Mint Arrow Messages

When was the last time someone really hurt you, or really made you angry? When was the last time you were treated super unfairly, wrongly judged, harshly spoken to, or maybe even worse, talked about behind your back, or as a mama bear, one of your kids was treated this way? It happens all the time around all of us. It's been weighing VERY heavy on my mind and heart for a long time as I've heard lots of moms who I love talk about their kids being bullied. I've asked myself what I can do to help, especially in a leadership position in my church where I'm leading the teenage girls in our church congregation, and what I can do to influence that for good? I've been praying and praying and studying and pondering on this for literally months and probably even a couple of years now, and I feel like after a very deep study of this recent sermon given by Russell M. Nelson called "Peacemakers Needed," I finally have a clear-cut formula and a pact that I'm taking to go ALL IN on a couple of promises to myself to do the things that are taught by Jesus to really become peacemaker, and I'd love it if you'd join me too! Are you in? Let's do this.Time Stamps:[01:14] - Corrine explains why she was inspired to talk about today’s topic about becoming peacemakers.[05:58] - Here’s what definitely does not work if you want to be a peacemaker.[09:42] - What does it mean to show compassion towards people who hurt you or who hurt someone you love?[15:06] - Corrine explores why it’s dangerous to indulge in contention.[21:33] - How can we overcome contention?[26:12] - Corrine talks about the characteristics of someone who has charity and someone who has pride.[32:25] - What can you do to be led by God to be a peacemaker?[38:11] - Uplift and inspire the people around you.Supporting Resources:"Peacemakers Needed" Talk by Russell M. Nelson"Beware of Pride" Talk by Ezra Taft BensonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Father's Day is just around the corner and, in honor of that, I decided to interview our favorite dad in this house, Neil! Neil has gone from being "not a kid guy" to a 5-star dad in a world where fatherhood is oftentimes downplayed and demoralized. Today he shares with me some of the greatest lessons he's learned about fatherhood, starting with a few from his own dad and then moving into his evolution as a father, especially what he learned while he solo-parented for 6 months while I was on bed rest, and what his advice is to any dad who's just starting out or wanting to improve as a dad.Time Stamps:[00:41] - Neil talks about a piece of fatherhood he learned from his own dad.[04:22] - Sometimes we don’t fully understand the depth of a parent’s love until we become one.[09:43] - Neil appreciates that his parents allowed him to fail and learn at his own pace.[13:46] - Did fatherhood match what Neil thought it’d be like?[18:18] - What advice would Neil give his past self right before becoming a father? [24:55] - Neil talks about being the family’s main caretaker for 6 months while Corrine was on bed rest.[28:56] - Neil shares his experiences to talk about stay-at-home fathers, working from home, and spouse business partnerships.[33:52] - Neil says he’s thankful to care for his family and be present.[37:21] - “Being a dad’s awesome.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've all seen it in movies and TV shows and books and in real life, sometimes in a lunch table or a tight-knit group of people who are popular-by-association, otherwise known as the cool kids. It might seem harmless, but it can be problematic and detrimental to personal growth and to our culture and community in schools, neighborhoods, churches, really everywhere. Furthermore, it's a mirage. It's not even real! And that's the funny irony: the pursuit of being cool is the most un-real kind of connection you can make, an authenticity killer. Today Neil and I are going to talk about why the pursuit of being cool can stop your growth and keep you from some of the deepest and most meaningful relationships available in this life, and how to conquer this human-nature desire to be perceived as one of the cool kids.Time Stamps:[00:55] - Corrine and Neil talk about the pursuit of being cool.[03:01] - Corrine and Neil share thoughts on acting as a “cool kid” and what they remember from their school days.[09:24] - The pursuit of being cool can cause people to hold back their authenticity to avoid being rejected.[14:03] - The beauty of unlikely friends. Don’t miss out on who you could meet.[19:01] - Beware of Pride.[23:02] - Corrine and Neil talk about building a healthier perspective of comparison. How does comparison influence the way we view ourselves and our lives?[27:50] - Are you worried about completely being accepted by others?[31:32] - Look for the humanity in others and see them as God sees them. [34:49] - What example are we setting for children when we comment on the life of others?[38:10] - The coolest thing is to show love and appreciation to each other.Supporting Resources:Book by Brene Brown "The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are.""Beware of Pride" Talk by Ezra Taft Benson"Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?" Talk by J. Devn CornishSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's episode is with my good friend Xander Clark, who identifies himself as a recovering drug addict. Xander tells his story of leaving to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints only to come home early after a couple months due to a stomach wound and how that led him to a dependency on pain medication. We address the commonly asked questions of "how do you know if you're an addict?" and "why continue to call yourself an addict once you've found recovery?".Time Stamps:[00:36] - Xander Clark talks about a mission trip which led to him needing surgery. What happened?[05:28] - Xander explains what he felt when coming home from the mission trip.[09:18] - Neil and Xander discuss the cultural aspect of mission trips within the community. How did these expectations impact Xander?[13:25] - How did Xander end up at AA meetings?[19:01] - “I feel so blessed.”[21:24] - Looking back, when did Xander first realize he had an addiction?[27:21] - How does someone know they’re an addict?[32:08] - Xander explains why he continues to refer to himself as an addict.[39:20] - Neil and Xander talk about navigating life with an addiction and staying mindful of what they expose themselves to.[44:40] - What if someone is in denial about their addiction?[49:05] - Xander offers his advice for starting a journey to sustainable recovery.[55:16] - “Don’t give up hope. Keep trying and keep coming back.”Supporting Resources:Alcoholics Anonymous quiz "Is AA for you?" Signs you or a loved one my have a drug addictionSexaholics Anonymous quiz "Test yourself" Find an ARP meeting near you Xander's InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mandie Rudd-Sherman is a 33 year old woman living with cystic fibrosis. She has been married for 9 years, has one 7 year-old-son and is expecting a baby girl via gestational surrogacy this summer. She loves exercise, podcasts, reading and skiing with her boys.Mandie is a respiratory therapist, public speaker and advocate. She educates on her life story living with CF and provides awareness for chronic illness on social media platforms. On a personal note, Mandie and I have been friends for almost 12 years now, and I'm so excited to share her light with everyone today! Her story of resilience and determination has inspired me over and over, and I'm also so grateful she's willing to open up and share and educate us today about her journey with gestational surrogacy.Time Stamps:[00:52] - Mandie Rudd-Sherman’s family will welcome a wonderful gift in June.[02:54] - What is cystic fibrosis?[09:13] - Mandie shares her pregnancy journey and becoming a parent. What decisions did she need to make?[16:55] - Why did Mandie choose to have another baby via gestational surrogacy?[22:02] - Mandie recalls the miracles that came together during this new pregnancy journey.[28:44] - This new medication is improving how Mandie manages cystic fibrosis.[33:53] - Mandie says she learned about communication during this pregnancy journey via gestational surrogacy.[39:04] - Mandie and her family are prepping for the baby on the way.[41:44] - What is Mandie’s advice for families considering gestational surrogacy? [47:11] - “A smile can change somebody’s day.”Supporting Resources:Mandie's InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Julie Taylor is a writer, creator, and consultant for over a decade. To me, she's a positive cheerleader and realist and someone whose light is continually brightening my experience on social media with her hilarious reels and deeply thought-provoking shares. Julie's only agenda is to help you do you and feel good while doing it! All of her work has one common goal: to help alleviate the suffering of women by helping them believe that they are inherently good. Because it's more fun to believe!Time Stamps:[00:39] - Julie Taylor tends to change her mind a lot, but no matter what, she’s always inspiring people.[02:27] - Where did the phrase, “It’s more fun to believe” come from?[04:32] - Julie recalls going through postpartum depression during her first and second pregnancies.[08:25] - How did Julie approach her third pregnancy?[11:26] - Julie offers advice to anyone going through a faith-crisis or faith transition in hard times.[15:20] - You have a choice, and it’s a choice every time.[18:17] - “My personal peace is better.”[22:29] - Julie wants women to understand that they are inherently good.[25:57] - “We’re all inherently good.”[29:36] - What does Julie think about the phrase “toxic positivity” being popular these days?[33:55] - Life is a balance of hard things and joy.[36:56] - Why is it important to do what you say you’re going to do?[40:28] - Have faith in yourself and others.Supporting Resources:Julie's Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever heard people talking about codependency, or maybe you've seen it referenced in an article or a book or even a movie at some point and then wondered, "Wait, I wonder if that's me? Am I codependent?" If you've ever wondered this, and especially if you have loved ones who have addictions or even seem to have a lot of chaos that cause you heartache or heartburn, then today's episode is just for you. We're going to tell our stories of discovering codependency within ourselves, how it might be manifesting in your life, and some of the things you can start doing to overcome it.Time Stamps:[00:40] - “It’s fine to change your mind.”[02:34] - What is codependency?[04:54] - Corrine explains how codependency feels when experiencing the push and pull of emotions.[10:31] - Take your power back and honor your choices outside of what others think.[12:56] - Neil explains his experience of the ways codependency shows up alongside addiction.[17:21] - Corrine and Neil talk about the difference between codependency and compassion.[23:03] - What happened when Corrine and Neil first started working on their codependency?[28:58] - You can care, but it’s not your responsibility to make someone else feel better.[36:03] - True recovery allows room for self-discovery.[43:19] - You have the power to choose peace for yourself instead of waiting for permission.Supporting Resources:"Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself" Book by Melody BeetieSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Jones and his wife Natalie live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are the parents of 4 children and grandparents of two. Chris is a fiercely creative entrepreneur who builds businesses and products that build people. He's a prolific writer whose work has been widely recognized as unflinchingly authentic, insightful, and an invitation to live a more examined life. Chris's work has since gained international attention as a place to journey into the often-misunderstood world of grief, healing, and the pursuit of meaning My interview with Chris today is all about grief, healing and trauma, something nobody wants to be an expert in from experience, but he's been through the trenches with after losing his 10 year old son Mitchell to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2013. Chris wrote,"Among the recurring themes of Mitchell's Journey are discussions of faith, making sense of sorrow, and reflections on love and loss. I suppose one could add to those themes the singularity of grief, that after all is said and done, the journey of grief is traveled by one." His perspective on loss and suffering is one that touched me deeply when Neil and I met him in Hawaii last year at a personal development retreat.We also talk about Chris's work called A Thousand Points of Light - the idea that we all have points of light in our lives, even in our darkest moments, and they often intersect with the people around us without us even knowing.I always learn so much from Chris and I'm really excited and grateful to share his wisdom and life experiences with you today too.Time Stamps:[01:41] - Chris Jones speaks about his son Mitchell and having a reoccurring impression that something is coming.[07:38] - What did Chris do to start his healing journey?[12:08] - How can someone mourn with others who mourn?[15:57] - What is A Thousand Points of Light?[24:35] - Chris shares his view on learning from trauma and how he redefines what role trauma plays in life. [30:53] - How can we carry grief as time moves on?[34:30] - “There are things we can do to exercise our minds and our hearts to become stronger.”[37:38] - Are you being kind to yourself? Are you being kind to others?Supporting Resources:Facebook: Mitchell's Journey Mitchell's Journey website A Thousand Points of Light website "A Thousand Points of Light: In Search of Tender Mercies" VideoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 years ago, I went to the Bountiful Temple for the first time to receive my own endowment (which is another word for gift). This ordinance or sacred work is something members of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often do once they reach adulthood or are preparing to serve as a full-time missionary or before they're married in our temple. I had an exceptional experience preparing to go to the temple. At the time, in Huntington Beach where I was living and attending church weekly, I not only completed the temple prep class that many members take, even to this day, to prepare for temple worship. But I also took a 3 hour temple orientation class at a man's home whose name I still don't know to this day, but that preparation changed my entire experience. He shared with me scripture after scripture of evidences that God has and always will work in patterns, and that what I was about to experience in the temple was exactly the same kind of thing God has been doing to teach men and women since the beginning of time. For years following this experience, I've talked with my dad about how impactful this training was, and we've had many discussions about how incredible the scripture and gospel teachings were that I learned that day in conjunction with the temple. My dad has served in many church leadership callings including multiple bishoprics, as a member of the Mission Presidency for the Spain Barcelona mission from January 2020 - July 2021, and now serving as a bishop of a young single adult ward in North Salt Lake. So finally after many years of wanting to put something together that could be shared with others who are also preparing to enter the temple, we recorded this episode sharing these scriptural teachings. I hope that even if you are not a member of our church or aren't necessarily attending the temple right away, that this episode helps give you context as to what we do inside our temples and why they're so very important to us, and my personal favorite place on earth.Current and upcoming temple open house events https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/open-houses?lang=engWhat goes on inside of temples; covenants, clothing, ordinances, and what it looks like inside. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples?lang=eng"What Are the Five Covenants Made in the Temple Endowment?" LDS Living articleLDSliving.com/endowmentcovenantsExample Patterns in Scriptures of Temple Symbolism, Rituals, and Instruction We go to the temple to dwell in the presence of God (Isaiah 2:2-3; Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45) . By going to the temple, He will (a) teach us of His ways; and (b) we will walk in His paths. Examples: Enoch (Moses 7:2-4)(sees Lord; sees history of the world) Brother of Jared (Ether 3:13, 25)(sees Jesus; sees all inhabitants and ends of the earth) Moses (Moses 1:1-2, 3-4)(sees God and talked with Him; shows him workmanship of His hands - the creation) Nephi (1 Nephi 11:1-6, 11)(Sees Spirit of the Lord; sees history from Jesus’ birth to end) Patterns of Places of worship Tabernacle (Exodus 40): Court/courtyard (telestial) Tent/tabernacle/temple (terrestrial) Veil (must pass through to get to the holiest place) Holy of Holies - ark of the covenant (celestial) Mt Sinai:  Israel remained at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Exo 19:17, 21, 23) Aaron & Sons & 70 elders went part way up (Exo 19: 24; 24:1) Moses went up to the top to the Lord (Exo 19:20; 24:2) Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-46): 8 Apostles - edge – 8 witnesses (telestial)(Matt 26:36) Peter, James, & John - part way – 3 witnesses (terrestrial)(Matt 26:37) Jesus - alone - Testator (Matt 26:39) (Heb 9:16-17) 3. Examples of temple rituals and symbolism taught in scriptures: Washings - lavar for washings (Exodus 40:7, 11-12, 30-32; Leviticus 16:4) Anointing with oil (Exodus 40:9, 15) Holy garments (Exodus 28:42; 40:13) Veil (Exodus 40:3, 21-22, 26; Hebrews 10:19-20) Temple clothing (Exodus 28; Leviticus 16:3-4) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nicole Parker is a former Special Agent (SA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (also known as the FBI). She served in Miami from January 2011 through October 2022, and for the first four years she worked securities fraud cases - investigating multi-million-dollar Ponzi schemes, money laundering, embezzlements, and more.In January 2015, she transferred to violent crime, where she worked a myriad of high-profile cases including the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida; the 2017 Fort Lauderdale airport shooting; bank robberies; murders for hire; suspicious deaths; sexual assaults; extortions; and more. Nicole was the only female Special Agent on the FBl's number one ranked violent crime fugitive task force in the United States.Prior to her FBI career, Nicole worked at a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund in LA, and at Bank of America securities in New York, as a VP in their prime brokerage unit. But after living through the life-changing event of working in Manhattan's World Financial Center on September 11, 2001, and witnessing firsthand the World Trade Center attack, she vowed to find a significant way to give back to her country. Before the decade was up, she left the lucrative finance industry and applied to be a special agent for the FBI.Today Nicole and I talk about her experiences, including September 11 and working in theFBI, seeing light amidst darkness, and sharing her opinion on what we can do in response to the tragedies that surround us in the world as good continues to fight evil.Time Stamps:[01:34] - Nicole Parker hopes to spread light, truth, and hope.[03:56] - Nicole recalls the events of 9/11 while working close by the World Trade Center.[08:25] - “I knew that there was something more.”[10:22] - How did Nicole keep going even during difficult times in her FBI experience?[15:21] - Despite the darkness of the world, there are so many people who are trying to help and bring light.[19:22] - “We realized we were going to need each other.”[24:21] - There are people who are placed in your life for a reason.[27:47] - Every step of the way is a guided step if you pay attention.[31:50] - “You have amazing things in store for you.”[36:37] - Nicole offers her thoughts about school shootings.[40:59] - Is there any way to notice signs before tragedies happen?[45:01] - Nicole talks about law enforcement, security systems, and security procedures during public shootings.[49:27] - Nicole shares tips for what parents can do to prepare for and respond to school shootings.[54:00] - “Live life fearlessly.”Supporting Resources:Nicole Parker's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nicoleparkerusa/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.