I am starting a podcast! Cuz, why the heck not? I'm not "in" all the podcast place yet, but I'm working on it. It's on soundcloud for now, and I'll get it all the places soon!
For the first short little episode click here.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Friday, October 13, 2017
The Case for Christian Minimalism
I've been on a minimalist journey. I am not really a minimalist... I don't have interest in a home with no furniture or anything. I AM a minimalist to the extent of wanting less mess, less clutter and less STUFF everywhere. I want peace. I was simple. I want comfort.
I am, above all else, a creature of comfort.
So as I cleaned the other day, it became abundantly clear to me that in this day and age, we are, whether we admit it or not, addicted to stuff. We can, with one click of smart phone, purchase basically anything. It's easy to acquire credit to purchase whatever we'd like, and even things we can't even think we'd ever need, we are suddenly convinced to buy from an ad that comes across our newsfeed.
"Well, it's on sale!" we say.
We are covered in stuff.
I believe that Satan is in the clutter of our lives. When we allow junk, unused and unneeded to pile up around us, it demands our time. It demands our attention. It eats up our good intentions to serve, to act. It distracts and depresses us. So we buy more.
We build ourselves alters of amazon prime boxes to worship the gods of stuff.
It is, in it's truest form idolatry.
"Thou shalt have no other go before me." (Exodus 20:3)
We usually take that commandment totally literally, that we not pray to gods other than the One True God.
But we give our treasures our love, our time, our attention, our affection, our money... the same things we are asked to give to God. Having too much stuff is absolutely idolatry.
In fact, we are told in 2 Nephi 9, that when we care too much about stuff, "wherefore their treasure is their god..." (vs 30).
Don't get me wrong, having possessions isn't, I don't think, inherently evil. We must have things. We can't escape the need for things. It's part of life. We can even have things we love, things we spend a great deal of money on, things we love and are fond of. However, when we are completely surrounded by things we don't need, we are forced to deal with them. Either by stacking them on top of each other, shoving them out of the way, or buying more containers with which to hold them. Eventually we rent a storage unit to hold the rest of the treasures we can't contain in our houses.
It is a cycle.
To me, after spending months creating a simpler home, with less STUFF, it is clear: healthy minimalism is a gospel principle.
Go with me here:
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, says Joshua. (Joshua 24:15)
At no time does he suggest that as for me and my house, we shall buy all the things.
Is our home the heart of Christ-centered service? Or is it storage unit? Are we engaged in just maintaining our things, or are we creating a stronghold for our Savior?
We can both serve the Lord, and have a nice home. Yes, surely, but it requires that we lay up treasures in Heaven, more than on earth.
When our homes are not in order, it feels uncomfortable. We can become blind to it, sure. Like anything we can subject ourselves to the anxiety that clutter affords enough to stop feeling it fully. We can pile things up and not look directly at them.
That is not how God would have us be. He wants us to live, full abundant lives. He does not want us to fill our homes with junk in the name of assuaging our natural man.
Satan tells us to buy things for comfort, entertainment, convenience, or status. He lies to us that those things with which we surround ourselves define us for good and for ill.
Indeed, he believes that you can buy happiness. Or at the very least, he wants us to believe it.
We know better! We know that the recipe for joy does not require the newest or best or most of anything physically material. Instead, we know that the Lord simply blesses us with joy in our eternal destiny. He grants us comfort and love and mercy, regardless of how cluttered our home are or are not.
When we have less junk distracting us, we can give Him more time.
What can you rid yourself of? What can you say goodbye to that will free your chains of idolatry?
For me? I'm still going room by room... donating, saying "no" to things, throwing things away, each week, I spend a chunk of time ridding our home of our idols.
It's not easy task. I fear it will *never* be done. But! These days, when we need to pick up the living room, it takes less time than it used to, I consider that a win. My heart is on my living jewels, trying to point them to Christ in both my words and my deeds. I want my legacy to my children to have nothing to do with things, but with testimony. I want them to know that Mom loved Jesus, not that Mom loved her dishes.
A home built on the Rock does not need to be full to the ceilings with stuff to anchor it down in the storm. Instead, it stands firm upon the salvation of Christ. Things become meaningless when we focus on our Savior. We love and serve only Him, not the gods of retail.
Everyone's home is different, and everyone's alters and idols are different, but I submit that we can all rid ourselves of some stuff. When we do, we'll feel much more able to do other things outside of maintaining our mess of stuff.
We can worship the God who gives. That's all we'll need.
I am, above all else, a creature of comfort.
So as I cleaned the other day, it became abundantly clear to me that in this day and age, we are, whether we admit it or not, addicted to stuff. We can, with one click of smart phone, purchase basically anything. It's easy to acquire credit to purchase whatever we'd like, and even things we can't even think we'd ever need, we are suddenly convinced to buy from an ad that comes across our newsfeed.
"Well, it's on sale!" we say.
We are covered in stuff.
I believe that Satan is in the clutter of our lives. When we allow junk, unused and unneeded to pile up around us, it demands our time. It demands our attention. It eats up our good intentions to serve, to act. It distracts and depresses us. So we buy more.
We build ourselves alters of amazon prime boxes to worship the gods of stuff.
It is, in it's truest form idolatry.
"Thou shalt have no other go before me." (Exodus 20:3)
We usually take that commandment totally literally, that we not pray to gods other than the One True God.
But we give our treasures our love, our time, our attention, our affection, our money... the same things we are asked to give to God. Having too much stuff is absolutely idolatry.
In fact, we are told in 2 Nephi 9, that when we care too much about stuff, "wherefore their treasure is their god..." (vs 30).
Don't get me wrong, having possessions isn't, I don't think, inherently evil. We must have things. We can't escape the need for things. It's part of life. We can even have things we love, things we spend a great deal of money on, things we love and are fond of. However, when we are completely surrounded by things we don't need, we are forced to deal with them. Either by stacking them on top of each other, shoving them out of the way, or buying more containers with which to hold them. Eventually we rent a storage unit to hold the rest of the treasures we can't contain in our houses.
It is a cycle.
To me, after spending months creating a simpler home, with less STUFF, it is clear: healthy minimalism is a gospel principle.
Go with me here:
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, says Joshua. (Joshua 24:15)
At no time does he suggest that as for me and my house, we shall buy all the things.
Is our home the heart of Christ-centered service? Or is it storage unit? Are we engaged in just maintaining our things, or are we creating a stronghold for our Savior?
We can both serve the Lord, and have a nice home. Yes, surely, but it requires that we lay up treasures in Heaven, more than on earth.
When our homes are not in order, it feels uncomfortable. We can become blind to it, sure. Like anything we can subject ourselves to the anxiety that clutter affords enough to stop feeling it fully. We can pile things up and not look directly at them.
That is not how God would have us be. He wants us to live, full abundant lives. He does not want us to fill our homes with junk in the name of assuaging our natural man.
Satan tells us to buy things for comfort, entertainment, convenience, or status. He lies to us that those things with which we surround ourselves define us for good and for ill.
Indeed, he believes that you can buy happiness. Or at the very least, he wants us to believe it.
We know better! We know that the recipe for joy does not require the newest or best or most of anything physically material. Instead, we know that the Lord simply blesses us with joy in our eternal destiny. He grants us comfort and love and mercy, regardless of how cluttered our home are or are not.
When we have less junk distracting us, we can give Him more time.
What can you rid yourself of? What can you say goodbye to that will free your chains of idolatry?
For me? I'm still going room by room... donating, saying "no" to things, throwing things away, each week, I spend a chunk of time ridding our home of our idols.
It's not easy task. I fear it will *never* be done. But! These days, when we need to pick up the living room, it takes less time than it used to, I consider that a win. My heart is on my living jewels, trying to point them to Christ in both my words and my deeds. I want my legacy to my children to have nothing to do with things, but with testimony. I want them to know that Mom loved Jesus, not that Mom loved her dishes.
A home built on the Rock does not need to be full to the ceilings with stuff to anchor it down in the storm. Instead, it stands firm upon the salvation of Christ. Things become meaningless when we focus on our Savior. We love and serve only Him, not the gods of retail.
Everyone's home is different, and everyone's alters and idols are different, but I submit that we can all rid ourselves of some stuff. When we do, we'll feel much more able to do other things outside of maintaining our mess of stuff.
We can worship the God who gives. That's all we'll need.
Monday, July 31, 2017
My First Experience with HIIT
So.
I download Fitness Blender. GO ME.
I pass the baby off to the biggest child, and declare to all, "I am going to go exercise. Watch TV and don't bug me!"
They all agree with varying levels of enthusiasm.
I head upstairs and realize, oh. First, Ima need some support. It's been a month or more since I exercised. I had been treadmilling, but then got pneumonia, and then I was lazy. Digging through drawers and laundry baskets was necessary to find the proper clothing *aka, sports bra*.
Ok, so five minutes have passed since I declared I was "GOING TO GO EXERCISE."
At this point, three children have already come upstairs to goggle.
"Are you going on your treadmill?"
"Are you going to wear your pajamas?"
"What kind of exercise?"
I answered each of them with the compassion and love any angel mother would, "No, go away, I'm going to exercise!"
Finally, I pulled out the big guns and LOCKED MY DOOR.
All right, so this cute little thin, super fit lady is on my phone screen. I briefly debated downloading the app to my iPad, but ultimately decided not to take the time to go down the rabbit hole of forgotten passwords, and the app store.
Anyway back to the tiny woman on my tiny phone screen. I hit play and we GET TO WERK.
Thirty second later, I'm kinda sweaty and there is a gentle, but constant tapping on my door.
"ARG! WHAT?" I snap pausing the workout and angrily unlocking my door.
"Um," says a contrite Spencer. "Henry was wondering if he could have your computer." Ah, the eldest, in all his wisdom sent his brother into the beast's lair.
"No! He is supposed to be keeping Beatrice happy. Go watch TV. I'm TRYING TO EXERCISE!"
Snap goes the door. Click goes the lock.
I hit play again, and the little woman continues bouncing and doing all the things. I do them with her, grateful that the HIIT aspect means that like every 30 seconds I get a "break" meaning I can walk in place instead of jumping about. Walking is good.
Two minutes pass, and a hysterical Freddy is at my door. I don't even ask, I just unlock the door and he sobs his way to my bed, where he stops crying and watches me with fascination.
Three minutes later, the tiny woman on my tiny screen on my tiny phone goes, "PHEW! You know it's going to be a good workout when the WARM UP is making me winded."
Wait. What?
THIS IS JUST THE WARM UP?
Oh no. No. H-E-C-K (I'm trying to be good and not swear) NO.
I am going to DIE, and this is just the WARM UP.
DOES SHE NOT KNOW THAT I AM DYING? CAN SHE NOT SEE THAT I HAVE SEVEN CHILDREN WHO ALL BUG ME CONSTANTLY?
I AM TRYING TO EXERCISE!
WARM UP BE DARNED! (See, I'm being good!)
So, I fast-forward her skinny butt until I get to the REAL DEAL.
The REAL DEAL was MORE jumping, lunging, squatting, kicking, side-steping, cycle crunches and I don't even know what else.
Ezra comes crying to me, "OLIVER STOLE THE NERF DART AND..."
"NO!" I cry, after angrily pausing my super awesome workout AGAIN!
(It must be sidenoted that we have MANY Nerf guns and exactly ONE dart. You can imagine how well this works.)
"GO WATCH TV! I'M TRYING TO EXERCISE!"
He begrudgingly complies. Well, he went away, so who knows what happened after that?
Back at it. We're doing some sort of hop-step thing now. The girl in charge on my phone is like, totally out of breath. I quit breathing entirely, I'm pretty sure.
At some point in my haze, Miriam came upstairs screaming and crying because SOMEONE hit some part of her body.
"NO!" I cry, not bothering to pause Miss Skinny Workout girl. It's ride or die time people. RIDE or DIE.
"Just lay in my bed Miriam. I am TRYING TO EXERCISE."
She demurely complies and proceeds to watch me shuffle around like a dying T-Rex, trying to reach her toes. THEY ARE SO FAR AWAY.
Finally, my enthusiasm has waned, and I can't even pretend. I've gone from the "high impact" to the "low-impact modifications" that Miss Workout Queen has suggested to just straight up trudging in place. Ya'll I can't even call it walking in place. I was sort of sliding my feet from one spot to another.
I'm sweaty.
EVERY child of mine has come complaining at some point.
I can hear Beatrice hollering in protest. I'm done. I'm beat, I'm spent.
Surely, I have burned ALL THE CALORIES. My six-pack is well underway. I am AMAZING.
I HAVE EXERCISED.
I pause little Miss Tiny Tushie, and see the truth. Subtracting the WARM-UP *curse you warm up* that I skipped, I have managed to work out for twelve minutes.
Twelve.
Which is two more than I was expecting.
Go.Me.
Until tomorrow Miss Tiny Arms. Until tomorrow.
I download Fitness Blender. GO ME.
I pass the baby off to the biggest child, and declare to all, "I am going to go exercise. Watch TV and don't bug me!"
They all agree with varying levels of enthusiasm.
I head upstairs and realize, oh. First, Ima need some support. It's been a month or more since I exercised. I had been treadmilling, but then got pneumonia, and then I was lazy. Digging through drawers and laundry baskets was necessary to find the proper clothing *aka, sports bra*.
Ok, so five minutes have passed since I declared I was "GOING TO GO EXERCISE."
At this point, three children have already come upstairs to goggle.
"Are you going on your treadmill?"
"Are you going to wear your pajamas?"
"What kind of exercise?"
I answered each of them with the compassion and love any angel mother would, "No, go away, I'm going to exercise!"
Finally, I pulled out the big guns and LOCKED MY DOOR.
All right, so this cute little thin, super fit lady is on my phone screen. I briefly debated downloading the app to my iPad, but ultimately decided not to take the time to go down the rabbit hole of forgotten passwords, and the app store.
Anyway back to the tiny woman on my tiny phone screen. I hit play and we GET TO WERK.
Thirty second later, I'm kinda sweaty and there is a gentle, but constant tapping on my door.
"ARG! WHAT?" I snap pausing the workout and angrily unlocking my door.
"Um," says a contrite Spencer. "Henry was wondering if he could have your computer." Ah, the eldest, in all his wisdom sent his brother into the beast's lair.
"No! He is supposed to be keeping Beatrice happy. Go watch TV. I'm TRYING TO EXERCISE!"
Snap goes the door. Click goes the lock.
I hit play again, and the little woman continues bouncing and doing all the things. I do them with her, grateful that the HIIT aspect means that like every 30 seconds I get a "break" meaning I can walk in place instead of jumping about. Walking is good.
Two minutes pass, and a hysterical Freddy is at my door. I don't even ask, I just unlock the door and he sobs his way to my bed, where he stops crying and watches me with fascination.
Three minutes later, the tiny woman on my tiny screen on my tiny phone goes, "PHEW! You know it's going to be a good workout when the WARM UP is making me winded."
Wait. What?
THIS IS JUST THE WARM UP?
Oh no. No. H-E-C-K (I'm trying to be good and not swear) NO.
I am going to DIE, and this is just the WARM UP.
DOES SHE NOT KNOW THAT I AM DYING? CAN SHE NOT SEE THAT I HAVE SEVEN CHILDREN WHO ALL BUG ME CONSTANTLY?
I AM TRYING TO EXERCISE!
WARM UP BE DARNED! (See, I'm being good!)
So, I fast-forward her skinny butt until I get to the REAL DEAL.
The REAL DEAL was MORE jumping, lunging, squatting, kicking, side-steping, cycle crunches and I don't even know what else.
Ezra comes crying to me, "OLIVER STOLE THE NERF DART AND..."
"NO!" I cry, after angrily pausing my super awesome workout AGAIN!
(It must be sidenoted that we have MANY Nerf guns and exactly ONE dart. You can imagine how well this works.)
"GO WATCH TV! I'M TRYING TO EXERCISE!"
He begrudgingly complies. Well, he went away, so who knows what happened after that?
Back at it. We're doing some sort of hop-step thing now. The girl in charge on my phone is like, totally out of breath. I quit breathing entirely, I'm pretty sure.
At some point in my haze, Miriam came upstairs screaming and crying because SOMEONE hit some part of her body.
"NO!" I cry, not bothering to pause Miss Skinny Workout girl. It's ride or die time people. RIDE or DIE.
"Just lay in my bed Miriam. I am TRYING TO EXERCISE."
She demurely complies and proceeds to watch me shuffle around like a dying T-Rex, trying to reach her toes. THEY ARE SO FAR AWAY.
Finally, my enthusiasm has waned, and I can't even pretend. I've gone from the "high impact" to the "low-impact modifications" that Miss Workout Queen has suggested to just straight up trudging in place. Ya'll I can't even call it walking in place. I was sort of sliding my feet from one spot to another.
I'm sweaty.
EVERY child of mine has come complaining at some point.
I can hear Beatrice hollering in protest. I'm done. I'm beat, I'm spent.
Surely, I have burned ALL THE CALORIES. My six-pack is well underway. I am AMAZING.
I HAVE EXERCISED.
I pause little Miss Tiny Tushie, and see the truth. Subtracting the WARM-UP *curse you warm up* that I skipped, I have managed to work out for twelve minutes.
Twelve.
Which is two more than I was expecting.
Go.Me.
Until tomorrow Miss Tiny Arms. Until tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Saved Through Grace
But what it boils down to is simply this:
His Grace is sufficent.
2 Nephi 25:23 says, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
You can not work your way into Heaven, friends. You can't. So, trust in the Lord, repent, and let His Grace be the key to your whole life. Jesus makes all the difference.
Monday, October 17, 2016
It Does NOT Matter Who You Vote For
"My Dear Wormwood,
Be sure that the patient remains completely fixated on politics. Arguments, political gossip, and obsessing on the faults of people they have never met serves as an excellent distraction from advancing in personal virtue, character, and the things the patient can control. Make sure to keep the patient in a constant state of angst, frustration and general disdain towards the rest of the human race in order to avoid any kind of charity or inner peace from further developing. Ensure that the patient continues to believe that the problem is “out there” in the “broken system” rather than recognizing there is a problem with himself.
Keep up the good work,
Uncle Screwtape"
Uncle Screwtape"
C.S. Lewis
(My friend posted this on facebook today and it prompted this post.)
Here's the thing:
Despite who is elected in three weeks, this country WILL march on. Things like Roe Vs Wade, which are such hot, firey topics that garner anger and insults and destroy friendships will NOT simply cease to exist if the "conservative" candidate is elected. The borders will not suddenly be open to any and all if the "liberal" candidate wins. It's not how this all works. Despite promises from both sides to make America "great" or whatever, it takes a long time to make changes like the ones they are promising you. If you'd like a refresher, here is a school house rock video on how laws are made:
Additionally, let's not forget about the House of Representatives and the Senate and yes, even that terribly important SCOTUS that keep the president from being the KING. (Or queen.)
So, Remembering that the reality is that no matter who wins, America is going to have issues, deficts, debts we can not pay, people who need jobs, people who need health insurance, people who have cancer, people who can't buy food, people who suffer. There will also be people who prosper. It's the way of our country.
Let's focus, rather, on things that DO matter.
You should vote.
D&C 134:1 states: We believe that governments were instituted by God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and adminstering them for the good and safety of society.
It's our job to exercise our rights in government. What is the point of living in a place that lets us vote if we don't bother? Be informed and make a choice.
But, please make a choice that you wouldn't be ashamed of, if Jesus was at the polls watching. I am NOT going to tell you what that means. That is between you and the Lord.
What else should we be doing instead of fighting about politcs and ranting about candidates and stances and demanding that supreme court rulings are what matters most?
We could be working toward change. Changes of heart, changes of faith, of believe and of behavior.
REAL change.
What does that mean?
Donate. Donate of your time, energy and resources to worthy causes.
Help your neighbor.
Serve in your church positons.
Teach your children the gospel.
Look for opportunities to lift others in words and in action.
Help out a friend.
Read and ponder your scriptures.
Post uplifting and helpful things on social media. Promote causes that make a difference. Show people that there is GOOD in the world.
Stop relying on a PERSON (arguably any one of our choices is not exactly perfect) or a PARTY to solve your issues. Be proactive. Stand for what you believe and vote that way. But remember that no matter WHO wins it's OUR job to be the good.
It makes literally ZERO difference who wins on November 8th.
YOU have the power to make America a good, kind place. YOU.
Wouldn't it be lovely if everyone would just stop posting lies, vitrol, unkind memes, and other things that accomplish nothing but making someone feel better about their choice and more sure that the other is made of evil?
Instead, show patience, understanding and love.
And act like a representative of Jesus.
We must act NOW. Things are only going to get worse!
Spencer W. Kimball said in 1976:
"We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching."
I'm not perfect, I'm far from a poster-child for all the things I'm saying. But I am trying. And if we ALL tried a little harder, then wouldn't we ALL have a country we could be proud of, despite who POTUS ends up being?
Stand up for good. And do something about it.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Our Thoughts and Prayers are Not Enough.
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.
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.
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