Choosing the Right

Graduation is nearing.

It is that time of year when high school and college are coming to a close and graduation is coming.  This is a day that so special for those involved.  Graduation is an exciting time for students!  It is a time of introspection but more importantly a time when a new flame is added to their fire of life.

No longer are these students merely impressionable children, but impressionable adults with the ability to change the world for good.  They are adults with dreams and goals to start a new chapter in their book of life.

Feed their dreams!

Feed those dreams!  Of course,  you want nothing more than for your graduate to succeed in the harsh world.  Your desire for them is strong and you do not want to thwart their progress and dreams.  At such an important time in their lives, the future leaders of our world need more than just a pat on the back and a little encouragement.  They need to know you are behind them all the way, that you care for and love them and that you want them to succeed.

You can be assured he or she will know of your love with the right gift.

You have worked tirelessly to make the world accessible for your child and now, he or she is ready to take on that world after graduation.  This is a big and exciting step and you want to make it as enjoyable and easy as possible.  You want to get a gift that will express your love and that they will enjoy.

CTR rings make perfect graduation gifts.

And you can get the perfect tungsten CTR ring for your graduate!  There are many styles and finishes to choose from and your graduate will love it.  A tungsten CTR ring is something they can take with them when they take that next vital step in creating their new adult life.

Get your graduate a tungsten CTR ring.  They will love you and love their tungsten CTR ring.

I was squatting in the backyard of a neighbor I had never met, pulling weeds, in the pouring rain, when it hit me. I need to pull the weeds out of my life. You see, I was weeding in a yard that had been neglected for well over a year. The weeds were deep, with strong roots. I pulled and dug and even broke a nail! But I was determined to get those pesky weeds out of the yard and to make a beautiful environment for my new neighbor.

Right there in the rain, I had the thought, “You have some deep weeds in your life. When was the last time you weeded your spiritual garden?” You know what? It’s been awhile. Sometimes, we get complacent in life. We let the little things slide; we forget the small things that make a big difference. Sometimes, I forget to be nice, to be grateful to a loving Heavenly Father. In essence, I forget to choose the right everyday.

I went right home with dirt still under my finger nails and mud on my shoes and made a list. I listed all of the things in my life I could change to be better, to become more. It was a pretty long list! My spiritual garden has been neglected for awhile. It’s time for a clean slate.

When was the last time you did some spiritual weeding? I challenge you to sit down today and take a look at your landscape. If you have some weeds with strong roots, begin today to pull them up. If the weeds are just beginning to crowd out the flowers, take care of them now, before they become pests!

I think an excellent way to keep our gardens clean is to wear a CTR ring. My Tungsten CTR ring is so strong and beautiful. I can’t help but to be inspired when I look down at my hands and see my ring. Try one for yourself to see what a difference a Tungsten CTR ring can make in your life.

Traditions are an interesting thing. A couple of years ago, I started a tradition in our family. It’s called Summer O’ Fun. Originally, it was just meant as a way to have fun during the summer with our family, without spending a lot of money. I thought we’d do a couple of things like go on a picnic or maybe a hike and that would be it. But I was determined to have some fun. At first, my family was reluctant. But with each activity, they all started to get into the spirit a little bit more. Now, two years later, my dad actually asks me what the Summer O’ Fun plans are. We start our planning at Christmas!

Are Your Traditions Righteous?

Now that summer is coming up, I’ve been thinking about Summer O’ Fun…specifically, traditions. I love traditions, especially righteous traditions. What kind of traditions do we, as families, have? Some traditions have been passed down for many generations. Others are brand new. Are our traditions what we want them to be? Do our traditions lead us to act righteously and choose the right?

Pattern for Righteousness

We have been given a pattern in the scriptures for forming traditions. Mosiah 5:15 tells us, “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works.” This is such a wonderful pattern for us to follow! As traditions are kept and created over time, we repeat righteous actions. When we are “steadfast and immoveable” we learn to choose the right in all that we do.

CTR Rings as Traditions

I think a fabulous family tradition is to wear CTR rings. A CTR ring reminds each of us of what we know is true. It reminds us to stay true to the righteous traditions of our fathers. We will stay good and true for the future generations.

Continuing Legacies

Legacies passed from family to family, sweet memories made for generations. That’s what righteous traditions are. I hope Summer O’ Fun will continue for many years. I have visions of my nephews planning Summer O’ Fun with their children some day.

I’ve got Green Day, the band, on the mind. Over and over for the past few days I’ve had the song Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) in my head. More specifically, the line:

“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right,
I hope you have the time of your life.” – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day

It’s Something Unpredictable

Life is unpredictable. We don’t know where we’ll end up and sometimes we don’t even know how we got started. There are ups and downs; happy days and down right terrible days. Sometimes, we wonder what it’s all about.

But In the End It’s Right

And then, one of those defining moments comes along. One of those times when you know all is good, that you’ve tried your best, and you have no regrets. One of those moments when everything, if even for just a small amount of time, is absolutely clear. You are certain. You are strong. You are headed down the correct path. When all the chaos of this life gets out of hand, it’s these defining moments that let us know that, “in the in it’s right.” It is then that I realize I’ve lived life the best that I know how.

The Time of My Life

There are still plenty of things to learn and I have a lifetime yet to discover all the wonderful stuff in store. And I can’t help but think, even though my life has turned out differently than I ever planned, I certainly am having the time of my life.

Continuing the Journey

If there’s one thing I can do as I continue to live this journey we call life, it’s to choose the right. When I choose the right, I can live my life to the fullest. I don’t have to worry about regrets, because I’m making the decisions that are un-regrettable. As I have “the time of my life” I’m going to continue to wear my CTR ring. My CTR ring will help me to stay on the path I need to be on. It will help me become the woman I know I need to be.

I think Green Day got it right.

Yesterday, as I sat through the Mother’s Day Sacrament meeting, I had an epiphany. It was a typical Mother’s Day meeting. Beautiful talks about mothers, singing “Love at Home,” and of course, the obligatory Mother’s Day geranium. As I sat there in the meeting, it suddenly hit me…mothers come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are birth mothers, raising children from Day 1 and on. Others are incredible aunts and grandmothers. Some are women still waiting for the chance to raise children in this life. And then there are the teachers. Those at school and at church that teach our children to choose the right. It hit me yesterday that teachers are mothers, no matter their station in life. It’s the teacher’s job to reinforce the values and good that are taught in the home. It’s the teacher that has a huge impact on the life of a young one.

Teach the Children Well

As I had this thought about teachers being mothers, it made me reflect on my own influence as a teacher. Am I teaching the young women in my ward to choose the right? Am I teaching them to stand for what they know is true, even if they stand alone? I thought about this all day and truly wondered if I’m making a difference and if I’m teaching these girls, at such an impressionable stage of life, to do good…to choose good.

Teach to Choose the Right by Example

As I reflected and thought about my own influence in this life, I decided the best thing I could do to help the young women in my ward was to teach them to choose the right through example. I came up with the following ideas:

1. Wear a CTR ring. It sounds simple, right? But wearing a CTR ring will help me to make good choices. If I’m choosing right and doing what I know I should be doing, then I’ll never be caught in a situation I shouldn’t be in. If the girls see me wearing my CTR ring, maybe they will want to wear one too.
2. Walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I have to do what I tell the girls to do. If I teach the girls to read their scriptures daily, I better be opening up those scriptures every single day. If I am teaching to pray to our loving Heavenly Father, I better be on my knees.
3. Ask for help. When it comes to “mothering,” I have to remember it’s OK to ask for help. If I’m concerned about a particular young woman, ask the other leaders for advice. If I want to know if I’m on the right path teaching them, ask our Heavenly Father.

Choose Tungsten CTR Rings

If you really want to show how to choose the right by being an example, choose the best CTR ring. Tungsten CTR rings will never lose their shine…they won’t bend…they won’t scratch. Just like your values, Tungsten CTR rings are true and strong!