Abide With Me

            I watched the Mormon Message, Abide with Me- Finding Peace Through Prayer this week and was really touched to change my life.  I saw this lady who was so caught up in her own life and what she was doing that she wasn’t looking towards others.  She worked in a chaotic environment and the stress level was high.  The stress she experienced though wasn’t healthy because it didn’t only affect her, but also her intern.  She was demanding, demeaning, and ugly to this young man.  He didn’t know everything he was suppose to be doing, but she acted as though he should be doing it perfectly.  It wasn’t until she saw him praying that she finally looked outside of herself.  She realized that he was struggling but to get through it he was praying.  When she finally seeks help from Heavenly Father in prayer I felt a direction I could be better. 

            So, while thinking of these things and listening to what I needed to change I felt that sometimes I do this to my very own children.  I sometimes think that they need to do everything perfect exactly how I would want them to do it.  When they don’t I get frustrated and get mad at them.  Other times I thought do I get so involved in my own life and struggles that I don’t even think of what my children are going through.  I learned that I need to be better at looking outside of myself and not get so caught up in the tasks at hand.  I need to care about people.  Life isn’t all about tasks and to do lists.  It’s about the people in our lives that are going to make those tasks and to do lists a lot more enjoyable to do because some of them we will do together.  I love my children but do they really know that I love them more than the other tasks I need to get done in a day.

            I don’t want to tell you what you should get from this video, because I have watched it before and never had this thought come to mind.  I think in each different phase of our life that Heavenly Father guides us in different ways that we can improve then.  So, as you watch it yourself, whether you have seen it before, ask yourself how Heavenly Father needs you to abide in Him.  He needs me to abide in Him, by putting my children as a greater priority in my life.  I’m going to really try to be better this week and I know this will help me become a better version of myself, just like the thoughts you get for you will help you become a better version of yourself.  I know this will change your life for the better and I hope the video touches you as much as it did me.  I couldn’t stop crying.

            You can click on this link to watch the Mormon Message https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/abide-with-me-1

"Prove me now herewith"

         While I was growing up we had many family discussions on tithing and giving to the Lord.  My Dad was constantly telling us of the blessings my mom and he and experienced throughout their lives by being honest in their tithes and offerings.  Many times He even talked about the importance of being generous in our offerings.  I loved hearing their experiences and some of them I had seen during difficult financial times in their lives.  I just knew the Lord would take care of those who gave back to Him.

            So, because of these experiences I never really questioned that 10% of what I earned I was going to give back to the Lord, since ultimately He is the one who gave me all that I have.  Over the years I have experienced amazing blessings that have come through doing what He asks us to do by paying tithes and offerings. 

            My husband and I had a firsthand experience a couple years ago.  We were broke, going to school, we had 2 kids and were pregnant with our third, and my Dad had just died of cancer.  One night my husband and I were praying and I felt that we should double our fast offering.  I thought okay, the Lord has taken care of us so far, and if He needs us to give more He will make it all work out.  So, we began doubling our fast offering.  I can’t explain all the miracles we saw but the windows of heaven poured out upon us.  One of the big miracles for me was that I no longer felt constant worry about our finances and how we were going to pay for everything we needed to each month.  It just worked out.  Our food storage just kept going and going.  It was amazing.

            I tell you all this because I just realized what I have been doing throughout my life that is helping me become the best version of myself.  I have been doing what the Lord asks us to do in 3 Nephi 24:8-10, verse 10 specifically.  The Lord is talking about tithes and offerings and then says, “…prove me now herewith, … 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.”  The Lord asks us to try Him and learn truth for ourselves that He will do what He says He will.  He says if we pay our tithes that he will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings.  He has done that for me as I have tried the Lord.  I tried the promise that He offered and His promise was fulfilled. 

            I think there are many time in our lives when the Lord wants us to try or prove the promises that come from following Him and keeping His commandments.  He wants to bless us and one of the ways that He blesses us is when we do what He asks.  When we search for truth by acting on promptings or whatever it is He tells us to do, He also promises certain blessings for our lives.  It just makes me think there are so many other things that the Lord needs me to do and blessings He wants to give me but I need to be willing to “prove” Him now herewith and the blessings will come.

            This week if you haven’t had the experience of proving the Lord by paying tithes and offerings, try Him.  I know His blessings and promises are real and true.  They are always there for us when we act.  If you have done that continue to do it and look for other areas of your life that the Lord needs you to try Him and His promises will come.  It is incredible how much He desires to bless us and help us become better.  As you try this out for yourself pay attention to the blessings that come large or small and be grateful as He helps you become the best version of yourself.

How do I remember the Lord?

            How do I remember the Lord?  As I have pondered that question I have had the thought come multiple times that a way that I remember the Lord is by being grateful.  I was given a blessing a couple months ago where it told me to remember to be grateful for what the Lord had given me in my life at that time, and to not only be grateful in my words but in my actions as well.  I received that blessing after having my third miscarriage last year and I felt that God had forgotten me, so why should I remember Him.  I felt mad more than grateful, but as I have been thinking of what the Lord has been trying to help me remember through these experiences I know that He is trying to help me be grateful for my children I have.  I am able to show through my words and actions that I’m grateful for them by loving them and taking care of them.  I am able to press forward with faith and trust in the Lord’s timing. I have been able to be more grateful in my prayers so that I remember the Lord and He knows that I am aware of all that He has given me.   There are many things I have been able to do to express my gratitude for what I have even when the circumstances have been hard.

            As I read this week from Helaman, in the Book of Mormon, this question kept coming up because of how the people would be blessed so much by the Lord and then within a few short years they were extremely wicked because they had forgotten the Lord.  I know I didn’t want to be in that situation so I was grateful for these verses that helped me to know what I needed to do and not do.  In Helaman 12: 1-6, the Lord shows the pattern of what leads the people to forget Him and not remember Him.  In the Lord’s goodness He blesses and prospers those who trust Him and He does all things for the welfare and happiness of those people.  When the people are prospering is when they harden their hearts, they forget the Lord, they focus on the vain things of the world, they are quick to do iniquity and slow to do good.  The people are prideful, they are slow to remember the Lord and listen to His counsel and walk in a righteous path.  They act as though His counsel isn’t important and don’t want Him to be their guide.  The only way they remember the Lord is when He chastens them with afflictions.  

            As I share these thoughts I know that I don’t like going through afflictions, but the Lord only chastens me because He wants me to remember Him.  I know it’s also because I have been too prideful to listen to the counsel that He has been giving me to avoid some of the afflictions that will happen in my life.  He wants me to remember to be grateful for all that He has blessed me with for my welfare and happiness.  He wants each of us to be grateful for what He has given us.  I have felt that I need to daily write the blessings that He has given me to show Him how grateful I am for His hand in my life each day and to act on the counsel that He gives me.  I know these are ways that I can remember Him, and make sure that He is a top priority in my life. I feel that when He is a top priority in my life it makes everything in my life go more smoothly because I am aware of Him not only when things are good, but also when life’s challenges come.  

            So, this week ask yourself how am I remembering the Lord?  Is it only when things are good or when things are bad or both?  When we remember the Lord I know He blesses our lives even more, which is amazing to me because He wants us to remember Him so He can bless us even more than He already does.  It shows me how much He loves each of us and cares about our welfare and happiness and what He asks in return is that we remember Him.

The Power of Words

          When you think about words what comes to mind?  I didn’t really have a set idea in mind for what I thought about words because usually when someone asks you what you think of words it about a set of words in particular.  I was taught something really neat this week about words as I was doing my daily scripture study.  I do have to say one thing before telling you what I learned and it’s that I love the Pathway program through BYU-Idaho because it has helped me re-establish the habit and pattern in my life of daily scripture study.  If you haven’t heard of the program and are looking for a way to finish school, look it up.  It will change your live. 

            Now, speaking of something that changes your life this bit of revelation concerning words brought a whole new world to life for me.  As I sat studying my scriptures Monday morning I didn’t have anything in particular I was looking for, so I asked that if Heavenly Father needed me to know something that as I was studying it would stand out to me and I would recognize it.  It was amazing to feel completely open to His will.  Have you ever had a time when you were completely open to have Heavenly Father teach whatever He needed you to know at that point in your life?  Think about it for a minute. If you haven’t done it put it to the test, because it works.  Those of you that have done this, do you remember what He wanted you to know or to learn?  If you can’t remember read through your journals, and if you don’t keep a journal of some sort, start one because He wants to teach us and talk to us.

            As I sat there with my scriptures open, my study journal ready for whatever I was going to find, and my pen ready I began reading.  I began reading in Alma 30 at about half way.  I had read quite a few verses before something really stood out and if you remember this chapter, it is about Korihor the anti-Christ.  The verses that made me stop were verse 49-50.  They taught the power of words.  Korihor is seeking for a sign and Alma says the sign you’ll be given is to be struck dumb according to my words. “Now, when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, …”.  As soon as Alma says those words Korihor is struck dumb.  Do you think words have power?  Do the words we say have an influence on our lives and the lives of others, as soon as we say them?

            Heavenly Father had me really pondering the words I use in my life, within my marriage and family, with my relationships, about myself, about others, and many other personal things.  Maybe as you read that you thought to yourself the same thing.  I thought what words do I use to describe myself?  Are they positive words or are they negative words?  What kinds of words are you using to describe the relationships in your life?  As these questions came to mind I quickly began jotting down notes and took some time to really think about what Heavenly Father was teaching me here.  He was teaching me how to use words as a powerful force for good in my life.  He was helping me to know how to look at the relationships in my life and things surrounding me.  I felt like He really wanted me to know how to be happy and that I could do it by changing some simple words concerning these things in my life.  Do you think by changing some of the words you use to describe some of these things in your life you could find greater happiness, peace and fulfillment?

            I have come to know this week and through some other insights that He and others have given me over the last couple months that this changes your life.  I have had a great peace and happiness this week as I have refocused myself into being positive in my words.  It has helped me to see the correction that Heavenly Father is giving me and changes that He needs me to make in my life.  I was pretty excited when I had these thoughts come on Monday, so as I continued to read this week the power of words was constantly brought up.  I continued to see how Alma knew and understood the power of words, God’s word especially.

            I too wanted to help my children understand the power of words, so yesterday we made posters with cutouts of them on a board and filled it with positive words about them.  Some of our friends call them “I am” boards.  They loved the activity and I did too as we discussed all the positive things we can feel about ourselves to help us be better people for others and ourselves!  You can try this too and I would recommend it.

            Heavenly Father is amazing how he teaches us to improve our lives and how he can make the revelation so personal it makes perfect sense.  I know He is aware of us and he uses the scriptures to teach us truths to help make us better people because as we become better people we become better Disciples of Christ and vice a versa.  I hope you all learned something knew or have a chance to try this and ask some questions.  It will change your life.  Have a wonderful week!