Reckless Speeds

Here is a quote I liked from one of the apostles of my church:

"When disappointment and discouragement strike - and they will - you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed."
~Jeffrey R. Holland

All of us are precious to our Father in heaven, and this angelic protection is there, we just cannot see it.

Listening to a Friend

Everyone has their own problems and pasts. I feel very fortunate to be a part of a kind family that is not abusive or contentious. Hearing my friend talk about her life and struggles, I have come to respect her greatly. It makes me wish I could do something to help, but for now, I can only listen and give support. It is one of those things that should be kept a secret, and not spread around as cheap gossip. I am grateful that she was comfortable enough to confide in me.

Inspiration and Crystalware

I rarely receive large bursts of inspiration. Rather, my learning comes in small understandings as I consider and ponder certain questions I have had. When I am deep in thought, especially over something that is difficult to inderstand, it is like I am standing in a room full of crystal ware. I can imageine the room, with tiled floors, stone pillars, and large, long windows letting the light stream in. I walk around slowly and stop at each pedestal, picking up each work of crystal ideas. I consider its shape and texture carefully, then gently return each piece to its designated space. I wander this room of the mind until I found my truth or conclusion.
Inspiration is not often about burning bushes or angels coming down from heaven. Inspiration is usually in small amounts - "precept by precept."

Job 32:8, Isaiah 28:10, Jarom 1:4, Moroni 7:13, D&C 11:13

Sacramental Sweetness

The bread of the Sacrament is sweet. It seems strange that such a small piece of torn bread could be sweet; yet at the same time it is not surprising, for the Sacrament is sacred, an ordinance symbolic of Christ's sacrifice.So why is the bread sweet, and the water pure? Because it is sanctified by the spirit of God, called through the prayers of the Sacrament.

The Sacrament is a renewal of the covenants we have made at baptism, and as such it is not meant to be taken lightly. These covenants, or promises with God, can only be broken from our end when we sin or are disobedient. God does not break promises, we do. There are times when we are not worthy to take the sacrament, and must wait until we have gone through the entire repentance process before we can be worthy to take it again. It seems like such a small thing, eating a small piece of bread and drinking a small cup of water, but the meaning behind the act is important and should not be regarded as "small thing" of little worth.

1 Corinthians 11:26

"Prove Me Now Herewith"

How incredible it is that the Lord challenges us to keep His commandments, and to see for ourselves if He will not "pour [us] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." There is no limit to the amount of blessings that are available, rather, we are able to determine if the "windows of heaven" are opened to full capacity through our obedience and gratitude of what we already have. The Lord is generous, and wants to bless us; if only we were able to receive all that he is capable of giving us!




"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
~Malachi 3:10

Parable of the Duck

So today in Institute our teacher Brother Peterson told us a story of personal experience to tie into his lesson about forgiveness. It was a silly little story, but I was touched by it. It made me want to laugh, then cry as I though more deeply about it.  Therefore, I am going to share it, as close to the form I heard it in as possible.

"At college I mowed lawns for my job. It was near a duck pond, so it was not uncommon for me to see ducks around and they would sometimes get in the way. But it wasn't a big deal, I would just rev up the engine a little but and they would walk away. However, one day there was a duck that was in my way, and it wouldn't move. It almost seemed to be staring me down. I revved the engine, and even pretended to push the mower towards it, but the duck refused to move. So I went around the duck, and it started quacking and attacking my ankle. It followed me around, biting me, and after  awhile I started to get seriously frustrated and annoyed at this duck!
I finished mowing, and came back with one of those garbage picker-uppers, and there was the duck, still waiting. It started quacking again at me, and I began to wonder what I could do to this duck with the garbage grabber, when I heard a cheeping. Looking around, I found a bunch of little ducklings at the bottom of a sewer grate, and when I looked up again I saw that the duck had stopped quacking. It was a kind of 'oh!' moment. I lifted up the grill and gently took out each little duckling, which ran over to their mother. When I was done I put the grate back and the duck family headed off to the duck pond and I suppose they lived happily ever after.
I was a little humbled to have been taught something about judgement from a duck. The whole time it was quacking at me, and it was simply a cry for help. 
So there you have it; the Parable of the Duck."
~Brother Peterson

Beauty In Being You

So many people hate their appearance, thinking that if they were just thinner, or had smaller feet, or had muscles like Hercules, then they would be able to have confidence in themselves. This common problem, if left to fester, will tear you into pieces. Always worrying about how you look causes unhappiness, and though it is important to take care of yourself, clothes, makeup, body shape, and general appearance should be your own style, and not become such an obsession as to be unhealthy.

There is a beauty in being yourself.When I look around I find that each person has their own beauty, but there are so many who cover up their own radiance. Some hide behind old, baggy clothing and forget to take care of themselves; they try to protect fragile hearts behind armor of comfortable clothes, but ultimately fail. Others chase after the latest trends, desperately spending money in order to fit the world's most recent form of beautiful, trying to make up for their own lack of self-confidence by becoming more fashionable than those around them.To me, this seems almost silly, and very sad as well. Every single human being has the right to feel beautiful or handsome.
When we compare our appearance to others, we are only succeeding in bringing ourselves down. Comparisons are not even accurate, because each individual is unique, and has their own beauty. It would be such a shame if the varieties of beauty in this world were limited to one type. Though she may disagree with me, I consider my mom's "motherly beauty" to be one of the most precious kinds in the world, and it would be so very sad if she were to trade in her own brilliance for the looks of a model.

So don't look down on yourself! Even if other people (or even you) look down on the way you look, don't be discouraged! Keep in mind that your existence is precious, and treasure that uniqueness that makes you a different kind of beautiful.

1 Samuel 16:7, Ecclesiastes 3:11

Considering A Rift In Friendship

In my life, I deal with a variety of people. I call many my friend, and all have their own backgrounds, interests, and trials. Because I often feel I have no eloquence in my speech, I try to be very choosy in what words I use. It's my policy to listen to what a person has to say before I even consider giving any suggestions or advice. Often, I may not even express my thoughts at all. I have found that when I simply listen to the other person, I learn so much more about their thoughts, and what they are going through.
In dealing with my friends, today I was surprised to find them in a situation exactly like the ones in books, songs, and movies. It is not just the situation either, but exact phrases too, which causes me to groan inwardly, because it is only making it worse, and not better. It is hard being in between a rift between two good friends, and uncomfortable being the "middle-man," knowing that I am unable to fix the issue when one is mad at the other, but the other one has no idea what's going on.Yet all of the hints are there, so I really wonder if that person is actually clueless, or not admitting it to himself. There is a part of me that wants to clear it up, and just tell the clueless one what's going on, but I feel that will make it worse. It's hard to know what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what NOT to do.
At the moment, I think the only thing I can do is to not make it worse; considering that the conflict was set off by something I said . It does not make me happy that my friends are fighting.  If only people would be honest to themselves and to each other, but I also know that would bring it's own set of problems to the table.

Job 19:21, Proverbs 17:17, Proverbs 18:24, John 15:13, Alma 62:37, Doctrine & Covenants 134:11 (all men are justified in defending ... their friends)

Why Violence?

Why do people turn so quickly to violence and anger? It has become one of the "human conditions" and I personally believe that violence has become as cankerous a tumor on the world as poverty and hunger. It's not just War either. What I'm talking about is the daily abuse, heaped on in miniscule amounts, seen and unseen. I watch every day as people hurt each other, because they are "just playing" and most people accept it! Just because someone gets annoyed or is in a bad mood, they hit each other. It's the attitude of Revenge and Ignorance, that it is acceptable to take out your negative feelings on someone else. People reciprocate, and those who you are kind and patient to will generally be kind and patient back. (There are, or course, exceptions, some people just have trouble being nice)

There is something called patience. An ability admired, but rarely sought after. Long-suffering, patience, and charity are admirable qualities in any person, and increase the respect they gain from others. Wouldn't this be a wonderful planet to live on if every single person treated everyone else with respect, and was patient with the flaws of others? On the other end, think of what it would be like to live in a world where there was no government, friendship was nonexistent, and humankind were beasts, simply because they would allow their anger and impatience to take control of reason. Society simply wouldn't work, not to mention that it would be a miserable way to live.

Psalms 37:8-11, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Galations 5:19-23, Alma 7:23

Water of Immeasurable Worth

Imagine that there is a spring somewhere in the world, filled with the purest and most satisfying water in existence. It sparkles like crystals, facets of light dancing upon the flowing surface. A single drop is more precious than all the diamonds the Earth has to offer.
Imagine that you stand before this legendary spring, and you are dying of thirst. You take a moment to memorize the moment, the whispering discussions of the overhanging trees, the smooth boulders standing as somber guardians, and the song of the wind as it carries the rumor if the spring down the mountain where others may hear the Call. It has required many sacrifices and suffering to get there, but there is no doubt in your mind that the long journey was worth every step. Kneeling down, you cautiously take a sip, and you feel a great joy as you then proceed to drink your fill. The water is the most delicious thing you have ever tasted, and you know that this spring will never run dry.
Now that you know where this spring is, you feel a strong desire to share it with everyone you know, so that they may also feel this happiness you are experiencing.

Isaiah 12:3, John 7:37, Revelations 21:6, 1 Nephi 11:25, 2 Nephi 9:50, Doctrine & Covenants 10:66, Doctrine & Covenants 133:29