Which Leper are you?

I'm loving the New Testament lately, there is so much to be learned from the stories of Christ's earthly ministry.  I have been thinking quite a bit about the story of the 10 Lepers.  Theirs is one we are all familiar with, but may not entirely appreciate.  I know I didn't.  As I pondered what was to be learned from these 10 men, I thought of my own 'leprosy,' if you will.  Each of us has those spiritual ailments which we cannot heal on our own.  However, through our the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can, as the lepers, be healed.  How we are healed is another conversation entirely, but today I want to talk about what happens after the healing.  Which leper are we going to be?  Are we the 9 who perhaps were grateful to be healed but chose to go on their way?  Or are we the one who showed that gratitude by turning back and falling to his knees.  This act of gratitude enabled His Lord to bless him further.  Not only was he healed, but he was made whole.  Complete.  Without blemish.  His was the greater reward because he chose to acknowledge what the Lord had done for him.  So often we ask for blessings and forget to give thanks to the One from whom those blessings flow.  The two most powerful words in the English language are, "thank you."  I hope that each of us will remember to turn back and glorify the God who gives us good gifts.  Gifts of healing, peace, and joy.  As we follow the example of the one leper - as we turn back in gratitude and follow steadfastly from that point on - we too will be made whole and gain salvation and eternal life with a loving Heavenly Father and our Savior - the givers of good gifts. 

The Parable of Peter

I think we can all relate a little to Peter on that dark stormy night out at sea.  It had been a long day, but a good one.  Serving with Christ as He fed the 5,000 on a mere 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  What a beautiful miracle.  He had seen Christ perform many.  And not even a day later, his peaceful day of being fed in (all senses of the word), there he was on a wind tossed sea.  It was late and someone called out, "Be not afraid."  With recognition Peter called out, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee  on the water."  "Come" was the reply.  It took one simple word and Peter stepped out onto the windy water.  His almost perfect faith allowed him to WALK ON WATER!  He did it! 

And then comes the relatable part... "when  he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid"  Peter started sinking.  How many of us after accomplishing something great begin to doubt ourselves?  We allow fear or inadequacy to cause us to sink?  I know I have.  I think I can understand what Peter felt as he sank in that dark stormy water.  He probably felt panic, maybe started to beat himself up for failing.  But he had two options.  Sink into the depths, or reach up.  Beautifully, Peter chose the latter.  "He cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him." 

In those moments of despair, we have 2 options.  And they are the same as Peter's.  Sink, or turn to the Savior.  The miracle of this story may be that Peter walked on water, but the even bigger miracle is that he did it again.  I love verse 32 of Matthew 14, "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased."  How do you think Peter got back to the ship?  Do you think Christ dragged him along in the water?  I don't.  I am confident believing that Peter walked on water a second time, hand in hand with his Savior.  I know that sometimes we fall, but Jesus Christ is right there, within arms reach.  All we have to do is cry out, "Lord, save me."  He will never let us suffer a second longer than we need to grow.  And just like Peter, He will help us back to safety.

How to be Happy - Have joy

I've been thinking a lot lately about being happy.  What does it mean to be happy?  What makes us happy?  And what is the difference between being happy and having joy.  Because there is a difference.  Being the word lover that I am, I took the liberty of looking up "joy."  Joy defined by Merriam-Webster is a source of happiness.  So basically we're happy because we have joy.  In the Book of Mormon we hear a lot of talk about having a fullness of joy.  So, that changed my question a little.  What does it mean to have joy and how do we get it?  In Helaman 3:35 we read that the people fast and pray growing stonger in their faith.  They recieve a fullness of joy because of their yielding their hearts to God.  So I guess my answer is we find joy when we yield our hearts to God.  All God desires for us is to find joy and return to Him.  The two are conditional upon each other.  Joy comes by living our lives in accordance with the commandments of God.  When we are living the commandments, we qualify ourselves to return to live with Him.  To live with Him is to have joy eternally.  I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has given us the Book of Mormon.  It contains all we need to know about happiness, joy, and how and where to get the two.  I know the Book of Mormon is true.  All good things come from God, and the Book of Mormon is indeed good!  Find out for yourself by getting your own copy.  It will change your life if you let it.  It has changed mine.

Looketh on the Heart

I've been thinking a lot about competition.  I've been struggling with comparing myself to others.  I'm guessing I'm not alone in that.  But the problem with comparing is that normally we compare our worst to everyone else's best.  Well that's not fair or realistic, so we all need to take a page out of President Uchtdorf's book and "Stop It."

A few weeks ago I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting and the speaker said something that brought me back to reality.  He said, "the only person you are competing with is the person you were yesterday."  The Lord doesn't compare us to anyone else.  The Lord "looketh on the heart."  He looks at your heart.  He doesn't look at so and so's heart and then say, "you're not the same so you're not as good."  Instead He says, "good job, you are trying and I love that." 

As long as you are just a little better than the person you were yesterday, you are making progress.  The Lord notices that, and is pleased with that.  Don't worry that you may not be as good at something as he is or as pretty as she is.  The Lord's not worried about it.  And He gives them their own trials.  The Lord loves you.  All He asks is that you love Him in return and try your best.  You are worth something.  You're better than you think!  That is true doctrine. 

The Oak Tree

Shocking though it may be, the life of a missionary is far from easy.  I have truly been struggling to find value in my work, because as far as numbers go we have not been having "success".  Admittedly there have been days when I have just wanted to give up.  It has been a rough road for the last little bit, but I think this poem pretty well sums up my feelings and lesson learned.

A mighty wind blew night and day.

It stole the oak tree's leaves away.

Then snapped its boughs and

Pulled its bark

Until the Oak was tired and stark.

But still the oak tree held its ground

While other trees fell all around.

The weary wind gave up and spoke,

"How can you still be standing oak?"

The oak tree said "I know that you

Can break each branch of mine in two,

Carry every leaf away

Shake my limbs and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth,

Growing stronger since my birth.

You'll never touch them for you see,

They are the deepest part of me.

Until today I wasn't sure

Of just how much I could endure

But now I've found with thanks to you

I'm stronger than I ever knew.

-Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

I too have felt like this oak tree.  Facing rejection, doubt, opposition.  However, I have not and will not give up.  Because although I experience trials, I am learning and growing.  I have something so precious that needs to be shared.  I have stayed stong because my roots are deep.  My roots are in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Christ and His gospel is the only source of strength and peace amid trials.  In the book, The Continuous Atonement, Brad Wilcox describes it this way, "In those moments of struggle, our needs are accentuated. When we experience our own Gethsemanes, we truly begin to value Christ’s. When we recognize our own weaknesses, we stand in awe of His strength.”  I have felt the changing and strengthening power of Christ's Atonement in my life.  And although I may not be strong on my own, with my Savior I am stronger than I ever knew.  

Testimony How To

Today we're talking testimony.  Because today the question was posed, "How do you get a testimony?"  And I thought, "Yeah, how?"  It puzzled me for just a sec and then the spirit told me I already know how, because I have one.  So I told this person that a testimony is faith.  But more than that too.  In Alma 32:27 it says, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."

That's step one.  A desire.  Step two is letting it work in you.  Alma continues to compare faith to a seed.  How does a seed grow?  You plant it.  You nuture it.  Give it water and sunshine.  Likewise faith needs to be planted in your heart, and you have to nuture it every day.  How is it that one nurtures faith?  By communication with your Heavenly Father through scripture study and prayer.

Step three.  As you study the word of God and talk to him daily you will feel "swelling motions," as Alma eloquantly stated.  You will feel it warm in your heart, and you will know for yourself that the seed is good.  That your faith is growing.  Your faith will enlarge your soul until you know.  Your understanding will be enlightened.  You will gain your testimony.  All it takes is 3 steps. 

I realized again today that a testimony is not something tangible, it is not something solid.  The steps must be repeated over and over.  I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who lets us work for our testimonies.  My testimony is ever changing.  Ever growing.  It means more that way.  For those of you who are struggling with your testimony; don't get discouraged.  You are a son or daughter of Diety.  If you don't know that, start with step one and then ask.  I promise He will answer.  It is a reliable formula, three steps long.  Try it and I promise you will gain - you will expand - your testimony. 

The sweetest truth I have come to know is that I am a daughter of God.  He is ever mindful of me.  He blesses and helps me.  He sent His son to live and die for me.  The Atonement was the whole purpose of God's plan.  It was and is for me to use every day.  My Heavenly Father loves me so much.  And that is something I can always count on.   Having faith and a hope that I have a loving Heavenly Father is how mine started, and know I can say I know.  He is there.  He loves me.  This is my simple testimony.  Please comment and share with me yours. 

Faith is like a seed, if planted it will grow.

By Their Fruits

Have you ever watched a movie over and over, and every time you catch something new that you hadn't seen before?  That's kind of how I feel about the Book of Mormon.  Minus the kind of.  That is how I feel about it.  I love reading it because every time I do something new and cool pops up that I haven't thought of before.  Today you are lucky because I'm going to share one of these little gems with you!  I decided to read Jacob chapter 5.  When I was younger I used to skip or quickly skim this chapter because it didn't make sense, and it is a long chapter.  I have since overcome my childhood aversion, and today decided to actually study this very chapter.

The chapter tells the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees.  And I'm not going to go into detail, because I want you to read it and find your own "ah has". I will however share mine.  As I read I noticed that the Lord tries several times to save his trees that they might bring forth good fruit.  He is exactly that way with us.  He gives us so many opportunities to change and come unto him.  To become like him.  And although He will never take away our agency, He won't give up on us either.  Sometimes we might think He is going to give up on us, but he won't even then.  "Spare it a little longer."  (Jacob 5:50) 

Because of the Lord's infinite love, He will always desire for us to come to him.  To bring forth good fruit.  He works with us to help us.  Let Him help you.  Let him dig about and prune you so that your fruit is sweet.  "By their fruits ye shall know them" (3 Nephi 14:20)  Don't waste the opportunities you are given.  Bring forth good fruit.