I saw someone upset yesterday about...wait for it..."prayer-shaming" on Facebook.
We have officially gone over the edge of reason.
We are now free-falling as a nation into the utter abyss of "beyond ridiculous."
See, the offense being taken is caused by someone else suggesting that thoughts and prayers are USELESS in times of horror and unspeakable tragedy.
"How dare you tell me not to say that my prayers are with the victims!" the article cried. "Prayer is all I have!"
"No! Prayer is useless. It's a stupid, archaic practice that yields zero results!" the retort is.
Well. I think it's inexcusable to create divisiveness over people's lives--lives that were lost, and the loved ones they left behind, damaged.
Stop it. Everyone just stop.
Let's do this instead:
Let's pray.
Let's pray with our whole hearts.
Yes, let's pray for the victims' families, who's hearts will never heal.
Let's pray for our leaders and law enforcement, and military that they can be protected, led, and that they will be strong, honest women and men.
Then, let's pray like we've never prayed before to be LED to ACTION.
It is not enough to pray.
Scripturally, we know this is true.
Moroni 7:48 demands, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."
Pray with everything we have in us not just for others, but that we can be the ANSWER to someone else's prayer.
How can we as followers of Jesus Christ BE the change? We must work at it.
We must give until we can't give anymore.
We must put more energy into healing than hurting.
Know your neighbors. Meet them, befriend them, truly care about them.
Assume the BEST in people. Yes, they may hurt you, but don't let that stop you.
Help the person on the street. Buy them a sandwich, give them a dollar.
VOTE! Vote your conscience.
Smile at people.
Be kind to cashiers, public service workers, nurses, police, everyone you meet.
Get past your own prejudices. Pray that you can be shown your own ignorance and then make an honest effort to erase it. Let Christ make you a better person.
Pay tithes and offerings.
Give to charities doing honest, important work.
Teach your children to love others with all the energy that they possess.
Show them how through your own service to them, and to others.
Love people with more than your words. Love them in action.
Get out of yourself, your own busyness, and help.
Practice the "Thumper rule" in real life and on social media. (What's the Thumper rule? "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all.")
Don't engage in petty, online contests of who is the most correct, politically, socially or religiously. Just don't do it.
I'm fairly convinced that if we truly practice what we preach, we can heal people, even those not of our own faith.
The more that we LIVE what we BELIEVE then the more kindness there will be in the world.
No, we can not solve the world's problems exclusively through living the truth we know, but my goodness, what if you could prevent someones pain? Even just a little bit? Wouldn't you do it, if you knew it would help someone?
I am far from perfect at these things. But I'm trying to live the gospel. Actually LIVE it.
I think one of the things that bothers non-Christians about us is that we can sometimes come across as "all talk" with no action to back it up. So, while we SAY "Love one another" we appear (despite our best intentions) to not be doing that.
In fact, Isaiah warned of this very thing millenia ago.
"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with the lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me..." Isaiah 29:13.
We are all hypocrites by nature. We sin constantly even though we know better, right?
But! Let's try a little harder to be a little less hypocritical. We need kindness and love in the world as badly as we need air.
Thomas S. Monson taught, "Actually, love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love."
Christ as our perfect brother, taught us how to be through his words AND his deeds.
So, let's pray with all the energy of our hearts, and then let's GET TO WORK to make the world better.
No, you may not prevent a deranged madman's crimes, but you might.
You just actually might.
Showing posts with label GA quote. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GA quote. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
#IamaChristian
If someone pointed a gun at my face and asked me to live as a liar or die as a follower, what would I do?
What would YOU do?
The news has glossed over the heinousness that was the massacre at UCC in Oregon last week. The fact that the shooter asked his victims if they were Christians or not is a HUGE deal. It is THE BIGGEST DEAL of the thing; not the talking points the media touted. No, not gun control or mental health. Not even the hero who charged the killer, is the BIGGEST DEAL in all of this. *Chris Mintz IS a hero.*
No, the fact that people were martyred is the biggest deal. The fact that these folks looked right in the face of Satan, and told the truth, matters.
It matters because Christ is the biggest deal there is, and for HIM I would give my life.
For HIM these folks stood tall.
For Him I would face down the barrel of gun, knowing it was about to take me away from my family in this life.
For He did it for me already.
And you.
Therefore, as we ponderize on the new lessons and old ones refreshed from conference this past weekend, let us make sure that we are strongly and permanently anchored in Christ. Let's recommit to stand as a witness of God in all times and in all places that we are in, so that no one can doubt we know His name.
Let's pray for our country, for the Lord to protect us all. Let's pray for courage to keep on even when it's hard.
And ultimately, let's make sure that Jesus knows He's our core and center, through how we live and treat others.
Monday, March 24, 2014
When God is Silent
Psalm 143:1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
Have you ever felt that your prayers were literally going unanswered? Despite your pleas, despite your faith, and righteous desire, you still do not hear or feel the inspiration, the answer that you feel you need? That you deserve?
I have been wrestling with this exact issue in my life of late.
I wanted an answer gosh darn it. Frankly, with the current trial, I wanted a bunch of answers.
And so I turned to scriptures, to prayer, to music, to all sorts of gospel mediums to try and seek the pathway we (as in myself, my husband and our family) should go.
As I turned my gaze heavenward over and over, it was very quiet.
Much quieter than I wanted.
I wanted some overwhelming conviction of what we were supposed to do.
And yet, the crickets chirped.
Nothing.
For weeks this went on.
WEEKS.
Until, one day, something shifted in my own heart and mind.
It occurred to me that despite study, prayer, etc, I wasn't actually doing my part. I wasn't acting.
"TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" wasn't going to get me anywhere.
Think of the Brother of Jared, when he went to the Lord with very legitimate and big problems, the Lord provided SOME of the answers but He also required the Brother of Jared to do some leg-work too.
Ether 2:25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
What WILL YE that I should prepare...
In other words, "What are you going to do about, Mahonri?"
In this case, God expected His child to use the intellect he had to figure it out.
God can do anything, anything that we ask. Sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says yes.
Sometimes, He says nothing.
Crickets. Nothing.
Richard G. Scott said, "When he withholds an answer, it is to have grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act."
This simple, profound truth can be TERRIFYING.
Just act.
Just do it.
Do what is right, let the consequence follow.
Use prior knowledge, insight, gospel truths and your own intellect to make a choice and move forward.
Scariest thing in the world.
Yet, it is also incredibly freeing, to say, "Lord, I am trying to have faith. I'm going to go ahead with this. Help it all be okay. Help ME be okay with whatever comes."
"Come what may and love it."
So, maybe God is choosing to be silent.
Isn't it amazing?
His silence is proof to you of HIS ultimate faith in YOU. He knows you well enough to know that you will not fail Him.
He trusts in YOU as you trust in Him.
God's silence is His faith in His child.
So have faith in Him as He has faith in you.
You'll find the quiet a lot less terrifying.
Have you ever felt that your prayers were literally going unanswered? Despite your pleas, despite your faith, and righteous desire, you still do not hear or feel the inspiration, the answer that you feel you need? That you deserve?
I have been wrestling with this exact issue in my life of late.
I wanted an answer gosh darn it. Frankly, with the current trial, I wanted a bunch of answers.
And so I turned to scriptures, to prayer, to music, to all sorts of gospel mediums to try and seek the pathway we (as in myself, my husband and our family) should go.
As I turned my gaze heavenward over and over, it was very quiet.
Much quieter than I wanted.
I wanted some overwhelming conviction of what we were supposed to do.
And yet, the crickets chirped.
Nothing.
For weeks this went on.
WEEKS.
Until, one day, something shifted in my own heart and mind.
It occurred to me that despite study, prayer, etc, I wasn't actually doing my part. I wasn't acting.
"TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" wasn't going to get me anywhere.
Think of the Brother of Jared, when he went to the Lord with very legitimate and big problems, the Lord provided SOME of the answers but He also required the Brother of Jared to do some leg-work too.
Ether 2:25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
What WILL YE that I should prepare...
In other words, "What are you going to do about, Mahonri?"
In this case, God expected His child to use the intellect he had to figure it out.
God can do anything, anything that we ask. Sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says yes.
Sometimes, He says nothing.
Crickets. Nothing.
Richard G. Scott said, "When he withholds an answer, it is to have grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act."
This simple, profound truth can be TERRIFYING.
Just act.
Just do it.
Do what is right, let the consequence follow.
Use prior knowledge, insight, gospel truths and your own intellect to make a choice and move forward.
Scariest thing in the world.
Yet, it is also incredibly freeing, to say, "Lord, I am trying to have faith. I'm going to go ahead with this. Help it all be okay. Help ME be okay with whatever comes."
"Come what may and love it."
So, maybe God is choosing to be silent.
Isn't it amazing?
His silence is proof to you of HIS ultimate faith in YOU. He knows you well enough to know that you will not fail Him.
He trusts in YOU as you trust in Him.
God's silence is His faith in His child.
So have faith in Him as He has faith in you.
You'll find the quiet a lot less terrifying.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Joy when Life Stinks
What if you're doing the things you're supposed to be doing, prayers, scriptures, tithing, church, callings, parenting, dishes, laundry, carpool, cooking, fun times as a family, etc etc etc and things still aren't perfect? Or even close to it?
It's hard when you feel like you're earning the GOOD stuff but the BAD stuff is overwhelming you.
I've been in that exact spot.
I've said to my Father in Heaven, "Uh, excuse me, I'm a decent enough person, I work super hard, I feel like my desires are pretty dang righteous, and yet, xyz happened and frankly, I'm offended."
Or perhaps it's not even bad STUFF but maybe you just aren't feeling the radiating joy that everyone is always kind of pushing for in the gospel. You know what I mean, like, "If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, you'll be happy no matter what."
That idea? It's like a THING in LDS culture.
Yeah, what if that is just kind of not working for you? What if you're just kind of surviving?
Then what?
I've got a few different posts in store addressing exactly this issue. Today's mini-solution is gratitude.
Perhaps one of my most favorite quotes of all time is this one by Gordon B. Hinckley,
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”
Why do I love this quote so? Because it basically says that the joy is in the little things.
Every minute of every day is NOT going to be some glee-filled-smile-until-your-face-falls-off kind of minute.
No, most minutes are normal, some quiet, some loud, some messy, some VERY messy, some simple, some complex, some scary, some serene, but MOST of them are just normal.
And within the normal, there are ways to find joy.
President Hinckley says the trick is to thank the Lord for the letting you have the ride. YES YES YES!
An "attitude of gratitude" is essential to finding joy in life. I submit that the most happy people on the planet are those who are grateful to the Lord for the blessings they've been given; the big blessings, sure, but most essentially, the little.
Every single day is a lesson in gratefulness. Today perhaps you can find five things to be thank God for that you've previously overlooked or kind of taken for granted.
What are those things?
Maybe today they are: peanut butter and jelly, anti-depressants, a friend who sends a witty text, matching socks, kids who play nicely for a few minutes, a pizza delivery man, a loaf of homemade bread...
If you can, in the moment, when you realize you're grateful for something, send up a quick prayer heavenward, thanking God for that thing, whatever it may be, big or small, you'll find your heart a little lighter, life a little less heavy. No, it won't make your problems go away. No, it won't make you delirious with joy or anything, but it will allow you, in the times of regular old hard life, to push through, and to recognize the moments of true and deep joy when they come. They are almost always small and simple moments that are the most joyful. And with a grateful heart, you'll see them more often.
Colossians 2:7 says, "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Be built up in Christ, be faithful and be grateful.
There, in the quiet, in the difficult, in the painful, you'll find the light.
It's hard when you feel like you're earning the GOOD stuff but the BAD stuff is overwhelming you.
I've been in that exact spot.
I've said to my Father in Heaven, "Uh, excuse me, I'm a decent enough person, I work super hard, I feel like my desires are pretty dang righteous, and yet, xyz happened and frankly, I'm offended."
Or perhaps it's not even bad STUFF but maybe you just aren't feeling the radiating joy that everyone is always kind of pushing for in the gospel. You know what I mean, like, "If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, you'll be happy no matter what."
That idea? It's like a THING in LDS culture.
Yeah, what if that is just kind of not working for you? What if you're just kind of surviving?
Then what?
I've got a few different posts in store addressing exactly this issue. Today's mini-solution is gratitude.
Perhaps one of my most favorite quotes of all time is this one by Gordon B. Hinckley,
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”
Why do I love this quote so? Because it basically says that the joy is in the little things.
Every minute of every day is NOT going to be some glee-filled-smile-until-your-face-falls-off kind of minute.
No, most minutes are normal, some quiet, some loud, some messy, some VERY messy, some simple, some complex, some scary, some serene, but MOST of them are just normal.
And within the normal, there are ways to find joy.
President Hinckley says the trick is to thank the Lord for the letting you have the ride. YES YES YES!
An "attitude of gratitude" is essential to finding joy in life. I submit that the most happy people on the planet are those who are grateful to the Lord for the blessings they've been given; the big blessings, sure, but most essentially, the little.
Every single day is a lesson in gratefulness. Today perhaps you can find five things to be thank God for that you've previously overlooked or kind of taken for granted.
What are those things?
Maybe today they are: peanut butter and jelly, anti-depressants, a friend who sends a witty text, matching socks, kids who play nicely for a few minutes, a pizza delivery man, a loaf of homemade bread...
If you can, in the moment, when you realize you're grateful for something, send up a quick prayer heavenward, thanking God for that thing, whatever it may be, big or small, you'll find your heart a little lighter, life a little less heavy. No, it won't make your problems go away. No, it won't make you delirious with joy or anything, but it will allow you, in the times of regular old hard life, to push through, and to recognize the moments of true and deep joy when they come. They are almost always small and simple moments that are the most joyful. And with a grateful heart, you'll see them more often.
Colossians 2:7 says, "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Be built up in Christ, be faithful and be grateful.
There, in the quiet, in the difficult, in the painful, you'll find the light.
Monday, November 18, 2013
You Are Loved
So, I've become a bit of an insomniac, not by choice, but a combination of a non-sleeping through the night toddler, among other things really puts a damper on my sleeping. Therefore, rather than sleep, I think,
It's tiring. :)
Recently, I was up and down all night with various sick children, and was thinking as I medicated, rocked and soothed, how a parental love is a type and symbol of God's love for His children.
It's imperfect, the love parent has a for child, but it's still to teach us, to draw us nearer to the love that our Heavenly Parents have for us.
There have been quiet (or not so quiet moments) when I've felt that my heart would burst for the love I have for the small ones with whom I've been entrusted. Any parent can probably testify to the same or similiar experience. The love for your child can cause an actual, physical ache and pain in your body.
Then, magnify that feeling by an infinite amount, and bam, you've got God's love for you.
Not just for "His children" in a very vague general billions and billions over the eons, way.
No.
God is so great, so all-knowing, so perfect and infinite that you are loved NOW, as you are, today, and always, individually, specifically and wholly.
In Exodus, Jehovah tells Moses, "“I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight” (Ex. 33:12)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,
"
Even if you have forgotten God, He has not forgotten you.
Can you even begin to imagine the amazing all-encompassing love that this is? I can't. All I can do it try every single day to be worthy of a love I do not deserve.
Amazingly enough, that is God asks of us. To try a little harder, every single day.
It's tiring. :)
Recently, I was up and down all night with various sick children, and was thinking as I medicated, rocked and soothed, how a parental love is a type and symbol of God's love for His children.
It's imperfect, the love parent has a for child, but it's still to teach us, to draw us nearer to the love that our Heavenly Parents have for us.
There have been quiet (or not so quiet moments) when I've felt that my heart would burst for the love I have for the small ones with whom I've been entrusted. Any parent can probably testify to the same or similiar experience. The love for your child can cause an actual, physical ache and pain in your body.
Then, magnify that feeling by an infinite amount, and bam, you've got God's love for you.
Not just for "His children" in a very vague general billions and billions over the eons, way.
No.
God is so great, so all-knowing, so perfect and infinite that you are loved NOW, as you are, today, and always, individually, specifically and wholly.
In Exodus, Jehovah tells Moses, "“I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight” (Ex. 33:12)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,
"Even if you have forgotten God, He has not forgotten you.
Can you even begin to imagine the amazing all-encompassing love that this is? I can't. All I can do it try every single day to be worthy of a love I do not deserve.
Amazingly enough, that is God asks of us. To try a little harder, every single day.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
If the Savior Stood Beside Me...
I'm the Primary Music Leader in our ward, and it's a wonderful amazing calling. I've learned SO much over the last nine months. One of the things I continue to be reminded of is the power and testimony that exist in sacred music.
Our Primary Program is in a few weeks so we've been hitting the songs particularly hard in preparation. One that isn't in the primary book but is included in this year's program is a song called "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" by Sally DeFord.
Throughout the year, I can't tell you how many times the words from this song have come back to remind me to be better.
If the Savior stood beside me
would I do the things I do?
Would of think of His commandments
and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example?
Would I live more righteously
if i could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me
would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind
if He were never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more reverently
if I could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me?
He is always near me
though I do not see him there.
And because He loves me dearly
I am in His watchful care.
So I'll be the kind of person
that I know I'd like to be
if I could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me.
(see more verses HERE)
Over and over again, I fail at this. Over and over, I'd be utterly ashamed if I had Jesus at my side, when I'm unkind to my kids, when I fail to think before I speak, when I just make BAD choices.
My own personal behavior would be 110% different. My patience level would be raised, the tone of my voice would be lowered. I'd be far less likely to snap at a child or be short with my husband if Jesus was sitting on the couch, observing my days.
Al Fox Carraway (she's super cool, get to know her) recently posted a YouTube video about a day she carried a picture of Christ with her everywhere, not in her purse, not in her pocket, but in her hand. She said it made quite a difference in the way she thought and acted.
If I didn't have to wrangle 156 children everywhere I go, I'd do the same. Just to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUv5n2Lh5vw
( I can not for the life of me get this to embed! ARG!)
Here is the issue, friends, as true believers in Christ, we KNOW that he is INDEED watching our every move. Every sin and weakness that He paid the price for is on display for Him to see.
And that truth is on my mind a lot. The fact is that I'm a hypocrite, saying one thing and then doing another. Aren't we all?
Elder Uchtdorf said, "If you define hypocrite as someone who fails to live up perfectly to what he or she believes, then we are all hypocrites. None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."
YES! We are. But, so long as we are EARNEST in our attempts, and desires to be better, then we are on the right path. So, even though Jesus sees and knows all that we do, more than Him being present here in our physical space, He is present in our minds and in our hearts. He knows what we are truly trying to be.
I know that this sweet little primary song teaches a true principle: that when we are striving to be as Jesus wishes us to be, we will be better, kinder, more patient, more gentle and meek. I promise you it's true.
Christ is in our lives and in the details of every single day.
So, keep trying friends to do and say the things you would if the Savior stood beside you.
Our Primary Program is in a few weeks so we've been hitting the songs particularly hard in preparation. One that isn't in the primary book but is included in this year's program is a song called "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" by Sally DeFord.
Throughout the year, I can't tell you how many times the words from this song have come back to remind me to be better.
If the Savior stood beside me
would I do the things I do?
Would of think of His commandments
and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example?
Would I live more righteously
if i could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me
would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind
if He were never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more reverently
if I could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me?
He is always near me
though I do not see him there.
And because He loves me dearly
I am in His watchful care.
So I'll be the kind of person
that I know I'd like to be
if I could see the Savior standing
nigh watching over me.
(see more verses HERE)
Over and over again, I fail at this. Over and over, I'd be utterly ashamed if I had Jesus at my side, when I'm unkind to my kids, when I fail to think before I speak, when I just make BAD choices.
My own personal behavior would be 110% different. My patience level would be raised, the tone of my voice would be lowered. I'd be far less likely to snap at a child or be short with my husband if Jesus was sitting on the couch, observing my days.
Al Fox Carraway (she's super cool, get to know her) recently posted a YouTube video about a day she carried a picture of Christ with her everywhere, not in her purse, not in her pocket, but in her hand. She said it made quite a difference in the way she thought and acted.
If I didn't have to wrangle 156 children everywhere I go, I'd do the same. Just to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUv5n2Lh5vw
( I can not for the life of me get this to embed! ARG!)
Here is the issue, friends, as true believers in Christ, we KNOW that he is INDEED watching our every move. Every sin and weakness that He paid the price for is on display for Him to see.
And that truth is on my mind a lot. The fact is that I'm a hypocrite, saying one thing and then doing another. Aren't we all?
Elder Uchtdorf said, "If you define hypocrite as someone who fails to live up perfectly to what he or she believes, then we are all hypocrites. None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."
YES! We are. But, so long as we are EARNEST in our attempts, and desires to be better, then we are on the right path. So, even though Jesus sees and knows all that we do, more than Him being present here in our physical space, He is present in our minds and in our hearts. He knows what we are truly trying to be.
I know that this sweet little primary song teaches a true principle: that when we are striving to be as Jesus wishes us to be, we will be better, kinder, more patient, more gentle and meek. I promise you it's true.
Christ is in our lives and in the details of every single day.
So, keep trying friends to do and say the things you would if the Savior stood beside you.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Once Upon A Time
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A couple years ago, I was feeling the pinch that comes with being "just a stay at home mom". The kids were abundant, the money was tight, and so we decided to have me stop working and stay home. Up until that point I had always worked in one fashion or another, most recently running my own very successful business as a birth doula.
I was sort of a fish out of water. I didn't know my purpose, beyond, you know, keeping everyone alive. I felt sort of stunted too. I was this PERSON who was no longer doing anything that in the eyes of the world equated value because my bank account registered zero.
I was a bit a lost.
So, I really had to soul-search, to find what it was that I wanted out of this new gig I'd been gifted. Yes, utmostly (is that a word?) I wanted happy, healthy, productive children. Of course. But there is more to it than just the kids.
I wrote, as an answer, a personal Manifesto. It outlines what I believe I am, and what I believe I want to be doing with my life.
I still look back and refer to it on occasion, though I remember it in detail.
More importantly though, I'm living it.
Do you have a manifesto? Whether written or implied, who are you? What do you want with your life?
Are you living your manifesto?
Are you learning and growing?
My mother is SUCH an incredible example of someone who lives her "Once Upon A Time" while working for her "Happily Ever After:" As a child, I watched her learn, grow, and teach us the same. She taught herself Greek and Hebrew, she sewed, cooked meal after meal, served tirelessly in callings, at the schools, taxied us, and on and on. She was and is amazing at living her "Once Upon A Time" As we've grown and reluctantly left the nest, she has continued to make her life HERS, while living FOR CHRIST.
It is a talent I try to develop.
You only get this one chance.
Just one.
And yes, the days can be terribly boring, dirty, gritty and exhausting, no matter your chosen profession, but are you still seeking the good in all things?
Don't ever stop reaching for light, growth, and to attempt to get a bit closer to that PERFECTION that Christ has in store for you.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
When All is Said and Done
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| VIA |
I've been reading through conference talks... it was so good wasn't it?
I want to share with you what Sister Linda K. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency said during the Relief Society General Broadcast.
I want to touch upon another way that can instill us with confidence and faith. We sometimes, as women, have a tendency to be very critical of ourselves. During these times we need to seek the Spirit and ask, “Is this what the Lord wants me to think about myself, or is Satan trying to beat me down?” Remember the nature of our Heavenly Father, whose love is perfect and infinite.6 He wants to build us up, not tear us down.
As members of the Church, we may sometimes feel that we need to be part of a “perfect LDS family” in order to be accepted by the Lord. We often feel “less-than” or like misfits in the kingdom if we feel we do not fit that picture. Dear sisters, when all is said and done, what will matter to our Father in Heaven will be how well we have kept our covenants and how much we have tried to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love this quote. This quote perfectly sums up what my goal with this whole project is: To help people understand that the atonement of Jesus Christ allows for us to be accepted, even with our imperfections. Through His sacrifice, we are made clean, and deemed worthy through His grace.
Never allow Satan to make you feel like you don't belong, that you aren't good enough. YOU are His, a daughter of the Most High.
That is more than enough.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Blessings WILL Come
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| Via |
Do you ever feel like you're just not getting what you need from Heaven? There have been times in my life when I have felt confused, scared, worried, and utterly inept.
It didn't help that when I prayed, I felt like the blessings I needed weren't coming.
When I was very nearly due with my fifth baby, I just wanted to be DONE. I prayed that she'd come. She didn't. All of my kidlets come at 39 weeks 5 or 6 days. Always. Every time.
I didn't want to wait. I wanted her OUT and I wanted it NOW. I started this line of thinking at oh, 37 weeks.
But, I waited. I prayed. I cried. I walked. I walked. I walked.
And when she came, perfect, healthy, and whole at 5 o'clock in the morning at 39 weeks 6 days, JUST LIKE THEM ALL, I was reminded:
Blessings come to us when God knows it's time. NOT when we do.
Elder Holland so eloquently reminded us if this in April 2013 conference.
Sometimes we get exactly what we wanted, like a kid on Christmas morning.
But... our Heavenly Parents know us better than we know ourselves. Sometimes this means we get DIFFERENT blessings than we think we need.
And when we're trying our hardest, and sometimes, even when we're just barely scraping by, the Heavens open in ways and means we couldn't have imagined.
What is in your heart today? What are you praying fervently for? Don't give up. Pray that God's will, which is perfect, will be done in your life. Have faith that all HE wants for you is goodness. It will come.
It will come.
Doctrine and Covenants 104:2
With promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings;
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
How To Draw Nearer to Christ: Accept His Grace
John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
I love this verse. It is beautiful to me. It sums up, in perfect simplicity the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
He died so we can live.
It is only through His grace and mercy that we can be saved.
There is nothing in this world or the next that I can do, to have everlasting life, without Jesus.
Once I started to really embrace that truth, I began to feel closer to my friend, Jesus.
You see, in the LDS world, we work hard. Work is good, and we should be always striving to be better.
But sometimes, I think we do a lot of things, with the hopes that perhaps if we work hard enough, and repent enough, we just might make it to the Celestial Kingdom.
And the scriptures are clear, that's not how it works.
Once I accepted the fact that NOTHING I do will get me to the Celestial Kingdom on my own, my relationship with my Savior expanded 10, 20-fold.
You can not work your way into Heaven.
You can't.
I can't.
No one can.
Jesus is the only person in the history of any world who was perfect. And because I think, Heaven would be very lonely if it was just He and the rest of the Godhead hanging out, and because our Parents in Heaven loved us enough to let their Son die for you and for me, we get to go back to be with them, with our loved ones, with each other.
And that makes me want to be better. It makes me want to earn that love, even though I can't. It makes me want to lessen the suffering that I caused the greatest human in history to feel.
What can we do?
We can accept the gift that He freely gave when suffered, died and was resurrected.
How do we accept it?
Have faith, repent, make and keep our covenants, and be ever thankful to the One who makes it all come together.
Once you let go of the pain and anguish and GUILT that rides along with trying to be "good enough" to get into Heaven, you will feel your heart lifted, and your spirit draw nearer to Christ, because gratitude will make you want to be better.
Gratitude is one of the only things we can give the Lord. He gives us all. We can be grateful and accept His grace.
Elder Richard D. Scott said, "My reverence and gratitude for the Atonement of the Holy One of Israel, the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer, continually expand as I strive to understand more about it. I realize that no mortal mind can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s children through His Atonement. Yet it is vital that we each learn what we can about it. The Atonement is that essential ingredient of our Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness without which that plan could not have been activated. Your understanding of the Atonement and the insight it provides for your life will greatly enhance your productive use of all of the knowledge, experience, and skills you acquire in mortal life."
Be grateful and accept the gift as it is given. You can't get anywhere without Christ's atonement.
Accept the gift, and be grateful that when you fail (notice I did not say 'if") repentance is yours freely, as is the grace of our Savior to wash away your sins.
You will find, when you accept the Atonement with a grateful heart, that you will be nearer to the Giver.
I love this verse. It is beautiful to me. It sums up, in perfect simplicity the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
He died so we can live.
It is only through His grace and mercy that we can be saved.
There is nothing in this world or the next that I can do, to have everlasting life, without Jesus.
Once I started to really embrace that truth, I began to feel closer to my friend, Jesus.
You see, in the LDS world, we work hard. Work is good, and we should be always striving to be better.
But sometimes, I think we do a lot of things, with the hopes that perhaps if we work hard enough, and repent enough, we just might make it to the Celestial Kingdom.
And the scriptures are clear, that's not how it works.
Once I accepted the fact that NOTHING I do will get me to the Celestial Kingdom on my own, my relationship with my Savior expanded 10, 20-fold.
You can not work your way into Heaven.
You can't.
I can't.
No one can.
Jesus is the only person in the history of any world who was perfect. And because I think, Heaven would be very lonely if it was just He and the rest of the Godhead hanging out, and because our Parents in Heaven loved us enough to let their Son die for you and for me, we get to go back to be with them, with our loved ones, with each other.
And that makes me want to be better. It makes me want to earn that love, even though I can't. It makes me want to lessen the suffering that I caused the greatest human in history to feel.
What can we do?
We can accept the gift that He freely gave when suffered, died and was resurrected.
How do we accept it?
Have faith, repent, make and keep our covenants, and be ever thankful to the One who makes it all come together.
Once you let go of the pain and anguish and GUILT that rides along with trying to be "good enough" to get into Heaven, you will feel your heart lifted, and your spirit draw nearer to Christ, because gratitude will make you want to be better.
Gratitude is one of the only things we can give the Lord. He gives us all. We can be grateful and accept His grace.
Elder Richard D. Scott said, "My reverence and gratitude for the Atonement of the Holy One of Israel, the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer, continually expand as I strive to understand more about it. I realize that no mortal mind can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s children through His Atonement. Yet it is vital that we each learn what we can about it. The Atonement is that essential ingredient of our Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness without which that plan could not have been activated. Your understanding of the Atonement and the insight it provides for your life will greatly enhance your productive use of all of the knowledge, experience, and skills you acquire in mortal life."
Be grateful and accept the gift as it is given. You can't get anywhere without Christ's atonement.
Accept the gift, and be grateful that when you fail (notice I did not say 'if") repentance is yours freely, as is the grace of our Savior to wash away your sins.
You will find, when you accept the Atonement with a grateful heart, that you will be nearer to the Giver.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Don't You Quit
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| Photo source
I had an interesting conversation with my sister (via text) about this quote earlier this week. I love this quote. I love what it says, I love what it implies. I love that when we TRUST GOD that everything will be all right in the end. What an amazing, huge, and humbling promise that is. That if we keep going, doing the things we're supposed to, that it'll all work out. Pain and hardships are a part of this life, but if we persevere, if we continue onward, ever onward, that through the atonement, everything will be okay.
Omni 1:26 reads, "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."
Hang in there, Friend. It'll be okay.
The sun will rise.
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Sunday, September 1, 2013
You Are Not Alone.
Things have been rough around these parts this week. I have found myself struggling perhaps more than I ever have before and desperately needing solace and comfort.
And every time I was overwhelmed with pain and tears and heartbreak, my mind would be enlightened. I could feel the love of my Savior. I would be reminded, "Heavenly Father knows. Jesus knows. He's felt this pain. I am not alone."
As alone as I felt in the moments when I didn't want to push through or go forward, I was blessed.
Jesus knows. I am not alone.
And neither are you. When you feel the pain of life, of hurt or despair, remember, remember the rock of Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God.
Beg for His comfort. It'll come.
Jesus knows. You are not alone.
And every time I was overwhelmed with pain and tears and heartbreak, my mind would be enlightened. I could feel the love of my Savior. I would be reminded, "Heavenly Father knows. Jesus knows. He's felt this pain. I am not alone."
As alone as I felt in the moments when I didn't want to push through or go forward, I was blessed.
Jesus knows. I am not alone.
And neither are you. When you feel the pain of life, of hurt or despair, remember, remember the rock of Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God.
Beg for His comfort. It'll come.
Jesus knows. You are not alone.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Lord Knows...
Maybe I'm the only one who feels like this at times, but I feel like I am often unappreciated, thanks to the pain of motherhood. There are times when I've thought, "Oh my gosh, I can't wait until you grow up and realize how much I did for you!" Okay, not thought, but actually said...
The job of Motherhood is often (frequently, usually) thankless, messy, exhaustion, and busy. There is no clockout time, there is no sick leave or paid vacay or anything of the sort.
It's easy to feel like no one would even notice if you were gone, except they'd be even dirtier than they already are, and even hungrier.
But, the Lord knows. He knows and He loves you for your every effort.
Don't give up. Don't get discouraged. Don't stress over the little things.
You got this, Mama.
You got this.
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