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!

Your words and actions can bless or haunt

Recently our family has been talking about our words and actions to other people. How are our actions perceived by others? Are our words being taken to heart? Does what we say or do really matter?

I can honestly say YES! Because they matter to me. I am CONSTANTLY asking the question, "How do you think that makes them feel?" or, "How would you like it if he/she said that to you?!"

My kids then understand that if they were in the receiving end of those actions or words, they would either appreciate or dislike the result.

Being a parent is hard, and teaching your kids empathy and understanding can be tricky. This has helped our family immensely. Simply asking the question in a calm tone, "Why would you do/say that?" "How would you feel if I did/said that to you?"

I have been hearing about cyber bullying or simply lack of respect in schools, churches and at home. Children and teens these days often don't realize the course of their actions.

PEOPLE REMEMBER HOW YOU ACT AND WHAT YOU SAY!

The words and actions your do and say can bless you later in life, or haunt you.

Let me explain.

I talk often to older women whose children are grown and have children of their own. I learn much from their experiences and enjoy their company. 

When we recall someone from the past, their minds instantly go to how that person treated them, or their child. With one friend, it has been over 15 years since one of her daughters has graduated high school. And this mother still vividly remembers the person, and rude or harsh words that were said to her daughter.

On the flip side, she also recalls with perfect recollection, the kind people in her life and her daughter's life. 

How do you want to be remembered? You can't change the past, but you can shape your future. Only YOU have the power to change the way YOU act and behave.

I am haunted by the thoughts of my unkind words or actions during middle school and high school. I pray they weren't bad enough for people to remember years and years later. I hope others understand that people CAN change, and you need to let them have a second chance. No one is perfect, especially in middle school and high school.

I am also blessed by the memories of kindness people have shown and taught me over the years. I pray that I can bless others around me through my words and actions.

Train yourself to ask, "How would I like it if that word was said to me?" 

"How would that make me feel, if they did that to me?"

"Will this word or action bless me? Or haunt me?"

CHOOSE LOVE AND KINDNESS!

 KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS!

SPREAD IT AROUND LIKE SUNSHINE ON A SUMMERS DAY! 

Blessing Blockers

Yesterday the kids and I watched the short video of

 Elder Utchdorf's called, "A Shower of Heavenly Blessings". 

If you haven't seen it, IT'S MARVELOUS! 

Click HERE to see the video

After the video I had a short and sweet teaching moment with my kids. We got into a small discussion about the umbrellas, what they were, and how they were "blessing blockers." 

What are some of the things in our lives that block us from receiving the blessings that Heavenly Father is constantly raining down on us?

The kids then said;

"being mean"

"not being nice"
(Okay that's basically the same thing as "being mean".. ha ha)

"hitting people"

"not paying tithing"

"not listening to teachers"

"not helping mom or dad"

"complaining"

etc.

It was wonderful to hear that my eight year old and six year old understood what it was to have blessings being blocked from them. 

I then asked, "Do we want blessings? Or should we put up an umbrella to block out Heavenly Father?"

They then both shouted, "NO! WE WANT BLESSINGS!"

This was an out of the blue teaching moment. I was not preparing to talk about this today but it was what we needed! The Spirit often works that way. It took 5 minutes out of our day to watch a video and now change our perspective on blessings. We need to be aware of our actions so we can keep that umbrella down and receive the pouring of blessings in our lives. This short message also shows how much LOVE our Father in Heaven has for us. He wants to bless us, He wants us to put down our umbrellas of doubt, fear and sin. He wants us to be followers of Him and His Son, by learning of Him and following His example. 

"It's easier to carry you when you hold on!"

June HAD to wear THESE shoes. SHE NEEEEDED TO WEAR THEM! Her outfit wouldn't be complete without the shoes that grandma recently gave her that were two sizes too big. I thought, "Well, she will learn quickly that shoes NEED TO FIT in order to be comfortable." I did help a little by putting a few cotton balls in the toes, so she wasn't sloshing around in them the whole time at church. 

We happen to live right across the street from the church and walk every Sunday to our services. Literally in the middle of the road June said, "Oh man! These shoes ARE too big! Well it's too late now to turn back! I guess I will just have to wear them!" I giggled to myself because we were about 10 minutes early and could have easily turned around to get her shoes that did fit her, but thought instead to let her learn and suffer through it. (Man, I just realized, I am REALLY mean!)

It turned out she was a great sport and suffered in silence, until our short walk home. About three seconds out the doors of the church she said, "Mom, my ankles are really red, they hurt, I AM NOT WEARING THESE SHOES until they fit." I gave in a picked her up. She is about to turn eight in a couple of weeks. She is small but still an awkward size to carry. She couldn't hook her legs around me because of her dress. I was carrying her like a queen and all that was holding her to me, were my arms around her. She started to lean back, and I had to lean back a little to maintain the balance. She was watching others file out of the church as I was holding her like a damsel in distress. I finally said as I was crossing the snow packed street, "June, you've got to hold on to me. It's harder to carry you if you're not holding on."

As she slipped her arms around my neck it was instantly easier to hold onto one of the most precious things I have in my life. My mind started going a million miles an hour with the words I had just said, "It's harder to carry you if you're not holding on." I thought about the Savior carrying me though my life, and how much easier it would be for Him, if I would hold on tightly.
My mind remembered the beautiful poem "footprints in the sand."

Footprints in the Sand

by Mary Stevenson

One night I had a dream.

I dreamed I was walking along the beach

with the Lord..

Across the sky flashed scenes from my life..

For each scene, I noticed two sets of

footprints in the sand,

one belonging to me, and the other to the Lord..

When the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life

there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest

and saddest times in my life.

This really bothered me 

and I questioned the Lord about it:

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you'd walk with me all the way.

But I have noticed that during the most 

troublesome times in my life 

there is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why 

when I need you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied:

"My precious child, I love you and would

never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering,

when you see only one set of footprints, it was then

that I carried you." 

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

I couldn't help but think of Christ saying something to me like what I said to June.
"It's easier to carry you when you hold onto me." 

I know the Lord has carried me through many times of my life. Even when I wasn't holding on as tightly as I should have. 

He carries us. He holds us. He asks us to hold onto Him, and trust Him. He knows the way because He IS the way. He will guide us, help us, and carry us. We just need to HOLD ONTO HIM.

Theres a beautiful song called "Hold On To Jesus" by Erin O'Donnell. It made me think of this and what I would want my children to know and do. Here are the lyrics...

You're a little piece of heaven

You're a golden ray of light

And I wish I could protect you

From the worries of this life

But if there's one thing I could tell you

It's no matter what you do

Hold to Jesus, He's holding onto you

The world will try to tell you

That might is more than right

And beauty's on the outside

And being good's a losing fight

But remember what I've told you

'cause the world will make you choose

Hold to Jesus, He's holding onto you

Hold on to Jesus, and cling to his love

Rest deep in his mercy, whenever things get rough

And don't recite of his goodness

And don't ever doubt this truth, that when you hold onto

Jesus He's holdin' onto you.

Hear me dear Jesus

Rock this little one to sleep

Keep her close when she's scared, and

Give her grace when she is weak

I know she'll stumble, but I know she'll make it through

If you hold onto her just like you said you do

Hold her Jesus so she'll hold on tight to you

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

Here's my thought of the day. Hold on to Jesus. He's holding on to you as He carries you through the life you have. He is the only person who knows what you are going through. He knows you and He loves you more than you will ever know.

Are your hands cold?

Just the other day Connor was riding his bike. Nothing unusual, but the weather has turned quickly from summer to fall. It was a rather chilly morning. He bundled up with an extra jacket and pants instead of shorts (a huge feat for him, shorts are his life!). He went on a bike ride and then came quickly into the house where I was doing my hair and getting ready for the day. With helmet still on his head he simply said, "My hands are cooooold..." I held his hand to my cheek and felt his cool fingers. My warm face wasn't enough to penetrate deep into the tissue. I then rolled up his sleeves and put his hands in the sink. I turned the water on cold and slowly increased the temperature. Feeling came back into his fingers and hands, we dried them, hugged and he bounded off onto his next adventure. We both know that he will be wearing gloves next time he rides his bike. 

As this simple action kept coming to my mind, I thought about our activity level and enthusiasm in church callings and priorities. Are our hands getting cold without us even realizing they are getting cold? Are we becoming chilly in our callings? Are we doing all we can to help our families testimonies grow and burn with a desire to know more? Are we doing ALL we can to further the gospel and keep our own personal testimony burning?

Sometimes you hear people or missionaries and say, "WOW! They are on FIRE! I wish I could be like them!" Well, the simple truth is, YOU CAN!

Isaiah 50:11

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled.

You can be on fire! You can live life sparking other's testimonies and spirits. 

We need to be careful in realizing when our hands are getting cold. We need to keep them warm with work and service. We need to keep our hands close to the fire of Christ, so we can warm others around us. 

Sometimes we think that warming our hands can be done only once, and they will magically keep warm though the whole winter. If I go to church once a month I can stay warm. If I read my scriptures once in a while I can still feel that fire. If I pray only when times are hard I will keep from frost bite. 

That's just not so. It takes time and continual effort to remain warm.

Be aware of the cold world around us. It creeps in through cracks and through thin walls. Stay warm. Keep your fire of faith going as you go through life!

"It was a bad day." "No, it was a good day."

Yesterday, June got into a bike crash scraping her elbow, and landing on her hip. She has a bruise on her hip that is sore and her elbow has some road rash all around.

Today while doing June's hair she said, "Mom, yesterday was a bad day, my elbow and hip still hurt."

I simply said, "No, yesterday wasn't a bad day, you had a bad moment, but we had a fun day. We went on a bike ride, we played at the park, we built a fort, played in the leaves, and played lots of games! That is not a bad day. Yes you were in a bike crash, but that doesn't mean the rest of the day was destined to be a horrible day. We still had fun after your bike crash, right?"

June said, "Yes, but it still hurts."

I said, "Yes, I understand, but just because it still hurts, doesn't mean that today will be a bad day."


Sometimes we think that when we sin or make a mistake, that it defines our whole lives, and we will never find happiness again. Even as life goes on and it still hurts, we can still find happiness. We can still have good times.