That which fosters confidence in God’s will for us, love for us, and plans for us. Those things that inspire a trust that God really does know best, and will be an active part in helping us to achieve the best if we will allow Him into our lives.
This is a quote from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, on of the previous Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Last week, using the New Testament as our text, we journeyed through the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. Friday was the day of Jesus’ trial, condemnation and death on the cross at Calvary; definitely a difficult day for him. But then Sunday came with the glorious truth that he had risen from the grave and left the pain a sorrow of Friday behind forever.
This is a message of hope for all of us who have our ‘Fridays’. It is a reminder that Jesus Christ is truly the answer to everything, and can help us get to our ‘Sundays’.
This video and many others are found on churchofjesuschrist.org
Springtime is a grand showcase of New Life. Daffodils and tulips push their green stems up from newly thawed ground, a symbol of rebirth. The cold grip of winter with it’s lifeless landscape gives way to a miraculous splendor of life and color. It’s a parable! The tulips shed their dried up petals as the summer heat seems to dry up their very lives. The bulb lies hidden in the cold, dark earth until that glorious spring morning when it rises again. Resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ has broken the grasp of death. He lives today, and His power can enable us to become both new in spirit in our dark times in life, and new in body as a resurrected and eternally living person, a gift given to all of us, and celebrated again this Easter. Easter is truly a message of deliverance for all of us.
How does one keep a constant prayer in one's heart?
Here are some ideas where we can start:
Some answers are found in the habits that we form.
Our daily prayers and study keep us safe from life's storms.
Study of Holy Scriptures gives us the desire to pray.
True prayers of meditation help us more day by day.
As God's wisdom grows in us, we open up our heart.
As we honor God's Sabbath, this will help us start.
By asking Lord Jesus for forgiveness, repentance helps us see.
As we grow more constant in the Lord, we begin to truly see.
Then constant prayer, like a seed in us, starts to grow.
Through our gratitude and attitude, we begin to truly know.
The more we seek for constant prayer, the more we learn and grow.
We each must strive to hear the spirit more each night and day,
As we learn to hear the still small voice and walk in God's pure way,
We believe each weak child, in Christ, can, in their heart, hear and see.
If we strive with heart and soul, body and mind, our Lord will help us be
In constant touch with the Holy Ghost ,as we are meant to be.
Below is a simple1-minute video about prayer taken from churchofjesuschrist.org
Temples are obvious places of prayer, but we could never have a constant prayer if we only prayed in the temple! Sometimes my best times to pray are driving in the car, or stopping to enjoy a view, or when a wave of anger comes on me, or, or, or anytime. Anywhere. Isn’t it marvelous that we have access to God and his peace, comfort and strength anytime we are willing? Where are your best places and times to pray?
Some months ago I joined a local group in an online class on emotional resilience. There were many good ideas to help anyone to navigate those times in life when we feel that we are in a dark place, or when we feel hopeless, or afraid, or depressed, or suffer from all kinds of anxieties. Everyone faces those times, and in our current economical and political and social climate, we are more likely to feel an increase in these emotional crises.
In the class, there was presented a video produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It deals with our identity, and I believe it is a foundational concept to help us avoid those dark places.
The road ahead...
Unknown.
My steps are slow...
Uncertain.
What lies ahead...
The future.
Running down the road takes faith.
Fear not.
Embrace the vistas along the way.
Don't rest too long in one spot.
In our church Sunday school class we recently studied and read many chapters out of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament. I’ve come to like Psalms because it is full of poetic, comforting phrases, like: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” , “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” ,or “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”…and the list could go on and on.
I have a friend at the gym who teaches in Sunday School. She told me that she challenged the class to write their own psalm, and I thought that would be a good thing to do for this blog, especially after I read Psalms 136. You should read that first, then perhaps mine will not appear too unusual, or repetative.
Praise the Lord, He is my helper
For His Grace is an enabling power.
When my strength entirely fails me,
His Grace is an enabling power.
When my heart is weighed with troubles,
His Grace is an enabling power,
And I pray for comfort in my worry,
His Grace is an enabling power.
I will choose him as my counselor,
For His Grace is an enabling power,
Trust in His unfailing hands of mercy,
For His Grace is an enabling power.
Recently I have been focusing on God’s enabling power, and have come to the conclusion that it’s application is beyond valuable, and have realized that is the definition of Grace. I always thought of Grace is being God’s unconditional love for us. I suppose that is still correct, but it lacks specific meaning, until it is defined as His enabling power.
No poem today. Just a few thoughts about terrible things that happen. The kind of things that cause us fear and worry and hopelessness. Ukraine and the Russian invasion. We read about things everyday: storms, earthquakes, shootings, Covid. If you wanted to get a super-dose, read Matthew chapter 25. It contains the prophecies of Jesus concerning our time just before the second coming. Taken seriously, it’s pretty scary stuff, right? And yet, Jesus referred to the day of his coming and GREAT and dreadful.
So, I’m thinking about the GREAT part of it. I was reading in the Book of Mormon recently where the account is written of a prophet, Samuel, who prophecied to the people in ancient America about 5 BC and how they would know when Christ would be born in Bethlehem. He spoke of astrological signs and about a day when it would remain light as mid-day when the sun went down, and when the sun came up again, that would be the day of his birth. So, 3 days of light. 5 years later that did happen.
in 3 Nephi chapter 5, verse 2 it reads, “And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.”
So, this is how modern day disasters, etc. can build our faith. We have seen ample prophecies fulfilled, and that, in and of itself, can be evidence that God is a man of his word, and we can rely (or have faith) in the promises (and blessings) yet to come.
What do you think? Does this offer you any solace or hope? How do you deal with fearful events? Please state your views in a comment.
It’s been a traumatic 3 months, starting with my son last November, who developed a painful jaw infection accompanied by careless medical care, resulting in emergency room visits and hospitalizations for infection, onset of diabetes from pancreatitis and pending kidney failure. Over-use of steroids complicated his recovery and ability to fight the infection. those were some very tense and worrysome days, lasting into the new year. It required a kind of patience I didn’t know existed. But, we drew together as a family and prayers became a source of strength and healing.
I thought the new year was a harbinger of health, but then my 16 year old grand daughter presented with painful hands that quickly lost their use. Swelling started and medical tests showed nothing.
Then, last Monday, our 18 year old grandson (all of these are in the same family) was rushed to the emergency room with gut pain and jaundice. For the next week he underwent diagnostic ultrasound and endoscopy with gall bladder removal on Wednesday, followed by another procedure to remove more gall stones in the ducts, and finally being released from the hospital on Friday.
We all breathed a sigh of relief, only to be awakened late Friday night with news that paramedics were called in response to my grand daughter’s inability to breathe…very scary…thought to be a panic attack.
So much for the harbinger of health. More like a trip to troubles!
If I were gold
would I think a crucible to be mean?
A dark tomb
with painful heat
that reaches to the soul,
and burns.
Those hours I would never choose.
No.
Look at me--
all cluttered.
I've gathered much along the way.
I carry to much baggage.
I want to let it go.
I pray with fervor to find a way.
The crucible!
How ironic.
The very thing that I abhor
Is now my darkened prison.
The unwanted firey trial
Seems longer than it is.
Daylight finally shoots it's glorious beam
Upon my soul.
My soul--it's free.
The baggage gone
Consumed within the fire.
In weightless glory I rise
And leave this crucible behind
For now.
Purified, changed, whole, free.
I'm finally Me.
This 2 minute video is about the value of adversity
A few weeks ago, the snow came unexpectedly deep. Tree limbs all around the community crashed onto whatever was below them. We were no exception. A large limb fell onto our garden/picnic area, but the one of most concern was a neighbor’s huge branch that toppled onto our fence and down into our back yard, blocking the way to the garage.
Our backyard debris
Last October in the general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Nelson commented on the progress of the remodeling of the Salt Lake Temple, and said, “As I have watched workers dig out old tree roots, plumbing, wiring, and a leaky fountain, I have thought about the need for each of us to remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives.”
I can relate to that with the recent branches that fell. They are not easy to remove. It has to be done one piece at a time moving from what you can reach, eventually getting to all of it. It is possible. I hope all the clutter and un-organization and debris in my office can likewise be removed and/or organized. But I wonder about myself. Is there debris inside me that clutters my way to doing things better? Bob wrote a poem about that:
As we search and meditate upon our inner self,
We strive to understand ourselves, and where to find true wealth.
What kind of thoughts have taken seed within our mind and heart?
Do our souls, like any garden, need us to do our part?
Each thought is like a seed. We can plant or throw away.
Good and bad seeds grow more strong through every passing day.
Lord, may we grow in strength to learn and choose what's right.
Through more faith and obedience, we can walk within God's light.
The following is a link to the 4.5 minute message of President Nelson:
Back in 1963, when I was 16, my Grandmother died. This was the first time I experienced death of someone close to me, and it left a hole in my heart, and was the cause of deep reflections for me, and sadness. I had been taught in Sunday School and in Primary….taught about being a child of God, and about returning to him when we die. I believed that. I had no reason to doubt, especially when my Dad also told me that.
But, believing is only a beginning. I needed to take that belief in my head, and move it into my heart. It was in 1964 that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints produced a 13 minute movie (I believe it was for the World’s Fair) entitled: Man’s Search for Happiness. Because my heart had already been prepared, when I saw that movie, I was very impressed, touched, and, for the first time, felt truth in my heart, not just my head.
For years I have searched for that little video, unsuccessfully. There is a new version produced in about 1989, and that was the one that always came up in my search. It’s nice, but it wasn’t the one that had such deep meaning for me back in 1964.
Well, you can now view it on Youtube! Log in to Youtube and in the search, type in Man’s Search for Happiness 1964, and, POOF!, there it is. To me it was a seed of belief planted in my heart that has grown through the years and brought me unspeakable joy, peace and comfort. Watch it and tell me what you think. Maybe you will like the 1989 version better.
My dear Grandma & Grandpa
I hope that you know that God loves you because you are his child, and He has a plan for your joy and happiness.
