A New Commandment

One of my favorite scriptures is John 13:34-35.
"A new commandment I give you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
I was thinking about how some people can go through horrible trials and not only manage to smile and see the good despite their struggles, but they also manage to lift others because of the Christlike spirit that lives in them. I've known so many people like this and their love for others is tangible.

In a world filled with a great deal of ugliness, there is still so much beauty, and one of the great beauties of this world is our human capacity to love. No matter what happens to us, and no matter what happens in our lives, deep within us, there is an ingrained desire to love and be loved. However, as the world grows darker, so too, do some hearts. It would be so easy to give in to despair and let it blacken the soul. It takes courage to keep your heart open and love as the Savior loves us. For this reason, possessing real love in our hearts is a gift that I pray we will never lose.

Because the day that we do lose it will be the day we literally lose our humanity.

Being Yourself - Only Better

"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another." ~ Homer

The older I get, the more set in my ways I become, but I know there is always room for improvement and I

continue to try to be better. But bettering one's self doesn't mean changing who you are. I love me. However, I will never stop trying to increase the good things about myself. None of us should. Bettering ourselves is our part in working with God to shape us into a more refined version, full of beauty, virtue and integrity, and this can only happen by seeking to do the will of the Lord every day, and then standing back and letting the refining process roll forth.
If we do this, one day, we will finally become the glorious beings we were meant to be all along - the ones we have always been.

The Important Things

With each bit of time that passes, I find my mind more and more fixed on the important things. I know we never stop learning and growing in life and I am so grateful for that, but I have managed to hold on to a few lessons here and there.

Over the years I have learned:

Not to judge. You never know what is going on in the lives of others.

To forgive. How can I expect to be forgiven if I choose to hold on to things and not forgive, myself?

To love unconditionally. God loves me and He asks me to do the same in return.

Be positive. It takes so much more energy to be negative.

Look for the good. In a world that is as troubled as ours has become, this can be a hard thing to do, but it can be done.

Be grateful. No matter what I am going through, I try to remind myself that things can always be worse.

I am privileged to speak to groups occasionally. Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak to a group of women who were overcoming drug addiction. What a marvelous opportunity that was! What an amazing group of women! They varied in ages and ethnic background, but I understood them, because I was once where they are, and though they have all been through many things and I can't possibly understand how they feel personally, I can definitely relate and empathize. Visiting with these beautiful women helped to renew my surety that it is never too late to change, and with God's help, we can overcome anything. It also

strengthened my conviction that we are here to live the best we can and be happy. We don't judge one another, we help one another.

Since that time, God has blessed me with many opportunities to share messages of hope and he has been keeping me busy lately. I occasionally speak to troubled youth as well, and I always come away feeling uplifted, grateful, and full of love for them and hope for their future.

This life is so short. I see that now more than I ever could before, and eternal things are ringing more true. I guess that's what comes with settling comfortably in my middle age years. The world is moving at a faster pace. My children grew up before I could blink. I see another line or two around my eyes when I smile now and a few more gray hairs highlighting the black. But you know what? It's okay. This is the way things are supposed to be. And I wouldn't change any of it.
I love the life that God has given me. I hope you can see the good in yours as well, and I hope we can all remember to fix our minds on the important things.