Perfectly Patti

Sometimes it's hard to know what is true and what isn't.There is so much misinformation out there that it's easy to get confused.So where do we go to find spiritual truth?How do we discern truth from error?Let's talk about it today and see if God has given us a way to know.

Sometimes it's hard to know what is true and what isn't.There is so much misinformation out there that it's easy to get confused.So where do we go to find spiritual truth?How do we discern truth from error?Let's talk about it today and see if God has given us a way to know.

What things in our lives separate us from Christ?Is it pain, sorrow, disappointment?It's important for us to recognize these triggers.What can we do to keep ourselves focused on Eternity instead of our passing problems?Let's take a look and find out together!

There's an old saying that God laughs as we make plans. I'm not sure if that's exactly accurate, but I do know our plans for the future are never certain. We make our plans, but God makes plans for us as well. Sometimes the two conflict. So, what do we do? Let's talk about it and see if we can come to a clearer understanding...

Christ said we should be 'One.'Does that mean in order to be unified we all have to be the same?Of course not.His Apostles weren't the same.They had different strengths and weaknesses just like all of us.So how can we be united while still being individuals and seeing the world differently?I found a couple of excellent ideas...

I'm not going to lie.It's been a hard week.I've had worse for sure, but when you're having a difficult time, it doesn't really matter that it isn't the MOST difficult you've ever faced.It's still really hard!So I wanted to talk about it a bit.Let's go into my difficult week and see if we can find some light and understanding.

Sometimes we do things for the wrong reasons.Even so, have you ever received blessings for doing something good for the wrong reason?I have.I think it's the Lord's way of nudging us along so we understand what doing good does for us.I've been talking to a friend about all of this and I wanted to share my thoughts a bit.Feel free to comment with your own experience.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and I'm NOT talking about Christmas!Back to School!!!!!!Now, I love my kids, but it's always nice when they head back to class.Also, (and what I wanted to talk about today) is it gives us all a little more structure, which I think makes a huge difference in our lives.Let's take a closer look!

Families are being torn apart!Civilization is about to collapse!The fight isn't worth it!Just pick a cellphone plan and be done with it!

I used to love working out.Okay, I still like working out...just not like I used to.I realized sometimes that pattern follows me into spiritual matters too.What does that look like?Let's see if we can figure it out.

Oh my gosh!Sometimes I think I know what something means, and then suddenly I realize I don't.'Meek' is one of those words.Do you really understand the true meaning of the word 'Meek?'I didn't.Let's talk about it!

Over the past few years I've gotten the chance to work with some great people who are every bit as weird as I am.One of those is Crystal, who helped my write my book.Recently we sat down together to talk about that process, and I thought you guys might find it entertaining.Enjoy!

I'm an extrovert.A shocker, I know.But I've been thinking about how I get energy from social situations and how other people don't.I've also been paying attention to how I have a weakness when it comes to being quiet and listening.Can I become a better listener while still being extroverted?I guess I'm going to find out!

Pain is a part of life.It sucks.But when friends are involved, the pain doesn't seem so crushing.That's what I discovered when I went through the most difficult and damaging part of my life.Without my besties I don't think I would have made it.

Kindness is the key to any good relationship.Here's the thing though:If we're judging people in our lives, that means we think we're better than them.This may be friends, our spouse, people we disagree with.That isn't the Gospel of Christ though.So, what do we do about it?Let's see if we can figure something out!

My son has been going through a difficult time as he tries to serve the Lord.In a recent letter he talked about how as he was feeling low, he felt the love of our Savior in a key moment.It didn't solve his problems, but it reminded him that he could hold on as long as he knew God had his back.That feeling of strength in the moment we need it is such an important aspect of spiritual endurance.Let's look more closely at this gift, and how we can embrace it in our lives.

God uses imperfect people.I've been reading in the Book of Acts lately, and I see Peter and how much he grew from being a simple fisherman into a warrior for Christ.He was flawed and imperfect just like all of us.It is incredibly inspiring!It shows us that despite our sins and mistakes, our limited vision and skewed perspectives, that we can still serve God.Like Peter, we can perform miracles.Never doubt yourself when you're in the service of God!

July tends to be a month where we think more about our nation.That makes since with Independence Day.I wanted to look at that today and see how we can love our country AND love each other, instead of constantly judging each other based off our beliefs, both religious and political.I love this nation, but I think I personally can do better loving the people who make up this nation.

The social media landscape is peppered with influencers. These are people we like who influence our decisions on what to buy, what's popular, and what the next trend will be. These influencers have power. And yet, we can have a greater influence on the people in our lives. The influence we have on our friends is huge! Let's talk about that today, and figure out how we can use our influence to make our friends' lives better.

Life doesn't go according to plan. As kids and teenagers we look forward to everything happening exactly the way we want. What do we do when those grand designs crash and burn? What do we do when our life doesn't end up anywhere near where we thought it would? I'd like you to meet my Aunt Karen. She is a wonderful woman, but will be the first to admit that her life has taken detours she never expected, and has ended up quite different than she would have wanted. What has that meant for her? Well, I'll ask!

We're often taught not to trust anyone.We hear that all the time.We develop a habit of guarding ourselves.What does that do to our relationship with our Father in Heaven though?How does that impact our trust in Him?Let's take a closer look and talk a bit about it.Join me!

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.I hate making dinner.I hate it.I get anxious about it every day.And yet, I understand the importance of families eating together and forging bonds.So what do I do?Let's talk about it and see if we can figure anything out.Or maybe I'll still just hate it everyday...

Big families aren't as common as they used to be. Sometimes you'll come across families with five kids. Sometimes six. But EIGHT? That's a lot! I should know, because I have eight kids. So for today's podcast I decided to do something a bit different. I sat down individually with my youngest three kids and talked to each of them about what it's like to grow up in a very large family. The good, the bad, all of it. Enjoy!

We have our choices.Sometimes those choices place us at odds with God.That's just how it goes.So, how do we put God's will before our own?It isn't a simple question with a simple answer.Let's talk about it and see what we can figure out!

 It's so easy to focus on what I'm doing wrong!!!!! Why do we do that? I've been thinking about it a lot, and I know I need to focus on the positive. How do we do that? Let's figure it out together.

I'm an oddity.I really don't like summer.There are a lot of reasons for this, the primary one being my kid's constant desire to have me entertain them.So, how do I go about learning to love summer and those extra days with my kids?Let's figure it out together!

When we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.We ally ourselves with him.Now, from a worldly perspective, we make alliances with partners that will help us in some way.Are we relying on these earthly alliances more than our alliance to God?that's what I've been thinking about the last few days, and what I wanted to talk about as we start the week.

 I love hats. One of the reasons is that they remind me of my son. A silly reason, but it made me think about the importance of remembering, particularly remembering the miracles God has shown in our lives. How do we remember and share our experiences? How do we remember God's miracles? 

I don't have to tell all of you that I didn't come to parenting naturally. I wasn't born to be a mom, and my kids will agree. Even so, I was surprised how my children's emotions affect me. It's got me thinking this week about our Heavenly Father and how he feels when we're in pain. How he teaches us with patience. Let's take a minute and talk about it!

First off, don't be distracted by the big blister on my lip.I burned myself.It's no fun.Anyway, I wanted to talk about questions today.Questions of faith.Questions of the gospel.Is having questions okay?Is it a good thing to no know all the answers?Let's find out!

Why do we compare ourselves to others?It does no good.This has become a curse of social media.I heard some amazing speakers discuss this recently and I wanted to share some thoughts.Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Say it out loud: "I am a child of God." How did you feel? This statement is true. If you doubt it, let's have a little conversation right now...

Friendship is one of the most important things in our lives. Without friends it's too easy to slip into despair and grief. I know this first hand. Let me introduce you to one of my favorite people; a friend who helped me through the most difficult time of my life.

 Apparently I'm a difficult person to buy gifts for.  Everybody in my family tells me that.  Well, my youngest bought me something that has inspired me.  I want to share it with you! 

 Alright, normally I focus on the spiritual, but today I want to talk about the physical.  Our spirits and our bodies are connected after all.  I've had a few experiences over the past couple weeks that I want to talk about.  So get ready, because we're diving into colonoscopy territory, and it's going to be awesome! 

Near the end of my last video I went off on a tangent about Christ and mothers. I didn't know where I was going, so I stopped and took some time to think and study about what I wanted to say. Now I'm ready to dive in a bit. This is an emotional subject, so I hope you enjoy and feel good. As mothers, we may not have the world's eye on us as if every action we took was important, but that doesn't mean every action we take isn't important.

 Mother's Day can be stressful.  For moms and dads.  Why is it that there seem to be so many difficulties when it comes to creating that perfect Mother's Day for the moms in our lives?  I have a couple ideas.  Let's talk about it! 

Sometimes I feel like I didn't learn much in college.It was great, but I didn't pay as much attention in class as I should have.When it comes to life's classroom though, I hope I'm studying a bit harder.What does that look like?Let's talk about it!

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you were afraid to hope for a positive outcome?I have.What makes us fear to hope?Let's talk about it and see if we can figure it out.

I did something I'm not happy about.I was pushed into it.Bullied.Now I don't know what to do...

There are two Easters. One with bunnies and baskets, the other with Christ's Resurrection. I've been having a hard time lately helping my children appreciate the more important of the two. What should I do to help them? I hope your Easter weekend is full of love and appreciation for our Savior.

Just in case you didn't know, I have a crap-ton of children.I didn't set out for this to happen.In truth...I never super liked kids in the first place.So how did I end up with so many and grow to love them each for their own individual qualities?Let's find out!

Teenagers know everything.Those of us who are parents of these creatures know this all too well.It's infuriating!But...it got me thinking about our relationship with God and how we all tend to think we know better.Let's talk about it a bit...

 Sometimes I just can't.  I have nothing left to give.  I'm realizing that's okay!  Let's talk about it... 

While we were on vacation we decided to attend church, and since we didn't have Sunday dress, we went in shorts and t-shirts. I wanted to talk about this a bit, and why we dress up for church...and why our presence is more important than our clothing...

I've been thinking a lot about friendship over the past few days.I have some amazing friendships!It got me thinking about my friendship with Christ.What does that friendship look like?I wanted to talk about it today and see what we're all doing to strengthen our friendship with our Savior.

When someone you know passes away suddenly, it can feel like a gut punch.The pain lingers.I'm feeling that right now, and wanted to talk about it with all of you.Join me for some tears.

Have you ever had a crisis of faith?I got a text this weekend that was quite wonderful.I wanted to talk about it, and discover what it means to have a faith crisis and how we get through it.

 Yesterday my youngest daughter made a mistake with a school project that paralyzed her with fear.  The world was coming to an end!  She couldn't accept any solution we thought of. Fear had taken over.  I wanted to talk about this today.  We all go through moments like this.  How often do we let fear keep us from finding the answers we're seeking? 

Last week I told all of you about my need to eat a hamburger despite my health goals. Yes, I am now regretting that decision (with help from my gurgling stomach). It got me thinking about a lot of things, and I want to share.

As you know, I've been trying to eat healthy and lose weight. Yeah...that crap's not working.