The road ahead... Unknown. My steps are slow... Uncertain. What lies ahead... The future. Running down the road takes faith. Fear not. Embrace the vistas along the way. Don't rest too long in one spot.
The Road
Category: Faith
That which fosters confidence in God’s will for us, love for us, and plans for us. Those things that inspire a trust that God really does know best, and will be an active part in helping us to achieve the best if we will allow Him into our lives.
For His Grace is an Enabling Power
In our church Sunday school class we recently studied and read many chapters out of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament. I’ve come to like Psalms because it is full of poetic, comforting phrases, like: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” , “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” ,or “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”…and the list could go on and on.
I have a friend at the gym who teaches in Sunday School. She told me that she challenged the class to write their own psalm, and I thought that would be a good thing to do for this blog, especially after I read Psalms 136. You should read that first, then perhaps mine will not appear too unusual, or repetative.
Praise the Lord, He is my helper For His Grace is an enabling power. When my strength entirely fails me, His Grace is an enabling power. When my heart is weighed with troubles, His Grace is an enabling power, And I pray for comfort in my worry, His Grace is an enabling power. I will choose him as my counselor, For His Grace is an enabling power, Trust in His unfailing hands of mercy, For His Grace is an enabling power.
Recently I have been focusing on God’s enabling power, and have come to the conclusion that it’s application is beyond valuable, and have realized that is the definition of Grace. I always thought of Grace is being God’s unconditional love for us. I suppose that is still correct, but it lacks specific meaning, until it is defined as His enabling power.
Another View
No poem today. Just a few thoughts about terrible things that happen. The kind of things that cause us fear and worry and hopelessness. Ukraine and the Russian invasion. We read about things everyday: storms, earthquakes, shootings, Covid. If you wanted to get a super-dose, read Matthew chapter 25. It contains the prophecies of Jesus concerning our time just before the second coming. Taken seriously, it’s pretty scary stuff, right? And yet, Jesus referred to the day of his coming and GREAT and dreadful.
So, I’m thinking about the GREAT part of it. I was reading in the Book of Mormon recently where the account is written of a prophet, Samuel, who prophecied to the people in ancient America about 5 BC and how they would know when Christ would be born in Bethlehem. He spoke of astrological signs and about a day when it would remain light as mid-day when the sun went down, and when the sun came up again, that would be the day of his birth. So, 3 days of light. 5 years later that did happen.
in 3 Nephi chapter 5, verse 2 it reads, “And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.”
So, this is how modern day disasters, etc. can build our faith. We have seen ample prophecies fulfilled, and that, in and of itself, can be evidence that God is a man of his word, and we can rely (or have faith) in the promises (and blessings) yet to come.
What do you think? Does this offer you any solace or hope? How do you deal with fearful events? Please state your views in a comment.
The Crucible
It’s been a traumatic 3 months, starting with my son last November, who developed a painful jaw infection accompanied by careless medical care, resulting in emergency room visits and hospitalizations for infection, onset of diabetes from pancreatitis and pending kidney failure. Over-use of steroids complicated his recovery and ability to fight the infection. those were some very tense and worrysome days, lasting into the new year. It required a kind of patience I didn’t know existed. But, we drew together as a family and prayers became a source of strength and healing.
I thought the new year was a harbinger of health, but then my 16 year old grand daughter presented with painful hands that quickly lost their use. Swelling started and medical tests showed nothing.
Then, last Monday, our 18 year old grandson (all of these are in the same family) was rushed to the emergency room with gut pain and jaundice. For the next week he underwent diagnostic ultrasound and endoscopy with gall bladder removal on Wednesday, followed by another procedure to remove more gall stones in the ducts, and finally being released from the hospital on Friday.
We all breathed a sigh of relief, only to be awakened late Friday night with news that paramedics were called in response to my grand daughter’s inability to breathe…very scary…thought to be a panic attack.
So much for the harbinger of health. More like a trip to troubles!
If I were gold would I think a crucible to be mean? A dark tomb with painful heat that reaches to the soul, and burns. Those hours I would never choose. No. Look at me-- all cluttered. I've gathered much along the way. I carry to much baggage. I want to let it go. I pray with fervor to find a way. The crucible! How ironic. The very thing that I abhor Is now my darkened prison. The unwanted firey trial Seems longer than it is. Daylight finally shoots it's glorious beam Upon my soul. My soul--it's free. The baggage gone Consumed within the fire. In weightless glory I rise And leave this crucible behind For now. Purified, changed, whole, free. I'm finally Me.
The Enemy Within
A few weeks ago, the snow came unexpectedly deep. Tree limbs all around the community crashed onto whatever was below them. We were no exception. A large limb fell onto our garden/picnic area, but the one of most concern was a neighbor’s huge branch that toppled onto our fence and down into our back yard, blocking the way to the garage.
Last October in the general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Nelson commented on the progress of the remodeling of the Salt Lake Temple, and said, “As I have watched workers dig out old tree roots, plumbing, wiring, and a leaky fountain, I have thought about the need for each of us to remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives.”
I can relate to that with the recent branches that fell. They are not easy to remove. It has to be done one piece at a time moving from what you can reach, eventually getting to all of it. It is possible. I hope all the clutter and un-organization and debris in my office can likewise be removed and/or organized. But I wonder about myself. Is there debris inside me that clutters my way to doing things better? Bob wrote a poem about that:
As we search and meditate upon our inner self, We strive to understand ourselves, and where to find true wealth. What kind of thoughts have taken seed within our mind and heart? Do our souls, like any garden, need us to do our part? Each thought is like a seed. We can plant or throw away. Good and bad seeds grow more strong through every passing day. Lord, may we grow in strength to learn and choose what's right. Through more faith and obedience, we can walk within God's light.
The following is a link to the 4.5 minute message of President Nelson:
Man’s Search for Happiness
Back in 1963, when I was 16, my Grandmother died. This was the first time I experienced death of someone close to me, and it left a hole in my heart, and was the cause of deep reflections for me, and sadness. I had been taught in Sunday School and in Primary….taught about being a child of God, and about returning to him when we die. I believed that. I had no reason to doubt, especially when my Dad also told me that.
But, believing is only a beginning. I needed to take that belief in my head, and move it into my heart. It was in 1964 that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints produced a 13 minute movie (I believe it was for the World’s Fair) entitled: Man’s Search for Happiness. Because my heart had already been prepared, when I saw that movie, I was very impressed, touched, and, for the first time, felt truth in my heart, not just my head.
For years I have searched for that little video, unsuccessfully. There is a new version produced in about 1989, and that was the one that always came up in my search. It’s nice, but it wasn’t the one that had such deep meaning for me back in 1964.
Well, you can now view it on Youtube! Log in to Youtube and in the search, type in Man’s Search for Happiness 1964, and, POOF!, there it is. To me it was a seed of belief planted in my heart that has grown through the years and brought me unspeakable joy, peace and comfort. Watch it and tell me what you think. Maybe you will like the 1989 version better.
I hope that you know that God loves you because you are his child, and He has a plan for your joy and happiness.
Please comment and share you feelings.
Spiritual Treasures
Spiritual treasures are all around us if we have eyes to see. The dawn's first light is filled with Grace as light touches each tree. On through each day, as trials come, prayer guides us who listen clear, Until Eve's colors kiss the clouds, as we feel God's love grow near.
I can testify that spiritual peace can come all the time; both in good and happy times, but also in times of stress and confusion, sadness and pain. It’s such a simple thing to reach out through prayer, but there is no better way. Believe that God loves you and is aware of you. He knows all that you face and is ready to listen and help you. Give it a try…you won’t be sorry.
Other’s Needs
A couple of months ago, life became ‘out of focus’ for me. I thought I was having a reaction to medications: trouble sleeping, being anxious about everything, not able to think clearly, feelings of doom, nausea, forgetfulness….My MD had me fill out those screening papers for depression. You know the ones.. They ask you to rate how often you feel hopeless and if you find pleasure in daily activites, etc. etc. I scored horribly and she prescribed an anti-depressant, which I decided not to take unless I could not pull myself out.
I tried really hard to focus on the good things going on around me, which, frankly, was quite challenging to do. I tried to think of other people and what they needed and how I could help. I think the most helpful thing was to read scriptures. They give me an eternal perspective, and a virtual slap of reality that we all have troubles, but, we all can turn to Jesus Christ in prayer and thought and receive an unexplainable rest and peace. I tried every day to focus, not just on Christ, but on others around me. Helping others made me feel worthwhile. Little by little, my mood began to change. I began to feel energized and excited about things that I can do.
Serving with heart & mind, body & soul, we help other's needs. As we serve, others gain more light, as Christ guides our deeds. We find our hearts grow lighter, leaving worries & cares behind. Our cares loose their power to overwhelm heart & mind. When we sit & think about our trials & troubled woes, Worries grow & magnify & fester our mind, heart & soul. Mole hills become mountains & they appear impassable. Let's give time for others needs & our faith will start to grow. We start to understand the Lord's wisdom when He did say: "Loose yourself in service unto others," & we will find God's true way. As we serve other's needs, we become more humble & more meek. To a bright new way to truly live, as we more humbly seek.
I know the devastation of Covid, including the disease itself, plus the loss of sociality, and the discord and unrest it has brought about have contributed immensely to widespread depression. Let’s add politics, natural disasters, floods, drought and fires. My hat off to anyone who has not suffered some level of depression. Being that ‘out of focus’ is something that needs attention. Let’s watch out for anyone around us (family, neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc.) There are many options for treating depression. Perhaps we can all just begin by talking; having conversations with those close to us. I am grateful for my family who listen to me, and for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for all the reminders that God loves me and is always there to help. Check out churchofjesuschrist.org
Gratitude
This is the last and 5th psalm of Thanksgiving:
Gratitude is the gateway to Christ's pure charity. Let's strive to be grateful for all we know, taste, touch and see, Like rainbows & different flowers, insects, mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, lands and sky, Let our hearts by filled with gratitude, and let us share it by and by.
#givethanks
Be Grateful
Psalm #4
Be grateful for each pain we have that gives us greater light. Heartaches from our dear ones can help us gain insight. Let us be more grateful, for everything we learn and see. Remember, just past death's door, we join in God's eternity.
