Heavenly Father REALLY Loves Us (D&C 41:1)

A few years ago, I had a bishop who gave our ward a “name” – the Delightful Downingtown Ward. He then focused on this scripture, and brought it up time and time again:

“Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me;…” – Doctrine and Covenants 41:1

Have you really thought what this means?

Sometimes, I think of the following scripture:

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” – Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

I have a tendency to misread this scripture and think – sure…the Lord blesses me, but that’s because He has to.”

The thing is, though, I know that He doesn’t. I know that – in and of myself – I don’t qualify for a single blessing I have received. Sure…Here the Lord says that when we do what He says, then He is bound to keep His part of the covenant, but that’s the thing:

We can’t even make our covenants without the Savior. We are baptized in His name. Even our prayers are done in His name. We need Him to be our mediator. So, without Christ, even if we did what the Lord said, we’d have no promise…because we cannot qualify on our own merits. We need the Savior.

The Lord said,

“Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.” – Doctrine and Covenants 45:3

Christ is the one speaking to the Father in our behalf. He is the only one capable of doing so. And he does it out of His love for our Heavenly Father and for us.

Anyways…back to the earlier point – the Lord is not bound to bless us on our merits alone. He is bound to keep His covenant with us – because we have joined with Christ. Christ is the one who perfects us and enables us to covenant with God.

God knew that this would be the case, which is why He offered His Only Son.

“¶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

Heavenly Father wants to bless us. He gave us His Son so that He would be able to bless us with His best blessings. As the scripture in D&C 41:1 teaches, he delights in blessing us with the greatest of His blessings.

Time and time again, my bishop would tell me this. I was single then, working, getting through a divorce, and putting my life back together. My bishop, always with a smile, reminded me that Heavenly Father delighted in blessing me with His greatest blessings.

Doesn't he look like a great bishop?!

I trusted what he said even though the blessings were so afar off, I couldn’t even imagine them, and eventually, the Lord did bless me.

The Lord blessed me despite my weakness and sins. He blessed me above and beyond my best effort. I know that this was because of my faith in the Savior. And I know it was because Heavenly Father loves me. It is because He loves blessing us.

In Doctrine & Covenants 59, we read

“And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man;…” – Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

It truly pleases God to bless us. He finds delight in it.

I don’t know about you, but when I really think about how much He loves blessing me, and all that He has done so that He can bless me, I am overwhelmed by His love. I feel happy. I feel grateful. I feel reverence for Him. I want to show Him more love through keeping the commandments and sharing the gospel.

I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us, and I know that He delights in blessing us with His greatest blessings. I know that Heavenly Father loves blessing us so much, He provides ways for us to receive His blessings – through the Savior’s atonement and through sacred covenants. I know that if we will just trust Him and do as He teaches us to do – even when life is difficult, then He will bless us – usually in a way better than we could have imagined for ourselves.

How have you felt the Lord’s love through blessings? Have you struggled with this? What do you do to feel the Lord’s love in your life?

1 Comment

by chococatania on January 27, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Blessings, Doctrine and Covenants, Insights

Tagged Blessings, D&C, Heavenly Father, Love of God

Posted by chococatania on January 27, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/heavenly-father-really-loves-us-dc-411/

The Word of Wisdom – not for the Belly (D&C 89:7)

I’m getting around to posting more of the study of the Word of Wisdom. So…for today:

” And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. – Doctrine and Covenants 89:7

As I studied this verse, I looked to the footnotes listed in the scripture. Interestingly enough, the word referred to three scriptures in the Bible. They didn’t refer to revelation given in the latter-days. Strong drink has never been for the belly.

Here are the verses that are footnoted…along with a few ideas of my own.

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” – Proverbs 20:1

I find it interesting that this is an OLD Testament reference. I have met several people that take issue with the Word of Wisdom because it is modern revelation. They say, “Jesus drank wine.” I don’t doubt that Jesus drank wine. But, perhaps it wasn’t that strong.

I can’t imagine that the Savior would have been mocked by strong drink, nor would he have been deceived. Jesus was a master of self-control. He even warned people of the problem that alcohol can pose to people, anciently.

I like this verse because I have seen it to be true in my life. Although I was raised Mormon, my dad is not LDS. He never has been. He drinks alcohol, and has for as long as I’ve known him. My (ex)-stepmom seems to have a real problem with drinking. For as long as I’ve known her, she gets pretty drunk most nights. I saw, first-hand, this verse come true – wine, strong drink, deceived her, mocked her, mocked all of us who came in contact with her. She wasn’t always raging, but she could. She had no semblance of self-control. It was embarrassing. I knew, as a teenager, that I never wanted to drink. I wasn’t tempted by curiosity. I was repulsed by alcohol – from the way it smelled to the way it would make my parents act.

“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” – Proverbs 23:30-35

This scripture block is pretty interesting to me.
“tarry long with wine” → woe, sorrow, contention, babbling, wounds without cause, red eyes

First of all, I have witnessed this. I’m sure most people have. And there are probably people who have experienced this. I think that this is what I mean when I say that I was never attracted to the idea of alcohol…I saw woe, sorrow, contention, babbling, wounds without cause, and red eyes. I saw my parents exhibit or do each of these things, and I never understood why they wouldn’t snap out of it. It was frustrating, and as I got older, I realized that they had no control. They had given up control to a little glass; a little liquid. It seemed absolutely crazy to me.

I don’t understand verse 31, but I think that it is because I don’t understand much about wine or alcohol.

I do see that verse 32 is figurative, and most likely true.

And I love verse 33 – beer goggles?!

Verse 34 – sounds like barfing to me.

And in verse 35 – the person seems to wish for a release from the stupor and sickness of drunkenness, yet says, “I will seek it yet again.” Interesting – especially considering we know the addictive nature of alcohol.

It is better to stay away from alcohol – from the beginning – and I think that is what the author means to teach us.

“For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” – Luke 1:15

This scripture refers to John the Baptist.

Strong drinks are not good for us. They have never been good for us. Even anciently, the prophets and those who were close to the Spirit knew this.

Avoiding alcohol isn’t modern counsel. Perhaps now we have stricter rules. I don’t know. We learn about strong drinks. I’m not sure if there are mild ones. But we know we need to stay away from alcohol.

I think about Christ’s time – how wine may have been acceptable, but not in excess. Who knows. I wasn’t there. But one thing I do know: God loves His children. He knows that we live in a world were we deal with many things with either little or no margin of error. We have cars, airplanes, firearms. Back in Christ’s time, a man got drunk, and maybe fell off of his donkey. Now, there is more at risk. We can have horrible accidents without being impaired. I think that is why our current dietary code is so strict.

What is also clear is: alcohol and other substances cloud our judgement. When this happens, we are no longer open to the guidance of the Spirit. It is best to avoid things that will destroy our ability to remain virtuous.

3 Comments

by chococatania on January 25, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Doctrine and Covenants, Insights, Word of Wisdom

Tagged alcohol, LDS, strong drink, word of wisdom

Posted by chococatania on January 25, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-word-of-wisdom-not-for-the-belly-dc-897/

FHE – Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples

Last night, I was in charge of Family Home Evening. I had to teach on the topic of: Sacred. I wasn’t sure what direction to take this.

I decided to do a quick search at lds.org, and I found a wonderful conference talk – Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson. This was perfect. I could teach about keeping our home sacred. We have needed that in our home, too. I’ve noticed that my older daughters are fighting more. I’m not sure if it is pre-teen (pre-hormones) or what, but it has been getting tedious. So, this was the perfect angle for the idea of “sacred.”

Opening Song:I love to See the Temple

Scripture/Thought: “There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of family will draw you to the temple.” – Gary E. Stevenson

Lesson Development:
To begin the lesson, I asked the question What does the word Sacred mean?
We received various answers. My favorite was when Sasquatch (our toddler) said, “Beautiful and cute.” She didn’t really know what sacred meant, but she heard her sisters answers which were – special, and holy.

Then, I asked, What are some examples of sacred things and places. The girls answered with several sacred things and places. After discussing them, we concentrated on the temple and the home.

I asked, How do we make sure that the temple stays sacred? – I based this concept on the following quote:

“In order to keep the temple and those who attend it sacred and worthy, the Lord has established standards through His servants, the prophets.” – Gary E. Stevenson

My children are young, and even I tend to get bored when people repeat too many quotes, so I didn’t say this quote, I just asked what we do to keep temples sacred.

We talked about Temple recommends, how temples are constructed, and how people can’t wear shoes inside the temple.

I then told them – just as the temple has standards to help keep it sacred, our home needs them, too. (Based on this concept:)

“We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a “house of the Lord.” – Gary E. Stevenson

So – to create the conversation of good standards for our home, we had an object lesson. I had, on the table, a mess of cards…
The girls didn’t know this, but underneath all of these cards was a picture of the temple.

These cards were all things that cause our home to be defiled – or not sacred. We each took turns taking a card off of the pile, and then deciding standards we should implement to help keep our homes sacred. On the other side of the card, we wrote our standards. There was also a picture/puzzle on the other side of the card.

This card is a puzzle piece. We also wrote standards for our home.

Slowly, as we went through the cards, we could see a two pictures being revealed – one under the pile of cards, and another picture on the backs of the cards…

Only One Card Left!

To make this object lesson, I used fifteen index cards. I drew a picture of our house on the blank side with a sharpie marker. On the lined side of the cards, I wrote the following problems/distractions:

Contention	Messy	Vulnerable
Offensive T.V. Shows or Internet sites	Confusing	Loud
Dangerous	Inappropriate Images	Whining
Too Busy to Spend Time Together	Unable to Study and Think	Lack of Prayer
Bad Music	Selfishness	Anger

The object lesson took a majority of the time for the lesson. We wrote down all of the standards we needed to keep our home sacred. Finally, we were able to uncover the temple, and build our home!

The girls were happy to have our home built!

After both the home was built and the temple was revealed, I made sure to emphasize the relationship between the two.

As I was teaching this lesson I learned that when we keep our homes sacred, our understanding of our temple covenants increase. If we don’t keep our homes sacred, then this treatment will affect how we treat our temple covenants. In other words, if we don’t keep our home sacred, by following the standards we made, then we take that piece away from our home, and it covers up the temple again. (I physically did this to teach the point). I then repeated this quote by Elder Stevenson, but added the word home after family.

“There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family [and home]; understanding the eternal nature of the family [and home] will draw you to the temple.” – Gary E. Stevenson

So…hopefully this inspires you. I don’t mean for it to overwhelm you. Even though it took me quite a bit to explain what happened, it was a really easy lesson to teach and prepare. All you need to do is:

Read the Conference talk
Find a picture of the temple
Create your cards

And you are all set.

We all loved this lesson. The kids loved participating. They made up the standards and rules for our family, and we were able to discuss the value of having a sacred home.

Somehow both Dad and Sasquatch looked like they were drunk...Super happy, I guess!

What did you do for Family Home Evening? Please share!

Check out another great FHE experience over at We Talk of Christ. (Jocelyn’s blog).

1 Comment

by chococatania on January 24, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Family Home Evening, Tips, Family, Lessons, Activities, FHE Chronicles 2012

Tagged Family Home Evening (FHE), Family, Temple, sacred, home

Posted by chococatania on January 24, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/fhe-sacred-homes-sacred-temples/

The Book of Mormon: Establishing the Truth of the Bible

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love learning about it. I love reading the Bible, and I love thinking about the doctrines taught by our Savior.

One thing about the Bible, it often leaves me fuzzy. Sometimes the doctrines that are mentioned seem elusive – difficult to understand.

I see why there are so many opinions on what the Bible teaches. It is no surprise to me that there are hundreds of religions that stem from a belief in the bible. We know that the bible went through many translations. Even the Lord knew that this would happen, and he explained to Nephi:

“And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.” – 1 Nephi 13:26

So, it begs the question, What is true? What is the gospel? Which doctrines are true and essential for our salvation? How do we make and keep covenants? Where is authority?

And here is where my love for the Book of Mormon steps in. The Book of Mormon helps to clear up the fuzziness.

“And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.” – 1 Nephi 13:40

The Book of Mormon does not compete with the Bible. Instead, it establishes the truth of the Bible. Isn’t that amazing! Because of the Book of Mormon, all scripture is relevant. Without the scripture, we are left, to stumble because we don’t have the whole picture. The Bible is missing pieces. How can we be whole, or perfect, if we don’t have all of the instructions?

The Lord knew this would be a problem:

“…after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.

For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.

And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation.” -1 Nephi 13:34-36

We have the Book of Mormon today. We have the Lord’s record. We have His gospel, his rock, and salvation. We don’t have to stumble on the fuzzy concepts taught in the Bible. Instead, the Book of Mormon enlightens our minds and brings even more beauty and clarity to the words of the Bible.

Plain and Precious Parts of the gospel
Thanks to the Book of Mormon, I have been able to better understand:

The Plan of Salvation (2 Nephi 2, Alma 42)
Mercy, works, and grace (2 Nephi 25:23)
The Doctrine of Christ – The Need for Baptism and Covenanting with the Lord. (2 Nephi 31)
The afterlife and resurrection. (Alma 40)
The real threat of the Devil. (2 Nephi 28)
Priesthood authority and ordination. (Moroni 3)

There are so many other doctrines that I keep thinking of – including prayer, how to baptize, government, service, and the connection of faith, hope, and charity.

Each of these principles and ordinances can be found in the Bible, but most of them are relatively enigmatic. The Book of Mormon uses plain and simple terms to help us understand true gospel concepts. And, as we learn these things, the Bible becomes more beautiful, informative, and helpful to our lives.

I’m grateful that the Lord has blessed us with a way to access His love and mysteries. We can come to know Him and his true teachings as we study the Book of Mormon and Bible together. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know that it is the word of God. I know that it will help us to understand His mysteries. As we seek His word – in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, He will enlighten our minds. He bless us with power and vision. We will be happier people. We will understand our Heavenly Father and Savior more and live lives worthy of the best blessings that He wants to give us. When we read the Book of Mormon, we open ourselves to divine tutelage. The Lord will correct us and direct us in a kind way. Our understanding of the Bible increases, and we can develop a true friendship with our Savior.

***
Do you have a difficult time understanding the concepts and principles of the Bible? Which ones seem fuzzy to you? Do you think that you are open to having greater understanding of the truthfulness of the Bible by accepting the help that comes from the Lord through the Book of Mormon? If so, comment here and we can have a discussion.

Or you can also find the Book of Mormon online – with many handy study tools. You can also get a free copy of the Book of Mormon.

Finally, check out some other great blog posts on the Book of Mormon at Jocelyn’s Book of Mormon Blog Hop

6 Comments

by chococatania on January 22, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in 1 Nephi, Book of Mormon, Book of Mormon Forum, Insights, Testimonies

Tagged Bible, Book of Mormon, book of Mormon forum, Plain and Precious, Truth

Posted by chococatania on January 22, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/the-book-of-mormon-establishing-the-truth-of-the-bible/

Cultivating Humility

I read a really good blog post at Scriptorium Blogorium today that got me thinking – about humility. In the post, Michaela asks if our humility involves:

Subjecting myself?

Submitting myself?

Crying mightily to God all the day long?

Repenting?

I thought that instead of writing a long comment, I’d answer her questions here, on my blog.

Subjecting Myself
I feel like I can best subject myself to the Lord through consistent scripture study, church and temple attendance, and through experiencing nature. I love the idea of subjecting myself to the word of the Lord as a way to keep us humble.

I’m not a very humble person. I tend to get caught up in myself – and proud. When I read the scriptures daily, I’m reminded of my own nothingness and my dependence on the Savior. I have noticed that the more I study my scriptures, the more familiar I get with the scriptures. As I get more familiar with the scriptures, I find that the Lord is gently correcting me more often. Scripture study used to be about learning what was happening. I would read the scriptures, and learn. I would feel excited as I understood concepts and started making meaning of the symbols and metaphors of the scriptures.

Now, I feel relatively comfortable with what I read in the scriptures. I love reading them. I have found that more often than not, the Lord is using His word to remind me of my nothingness, and His mercy, and my need for Him. I find that I’m being corrected, gently, and in a way I understand. Even though I have a hard time being humble, I know that the Lord helps me to be better at this through studying His word.

Church helps us to be taught His word, which also helps to keep us humble.

Temple attendance is especially helpful in keeping our lives in perspective – which encourages humility. When we go to the temple, we subject ourselves to the Lord in such a pure way.

And finally, I think that we can subject ourselves to the Lord in nature and through coming in contact with His creations. I’m not sure that there is anything more humbling than looking at the night sky in the desert. In one glimpse, you can see the stars – the expanse. The desert sky is so big. When we look at it, we feel so little.

Subjecting ourselves to the Lord – through scripture study, church and temple attendance, and experiencing nature -helps to cultivate our humility.

Submitting Myself
Submitting ourselves to the will of the Lord builds upon subjecting ourselves to the Lord. We can subject ourselves to the Lord without ever submitting to His will. Submission is taking action on the humility that we may feel and learn as we subject ourselves to the Lord. Submission is an admission of our nothingness and our need for the Lord.

To fully submit to the Lord, we need to accept His will. Even if we don’t understand he reason why he is having us do or endure something, we trust in His perspective, power, and love, and we submit ourselves to Him.

Mormon gives a great example of submission:

“And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.” – Words of Mormon 1:7

It is difficult to submit – as often we are required to submit to things that are hard. It is also difficult because we do have our own perspective on life. We want to make decisions based on what we see and know. Submitting to the Lord means that we will be making decisions and accepting things that are unknown to us. Yet this exercise is crucial in cultivating humility. It takes humility to accept our own weakness and to, in turn, draw strength from the Lord.

Crying mightily to God all the day long
Prayer is an act of devoted humility. The act, in and of itself, is humble. We kneel and pray to the Lord. In the Bible Dictionary, we learn:

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.” – Prayer, Bible Dictionary

If we are crying mightily – with full purpose of heart, then we are remembering our dependence on God. When we pray, we both subject and submit ourselves to the Lord.

When we humbly pray, we receive the blessings of humility:

“…for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” – Ether 12:27

When we humble ourselves, we qualify ourselves for the grace of God.

Repentance
I feel like repentance is a natural outcome of subjection, submission, and prayer. When we are doing these three things, we begin to become humble. We recognize the gulf that stands between us and our Father, and then look for the mercy of God – through Christ’s atonement. We understand our need for it. And, we learn that in order to receive the mercy of God, then we must repent.

Repentance also increases our humility. I have experienced this. When I have truly repented, I’ve been forgiven, and blessed. While being tested and tried can be humbling (it really is), I find that being forgiven is even more humbling. When I have been forgiven, I have felt so overcome by the Love of the Lord, I wanted to shout or sing. I don’t even know – I was left confused -not in a bad confused way, but in a flabbergasted, “wow, I can’t believe that I have a God who loves me this much way.” I understood that I didn’t deserve to be forgiven, but I have been because God loves me. It is an amazingly great feeling.

I feel like this hymn adequately expresses what I want to say:

“I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!” – I Stand All Amazed

So…head over to Scriptorium Blogorium and read about how Limhi’s people humbled themselves. How do you work to stay humble and receptive to the Spirit of the Lord?

Looking Up

I like running.

Well, I used to love it. I loved the way it made me feel. I liked the idea of it – simple, difficult, and disciplinary. I liked the way it would make me sweat – even on a cold day. And I loved how my legs felt after a difficult run. I loved running up hills, even if they were steep, and then enjoying the view. I loved sprinting along flat stretches. Every time I went out for a run, I came home happy and refreshed. I told everyone, “there’s no such thing as a bad run.”

But, time passed. And I had a kid. I had another kid. Both of those pregnancies were hard on me. I had problems with my pubic symphysis. I can’t describe the pain I experienced when I took a single step (well, when I was pregnant, my steps were more of a shuffle). Because of the pain and instability in my pelvis, I couldn’t put on a pair of pants (long before the belly got in the way). Running? Ha! A single mile would leave me in a buzzing pain for two days. So I stopped.

I had my baby a year ago (tomorrow), and I started running again last summer. I’ve been running pain-free since then, but with a ten year old, nine year old, two-year-old, and a nursing child (well, he’s not nursing anymore, but in the summer he was), I didn’t find much time to run. I have exercised here and there, am still eating like a pregnant woman, so I still haven’t lost the weight (it was my fourth! I’m older now! It’s harder…excuses, excuses).

Which brings me to running: I can’t run as fast or as far. Running with extra weight hurts my feet more. I feel my belly jiggle. I feel my butt and thighs with each pounding step. I think about what I’m eating, how I’ve gotten to this point, and I remember how I used to be, and it gets me a little depressed.

So…while I’m on the run, I get these negative thoughts, and find that’s what I spend my time focusing on. I focus on the ground. I focus on the pavement. I feel each movement, and watch the white line…

I notice only the road and my difficulties – even when I’m in the middle of doing something good – and end up spending all of my time looking down.

I was running a few weeks ago, coming down a hill…focusing on the white line. When I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, my scenery.

As I did so, the thought came to my head, “It is better too look up“. When I chose to look up, finally, I started to forget about how tight my pants were. I forgot that I’ve got an “extra chin” for now. I forgot that I used to do this run without talking walk-ing breaks. Instead, I remembered the love that Heavenly Father has for me, and how He values me – especially the physical sacrifice I’ve made for my children. I realized that, while it is okay to want to progress, I can also be happy along the way. Each run, each act of discipline, doesn’t need to be done in heaviness of heart. Instead, I can look up to the Lord and feel revitalized and inspired by His Love.

Elder Cook teaches,

“Experience has taught me that if we, like President Monson, exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. We will not feel incapable of doing what we are called to do or need to do. We will be strengthened, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy. We will come to realize that most of what we worry about is not of eternal significance—and if it is, the Lord will help us. But we must have the faith to look up and the courage to follow His direction.” – Carl B. Cook

I know that what Elder Cook is teaching is true. I have also experienced it. As I look to the Lord, I will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. I don’t know how Heavenly Father does it, but I know that He strengthens us. I know that He loves us. I know that He has blessed us with our personalities, talents, and even desires. I know that He wants us to pursue those. Yet, along the path, we have duties, weaknesses, and other things that get in the way of what we think will make us happy. I know that if we keep looking up, to the Lord, then He will consecrate our afflictions for our gain, and, even if our burdens aren’t lifted, we will be strengthened.

I feel like looking up is the key to enjoying the process. It is the key to enjoying every single run. Instead of thinking of the end, or thinking of the past, we need to look up right now. We need to be grateful right now. We need to be happy right now. I love it: look up!

***

What do you do to remember to “look up?”

6 Comments

by chococatania on January 19, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Discipline and The Process 2012, General Conference, Insights, Motherhood

Tagged General Conference, happiness, It is better to Look Up, Look Up, Optimism

Posted by chococatania on January 19, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/looking-up/

FHE – Righteousness and Kindness

Tonight, Panda was in charge of Family Home Evening.

A quick note: I really believe that a lot of the magic in Family Home Evening happens when the children get to plan the lesson and activity. When the kids were younger, I took an active role in guiding them in preparing the lesson. But they were still in charge. Panda is now nine, so she plans almost the entire lesson. I may give her a few ideas and hints on how to present the lesson if she is having a hard time with it, but it is up to her to think of content, questions, and an activity.

I feel like this is what makes FHE successful in our home. Each child has a stake in it – especially when they are teaching. They aren’t always getting lectured by my husband or me. Instead, they are also lecturing us!

I also try to let them have control of most of the lesson – figuring that as they teach, they are probably learning more than anyone else. I want them to learn the lesson that they need at that time, so I try not to butt in.

This being said, Panda was in charge of teaching a lesson on righteousness.

She is also working on her Faith in God. One of the activities suggests:

“Write a poem, story, or short play that teaches a principle of the gospel or is about Heavenly Father’s creations.”

I suggested to her that she write a play about righteousness, then we could make it into a movie for FHE. She was very excited about the idea.

She spent most of Saturday and Monday (we had the day off for MLK day) coming up with an idea and preparing a script. We called a few friends over, and they helped to make the movie. Then, Panda and I made a few edits to the movie, and it was ready for FHE.

Here’s how our actual Family Home Evening went:
Scripture Thought: Good books are as friends, willing to give to us if we are willing to make a little effort. – Gordon B. Hinckley (I’m not sure what this had to do with righteousness, but it is what Panda picked out for the thought…so we went with it.

Lesson Development:
Panda started the lesson by asking What is Righteousness?
What do you do to be righteous?

I always encourage my kids to ask a lot of questions in their lessons. This is handy because we parents can answer. Even when I’m not in charge of the lesson, I have many teaching opportunities during FHE – in answering the questions.

Since Panda asked these two questions, Homey and I made sure to emphasize that we are each born with the light of Christ -and that it helps us to judge what is right and wrong. When we are baptized and confirmed, we also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost who can also prompt us to be righteous.

We also pointed out that we learn to be righteous from the Savior.

And it isn’t enough to know what is righteous…we must actually have the courage to do it.

After the questions, we were pleased to watch Panda’s creation…

Afterward, she asked a few questions reinforcing the video -
What did Jessi do to be righteous?
What were Jessi and Emma after Jessi gave her cupcake to Emma?

Panda closed with her testimony

I know that it is always best to be righteous. Sometimes it is hard to give something up that we really want, but it is better to share. If we do righteous things, then we’ll be happy.

The interesting thing about this FHE is the direction it took – into kindness. If I had planned this lesson, it would have gone a different way. Maybe that wouldn’t have been bad, but I’m glad that Panda made this lesson. I feel like she probably learned something that she needed. She is a nine year old, and learning to navigate the world of friends, sharing, and sacrifice. It is good for her to relate being righteous to positive consequences such as warm feelings and friendships.

Overall, I have to say, I feel like our FHE went great. It was fun to watch the video that she made, and I could tell she was really proud about her efforts.

***
Check out what others were doing for FHE. And what did you do? Share with us. Leave a comment or join in the FHE fun and email me at chococatania [at] gmail [dot] com, and I’ll link to you next Tuesday.

2 Comments

by chococatania on January 17, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Family, Family Home Evening, FHE Chronicles 2012, Lessons, Tips

Tagged family home evening, kindness, righteousness, sharing

Posted by chococatania on January 17, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/fhe-righteousness-and-kindness/

YW Activity Idea – Johnny Lingo and Self Worth

We have actually had a rather mild winter, so I can’t complain, but back when we were planning this activity, we thought it would be fun to do a “tropical” activity in winter to help us beat the blues…

This activity was a combined Young Women’s activity (Laurels, Mia Maids, and Beehives – not combined with the Young Men) which was especially nice because then we had plenty of people to make skits and have fun.

The Activity
We started the activity by watching Johnny Lingo. – That’s right, the old classic. If you haven’t seen it before – be warned…it is super cheesy. And if you have seen it before, but it’s been a while, warning: it is cheesier than you remember. In fact, it can be a little petty, but have fun with it – don’t take the movie too seriously.

We also had “Hawaiian Haystacks” to eat during the movie. If I had planned this better, I would have just made some kind of Piña Colada (virgin, of course). But for some reason, I just said we’d eat Hawaiian Haystacks. If you’re not familiar with them, then you can find a recipe here. They aren’t anything special, but they go with the theme of the activity. We put stuck little umbrellas on top, and the girls liked that.

The really great thing about having the young women eat while watching the movie is that everyone was soooo quiet! – So definitely serve something.

The movie only lasts 25 minutes, so you have to do something else. When I introduced the movie, I mentioned that the girls should watch to see what the “message” of the movie was.

After the movie, the young women broke out into groups of about six, and they had to come up with a short skit (“commercial”) that would help to promote the real idea of a woman’s self worth.

They had about twenty minutes to make their skits. After they were done planning, we made videos. Here is one that we made:

They had a lot of fun with the activity. It beat away the winter blues, we laughed at cheesy Johnny Lingo and Mahana, and we had fun creating our own little advertisements for self-worth.

Hopefully this helps to give you some good ideas for your own activity. This could also be a fun FHE. If you do (or have done) something like this, please share!

The Light which Shineth in Darkness (D&C 6:21 and more)

I have been studying the Doctrine and Covenants lately, and there is something that has been sticking out to me. It starts here…

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” – Doctrine and Covenants 6:21

Jesus Christ often testifies of himself in the Doctrine and Covenants. He reminds us that He is the Son of God. In this verse, he testifies of His mortal ministry on the earth – among the Jews. He then tells: “I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.”

I have always liked that. And we hear it often – Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the world. However, I’ve noticed how often this phrase – that Jesus is the light which shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not – is repeated in the Doctrine and Covenants. Here are a few examples:

“I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” – Doctrine and Covenants 10:58

“My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer;

The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;” – Doctrine and Covenants 34:1-2

“Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ—

The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;” – Doctrine and Covenants 39:1-2

“For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” – Doctrine and Covenants 45:7

“The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.” – Doctrine and Covenants 88:49

You get the idea.

For some reason Christ wanted to emphasize that He was the light of the world – that it would shine in the darkness, and the darkness would not comprehend it.

And, as I read, I realized that this image is so powerful because at that time, when Joseph Smith was receiving these revelations, the world was covered in darkness – spiritual darkness known as the Great Apostasy.

It had been prophesied by Isaiah (see Isaiah 60:2) and confirmed by the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants:

” 23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.” – Doctrine and Covenants 112:23

So much of what the Lord was revealing had been lost for centuries, and his truth, his light could not be comprehended by darkness. Yet His light penetrated the darkness and found it’s way into the hearts of the early saints.

I love this concept, and I love knowing that the Lord teaches us in ways that we can understand. He reminded Joseph Smith that He is the light. Joseph Smith didn’t need to remain in darkness, and neither did any of God’s children.

We can apply this to ourselves, too. Christ is the light – of our lives. We don’t have to struggle in confusion or sin. We can seek Him: His light. His light cannot be replicated by any other source. It will give us life and understanding. Truly, Christ is the Light that Shines in darkness.

1 Comment

by chococatania on January 12, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Doctrine and Covenants, Insights

Tagged Darkness, Doctrine and Covenants, I am the Light, Jesus Christ, light

Posted by chococatania on January 12, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/the-light-which-shineth-in-darkness-dc-621-and-more/

FHE – Christ: Judge

I have decided to include – each week – our own FHE’s here on my blog. (Inspired by Jocelyn at her blog).

I am pretty blessed…my kids love Family Home Evening. We don’t have the bickering or fights. We don’t have kids zoning out or rebelling. They are always excited about it. Please don’t hate me. It has nothing to do with me, I know…it is because they are awesome.

I figure that I could share some of what we do to help inspire you. Just so you know, our FHE is always super duper simple (this may be what helps them love it so much). We are pretty flexible in some ways (like – sometimes FHE is held during dinner). In other ways, we try to be formal (we always follow a set agenda)

So… here's what we did last night…

*Topic: Christ: Judge

Scripture : “Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.” – Alma 11:44

Today, Sasquatch was assigned to give the scripture. She is going to be three in March. Obviously, Homey helped her to read it. She loves helping out. I figure that the more involvement and participation, the better!

Lesson Idea / Development
Our oldest daughter “Tiger” was in charge of the lesson this week. She found the topic of “Christ: Judge” a little challenging – I can understand why. So we discussed ways that she could present the lesson.

She finally decided on starting with an object lesson: She first presented Sasquatch with a dustpan and a Nintendo DS, and asked which one would be more fun to play? Sasquatch looked both over and then decided the DS. Then, Tiger asked Homey if he would rather play with a ball or hammer. He chose the basketball. Tiger asked Panda which was sweeter: plain greek yogurt or Nutella. Panda had no problem with this: Nutella! Finally, Tiger asked me which was sweeter: Plain Fiber One Cereal, or homemade granola (this stuff is the best!). I went with the granola.

Tiger leads the discussion.

Tiger taught us that we each had just done something…We guessed: made choices? Made decisions? But it was more than that. We had to make a choice based on criteria. We had to judge.

She then prompted us to list various times we judge or other judges that we have in our lives. Answers included we judge whether or not we like movies or food. We also have judges in courts and judges who decide the winner to a contest. (Panda excitedly exclaimed, There were judges who said that Mom had good chili at the Halloween party last year!).

Tiger then segued the discussion from examples of judges to the Savior, who would be our ultimate judge.

She then had us read the following

“And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.” – Mosiah 3:10

We learned that the Savior would judge the entire world – including us. This is a part of God’s plan.

Panda Reads

After determining who Christ would judge, we learned what and how he would judge.

“And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.

And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—” – Alma 41:3-4

Christ judges us based on our works. If our works and the desires of our hearts are good, then we will receive a good reward. If our works and desires are evil, then we will receive a punishment. Christ would the one to determine if what we did was good or evil. We can find his standard for “good and evil” in the scriptures.

Finally, Tiger asked us what we could do to receive a righteous judgment. We spoke about doing good things, saying prayers, listening to our parents, going to church and serving.

I think that we really need to bring forth good fruit. If we bring forth bad fruit, then we are cut off and purged in the fire. If we bring forth no fruit, then we are cut off and put in the fire. But if we bring forth good fruit, then we are saved by the Lord. Bringing good fruit will bring us joy and we will receive a righteous judgment from Christ.

We also made sure to bring up that we cannot be perfect. Sometimes, we find a “bad fruit.” But, the Savior has provided a way for us to get rid of it – we can repent. This relates to judgment in that sometimes we do things that are worthy of a negative consequence, but the Lord has prepared a way for us to escape the eternal consequence of sin: Repent and be Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ!

Finally, Tiger bore her testimony:

“I bury my testimony that we will be judged on how good and bad we are. I know that my family loves me. I know that we can all try to be righteous and get a good judgement.”

What did you do for Family Home Evening???

***
(* Each week we choose a topic for FHE. I have found this to be great for saving time while still having a meaningful lesson. You can click here for a list of FHE ideas. Print these out, cut them, and then put into a jar. Have the person assigned to the lesson pick out a topic. We usually have the person who is to give the lesson pick out their topic a week in advance, so they have plenty of time to plan.)

2 Comments

by chococatania on January 10, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Family, Family Home Evening, FHE Chronicles 2012, Lessons, Tips

Tagged family home evening, fhe, lesson idea

Posted by chococatania on January 10, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/fhe-christ-judge/