Cherishing Children

Jesus Christ taught us to look to children as an example. When the disciples ask Him who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven in the New Testament, Christ answers with a powerful object lesson. As He calls a child to sit in the midst of them, Jesus says,

“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).

Sister Jean A. Stevens taught in this last conference the way children are able to bless and teach in our lives. She said:

"What is it we should learn from children? What qualities do they possess and what examples do they demonstrate that can help us in our own spiritual development?

These precious children of God come to us with believing hearts. They are full of faith and receptive to feelings of the Spirit. They exemplify humility, obedience, and love. They are often the first to love and the first to forgive."

Children have always brought such great joy into my life. Their genuine, innocent love is contagious. My negative mind is more at ease around them because I feel comforted by their nonjudgmental, unconditional love. It is a good thing that my job is surrounded by little people.:D

I love teaching and learning from my students. The magic of learning is found in their innocence and simplicity. This is a stark contrast to the complicated twisting lies of deceit from Ed and Satan's minions. Trust, faith, and hope glimmer in their eyes. The present is playful and the future is attainable.

I am amazed at their sense of trust and malleability to change. Many often describe children as "resilient." To me this means they are adaptable and humble. Such qualities are essential to growth.

Each day my students help me continue to develop important traits of love, kindness, friendship, joy, risk, and trust. I love the way they help me laugh and take time to play. I can't wait to experience this with my own children some day.

“Children are the epitome of innocence, they are the epitome of purity, they are the epitome of love, they are the epitome of hope and gladness in this difficult and troubled world. –Gordon B. Hinckley

(“Behold Your Little Ones,” Children’s Fireside Satellite Broadcast, January 23, 1994.)

Faith in Friendship

In many of my recent sessions with Julie we have talked about social fears and friendships. Throughout my life I have struggled to feel accepted and an adequate friend. I recognize it as an undesirable cycle of my negative mind. Today I took the challenge to read and ponder on some of the words of the prophets about friendship.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton gave an inspiring talk titled, “What is a friend?” He states:

Someone has said, “A friend is a person who is willing to take me the way I am.” Accepting this as one definition of the word, may I quickly suggest that we are something less than a real friend if we leave a person the same way we find him.

There seems to be a misunderstanding on the part of some men today as to what it means to be a friend. Acts of a friend should result in self-improvement, better attitudes, self-reliance, comfort, consolation, self-respect, and better welfare. Certainly the word friend is misused if it is identified with a person who contributes to our delinquency, misery, and heartaches. When we make a man feel he is wanted, his whole attitude changes. Our friendship will be recognizable if our actions and attitudes result in improvement and independence.

Ed disguises himself as a “true friend,” yet leads only to misery and destruction. He tears down all truth, and builds barriers of doubt of divine potential. Ed, as a minion to the adversary, is an enemy of the soul.

Contrary, we are all blessed with an eternal friend, our Savior and Redeemer. Through the power of the atonement, Christ is able to succor to our needs with omnipotent understanding. He never leaves us alone, but constantly reaches out to bless us.

One such way is through heavenly angelic friends. Looking at past and present experiences, I feel it is God’s divine design to place certain people in your life at certain times. Seemingly, life’s twinkling stars align in His perfect plan.

Elder Marlin K. Jensen taught,

“ . . . Friendship is a fundamental need of our world. I think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a deep yearning for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting relationships can give. Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of the principle of friendship is because it should be manifest quite naturally as we live the gospel. In fact, if the consummate Christian attribute of charity has a first cousin, it is friendship. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul slightly, friendship “suffereth long, and is kind; [friendship] envieth not; … seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; … [friendship] never faileth.”

In this perfect plan, I have learned Heavenly Father answers my prayers through others – my angels – family and friends. In their loving service, I am healed and blessed. My love for the Savior and my sweet angels deepens and becomes more complete. Through the blessing of friends, a dusting of colorful pixie dust is added to my character through the way they add love, laughter, and joy to life.

I am grateful for the way my angel friends have accepted me for me, and helped me grow – despite my battle with my negative mind to believe I am lovable. There is individual need for friendship. Friendship creates a place of belonging, a time for laughter, sprinkles of spontaneity, and glimpses of growth.

Like Peter Pan’s “Lost Boys,” I can often feel alone and afraid. It is then heaven reaches down dustings of “Tinker Bells” to bring blessings of friendship. Their love adds a “happy thought” that empowers my ability to fly to my own Neverland of passion, play, and pleasure.

Pain and Suffering

During my therapy session with Julie this week we talked about the purpose and power of pain and affliction in our mortal experience. My heart was touched by many of the conference talks today, especially Elder Kent F. Richards in the morning session. He talked about much of what Julie and I did this past week. These are a few thoughts about some things I learned. 

Pain brings power and potential. The foundation of God's perfect plan of happiness is opposition in all things, including our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical being. Through the gift of opposition, blessings of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity develop. Feeling sorrow, failure, and enmity brings greater capacity to feel joy, accomplishment, and love. 

 

The structure of opposition is outlined in 2 Nephi 2: 11-13:  

11For it must needs be, that there is an aopposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.  

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.  

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.  

Elder Richards taught that suffering administers to our mortal "education," a means whereby we can discover our true potential. Through suffering and pain experiences, we bow in humility before our maker. These learning experiences provide opportunities to develop Godlike qualities in ways that would otherwise not be possible. Pain and suffering are part of His "refiner's fire," purifying our character into His perfect creation. As Elder Richard explains, it is through suffering we are refined to be as precious as gold. "For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" (I Nephi 20:10).    

As we experience pain and suffering, the Savior does not stand back as a "silent observer." Throughout His mortal and eternal ministry Christ sanctioned endless blessings to all men. His healing was unconditional, reaching out with open arms as on the cross to all mankind. "And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:12).   

Through His infinite love, our pain and suffering are lifted even though our mortal circumstances may not immediately change. His "yoke is easy and His burden is light" because He is there with us. The Savior brings peace and solace in the midst of our pain. 

Healing comes through His divine spirit and heaven's surrounding angels. During the longest nights and darkest storms, God's angels of light have surrounded me with arms of comfort, peaceful prayers, and uplifting dreams. Especially when I first admitted to the Center for Change, I remember many distinct impressions of my guardian angel, Grandpa White, strengthening and comforting me. Sometimes it was a warm feeling in my hand as if he was holding it. Other times it was soft arms wrapped around me during a lonely, dark night. Most often it was a whisper of courage to fight, as it continues today. After all, I am the linage of the "toughest kid on the block." How grateful I am for His divine angels of light.  

One of my favorite talks is by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels. In this sermon, he describes angels as: "Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. that the pmost often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times. When in Lehi’s dream he found himself in a frightening place, “a dark and dreary waste,” as he described it, he was met by an angel, “a man … dressed in a white robe; … he spake unto me,” Lehi said, “and bade me follow him.” Lehi did follow him to safety and ultimately to the path of salvation. In the course of life all of us spend time in “dark and dreary” places, wildernesses, circumstances of sorrow or fear or discouragement." Yet the Savior promises, “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, … my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 88: 84)  

My heart is filled with deep gratitude for the blessings of pain and suffering. I feel abundantly blessed with angels, power, and divinity through His eternal gifts of love. Life's challenges bring eternal and endless blessings of light - sprinkles of pixie dust!

Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway

While at the Center for Change, I read a book entitled, Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. The principle of the books message is as the title states, "Feel the fear in life and do it anyway." 

Everyday fears of Ed and my negative mind cycle through my mind. Even though they are a lot quieter than they were a year ago, they are still there. Faith is my drive to face many of them each day. 

Often I have fears of change in my life because of my disposition to OCD. Yet ironically, my negative mind seems to question if I am changing fast enough. Susan Jeffers explains:

“For some reason we feel we should be perfect, and forget that we learn through our mistakes. Our need to be perfect and our need to control the outcome of events work together to keep us petrified when we think about making a change or attempting a new challenge.” 

My fears of failing in a new experience, makes it difficult to take the first step of trying. When I let fear override my faith, I miss out on new experiences and truly living. This is true of my recent experience in going on a cruise with Nelson's family. There were many things to be afraid of and were; but the growing that has and will become of it far outweigh the fears. Although I was not perfect on my cruise journey in overcoming my fears, I can remember Susan Jeffers quote, "You’re not a failure if you don’t make it, you’re a success because you try."

Before I left, Julie told me how much she likes sea turtles. She believes they have a "cuteness" about them in an unusual way. Throughout my journey in Mexico on land and sea, my mind tried to catch a glimpse of one in the ocean & in statues on land. The hope to see a turtle kept my mind focused away from my fears. This action of faith drove away my fears. As Julie has taught me, each time a fear arose, I would acknowledge it and then pushed them away with positive affirmations of the truth that my inner self knew. 

I have learned about the turtle symbolic significance over the past few days. The turtle often symbolizes endurance, patience, strength, stability, and protection. I feel the turtle takes its wisdom one day at a time - not reacting, simply accepting and moving on in its natural methods. This can connect with "feeling the fear and doing it anyway." Little by little the fear dissipates with actions of faith. In facing fears, new experiences, opportunities, and memories are made that otherwise would not have happened. There is something enriching about leaving one beautiful experience in your life and looking forward to other beautiful experiences.

Fear is a driving force of growth in life when I oppose it with actions of faith. Faith and fear are opposite forces, one giving power and one controlling. I have found sometimes the life’s biggest fears and hardest experiences bring the greatest blessings of growth. This occurs when I take a chance to make action to go against my fears. The only way to overcome is to, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” 

The Sanctuary of the Temple

"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness.'" —Gary E. Stevenson Each week I strive to take the opportunity to attend the temple. I love the temple! I love its peace, power, and protection. Heavenly Father's eternal, abiding love is held close within its sacred walls. I find greater strength as I attend the temple to fight Ed's inner battle and raging storm. In I Kings 9:3 it reads, "I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." In fact, when my mind is raging, I will sing the words of "I Love to See the Temple." It brings a sense of peace that can only be found therein. In the temple, peace of mind and answers to prayers flow. Boyd K. Packer said, "At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can 'see' things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known." In his hallowed house, I find a sanctuary to my soul. "Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the aSanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established." (Exodus 15:17). I love to attend my mom's initiatory session to participate in the covenants with her. It is a special experience to have her hands laid upon my head and speaking its wonderful blessings. The temple in its self is a special place, but while attending with family its blessings become a reality. The promises are more fully seen and my love grows deeper - a heaven's glimpse into the eternities. Richard H. Winkel said, "When you come to the temple you will love your family with a deeper love than you have ever felt before. The temple is about families." Attending the temple with my mom also reminds me of the powerful blessings of Abraham, as outlined in the initiatory. My parents truly have taught and engraved a great love of the temple in my heart. I love this special time with my mom in a sanctuary of heaven.

Take My Yoke Upon You

In Matthew 11: 27-30 it reads:
"All things delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father, save the Son, and he whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

President Hunter explains His yoke as, "In biblical times the yoke was a device of great assistance to those who tilled the field. It allowed the strength of a second animal to be linked and coupled with the effort of a single animal, sharing and reducing the heavy labor of the plow or wagon. A burden that was overwhelming or perhaps impossible for one to bear could be equitably and comfortably borne by two bound together with a common yoke. His yoke requires a great and earnest effort, but for those who truly are converted, the yoke is easy and the burden becomes light."

By "taking His yoke," I know the challenges I face in life become lighter. My broken heart and spirit bring me humbly before Him. In this spirit of meekness my load is lightened as my Savior walks with me.

President Hunter further explains, "Why face life’s burdens alone, Christ asks, or why face them with temporal support that will quickly falter? To the heavy laden it is Christ’s yoke, it is the power and peace of standing side by side with a God that will provide the support, balance, and the strength to meet our challenges and endure our tasks here in the hardpan field of mortality.

Obviously, the personal burdens of life vary from person to person, but every one of us has them. Furthermore, each trial in life is tailored to the individual’s capacities and needs as known by a loving Father in Heaven. Of course, some sorrows are brought on by the sins of a world not following the counsel of that Father in Heaven. Whatever the reason, none of us seems to be completely free from life’s challenges. To one and all, Christ said, in effect: As long as we all must bear some burden and shoulder some yoke, why not let it be mine? My promise to you is that my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (See Matt. 11:28–30.)"

I am empowered with the truth that my Savior is sharing my yoke, making it easy through His eternal love. His love is enduring and everlasting. When I am weak to the load I bear, He is there to carry me.

Through the power of the atonement I know the Savior is able to succor my pains, sorrows, and afflictions. When I feel no one else will understand, I know He does. He is always there for me and blesses me with His grace each day.

Today I was rereading my journal from a year ago and was reminded of a story I posted from Bishop VanWagner that relates to my new understanding of "taking His yoke upon" me:

Camels are kind unattractive and uninviting with their ability to spit. However, they are also really powerful with their strengths and abilities. Camels can travel far distances without stopping for food and water, withstand extreme heat, and carry heavy loads. A camel’s master is very trusting of their abilities to endure and push forward. Each morning a camel bows before his master to take on a new load. Then, at the end of each day, a camel bows to his master to take their heavy burdens that they bear.

Just like a camel, I have a master I bow to each morning in humility to ask for strength and power to overcome the challenges of the day. I have learned to ask “how” instead of “why” to my master. He is omnipotent and knows how my experiences will help me become what He sees in my eternal mirror. As begin my day's journey, I believe He gently places my “load” upon me with tender mercy and care.

After the load is placed, He does not abandon me for he is always there. When the load is too heavy to bear, He lets me rest while encouraging to keep going. As I muster the strength to keep going, my master continues to walk beside me – never leaving me alone. When I start to leave the path, He is there to guide me back to safety through the Holy Spirit. His gentle words of love and support help me keep moving.

At the end of the day, I humbly bow before him to take my load. Through His everlasting grace and mercy, the load is lifted. I am so grateful for His strength and love that empower me with the ability to overcome.

Each camel has a different load comparable to their abilities. Just like the camels, I believe everyone has their own loads or trials to bear. Each is different in their size, but comparable in the treasures they hold. I am learning how important trials are for discovering who I am and uncovering life’s treasure. These treasures dust me with life's pleasures of growth and change.

The Beauty of Small Growth

Line upon line, precept on precept;
Now is the time for my spirit to grow.
As children of God, we are meant to be happy.
He gave us the gospel that we may be so.
All through my life I’ll grow in knowledge.
Journeys of faith move one step at a time.
As children of God, we are meant to be happy.
Teach me to be like Him—line upon line.

1989 by Nita Dale Milner

I continue to think and ponder about God's small, powerful changes. 2 Nephi 27-28 testifies that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is a God of miracles of His grace, wisdoem, and power. God's mighty works are found in daily tender mercies.

Opposing to God's light is Satan's darkness. He leads through lies of flaxen cords (2 Nephi 26:22) of "little sins" (2 Nephi 28:8) to justify lull, lie, and hide in darkness. Yet these small cords tighten to a speedy destruction.

I was thinking how God's miracles occur in small steps. Like the "Daffodil Principle," the beauty is awakening and inspiring. I think of sunrises, sunsets, flowers blossoming, trees blooming, autumn leaves, baby's growing, glistening rainbows and so much more.

Yet powerful destruction seems to occur ever so quickly - natural disasters, accidents, and other harmful events. The process of becoming lulled into the trap may be slow, but the destruction is quick.

My eyes twinkle at the sparkles of spring. As I came home from work today, my eyes were drawn to the peeping up tulip leaves. Like the trees and grass, life is awakening from a winter's rest. Rays of color and sun are gradually showing. Although it can be tempting to wish for the blossoms over night. There is a sweet sensation in wainting and watching life renew "line upon line."