Tonight I was doing the usual, preparing the kids backpacks and making sandwiches for lunches tomorrow. I got out the loaf of bread from the fridge and began to lay out all of the pieces of bread that I would need to compile the sandwiches for the little mouths that I was responsible to feed tomorrow. After getting the correct amount of pieces of bread out, I looked at the top of the counter with all of those pieces of bread and was amazed. I was taken back at the amount of bread it took to feed my family. Over half of the loaf was gone.
At that very same moment of amazement, I was instantly overwhelmed with a deep feeling of gratitude that washed over my body, gratitude to my Heavenly Father. Tears filled my eyes. Each of those individual pieces of bread represented each of my dear children and a reminder to me how blessed I was to be their mother. Each sandwich I made was individual to each child and to their liking. As I made each individual sandwich, I reminisced about that child's individual personality and gifts they have shared with me over the years and how they have filled my life with joy. I was deeply touched. I didn't know that making peanut butter sandwiches could be such a spiritual event, but tonight, for me, it was. The Spirit testified to me how blessed I am to have each of these sweet spirits in my life and how blessed I am that Heavenly Father trusts me in their care to teach them and guide them back to Him.
I couldn't be more thankful that it takes over a half a loaf of bread to complete school lunch sandwiches for our family! Motherhood is a privilege and a blessing!
The Challenge: To cherish the peanut butter sandwich and those magical moments of motherhood!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
The Power of the Atonement
This blog is all about the thought that one is never to old
to learn and gain a greater knowledge, to accomplish, to achieve, to start
chasing after a life long dream, to learn a new skill, to change, or to become
who you are destine to become. That is
what “but a spring chick” means to me.
And with that thought, I feel much power and hope in my life!
With that said, I am thankful for another day to increase my
knowledge and understanding of Gospel truths.
This past year has been a wonderful year of deep pondering and learning,
of coming across those “ah, ha” moments that I never caught before, but are
life changing!
One of those “ah, ha” moments for me has been about the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have been
on this earth for 38 years and it has only been in the last year that I feel I
am finally getting a little glimpse and understanding of the immense power of
the Atonement, this amazing GIFT that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have
given to me.
I use to always associate the Atonement with sin and that it
was the Atonement that helps us overcome sin and be forgiven for what we have
done wrong. I did not realize that the
power of the Atonement goes so much deeper.
The Atonement is the ultimate gift given to us from our
Heavenly Father, through His son Jesus Christ, because of His love for us, to
help us BECOME like Him! We are on this
earth to become like our Heavenly Father, so that one day we can stand in His
presence and live with Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ forever! It is ONLY through the ATONEMENT of Jesus
Christ that we can BECOME LIKE HIM.
In True to the Faith, it states that, “The word atone, means to reconcile, or to restore
to harmony.” I love that
definition. The Atonement “covers all” and restores to harmony. It covers all of my imperfections and allows
me to become something greater. I
picture myself as a person with all of these little holes within me. I have these little holes for different
reasons, for example, whether it be because of sin (big or small), sins of omission, self doubt (doubting myself as a
mother, a wife, within my callings, my talents), someone offending me and
causing hurt, physical sickness or aliment, depression, or loneliness. These holes appear over time and at different
times in my life. As I open the gift of
the Atonement and really apply it to my life on a DAILY BASIS, it is as if the power
of the Atonement is washing over my body and filling that imperfect hole and
making me whole again.
I picture the visual, which has been related to balancing
our time and filling our lives with what is most important. Picture an empty jar. It is filled with the big rocks first, then
the little rocks and pebbles, then sand is poured in and one would think, “there
is no more room in this jar”, until water is poured into it and the water fills
all the gaps that one thought did not exist and makes the jar full.
This is how I picture the Atonement for me. The Atonement, when I open up the gift and
allow the power to fill my heart, my mind, and my body, then does it fill those
imperfect holes I have created for myself.
It restores me to harmony and makes me full and whole again! What a
gift.
Each day I have different holes that show up within
myself. Some days I have one hole and some
days I have many. If I apply the
Atonement to my day, whether I have one or many holes that day, each of my imperfect
holes can be filled through my Savior, Jesus Christ. This allows me to then strive to become
better today than I was yesterday through this amazing power and gift!
I was asked today during visiting teaching, “So HOW does one
apply the Atonement in their lives?” I
believe that for each person it is different.
I can share with you how I do it.
The way I am able to allow the “water” or power of the Atonement
to flow over me is by starting out each day with the big rocks
(prayer, scripture study, spiritual study – other books, songs, manuals,
devotionals, conference talks, church attendance on Sundays etc.) so that I
have that strong foundation in my Savior, Jesus Christ and have FAITH in what
He CAN do within whatever situation I am facing. Then in the quite moments of
the day, I am able to TRUST my Heavenly Father and His WILL for me and allow
the water or “power of the Atonement” to flow over me through opening my heart
and allowing the love of my Savior, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father to fill me
and heal that imperfect hole. I use all
of the knowledge I have learned about myself and my Savior, to give me understanding
towards whatever situation is occurring and to help me change my heart. It is then that the change happens, the
restoration of harmony occurs within my heart, and the love and peace follow.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Prayer and Power!!
During my scripture study yesterday morning, I came across a sentence that hit me so strong. I loved it! It made me sit back and ponder on my own prayers.
I was reading in True To The Faith under prayer: http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/36863_eng.pdf
"The power of your prayers depends on
you."
There is great power in prayer, but as the above thought says, that power and degree of power that can exist is dependent upon ME!! There is great power to be had with prayer, but I must exercise my FAITH through MEANINGFUL payer. As I do so, an amazing power as described below emerges! How exciting!!
"As you make a habit of approaching God in prayer, you
will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Your
desires will become more like His. You will be able to secure
for yourself and for others blessings that He is ready to give
if you will but ask in faith. "
The Challenge: Apply a greater depth of faith through meaningful daily prayer
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Mothers Who Know!
With the changes that have occurred in our family over the last 9 months which include the birth of our 7th beautiful child, my husband being called into the Bishopric of our ward, having a new high schooler and all that comes with that, and the increase of individual activities each member of our family has, I have found myself on several occasion in deep soul searching and pondering and prayer to my Heavenly Father asking how I am to accomplish all that is required of me without losing my identity and self and also asking what truly is my roll in life? What is is that Heavenly Father wants of me? I know what my general mission is on this earth life, but what is my specific mission at this time in my life, now, today? These were the questions in my heart.
I have felt quite "unbalanced" since the birth of my sweet little girl, trying my best to do it all and be the best, but finding myself confused, worn out, and uncertain where I fit into this juggling act. I new that this was not how the "PLAN OF HAPPINESS" was suppose to feel, so I knew I was missing something. I have prayed a lot to my Heavenly Father asking what it is that I need to focus on now in my life.
Last week, I was going about my day, when the October 2007 General Conference talk, "Mothers Who Know" by Sister Julie B. Beck (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/mothers-who-know?lang=eng) entered into my mind. I did not know the title of the talk, or knew when it was given. The only thing that entered my mind was, "mothers who know do less!" I do not believe it was a coincidence that this phrase entered into my mind. I know it was the Holy Ghost answering a prayer to me from my loving Heavenly Father. I quickly looked it up and listened to this amazing talk.
It was all clear. This is where my focus should be, this should be my road map, this is what I should be doing. NOTHING else matters. This was a good reminder! I quickly realized that I had not been focusing on what was of most importance, but was filling my life with things that did not have eternal importance. I had forgotten who I truly was, what my true roll was on this earth, and what I was to become!
My whole focus on my life has changed over the last week. I have a new purpose, I feel a greater sense of my importance and need for my life. I have felt incredible joy in MOTHERHOOD over the last week, a feeling I have not felt completely in the last 14 1/2 years.
These are the highlights I learned from her talk:
-God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that young couples should not postpone having children and that "in the eternal perspective, CHILDREN - NOT POSSESSIONS, NOT POSITION, NOT PRESTIGE - are our greatest jewels."
-Faithful daughters of God desire children.
-The value women place on motherhood in this life and the attributes of motherhood they attain here will rise with them in the Resurrection.
-Mothers who know go to sacrament meeting where covenants are renewed and honor temple covenants.
-They know that if they are not pointing their children to the temple, they are not pointing them towards desired eternal goals.
3- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE NURTURERS
-This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness.
-To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Another word for nurturing is HOMEMAKING. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home.
-Home is where women have the MOST POWER and INFLUENCE.
-Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth.
4- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE LEADERS
-In equal partnership with their husbands, they lead a great and eternal organization. These mothers plan for the future of their organization. (missions, temple marriages, education, prayer, scripture study, Family Home Evening)
-They build children into future leaders and are the primary examples of what leaders look like.
-Wise mothers who know are selective about their own activities and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to maximize their influence where it matters most!!!
5- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE TEACHERS
-They are never off duty.
-A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach.
6- MOTHERS WHO KNOW DO LESS (SO POWERFUL!!!)
-They permit less of what will NOT bear good fruit eternally.
-They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home.
-Mother who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world's goods in order to spend more time with their children.
-These mothers choose carefully and DO NOT TRY TO CHOOSE IT ALL.
-Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord's kingdom for the next 50 years.
7- MOTHERS WHO KNOW STAND STRONG AND IMMOVABLE
-Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and daughters? Women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging time.
-Latter-day Saint women should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families!
The Challenge: to be a "Mother who knows!"
I have felt quite "unbalanced" since the birth of my sweet little girl, trying my best to do it all and be the best, but finding myself confused, worn out, and uncertain where I fit into this juggling act. I new that this was not how the "PLAN OF HAPPINESS" was suppose to feel, so I knew I was missing something. I have prayed a lot to my Heavenly Father asking what it is that I need to focus on now in my life.
Last week, I was going about my day, when the October 2007 General Conference talk, "Mothers Who Know" by Sister Julie B. Beck (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/mothers-who-know?lang=eng) entered into my mind. I did not know the title of the talk, or knew when it was given. The only thing that entered my mind was, "mothers who know do less!" I do not believe it was a coincidence that this phrase entered into my mind. I know it was the Holy Ghost answering a prayer to me from my loving Heavenly Father. I quickly looked it up and listened to this amazing talk.
It was all clear. This is where my focus should be, this should be my road map, this is what I should be doing. NOTHING else matters. This was a good reminder! I quickly realized that I had not been focusing on what was of most importance, but was filling my life with things that did not have eternal importance. I had forgotten who I truly was, what my true roll was on this earth, and what I was to become!
My whole focus on my life has changed over the last week. I have a new purpose, I feel a greater sense of my importance and need for my life. I have felt incredible joy in MOTHERHOOD over the last week, a feeling I have not felt completely in the last 14 1/2 years.
These are the highlights I learned from her talk:
MOTHERS WHO KNOW by Julie B. Beck
October 2007
"There is eternal influence and power in motherhood."
"The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know...When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children."
1- MOTHERS WHO KNOW BEAR CHILDREN
-Faithful daughters of God desire children.
-The value women place on motherhood in this life and the attributes of motherhood they attain here will rise with them in the Resurrection.
2- MOTHERS WHO KNOW HONOR SACRED ORDINANCES AND COVENANTS
-They know that if they are not pointing their children to the temple, they are not pointing them towards desired eternal goals.
3- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE NURTURERS
-This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness.
-To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Another word for nurturing is HOMEMAKING. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home.
-Home is where women have the MOST POWER and INFLUENCE.
-Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth.
4- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE LEADERS
-In equal partnership with their husbands, they lead a great and eternal organization. These mothers plan for the future of their organization. (missions, temple marriages, education, prayer, scripture study, Family Home Evening)
-They build children into future leaders and are the primary examples of what leaders look like.
-Wise mothers who know are selective about their own activities and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to maximize their influence where it matters most!!!
5- MOTHERS WHO KNOW ARE TEACHERS
-They are never off duty.
-A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach.
6- MOTHERS WHO KNOW DO LESS (SO POWERFUL!!!)
-They permit less of what will NOT bear good fruit eternally.
-They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home.
-Mother who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world's goods in order to spend more time with their children.
-These mothers choose carefully and DO NOT TRY TO CHOOSE IT ALL.
-Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord's kingdom for the next 50 years.
7- MOTHERS WHO KNOW STAND STRONG AND IMMOVABLE
-Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and daughters? Women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging time.
-Latter-day Saint women should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families!
The Challenge: to be a "Mother who knows!"
Random Thoughts...
"Life is a journey and only you hold the map."
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit!"
"You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe, and smarter than you think you are."
"Possibility blooms with each new day."
The Challenge: to always "dream big" as I continue to believe in myself!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
It's all about balance!!
I heard the two best quotes today that tugged at my heart! There is so much truth and power in these quotes:
"A powerful person is a balanced person!"
"Balance is not a matter of fitting everything into your life; it is a matter of deciding what is important to you and fitting all the important things into your life!"
As I put these two quotes together and combine them with my belief on how to find balance which is, we find balance as we aligning ourselves with God's will, then we become invincible and powerful to be able to accomplish all things!!
The Challenge: Find balance through the important things in life!
"A powerful person is a balanced person!"
"Balance is not a matter of fitting everything into your life; it is a matter of deciding what is important to you and fitting all the important things into your life!"
As I put these two quotes together and combine them with my belief on how to find balance which is, we find balance as we aligning ourselves with God's will, then we become invincible and powerful to be able to accomplish all things!!
The Challenge: Find balance through the important things in life!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
You are what you think!
Yesterday I had one of those days!! It started off on the wrong note and just kept going from there. I was very emotional and quite grumpy and sometimes, just not nice. Throughout the day I found myself thinking negative thoughts about myself and thinking what a failure I am as a mother and a wife. It certainly didn't make for a happy home for anyone yesterday.
I had this impression that I should read though a little notebook of inspiration and thoughts I have written down from the past. I stopped on an entry from June 12, 2010. The thoughts were from a Stake Conference, from church (mormon.org), that I had attended. Here is what it said:
"You are what you think - Believe in myself!"
"Your thoughts will stay if you have a place to put them."
"As you change your thoughts, you can overcome your weaknesses."
"As we think and do we BECOME."
I was then reminded of something I had read the other day. It said:
"We grow in two ways...by removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers."
I was immediately humbled and was reminded what I needed to do. To often I get caught up in those negative thoughts. I was doing myself, and my family, no good by hounding on the negative. Okay, so I hadn't been my best that day. I needed to get rid of the negative thoughts about myself, ask for forgiveness, and have the courage to try again tomorrow. And so I did, and I have to say, today has been filled with happiness!
The Challenge: Keep the thoughts about myself positive!!
I had this impression that I should read though a little notebook of inspiration and thoughts I have written down from the past. I stopped on an entry from June 12, 2010. The thoughts were from a Stake Conference, from church (mormon.org), that I had attended. Here is what it said:
"You are what you think - Believe in myself!"
"Your thoughts will stay if you have a place to put them."
"As you change your thoughts, you can overcome your weaknesses."
"As we think and do we BECOME."
I was then reminded of something I had read the other day. It said:
"We grow in two ways...by removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers."
I was immediately humbled and was reminded what I needed to do. To often I get caught up in those negative thoughts. I was doing myself, and my family, no good by hounding on the negative. Okay, so I hadn't been my best that day. I needed to get rid of the negative thoughts about myself, ask for forgiveness, and have the courage to try again tomorrow. And so I did, and I have to say, today has been filled with happiness!
The Challenge: Keep the thoughts about myself positive!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)