I Love The Scriptures

This morning, I was talking with Brent about some of my frustrations. As we chatted, I could feel myself actually becoming more and more tense, physically. At some point, I finally had to put a stop to our conversation. I was so tight inside I didn't know where to turn for relief. As I thought about it, I realized I hadn't read my scriptures today and I quickly pulled them out. I wasn't until I finished reading that I realized that the tension I felt earlier was now completely gone. The things I was frustrating over are still there but allowing the scriptures or more specifically, the words of Christ sink into my heart released the tightness I had built up in my short conversation with Brent. To me, the scriptures are a form of medicine needed to make it through the depression and frustrations of every day life.



What a beautiful day today! I love 3 Nephi and reading about Christ's visist to the Nephites. I love reading His words and it's not hard to picture myself there as He spoke to the Nephites. There is nothing like the scriptures to bring comfort and peace (and direction) to your heart.

Back On Course (I Pray).

For the last several months I have struggled with many things, personal and otherwise. My home has become a unorganized mess with what feels like no hope of getting it back in control. I thought I would be able to get on top of things when my children returned to school but to this day, I don't feel like that's coming together as it should. For the last several weeks, I have tried to get back to my personal scripture study (beyond lesson preparations) and this morning I finally opened my Book of Mormon to pick up where I left off in 3 Nephi and here is what I read:

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.
...
32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

As I read this passage, I knew that I had neglected "the kingdom" for myself and my family. It's not that we were doing bad things or relaxing on our standards. It's that I wasn't putting the spiritual things into our everyday lives as we had in months past. Here I have been struggling with my home and other things around me but all I have to do is make sure that I am spending a little time every day doing those things Heavenly Father wants us to do to help fortify us in the face of adversity.

We are faced with hard things every day. It's the world we live in and according to the scriptures and the prophets, it's only going to get worse the closer we get to the return of the Savior to the earth. I know that as I take the time every day to "seek the kingdom", Heavenly Father will bless me with the strength and endurance to accomplish the everyday tasks as well as protect against the storms that beat at our door.

I know that gospel is true. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and is aware of our needs and is just waiting for us to ask. I know that when I am doing all that is in my power to do and then turn to Him in prayer, He will pour out the blessings I need.

Late Night Thoughts

Last night, I laid bed and I could stop thinking about what I saw on Facebook yesterday. A sixteen year old young man that we are acquainted with had taken a couple of quizzes that left some very detailed pictures on the wall not to mention the quizzes themselves should not have been something he should have been thinking about at his age. Just barely at the age of dating, his mind was already thinking of things more appropriate for married life. It made me wonder about my own son who is only 2 1/2 years younger than him and wondering if I have done (and continue to) teach him (and my daughters) the standards that our church and our Heavenly Father want us to keep. We have covered the "For the Strength of Youth" as a family teaching our children from it and from our example but how can we be certain that it's enough? I don't even know if we can ever be certain. But it won't stop me from trying and praying for each one of them as they get older and more into those treacherous teenage years.

In the case of this young man, I pray that his parents are aware of what he is doing and posting on Facebook. I pray that they too will sit down with their family and teach the standards in the "For the Strength of Youth" and live by it's example. I know that living these standards are a protection from the temptations that are all around us. I know that by living these standards we are truly happy and will certainly find the our celestial rewards in the life to come.

For more information on the "For the Strength of Youth":

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6924-1,00.html