I Feel My Savior's Love

I feel my Savior’s Love,

In all the world around me,

His Spirit warms my soul

Through everything I see

This post was initially a follow-up to my post on a Break in the Storm. As I’ve been talking and thinking about that post, I have gained more insight, and I know that where it is a decent beginning, I have a long way to go to truly see the depth and strength that the Gospel brings. I truly feel my Savior’s love all around me, when I pause to notice all the beauty and detail and care that has so clearly gone into the planning and execution of the world.

I feel my Savior’s Love

Its gentleness enfolds me

And when I kneel to pray,

My heart is filled with peace

It's gentleness enfolds me, every day, when I remember and turn to Him. He shows me the way back to  finding true joy, and hope for the future.

One person I have talked with, has said:

“Some of the most beautiful sunrises, and sunsets, occur around storms. I don't always notice the beautiful sunrise/sunset... because I'm focused on the storm, or its direct effects like resulting damage. When you have a bad storm, you just can't ignore the problems and skip/jump thru the little puddles like little children love to do.  But who is more likely to notice [the positive aspects] first?

“The child is. Both the adult, and the child were in the storm... the child may have even truly feared it more, but whatever you want to attribute it too... the child is the most likely to look up, enjoy, appreciate and benefit from the beautiful sunrise/sunset.

“For me personally, I seem to attach some sort of 'Hope' when I see a beautiful sunrise.  I think it's from times when things have seemed dark for me, that I'm reminded the world doesn't STAY dark”

I know that when I pray, I truly am filled with His peace. The devil certainly can be convincing, but when we pray, we can truly feel of our Savior’s love and learn of His plan for us, and once again find joy.

I know that He will bless me

I offer Him my heart

My Shepherd He will be

  

I’ll share my Savior’s love

By serving others freely

He knows I will follow Him

Give all my life to Him

I feel my Savior’s Love,

The Love He freely gives me.

These words are so poetic. We sing these songs so often that their meaning is usually lost on us. My Shepherd He will be. He knows I will follow Him. These things are easy to forget, to lose sight of; and when we do that it is easy to despair. 

Have you felt your Savior’s love today? Have you shared that love with others? Look for ways that you see His love and I promise you will find it. Look for Him in the beautiful sunrise and in the sunset, for the hope of a clear after the storm, in all the intricacies and details of your life, and in all the big plans. Great things are in store for you, though you may not see the pieces coming together, know that they are. Hope is just a prayer away. 

Also, here is a YouTube video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the song which inspired this post and reminded this author's heart of truth, peace, and love. I was having a hard day and then this song came up and helped me feel peace once more. I hope it helps you when you need to find peace, too.

Words by Ralph Rodgers Jr., K. Newell Dayley, and Laurie Huffman

Break in the Storm

Lately, I've been feeling this personal storm that's surrounded me these last few days is drawing to an end.

Whether that end will be for a long or short duration is naturally still in question. It could be a significant end to the storm, the clouds disperse, the sun comes out.

However, if it turns out to be a short break, and it's on to the next adventure, beset with troubles and tears, at least I have a beautiful little break.

Either way, I have found the reminder I needed, that God is there. The Sun is still shining behind the clouds, even when I cannot see it. Our God loves us enough to send us little reminders, little breaks in the storms of our lives. He always sends us hope, pleading with us to turn to Him, to find peace, hope, and faith in Christ, empowering us to change and to be something truly better, to become more like Him. Maybe my current storm is ending, maybe it is just pausing: I know in whom I trust, He is constant, He loves me, He has all power to help me become better, and all wisdom to bring me safely there, all at the perfect time.

Waiting

So, in my scripture study I've been reading about Abinadi, and today this message stuck out to me, and I have decided to share it with you.

Sometimes our purpose is to act, to speak, to write, to flea, to stand for something; other times, we are called to wait- to be still- to know that He is God.

Always, we are called to remember that whatever our circumstance, whatever our trial, He is there, "all flesh is in [His] hands" and "The waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below."

Abinadi waited for two years in the wilderness in between preaching to King Noah's people. Right now, I am also in a waiting period {though hopefully not so long or with a similar end}. Now is the time for me to strengthen any weakness or fear, to truly come to "know God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent"

Though sometimes the ways are hedged up before us, and it seems we have little to no direction, we can always climb higher, to come to truly know Christ, His love, His power, His eternal nature, His entire knowledge and wisdom, so specific and so broad, completely encompassing the entire universe.

No matter our circumstance, we always need to remember Him. To show to ourselves and to Them that we will be faithful, that we will remember Them always, that we will not fall nor despair, knowing that all they who build upon the rock of Christ shall never fall, that none of us shall be lost.

His plan truly is the greatest, the most complete. Do not hold onto your own will, but have faith in His. Remember to always keep moving forward, even if moving forward requires some waiting. I love the scriptures and the hymns, I hope if you have time you will read the links that I have attached. There is so much wisdom to be gained, so much strength that truly comes from the Grace of God, through the Atonement of the Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Our purpose in life is to truly come to know Him, to become as He is, and He truly knows how, has all power, and all the love and motivation in the universe to bring you there, if you will let Him.

Turn to Him

In the next few paragraphs, I will be sharing some thoughts I've had while reading some General Conference talks from October 2011. Please click on the links I've provided if they are of interest to you.

Today I received, fully, a revelation that I have needed and wanted to feel for a long time. Now I am prepared to receive the strength that comes only from God. I have found peace, and I have also felt Satan's attacks to persuade me otherwise. This revelation, though incredibly peaceful and wonderful, has been overwhelming at points because I want it to be so much from God, yet I was convinced I thought of it myself. Please know that the peace I feel is such that it only can be from God. We can turn to Him when we need to heal, when we need comfort, when we need a listening ear, and then we must move on with our lives, it is so important that we live, that we do not wait for the promised blessings to fall into our laps. I believe that He spoke to me; I believe that He is telling me to go on, and trust that healing is right on its way, it will take a little while, but it is coming. I need not fear, only have faith. I have a foundation built on Christ, and I know that whatever happens, whatever course my life takes, that He will be with me, that there is so much joy, my hurt is gone and I feel truly at peace.

The work is going on. Let yourself be a part of it. Live it every day. Trust in Him, and not what you see. Listen and then go to work. He has set you on a path, now live it. Do all you can to further the work. I know this one is comparatively short, but the message is true, and so very important.

Use your time wisely. You only have so much of it. It may seem like it is taking forever, but there really is not much time for all that truly must be done and you must be ready. “Let us be as quick to kneel as we are to text” is an interesting idea. Make sure that you are praying always. You must always have the Spirit, or you are wasting your time. He will guide you in the best way, how to organize your time, what to focus on, but you must be diligent, and always do the small and simple things. Today is the day. Use it wisely. Trust in His timing as you plan out what you can. Keep the Spirit with you always, and keep preparing to meet God, to give an account of your stewardship, and your faith in Him.

My strength must come from my foundation of Christ. It is only through Him that I will be able to keep moving forward. I know it is Him whom I trust, and this can help me to never doubt or waver in my resolve to be righteous, to move forward, and to have courage to stand strong and firm, even against my own doubts. Dare to be firm, dare to be true, dare to hope in Christ, even when all seems lost. We were reserved for this time. The Lord’s timing is perfect. Make no mistake: you are marked for success if you will trust in Him. Do not give way to doubt, insecurities, fears, or misguided words. Trust in Him and His timing. You cannot afford to do anything that would separate you from the angelic help, comfort, and guidance that are waiting for you, do the small and simple things every day to keep the faith, even in the darkest of times. Ponder. Keep asking for help. We can know of the truth, even when it is hard. We can know of the truth when it seems too good to last. Have faith, you will know. You do know. Share that knowledge with others, bring joy to their lives, be true to the truth and the trust that have been given to you. Follow the light and hold it up for all to see.

 We can receive answers to so many little things; you know this to be true. Since He is involved in the small things, do not be surprised or confused when He helps you with the big things as well. Keep the faith. Ask that which is right. Trust in the answer you were given. Then, live it. Believe it. Act on it. Do your part to move the work forward. He hears and answers you. Really. Sometimes, we receive the answer “no” to our strivings. I’ve felt this a lot lately. This is a blessing. It is also a sweet blessing to know that He has been speaking to you all along, and you know the answer. My answer of late has been to wait, to trust, and to keep living righteously. I have faith in that. I have faith that He is the God of Miracles, and that He is acting in my life to help me be happy. It takes time to learn how to listen, and I do not listen always the first time. It takes practice and effort, and because of it, you will receive and develop great faith and power in righteousness. Prayer is the provider of “spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace” I know prayer brings the Spirit back into our lives and most importantly into our hearts. Trust in Him, trust in what you heard. Rest now and live it today, tomorrow, and every day. He has a beautiful plan for you. He knows and loves you so much, you must live your life in faith, but all will be made right. Continue to trust, continue to pray, and continue to live after the manner of happiness.

Learn to Live

In the space of an hour, I have truly felt healed. Many may say that that's impossible. But, I testify to all that the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, can cause miracles of healing in our hearts.

I have been struggling for awhile, unhappy with the inability to plan my life, feeling like I was doing everything wrong. But then, I read this talk, and after a lot of prayer, I truly feel peace. 

Yes, I am still mostly in the dark, with no major, lasting specifics to guide my way. Yet, something has changed. I have learned it is so necessary to LIVE. Sometimes, living requires hurt, it requires an almost complete shut-down, while things struggle to make sense; Christ is always there. He will always reach our reaching. This implies that we reach. We try. We live. We find purpose. We find our foundation and are not scared to build upon it. 

His Grace is sufficient to heal any wound. His Grace is sufficient to heal a stubborn heart and give peace to the torn soul.

We can move forward, even in the darkest of surroundings, and still feel His Eternal, Perfect, Healing Peace. Love. Guidance. That is, if we keep asking and trusting His plan, walking in His ways, not after the desires of our own hearts, even when they are not "bad things" He truly has the Best things for us. Through trusting His plan, asking for help each day, we can truly feel peace. We may be weak. We need His grace. It is there. Reach for Him. Ask Him for help. Then, remember to Listen, because He so desperately wants to heal you, turn to Him, tell Him of your struggles, your fears, maybe write a blog post or two ;) 

Know that you are so loved. You can find peace too. You can learn how to live. It takes work, especially when nothing seems to be going right. But I truly know that it will, the pain will cease, and you can find joy when you turn to the Source, even Jesus Christ.

"His Grace is Sufficient"

I recently read a speech/article by Brad Wilcox, about the saving grace that Christ gives to us. I'm going to put a few quotes on here, instead of my usual interpretation because I feel like he says it much better than I can, so I posted the above link for the entire article and below are some of my favorite passages.

Christ’s Grace Is Sufficient to Transform Us

Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.

If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.

In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

The child must practice the piano, but this practice has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its
purpose is change. I have born-again Christian friends who say to me, “You Mormons are trying to earn your way to heaven.” I say, “No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing for it (see D &C 78:7). We are practicing for it.” They ask me, “Have you been saved by grace?”
I answer, “Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!” Then I ask them a question that perhaps
they have not fully considered: “Have you been changed by grace?” They are so excited about being saved that maybe they are not thinking enough about what comes next. They are so happy the debt is paid that they may not have considered why the debt existed in the first place.



In the past I had a picture in my mind of what the final judgment would be like, and it went something like this: Jesus standing there with a clipboard and Brad standing on the other side of the room nervously looking at Jesus. Jesus checks His clipboard and says, “Oh, shoot, Brad. You missed it by two points.” Brad begs Jesus, “Please, check the essay question one more time! There have to be two points you can squeeze out of that essay.”
That’s how I always saw it. But the older I get, and the more I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, “Let me stay.” No, he will probably be saying, “Get me out of here!” Knowing Christ’s character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant   sinner, “Please, choose to stay. Please, use my Atonement—not just to be cleansed but to be changed so that you want to stay.”

The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can feel at home there. If Christ did not require faith and repentance, then there would be no desire to change.


Christ’s Grace Is Sufficient to Help Us
“But Brother Wilcox, don’t you realize how hard it is to practice? I’m just not very good at the piano. I hit a lot of wrong notes. It takes me forever to get it right.” Now wait. Isn't that all part of the learning process? When a young pianist hits a wrong note, we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We don’t expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven?



The grace of Christ is sufficient—sufficient to cover our debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). As we do, we do not discover—as some
Christians believe—that Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and the strength to do all He asks (see Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations. Grace is the presence of God’s power (see Luke 1:37).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said the following:
Now may I speak . . . to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the
Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. . . .
. . . This feeling of inadequacy is . . . normal. There is no way the Church can honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating a sense of immense distance. . . . . . . This is a gospel of grand expectations, but God’s grace is sufficient for each of us.



With Elder Maxwell, I testify that God’s grace is sufficient. Jesus’ grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need. Oh, young people, don’t quit. Keep trying. Don’t look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Don’t search for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ,
and, as you do, I promise you will feel the enabling power we call His amazing grace. I leave this testimony and all of my love—for I do love you. As God is my witness, I love the youth of this church. I believe in you. I’m pulling for you. And I’m not the only one. Parents are pulling for you, leaders are pulling for you, and prophets are pulling for you. And Jesus is pulling with you.

Agency

So, I have been thinking a lot about agency. It is probably one of my favorite topics, and yet it is still one I struggle to understand. Almost everything has changed in my life in the space of one month, and it is all out of my control at this point. And for a control freak like me, it has been really hard.

However, I know someone who loves us enough to let us truly make our own choices. He loves us enough to allow for His perfect plan of happiness to continue unaltered by our choices, because without our choice we could never end up as He is.

Some recent choices have truly hurt me in ways up until about a month ago I could not imagine. I naturally have a {useless} plan to make everything work the way I want it to. There’s an old Hebrew saying, that ‘if you ever want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans’. Well, I did and I don’t think He laughed, but He showed me quite clearly that He has very different plans, even different than what I had previously asked and felt about.

We must be strong. We must not fear. We must allow people to make their own choices, even when it hurts. We must let people not give us the job we feel we deserve, we must let people be inconsiderate of our feelings, we must let people choose for themselves. It hurts. It does not make sense. The hurt will cease, {though, unless things go according to my plans, I can’t see how J } and one day, it will make sense.

Trust that it will work out. Trust in Him, even when everyone around you lets you down, hurts you in ways you cannot imagine. I am still quite young and inexperienced, so I know there is a lot more physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual hurt that I truly cannot plan for {which scares me} but I also know that I am loved. I am not forgotten.

You are loved, and you are not forgotten. Do not lose faith in His timing, even if His will or others’ agency makes no sense to you. Keep the faith and Keep Moving Forward.

Modesty

I recently read a blog post trying to explain why women should be modest, please thoughtfully consider, even if you don’t agree, what I have to say. The writer was inspired to write this post because one day in a choir class, the teacher excused the men and talked to the women about modesty. One of the men in the class had asked the teacher to talk to the girls about being more modest. The reason a woman should be modest, that the teacher gave, was basically that men cannot control their thoughts and so it is a woman’s duty to be modest to save the men.

I agree with the writer that that is not the most important reason. We ought to respect ourselves enough to dress modestly. I think, however, that this includes respecting men {and women} too. I think it is sad, the hate and anger the writer allowed into her heart, and her response helped inspire this blog. It is so important to remember why we are modest, and so much more.

The man who complained to the choir teacher about the standards of modesty should not be ridiculed because he asks people to be more modest. I would hope that he was asking for help. If I ask for some help, I would hope that people would listen.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that just because the writer's choir teacher did not necessarily have a good argument {I wasn’t there, just read on the post} does not make the issue a wrong or misguided one.  

Modesty is sacred. It doesn’t end when you become an “adult,” or married, or anything else. Modesty is an eternal principle. It is more than just what we wear, it includes how we act, if we are humble enough to accept change, or if we will be too proud to listen and give people help and encouragement when they need it.

The author of the blog continued, discussing that within many nudist beaches the human body is not as much of a sex object and that justifies the lack of clothing and immodesty. However, where this may not be her main point, we are not just modest to avoid sexual thoughts or because we live in a “sex crazed society”. As well, having nudist colonies, as the blog writer implies, would not solve the problem of a sex driven society, it would just remove the mystery.

The author of the blog understands that respect is at the bottom of our actions. However, in a way, I feel she did an injustice to the male population. I’m not trying to speak for men, being a female, but they may have a different perspective than I think she understands. Like it or not, what you wear says a lot about you, and people think about you and what you wear may inspire more thoughts that we would not wish.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a moving, 3D picture that is directly, or indirectly, interacting with us?  Neurologically men are much more motivated by visual images. These images influence them even within that split second before they put it out of their minds. This in no way makes the woman the evil temptress; however, it should be a consideration. Yes, respect is the most central reason that I can identify for being modest. Please respect yourself, and respect those who will see and interact with you.

There are things that influence us. They do not force us into our thoughts or our actions, unless we yield to them. It is a wonderful thought that in this world we can be impervious to all the evils out there. However, we should not be so idealistic that we do not recognize the effect they really have. God's principles of modesty are eternal, they are not context dependent, and they are not negotiable. Their application may vary with the times and yet, that does not negate the deeper meaning of modesty.

Modesty is more than wearing the right clothes. It is living correctly, in all aspects: in dress, in speech, in word, it is loving those around us; not just respecting ourselves, but those around us. Even the men who think differently and are so often the scapegoat of today’s society {I do not mean to say that men are blameless, just that they are often a target these days}.

It is so important to remember why we are modest.

The man in the choir class was asking for help, and the choir teacher did the best she knew how to help him. Modesty is sacred. Let us remember to be modest, to be teachable, and to be compassionate to the struggles of others.