I just finished reading The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This wasn't my first time through, nor will it be my last. The incredible insights and gems of wisdom I get from it change with each reading. This time, as I was finishing the last chapter and feeling the familiar stirrings of truth in my heart, these words popped into my head: The proof is in the pudding. I then referred back to a verse I had just read in Moroni, Chapter 10, Verse 6: And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is. Makes complete sense, right! I then looked up the pudding phrase. The Urban Dictionary says that the phrase is a shortened version of an older adage, The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In other words, if you want to know if something is good, eat it. Explore the evidence! If you do this with The Book of Mormon, you will find that it does lead inquiring souls to Christ, and it only makes sense that something that leads us to Christ is good.
During the summer of 1985, after my first year of college, I had the opportunity of participating in The Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, New York. This pageant portrays highlights from The Book of Mormon against the backdrop of the hill where the record was found by Joseph Smith, the translator of the book. Before the pageant would begin each night, the cast welcomed visitors and talked to them about the history of the book. For the most part, we were greeted kindly--sometimes with interest, sometimes not. However, one particular evening, we ran into a group of people who had not come to find the proof in the pudding but to discredit the pudding itself. We were told that we had been brainwashed into believing in The Book of Mormon from the time that we were young. They actually felt sorry for us and tried to convince us that we had been deceived. I asked them if they had read the book, and I was not surprised to hear that they had not. In fact, their minister had strongly advised against it, saying that the book was evil. In a spirit of love, I urged them to find out for themselves by reading it, but their minds were closed. I had read the book. I had prayed about it and knew of the true principles it contained. I felt like I was a better person for having read it. I had found the proof I needed to know that it was good pudding. However, I could not force someone to pick up the spoon and taste it. I felt disheartened and sad that something so dear to me was judged and sentenced before it was even put to the test.
I urge those of you who read this blog to pick up your spoons and taste this book with open minds and hearts. Put the promise at the end of the book to the test: And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal father in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:4). Find out of the pudding is delicious by examining the evidence.
I testify that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. This book has shaped the course of my life for the better. How can a book that exhorts its readers to come unto Christ, and be perfected in him be anything but good? Don't take my word for it! Read it!
My Family
About Me
- Andrea Nelson
- I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I start this blog in an effort to pass on the legacy of light that I have been blessed with because of the gospel of Jesus Christ to my children and their children. I hope that others will benefit as well.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
"God Will Use You, God Will Bless You"
As I was working in the kitchen today, I turned on BYU TV and listened to an amazing talk by Elder Dean M. Davies, given at a BYU devotional in November, 2015. The talk is called God Will Use You, God Will Bless You. It is no coincidence that I turned on the TV at just the right moment to hear this talk. I attended the temple last night, praying that my children would be directed by the Lord in the decisions they are making in their lives. Some have expressed concern and confusion about making the big decisions that are looming on their horizons. This talk gives reassuring comfort and advice, reminding us that the Lord is at the helm and will guide us as long as we are striving to follow his commandments.
Here is the link: God Will Use You, God Will Bless You
Enjoy!
Here is the link: God Will Use You, God Will Bless You
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Zero Fatalities
I was profoundly affected by the messages that I heard in our stake conference this weekend. In the Saturday evening meeting, our stake president, President Timothy Taylor, spoke on a topic that I have taken the liberty to call, "Zero Fatalities." I have also taken the license of mixing his words with mine. I hope he won't mind.
As a traffic engineer, he receives reports from the Utah Department of Transportation about the deaths on Utah roads. There have been over 200 deaths on the roads this year and of those, over 80 were the result of the victims not wearing a seat belt. UDOT's zero fatality goal emphasizes the question, "How many deaths are acceptable?" and in an even more personal way, "How many deaths are acceptable in your family?" Of course, the answer is an emphatic zero; hence, the "Zero Fatality" slogan.
The question that came into my mind as our president spoke was, "How many spiritual deaths are acceptable in my family?" To illustrate, he told the true story of a young man who wanted to spend the night at a friend's house. He called his parents for permission, but they wanted him to come home by his curfew of 12:00 am. When 12:15 rolled around and her son had not yet returned home, the mother became worried and started to drive the route that her son would have taken home. After driving for a few minutes, she saw a police car pass her with his lights on, and shortly after that, she came upon the scene of a horrible accident and saw the family car in the middle of a field. Her son had swerved to miss a deer and had rolled the car. Because he was not wearing his seat belt, he was ejected and the car rolled on top of him. Her wonderful son, who was known for always wearing his seat belt, had, for whatever reason, not put it on that night and had lost his life as a result. In his case and many others, it did not matter that he had worn his seat belt all of the previous times. What mattered was the decision to leave it off that night.
Like seat belts that keep us physically safe when we choose to wear them, we can develop small and simple habits that will keep us spiritually safe if we practice them--not sometimes, not most of the time, but always. Here is another rhetorical example that illustrates the importance of developing habits that maintain our spiritual health.
Eating is an "always" activity. Our bodies get hungry and we eat. What if we chose not to eat? Someone might ask us why we are looking so sickly and thin. We might answer, "Oh, I eat most of the time but sometimes I don't because I just don't have the time, and eating is so boring. It's just the same thing over and over again--put something in your mouth and chew it up." Of course, this answer is nonsensical. Yet, how often do we use these excuses for the spiritual essentials in our lives? Just like "most of the time" cannot and should not exist when it comes to "always" activities like eating and seat belts, it should not exist for things that contribute to our spiritual health.
Why, when we are crying out for peace in much the same way that our bodies cry out for food, why are we not ALWAYS doing the things that will bring us peace? Like eating and seat-belt wearing, the following spiritual essentials need to become fundamental habits: family home evening, family and personal prayer, family and personal scripture study, and regular temple attendance. As we do these things on a regular basis, we should remember that "always" is less about the quantity or the time we spend each day and more about the quality of how we do them. They should deepen our relationship with and understanding of our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
God is an "always" God and we must be "always" Saints--not "most of the time" Saints. If we are doing the small and simple spiritual essentials most of the time, then we will receive the help that we seek and need from God most of the time. I don't know about you, but I want and desperately need that help all of the time, as I seek to keep myself and those I love from becoming spiritual fatalities.
There is a great promise found in the Book of Mormon to those who always build their foundations on these small and simple essentials: And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall (Helaman 5:12).
As a traffic engineer, he receives reports from the Utah Department of Transportation about the deaths on Utah roads. There have been over 200 deaths on the roads this year and of those, over 80 were the result of the victims not wearing a seat belt. UDOT's zero fatality goal emphasizes the question, "How many deaths are acceptable?" and in an even more personal way, "How many deaths are acceptable in your family?" Of course, the answer is an emphatic zero; hence, the "Zero Fatality" slogan.
The question that came into my mind as our president spoke was, "How many spiritual deaths are acceptable in my family?" To illustrate, he told the true story of a young man who wanted to spend the night at a friend's house. He called his parents for permission, but they wanted him to come home by his curfew of 12:00 am. When 12:15 rolled around and her son had not yet returned home, the mother became worried and started to drive the route that her son would have taken home. After driving for a few minutes, she saw a police car pass her with his lights on, and shortly after that, she came upon the scene of a horrible accident and saw the family car in the middle of a field. Her son had swerved to miss a deer and had rolled the car. Because he was not wearing his seat belt, he was ejected and the car rolled on top of him. Her wonderful son, who was known for always wearing his seat belt, had, for whatever reason, not put it on that night and had lost his life as a result. In his case and many others, it did not matter that he had worn his seat belt all of the previous times. What mattered was the decision to leave it off that night.
Like seat belts that keep us physically safe when we choose to wear them, we can develop small and simple habits that will keep us spiritually safe if we practice them--not sometimes, not most of the time, but always. Here is another rhetorical example that illustrates the importance of developing habits that maintain our spiritual health.
Eating is an "always" activity. Our bodies get hungry and we eat. What if we chose not to eat? Someone might ask us why we are looking so sickly and thin. We might answer, "Oh, I eat most of the time but sometimes I don't because I just don't have the time, and eating is so boring. It's just the same thing over and over again--put something in your mouth and chew it up." Of course, this answer is nonsensical. Yet, how often do we use these excuses for the spiritual essentials in our lives? Just like "most of the time" cannot and should not exist when it comes to "always" activities like eating and seat belts, it should not exist for things that contribute to our spiritual health.
Why, when we are crying out for peace in much the same way that our bodies cry out for food, why are we not ALWAYS doing the things that will bring us peace? Like eating and seat-belt wearing, the following spiritual essentials need to become fundamental habits: family home evening, family and personal prayer, family and personal scripture study, and regular temple attendance. As we do these things on a regular basis, we should remember that "always" is less about the quantity or the time we spend each day and more about the quality of how we do them. They should deepen our relationship with and understanding of our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
God is an "always" God and we must be "always" Saints--not "most of the time" Saints. If we are doing the small and simple spiritual essentials most of the time, then we will receive the help that we seek and need from God most of the time. I don't know about you, but I want and desperately need that help all of the time, as I seek to keep myself and those I love from becoming spiritual fatalities.
There is a great promise found in the Book of Mormon to those who always build their foundations on these small and simple essentials: And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall (Helaman 5:12).
Friday, September 9, 2016
Only One Needful Thing
I have been so busy over the past month that I have neglected my blog, but today I came across a thought-provoking article by Patricia T. Holland that is a must-read for every woman. I thought about paraphrasing it and adding some words of my own in an effort to not cop out on writing today, but I cannot do justice to what she writes. Hopefully, the following paragraph from the article will tantalize you to read more:
We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection. We must not allow our own guilt, the feminist books, the talk-show hosts, or the whole media culture to sell us a bill of goods--or rather a bill of no goods. We can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for identity and self-esteem that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or even absolute motherly success. Yet, in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our uniqueness--that full and relaxed acceptance of one's self as a person of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and individuality, and yes, problems of our neighbors. Too many women with these anxieties watch helplessly as their lives unravel from the very core that centers and sustains them. Too many are like a ship at sea without sail or rudder, "tossed to and fro," as the Apostle Paul said, until more and more of us are genuinely, rail-grabbingly seasick."
Click on this link to read the rest of the article:
"One Thing Needful": Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ
We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection. We must not allow our own guilt, the feminist books, the talk-show hosts, or the whole media culture to sell us a bill of goods--or rather a bill of no goods. We can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for identity and self-esteem that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or even absolute motherly success. Yet, in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our uniqueness--that full and relaxed acceptance of one's self as a person of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and individuality, and yes, problems of our neighbors. Too many women with these anxieties watch helplessly as their lives unravel from the very core that centers and sustains them. Too many are like a ship at sea without sail or rudder, "tossed to and fro," as the Apostle Paul said, until more and more of us are genuinely, rail-grabbingly seasick."
Click on this link to read the rest of the article:
"One Thing Needful": Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Small and Simple
. . . by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise (The Book of Mormon, Alma 37:6).
It is interesting to me that the smallest organisms created by God can cause the greatest damage to mankind--humans who are 100 times their size. Nature continues to teach me object lessons. I was "confounded" by one this week. A small, unnoticeable tick somehow bit me. I never knew I had a bite, but I became infected with a disease that has a high mortality rate should it go untreated. Luckily, man has created a way around these little buggers, and I was able to get on an antibiotic, which after 5 days of absolute misery is now treating the illness.
While it is a little disconcerting to me that lives can be changed by such small means, I also realize that if God created these small creatures with such great, albeit harmful potential, the potential of his noblest creation, mankind, must be exponentially greater. We have seen the realities of man's misuse of their capacity for greatness in more ways than one over the past several months, even days, but what about our capacity for good? What unharnessed, unacknowledged potential for good do we have inside us? What can we create that would change lives for the better?
In an address to women, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. You might say, 'I'm not the creative type. When I sing, I'm always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.' If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe.
So I say, even though we may feel small and simple, let's make great things happen! God created us to do just that.
It's amazing what you can learn from a tick!
Watch this beautiful 2 minute video:
Create
It is interesting to me that the smallest organisms created by God can cause the greatest damage to mankind--humans who are 100 times their size. Nature continues to teach me object lessons. I was "confounded" by one this week. A small, unnoticeable tick somehow bit me. I never knew I had a bite, but I became infected with a disease that has a high mortality rate should it go untreated. Luckily, man has created a way around these little buggers, and I was able to get on an antibiotic, which after 5 days of absolute misery is now treating the illness.
While it is a little disconcerting to me that lives can be changed by such small means, I also realize that if God created these small creatures with such great, albeit harmful potential, the potential of his noblest creation, mankind, must be exponentially greater. We have seen the realities of man's misuse of their capacity for greatness in more ways than one over the past several months, even days, but what about our capacity for good? What unharnessed, unacknowledged potential for good do we have inside us? What can we create that would change lives for the better?
In an address to women, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. You might say, 'I'm not the creative type. When I sing, I'm always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.' If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe.
So I say, even though we may feel small and simple, let's make great things happen! God created us to do just that.
It's amazing what you can learn from a tick!
Watch this beautiful 2 minute video:
Create
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Age 50 Rant
On June 18, I turned 50 years old. Suddenly, I look at myself in the mirror and think I look 50 years old. Suddenly, my body feels 50 years old. What is happening to me!?! I really didn't think it would be that big of a deal and on June 18, it wasn't! I had a blast playing with my family. My two out-of-state children surprised me by flying in for my birthday. It was an awesomely wonderful weekend, but now . . . I feel it. I really hope this is just a state of mind I can talk myself out of . . . SOON, but just in case, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled to see just how far the hormones have gone out of whack. I really think at 50, hormones should give us women a break. I mean REALLY, haven't they tortured us enough over the years . . . pregnancy hormones . . . baby blues . . . postpartum depression . . . premenopause . . . menopause . . . post menopause. COME ON! ENOUGH ALREADY! And just when you think acne is a thing of the past, it comes back and accentuates all the liver spots! By the way, will someone please explain why the word "men" shows up in "menopause"?! Shouldn't it be called "womenonpause"?! Because that is what it feels like . . . everything that used to make me feel like a women is on sabbatical . . . a very saggy, long sabbatical!
In all seriousness, my birthday was fantastic, and when I have time, I will post an awesome video recapping the wonderful time I spent with my family. Each of them wrote me beautiful letters and notes that meant so much. I will end with a quote my mom gave me:
Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a queen.
Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.
Age 15: She looks at herself and sees an ugly duckling (Mom, I can't go to school looking like this today!).
Age 20: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she's going out anyway.
Age 40: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but says, "At least I am clean," and goes out anyway.
Age 50: She looks at herself and says, "I am what I am," and goes wherever she wants to go.
Age 60: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and conquers the world.
Age 70: She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter, and ability and goes out and enjoys life.
Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world.
The moral is, maybe we should all grab that purple hat a little earlier.
(Elder M. Russell Ballard)
I think I'm going to buy myself a new hat.
In all seriousness, my birthday was fantastic, and when I have time, I will post an awesome video recapping the wonderful time I spent with my family. Each of them wrote me beautiful letters and notes that meant so much. I will end with a quote my mom gave me:
Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a queen.
Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.
Age 15: She looks at herself and sees an ugly duckling (Mom, I can't go to school looking like this today!).
Age 20: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she's going out anyway.
Age 40: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but says, "At least I am clean," and goes out anyway.
Age 50: She looks at herself and says, "I am what I am," and goes wherever she wants to go.
Age 60: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and conquers the world.
Age 70: She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter, and ability and goes out and enjoys life.
Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world.
The moral is, maybe we should all grab that purple hat a little earlier.
(Elder M. Russell Ballard)
I think I'm going to buy myself a new hat.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
A Broken Vessel
Please click on this link and watch the 11 minute video before reading this blog:
Like a Broken Vessel
I have been a broken vessel. I have known what it feels like to be in the pit of depression with little hope or means of climbing out of its dark and crumbling walls. I have felt the fog of despair and chest crushing anxiety that often go with it, and I have seen people close to me suffer the same. I do not understand why mental illness strikes some families and not others. I guess for the same reason diabetes or heart disease does or does not. Mental illness is a battle with your own brain that sucks solace out of your soul and leaves you feeling numb and in pieces. You long for a wholeness that you do not think possible to attain. Some have to find the courage to live with the fact that they may be fighting it for the rest of their lives, but as they fight, they find a strength within themselves that they did not know was there. They find that they can do hard things--very hard things.
There are those who misunderstand and misdiagnose mental illness as a spiritual disease. They say things like, "If you would just read your scriptures more, pray more, serve more, etc. etc., life would get better and you would be healed by a power greater than yourself." Well, I believe in that power with all of my heart, but I also believe that we are all destined to carry some burden(s) in life to school us and mold us into someone better. I know that God can and does make those burdens lighter to carry, but He does not always take them away. Mental illness, sinks us to our knees, begging for the anchor of our soul to stabilize us through the deep waters, and in due time we catch glimpses of love's light illuminating a few steps in front of us. Sometimes that is all we see, but it is enough to give us hope.
I believe that our brokenness is an opportunity for us to notice how the Savior fills in the cracks in our souls slowly but surely as we seek His help. That help may come in the form of medication that I believe God inspires men to make. It may come in the form of therapy, physical exercise, or self-help books. It surely comes through fasting and prayer--perhaps not immediately, but gradually.
I cannot say that I and others that I am close to will ever be completely healed in this life, but I can say that joyful living is possible through the atonement of Christ. Though dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us, and threaten our peace to destroy; there is hope smiling brightly before us and we know that deliverance is nigh (We Thank Thee O God for Our Prophet, LDS Hymn).
Like a Broken Vessel: Talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Like a Broken Vessel
I have been a broken vessel. I have known what it feels like to be in the pit of depression with little hope or means of climbing out of its dark and crumbling walls. I have felt the fog of despair and chest crushing anxiety that often go with it, and I have seen people close to me suffer the same. I do not understand why mental illness strikes some families and not others. I guess for the same reason diabetes or heart disease does or does not. Mental illness is a battle with your own brain that sucks solace out of your soul and leaves you feeling numb and in pieces. You long for a wholeness that you do not think possible to attain. Some have to find the courage to live with the fact that they may be fighting it for the rest of their lives, but as they fight, they find a strength within themselves that they did not know was there. They find that they can do hard things--very hard things.
There are those who misunderstand and misdiagnose mental illness as a spiritual disease. They say things like, "If you would just read your scriptures more, pray more, serve more, etc. etc., life would get better and you would be healed by a power greater than yourself." Well, I believe in that power with all of my heart, but I also believe that we are all destined to carry some burden(s) in life to school us and mold us into someone better. I know that God can and does make those burdens lighter to carry, but He does not always take them away. Mental illness, sinks us to our knees, begging for the anchor of our soul to stabilize us through the deep waters, and in due time we catch glimpses of love's light illuminating a few steps in front of us. Sometimes that is all we see, but it is enough to give us hope.
I believe that our brokenness is an opportunity for us to notice how the Savior fills in the cracks in our souls slowly but surely as we seek His help. That help may come in the form of medication that I believe God inspires men to make. It may come in the form of therapy, physical exercise, or self-help books. It surely comes through fasting and prayer--perhaps not immediately, but gradually.
I cannot say that I and others that I am close to will ever be completely healed in this life, but I can say that joyful living is possible through the atonement of Christ. Though dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us, and threaten our peace to destroy; there is hope smiling brightly before us and we know that deliverance is nigh (We Thank Thee O God for Our Prophet, LDS Hymn).
Like a Broken Vessel: Talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Friday, June 3, 2016
No More Strangers
For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:19)
Recently our church leaders encouraged us to reach out to those in our communities who are in need, specifically the many refugees who need help acclimating to a new life. Because my son is planning on going to medical school in a few years, he had been planning on doing some volunteer work while he is home for the summer, so I thought I might as well jump on the service bandwagon with him. He decided to attend an orientation for volunteers at a homeless shelter called The Road Home in downtown Salt Lake City, and I nervously made the decision to go with him. We approached the building with some trepidation as there were people covering the sidewalk and spilling into the street. They were refugees in their own right--having lost a place to call their home, with no family or friends to depend on. Many, desperate for social communication, were improvising by talking to themselves--a creative way to keep from going crazy. I was overcome by the sheer number of homeless refugees that surrounded us. They were strangers to me in every sense of the word, with strange mannerisms, strange clothing, strange speech--much like the foreign refugees who are pouring into our cities around the country. Yet, somehow these refugees had been judged and sentenced before even having the chance to tell their story. They were outcasts, nameless street citizens, but I was struck with an overwhelming understanding of who they really are beneath all of their dehumanizing dust. They are children of God, my brothers and sisters, and I could not ignore them any longer. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself . . . . Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. For . . . I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (The Holy Bible: Hebrews 13:2, Leviticus 19:34, Matthew 25:35-36, 40). I decided I would throw my starfish into the ocean one at a time.
My first volunteer experience was sort of a baptism by fire. Josh and I went to help out at the preschool/playgroup that is held for children at the Midvale Road Home, which accommodates over 300 parents and children. When we arrived, the volunteer coordinator was in a meeting downtown, but the kids came anyway--over 20 of them from age two to around six. Crazy does not even begin to describe our experience! However, layers of misjudgment were peeled away that day as I interacted with parents who love their children as much as I love mine. A young father brought his son to us. I had him pegged from the get go as not the best of dads based on his appearance, but I felt humbled as he lovingly explained to me his son's emotional and medical problems so that we would know how best to care for him. He seemed hesitant to leave him alone and even checked on him a little later through the window. This father taught me two valuable lessons: The only home love requires is an open and willing heart, and love is love, no matter what package it comes wrapped in.
But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). After serving at the homeless shelter preschool twice now, I have learned some beautiful lessons and look forward to learning more. These children are desperate for play, and they can entertain themselves better than kids who have roofs over their heads. They do not need TV, video games, or Ipads to be happy. They find enjoyment in the simple things--PlayDoh, dolls, cars, and dress ups. They love to use their imagination. They have creative minds with just as much potential as children who attend school consistently. Many of them have been taught to share, to help clean up, and to say, "Thank you." Most have not lost the light of hope in their eyes, but some have. They know how to love and want to be loved in return, and most of them have parents who love them but do not have the means to take care of their physical needs adequately. Many are being raised by single mothers, but a surprising number of fathers are still doing their best to care for their children as well. Their smiles melt your heart and make you cry when you leave to drive to a home that has everything you need and then some. The plight of their families overwhelmed me with sadness at first and made me wish more could be done, but as Mother Teresa so wisely said, What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean, but if we didn't do it, the ocean would be one drop less [that it is]. Perhaps the most important lesson I continue to learn is that service does more for the giver than for the receiver.
One important thing to note:
While I whole-heartedly support helping where and when we can, I am not promoting the support of pan-handling. I learned something valuable during my Road Home orientation. The volunteer coordinator told us that when a pan-handler tells people that he or she needs money for food or other basic needs or says that the homeless shelter is full, he/she is either misinformed or not being completely honest. If this happens to you, refer them to The Road Home or other homeless shelters. The volunteer coordinator assured us that the shelter has everything individuals or families need to care for themselves and if they don't, they will find it. They also never run out of beds. They have many empty buildings across the street from the shelter to house those in need of shelter. Knowing this may relieve you of guilt the next time you are confronted with pan handling. The best thing you can do for them is to talk to them. They need to know that someone cares.
"Foxes have holes, and . . . birds . . . have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Apparently, the Creator of heaven and earth "and all things that in them are" was, at least in His adult life, homeless (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Are We Not All Beggars, October 2014 LDS General Conference). Let us not judge another until we know their story and even after we know their story. We all depend on that God who gave us life for all that we have. We all need His grace for the mistakes we make everyday. While our mistakes may not leave us physically homeless, they still make us unworthy of all the blessings He gives us anyway. Let's not deny others our service and love just because we think they have brought their condition upon themselves. After all, don't we all do this in one way or another by our own misguided steps. I have performed in a prison where I have seen men who have made serious mistakes but have a strong desire to feel and share the love of the Savior. They had the light of hope in their faces despite their circumstances. May we carry this same light to those, who like us, may not always be able to help themselves.
To my children, I echo Elder Holland's words: I don't know exactly how each of you should fulfill your obligation to those who do not or cannot always help themselves. But I know that God knows, and He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts of discipleship if you are conscientiously wanting and praying and looking for ways to keep a commandment He has given us again and again. I also know that although I may not be my brother's keeper, I am my brother's brother, and "because I have been given much, I too must give."
Articles, videos and websites on this subject that I highly recommend:
Anges We Have Heard on High--Jamesthemormon Music Video
Are We Not All Beggars? By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
I Was a Stranger: Love One Another
I Was a Stranger by Linda K. Burton
Refuge from the Storm by Elder Patrick Kearon
The Road Home
Recently our church leaders encouraged us to reach out to those in our communities who are in need, specifically the many refugees who need help acclimating to a new life. Because my son is planning on going to medical school in a few years, he had been planning on doing some volunteer work while he is home for the summer, so I thought I might as well jump on the service bandwagon with him. He decided to attend an orientation for volunteers at a homeless shelter called The Road Home in downtown Salt Lake City, and I nervously made the decision to go with him. We approached the building with some trepidation as there were people covering the sidewalk and spilling into the street. They were refugees in their own right--having lost a place to call their home, with no family or friends to depend on. Many, desperate for social communication, were improvising by talking to themselves--a creative way to keep from going crazy. I was overcome by the sheer number of homeless refugees that surrounded us. They were strangers to me in every sense of the word, with strange mannerisms, strange clothing, strange speech--much like the foreign refugees who are pouring into our cities around the country. Yet, somehow these refugees had been judged and sentenced before even having the chance to tell their story. They were outcasts, nameless street citizens, but I was struck with an overwhelming understanding of who they really are beneath all of their dehumanizing dust. They are children of God, my brothers and sisters, and I could not ignore them any longer. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself . . . . Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. For . . . I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (The Holy Bible: Hebrews 13:2, Leviticus 19:34, Matthew 25:35-36, 40). I decided I would throw my starfish into the ocean one at a time.
My first volunteer experience was sort of a baptism by fire. Josh and I went to help out at the preschool/playgroup that is held for children at the Midvale Road Home, which accommodates over 300 parents and children. When we arrived, the volunteer coordinator was in a meeting downtown, but the kids came anyway--over 20 of them from age two to around six. Crazy does not even begin to describe our experience! However, layers of misjudgment were peeled away that day as I interacted with parents who love their children as much as I love mine. A young father brought his son to us. I had him pegged from the get go as not the best of dads based on his appearance, but I felt humbled as he lovingly explained to me his son's emotional and medical problems so that we would know how best to care for him. He seemed hesitant to leave him alone and even checked on him a little later through the window. This father taught me two valuable lessons: The only home love requires is an open and willing heart, and love is love, no matter what package it comes wrapped in.
But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). After serving at the homeless shelter preschool twice now, I have learned some beautiful lessons and look forward to learning more. These children are desperate for play, and they can entertain themselves better than kids who have roofs over their heads. They do not need TV, video games, or Ipads to be happy. They find enjoyment in the simple things--PlayDoh, dolls, cars, and dress ups. They love to use their imagination. They have creative minds with just as much potential as children who attend school consistently. Many of them have been taught to share, to help clean up, and to say, "Thank you." Most have not lost the light of hope in their eyes, but some have. They know how to love and want to be loved in return, and most of them have parents who love them but do not have the means to take care of their physical needs adequately. Many are being raised by single mothers, but a surprising number of fathers are still doing their best to care for their children as well. Their smiles melt your heart and make you cry when you leave to drive to a home that has everything you need and then some. The plight of their families overwhelmed me with sadness at first and made me wish more could be done, but as Mother Teresa so wisely said, What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean, but if we didn't do it, the ocean would be one drop less [that it is]. Perhaps the most important lesson I continue to learn is that service does more for the giver than for the receiver.
One important thing to note:
While I whole-heartedly support helping where and when we can, I am not promoting the support of pan-handling. I learned something valuable during my Road Home orientation. The volunteer coordinator told us that when a pan-handler tells people that he or she needs money for food or other basic needs or says that the homeless shelter is full, he/she is either misinformed or not being completely honest. If this happens to you, refer them to The Road Home or other homeless shelters. The volunteer coordinator assured us that the shelter has everything individuals or families need to care for themselves and if they don't, they will find it. They also never run out of beds. They have many empty buildings across the street from the shelter to house those in need of shelter. Knowing this may relieve you of guilt the next time you are confronted with pan handling. The best thing you can do for them is to talk to them. They need to know that someone cares.
"Foxes have holes, and . . . birds . . . have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Apparently, the Creator of heaven and earth "and all things that in them are" was, at least in His adult life, homeless (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Are We Not All Beggars, October 2014 LDS General Conference). Let us not judge another until we know their story and even after we know their story. We all depend on that God who gave us life for all that we have. We all need His grace for the mistakes we make everyday. While our mistakes may not leave us physically homeless, they still make us unworthy of all the blessings He gives us anyway. Let's not deny others our service and love just because we think they have brought their condition upon themselves. After all, don't we all do this in one way or another by our own misguided steps. I have performed in a prison where I have seen men who have made serious mistakes but have a strong desire to feel and share the love of the Savior. They had the light of hope in their faces despite their circumstances. May we carry this same light to those, who like us, may not always be able to help themselves.
To my children, I echo Elder Holland's words: I don't know exactly how each of you should fulfill your obligation to those who do not or cannot always help themselves. But I know that God knows, and He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts of discipleship if you are conscientiously wanting and praying and looking for ways to keep a commandment He has given us again and again. I also know that although I may not be my brother's keeper, I am my brother's brother, and "because I have been given much, I too must give."
Articles, videos and websites on this subject that I highly recommend:
Anges We Have Heard on High--Jamesthemormon Music Video
Are We Not All Beggars? By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
I Was a Stranger: Love One Another
I Was a Stranger by Linda K. Burton
Refuge from the Storm by Elder Patrick Kearon
The Road Home
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Ice Cream Pickle Cake Experiment
This week I am following up on my Ice Cream Pickle Cake blog from a few weeks ago. I am proud to report that the ice cream pickle cake experiment was a complete success! Who would have thought that a 4-year-old boy's birthday dream-come-true would be getting his wish for ice cream pickle cake?! He talked about it for days before his birthday and reminded me that I would be giving it to him for his birthday multiple times. My "keep it simple, make it fun" plan worked out beautifully! I killed two birds with one stone--making an Oreo ice cream dessert for Mother's Day and laying deli pickle slices on Cohen's piece in celebration of his birthday which was the day after. My family was happy because, well, they love my mom's recipe for what is more commonly known as Mud Dessert, and Cohen was happy because he got to celebrate his birthday three days in a row. Saturday was his super hero party, which was truly super thanks to my awesome daughter. Then we sang to him and served him his ice cream pickle cake on Sunday, and Monday we had a barbecue for his real birthday. He described it as having "three 4's." In other words, he turned 4 three times.
The theory behind the ice cream pickle cake was that if he decided he didn't like the pickles, he could easily remove them from the top and still be left with deliciousness. However, as the pictures below reveal, the pickles became an integral part of Cohen's Mud Dessert and thus, Ice Cream Pickle Cake was born!
Simple moments make the best memories!
The theory behind the ice cream pickle cake was that if he decided he didn't like the pickles, he could easily remove them from the top and still be left with deliciousness. However, as the pictures below reveal, the pickles became an integral part of Cohen's Mud Dessert and thus, Ice Cream Pickle Cake was born!
Simple moments make the best memories!
A picture speaks a thousand words.
Recipe for Ice Cream Pickle Cake (aka Mud Dessert with Pickles)
1/2 Gallon (one carton) vanilla ice cream
One 8 oz. carton Cool Whip
Soften both of these and fold or mix together.
30 Oreos crushed
Fold Oreos into ice cream and cool whip.
Beat all with a mixer until soft but not soupy.
Drizzle chocolate syrup all over the bottom of a 9x13 dish.
Spread ice cream mixture evenly in the dish.
Drizzle more chocolate syrup on the top.
Optional: Crush some of the leftover Oreos and sprinkle on top.
Drizzle more chocolate syrup on the top.
Optional: Crush some of the leftover Oreos and sprinkle on top.
Put in freezer (can make 2-3 days before eating).
Top one or more pieces with deli sliced dill pickles for the brave souls who want to try it Cohen style.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Look Unto Me
A hand outstretched;
heart filled with fear,
I do not even feel
thee near,
But then above the
watery deep,
Thou lifts me from my
shadowed sleep.
The cloudy doubts
that fill my soul
Are cleansed with
thine atoning pull.
I do not know how
this is done,
But fear is dead and
faith has won.
I look to thee and
hope arrives,
Reflecting from thy
loving eyes.
And when I cease my
faithless fight,
I feel the angels
left and right,
Lifting me above the
fray
To stand and fight
another day,
Till kneeling in my
sacred space,
I fall into the arms of grace.
Reference Scriptures:
Matthew 14:25-31; Doctrine & Covenants 6:36, 84:88; 2 Kings 6:14-17; Isaiah 40:29, 31; Proverbs 3:5-6
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Rescue
I recently attended a women's conference at Brigham Young University and was profoundly affected by two of the sessions I attended. This post is an attempt to combine what I learned from both. Let me preface my thoughts by admitting that I am one of those mothers who has always felt it is her God-given duty to attempt to alleviate, as much as humanly possible, the pain of her children. It seems that when God made my heart, he attached helicopter blades to it. I sometimes erroneously feel that rescuing is the most important part of a mother's job description. However, I am slowly learning that sometimes "the best rescue is not a rescue at all," as quoted from the eloquent title of the women's conference class by the same name. In actuality, I really only have the power to work out my own salvation, as stated in Phillipians 2:12: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. My job is to grasp hold of my Savior's hand and thus, provide an example of faith to those I love, while offering unconditional love and comfort. Many times, it is not our hand that our loved ones need in order to be rescued, it is His.
His hand is outstretched still (Isaiah 9:12)
With that precursor, let me tell you what I learned. First and foremost, God's hand is continually and lovingly outstretched to us, no matter our struggles and sins, but we must be the ones to figuratively grasp it. He is unfailingly committed to us even if we falter in our commitment to Him. Sometimes we blame Him for the hurt and disappointment that inevitably confronts us, forgetting that God wouldn't put us through a refiners fire if we weren't worth refining. Sometimes when that refiners fire seems to be consuming one or more of our children, our natural response is to want to put it out, forgetting that God holds the water. In fact, he is the water--the Living Water. In reality, the best thing we can do is to turn our loved ones over to Him. They are His anyway. Who better to know what they need for growth and development than their perfect, all-knowing, all-loving Father in Heaven.
And when he came to himself . . . he arose, and came to his father (Luke 15:11-24)
Think of the parallels we see all around us to the benefits of struggle. The butterfly must struggle to free itself from the bondage of its chrysalis without any outside help in order to develop strong enough wings to fly. The bird must peck its way through its egg-shaped prison in order to be strong enough to survive. The list goes on. Perhaps God is trying to teach us something. If the prodigal son's father would have sent his servants to find his son before he lost everything and "came to himself," would he have learned his lesson in those dark days of living among the swine? No! The decision to come home had to be his, but when he came home, the comforting arms of his father were waiting. Our job is to "comfort those that stand in need of comfort" and let the Savior do the rescuing. We must all come to ourselves and find our own way back into His loving arms.
Video link: Unto all the World: The Prodigal Son Returning
Therefore let your hearts be comforted . . . for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16
If you have ever felt your thoughts racing at ever-increasing speed and obsessing about a struggling family member, if you feel hypervigilant and overly-critical, then you are experiencing something that many loving people experience--codependency. Simply stated, it is the tendency of a person to have obsessive thoughts about the rescuing of a loved one. It is Satan's counterfeit to charity (see Moroni 7:5, The Book of Mormon). I have been in codependent denial most of my life, thinking for the most part that I was a humble person willing to submit to God's will, only to find out that codependency is a pride disease. I have not been as willing as I should to turn my life and the lives of my loved ones over to God, allowing him to show us our blind spots. I have been trying to take the motes out of everyone else's eyes rather than getting rid of the blinding beam in my own (see 3 Nephi 14:3-5). Charity requires me to "be still" and let God take over, listening for the quiet promptings that reveal where my help is needed in His rescue efforts. Our best defense against the onslaught of emotions that come with a crisis of faith is to gain a personal relationship with Christ. Next time, I am tempted to rescue a loved one, I must run quickly to the Lord.
Questions and Remembers
Am I unknowingly shaming a loved one in my efforts to enlighten him/her or am I allowing his/her own guilt to do its work?
Shame's message: I am something bad. Shame causes us to flee God.
Guilt's message: I did something bad. Guilt turns us to God.
Am I doing something for someone that they could do themselves, thus denying them increased strength from the struggle?
Remember: Consequences are sometimes the only way our loved ones know that they need help.
Remember: No matter the path that people choose around me. I must choose love.
Remember: My loved one is not his weakness and thankfully, I am not mine.
Remember: Sometimes we have to place all that we have on the altar of faith.
Footnote
The following LDS Women's Conference classes provided much of the information for this post:
We First Seek Unity with Our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ (Brad Wilcox)
Sometimes the Best Rescue is Not a Rescue at All (Christine Dixon & Emily Henderson)
Monday, April 25, 2016
Long-Handled Spoons
As illustrated by the following tale, we all sit by a “pot of stew.” A man sought out a respected old sage and said, “O wise one, I would like to know what heaven and hell are like.”
The sage led the man to two doors. He opened one of the doors, and the man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms. Each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The wise man said, “You have seen hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew that made the man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons strapped to their arms, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The man said, “I don’t understand!”
“It is simple,” said his venerable guide. “It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves” (author unknown).
Taken from: Spiritual Nourishment and Long-Handled Spoons
We all have long-handled spoons to deal with in our lives. They may come in the form of a physical illness or in the silent suffering of emotional illness. Maybe the heartache of loss makes it difficult to give ourselves the strength to go on, and so we need others with long-handled spoons to feed our aching souls. Whatever our troubles may be, we have something to offer. In serving others, we will find ourselves again. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will save his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:25).
Friday, April 15, 2016
Ice Cream Pickle Cake
Today's conversation with my 3-year-old grandson Cohen went something like this:
- Me: Cohen what do you want for your birthday?
- Cohen: I want a super hero party.
- Me: I know, your mama's going to throw you a super hero party isn't she? What super hero are you going to be?
- Cohen: Well, I like spiders, so I'm going to be spider man.
- Me (clarifying my first question): What do you want Grandma to get you for your birthday?
- Cohen: Well . . . I want cake and ice cream.
- Me: Really, you just want cake and ice cream?
- Cohen: Yes, that would be good.
- Me: What kind of cake should Grandma make for you?
- Cohen (very sure of himself): I think I would like ice cream pickle cake.
This little conversation stuck with me all day. There is something profound about talking to a very articulate 3-year-old. Not only did his answers delight me and fill a few minutes of my life with innocent humor, I also recognized that guileless little children have figured out a mantra to live by that most adults have forgotten: "Keep it simple. Make it fun." I think it's we adults that complicate their lives and lead them to believe that everything has to be bigger and better than it was yesterday or the day before or last year. Think about the memories you have as a child. The ones I remember most vividly are simple times spent with my family at home--doing the Charleston with my mom or the polka with my dad, lip syncing to the Chipmunks, going on a bear hunt on Thanksgiving, or just watching the Disney movie every Sunday night while Dad pops his family famous popcorn upstairs.
I recently went on a fantastic trip to Disneyland with my sister and her three girls. I am a self-professed Disneyland fanatic and felt sure my expertise in all things Disneyland would make this the most memorable trip ever for the girls. I asked one of my nieces what her favorite thing about the trip was, and guess what was number one on her list--swimming in the pool. Amazing! It's the simple things that make the best memories. Sometimes we offer Disneyland when they would be satisfied with a swim in the pool! (This is figurative of course. Despite this discovery, Disneyland is still my happy place.)
I recently went on a fantastic trip to Disneyland with my sister and her three girls. I am a self-professed Disneyland fanatic and felt sure my expertise in all things Disneyland would make this the most memorable trip ever for the girls. I asked one of my nieces what her favorite thing about the trip was, and guess what was number one on her list--swimming in the pool. Amazing! It's the simple things that make the best memories. Sometimes we offer Disneyland when they would be satisfied with a swim in the pool! (This is figurative of course. Despite this discovery, Disneyland is still my happy place.)
The media is filling our minds with an explosion of new technology, the latest and greatest expensive toys, and Pinterest ideas that will knock your socks off, and out of love and devotion, we make every exhausted effort to give our kids what we think they want. Sometimes we even feel like we just aren't good enough. But take it from a wise three-year-old--sometimes a simple super hero party and an ice cream pickle cake will do just fine, because let's be honest, all our family and friends really want and need is for us to put down our own technology and give them our time, attention, and love.
Now if I can just find a recipe for ice cream pickle cake . . . . .
Here's the link to a great video:
Monday, April 4, 2016
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Enough Said
I love this church that I belong to and the comforting, eternal principles I learn from the scriptures and from living prophets. What would I do without them?! The following words of inspiration from Thomas S. Monson, a prophet of God and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came over Instagram today just when I needed it most. Amazing how that happens! A good reminder that God is mindful of me. I am so grateful to be able to listen to more words like these on Saturday and Sunday during the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
There are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us and to become something different from what we were--better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before. This should be our purpose--to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life.
Enough said.
Below is a link to one of my new favorite short inspirational videos:
A Shower of Heavenly Blessings
There are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us and to become something different from what we were--better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before. This should be our purpose--to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life.
Enough said.
Below is a link to one of my new favorite short inspirational videos:
A Shower of Heavenly Blessings
Thursday, March 24, 2016
"Believest thou this?"
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26)
What a question! It is a question I should be asking myself everyday as I wake up to try to "resurrect" all that is good and set aside all that is bad in my life. Do I believe in the power that Christ has to give me life, not just after I die, but everyday as I live? Not only will He resurrect us physically, but he can and will resurrect us spiritually if we chose to let Him. Do I believe it? Absolutely! Do I live like I believe it? Maybe not so absolutely. It's easy for me to assert to others that Christ has the ability to change hearts that are hardened, to ease life's heavy burdens, and to light darkened souls. However, there have been times in my life when death is knocking at the door of someone's soul--someone that I care deeply about--and I have to say, I have felt hope's bright flame start to flicker and die out. At these times, even when all creation around me testifies of the bright hope of spring and the sunlight of a new day, I choose to shroud myself with helplessness. Why? Because I am subject to the pain that this life often presses upon us, as if daring us to believe in one man's power to save us. In those times, I have a choice to make and a question to answer: Do I believe Christ or not? In His own words rings a challenge to us all, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. (John10:37). No one who has read about His "works" can call into question any of His actions. He led a life that we should not be ashamed to follow and He gave us hope that we should not be afraid to grasp.
He and His Father have left obvious clues that all will be made right in the world, that "no matter how dark and cold the winters of our lives, spring will always come." We never question whether or not the daffodils and tulips of spring will pop their heads out of the dry ground each year. We may not know spring's timetable, but we know it will come. We see a dry, once over-flowing river bed and do not wonder that one day it will be filled again. So it is that our hearts, our souls, and our bodies will be renewed because Christ stood up to all that was evil on our behalf and then was resurrected as the glorified Son of God. We may not know when the hope that we have will be rewarded. We may not know when we will see our departed loved ones again, but we should not, we cannot, question the inevitability of these blessings. Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend (Mosiah 4:9, The Book of Mormon).
I echo the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley: When all is said and done, when all of history is examined, when the deepest depths of the human mind have been explored, nothing is so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace when the Son of the Almighty, the Prince of His Father's royal household, He who had once spoken as Jehovah, He who had condescended to come to earth as a babe born in Bethlehem, gave His life in ignominy and pain so that all of the sons and daughters of God of all generations of time, every one of whom must die, might walk again and live eternally. He did for us what none of us could do for ourselves.
Please take time to read the following articles that relate to this topic and that I have quoted from above:
Spring Will Come
The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas
What a question! It is a question I should be asking myself everyday as I wake up to try to "resurrect" all that is good and set aside all that is bad in my life. Do I believe in the power that Christ has to give me life, not just after I die, but everyday as I live? Not only will He resurrect us physically, but he can and will resurrect us spiritually if we chose to let Him. Do I believe it? Absolutely! Do I live like I believe it? Maybe not so absolutely. It's easy for me to assert to others that Christ has the ability to change hearts that are hardened, to ease life's heavy burdens, and to light darkened souls. However, there have been times in my life when death is knocking at the door of someone's soul--someone that I care deeply about--and I have to say, I have felt hope's bright flame start to flicker and die out. At these times, even when all creation around me testifies of the bright hope of spring and the sunlight of a new day, I choose to shroud myself with helplessness. Why? Because I am subject to the pain that this life often presses upon us, as if daring us to believe in one man's power to save us. In those times, I have a choice to make and a question to answer: Do I believe Christ or not? In His own words rings a challenge to us all, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. (John10:37). No one who has read about His "works" can call into question any of His actions. He led a life that we should not be ashamed to follow and He gave us hope that we should not be afraid to grasp.
He and His Father have left obvious clues that all will be made right in the world, that "no matter how dark and cold the winters of our lives, spring will always come." We never question whether or not the daffodils and tulips of spring will pop their heads out of the dry ground each year. We may not know spring's timetable, but we know it will come. We see a dry, once over-flowing river bed and do not wonder that one day it will be filled again. So it is that our hearts, our souls, and our bodies will be renewed because Christ stood up to all that was evil on our behalf and then was resurrected as the glorified Son of God. We may not know when the hope that we have will be rewarded. We may not know when we will see our departed loved ones again, but we should not, we cannot, question the inevitability of these blessings. Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend (Mosiah 4:9, The Book of Mormon).
I echo the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley: When all is said and done, when all of history is examined, when the deepest depths of the human mind have been explored, nothing is so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace when the Son of the Almighty, the Prince of His Father's royal household, He who had once spoken as Jehovah, He who had condescended to come to earth as a babe born in Bethlehem, gave His life in ignominy and pain so that all of the sons and daughters of God of all generations of time, every one of whom must die, might walk again and live eternally. He did for us what none of us could do for ourselves.
Please take time to read the following articles that relate to this topic and that I have quoted from above:
Spring Will Come
The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Forgiveness Flour
I heard an amazing talk on Sunday about judging and forgiving. Too often, we give into our human nature and place one-word labels on the people in our lives--those we know and those we don't. We label them as "depressed," "anxious," "angry," "selfish," and the list goes on. The problem with this is that humans are complex beings with a slew of emotional ups and downs, and we might catch them at a bad moment and make a snap, one-word judgment about them. The fact is that this emotion is only one piece of the puzzle that forms the tapestry of their lives. Rather than assuming we have all the facts because of the one piece we happen to notice, we should assume the missing pieces. Only when we know what makes a person tick, can we see them the way that Christ sees them. Only when we show them His love, His kindness, and His forgiveness, can we feel completely whole and forgiven ourselves.
I am one who has made the mistake of assuming something about a person without seeing the big picture, not just once, but many times, and almost 100% of the time, I find out I am way off base. I have wasted a lot of time and negative emotion making judgments and then having to backtrack and ask for forgiveness. I am also guilty of being a grudge-holder. I hang on to grudges like a security blanket--afraid to let go lest I leave myself vulnerable. I unfairly place full blame for the dark, begrudging cloud that hangs over my head on the person whom I think put it there, afraid to look at the big picture and realize that I am more to blame for not letting go of its unbearable weight. I love the following poem about both judgment and forgiveness called "Forgiveness Flour," by Marguerite Stewart. The poem, along with its beginning and ending explanations, are quoted from a BYU speech called "On Measuring Flour and Forgiveness," by Madison U. Sowell:
I am one who has made the mistake of assuming something about a person without seeing the big picture, not just once, but many times, and almost 100% of the time, I find out I am way off base. I have wasted a lot of time and negative emotion making judgments and then having to backtrack and ask for forgiveness. I am also guilty of being a grudge-holder. I hang on to grudges like a security blanket--afraid to let go lest I leave myself vulnerable. I unfairly place full blame for the dark, begrudging cloud that hangs over my head on the person whom I think put it there, afraid to look at the big picture and realize that I am more to blame for not letting go of its unbearable weight. I love the following poem about both judgment and forgiveness called "Forgiveness Flour," by Marguerite Stewart. The poem, along with its beginning and ending explanations, are quoted from a BYU speech called "On Measuring Flour and Forgiveness," by Madison U. Sowell:
The poem, written in the first person, features an unnamed wife who answers her door to find a young woman in shame and seeking flour, which symbolizes forgiveness, to make bread. The poem reads:
When I went to the door, at the whisper of knocking,
I saw Simeon Gantner’s daughter, Kathleen, standing
There, in her shawl and her shame, sent to ask
“Forgiveness Flour” for her bread. “Forgiveness Flour,”
We call it in our corner. If one has erred, one
Is sent to ask for flour of his neighbors. If they loan it
To him, that means he can stay, but if they refuse, he had
Best take himself off. I looked at Kathleen . . .
What a jewel of a daughter, though not much like her
Father, more’s the pity. “I’ll give you flour,” I
Said, and went to measure it. Measuring was the rub.
If I gave too much, neighbors would think I made sin
Easy, but if I gave too little, they would label me
“Close.” While I stood measuring, Joel, my husband
Came in from the mill, a great bag of flour on his
Shoulder, and seeing her there, shrinking in the
Doorway, he tossed the bag at her feet. “Here, take
All of it.” And so she had flour for many loaves,
While I stood measuring.
[Marguerite Stewart, “Forgiveness Flour,” Religious Studies Center Newsletter 7, no. 3 (May 1993): 1]
I saw Simeon Gantner’s daughter, Kathleen, standing
There, in her shawl and her shame, sent to ask
“Forgiveness Flour” for her bread. “Forgiveness Flour,”
We call it in our corner. If one has erred, one
Is sent to ask for flour of his neighbors. If they loan it
To him, that means he can stay, but if they refuse, he had
Best take himself off. I looked at Kathleen . . .
What a jewel of a daughter, though not much like her
Father, more’s the pity. “I’ll give you flour,” I
Said, and went to measure it. Measuring was the rub.
If I gave too much, neighbors would think I made sin
Easy, but if I gave too little, they would label me
“Close.” While I stood measuring, Joel, my husband
Came in from the mill, a great bag of flour on his
Shoulder, and seeing her there, shrinking in the
Doorway, he tossed the bag at her feet. “Here, take
All of it.” And so she had flour for many loaves,
While I stood measuring.
[Marguerite Stewart, “Forgiveness Flour,” Religious Studies Center Newsletter 7, no. 3 (May 1993): 1]
The phrase “While I stood measuring” characterizes too many of us too much of the time. We metaphorically “measure flour” in an attempt not to be overgenerous in our mercy. At the same time we pray that God will throw a bag of flour at our feet—that is, that he will be boundless in his mercy toward us.
Links on this topic:
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Define Normal
nor·mal
ˈnôrməl/
adjective
- 1.conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected."it's quite normal for puppies to bolt their food"
synonyms: usual, standard, ordinary, customary, conventional, habitual, accustomed, expected, wonted;
noun
- 1.the usual, average, or typical state or condition."her temperature was above normal"
- I have never liked the word "normal." We put this word on a pedestal, as if it is some unreachable goal we all hope to attain. Parents want their children to be "normal." Husbands and wives strive for a "normal" marriage. Doctor's even have parameters that determine whether a child's development is "normal." When someone decides to do something a little out of the ordinary, he or she runs the risk of being described as not "normal," as if it is a disease that one might catch. Children even complain that their parents are "abnormal." I have even caught myself on multiple occasions looking at another family and thinking that because mine does not look and act like theirs, we are "abnormal" or dysfunctional. WHAT IS NORMAL?! And why do we waste so much time trying to fit ourselves into its definition.I have decided to rebel against using the word "normal" to describe or compare my world to someone else's. It is so counterproductive, and really . . . when it's all said and done, do I want my obituary to read, "She lived a 'usual,' 'typical,' 'average' life and raised a 'usual,' 'typical,' 'average' family. Everything went as 'expected'"?! (See definition above.) The answer is an emphatic, "No!" While I admit that it is human nature to want our days to go smoothly without a lot of "abnormalities," the fact is that without life's abnormalities, we could not experience the joy of the extraordinary. Other facts that I have learned through hard experience but too often forget: Without weaknesses, we could not be made stronger. Without heart-wrenching pain, we would not know the true feelings of deep love. Without being lost, we could not know the sweet relief of being found. Father Adam understood this when he said, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 5:10). "He had discovered that in being lost, he could find God in a way that would not otherwise have been possible" (Hafen, The Broken Heart).If we could just see the challenges and abnormalities in our lives as means to an extraordinary end, we would spend a lot less time wishing things were "normal." The road to "extraordinary" is not paved by "normal."The following excerpt from a talk by President Gordon B. Hinckley says it all. It is a little long, but so worth reading:
One evening when my wife was at something which women call "a shower" and I was home alone, I put on a record, turned down the lights and listened to Beethoven's Concerto for the Violin. As I sat there in the semidarkness, I marveled that such a thing could come of the mind of a man, a man who, in most respects, was as I am. I do not know how tall he was or how broad he was or how much hair he had, but I guess he looked very much like the rest of us. He became hungry, he felt pain, he had most of the problems we have and maybe some we do not have. But out of the genius of that inspired mind came the creation of a masterpiece which has entertained the world through all of these many years.
I marvel at the miracle of the human mind and body. Have you ever contemplated the wonders of yourself, the eyes with which you see, the ears with which you hear, the voice with which you speak? No camera ever built can compare with the human eye. No method of communication ever devised can compare with the voice and the ear. No pump ever built will run as long or as efficiently as the human heart. No computer or other creation of science can equal the human brain. What a remarkable thing you are. You can think by day and dream by night. You can speak and hear and smell. Look at your finger. The most skillful attempt to reproduce it mechanically has resulted in only a crude approximation. The next time you use your finger, watch it, look at it, and sense the wonder of it.
You are a child of God, His crowning creation. After He had formed the earth, separated the darkness from the light, divided the waters, created the plant and animal kingdoms--after all this He created man and then woman. I hope you will never demean or belittle yourselves. Some of you may think you are not attractive, that you have no talents. Stop wandering around in the wasteland of self-pity. The greatest missionary the world has known, the Apostle Paul, is said to have been short, have a large Roman nose, rounded shoulders, and a whining voice, all of which may not sound too attractive to some persons. Abraham Lincoln, America's greatest hero, was tragically homely. But from his great heart and mind came words such as few other men have spoken.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes of all time. It has become somewhat of a motto for me when I catch myself bemoaning the "dysfunction" in my life:
Anyone who imagines that bliss ... is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. [The fact is] most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just 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 bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride ("Big Rock Candy Mountains," Deseret News, 12 June 1973, As quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley).
Links about this topic:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)