Nephi's Psalm

Last week, as I was studying my scriptures I came to the point in 2 Nephi known as Nephi's Psalm. This was right after Lehi passed away and, as always, Laman and Lemuel's behavior causes Nephi to reflect on theirs, and his, fate. If you haven't read it lately, here it is, if not skip down (2 Nephi 15-35).

15 And upon ^athese I ^bwrite the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul ^cdelighteth in the scriptures, and my heart ^dpondereth them, and writeth them for the ^elearning and the profit of my children.

16 Behold, my ^asoul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my ^bheart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great ^agoodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O ^bwretched man that I am! Yea, my heart ^csorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily ^abeset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have ^atrusted.

20 My God hath been my ^asupport; he hath led me through mine ^bafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his ^alove, even unto the ^bconsuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine ^aenemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me ^aknowledge by ^bvisions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty ^aprayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been ^acarried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I ^ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to ^btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my ^cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I ^dangry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer ^adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul.

29 Do not ^aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my ^aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the ^brock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou ^aredeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of ^bsin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my ^aheart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may ^bwalk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy ^arighteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine ^benemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have ^atrusted in thee, and I will ^btrust in thee forever. I will not put my ^ctrust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his ^dtrust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give ^aliberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ^bask ^cnot amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the ^drock of my ^erighteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

I absolutely love these verses. Nephi was willing to express the deepest feelings of his soul to the Lord and to us. He knew the plates would be translated in our day, so why would he put some of his truest feelings for us to read?

For me, it's nice to remember that Nephi was human. Usually, we depict Nephi, and other Book of Mormon (and Latter-day) prophets as these superhuman men who do nothing but choose the right. When the reality is that they do sometimes make mistakes, but they always return back to the Lord.

In his psalm, Nephi shows us how he struggled with feelings of inadequacy, anger and jealously, just like I do. But did he dwell on these feelings? No--He prayed. Verses 30-35 are a beautiful prayer in which Nephi proclaims his faith and trust in the Lord. Nephi knew and understood that even though times may get tough, the Lord is always on our side, as long as we are on his.

What else sticks out about Nephi's Psalm?

A New Year and A New Life

When I was reading the Ensign last week, I really enjoyed the article by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called "The Best is Yet to Be."

His talk was timed perfectly for the new year and he admonishes us all not to live in the past, but look forward to the future in faith. Part of that, he says, is being able to forgive and forget.

He said:

"Forgive and do that which is sometimes harder than to forgive: forget. And when it comes to mind again, forget it again.

"You can remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap Paul spoke of to the Philippians. Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. ...

"This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year—and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

If you have made mistakes (and we all have) or have been reveling in the "good ol' days" of the past (and we all have), now is the time to look forward with faith.

Forget where you have been and contemplate where you are willing to go. With the Lord on your side, it's bound to be farther and higher than you can imagine.

On Personal Growth

I was reading the Ensign this week (the new and improved January issue) and I came across a quote by Neal A. Maxwell that I wanted to make sure no one missed.

He said:

"One's life... cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free....

"Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, 'Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy!'...

"Real faith... is required to endure this necessary but painful developmental process."

(Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Lest Ye Be Wearied and Faint in Your Minds," Ensign, May 1991, pp. 88, 90.)

I am personally going through a stressful, sorrowful and painful trial right now in my life. And while I try to be hopeful and remember that "all these things will be for my experience," I am tired of being stressed out and constantly fretful.

This quote really gave me reassurance and a little bit of much needed perspective. Life cannot be faith-filled and stress-free.

With that choice before me, I'll choose faith every time.

Moving

My wife just told me that it's hubby night on the blog and handed me the computer. Wow I thought, what a great opportunity to share my experiences with people I barely know. I then asked my wife to tell me what I should write about and the helpful advice she gave was "something spiritual". With a topic that specific, how could I go wrong? I guess a big test of faith in my life somewhat recently has been moving to Salt Lake.
I grew up in a small town, Mendon, just outside of Logan. It's a tight-knit community and everyone knows everyone else. I was raised by loving and sheltering parents. The only significant amount of time I've spent away from Mendon was to serve a mission to Philadelphia (which was an eye opener, and no doubt). I give this history to give perspective on my somewhat recent activity.
I met a beautiful woman, who seemed to like me in return. We dated until I realized she really did like me, then I proposed and we got married.
Thus we are eventually led to my real story. Right before we were married I moved from my small town to West Jordan. The initial hardship was (and is) driving. It's way different here than in a small town. Then there was adjusting to a new home and meeting our funny neighbors. It wasn't until later that I found myself feeling somewhat depressed. I had left everything and everyone familiar for a city where I knew nothing and no-one. I had gained something far more valuable in return but there was definitely something lacking.
I found that I had to lean more and more on prayer to help me feel something familiar. I still feel alone sometimes, cut off from the familiar. I still feel like an alien sometimes. But the Spirit of the Lord always makes me feel lat home anywhere.
One day, I was alone in our apartment, I was feeling particularly out of place. I had no job, and no friends other than my wife. I was feeling so bad that I finally fell on my knees and asked for something to make me feel better. I knelt there for a couple of minutes, nothing happened. So I got up and started doing some dishes. A few minutes in I felt suddenly like I was at home. The same feel that was always around me growing up, and on the mission. It wasn't a huge spiritual moment full of tears and heartfelt repentance. It was just a comforting, loving feeling. Very subtle and still. The feeling lasted for several hours afterward, only leaving right before I went to bed.
Whenever I hold my wonderful, caring, loving, doting wife I get that same feeling. Like everything is ok. She is my home. My incredible Father in Heaven has given me a great gift. The gift of a home I can take with me anywhere. Sometimes I still feel lonely but whenever I hug my wife or even think about her, everything feels ok.
Two sister in-laws are pregnant right now so I've been thinking about babies. I wonder if babies feel that way. They just left all that was familiar, a family they had known for millenia, personal relationship with the Father. They come to this new, scary, and sometimes mean world. Our Father in Heaven provides earthly parents to help us remember that feeling, and eventually our awesome spouses. He loves us so much, he always wants us to have some way to feel his love.
Well that's my spiritual thought. I'm not a talented writer, which is probably apparent. But I do have a testimony of God and His son Jesus Christ. He has been so good to me. I am so grateful for the comfort of the Spirit and the gospel in my life.
Signed by yours truly,
Nate G.

I Don't Know What Words to Say...

My husband and I have received a new calling to teach the 9 and 10 year olds in our ward. They are such awesome kids!! I can't believe how smart they are, albeit rambunctious. I've gotten to know them pretty well and some of their stories have really broken my heart, especially how many of them have gone through or are going through their parents' divorce. Last week, at the end of class, we asked for volunteers to say the closing prayer and one of the boys said, "I would but I don't know what words to say." And I realized that he had never been taught how to pray. And it broke my heart. And so, today, we are teaching our class how to pray (in English AND Spanish, wahoo!) and I thought of some points about prayer I would like to share with this blog that have really helped me.

A woman named Mary Jane Woodger wrote an article in the New Era a few years ago called, "What I Have Learned About Mighty Prayer." It's suggestions can be used to teach a Family Home Evening. I put the main points from the article on a post-it note and stuck it on the wall next to my bed where I would see it every night before I prayed.

1. Prepare for prayer
2. Remember that God loves you
3. Express sincere gratitude
4. Pray fervently
5. Pray in specifics
6. Pray aloud

There have been times when just be preparing myself for prayer I have been brought to tears over how much God loved me and all the things I had to be grateful for.

If you have a copy of Preach My Gospel, before you kneel down for prayer, review pages 94-95. It gives some amazing pointers of how to get the most out of prayer. In my mission we had to review these pages every night while saying the end-of-the-day-companion prayer. It sometimes took forever to go through all of it, but I know that those were the most complete and helpful prayers I have ever prayed. Of course, it's geared towards missionaries, but it can be easily modified to fit anyone's prayers.

And lastly, the final part of prayer is receiving the answers to the questions we have asked. I have heard counsel stating that remaining on our knees and allowing the Spirit to speak to us through thoughts and impressions will often be the way we get those answers, or, my favorite GenCon quote, "We speak to the Lord in prayer, he speaks to us through the scriptures." As far as interpreting those answers, I recommend a talk by Richard G. Scott titled "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer." It goes over the ways we receive answers and what we can do to follow them. In closing, I want to leave with a quote from the talk:

"It is vitally important to recognize that the Lord also responds a third way to prayer by withholding an answer when the prayer is offered. Why would He do that?

He is our perfect Father. He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience:

When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.

When He answers no, it is to prevent error.

When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act.

Most often what we have chosen to do is right. He will confirm the correctness of our choices His way. That confirmation generally comes through packets of help found along the way. We discover them by being spiritually sensitive. They are like notes from a loving Father as evidence of His approval. If, in trust, we begin something which is not right, He will let us know before we have gone too far."

Wrestling with God Makes Your Soul Stronger

I am so sorry! I wanted to blog on Saturday, but our computer had a virus that was crippling our internet and we had to go get it wiped clean over the weekend. I just couldn't wait until this Saturday to share what I learned.

I'm reading a book we got from our wedding called Living a Covenant Marriage:Practical Advice from Thirteen Experts Who've Walked in Your Shoes which is a compilation of articles by prominent LDS authors with their soundest marriage advice. In it, there was a quote from Boyd K. Packer that says:

"We seem to be developing an epidemic of 'counselitis' which drains spiritual strength from the Church...That, some may assume, is not serious. It is very serious!... We have become very anxious over the amount of couseling that we seem to need in the Church. Our members are becoming dependent...If we are not careful we can lose the power of individual revelation...."

I know we've all either had the friend or have been the friend who has had the hard question in their life and asks everyone's advice about it. I have a friend right now that is struggling to pick a direction for her life. She wants everyone to tell her what school and what program she should enter, she keeps asking what she should do about a boy that she keeps dating and not dating and then dating again, and she wants to know where she should move to and when. I understand how difficult this part of her life must be. But I also know that she already has a lot of the answers she is looking for and I feel so sad that she doesn't trust herself just to follow through with them.

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.

Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.

There is a great purpose in our struggle in life."

As always, there is sometimes a need for professional and/or medical help. But I learned a long time ago, hard times always come before the good times, and good times will always be followed by bad. But the joy of overcoming makes the journey exciting and intriguing. Enjoy the ride.

Little Coincidences

The other day I was out shopping and knew that it was supposed to rain that day. My last stop was Costco. As I parked my car, I noticed that the storm clouds were getting darker and heavier and it was looking like the storm was about to break free. I looked to the passenger seat where my trusty umbrella was sitting.

In my heart I said, "God won't let it rain on me until after I've done my shopping and am back in my car." So I left the umbrella in my car. I shopped dutifully and returned to my car, realizing that the rainstorm had not started yet. I packed all my groceries into my car, took the cart back and got into my car, preparing to head home.

I turned on the car and realized that the rainstorm had started. It was raining cats and dogs, as in a huge downpour! I reflected on how I had said in my heart that God wouldn't let it pour on me until I was done with my errands. Wow, I thought....faith must really work after all.

On the way home it was raining so hard that it was a bit of an obstruction to my vision. I had to slow my speed down so that I could see what was coming in front of me. I arrived home safely and back at my house it wasn't raining anymore. I put my things away and thought to myself, "God and his angels must be watching out for me."

I think that seeing God's hand in our lives is, a lot of times, what keeps it there. Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

I hope that I have inspired you today to think about the small things in your life where God has helped you out. I personally feel like angels are always watching over me. If not, then I think I might have had a horrific accident where I nearly died by now.

Have a great day!

Magnify Every Calling

I know we've been talking about callings and what not lately, and that's what is on my mind right now. Mostly because I got released from my teaching calling this past Sunday. Since I had Jared, the only opportunity to teach outside my home has been through my callings. I think the Lord gave me the outlet so I would feel as though I'm teaching.

I know I teach within my home, but I never really thought of it as 'teaching' because of the time and effort I habitually put into a formal lesson. This is not the way to think and I'm a bad teacher for thinking so. When I sat and thought about what I wanted to write today, I remembered how I gave a talk in our BYU ward shortly after we were married. Luckily, I still have it on my computer, so I want to share a few thoughts I shared then, right now.

In order to understand how to do our callings properly we need to understand how to magnify. When I think of the word magnify, I think of something brought closer, or enlarged, so I am able to understand it better. The focus function on 35 mm camera allows the image through the lens to be seen more clearly than without it. Strength increases with the power of focus. When we put the right amount of focus on our lives, tasks become easier to understand and easier to accomplish. 'To magnify’ means taking any situation and doing the best you can with the resources you have. One of the resources you have within your calling is the calling itself.

In order to succeed in magnifying our callings President Eyring suggests, in the October 2004 Conference, we should know three basic principles about our calling. And I personally believe these are essential to realize now rather than later.

1. We are Called of God: He says, “The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in His Church. He chose you. The person who was inspired to recommend you for this call didn’t do it because they liked you or because they needed someone to do a particular task. They prayed and felt an answer that you were the one to be called. He prayed to know the Lord’s will for you. Every one who is called of God has the right to know that before anything else." We already know we are called of God through the Fifth Article of Faith. Since we are called of God, we are also called to represent our Savior. Think about this for a moment. Our voices, words, and actions become a representation of the Savior on the earth today. Our callings become more than just ward greeter or hymnbook coordinator; each and every calling is important in the eyes of the Lord because they aid in the building of his kingdom.
2. Just as the Lord calls us, he will guide us through revelation. President Eyring gives a caution about the Lord’s guidance: “[it] will come only when the Lord is sure you will obey. To know His will you must be committed to do it. The words 'Thy will be done,' written in the heart, are the window to revelation. The answer comes by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit may also guide you to the scriptures for your answer. So many stories containing the doctrine and principles of the gospel in different situations will help you find the one that is right for you at that moment. And if not, searching the scriptures will help clear your thoughts to focus on the task ahead.
3. Not only does God call and guide you; he will magnify you. There is no need to feel inadequate in your calling. We do not magnify our callings by ourselves and if we think we do, then we are inadequate. The Lord will always be there for us. We are his children; he does not leave us to survive alone. President Erying continued further by suggesting that we feel inadequacy because the Lord’s presence is so much a part of our callings that we take it for granted.

Think back to my silly camera analogy. In today’s world the 35mm camera with focus is the thing of the past, it doesn’t have the newest digital capabilities in the world of photography. But, what happens when we put the two together? It creates the best camera on the market. The Lord is the newest digital technology to our little 35mm. He guides us to what or who we need to focus on at the right time. Without Him, we do not have the proper ‘magnification’ to succeed.

President Heber J. Grant once said, “By the assistance of our Heavenly Father there is no obligation and no law in the Church that we cannot fulfill. The Lord will give us the strength and the ability to accomplish every duty and rests upon us in an acceptable manner in his sight.” Elder Eyring said on this matter: “You can have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart."

So, what are the callings we must fulfill and magnify? The Lord, through his prophets, specified two categories: callings in the Priesthood and the callings received through the power of the priesthood. Now wait a minute, doesn’t that mean all Church callings? Yes, but that's only the beginning.

The Lord created us with his powers, which includes the power of the priesthood. This means that everything we do in life, not just within the church, is a calling we must magnify. I tend to believe that the ultimate calling we have is that of a son or daughter of God striving to become a true disciple of Christ. We are given our other callings as Bishops, Visiting Teachers, Elders, Mothers, Fathers, etc. to magnify (or make better) our calling as divine beings. We give our best effort in these callings and the Lord will make up the difference.

For me, at this time in my life, it means to magnify my calling as a wife and mother in my calling. It is the first and foremost calling I have in my life and I should not be disappointed in being released.

If the Lord sees fit to give me another calling in the ward, then I will accept because He knows me and knows what I can handle. I challenge us all to never decline a calling; it's like saying you know better than the Lord. Think of the early days of the church when calls would be extended right then and there during sacrament meeting without asking the people involved; the Lord had faith that the members would except the call! Don't be afraid to accept and enjoy your callings; the Lord has faith in you--- have faith in Him.

Finding Hope

Today is a day that will always be in our memories. Some people don't like to remember because it causes them sadness. I, on the other hand remember this day and am filled with gratitude, peace, and humility. Our Heavenly Father loves us. We sometimes make poor decisions yet He still supports and blesses us if we but turn to him. I would like to share a video with you called Finding Hope which is about a man who describes his experience at the towers and how he was able to get through that tragedy with the help of his faith in Jesus Christ. It is 8 minutes, but well worth the watch.

"Astonished Beyond Measure"

I just started into the book of Helaman in my personal scripture study, and the other day, I was reading toward the end of Chapter 3, where it talks about the righteousness (and resulting prosperity) of the Church. The Church was having such a time of prosperity that tens of thousands of people were being baptized (vs. 24, 26)

I was really struck with verse 25 in particular:

And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.

This brings to mind two things: first, the Nephites recognized that their blessings came from righteousness, and second, that these blessings were so amazing and abundant, that the leaders were "astonished beyond measure!" The blessings were that wonderful.

I often marvel at the small blessings and tender mercies granted unto me by the Lord, but to be astonished beyond measure? I can't imagine what wonderful blessings they received. I hope to see such blessings myself someday as the Church continues to grow in faith and righteousness.

Get to Work

On Sunday, my brother gave his homecoming talk in Sacrament. It was a wonderful look at faith and works. He talked about how important it is to have faith, but as we know, faith alone will not save you. Faith without works is dead. It is great to have faith, but even more so to have faith and get to work!

In his talk, my brother shared this quote by Pres. Hinckley:

"Your faith will perform miracles-- especially when you get your hands and feet involved."

He also gave a similar analogy-- He said that faith can move mountains, but how much faster will that happen if you grab a shovel and get to digging?

I really like this idea. Through our faith, God can perform many miracles and answer many prayers. But that's only if we, His instruments, are willing to work! Faith is worthless if we are sitting on the couch every day or being selfish by keeping to ourselves. We must go out and serve others, share our light, and get to work as God's hands.

Pay in Faith

This is just going to be a quick post. Nothing major or profound, just a little miracle to me.

I know that when the Lord says he will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon us, he is being very literal. I know that when we pay tithing we are actually paying with faith, and not money. We show our faith by paying, even when it feels as if paying would be cutting off a limb because that money is so necessary to our survival here.


I have had times in my life where I had to decide to pay my tithing or have food. I paid in faith, knowing that Heavenly Father would bless and provide for me. Shortly thereafter I received two big bags of food. I once had to decide between paying tithing or paying for school. I had all the money to the penny in my account for school. Paying my tithing would leave me short. I chose to pay tithing after all. After a bit of go around with the school, it turned out I didn't have to pay any of the money they were demanding from me. Tithing requires faith. When we pay in faith miracles happen. We may be tested and tried, but we will never ever be left alone. When we pay our tithing we are showing the Lord we rely on Him and we trust Him. I know that sometimes it can be hard, but I also know that it is always always worth it and the return is much bigger then the "investment."

source

Ambo & the Law of Tithing

I'm really excited that we are all 'forced' to introduce ourselves now. Since it's Wednesday, I'm up:

Hello, my name is Amber and I'm a Gospel-Addict.

I am also a wife, mother, sister, friend, daughter, sports-freak, clutz, nap-time crafter, theatre-geek, and teacher. I constantly try to do my best and, most of the time, it gets me into trouble (especially in the clutz category).

I grew up in St. Louis (as alluded to in Ash's post) and, when the time came, I ventured to BYU, where I graduated in Elementary Education. Gweg and I have been married for almost five years (CRAZY--and, yes, it's true, he is Ash's cousin).

We have a happy-go-lucky 15-month-old boy named Jared and are expecting a little girl at the end of November (not planned, on our part, at least). I, too, am a SAHM with so much to do and not enough time to do it in. We live in South Texas where Gweg works as an engineer and we don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon (we're building our first house---that's how I met Trish---she's in my ward and told us about a great subdivision to build in).

Whenever I have free time I enjoy cooking, crafting, swimming, yoga, playing Wii, dancing with Jared, and---shocker---the St. Louis Cardinals! I'm currently trying to be better at going to the temple, saying consistent family prayers and having FHE. I love to learn and grow which is why I wanted to join the ranks of this blog!

As Trish mentioned in her testimony post, I bore my testimony on Sunday. Ash can verify that this is nothing new; I'm one of those people that probably bears their testimony too much. I couldn't resist it this time because I felt overwelming gratitude for Heavenly Father's blessings to my family. And, I believe it was because we pay our tithing.

Greg just recently finished grad school and this month we had to start paying his loans back, both undergrad and graduate, in addition to the rest of our monthly bills. We sat down and talked about giving ourselves very small weekly allowance for food and other expenses. Even though we were following our new rules, it didn't seem we were going to make it to the next payday. We were worried, then on Friday we got a $1000 check from a car accident we had in December. Greg and I looked at each other and immediately said a prayer because we knew where this money came from.

Elder Robert D. Hales taught:

"To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are temporal. But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately yields great spiritual blessings....

Would any of us intentionally reject an outpouring of blessings from the Lord? Sadly, this is what we do when we fail to pay our tithing. We say no to the very blessings we are seeking and praying to receive. If you are one who has doubted the blessings of tithing, I encourage you to accept the Lord’s invitation to “prove [Him] now herewith.” Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments."

Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings
Ensign, November 2002

The Lord blesses us when we live the commandments righteously; sometimes in ways we can see, other times in ways we can't. I know I have a lot of things to work on, but I hope that I will always pay my tithing because the Lord has already blessed me because of it.

The name is Ashley, but you can call me Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I feel honored to have been invited to contribute here and hope I can share some thoughts that will uplift-- or at least, get you thinking.

Trish (may I call you Trish?) suggested that I use today's post to introduce myself, so... here it goes.

I got here (to this blog, not the world) through Amber (Wednesday), my best friend/cousin-in-law. We met when we were 13, and were nearly inseparable all through high school and college, until she married my cousin after our sophomore year at BYU. Now we're linked for eternity!

Right now, I'm a SAHM to a beautiful, blue-eyed, little girl who will be 1 later this month. While my husband is in chiropractic school, we are living in St. Louis, Missouri, about 20 minutes from where I grew up.

My passions include being a wife & mother, reading, baking and crafting (though I don't pretend to be an expert in any of those things). Other things I love include fireworks, french fries, lemonade, new socks and the St. Louis Cardinals. I'm working on improving (as in, saying) my morning prayers, not complaining, and letting things go (I can be a bit of a perfectionist).

That all being said, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite quotes.

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do what's best for us; we are wondering how painful that will turn out to be."
--C.S. Lewis

Having faith is knowing that God is in control. But there is a part of me (since I'm human and averse to pain), that thinks, "I know God has a plan for me, but what exactly does that plan entail? How many fires am I going to have to walk through?"

I trust in Heavenly Father and follow Him to the best of my ability, but I'm sometimes nervous! There is a caveat in the phrase, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." The path He has set for us is strait (not straight), narrow (see 3 Nephi 14:14), and, I would imagine, winding. Strait, in this case, actually means difficult or stressful. That does not sound like a trail I would choose for myself, yet I did, in the premortal life!

To summarize, God's plan for us as individuals is going to be difficult, stressful, and occasionally painful, but our loving Heavenly Father is in control. How comforting that is. He knows all, including our abilities and what's best for us. He knows that a difficult path will test us and mold us into the people He needs us to be. The people that we want to be!

I put one foot in front of the other every day with Him guiding me, step by step. There are no promises of ease or comfort, but there are promises of eternal life and a place in His sight. Ultimately, the rewards outweigh the price. And as long as I put my trust and faith in Him who leads me, I know I'll gain mine.

Crowded Time = Trial of Faith

Since Trish was nice enough to share one of her favorite quotes, I thought I'd share one of mine. One thing I've always had a problem with is not having enough time to do everything I need/want to do; this was magnified by 1000 during college. I was required for my major (Elementary Education) to take a class to help us connect the spiritual and secular sides of teaching and one of the articles we were required to read was "Education for Real Life," by President Henry B. Eyring. In it he states:

There is another way to look at your problem of crowded time. You can see it as an opportunity to test your faith. The Lord loves you and watches over you. He is all-powerful, and He promised you this: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

That is a true promise. When we put God’s purposes first, He will give us miracles. If we pray to know what He would have us do next, He will multiply the effects of what we do in such a way that time seems to be expanded. He may do it in different ways for each individual, but I know from long experience that He is faithful to His word.

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I have been a constant receiver of this blessing. I notice how different my day becomes when I don't put God and His kingdom on my list of priorities. I'm more edgy because I didn't get everything done; sometimes I blame it on my husband or toddler, but the blame lies with me because I didn't start off with the right attitude.

Heavenly Father watches over us in all things and, as long as we serve Him and His children, He will bless us. Those blessings will come because we took the time to look to Him.