Thursday, March 31, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
Happy Easter: Personal Conversion and the Atonement
Nearly two months ago Brother Strommer asked me to speak in church today, which is very interesting because I usually don’t get my schedule for the month until the end of the current month, so I had no idea if I would be able to get the days off or not. But the Lord obviously knew that I needed to gain some spiritual perspective and one of the best ways is to have me speak in church.
The topic that I was given was personal conversion and then last week Brother Nelson and Brother Strommer let me know that because of Easter it was open for what to talk about. After pondering about the topic I decided that personal conversion had everything to do with Easter.
I did a search on lds.org and found several talks to use. The two that impressed me the most are: Eder Bender’s talk from October 2012, Converted to the Lord and Bonnie L. Oscarson’s talk from October 2013, Be Ye Converted.
In Elder Bender’s talk he speaks of the dual relationship of testimony and conversion and how they are related to each other. He said, “Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied by individual repentance, obedience, and diligence. Any honest seeker of truth can become converted by experiencing the mighty change of heart and being spiritually born of God . . . Conversion is an offering of self, of love, and of loyalty we give to God in gratitude for the gift of testimony.”
“Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need. Some members of the Church with testimonies have wavered and fallen away. Their spiritual knowledge and commitment did not measure up to the challenges they faced.”
I have seen this in my own life as friends and loved ones have fallen away, despite the fact that they had what I thought was a rock solid testimony. I often wonder if I am truly converted to the Lord. I have a very strong testimony of the gospel, but sometimes, sadly, I have to admit that I could do better, be better. That I could work to be more converted to the Lord.
The positive side of this self reflection is the knowledge conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ is a consistent process. It isn’t a check list or destination, but instead it’s a journey. This can be very difficult for me because I live a a very destination oriented life. I love checking things off my to do list and the sense of accomplishment at having arrived somewhere. So this process of constantly working to be converted is a challenge.
Elder Bednar shared an insight about the parable of the ten virgins as related to conversion that helps me understand conversion better. He spoke about how the lamps the ten virgins held were the lamps of testimony. Something that we all can have, but difference between the wise and foolish virgins was the oil. What Elder Bednar referred to as the oil of conversion.
He said: “Were the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating correctly that the oil of conversion cannot be borrowed? Can the spiritual strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to another person? Can the knowledge obtained through diligent study and pondering of the scriptures be conveyed to one who is in need? Can the peace the gospel brings to a faithful Latter-day Saint be transferred to an individual experiencing adversity or great challenge? The clear answer to each of these questions is no.
“As the wise virgins emphasized properly, each of us must “buy for ourselves.” These inspired women were not describing a business transaction; rather, they were emphasizing our individual responsibility to keep our lamp of testimony burning and to obtain an ample supply of the oil of conversion. This precious oil is acquired one drop at a time—“line upon line [and] precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30), patiently and persistently. No shortcut is available; no last-minute flurry of preparation is possible.”
“For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”
What a wonderful and frustrating revelation. Wonderful because we can understand that the goal of conversion is attainable, even to the weakest and slowest because we can gain it little by little. And it is frustrating because it is a process that we have to constantly work at. It isn’t a destination or something to check off, but hard work.
In his talk Elder Bednar discusses the steps we can take to become converted. He gives us a patter identified by Samuel the Laminate in Helaman 15:7-8. It’s a pattern that we are very familiar with because we are taught it over and over in the scriptures. Faith, repentance, baptism, and endure to the end. These steps are the way to conversion, but we also have to remember what we are being converted to.
Elder Bednar continues: “Note that the Lamanites were not converted to the missionaries who taught them or to the excellent programs of the Church. They were not converted to the personalities of their leaders or to preserving a cultural heritage or the traditions of their fathers. They were converted unto the Lord—to Him as the Savior and to His divinity and doctrine—and they never did fall away.”
In Sister Oscarson’s talk she says: “True conversion is more than merely having a knowledge of gospel principles and implies even more than just having a testimony of those principles. It is possible to have a testimony of the gospel without living it. Being truly converted means we are acting upon what we believe and allowing it to create “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts” . . . You become converted as a result of … righteous efforts to follow the Savior.” It takes time, effort, and work . . . True conversion occurs as you continue to act upon the doctrines you know are true and keep the commandments, day after day, month after month.”
It takes work. “It is well to remember that no matter how inspired your parents and youth leaders may be, “you have [the] primary responsibility for your own conversion. No one can be converted for you, and no one can force you to be converted.” Conversion takes place as we are diligent about saying our prayers, studying our scriptures, attending church, and being worthy to participate in temple ordinances. Conversion comes as we act upon the righteous principles we learn in our homes and in the classroom. Conversion comes as we live pure and virtuous lives and enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Conversion comes as we understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, acknowledge Him as our Savior and Redeemer, and allow the Atonement to take effect in our lives.”
And this is what struck me so deeply as I read through these talks. We need to be converted to the Savior Jesus Christ and his gospel. Conversion to anything else will not bring us salvation. This is what Easter is all about. Our Savior atoned for all of us, but if we do not take the time or effort to understand the Atonement and become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are missing the whole point of being members of the church.
It was at this point that I realized what the point Lord wanted to make with me. Perhaps my lack of understanding of the Atonement and how it can work in my life is keeping me from being truly converted to the Lord.
As I pondered this thought I remembered a story I had read many years ago in college. I’m sure many of you have heard the story at some point, but I felt impressed to read it today.
Pushups for Donuts
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary. In this seminary classes are held during school hours. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson’s Seminary class.
Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over. One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, “You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?” Steve’s answer was, “Yeah, I do.”
Then Brother Christianson asked, “How many push-ups can you do?” Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.” “200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Brother Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?”
Steve replied, “I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.” “Do you think you could?” Again asked Brother Christianson. “Well, I can try,” said Steve.
“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” Brother Christianson said.
Steve said, “Well… I think I can… yeah, I can do it.” Brother Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday.”
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited – it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.
Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want a donut?” Cynthia said, “Yes.”
Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?” Steve said, “Sure,” and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.
Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe do you want a donut?” Joe said, “Yes.” Bro. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?” Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.
And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular. When Bro. Christianson asked, “Scott do you want a donut?” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups?” Bro. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.” Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”
Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!” Bro. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?” Jenny said, “No.” Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.” Bro. Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him.” Steve said, “Yes, let him come in.” Bro. Christianson said, “Okay, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?” “Yes.” “Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?” Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort.
Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut? Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.” Bro. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?”
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?” Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, “Bro. Christianson , can I help him?”
Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?” As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Brother Christianson turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.”
Do we take for granted the Atonement in our lives? Do we really understand the gift that has been given to us? I think if I understood the Atonement even a fraction better than I do now, I would be striving even harder to do all the things I need to do to be converted to the Lord and His gospel. I would be adding the oil of conversion every day to my lamp in all the ways possible.
Easter is a wonderful time of the year to remember our Savior’s Atonement for us, but we should be striving to think of his sacrifice and gift all year long. I have a testimony that my Savior lives, that he suffered in Gethsemane and died on the cross for me so that I can repent and return to him and our Heavenly Father. I know that when we strive to live the gospel to the best of our ability that we add oil to our lamps and climb higher on the path of conversion. Conversion is a journey and the destination is eternal life with our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful for that knowledge and the knowledge that no matter where I’m at in this journey I can work at being converted. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
The Seeress and the Stone
The chapters continue: You can also continue the series on: http://hubpages.com/literature/The-Seeress-and-the-Stone
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Review
So I just had the opportunity to read a great romantic suspense book by Debra Erfert.
A coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous.
Buying the 1920s farmhouse south of Phoenix, where the rumors of John Dillinger’s gang hid out in the 30s, is supposed to be Grace Evanheart’s way of escaping an old romance. When she finds an ancient diary with a map under the bedroom’s floorboard, the rumors solidify into fact. She doesn’t know who to trust with the news; Micah Stevens, the handsome deputy and the great grandson of the original landowners with whom she’s attracted, or Jerry, the young historian who seems too intent on learning about her new home?
Micah seems convinced their paths cross exactly at the right time and in the right place for them to fall in love. Now he just has to convince Grace of the same thing before suspicions of his real motive have her running again.
Buying the 1920s farmhouse south of Phoenix, where the rumors of John Dillinger’s gang hid out in the 30s, is supposed to be Grace Evanheart’s way of escaping an old romance. When she finds an ancient diary with a map under the bedroom’s floorboard, the rumors solidify into fact. She doesn’t know who to trust with the news; Micah Stevens, the handsome deputy and the great grandson of the original landowners with whom she’s attracted, or Jerry, the young historian who seems too intent on learning about her new home?
Micah seems convinced their paths cross exactly at the right time and in the right place for them to fall in love. Now he just has to convince Grace of the same thing before suspicions of his real motive have her running again.
Great book with twists and turns that kept me reading till the end!!!
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to get a dose of AZ history along with some healthy, clean romance and some suspense. I did get a little annoyed with the Grace because she was always getting into trouble and Micah was always saving her, though there were a few times when she grew a backbone and fought back. I also didn't understand the whole experience with Jerry. It seemed like it was put in just to create a scene for Micah to help Grace and then he continued as an annoyance, but not really anything to further the plot. I truly expected him to be involved in the whole mystery of the missing gangster/bank robber money, but in the end he wasn't and I was a bit disappointed with that.
I did enjoy the twist at the end and the fact that Grace got to save Micah for once. The twists and turns in the book were fun and kept me reading all the way to the end. I was sad about Charlie. Once again, someone else had to save Grace and that frustrated me, but it also made sense. I also loved Micah's family and wished we could have seen more of them.
This really was a great book with good suspense and engaging characters. I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to get a dose of AZ history along with some healthy, clean romance and some suspense. I did get a little annoyed with the Grace because she was always getting into trouble and Micah was always saving her, though there were a few times when she grew a backbone and fought back. I also didn't understand the whole experience with Jerry. It seemed like it was put in just to create a scene for Micah to help Grace and then he continued as an annoyance, but not really anything to further the plot. I truly expected him to be involved in the whole mystery of the missing gangster/bank robber money, but in the end he wasn't and I was a bit disappointed with that.
I did enjoy the twist at the end and the fact that Grace got to save Micah for once. The twists and turns in the book were fun and kept me reading all the way to the end. I was sad about Charlie. Once again, someone else had to save Grace and that frustrated me, but it also made sense. I also loved Micah's family and wished we could have seen more of them.
This really was a great book with good suspense and engaging characters. I highly recommend it.
Monday, February 29, 2016
The Seeress and the Stone
Wow! I realized it's been a long time since I posted chapters of my fantasy novel, so here are the next three chapters. Sorry for the delay. You can also continue the series on: http://hubpages.com/literature/The-Seeress-and-the-Stone
Friday, February 26, 2016
Books to read . . . in addition to mine of course.
Okay, it's been a while since I've recommended a few books. So I have three more to add to the list.
Maxine Larabee (Max) owner of Larabee Investigations, needs a big case to solve and she needs it now. Taylor Hodges, field producer of Hollywood’s hottest reality show, Marry Me, hires Max after someone tries to kill her while scouting next season’s filming location in Arizona. Maxine hopes solving the celebrity’s case might end her company’s financial struggle, and at the same time prove to her lead investigator, Jace Atmore, she has what it takes to be a good detective.
But she has a bigger problem than just trying to prove her investigative abilities to a man with whom she’s attracted and probably falling for. The strongest lead in Taylor’s case trails straight to an ex-contestant of Marry Me, Lemon Beauchamp, a woman who’s engaged to His Royal Highness Prince Dante of Monterra. Getting to question her might be more difficult than keeping Taylor alive, or getting Jace’s respect.
Crown Princess Adeline of Montevaro has her life planned out for her: get her Master's in international relations, marry nobility, produce an heir, inherit the throne. There's no room for romance with the single father she meets when their cars collide on an icy winter night. Parliament - and her father - would never approve.
Charlie Brewer grew up without roots. The son of an archaeologist father and anthropologist mother, he either traveled along or lived with his aunt and uncle in the States. He's determined to give his daughter the stability he never had. He also wants to give her a mom, but the beautiful European he's falling for refuses to move to Serenity Landing, Missouri permanently.
He won't move. She can't stay. What will happen when they try to forget each other by dating someone "acceptable"? They find themselves drawn together by one of the girls in the after school program Addie supports - a girl who happens to be Charlie's daughter. How will Charlie, and his daughter, feel when they find out the woman they've both fallen for is a... princess?
A trip halfway around the world shows Charlie and Addie how much they long to be together - and how impossible it is. Is there any way he can prove he is Good Enough for a Princess?
The first is actually a series of four books. I'm on the fourth, but I love them all.
M. Louisa Locke is the author. I've talked about her books before, but here they are.
Locke creates a delightful atmosphere in Victorian San Francisco. She offers mystery, intrigue, with a touch of romance and her stories are clean. I highly encourage you to check out her books. https://mlouisalocke.com
Next up is a mystery novella by Debra Erfurt.
It Takes a Sleuth is a fantastic mystery to read in an afternoon (during your responsibility vacation.) that will have you turning pages all the way to the end.
Maxine Larabee (Max) owner of Larabee Investigations, needs a big case to solve and she needs it now. Taylor Hodges, field producer of Hollywood’s hottest reality show, Marry Me, hires Max after someone tries to kill her while scouting next season’s filming location in Arizona. Maxine hopes solving the celebrity’s case might end her company’s financial struggle, and at the same time prove to her lead investigator, Jace Atmore, she has what it takes to be a good detective.
And lastly, a wonderful Christian romance by Carol Moncado.
Good Enough for a Princess is a delightful romance that seems like your typical love story, but there are twists and turns that surprised even me.
Crown Princess Adeline of Montevaro has her life planned out for her: get her Master's in international relations, marry nobility, produce an heir, inherit the throne. There's no room for romance with the single father she meets when their cars collide on an icy winter night. Parliament - and her father - would never approve. Charlie Brewer grew up without roots. The son of an archaeologist father and anthropologist mother, he either traveled along or lived with his aunt and uncle in the States. He's determined to give his daughter the stability he never had. He also wants to give her a mom, but the beautiful European he's falling for refuses to move to Serenity Landing, Missouri permanently.
He won't move. She can't stay. What will happen when they try to forget each other by dating someone "acceptable"? They find themselves drawn together by one of the girls in the after school program Addie supports - a girl who happens to be Charlie's daughter. How will Charlie, and his daughter, feel when they find out the woman they've both fallen for is a... princess?
A trip halfway around the world shows Charlie and Addie how much they long to be together - and how impossible it is. Is there any way he can prove he is Good Enough for a Princess?
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Back again . . . for now.
So I've been a major blogging slacker lately. A lot has happened over the last few weeks. I've been very busy flying and writing and editing. But that's life as an adult, I suppose. We have so much busy that we can't get done some of the things that we want to do-like blogging. :)
Sometimes I wish I could just "run away" from everything. With my job that could actually be easy (LOL) but in reality running away doesn't help anything. I actually thought about this a week or so back. I was struggling with my writing, my job, and the everyday pressures of having a home and bills to pay, etc. Running away for a while started to sound like a great idea.
Instead I turned to prayer and the scriptures and decided that running away would be very selfish and hurt the people I care about more than help myself. So, I didn't run away. Instead I took a responsibility vacation.
Sounds silly, I know, but in the end it helped me much more than running away would have. Instead of all the stress of knowing that I would be worrying friends and family, I stayed home. For nearly two days (I was between work trips) I sat on the couch in my comfy clothes or pajamas and read books, watched tv, and did puzzles on my computer. I didn't even crack my files of books open to work on anything or bother cleaning the house at all.
Now, I consider myself very lucky to be able to relax like this. So many people I know have families and jobs that don't allow them to take it easy like that. How do you take a responsibility vacation? My only advice is to trust the people around you. Many of us have an amazing community of friends and family in and out of the church that can help us.
Being Mormon we talk a lot about serving others, but we don't spend nearly as much time on letting others serve us. Something I learned when my mom was very sick with cancer, is that other people want to serve those they love and care about, but it is also up to us to let those people serve. My mom didn't want the Relief Society to bring meals to the house. She was supposed to be giving the service and because she had me and my dad and my good friend and roomie Dawn to help, we didn't need the service.
It took Dawn and me lots of talking to convince her that maybe it was time to let someone serve us. What it came down to was the fact that both Dawn and I were working and my dad was tired. We needed the help. We wanted to let others gain the blessings of serving so we could have a break from the stress of cooking that way we could focus on helping my mom, cleaning, yard work, etc.
So, this brings me back to my earlier point. How can we take a responsibility vacation. Utilize the resources around you. Even if it is only for a day or two. Find a family member or friend who can babysit while you relax. Go shopping (you don't have to buy anything, but you can look around). You might be surprised at what has changed. If you like to read, go to the library and spend an hour browsing. Hole up in your room with a box of chocolates and read or relax or watch a movie.
We all need the time off. As women we think we have to do everything until we collapse or explode from stress and exhaustion. I've been there. Though my life seems very easy to some, I have my own set of trials and challenges and every once in a while even I need to set it all aside and take a responsibility vacation.
Well, that's my rant for the week. Now I need to go clean the house. :)
Sometimes I wish I could just "run away" from everything. With my job that could actually be easy (LOL) but in reality running away doesn't help anything. I actually thought about this a week or so back. I was struggling with my writing, my job, and the everyday pressures of having a home and bills to pay, etc. Running away for a while started to sound like a great idea.
Instead I turned to prayer and the scriptures and decided that running away would be very selfish and hurt the people I care about more than help myself. So, I didn't run away. Instead I took a responsibility vacation.
Now, I consider myself very lucky to be able to relax like this. So many people I know have families and jobs that don't allow them to take it easy like that. How do you take a responsibility vacation? My only advice is to trust the people around you. Many of us have an amazing community of friends and family in and out of the church that can help us.
Being Mormon we talk a lot about serving others, but we don't spend nearly as much time on letting others serve us. Something I learned when my mom was very sick with cancer, is that other people want to serve those they love and care about, but it is also up to us to let those people serve. My mom didn't want the Relief Society to bring meals to the house. She was supposed to be giving the service and because she had me and my dad and my good friend and roomie Dawn to help, we didn't need the service.
It took Dawn and me lots of talking to convince her that maybe it was time to let someone serve us. What it came down to was the fact that both Dawn and I were working and my dad was tired. We needed the help. We wanted to let others gain the blessings of serving so we could have a break from the stress of cooking that way we could focus on helping my mom, cleaning, yard work, etc.
We all need the time off. As women we think we have to do everything until we collapse or explode from stress and exhaustion. I've been there. Though my life seems very easy to some, I have my own set of trials and challenges and every once in a while even I need to set it all aside and take a responsibility vacation.
Well, that's my rant for the week. Now I need to go clean the house. :)
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Another great review
http://www.goawayimreading.com/?p=278
There is also a Facebook Giveaway that she is hosting. Check out the link above for more information.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Review from Deseret News
Check out this awesome review from the Deseret News.
Thank you Sharon Palmer.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Happy New Year!!!
So I'm a little late in posting this lovely happy new year post, but I do have to admit that I've been crazy busy with work, writing, and family.
I'm so excited for the new year and the possibilities it will bring. Keeping my fingers crossed for more opportunities to publish my books, and keeping my hopes up that I will finally meet my eternal companion.
I've had a few opportunities to ponder life, my life specifically, and I'm hoping the new year will bring a renewed sense of my purpose here on earth. I'm trying to reconnect with all the inner whisperings of the spirit and draw myself closer to my Heavenly Father, all while writing, reading, editing, and flying.
Can we overcome the internal challenges as well as the external ones? I sure hope so. Yesterday I had a few moments to ponder the trials I've been given in this life and when one ponders their trials we also start to ponder the reasons or lessons we are to learn from them. I can list several different lessons I'm supposed to learn right now but none of them really seem to fit.
Patience is a good thing, but let's be honest, I am not really a patient person. I can wait, but it doesn't matter how long I wait, I will still be waiting impatiently and I really can wait for a long time. Perhaps the lesson is not patience.
Trust in Heavenly Father. This is a great lesson, one that I'm ever getting closer and closer to understanding. Trusting his timing, well that falls in with patience and we all know how that lesson is going. But even this didn't quite fit. Yes, these are things I'm learning and they are good things to learn, but they aren't the reason for my lesson.
That's when it hit me, maybe I'm not learning the right lesson. Maybe my trials are the lesson. It's the growth, the understanding, the who I am becoming vs. who I want to become. Perhaps that is the lesson.
What kind of a person do I want to be in 2016. I know that the angry, annoyed, bitter person I was starting to feel like at the end of 2015 isn't who I want to become. So what changes do I need to make to become the person I really want to be. I want to be happy and that happiness comes through service no matter how big or small it is.
My job gives me ample opportunities to serve other people. I try to do it with a smile, but sometimes that smile is forced. And then there is service at home and at church. Sure things don't always go my way, but then again not a lot has gone as planned since high school.
After thinking about all of these things and still wondering if I struck the right lesson I had a different thought come to me. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in high school, yeah things were tough, but really I had it easy. I had great friends who had good standards and values. My talents and experiences, though not exactly what I'd hoped for, were still amazing and awesome. Even in college things were pretty smooth. The few hitches I encountered were easily overcome (though at the time it didn't seem so easy). Looking back my life was easy.
So why does it feel so hard now? Why do I struggle with the trials I have now? That's when the thought occurred to me. I needed a chance to grow and yep, become a better person. If I had encountered the trials and hardships back then that I feel now, I probably wouldn't have been as strong a person in the gospel or in just life in general. I would have floundered and drowned in my sorrows.
Being older and facing the trials I face is probably the best thing Heavenly Father could have done for me. Is it hard now? Yes. Can I handle it now? Yes. Would I have been able to handle this back then? No, probably not without severe loss of faith.
That being said (and I said a lot) I'm grateful for the trials and challenges I've had and I hope that by looking back and seeing the course I could take and looking ahead at the course I want to take, I can strive to be a better person. Will I succeed? Yes, every day a little at a time. I might not be the happy person I want to be every moment of the day, but with the strength of the Lord I can get there.
Does this mean my trials will go away? I sincerely doubt it. In fact I don't doubt that things will get even harder, but each experience helps me grow, so I know that the harder trials I will face in the future I will be able to handle.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Happy New Year!!!
I'm so excited for the new year and the possibilities it will bring. Keeping my fingers crossed for more opportunities to publish my books, and keeping my hopes up that I will finally meet my eternal companion.
I've had a few opportunities to ponder life, my life specifically, and I'm hoping the new year will bring a renewed sense of my purpose here on earth. I'm trying to reconnect with all the inner whisperings of the spirit and draw myself closer to my Heavenly Father, all while writing, reading, editing, and flying.
Can we overcome the internal challenges as well as the external ones? I sure hope so. Yesterday I had a few moments to ponder the trials I've been given in this life and when one ponders their trials we also start to ponder the reasons or lessons we are to learn from them. I can list several different lessons I'm supposed to learn right now but none of them really seem to fit.
Patience is a good thing, but let's be honest, I am not really a patient person. I can wait, but it doesn't matter how long I wait, I will still be waiting impatiently and I really can wait for a long time. Perhaps the lesson is not patience.
Trust in Heavenly Father. This is a great lesson, one that I'm ever getting closer and closer to understanding. Trusting his timing, well that falls in with patience and we all know how that lesson is going. But even this didn't quite fit. Yes, these are things I'm learning and they are good things to learn, but they aren't the reason for my lesson.
That's when it hit me, maybe I'm not learning the right lesson. Maybe my trials are the lesson. It's the growth, the understanding, the who I am becoming vs. who I want to become. Perhaps that is the lesson.
What kind of a person do I want to be in 2016. I know that the angry, annoyed, bitter person I was starting to feel like at the end of 2015 isn't who I want to become. So what changes do I need to make to become the person I really want to be. I want to be happy and that happiness comes through service no matter how big or small it is.
My job gives me ample opportunities to serve other people. I try to do it with a smile, but sometimes that smile is forced. And then there is service at home and at church. Sure things don't always go my way, but then again not a lot has gone as planned since high school.
After thinking about all of these things and still wondering if I struck the right lesson I had a different thought come to me. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in high school, yeah things were tough, but really I had it easy. I had great friends who had good standards and values. My talents and experiences, though not exactly what I'd hoped for, were still amazing and awesome. Even in college things were pretty smooth. The few hitches I encountered were easily overcome (though at the time it didn't seem so easy). Looking back my life was easy.
So why does it feel so hard now? Why do I struggle with the trials I have now? That's when the thought occurred to me. I needed a chance to grow and yep, become a better person. If I had encountered the trials and hardships back then that I feel now, I probably wouldn't have been as strong a person in the gospel or in just life in general. I would have floundered and drowned in my sorrows.
Being older and facing the trials I face is probably the best thing Heavenly Father could have done for me. Is it hard now? Yes. Can I handle it now? Yes. Would I have been able to handle this back then? No, probably not without severe loss of faith.
That being said (and I said a lot) I'm grateful for the trials and challenges I've had and I hope that by looking back and seeing the course I could take and looking ahead at the course I want to take, I can strive to be a better person. Will I succeed? Yes, every day a little at a time. I might not be the happy person I want to be every moment of the day, but with the strength of the Lord I can get there.
Does this mean my trials will go away? I sincerely doubt it. In fact I don't doubt that things will get even harder, but each experience helps me grow, so I know that the harder trials I will face in the future I will be able to handle.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Happy New Year!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)