Finally Able to Breathe Again

The past couple of weeks have been so exhausting, I wondered when the calm would come (packing and moving into our new condo, then unpacking, sorting what is needed and what isn't and getting everything put away) but the calm has finally come and I've been able to catch my breath.

Today my thoughts have been traveling in several different directions. Before going to church this

morning, I spoke for a while with a friend who has been facing some tough challenges both physically and emotionally, and in the midst of it all, he lost his sister to cancer. Already dealing with a terminal illness himself, this news almost broke him completely. Sadly, he was hurt by his family and cannot trust them, and since this beloved sister was the only one he COULD trust, he is basically alone.
Talking with this friend is always a draining experience, but this morning I literally felt the Lord's spirit calming me and helping me know what to say to calm and comfort my friend. And the thoughts I shared were actually a comfort to me as well. It was nothing new really, just the same things I have always known, but I guess I needed the reminder too. It was simply this:

This life truly is but a small moment, just the blink of an eye. The pains and struggles we suffer now make this life seem long, and sometimes trials make the days seem so hard to bear, but one day, when this part of our existence is over, we will look back and realize how short, but how oh-so-significant these days really are. It  is what we do with this life that matters. It is how we endure these times that means everything. We need to do what we can to be a blessing to others while we are here, and make this time matter.

How I wish wish every fiber of my being that I could express what is in my heart concerning this. How I wish I could express how important it is.
Because in the end, the temporal things we acquire in this world - money, degrees, power and prestige, titles, status, fame, prominence, notoriety - none of it will mean a thing. It will all be counted as vanity, unless we have used what we were blessed with to bless the lives of others.

Happy Sabbath!

Just a little reminder that we never have to go through our trials alone. We weren't meant to - that's what the Atonement was - and is - for. When we try to handle things alone, we fail, and truly, there is nothing we can't handle when we lean on the Lord for our support.
Happy Sabbath!

The Lord's Vessel

I can testify of the truthfulness of this quote with absolute certainty! I know it's true because of
witnessing the Lord's miraculous work in my own life. Broken soul that I was  (and still am from time to time,) Christ did remove the slums from me, which enabled me to remove myself from the slums of what was once a very, very sinful life. I once lived by the world's dictates, and though I find myself slipping from time to time, Christ has changed my nature from the one I possessed in the past, and I know that as long as I allow Him to, He will continue to change it day by day.
And so it is with each of us. May we all look to Christ and allow Him to shape and mold us into the willing vessels He needs us to be - the vessels we were meant to be all along. How grateful I am to know that with His help, (and through Him) we can do all things!
Happy Sabbath.

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!