The Lord's way.

I'm doing something called Feel Great in Eight. It is a health program, mixed with spiritually uplifting goals. I have overcome a few addictions with this program and one that I have recently been working on is striving to LIVE like Christ lived, by doing my very best to exemplify his behavior. This has been extremely difficult as I have intended to take my love to a much higher level. This has required a deeper level of forgiveness and submission than I tend to feel comfortable with on a regular basis. This requires a constant devotion of conscious effort and commitment. I am still working on this and probably will be my whole mortal life, but I would absolutely LOVE if the destructive spirit of contention, resentment, and revenge were completely and entirely absent from my life.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said it best in this last conference when he said, "We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters."

We are all brothers and sisters.

He continues to say the following:

"When we feel hurt, angry, or envious, it is quite easy to judge other people, often assigning dark motives to their actions in order to justify our own feelings of resentment".

"As always, Christ is our exemplar. In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way. He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm."

"Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

"We are not perfect."

"The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way."

"Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way."

"Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive."

"Lay your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another."

"The merciful will obtain mercy."

---

I know without a doubt that the Lord's way is supposed to be our way. In a world that has so many wicked habits and tendencies, we must personally make a commitment to be different. We all need the Savior's help and the Savior himself needs more of us to be willing to exemplify his pure love through our very own loving countenance and righteous ways.

All Merciful.

One of my favorite quotes after reading through this month's General Conference addresses for my church, was this quote by Elder Holland:

"Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful - especially to those who don't expect it and especially to those who feel they don't deserve it."

This is surely where the atonement plays into our lives. We all depend upon that forgiveness and that comfort which makes us feel whole again. It's so very relieving that we have such a merciful God whom helps us to acknowledge our eternal potential and the importance of it.

To have been the recipient of God's mercy, on more occasions that I dare try to count... all the while not expecting it, nor feeling like I deserve it, has truly made me want to dig deeper and find a way to be better and more deserving of His love and goodness.

What a great quote.

When you are in your thoughts all alone, just trying to understand the significance of feelings within your heart... often times you judge yourself. You label yourself as weak, incompetent, and broken.

Thank goodness that LOVE itself is so very very very real. Love changes the patterns of our lives. When you come to know both your Heavenly Father and the Savior for yourself, you gain a full knowledge of what love truly is and what YOUR love is truly capable of.

I have been looking over and reading some of April's Conference articles HERE and a quote that completely stood out to me today was this, by Paul E. Koelliker :

"The feeling of love from our Heavenly Father is like a gravitational pull from heaven. As we remove the distractions that pull us toward the world and exercise our agency to seek Him, we open our hearts to a celestial force which draws us toward Him.... I am confident that our Heavenly Father’s arms are constantly extended, ever ready to embrace each one of us and say to each one with that quiet, piercing voice, “I love you.”

Do you ever feel you have so many problems, such real concerns, and that you get overwhelmed with the challenges of life?

I do.

I loved reading this very specific and optimistic suggestion from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson: seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”

Take one day at a time... or an inch if you will and truly strive for greatness.

A burden too difficult to bear.....

Once there was a women who was deep in a tremendous trial; she had a small family to support and this burden was just to difficult to bear. She constantly called upon the Lord, begging him to remove this trial from her life, and couldn't understand why her prayers seemed to go unanswered. One day after she returned from the grocery store, she was carrying in the groceries when she spied her little three year old trying desperately trying to lift the gallon jug of milk. The little girl pulled and tugged but to no avail, she couldn't move the jug. The mother watched her struggle as the little girl tried so hard to help her mother with the load. Finally the woman picked up the jug, as she had the Lord to do for her so many times, taking the milk from the child. The little girl began to cry, "I want to do it...." she mumbled. The she lifted her head as her eyes lit up, "Mom, I know! I'll carry the milk and you carry me."

Let us Choose Faith.

Faith----The Choice is Yours.
Quoted from Richard C. Edgley

Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours.

There is much that I do not know. I do not know the details of the organization of matter into the beautiful world we live in. I do not understand the intricacies of the Atonement, how the Savior’s sacrifice can cleanse all repentant people, or how the Savior could suffer “the pain of all men” (D&C 18:11). I do not know where the city of Zarahemla was, as referred to in the Book of Mormon. I do not know why my beliefs sometimes conflict with assumed scientific or secular knowledge. Perhaps these are matters our Father in Heaven described as the “mysteries … of heaven” (D&C 107:19) that will be revealed at a later date.

But while I don’t know everything, I know the important. I know the plain and simple gospel truths that lead to salvation and exaltation. I know that the Savior did suffer the pain of all men and that all repentant people can be cleansed from sin. And what I don’t know or don’t completely understand, with the powerful aid of my faith, I bridge the gap and move on, partaking of the promises and blessings of the gospel. And then, as Alma teaches, our faith brings us to a perfect knowledge (see Alma 32:34). By moving forward into the unknown, armed only with hope and desire, we show evidence of our faith and our devotion to the Lord.

And so, following Alma’s formula, let us choose. Let us choose faith.

Remembering Stephen at OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Faith in the Savior's Atonement and Heavenly Father's Plan

This Video warms my heart in soooo many ways and reminds me of that what is deeply rooted inside of me. For me, it really puts into perspective the importance of religion and faith and how they can help move us forward, while having those that we have lost, still close to our hearts. I know that the assurance and hope that I will one day be with Stephen again... as well as the rest of my family... comes directly from that of my Faith. Through knowledge of the Savior's atonement and Heavenly Father's plan, we gain a richer perspective about life and death.

After watching this video, I can even say that, I too... am "grateful that God allows tragedies and trials to occur in our lives--- not because they're easy or because they're desired, but because they help us to LOVE."

I miss our baby Stephen and every detail of the 44 days that he spent with our family.

Please, take a few minutes to watch this video. You will most certainly be glad that you did.

Trusting Him and Humbling Ourselves.

Are you often discouraged that your prayers haven't been answered immediately or in the manner in which you hoped for?

Do we expect God to be our servant, instead of humbling ourselves and asking Him how we can be His?

This is a question that can help us to become humble and get lost in His work and worry less about what we want for ourselves and trust what He is doing with our lives.


"Coming to trust him, his purposes and what he is doing with our lives fulfils a yearning that nothing else on this earth can satisfy."

"Sometimes our promised blessings are deferred, held for their proper time as the Lord knows it in his omniscience. When we have tasted of His Spirit and have felt His touch, this we can survive with grace and patience."

"Whether he takes my current burdens or not, whether he waits to ease them, I love him. All of the yearnings of my soul are drawn out to him. I adore what he is, not just what he does for me in my pleadings [or prayers]."

From "When Yesterday's Burden Isn't Lighter Today" {Meridian Magazine} By Maurine Proctor

Inspiration.

His Loving Redemptiveness.

Even as our resolve to follow God increases, we will continue to fall short. But rather than see occasions of repentance as humiliating admissions of remarkable stupidity that threaten His ability to continue loving us, we should view them as regular reminders of our dependence on Him.

"Our continual need to humble ourselves and repent of failings does not separate us from His love. Rather it is an opportunity to celebrate that His loving redemptiveness is larger than our weakness. Indeed, nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39)."

God has an "unquenchable desire to help us heal our wounds, individually and collectively. . . . God is not dead, and he is not an absentee landlord. God is not uncaring, or capricious, or cantankerous. Above all, he is not some sort of divine referee trying to tag us off third base. The first and great commandment on earth is for us to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength because surely the first and great promise in heaven is that he will always love us that way.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘Look to God and Live’,” Ensign, Nov 1993, 13)

"Regardless of our earth histories, we all have someone who is crazy about us. Each one of us has Someone—a Father in Heaven—who loves us with His whole heart, might, mind and strength."

Source= The First and Great Promise- By H. Wallace Goddard & Barbara Keil

When awful things happen, even to good people, there seems built into us a desire to put blame on someone... whether we are strong in our faith or NOT. It seems that we often tend to lean towards blaming the one who knows everything, has all power, and loves perfectly----- GOD.

It is imperative that we try to remind ourselves of these things, especially when we feel W.E.A.K. or feel like a failure.

He is always rooting for YOU. God has an "unquenchable desire to help [you] heal [your] wounds..." and most importantly ---his "loving redemptiveness is LARGER than [your] WEAKNESS."

Trusting our Perfect God.

"Whether we are fourteen or ninety four, there is room to grow closer to our Father in Heaven, through his perfect Son. We can trust Him!"

THIS article really touched my heart today.

It's true.

"We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes."

-Thomas S. Monson

Love this quote~

"God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability." - Neal A. Maxwell

Our Worst Enemies

We attended Soda Springs Seminary Graduation this last week & there were a lot of neat things said, but I really appreciated what the Utah State Seminary teacher said. He talked about a lighthouse or a tower and said that they worked so well because one could see their enemies coming.... he than compared the lighthouse or tower with a TEMPLE. He said when you are within the temple, there aren't any windows that you look out of and that you cannot see what is outside. He then went on to say that we needed to watch out for our enemies. He then asked, "Who are our enemies?" The answer was of course, OURSELVES.

We are our own worst enemies. Think about that. We control our thoughts, our actions, and our words. We control whether or not we allow ourselves to be offended or whether we are going to offend others. We are in control of ourselves! We have tendencies to make bad choices, to misjudge, and to hurt others.... which in turn ALWAYS hurts ourselves. I think that it is extremely important to realize that we need to watch out for ourselves, making sure that WE are our own keepers... of strength, truth, and all those things that we want to stand for. We must protect ourselves from ourselves... our own worst enemies!

I have to agree with this great man.

Click on this picture to enlarge this great quote... which comes from a great man.

As humans we give up so easily on those who reject and hurt us, veiwing them as a lost cause. We can’t forgive and forget, we always hold a record of wrongs.

I am so glad Heavenly Father doesn’t look at us this way. Because of Jesus Christ and his atonement, we are given the opportunity to repent & if we choose to do just that, he loves us even when we have rejected and hurt him. Just as long as we've experienced that change of heart.

Lance B. Wickman, “Today,” Ensign, May 2008, 103–5
"It remains only for you and me to both seek and tender that forgiveness—to both repent and to extend charity to others—which enables us to pass through the door the Savior holds open, thus to cross the threshold from this life into exaltation. Today is the day to forgive others their trespasses, secure in the knowledge that the Lord will thus forgive ours. As Luke significantly recorded, “Be ye therefore merciful” (Luke 6:36; emphasis added). Perfection may elude us here, but we can be merciful. And in the end, repenting and forgiving are among God’s chief requirements of us."

REPENTANCE.

Not only a change of behavior, but a change of Heart.

I Came to the Earth as Part of a Family: talk by Wesley Bowman

I love Sundays. As a family, we choose to focus primarily on keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. This can be done by laying aside the things of the world, and seeking for the things of a better (D&C 25:10). Ever since January, our Sabbath Day now begins bright and early because our Sacrament Mtg. starts at 9 AM. We usually cause a tornado in our home... consisting of church clothes, Pajamas, toys, cereal bowls, sheets, hair products, curling irons, hair dryer, toothbrushes, etc... (it REALLY can get out of control). Well we made it to church at about 10 after 9AM today... not to bad, right? Despite the hustle and bustle that always takes place, we know as soon as we walk through those church doors, that we are in fact where we need to be.

Sunday Family GOALS: Learn. Share. Grow. Testify. (SLEEP). Serve. Read. Sing. Teach. Love.

The JOY that Aaron & I felt today, on this particular Sunday was beautiful! I love the Primary Program in our church. Wesley has just left the nursery and is now a reverent SUNBEAM. He even got chosen to be an example of Reverence today in Singing time. As he stood in front of a room full of leaders and other children, he folded his arms and gently closed his eyes. He was then informed by a leader that he didn't have to close his eyes. LOL. The fact that he felt like closing his eyes to show reverence really impressed Aaron and I. What a sweet and tender moment that was for us.

Wesley really loves Primary and here are two of his favorite songs: (you may download these)

1-Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam: http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=60&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=60&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

1. Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,To shine for him each day;In ev’ry way try to please him,At home, at school, at play.
2. Jesus wants me to be lovingAnd kind to all I see,Showing how pleasant and happyHis little one can be.

Chorus: A sunbeam, a sunbeam,Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.A sunbeam, a sunbeam,I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

2- I am a Child of God:

http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=2&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=2&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

1. I am a child of God,And he has sent me here,Has given me an earthly homeWith parents kind and dear.
2. I am a child of God,And so my needs are great;Help me to understand his wordsBefore it grows too late.
3. I am a child of God.Rich blessings are in store;If I but learn to do his will,I’ll live with him once more.
4. I am a child of God.His promises are sure;Celestial glory shall be mine If I can but endure.

Chorus: Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,Help me find the way.Teach me all that I must do To live with him someday.

Last week, Wesley was asked to give a talk in Primary: I came to Earth as part of a Family. He wanted Mommy to help him decide what to say. Now these talks are suppose to be short. Before Wesley climbed up to the stand to give his talk, he had told me that he was sooo excited. He wore a giant smile and delivered his talk like a champ! I whispered the words into his ear & he spoke them into the microphone so that he could share his talk with the rest of the children in Primary. These are the words that he chose to share:

"Heavenly Father loves me and he gave me a Family that loves me. I love my Mommy, my Daddy, and my little Sister! We have so much fun together! Having a Family makes me so Happy! In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

Beautiful. There was a women, sitting next to Aaron, who was another child's Grandma. She was so touched by Wesley's simple testimony of families that she began to tear up.

I am so grateful to have the knowledge of Heavenly Father's Plan. It is an amazing opportunity for me.... to be able to teach my children about the gospel and the love of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Wesley was so proud of himself today and I believe that he knows, without a doubt that FAMILY is central to Heavenly Father's plan. GOOD JOB WESLEY! YOU do have a wonderful family, that LOVES you, that CHERISHES you, that would do absolutely ANYTHING for you! I hope that as you grow older and especially on days where it seems as if you don't have anything or anyone at all, that you remember the L-O-V-E of your FAMILY and the L-O-V-E of your SAVIOR.

Our Family Sealing: January 3rd, 2006

Idaho Falls Temple

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILIES:

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html

Finding Joy In The Journey and In The Moment.

AFTER a fun filled weekend, Monday mornings are always hectic, right?

WELL... these kind of mornings usually lead me to questioning my abilities, patience, and to say it quite plainly... just feeling like a lousy mother. I am convinced that every mother has these moments, though.

AFTER lunch, Emma fell asleep on Wesley's shoulder while watching a cartoon. It was so sweet and when I went to pick her up to lay her in her bed, Wesley only held her tighter. He was NOT going to let her go. I decided to watch them snuggle. It was just one of those moments...

LIFE is created by single moments, moments that don't always merit a graceful entry or a red curtain curtsy..... these ordinary moments present themselves in blue jeans and tennis shoes. I've learned that the rainy moments in our lives are often revitalized by rainbows, reminding us to find joy in the journey. These are the humbling moments that are most prominent in the story of our lives.

READ: Finding Joy in the Journey by President Thomas S. Monson (http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-26,00.html)

WORDS from the article that stood out to me: "If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

THINK ABOUT IT: messes = memories. DON'T BE AFRAID TO LET YOUR CHILDREN MAKE A MESS!.... AND most importantly, don't be afraid to make a mess with them! Set aside time to make messes with the children.

"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."

We are capable.

It is essential. WE need to recognize and ponder these ordinary MOMENTS in our lives!

WHY?....

These MOMENTS will bring your families the inspiration, the encouragement, the empowerment, and the gratification necessary to remember what is most important in life.

Make memories. Make them matter. Enjoy them. Treasure them. Forever.

Just one of those moments:

It is the good and the bad MOMENTS that equally bind them to me.

I FEEL their engravings deeper and deeper on my HEART.

An Editorial That Made My Heart Smile!

This just made my heart smile... and after I read it, I wiped away my tears. Those tears were tears of gratitude! I am so very grateful for the experiences that I have had in my life, where my heart was softened and I was able to gain my own personal testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Ghost, and of ALL Prophets, including Joseph Smith.

We aren't PERFECT. We might criticize others. We misjudge. We doubt. We put up a wall... we harden our hearts. We lose our way and often find ourselves searching....!

We CAN learn. We CAN listen to our HEARTS. WE CAN ALWAYS REPENT. We CAN admit that we misjudged. We CAN turn that old doubt into a new found conviction. AND then... we CAN share our testimony and experiences with all!

Paul Allen is the owner of the Seattle Seahawks, the ones who played the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2006 Super Bowl. He is also the owner of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA basketball team and is co-partner with Bill Gates in Microsoft. He wrote this editorial in the Santa Clarita, California newspaper.

An editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita , CA

I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West all my life. I have worked around them. They have worked for me and I for them. When I was young, I dated their daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding. Now that I have daughters of my own, some of their boys have dated my daughters. I would be privileged if one of them were to be my son-in-law. I'm talking about the Mormons. They are some of the most honest, hardworking people I have ever known.

They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it as much as any Christian church ever has. They serve their religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. Not one of their leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they put in. The Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact that is not generally known. I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for myself. What a surprise! What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple service with no fanfare. I found a people with a great sense of humor and a well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud music. Just a simple service, with the members themselves giving the several short sermons. They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints". Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When I read their "Book of Mormon" I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I had been told I would find.

Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him some of the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise, when he found out that I was in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that they did not fit into the Christian mold. He also told me that they don't really believe the Bible. He gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant that the Mormons were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn't want to hear anything good about them.

At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I began to wonder. I have never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United States are Mormon. What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a little help.

The Mormon church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world without a word of credit. They have donated thousands to help rebuild Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes. You never see them on TV begging for money. What cult do you know that instills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked and be a good Christian by living high moral standards?

Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class? They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI, the State Department and every police department in the country, because they are trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are in the Secret Service - those who protect the President.

They serve in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in the US Senate, and have been governors of several states other than Utah . They serve with distinction and honor. If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best friends and neighbors. They are Christians who try to live what they preach. They are not perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live their religion, just like many of us. The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths. (Others) had successfully demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself You also will be surprised.

When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards in Santa Clarita. Now there are 15. They must be doing something right.

Paul Allen - Santa Clarita

Have ANY Questions OR To learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, click this link: http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/