Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Did You Think to Pray?

When I was younger, my family was asked to sing for a church meeting that was for all adults. My mother (who is a very talented musician) prayerfully chose to do and arrangement of the popular hymn "Did You Think to Pray?". Through this experience, I was able to learn more fully the words to this song and then internalize them in a way that I probably never could have done without having to learn it to the level of performing it. These are the words:

1. Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ, our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor
As a shield today?
(Chorus)
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day.
So, when life gets dark and dreary,
Don't forget to pray.
2. When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?
3. When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was full of sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?

I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is always here to listen to us. He WANTS to listen to us! I hope that we can all take the time to talk with him. Let us never forget to turn to our Heavenly Father for help! 
 
 
 


Saturday, January 25, 2014

An 'Eye-Opening' Experience!

The other day I was studying in The Acts. I came to chapters 8-9. These chapters teach us about Saul who is also known as Paul. Saul went out persecuting the church and committing saints to prison. In chapter 9, Saul has an amazing experience.


Saul then loses his sight and cannot see for 3 days. The disciples that were there were very confused. Here is this man that had been persecuting them, and now is supposed to be one of them. The Lord sends confirmation and says:


The disciples then went to him and laid their hands upon Saul. He received his sight and was filled with the Holy Ghost. He then is baptized and begins preaching to the people. 

We often feel that we need to have an amazing "eye-opening" (ha ha get the pun?! Sorry I am not very clever!) experience. Elder Uchtdorf said about this, "The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed. This can be our experience if we move forward with faith and do not wait too long on the road to Damascus."

I know that this is true! I know that we learn piece-by-piece. The Lord is here to help us on our journey. If we wait for an experience like Saul, we may never enjoy the blessings that the Lord has in store for us. I hope that we may all recognize this and show the Lord our Faith. 




Friday, January 24, 2014

The First Great Commandment

In my personal studies this week I was studying in John in the New Testament. 
In chapter 21, we are given these verses:


Elder Holland said about this account in the scriptures, "My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: 'Did you love me?' I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.' And if at such a moment we can stammer out, 'Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,' then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty."
"'If ye love me, keep my commandments,' Jesus said. So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it. It was this truth, this reality, that allowed a handful of Galilean fishermen-turned-again-Apostles without 'a single synagogue or sword' to leave those nets a second time and go on to shape the history of the world in which we now live."
 "To all within the sound of my voice, the voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time, asking each one of us while there is time, 'Do you love me?' And for every one of us, I answer with my honor and my soul, 'Yea, Lord, we do love thee.' And having set our 'hand to the plough,' we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I can repeat the testimony of Elder Holland. I hope that we can all put our "hand to the plough" and serve those around us. If we do so, I know that at our judgment day we will be able to say that we have done what our Savior has asked us to do. Remember to feed his sheep!

{To read Elder Holland's entire talk, click here.}




Friday, January 17, 2014

The Lord is MY Shepherd




 This morning I was studying in John. I came to chapter 10 about the Good Shepherd.  

My favorite verses are verses 14&15.

 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Our savior KNOWS us. We have the opportunity to KNOW him. We know him by accepting the atonement in our lives. He himself, laid down his life for HIS sheep. We are his sheep! He performed the atonement for us because he loves us. How great is it that such an amazing individual knows us personally?!

I am so grateful for my savior. I hope that I will be able to recognize him and be able to hear his voice one day when he comes again. I know that he lives. He loves us so much. He knows us. We must put all our trust in him! He will lead us along!


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Faith NOT Fear


I love the quote by Elder Quentin L. Cook that says, "We must live by faith and not by fear." Faith and fear cannot dwell together at the same time.

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"Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord’s assurance that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Father in Heaven, whose merciful plan for our redemption will be fulfilled in every aspect because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

I know that the Lord WILL stand by us and give us guidance and direction. We are so blessed to have the blessing and comfort of the Holy Ghost. I am grateful for my savior and his atoning sacrifice.
I love this gospel!

"In Tune with the Music of Faith" By Elder Quentin L. Cook. April Conference 2012.



Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The Sacred Grove





It is my testimony that Joseph Smith truly did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It DID change the world. It can change your life if you let it. I did, and I will forever be grateful!








Saturday, January 11, 2014

Preach My Gospel Draft




The other day we were invited into a wonderful families home to share dinner with them. The wonderful father of the home was excited to share many of his experiences of serving a mission in Salt Lake City. While sharing his experiences he mentioned that he served almost 10 years ago. He told us that during his mission, they came out with the draft for Preach My Gospel. Preach My Gospel is a tool used by missionaries to help us teach basic principles of Christ's gospel. 

We have recently received a "draft" that has introduced us to how we can use Facebook and other online tools to reach out to others and help them come closer to Christ.

It is a very exciting time to be involved in missionary work! God continues to allow things to progress and gives us new ways of reaching out to his children to teach them the gospel! I know that this is the Lords work! He blesses us and helps us do his work!







 
 
 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

With An Eye Single to the Glory of God




D&C 4:5
And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

 This morning I was studying about living my life "with an eye single to the glory of God". I came across a scripture in Matthew 6:22-24. It says:

  22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
If our EYE be single, then our whole body shall be full of light. 

Light.

Light is a very interesting concept. I came across several scriptures on the subject of light that I thought I would share with everyone. These verses are true and can teach us so much about being an example.









 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.












I hope that we all can be the light that the world needs. Seek light first, then will you be able to shine!



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Friday, January 3, 2014

Happy New Year!




Happy New Year! It is so exciting that it is 2014! There has never been a more exciting time then right now to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! May we all make new years resolutions to be more like our Savior.We are all imperfect. Just keep moving forward and the Lord will give us the strength that we need. It is my testimony that the Lord will always be there to lift us up and help us become the people that we desire to be. Trust him!











The wonderful Sholers!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

You Can Make the Pathway Bright!

Sister Walker and I sang "You Can Make the Pathway Bright" the other day during companionship study. We could not get it out of our heads ALL DAY! It caused me to really reflect on the words within the song. The words are:
 
1. You can make the pathway bright,
Fill the soul with heaven's light,
If there's sunshine in your heart;
Turning darkness into day,
As the shadows fly away,
If there's sunshine in your heart today.

(Chorus)
If there's sunshine in your heart,
You can send a shining ray
That will turn the night to day;
And your cares will all depart,
If there's sunshine in your heart today.

2. You can speak the gentle word
To the heart with anger stirred,
If there's sunshine in your heart;
Tho it seems a little thing,
It will heaven's blessings bring,
If there's sunshine in your heart today.

3. You can do a kindly deed
To your neighbor in his need,
If there's sunshine in your heart;
And his burden you will share
As you lift his load of care,
If there's sunshine in your heart today.

4. You can live a happy life
In this world of toil and strife,
If there's sunshine in your heart;
And your soul will glow with love
From the perfect Light above,
If there's sunshine in your heart today.

Text: Helen Silcott Dungan, ca. 1899
Music: James M. Dungan, 1851-1925 
 
 
When the SON is your LIGHT,
YOU make the world a BRIGHTER place.
 
 
 
May we all emulate our Saviors light and make the world a brighter place!