Wednesday Wisdom

"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose."

               ------ Indira Gandhi

JESUS CHRIST IS THE REASON WHY:

- In pain, I try to smile.

- In confusion, I strive to understand.

- In betrayal, I know i must trust again.

- In fear, I choose faith and continue to push forward.

-In contention, I try to be calm.

-In judgement, I choose forgiveness.

I'm just sayin' 😇

Sacrifices

Living with the MonSter, i have learned some tough lessons...like this one...

Some "sacrifices" are worth it...some are not.

Like having "allergy body" the day after going out and enjoying a beautiful morning...yup, worth it!

But, I have learned to CHOOSE MY BATTLES WISELY!!

Is it worth it to have "friends" when they treat you less than kindly...when you end up questioning your value? NO!!

Is it worth going somewhere, even a place you desire to be, if the stress involved is high....ummm, often that's a no.

Is it worth putting your feelings, wants, desires, even needs aside for those of a loved one? Usually, that is also a YES!!  But...if that "loved one" treats your sacrifices like trash - ummmm...NO!!!

Here's my formula ---

If the sacrifice is one that will add to the quality of life (mine or another's) it's almost ALWAYS a YES 😊 If not, then it often is a no.

I'm just sayin' 😊

Wednesday Wisdom

"Moses could write a book on lacking confidence; Esther could talk on overwhelming fear; Peter knows about embarrassing mistakes; Thomas understands doubt.

Christ Himself could tell us about being hated.

So if you’re struggling, keep your chin up; you’re standing with the best."

Hank R. Smith

This SO FITS right now - great reminder... I'm just sayin' 😇

Today, as a saw the news...

Today as I saw the news of children and families separated at the border it began to weigh heavy on my heart, and I realized that the weight was one that felt familiar to me through faith.

As I thought about the fore-families of my faith, my ancestors, I wondered what possessed the world to treat them so cold and ignore the injustices early LDS pioneers faced. Tarred and feathered, beaten and broken in the land of “brotherly love.”

Yes...They preached differently, they offered different scriptures, and yes, polygamy was illegal, but should their punishment have been persecution?

Governors passing laws that Mormon lives could, no should, be exterminated. Mothers burying children as families fled their homes again and again, until they finally sought refuge out West. They must have been bewildered as people turned a blind eye to their pain.

Our modern children sing each year, "Pioneer children sang as they walked..."; in reality, it was, pioneer children walking until their shoes wore out leaving blood on the ground, freezing and hungry and homeless. After all they had been through, even after they had settled far away in the desert west, still their families were threatened as many looked the other way. All this, in a country built on religious freedoms.

This is the legacy of my faith, this was a cost of my Christianity. They suffered for the Holy spaces I stand in today.

Why did the pioneers record their stories, and why do we still honor and recount their pain? So that their sacrifices will never be in vain, because we cannot unsee what they made certain that we were shown.

That is why my heart feels burdened by the border, because the burden is my own. Those the world refused to see begat a people who make covenant to never be blind. To have eyes opened by Christ, with hearts and hands aware, that another’s burden is also ours to bear.

As we consider the families that are being separated, let us please remember who we are, and who we once were. We are not diplomats we are DISCIPLES, called to DO what we wish the world would have done, and BE who we prayed others would have been when WE were where THEY are today.

“As members of The Church, we have a responsibility to preserve and protect the family as the basic unit of society and eternity.” — L. Tom Perry

I'm just sayin' 😢

His Hands, His Eyes, His Heart

"As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart."
  --- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Simple and plain, I want to be more like my Savior. My goal this week is to find ways to be His Hands, His Eyes, His Heart.

I'm just sayin' (and struggling to have my actions not betray my words) 👐

"Be Still"

"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted ... for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God."
                        --- Doc & Cov 101:16

Until we are still, we don't really notice the feelings and the essence of the Spirit around us, how He can direct us within our own lives.

We are so caught up in our daily routines and schedules, appointments and to-do lists. We miss the tilt of the earth, the hum of a bug, the ache of a heart...all the little details that make living a Spirit-centered life the miraculous treat that it is...the God-given blessing of mortality.

It's only as we choose to put ourselves in a place where we can truly HEAR & FEEL that we are able to live Spirit-driven lives, for ourselves, our families, and those around us.

I'm just sayin' 😇

Wednesday Wisdom

"We should not complain about our own life's not being a rose garden when we remember who wore the crown of thorns."
                   --- Neal A. Maxwell

A TRUE FRIEND

When someone is struggling, it is NEVER wrong and ALWAYS right to act in a loving, positive way!!!

It does not help to say things like...

"you know where that's coming from" - yes, dear friend, it may be the adversary's influence, OR it may just be information coming in the form of feelings. Please, don't add to my burden by suggesting I'm sinning by letting Satan into my life.

OR

"you should (fill in the blank) - yes, dear friend, I'm sure there are many things I "should" be doing that I'm not; if I'm struggling, you can be sure I REALLY am doing the BEST I can at that moment. "Shoulding" on me only increases the problem by adding guilt into my already burdened heart & mind.

OR

"Oh, I know what you mean! I... (and then turn the conversation around to you) - yes, dear friend, I KNOW we ALL have "stuff" that makes life difficult. I know that what is burdening me may seem minor compared to others'. But when I reach out to you and you turn the conversation away from my concerns, you have just let me know how unimportant I am...a burden I already carry and am in no need of evidence to confirm.

So, dear friend, when someone reaches out to you, what they really need is KINDNESS, a LISTENING ear, a SHOULDER to lean on...

A TRUE FRIEND!!

I'm just sayin' 😶

UNIQUELY YOURS

Heavenly Father understands your strengths AND your limitations. And with the Perfect Knowledge about you that He has, YOU ARE ENOUGH for Him!! ♡♡♡ (cue s@l 😄)

Your journey through this life is uniquely YOURS - individually designed for YOU to gain the strength YOU need while using the gifts & talents YOU have!!

Because your life, your journey, is uniquely YOURS...don't let others, through their words or actions, "take away" from who you are today!!

They are viewing you with mortal eyes & understanding - imperfect even at the best if times.

I'm just sayin'😇

Wednesday's Prayer Talk

Me: I'm so tired of feeling less & un & small & unwanted & unneeded...not good enough

Spirit: PLEASE...don't let's others' choices do that to you

Me: I know...but it feels like they must be right, I must be wrong & there's ZERO I can do to change things

Spirit: but you are allowing others to take away the JOY I am trying to deliver to you

And if you REALLY feel there is nothing you can do, it may be because there is nothing YOU NEED to do

Accept that others' choices, while they do have an effect on you, are NOT your reality - it is NOT how Father feels about you, it's not how He treats you...and He is the only Standard you need

It's hard, I know, but together we can help you overcome this negative place

I'm just sayin' (actually, it's The Spirit that did the talkin') 😇

A Little Wednesday Wisdom

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."
  --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I guess this is the intellectual way of saying "Actions speak louder than words".

I'm just sayin' 😇

Two Daily Prayers

Two prayers every person (women especially) could ask every day...

1) Lord, please help me to do what is necessary today for myself & my family; and...

2) Father, help me to listen to the Spirit in another's behalf and to have the courage to act upon His promptings.

When I do this, no matter if other things are left undone, I can be assured I did the most important things I could do with my time & energy.

I'm just sayin' 😇

Wish List

When your "wish list" seems to go unanswered by your Father in Heaven, open your eyes,  your mind, and heart to the many tender mercies He has already given you.

Reexamine what your "wish list" contains! Is it feasible? Have you done your part? Does your list truly hold what is best for you, what will bring you lasting joy, what will help you come closer to Christ, what will aid you along your way through mortality? If not, rewrite your "wish list".

But, if all is in place, be patient. Be observant. Trust and Believe.

I'm just sayin' 😇