Come, Follow Me: Simple Joyful Home

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: December 28 - January 3Doctrine and Covenants: Section 1This week we focus on the first two great commandments from Exodus. The commandments that remind us that nothing should be put before God. As we focus on this doctrine and reflect and labor on the the meaning of this for our lives today we are taught by Elder Jeffery R Holland and Spencer W. Kimball. As we gain a deeper understanding of what an idol is and how to identify them in our lives we develop inspired tools to help us strengthen our relationship with Christ and in turn see the dramatic impact our relationship with Christ has  on our ability to strengthen our family relationships.We can't wait for you to join us. After you listen, leave us a review. Let us know what you like, what you are trying, and how you are coming closer to Christ. We can't wait to get to know you.

What can we do to overcome the challenges we face when our soul hungers for exciting and encouraging growth?.How can we remove our barriers of perfection and expectations so that we can MOVE forward in growth?.How can we tell when our soul is hangry and is seeking nourishment?.How can we find and receive the nourishment especially made for us in this past conference?  .We talk about answers to these questions and more in this weeks episode. In this episode we focus on D&C Sections 41-44In the Come, Follow Me manual it states, "The rapid growth of the Church in 1830 and 1831—especially the rush of new converts coming to Kirtland, Ohio—was exciting and encouraging to the Saints. But it also presented some challenges." Much like the early Saints our inspiration for personal growth can feel exciting and encouraging but it also presents some challenges. God knew this and because he knew He sent us apostles and prophets who are called and pray by faith to know how to teach us. He sent us a Comforter to help us recognize truth and inspire our growth. He sent His Son to help us recover when we fall and to make up what we lack. We have a team assigned to us especially for this work of growth and discipleship. We are ready for this work.  Join our Simple Joyful Family as we learn and grow together.  Alisha & Emily

Like every warrior mom, Angie goes to battle for her children.Many of those battles have led her to commune with God pleading in prayer.As she knelt to counsel with the one who knows her children best this battle felt different.It felt scarier and came with a crushing weight, her child was showing signs of mental health challenges. After pleading with God night and day for four long years for help to know where to find answers and what to do to help her child Angie was exhausted and collapsed to her knees one more time in desperate need of a Fathers answer to her question.His answer, "You love them.""I will heal them."The words seem so simple but the application has been a daily journey for Angie and her husband Morgan. They have spent years learning how to love their children as God does and how to receive his promise and let God heal them. These prayerful parents have so many insights and experiences that remind us of God's love and how we can find solace and direction in His example.This week we lean into D&C 37 - 40 with our guests Morgan and Angie Dennis. This episode  will leave you feeling uplifted, educated, inspired, and hopeful. You do not want to miss how Morgan and Angie open our minds to the real live application we can find when we anchor our ship in the comfort of the great I AM. A big thank you to Morgan and Angie for opening their hearts and trusting us with their stories. They truly came prepared to serve and all of our lives are blessed because we have had the chance to hear them testify. D&C section 37 will always hold a place in our hearts after this episode. 

Come, Follow Me reading: D&C 23-27This week we welcome a special guest Miss Lindsey Paradis on our show. She is a beautiful wife to Joseph and mom to  4 littles all six years and under.  She is the founder and host of the popular children's podcast Miss Lindsey's Come, Follow Me Podcast for Kids. Finally she is our friend and guest host today as we talk all about how we can find meaning and application in this week's Come, Follow Me reading.Our journey this week led us to learn from Emma's blessing calling her to use her words to console and comfort her husband. He calls upon Emma to murmur not asking her to use her words in a more powerful way to comfort and console. The gifts we are given can often be used in many ways, our work is to use them in the ways that tap into the Lord's blessing and power.Sometimes our view of the counsel to murmur not is that we need correction or condemnation because we were murmuring in the first place. Emily beautifully describes her feelings of God's love as she reads this verse, reminding us that "murmur not" can be a reminder that God is right there seeing us, hearing us, knowing what we need and reminding us that He has our back and is with us through all the hard.Finally, Lindsey shares a moving story about her and her daughter and the power of compassion to change a competition into a revolution to move from me to we in the home. We love how Lindsey's courage to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost empowered her with love and changed everything in an instant.This week we learn to show compassion and love by being intentional about using our gifts and talents to see, hear, and embrace one another.We hope you feel seen and heard and loved by us here at Simple Joyful Home!Alisha & EmilyP.S. Click here to find Miss Lindsey's Come, Follow Me podcast for Kids

Show inspired by Come, Follow Me readings in D&C 12-13, JSH 66-75In this weeks episode we share the mic with our fun and fierce friend Sara Sedgwick. Sara shares her story of coming back to church, the small things that added up to propel her family forward, the unexpected things that opened understandings, and the love that made it all possible.You do not want to miss this episode! You will laugh, you will feel the spirit, and you will be inspired to be the love someone else is engulfed in. 

Reading: D&C 10 & 11Today we discover how God and Satan nurture relationships which seems especially fitting for the month of February when we highlight our love for each other. February, the month of love, is the perfect time to evaluate our most important relationships and how we can build them and bring more love and light. Today we learn all about how to bring the build by learning from Satan's example what to avoid and by embracing a deeper understanding of how Christ builds.How does Satan nurture a relationship? He stirs in anger, destruction, and negativityHow does God nurture a relationship?He builds and brings light.Join us as we learn how Christ and Heavenly Father build strong relationships and how we can model after those examples as we strive to build and strengthen relationships in our homes and lives.Todays tools: Highlight the moments you build and bring light. "Today I was a builder when...!" "Today I brought Light ...!"Highlight the moments others build and bring light.Today you helped me build ...!Today you brought light to my day by...!Highlight the moments God builds and brings light.Today you came not to destroy but to build when.... Thank you! Today you shone a light in my world by .... Thank you!Come share your highlights with us this week on Instagram and Facebook @simplejoyfulhomeWe would love to be built up and inspired by your light!

In today's episode we share our testimonies with you through both word and song. We hope you can feel our love!Special thanks to Seth Mayer (vocal)  and Ann Smith (piano) for their time and talent to bring us "Let Him In" by Michael McLean.A big bright thank you to 3 year old Emma  and Seth Mayer for their rendition of "Silent Night"Another thanks to Seth for leaving us with a classic that always brings the spirit, "Away in a Manger".Finally, thank you to all of you, our listeners, who like us our seeking to let Christ in. May your Christmas be filled with love, light, and an abundance of joy.We can't wait to start the new year with you!

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: December 14 - 20Book of Mormon: Moroni 10Our tool this week is a pretty quick one and will help you reflect on all of your work with Christ.This week we focus on remembering  "every good gift" that has come of Christ (Moroni 10:18) That verse sent us over to Thessalonians 1:3 where we were inspired how to "Remember without ceasing"As we took prompts from Thessalonians 1:3 we asked these questions and we hope they help you on your journey to remember your journey with Christ this past year 2020.Questions to explore: (quotes taken from Thessalonians 1:3)1. What is one thing I do not want to forget about the experiences I had with the spirit this year?2. What work did I do that was a "work of faith" in 2020? This question may lead you to consider a moment you had trust in Christ or you had faith that He would carry you through.3. What "labor of love" did you participate in or did you experience that you do not want to forget this year?4. Where or when have you practiced "patience of hope" this year?Two forms of this patience of hope that we connected with were:A) You have had patience that hope will comeB) You have had hope and worked to have patience to backup your hopeSome of our answers to these questions led us back to previous episodes,. The episodes referenced in this podcast included:E0 How Simple Joyful Homes begin - How we got startedE3 BEHOLD - Where we learn the importance of seeing each otherE7 SPEAK - All about setting us up for success in talking to each otherE9 RECEIVE - The episode we really experienced a stupor of thoughtFinally, ALL of these remembrances are you reminder that you are working with God, that He has you back, and that you are doing good. In Moroni's final words he reminds us of that power that can be found when we are doing good. "...For if there be one among you that doth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God."Moroni 10:25Now go show up and shine! You are doing good and you are connecting with the power of God!All our love,Alisha and Emily

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: December 7-13Book of Mormon: Moroni 7-9Today's tool for you and your family come by way of Mormon's letter to his son Moroni reminding him of the importance of endurance of faith and the the promise that God will keep you through this process of endurance.We read in Moroni 8:3 that I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.So how do we cultivate an endurance of Fatih? What can we do daily? How can we measure our progress?We found our answers in Moroni 7:45-48Come join us to learn how you can practice faith daily, increase your endurance of faith, and measure your progress easier and with more accuracy.Here are just a couple tools to help get you started on your discovery of endurance of faith:1. Comparison can be the thief of endurance and faith or it can be the catalyst to increased endurance of faith.  Learn now how to compare the things that build you and your faith. 2. Charity endureth all things so it is inextricably connected to an increased endurance of faith.  If we can practice charity we are building our endurance of faith. Choose one of these from Moroni 7:45 and start practicing charity today:{A} suffereth long, {B} be kind,{C} envieth not, {D} is not puffed up, {E} seeketh not her own, {F} is not easily provoked, {G} thinketh no evil, and {H} rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth{I} Any number of other options found in Moroni 7:45-48{J} #HearHim - if something is coming to your mind that helps you love more and remember Christ do that. It doesn't have to fit this exact language. Although, I would venture to say that whatever you are being inspired by the Holy Ghost to do is probably a more specific version of one listed here.3. Commit to practicing the one you chose from tool #2 above for 7 days. 4. Measure Your Progress - If you have read or listened this far and you are participating in the process of identifying an area you want to practice to build your endurance then you are a little stronger than you were yesterday and your endurance of faith is growing. Give yourself credit for the small steps.  By small and simple things great things are brought to pass. Don't forget to count the small stuff, the stuff that is making all the difference in building your endurance of faith.We hope you enjoy this weeks episode and we can't wait to wrap up the Book of Mormon with you next week.

This week we study Moroni 6:4-6How do we attend to a soul?Our names and who we are as a soul, as a person, as a loved one is very important to God. He teaches us toTake their name,Remember them,Nourish Them with his word,  andBe watchful unto prayer for them.We help you apply all these steps to our families and loved ones in simple, easy to understand ways. It just takes a simple to act to attend to a soul and make them feel the Love of their Savior. 

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: November 23 - 29Book of Mormon: Ether 12-15"...thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father..." Ether 12:32In this weeks reading we learn two things that are required to earn that home in the mansions of our Father.So, what are some of the requirements?  We learn the answer in Ether chapter 12.In verse 32 we learn we "must have hope". In verse 34 we learn that except men "shall have charity" In Elder Holland's talk "A Perfect Brightness of Hope" he reminds us that "among our most indispensable virtues will be this precious gift of hope linked inextricable to our faith in God and our charity to others."If hope is linked to faith and charity it is all that more important that we learn how to practice it. He goes on to say that "...we can hope, we should hope, even when facing insurmountable odds."Our homes and families can most certainly bring feelings of insurmountable odds so what a better place to apply our practice of hope.Today we talk about two tools to do just that, -practice hope in your home.Personal Tool:Perspective Power Hour: Ok, it most certainly does not take an hour to use this tool but the name is catchy and the tool works! So, here are your steps. In times of frustration or disagreement take 5-10 minutes to write down your perspective. The reason why you think you are right, the reason why you think your way will work, why it is important to you....then when you are all done pleading your case turn the page and start writing things down from the other persons perspective. Plead the case from their point of view. This activity will help soften your heart, increase your understanding, and find common ground. In the end whether you take 10 minutes or 2 hours to do this, your efforts will lead you to uncover hope in your relationship and remember that your frustration is with the problem not the person. It will bring back into focus the two great commandments to love God and to love others.Family Tool:Identify one simple thing that changes feelings in your home from heavy to hopeful?In the episode we tell you what works in our homes and give you ideas of how to identify what works in your home.Come learn with us, come hope with us!Episode Links:We would love to have you read along with us. To request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormonDisclaimerSimple Joyful Home follows the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is not a product of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Links to learn more about:Curriculum: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_come-follow-me_engChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:https://www.comeuntochrist.org/If you are longing for more Simple Joyful Home in your life connect with us on:Facebook: @SimpleJoyfulHomeInstagram: @SimpleJoyfulHome

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: November 16-22Book of Mormon: Ether 6-11When the people of the brother of Jared crossed the waters they praised God all the days.They were really good at praising..Even when they were underwater..Even when they needed air..Even when they had animals sleeping next to them..Even when they were on water for more than 300 days. .Even we they could have been sick, hungry, tired, bored or frustrated. .They praised God in prayer and singing. Recognizing their many blessings. .How did they keep that up!? Really! I mean, I have barely made it 200 days during coronavirus and I can tell you I haven't praised all those days... .I've had my own bed, haven't been underwater and I can eat any time I want. .How did they do it!?.We talk all about it in this week's episode.. We have some great ideas that we all can implement today! We think you're going to love this episode!

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: November 9-15Book of Mormon: Ether 1-5Does your home ever feel like the Tower of Babel? Like all your language at home has been confounded? Like no one is understanding, no one is listening and it is just really difficult to get anything done?Today we are going to talk all about how to avoid those moments and we are going to let the brother of Jared teach us what we can do to stay connected and communicating.Join us for some tools that will change the way you see the crossroads in your day.Episode Links:We would love to have you read along with us. To request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormonDisclaimerSimple Joyful Home follows the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is not a product of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Links to learn more about:Curriculum: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_come-follow-me_engChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:https://www.comeuntochrist.org/If you are longing for more Simple Joyful Home in your life connect with us on:Facebook: @SimpleJoyfulHomeInstagram: @SimpleJoyfulHome

I believe we are all imperfect but together we make perfect things! Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: November 2-8Book of Mormon: Mormon 7-9The book of Mormon was written, compiled, passed down, translated and read all by imperfect men. .Men who struggled to write..Men who at times lost testimony..Men who forgot to pray..Men who didn't listen to God's direction..Men who were just trying their best..Men who needed to repent..But, Men who loved God..God used them to accomplish something great..Together they made a book, with a perfect testimony of Christ and his Gospel..We are imperfect but I promise you God is using you for something great! .If you are feeling a bit inadequate or if you are hoping for a miracle, you are in luck because we talk about both of those things in this week's episode.Episode Links:We would love to have you read along with us. To request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormonDisclaimerSimple Joyful Home follows the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is not a product of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Links to learn more about:Curriculum: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_come-follow-me_engChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:https://www.comeuntochrist.org/If you are longing for more Simple Joyful Home in your life connect with us on:Facebook: @SimpleJoyfulHomeInstagram: @SimpleJoyfulHome

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: August 24 - 30thBook of Mormon: Helaman 7-12Have you ever taken a dance class and remember the teacher telling you to follow a rhythm with these words?. Slow.Slow.Quick.Quick.On this week's new episode (it's already live!!) we talk about how these words can help us remember to let the Lord lead us..To let him be your dance partner..Allowing him to glide you across the dance floor. .Come listen to learn more.  Episode Links:We would love to have you read along with us. To request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormonDisclaimerSimple Joyful Home follows the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is not a product of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Links to learn more about:Curriculum: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_come-follow-me_engChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:https://www.comeuntochrist.org/If you are longing for more Simple Joyful Home in your life connect with us on:Facebook: @SimpleJoyfulHomeInstagram: @SimpleJoyfulHome

Thoughts inspired from the study ofCome, Follow Me: August 10 - 16thBook of Mormon: Alma 53 - 63What are somethings you guard the most?Something that if you lost it you are not sure you could make it a day.Well today we are going to talk about how to guard the things that will benefit you the most and help you win any war!Come learn what the secret is to protecting the critical and vital things in life!Episode Links:We would love to have you read along with us. To request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormonDisclaimerSimple Joyful Home follows the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is not a product of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Links to learn more about:Curriculum: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_come-follow-me_engChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:https://www.comeuntochrist.org/If you are longing for more Simple Joyful Home in your life connect with us on:Facebook: @SimpleJoyfulHomeInstagram: @SimpleJoyfulHome