Standing upright

 

 

Such a good one to remember.  Especially for me!  For some awkward reason, what other people think of me matters.  Probably not as much as it used to.  My skin has gotten a little bit tougher over the years as people work so hard not to be nice.  But it still hurts.  I have often wondered why it is so easy for some people to be mean to others. 

I know that it is easy to believe that, as Christians, we are the only ones that really know better (yet we don't always live it in spite of ourselves).  As I was reading today, I found examples of the golden rule in several other world religions.  The list goes on and on, but these are ones most of you will recognize.   

The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

Christianity	All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.       Matthew 7:1
Confucianism	Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.       Analects 12:2
Buddhism	Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.       Udana-Varga 5,1
Hinduism	This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.       Mahabharata 5,1517
Islam	No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.       Sunnah
Judaism	What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.       Talmud, Shabbat 3id
Taoism	Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.       Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien
Zoroastrianism	That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.       Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

Adapted from "The Christopher Newsletter"


As I have tried to change my life, and specifically the way I treat others around me, I have discovered good in many places that I have not looked to before.  I think, part of standing up in this world is being able to recognize and find the good ground that is around us.  It is not, and never has been, popular opinion that matters.  It is how we treat those around us.  How well we accept others opinions and beliefs.  How much we love. 
I am learning that the harder we try and see through God's eyes, the more good we will find in those who seem different from ourselves. 

Sabbath Day Scribblings - Sin

Remember, the worth of souls is great
in the sight of God. 

D&C 18:10

Sabbath Day Scribblings - His Hands

The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,

that we are the children of God.

Romans 8:16

Lessons for the Weary - Conference 2018 - Am I a Child of God

 

Romans 8: 16 -  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God

 

Am I a Child of God

by Elder Brian Taylor

 

President Boyd K. Packer’s words are plain and precious: “You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually, you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!”

“When you … see our Father,” Brigham Young described, “you will see a being with whom you have long been acquainted, and he will receive you into his arms, and you will be ready to fall into his embrace and kiss him.”

 

This talk reached out to my heart and reminded me that no matter what you DNA says, you are identified as a Son or Daughter of God.  You have worth in His eyes, and He loves you.

 

The one who seeks to confuse us, wants our identities to be confused also.  He wants us to embrace our differences and to allow them to divide us, not bring us together.  You have only to look around you at the world today and you can see the evidence of confusion and anger.  You can see that we are challenged always in a world that doesn't want to acknowledge our spiritual identity. 

 

I invite each of us to seek God and His Beloved Son. “Nowhere,” President Nelson directed, “are those truths taught more clearly and powerfully than in the Book of Mormon.”²⁷ Open its pages and learn that God does “all things for [our] welfare and happiness”;²⁸ that He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness”;²⁹ and that “all are alike unto [Him].”³⁰ When you feel hurt, lost, scared, upset, sad, hungry, or hopelessly abandoned in life’s extremities³¹—open the Book of Mormon, and you will come to know that “[God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so].”³²

Coming to know our Father changes everything, especially our hearts, as His gentle Spirit confirms our true identity and great worth in His sight.³³ God walks with us along the covenant path as we seek Him through prayerful pleadings, scriptural searchings, and obedient strivings.

 

The message of this talk to me is so clear.  We need to turn our hearts to Him, to seek to know Him, to know how very much we are loved by Him.  His hands are reaching toward each one of us.  It is up to you and me if we will reach out to take those hands, and the comfort and hope that they offer.  We are truly children of God. 

 

What I learned - His daily guiding hand

His Daily Guiding Hand
April 2017 General Conference By M. Joseph BroughSecond Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency

 

 

"Heavenly Father knows what you and I need

better than anyone else".

 

 

 

This talk was comforting to me. 

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained: “Our Father in Heaven knows His children’s needs better than anyone else. It is His work and glory to help us at every turn, giving us marvelous temporal and spiritual resources to help us on our path to return to Him.”

Listen to those words: Heavenly Father knows what you and I need better than anyone else. As a result, He has developed a personal care package suited to each one of us. It has many components. It includes His Son and the Atonement, the Holy Ghost, commandments, scriptures, prayer, prophets, apostles, parents, grandparents, local Church leaders, and many others—all to help us return to live with Him someday.

I love the idea of a care package from a loving Heavenly Father.  Something is included in it that we will all need.  I am trying to teach someone about this care package and answer their questions about the gospel as they struggle with a fledgling testimony.  What a beautiful thought, that Heavenly Father has given us something that is unique and just for us.  That He knows and loves us individually. 

He talks about the commandments being part of this care package.  That they are there to protect us from harm.  Most of the troubles that I have seen in my life, come from at least a partial failure to keep the commandments.  Why is it, when we do wrong, we want forgiveness and pardon?  But when others do wrong, sometimes we want someone to say that we are better than they are?  Sometimes, people act like the commandments apply to everyone except ourselves. 

I love that Heavenly Father wants to bless us.  He wants us to come home.  He wants us to believe that we can. 

My favorite part was when he states: 

"Perhaps Heavenly Father’s greatest care package component is described in these words: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”

To teach us all that we must do, Jesus Christ led the way by giving the perfect example that we must try to emulate. He pleads with us with arms outstretched to come, follow Him.⁹ And when we fail, which we all do, He reminds us, “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.”

What a wonderful gift! Repentance is not a punishment; it is a privilege. It is a privilege that leads and guides us. No wonder the scriptures declare that we should teach nothing save repentance".

I wonder how many of us look upon repentance as a gift?  It is not a punishment for bad behavior.  It is our chance to change and come back to God.  It is our welcome home into His enfolding arms. 

In my pride, I wish that I were perfect.  I wish that I did not need anyone else to help me get back to Heaven.  I wish I could say that I DESERVED to go there.  But I know my sins better than anyone.  I know that I will never get there on my own.  I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father, who gave His some Jesus Christ, that I could have the opportunity to live with Him again.  There is nothing in me that deserves His love.  He gives it unconditionally and in spite of my worst behavior.  Daily in my life, I see His guiding hand leading me, guiding me and walking beside me as I struggle to find my way.  How blessed I am for His loving care package that is designed to get me safely home again. 

. 

 

 

 

Sabbath Day Scribblings - LOVE

1 JOHN 4:7-11

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he lovedus, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Sabbath Day Scribblings - the Hands of God

 

I love this scripture.  I need this scripture.  It reminds me that I don't need to worry about everything.  In this time of chaos and despair, He really does have it under control.  He knows what we are going through and He as engraven us in the palms of His hands.  We truly are in the hands of a wonderful, loving God. 

Giving Thanks

 

I have discovered that this is one of those sayings that rings true for me.  When I am thankful for whatever I have, I actually feel closer to my Heavenly Father, and I more often am able to feel His love for me. 

I love the holidays.  I love Thanksgiving and the transition into Christmas.  I don't love black Friday, or Cyber Monday, although if I had to pick, I would take the cyber part of it all.  I don't do well in big crowds of pushy people.  Especially ones who grab things out of my cart and walk in front of me.  The anxiety that I live with on a daily basis goes right through the roof.  My heart rate goes up, I start shaking and I just can't hold myself together. 

I have learned that there are some things, (and some deals), that just aren't worth it to me anymore.  When we focus on the things that we have to be thankful for, instead of all the problems and the worries and the wants, we start to recognize how very much we are blessed.  As I realize that in my own life, the troubles don't seem to hang over me quite so much.  Oh, don't get me wrong, they are still very much there, but they cease to be as all consuming as they once were. 

I love that thankfulness can unlock to doors of heaven.  I love to serve others, and nothing feels quite as good as a sincerely given "Thank you".  I can see God's hand in my own life.  I know that He loves each and every one of us.  I know that there are angels that help us here upon the earth.  Sometimes, they might be heavenly beings, but more often than not, those angels are walking among us, just doing their best to make a difference. 

I have decided, that part of heaven is found when we try to make a difference in the lives of others along the way. 

Modesty, Are You Doing It?

I really like this one.  The world would have us believe that there is really no such thing as modesty.  With as many children as we have, we have run the gambit of what is appropriate and what is not.  The older I get, the more modesty matters to me.  I want to be modest.  I want to feel comfortable in my own clothing.  I want others to be comfortable when they are around me.  I don't want to need to worry about what is showing and what is not. 

We have raised our girls and our boys to be modest.  I have learned that when we speak of modesty, we usually mean girls and women, but there is immodesty in men also.  I hate the phrase that girls have to dress modestly so that boys don't have bad thoughts about them.  I don't believe it is my responsibility to control anyone elses thoughts.   It is my responsibility to dress so that I am comfortable in the presence of any one else.  If I would not be comfortable, I probably should not be wearing it.  I am a child of God.  I the daughter of a Heavenly King.  Who I am is so important to who I want to become in this life, as well as in the next.  If we remember whose we are, our choices become just a little bit easier. 

The Other Serenity Prayer

I like this one.  I do a lot of beating on myself nearly everyday.  I think I can mask, most of the time, what is going on inside, but I struggle every single day.  I try and be pretty open about depression and anxiety.  I have suffered from those for most of my life.  It started when I was very young and got so much worse over time.  It can be so hard to talk about in today's world, although I do think it is getting better (or maybe it doesn't bother me so much what others are thinking!) 

I love that there are so many resources available for help today.  Much more than I had in the beginning.  I love that, as hard as it can be, there are those who actually try and understand.  It wasn't long ago, that I was criticized for professing to be religious, but still suffering from depression.  Like somehow those two things can never go together.

I am not perfect.  I have come to the conclusion that I might never be.  I can't do it all by myself, and I was never meant to.  It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes the love of God to help each and every one of us.  I believe that He loves me, and in ways that I can't possibly understand, that will someday be enough.

I think that depression is the thorn in my side that I am trying daily to overcome.  I have been blessed to be surrounded with people who love me.  Who are there for me when I have bad days and good ones, because this disease is about both.  Every single day is not bad, neither is it good.  It just is a day, with weakness and strengths and the overcoming of hard times. 

I am working on doing better.  Some days, it is all I can do to get dressed.  Some days I stay in bed.  Most days I work and function like a normal person.  This is my normal.  Sometimes I escape to have a good cry, then I pick myself up and put one foot in front of the other and walk forward. 

I know that God loves each and every one of us, even me.  He knows how hard this journey is for us.  He knows our strengths and our weaknesses.  He knows when we are lonely.  He knows when we feel broken.

He is the great healer.  He will bind our wounds and hold us close as we make the journey home.  We are never alone.  He has walked the way before us.   He will walk it with us.  He loves us in all our pleading and breaking and tears.  His heart always, always reaches to embrace us. 

He knows your name.

He knows your journey.

He knows you.

Sabbath Day Scribblings - Every Man is given a gift

D&C 46:11- 26 
11  For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is  given a gift by the Spirit of God.

 12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

 13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

 14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

 15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.

 16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.

 17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.

 18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.

 19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;

 20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal.

 21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles;

 22 And to others it is given to prophesy;

 23 And to others the discerning of spirits.

 24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;

 25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.

 26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.

Tell them

I sometimes don't tell the things that are in my heart.  I think that it is easy to take people for granted.  It is easy to think they understand me so well, that they know what I am thinking and feeling.
I hold my words inside, instead of pouring them out, from one heart to another.  I keep the good things locked tight, instead of pouring those words and thoughts and feelings into someone else. 
I grew up hard.  I grew up early.  I learned more about the evil in the world than I ever wanted to know.  I learned that wishes never come true and that heartaches are a part of life.  I learned that words are often unkind and that they can give us some of the most lasting hurts.  The ones we never forget. 
I have often thought that because of my own experiences, maybe I have left unspoken way too many positives in the lives of those I love.  I needed to say "I love you" more often and harsh words so much less.  When I think about how much my Heavenly Father loves me, I want to have more patience and kindness for those here who also love me.  I want to never be responsible for leaving words unspoken that should have been said.  I want to make a difference for the positive in their lives.  I want to always remind them that they are loved and needed and have value in this life and in the next.  I never want their hearts to be broken by what I did not find the courage to say. 
So for today, I want to speak words of love.  I want to cherish the amazing people in my life that I call my family.  They are truly the ones who bless my life.  I love them today and always. 

1 John 4:16 
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.