Little Miracles

I keep getting reminded of who I am and what God wants me to be by small little miracles. As of lately I have been in a little bit of what some may call a “funk” and it hasn’t been the most pleasant. Even a little distance from God is the difference between happiness and unhappiness for me. I can see the person I become when I forget that God is there, waiting for me to return to His presence. It has been interesting to see things play out in this part of my life, school is going to be coming to a close in a year, I’ve been at the current place I am employed for almost two full years now and I plan on a third (hopefully my employers plan on a third as well ). Overall it would seem that life is beautiful, and it sure is, but funny how amid this beautiful life I can so easily forget what makes me happy. As for little miracles, there are many that always erupt in my life: wonderful friends, family, teachers, lessons, smiles, words, stories, photos, books, etc. that seem to tell me exactly what I need to know in the moment that I need to know it. Today as I was working arduously on my homework (yes, that was slightly sarcastic), I was listening to Spotify and ran into the artist Adam Paul Williams. Soon after listening, my stress level diminished greatly. The past month or so has been one of the most stressful in my long 24 year tenure on this earth (oh boy!). There have been times when I have just wanted to give up, throw in the towel. However, it has been obvious that God did not have that idea in mind. Just when things got to what I figured had to be the point where my marathon stopped, He gave me a sign of His love. Even when I was most undeserving, the most ungrateful, the most doubtful, He would show me that He loved me. I guess it is a lesson learned in that I need to give Him back what He has been giving me: attention. So there you have it: my goal this week is to give God the attention He deserves.

Service – Thoughts of a far-away land

You know, I just had to spill out my thoughts today. I had the most random question pop into my head. I recently purchased (well, been a couple months) a pair of pants a Kohl’s. (I know, you’re thinking, WHAT does this have to do with service?!) WELL, the question that popped into my head was “I wonder what the person who made the pants is doing at this moment!?! Does he/she have food on their table? What would they think to see someone come up to them and say ‘Hey, I love these pants you made! Thank you!’ or to even just see their product being worn?!” It just baffles me to think that someone in Asia could well have made the pants that I’m wearing. I am just glad that the first thought I had was of their welfare. I am not saying this to toot a horn because I am more than far from perfect but I was happy that it wasn’t some natural-man-born racist thought that wasn’t of my true nature but the nature that Satan puts in our heads. Truly we choose in what light we see the world, the people who live in it and those with whom we see and interact. That was just a thought that came to my head. If that didn’t provoke any thoughts for you this evening or whenever you read this then I hope this quote does:

“It’s easier to be ignorant and say I don’t know about the problem. But once you know, once you’ve seen it in their eyes, then you have a responsibility to do something. There is strength in numbers, and if we all work together as a team, we can be unstoppable.”

-Craig Kielburger (founder of Free The Children, an organization to stop child slavery)

Thoughts of a well-filled soul on this Sabbath

This Sabbath has been one of the most soul-filling Sabbaths I have had in quite some time. Everything from learning in church, to conversing with amazing friends, to home-teaching to firesides to ward prayers to simply sitting in front of my computer to throw all the scatter thoughts into a blog. Church was amazing and the past few weeks have seemed to hit home for me. The biggest proponent of the “hitting home” has been the topic of being kinder to ourselves and realizing that we are never going to be perfect. I know, you are all probably saying “DUH!” but have you never messed up pretty good and then just thought to yourself, if not subconsciously that maybe the Atonement works for others but you are just too messed up. I knew better. In the fireside tonight the thought came that all too often we believe wholeheartedly in principles of forgiveness, revelation, etc. but when applied at a personal level we tend to judge ourselves quite harshly.

Brother Webb, who is the director of institutes and seminaries worldwide, was the speaker at the fireside tonight and it was simply amazing. He spoke about Revelations 10 and how Satan is labeled as the”accuser” and how that is his biggest strength. When Adam and Eve were in the garden and ate of the fruit he quickly told them to hide their nakedness because God would be upset with them. He is the first to accuse. He is the reason we sit and accuse ourselves of atrocities that are far exaggerated by our lack of self-empathy. Well, at least I know I am.

He went on to reference Lehi’s dream and for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, there is a path leading to the tree of life and across a chasm is the great and spacious building representing the world and we are surrounded by mists of darkness but there is a iron rod which leads to the tree should we choose to hold fast to it. Brother Webb said that the mists of darkness are to keep you from seeing the tree (God’s love for you) as well as those who are there supporting you. They isolate you and try to make it so you feel that you are alone in the fight against the great and spacious building.

He ended, though, with the most perfect fact. Christ keeps His promises. He has promised us that He will defend us, He will forgive us and that He will unconditionally love us. We know He keeps His promises because He kept the ultimate promise. I, like Brother Webb, am so grateful for the love that Christ has given me and each one of you. I know He loves us and I know He sacrificed everything for our sake. I cannot wait to see Him face to face once more, in the meantime, my gratitude, love and service is His.

This is Why I Love Christmas

I thought I’d let you visualize for yourself just why I love Christmas so much.

New Year’s Resolutions – ABC

Well it has happened, a New Year! 2012! It is funny but the first words that always come to my head are “it is hard to believe!” I am sure you can guess what I’m going to be writing about but I am going to be using President Monson’s message this month. I absolutely loved it and wanted to add my own words to his. He speaks about Living the Abundant Life and goes over the ABCs of how to go about it. There were also a couple fantastic talks by a few fellow ward members and I hope that they don’t mind me using a bit of their talks because they were fabulous! President Monson goes on to define an “abundant life” as a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings. To me, an abundant life is simple: a happy life. What defines our happiness defines who we are. True happiness comes from things that are good, and by good I mean worthy of praise, clean, joyful, merciful, every adjective seen in the Bible. One quote from a talk today in church was “Happiness isn’t just one big ‘A-HA!’ moment, it is the small things that make up the small joyful moments in our lives. The culmination of all these small memories and joys that create true happiness.” I may have used some of my own words in the middle but that is essentially what he said.

President Monson launches into his A, B and C of how to live an abundant life. The following three are what he discussed:

Attitude

President Monson qu0tes Charles Swindoll in saying, “Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.” I have noticed a difference at work when I myself have come with a bad attitude. I end up moping because of how “hard” my life is and I can instantly see the degradation of the attitudes of my co-workers. It is contagious! However, I have also seen the change in the attitudes of my co-workers when I come to work with an optimistic attitude! It is amazing the difference that it can make! One tip I have learned in changing my attitude is to purposely serve others. I have realized at work that when I go out of my way to do a kind deed to someone else, not only does it make their day, but it also makes mine. I cannot honestly go another minute past that without smiling and feeling glad that Heavenly Father gave me the opportunity to make someone smile.

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.” – President Monson

Believe in Yourself, Those Around You, and in Eternal Principles

Of the three of these teachings I find this one to be one of the most difficult. I have always been somewhat of a perfectionist and cannot easily seem to forgive myself as well as I can forgive others. I also feel like I am not the type of person to be easily trusting but I realize that this isn’t what Christ teaches. He teaches us that we CAN do anything. With His help we can do anything! Another great talk today spoke about how we need to allow His will or His answer to become our answer. Aligning our will with that of the Father’s will bring us belief in Eternal Principles. From a different talk, my fellow ward member spoke about Spiritual Grit and how we need it to get through. He defined his personal definition of faith of being willing to be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there. Faith to push through the hard times, to believe that you can do it, to believe that others are really there to help you and you to help them and most importantly that you are never alone. He mentioned Mark 4 when the disciples were in the boat and the storm arose. Like those disciples we need to remember who is on our boat. Christ is with us no matter our beliefs, circumstances or position. He is there, at a moment’s whim, ready to help us in any way He can and believe me, He has many ways to help us.

“Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities. You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith.” -President Monson

Courage

“Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently.” -President Monson

Tonight a few friends came over and we watched the movie “The Help” which is a wonderful movie, you should see it if you haven’t. All too often I think we find ourselves holding back because we are uncertain of an outcome, we are afraid of being told “no” or simply are too scared of the consequences. So many good people have so many good desires but are afraid to act. I would be lying if I said that I was devoid of such circumstances. I fall right into the midst of what I believe to be many of us but I have seen many good examples of courage. I love the stories of these black women who had the courage to tell their stories and help one another overcome their tribulations. It is inspiring to know of these amazing brothers and sisters who stood up to their challenges with courage and chose to face mobs and tyrants in order to support what is good, what is right.

“Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve. Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.”” -President Monson

I could not have said it any better. I am so grateful for a living prophet today who receives revelation and guidance from our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I am FAR from perfect, but I hope one day to return to his presence having born an optimistic attitude, belief in myself, others and eternal principles and with courage. I am so grateful for things that are good!

“May we remember these ABCs as we begin our journey into the new year, cultivating a positive attitude, a belief that we can achieve our goals and resolutions, and the courage to face whatever challenges may come our way. Then the abundant life will be ours.” -President Monson

Eight Things For Which I Thank My Savior – Number 1

Number 1 – He Loves Me

Pure and simple. Easy to understand. He loves me. He loves me with a love so unconditionally it is unheard of in this world. I cannot comprehend His love. I just hope to emulate it in even the smallest way possible. When I think of His love I think of the women caught in adultery and when the Pharisees brought her in with contempt, He had compassion. That is what I think of when I think of the love of our Savior. I think of all the things that I have done to bring shame upon myself or others and I think of His incredible love that still exists for me in that moment. Is He pleased with me when I make mistakes? No, but I know He loves me and simple wants me to do better so that He can see us again at that last day and give us a bear hug and simply say, “I am so glad you made it home, brother (or sister). I am so glad.” I cannot comprehend His love.

I also love the image of Him always healing, teaching, helping. I love when He came to the Americas and one of the first things He did was to bless and heal the sick, each and every one. His bowels were filled with mercy and love for each individual, not even just a whole, but each individual. I love that as He was teaching those here in the Americas, He could tell that they didn’t quite comprehend everything that He was teaching. He told them to go home and ponder about what He had said but then saw that they wished He would stay a bit longer. He wept for them and asked them to send up their little children and marvelous things were heard and said. What wondrous love! I love Him! I am so grateful that He loves me! No matter the point of time in my life, He loves me. He wants me back home and I promise that He loves each one of you and knows you by name. Merry Christmas! I am eternally grateful for the birth and life of my Savior, even Jesus Christ!

Eight Things For Which I Thank My Savior – Number 2

Number 2 – Because of Him I Can Live With My Family For Eternity

I truly believe that because of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I can live with my family again. His resurrection, His suffering, dying and everything that He does is to make it so that I can return to the presence of my Heavenly Father, with my family. I cannot imagine the eternities without them. I put a picture of a luminary up that I took this evening in my parent’s neighborhood. The whole neighborhood is lit with these luminaries and in the background you can see another and another. Generations, sealed together for all eternity. It is the plan. It is what Heavenly Father wants. All of us to be back in His midst sealed together as families. I cannot imagine an eternity with out my sweet mother and dearest father. I cannot imagine being without my siblings or my nephews and nieces. I cannot imagine life without Joe, Crystal, and Mike. They are my family and I hope to see them in the eternities. That is all I offer up tonight, is my love for my Savior and my gratitude for His making it possible that I can live with my family once again.

Eight Things For Which I Thank My Savior – Number 3

Number 3 – Through Him I Can Be Forgiven

Take these how you will but to me they have no rank order. I am equally grateful for everything my Savior has given me and like I said, I do not assume to take on all the attributes of the Christ for they are innumerable. He has done so much for mankind and I owe Him my all. I am especially grateful for His love and kindness in suffering for me in the Garden of Gethsemane. “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent…which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.” D&C 16-18

Christ the Lord suffered all manner of pain and affliction. He suffered for our sins. Imagine every sin we could commit and that the whole world had and would commit and then imagine that all dumped on Jesus Christ. Somehow, in a way our mortal minds cannot comprehend, He took upon Him every little sin of the world. He suffered so that we might not have to suffer. I cannot adequately give words to describe the Atonement so I use a talk by Elder Faust as he quotes President Hinckley.

Some years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley told “something of a parable” about “a one room school house in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.

“Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with 10 rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response.

“A day or so later, … the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. ‘The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.’

“As Little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, Big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking.

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked.

“After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!”’”

President Hinckley then quoted Isaiah:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” 

No man knows the full weight of what our Savior bore, but by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know something of the supernal gift He gave us. In the words of our sacrament hymn:

We may not know, we cannot tell,

What pains he had to bear,

But we believe it was for us

He hung and suffered there.

He suffered so much pain, “indescribable anguish,” and “overpowering torture” for our sake. His profound suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He took upon Himself all the sins of all other mortals, caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit.”  “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly,”  saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

I am so grateful for President Faust’s and President Hinckley’s words. I love my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I am grateful that because He suffered for me, I can be forgiven. I always find that it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive myself. It is easy to say that the Atonement will work for other people but I’m too far gone, I’ve dove into the deep end and cannot seem to surface for air. These are lies of the devil, I know, and I know that Christ’s suffering has paid the price for each and every one of us. We simply need to accept Him and His forgiveness because He is willing to forgive! I know He is! I hope and pray each one of you finds that hope and love in your hearts as well if you haven’t already.

Eight Things For Which I Thank My Savior – Number 4

Number 4 – Because of Him I will be resurrected and gain an immortal, perfect body

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” John 11:25.

One of the concepts that I will never fully grasp until after this life is how Christ conquered death. Death. The inevitable yet dreaded part of a person’s life. Okay, not dreaded by everyone, but by a majority of the world. I look forward to the Resurrection of our body and our souls in perfect unity. “The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame”

“The resurrection is a pillar of our faith. It adds meaning to our doctrine, motivation to our behavior, and hope for our future.” Elder OaksAlma 40:23. I look forward to that perfect body. Oh boy, not being sick, not having the maladies that rack our bodies with pain on this earth. It is a gift that Christ gave to us by being painfully nailed to a cross, hung for hours from his flesh and then His Resurrection on the third day, giving us hope, giving us life and giving us an eternity to spend with Him and the Father. I am SO grateful for His willingness to sacrifice His life so that we could be lifted up into the eternities.

Eight Things For Which I Thank My Savior – Number 5

Number 5 – He is My Advocate with the Father

“Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.” D&C 29:5

Christ is and ever will be our lawyer in Heaven. He is fighting constantly on our behalf both against Satan and well as supporting us in the presence of the Father. It is in and through Him that we will be judged and if we live our lives to the best of our abilities He will support us.

Elder Nelson of the Twelve Apostles said, “Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. The word advocate comes from Latin roots meaning a “voice for” or “one who pleads for another.” Other related terms are used in scripture, such as mediator. From the Book of Mormon we learn that this responsibility to mediate, or make intercession, was foreseen before His birth: Jesus “shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved”.” He is our friend, ally and lawyer in these situations. Makes you a little more joyous and hopeful to think that the Savior and Redeemer, the only perfect person to have lived on earth, is going to advocate your cause to the Father.