Abounding Love

Just a thought:

Let us lower our voices in our homes. Let love abound and find expression in our actions. May we walk the quiet ways of the Lord, and may prosperity crown our labors.

Gordon B. Hinckley, "An Humble and a Contrite Heart," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 89

It is so simple. Does our love for our family members guide the choices we make---or---the love of ourselves or the world? Do we do cook, clean and change poopy diapers because we have to or because we love and we want to serve our family members?

I notice a difference when I don't have the right attitude and since I'm the Mom it affects the whole house. I've learned---it starts with me. Since my kids are young, they feed off of my attitude. I would rather have my 21 month old mimic acts of love then frustration. I want to be the example that I mother should be. I want him (his sister and their Daddy) to know that everything I do is because I love them.

So--the question is---do I tell them and then show it in my service? Those days that I do are always much sweeter than the days that I don't. My goal is to show and tell them--every day, especially if I don't feel like it--- why I do what I do. I do what I do because of love. I do what I do because Christ first showed me (and us all) to serve---with love.

I sure hope it's love--because there's no other reason I'd touch poop.

Be Thou An Example of the Believers

Yes, a video again. I will be so happy when my house is done and I can actually have time to breathe again. But for now, I have to take the easy way out and leave you with another video.

I weeped when I saw this video. Possibly because I know the girl, Brittany. She and I were very close special friends. Granted, I am ten years older than her, but she holds a special place in my heart. She is so kind and good and charitable. It did my heart good to see that so many other people love her as much as I do, and that they would go to such lengths to make her happy. When we do small things for others, it is amazing how it can effect them. I hope we can all learn from the example of these high school girls, and be a little more charitable, a little more Christlike.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Since we get to celebrate LOVE today I thought I would share this wonderful article about love:

"Love All" by David B. Haight

Here is a sneak peak of the article! Click on the link above to read the article in it's entirety!

I believe our Father planted into the soul of man a special ingredient which, if used, will influence him toward heavenly things. Families or individuals wondering how to better share the gospel or to show deeper concern for new members, or missionaries wanting to touch the hearts of those they are teaching, have available to them this heavenly influence. That special ingredient instilled in each of us may bring to us our greatest joy. It will overcome fear, peer pressure, hatred, selfishness, evil, and even sin. This special ingredient must be nurtured as the tiny mustard seed; it is powerful beyond words and was taught by the Savior himself when asked which was the great commandment of the Law. He said:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt. 22:37–40.)

Love is this divine ingredient. It alone describes what can be our perfect relationship to our Heavenly Father and our family and neighbors, and the means by which we accomplish His work.

I really like how he calls love a "special ingredient." It really is! When we show love for our Heavenly Father, our Savior, and our fellow men everything else falls into place! I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day pondering

On Selflessness

It's been a tough week at my house (and it's only Tuesday!)-- my daughter has been teething (molars) and it has drained nearly all my patience. This Family Gem came to me at a perfect time:

“Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves.“That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is.”

--Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 70-71

Being a parent, especially a mother, means a lot of lessons in putting others first. That's a hard one sometimes, but Elder Eyring said (and it's true, by the way) that "the greatest joys... we experience are in family relationships."

Sometimes it's hard to remember that when nobody in my house has slept through the night and we're all grouchy and temperamental. But because we serve each other, and put each other first, we do have a lot of joy and love in this house.

Just not a lot of sleep. :-)

God is love

Sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a "rain cloud over my head" type day. Last night Nick and I read from the Ensign for FHE and talked about how much God really wants to communicate with us. In the article we read it said that He won't let us go too far the wrong way without sending us the message that what we are doing is wrong. He wants to answer our prayers whenever he can but when we don't pray, it means a lot that he still wants us to stay close to him.

I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have of God. I'm grateful to know that I can turn to him in prayer and he will communicate with me. I'm grateful that he has sent me warning signals throughout my life when I was about to go the wrong way. I know that God loves each one of us and wants us to make the correct choices and learn to love the same way he does.

I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Angels Among Us

I truly believe there are angels surrounding us every day. I mean the angels who are living, AND the ones who don't currently have bodies. I can feel it. They are so interested in our lives, and in helping us. I just wanted to share because I'm so thankful for their help, and for the living angels in my life who have been blessing me.

Heavenly Father sure does put people in our path that are prepared and willing to help us. I am so amazed at the ways He's been blessing me even when I haven't spoken to him in ages... He doesn't care- he still sends people to bless my life when I don't deserve it!!

My sister-in-law came over like 3 times last week just to visit and help clean my house and play with Isaac. She has no idea that every time she called me I was on the verge of a breakdown, and I truly feel the angels were guiding her.

He has also given me a visiting teaching companion who has been praying to be the kind of friend I need, and that prayer has been answered. She has become an instant friend, and has already helped me in more ways than I can express. It is just so great that the people who will listen to the promtings of the spirit can be tools in God's hands in lifting up those who are lost and wounded.

I'm so amazed that Heavenly Father is doing all these things for me when I've felt like a total failure to him. He never gives up on us. He utilizes all the willing spirits he can gather up to come and bless our lives. I have felt these angels seen and unseen in my life, and I am so thankful for the evidence of His great love.

I only hope to be the kind of willing spirit he can use to answer the prayers of others.

Mt. Vesuvius and Christmas Cheer

It's husband week! And so, like with all things, I am going to help my husband out by writting this for him. He's super busy, donchaknow. So I step in and help where he needs the help. Besides, I am not sure discussing the reason Mt. Vesuvius erupted (one of the most wicked cities in the world) would be a good topic for this blog. A little too technical nd a litttle too much speculation. And that was our big gospel topic for this week. Interesting, but nothing founded in docterine, so I will spare you all.

With Christmas fast approaching I have struggled with the Cheer we are all supposed to have. Life has been crazy busy, and I have had too many stresses to really get into the mood. I once heard the "fake it 'till you make it" advice and so have been trying that, but it isn't quite working.

Then today I stumbled across this wise counsel from our beloved prophet:

“In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. ‘It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.’ Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Then each Christmas will be the best Christmas ever.” — Thomas S. Monson

From reading that I learned I need to stop fretting over my stressors and get out and serve. As I serve others the joy that fills my heart will be better than any other and I can joyfully say "This is the best Christmas ever!"

I would invite you to do the same. Try it and see if it isn't true. You will be amazed!

Expressing Love to Our Spouses

My husband is not a writer, so... yeah, you're stuck with me again.

But my message has a lot to do with "Hubby Week"-- the idea of expressing love to our spouses.

This was one of the Family Gems this week:
"We can begin to become more diligent and concerned at home by telling the people we love that we love them. Such expressions do not need to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should sincerely and frequently express love.

"Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do."

I think that last sentence is the crux of the matter: we don't always do what we know we should. But when it comes to our spouses, we must.

Luckily, there is a simple way to overcome this problem! Spencer W. Kimball said it himself, "Do it." Just do it.

JUST.

DO.

IT.

Right now.

Go tell your spouse you love them.

I love my husband more than anything and am constantly telling him so, but sometimes just saying it isn't enough. Demonstrating your love through service, kindness and respect is also important.

Enjoy the rest of Hubby Week!

P.S. There is a blog I follow called "The Generous Wife." She gives great tips and ideas on how to express love for your husband. Even if you don't think you need help in this area, I recommend it.

We Agreed

Better late than never right?
I've been thinking a lot about trials lately, and how kind Heavenly Father is in helping to prepare us for them. My greatest experience in this area was when I lost my first child, and I wanted to share some of the things I learned after going through that devastating loss.
First, I believe that everything we pass through is a unique mission and opportunity that was prepared for us before we came. I strongly feel that our challenges were presented to us in our premortal life, and that we agreed to and possibly volunteered for those things which would be difficult to go through. After J and I arrived at the hospital thinking we were going to bring home our brand new little girl, and they found there was no heart beat...I was overcome with a remembrance that this had been in the plan all along. In deed, I could literally remember my little Elizabeth asking me if I would offer to be her mother and help create her little body, even if she would not be able to stay, and I would not be able to raise her in this life. Knowing that I had volunteered to make this sacrifice for her was my greatest source of comfort in the following days of grief.
Second, I learned that Heavenly Father is there in our times of ease and prosperity, gently preparing us for what lies ahead. Just a few days before Elizabeth was born, J and I went to temple sqaure to watch the Joseph Smith movie in the Legacy theatre. I remember being overwhelmed with how many trials Joseph and Emma had to go through, and as we walked out of that movie I gazed up at the temple and wondered, "Why is my life so EASY??" I know that Heavenly Father was helping prepare me for my greatest trial so far. That night as we were driving home, I heard a little question being asked in my head, and turned to ask J. "If we lost this baby, would we still use the name we picked out?" We both agreed that of course we would use her name, and quickly changed the subject. I know that Elizabeth was there with us, and that she wanted to make sure she was going to keep her pioneer grandmother's name.
Third, I know that death is an amazing window of opportunity for families to come closer together, and for us to share our testimonies with everyone around us. When something so devastating happens, everyone around us is more softened and sensitive- and we have a great opportunity to get into their hearts with our words. The day we got home from the hospital without our little girl, we had several visitors. I felt so bouyed up by the spirits on the other side, that I was pouring out comfort and testimony of Heavenly Father's plan to everyone who came into our home. They were all so surprised that they had come to comfort us, but on the contrary, we were comforting them. I could feel the result of all the prayers being raised up in our behalf, and the strength of the spirits in our home was overwhelming.
Looking back, I am so amazingly thankful Heavenly Father trusted me with that great opportunity to be an instrument in his hands in creating a body for one of his perfect children. I am thankful that I'm able to use that experience to bear testimony of His awareness and love. He is very aware of what we are going through, and will go through- and we knew about it too. We just need to hold on to that, and know that we were chosen for our certain tasks before we ever came.

We Need to Love God!

I have been reading the recent Ensign with all of the conference talks and I just had to comment on President Uchtdorf's talk titled "The Love of God." My favorite thing that he said was the following:

"God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration. No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become."

This really made me think. Do I have enough love for God? And if I do am I doing my best to show that love? His entire talk was wonderful and I highly recommend you all read it and take a few minutes to ponder about ways that you can show more love for God.

All You Need Is Love

Sorry for not posting last week. I didn't realize it was Friday until it was Saturday. Does that ever happen to you?
I had a whole slew of things I have been pondering lately, but since the horrible tragedy that happened in Ft. Hood, TX yesterday I think my thoughts have been a little more focused on what we do in the name of Religion, and why.

Throughout history there have been so many atrocities committed by people in the name of God. Take the Crusades. Take the history of the Turks. The treatment of the Native Americans. The many cults. And more prominently (at least from what I can see) are the Extremists.

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, might, mind and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

If you look at the ten commandments, every single one of them breaks down to fit into one of those two categories. If you love God, you will honor Him, keep the Sabbath day holy, have no engraven images etc. If you love your neighbor, you will not kill, steal, covet, etc. So to follow the most basic teachings of Christ, or even God, we are taught that we must love.

During Christ's ministry He taught us to go the extra mile with that love. To do everything with kindness and not to retaliate.

I am slightly confused how people can teach about a loving God. Someone who loves all His children and yet be so casual with human life. They say that they are justified because it is for their religion. They say people of their faith, or people who are not keeping the commandments deserved whatever. I say we are taught to love our enemies. I say true religion is about focusing on yourself, then your family, then your community. I say true religion is all about love.

Funny story (I hope you don't mind me sharing this, Tricia) all through HS people told me Tricia hated me. People told her I hated her. We didn't know each other so we couldn't have possibly hated each other. Since we took piano lessons from the same teacher, we decided to play a duet together. By working together we were able to get to know each other and become friends. Very good friends. Later room mates. Even later still friends. I never hated her. She never hated me (I think :) ) due to lack of understanding and listening to what other people told us rather than what we ourselves knew we missed out on a good couple of years of friendship.

I guess the point of this is just to encourage everyone to be more understanding. In the name of your beliefs and your religions, give an outpouring of love. Most problems arise from misunderstandings and nothing more. Look past the pride that naturally builds up and try to have more love and understanding. That is what this world needs. More love.

I know this sounds silly because I only know most of you through this blog, but I do love you all. I wish you the very best day and weekend, and know that as you go about keeping the two greatest commandments everything else will fall into place and the peace in your heart and surrounding you will amaze you. Go out and give this world some love!

What If God Was One of Us?

I was listening to music today as I was cleaning and I heard the once famous song from the 90s "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne. I admit I like the song, but I have always felt a little guilty listening to it. I almost wonder if it is sacrilegious. And then today the words just hit me in a whole different way.

What if God was one of us? Really? What if the person you ignored on the street was Him? Or the transient begging for money and you just walked on by? Of course the scripture in Matthew 25: 34-40 comes to mind:

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his ^aright hand, Come, ye ^bblessed of my Father, ^cinherit the ^dkingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an ^ahungred, and ye ^bgave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a ^cstranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye ^avisited me: I was in ^bprison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee ^asick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me.

From the discourses given by King Benjamin we learn that we are required to give of what we have, even if it is just a little.

19 For behold, are we not all ^abeggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a ^aremission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his ^bSpirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with ^cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to ^aimpart of the substance that ye have one to another.

So often in this world it is hard to trust. When beggars are out on the street corners many people say they are out there just to get drug money or they will drink whatever we give them away, or it is all a lie, they are doing it as their job. But it doesn't matter, because what if Joan Osbourne is right? What about what King Benjamin reiterated time and time again in his address to the people? "And verily, verily I say unto you, when ye have done it unto the least of these thy brethren, ye have done it unto me." Regardless of their past, present, or future it is our responsibility to give and show love. As I think more along these lines the missionary spirit is kicking in. If we were to meet someone on the street we should recognize them for who they really are. They are children of GOD. And not just that, they are our siblings, entitled to the same blessings we can have. How can we not share with them? We have such knowledge and happiness, and how selfish will we be if we just keep it to ourselves because we are afraid to share with them? Remember, that which we do to our fellow men is the same as if we were doing it to our Lord. He loves us and wants us all to be happy, and so we have to help others to be happy.

I know I have taken this in many different directions tonight. There are so many thoughts flooding my mind right now as I ponder over that song. Missionary work, charity, loving our brother, and giving all we can to those in need. I could go on for a long time with each of these topics, but I don't think it is necessary. I would just like for each of you to think about it next time you pass a stranger. Every time you pass a stranger. What if? What would you do differently? And do it. Smile. Give the $1.50 you have in your pocket to the street beggar. And for heaven's sake, start carrying around pass along cards! I say this for myself more than any of you. It is a habit I have gotten out of and need to reinstate.

What would you do differently if He really was one of us here on this earth right now?

No Empty Chairs

I seconded Ash's feelings about not knowing where to start; it was truly a wonderful weekend. I definitely got a lot out of it and feel like I could get so much more! :)

However, if I must mention one talk, I really enjoyed President Uchtdorf and President Eyring's talk about Love. They both mentioned how love is the motivating principle for us, as natural men (and women), to become like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Along with this, I want to mention a couple other gems from President Eyring's talk (if you missed it, the LDS website said text will be available Thursday).

• Love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey Him (meaning Christ)
• Any believing Latter-Day Saint is an optimist of the future
• Family is the ideal setting to learn how to Love as Christ
• No Empty Chairs: This means when we look at our family eternally, we should always remember our goal is to have no empty chairs at the celestial family table. We should use love for one another to encourage and lift each other to the goal of eternal happiness.
• Pray for the love to allow yourself to see the good of your companion
• Love is persistent
• Your quality of life will improve as you honor your parents (and I would also add in-laws)
• We can and must expect to become better as long as we live

May we be motivated to improve our capacity to Love each other, be more like Christ, and keep our chair full.

Tender Mercies

I just want to talk a little about the tender mercies we receive every day. I know this is a topic that is much discussed, but it has been on my mind nearly all week. I have tried to make it a habit to notice when the Lord's hand plays a part in my life. I noticed it quite a bit yesterday and would like to share the seemingly small incidences which strengthened my testimony.

I had a baby appointment and had scheduled it to be right during my son's nap time so he could get his nap, not stress out a sitter (he is a momma's boy) and everyone would be happy. To make things go even smoother I enlisted my mother to be the sitter, which she happily agreed to. Late Wednesday night she called me to inform me that she couldn't make it. I was a little worried but not too much since there is an abundance of Young Women in my ward who all adore my son, and it would have been right during his nap time. No sweat, right? Wrong. The Young Women were all busy, and calling them an hour and a half before the appointment started wasn't the best way to get results. I then called all the sisters in the ward that I could think of who I knew would be around. No one was around.

After I was about to asphyxiate due to my stress level, my mother called and we figured out a way she could come... if I could get my appointment changed for later that day. I said a silent prayer as I dialed the office, and what luck! There was only one opening- at the exact time I needed! Tender Mercy!

As I drove to the appointment I was hot and tired. That is nothing new, but it didn't put me in the best mood. Remembering a time earlier when I had gone to my appointment and gotten the ideal parking spot, I again said a prayer that I could get a good spot to park so as I wouldn't have to walk very far in the hot sun. Guess what. I was only 5 stalls away from the front door. Tender Mercy!

These experiences along with many many others have fortified my testimony that Heavenly Father is always with us. He wants us to be happy. He cares about even our smallest desires. I know that the more we look for His hand in our lives, the more we will see it. The more we thank Him for blessing us so richly, the more we will see the many ways he has and continues to bless us. He is a loving father who wants us to be happy, and wants the best for us.

I would like to invite you all to take time today and find the tender mercies in your lives. Find the ways that He has guided or influenced your life in any way. I know that as we all do this our testimonies and love for our Father in Heaven will be strengthened and we will find the strength we need in the areas in our lives where we are struggling.

Five Thoughts on Marriage

Our FIFTH wedding anniversary is Friday. I know, anniversaries come and go, but it's really hard to believe how fast five years has gone. Also, when I got my haircut today, the stylist asked why and so I started to tell her about Gweg and I. She mentioned how she loved that we got married so fast and my response was 'well, when you someone you want to spend forever with you want it to start right way.' I knew then I what I would write about.

The last five years has been the hardest and best of my life. Gweg is my other half and I feel like I become a better person each day because of his influence. Sure, there are days where I could hit him over the head with a 'sensitivity stick.'

So, to go along with my lovely-dovey mood, I wanted to share five thoughts on love from Gordon B. Hinckley's Stand A Little Taller. I read this for a year when I first got it and just looking through it for these thoughts, made me want to read it again--- if you have it take the chance to do it again!

Onto the thoughts {I add the bold to emphasize why I picked each quote. Take what you want out of this post. I do not ask for anyone to give us the perfect marriage award; I just want all of us to think about why we married our husbands and what makes that relationship so special. The quotes just add things to think about}:

"God has brought us together as families to bring to pass His eternal purposes. We are part of this plan in this marriage relationship. Let us love and respect and honor one another. We can do it, and we will be better for it."

"Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people---that can can bridge chasms of bitterness."

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion."

"Our Father in Heaven, who loves His children, desires for them that which will bring them happiness now and in the eternities to come, and there is no greater happiness than is found in the most meaningful of all human relationships---the companionships of husband and wife and parents and children."

"There is a bond of affection that exists between husbands and wives which makes us know that there is nothing more precious that that companionship which becomes possible only in the house of the Lord. What a wonderful thing it is to be married for time and all eternity. What a precious and marvelous and wonderful thing that is."

I'm grateful to have my Gweg for eternity---I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Most Basic Principle

Ever since Tricia offered me the opportunity to write on this blog, I have been praying fervently in my heart for something I could share with you wonderful contributors and readers. You all have written such marvelous topics that I felt I could add my reflections to or share some of my experiences as a new wife. But as I sat at this computer I asked myself what the is the one thing I would want everyone in the world to know. And the answer is this:

God is a loving Heavenly Father

Not only does God exist, he is personally linked to us as a father. He is deeply invested in every aspect of our lives. That is why he wants us to talk to him, that is why he wants us to receive His Words to us in the scriptures, and that is why he wants us to have families that we might understand the deep and abiding love he has for us.

As missionaries, this is the first principle we are to teach. I used to think it a little needless because I used to think that everybody knew this, but as I went into the world and started to preach, I began to see this isn't true. And as I grew to know of the significance of this statement, my heart grew sadder at how I and others took it for granted.

If we know God as our Father, we would know not to criticize ourselves, but rather ask God to show us our weaknesses and how to overcome them. We would realize that the mistakes we make our learning experiences and not reasons to become frustrated or give up. If we know that He loves us, we would realize that he lives by rules that are there to make our lives fair in an eternal perspective, even if it doesn't seem to make sense to us now.

In the pamphlet for the Law of Chastity, there's a simple statement that has made a world of difference in how I view others. "If we were to treat everyone else as a Child of God..."think of how different the world would really be.

My brother and sister-in-law lost a baby this week. It's been an extremely trying time, as I'm sure you can imagine, but as I've watched them go through this I think how much deeper the sadness is for our loving Heavenly Father who knows so much and has infinite power when he loses a child. But then the Spirit spoke to my heart, "He freely gave His Only Begotten Son so that no other child would ever be lost." My brother will have his child again, I will always have my new husband with me, these children of earth that are filled with misunderstanding about their relationship with God will be reclaimed again and it is all possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And I know these things to be true because the Spirit is filling me with love and peace as I write it. And I hope that as you grow in your understanding of it, you will also feel the need to share it.