bars on the west side of the park, my four-year-old begged, “Can we go play?”

“Oh, no. That’s a not a park we play in,” I replied. She was puzzled. A four-year-old wouldn’t understand why playing in the park wasn’t a good idea. It’s a park, isn’t it? But despite a new jogging trail and other recent renovations, it was still a hangout for our city’s indigent population. Not a park where young children can just play.

The park was one block away from the homeless shelter. That’s where we were headed. We had spent the morning tying fleece blankets at a nearby drug treatment center as a service project. The women at the treatment center had helped tie a couple of blankets and it was my job to deliver them to the shelter. I glanced over at the red and green fleece sitting in a bag in the passenger seat. Thanks to the women in my class, they had fringed and perfectly knotted the edges of two fleece blankets. It only took them about 20 minutes.

A few blankets? I thought to myself spying at the strangers in the park. In the big scheme of things, a couple of blankets seemed so insignificant. I pushed on my breaks as the van slowly turned the corner. A leaf danced across my windshield, a tell-tale sign that winter was on its way. My bones chilled as I counted the number of bodies lying on the ground in the park. Homeless individuals with nowhere to go.

“How can you not have a home?” my son asked again and again.

My explanations seemed futile. Losing a job, mental illness, and addiction were some of the answers I quickly gave him. Even his older sister piped in a time or two to educate her brother about the possibilities of why someone ends up homeless, lying under some overpass, sleeping in a flimsy cardboard box, or sleeping under a tree in a city park. His curiosity curbed for the moment.

Just then a man carrying a green duffle bag strapped to his back, appeared on the corner across the street from where we were. Sydney piped up, “Look, that man is limping. Let’s give him one of the blankets, Mom. Can we?”

I wasn’t expecting that.

“Well, I guess we can,” I said becoming suddenly aware of what I had just committed to. Give a blanket to a homeless person in person? I had never done that before. Always, I had delivered the blankets to the shelter. But I had never just gone to the park, gotten out of my car, and handed some homeless person a blanket. And why not? Because that park intimidated me.

“You’re going to lose him, Mom!” said my daughter as I came to a stop at the red light.

My heart pounded in my chest. The shelter was just a block away and dropping off blankets there seemed so much easier, and to be honest, safer.

“Mom, hurry!” my son begged as the man stepped out into the crowded crosswalk. He seemed so unsure of himself. Alone in a sea of suits, cell-phones, and BlackBerrys. His pack was heavy on his back. He limped hunched over, staring mostly at the ground. Hearing the voices of my children begging me to give him one of our blankets, I knew I couldn’t just drive past him. I had to give him one. So, at their coaxing, I turned on my blinker, changed lanes, and made a quick u-turn heading back towards the man. He had stopped to pull a rumpled newspaper out of a garbage can near the curb. I slowly approached the curb, put the van in park, and rolled down the passenger side window.

“Sir?” I said looking out across from the driver’s seat. “Sir,” I called again. “Would you like a hamburger?” I held up the Burger King double cheeseburger that my four-year-old didn’t eat. He didn’t respond. I didn’t know if he was ignoring me on purpose or if he couldn’t hear me, so I tried again.

“Sir, we have a burger and blanket for you.”

I then motioned for my daughter to hand him the blanket from her side of the car. He glanced up at me. It took him a moment to figure out what we were doing. But he finally reached out and took the burger and the blanket from my daughter. He placed the burger in his right coat pocket and tucked the blanket under his left arm.

“It’s gonna get cold so we hope this blanket helps,” I said with a cheery grin.

A toothless smile appeared on the man’s face.

“Merry Christmas!” he said.

“Merry Christmas.” We said back. We watched him fold up the newspaper and look around. I wondered what he was thinking. I checked my rear view mirror, pulled out into the street, and headed for the freeway. I decided to save the other blanket for another day. A day when we found another stranger to give it to.

For about a block, I watched the man in my rear view mirror until his image faded into the crowd.

“You did a good thing, kids,” I said. We were all quiet. In my mind I was thinking if only we could have done more.

Twenty-five minutes later, we arrived home. Pulling into the driveway of my three-story house, I was reminded of abundance. We live an abundant life. We have a house. We have food in our pantry. We have clothes in our closets. We have electricity, running water, and feather-down comforters on soft mattresses. We have friends and family members with whom we associate every day of the week, who would help us if ever we were in need. Even on Sunday, we attend meetings at a cozy church building and we’re surrounded by kind and generous people who smile at us, who are there for us. We have abundance.

I secretly wished and prayed that that man we gave the blanket to could feel for just one second what I felt. That he could know what abundance is.

Later that night, I was reading in Emily Freeman’s book, “The Promise of Enough.” On page 67, I read: “Our ability to remember gratitude for even the smallest blessing has a direct influence on our ability to live the abundant life. Perhaps we could echo the prayer of George Herbert who said, ‘Thou that hast giv’n so much to me, give me one thing more, a grateful heart.’”

It hit me. As I pondered on this quote and how it related to the experience my children and I had had giving a homeless man a blanket earlier in the day, I was reminded of something—the man’s smile. It was a grateful smile. Today, that man had indeed lived the abundant life. Not because we had given him a blanket and sandwich. But because he was grateful. He had humbly showed gratitude for a small, and meager offering from a mom and three kids in a mini-van. Abundance. On this day, the man with the army-green duffle bag had abundance.

So, tonight, as I think of that man lying in some alley chilled by snowflakes falling from the night sky, I picture him wrapped up in a red and green plaid, hand-tied fleece blanket and I feel very blessed for all I have been given. Gratitude blesses us with abundance. It turns what we have into enough and more. Thank you, homeless stranger. Thank you for teaching me about the power of gratitude and the true meaning of abundance. May God watch over you and keep you safe from harm.

Find out the Ruby Secret in "Women of Virtue." Available at Deseret Book, www.amazon.com, and other sites and stores near you.

http://www.deseretbook.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

"Women of Virtue", An Emergency Room, and A Coffee Table

"Thank you for giving my book, 'Women of Virtue', wings.

Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of being in an emergency room with my father.  He had fallen off a tall ladder and was seriously injured.  After x-rays and doctors examinations, we were lucky to hear the news that his back was only sprained, not broken.  Whooh!  After a while, when things had settled down a bit,  my father and I began talking about an upcoming book signing I was scheduled to do.  A nurse overhead us talking and asked me, "What book are you talking about?"

"Oh, I wrote a book called 'Women of Virtue,'" I said.  It was her response that surprised me.

"Oh, my neighbor has your book sitting on her coffee table.  It's got a purple cover, right?"

I was a bit awestruck.  I probably looked a little pale.  My book? Sitting on someone's coffee table?   I had never thought about that before.  My dad, lying there in his hospital bed, beamed with pride.  That was the only part of him being in an emergency room that was remotely memorable.  Wow!  My book in someone's living room.  I guess that's how it works.  You write a book.  People you don't even know buy it and read it.  And it ends up on their coffee table. 

That was an "ah-ha" moment for me. 

So, today, I, first, want to express grattitude for my father's good health.  He recovered from that fall as if her were thirty years younger.  A true blessing.  And secondly, I want to thank all of you, those I know and those whom I've never met, who have helped give my book, "Women of Virtue", wings. 

To those of you who have my purple-cover, "Women of Virtue", sitting on your coffee table, or in your bookshelf, or in your purse.  Thank you.  It's a message that all girls and women need to hear.  I needed to hear it, and I am so thrilled when I'm introduced to complete strangers who have read it or at least know about it. 

It's a big world for unknown authors and small books to get noticed.  It comes down to word of mouth.  Friends telling friends.  Neighbhors telling neighbors.  And so I thank you.  Thank you for believing in the message and for sharing the message with others.   

My book is being featured on a Book Review Blog:  so check this out. 
FREE BOOK OFFERED ON Sheila Staley's Book Review Blog
If you haven't, yet, read "Women of Virtue" and would like to WIN a copy, enter her contest.  Follow the link below and it will take you to her blog to enter. 

Let's keep talking about the beauty of virtue.  And how true beauty is felt more than it is seen.  For that is the only way to truly be happy.  Have a wonderful week.  CLICK ON "what are people saying about women of virtue" and you will be directed to the http://www.whybecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/.

What are people saying about "Women of Virtue"?