Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
January 6, 2011
Tonight I read a beautiful talk from the last General Conference by Elder Per G. Malm called Rest Unto Your Souls. Finding this rest includes a "peace of mind and heart, which is the result of learning and following the doctrine of Christ, and becoming Christ's extended hands in serving and helping other." I can say with total honesty of heart that I do feel such a constant daily peace in my soul. I feel such calm and comfort and I know it is a gift from God as a result of my willingness to be obedient to His commandments. I am so grateful for this gift of peace when there is so much confusion, worry, doubt, fear and calamity swarming around on every side. I know this is a gift I've received because of my faithfulness and obedience and I want to always be worthy of it. I want to spend the days of my probation being productive, improving upon my weaknesses, working hard, showing faith and diligence, and serving others. I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It truly does give me "the strength to stand tall and strong and to have [my] soul filled with light, understanding, joy and love." This is a wonderful, beautiful place to be.
January 3, 2011
Tonight I used the New Testament study guide, lesson 1. In John 1:1-13, it teaches that Jesus Christ is the word of God and that it was through Him that everything was created. He was and always has been completely obedient to every word spoken by God. I think His name/title of The Word is completely appropriate due to His perfect obedience in carrying out God's will. In verse 9 it says Christ is the light which "lighteth every man that cometh into the world." The Savior has given me life because of His gift of the resurrection and the Atonement. Because of the resurrection I have the hope of an immortal life. And because of the gift of the Atonement, the possibility of eternal life, or life with God, is a reality for me. He has shown me the way to go so I can obtain this eternal life. The hope that is a part of my life because of the resurrection and Atonement give meaning to my mortal day to day life. He has given me light as well through His example. It is a shining light to me of how to act, how to be obedient, submissive to the will of God and humble, and how to love and serve others. Following His light enriches my life immensely for how it helps me to strengthen relationships with the people I love and how it teaches me to be the best person I am capable of being. I am so thankful for the light and life of Jesus Christ, my Savior.
December 20, 2010
Tonight I read Alma 61 which was Pahoran's response to Moroni's letter. My favorite verse has got to be verse 9 where he says, "In your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart." The fact that Pahoran allows Moroni's angry words to roll off his back and to choose to see the reality of who Moroni is, makes me feel so happy. This is such a beautiful example of what a loving response to misunderstandings could and should be.
October 19, 2010
I read Alma 38 which is where Alma is counseling his son Shiblon. He begins with the same words he did to Helaman, "inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence." I would venture a guess that Alma feels this is the most important teaching he could ever instill in his kids, and I feel very similar. It is this knowledge along with a sure understanding of the plan of salvation that I feel are the most important things I could ever teach my children.
Shiblon is commended for his patience and counseled to trust in the Lord and to remember to acknowledge the Lord's hand in all things. I really liked verses 11-12: "see that ye are not lifted up unto pride, yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness." I think all of that counsel is still especially applicable today. The biggest challenge for me among that list is refraining from idleness. I waste a lot of time so easily. I know it is because I don't have clear cut and measurable goals set out for my days. I know I would be a lot more productive if I did.
Shiblon is commended for his patience and counseled to trust in the Lord and to remember to acknowledge the Lord's hand in all things. I really liked verses 11-12: "see that ye are not lifted up unto pride, yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness." I think all of that counsel is still especially applicable today. The biggest challenge for me among that list is refraining from idleness. I waste a lot of time so easily. I know it is because I don't have clear cut and measurable goals set out for my days. I know I would be a lot more productive if I did.
October 11, 2010
I read an Ensign article from August by Marlin K. Jensen called Those Who Are Different. I was impressed as he described the "ideal" that is created by our gospel "culture" and how "sometimes [the ideals] become sources of disappointment and pain for those whose lives may vary from the ideal." I loved that he pointed out that "as we work to resolve these challenging situations, it is important to recognize that the solution isn't to eliminate or even lower the level of the ideal." He teaches that we should all be striving ... "seeking" to keep all the commandments... "even if we sometimes fall short of the ideal." And that it is "an important aspect of our efforts to be Christ's disciples" to be "compassionate and sensitive to those in special circumstances."
In closing, he quotes the words to a Primary song called I'll Walk With You, which is a very powerful song. I remember clearly that as a child, this was my sister's favorite Primary song. And she has always emulated this pattern of reaching out to and befriending those who are different. I admire her for that. The song goes: "If you don't walk as most people do, some people walk away from you, but I won't! I won't! If you don't talk as most people do, some people talk and laugh at you, but I won't! I won't! I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you. That's how I'll show my love for you. Jesus walked away from none. He gave his love to everyone. So I will! I will! Jesus blessed all he could see, then turned and said 'come follow me.' And I will! I will! I will! I will! I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you. That's how I'll show my love for you."
This is a teaching that I really want my children to internalize from a young age and to implement in their lives. I believe the Lord needs valiant servants who are reaching out to "the one" and befriending them with compassion and being sensitive to their differences. It is important that every one of God's children feel of His love in their life, and I, as a disciple of Christ, am one of the biggest instruments that He can use to help His children feel His love.
In closing, he quotes the words to a Primary song called I'll Walk With You, which is a very powerful song. I remember clearly that as a child, this was my sister's favorite Primary song. And she has always emulated this pattern of reaching out to and befriending those who are different. I admire her for that. The song goes: "If you don't walk as most people do, some people walk away from you, but I won't! I won't! If you don't talk as most people do, some people talk and laugh at you, but I won't! I won't! I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you. That's how I'll show my love for you. Jesus walked away from none. He gave his love to everyone. So I will! I will! Jesus blessed all he could see, then turned and said 'come follow me.' And I will! I will! I will! I will! I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you. That's how I'll show my love for you."
This is a teaching that I really want my children to internalize from a young age and to implement in their lives. I believe the Lord needs valiant servants who are reaching out to "the one" and befriending them with compassion and being sensitive to their differences. It is important that every one of God's children feel of His love in their life, and I, as a disciple of Christ, am one of the biggest instruments that He can use to help His children feel His love.
September 14, 2010
Tonight I felt led to a hymn, When Faith Endures. The lyrics are beautiful poetry, just one simple verse: "I will not doubt, I will not fear; God's love and strength are always near. His promised gift helps me to find an inner strength and peace of mind. I give the Father willingly my trust, my prayers, humility. His Spirit guides; his love assures that fear departs when faith endures." I was thinking of my brother when this hymn came to my mind and I am moved by its powerful message, especially relative to the struggles he is going through right now. The scripture reference to this hymn is D&C 6:36-37: "look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. ... keep my commandments and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven." I love the simplicity of this counsel and the power of the Lord's promise. I love this gospel!
September 3, 2010
Tonight I read a few verses in D&C 45:26-34, talking about the last days. In those days, "men's hearts shall fail them" and their "love shall wax cold." Both of these statements, to me, signify the importance of my heart being my compass and stability throughout life. I do what I do because in my heart I feel it is right. It is so important to keep an open heart. An open heart is a strong heart. And it is so important to constantly be striving to love others. I learn by loving... I live by loving. I also loved this statement in these verses: "My disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved." I love that because I know I will be protected no matter what occurs. I will not be moved. I want my home to be one of those "holy places" and I also want my heart to be a holy place.
July 19, 2010
Tonight I read the First Presidency message for this month by President Henry B. Eyring called Faithful Friends. It goes along with the same principles that I read and wrote about yesterday. Jesus Christ offers us the perfect example of how to be a friend to others. I want to be among those whom the Savior calls His friends. He is certainly on my list of friends. I think of my best friends being those that I share a common vision with. There are many more people who I call my friends however, and I think that's because for some reason we have been brought into each others' lives. We are connected through shared memories and share experiences. And I can never know when one of those many friends may be an answer to one of my prayers, or me to one of theirs. I think it's important to always treat each of Heavenly Father's children with love and respect.
I loved this part of President Eyring's message: "When we reach out to give succor and to lift a burden, He reaches with us. He will lead us to those in need. He will bless us to feel what they feel. As we persist in our efforts to serve them, we will more and more be given the gift of feeling His love for them." Being this kind of friend to others is part of what I covenanted with the Lord to do when I was baptized. As my testimony has grown and my faith and understanding increased, so has my desire to fully honor the covenants I have made. I have noticed the Lord's guidance in helping me to be a good friend to others. He helps me to see and feel things I didn't before... and I believe they are the things He sees and feels about that particular person. Being a friend fills me with the love of God and I love the feeling. I am so grateful for my friends.
I loved this part of President Eyring's message: "When we reach out to give succor and to lift a burden, He reaches with us. He will lead us to those in need. He will bless us to feel what they feel. As we persist in our efforts to serve them, we will more and more be given the gift of feeling His love for them." Being this kind of friend to others is part of what I covenanted with the Lord to do when I was baptized. As my testimony has grown and my faith and understanding increased, so has my desire to fully honor the covenants I have made. I have noticed the Lord's guidance in helping me to be a good friend to others. He helps me to see and feel things I didn't before... and I believe they are the things He sees and feels about that particular person. Being a friend fills me with the love of God and I love the feeling. I am so grateful for my friends.
July 18, 2010
Today I read what I believe is my favorite talk from the last General Conference titled You Are My Hands by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. His talk was about following the example of the Savior in loving others. I thought a lot about my sister and the awareness her choices has provided our family about homosexuals. I have had five people that I can think of who, knowing about my sister and her choices, have sought to ask me, "How do you do it? How can you still be so loving and supportive of her?" My answer is that I truly feel I have been learning how to love like Jesus Christ loves.
There was so much in this particular talk that was so absolutely relevant to what I try to share with others about "how I do it." He says, "I hope we welcome and love God's children, including those who might dress, look, speak, or just do things differently."
"In our zeal, we sometimes confuse sin with sinner, and we condemn too quickly and with too little compassion."
"Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father."
"As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn."
"True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long - but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
"Without this love ... we are only the form of His Church - without substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary, temple, or welfare work without love?"
In my youth, I really took to heart the suggestion of asking "what would Jesus do?" What would He do? That is such an important question to ask ourselves before we jump to quick conclusions about a person and treat them as lesser than. Not a single person is "lesser than." Learning to love others has been my favorite thing about life I've learned so far. There is so much to see when truly looking into the eyes of another individual and seeing them as valuable, lovable, a priceless treasure... a child of God. I've noticed I've had a ton more patience with others since seeing them that way, and also with myself. I find myself saying often, "We're all in the same boat!" I really believe that!
We all fall short of the glory of God. A sin is a sin, no matter what it is, it separates us from God, then it's up to each of us individually if we want to choose to come unto Christ and be reconnected to God through Christ's redemption. We need to allow others their choice without attempting to force them or condemning them. Every person is loved by God unconditionally, so if I want to truly follow His example, I should be striving to emulate that same unconditional love towards all I meet. What we are is children of God and that never changes, and never will. That's at least one commonality that I will always have with everyone else.
I try to focus on commonalities I have with others and look past all the differences, the poor choices, the different choices that I don't understand... I just focus on what we have in common and that helps me to love with that unconditional love. I don't have to agree with someone, or embrace their lifestyle, or even support their lifestyle choices to still be able to love them fully. I love my sister tremendously. She loves to serve and loves to help others. She takes the time to reach out to others in a real and personal way. We definitely share that in common and I love that about her. She is a shining example to me of loving service and wholeheartedly working towards bringing awareness and understanding to issues that she feels passionately about and I really admire that about her.
There was so much in this particular talk that was so absolutely relevant to what I try to share with others about "how I do it." He says, "I hope we welcome and love God's children, including those who might dress, look, speak, or just do things differently."
"In our zeal, we sometimes confuse sin with sinner, and we condemn too quickly and with too little compassion."
"Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father."
"As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn."
"True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long - but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
"Without this love ... we are only the form of His Church - without substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary, temple, or welfare work without love?"
In my youth, I really took to heart the suggestion of asking "what would Jesus do?" What would He do? That is such an important question to ask ourselves before we jump to quick conclusions about a person and treat them as lesser than. Not a single person is "lesser than." Learning to love others has been my favorite thing about life I've learned so far. There is so much to see when truly looking into the eyes of another individual and seeing them as valuable, lovable, a priceless treasure... a child of God. I've noticed I've had a ton more patience with others since seeing them that way, and also with myself. I find myself saying often, "We're all in the same boat!" I really believe that!
We all fall short of the glory of God. A sin is a sin, no matter what it is, it separates us from God, then it's up to each of us individually if we want to choose to come unto Christ and be reconnected to God through Christ's redemption. We need to allow others their choice without attempting to force them or condemning them. Every person is loved by God unconditionally, so if I want to truly follow His example, I should be striving to emulate that same unconditional love towards all I meet. What we are is children of God and that never changes, and never will. That's at least one commonality that I will always have with everyone else.
I try to focus on commonalities I have with others and look past all the differences, the poor choices, the different choices that I don't understand... I just focus on what we have in common and that helps me to love with that unconditional love. I don't have to agree with someone, or embrace their lifestyle, or even support their lifestyle choices to still be able to love them fully. I love my sister tremendously. She loves to serve and loves to help others. She takes the time to reach out to others in a real and personal way. We definitely share that in common and I love that about her. She is a shining example to me of loving service and wholeheartedly working towards bringing awareness and understanding to issues that she feels passionately about and I really admire that about her.
July 4, 2010
Tonight I read another conference talk called Helping Hands, Saving Hands by Koichi Aoyagi. He shared his experiences in his life where he was converted, gained his testimony and had someone reach out to him in love. He gave examples of others who "follow the counsel of the prophet - not out of duty or responsibility but of their own free will, anonymously and joyfully." Our prophet has provided a wonderful example of loving service to those in need. I want to follow his example. I especially liked a quote Elder Aoyagi shared by President Monson that begins, "We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness..." and all of those things are things I have and that I can give freely to others. I want to be liberal with my attention, encouragement, support, comfort, and kindness towards others, be they family or friends or strangers, and I trust that by doing so, the Lord will be able to use my hands to fulfill His work.
June 20, 2010
Tonight I am reading a Conference talk by Cheryl C. Lant titled That Our Children Might See the Face of the Savior. I enjoyed this talk and found it interesting that it tied in so closely with what I have been studying lately. She even quoted the same scripture I did a few days ago, D&C 93:1. I appreciated this confirmation of what it takes to see His face: "Coming to Christ, and eventually seeing His face, comes only as we draw close to Him through our faith and our actions. It comes through a lifetime of effort." That last phrase especially struck me because I have been making a sincere effort to do this gospel study every day with pen in hand and I've done it now for almost two weeks. That's such a short amount of time compared to a "lifetime of effort" but truly, it is my desire to make this a lifetime goal. I never want to stop. I do want to get better at doing it earlier in my day and on a more consistent basis.
Sister Lant uses the account in 3 Nephi as a "pattern to follow" for how to help me, as a parent, to help bring my children to Christ so they can see His face too. Because of my cross stitch hobby, I love the concept of following a pattern. It works. It really does. By following a pattern the best I can, my finished piece looks exactly like the picture I am given to begin with. The pattern she gives for helping our children come to Christ is that "First, we must love the Lord with all our hearts, and we must love our children. Second, we must become a worthy example to them by continually seeking the Lord and striving to live the gospel. And third, we must teach our children the gospel and how to live its teachings." She points out that these things take time, experience, and faith. I always need that reminder because I am very accustomed to seeking after things with immediate results. Working at something long enough to see results has been a lifetime challenge for me. It is important to me to follow this pattern of parenting.
I want my children to come to know God and Jesus Christ. I want them to learn from my example. And I want to be a good teacher to them. I just told my husband today that we ought to start having a regular family home evening with our little son and begin teaching him our of the nursery manual. I am so excited for the opportunity and blessing it is to be a mother and I hope that my children will learn to love God and to love others. I want them to really feel God as a part of their lives and to want to do their part to return to live with Him again. I want to be together as a family forever.
Sister Lant uses the account in 3 Nephi as a "pattern to follow" for how to help me, as a parent, to help bring my children to Christ so they can see His face too. Because of my cross stitch hobby, I love the concept of following a pattern. It works. It really does. By following a pattern the best I can, my finished piece looks exactly like the picture I am given to begin with. The pattern she gives for helping our children come to Christ is that "First, we must love the Lord with all our hearts, and we must love our children. Second, we must become a worthy example to them by continually seeking the Lord and striving to live the gospel. And third, we must teach our children the gospel and how to live its teachings." She points out that these things take time, experience, and faith. I always need that reminder because I am very accustomed to seeking after things with immediate results. Working at something long enough to see results has been a lifetime challenge for me. It is important to me to follow this pattern of parenting.
I want my children to come to know God and Jesus Christ. I want them to learn from my example. And I want to be a good teacher to them. I just told my husband today that we ought to start having a regular family home evening with our little son and begin teaching him our of the nursery manual. I am so excited for the opportunity and blessing it is to be a mother and I hope that my children will learn to love God and to love others. I want them to really feel God as a part of their lives and to want to do their part to return to live with Him again. I want to be together as a family forever.
June 19, 2010
I really want to continue this daily gospel study. I admit, it is difficult. Tonight especially. I don't feel very well. The last time I got sick, I broke this habit. I resolved that I wouldn't do the same thing the next time I get sick, that it is important enough to me to take time to do every day, no matter what. The important thing to me is keeping a journal record along with it. I could "just read" while laying in bed, but that will develop a habit of "just reading." I want more than that. I have had my faith and testimony strengthened a lot since I have been writing along with my study and that is what I want more of. Funny things is I usually do not get sick that often, but here I am almost a month later than that last time. Perhaps it is a test. Today I passed it. :) I am opening my scriptures with a pen in hand.
I read 1 John 4 tonight and loved it. It talked of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, of love, of God, of the two great commandments to love God and love our neighbors. This speaks straight to my heart. I love verse 7 that says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." It's hard for me to explain what this means to me, but it is extremely meaningful to me. God knows my heart. He understands why. I love Him. I love learning to love. I'm so grateful for this scripture because it tells me that I know God. I know Him because I love. I know that I know Him. I know Him in direct proportion to how I know to love, which still feels like a tiny seed just beginning to sprout. But it's there, and it's growing! And with nurturing care, it will grow and grow into a beautiful, large tree. Then I will know Him that much more. I am happy being a seed because I know who I am. I know what I am growing into. And the thought thrills me.
I read 1 John 4 tonight and loved it. It talked of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, of love, of God, of the two great commandments to love God and love our neighbors. This speaks straight to my heart. I love verse 7 that says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." It's hard for me to explain what this means to me, but it is extremely meaningful to me. God knows my heart. He understands why. I love Him. I love learning to love. I'm so grateful for this scripture because it tells me that I know God. I know Him because I love. I know that I know Him. I know Him in direct proportion to how I know to love, which still feels like a tiny seed just beginning to sprout. But it's there, and it's growing! And with nurturing care, it will grow and grow into a beautiful, large tree. Then I will know Him that much more. I am happy being a seed because I know who I am. I know what I am growing into. And the thought thrills me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)