North Star Conference 2023

This was our second year of going to the North Star Conference.  We were only able to go to one day of the conference but we did make a date out of it by going up early Friday night and going to The Leonardo Museum, a cat cafe', dinner, and then stay in the hotel that the conference was being held at.

Here David and I are under one of the exibits.  I think David enjoyed the museum more than I did.  I have never really been that into most art pieces.  Though I do appreciate art in things that I love.  I just don't seem to have the imagination to go outside of that.  I love art in the sense of music or dance!

Tinker's Cat Cafe' was way too warm in the building than my liking.  It was so hot I literally had sweat running down my face.  But that is all I could complain about.  The cats there were from the local animal shelter so this cafe' was helping with getting the cats adopted as well as selling their drinks.  What a wonderful idea and cause!

 We woke up late this morning, unfortunately, and missed the first speaker of Saturday's conference (whom I was really looking forward to speak) but that is ok because the classes we went to were amazing!  I wanted to record some of my favorite things I learned so that I have the notes to look back on one day.

Dr. Christy Kane, PSYD, CMHC

-Trauma is not about the event.  It's about how you record it in the brain.

-She did a study on 8 hugs for 8 seconds a day.  It lowers your stress index, anxiety, and depression.

-Our emotions are never a wrong thing to experience so stop feeling quilty about them when we think of others who seem to have "gone through worse things."  

Vaughn Armstrong

-His bishop once told him, while going through the repentance process, "Don't put more limitations on yourself than I do."

Russ Gaede

-Love is understanding (and the only way you can understand someone is if you are truly listening to them) but understanding is not always agreeing.  

-Join our children where they are at:  Genesis 3:7-10  When the Lord found Adam and Eve naked, after they had partaken of the the forbidden fruit, He did not give up on them and stop loving them.  Instead He joined them where they were by clothing them (vs. 21) and continued to be a presence in their lives.  You can join your LGBTQ+ family members and friends where they are and still be strong in the Gospel!

Dana Huddrik

-Matthew 22: 36-40  Christ made it clear that the greatest commandment was to love God and that second was to love our neighbors.  But in verse 40 He states something that is very important in how we treat all other commandments, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  If we have children or loved ones who don't align with the commandments, we love!  

-You are the only one who can cut the string between you and the other person in a relationship.  Even if they seem to have done so, you do not have to give up.

-It is ok to grieve the loss of your expectations.

-When Alma the elder was praying for his son, he didn't pray that for him to change (like some parents might pray for their children not to have same sex attractions anymore or gender dysphoria), he prayed that he would come to the knowledge of the truth.  We should do the same.  

-For those who fear that if we don't set a loved one straight about LGBTQ+ issues that we will be held responsible for their actions, remember that beating someone over the head with doctrine never brought someone back to the gospel.  Besides, they were raised in the Gospel and have been taught since a young age what the commandments are.  They already know!

Jeni Davis

-When worried about your LGBTQ+ family members, focus on family time.  Focus on the now because the Savior has got you covered for the eternities!  

I wanted to end it on a concept that Vaughn Armstrong was trying to get across in his class.  He was addressing body issues within the LGTBQ+ community but it was not lost on me that Heavenly Father wanted me to know this for myself as well.  Learning to be comfortable in our own bodies, in all their inperfections, is a desire that Heavenly Fathers wants for us.  Hyrum took this picture of me yesterday and when I looked at it, I immediately saw all my imperfections, both in and outside of the picture.  But the things taught about the importance of us loving our bodies in Vaughn's class is still with me as I'm now looking at this picture, and myself in this moment without make up on or my hair fixed, a little differenly now.