Salvation is His Name

Salvation is His Name

Copyright © 2015 Jewel Adams - All Rights Reserved.

When He came, the heavens opened, a life awaited, a gift promised.

His arrival was not in worldly glory, but Godly glory,

His birthplace not a palace, but a cave.

His entrance into the world was not announced by royalty,

But by an angel and a star.

Salvation was His name.

God in the flesh, born into mortality,

With His first breath, the heavens rejoiced.

Herod’s soldiers sought Him,

Leaving pain and bloodshed in their wake,

But they could not find Him.

When he grew and stood on young legs, wise men sought Him,

Guided by a star and the Spirit,

Bestowing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,

Upon the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Priests of Priests.

At twelve, His wisdom exceeded the learned, His glory slowly making itself known,

Ministering before His ministry even began.

He was our Exemplar, charting the path for us to follow.

He taught,

He loved,

He laughed,

He healed,

He chastised,

He blessed.

Then He atoned, paying the ultimate price,

For a world who rejected His very presence,

Purchasing with blood, the price for our sins and weaknesses,

Giving what no one else could,

Pleading to His Father for relief,

Yet uttering the selfless words, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

In agony, He suffered for a people who turned away,

Turned from the blessed gift given by the Father.

Salvation was His name.

Yet they knew Him not, accepted Him not.

He was betrayed by His own and was crucified.

The earth groaned and trembled in agony and the heavens wept,

For Him who laid His body down.

Yet, He picked it up again.

An increment of time, so long ago,

Yet,

He still lives,

He still blesses,

He still laughs,

And He still loves.

But by many, He is still rejected.

And Salvation is still His name.

Without Him, we are nothing,

But to Him, we are everything.

Through the Fire

"You could ask yourself, "How did God bless me today?" If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God's hand in your life." ~

Henry B. Eyring

I don't believe in fate or luck; I believe in consequence and celestial favor. There is a blessing in everything, we just have to look for it. Sometimes the blessing can be extremely hard to see, but it is there.
At six years old, I couldn't comprehend a blessing coming from our house burning down on Christmas Eve, but as I became an adult and the years of reflecting on that Christmas rolled by again and again, I could see it. Boy, could I see it! And not in the way you might think.
The house was an old, dilapidated, wooden monstrosity that looked like a good stiff wind would blow it right over. I hated that house, because it was there that my abuse began. (The House of Hell would be a suitable title.) My brother and I avoided being inside as much as possible - well, as much as it was possible for a five and six-year-old, but those were different times.
On Christmas Eve, we were sent to bed early, and we were excited to go, because for a change, we were actually going to get presents that year.
Sometime later, I awakened in the arms of a fireman as he carried me through the smoke-filled, burning house and placed me on the lawn beside my family. And there we sat, watching it burn.

Now for the blessing.

We lost everything. The Salvation Army replaced our clothing and gave us some toys, and we were placed in the government housing project, Greer Town, one of the worst in Charlotte, North Carolina. Did my home-life change after that? No. In fact, things even got worse. However . . . my hatred of the old house takes us back to the blessing.
In that home was where the pain began. In that solitary home surrounded by an expansive grassy field, was where evil began and ran rampant. The old place represented evil in its purest form. And because of the fire, no one would ever be hurt there again. No child would ever be abused, and no mother would ever be beaten again within those walls. Yes, it would go on within other walls just as it does today, but at least that den no longer stood.
The memory of that blessing renews my joy and strengthens my faith in the Lord's future judgements. With the Savior's birth, life, atoning sacrifice, death, and resurrection, comes the surety that one day soon, all will be made right, and I am sure He has many millstones reserved for those who harm His little ones even today.

God's blessings are there in everything we experience, whether it is a consequence, a celestial favor, or a trial for our spiritual refinement. He knows what we need, and He knows what is best for us.
What little I lost in that fire has since been given back to me a million times over. And even back then, the Father cared about me more than I could have ever known. How do I know?
Because He brought me through the fire.

What We Choose to Become

Something I have repeatedly tried to impress is the importance of choice. I am constantly saying that every single choice we make in this life affects someone or something - every single choice, no matter how

seemingly minor. Many think our choices mean nothing to no one but us, but that thinking could not be more wrong. Because even when we think we are only hurting ourselves with our actions, we are mistaken. We may think our life is our own, but it is not. It never was.
I have discovered that my choices not only affect my future but the future of others in some way, especially my family and others I am close to. Yes, everyone has their agency and nothing I do can control another person, but I know that my words, actions, and even my thoughts, make a difference and can affect others for good or ill. They also make a difference in me and what I will become.
May we all be conscious of our agency, and allow our choices to lead us along the path that will take us to a place in our lives where we become the heavenly beings we were before we came here.
And remember, we never have to travel that path alone. The Lord is always a most willing companion.

Tearing Down Walls

As imperfect human beings, we have the ingrained talent of building walls between ourselves and God. We also nurse our ever-increasing capacity to build walls between each other in one form or another for one reason or another. At a time in the world when we should be drawing closer together to help and strengthen one another and support each other through the trials and mounting tribulations, we draw further and further apart. Some of us become so isolated, we forget what it is like to be connected to another human being,

which is pretty sad.
This weeks I got the results back of a DNA test I took a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised at the results. No, surprised is not strong enough, I was startled by the results! I knew my ancestry would be a diverse one, but I never expected these findings and I was literally blown away!
You're just dying to know, right? Well, first let me just say my ancestors have some explaining to do, but in a good way:-)
My test results state that my ancestry in order of strongest DNA match is: Argentina, Nigeria, India, Iraq, and Lithuania!
Definitely did NOT expect that! But I guess that would explain my love for foreign foods, colorful clothing, and Bollywood.
The reason these results are so exciting to me is because they testify that we truly are all connected in one way or another. We are not only literal sons and daughters of God, we are literally brothers and sisters, which means none of us are alone in the world.
God never put a wall between Himself and us. We did that all on our own, and each time we do anything not in harmony with the Savior's teachings, we add more bricks to that wall. Just as we built that wall, we also erect the high ones that stand between each other. Now is the time to tear them down. First, begin tearing down the wall between us and God. Then invest in an emotional sledgehammer and demolish our walls until there is nothing left standing between us. Only then will we truly be able to see each other as we really are - brothers and sisters trying to make it back to that same Father who gave us life. Then, as we should, we will reach out a hand and help each other ascend and reach the heavenly place prepared for us.
A place with no walls.

Living Up to Our Words

We can't share the gospel of Christ with others without first earnestly striving to live the gospel ourselves. Example is everything. And what we carry in our heart is even more.

We must mean what we say, and then do it.

The Victim Chair

Something I have pondered about a great deal over the years is how easy it is to not only play the part of victim, but allow oneself to hold on to that title.

At some point in our life, each and every one of us has been a victim in one form or another. Some forms are more serious than others and are harder to overcome. However, many of us who take up this position do so needlessly. Yes, there may have been a reason - maybe you were treated unfairly or falsely accused - but the key is not to let it define us. Instead, we should learn to lean on the Lord's help to overcome whatever IT is.
The victim chair can be a comfortable one, and the false sense of security that chair provides will mold around you and draw you in further unless you do something about it.

What can you do? You can reach for the hand that is always extended to lift you, and He will pull you from that chair of fear, anger, and hurt, and enfold you in His healing arms. When that happens, those inward thoughts begin to turn outward, then, instead of being overcome, we overcome. This is what God wants for us. This is what Christ is trying to teach us.
May we all leave that chair of defeat behind and strive to live worthy of Christ's glorious promise: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." ~Rev. 3:21

I would say this will be a far more glorious and comfortable chair to rest in.

Eternity

When I think of eternal happiness, this is what I see. This is my goal. I want forever with my family and nothing less. All my dreams and goals and righteous desires are fixed on this.

And I pray that I am found worthy.

Courage

"Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
Queen Esther in the Old Testament has always held a special place in my heart. Her courage and selflessness she could do - an act she was foreordained to do long before this life.

is unmatched, and through her came the physical salvation of a nation. Spiritually preparing herself through fasting, then risking her life to go unsummoned before the king, and eventually confessing her true heritage to stop the extermination of her people was an act that only

I ponder Esther's life quite a bit, and I marvel at her courage, and wonder if I could ever be that brave. Every day I pray to Heavenly Father to make me a holy and righteous woman, and I pray for the courage and the strength to face -and get through- whatever I am required to face and go through.

The curtain on this part of our existence is slowly drawing to a close. Due to the evil and sin that rage in the hearts of men, the light is dimming and the world is growing darker. As long as there are righteous people standing, the light will never truly go out because the light of Christ will shine from within every righteous soul. As we cling to the Savior and truly come to know Him, we keep the inner light burning bright. It will take all our might, mind, strength, and courage to get through the days ahead, both now and in the distant future.

May we all do our part to keep the light of Christ burning within each of us. May we all become one with the Father and the Savior. May we do everything in our power to accomplish all that is required of us. May we stand valiant and strong, clinging to the Lord's word, and declare His word to everyone around us in both message and deed. And maybe, just maybe, it may one day be said of us, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Do-Overs

"Detours on the path add new dimensions to the experience, but some roads are better left untraveled.
Of course, in the end, the journey is as important as the destination." Quote from The Journey

I have been asked so many times if I would change anything in my life if I could go back - if I could avoid all

the pain inflicted, and all the poor choices that came afterward, and still wind up where I am now, would I change it. Once upon a time I thought I would. But avoiding the pain would have been missing out on the acquisition of growth and strength. Going back and changing the choices is kind of a toss up; though it would take away all the lessons learned from the consequences, hindsight can be a painful thing as well.

Yet when I look back on the journey, I am awed and amazed by the Savior's love, and moved to tears to witnessed the evidence of His presence in many parts of the journey. During the darkest and bleakest times, He was always there just beyond the wall of mist and fog, holding up a lamp, waiting for me to make my way toward that light. Going back and changing the slightest thing might possibly weaken eyes that had been made stronger over the years and I might have missed seeing the light, remaining trapped in a world of darkness because I couldn't recognize the saving light being extended to me.

So would I change anything if I could go back?
Absolutely not.
The Savior mends broken things when He is allowed to, taking away the need for any do-overs.

Joy in Trials

I've learned that when we go through trials and dark times, we aren't meant to stay in them, neither do we make ourselves comfortable and allow the times to drag us lower. We look to the Lord's light and let that light guide us through. It is so easy to give in to the temptation to stay down in our misery, but that isn't what God wants for us. As one of our church leaders reiterated today, the Lord wants us to find joy in our trials and tribulations. And the best way to find that joy is by looking outside ourselves and our trials and serving others.
Many times when I have a down day, I bake and take a treat to a neighbor. Believe me, it does help to lift my spirit. (And neighbors, please don't start hoping I have more down days just so your chances of getting a treat increase:-))

The Lord wants us to have joy, and He is there to help us have joy. He won't remove our burdens, but He will make them light.. There is joy in that knowledge alone.

Merging Our Plans With God's

We all make plans for our life. We carry an idea about how we want - and expect - it to go.

But God has a plan for our life as well, and most of the time, He wants something completely different for us than we want for ourselves. Some of us relentlessly pursue certain things and move heaven and earth to see those things come to pass. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes not, and when we are not successful, some of us sacrifice things that really aren't meant to be sacrificed, allowing human nature to drive us to cash in everything for that particular want, when it is not God's will that we have it.
I know from experience that sometimes, when what we are striving to acquire does not come to pass, it is because God has something better in mind. We might not think His plan is better at the time, but later on when that time has passed, if our hearts are open, we do eventually see that His plan was a thousand times better that ours.
So instead of  relentlessly going after what we want, we should find out what God wants for us. Many times God will allow us to acquire our major wants because He knows the outcome and how it will affect us; that is called a consequential learning experience. Many times our desires are in agreement with God's because they are righteous desires and He really wants us to have what we seek. But even when they aren't, I find it better to change the course- even if it means doing a 180 - and walk along the path He has for us. I promise you that if you do this, God will always make it worth it, and whether we see the fruits of our course-correction in this life or the next, it is all the same.

Grocery Store Counseling

This week I read about a neat experience Jonathan Cahn had. He said around midnight, he was walking into the grocery store, and as he was passing by a pay phone, it rang. He figured he had nothing to lose, so he answered it.

"Hello."
"Is this the counseling center?" the caller asked.
 He replied, "No, this is Jonathan, but maybe I can help."
The person started sharing their trouble with Jonathan and he was able to share the Lord's message by counseling the person to trust in the Savior. It was an amazing example of making the most of every opportunity. Jonathan said when we're busy doing our own thing, we should be looking for opportunities to do the Lord's thing - to be about His business.
I know from experience that if we look for opportunities to do the Lord's work, we will definitely find them, because He will lead you to those opportunities. I get them every day, and though some can be a little trying at times, I'm so happy to help when and where I can.
May we all look out for opportunities to help one another, and God will always bless us with divine appointments to keep and chances to be His hands.

Strength

We are so much stronger than we think we are. We simply need to remember that we don't need to carry our burdens alone, because we are never alone. Someone else has already paid the price to carry them for us. What a glorious gift that is!

I will never cease in my gratitude for the Savior's atoning gift, and I will forever accept it gladly. I can't shoulder my burdens or face trials and tribulations alone, and I don't want to.
None of us are meant to.

Needed: Righteous Women

I wish so badly that the women in this world could see that we are all of infinite worth. I wish we could all see our worth in the eyes of

God. We have got to stop letting the world beat us down and stop trying to make ourselves into the world’s ideal – and we have to stop this now! We have the divine potential to do so much, but we have to focus on what is important. God has a great work for the righteous women of this world. He knows what a force of righteous women can do, and so does Satan. How badly I want to be one of those righteous women! I ache for that! I hunger and thirst for that! I long for that for all women.

Heavenly Father is aware of each and every one of His daughters, and the Savior knows us intimately. He knows of the struggles we face in this life. He knows and He is there to lean on and help us through. He is the only one who can, but we have to let Him. We MUST open our minds and hearts and look to Him and not the world, because so much depends on the actions of God’s righteous daughters.

I have an affirmation that I keep in my thoughts to remind me of my worth and I invite you to use it as well: “Daughter of God, when you finally have eyes to see what heaven sees in you, you will have reached your true potential.” This isn't a vain thought, but it is a true one. Because when we finally do have eyes to see what God sees in us, we will no longer desire to do anything that would take us away from that goal. When we truly know who we are, we will constantly seek after anything that is virtuous, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy. And though we will never reach perfection in this life, if we are constantly seeking after the things that will help us reach it, we are perfecting our desire to do good, which brings us to our full potential.

If we will but see ourselves the way God sees us, and live accordingly, nothing on this earth can stop us from claiming the heavenly prize that is ours for the taking.

I pray for this for all of us.