What I learned - Standing With Our Leaders

The growing question of today is clear:

are you standing with the leaders of the Church in a darkening world so that you might spread the Light of Christ?

It can be hard to stand with our leaders.  Sometimes, they seem so far away, and they are so much older than many of us.  It is easy, in our questioning, to doubt their influence and knowledge.  It is easy to tell ourselves that they don't understand the way the world is today.  That we live in a different time and place.  It is easy to forget that they just might know the world all too well.
In my life, I have seen many things.  Some are amazing, and many are not quite that good.  I remember what it is like to be tempted and tossed about on the winds and waves of trial.  It happens nearly everyday for me.  I believe that our leaders know those trials also.  They are not perfect, but they are getting their direction from one who is. 

 

There is a destiny that makes us brothers:

[No one] goes his way alone:

All that we send into the lives of others

Comes back into our own.

Edwin Markham

 

We can send our support to our leaders, our sisters, our brothers and our friends. When we reach out to lift one another, we prove those powerful words: “[No one] goes his way alone.”

Most of all, we need our Savior, Jesus Christ. One of the accounts from scripture that has always spiritually moved me is when Jesus Christ walked out on the water to meet His disciples who were traveling in a ship on the Sea of Galilee. These were leaders newly called, many did not have the experience of being leaders.  They were common (or even uncommon) fisherman.  

 

The account is recorded in Matthew:

 

“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with [the] waves: for the wind was contrary.

“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

“And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, … and they cried out for fear.

“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

Peter heard that call of love and encouragement from the Lord.

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

“And [Jesus] said, Come.”

Pretty bold. Peter was a fisherman, and he knew about the hazards of the sea. However, he was committed to following Jesus—night or day, on a ship or on dry land, in stormy or calm seas.

In my mind I can imagine Peter leaping over the side of the boat, not waiting for a second invitation, and began to walk on the water. Indeed, the scripture says, “He walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” As the wind increased in strength and force and as the waves swirled about his feet, Peter became “afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried [out], saying, Lord, save me.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him.”

For me, this is a powerful lesson. The Lord was there for him, just as He is there for me. He reached out His hand and drew Peter to Him and to safety, Just as He has reached out His hand for me many times before.

In my life, I have needed the Savior and the touch of His hand so many times. I need Him every single day.  I have wanted to feel confident enough at times to leap over the side of my own struggling boat, figuratively speaking, into the unfamiliar places that I must go, only to realize that I could not and never will be able to do it alone.  And so, like Peter, Christ reaches out to take my hand and help me through the troubled waves of my trials.  And like Peter, I am not alone in my journey.  He does not leave me to sink and drown in my tribulations.  He is there for me and is willing to rescue one, even as imperfect as I am.   

 

You Can Do Anything

You Can Do Anything,

But Not Everything. 

I really need to remember this one.  I don't say "no" nearly well enough for my own sanity!  Actually, I think there is a find line between doing all that you CAN do, and trying to do Everything.  I know that the life we live is really not long at all.  I know there are so many good things to accomplish.  I am just afraid to face my Heavenly Father with things that I should be doing, but they are left undone. 
I seem to get overwhelmed so easily these days.  I have battled depression for many years.  It has not been an easy fight.  I struggle with what would seemingly be simple things.  I am tired most of the time.  I have gone on and off the medication for years.  I have tried in the past to go for a few years without it, before becoming overwhelmed and needing to get back on it again. 
As I have gotten older, it is harder to get off the meds.  That can be even more frustrating for me.  I really want to be well.  Sometimes, I think I should be able to do more and be more.  I tell myself that "it is all in my head" and it is!  But that doesn't change the struggle. 
There are people out there who think that I should be able to just "have faith and pray" and it will all get better.  I have not managed that one yet.  I do have faith.  I do pray.  But I also struggle with depression and anxiety on a day by day basis.  I know it is worse when I am overwhelmed with too many things.  Even if they are all good things, I can still be overwhelmed. 
One important thing that I have learned in this lasting battle, is that we all fight our own demons.  We all have crosses to bear.  Life isn't easy for any of us.  My trials might not be as difficult as yours, but they are mine, and they are what I need in my life to grow and become closer to Him. 
Even Paul had his trials. He referred to him as a "thorn in his side". 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

His grace is sufficient for us.  We will find our strengths through our weaknesses.  What beautiful promises.  So, I don't know what I am supposed to learn from my own thorns, but I know that the Lord will be with me through this.   I know that these weaknesses will become strengths for me.  I know that I will learn and grow because of them.  I know that when I choose the right, I will become as strong as He needs me to be. 

Afflictions

"Some people feel guilty about their anxieties 

and regard them as a defect of faith 

but they are afflictions, not sins.  

Like all afflictions, they are, if we can 

so take them, our share in the 

passion of Christ". C. S. Lewis

I love C. S. Lewis.  He has such an amazing way of phrasing things.  I suffer from Depression and Anxiety.  I have for many years now.  At times in my life, it doesn't see too bad and I am able to deal with the difficulties that I face.  At others, it can be overwhelming.  I have always regarded those illnesses as something to be guilty of, something to be ashamed of.  Somehow, it is my fault that I can't trust enough or get through my trials on my own. 

One of the times when I was struggling, a friend became angry with me because of my depression and told me that I profess to have faith, yet I can't trust God that He will take care of these things.  If I really had faith, than I would not allow depression to have a place in my life.  This was so difficult for me to hear.  I want to have trust, I want to believe that it is all in His hands, but I can't help worrying about it.  I can't let go of those things that bring me the most anguish.  

Sometimes, I feel like I am two people.  One person has so many blessings and so much to be happy about, and the other person has so many things to worry about.  Those two people inside of me keep me busy trying to find my center.  Sometimes things don't make sense, but I keep trying.  

I have learned that depression is not a sin.  It is an affliction that I live with.  The same way someone else might live with diabetes or heart disease.  It is just something that I am learning to overcome.  I have learned that there are things that help, and my choice comes in choosing to be helped rather than choosing to try it on my own.  I use as many natural things as I can, but I also use medication and that works for me.  

I am learning to be happy and healthy and calm.  I am learning that He does help me, even if I am not always aware of that help.  I am learning to accept and be happy.  And that feels so amazing.  

Adversity - Haunts me daily

"Adversity is the state in which man most easily 

becomes acquainted with himself, 

being especially free of admirers then."  

John Wooden

Can you remember a time when you were involved in a bad situation?  A time that was creating much adversity in your life?  I know that I have seen so many of those times in my own life.  During those times when life's problems confront me, I tend to start having feelings of self-doubt and loneliness.  I even start to question if I am loved and needed.  Sometimes, it seems as if my friends have left my side and I am all alone.    There does not seem to be anyone around me who can help me work out those difficult issues.
I have learned that it is not easy to face our weaknesses at any time, but I have come to know that the times I make the most changes and see things the most clearly are during those times of adversity that I hate so much.  As I learn to deal with my trials, my character becomes clear to me and I learn a little more about myself.  I literally come to know myself through my journey. 
I love the scripture that says:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Ether 12:27

I believe that it takes courage to look inside ourselves and recognize our weaknesses.  To finally be able to recognize them and to surrender them to a loving Heavenly Father is the start of changes in our own hearts.   Through Him, we will become strong.

31 Days of Hope - Day 28

SABBATH DAY SCRIBBLINGS

"The scriptures say that there must be “an opposition in all things.”   So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings.

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.

Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear."  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

2 Nephi 2:11   "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility."

31 Days of Hope - Day 13

“The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination." 

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Isn't it wonderful to think and believe that hope is a choice.  We all have a journey to travel, and I know that the journey is made better with hope.  I have been traveling a difficult road in the past several months.  At first, I lost my hope.  I could only focus on the difficulties, on the possible negatives.  My eyes, my mind and my heart were closed to the hope of better things.  I have discovered that the journey can be horrible, or amazing.  It really is up to me.  There used to be a sign along one of the old pioneer tracks that said simply, "Choose your rut carefully, you will be in it for the next 30 miles".  We all travel in a rut or two along the way.  Often, we can't change the direction of the journey, but we can choose the rut that we are traveling in. It might still be uncomfortable, it might still be hard, it might still even be one of the most difficult things we have ever endured, but we can choose to endure it well, we can choose to struggle through the rut and we can choose hope along the way.  

A Carrot, An Egg, and a Coffee Bean

The Man in the Coffee Beans

The "illusion" is that this is just a picture of coffee beans; but it is not. Can you find a man's face among the beans? Some say that if you find the man in 3 seconds or less, the right half of your brain may be more well developed than most.

PS: This is not a trick. A man's face is really hidden among the beans.

In thinking about what I wanted to write today, I remembered a story that I heard recently.  It reminds me of the things that I want in my life.  The lesson in the story helps me to determine just what I want to become.   

Are You a Carrot, An Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

Anonymous

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. 

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.   

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked. "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

And so I think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong and firm in the gospel, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after heartache or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean that actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the trial comes and the water gets hot, does it release within me the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you become a better person?  Do you change the situation?  

How do you handle Adversity? Are you a Carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? 

Sunday Devotional - You are not alone

"There are those among you who, although young, have already suffered a full measure of grief and sorrow. My heart is filled with compassion and love for you. How dear you are to the Church. How beloved you are of your Heavenly Father. Though it may seem that you are alone, angels attend you. Though you may feel that no one can understand the depth of your despair, our Savior, Jesus Christ, understands. He suffered more than we can possibly imagine, and He did it for us; He did it for you. You are not alone."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Your Happily Ever After," Ensign, May 2010, 126

It Has Been a Long Weekend

So, I feel like I disappeared from off the face of the blog world for awhile.  Even though it was only for a few days.  I received a phone call Friday morning, that told me one of my adult children was in the hospital.  I packed up my overnight bag, left my family at home, and headed down to the valley.  It doesn't matter to me how old my children are, there are still times when they need me to be there for them.  He was in the hospital all weekend, sick with the flu.
He has diabetes, so it is a concern when he gets sick, and he had kidney failure about six months ago, so it was an even bigger concern.  So, down I went.  It kind of pulled me out of my comfort zone and forced me to remember all the many things that I have in my life to be grateful for.
After spending time with him, he finally got out of the hospital and is doing fine.  It has been a tough year for him.  Sometimes he still asks me "Why me??"  As I have thought about it this week, I think I found the answer in an old poem that I memorized many years ago.  I hope it helps you through whatever your own trials might be today.  We all have them.  Some of them are easy to see, some are hidden deep within and rarely shared, but that doesn't mean that they aren't there, that we don't hurt, that we don't feel despair.
Remember that everyone you meet is walking their own journey.  Just because the path doesn't look quite the same as yours, doesn't mean that it doesn't have pitfalls and trials.  It is not an road for any one of us, but it is exactly what we need in order change our hearts and our lives and return to Him.

           The Road Is too Rough

                                                    by Olga J. Weiss

"The road is too rough," I said,

"Dear Lord, there are stones that hurt me so."

And He said, "Child, I understand,

I walked it long ago."

"But there's a cool green path," I said;

"Let me walk there for a time."

"No child," He gently answered me,

"The green path does not climb."

"My burden," I cried, "Is far too great,

How can I bear it so?"

"My child," He said, "I remember the weight;

I carried My cross, you know."

But I said, "I wish there were friends 

Who would make my way their own."

"Oh, yes," He said, "Gethsemane

Was hard to bear alone."

And so I climbed the stony path,

Content at last to know

That where my Master had not gone,

I would not need to go.

And strangely then I found new friends,

My burden grew less sore;

As I remember – long ago

He went that way before.

Sunday Devotional - Whom the Lord Loveth

The strongest tree in the forest is not the one that is sheltered from the storm and hidden from the sun.  It's the one that stands out in the open where it must struggle for its existence against the fierce winds and pouring rains and the scorching sun.

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11).

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you — Wherefore, ye must needs be chastened and stand rebuked before my face (Doctrine and Covenants 95:1, 2).

I HATE Apples!

What do you do when one of your children decides they don't like something anymore?  Especially something so essential to the school lunch box as apples!  That is the delemma I found myself in earlier this week.  My daughter decided that she doesn't like apples anymore.  This is not a good thing when my refridgerator is full of them.  So, can you guess what I did?  I got out my old fashioned apple peeler, corer, and ring maker, and put it on the counter.  Three sets of eyes followed my every movement.  Than, I took an apple out of the fridge and proceeded to put it on the apparatus.  Immediately, Mikayla rushed to take over the task. 
And so we made apples a new treat.

We found a new way to enjoy an old snack.  Kayla peeled and cored and made apple rings from the first apple.  Oh yeah, it was fun!

Mikayla discovered that there is something good about nice and neat and sweet.  And it really seemed to make them taste so much better!  Remember all those apples that I mentioned were just sitting in my fridge?  They are gone now.  So, tonight I have to take the long trip to the store to buy a few (or a lot) more. 

There is something comforting in doing things the old fashioned (or might I say, FUN) way. 

I have found that life can be a little like Mikayla's feelings about apples.  Sometimes we seem to get stuck in a rut and we can't seem to remember why we loved what we were doing before.  I know that every once in awhile, I can't seem to remember why I love being a mom.  The whinning, crying, fighting, messes, arguing, fixing, breaking, wonderful things that seem to blind my eyes to the actual reality of the situation.  We get so used to seeing the same things every day, that we forget why we enjoyed them in the first place.  The rut gets bigger and we can't seem to see our way out. 

I have found that a little dose of fun can go a long way toward fixing most of the problems.  I think that is one of the reasons that Family Nights are so precious to us.  We learn to have fun together.  We play games, we listen, we learn, but most of all we laugh!  And I remember why I love my family so much.  Their endless supply of giggles and laughter give me the strength to carry on for another week.  A little laughter helps me look at things just a little bit differently. 

The apple is still an apple, but for some reason, it is so much more appetizing when it involves a little fun. 

A Message about Nie Nie

This message is about a fellow blogger.  I follow her everyday.  She has been an inspiration to me in the ability of faith to help us find our way among the difficulties we all face.  She has faced more than most.  I hope this touches you as it has touched me.  I have been following her blogs for the past few months.  Somehow, I found her and she has inspired me to be better and to try harder.  She writes three different blogs.  The one about her life can be found here:  http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/  The others can be linked from that page.  I hope she inspires you. 
The video was put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  May I be as much of a strength to those around me as this one woman has been for me.

What Happened to Spring???

 Imagine my disappointment this morning to wake up at dawn and glance out the window to see 1/2 inch of snow!   If you look closely at the blossom, you can see the snow blurred in the background.  There is also ice crystals on the blossom, but they blend in too well with the white.  I figure this will be another year that the trees cannot bear any fruit.  They don't like the warm and cold in the weather.  It was 58 degrees yesterday afternoon.  It was 26 degrees outside this morning, and windy which makes it feel like there are icicles whipping through your clothes.  Hardly what I would call spring weather.  Seriously, I really thought we were done with the long and dreary winter!  I was hoping for a wonderful spring this year and a crop of fruit on the fruit trees.  But, our lovely mountain weather has postponed the arrival of spring for a little bit longer. I know I should not complain.  I know that I should find something to love about an extended winter, but I am really ready for spring.  It has been a long, very cold season at our house. 


Isn't that just a little bit like life?  You make plans, you prepare, you learn, and some trial (read little bit of snow!) comes along just at the moment when you think were starting to look forward toward the spring.

In the trials, the hurts, and the pain of life, we pass through the refiner’s fire, and the things that are not important in our lives can melt away, leaving our faith bright and strong. In this way, we become more acquainted with our Heavenly Father.  In our heartaches, we seem to listen better to the faint whisperings of His Spirit.
Into each one of our lives there comes adversity and suffering.  Even the faithful are not spared their season of trial.  The Apostle Paul referred to his own challenge: “ … there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 2 Cor 12:7

The thorns that hurt our very hearts, are often the very things that change our lives.  We become closer to our Heavenly Father as we go through the refining process which often seems harder than we would wish.  In this way, can our very souls be molded to become more like His.  Through the fires of adversity, our faith can be strengthened and we can become closer to Him.  Moroni testified, “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” Ether 12:6 

One of my very favorite pioneer stories is about the Martin-Harris handcart company.  James E Faust recites the story as President McKay told it.  He tells about an incident that happened years after the trek was over. 
“A teacher, conducting a class, said it was unwise ever to attempt, even to permit them [the Martin handcart company] to come across the plains under such conditions.”

Then President McKay quoted an observer who was present in that class: “Some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan afforded.

“An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.

“In substance [he] said, ‘I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? 

“ ‘I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.’ ”

He continued: “ ‘I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“ ‘Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.’ ”  (Ensign, 2006, Refined by our Trials)

Many of us would wish, as I have today, that life could be full of spring.  That we would have no winter to endure, no thorns in our flesh, or handcarts to push.  We would wish that we could have faith and testimony without the trials, that we could have the strength never to make mistakes without the tests.  That the winter could finally, completely, be over.
But we can take comfort in the fact that we are never truly alone.  A loving Father walks with us and pushes the handcart for us.  We can rejoice in the knowledge that when our trial is complete, we will stand on the path of right with a surer step and we will be a little (or even a lot) closer to being what He wants us to be. 

I walked a mile with Pleasure

One of my favorite poems is by Robert Browning Hamilton.  It describes my life pretty well.  We all would like to walk with pleasure.  However, some of our greatest learning and experience comes from out times of walking with Sorrow.

I walked a mile with Pleasure;

She chatted all the way;

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,

And ne’er a word said she;

But, oh! The things I learned from her,

When sorrow walked with me.

With all the differences in our lives, we have at least one challenge in common. We all must deal with adversity. It is there, all around us.  Each one of us has to endure it.  There may be periods, sometimes long ones, when our lives seem to flow by with little difficulty. But, sooner or later, comfort gives way to distress, periods of good health come to an end, and misfortunes arrive.  When the comfortable times have gone on for a while, the arrival of suffering or the loss of security can bring fear and sometimes even anger.

The anger comes, at least in par,t from a feeling that what is happening is unfair. We want things to be good, for ourselves and also those we love.  We believe that we deserve good things.  When we are doing the things that are right, it is easy to feel like life is treating us unfairly. We develop a feeling of injustice about our circumstances. I have heard (and uttered) the question more that once, “Why me?  What have I done to deserve this?  How could this happen?”

That aching for an answer to “How could this happen?” becomes even more painful when those struggling include those we love; our children and our loved ones, our families and our friends.  It is especially hard for us to accept when those afflicted seem to us to be blameless, an innocent child or a loving daughter or son.  The distress from this type of trial can shake faith in the reality of a loving and caring God.  Doubt can grow and spread until some may even turn away from God.  They may say that he is indifferent, cruel or unloving to His children here upon the earth.  And if unchecked, those feelings can lead to loss of faith that there is a God at all.

How can we find peace in this world? How can we endure to the end? How can we overcome the difficulties and trials we are facing?

The Savior Jesus Christ said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

As part of our earth life, we pass through affliction, pain, and disappointment. Only in Jesus Christ can we find peace. He can help us to be of good cheer and to overcome all the challenges of this life.  He can help us as we journey with sorrow for a time.  He can help us to learn what we need to learn so that we can become who He needs us to become.

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace?

When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger or malice

I draw myself apart, searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows, Where,when I languish

Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?

Who, who can understand?  He, only One.

May you overcome you adversity and afflictions through the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  May you find hope in His promises and endure to the end.  Most of all, may you recognize that He truly loves you and will bring peace.

Rise above the pond

When I lived in Mesa, my husband decided that he wanted a fish pond.  He designed and built it with his own hands and we put gold fish inside it.  After we had the fish, a neighborhood cat discovered that they made a rather tasty snack.  We talked with some friends that had a pond, and they gave us some beautiful water lilies to put in our pond. 

I loved those flowering water lilies. They added a serene beauty and sweet fragrance to our pond, and they also gave the goldfish somewhere to hide.  They had an even greater advantage though, they would hide the water from view.  If any of you have ever had a pond in the Arizona desert, you know that the algae goes crazy, and you can end up with a big green mess for the first couple of years until you get everything in balance.
One of the things that you can do to help achieve that balance is to plant real plants in the pond.  Lilies and other plants help to control the algae and provide an environment that keeps the fish alive.  They also hide the sent of algae and fish.  That makes it much nicer to sit on the patio and enjoy the pond.  The leaves of the water lily floated on the water’s surface, and a long, winding stalk anchored its position in the pond. The stalk continued to grow and the lilies would float around the pond, even when the summer rains caused the water to rise over the edge of the pond, the lilies would still be floating on the top of the much deeper water.

Each one of us are much like this beautiful water lily. We live in a challenging world surrounded with temptations and trials; yet our testimony of Jesus Christ, (like the stalk of the flower) can be our anchor. Faith in the Him will strengthen and help our testimonies to grow.  I know that we will be able to rise above the floods of evil that continue to happen throughout our world.
An anchor is defined as: “a reliable or principal support; and something that serves to hold an object firmly".  Your testimony can be your anchor and will provide you with the principal support you need in order to return home to your Heavenly Father.  It will also help to hold you firmly on the straight and narrow way as you strive to keep the commandments and live the gospel in an uncertain and changing world.
Your faith will help your testimony to grow and keep it strong, even when you face challenges and temptations.  Faith is a gift from God, but you must nurture your faith to keep it strong.  You can nurture it through prayer, keeping the commandments, reading the scriptures, and also reading and listening to the words of our living latter day prophets. 
Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has said:  “Sometimes the best answers that people can [get] to the questions of life are found there upon their knees calling upon our Heavenly Father.
if they will remember that the Lord is mindful of them and will answer their prayers, they will be able to meet every challenge that comes to them.”
Notice that he did not say some challenges, or even most challenges.  He said every challenge.  So, the first part in rising above the pond is in remembering the the Lord is mindful of you.  He KNOWS who you are.  He KNOWS your name.  He loves you.  You are HIS!  The lord has given us great guidance through the scriptures.  Alma is one of my favorite places to go when I need to study about faith. 
Alma 32:27 states,  “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”

Are you willing to try Alma’s experiment to increase your faith? Can you exercise even a particle of faith? Do you have a desire to believe?  Most important of all, can you trust your Heavenly Father to answer your prayers?

When I was seeking to know if the gospel was true, I had a very strong impression that I needed to live "as if" it were true, and that the answer would come after I had made that choice.  So, I looked in my closet and found that I had one dress that fit the standards of the church.  It was a bright yellow skirt and a white blouse.  That was it!  All the rest of my dresses were thrown out or given away.  I had three pairs of pants and four shirts that qualified for those same standards.  I was 14 years old and I had no cute clothes!  Do you know how big of a decision this was for me?  But, I did it.  Back then, I had to buy every piece of clothing in my closet.  I could not ask my parents.  They did not buy my clothes, so this was a very big sacrifice for me.  I remember that the next school year I took a sewing class so that I could learn to make my own clothes so that I would have something different to wear!  It was a challenge, but it was also a joy.  As I exercised beginnings of my faith, I was strengthened and supported by the Lord.  My testimony grew and increased and I felt the influence of the spirit in my life.  I came to know that the gospel was true, that the Lord answers prayers, and that He loved me.  I learned of the importance of modesty before I ever went into the temple. 

One of the most important  things that I have learned is that you express your faith through action; by the way you live and by the things that you do.  In short, you express your faith through your own decisions. 

Sometimes we may feel that we can’t rise above the polluted pond, that our circumstances are too difficult, our trials too hard, our temptations too great. But remember Alma’s promise: “Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.”

Like the water lily, you too can rise above the pond.

Tight like a dish

We had a really good talk in sacrament meeting today, given by the bishop's wife.  She reminded me of one of my favorite Book of Mormon stories.

It can be found in the book of Ether and is the story of the Jaredites:
Ether 2:17 And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.

How does the Lord communicate something important to his children?  I think He uses repetition to get the point across.  Now, if there was one thing the Lord wanted to get across to us in this scripture, it is that the barges were built to be "tight like unto a dish".  He repeats that a total of four times in just this one verse.  If we go just a little further in Ether, we begin to see why they were built that way.

Ether 2:24- For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

Ether 6:5-9-
     And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, toward the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

     And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

     And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.

     And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.

The Jaredites were literally buried into the sea.  What would have happened to them if their boats would not have been "tight like unto a dish".  What if there was a crack in the seam of the lumber?  What if there were holes?  How about windows?  Those boats could not have any weakness for the water to get inside.

There is an old poem that I love:
"All the water in the world
however hard it tries,
can never sink the smallest ship
unless it gets inside.
All the evil in the world,
the blackest kind of sin,
can never hurt you one least bit,
unless you let it in".

As long as the Jaredites did not let the water into their barges, they would be safe and make it to the promised land.  Heavenly Father gave them instructions and they followed His counsel and teachings.  The Lord did not stop the wind and the waves from crashing over them and driving their little boats into the deep.  He had them make those boats "tight like unto a dish", so that they could withstand the wind and the waves.
How tight is your boat?  Is it "tight like unto a dish"?  All of us are asked to go through the winds and waves of trials and tribulations.  If our boats aren't tight, or our testimonies aren't strong, we will never be able to withstand the buffetings of Satan in our lives.  We will never make it to the shore of our Father's house.
A friend of mine has a brother-in-law who had chest pains for several weeks before he would finally go to the doctor.  When they tested him, the medical staff at the hospital was amazed that he was alive and gave him only hours to live.  He had waited too long to go and get medical help.  He had a heart attack and it had done damage to three-fourths of his heart.  Actually, most of his heart was dead and there was no way for it to be fixed.
The doctors did their best, the family was called together, they prayed and fasted.  The only hope for him was a transplant.  This good brother progressively got better and stronger until he was able to leave the hospital and went to my friend's home to live with his sister.  He was not able to live alone, but he did not have to live in the hospital.  His sister took care of him.
He was able to get up and move around, contrary to everything that the doctors had told him he would be able to do.  He started looking at the things that were most important in his life.  He made decisions that changed the course of his life.  He started attending the temple several times a week, he put his affairs in order, he made amends to family members.
He was able to change what he did with his life and finish up what the Lord had needed him to do.  He made his testimony "tight like unto a dish".  Two weeks ago, coming out of the Temple, he suffered a massive heart attack and died.  But because of the changes that he had made, and the extra blessing of having that time, he had strengthened his testimony and prepared himself to move on in his journey.

D&C 88:63 " Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you, seek me diligently and ye shall find me".

Heavenly Father has not left us alone in our journey here.  He has given us prophets and leaders to guide our way.  He has given us the scriptures to light our path. We need more than ever to draw near to our Heavenly Father.  As we seek Him more diligently, we will find Him.  We will see that the Lord never abandons us.  We will find the strength to survive the winds and rains and trials of life.  Your testimonies will truly be, "tight like unto a dish". 

And these things shall give thee experience

I think it is important to realize that hardships and difficulties come to us largely for three reasons.  Sometimes, it is because of our own sin, something we did to bring those circumstances to pass.  Sometimes, it is because of the sins of others.  Someone else has done something that has had consequences for us and our daily experiences.  And sometimes, the hardships and difficulties are just a part of everyday living.  It is just something that happens.  We need to make the effort to learn and grow from our afflictions. 
I don't believe that the Lord ever causes bad things to happen to us, although, I do believe that He allows things to happen to us.  I also think that if He knows how many feathers are on a sparrow, He knows just what you and I need to help us along our journey.  Just because we are His people does not exempt us from the trials of this world.  As a matter of fact, if you read through your scriptures, you will see example after example of righteous men and women who suffered because it was part of this life and part of their individual experience. 

I wonder if Abinidi ever cried out and asked the Lord, "Why me?"
I wonder if Alma ever asked why God sent him "That son?"
Did Job curse God?  or bless Him??
Did Ruth cry out that life was not fair because her husband had died?  Did she go back home to her family because things were too hard?
Did Mary curse God because He took her son?
Did Christ refuse to go to Gethesemene because he would bleed from every poor and would that He might not drink the bitter cup?

Each of these sons and daughters of God were able to bear the burdens that the Lord gave them without blame or ridicule.  Why does it seem so much harder for us to bear our burdens in the same way?   We are all asked to bear our burdens.  As a matter of fact, we are asked to "bear one anothers burdens, mourn with those who mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.  And to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things."  Mosiah 18:9 
Maybe the questions that we ask should be: 
What are you doing with your trials? 
How are you walking in His footsteps? 
Are you standing as a witness of God at all times, and in all things and in all places? 
Maybe we need to be focusing more on what we can DO instead of on what is happening to us.   That is always a challenge. 

Christ also teaches us in the New Testament:
"In the world ye shall have tribulation:  But be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world".  John 16:33

"Be of good cheer" seems to be a common theme in the scriptures.  Some of my favorite "Cheer" scriptures that I read when I am not cheerful, can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants: 

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.  D&C 68:6

"Ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along."  D&C 78:18

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." 
D&C 123:17

Elder Orson F. Whitney said:
“The Prophet was lying in a dungeon [Liberty, Missouri] for the gospel’s sake. He called upon God, ‘who controlleth and subjecteth the devil,’ and God answered telling him that his sufferings should be but ‘a small moment.’ ‘Thou art not yet as Job,’ said the Lord, ‘thy friends do not contend against thee.’ Job’s friends, it will be remembered, tried to convince him that he must have done something wrong or those trials would not have come upon him. But Job had done no wrong; it was ‘without cause’ that Satan had sought to destroy him. God said to Joseph: ‘If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; perils among robbers; perils by land and sea; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the billowing surge conspire against thee, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good .’

“There is the reason. It is for our development, our purification, our growth, our education and advancement, that we buffet the fierce waves of sorrow and misfortune; and we shall be all the stronger and better when we have swum the flood and stand upon the farther shore.” ( Improvement Era, Nov. 1918, pp. 5–6.)

May you cheerfully, bear your burdens and grow from them today and always.