#37: J is for Just Kidding!

So I thought I would make it all the way through the alphabet but life had different plans (as usual).

I wanted to let you all know that I'm taking a hiatus from writing my blog. Don't worry, I plan to return to "This Little Light of Mine" during the summer of 2013. I know you'll all be waiting with baited breath until that time. :)

Thanks for all the support and feedback I've received on my blog! You are the ones that make writing this blog so much fun! I hope the best for all of you!

#36: I is for I Am...

I am...

Each of us can finish that sentence in a myriad of different ways. I talked about one struggle I had with that particular phrase in my "A is for Attitude" blog. There is one person in all the history of the world though, that has taken the statement "I am..." and used it to give hope to the entire human race. That is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His declaration, "I am the Light of the world" gave countless generations the hope of Eternal life.

 I love this video portrayal of the Savior's declaration that He is the Light of the world. It is so powerful. (And that good feeling you got when you watched the video? That was the Holy Spirit telling your heart that Jesus is the Christ).

Jesus Christ had to make the boldest "I am" statement anyone has ever made. But He was able to say it because it is true. Jesus IS the Son of God. From the very beginning He was chosen to be our Savior. He came to this earth to redeem each one of us. I know that is the truth. As Christ says in the video, the Father bears witness of Him. The spirit of God has borne that witness to my heart. I stand with millions (if not billions) of others to add my voice that Jesus Christ is the great I Am.

For that knowledge, I am eternally grateful.

#35: H is for High-Vantage Point

I feel like I get asked the same question a lot on my mission:

Why do we need prophets?

The argument is that we should be able to talk to God without a middle-man. And we can. Prayer is always a way for us to talk directly to God. Having a living prophet is just one more way that God can talk to us.

The best comparison I can make is this: [and I’ll add a disclaimer here—I am a band geek. You’ve been warned.] When a band is practicing for a field show competition it’s vital that each member of the band is in exactly the right spot for the show to be perfect. When you’re down on the field, you can’t see the big picture. You can only see what’s immediately around you and so with that limited perspective it’s easy for a team member to feel like they are “close enough” with their choreography and position. But from a higher vantage point (i.e. the press box) it’s much easier to see what corrections need to be made to align the band members with the drill.

When I was on the BSU color guard I had the opportunity to function as co-captain of the team. That gave me the chance to watch some of the practices from the press box with the coach. She and I could look out from our higher vantage point and easily see what needed to be corrected to present a more unified show. After discussing what needed to be done, I would go back down to the field and give instructions to my team members about what they could fix to improve the show. Through this process our field show was more precise and the result was a higher level of performance that was much more enjoyable to watch.

A prophet is just like the captain of the team. A prophet has a somewhat expanded view of our circumstances and is able to receive instructions (or revelations) from the Coach. With this instruction and guidance, the rest of us are able to make the small corrections that help us to align our thoughts and actions with the Lord’s perfect plan. I am grateful for prophets that lead us today and I know that as we listen to their counsel we will be blessed because our lives will be more in harmony with God’s will for us.

H is for High Vantage Point

#34: G is for Good Things

I found this article in the Ensign and absolutely loved it! The author talks about how she has this bad habit of beginning to miss good moments in life before they are even over. She says:

"I have always had a hard time facing change and am hesitant to let go of good things. I miss the past even while it is still the present, desperate to enjoy fully moments in which I consciously and determinedly live. I know when I have a good thing, and I want to hold on and never let go.... Usually when I realize how good things are, I instantly begin thinking of how everything is fleeting, that it will eventually be lost to time or circumstance"

The realization that she had was that good things keep on coming!

I know that may not be profound for some of you but this was life-changing for me! Just like the author, I begin to miss the past while it's still the present (on a regular basis). Usually I'm so desperate to suck all the good out of each experience before it's over--to the point that it's counter-productive because it stresses me out.  Heavenly Father isn't done blessing us though. He's never going to look at you and say, "Well, I'm sorry but that event back there was the climax of your life. Hope you enjoyed it..." He loves each of us WAY too much for that.

The author goes on to say,

"Change is the Lord’s way. He wants us to be happy and growing, to be excited to move on with our lives. Life is a journey, and while still enjoying the present and preparing for inevitable challenges, we must move forward, remaining optimistic, our hearts open to the experiences and good things that are undoubtedly on their way."

So this is my resolution for the new year. My mantra has now become "Good things keep on coming". And I know that good things are on the way for you as well. Because God loves us each that much.

 

G is for Good Things

#33: F is for Forgiveness

A while back I read a article in the Ensign called "Finding Peace Through Forgiveness".  The author talks about the difficulty of forgiving someone that hasn't had to face any consequences for their wrong actions. A couple of lines in the article really stood out to me when I read it but the article had slipped my mind until this morning when my companion found the same talk during her studies. Apparently I needed to be reminded of this talk for some reason so I'm sharing it with you (and no, I haven't been seriously--or even slightly--wronged lately....so don't worry about me).  :)

This is the section of the article that really caught my attention:

"Forgiveness was not primarily about restoring my relationship with the person who had offended me. Instead, its focus was restoring and improving my relationship with God. It was about trusting—really trusting—that He would take care of me and that He hadn’t allowed anything to happen to me that wouldn’t eventually work out for my benefit. Forgiveness centered on drawing close to Heavenly Father, understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and laying everything on the altar—and doing this cheerfully, with confidence that I was safe in Heavenly Father’s care."

How profound is that statement?! I had never thought about forgiveness in that light before but it makes perfect sense. No matter what happens to us we can find peace simply by strengthening our relationship with our Heavenly Father. As long as we have a relationship with God that is built on mutual trust, we can find the patience and strength to bear the trials and burdens that come our way. And we can find peace through knowing that Heavenly Father will always take care of us--always.

F is for Forgiveness

#32: E is for Evergreen

"Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever!"

Doctrine & Covenants 128:23

I love Christmas. I love the lights and the decorations. I love the treats and goodies that we eat. I love that everyone becomes kinder and more giving. What I love most of all is that everything about Christmas points to Christ.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is the German carol, "O Tannenbaum". In the song we sing about the evergreen tree and how it's needles are unchanging. No matter whether it's summertime or in winter when it snows, the needles are always green. In the carol, we thank the evergreen tree for it's wonderful example of how constant we need to be in our faith.

While we're still on the subject of evergreen trees, the branches point upward to heaven. The shape of the tree itself directs the eye heavenward.

This is just one example of the many aspects of the season that points to the Savior. Look at a candy cane. The shape represents both the Shepherds' crook and the letter J. The white stands for the purity of the Savior's life, while the red stripes represent His sacrifice for us.

Strings of lights represent the light seen in the sky the night the Savior was born. The tradition of gift-giving finds its origin in the gifts that the wise-men brought to the Christ-child. Or perhaps it originates with Heavenly Father giving us the ultimate gift--His firstborn Son as our Savior and Redeemer. Whatever the object, everything points to Christ.

Look for the symbolism around you this Christmas season. Just like the Wise-men of old, the signs are there leading you to Christ. You just have to notice them.

E is for Evergreen

#31: D is for Divine Nature

“There is something of divinity within each of you. You have such tremendous potential with that quality as a part of your inherited nature. Every one of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world. Train your minds and your hands that you may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited.

Some of you may feel that you are not as attractive and beautiful and glamorous as you would like to be. Rise above any such feelings, cultivate the light you have within you, and it will shine through as a radiant expression that will be seen by others.

You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others.

In summary, try a little harder to measure up to the divine within each of you. As Alma said, “Awake and arouse your faculties” (Alma 32:27).”

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave this inspired message several years ago. Even though he was speaking to the young women of the church, his message is to all. Each one of us is a child of God. YOU are a child of God! He loves you because you are His child. And just as in any other parent/child relationship you have inherited certain qualities from Him.

2 Peter 1:4 says

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”

We have been given so many unique gifts and traits because of our relationship to our Heavenly Father. We can discover what specific talents and qualities we have been given through sincere prayer and careful scripture study. And I hope that each of you will take the time to ask Heavenly Father what you have inherited from Him. He’s waiting to tell you and to help you expand your divine nature.

D is for Divine Nature