From Good Books

I had an interesting childhood.  There were a lot of negatives associated with it, but there are also a few positive things that I gained from that experience.  One of my favorite things that I still use to this day from my childhood, is a love of reading.  I used it as an escape from my everyday life, but the lessons learned for being able to read have influenced nearly every other part of my life since.  I used to read several books a week and loved the classics.  I would escape into the world of Heidi and Tom Saywer.  I could become, for a time, those people.  I learned to travel to far away places in my mind and could experience new things.  I also developed an understanding that everyone had difficulties in life and that it wasn't the difficulties themselves that destroyed us, it was what we did with them and what we became because of them.  I used my love of reading to get through college and was able to keep my grades up.  Reading helped me to be promoted in my career.  One of the most interesting interviews I ever had, was with someone who asked me what books I had read recently and what they were about.  He promoted me into his area because he loved the fact that I did not read just one thing, but was interested in many different things.  I could probably talk about my favorite books forever, but today, I am going to talk about a new one that I just bought.  Actually it was a gift from a very dear friend.  

Good books are like old friends and I enjoy visiting with them whenever possible!  I have a family friend who knows of my love for nearly all things bookish.  For Christmas this year, she gave me a gift card to one of the  large chain bookstores.  I love it because I can go there when I am in the valley, or I can order online.  There has been a book that came out that I have been wanting, but it was a little on the expensive side.  I was able to use my gift card to purchase the book this past week.  The name of the book is 'Change your Questions Change your Life' by Wendy Watson Nelson.  This is an amazing book and I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to get a little closer to their Heavenly Father. 
I was so excited when I brought it home last week and have been going through it pretty throughly.  I am enamored of the questions that can be asked and how to change them to really learn from them.  One of the questions in the book that really has made me think stems from a statement of Brigham Young.  President Young said, "Stop and let the spirit, which God has put into your tabernacles, take the lead".  I love that quote.  Just think for a minute about what we could do if we let the spirit respond to the situation instead of our emotions!  Than Sister Nelson asks the questions.
"What would I be naturally drawn to do if I followed the practice of letting my spirit, under the direction of the Holy Ghost, take the lead?
How would I manage my day-to-day life?
How would I handle the next crisis? (There'll always be another one, you know!)"
Think for a moment about how much we could accomplish if we had the Holy Ghost on our side!  Could He help us respond better, with more compassion, with more love, with more forgiveness? 

Those are just a very small sample of the many questions inside this wonderful book.  It is the book that I have been needing.  It is truly and answer to prayer.  I hope that each of you find a way to change your questions to ones that will help you get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He has said, "Ask and ye shall receive". 

So, what are you going to ask Him today?