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!

A Most-Blessed Easter

"The Savior has suffered not just for our iniquities but also for the inequality, the unfairness, the pain,

the anguish, and the emotional distresses that so frequently beset us. There is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you or I ever experience during our mortal journey that the Savior did not experience first. You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, 'No one understands. No one knows.' No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor—literally run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying upon only our own power." ~David A. Bednar

I love bearing my testimony of the Savior, but there are times when my words just won't do, and His other anointed servants - His Prophets and Apostles - say it far better than I ever could.

The Unchanging Word of the Lord

When Christ came into the world to save His people from sorrow, sin and oppression, many were disappointed because due to the traditions of their fathers, they had expected and eagerly awaited a conquering king from the royal house of David - a  man who would overthrow Roman rule and lead

the people in battle. What they got was oh, so much more! Yet they did not - COULD NOT - see it. And because of their blindness, or rather, the blindness of their Jewish leaders, they missed out on learning at the feet of the greatest teacher who ever walked the face of the earth.

However, even among those who were Christ's followers, many found some of his teachings hard to take and there was a great division among the people. And just as it was then, so it is today. To live the gospel is not a matter of picking and choosing what commandments to obey. The Lord said if we are not FOR Him, we are AGAINST Him, which means we had better decide WHOSE side we are on.
I love and cherish every single word of the gospel of Christ, and lowly sinner that I am, I will continue to do my best and pray that my humble offering will be accepted, and that the Savior's atoning sacrifice will make up the difference. Which means, I am on His side no matter what!

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He ~Matthew 10: 34-38

that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

 

Looking Forward to That Day

With each day that passes, I find myself reflecting more and more on the Savior's gifts to me - His teachings and His many sacrifices, the biggest of which is the Atonement. I'm more prone to tears these days and my emotions run high when I think about the many ways the Lord's life has blessed my own. Flawed creature that I am, I have received much comfort, and answers to prayers that have strengthened and increased my faith and testimony of the Father and the Son's love for me, and for all of us.

Oh, how I look forward to the Savior's return! How I look forward to kneeling before Him, for the opportunity to bathe His feet with my tears, to feel the nail wounds there, and in His hands. And how I pray that when that day does come, I will be worthy of the blessing. Until then, I will do my best to live my best and be my best.
I pray for this for all of us.