Life's Exams

This quote should be a reminder to all of us that, though we believe in God and His Son and trust in Them for our care, having faith is no guarantee of avoiding hard times, however, an increase of faith requires even more adversity. If not for the hard times - the trials, tests, and struggles - there would be no testimony of God's goodness. If not for the pain and suffering and burdens, there would be no joy in overcoming, and in triumph. The tests of this life are so important for growth . . . but it is how we choose to endure the tests that we will be graded on.
And since our Savior is the Master Teacher, through His mercy and grace, He will know best how to grade us after the final exam.
Happy Sabbath!

What If . . .

I believe that the spirit world (the world of the deceased) is very close, and is in fact, all around us. I believe our departed loved ones watch what we do and hear what we say. Because of this, I believe they cheer us on when we are doing what is right, sorrow for us when we sin, and offer us what comfort they can when we are sad, distraught, hurting, or sorrowing ourselves, which testifies of just how much they depend on us to live the best life we can. They, too, are affected by our choices here in mortality.
That being the case, I do know with certainty that the Lord is always present in His holy temples, and I believe He even visits His church houses from time to time. I am sure that He is sometimes saddened by the things He witnesses. He also rejoices over the righteous desires and actions of His people. Thinking of the Savior being present and witnessing the things I do makes me want to never do anything to grieve Him. However, knowing He is near to catch me when I do fall and place me back on the path to Him is what gives me joy during times of repentance.
So, on this line of thinking, what would we change in our lives to be able to stand in front of the Savior and not cower before Him?
It's definitely worth thinking about.
Happy Sabbath!

Keeping Christ in Our Lives

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus." ~ Neal A. Maxwell

 I absolutely love this quote from Elder Maxwell! And because of our deep study of the New Testament in the "Come Follow Me" curriculum, it truly has felt like Christmas this entire year in our home. Christ should always be our focus. He should permanently be front and center in our heart, home, and life, not just at Christmas time, but always. True love for the Savior should inspire and guide us in all we do, say and think. Christ should not be just a guest in our home, He should be the head of our home, and as Elder Maxwell said, we decide how much room we make for Him - whether it will be a small bedroom or give Him run of the entire place.

Since I owe everything to the Lord, I display Him in every room for the world to see, and I'm striving to display Him in every part of my life. I love Him with every fiber of my being, and because of His love for me, I can do no less.

Blessings to you all!
Merry Christmas!

Victory in Christ

Just as God is aware of us, so is Satan, and every minute of the day, we choose who we will serve with our every word, thought, and deed. And though we do not remember - yet are learning to remember - who we were before we came into mortality, Satan DOES remember us. He remembers our strengths. He remembers the valiant ones who stood with the Lord in the war in heaven, and he studies each and every one of our human weaknesses and shortcomings like a hawk. He glories in every choice we make that turns us away from Christ, and he has made it his eternal goal to wreak havoc in our lives, both spiritually and emotionally.

But just as surely as we are taught that Satan will never win, each of us needs to KNOW that within us is a power far greater than the adversary. The Savior is the source of that power. We only need to let His light shine in those dark places of our heart and cast any and everything that is not of God away from us.
Only then can we grow in our daily battle with the adversary and gain the victory.
We are already on our way!
Happy Sabbath!

Gratitude in Sorrow

I have always felt that expressing our gratitude to God each day is not only a must, but necessary.
Everything that is good in our lives comes from God. You can be the poorest person in the world and still show gratitude for the little you do have. And nothing makes God sadder than our ingratitude for what we have been blessed with.
Because of an ongoing trial in our family, my heart has been heavy this week, heavy to the point that I literally felt like shutting down and tuning out everything to escape the pain. But then, as always, the Lord was there and comfort came through prayers and a priesthood blessing, and I was reminded of my Savior's love, His mercy, and His grace. The joy of the Father's plan for me was renewed, as well as my faith and understanding that They know me.

God knows me, which means He knows my every thought, my every word and deed, and my every righteous desire. He knows my hopes for my family, and hears every prayer - both spoken and unspoken - for my children and grandchildren.
My Savior sees, feels, and understands every emotional strain I undergo. He witnesses every river of tears that I cry and every heartbreak I endure, and He knows what I am feeling, because He wept those same tears for me in Gethsemane, and He felt my heart break along with His own on the cross.

Because of all of this, my heart is overflowing with gratitude - gratitude for this earthly life with its triumphs and trials, its adversities and afflictions. How can I not be grateful for these experiences when what Christ endured for me is so much greater that I could possibly fathom? Ingratitude, for me, is impossible!
So, I will continue to love the Lord, to serve Him, and to praise Him with all my heart.
I know that if I do this, my heart will never stay broken, because He will always be there to mend it.

Wishing you all a most wonderful and amazing Thanksgiving!

"What is Truth?"

I've said this many times, mainly to my family: All the food and water and emergency preparation in the world will do us no good if we are not spiritually prepared. Yes, we need those things, but spiritual preparedness is far more important, because through this will come the blessings. Which is why it is so vital to build a solid relationship with the Savior.
I have pondered Pontius Pilate's question, "What is truth?" many times and I've been pondering it even more lately, and the simple answer is this: truth is anything that testifies of Christ, at least, that's how I see it and what the spirit has testified to me. So, these days, I am constantly praying for things that will continue to strengthen and increase my faith in - and testimony of - the Savior. I know that it is the only way I will make it through the trials and triumphs to come. It's the only way any of us will.
I pray for the continued spiritual growth of us all.
Happy Sabbath! :-)

In the book of Alma, when King Lamoni's father was being taught of God, the king, wanting to leave
his wicked ways behind him and be cleansed, prostrated himself on the ground before God and cried mightily, saying:
"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day." ~Alma 22:18
Pondering his humble, heart-felt plea, I wonder how much the world would change if those of us who call ourselves Christians would end every night on our knees with this plea and promise in our hearts, and start each morning on our knees the same way.

The day that we truly begin to give away all our sins to know the Lord will be the day we TRULY BEGIN the process of coming to know Him.