Thursday, July 31, 2014

He alone touches our tortured souls

 
“Your secret yearnings and tearful pleadings will touch the heart of both the Father and the Son.”
Boyd K. Packer
 
Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.
 
When you find peace within yourself. You become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
 
Prayer is a passport to Peace.
 
“God is not the author of confusion but is the author of peace.”
 
"The one who had the power to calm the elements of earth has power to calm our souls"
Robert D Hales
 
"Only the Master knows the depths of our trials. He alone offers us eternal peace in that time of adversity.
He alone touches our tortured souls." "I Will Not Fail Thee, Nor Forsake Thee"
 
The Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning.
He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis.
 
“The peace of Christ does not come by seeking the superficial things of life, neither does it come except as it springs from the individual’s heart. Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.’  Thus the Son of Man as the executor of his own will and testament gave to his disciples and to mankind the ‘first of all human blessings.’ It was a bequest conditioned upon obedience to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is thus bequeathed to each individual.”
David O. McKay

 


S'mores Cupcakes

 
 
 
S'mores Cupcakes
Chocolate Cake: 
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup melted butter, cooled
½ cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips
Graham Cracker Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1–3 tablespoons milk, as needed
½ cup graham crackers, finely crushed
3–5 cups powdered sugar
Decoration
Large marshmallows for decoration
Melted chocolate for decoration
1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2.   Sift cake mix into a small bowl; set aside.
3.   In a large bowl, combine eggs, melted butter, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4.   Stir in cake mix and chocolate chips.
5.   Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 17–22 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6.   Graham Cracker Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, 1 T. milk, and graham cracker crumbs (Note: I crush and then put my graham cracker crumbs through a strainer to make sure they are crushed enough and none is too large. It helps to give the frosting a smooth texture.) Add powdered sugar until the frosting reaches the desired consistency; add more milk if needed.
7.   Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place large marshmallows on the foil. Broil in the oven but watch them carefully! They should be slightly brown, which takes only 2–3 minutes; watch them like a hawk or they will burn. Let cool before using.
8.   Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Top with melted chocolate and toasted marshmallows.
 


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

You are loved beyond measure

You are loved beyond measure, though we are incomplete, God loves us completely, though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly, though we may feel lost we are without compass, God's love encompasses us completely, He loves everyone of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, broken...
 
He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our Father’s full giving is only begun. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, Our God ever yearns His resources to share; Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; The Father both thee and thy load will upbear. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
 
"So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God.
I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
 
 
 

Greek Salad

Greek Salad

• 2 large English cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 8 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
• 6 ounces hard crumbled Feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dry basil
• Optional: peppers, scallions, or red onion
Makes about 24 half-cup servings.
 


Promise of a new dawn

 

“Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.”
Boyd K. Packer


His work. I have been thinking about it all week now. The hastening. His timing. There is an energy that surges through my soul in the moments that I focus on it. He knows exactly what He is doing.  But do I?
There is work to be done.  The work that requires labor, burning the candle on both ends, giving up all. Sanctifying, and purifying, and cleansing. Prayer and fasting. The actions that lead to moments of true learning through His Spirit. Why? So that we will be prepared. Because He will call us.  He will send us.  There is a mission He has in store for each one of us. His hastening. His timing. His call. His mission.
Have you discovered what He has in mind for you?  The mission that you have been prepared for? Have you heard the call? We must remember that sometimes calls don’t come by telephone.  And most missions don’t come in a white envelope on a Wednesday in the mail. They come from the Lord. Through invitation. Through the Spirit.Has anyone ever told you that you are extraordinary? That you are destined for remarkable things? That there is a spark of greatness in you? They should have.
Emily Freeman
Difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little “extra”
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.
C. S. Lewis
 
When you are going through difficulty and wonder where God
is remember the teacher is always quiet during
 
THE TEST
 
 
When things are difficult... don't mistake this for God not being with you during the trial. He's there. Always.
 
“To those who feel darkness encroaching upon them, who may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt... I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. … It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.”
 
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
 


Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The long road has a purpose

 
bloom where you are planted
 
 
Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.
 
No matter what happens, no matter how far you seem to be away from where you want to be, never stop believing that you will somehow make it. Have an unrelenting belief that things will work out, that the long road has a purpose, that the things that you desire may not happen today, but they will happen….
 
Good things come to those who Believe, Better things come to those who are Patient
and the Best things come to those who don’t give up.
 
There is a positive side to everything, it just takes a positive mind to see it.
 
May you see sunshine where others see shadows and opportunities where others see obstacles.
 
 
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
 
What you can become depends upon what you can overcome.
 
When the Son arose, He brought an everlasting light. Let it dawn on you.
 
"Our journey on the path is personal and well lit with the Saviors love."
 
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring His Light.
 
 
 
 

Want to trade...

 


 

Monday, July 28, 2014

He never withholds His concern

God is enough.
 
God intends to give us what we need...not what we now think we want....C S Lewis
 
God has no distracting hobbies off somewhere in the universe.
We are at the very center of His concerns and purposes.
 
Neal A. Maxwell
 
"Christ knows better than all others that the trials of life can be very deep,
and we are not shallow people if we struggle with them."
 
Jeffrey R. Holland
 
Though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstances, God promises the hope of His light.
 
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
 
 
Anger does not solve anything, it builds nothing. To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible.
 
Thomas S. Monson
 
Forgiveness comes because of the Redeemer
 
Richard G. Scott
 

by David Butler
As I type this I can hear the boys jumping from bed to bed upstairs.
Why do they think they are being sneaky?
It sounds like an elephant.
And my little Elle is refusing to sleep.
She is sitting right next to me.
And the only reason the baby isn’t up is because he is in his cage.
He might be the worst of all.
I took a picture one day of what my church meetings with him usually look like.

I attend three hours of chase.
I started thinking about the funny threats I usually succumb to with these little people.
I tell Elle that if she stays up all night and gets sick because of it I won’t care. And when the boys jump on the bed I say, “If you smack your head and cut it open I won’t even be sad.” And Jones–my little wanderer–even though he can’t understand me I tell him if he runs into the road and gets smashed it will be his own fault.
But it’s not true.
I would be sad if Elle were sick.
And I would be sad if the boys got hurt.
And I was one foot behind Jones the whole time he wandered–watching, protecting.
That’s what dads do.
Especially our Father.
He is happy when we are happy, and He weeps when we weep.
Even if it is our own fault.
Even if we were rebellious.
He continually warns of consequences, and he never withholds His concern.
Even to those who are prone to wander.
As we go about our daily lives, we discover countless opportunities to follow the example of the Savior. When our hearts are in tune with His teachings, we discover the unmistakable nearness of His divine help. It is almost as though we are on the Lord's errand, and we then discover that, when we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help.
 
Thomas S. Monson
 


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The better part


by Emily Freeman

Ten men, who were lepers, were gathered together in a village where Jesus was.
They were some way off–forbidden by law to approach anyone clean.
They shouted from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
And when The Savior saw them, he said unto them go show yourselves unto the priest.
Interestingly, this is something a leper would do in order to be declared ceremonially clean once they were cured. 
Yet Jesus was instructing them to do it before the miracle.
Perhaps in anticipation.
As the men walked the path that headed to the priest, all of them were healed.
We are not told how far they traveled before they experienced the change.
I cannot believe that gratitude was not among the feelings that every one of them had.
But only one had the right state of heart to return to the Giver of the gift.
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
I often wonder where the other nine went.
I am certain it was somewhere noble and admirable.
But they missed the better part.
Only one of the ten heard the Lord proclaim, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Jesus was interested in cleansing more than the shell.
I love this story.  I hear it every year around Thanksgiving and I never get tired of it.
The part I missed until today was the line: “and he was a Samaritan.”
The “other Good Samaritan” Once again, another outcast whose example stands the test of time.
A man shunned for his illness and his birthplace who still managed to exercise faith that has now blessed billions.

Monday, July 21, 2014

He is there

 
 



Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
 D & C 121:45

As fearful as the daily news headlines are and even though there are violence and ominous uncertainty continually on almost every hand, there is no problem, national or personal, which could not be solved, and solved easily, if men and nations would turn their hearts and lives to God. It would be so simple.
He is our father, the actual father of our spirits. He is the father of all men. We are His children. He knows us; He loves us. He may not like all we do, but of one thing we can be sure He loves His children. Yes, He is a loving Heavenly Father.
 And He is there.

How comforting and reassuring it is each day as we behold the wonders of the universe and this beautiful world on which we live. We can see His hand in the matchless order with which the heavenly bodies move and the delicate beauty of the flowers and trees and other growing things, all of them bearing silent witness of His existence.

How stimulating and edifying to approach Him in prayer each morning and evening and feel His nearness and His love as we acknowledge His hand, and in our need, seek His help. What a blessing to be able to approach the source of life and light and be strengthened and renewed by just humbly seeking and asking.
Even in tragedy He is there. When traumatic challenges come and a life hangs in the balance or is hopelessly marred and the future is dark and hope grows dim and time seems long He is there. His reassuring feeling comes through, seemingly saying, “I am here, do not worry; this will be for your good if you endure it well. Trust in me.”
as we seek we will find treasures there

 


“Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our companion, and then let us go forward fearlessly so that we will be given the powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do. That growth in power to serve may come slowly, it may come in small steps that are difficult for you to see, but it will come.”
Henry B. Eyring

“Do you wish to partake of this living water and experience that divine well springing up within you to everlasting life? Then be not afraid. Believe with all your hearts. Develop an unshakable faith in the Son of God. Let your hearts reach out in earnest prayer. Fill your minds with knowledge of Him. Forsake your weaknesses. Walk in holiness and harmony with the commandments. Drink deeply of the living waters of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
 Joseph B. Wirthlin

“The Divine Shepherd has a message of hope, strength, and deliverance for all. If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day.
They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless.”
James E. Faust

An important reminder for ALL of us... to never forget: You are a son (or daughter) of the most glorious Being in the universe, our Heavenly King… and you were born to someday become like Him, to receive ALL He has in store for you. Be true to your divine nature, and live up to who you really are and can become. You are destined for GREATNESS!

The most powerful Being in the universe knows you, and loves you personally and perfectly. He sees you as you are capable and designed to become. May we ever believe, trust, and understand our true eternal worth and potential. May we be worthy of the precious blessings God has in store for us.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“We did not come to this earth to gain our worth we brought it with us. Let us pray earnestly as we fight against thoughts that will loom up wearing different masks, seeking to catch us off guard and creep in like termites to put our worth in question. The enemy seeks to instill feelings of failure in us, of being unloved, unappreciated, and unworthy. Make no mistake: these feelings must not be nurtured and fed. The cost is too high. It will take the joy out of living.”
Ardeth G. Kapp

 
 

Friday, July 18, 2014

Faith is seeing light with your heart

Faith is not believing that God can it's knowing that he will.
Somewhere along the way, the answer to the chaos became a quiet, holy mantra.. Be still...be still...be still...be still
 
Peace is NOT Something Around Us It's Something Inside Us
 
The Still waters of the Saviors
 
"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
 
Mark 4:39
 
In the blink of an eye, everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart.
 
You may never have that chance again.
 
Forgiveness in the MOMENT when we choose to forgive that which is before us in the moment we send a wave of loving influence…..
 
Most of us can forgive and forget, we just don't want the other person to forget that we forgave.
 
Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.
 
Always remember ~ no one is perfect, people will make mistakes (including yourself & the ones that you love) and many will even disappoint, having peace within ourselves is allowing room for forgiveness in our hearts.
 
 
Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness.
 
With a broken heart and contrite spirit, we can receive forgiveness and learn from our mistakes. Part of what we may learn in the process is that happiness comes not only from receiving forgiveness, but also from extending it!"
 
Forgiveness is the greatest expression of love.
 
¶Then a said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what  they do.