Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Readings: Acts 10:34-43, Amos 3:7
Our Heavenly Father so loved the world that He has blessed us with the gift of prophets, apostles, and prayer. Prophets have direct communication with God, like we do, but they seem to receive far more answers through revelation than us. Apostles also help guide our lives. Both help us to better understand God. They also share testimonies with us that enable us to learn more.
While I was in a frustrated state, Elder Eberle kindly shared James 1 with me. James 1 expresses the necessity of patience. Elder Eberle said that "challenges help us build patience, and patience builds experience, then hope, and hope is awesome :)."
As I was reading James 1, there were a few verses that really stuck out to me. The first one is verse 5 which says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him." In this verse, we are told that we can ask God for help when we need it. But I'm sure many of us feel like we don't get answers. I think verses 6-8 answers why this is. They say "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (6). For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord (7). A double minded man is unstable in his ways (8)." These say the reasons as to why the Prophet and Apostles receive far more revelation than we do. Elder Haggard asked me to watch one of the Apostle's testimonies and I can say that his faith was absolutely unwavering. There was not a doubt in his mind.
If we also ask and trust in faith, we can also receive more revelation and help from God. Have faith, trust God.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Love Your Family
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Readings: (none)
Families are ordained of God and therefore in their own way are sacred. Our families should be the most important people on this Earth to us. Without our families, we would be utterly alone. Truly, they are the only people you can call upon for help or guidance. But that's how it should be. This is because you've grown up with them, learned about them and love them. What greater power is there than love?
Through even modern day prophets, God has expressed to us how important our families really are. When we think about it this way, that God says families are important, how does that make us as individuals look? We run around playing with friends all day while we could be assisting our mothers instead. Or we come up with excuses like practice for sports as to why you can't join the family for dinner.
Make time for your family each and everyday. They are the most valuable people in your life. Your parents are there to raise you in the values of the church and other virtues you should attain. Your siblings, no matter how annoying, teach you to love, be compassionate, and patient. All qualities you need later in life especially when you have a family of your own. Family also teaches you discipline in that you should make time in your schedule for time together.
Love your family and make sure you set aside time to be with them each and everyday.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Readings: (none)
Families are ordained of God and therefore in their own way are sacred. Our families should be the most important people on this Earth to us. Without our families, we would be utterly alone. Truly, they are the only people you can call upon for help or guidance. But that's how it should be. This is because you've grown up with them, learned about them and love them. What greater power is there than love?
Through even modern day prophets, God has expressed to us how important our families really are. When we think about it this way, that God says families are important, how does that make us as individuals look? We run around playing with friends all day while we could be assisting our mothers instead. Or we come up with excuses like practice for sports as to why you can't join the family for dinner.
Make time for your family each and everyday. They are the most valuable people in your life. Your parents are there to raise you in the values of the church and other virtues you should attain. Your siblings, no matter how annoying, teach you to love, be compassionate, and patient. All qualities you need later in life especially when you have a family of your own. Family also teaches you discipline in that you should make time in your schedule for time together.
Love your family and make sure you set aside time to be with them each and everyday.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Take Each Day And Treasure It And Learn To Love Others
Monday, April 1, 2013
One of the things I did while I was on my 8 week ban from reading The Book of Mormon was I wrote Testimonies about some Bible scriptures. One of the sister missionaries was ever so kind as to email me the lessons to where they coincided with the Bible rather than The Book of Mormon. Thank you Sister Frisan! With that being said, the next few posts will be my Testimonies from the Bible or relating to the Bible.
Readings: John 3:16-17, Acts 17:27-29, Romans 8:16, Hebrews 12:9, 1 John 4:7-9
In these readings we are told of God's love for us. That we are His offspring and that the Holy Ghost will bear witness to this and a testimony of this being true to us.
I think this is a gentle reminder to us that our Heavenly Father is much like our parents, or rather, they are much like Him. Our Heavenly Father is there to guide us much like our parents do. Today I saw something about how parents love their children more than life itself. I think this very much applies to the love our Heavenly Father has for each of us.
In 1 John, we are told to love one another just as God loves each and everyone of us. He loves us no matter what and this is how we should be. We need to follow His example and loves each other unconditionally.
I saw a post the other day that more or less said "If we don't love each other, than how can we love God? For God is love." He is also the life and salvation.
On a day to day basis, we need to strive to show each other that we love the other. It can be as simple as sharing food. My example of love today was not just saying I loved someone, I showed it. I shared my lunch of Cheez-It crackers with both my sister and friend.
Take each day, hold it as a precious, special day and learn to love each other.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
One of the things I did while I was on my 8 week ban from reading The Book of Mormon was I wrote Testimonies about some Bible scriptures. One of the sister missionaries was ever so kind as to email me the lessons to where they coincided with the Bible rather than The Book of Mormon. Thank you Sister Frisan! With that being said, the next few posts will be my Testimonies from the Bible or relating to the Bible.
Readings: John 3:16-17, Acts 17:27-29, Romans 8:16, Hebrews 12:9, 1 John 4:7-9
In these readings we are told of God's love for us. That we are His offspring and that the Holy Ghost will bear witness to this and a testimony of this being true to us.
I think this is a gentle reminder to us that our Heavenly Father is much like our parents, or rather, they are much like Him. Our Heavenly Father is there to guide us much like our parents do. Today I saw something about how parents love their children more than life itself. I think this very much applies to the love our Heavenly Father has for each of us.
In 1 John, we are told to love one another just as God loves each and everyone of us. He loves us no matter what and this is how we should be. We need to follow His example and loves each other unconditionally.
I saw a post the other day that more or less said "If we don't love each other, than how can we love God? For God is love." He is also the life and salvation.
On a day to day basis, we need to strive to show each other that we love the other. It can be as simple as sharing food. My example of love today was not just saying I loved someone, I showed it. I shared my lunch of Cheez-It crackers with both my sister and friend.
Take each day, hold it as a precious, special day and learn to love each other.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Absolute Miracles From The LORD (Faith)
Some days, I'm sure we can all agree that we are unfaithful to the Lord. We feel like He is not answering our prayers.
I did end up talking to my mom. I shared with her my experiences with the Church and how God Himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit confirmed to me that I am doing what He wants. I shared with her each of my testimonies. Many of the Elders I spoke to said that prayer and reading as well as faith is enough. The Spirit would help me along the way.
At the time, I believed they were wrong. I did everything they said. I fasted before talking to my mom, I prayed to have the Spirit with me, watched a few videos, talked to the Elders and I tried my hardest to have faith that she would be okay with it. One of the Elders and I even did scenarios to help me figure out how to react in each general situation. One would think that'd be enough, right? And I suppose in a way, it was.
A few hours after doing this, I told my mom we needed to talk. We both went outside and sat down. As I spoke to her, I did not feel the presence of the Spirit. It was not there and at that time, I truly felt on my own. After we talked, my mom denied my request to meet with the missionaries. Not only that, but she said I was not allowed to do anything Mormon related. This included reading The Book of Mormon, talking to the missionaries about religious matters, watching Mormon videos, etc. Of course, prayer and the Bible were still allowed because they are not unique to the Mormon faith.
The days following, I was very irritated. There was not a day that went by that I did not just sit down and cry out of frustration. I knew I was losing faith and it was so hard to keep it. A few days after not reading and learning from the missionaries, I had felt something had changed. But I wasn't sure what. A few weeks went by and I lost the feeling of the presence of the Holy Ghost. It scared me and I had never felt so lost in my entire life. Yes, I could pray, but I never felt the reassurance that my prayers were being answered at all. I constantly asked for my parents' hearts to be softened, but it didn't seem to work.
Many weeks went by and I was still unable to do anything but read the Bible and pray. But I didn't read. And I doubt my prayers were as sincere as they could've been. About two weeks ago, my friend died. His death changed everything. I was absolutely irritated that I lost another person who was close to me. I was wondering how could God possibly have taken my grandfather away at Christmas and then my friend away from me as well. I wondered how He could've possibly allowed this to happen. And not just them. I lost my friends when my grandpa died. So between all of that, everything was a challenge.
The day after my friend died, I decided to only go to half a day of classes out of pure grief. I went to a chapel near my house and just sat there. I expressed my feelings to God and asked Him for some scripture that could help bring comfort to me at this time. I received the impression that I needed to read the gospel according to Luke. I read a few chapters and then left feeling much better.
I continued this for about a week. Reading in the morning for a half hour and then the afternoon for another hour. And it helped a ton.
Then I stopped reading. I'm not sure what exactly happened. But I lost my love to read. This occurred after meeting with a pastor from my church to discuss my interest in the Mormon church.
The night before my birthday, so this past Wednesday, I asked my mom if I could start meeting with the missionaries again. Part of the agreement the pastor and I made was that I would continue exploring both churches for a year, until I am 18. I told my mom the only way I could do this is by meeting with the missionaries as well as the pastor to get everything from both sides. In the end, she agreed. She wasn't happy about it, but she said yes and right now, that's all that matters.
This was such a huge change in my life. I spent my birthday happier than I've ever been. Overjoyed that I could continue in faith to search and learn more about our Heavenly Father. If He can do this for me, He can do absolutely anything for you.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
I did end up talking to my mom. I shared with her my experiences with the Church and how God Himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit confirmed to me that I am doing what He wants. I shared with her each of my testimonies. Many of the Elders I spoke to said that prayer and reading as well as faith is enough. The Spirit would help me along the way.
At the time, I believed they were wrong. I did everything they said. I fasted before talking to my mom, I prayed to have the Spirit with me, watched a few videos, talked to the Elders and I tried my hardest to have faith that she would be okay with it. One of the Elders and I even did scenarios to help me figure out how to react in each general situation. One would think that'd be enough, right? And I suppose in a way, it was.
A few hours after doing this, I told my mom we needed to talk. We both went outside and sat down. As I spoke to her, I did not feel the presence of the Spirit. It was not there and at that time, I truly felt on my own. After we talked, my mom denied my request to meet with the missionaries. Not only that, but she said I was not allowed to do anything Mormon related. This included reading The Book of Mormon, talking to the missionaries about religious matters, watching Mormon videos, etc. Of course, prayer and the Bible were still allowed because they are not unique to the Mormon faith.
The days following, I was very irritated. There was not a day that went by that I did not just sit down and cry out of frustration. I knew I was losing faith and it was so hard to keep it. A few days after not reading and learning from the missionaries, I had felt something had changed. But I wasn't sure what. A few weeks went by and I lost the feeling of the presence of the Holy Ghost. It scared me and I had never felt so lost in my entire life. Yes, I could pray, but I never felt the reassurance that my prayers were being answered at all. I constantly asked for my parents' hearts to be softened, but it didn't seem to work.
Many weeks went by and I was still unable to do anything but read the Bible and pray. But I didn't read. And I doubt my prayers were as sincere as they could've been. About two weeks ago, my friend died. His death changed everything. I was absolutely irritated that I lost another person who was close to me. I was wondering how could God possibly have taken my grandfather away at Christmas and then my friend away from me as well. I wondered how He could've possibly allowed this to happen. And not just them. I lost my friends when my grandpa died. So between all of that, everything was a challenge.
The day after my friend died, I decided to only go to half a day of classes out of pure grief. I went to a chapel near my house and just sat there. I expressed my feelings to God and asked Him for some scripture that could help bring comfort to me at this time. I received the impression that I needed to read the gospel according to Luke. I read a few chapters and then left feeling much better.
I continued this for about a week. Reading in the morning for a half hour and then the afternoon for another hour. And it helped a ton.
Then I stopped reading. I'm not sure what exactly happened. But I lost my love to read. This occurred after meeting with a pastor from my church to discuss my interest in the Mormon church.
The night before my birthday, so this past Wednesday, I asked my mom if I could start meeting with the missionaries again. Part of the agreement the pastor and I made was that I would continue exploring both churches for a year, until I am 18. I told my mom the only way I could do this is by meeting with the missionaries as well as the pastor to get everything from both sides. In the end, she agreed. She wasn't happy about it, but she said yes and right now, that's all that matters.
This was such a huge change in my life. I spent my birthday happier than I've ever been. Overjoyed that I could continue in faith to search and learn more about our Heavenly Father. If He can do this for me, He can do absolutely anything for you.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Choose This Day And Be Rewarded (Faith)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Today, I was faced with a challenge that I still haven't completed. That challenge is confessing to my mother my involvement in learning about the Mormon faith for almost two months now. I can't think of anything I have ever been more scared to do in my entire life. It did cross my mind to quit and just stop, to cease my learning in the Church and my care for the Church itself. But as I was talking to Elder Alvarenga, I realized that's not an option. I can't just quit because something's hard. That's even more reason to push on, to trust, to hope, to have faith, and to pray.
While watching some videos on the Mormon Channel, I found two videos that were of extreme significance to me. The first one is Choose This Day (http://bcove.me/25qre13p). In this video, we are reminded not to wait too long and saying that you will do something someday is a very bad habit to get into. Someday does not mean today, it means eventually. The word eventually is not a specific time period. This means that you could say that you will do something someday and never do it. That's of course not something you want to do. It's better to do that something today than wait. This is something I have discovered while talking to my friend David as well as all of the Elders and Sisters who have been so kind to talk to me.
The second video is called He Will Give You Help (http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-messages-for-youth?v=912461270001). This video teaches us literally what the title says. Our Heavenly Father will give us help. In the Book of Mormon, we are shown that often times we have to ask for the Lord's help; it's not just given to us. We actually have to pray and ask for help or guidance.
In Psalm 30:5 we are told that "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." This serves to remind us that even though there are some tough times and some very difficult trials in our lives, they will end eventually. And when they do end, we will feel joyous because we have endured through the trial we were faced with. Remember to "Never give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal." The Lord has promised never to abandon us. It is for that reason that we should never give up on Him. Psalm 119:105 tells us "The Lord's word is the lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Follow the Lord, He will guide you; always. In Matthew 28:20, the Lord promises us that "He is with you always, even unto the end of the world." The Lord is here with us forever and ever. He promises not to leave us. He promises to be with us and guide until the end. In 2 Nephi 25:23, the Lord promises us that we will be "reconciled to God" after we have done "all that we can do." Heavenly Father knows that we are not perfect. He has granted us so many promises and yet He decides that He will reassure us that even if we mess up, even if we have tried our hardest, He will make up for what we could not do.
In both Alma 32:21 (And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.) and Ether 12:6 (And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.) we are told that to have faith is not to have knowledge. You must trust that God knows what He is doing and will lead you where you need to go. If we were just told everything, then how would we learn? Making mistakes IS the way we learn, repentance is the way we apologize for the mistakes we've made. It is also our promise to God to change ourselves so that we don't make the same mistake again. The Lord reminds us in Alma 32:43 (Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.) that after our trial is over, we will receive a reward from it. Sometimes this reward is more knowledge and other times, it's simply happiness and being more faithful toward the Lord. But know, He is always there whenever we need His help. All we have to do is ask sincerely.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Today, I was faced with a challenge that I still haven't completed. That challenge is confessing to my mother my involvement in learning about the Mormon faith for almost two months now. I can't think of anything I have ever been more scared to do in my entire life. It did cross my mind to quit and just stop, to cease my learning in the Church and my care for the Church itself. But as I was talking to Elder Alvarenga, I realized that's not an option. I can't just quit because something's hard. That's even more reason to push on, to trust, to hope, to have faith, and to pray.
While watching some videos on the Mormon Channel, I found two videos that were of extreme significance to me. The first one is Choose This Day (http://bcove.me/25qre13p). In this video, we are reminded not to wait too long and saying that you will do something someday is a very bad habit to get into. Someday does not mean today, it means eventually. The word eventually is not a specific time period. This means that you could say that you will do something someday and never do it. That's of course not something you want to do. It's better to do that something today than wait. This is something I have discovered while talking to my friend David as well as all of the Elders and Sisters who have been so kind to talk to me.
The second video is called He Will Give You Help (http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-messages-for-youth?v=912461270001). This video teaches us literally what the title says. Our Heavenly Father will give us help. In the Book of Mormon, we are shown that often times we have to ask for the Lord's help; it's not just given to us. We actually have to pray and ask for help or guidance.
In Psalm 30:5 we are told that "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." This serves to remind us that even though there are some tough times and some very difficult trials in our lives, they will end eventually. And when they do end, we will feel joyous because we have endured through the trial we were faced with. Remember to "Never give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal." The Lord has promised never to abandon us. It is for that reason that we should never give up on Him. Psalm 119:105 tells us "The Lord's word is the lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Follow the Lord, He will guide you; always. In Matthew 28:20, the Lord promises us that "He is with you always, even unto the end of the world." The Lord is here with us forever and ever. He promises not to leave us. He promises to be with us and guide until the end. In 2 Nephi 25:23, the Lord promises us that we will be "reconciled to God" after we have done "all that we can do." Heavenly Father knows that we are not perfect. He has granted us so many promises and yet He decides that He will reassure us that even if we mess up, even if we have tried our hardest, He will make up for what we could not do.
In both Alma 32:21 (And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.) and Ether 12:6 (And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.) we are told that to have faith is not to have knowledge. You must trust that God knows what He is doing and will lead you where you need to go. If we were just told everything, then how would we learn? Making mistakes IS the way we learn, repentance is the way we apologize for the mistakes we've made. It is also our promise to God to change ourselves so that we don't make the same mistake again. The Lord reminds us in Alma 32:43 (Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.) that after our trial is over, we will receive a reward from it. Sometimes this reward is more knowledge and other times, it's simply happiness and being more faithful toward the Lord. But know, He is always there whenever we need His help. All we have to do is ask sincerely.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
How Could We Possibly Be Afraid? (Faith)
Friday, March 15, 2013
I confessed to Elder Eberle that I am truly scared to tell my mom about my interest in the Church. I am also afraid to tell her that more than likely (more like for sure) I will convert. It is my heart's desire and thankfully the will of the Lord that I be baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elder Eberle shared this with me (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7-9) "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art though greater than he?
Therefore, hold thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
How can we with this knowledge be afraid? The Lord is more powerful than all and no matter what happens, He will always be with us. It is through faith and knowledge that I have reached the courage to tell my mother. Our Heavenly Father has blessed us with the gift of prayer. We can ask Him for help whenever we need it, wherever we need it. All we need to do is ask. And ask sincerely. Through faith, time, and prayer, you will always receive an answer. The Lord has promised that.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
I confessed to Elder Eberle that I am truly scared to tell my mom about my interest in the Church. I am also afraid to tell her that more than likely (more like for sure) I will convert. It is my heart's desire and thankfully the will of the Lord that I be baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elder Eberle shared this with me (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7-9) "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art though greater than he?
Therefore, hold thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
How can we with this knowledge be afraid? The Lord is more powerful than all and no matter what happens, He will always be with us. It is through faith and knowledge that I have reached the courage to tell my mother. Our Heavenly Father has blessed us with the gift of prayer. We can ask Him for help whenever we need it, wherever we need it. All we need to do is ask. And ask sincerely. Through faith, time, and prayer, you will always receive an answer. The Lord has promised that.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
April 17, 2013
Just announcing this to the world: Today is my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh so excited!!!!!!
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Just announcing this to the world: Today is my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh so excited!!!!!!
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
"He Loveth His Children" (Faith)
Thursday, March 14, 2013
One of my biggest questions to myself right now is why did I ignore the prompting I received from the Holy Ghost to talk to my mother? I do have an answer, but it doesn't seem good enough. Is saying that I didn't do it because I was scared good enough? Because it doesn't seem like it.
As I sit here writing this testimony, all these thoughts of choices I've made are coming back to me. It's like I'm questioning every decision I've made and asked myself why did I make that decision? The only answer I have been able to find is that it seemed right at the time. Some of them were made from feelings and impressions, others simply as a leap of faith.
I think I can say that truly the reason I started investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was simply a leap of faith and hope. I haven't questioned this decision at all. The blessing I received has also confirmed that I am going down the right path. It's nice to know at least that much.
Tonight, I plan to pray to God to ask Him for guidance, to know what I should do. I don't know if I should talk to my mom face-to-face or if I should write her a letter that she can just read. Regardless, I am scared of what will happen, I'm scared of what she will say or do.
1 Nephi 11:17 says "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." This tells us that sometimes we don't know the meaning of what is happening. I would suggest that during this time, you feel like you are almost following blindly in faith. And this can be hard. Even though we know that our Heavenly Father loves us and will guide us in the right direction, it's hard to cast our entire selves upon the Lord. This is simply faith. The more faith you have, the more you are willing to trust in our Heavenly Father.
It is through faith that we learn some of our toughest lessons and learn to trust in God. Faith is what brings us closer to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
One of my biggest questions to myself right now is why did I ignore the prompting I received from the Holy Ghost to talk to my mother? I do have an answer, but it doesn't seem good enough. Is saying that I didn't do it because I was scared good enough? Because it doesn't seem like it.
As I sit here writing this testimony, all these thoughts of choices I've made are coming back to me. It's like I'm questioning every decision I've made and asked myself why did I make that decision? The only answer I have been able to find is that it seemed right at the time. Some of them were made from feelings and impressions, others simply as a leap of faith.
I think I can say that truly the reason I started investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was simply a leap of faith and hope. I haven't questioned this decision at all. The blessing I received has also confirmed that I am going down the right path. It's nice to know at least that much.
Tonight, I plan to pray to God to ask Him for guidance, to know what I should do. I don't know if I should talk to my mom face-to-face or if I should write her a letter that she can just read. Regardless, I am scared of what will happen, I'm scared of what she will say or do.
1 Nephi 11:17 says "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." This tells us that sometimes we don't know the meaning of what is happening. I would suggest that during this time, you feel like you are almost following blindly in faith. And this can be hard. Even though we know that our Heavenly Father loves us and will guide us in the right direction, it's hard to cast our entire selves upon the Lord. This is simply faith. The more faith you have, the more you are willing to trust in our Heavenly Father.
It is through faith that we learn some of our toughest lessons and learn to trust in God. Faith is what brings us closer to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Seek Guidance From GOD (Faith)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Tonight, I was watching a bunch of videos on the Mormon Channel in search of an answer to my question.
Today, I believe I received a prompting from the Holy Spirit to share my blessing, that I received yesterday, with my mother. But I was scared of what would happen if I told her. I know my parents will not go and say, kick me out of the house. They wouldn't do that. I am their daughter and their first born child.
I was still so unsure. So I went online and talked to a few Elders on Mormon.org. Unfortunately, they made me feel like I should not have shared my blessing with Elder Eberle because sometimes God just wants to keep something between you and Him. But since I had already shared it, they said don't worry about it.
I expressed my frustration on this matter to Elder Eberle. He advised that I watch the video called Courage (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2221439363001). From that video, I learned that being brave isn't not being scared. It's simply having faith. He also asked me to read 1 Nephi 7 which he was hoping would provide some guidance.
After talking to Elder Eberle, I began asking myself, did I actually receive a prompting from the Spirit or was it just me? So I decided to watch the three part video of Patterns of Light with Elder Bednar. He, to me, has always been an inspiration. I often watch his videos for guidance.
I still didn't have the answer I was looking for. So as a last resort, I decided to talk to Jade. Jade is a returned missionary who used to teach alongside one of the sister missionaries who taught me. She told me that Elder Bednar has also said "Don't worry about it." Jade said that means "don't stress if it's you or Him - you're trying your best to do what's right, so go and do."
The only conclusion I have reached for this matter is looking to God Himself and asking for help and guidance, because I truly have to idea what to do. But I have faith that God will help me. He always does.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Tonight, I was watching a bunch of videos on the Mormon Channel in search of an answer to my question.
Today, I believe I received a prompting from the Holy Spirit to share my blessing, that I received yesterday, with my mother. But I was scared of what would happen if I told her. I know my parents will not go and say, kick me out of the house. They wouldn't do that. I am their daughter and their first born child.
I was still so unsure. So I went online and talked to a few Elders on Mormon.org. Unfortunately, they made me feel like I should not have shared my blessing with Elder Eberle because sometimes God just wants to keep something between you and Him. But since I had already shared it, they said don't worry about it.
I expressed my frustration on this matter to Elder Eberle. He advised that I watch the video called Courage (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2221439363001). From that video, I learned that being brave isn't not being scared. It's simply having faith. He also asked me to read 1 Nephi 7 which he was hoping would provide some guidance.
After talking to Elder Eberle, I began asking myself, did I actually receive a prompting from the Spirit or was it just me? So I decided to watch the three part video of Patterns of Light with Elder Bednar. He, to me, has always been an inspiration. I often watch his videos for guidance.
I still didn't have the answer I was looking for. So as a last resort, I decided to talk to Jade. Jade is a returned missionary who used to teach alongside one of the sister missionaries who taught me. She told me that Elder Bednar has also said "Don't worry about it." Jade said that means "don't stress if it's you or Him - you're trying your best to do what's right, so go and do."
The only conclusion I have reached for this matter is looking to God Himself and asking for help and guidance, because I truly have to idea what to do. But I have faith that God will help me. He always does.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Power of Priesthood Blessings (Faith)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Today was the most amazing day ever!!!! I received my first priesthood blessing from an Elder from the nearby church!
Through this blessing, I know that I am doing the right thing and heading down the right path. I know that God is always there as my Heavenly Father and loves me very, very much. I don't know what I would do without His counsel and comfort today. I think I can say that I needed it more than anything. It especially helped knowing that He loves me and is always there for me.
The weirdest thing was after the blessing, the Elder who gave it to me didn't realize that he had given one.
Before the blessing, I remember feeling a little nervous because I wasn't sure how it was going to work. During the blessing, I felt like something had just taken control of me. I listened to what the Elder said with my eyes closed, just like when I pray. At one point, I had tears in my eyes, though I am not sure exactly why. I also remember briefly shaking, but not from fear. There was so much power at work, I don't think I can really describe it. The word "amazing" can't even begin to show how I felt. The blessing was the most amazing thing ever, though. I am so happy I received one today. It has made me feel better in every way possible. I know now that I am doing the right thing.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Today was the most amazing day ever!!!! I received my first priesthood blessing from an Elder from the nearby church!
Through this blessing, I know that I am doing the right thing and heading down the right path. I know that God is always there as my Heavenly Father and loves me very, very much. I don't know what I would do without His counsel and comfort today. I think I can say that I needed it more than anything. It especially helped knowing that He loves me and is always there for me.
The weirdest thing was after the blessing, the Elder who gave it to me didn't realize that he had given one.
Before the blessing, I remember feeling a little nervous because I wasn't sure how it was going to work. During the blessing, I felt like something had just taken control of me. I listened to what the Elder said with my eyes closed, just like when I pray. At one point, I had tears in my eyes, though I am not sure exactly why. I also remember briefly shaking, but not from fear. There was so much power at work, I don't think I can really describe it. The word "amazing" can't even begin to show how I felt. The blessing was the most amazing thing ever, though. I am so happy I received one today. It has made me feel better in every way possible. I know now that I am doing the right thing.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Look To The Light (Faith)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sometimes we feel like the Lord has abandoned us; that He does not hear our prayers. Or that He is ignoring us. This is not true and this will never be true.
Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He will do everything He can to help us. In the video Look to the Light (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911029438001) this is shown to us. The Lord will never leave us.
For me, currently, one of my biggest struggles is with my parents. It is time for all juniors in high school to start applying for both colleges and scholarships. While applying is a struggle in itself, my parents also disapprove of the college I have chosen to go to. I do sometimes feel like the Lord is ignoring my cry for help, that He has forgotten me. But I think we all at some point in time feel this. Even so, you cannot lose faith or hope. He hasn't left you and He never will.
Brother Jensen told me today that the Lord wants to help us, but He also wants us to become self-reliant. In other words, try first yourself, then ask for help. The Lord will help you eventually, but His timing is always His choice. Not ours.
Another thing I saw the other day is "The teacher is always quiet during the test." This is true. In this case, the "teacher" is referring to Heavenly Father. He teaches us daily about life and scriptures, how we should be as a person. Sometimes though, He is quiet. In this case, the quote says He is quite during our trials. During some of these trials, you can pray and pray and He won't answer because He wants us to try to figure it out ourselves. It is, as Brother Jensen said, the Lord's way of bringing us to His level.
We just have to trust in God and have faith. Our Heavenly Father will never give us something we cannot handle. Sometimes it will be hard. But, in the end, it will always be worth it.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Sometimes we feel like the Lord has abandoned us; that He does not hear our prayers. Or that He is ignoring us. This is not true and this will never be true.
Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He will do everything He can to help us. In the video Look to the Light (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911029438001) this is shown to us. The Lord will never leave us.
For me, currently, one of my biggest struggles is with my parents. It is time for all juniors in high school to start applying for both colleges and scholarships. While applying is a struggle in itself, my parents also disapprove of the college I have chosen to go to. I do sometimes feel like the Lord is ignoring my cry for help, that He has forgotten me. But I think we all at some point in time feel this. Even so, you cannot lose faith or hope. He hasn't left you and He never will.
Brother Jensen told me today that the Lord wants to help us, but He also wants us to become self-reliant. In other words, try first yourself, then ask for help. The Lord will help you eventually, but His timing is always His choice. Not ours.
Another thing I saw the other day is "The teacher is always quiet during the test." This is true. In this case, the "teacher" is referring to Heavenly Father. He teaches us daily about life and scriptures, how we should be as a person. Sometimes though, He is quiet. In this case, the quote says He is quite during our trials. During some of these trials, you can pray and pray and He won't answer because He wants us to try to figure it out ourselves. It is, as Brother Jensen said, the Lord's way of bringing us to His level.
We just have to trust in God and have faith. Our Heavenly Father will never give us something we cannot handle. Sometimes it will be hard. But, in the end, it will always be worth it.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Saturday, April 6, 2013
He Is Always There (Faith)
Sunday, March 10, 2013
One video that I constantly watch on the Mormon Channel is Earthly Father, Heavenly Father (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2119328537001). This video is so powerful in that it reminds us that God is our Heavenly Father and that everything we have is because He has provided is for us. Everything we have is because of Him. Each time I watch it, I am reminded that God loves us very much.
In 2 Nephi 22:2 it says "Behold, God is my salvation." In the video Earthly Father, Heavenly Father, the analogy of our father being our salvation is made. Salvation means to protect someone and keep them safe from harm. Our earthly fathers vow to do this. To love us, protect us and provide for us. But they can only do that through our Heavenly Father who gives them the ability to protect, provide and love. Rach and everyday, God protects us. He loves us, He cares for us. He also provides us the strength we need to get through the tougher days of life. When we look to our Heavenly Father, we can do anything and we can overcome any challenge.
Mormon 10:5 states "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." We must trust in our Heavenly Father and have faith. By the power of the Holy Ghost we will receive answers. We will also learn the truth in all things we wish to know. This takes time. God first wants us to ask ourselves and look deeply into our mind to come up with a possible answer. We can then pray to Him and ask if our answer is the correct one. Sometimes we don't have the right answer. In the Book of Mormon it states then when we have the wrong answer, God will let us know by having us forget the answer discovered. This forgetfulness will make us yearn to know the correct answer. If you reach a wrong answer, pray again only this time ask for the guidance to find the right answer. God will help you. He has done it for me many times. God, for example, helped me find that the Book of Mormon is true and also that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church.
If God brought us into this world, He surely will want to help us endure to the end so that we many return to live with him.
God is there to guide us, to love us, to protect and provide for us. We are His children and He loves us very much. If you ever need help or feel alone, turn to Him. He is always there.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
One video that I constantly watch on the Mormon Channel is Earthly Father, Heavenly Father (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2119328537001). This video is so powerful in that it reminds us that God is our Heavenly Father and that everything we have is because He has provided is for us. Everything we have is because of Him. Each time I watch it, I am reminded that God loves us very much.
In 2 Nephi 22:2 it says "Behold, God is my salvation." In the video Earthly Father, Heavenly Father, the analogy of our father being our salvation is made. Salvation means to protect someone and keep them safe from harm. Our earthly fathers vow to do this. To love us, protect us and provide for us. But they can only do that through our Heavenly Father who gives them the ability to protect, provide and love. Rach and everyday, God protects us. He loves us, He cares for us. He also provides us the strength we need to get through the tougher days of life. When we look to our Heavenly Father, we can do anything and we can overcome any challenge.
Mormon 10:5 states "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." We must trust in our Heavenly Father and have faith. By the power of the Holy Ghost we will receive answers. We will also learn the truth in all things we wish to know. This takes time. God first wants us to ask ourselves and look deeply into our mind to come up with a possible answer. We can then pray to Him and ask if our answer is the correct one. Sometimes we don't have the right answer. In the Book of Mormon it states then when we have the wrong answer, God will let us know by having us forget the answer discovered. This forgetfulness will make us yearn to know the correct answer. If you reach a wrong answer, pray again only this time ask for the guidance to find the right answer. God will help you. He has done it for me many times. God, for example, helped me find that the Book of Mormon is true and also that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church.
If God brought us into this world, He surely will want to help us endure to the end so that we many return to live with him.
God is there to guide us, to love us, to protect and provide for us. We are His children and He loves us very much. If you ever need help or feel alone, turn to Him. He is always there.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Love One Another (Faith)
Saturday, March 9, 2013
In both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, we are told that our Heavenly Father answers all of our prayers, though sometimes these answers take time.
One thing I have been praying and yearning for is my parents to accept me possibly becoming a part of the Mormon church. I realize for now that it is a long stretch and seemingly impossible.
One thing I came across today stated "The human family comes in every shade of difference. The greatest and smallest of us possess as many unique talents as we do weaknesses. Yet it is so easy to miss the common ground we all walk on." For my parents and I, while we have massive disagreements on what the "true" church and faith are, we still have this. We agree on many things. Many more than we disagree on. For example, both my parents and I believe in one God; our Heavenly Father. We also believe that the ten commandments we were given should be followed at all times. For instance, my parents have always taught me not to lie no matter what the consequence(s), because there really is nothing worse than not telling the truth.
In John 13:34 it is said "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." This reminds us to love each other no matter what. My mother has promised to love me no matter what decision I make. Some of these decisions include joining the Church in the future, and other include present everyday decisions that we make. Heavenly Father reminds us daily to love our family. It doesn't mean you have to agree with them on everything, it simply means we love them. Love is the most powerful thing on Earth. You can conquer anything with it.
My example for this is a few years ago, my mom had cancerous thing on her liver. The doctors never said that it was certain she would die, but there was a possibility. She had one surgery and was fine. They then told her that they could remove the entire thing that was cancerous or she could come back in a year. She chose to have it entirely removed. The second procedure meant that there was an even greater risk that she would die. But my father never left her side. He loves her and supported her through the entire ordeal. This proves that love really does conquer all.
One other thing that we need to remember comes from Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor depth, nor any creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Sometimes one of the hardest things in life is trusting God. Trusting Him can take a lot of faith, but loving Him doesn't take near the amount. Our Heavenly Father loves us no matter what we do in life. He trusts is to make the right decisions. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. But bad decisions will never make Him stop loving us. He always will. He is our Father. And He loves us very much for all eternity. So sometimes when you feel alone and you think nobody loves or cares for you, remember this: God loves you and He always will. He will never forsake you, it is His promise.
The other night, I can say I felt alone like there was no one there for me. I am not sure why, but it is the feeling I experienced. I prayed to God and told Him how lonely I felt and how much I missed the presence of the Holy Ghost. He heard my prayer and answered it. The feeling of the Holy Ghost returned. While it was only for a few minutes, it was enough.
Faith is what caused this. Having faith that our Heavenly Father will always be there for us. So trust Him and love Him. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you." Love your Heavenly Father and He will show you His love and care that He has for you.
Through faith and love, I hope my parents will one day accept me as a member of the Church.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
In both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, we are told that our Heavenly Father answers all of our prayers, though sometimes these answers take time.
One thing I have been praying and yearning for is my parents to accept me possibly becoming a part of the Mormon church. I realize for now that it is a long stretch and seemingly impossible.
One thing I came across today stated "The human family comes in every shade of difference. The greatest and smallest of us possess as many unique talents as we do weaknesses. Yet it is so easy to miss the common ground we all walk on." For my parents and I, while we have massive disagreements on what the "true" church and faith are, we still have this. We agree on many things. Many more than we disagree on. For example, both my parents and I believe in one God; our Heavenly Father. We also believe that the ten commandments we were given should be followed at all times. For instance, my parents have always taught me not to lie no matter what the consequence(s), because there really is nothing worse than not telling the truth.
In John 13:34 it is said "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." This reminds us to love each other no matter what. My mother has promised to love me no matter what decision I make. Some of these decisions include joining the Church in the future, and other include present everyday decisions that we make. Heavenly Father reminds us daily to love our family. It doesn't mean you have to agree with them on everything, it simply means we love them. Love is the most powerful thing on Earth. You can conquer anything with it.
My example for this is a few years ago, my mom had cancerous thing on her liver. The doctors never said that it was certain she would die, but there was a possibility. She had one surgery and was fine. They then told her that they could remove the entire thing that was cancerous or she could come back in a year. She chose to have it entirely removed. The second procedure meant that there was an even greater risk that she would die. But my father never left her side. He loves her and supported her through the entire ordeal. This proves that love really does conquer all.
One other thing that we need to remember comes from Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor depth, nor any creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Sometimes one of the hardest things in life is trusting God. Trusting Him can take a lot of faith, but loving Him doesn't take near the amount. Our Heavenly Father loves us no matter what we do in life. He trusts is to make the right decisions. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. But bad decisions will never make Him stop loving us. He always will. He is our Father. And He loves us very much for all eternity. So sometimes when you feel alone and you think nobody loves or cares for you, remember this: God loves you and He always will. He will never forsake you, it is His promise.
The other night, I can say I felt alone like there was no one there for me. I am not sure why, but it is the feeling I experienced. I prayed to God and told Him how lonely I felt and how much I missed the presence of the Holy Ghost. He heard my prayer and answered it. The feeling of the Holy Ghost returned. While it was only for a few minutes, it was enough.
Faith is what caused this. Having faith that our Heavenly Father will always be there for us. So trust Him and love Him. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you." Love your Heavenly Father and He will show you His love and care that He has for you.
Through faith and love, I hope my parents will one day accept me as a member of the Church.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Exercise Faith In The Lord (Faith)
Friday, March 8, 2013
1 Nephi 7:12 says "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it be so that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."
I would like to bring particular attention to the last part, "let us be faithful to him." When we break everything apart into pieces, it all comes down to one thing. Faith.
In this particular scripture, it is emphasized that we need to have faith in the Lord. He has promised that He will never forsake us and that He is always there. All we need to do is pray and we will have direct contact with Him. The Lord is here to grant us help when we sincerely seek for it. Sometimes that is more often than not. For me, it is everyday. At least twice a day. I am always seeking for the Lord's help in all things.
Moroni 10:4 states "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." When we seek sincerely for an answer, the Lord will answer our prayer. Sometimes it's immediately, sometimes we have to wait awhile. One thing I've noticed that sometimes happens is we receive revelation and then we go for a while without hearing anything else. This gives us time to ponder what we have learned. When the Lord thinks we are ready, He will grant us more knowledge. But once again, sometimes this takes time.
The Lord truly knows when we are ready. It is an amazing and incredible thing. But He knows. He is our Heavenly Father and no one else knows us better than Him. All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Him and follow the promptings He gives us.
Trust the Lord. That's all we have to do. Trust and have faith.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
1 Nephi 7:12 says "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it be so that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."
I would like to bring particular attention to the last part, "let us be faithful to him." When we break everything apart into pieces, it all comes down to one thing. Faith.
In this particular scripture, it is emphasized that we need to have faith in the Lord. He has promised that He will never forsake us and that He is always there. All we need to do is pray and we will have direct contact with Him. The Lord is here to grant us help when we sincerely seek for it. Sometimes that is more often than not. For me, it is everyday. At least twice a day. I am always seeking for the Lord's help in all things.
Moroni 10:4 states "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." When we seek sincerely for an answer, the Lord will answer our prayer. Sometimes it's immediately, sometimes we have to wait awhile. One thing I've noticed that sometimes happens is we receive revelation and then we go for a while without hearing anything else. This gives us time to ponder what we have learned. When the Lord thinks we are ready, He will grant us more knowledge. But once again, sometimes this takes time.
The Lord truly knows when we are ready. It is an amazing and incredible thing. But He knows. He is our Heavenly Father and no one else knows us better than Him. All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Him and follow the promptings He gives us.
Trust the Lord. That's all we have to do. Trust and have faith.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Think About Others, Too (Faith)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
There are not very many nights I go through and ask myself why I have been so selfish about something because I am generally not a selfish person. I very much try to be giving in every way that I can. But while talking to an Elder and his companion tonight, I found the answer to my question from last night.
I think I can say that, in regard to the excessive amount of missionaries I've been paired with, this has happened because they are all excellent missionaries who are now being given the opportunity to touch someone else's life who more than likely needs it far more than I do. Not that I'm saying I don't need their help.
When the Elder brought that up, I asked myself "How could I have been so selfish not realize that?" And it really did make me feel bad seeing how self-centered I've acted in that regard.
One thing I've realized in regard to faith is that there are many other people who need their lives touched by God and the only way to do this for some is through the missionaries.
I have faith that God has and will provide me with other missionaries who are just as excellent at teaching.
While I miss and will miss all the missionaries who have left or are soon going to leave, I realize that perhaps the reason is simply someone needs them far more than I do. I have faith that God will enable me to learn more about Him even when these particular missionaries are gone.
God always has a plan and is always willing to help when you need Him to. Rely on God when you have a problem, He always has a solution. Sometimes, though, you just need to ask.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
There are not very many nights I go through and ask myself why I have been so selfish about something because I am generally not a selfish person. I very much try to be giving in every way that I can. But while talking to an Elder and his companion tonight, I found the answer to my question from last night.
I think I can say that, in regard to the excessive amount of missionaries I've been paired with, this has happened because they are all excellent missionaries who are now being given the opportunity to touch someone else's life who more than likely needs it far more than I do. Not that I'm saying I don't need their help.
When the Elder brought that up, I asked myself "How could I have been so selfish not realize that?" And it really did make me feel bad seeing how self-centered I've acted in that regard.
One thing I've realized in regard to faith is that there are many other people who need their lives touched by God and the only way to do this for some is through the missionaries.
I have faith that God has and will provide me with other missionaries who are just as excellent at teaching.
While I miss and will miss all the missionaries who have left or are soon going to leave, I realize that perhaps the reason is simply someone needs them far more than I do. I have faith that God will enable me to learn more about Him even when these particular missionaries are gone.
God always has a plan and is always willing to help when you need Him to. Rely on God when you have a problem, He always has a solution. Sometimes, though, you just need to ask.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Everything Happens For A Reason (Faith)
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Sometimes we wonder why things happen to us, or why our Heavenly Father gave us something that seems useless. Something that makes us question why He gave us something that seems overly challenging and makes you wonder how you will ever get through it. That's when we need to turn to God for help.
I have two specific questions that are very much related to those above.
They are: why did I come into contact with the missionaries a year and a half before I could even be baptized? and why have I been put with all sorts of different missionaries?
I was talking to Elder Alvarenga about both of these questions. As well as Elder Coy and Elder Eberle.
To the first question, Elder Alvarenga responded: "what if we didn't meet you? what if you didn't know this gospel at all? maybe if this never happened, you might not have known this. Maybe from the time you met with missionaries, and until the time you are baptized, you would have fallen deeper than ever. you never know what could have happened.. i think God knew, that if you didn't learn the gospel early before your baptism, you may not have known it at all." And he's right. I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met these outstanding missionaries. I can only guess that I would be exactly where I was before I met them, or worse.
These missionaries, through the power of the Holy Ghost have taught me so much about the Gospel and our Heavenly Father. They have brought an incredible amount of joy and happiness into my life.
Through faith I know that God has a plan for me. Though I might not know what it is exactly. I know that He knows and He will always do what's best for me because He is my loving Father in Heaven.
My second question, concerning the missionaries, I have no idea what the answer is. I can only trust that God knows exactly what He is doing. I know that from each and every missionary I have been placed with I have learned something. And maybe that's the purpose of this. Maybe later, it will enable me to become a better missionary and serve Him beyond the ability of most simply because of experience. I don't know, but I do have faith that for whatever reason He is doing this, it will make me a better and more Christ-like figure in the end.
Through faith, I know that I can get over any challenge that is set before me and endure until the end. This is what faith is for. To help us. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that as long as we have faith in Him, we will never fall to where we can't get back up. He is always there to help us. Forever and ever.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Sometimes we wonder why things happen to us, or why our Heavenly Father gave us something that seems useless. Something that makes us question why He gave us something that seems overly challenging and makes you wonder how you will ever get through it. That's when we need to turn to God for help.
I have two specific questions that are very much related to those above.
They are: why did I come into contact with the missionaries a year and a half before I could even be baptized? and why have I been put with all sorts of different missionaries?
I was talking to Elder Alvarenga about both of these questions. As well as Elder Coy and Elder Eberle.
To the first question, Elder Alvarenga responded: "what if we didn't meet you? what if you didn't know this gospel at all? maybe if this never happened, you might not have known this. Maybe from the time you met with missionaries, and until the time you are baptized, you would have fallen deeper than ever. you never know what could have happened.. i think God knew, that if you didn't learn the gospel early before your baptism, you may not have known it at all." And he's right. I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met these outstanding missionaries. I can only guess that I would be exactly where I was before I met them, or worse.
These missionaries, through the power of the Holy Ghost have taught me so much about the Gospel and our Heavenly Father. They have brought an incredible amount of joy and happiness into my life.
Through faith I know that God has a plan for me. Though I might not know what it is exactly. I know that He knows and He will always do what's best for me because He is my loving Father in Heaven.
My second question, concerning the missionaries, I have no idea what the answer is. I can only trust that God knows exactly what He is doing. I know that from each and every missionary I have been placed with I have learned something. And maybe that's the purpose of this. Maybe later, it will enable me to become a better missionary and serve Him beyond the ability of most simply because of experience. I don't know, but I do have faith that for whatever reason He is doing this, it will make me a better and more Christ-like figure in the end.
Through faith, I know that I can get over any challenge that is set before me and endure until the end. This is what faith is for. To help us. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that as long as we have faith in Him, we will never fall to where we can't get back up. He is always there to help us. Forever and ever.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
"Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" (Faith)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Faith is what gives us hope that there will be a better tomorrow, no matter how bad the day has gone for you. Faith is empowering and enables us to have strength in all situations.
There are times when we've all felt like we should give up; that we can't go on; that the task before us is too hard and we can't complete it. But this isn't true. When we have faith, all things are possible.
"Do all things through Christ who strengthens me" speaks these words the clearest. When we rely on Christ for help, we can achieve our goals no matter how impossible or unattainable they may seem.
In our spiritual lives, we face challenges. All of them require faith, no matter what they are. Though some require more than others. And some require more than just faith.
Our Heavenly Father, though, will never give us something that is far too hard for us. Sometimes we have to reach deep within ourselves to find the power we need. Prayer is a way to help with this. When we rely on God for help, it helps us as well. We must humble ourselves and realize that we cannot do everything on our own. That we need God's help. He is our Heavenly Father and loves us very much. He is always willing to help us. Sometimes this does require asking Him for help. Not all things in life are just given to you, some things you have to ask for. There are so many trials we face in life and all of them come down to one thing. Faith.
For me, currently, I have to have faith that my Heavenly Father will help me become a better person and enable me to one day serve Him as a missionary. For now though, I need to concentrate on being a better person. This I can do through faith by prayer for help.
One example would be that more than likely Elder Eberle will be getting a new companion. I will most certainly need my Heavenly Father's help to eradicate my bigotry against this new companion and actually give him a chance. I don't know what he will be like. Also, it is not our place to judge a person. That is God's place and God's place alone.
All we can do it try to be the best person we can be. And we can do this through the strength of Christ and the help of our Heavenly Father.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Faith is what gives us hope that there will be a better tomorrow, no matter how bad the day has gone for you. Faith is empowering and enables us to have strength in all situations.
There are times when we've all felt like we should give up; that we can't go on; that the task before us is too hard and we can't complete it. But this isn't true. When we have faith, all things are possible.
"Do all things through Christ who strengthens me" speaks these words the clearest. When we rely on Christ for help, we can achieve our goals no matter how impossible or unattainable they may seem.
In our spiritual lives, we face challenges. All of them require faith, no matter what they are. Though some require more than others. And some require more than just faith.
Our Heavenly Father, though, will never give us something that is far too hard for us. Sometimes we have to reach deep within ourselves to find the power we need. Prayer is a way to help with this. When we rely on God for help, it helps us as well. We must humble ourselves and realize that we cannot do everything on our own. That we need God's help. He is our Heavenly Father and loves us very much. He is always willing to help us. Sometimes this does require asking Him for help. Not all things in life are just given to you, some things you have to ask for. There are so many trials we face in life and all of them come down to one thing. Faith.
For me, currently, I have to have faith that my Heavenly Father will help me become a better person and enable me to one day serve Him as a missionary. For now though, I need to concentrate on being a better person. This I can do through faith by prayer for help.
One example would be that more than likely Elder Eberle will be getting a new companion. I will most certainly need my Heavenly Father's help to eradicate my bigotry against this new companion and actually give him a chance. I don't know what he will be like. Also, it is not our place to judge a person. That is God's place and God's place alone.
All we can do it try to be the best person we can be. And we can do this through the strength of Christ and the help of our Heavenly Father.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Seeing The Big Picture (Faith)
Monday, March 4, 2013
In life, we sometimes question why things are happening to us. Sometimes we ask ourselves, like I did today, how is it that God can allow us to become concerned and frustrated over small things that don't really matter instead of concerning ourselves with the things that really do matter?
Unsure of an answer to this question, I asked one of the online missionaries for help. He asked me why I asked and I told it was because of the frustration I felt at basketball practice when I couldn't perform a maneuver many others had been able to since at least middle school. The missionary replied that he actually had asked himself that exact same question earlier today. He explained that it allows us the opportunity to study our current position with God. Then, we are able to step back and consider our loves in God's hands.
His companion added on that "God sent us here to learn and grow. He doesn't expect us to be perfect now, but part of living is realizing we don't always worry about the right things..."
This is where we have to trust our Heavenly Father through faith that He will help us. By doing this, we can work to overcome whatever small problems it is that are bothering us in our daily lives.
Our Heavenly Father loves us very much and all of our problems, no matter how small, are a concern of His. Through prayer, we can ask for His help to overcome these problems, either by a solution of simply waiting. Sometimes, waiting is the best one because it allows us time to really think about our decisions and choices. If we find something we think if right, it could be an answer from our Heavenly Father, possibly His solution.
It is through faith that we learn to entirely trust our Heavenly Father. And that is something we all need to learn to do. Trust in God. Completely.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
In life, we sometimes question why things are happening to us. Sometimes we ask ourselves, like I did today, how is it that God can allow us to become concerned and frustrated over small things that don't really matter instead of concerning ourselves with the things that really do matter?
Unsure of an answer to this question, I asked one of the online missionaries for help. He asked me why I asked and I told it was because of the frustration I felt at basketball practice when I couldn't perform a maneuver many others had been able to since at least middle school. The missionary replied that he actually had asked himself that exact same question earlier today. He explained that it allows us the opportunity to study our current position with God. Then, we are able to step back and consider our loves in God's hands.
His companion added on that "God sent us here to learn and grow. He doesn't expect us to be perfect now, but part of living is realizing we don't always worry about the right things..."
This is where we have to trust our Heavenly Father through faith that He will help us. By doing this, we can work to overcome whatever small problems it is that are bothering us in our daily lives.
Our Heavenly Father loves us very much and all of our problems, no matter how small, are a concern of His. Through prayer, we can ask for His help to overcome these problems, either by a solution of simply waiting. Sometimes, waiting is the best one because it allows us time to really think about our decisions and choices. If we find something we think if right, it could be an answer from our Heavenly Father, possibly His solution.
It is through faith that we learn to entirely trust our Heavenly Father. And that is something we all need to learn to do. Trust in God. Completely.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
We Are Never Alone (Faith)
Sunday, March 3, 2013
We are never, ever alone. God always walks beside us through every part of our busy day. Therefore, we need not worry about being alone. There is always someone with us. This may not be the friend from school that you want to be with, but you never are alone.
For us as kids, the only thing we want in today's society is to be accepted by others. Unfortunately, this can mean sacrificing our beliefs. Many kids do this. To be popular, kids put aside all that their parents have taight them and go on to doing things that were always looked down upon; such as smoking and drinking.
In the Word of Wisdom, we are told that these practices are bad for us. By disobeying the Word of Wisdom, we lengthen ourselves from God, and therefore are not as close to Him as we could be.
When we make the decision to not be around "friends" who smoke, drink, and practice other things that violate our beliefs, we can sometimes feel alone. Kids often tease others that don't want to do these things.
But we are never alone. God has promised us angels on both our right and left side. he is always with us and is there to guide us through everyday, if we accept His guidance.
As President Thomas S. Monson said: "Dare to stand alone. Dare to do what is right." And always follow the word of God.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
We are never, ever alone. God always walks beside us through every part of our busy day. Therefore, we need not worry about being alone. There is always someone with us. This may not be the friend from school that you want to be with, but you never are alone.
For us as kids, the only thing we want in today's society is to be accepted by others. Unfortunately, this can mean sacrificing our beliefs. Many kids do this. To be popular, kids put aside all that their parents have taight them and go on to doing things that were always looked down upon; such as smoking and drinking.
In the Word of Wisdom, we are told that these practices are bad for us. By disobeying the Word of Wisdom, we lengthen ourselves from God, and therefore are not as close to Him as we could be.
When we make the decision to not be around "friends" who smoke, drink, and practice other things that violate our beliefs, we can sometimes feel alone. Kids often tease others that don't want to do these things.
But we are never alone. God has promised us angels on both our right and left side. he is always with us and is there to guide us through everyday, if we accept His guidance.
As President Thomas S. Monson said: "Dare to stand alone. Dare to do what is right." And always follow the word of God.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Obedience Through Faith (Faith)
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Obedience is something we were all taught as kids. That we need to listen to those who are in authority. As children, that was mostly our parents' As we learned more and more, we found that God is also an authoritative figure we need to listen to. He is the one who guides our lives and the only way for Him to do that is if we are willing to follow.
Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent us Apostles so we need not ever worry about having no communication with Him. During the great apostasy people didn't know what to follow or who to believe. They didn't know which church was the right church and lacked the communication with God they needed to find out.
Joseph Smith was the first Prophet here on Earth following the great apostasy. God gave him the power of prayer that way Joseph Smith could talk to Him, as well as listen to Him. Each and everyone one of us needs to view Joseph Smith as a model for our loves. We need to listen to God and follow His teachings. We also need to follow the teachings of the Apostles God has given us today on Earth (as long as what they tell us is morally correct). Through obedience, we learn more about God and that is what we need to make our lives better and better each and every day. Some of the ways we can do this is by following the teachings of Christ, being good people, reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and prayer.
Christ teaches us to be good people. Also, through Christ we have the forgiveness of sins. We need to be obedient to the will of God. We can do this by repenting our sins.
Also, we can use the Bible and the Book of Mormon to guide us. After all, scripture is a reference as well as a guide.
Prayer enables us to talk to God. It allows us to relay our feelings to Him, thank Him for all of the blessings we have received, and to answer questions we cannot solve on our own.
The more obedient we are to the will of God, the closer and closer we get to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Obedience is something we were all taught as kids. That we need to listen to those who are in authority. As children, that was mostly our parents' As we learned more and more, we found that God is also an authoritative figure we need to listen to. He is the one who guides our lives and the only way for Him to do that is if we are willing to follow.
Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent us Apostles so we need not ever worry about having no communication with Him. During the great apostasy people didn't know what to follow or who to believe. They didn't know which church was the right church and lacked the communication with God they needed to find out.
Joseph Smith was the first Prophet here on Earth following the great apostasy. God gave him the power of prayer that way Joseph Smith could talk to Him, as well as listen to Him. Each and everyone one of us needs to view Joseph Smith as a model for our loves. We need to listen to God and follow His teachings. We also need to follow the teachings of the Apostles God has given us today on Earth (as long as what they tell us is morally correct). Through obedience, we learn more about God and that is what we need to make our lives better and better each and every day. Some of the ways we can do this is by following the teachings of Christ, being good people, reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and prayer.
Christ teaches us to be good people. Also, through Christ we have the forgiveness of sins. We need to be obedient to the will of God. We can do this by repenting our sins.
Also, we can use the Bible and the Book of Mormon to guide us. After all, scripture is a reference as well as a guide.
Prayer enables us to talk to God. It allows us to relay our feelings to Him, thank Him for all of the blessings we have received, and to answer questions we cannot solve on our own.
The more obedient we are to the will of God, the closer and closer we get to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Honesty And Integrity (Faith)
Friday, March 1, 2013
Honesty and integrity literally is the foundation of our lives. Honesty is not cheating, lying, or stealing. Integrity is doing what is right even when no one is looking. These two concepts are ones we each deal with in our daily lives constantly.
I will be the first to admit I sometimes struggle with these myself. Today for example, I did not follow these values. While taking an English six weeks exam over A Tale of Two Cities, I cheated. Which means I was not honest and had no integrity. This is not the way our Heavenly Father wants us to be. It is wong. And not only that, but it separates us from Him. That is certainly not something we want. Our Heavenly Father certainly does not want us to fail in life. But grades aren't everything. Honesty and integrity are though.
President James E. Faust delivered a speech talking about how important honesty and integrity are for us (https://www.lds.org/youth/video/honesty-you-better-believe-it?lang=eng). This incredible show how important it is for us to remain honest and not to fall to the deception that lying and cheating are allowed because others around us are doing it. While we may want to and we see other people influencing us to do so, perhaps by asking us for answers, we cannot do that.
When you cheat, you're only cheating yourself. Life is not a competition between the person you are sitting next to in the classroom. Life is about finding ourselves and our capabilities. And we can't do that if we are constantly deceiving ourselves into thinking we are something we are not, or we are better at something than we are. Life is quite literally all about you. And only you (and our Heavenly Father). You are only competing with yourself, no one else. Sometimes it's important to remember that we each have our own path. Just because someone is better at math than you doesn't mean you're automatically a failure in life. Or just because you fail a class doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It's truly better to fail than to not fail by cheating.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Honesty and integrity literally is the foundation of our lives. Honesty is not cheating, lying, or stealing. Integrity is doing what is right even when no one is looking. These two concepts are ones we each deal with in our daily lives constantly.
I will be the first to admit I sometimes struggle with these myself. Today for example, I did not follow these values. While taking an English six weeks exam over A Tale of Two Cities, I cheated. Which means I was not honest and had no integrity. This is not the way our Heavenly Father wants us to be. It is wong. And not only that, but it separates us from Him. That is certainly not something we want. Our Heavenly Father certainly does not want us to fail in life. But grades aren't everything. Honesty and integrity are though.
President James E. Faust delivered a speech talking about how important honesty and integrity are for us (https://www.lds.org/youth/video/honesty-you-better-believe-it?lang=eng). This incredible show how important it is for us to remain honest and not to fall to the deception that lying and cheating are allowed because others around us are doing it. While we may want to and we see other people influencing us to do so, perhaps by asking us for answers, we cannot do that.
When you cheat, you're only cheating yourself. Life is not a competition between the person you are sitting next to in the classroom. Life is about finding ourselves and our capabilities. And we can't do that if we are constantly deceiving ourselves into thinking we are something we are not, or we are better at something than we are. Life is quite literally all about you. And only you (and our Heavenly Father). You are only competing with yourself, no one else. Sometimes it's important to remember that we each have our own path. Just because someone is better at math than you doesn't mean you're automatically a failure in life. Or just because you fail a class doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It's truly better to fail than to not fail by cheating.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
GOD Always Finds A Way (Faith)
Thursday, February 28, 2013
They say God finds a way to help all that need it. Scriptures prove that is true more often than not. But not only do the Scriptures prove it, our lives do as well. There are so many times when we need God's help. Sometimes more than others. When it's really needed, God finds a way.
For me, I was struggling to find someone to help me with a lesson about motherhood and the rest. Obviously the Elders that are teaching me cannot help with that. But one of the teachers at the MTC agreed to help me with that section tomorrow.
God has blessed my life in so many ways as well. My parents do not allow me to attend the Mormon church right now because they believe its teachings to be incorrect. I must say though, I have been so lucky to find such helpful and loving and caring online missionaries. Elders Coy, Eberle, Johnson, Earley, and Alvarenga have helped me in more ways than they could ever imagine. They constantly guide me with their teachings. For Elders Coy and Eberle, it's the lessons that are taught by the missionaries. For Elders Johnson and Earley, it's the posts they put on Facebook with an occasional explanation to me about the particular post. And for Elder Alvarenga, he's someone who has provided me the guidance I sometimes need that Elders Coy and Eberle could not provide for whatever reason.
They are all amazing missionaries. I am so glad that the Spirit has touched their lives in the way it has and blessed them and molded them into missionaries who truly love and care for the people they teach. They are the ones, through the Spirit, who have helped me to learn to be faithful.
While I do not have the blessing of being able to go to church, I am able to learn so much from these missionaries. This is God's way. He has made it possible to learn without having to go to His house. Though I cannot wait until the day I can.
God has also provided me with the courage and strength I needed to get through yesterday. And also, He has helped me gain the patience I needed for the homework assignments my teachers drowned us in. Without Him, I wouldn't have gotten through this week.
Our Heavenly Father always provides a way when we need it. This story proves it. As does many others.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
They say God finds a way to help all that need it. Scriptures prove that is true more often than not. But not only do the Scriptures prove it, our lives do as well. There are so many times when we need God's help. Sometimes more than others. When it's really needed, God finds a way.
For me, I was struggling to find someone to help me with a lesson about motherhood and the rest. Obviously the Elders that are teaching me cannot help with that. But one of the teachers at the MTC agreed to help me with that section tomorrow.
God has blessed my life in so many ways as well. My parents do not allow me to attend the Mormon church right now because they believe its teachings to be incorrect. I must say though, I have been so lucky to find such helpful and loving and caring online missionaries. Elders Coy, Eberle, Johnson, Earley, and Alvarenga have helped me in more ways than they could ever imagine. They constantly guide me with their teachings. For Elders Coy and Eberle, it's the lessons that are taught by the missionaries. For Elders Johnson and Earley, it's the posts they put on Facebook with an occasional explanation to me about the particular post. And for Elder Alvarenga, he's someone who has provided me the guidance I sometimes need that Elders Coy and Eberle could not provide for whatever reason.
They are all amazing missionaries. I am so glad that the Spirit has touched their lives in the way it has and blessed them and molded them into missionaries who truly love and care for the people they teach. They are the ones, through the Spirit, who have helped me to learn to be faithful.
While I do not have the blessing of being able to go to church, I am able to learn so much from these missionaries. This is God's way. He has made it possible to learn without having to go to His house. Though I cannot wait until the day I can.
God has also provided me with the courage and strength I needed to get through yesterday. And also, He has helped me gain the patience I needed for the homework assignments my teachers drowned us in. Without Him, I wouldn't have gotten through this week.
Our Heavenly Father always provides a way when we need it. This story proves it. As does many others.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
A Test Of Patience (Faith)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Today, I think I had perhaps the most trying test of my faith. it was funny not to have realized what it was until much later. I was having a fine day, went to school, spent the day taking the SAT test and came home. I was on my computer talking to a few Elders and was content.
Something happened though, and I'm not sure what. I became overly frustrated, probably due to the stress the teachers have been putting on us. But I became easily annoyed by things that rarely bother me. Like my little brother making snide remarks those are usually ignore-able, but not today. While up in my room I was nearly offended when Elder Eberle logged off of his Facebook, though probably just a malfunction with the site. But it bothered me. Where normally it wouldn't have.
I was nearly in tears when I went on Mormon.org. I needed an answer and the Elders who normally teach me seemed too busy. When I logged on, a missionary named Gabriel was on there. I asked him "How do I know that God hears my prayers and thoughts?" He asked me why I asked and I told him. He then asked if I was doubting my faith. For some reason, yes, I was. He told me that it could simply be, say, a test of patience. He showed me a massage in the Book of Mormon in Ether chapter 12, verses 5 through 12. It talked about how sometimes we are put to a test, or challenge and it is only after we complete it that we see the end results. For me, my faith got stronger. I know now, that for sure God hears everything we say to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Today, I think I had perhaps the most trying test of my faith. it was funny not to have realized what it was until much later. I was having a fine day, went to school, spent the day taking the SAT test and came home. I was on my computer talking to a few Elders and was content.
Something happened though, and I'm not sure what. I became overly frustrated, probably due to the stress the teachers have been putting on us. But I became easily annoyed by things that rarely bother me. Like my little brother making snide remarks those are usually ignore-able, but not today. While up in my room I was nearly offended when Elder Eberle logged off of his Facebook, though probably just a malfunction with the site. But it bothered me. Where normally it wouldn't have.
I was nearly in tears when I went on Mormon.org. I needed an answer and the Elders who normally teach me seemed too busy. When I logged on, a missionary named Gabriel was on there. I asked him "How do I know that God hears my prayers and thoughts?" He asked me why I asked and I told him. He then asked if I was doubting my faith. For some reason, yes, I was. He told me that it could simply be, say, a test of patience. He showed me a massage in the Book of Mormon in Ether chapter 12, verses 5 through 12. It talked about how sometimes we are put to a test, or challenge and it is only after we complete it that we see the end results. For me, my faith got stronger. I know now, that for sure God hears everything we say to Him.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
To Trust GOD Is To Have Faith (Faith)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sometimes having faith in things is super hard. Like for me, currently, the only thing I can do is trust that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. Even now. I don't know, for example, if I am going to pass my English class. But I also don't know that I am going to fail either. All I know is God has a plan and only He knows.
It's frustrating sometimes feeling like you have no control over your life. And I am sure that a lot of the time we really don't. But that's when we need to have the most faith. Prayer is a good way to help exercise our faith. It can be used as a reminder that God is always there and always listening. Regardless of whether we think He is or not.
We occasionally feel jealous of others because they have something we don't. For some it's a material item, like a T.V. or an I-phone, other times it's because they have a boyfriend or girlfriend and we don't. We need not feel jealous though, because God has a plan for us. We each individually have a path we follow. All of us have obstacles that are unique to us. Perhaps a reason each challenge is different is because some of us are ready for something harder while other are not. And maybe it's simply how we look at it.
God knows what He's doing. He has created a plan and a life for each of us. We need to put our trust in God and know that He's going to take care of us. Faith is where that trust comes from.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Sometimes having faith in things is super hard. Like for me, currently, the only thing I can do is trust that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. Even now. I don't know, for example, if I am going to pass my English class. But I also don't know that I am going to fail either. All I know is God has a plan and only He knows.
It's frustrating sometimes feeling like you have no control over your life. And I am sure that a lot of the time we really don't. But that's when we need to have the most faith. Prayer is a good way to help exercise our faith. It can be used as a reminder that God is always there and always listening. Regardless of whether we think He is or not.
We occasionally feel jealous of others because they have something we don't. For some it's a material item, like a T.V. or an I-phone, other times it's because they have a boyfriend or girlfriend and we don't. We need not feel jealous though, because God has a plan for us. We each individually have a path we follow. All of us have obstacles that are unique to us. Perhaps a reason each challenge is different is because some of us are ready for something harder while other are not. And maybe it's simply how we look at it.
God knows what He's doing. He has created a plan and a life for each of us. We need to put our trust in God and know that He's going to take care of us. Faith is where that trust comes from.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Faith Is Believing (Faith)
Monday, February 25, 2013
Today, I think has been in itself a major test of faith. I woke up late this morning and forgot to pray like I do every morning. That was a major flaw on my part, especially as I never forget to pray in the morning. So on my way to school, while walking, I closed my eyes and bowed my head to pray. I always pray, especially for my family and Elders Coy and Eberle. While most people may shrug off a forgotten prayer or two, I cannot. It is just not something I am capable of. I get these massive amounts of guilt when I don't pray.
Today, our test of faith began with finding out that unfortunately, it would seem that Elder Coy might not be where the Lord wants him to be. He keeps passing out and it's truly been worrisome for us all. We all tried fasting one day as a desperate call to our Heavenly Father for help. It seemed like it started to work. The other day, Elder Coy didn't pass out at all and that was awesome. But today, he passed out and then went to the doctors. He found out that if the solution they gave him doesn't work in 2 weeks then he will have to return home.
Today, I learned that we truly must have faith in God. We must also know that He has a plan for us and if we ask Him, He will help us get there. We need remember that God knows that's best for us. In Elder Coy's case, God may want him home, that may be the plan for him. We don't know. We must have faith that God knows what He is doing.
Elder Eberle provided me with a wonderful definition of faith. He said "Faith is not believing that God can. It's knowing that He will." We know that our Heavenly Father will take care of us. After all, we are His children and He loves us very much.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Today, I think has been in itself a major test of faith. I woke up late this morning and forgot to pray like I do every morning. That was a major flaw on my part, especially as I never forget to pray in the morning. So on my way to school, while walking, I closed my eyes and bowed my head to pray. I always pray, especially for my family and Elders Coy and Eberle. While most people may shrug off a forgotten prayer or two, I cannot. It is just not something I am capable of. I get these massive amounts of guilt when I don't pray.
Today, our test of faith began with finding out that unfortunately, it would seem that Elder Coy might not be where the Lord wants him to be. He keeps passing out and it's truly been worrisome for us all. We all tried fasting one day as a desperate call to our Heavenly Father for help. It seemed like it started to work. The other day, Elder Coy didn't pass out at all and that was awesome. But today, he passed out and then went to the doctors. He found out that if the solution they gave him doesn't work in 2 weeks then he will have to return home.
Today, I learned that we truly must have faith in God. We must also know that He has a plan for us and if we ask Him, He will help us get there. We need remember that God knows that's best for us. In Elder Coy's case, God may want him home, that may be the plan for him. We don't know. We must have faith that God knows what He is doing.
Elder Eberle provided me with a wonderful definition of faith. He said "Faith is not believing that God can. It's knowing that He will." We know that our Heavenly Father will take care of us. After all, we are His children and He loves us very much.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Climbing Mountains (Faith)
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The other day, I was watching a video on Mormon.org about "Climbing Mountains." Sometimes, our problems are like mountains to us. They're so massive we can't always get to the top on our own. Truth be told, we rarely can make it on our own. And when we finally do make it, we have no one to share our accomplishment(s) with. Through that video and my own experiences, I have learned how powerful prayer really is.
This morning and before I went to bed last night, I prayed to our Heavenly Father to ask for His help. I needed Him to help me be a better person, especially as I had to go to work. I very much dislike working on Sundays. That dislike sometimes makes me have a bad attitude. But praying to Him for help and guidance really worked wonders.
When I got to work this morning, my dad was telling me what a bad decision it would be to quit my job so I could use Sunday as a day of rest. He also told me I was spending way too much time around Mormons. When he left, I was very hurt that he didn't tell me he loves me like he always does before he leaves. I was almost in tears.
During my lunch break though, I was sitting outside under a tree trying to come up with a compromise. Without me even praying and asking for our Heavenly Father's help, He helped me. He gave me the answer I needed to solve the mountain I was facing. The solution was to only work on Saturdays and only until 11am so I could do everything I need to. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father reached out to help me without me ever asking. My father agreed with my compromise. I am eternally indebted and grateful for the companionship (though not continuous) of the Holy Ghost and for the answers I receive, as well as guidance, from our Heavenly Father. I can say without reserve that my Heavenly Father truly loves me.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
The other day, I was watching a video on Mormon.org about "Climbing Mountains." Sometimes, our problems are like mountains to us. They're so massive we can't always get to the top on our own. Truth be told, we rarely can make it on our own. And when we finally do make it, we have no one to share our accomplishment(s) with. Through that video and my own experiences, I have learned how powerful prayer really is.
This morning and before I went to bed last night, I prayed to our Heavenly Father to ask for His help. I needed Him to help me be a better person, especially as I had to go to work. I very much dislike working on Sundays. That dislike sometimes makes me have a bad attitude. But praying to Him for help and guidance really worked wonders.
When I got to work this morning, my dad was telling me what a bad decision it would be to quit my job so I could use Sunday as a day of rest. He also told me I was spending way too much time around Mormons. When he left, I was very hurt that he didn't tell me he loves me like he always does before he leaves. I was almost in tears.
During my lunch break though, I was sitting outside under a tree trying to come up with a compromise. Without me even praying and asking for our Heavenly Father's help, He helped me. He gave me the answer I needed to solve the mountain I was facing. The solution was to only work on Saturdays and only until 11am so I could do everything I need to. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father reached out to help me without me ever asking. My father agreed with my compromise. I am eternally indebted and grateful for the companionship (though not continuous) of the Holy Ghost and for the answers I receive, as well as guidance, from our Heavenly Father. I can say without reserve that my Heavenly Father truly loves me.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
Prayer and the Holy Spirit (Faith)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
This morning I woke up super early and realized I hadn't prayed. So of course, even though it was 5am, that's what I did. I prayed. I told God about how thankful I am for my family, my friends, the beautiful days He's given us, and for blessing the Elders that have helped me.
I woke up about 5 hours later with the realization that baptism is in fact the thing for me, which is funny because that wasn't something I prayed about this morning. So I guess I can conclude that sometimes answers come when we least expect them. I have faith that my Heavenly Father is leading me in the way He wants me to go, even if this means being baptized. I look forward to having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
I also had a lesson tonight about scripture and why it's important and significant in our lives. That truly did open my eyes to some thoughts I hadn't had in a very long time. Scripture is important for us because it enables us to prove to ourselves things we've learned. It's the living proof of things we have learned from our Heavenly Father. It's a guide and sometimes it's where we find the most answers to our questions.
I have also learned to have faith in what the Elders have been teaching me. Until tonight, I never realized how connected everything is, and without faith, I probably would've never realized it.
I shared a story with one of the Elders that I have never told anyone else. I learned that when we repent, which in a way is prayer, Christ pretty much ends up forgiving our sins. The one I shared was pretty bad and I nearly did it. Something I have found to be unforgivable and yet, I learned that Christ forgives us no matter what we do.
Learning everything I have through the Holy Ghost has been a life changing experience. I never thought that I would witness the power of the Spirit through something as simple as lessons. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't that.
I am so happy the Holy Ghost has become a part of my life. It's truly made me want to strive to learn more about our Heavenly Father. It has changed me as a person, and for that I am very grateful. I would not be the way I am without the Spirit.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
This morning I woke up super early and realized I hadn't prayed. So of course, even though it was 5am, that's what I did. I prayed. I told God about how thankful I am for my family, my friends, the beautiful days He's given us, and for blessing the Elders that have helped me.
I woke up about 5 hours later with the realization that baptism is in fact the thing for me, which is funny because that wasn't something I prayed about this morning. So I guess I can conclude that sometimes answers come when we least expect them. I have faith that my Heavenly Father is leading me in the way He wants me to go, even if this means being baptized. I look forward to having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
I also had a lesson tonight about scripture and why it's important and significant in our lives. That truly did open my eyes to some thoughts I hadn't had in a very long time. Scripture is important for us because it enables us to prove to ourselves things we've learned. It's the living proof of things we have learned from our Heavenly Father. It's a guide and sometimes it's where we find the most answers to our questions.
I have also learned to have faith in what the Elders have been teaching me. Until tonight, I never realized how connected everything is, and without faith, I probably would've never realized it.
I shared a story with one of the Elders that I have never told anyone else. I learned that when we repent, which in a way is prayer, Christ pretty much ends up forgiving our sins. The one I shared was pretty bad and I nearly did it. Something I have found to be unforgivable and yet, I learned that Christ forgives us no matter what we do.
Learning everything I have through the Holy Ghost has been a life changing experience. I never thought that I would witness the power of the Spirit through something as simple as lessons. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't that.
I am so happy the Holy Ghost has become a part of my life. It's truly made me want to strive to learn more about our Heavenly Father. It has changed me as a person, and for that I am very grateful. I would not be the way I am without the Spirit.
(Feel free to comment! I would love any feedback I can get! :) )
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