Peace in Guidance

I'm finding myself constantly calling on the powers of Heaven to see me through the coming days,
weeks, months, and years.
Each and every one of us will need the divine guidance of the spirit of God to navigate the path placed before us, and courage to be obedient to His will. Each and every one of us matters more than we know, and so do our choices and intents.
My prayer for all of us is that the heavenly discussions going on about us are good ones, and the angelic soldiers and guardians assigned to us are always standing near, ready to do battle in our behalf, that we may accomplish whatever the Lord asks of us.

I love this quote because it explains exactly, why I never wish trials away. Not only do we learn from
adversity, it produces a thicker skin and a stronger will to endure. But just enduring is not enough - it is enduring in the Lord that makes all the difference.
Happy Sabbath!

Happy Mother's Day!

As wives, mothers, and women in general, we put so much pressure on ourselves to be everything to

everyone, and in the process, we burn ourselves out. Our Father in Heaven never asked us to do that - He simply asked us to be obedient to Him. If we are obedient to Him and put the Savior first in our life, we can accomplish any and all things that are required of us as daughters of God.
So instead of bowing and catering to the world's idea of what a "Supermom" or "Superwoman" should be, let us bow and and vow to be righteous and holy "Daughters of God" and "Women of Holiness" by being faithful, steadfast and true to our Heavenly King from Whom all our blessings flow.
May you all have an amazing Mother's Day! May it be full of love and all things good!

A Note to My Younger Self

Like many people, there were times in the past when I thought, "If I could write a short letter to my younger self, it would go something like this:

Dear Jewel,
I'm so sorry for the situation you were born into. No child should have to deal with what you are dealing with, but I'm going to tell you how to fix it and make your life perfect!
First, even though you have been threatened and told not to speak, tell all your teachers and everyone who will listen what you have been going through at home. When you do, the authorities will remove you from your home, place you and your brothers with people who really care, put your stepfather in jail, and get your mother the help she needs. Then you will have better opportunities in life. You will be raised in a nice neighborhood instead of the dangerous housing projects you grew up in, and you will actually have the chance to GROW UP LIKE A NORMAL GIRL instead of being looked upon as a woman-child by grown men (pedophiles.) You will get a great education, marry and have children, and you will be an awesome mother. You won't make the terrible mistakes of your youth; you'll be so much better than that.
You will this . . . you will that . . .

Many years later, I came to understand some things, and I would have promptly crumpled that letter up, thrown it away, and started over. Now my letter would most likely say something like this:

Dear Jewel
I know life hurts, and it will for a long time yet. But don't think that you are facing these dark times

alone, because each time you are hurt and threatened to say nothing, the Lord is there, He is aware and taking note of everything. Your life is yours alone and it was given to you for a reason, though you won't discover that purpose until much later.
You are going to continue to make mistakes, and even after God provides you with a glimpse of who you are, you will have to hit the bottom of the mountain before you begin your climb up.
Above all, I want you to know that you are a daughter of God, the daughter of a King, and nothing in this life is as it seems; you can't see the big picture yet.
You are not what happens to you, and with the Lord, you can overcome any and everything! If you cling to this knowledge, you will be blessed with a better life than you could have ever dreamed. No, your life will not be free of trials. On the contrary, the trials will be many, some of them brutal. But each one that you overcome will lead to greater blessings.
This is what I want you to know. Just don't ever give up - not even for a moment.

So, if you could write a message to your younger self, what would it be?
Happy Sabbath!