Answering the Call

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ~John 10:27

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare  a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. ~1 Nephi 3:7

My heart's new motto is, "I will go and do," because I have witnessed God's plans in action. And even though there have been times when I've stepped back and thought, "Lord, what in the world are you doing?" He always makes a way for us to accomplish what He commands, and His plans for me and my house are rolling forth in His way and in His time, not ours. All we have done - and will continue to do - is hold on for the ride and try to prepare ourselves for whatever He has in store.

This new chapter in our lives was most unexpected and bittersweet, but we are ready to move forward into the great unknown, be the Lord's hands, and  do whatever He asks of us. These are trying times, but they are also exciting times, and it is a great time to be alive on this earth! The Lord's love is still here in abundance despite the chaos surrounding us, and it is ours for the taking.
May we all stretch forth our hands and accept His mighty offering!
Happy Sabbath!

Following Christ

It seems like I am constantly re-evaluating my life these days, trying to de-clutter and eliminate
anything that is hindering my walk with the Savior and keeping me from following Him completely, and from staying on His sure path. He is THE way, and I never want to be lost. That already happened once decades ago, and I never want it to happen again.
These days, it is so easy to become lost, but if we accept Christ's invitation to follow Him and never let our focus shift or lose sight of Him, He will never lose sight of us.

Building the Kingdom

For a long, long time now, my all-encompassing personal goal has been to align my will with God's,
to serve Him, and to praise and glorify Him in every aspect of my life. Waking or sleeping, I ache to have my heart centered on Him and my Savior - to serve Him, to zealously spread His word and share His glorious plan of happiness for us. There are so many lost souls out there who are searching, looking and yearning for a peace that only the gospel of Christ can bring. And the Lord has let me know in many ways that I have much to contribute in the work. He knows my insecurities and my feelings of inadequacy at times when it comes to my lack of knowledge in things I still need to learn, but He also lovingly makes it clear to me that I am still of use to Him, and He has plans for me. I am constantly being prepared for His work, and I am so grateful to know that He still has need of me.
He still has need of ALL OF US.
I pray that starting today, each of us will take the time to find out what God's plan is for us, what part He will have us play in future events, and then, through daily trials and experiences, allow ourselves to be purified, sanctified, strengthened, and prepared as we strive to align our will to His, that we may move forward in the plan and help build His kingdom.

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!