Love, Come Save Me By: RIght Away, Great Captain

Help them on their way home...why do we even want to go home?

I have read this talk and referenced it several time the past few weeks. it was nice to read it again though, new things stood out to me. a few simple points, i am feeling kind of to point today.

the story about the lady falling away, a line stood out to me this time that didn't before, "the associations with her friends provided a new feeling of being liked, and so her occasional resolutions to repent seemed less and less important".

this line really kind of scared me. often i think of sin in terms of consciously rebelling simply because i want something. like a rebellious kid. but this train of thought was more alarming, to think of not really loving the lord. like, not caring if i am close to him or not.

i think the real battle is exactly that. if satan can get us to forget the atonement, to not pray, to cut off our ties and love to heavenly father, sin becomes a seemingly natural thing.

love is always the answer. god is love. the way we love him is by loving others.

"you and i can expect a nearly continuous opportunity to help..."

its so important to establish patterns and "we really need to make plans which are not only wishes, but covenants." i was teaching clara this week how to pinkie promise and what it means. now as i think about it. the whole point isn't to say you will do something and then do it because you should. but to fulfill promises because of our pure love to those we make them to.

mothers and daughters....turns out i am my mothers daughter.

i just had a realization.

i am very much like my mother.

the other day i was rushing around with a with a stack of cards, letters, a primary lesson to prepare, visit teachee phone numbers to call and i realized. i am my mother.

at first i had this surreal moment, like, how did that happen? but then i realized. it makes sense:

i admire my mother.

i think its amazing the life she has had.

how she has always been the strong one.

the way she KNOWS the lord. like, its so deep in her.

her endless care and love to help people.

the acceptance she shows everyone.

how she can so easily reach out and talk to anyone, and make them feel wonderful.

"Please look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow. Model yourselves after them...look to your mother. learn from her strengths, her courage and her faithfulness. listen to her."

Brother Ballard said, "even when you think your daughter is not listening to a thing you say, she is still learning from you as she watches you to see if your actions match your words."

And he is right. i didn't consciously try to be like my mom, or anyone in particular. but my mom would try and go to the temple every saturday morning. and before europe i had this idea in my head that i needed to go to the temple every week, and guess what day? saturday, night though. haha, not quite the morning person she is. the idea that i should stay with piano because it will help me serve in the church. of course, i didn't care about then when i was little. but i have already had 5 callings to serve in the church by playing piano.

I am NO WHERE near the woman my mother is, but it did make me happy to see that some of her amazing nature got through my independent thinking mind and has become part of me.

"Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children. This is where their love and talents can have the GREATEST eternal significance."

It's scary to see how some roles i play in my life now are already similar to that. playing piano in primary and teaching the 5 year olds. and my job as an aupair. i think about runny noses, smiley faces, bubbles, stories, princesses, treats, crayons, teething, colds, rubber duckies, and nappies way more than a non-mother usually does.

its neat and a somewhat daunting challenge to think that they are silently learning from me. i hope to be able to prepare them. to help them see their potential to be beautiful, intelligent, meaningful daughters and sons of god.

The Rock of our redeemer...thank you for not being quicksand.

The past few weeks i have gained such a testimony about the Lord, timing and hope. Sometimes i want things to happen NOW. or NOT happen now. I get so impatient. and then, the lord throws experiences that remind me, "hey. i am the boss. get over yourself and look around." that's exactly whats happened.

"Hope comes from faith in Jesus Christ. He has already overcome the world and has promised that He will wipe away our tears if we will only turn to Him and believe and follow.

Some who at this very moment feel desperate or discouraged may wonder how they can possibly regain hope. If you are one of those, remember that hope comes as a result of faith. If we would build our hope, we must build our faith.

Faith in the Savior requires more than mere belief"

I know that the lord puts people in our lives we are meant to help. that we are the hands to bring hope to others, and in doing so, find our own.

so be ready. plan ahead. and never lose hope.

Our path of duty...where are we headed?

This is a short one today, i am running a bit late and we are going to barcelona in an hour!

BUT i did want to share a few things that stuck out to me. well, more like slapped me in the face.

"FIRST our path of duty is to GOD."

God wants all of us. ALL of our heart. but how can we do that? it's not like we can just stay home all day reading our scriptures and never go out.

well. he likes us to love Him by loving others.

"all the power that we possess. we should seek to do good in the world."

how do we know we are on the right path??

for me, praying has always been hard. but i have just been slapped as i said.

"we pray! it is EVERYONE'S sure way to know. EVERYONES lifeline to heaven."

so today. i am going to pray. and see how i am doing. and let God know i put Him first. and try to love people the best i can.

invitation to all to join. :)

Will i pour out my spirit...will you be a vessel?

goals:

"the ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT skill that can be acquired in this life."

what's blocking us:

"there has NEVER been a GREATER need for increased faith and personal righteousness"

"there is MUST distraction and not enough peace and joy"

i really appreciate how she highlights some examples of charity and love and patience. sometimes i can feel myself getting down or frustrated and i am not sure why. but i think its excellent that she brings up a few things that we can be aware of and know how to combat:

--"being in the right places allows us to receive guidance"

--"it requires a CONSCIOUS effort to diminish distraction"

--"persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks"

--"refine and cultivate ourselves in EVERYTHING that is good and ennobling"

whose standards do i rise/lower myself to? who is my personal judge? who am i trying to become?

sometimes, to be honest, i can't answer these the way i should. i think we all have to fight for the right ones sometimes. i felt really humbled as i thought of this quote:

"we want to be ladies[saints] in very deed, not according to the term of the word as the world judges, but fit companions of the Gods and Holy Ones"

i am sure that some of you get discouraged or misjudge yourselves at times. and maybe wonder how you are doing, if you are even moving forward in the way the lord wants, if efforts actually matter. and they do. we can know for certain. that's what i hope for you all and myself, that through our efforts we can feel hope.

"Peace, joy and hope are available to those who measure success properly."

The power of the priesthood...and the power of EACH of us

Absolutes. In math and in language there are absolutes. 'never say never or always'. i thought about this a ton as i read this article. Packer throws out so many absolutes. in a world of wishy-washy beliefs and life styles, i find this captivating:

THE LORD AND HIS SERVANTS ARE BOLD---THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF TRUTHS.

"Today we are encamped against the GREATEST array of sin, vice and evil EVER assembled before our eyes."

"Through the keys of the priesthood, they [have] access to ALL of the powers of heaven. They were commanded to carry the gospel unto ALL nations."

"It has NEVER been easy to live the gospel of Jesus Christ."

"We can and in due time certainly WILL influence ALL of humanity. It will be known who we are and why we are.

"It seems clear to me that the Church has NO CHOICE--and NEVER HAS HAD-- but to do more to assist the family in carrying out its divine mission...that is the MOST practical contribution we can make..."

"We need EVERYONE."

"EVERY (said 7 times--symbol of perfection)...ALL these have as their ULTIMATE purpose the perfection of the individual and the family."

the priesthood and families are under attack. the individual is under attack. and yet, we can follow the lords battle plan. its never been easy, but we can do it and we will win.

"We have NO FEAR of the future. Fear is the opposite of faith. We move forward, CERTAIN that the lord will watch over us, particularly in the family."

what are your thoughts?? please feel free to write any thoughts or inspiration you have--we can help strengthen each other!