Do you know about Christ, or do you KNOW Christ?

 What is the difference in knowing of Christ, and knowing Christ? There is a parable I have from my memories I would like to write down. I'm sure it came from someone else, but I haven't been able to find the story and source, so I will write what is in my memory.

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There was a long single file line of people being interviewed before they went into heaven. One by one, they were called into a room, asked a few questions, then went on. 

One person entered the room and sat down in front of the man behind the desk. The man asked, "Who is Jesus Christ?"

The person said, "He is the Son of God, He was born to Mary, He performed miracles, He healed people, and gave parables. He atoned for our sins, hung on the cross, died and then was resurrected." 

The interviewer said, "Thank you, you may go."

The person left the room then another came in.

The person who came in looked at the man, fell to their knees, bathed His feet with their tears and said, "JESUS."

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Do you KNOW Jesus? Or do you simply KNOW ABOUT Him? 

David A. Bednar asked," Do we only know about the Savior, or are we increasingly coming to know Him? How do we come to know the Lord?" 

There is facts and knowledge, and then there is experience and understanding. Have you ever asked yourself, "If Jesus walked by me on the street, would I know Him?" Your relationship with Him is what will help you recognize Him. Learn of Him, speak to Him, read about Him, ask for answers and listen for His answers. 

Elder Michael John U. Teh said, "As I studied and pondered, I came to the stark realization that what I know about the Savior greatly outweighed how much I really know Him. I resolved then to put more effort to know Him. I am very grateful for the scriptures and testimonies of faithful men and women disciples of Jesus Christ."

Ask yourself, "When have I felt the closest to my Savior? Where was I and what was I doing?"

We asked this question in Young Women's and a few answers were:

Reading my scriptures in my room

Walking out in nature

Being with my family

Girls Camp

Participating in Come Follow Me with my family

Drawing or sketching

Praying for specific things

When I'm in the temple doing baptisms

Evaluate yourself a bit more and ask, "What are some things that distance myself from the Lord?" 

Find ways to get rid of the 'distancers,' and prioritize your time to create more moments to come closer to God.

He knows you, do you know Him?

John 17:3.   "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast send."

John 8:12.   "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Ether 12:41.   "And now I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.

Focusing on those within arms reach

In a Stake YW training I will never forget, about 10 years ago, a counselor from the Stake and dear friend, Sister Summers, was an avid swimmer and rock star mom. I was a young mother at the time and her story really resonated with me. She gave a scenario in our training meeting I will always remember. It went something like this:

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“Imagine you are a lifeguard sitting in a seat in a large pool. You have a mother and father who are sitting in the kiddy pool with a toddler who is walking around them and in and out of their arms. You notice they have another child, about 8 years old who is walking to the diving board, calling to the parents, “Watch me!” 

Now, as a lifeguard, who is your primary focus? Who do you think is in most danger of drowning in this situation?

9 out of 10 times the toddler, who is within arms reach, will drown. 

What does that teach us about our focus on the youth? Are we so focused on those who aren’t coming, who don’t show interest, that we are forgetting those within arms reach? Those who ARE coming, those who ARE showing interest. We need step back and evaluate, we desperately need to strengthen those closest to us. Whether that be, family, friend, or brother and sister in the gospel. Focus on who is there, rejoice when they come, and help strengthen their testimonies. We need to be just as excited when the “regulars” come in the door as you are for those who are “occasionals,” “sometimers” or “inactives.”

We need to remind ourselves to keep our focus and love on those close to us that want to learn, without forgetting those who are occasionally open for learning. Sometimes we need to switch our attention to those who really want to learn and who desperately need to feel love and belonging.

I’m not saying to forget those who are calling out to us, even if they don’t come often, or come at all. Keep reaching out to the ones who occasionally want to learn and grow, some might come and change into eager learners! Keep an eye on them, watch them, help them, but DON’T FORGET to help and strengthen those right in front of us. They are often the ones that need us most.”

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This beautiful analogy can be used in any life situation or any church calling even if it was a catered to the youth at the time. How close are you with your family? Are you focused on personal pursuits or work more than your children, or marriage? Elders, RS, Primary, Single Adults, Seminary, and the MANY more callings in life. Who is your focus on? Step back, evaluate and prayerfully reach out to those who need you most. 

Realizing He is aware of every little thing.

 At my whits end. Exhausted from everyday life, and only two "free" days to finish three big projects. Projects that need to be done before we leave for a much needed, long, 'before Christmas vacation.' Why do I have to finish them NOW? We're not leaving for our trip for two more weeks! Well.... the people the projects are intended for are out of town for only two days and they won't be leaving again before Christmas. Some are permanent residents at the moment.

Projects 1 & 2, is something I work on all year. Not one, but I make TWO picture calendars for each set of parents. I work on it all year, gathering pictures and making sure each calendar page has the pictures that took place in those months. On Black Friday, the online platform always has a very good sale. If I can finish by that date, I can ensure delivery before Christmas and get a great deal.

Project 3, a t-shirt quilt I have made for my mother in law. She and my father in law have been "misplaced" for over a year and a half by building their home. They have been living in our basement for that entire time and have only left for full days, three times. During those three times I have been able to cut out the shirts, and simply sew them together. Today, I only need to add batting, add backing, and tie the quilt. Easy right?

Wrong. 

I tried to finish the two calendars but the website was down. I was given the spinning circle of doom that lies by saying, "LOADING." 

"Okay... " I say to myself, "I'll work on the quilt while I wait for it to tell the truth and ACTUALLY LOAD. "

I pull out the quilted top, I lay it all out and go grab the quilting needles my mom left me. Oldies but goodies. In a very small town you are grateful for things you can't simply go to the store to purchase. This is only my third quilt I've ever made. I've made each quilt with my mom. She is the expert, I just fake it. I call my mom to whine and tell her I am very disappointed she is a snow bird and has left me to do this all on my own. She reassures me that I can do it. I tell her she's a liar and whine some more. She says she's sorry, but not really sorry. That's the first truth she said. We giggle and hang up.

I trudge down to get the needles and yarn. My mom gave me her small stash of quilting needles that are at least 100 years old, (jk, but seriously they've been through it all!) and these needles have resided on a red piece of fabric FOREVER. I grabbed the red piece of fabric that held the precious ancient tools and set out to tie the quilt with yarn. I thread the best looking needle and get to work. OUCH, stuck my finger again with the pin. OUCH! This fabric is HEAVY DUTY! DANG IT BROOKLYN, YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE CHEAP. Sigh... no you shouldn't have, you're grateful you didn't go cheap. You wanted it to be a nice quilt, so suck it up buttercup! Be a Nike ad and,"Just DO IT!" OUCH, this is really hard to get through, OH MY GOSH!! YOU IDIOT! YOU DON'T HAVE MOM'S RUBBER THUMB! (They help you grip the needle and save your fingers) Well, a jar gripper will have to work. PULL!! (remove your jacket and wipe the sweat off of your brow) DANG IT, THIS NEEDLE IS STUCK! You are only four ties in and your fingers are already throbbing, you're such a BABY! 

Pitter patter...."MOM!!! WE WANT YOU TO COME PLAY WITH US!" What are you doing? Can I help? Mom, why do you have two bandaids on your fingers?" 

"Can you angels do the dishes and pick up dog poop, then watch a movie?" 

"Sure mom! Can you play with us when you're done?" 

"Yes I can!"

(I HAVE THE BEST OLDER KIDS EVER! Ages 10 & 9, they could obviously see that I was about to lose my mind or cry so they backed away and did their little assignments. BLESS THEM!)

I look down, and the needle is SUPER stuck. I grab a set of needle nose pliers. They must be called "needle nose" to help weaklings like me get NEEDLES through fabric! Ba ha hha. Just kidding, but seriously that was all I could find, and the name gave me the tiniest bit of confidence and hope. I grip it, and PULL! SNAP. I break the needle. I put my head down on the quilt. I take a deep breath, and grab the red fabric holding the other ancient needles. I grab the next best one. It's smaller but it will work, right? Wrong. The yarn won't thread. I try for at least 5-10 minutes just to THREAD IT! I'm DYING! My neck is aching from looking down and concentrating so hard. My pinching throbbing fingers are achy and I'm running out of time and patience. I grab a bigger needle. It looks a little dull, but it threads easily. I push it into the fabric, wait no, it doesn't go through. What? It's not even piercing the fabric?! It's so dull it won't go through ANY OF IT. UGGGHHHHHH!!! I drop the dull needle and thread. I put my hands up as if I'm being held up by a bandit and walk away before I cry. I walk over to my computer and try to reload the calendars. I need to work on SOMETHING that will work! JUST ONE CHECK MARK on my list!

Long story short, I sit down and it won't load. I sign out, I sign in, no luck. I finally break down and use the "support/help" for the website. They walk be through all of the things it could be. We "chat" for over an hour. During that time I am transferred to a "higher up," and have genuinely tried EVERYTHING to get my stupid computer to work. I want to cry because I know I can finish these last four pages in under an hour! I think I stumped them and finally they say, everything is fine on our end. The only thing we haven't tried is you completely restarting your computer. try that and let us know if you have any further questions. I say thank you and apologize for taking so much of their time. (Thank the heavens it's the day after Thanksgiving and we have tons of leftovers! My kids are hungry but are old enough to microwave their own food.) Dad comes home from work and sees me struggling on the computer and the quilt sprawled across the table. At this time I'm surprised I'm not bald from pulling on my poly tail, or my face isn't permanently indented from my fingers constant dragging over my cheeks. 

I sigh. I bow my head and I pray. I pray in my heart and pray in my head that this will work. I restart my computer and the miracle happens. It worked. My calendars loaded and I finish them in 30 minutes. 

I look over and get up. All of the other quilting needles my mom has are too big or too small. I feel like goldilocks but I really do need the one that is JUST RIGHT. Sigh... After I prayed I feel a little better. I know I grabbed all of the needles from my drawer that my mom gave me, but I better go make sure. I go downstairs, and start sifting through my drawer of odds and ends where I got the needles. I knew there weren't any other needles. The ONLY quilting needles were on the red fabric. Sigh... is this a doomed project? I move some more things around and there on the bottom, in a corner is another needle! It's not too dull and looks barely wide enough for the yarn to pass through. I see another needle that looks smaller but could be a possible extra. (With my luck another one will break.)

I start and the first tie gets stuck. I grab the gripper and pull. Nope, no luck. I grab the pliers and SNAP. These "NEEDLE NOSE" pliers LIED! NO NEEDLES SHOULD EVER BE PULLED WITH THESE THINGS! I want to throw them out the window, but I gently set them down like the mentally strained (or deranged) person I am. I grab my LAST NEEDLE. The one I thought I didn't have, the one that just HAPPENED to be there when I was at my lowest. When I knew there were no other quilting needles in the house. I thread it slowly, and I finish tying in 20 minutes. I pin, sew and finish the outer edge.

Miracles happen every day.

When I went to bed, I knelt down like every other night to say my prayers. I prayed and thanked my Father in Heaven for the day. I thanked Him for my amazing children. I thanked Him for a patient husband. I thanked Him for the kind people who helped me with my computer. I thanked Him for the needle that wasn't there when I grabbed the needles in the first place. I don't know how that needle appeared, but I know for a fact it wasn't there before. 

The Lord is mindful of us. He is aware of our needs. 

"Hey Brooklyn, I'm still here. You won't recognize it for a few minutes, but you'll see it later. I was always there. Keep going Brooklyn, if you need a needle, I'll find one for you, or I'll help open your eyes to see what you didn't see before. I'm right here, you're doing good. All you had to do was ASK. After you asked, I came. Next time, pray BEFORE you start your stressful projects, then I can help the whole way."

"Brooklyn, you may have been chatting with those people online for over an hour, but they were there to help, just like I am here to help. Did you know that your kindness and appreciation helped THEM? I knew I could count on you to be kind to others when you yourself was struggling and frustrated."

Matt 7:7-8

7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

More faith (or lack of) than you may think

You may have heard, "I think they have more faith in me than I do."

Yesterday that faith was tested.

Through miscommunication and not close directions, my daughter June and I got lost on a four wheeling ride yesterday. 

We were on a mountain that we have visited every year for the past 3 years. I haven't driven on those roads enough to know where I was going, I always simply followed the leader.  (Mistake on my part, I need to be better about knowing my surroundings)

We stayed a little ways back from the other two four wheelers so as to not eat dust the whole trip. As June and I were LOVING being together and asking funny questions back and forth, we realized we hadn't seen any dust in front of us for a while. We kept going and continued to have a lovely time. We came to a fork in the road. No one was waiting for us to tell us which direction to go. There was no dust in any direction due to the dense forest and hills around us. So, with a prayer in my heart I decided to go "UP" to the right. June said, "I was thinking that way too mom, the tracks looked fresh." (Ha ha, we know NOTHING about tracking!) We were headed to the lake and I remember that the lake was towards the top of the mountain, so the road that seemed to head "upwards" seemed the best option in my mind. 

We continued talking, and slowly our happiness faded. We became quieter and quieter because we didn't see anyone ahead. 

WHERE WERE THEY?!

Didn't they know we weren't behind them?

Didn't they ever look behind them and not notice us???

June started to cry and said, "Mom, I think we are lost."

We were on a main road and I felt good about the direction we were going, but I started to doubt. (Note to self, NEVER DOUBT)

We pulled over and said a prayer. I asked to give us guidance and fill our hearts and minds with the Spirit so we could know which way to go or what to do.

We ended the prayer and continued on the road. I started to recite some of my favorite scriptures to June;

Romans 8:31 "...If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Also in my mind, I instantly went to "survival mode." I said in a laughing manner to June, "Don't worry! We have water and food, toilet paper, baby wipes and some band aids, we could survive a few days our here!" 

Note to self: That reassurance wasn't very reassuring to a 9.5 year old. She said a shaky, "Ok mom." But from behind me, I heard her start to cry. 

I pulled over and hugged her.
(Stay strong for June, it won't help if we both cry! I felt like a kid left at a store, but I wasn't a kid, I was a mom! And a mom has to be strong!)
I reassured her that we would be okay. We prayed again and I asked how she felt. She said she felt ok, but she felt like we needed to turn around.

Well, I am the first to say that children are more than not, more receptive to the whisperings of the Spirit than I am. Their innocence and youth help the Holy Ghost communicate well with those little souls.

So, I took that and turned around. 

I remember the ONLY SOULS we passed on the road was a family with horses a few miles behind us. We turned around and drove back. We pulled up to the family and asked if they knew where the lake was. They said we were going the right way!

We were SO RELIEVED! 

June said to me as we continued, "Mom I feel so relieved! I'm glad we turned around to ask for directions. Now we KNOW that we are going the right way!"

I heartily agreed and we kept going with hearts a little lighter. 

In my mind, I was still a little frustrated that no one from our family who was ahead ever came looking for us. We had been separated for about an hour! But as soon as that thought entered my mind I thought, they don't know our four wheeling travel patterns of "look behind and wait," and they haven't been four wheeling for 15 years like I have. They must have simply thought I knew the way. Every day we learn and I am sure that ALL of us are learning today. I told June that we shouldn't be angry with our family, but happy when we find them. It would be easy to lash out once we find them, because there was no doubt in my mind that we would find them. But it wouldn't help the situation at ALL if anger prevailed instead of relief.

We continued up the road and saw a forest ranger pass us! We waved him down and asked him again if we were going the right way. He once again confirmed to us that we were on the right road. 

We continued on about 100 yards ahead of us my husband came around the bend looking for us!

We stopped and the first thing he said was, "Are you okay?"

Well the courage that I had felt and the strength I was holding onto left. I cried a bit and said, "We're good. We got separated. I thought you would have waited for us at the road to know which way to turn but you kept going. We had to turn around and ask for directions and then we would have come to meet you. We're sorry we didn't stay close enough. I think you had too much faith in my directions of this mountain!"

He kept apologizing but we knew that we were fine. We continued on TOGETHER up to the lakes. 

There were a few spiritual lessons I learned today.

Lesson #1:

Never assume someone's strength of faith.
How often do we assume people know the way they should be going? Do we put too much faith in people, assuming they are thriving when they are actually struggling? 

Do we think their testimony is strong, when they are actually wavering?

Everyone needs strengthening. .i ugygggygy
No matter their calling, your calling, their perceived strength, EVERYONE needs a spiritual visit from a friend. Everyone needs a minister.
James 2:26
"For as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Lesson #2:

Know the plan and don't doubt yourself. Have a meeting with those around you. Ask what the plan is, for the day, for the year and for eternity. What do we hope to accomplish together and individually? How can we keep from doubting our potential? How can we keep from doubting our worth, our testimony and our strength? Heaven is calling to you, today and everyday helping you along your road.
D&C 6:36
"Look unto me in ever thought; doubt not, fear not."

Lesson #3:
Those who wander, may not know they are lost.
June and I didn't think we were lost at first. We continued down our merry little way, happy with life and enjoying our time.
Those around us, may not understand that they are lost. They are enjoying the scenery, they are happily on their path even if they may be going the wrong way. Until you teach them and show them by your example will they learn the true path that leads to eternity.
Help those that may not know they are lost. Give direction and guidance to help them make their own way to the path of discipleship.

Matthew 7:3
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye ?"

Take a minute to self evaluate your spirit. Have you been wandering? Are you a little lost without realizing it? Are you on the path the Lord wants you on?

Bury your wickedness and live in LOVE

This last week, we discussed as a family the account of the Lamanites who then changed their name to the "Anti-Nephi-Lehies." And they made a covenant to the Lord to not take up their weapons of war against their brethren again. They didn't want to risk breaking their covenant, and took extreme measures to make sure they would never physically hurt others or eternally hurt themselves gain. They buried their weapons and sealed them in the earth. 

In "The Friend" July 2020 edition there is a "find it" that shows a beautiful depiction of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies burying their weapons of war. It was very simple. It said, find 23 weapons in the ground and 30 hearts above ground. This simple rendition struck we very strongly, and thought to myself that they were burying their wickedness and choosing to live in love.  

We all make mistakes everyday. Repentance is real, it is hard and it is beautiful. A sister missionary in our ward bore her testimony and said, "Repentance was born of LOVE, not from punishment."
 I LOVED THAT! It struck my soul to quit thinking that repentance is a punishment, 

it is PURE - TRUE - ETERNAL LOVE.

We have the choice whether to live with our wickedness or we can choose to live in love. We can repent and forsake the evils we have done and live a beautiful life of love. Love for ourselves, our fellowmen and most importantly, love for our Savior.

I love the scriptures in this account Alma 24:7-10

7.... I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.

8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.

9 And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.

10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

I love knowing that I personally have a "portion of His Spirit" with me. I have been baptized and made a covenant with my Savior to follow Him and be a disciple of Him. He then blessed me with "a portion of His Spirit." He has given me a way to repent of the things I have done, that through the atonement He might forgive me and help me to live my life in love as He did.

Four Wheeling with the Holy Ghost

We recently went four-wheeling with our children. I had a wonderful experience that made me reflect on how the Holy Ghost works in our lives. 

I was driving the four wheeler with our 7 year old son. 

He then asked behind me, "Mom can I drive?" 

I said, "Sure! I'll be right here as you drive."

We switched spots and he was so excited that he pushed the gas HARD and we jolted into action, I immediately grabbed onto him and said, "WOOW, slow it down buddy, ease into it. Start slow and then get up to speed. Take your time buddy, no rush." 

He then slowly began down the road and we got up to speed. I looked ahead and saw some bumps coming. I thought he would slow down but remembered a little late that he was very much starting out his education on driving four wheelers. The bumps came VERY quickly and we jolted around a bit. I grabbed the break and again said, "WOOW... we need to slow down when we see a bump and go over it slowly. We don't immediately see what is on the other side, there could be water, or an animal."
He understood and we continued down the road. I kept encouraging him and would say,
"Great job buddy!"
 "Wow, you're getting  GOOD!"
"Keep going! You're awesome!"
He tried to stay on the right side of the road, as we drive on the road in our car (I was excited for his understanding of road and highway rules). I explained to him, "Hey buddy, we try to choose the smoothest course. We look ahead and see what could be coming that could make our journey rougher. We try to avoid any big bumps that could hurt us or the four-wheeler. We can go on the other side of the road as long as no one is coming our way. We concentrate on what is in front of the four wheeler and what is down the road."
He understood and quickly found that looking ahead helped him miss some big boulders and mud holes.
We continued on and enjoyed our lessons and our ride in the mountains. I loved to give him affirmations and small suggestions to his driving.

I couldn't help but think this is exactly how the Holy Ghost works. He tells us sometimes to "slow down" or to "look ahead." "Be cautious of those around you." "Good job! Keep going." "There is a bump ahead, proceed with caution." "A rocky path is up ahead, together we can make it." "No rush, take it at your own pace."

We simply have to LISTEN and OBEY.
We always have a choice in this life, we can listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, or we don't. We can listen to someone who is infinitely wiser and understands the road ahead, or we can ride through life hitting all the rough patches; learning through many may trials and errors. Life is much smoother with the Holy Ghost, our constant companion and friend. He simply wants to help. He is there to help teach us WHY we take the bumps slowly, WHY we avoid the rocks and deep mud and he is there to remind us to KEEP GOING, our journey is long, but it is worth it. Together we can make it!

ARMORING OUR KIDS AGAINST PORN!

I feel very impressed to share with you what I learned at a recent RS Activity. IT WAS MARVELOUS! I feel confident and "armored" with what I need to do now in our home to guard my children and prepare them against pornography.

The speaker was PHENOMENAL! She was forward, knowledgeable and understanding. Her husband had been suffering from a pornography addiction from a very young age, he cleaned up, served an honorable 2 year mission, and thought that was the end of it, he got home and fell back in. He fell in love with his wife and they were sealed in the temple. He fell back in and she didn't find out until 1 1/2 years in their marriage that he had this struggle and addiction. She made it VERY clear, that pornography addiction happens to TRULY GOOD people.

In the world today we no longer have the luxury option "IF" my children ever see pornographic images. Today it is only 1 option, WHEN and will they be prepared and know what to do when that situation arises.

A lady spoke up and said, that her daughter had an issue with that in school, a young boy brought a phone to school and was showing pictures on his phone on the play ground. The little girl was in 2nd grade. Our world is only going to get worse. We need to ARM our children with the tools they need and have the confidence to understand WHY those things are bad and harmful to us.

A BIG discussion to have with our children is WHY they are bad. 

Q: Pornographic pictures are everywhere, so why are they so bad?

A:They give us false impressions of how relationships are, how we should look and act in marriage. Sex is an amazing thing, but there is an appropriate time and place for such a sacred act.

Pornography has changed the way people view sex. Sex is a wonderful, thing, we can't teach our children that sex is bad. Another lady pipped up and said her cousin was always taught that sex was bad, she was married in the temple and even now, after years of marriage, still has trouble getting intimate with her husband. She was taught at a young age that sex is BAD and to never talk about it. After years of marriage and counseling she still can't get that out of her mind that it is BAD. I DON'T wish that on anyone!

The speaker then talked about filtering our computers, and filtering our WIFI. THIS IS A NEED! ASAP!

My favorite quote of the night was,  "Our goal as parents needs to not be one big "The Talk" but many, small, safe, ongoing discussions."
My parents never gave me "The Talk," and I never felt like I was close enough to them to take my awkward questions to them. We need to be open with our children. It's NEVER too late to talk about sex and the proper boundaries!

She talked about teaching your kids DO NOT GOOGLE QUESTIONS! Google is an amazing tool that can help put so much information at our finger tips. But it also leads to terrible things. Google doesn't ask you if you are a certain age to view inappropriate images, google doesn't have moral standards, it just lets you have it! We need our children to come to US! WE as parents are the ones who need to be comfortable and KNOWLEDGEABLE to understand what is going on in the lives of our children. We need to know what the "new" inappropriate things are so we can talk to our children about them and help them understand WHY they are wrong. She mentioned a few things I had NO idea were going on. 'Sex-ting" is a new one, with naughty pictures and new abbreviated words that mean certain things, like how LOL mean Laugh Out Loud, well there are now dirty "moves" made into akranims now that people text each other.
There are plenty more that I'm not aware of, but I need to be, for when that time arrives when my children are exposed to that, I can be prepared.

She brought up something interesting that can bring good discussions. On TV or out in public you see people wearing practically nothing and everyone gets a little uncomfortable, they look away and no one says anything. IT IS CRUCIAL to use those times as teaching times. "Do you see that young women dressed like that? I wonder why she feels she needs that attention? I hope everything is alright at home."

Once we understand and make those people REAL PEOPLE, not just an image or figure in our mind, they become children of God.

Another thing is, seeing a commercial on TV, that everyone gets uncomfortable with, you say, I get a "funny/different" feeling when I see "practically nude" people on TV. That's human nature, EVERYONE DOES! Let your kids know that everyone gets those awkward feelings- its human nature to see bodies and react to them.

Another great thing she discussed, is that as parents we need to be non judgmental. Don't get mad at your children if they have seen this or struggle with this addiction. They need your help! They already feel horrible for doing it as it is. Don't be angry at your children- Be angry at the pornography.

She said statistically speaking, a child's first introduction is age 8. It's amazing that at the age of baptism and agency, Satan begins his temptations. We are all human, and we all make mistakes, but its NEVER to late to talk to our families about pornography.

Create that open line of communication with your kids, and their questions, how crazy or earth shattering they may be!

The speaker also said, if your child comes home and asks you a crazy sexual question, always ask, where did you hear that? What do you think it means?" one of her friends had her little girl come home and say, "Mom, whats a testicle?" The mom said,"well what did you hear it meant?" The little girl said, "I think like an octopus leg or something?" HA HA HA!
By asking that simple question she saved herself from A TOTALLY different conversation.

Also, if they come home with a REAL question, you can say, "That's a good question, lets discuss it after dinner." THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO GO INTO YOUR ROOM, scream into a pillow, and control yourself so you can also think of the right thing to say later.
I'm sure I will use that many times. It's important to keep that poker face so our children don't think we are shaken by such crude things. On the inside we might want to scream, but we need to compose ourselves and explain the TRUE meaning of things and WHY some things are bad.

This conference was a wonderful experience for me, and it gave me confidence that we can overcome situations that I know will arise. I know it's only going to get worse, but now I feel I have strong tools so my husband and I need can prepare and help our children be armed when situations arise.

One of my favorite quotes I had in my room growing up is;
"It's easier to prepare and prevent,
Than it is to repair and repent."

May we PREPARE and PREVENT our families and if needed REPAIR and REPENT.

FLUSH IT!

June came home from school crying. She is very much a fun dramatic girl but has never been so upset to the point of crying after she had a rough day. 

Previously, she prayed and even woke up multiple times the night before to make sure her fingers were still crossed in her sleep to give her the added luck she needed to land the 3rd grade part of Mrs. Clause for their school Christmas program.

On her own she memorized ALL of the lines for the part of Mrs. Clause (and everyone else's) just in case. Well, one, she didn't get the part. Two, apparently no one sat by her on the bus, and three her first ever piano recital was TONIGHT and she had been practicing so hard that she had been messing up every time she played her memorized piece. 

(As a mom I was secretly glad she didn't get the part of Mrs. Clause. June is gifted and has been naturally in the spotlight a few times. It was time to learn tot share the spotlight and to be a good sport.)

I had tried to mentally prepare her by telling her that if she didn't get it, she needed to be excited for the other person and have confidence in her abilities. She still went to school with VERY HIGH hopes.

So, I did what every mom does with a bawling baby. I grabbed a blanket, wrapped her in it, let her cry and tell me all about her "no good very bad day."

I am also a girl, a girl who understands that crying can be a very therapeutic emotional release. June's emotional water balloon pressure was at its fullest and the bus ride home was the prick that popped the balloon. 

It's okay to cry! You need to let it out, then pick yourself up and make the day better. Put on your armor again and get back in the fight.

We had a great little talk, but her temper was still high. Everything anyone said, especially her darling younger brother made her flair up. Then she needed to practice her piano because her piano recital was in a couple of hours! We kept telling her to do her best and to RELAX. 

Tensions were high and she kept messing up on her piano piece. Connor simply told June, "Sit up straight June." (He doesn't play the piano)

THAT WAS WHEN THE VOLCANO BLEW IT'S TOP.

The water was spent, so the fiery darts ERUPTED.

As a (what I consider a normal) mom, in the heat of the moment, I simply raised my voice a few notches on the volume dial and very clearly said,

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

(I was adding more patience to my usual fill line due to her bad day, but her bad attitude had gone far enough.)

June got up from the piano and marched over to the kitchen island and was preparing to rant into her brother who was eating an after school snack. But before she got two words our of her mouth, I said again, "That's enough!" She was angry and started to tell me that Connor had no say in what she should or shouldn't do in piano. (I understood, he shouldn't have corrected her, but this blow up was worse than a brother pushing a button in a wrong day.)

June was speaking in her "Sassy Rude" voice, not her "Sassy Fun" voice, there is definitely a difference.

As she was angry with her brother for a few sentences, I had PERFECT phrase come to my mind, it popped out like a word burp...

"FLUSH IT!"

I didn't realize I said it, but as the shock set in on the three of us, I realized the GENIUS of the words I had just blurted! I then looked at this still frustrated almost 9 year old and said, "Yes, I need you to go into the bathroom, grab your angry face, your mean bad thoughts and go flush them down the toilet!"

She looked at me in shock, and still wanting to be angry, but giggled in her puff of frustration. I then repeated myself as I grabbed her hand and walked with her to the RESTroom.

 (This must be why it's called the REST room. You throw your troubles down the drain and come out clean and renewed.)

June started giggling as I told her what she needed to do as she stood near the toilet. 

"Go ahead... pull our all the bad and FLUSH IT!" 

(I wiped my face with my hands and acted light I threw it into the toilet bowl,)

She faked it then tried to storm past me.

I caught her and said, "Nope! You must not have gotten all the bad feelings out! Try again. Only I'm going to close the door and leave you to it. Please wash your hands when you are finished, because bad thoughts can be very sticky and I don't want them to follow you out! Please come out of the bathroom with a smile and a changed attitude because you're better than this. I know it, and you know it."

I then smiled and repeated as I closed the door, "Don't forget to wash your hands after flushing!"

She giggled against her will and I gently shut the door.

Then the MIRACLE happened! IT WORKED! She came our happier! Not like a whole new human, but a more calmer and collected little girl.

I am naturally slightly crazy and love to change anger into happiness with silly things for my kids. Often times it doesn't work, but other times it DOES! And when it does, I REJOICE!

I kept thinking about the two words I blurted out, "flush it." I wanted June not only to flush her bad attitude and negative feelings towards her brother, but also to flush the feeling of "not good enough," "failure," "heartache," "feeling bad for yourself," "worthlessness," "anger," and "hate."

Those feelings need to be FLUSHED! Because YOU ARE WORTH IT! YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH! Some things might not go your way, (MOST things in life won't go your way) but that doesn't mean you have failed. You simply need to keep trying and keep going! 

On days when the world is filling your emotional water balloon with a FIRE HOSE, I believe we all need to go to the RESTroom, cry, pray and flush out the bad. Pick OURSELVES up, because no one can change your attitude expect YOU, and wash your hands! Negativity can be sticky and your attitude affects those around us. Then come out of the RESTroom renewed and refreshed.

(FYI - June played her recital piece FLAWLESSLY and to PERFECTION! No one beamed more than her! I was a VERY close second.)

Lemonade Stand - Missionaries and the Atonement

June is 8.5 years old. She has be asking to have a lemonade stand for two years. She has seen them on TV, we have passed by them on the street, and we have stopped to get lemonade from many stands. She even made a plan with her friends like a little church leader to execute for the perfect lemonade stand. 

Yesterday was a busy day, I worked all morning long and then picked up the kids. We entered the house and June said, "Mom, can we PLEASE have a lemonade stand?!" I simply said what I had said for the past two summers, "no." 

They went down on their knees. They begged. They said "please" 50 times, or maybe 500? I lost count. I was simply unfazed and said, "No, I'm tired, we have some chores to do, lets just have a summer day, school starts in one week." 

They begged more. 

I then stepped back and thought about it......................you know... to simply get them off my back, lets do it and get it over with!!!

I then said, "YES! And not just because you begged, but because this is the last day we will have to do it!"

We started making lemonade in our cooler. We pulled out a fold up table. June grabbed the lemon table cloth I made her a year ago because she loved "playing lemonade stand" but never had a real one. We grabbed some quarters and some dollars for change. We grabbed poster boards and started coloring like crazy! I knew if we set it up in about 10 minutes, we would still have people coming and going on their lunch break. 

We set it up, I took a picture and did what every other mom does, I announced it on social media. 

The kids were ecstatic when grandma and grandpa stopped by, and even got a tip for such sweet service! 

While my mom approached, she asked June, how much for a glass of lemonade?  June said, 

"It's .50 c. unless you're a missionary, because missionaries get it for free! 

They're preaching the gospel!"

My jaw dropped, where did that come from?! I was beaming! I said a silent thanks to heaven that she knows that we give what we can to the missionaries. They deserve every blessing big and small that come their way. 

My mother left and then the real challenge came. Who would stop at the house? We thankfully live on a corner so we had the traffic of two somewhat quiet streets instead of one. 

Connor (about to turn 7) knew what he needed to do. He grabbed a sign and started yelling, "Lemonade! Come and get your lemonade!" Walking back and forth along the side walk. Yelling so all the neighbors could hear. Yet, no one was coming. He saw a truck with their windows down going down an alley and he started yelling, "Lemonade! Lemonade!" The truck moved on. 

I kept telling the kids, "not everyone will stop. Just smile and wave. Smile and wave.

They may be busy, they may be in a hurry, they might not like lemonade, and that's okay! We are offering something delicious, it's their choice if they want some or not. Just be kind to everyone. Smile and wave. Smile and wave."

Shortly after we had people stop. Then, the workers from the alley truck that Connor was promoting to came back! They said, "Your loud cheering got us to come back. Good job buddy."

Then... things died down... the kids were waiting and waiting. A friend saw my announcement on social media and drove across town with her two small children to support June and Connor.

A while later, dear neighbors and friends stopped and purchased some lemonade. The kids were BEAMING! I was shocked beyond belief. I had to go and make more lemonade! As I was inside making more to fill the cooler, a man stopped by to purchase a cup. June said that she gave him his cup and said, "Here's your change." The man said, "I would like to buy the next person's cup of lemonade." June was excited to tell the next person that their cup was already paid for.

This was a beautiful four hours. Many came together. Many passed by, and cups were filled, both literally and spiritually. 

Later that night we sat down to read scriptures. We read the last column of Mosiah Chapter 26. Three of the final verses in the chapter reached out and touched my heart. 

37 And it came to pass that Alma did regulate all the affairs of the church; and they began again to have peace and to prosper exceedingly in the affairs of the church, walking circumspectly before God, receiving many, and baptizing many.

38 And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do who were over the church, walking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all things, suffering all manner of afflictions, being persecuted by all those who did not belong to the church of God.

39 And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things.

I thought about what June had said about missionaries as we first set up the stand. They get a free cup because they are preaching the gospel! 

I thought about what missionaries go through. The ups and downs, the sweet and sour. As missionaries, (like in verse 37 says) you try to bring peace, and help people to prosper. You walk circumspectly before God, you receive many and hope to baptize many. 

(Verse 38)You smile and wave even if you are persecuted. You walk in diligence with your fellow laborers and teach the word of God, even in the midst of suffering all manner of afflictions. 

(Verse 39) Yet, you admonish others, and are admonished to. You pray without ceasing and you give thanks for the opportunity to share what you know. You give thanks for the days you have sugar that is sweetly given to you. And you give thanks when you learn lessons as sour lemons are thrown at you.

A mission can be like lemonade. Without the lemons, you wouldn't know how sweet the sugar is. 

I keep thinking about the man who came and "Paid it Forward" by giving of his money to purchase someone else's drink.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has already purchased the cups of lemonade. And He offers to refill it as often as you need. All He asks is that you accept His will. You accept Him in your heart and He will refresh your spirit and brighten your life. 

Missionaries are here to offer lemonade. You smile and wave to those who pass by. We don't aggressively make people drink what they don't want. The gospel is about choosing. You can't force anyone to have faith. You can't force anyone to take what is freely given. All you can do is politely offer. 

That doesn't mean you can't get creative in how you offer such a priceless gift. 

Changing up your approach can help. Every person is different, doesn't that mean they might all react to different approaches?

Some might stop by naturally, others might need a shout out. 

You might need to put your talents to the test.

As long as you are sharing and doing your best, the Lord will bless you for your efforts. He knows your heart. He knows your intentions and He loves you for being you. You are His hands, you are teaching and offering His cups of lemonade that was already purchased long ago. All you need to do is find people to share it with. 

Life is sweet and sour. Look at life through heavens eyes, and see miracles unfold in your life and in lives around you.

Share the marvelous gift of the Lord's Atonement with the world. Smile and wave. 

Be happy knowing you are doing what He would have you do.

I can't do everything, but I can do something!

This past week our family has read and watched the account in Acts 3 of Peter healing a crippled man outside the temple. It is a beautiful account of serving with what you have. 

Acts 3:1-8

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

As I pondered about Peter, the new prophet over the Lord's church, I loved his perfect example of humility and giving what he had to give.

Peter was given the priesthood, the authority to do Jesus' work on earth in His absence. He knew he could use it, and he had faith that it would work.

I love his response to the crippled beggar asking "alms" in verse 6; 

"Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee."

I feel that in life we look at huge catastrophes and feel this deep yearning to do something. We all have divine nature in us that we want to help our brothers and sisters. But when it happens we stew over it, we worry over it, and when something else comes up it slips away and we end up doing nothing. 

One thing I love to say to myself is, "I can't do everything, but I can do something."

This saying keeps me from doing nothing.

One time while my children were young we were driving to the store and we happened upon a really bad car crash. It was near our home and the children looked out and said, "Oh no! Mom! Is anyone hurt?! Look at that car!" I could plainly see the car and my heart ached for whomever was involved. I felt for the drivers, the passengers, the police, the ambulances, and the firefighters. I felt so helpless, I wanted to stop and give a stranger a hug, I wanted to cry for the family, I wanted to find out who it was and make them food, I wanted to send flowers to the hospital, I wanted to do SOMETHING! 

But I was helpless, I knew no one involved, yet I had a feeling that I could help in some way. I simply didn't know how to do it.

Here was my moment. I couldn't do everything, but I can do something.

Knowing that I knew nothing of the circumstances of anyone involved, all I could think to do was pray. I asked my four year old daughter and two year old son to fold their arms in the parking lot of the store we were stopping at. I said a prayer. A simple prayer that I hoped would make it to the hearts of the families of all involved. I hoped that the faith of three small souls who came upon the aftermath of a life altering scene would help alleviate the smallest amount of hurt or pain. 

Now, years later, whenever there is a suspected or sudden death, a horrible storm near or far, we say a prayer. It was a teaching moment for me, just as much as for my children, that when you feel you can't do anything or when you can't do everything, the least you can do is sincerely pray.

We have all been given gifts, personal, wonderful gifts that are meant to help Heavenly Father help us in the whirlwind called life. 

"God does watch over us, and does notice us, but it is usually through someone else that he meets our needs." 

President Spencer W. Kimball

We need to remember that we CAN help someone, we can reach out and do something. The only person holding us back or putting doubt in our minds is Satan. 

Do something small, do something big, but always keep it within your means. The Lord doesn't expect you to give everything. But He does expect you to do something. Even if it's as simple as a prayer, a hug, a phone call, a visit or a card. 

If you have the time, give it. If you have the means, share it. If you have food, make it. If you have a prayer, pray it. 

Feeding the 5,000 thoughts

I have to admit that the account of Christ feeding the 5,000 is one of my favorites. 

I cannot begin to imagine how Jesus' day was that day. He was just told that His cousin, John the Baptist was beheaded. I wonder if He had even one moment alone to contemplate and reflect on His dear friend, cousin and prophet that just passed away so violently. After Jesus was told by His disciples He departed by ship to a desert place, I'm sure to be alone for a few moments.

But I imagine that news traveled quickly much like it does today. I imagine the people who heard this, went as a ward or congregation of Saints would have done. They would go to the person who is suffering and give their support and love.

---------------------

Matt 14: 13-14

13. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

14. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

----------------------

I'm sure the people, much like us, lost track of time and didn't realize they would be staying until evening with Jesus. I'm sure they started to get a little hungry, but wanted to stay with Jesus in His hour of need to show their support. Jesus, always knowing their thoughts and their intents, He knew He could feed them.

This is one of the beautiful things I love about this account. He simply TOOK WHAT THEY HAD. He blessed it and gave thanks for what they had and made a miracle happen.

Christ will take what you give Him. He will take you as you are, and He will BLESS YOU and THANK YOU for being you. When you turn all you have over to Him, He will make far more out of you than you could ever imagine. 

-------------------------

Matt 14: 19-20

19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

--------------------------

I started questioning the 12 baskets of left overs. What did they do with them? 

This is what I imagine.

I imagine that Christ told a few people to share what they had seen and heard. I imagine that Christ told them to take the bread and tell them that this is the TRUE reason of the bread. 

--------------------------

John 6:35

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

--------------------------

Christ wasn't a baker who could make their lives easy by magically feeding them for the rest of their days, but He could feed their souls FOREVER. And if those who were "poor is spirit" wanted more, that they had a way. Follow Jesus and believe in Him, and you will have everlasting life.

I saw this exact miracle happen in my life. Literally feeding people with nothing. I am sure it has happened to others, but this was my experience.

We were at Girls Camp. I was the stake girls camp director and I had a team to help me. One of which was my oldest sister. She was over the food. That woman can feed an ARMY. She is meticulous and detailed. She remembers EVERYTHING. She knows exactly what to buy for how many and rarely has too little or too much of anything. She is organized, precise, and seriously one of the best cooks I know. She has been over food for girls camp the previous two girls camps we did together. This year of girls camp was different than the past two years. We were in a more remote location than before and for different circumstances needed food to be brought to us for dinner. Every night we had ward Relief Societies come together and bring prepared and ready dinners to us. It was WONDERFUL. However, one night, we had "walking tacos" a.k.a. tacos in a bag of chips. It was one of our favorites for girls camp, everyone loved them. The ward Relief Society remembered everything... except lettuce. Lettuce is kind of essential to tacos.

We hit panic mode. What could we do? 

My meticulous sister started scrambling and going through each fridge and cooler we had and MIRACULOUSLY had one single head of iceberg lettuce and one large bag of shredded cabbage. We had over 130 people to feed which consisted of growing girls and adults who are always hungrier when camping. 

My sister and I went into the back room and said a prayer together. We were thankful that we had one small head of lettuce and one large bag of shredded cabbage. We were thankful for this opportunity to be at girls camp, where we could help spiritually feed these young women and leaders in a safe and beautiful environment. We asked that the Lord help us stretch the lettuce and cabbage as far as it would go. We would prepare it and we would put the rest in His hands. We were asking for a "Feed the 5,000" scenario, but we would take whatever He could give.

We shredded that lettuce as finely as possible and even shredded the shredded cabbage more. We ended up with a medium/large bowl of lettuce and cabbage mix. We grabbed small tongs and set it on the serving table.

All week long we had ward young women serve the food so it was easier and kept the line moving faster. I stepped in and took over serving the lettuce. I would be sure to give a small portioned amount and kept praying in my heart that I could stretch it as far as I could. I looked down at my medium sized bowl of lettuce cabbage mix, and then I looked up at the longest line I had ever seen. My heart sunk. All I could do was pray. The young women or leaders around me had no idea what was going on in my heart and mind. Only my sister and I knew of this worry. The prayer was given on the food and then it began.

As the line stated coming through, I kept placing lettuce and cabbage on each plate, smiling and talking with the young women and leaders. Every single scoop I took from the bowl I said a prayer. 

EVERY . SINGLE . SCOOP I PRAYED.

I realized about 50-60 people through the line, that my bowl of cabbage and lettuce was exactly where it had started. It was as if I hadn't taken even one scoop out of my medium sized bowl. I started to tear up and had to hold it together until the meal was done. I kept scooping and kept scooping. I continually watched what my earthly eyes could not comprehend, but what my heart understood. 

This was a miracle.

My sister came about half way through and asked me quietly how it was going. She looked down at my near full bowl with awe. She started tearing up, and I said with tears in my eyes, "It's happening. It's the 5,000. I can't think about it right now, so go away and we can talk about it later." Her eyes held tears as she understood and said, "Yes, I understand." Then she went away to over see other things, before we both burst into tears at the miracle we were both witnessing.

It may not have been a big deal to many, but in that moment it was a big deal to my sister and I. Christ knew of our struggles and He knew our righteous desire to feed many with little. 

Whatever is important to you, is important to Him.

I saw a miracle. I am sure you can believe what happened next. We had enough lettuce/cabbage to feel every last person. It was beautiful, and I still cry when I recall this experience. 

Heavenly Father will hear and answer your prayers. He will make miracles happen in your life. Big or small. Everything happens for a reason. Would we have been okay without lettuce and cabbage in our tacos that day? Yes, we would have been fine. But He used that to teach me a very valuable lesson that I will never forget. 

He is aware of ME. 
And I KNOW HE IS AWARE OF YOU. 

We are the Lord's hands

"A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.

Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”" 

(“You Are My Hands” Dieter F. Uchtdorf April 2010)

When I first heard this short story, I can honestly say that it changed my life. It was told in a primary lesson I was listening to, and my mind was captivated by the thought of ME being the Lord's hands. How had I been the Lord's hands that day? How had I been His hands in the past week? 

From that day on, I pray every morning that I can be His hands in some way. Small or large, simple or complicated. I can love someone, somewhere as He would love them.

The conference talk given by Elder Uchtdorf continued..."True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”

Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.

If we are His hands, should we not do the same?"

Being a true disciple of Christ means to LIVE what you know. Live the gospel in a way that no one can doubt that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Christ knows what people are going through. He is the ONLY PERSON who knows EXACTLY what you are going through. Your thoughts, actions and struggles. He knows YOU. Not only does he know YOU, but he knows EVERYONE. By asking Him to help you find someone to help, He will direct your path and put you in a place where you can be the one to uplift another.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

You may not understand why you are lead to a specific person at a specific time, but Christ knows. He knows you, and He knows who needs your talents and testimony to help them in their life at that moment.

BE HIS HANDS.

"God does watch over us, and does notice us.
But it is usually through someone else that He meets our needs."
-President Spencer W. Kimball

Who am I in the story of, "The Man Taken with a Palsy?"

Luke 5: 17-25

17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

18 ¶ And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

This story has been going through my mind for the past few days. Sometimes when I read scripture stories I like to ask myself, who would I be in this story?

When I read this story I pictured myself as a bystander. Listening, or at least TRYING to listen and get a glimpse of Jesus. It seems that this was a very busy day for Christ. There were doubters, curious listeners, believers, law men trying to twist His words to accuse him of wrong doing, etc. 

I imagined I saw family members who had seen so much pain and hurt in their brother or son that they had to ACT! They believed so much in Jesus's healing power, that they took their brother or son who was stricken with a palsy to be healed. They grabbed a sturdy cot they could carry him in and set off to find Jesus. This family would have had incredible faith and must have known that if anyone could heal their brother or son, it was Jesus.

I'm sure as they approached this home (or building) Christ was teaching in, that they were not ready for the crush of people that were watching and listening to Jesus. I'm sure they had to bolster one another, they had come this far and they would not be deterred.

 (I imagine the doorway was large enough for the cot because Jesus would not tell the man to take up his "couch" and walk if it wouldn't have fit through the door) 

I imagine they asked others to kindly move so they could ask Jesus to heal their brother. I imagine people would either snub them and not move, or some would push them away claiming they shouldn't be there. 

I can only imagine the heart ache they would feel when others would not help. 

This is where I ask myself the question, WHO AM I IN THIS STORY?

Am I the bystander who snubs them and only thinks of seeing Jesus myself?

OR

Am I the one who helps them, and finds the ladder?

In just about ANY life situation we need to ask ourselves, Who will I be? Who does Christ want me to be? Will I judge others quickly and shoo them away? Or will I love them and help them find a way to Christ?

I love how Jesus healed this man's spirit before He healed his body. "Thy sins are forgiven thee." 

He healed this man spiritually before He healed him physically. What does that teach us about spiritual health? 

It is just as important, to be spiritually strong, as it is to by physically strong. 

Jesus preformed many miracles in His short 32 years of life, but don't think for one moment that His miracles have ceased. Look for His fingerprint in your life. Many people dwell on the negative in their lives and how much they wish it would improve. It's great to assess your life and look for options to make it better, but don't be sucked down into only negative thoughts. Be grateful for what you have. Look at all the things that went RIGHT today, not the things that went wrong.  

You were blessed with breath today, and a heart that is beating. 

Who can you speak to and share your heart with? 

Don't Keep Me in the Dark

We were assigned to clean the church, I was on chapel duty, MY FAVORITE! I love vacuuming with a vacuum that looks like it could make my jet pack dreams come true! (FYI - If I could have any super power, it would be to fly!)

I walked into the black chapel with my jet pack and extension cord, then turned on the only light switch in this corner of the large room. I plugged in and started my job. As I began vacuuming, my eyes became adjusted to the low light. I knew I could walk across the room and turn on many more lights, but I was on a roll and wanted to get done quickly as the rest of my family were busy doing other jobs around the building. I knew I could see just fine, so I kept going, pew after pew. Checking the hymnal holders and vacuuming all surfaces, over and under the benches. As I was working I saw out of the corner of my eye a few heads peek in and then leave. Missionaries, or Family History workers, I'm not sure which. Curiosity is human nature. But I noticed later that no one bothered to to turn on another light. I didn't ask them to, and they never offered. We never spoke, we just kept on going with our assignments. 

I continued vacuuming and I came closer to the excess of light switches on the far wall. I reached over the stand and turned on the nearest two switches. H.O.L.Y C.O.W!!!!! My eyes were quickly opened and I could see everything SOOO MUCH CLEARER!! I had done a good job vacuuming before, but now I could see even better, and so much easier! I didn't realize how much my eyes were straining until the lights came on. I physically relaxed more and kept vacuuming with a smile on my face. I started thinking, who have we left in the dark? Who is living in the dark, not realizing there is more light in this life to have?! How many people do we see going through life in dim lighting and never offer or tell them about more switches? By simply "switching" a few things in your life, you can gain more light and a brighter perspective of EVERYTHING! I still hadn't switched on all of the lights. I added just a few at a time.

C.S. Lewis said, "I believe in the God like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else."

By adding more light in our lives, even if it's a little at a time, we can have a better view of what we are doing. A better perspective of where we are going and why we are here. I don't know about you, but I don't like being left in the dark. Everyone has come to the fold of this church and been in the dim light before or has had an ancestor who found the light and brought it to their posterity. If you are a first generation convert or have been a member your entire life, you still had to find the light of Christ for yourself. 

Alma 5: 6-7 & 26

6. And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren (and sisters), you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?

7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word...

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? 

YOU must be full of light before you can give light to someone else.

Christ taught us to, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Are we letting our shine so we can bring people closer to Heavenly Father? The TRUE source of truth and light? Are we being good examples and OFFERING to help others find the light switches?

If you feel you are failing, take President Lorenzo Snow's advice. "Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today." 

Be the LIGHT someone needs in their life. Don't leave them in the dim lighting, they don't even know what they are missing! You have to SHOW them! We've all been in dim lighting before. Share what you have found, tell them about the switches you clicked and the understanding and light you have now! Don't keep others in the dark, help bring them into the light!