Thursday, September 30, 2010

Just keep swimming...

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Another great line from a movie. Dory the fish never gave up and kept her mind on what it takes to get there (even if she couldn't remember exactly where she was going or why). I am REALLY glad I write things down when I am especially inspired. I pulled the following from a talk I gave when I was RS Pres. It was definitely inspiration, I know this because this kind of information doesn't just come flowing out of my brain. I'm always in complete and utter awe to recognize little nuggets of inspiration after the fact. I'm reading it again and still trying to internalize it. Did I really write it??? Yup, 'fraid so. Another example of how I have learned to know God loves me 'cause I experienced how much he loved the women in my ward at that time. Here it is:

Line upon line, precept on precept means to me: I know and understand more than I am able to do. When I learn to do what I know, my mind is enlightened with more knowledge that I have to learn to do. This is the pattern the Lord works by.

Satan would interrupt that pattern by convincing us that we are not in God’s good graces because we are not doing all that we know. He would try to convince us to not try as hard or to stop trying for fear of failing to follow through. This is a lie and it is not God’s way.

Discouragement is one of the most powerful tools of Satan and it is in opposition to the hope that the atonement of Jesus Christ provides. Without the atonement, repentance would be in vain. The atonement took place so we can try, fail and repent; try, fail and repent until we do succeed. And we will succeed, again because of the atonement – but only if we are active participants in accepting it into our lives.

We can not afford to passively sit by and wait for inspiration to fall from heaven into our minds. We have to seek and search after it, so that the pattern gaining knowledge line upon line and precept on precept can occur.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Riddle me this... that you may receive

Sometimes, I have questions. Questions that I don't know if God will give me answers to. Questions like, 'Why?'. When I follow this pattern, I find that I get answers. The answer is sometimes "you'll find out later" or "that does not matter right now". But I find that if I am open to what ever the answer is, I do get one. I find that when I do not get an answer to my prayers, its not that God isn't answering, its that I am not ready for the answer yet, or I'm simply not listening.

"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good - yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously, and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind which shall fill your soul with joy. And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive."

D&C 11: 12-14

thou art in thy youth

And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Alma 36:3

HE HAS THE POWER

“Recently, there has been a great deal of commentary about (the saviors crucifixion), none of which has made clear the singular point that no one had the power to take the Savior’s life from Him. He gave it as a ransom for us all. As the Son of God, He had the power to alter the situation. Yet the scriptures clearly state that He yielded Himself to scourging, humiliation, suffering, and finally crucifixion because of His great love towards the Children of men.”

Elder Ballard, April 2004 Gen. Conf.

He will not force us.

“God is serious about his commitment to free agency,

and without this there would be no joy or life at all.

We worship a God

whose character is so stunning,

and who wants us to come home,

but he will not force us.

He will give us the maximum reward for our acts

and impose upon us the minimum penalty

which it is possible for him to impose.”

Neal A. Maxwell

How you doin'?

So, if you have problems in your life,

don’t assume there is something wrong with you.

Struggling with those problems is at the very core of

life’s purpose.

As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses

and through them make us wiser, stronger.

If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses,

that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God,

not farther away.”

Bruce C. Hafen, April 2004 General Conference

"My Angel"

by Marilyn Duncan Bowen

New Era, May 1979, 50

When I was young I thought
Angels had wings and
Halos and carried harps.
Angels sang songs all day
and talked to shepherds and
Old men at night.
I never saw an angel
Until I heard my mother sing
and saw the tears of
Long and faithful years flow from
Sweet, believing eyes.
Then I knew—
Angels are people, too.