'Tis the season: Focusing in on What Matters Most

It is 39 days until Christmas! This afternoon I showed Jonathan his first Christmas music video and he was in awe. Christmas for me is filled with traditions celebrating light and service, modeled after Christ's birth and life. We usually do a lot of reflection and service as part of our countdown in addition to the annual nativity reenactment on Christmas Eve. We don’t listen to much non-religious Christmas music, and we study the miracles of the first Christmas as we recall miracles from our own lifetime. 

So in the debate about "when is it too early to celebrate Christmas?" I personally prefer to find ways to celebrate like this year-round! No, I wasn't asked to preach about an early Christmas this year or even the very first Christmas. 

I was asked to speak about coming to Christ by centering on Him and His teachings. The famous wise men of old traveled far looking for the young Christ child; they knew how to come unto him because they recognized God's promises and followed the star. Another wise man is spoken of in scripture and song as building his home on the Rock. We can be like both types of wise men when we build our homes and lives on the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

In this past general conference Bishop Wadell taught: “Everything, then, points to Jesus Christ as the foundation upon which we must build even our temporal preparedness.” In scripture, Jesus is known as the Rock or Chief Cornerstone. "A cornerstone (or foundation stone...) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure." (Wikipedia) 

Finding Center and Building Focus

Now I haven't ever tried to build something like that but I'm guessing that most of are like me in that you have drawn a circle! When you want to draw a perfect circle, you measure every point an equal distance from the center. In the October 2015 general conference, there was a story shared of a Japanese potter teaching youth about the importance of centering the clay exactly on the wheel in order for it to be molded into anything. This reminds me of a beautiful hymn and scripture which reads: 

Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the Potter; I am The Clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still.

In that same session, Sister Neill F. Marriott taught: How do we, a modern, busy, competitive people, become yielded and still? How do we make the Lord’s ways our ways? I believe we begin by learning of Him and praying for understanding. As our trust in Him grows, we open our hearts, seek to do His will, and wait for answers that will help us understand. 

In practicing mindfulness, one learns to find and "hold center" in the midst of chaos. And 2020 has been chaotic. We need to hold space front and center for Christ in our minds and hearts. And when on occasion that seems to be more than we can do, we must remember that God is always holding space for us. 

"Hope in the Hands of the Potter "

For purchase here.

How do we "hold space" for God? 

In the most recent general conference, President Nelson shared a translation for the word Israel: let God prevail. Prevail doesn't just mean to be victorious against opposing forces; it means frequent, predominant, and persistent. If God is prevailing in our life, it means we are coming unto Him and being filled with His love and light. 

A friend of mine recently commented to me: What we fix our eyes on and fill our minds with truly influences our hearts. "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36). So… what do you do when there's nothing to do? What do you think when you choose what to think about? What fills your mind and heart? 

Imagine you're holding space literally and figuratively as you hold a perfect cup of hot cocoa in your hands. What happens if I am in a hurry and bump into you as I rush past? What happens to that cocoa in your cup? Why did you spill it? Because I bumped into you? Well yes. And no. If there had been milk in your cup, you would have spilled milk. You see, life has given each of us a cup and we get to decide how to fill it. 

How Christ's Atonement Holds Space for Us

What can we do when life makes us spill our "cup of milk?" I believe it's okay to feel discouraged and maybe even "cry over spilled milk." But we must also remember what President Boyd K. Packer once taught: “Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.” It is enough and it magnifies our efforts so we can become enough. 

In our Stake Conference last week, Sister Caitlyn Cooney bore a powerful witness that “As we strengthen our testimony of Christ and his gospel, and as we trust Him and His atonement while seeking to do the Father’s will, we can use our hands to lift, love, and serve our brothers and sisters. This will bring joy in this life and the life to come.” I add my testimony to hers and to Sister Harkness when she taught last month: 

Regardless of our circumstances, we can intentionally make efforts to build and increase our faith in Jesus Christ. It is strengthened when we remember that we are children of God and that He loves us. Our faith grows as we experiment on the word of God with hope and diligence, trying our very best to follow Christ’s teachings. Our faith increases as we choose to believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel. Our faith is refined as we patiently rely on the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah. 

“While faith is not a perfect knowledge,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “it brings a deep trust in God, whose knowledge is perfect!”

What does being centered in Christ feel like? 

When we are centered aesthetically speaking, we are balanced. I believe when we are centered on Christ when we find balance in Him and are able to find peace and joy no matter our circumstances. Like the hymn promises: 

"There is peace in Christ 

When we learn of Him 

Feel the love He felt for us 

When He bore our sins 

Listen to His words 

Let them come alive 

If we know Him as He is 

There is peace in Christ 

He gives us hope 

When hope is gone 

He give us strength 

When we can't go on 

He give us shelter 

In the storms of life 

When there's no peace on Earth 

There is peace in Christ." 

His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Let him lead you, guide you, walk beside you and teach you all that you must do because "True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to action.” He has promised that if we come unto him--center on him--we will find an unearthly peace and rest. Matt. 11:28-30

What I got out of listening to a prophet this weekend

Home Can be a Heaven on Earth

"God's objective should be our objective. He wants His children to choose to return to Him prepared, qualified endowed, sealed, and faithful to covenants made in holy temples." President Russell M. Nelson taught in his concluding remarks this April 2019 conference. I love how this doctrine highlights God's respect of our agency and His unyielding expectations of us. I want to find this balance and understanding in my own parenting.

He spoke much on the holy work and preparation of temples as well as the conversion that can and should be happening in our homes. While we don’t perform saving ordinances in our homes, there is a significant way in which our homes can be like the temple. Modern-day prophets have repeatedly taught that, “Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”

• How do you feel about that? What was your first thought? Read D&C 88:119-120. Is your house a…?

Studying patriarchal blessings together today
as they both stayed home from church due to illness.

For me this promise of holiness in our homes used to inspire feelings of confusion and guilt. While I grew up in an amazingly Christ-centered home eating and breathing the doctrines of Christ’s gospel, but out home didn’t always feel like a super holy place to me. I think part of that was the lack of responsibility I felt to maintain our home's holiness.

The following quote from President Russell M. Nelson's closing remarks, answered several questions and concerns I have been pondering in preparation for conference: "We hope and pray that the each member's home will become a true sanctuary of faith where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell. Despite contention all around us, one's home can be a heavenly place where study, prayer, and faith can be merged with love." 

Invitations to Act

• As you study [general conference] seek to learn what the Lord is trying to teach you through His servants.
• We can truly become disciples of the Lord, standing up and speaking up for Him wherever we are. God's objective should be our objective.
• Ours is a sacred responsibility to care for them [pioneer era temples.]
• Brothers and sisters, we regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the Church. As we announce plans to construct a new temple, it becomes a part of our sacred history. Now please, listen carefully and reverently. If I announce a temple in a place that is special to you, may I suggest that you simply bow your head with a silent prayer of gratitude in your heart. (8 new temples announced)
• As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him. May we access the power of His atonement by our repentance every day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children on both sides of the veil.
• "So, what is required for a family to be exalted forever? We qualify for that privilege by making covenants with God, keeping those covenants, and receiving essential ordinances." He continued, "The Savior invites all to follow Him into the waters of baptism and, in time, to make additional covenants with God in the temple and receive and be faithful to those further essential ordinances. All these are required if we want to be exalted with our families and with God forever."
• Pour out your heart to God. Ask Him if these things are true. Make time to study His words. Really study! If you truly love your family and if you desire to be exalted with them throughout eternity, pay the price now—through serious study and fervent prayer—to know these eternal truths and then to abide by them.
• Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now. Time is running out.

Promised Blessings

"Truly conference has been a spiritual feast for us all."

"[R]evelation continues in this the Lord's church. And it will continue until the purposes of God shall be accomplished..."

So I say let the personal revelation begin as we accept these invitations to act!

What's a goal you have as a result of listening to general conference?

68 Days until General Conference!

Does anyone else periodically flick through their journal? I have one spiral bound notebook I use to take notes during Sunday meetings, daily gospel study, and especially general conference. While living in Illinois I took the Teachings of the Living Prophets course each time it was offered. The first part of the course gives guidelines for how to prepare for and then study general conference so we can not just "go to conference" but have conference go through us! Each 6 months the class changed because we studied new talks. One of the study skills I learned here was a reminder of something Elder David A. Bednar taught at the Rexburg Idaho temple dedication. He said that while it is a good and common practice to go to the temple with a question, it is even better to go to the temple asking the Lord to help us discover what one question He would have us ask. So I bring my questions and concerns to general conference but also keep a prayer in my heart that my one new question will be revealed. I also mark specific talks or partial quotes and scriptures that I feel I need to restudy for more general reasons.

As I was reviewing my notes from this past general conference I noticed that while I did a good job coming up with pondering questions and concerns then marking talks and impressions that addressed them, I also wrote down and marked goals in the margins. The problems is that of my 13 goals I have only consciously worked on half of them and only completed four. I haven't really been holding myself accountable for most of these goals and it's only 68 days until the next one! 

Goals

1. You're doing great but keep focusing on ways to be a missionary by worshiping and witnessing of Christ. (Elder Bangeter's talk)
2. I need to repair and maintain my eternal relationships as a mother, daughter, and sister. (Elder Oak's talk)
3. Eat your spiritual vegetables by losing yourself in ministering to others. (Elder D. Todd Christofferson)
4. Study all of President Nelson's past general conference talks like Bishop Davies did.
5. Accomplished goal: Have a FHE complete with chocolate cake to review Sister Franco's talk about serving the Lord without reservation.
6. Accomplished goal: Fast from social media and negative influences for 10 days, recording inspiration and priority shifts.
7. Accomplished goal: Read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, highlighting references to Christ and being more intentional in talking of and rejoicing in Christ.
8. Go to the temple monthly!
9. Enjoy Relief Society more by studying its purpose statement; try writing your own. (the final of President Nelson's four challenges)
10. Improve all ministering aspects of my life by walking into the moment in love and listening without judgement (thought work/therapy really helps with this.)
11. Heal/tend to any scars that are corroding my peace.
12. In addition to prophetically prescribed Book of Mormon study, read Joseph Smith's testimony of the book to help more fully be a part of the gathering of Israel. (Elder Bowen's talk)
13. Accomplished goal (at Christmas): Ponder Christ's miracles to increase you faith in Him.

So I have only consciously worked on 7 out of these 13 goals in the past 3 months! While I completed goal number seven was inspired my sister, Lizzy's Facebook post reporting on her experiences and completion of President Nelson's Book of Mormon challenge. Now I want to try reading the Book of Mormon before we move and write a sticky note for each chapter of ways I came to know my Savior better. This will also help me be more committed to my Book of Mormon Institute class readings.

Talks to restudy

President Nelson's closing remarks and Saturday evening talk
Sister Joy J. Jones' talk
Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk on double-mindedness
Elder Rasband's promised blessings (I reread this the morning of my Grandpa Eaton's funeral because that's where my bookmark was in reviewing the talks one by one.

Scriptures to Study

D&C 138
"the cause of Christ"
Future FHE: What does it mean to take upon us the name of Christ?
Future FHE lesson on "what do you fear?" (see Elder Rasband's talk)

My pondering questions and concerns were:

1. How can I have more compassion in my family and in my calling in Primary?
2. How can we improve the consistency of our fHE habits?
3. How can we better missionaries?
4. Where should we go when we are done with our post doc? Stay or go? How and when?
5. How can we grow our family? On a related note, how do I improve my immediate and long-term health?

What I'm Learning as I Try to Follow the Prophet

A prophet of God recently advised women to "participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind. Pray to know which influences to remove during your fast." He also invited us to go to the temple, read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, and study the purpose statement of Relief Society.

I knew that I didn't want my fast to be a strict, letter-of-the-law avoidance of social media and I realized that in praying to know which influences to remove during my fast, the Spirit might whisper a different answer to me than to others. I knew therefore that it wasn't my place to shame anyone who seemed to be doing their fast "wrong" or not doing it all. I knew it would and should be something of a sacrifice for me. Unlike a few others, I wasn't at all bothered by the timing of it because I don't think social media is a reliable place to obtain information about political candidates in the first place. 

Halfway through my fast I got quite sick and couldn't do much physically for several days; normally this would be a time of wasting my precious energy scrolling through online accounts. Instead I made note of the following lessons:

• First, I reach for social media when I am bored and/or want a distraction from the moment.
• Despite having low energy yet trying to avoid my default setting of being hyper motivated to get things done, I have been more productive overall--and less overwhelmed--about by all the things that need doing regardless of whether they get done.

  

  Example of productivity: we built Victoria a loft bed as a family! (I'm one several medications in this picture.)

• Ranking social media sites: Pinterest is far less detrimental than Facebook for me. While I do waste time sometimes on Pinterest, it is far more positive than Facebook and my news feed has fewer surprises. I am also avoiding YouTube and Netflix, which has been more challenging for me than Facebook.
            
                        

• Staying connected: There are a few people for whom Facebook messenger is my only means of contact. We use it like private email. I don't see a problem with that continuing. I also know that support groups on Facebook can be an invaluable necessity for a wide variety of struggles.
• Apparently many people are wondering when is it going to be the men's turn to receive this challenge. Several of my adult friends participated in the youth's invitation to fast. If you want to follow the prophet then do as the Holy Spirit directs you to! Also, I wish people would remember that there were 3 other tasks we were given by the prophet.

After reading the response of one friend who lost her newborn daughter to death, I admired her decision to share her thought processes regarding this challenge and was inspired to share my own. I conclude by sharing a parts of her response with her permission: 

I still used fb, wrote a couple Olivia letters, sought help & encouraged others in my grief groups. I reminded some women who were feeling abandoned by God that He does love us even when our lives are unbelievably hard. I will probably continue my fast & spend less time on fb because I did see almost immediate benefits from it.

Now to my point. Today someone finished her fast & felt the need to comment just what I said I didn't need.

It made me feel like crap...

Instead of typing what I want to her, I'm trying to turn my ugly feelings into a positive reminder that we should always think before we say something to others about how we perceive they're following God's word. We don't know what they're going through, & we don't know if what we say might be the thing that just makes them give up...

The path that I am walking is often lonely, full of thorns, & a lot of tears. As I have been on this path it has helped me see other's more clearly. Their path is hard too. I'm sure this woman really did feel like having to find other things to do while she was up at 2 am feeding a baby was a sacrifice. I am sure she is exhausted. I am sure her intent wasn't to make me feel terrible. But I am going to try a lot harder to keep my thoughts about how others are choosing to follow God to myself.

By fasting I learned for myself one of the beautiful points she makes here: I am going to try a lot harder to keep my thoughts about how others are choosing to follow God to myself. Instead I'll try to show loving support in person and online to everyone I meet. That's what I learned from her example and from following the prophet.

What is something you've learned as you've followed the prophet?

How to be a Great Gospel Teacher: Lessons Learned From My Father

Step one: Become a great gospel learner. 

Step two: recognize the difference between learning and teaching (hint: it's more subtle than you may think according to Elder Bednar.)

Two Things to Remember When Teaching Children About The Gospel
First, it's is the most important thing you can teach your child because it is part of keeping them alive! And second, children learn best by example. Even if you feel like you are going through the motions or doing things just for show, everyone involved will eventually learn to hear the music of the gospel if their "normal" is a constant view of its dance steps (bonus points for recognizing the General conference reference!) If you love going to the temple or General Conference and make those experiences a priority, you're well one your way. Everything can somehow relate to the gospel, so be on the look out for prime teaching moments; they happen more often than you realize!

That said, something important I've learned in dealing with toddlers young and old is to remember what Elder S. Mark Palmer so recently taught: "No teaching or learning will ever occur when done in frustration or anger, and hearts will not change where love is not present." Learning to recognize your child's frustrated signs and give them the tools to recognize and remove their frustration (a masking mixture of emotions) will help both of you learn and teach better. Giving them the tools they need may involve learning your own frustration triggers and finding ways to effectively mediate them. It's another life process that is learned by doing :)

So what are my secrets?
1. Family Home Evening. Have it and have it weekly. Always have a gospel lesson suited to the needs and attention spans of your family members and try to have it on a day other than the Sabbath. The lesson should be more than just scripture study. With really young-in-the-gospel audiences I've found it helpful to review or preview that week's Primary lesson. There are also several blogs I follow that given me great inspiration: Pinning with Purpose and We Talk of Christ to name a couple.

2. Twice-a-day Family Prayers. 

http://www.jeankeatonart.com/store/for-such-is-the-kingdom/family-prayer/

What better way to teach children about God and His gospel than to talk with Him? As we improve our own personal prayers and invite them to do the same, children may learn the nuances between food prayers, break the fast prayers, ordinance prayers, etc.

3. Daily family scripture study. I am a firm believer that children should hear the written word in its purest form as well as study the scriptures in a way that meets their own needs. to that end we study the scriptures two or three different ways each day: 1 page of the Book of Mormon at breakfast (or at dinner if some of us sleep in), telling of scripture stories in everyday language but with key doctrines underscored by quoted verses (this especially worked well for the first 3 years of bedtime), listening to Scripture Scouts (another bedtime routine and one that I grew up with), and reading through all of the illustrated Children's readers again and again.

All these things I have learned in my youth from parents who used well the gifts of the spirit as given to them. The Holy Ghost has taught me countless applications for the teachings of the prophets as taught to me by my parents. Happy Father's Day Dad!

"Trust in the Lord, and whatsoever things He say unto you: do it."

This blog post really spoke to me and said some of the same things I wanted to address in this post.

Lately the Lord has invited me to do some things that are unexpected, feel big. And frankly, I'm not even quite sure how to accomplish them. Do you know that feeling? Whether it is understanding our infertility, preparing for our second cross-country move, or applying for graduate school after a decade of not being a student, I've got a bundle of blessings on my plate that I cannot quite wrap my head around. I tried to phrase some of these concerns as questions or statements and then bring them to the Lord this past weekend. I got some deeply personal answers and would like to share a bit more with you in hopes of encouraging you on your journey of faith.

During Elder L. Whitney Clayton's talk I got up to go to the bathroom. When I returned, the first full sentence I caught upon reentering the chapel nearly stopped me in my tracks: it was an answer to every single one of my pondering questions/concerns! This bittersweet experience was made all the more memorable when my 5 year old noticed my briefly saddened face: 

"Mommy, why are you sad?" she asked.

Taking her in my lap I thanked God for this teaching moment before explaining, "I just got an answer to one of my pondering questions. I am happy because I have an answer and I know it is from God. But I am sad because it isn't the answer I wanted."

Whether you prepared for Conference far in advance or not, I invite you to ponder and learn with me today as we consider several scriptural accounts of obedience and apply key principles to our lives so our faith can grow and help us better endure as disciples of Christ.

First Scriptural Example: Mary, the Mother of Jesus

At the risk of overstating the obvious, Mary had faith.  I love trying to embrace in my own life such examples. Comment below with what other characters from history/ the scriptures have inspired you through their faithful obedience despite not knowing how to do what was asked of them. As I seek to mimic the faith of Mary and countless others, it has helped me to cling to the belief that "I [can] go and do what the Lord has commanded, for [like Nephi,] I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them, that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Elder L. Whitney Clayton began by commenting on Mary's faith. "She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out." This praise for Mary, the mother of Jesus, should be considered attainable praise for all disciples of Christ. Obviously none of us are being asked to give birth to and raise the Only Begotten Son, but each of us has eternal errands to perform. God has warned us that His ways are not our ways, so it follows that we often may not understand entirely what is being asked of us. This lack of understanding need not however, constitute a lack of obedience or trust on our part. 

So how do we conceive and maintain such faith? I love what the Bible Dictionary says on prayer:

         "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into 

         correspondence with each other...[It] is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining 

         the highest of all blessings." 

Elder Clayton further taught, "When we decide to do whatsoever God sayeth unto us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God's will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent, deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality." I have felt the truth of this countless times in my life; this work is a constant part of growing my testimony as well as part of its foundation.

Exercise #1: Fill Your Soul With Faith

In what ways can we faithfully "fill up our own water pots to brim" so that "like water to wine, our lives [will be] transformed"?      

Elder Clayton suggested an answer to this question: "Those who are deliberate about doing the small and simple things--obeying in seemingly little ways--are blessed with strength and faith that go far beyond the acts of obedience themselves. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic, daily acts of obedience and the big, complicated problems we face, but they are related." 

Have you ever "committed [yourself] without exactly understanding why He was asking that of [you] or how things would work out"? What helped you endure the lack of answers as you waited upon the Lord? 

My deepened well of gracious strength has brought me peace throughout my life, including now; Elder Clayton bore similar testimony. Obviously these are personal questions but I'd love to have your feedback even if it isn't here in the comments below.

Second Scriptural Example of Faith: Naaman

Elder Clayton then told the story of Naaman, captain of the Syrian army and a leper, who was miraculously healed by the prophet Elisha. Now you probably don't have leprosy. But like me you may have notable challenges beyond your own ability to solve. Naaman's reaction to the prophetic counsel he received reminds me of when the Israelites had to chose to look up at the brass serpent their prophet held in order to be healed. This small act had significant consequences."Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do." Whatever one's current challenge may be, small and simple acts of faith are the closet thing we have to a one-size-fits-all solution. (see Exercise #1: fill your soul with faith.) I am so grateful to already be feeling this solution at work in my life as I ponder my plate of incomprehensible blessings.

Later on in his talk Elder Clayton taught,"[God] cautions us that we shouldn't expect easy answers or quick fixes from Heaven. Things work out when we stand firm in the trial of our faith, however hard that test may be to endure and however slow the answers may be in coming." A second lesson I treasure from pondering this familiar Old Testament tale is God's timing and how my willingness effects it. Sometimes I delay the effectiveness of a solution by not fully committing to promptings I don't fully understand. Sometimes I feel obediently committed in an instant and yet still find myself wanting answers. Instead of removing a trying experience, God may "solve" your problem by providing you with peace, insight, or empathy. I have definitely felt His promised strength in a myriad of ways. 

Shortest Verses in All of Scripture
Recently my brother wrote us from his mission in Arizona. Jonathan "found this little passage in 1 Thessalonians 5, which contains 4 of the shortest scriptures in all of the standard works.

16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.

It's interesting that all of those themes are still alive and well today in the counsel from our living prophets and apostles. So that's my invitation for you: find joy, regardless of your circumstances; pray always; don't do anything that would drive the Spirit away; and follow the prophet. That's a sure-fire recipe for success!"

Point of Perspective: Lessons from Life's Eternal Moments

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Faith, hope, and charity grant us a more compassionate and complete perspective of our past, our present, and our future. Loving Christ and loving like Him (for ourselves and others) is what it means to me to have faith, hope, and charity. Thinking of these 3 eternal principles as they apply to these lyrics:

When upon life's billows you are

Sometimes life is just hard. It's not anyone's fault and there isn't much you may be able to do to alleviate your circumstances. But even in these uncomfortable shadows, faith fuels the light of Christ which fuels the flame of hope. Charity can soften and sweeten the bitterness always, but especially in these times.

Thinking all is lost

I have faith, hope, and charity when I can recognize in the midst of a storm that perhaps all is not lost. People can change, life's circumstances rearrange, and the atonement makes it so nothing is truly lost.

Count your many blessings

I have faith and hope when I recognize my blessings in the past and present but especially the future. God keeps His promises!

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done

Sometimes I struggle to recognize the hand of God in order to keep my faith burning brightly. But more often I struggle to have the charity to see as He sees, to recognize opportunities for growth and embrace them. He often plants within me seeds that won't germinate until exposed to harsher conditions. Much like "forcing a bulb" to bloom in the winter, sometimes my character waits to bloom until it's triggered by the frosty experiences of life. In these moments it is especially important to have enough faith to stop, remember, and recognize, the Lord's presence in my life; when I do this I have more hope and it is easier to have charity.

Years ago President Uchtdorf taught that faith, hope, and charity are like the legs of a 3 legged stool: We need each of them and they work together in such a way that it is difficult to have one without having some of the other two. 

“Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope.” 

In talk with a friend this morning we recognized that sometimes hope burns bright and other times it is a dim flicker. But in both cases it is technically burning. It can be difficult to have hope in a bright future when one's past or present is dark. But one way I know I still have faith in God is when I can feel this treasured gift of the spirit: hope.

What is faith?
I won't take the time here to define faith. Rather I'll give a summarizing quote from a recent sermon from our beloved President Ucthdorf and encourage you to click on the link. I'll be waiting here for you to come back and finish reading :) Feel free to share what you learned!

"Faith is a strong conviction about something we believe, a conviction so strong that it moves us to do something we might not otherwise do. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see....[T]here are more ways to see than with our eyes, more ways to feel than with our hands, more ways to hear than with our ears." 

Faith Hope, and Charity Build Upon Each Other

There are many lessons to be learned about faith, hope, and charity in the story of Peter walking on the water. I'll briefly highlight a few hear as encouragement for you to find your own. Feel free to share in the comments section examples of how faith, hope, and charity build upon each other. It takes faith to believe that this experience really happened of course, but let us delve deeper.

Having faith in Christ and His atonement allows me to be forgiving and compassionate to others and to myself. Having faith and hope as I prayerfully strive to align my will with God's, changes me into a woman who loves and lives more like Christ would if He were in my shoes. This is what it means to me to be a woman of faith, to have these 3 eternal truths resonating in my life. Our beloved, living prophet taught, “In a 100 small ways, all of you wear the mantle of charity." President Monson continued,"May we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travels in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing her or his best to deal with the challenges which come their way. And may we strive to do our best to help out.”

I especially love the phrase "fervent charity.“To do whatsoever is gentle and human, to cheer and to bless in humanity's name,” as angelic motto for any Christian to adopt. I love the hymn from whence this line comes. While the second verses confirms the title that as sisters in Zion we have a special work to do, the third verse is not limited to our eternally given gender-based roles. May we all exercise faith, hope, and charity as we prepare for General Conference this weekend is my prayer.

How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission,

If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed.

Oh, naught but the Spirit's divinest tuition

Can give us the wisdom to truly succeed.

A Modern Disciple: How This Mother is Coming to Christ

What does the invitation "Come unto Christ" look like for me, in my life? 

At the heart of my testimony as a disciple of Christ is my favorite scripture Philippians 4:13. 

“As you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you.He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges.You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you.”For the Strength of Youth (booklet, 2011), 43.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one way I come unto Christ is by listening to the words of living prophets every 6 months. As I've pondered and reviewed April 2016's General Conference sessions, more questions for pondering have come into my mind.

If you've read my recent blog post about Victoria starting kindergarten you may have caught a whiff of my struggles in balancing and some of the labels I deal with. Studying Elder Hallstrom's talk "I Am a Child of God" reminded me that my most predominant labels should be the eternal ones. Countless talks spoke to me of meekness and humility. I love the Bible Dictionary's explanation of prayer being the act of aligning our will with the Lord's. I especially loved Bishop Waddell's formula for peace: 1) Learn of true doctrine. 2) Listen to the Holy Ghost and let it lead you to repentance. 3) Walk in and with Christ.

Wife, mother, daughter of God.

Whether you're striving to feel the Lord's peace in your life our impart it to others--THAT is the essence of what coming unto Christ means to me. It may feel different at different times and manifest itself in a variety of ways. But I echo the true words of W. Christopher Waddell, "We may not have the ability to control all that happens around us, but we can control how we apply the pattern for peace that the Lord has provided—a pattern that makes it easy to think often about Jesus."

What does "Come unto Christ" look like in my life for those around me? 

From personal experiences as both the receiver and the giver, I second Elder Neil L. Andersen's testimony that "[k]nowing someone's name can make a difference." But whether or not you know someone personally, you can still be a light in their lives whenever they enter your sphere of influence.

"None of us should be defined by the worst thing we have ever done," taught Kevin R. Duncan. While many of us crave justice in our everyday lives, at the end of the day we ALL need the Lord's merciful grace. That is why forgiveness has such transcendent power. Kevin R. Duncan taught regarding forgiveness: "We need not be a victim twice." Yes, I should let go of bitterness, resentment, etc. before it gets anymore toxic inside me; yet that is easier said than done.

With the aid of social media, there is plenty of judgement going around--usually unwarranted and highly subjective. I believe that truth is not a subjective thing and that there are instances where right and wrong have been clearly defined by the Lord. This means that whether or not a person believes something to be true does NOT change whether or not that principle is actually true. It also does not exclude Christ's disciples from unkindness. I once heard the analogy of a cheesecake: be lovingly firm. We needn't apologize for our testimony of truth or water down doctrine to make it more palatable. But we can and should be soft and loving in our delivery. I may disagree with you but it needn't feel disagreeable.

The Right Answer, The Ultimate Answer: Christ
Christ is the answer. "None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived or will yet live upon the earth. He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New." Through the infinite virtue of his great atoning sacrifice, all injustice can be made right and mercy can prevail. It is how we can overcome disappointing situations and take control of the uncontrollable: we come to God, lay our burdens at His feet, and do what He asks of us while He takes care of our problems. By taking care of us, His children.

"Come unto Christ. Come unto Him, and by His grace be made holy again. He's calling your name; he's waiting for you...with arms open wide, come unto Christ." Let us open are arms to embrace Christ and let Him into our lives more fully by placing Him at the center. I know that miracles will surely follow.

Changed by the Love of God

Lovest Thou Me?” John 21:1-19
You know how some people get overboard in anticipation for the Super Bowl? Well, I am like that with General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wasn't conference great? Now I'm in the reviewing and application zone. This has been especially interesting to me in light of last Sunday's events. Let me explain.

This past Sunday I sang with an on-campus Methodist church choir because 1) I had already learned their most difficult song with Oratorio Society and 2) our half-Mormon, half-Methodist acquaintance pointed out in his invitation to me that quite a few members of this congregation have visited ours. Now, I generally avoid visiting other churches (for reasons I won't go into here), and I was a bit nervous to bring my family along since I didn't know quite what to expect. But it was a lovely service and several of the sermons mentioned things I was already studying. The Spirit was able to help me stay engaged and learn things. Also, they made good use of their printed programs so it was easy to follow along even as a visitor.

They have a time near the beginning of the service where all the children come sit on the steps up front with one of the pastors to have a brief discussion in response to a story, etc. So the children sort of help give the sermon. This time it was based on a video I had seen on Facebook. Anyway, Victoria did that and then afterward went to their Sunday School while Greg and I stayed for and/or performed in the rest of the meeting. She liked it and they didn't teach her anything obviously different from what we believe. If anything some of their teachings are less direct and focused than what we receive in our church.

Their main sermon, Breakfast With Jesus, and came after someone read John 21:1-19. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke on this story a few General Conferences ago, so snippets of his commentary kept coming to my mind. The take home point of the visiting Methodist pastor was, “Now that we've experienced the glory of Easter last week [and General Conference], have we tried to go back to normal?” Like the New Testament apostles and also like Adam and Eve once they partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “they were changed. They couldn't go back to their old normal and neither should we.” How do you avoid the temptation to settle back into old habits? Consider some of your most life changing events (maybe even read about them in your journal.) Did the change last?

Getting Back on Track
There's a great article in this month's Ensign about knowing if God's directions make sense and whether or not it could be because we're too off track to follow them. This is something that is near and dear to my heart but that I have trouble expressing, so I was grateful for the simple parable of navigating through France on ones bike. Thinking about staying on track, we ought to consider President Monson's remarks from this most recent General Conference. Do you know where you want to go? Are you on track to get there? What do you do if you're not?

I once had a discussion with my sister in-law, Jani, about a discussion she had with some of her church friends about how studying the scriptures can be like the habit of flossing and brushing your teeth. You may have a goal to improve your quality and frequency and to be consistent. But if you mess up and have a bad day, week or even month, you wouldn’t give up and say, “Well, I’m just not very good and brushing my teeth. I’ll do it when I can or whenever I remember but doing it everyday is not that important.” NO! You would keep trying to improve and you would realize that you won’t be able to see and feel just how much of a difference your actions are making. Because much like brushing your teeth and flossing, scripture study has subtle yet significant blessings that affect us immediately but also help preserve and protect our future. So let’s get practical here...

If you're reading this please consider answering how you review General Conference and/or how you get back on track spiritually?