Keep a Journal

Today I will be brief. But I was thinking about how important journal (diary) keeping is. This is going
to be a short blog post-- I'm in a hurry to finish my college assignments.

But I just through my scripture journal that I keep in order to remember thougths and impressions I have as I read. Here are just a few of many scriptures that I have noted the importance of, as it pertains to keeping a journal!

I will copy and paste the scriptures below, and my notes (as a bonus for you, I'll keep the exact date I took that note.Haha... because I'm sure it's fascinating to you all!;) 

===These aren't even remotely all of my notes on the value of keeping a journal, but perhaps some of you will find in interesting and feel motivated to begin! :)

1 Nephi 1:

"I make a record (journal) 
of my proceedings in my days" 

My thoughts:

Why did he keep a journal? To let his posterity &US (You and I) know the blessings of God in his life. His words are written to help us increase in our testimony. (3 October 2017)

Why do you keep a journal? 
Why don't you keep a journal?

(Please comment below.)

=====

Mosiah 1:5

Mosiah 1

"were it not for these things, 
which have been kept 
and preserved by the hand of God, 
that we might read and understand 
of his mysteries, 
and have his commandments 
always before our eyes, 
that even our fathers 
would have dwindled in unbelief, 
and we should have been like"

My thoughts:

This is yet another reminder to me of the power of the word. See Alma 31:5. It also teaches me just how influential words that I feel to write with help of the Spirit can be. I'm thankful for my gift of writing, and how I can help strengthen the children of God through words I feel inspired to write.

======

2 Nephi 33:13

"I speak unto you 
as the voice of one crying from the dust: 
Farewell until that great day shall come."

My thoughts:

I always find such reflections interesting because he knows that his scripture keeping (a.k.a. journaling) was going to be read by those of us at a later time. As I journal I try to keep that in mind, and I try to decide what will be if most worth, though I'm sure I'm not always successful!
24 May 2017

============

Mosiah 1:4

Mosiah 1

"it were not possible that our father, Lehi, 
could have remembered all these things, 
to have taught them to his children, 
except it were for the help of these plates;"

My thoughts:

Writing things down is how we REMEMBER! (3 Oct 2017)

====

Mosiah 2:8

"And it came to pass that he began to speak to his people 
from the tower; and they could not all hear his words 
because of the greatness of the multitude; 
therefore he caused that the words
which he spake should be written 
and sent forth among those that were not under the sound of his voice, 
that they might also receive his words."

My daughter, K, thought a smiley face
on my bathroom mirror would be fun!

My thoughts: 

The words of that scripture becomes symbolic to me in understanding the power of sharing the written word-- which has the capacity to reach beyond the people of our voice, and instead reacher a larger audience. The written word has great power to bless the hearer as well as the potential to reach a very large audience. Through simple journaling, we can reach people with the feelings of our heart and mind. How important to keep a journal and to use thoughtfulness, kindness, and care in how we speak and write, especially in this world of mass media transmission. Through electronics our "voices will carry"!
5 July 2016

Happy Journaling!

Christine



P.S. Sorry, I haven't linked the scriptures in my hast. Here's the scriptures link, so you can search all the Bible and LDS scriptures in one place. It's a great resource!  to  https://www.lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng 

Burial Dress Lesson

Sunday, during church, I learned the shocking news that my friend's baby had died. Little Nora was born at 23 weeks gestation. She lived a week and a day, but then died September 7, due to an infection. 

While I can't exactly relate to a loss so late in pregnancy, I did feel an added measure of sorrow to consider how her oldest son (approx age 4 years old) must feel. 

When my oldest son was about the same age as her son is now, I had a early miscarriage. I felt disappointment at the loss, but oh, my son was devastated by losing the sibling he had apparently felt so much anticipation for! (He loves children!) 

In memory of my son's feelings, my heart had an added motherly ache. I wanted to do something special her and her family.  But what?

Sundress soon to be
a beautiful, modest gown!

Upon contempation of those feelings, I decided to make a burial gown. I knew it might not be needed, but I also knew that it if was, I'd need plenty of time to make it. With the funeral two days away I worried I might not have time if she said she would like me to make her a burial dress. I had wanted her to be able to design the gown for her baby, in whatever style she imagined, but I had not heard back as of Monday morning, so I decided to just get to work and make one. I figured "What can it hurt to be prepared?"

I went through my fabric in search of the perfect material. I wanted to do french hierloom pintucks and lace insertion, but that would take days to create. And then I thought a ornately beaded wedding dress would look stunning, but I didn't have enough left over from a wedding dress I'd recently used for a costume. So I kept looking. 

In a little stack of white blouses and dresses (which I'd set aside with the purpose of using on burial gowns) I rediscovered a lightweight sundress I'd purchased at a local thrift shop. I decided this would be perfect! 

With dress and supplies in hand I headed to my comfortable sewing spot upstairs. Just where my huband likes it! ;) 

First I laid out the dress on my bed, then I studied how the laces, ruffles, and underlays had been sewn. I consider all the possibilites to suit my needs, and how to get the best outcome by cutting in just right places. I contemplated how I wanted this to fit a body so very small, delicate, and possibly swollen. With the details firmly in my mind I created a pattern. I then placed the pattern pieces on carefully selected areas of the dress, and I went to work in pinning and cutting. 

I've just finished pinning the neck facing.

From there I pinned and sewed the pieces together. I worked from the beginning stages to the more advanced stages and areas of neck, sleeves and closure. Then I went back and pinned and sewed some more!  

And then, when it seemed I neared completion, I cut away excess fabric and hanging threads. I also reinforced specific spots, and sometimes I took parts that I'd sewn together, and I cut them off or reworked them for better results. 

Yep, lot's of details! But they're important to what I'm going to say! :)

After completing it, I finally got word from a sister at my church ( My Relief Society ("R.S.") president--she takes care of all the women at my local church. Or as we call it- a "ward") that the mom already had something for angel baby to be buried in. 

Ties on an open back for easy dressing.

I had prepared myself that the dress might not be needed, but I still felt some self doubts over having even made an initial effort. I also have to admit I felt embarrassed for having gone to "so much trouble for nothing," and I worried of how ridiculous I must look to others for having done more than a condolence card. 

I took painstaking efforts to make sure it was a beautiful creation, which I'd envisioned from the start. And yet, I looked back after 6+ hours of a days efforts and wondered if my time would have been better spent on housework, or homework (as I'm back to college). I also wondered if maybe the dress and bonnet were just too old-fashioned looking (something I only noticed upon completion),  and maybe she really just didn't want it. I worried about having put myself out there for others to judge!

Here I am sewing. A drill is always
important to have handy! ;)

But regardless of my doubts, I can't deny that I felt good as I created that little gown. My heavy heart took on wings as I worked. I realize now that I had needed a reminder lesson about my life, and the goodness, grace, and mercy of a devoted Heavenly Father!

Let me tell you why! (Here's where the above details matter!:)

You see, on a small scale, I was doing what God does with each of us. He helps to recreate our mortal mind and spirits into something better and more beautiful! The symbolism in my creation and efforts of this dress reveals that if we let His masterful hands work on us, He can repurpose us into something more beautiful than we can imagine on our own. 

He takes the cut & damaged parts of our lives, and with tremendous care and attention to EVERY detail he will refashion us into something of greater value! God can take things that seem permanent design flaws of our character or circumstance, and through cutting and reconnecting He will have made a more pleasing, beneficial creation. His work may hurt initially, but these careful cuttings and reshapings will be immeasurable blessings to us in the long run!

The bodice measures approx 4" across.

I realize now that I needed to have a visual (though time-consuming) lesson on His work with me, and each of us!.  Even though my gift wasn't needed by this family, I needed the reminder of how our Heavenly Father tenderly and individually works with each and fills us with hope through His artistic vision! He can help fulfill us with more noble purposes! 

It seems I have nothing to offer this family now in their time of loss. Sure, I'll take a meal and make a condolance card. But I wanted to do something special. But perhaps the best thing we can offer someone is continued prayers on their behalf, when we seem limited in what we have to give. 

This process of growth and improvement
can be a very messy experience!

May we remember we are worth more than what we initially appear to be! It doesn't matter if we are loved, accepted, or understood by those around us. I really believe, despite my feelings of personal insecurities, that when we are trying to do a loving thing, we are pleasing Heavenly Father. There is no failure or shame in trying to be right before God! He accepts all our offerings- big or very small, and He can, and will, multiply those efforts for our good!

For all my imperfection and weakness, I take comfort in knowing that through the master creator, who lovingly knows how to shape and construct us, we are destined for eternal joy and unparalleled vistas of heavenly beauty!

May we keep His love ever before our eyes, and let the Lord God work His miracles in our hearts and lives!

Christine

UPDATE: I went to a truly beautiful funeral of this little child tonight at The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. This little girl, no more than 10.5 inches tall lay in her casket all dressed in white. She was perfect in from head to toe. Her little fingers were half the length of my a sewing need, and she had precious little finger nail painted with light pink nail polish. She had a a precious white headband, and she wore a delightful antique blessing gown with pintucks and fancy french heirloom work. 

This beautiful baby wore a dress that had been made by the dad's great grandma- generations ago...for a doll! I felt tearful to consider that the hand of providence was in motion long before this little girl passed away, so that a perfect family heirloom was ready for this day!

There were many tear filled eyes (especially as the dad walked in carrying the casket of his baby) but the funeral was filled with messages and songs of hope through Jesus Christ. If you've never been to a "Mormon" funeral, I recommend you go to see what I mean. There is always an underlying theme of being able to be reuinited with our loved ones again!

To learn more about our beliefs on death please go to this following link: https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/life-after-death

I now obviously I realize that I worried needlessly about my dress somehow being rejected for looking too antique! ;) I plan to learn from this lesson!

Childhood Trauma

My boys in the Dentist office.

Today, as we were driving to the dentist (for tooth cleanings) my 10 year old son said something that took me by surprise. He said that he only sits in the middle of our van because it's the safest place to sit. He then added that his friend Jason died in the car accident because he was sitting by the door.

I told him I didn't realize that he felt that way, but I expressed that I thought it was Jason's time to return home to Heavenly Father and that he would likely have died wherever he'd been sitting.

I didn't express it (okay, maybe a few tears), but in my heart I felt a sense of sadness to see just how the trauma of a friend, and classmate dying, could affect my son's feelings about where he sat in a vehicle.

Some people underestimate the power that traumas may play to the psyche, but just this small exchange with my son was a powerful reminder of how delicate we are in this mortal sphere.

I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that through Him we can pick up our crosses each day and learn how to more bravely follow Him, even when it seems we can't take one more step.

With the power of Christ, I have found that I can take not just one more step, but many more! Each

small effort keeps adding up to miles and miles I never dreamed possible that I'd be able to walk.

These steps have come at a high price of sacrifice and a willing heart, but somehow I find that with each new day I can make it through- as long as I have the help of the Lord!





I'm so thankful to God for my many blessings. I'm thankful for the healing and strength that can come through Christ! Healing takes time and effort, but it's worth the fight! Let us keep carrying our crosses and follow Christ. Through Him, we will have victory!

Matthew 16:24–25:

Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 

and take up
his cross, 

and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: 

and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Have hope, for through Christ we can be victorious!
Christine

"Sorrows forgot, love's purest joys remain"

Just now, at 2:08 pm, I heard these words from an LDS hymn ""Sorrows forgot, love's purest joys remain." How sweet they are to my heavy heart.

1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Text: Katharina von Schlegel, b. 1697;
trans. by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897====

Today I'm feeling a bit low as I was struck with some insight of those I call friends. And it is hurting my heart. There is rarely anything that can be done when someone wrongs us, or misunderstands us. What we can do is kneel to pray, and that is just what I have done this morning.

I knelt and told Heavenly Father that I know he has all power. I prayed for greater meekness and humility. I prayed to be at peace when there are people who are not completely kind to me. I prayed that they might understand me better, but I prayed to ultimately accept His will, even when they don't understand. I told Him how thankful I am for his protection and blessings, and I listened to several things I'm grateful for. I told Him that I trust him completely, and I prayed that I would give all my fears into his hands.

I prayed many things, and I took comfort in kneeling before my creator. I took comfort in knowing that He has truly blessed me and directed my life this far. I know He will continue to do so, as I give my will to Him, and as I do my part for righteousness.

Of course, God does have all power, but he also respects our agency. He won't make us be good. He won't make us walk a certain road. But when we do listen to His Spirt, and walk circumspectly before Him, He rejoices. He delights in granting us blessings, which stem out of our righteous efforts, and our willingness to give Him all we have and are.

My husband and children--with a photo bomber on the far left!! True Story!

Those few words that God brought into my mind seem so simple, yet are so profound. As we walk through the darkness, the fear and sorrow can be all-consuming. And yet, when we step back into the light of joy and comfort, the depth and expanse of those sorrows are almost completely forgotten.

It's that way with childbirth too. I experienced a great deal of agonizing pain in my 5 deliveries of my children, but now I can remember so little of what I felt. If I do remember, I can express the details only on a logical level- not on the emotional or physical level of what I was going through! It's amazing how joy can wipe away those memories of pain!

There are just going to be days we don't feel our happiest. That's part of life. On those days you may do some of what I try to do... pray, read scriptures, clean & organize in my home, listen to BYU devotionals or LDS General Conference Talks, walk, sew, draw, or listen to happy music. Those things are healthy ways to process emotional pain, and they will hopefully help as they do me.

But ultimately we must elevate out thoughts to see beyond the storms of this moment. We must tell ourselves positive, grateful, hopeful thoughts. Thoughts that declare that God will give us the strength to get through. Words that declare that Jesus Christ saved us through His atonement and that with His power we will be victorious!

But, at this moment, I can honestly say that I can hardly wait until "loves purest joys remain!" :)

Hugs!
Christine

Answered Prayer

This afternoon I was feeling kind of sad, and therefore very tired. I like to give my time to God, as he sees fit, so I pray through out the day for special direction on how to better use my time. 

I especially needed direction because my mood was low. So I knelt in the quiet of my room, by my bedside, and I asked if He'd be alright with one of my three choices. 

1. Go play the piano at the church. 

2. Write a letter to my sick niece 

3. Take a nap!  

I immediately heard "family time." I softly chuckled because of my tired brain had not considering the fact that I'd presented God with 3 options, but He presented me a fourth!

I finished my prayer and sat on my bed. (It hurt to much to kneel any longer). I am sure God gave me the idea because my 16 year old daughter came into my room and laid on my bed and asked if Brady Bunch was an alright Sunday activity. I said it might be alright to watch, but that I wanted to play family games. 

We went down and sat in the front room and I asked Briant (my husband) what game we could play. He's a teacher, loves game playing, and is very creative-- so he always has some idea to pass the time. He started out with a word game, "Hangman." Then he said "Pictionary." (I was so tired I was laying on the couch acting out "the queen" and "Sunny (rhymes with bunny)" (That's the name of one of our dog's!) 

Everyone really had fun and got into this. A few examples: My 10 year old acted out our wild dog "Sunny" (so the answer was the same 2 times in a row-since he followed me. My 16 year old acted out "Lettuce Party" Who's ever heard of one of those??!!! My 18 year old refused to join us. He just got home from a pioneer trek yesterday and was down in his room writing about it in his journal. (Okay, a worthy goal, so I didn't push his family presence. But I missed him!)

Following that my husband began the "Guess who this scripture person is." A few of his questions were, "Who slayed Goliath? (David)" "Who had a coat of many colors? (Joseph)" We also did people from the Book of Mormon, as well as the bible. We had a lot of fun with that game, and it was a great time for teaching. 

After this game my husband switched to playing a "Guess which child this is?" We asked such questions as: 

• "Which child was on Oxygen as a baby?" 
• "Which child got left at the church after the family baptism?" 
• "Which preschooler destroyed the rabbit/pigeon hutch?"
• "Which child weighed the most at birth, weighing 9.8 pounds?"
• "Which child was the littlest at birth, weighing only 7 pounds?"
• "Which child always pooped in the bathtub, EVERTIME they were given a bath?"
• "Which child has silver teeth? (acid reflux)"
• "Which child would have gone swimming in baptismal font, if we'd said it was alright?!"
• "Who was the only child to sleep in a crib as a baby?"
• "Which child learned to talk the soonest?"
• "Which child walked the latest?"
• "Which child learn to ride a bike first?"
• "Which child likes to draw for hours on end?"
• "Which child doesn't like bones (in meat..or pretty much anywhere!! She doesn't like Halloween!?"
• "Which child likes to fill in the cracks when they sleep?"
• "Which child makes up crazy animal/frog names?" (Hannah! Such as Korea the frog. Nanny Goat Sniffer--a dog we had!)
• "Which child threw up in Daddy's mouth?"
• "Who went on wild, crazy adventures with Musubi? What was their secret weapon?"
• "Who uses up all the tape in our house?"
• "Who loved the Wiggles?"
• "Who got on the internet twice, by themselve, before the age of 1 year old!" 
• "Who was born on a cold, foggy, winter day?"
• "Who was born on a warm winter day?"
• "On which child did Mom's water break?"

And on we went as a family, playing happy Sabbath style games, and uniting as a family. My heart felt happier, and I knew I'd done the right thing.  I am certain it helped make happy memories for our children.

After we played that we read scriptures and listened to two songs (in honor of our dogs!! "Ebony and Ivory" and "Sunny days, chasing the clouds away..."(Sesame Street theme song), and have knelt to say the end of our day prayers. 

I feel so thankful that Heavenly Father "knows better than I." I'm thankful I could hear the voice of His Spirit giving me a better choice. I still felt tired as we played, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this cherished family time together. 

Book of Mormon Scripture

And while not all the concerns of my heart are settled, I certainly feel happier. I'm thankful that we aren't alone on this journey of life, and that our God is there to hear and answer---we just need to ask!

Always be praying, 

Christine

Scars

Noticed the bandaged finger. October 2016

Eight months ago, my little boy (age 7) and his brother (age 9) were playing outside. One day they came running into the house and big brother wildly slammed the front door on little brother!

Guess what happened?! Little brothers fingertip was broken, as well as almost completely cut off. I rushed him to his usual plastic surgeon (because he's been quite accident prone! We joke about a trip a year to this plastic surgeon!)

The doctor cleaned, stitched and bound up the finger, and for nearly a month we kept returning to check the healing.  At one appointment the doctor told my seven year old son that he didn't need to wear bandages any more. But my little boy kept insisting on wearing them. And I kept providing the bandaides so he could do so.

I can't find the recent plastic surgeon pics
of my son. But this was in June,
just a few months before the finger in the door.
(Photo taken before 5 stitches).
Our new puppy bit him as they wrestled!

But one day I sat him on my lap and pulled back the bandaide to look at the healing taking place. His fingertip was scarred and deformed. I asked him why he wanted to keep it covered. With quivering voice he talked about how he didn't want people to see it because of how it looked.

Even though it wasn't a "big deal" to me, I suddenly understood his shame in having a deformed, scarred finger- with missing fingernail. I held his finger and carressed the scarred area and I said, "M..., I'm sorry you've been embarrassed by how your finger looks. But when I look at your finger all I can see is how wonderful Heavenly Father is, and how much he loves you, and each of us."












I proceeded to tell my precious son how our body is the most amazing thing on earth. I said there is no material on earth like it. When it gets cut it can heal. And broken bones can grow back together.

I again gently touched the scarred area and said "You don't need to be embarrassed because of the scars. You can always look at them and remember what God has done for you because He loves you!"

From that day forward my son no longer wore a bandaid (bandage) to hide his finger. 

Our bodies are a miraculous gift of God. We are each unique and cherished creations and miracles of our divine creator. 

While some wounds may physically or emotionally scar or cause of cause to become deformed, we can each find ultimate spiritual healing through the power and mercy of God. That is of great comfort and hope to me.

My son's small finger is just one example of the greatness of God. I hope you can look a your life and see His love for you. His love and greatness is everywhere we look--IF we have gratitude in our hearts and His vision in helping us to see beyond the mundane things of life.



How do you see the hand of God in your life?
Christine

I just discovered this song. It has a powerful message of God's love for us!

Yes! He loves of any way we are! He loves us any way we come to Him! #ChristSavedUs!
#YOUareLOVED

What is Love

Through the ages poets and song writers have tried to define love, but among the best description (at least that I can recall at this moment;) are these:

John Keats (adapted by me:)

"(Love) A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep..." 

And William Wadsworth wrote:

"The Soul (of love) that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar" 

Even Christina Perri attempts to describe love when she sings: "I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more." But she got something right...probably without understanding it.... LOVE IS ETERNAL! 

While it seems we are just beginning our relationships of love, they began long before we came to this mortal, earthly sphere! And real bonds of friendship and love will not end here! 

Love is Endless and Eternal! 

As a side note: In place of "I have died everyday," Christina's song reads better to the truth of my soul when I replace it with "I have sacrificed everyday waiting (and preparing) for you...." (I add that because I have to make sense of things! And that part hasn't really made much sense to me- till now!:)

TRUE, GODLY LOVE means SACRIFICE! Sacrifice of our will for God's will. Sacrificing our comfort for the comforts of those we love. 

Don't confuse sacrifice with deprivation. God expects us to take care of ourselves and to treat ourselves with love, and He also wants us to be treated with love. But he wants us to do it within his guidelines and commandments. Elder Neal A. Maxwell paints a clear meaning of sacrifice when he wrote: 

So it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the “sacrifice unto the Lord … of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” (D&C 59:8), a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving “away all [our] sins” in order to “know God” (Alma 22:18) for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him.

Neal A. Maxwell. (Full talk can be read/listened to here) https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/04/deny-yourselves-of-all-ungodliness?lang=eng  

Today I saw the bishop of my ward stand to speak, and he joined others through the ages in his efforts to describe love, when he spoke of the love he felt in seeing the baby about to become his adopted daughter. He also described one of the reasons for his hesitance in having another child stemming from his concern in not having enough love to give. (And haven't we all felt that in one way or another. I know before I gave birth to each of my children I wondered if I could love the child about to come, or love them like the previous ones! But love has always come to me!) There is always ample love, when it stems from a place of righteousness.

This dear, righteous man described sweet, sacred moments with the adoption of his daughter, where he felt tuggings at his heart strings, and his spirit cried out to have this child join his family on their journey of life because of the stirrings of love he felt for her. 

He loved her beyond what seemed his own capacity. His love was flowing and unrestricted, despite his prior doubts of whether he could love another child, as his others. He felt love. And he knew love- God's love- as he accepted his sacred role of caring and protecting this gift from God. 

God made the difference by not just placing this child in his arms, but also placing her love in his heart long before he met her! Their friendship and love before these early moments of her life formed before this earth, and came "trailing clouds of glory" (Wordsworth)

I was fascintated to listen to him because I am always studying things of God's love, in an effort to make sense of my life. God is continutally teaching me to recognize love- when I feel so inept at my seeemingly feeble attempts to love well.  And, this may sound surprising, but it also seems like God is teaching me that I don't really know what love is! 

But there are times when I feel confident in my ability to love. 

So how could I not know what love is?! 

I don't think God is telling me I don't feel love, or understand it to some degree, but I think he has long wanted me to understand something which I only just figured out! GOD IS LOVE. God is the source of love. God is the author love. All forms of love ebbs and flows through God, by way of Jesus Chist- the mediator between us and our Father in Heaven. I don't completely understand how that works, but I know it does. 

We have the scriptures to teach us of love, but I do not believe that a description of ultimate feelings of love is possible in our limited mortal vocabulary and experience. We are weighed down with clouds of darkness and trial here on earth. Our mortal experience affects every part of our being-especially our mental perspective of recognizing truth and love. 

Here on earth we get bogged down with people treating us meanly or thoughtlessly, or who are difficult to get along with, and we struggle to see the light of God within them because of our pride and/or pain. But, SOMEDAY we will be stripped of sin and weakness and we will see others through the eyes of love--God's pure, perfect love! 

We will no longer be fettered by any degree of darkness, but we will be exposed to 100% light and 100% love, and it will beautifully consume every cell of our being. We will no longer doubt whether we are worthy of being loved by others. We will no longer wonder if we are good enough to be loved by others. 

Conversely, when we experience life without the curtain of our pre-existent memory drawn, we will no longer look at others and intentionally or unintentionally weigh their value based on the things we value (Such as being kind, sweet, generous, talented, or interesting...or a myriad of other factors). In short, we will see others in the light of truth. We will recognize the spirits of others and know just how loved they are, and how loved we are. We will be enveloped in love, that we only have glimpses here with the stains of earth life.

We assign labels of love in all kinds of ways.... from people to food! But one day we will discover true, pure love,! Love that shines into all the dark crevices of our heart and mind. Love that is without limitation and illness. Love filled with hope and light, in a way that we can only dream. Love made of the sweetest essence never clearly imaginable or understood here on earth!

Because of our limitations in understanding love, we must continue to look to Heavenly Father to fill us with more of His love, and to teach us how to become worthy to enter his presence with purity of love- in both heart and mind. As we strive to follow the guidelines for love set forth in 1 Corinthians (as per picture above), we will have treasured and sacred experiences of God's love in our life, such as my bishop had with his daughter. We will experience that love if we are ever reaching for the hand of God.

Love can be sweet and cherished here, as we work at it, but imagine how much more magnified love can become. It fills my soul with wonder and delight to try and consider the potential! It's definately worth giving our life in the pursuit of purity and sacrifice, so that we can experience sacred love now, and an even more incomprensible joy and love later!

I pray you have others around you who help you to feel glimpses of the love of God. I hope that in the depths of your soul you will understand that true, pure love doesn't end, just because circumstances in your life change, or because you change (for better or worse). I hope you know that you are loved, and worthy of being loved. I hope you take HOPE in Christ and through Christ, and feel hope in knowing that you are destined for more than you see of yourself and around yourself. There is no lost cause to Christ. There is HOPE through Christ. Let Him be your hope and balm of solace.  

Christine

The winding travels of life

This photo of me was taken by my college roommate-
about the same time as that Australia trip. 

As I went out grocery shopping with my children last night, I got to telling them a story about my trip to Australia (back around 1993). They wanted to know all about why I'd gone there. So I told them how I'd men a young LDS man at a Sunday devotional in Orem, Utah. Rob. He was visiting from Australia. We went on a couple of dates before he went back home. From there we kept in contact through letters and an occasional phone call. (Very expensive!)

At one point Rob wanted me to come out and visit him in Australia, and said he'd pay the way. Which he did. He arranged for me to stay with an LDS girl from his ward (Rhonda) who had room for me to live in her flat (apartment) during my visit.

My excitement grew about the prospects of this trip. I also wondered if this is the man I would marry. But one night, the Spirit of God made it very clear to me that I was not going to marry Rob. I felt disappointed, and figured the trip wasn't worth going. In fact, I wanted to cancel! But I felt strongly I still needed to go.

My children asked if I knew why I had gone, I explained that I do not know why, though I did make many friends, and I did share my testimony of Jesus Christ to them, but I know of no specific reason. Perhaps my influence and friendship made a difference in the life of someone I met.

I also told them that while in Australia I learned that Rob had begun dating another LDS girl there before I arrived. Eventually they were married! I only spent a little time with Rob while there. Mostly I spent time with single LDS men and women, and Rhonda, who rallied around me and showed me all kinds of wonderful Australian sights, and many other kindnesses.

I share this because that is how life works. We will not always understand the positive influence we had on others, nor can we remotely comprehend how our seemingly insignificant influence makes a difference in the work of God here on earth. We just keep doing our best in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

I was reading a beautiful BYU-Hawaii devotional today. And the stories he shared touched my heart. But, as those stories would take too much space to share, I will share an abbreviation of Brother Brian Carringtons closing remarks:

"You were leaders before you came to Earth..the Lord has picked you...You will have many difficult choices ahead of you. Like David and Goliath, you will confront many great "Goliaths" in your day."  

"There is a very good chance, that on your "road to Jericho" you'll not only find the fallen friend here and there, but you'll encounter Goliath between you and that friend. You will have to exercise the faith of a David, ... to accomplish whatever the Lord wants you to do in your life. ... Fear nothing. The Lord will be with you and you will conquer..."

"... I know God lives, that I know Jesus is the Christ. I have this testimony not because I've heard it, but because he has been with me every step of my life, and He listens to me sing in the ocean waves. He'll listen to you, and he'll save you, and he'll rescue you... pray that the Lord will let you be a servant for Him and use you to your best use..."

For the full text:  http://devotional.byuh.edu/node/411

 

As you prayerfully seek God and study his word each day, He will give you direction and answers on the direction of your life. 

These words, of another devotional, gave me renewed gratitude to face the hardships of life.

"Some(day) we’ll understand fully, and when we see back from the vantage point of the future, we shall be satisfied with many of the happenings of this life which seemed so difficult for us to comprehend."

"We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experience and that we would have joys and sorrows, pain and comforts, ease and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments; and we knew also that we would die. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart eager to accept both the favorable and unfavorable."

"We were undoubtedly willing to have a mortal body even if it were deformed. We eagerly accepted the chance to come earthward even though it might be for a day, a year, or a century."

"Perhaps we were not so much concerned whether we should die of disease, of accident, or of senility. We were willing to come and take life as it came and as we might organize and control it, and this without murmur, complaint, or unreasonable demands."

"We sometimes think we would like to know what is ahead, but sober thought brings us back to accepting life a day at a time, and magnifying and glorifying that day."

[Spencer W. Kimball, “Tragedy or Destiny,” Improvement Era, March 1966, pp. 216–17]

Join with me in learning how to glorify God, with gratitude for our blessings of each day!  Christine