Lovest thou me

“Jesus saith to Simon Peter, lovest thou me more than these?” The question, however tenderly put, must have wrung Peter’s heart, coupled as it was with the reminder of his bold but undependable protestation, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended,” followed by his denial that he had ever known the Man. To the Lord’s inquiry Peter answered humbly, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” Then said Jesus, “Feed my lambs.” The question was repeated, and Peter replies in identical words, to which the Lord responded, “Feed my sheep.” And yet the third time Jesus asked, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” Peter was pained and grieved at this reiteration, thinking perhaps that the Lord mistrusted him, but as the man had three times denied, so now was he given opportunity for a triple confession. To the thrice repeated question, Peter answered: Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I Love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

 James E. Talmage

His love assures

‎A little piece of Heaven on Earth,

A little PEACE of Heaven on Earth.

"To love, and be loved, is to feel the sun from both sides."
"To love, and be loved, is to feel the Son from both sides"

As I have loved you, love one another.

~John 13:34~

Respect people who find time for you in their busy schedule...

but love the people who never look at their schedule when you need them.

‎"Love the people God gave you,

because He will need them back one day."

"The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart,

the less capable you are of loving in the present."

Sometimes you have to forget what you want to remember what you deserve.

"His Spirit guides; his love assures that fear departs when faith endures."

Quentin L. Cook

 "We had a General Authority, Joseph Anderson, who lived longer than any other General Authority in the Church. He lived to be 102 years of age. He served as private secretary to President Heber J. Grant for many years. President Grant had a stroke and became very seriously ill, and Joseph Anderson went up to see him at night, and the President said to Joseph, 'Joseph, have I ever been unkind to you?' And Joseph said, 'No, President Grant, you have never been unkind to me.' And the President, with tears rolling down his face, said, 'Joseph, I am grateful if I have never been unkind to you.' He died the next day. But what a marvelous thing that a man who had worked with him for so very many years could say that the man who directed his efforts had never been unkind to him".

Gordon B. Hinckley

"Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are."

~Author Unknown~

"If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if he needs help, or would it be better to just jump in and save him from the deepening waters – the offer whilst well-meaning and often given 'let me know if I can help?' is really no help at all."

Ronald A. Rasband

"...while you cannot change the past, you can shape the future."

David S. Baxter

"What the elderly need in the loneliness of their older years is, in part at least, what we needed in the uncertain years of our youth: a sense of belonging, an assurance of being wanted; not merely a room in a building, but room in someones heart and life. We cannot bring them back the morning hours of youth. But we can help them live in the warm glow of a sunset made more beautiful by our thoughtfulness..."

Richard L. Evans

God Gave the Increase

God Gave the Increase

1 Cor. 1:25 – 1 Cor. 7:32

by Emily Freeman

Every year our family plants a garden.

I will admit, we are not the most knowledgeable gardeners, but we do our best, and have tried our hand at onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, peppers, and squash.

One year the weather was hard to work with.  It was too cold and there was too much wind.  Every day I would check our garden and find that one or another of our plants hadn’t made it through the night.  So, I made it a habit to stop at our local nursery to pick up a few more vegetable plants to replace the ones that hadn’t survived.  When I returned home I would carefully replant some here, some there, wherever there was a lack.

As it finally turned warm, it seemed the only variety left at the nurseries came from the squash family, and as I planted these I told myself, at least we would have a plentiful harvest of squash.

We worked in the garden all summer long picking weeds, watering, and watching for the crop to appear.

Those of you who are avid gardeners probably know what happened;

 when the harvest came it was not at all what we had expected!

It was a disaster!

All of our hours spent to no avail failure.

However, as I have pondered that experience I have changed my mind. 

There was an increase, just not the one we had expected.

We experienced an increase of knowledge (I now know not to plant squash randomly in close proximity again,) an increase of laughter as our family and friends waited to see what the harvest would produce, and an increase of support and unity as we found the joy in the hours we spent together working in the garden rather than finding fulfillment in what came out of the garden.

In the end there was a bounteous increase, just not the one we had in mind.

Sometimes our level of expectations for what we think we are in need of can blind us

from truly seeing the harvest Heavenly Father sends.

Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase…and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.  For we are labourers together with God: And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” 

1 Cor. 3:6-9 & 23

I believe this to be true.

We labor together with God, but it is He who gives the increase in every aspect of our life.

We must have faith in Him, we must learn to trust that when the growing season is over, the increase will come.

It is important to remember that the increase is not always found in temporal blessings or miraculous healings, sometimes the increase is found in spiritual growth.

Each of our lives will include moments when we put all of our effort into a situation and when all is said and done, we feel that we have failed.

I think of individuals or families who keep the commandments, pray fervently, study consistently, serve diligently, and still experience the challenges of earth life such as a wayward child, unfulfilled aspirations, remaining single or childless, or insurmountable health obstacles.

I have learned that if we limit our horizon to include just this mortal experience, we become shortsighted and fail to comprehend the full measure of the promised increase.

We cannot underestimate the purpose of our mortal existence.

We must not forget that life will include both Nauvoo’s peaceful moments and the painful moments of Liberty Jail. History shows that God’s growing seasons include times when our faith is proven and found sufficient.

Therein lies the increase.

When we find ourselves in those Liberty moments we must be willing to trust and labor together with God, reminding ourselves that Nauvoo’s splendor lies ahead.

Our labor and obedience will strengthen our belief and

when the growing season is over, the increase will come.

His will to shape our lives

“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

1 Corinthians 12:31

Covet earnestly

In other scripture we are told not to covet.  The footnotes tell us the Greek translation means to “seek earnestly for, to be zealous for.”

Be zealous for the best gifts.

Spiritual gifts that God is willing and ready to grant including and especially the grand gift of charity

1 Corinthians 13

For where my treasure is, there will my heart be also.

How much energy are we putting into seeking for spiritual promises and gifts?

May we be ever faithful in seeking these spiritual gifts.

According to Paul, that is a “more excellent way.”

1 Cor. 7:32 – 1 Cor. 12:30

“Let us each day search from the scriptures ….

The scriptures that are never read will never help us. If read, the words of God will nourish

our souls and carry us to great heights in our endeavors.”

L. Tom Perry

“The scriptures describe a number of Christlike attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope. Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help. The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.”

Julie B. Beck

“We may feel we are at the beginning or end of our lives, but when we look at where we are against the backdrop of eternity when we realize that our spirit has existed for time beyond our capacity to measure and, because of the perfect sacrifice and Atonement of Jesus Christ, that our soul will exist for an eternity to come we can recognize that we are truly in the middle… Yes, there will be moments of beginnings and moments of endings throughout our lives, but these are only markers along the way of the great middle of our eternal lives. Whether we are at the beginning or the end, whether we are young or old, the Lord can use us for His purposes if we simply set aside whatever thoughts limit our ability to serve and allow His will to shape our lives.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"The way we speak to our children becomes their inner voice"

He went about doing good

Surely the Savior knew from an early age the path that lie ahead of Him, yet He was not discouraged or dismayed. He went about doing good and filled His life, and the lives of others, with joy and happiness.

I am inspired by the story of Reverend Henry Lyte. Henry´s father abandoned the family while he was a young boy and his mother died shortly after. In addition to being orphaned at an early age, Henry struggled throughout his life with poor health - yet all that knew him commented on his cheery temperament. His final contribution came just three weeks before his death. Though he was dying of tuberculosis, Henry was still determined to give to others. He rose from his bed and penned the words that would become the cherished hymn,

Abide with Me!
fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens.
Lord with me abide.

When other helpers
Fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh,
Abide with me!

Certainly none of us can walk through life free from illness and despair, but we each can decide how we will respond to those trials that come. When trials come that I can choose to retreat into myself, or I can choose to reach out as the Savior did and bring happiness to others. Only selfless sacrifice can we ever hope to abide with the Lord.

By Liz Swindle

Fixed Upon Him

Fixed Upon Him

by Emily Freeman

Luke 20:18 – Luke 23:29

For a moment try to imagine the scene of Bethesda.

Five porches filled to bursting with multitudes of people surrounded a pool of water.

The blind, halt, and withered gathered waiting.

The water in the pool before them had the potential to offer healing if the conditions were right.  The waiting was done out of necessity, for at a certain season the water would be touched by an angel, troubled, and the first person to enter the water would be made whole.

The conditions had to be perfect for the healing to take place.

So, eyes fixed on the water, drawn to the potential for healing, they waited all hoping, but each knowing that only one would be healed.

On a certain Sabbath, the Lord came to the pool and saw those who waited there.  He noticed a man who had been afflicted for thirty-eight years.  “When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been a long time now in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”  John 5:6-7

It seems that having his focus fixed completely on the water wasn’t working.

Sadly, he was fixed on something that could not offer the blessing of which he was in desperate need.

“Jesus recognized in the man a fit subject for a blessing, and said to him: 

“wilt thou be made whole?” 

The question was so simple as almost to appear superfluous.  Of course the man wanted to be made well, and on the small chance of being able to reach the water at the right moment was patiently and eagerly waiting.  There was a purpose, however, in these as in all words of the Master. 

The man’s attention was drawn to Him, fixed upon Him.”  (JTC 207 red, emphasis added)

For the first time, the man’s eyes once drawn and fixed on water that could not heal had turned to the Lord, who could.  The holy in the midst of the mundane.   He turned aside, and He saw it.  

“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up they bed, and walk. 

And immediately the man was made whole.”  (John 5:8-9)

“It was Jesus which had made him whole.”(John 5:15)

The lesson captured within this story is taught over and over again in the life of the Lord.

The miracle, the tender behind the mercy, comes after we are drawn to Him,

after we are fixed on Him.

John makes it clear it was not the water, it was the Lord who had made him whole.

When we shift our eyes from what occupies our attention and focus instead on the Lord, we will discover the holy within the ordinary moments of our life.  We must be willing to turn aside to see.

I have discovered Him during Sunday service, in the soft breathing of a child sleeping in mother’s arms, safe.  In one line of a hymn which captures the witness of my heart.  In the welcome of a congregation held together by covenant to bear burdens, mourn together,

and comfort always comfort.

I have felt Him behind prison walls, as youth bound together by decisions once made

and now regretted yearn for something more.

I have recognized Him in quiet chapels built into hospital halls.

I have witnessed the power of His love surrounding a circle of trust shared by those bound by addictions fierce who have come to rely on the strength that attends those who are change bound and longing.  His love beckons and they answer.  It calls and they come.

I have seen Him reflected in the heart of one who abandons

what is wanted most to give what is needed more.

We can find Him everywhere within the walls of a church, a hospital, even a prison.  In the walls of our own home, when we want to know more of the Lord we can discover him in the scriptures, in moments of prayer, in the words of a child.  It is within those sacred moments that we truly become drawn to Him fixed on Him.

It is discovering Jesus, finding holy moments daily, which will make us whole.

We might have to lay aside the task we are focused on

to look for the glory of God in the midst of the ordinary details of each day.

We must learn to focus on the Lord to witness the miracle in the midst of the mundane.

He will bless us

 

The Burden

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existence. "Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed the blackness that came over me.

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: the figure of a man standing before a cross. "My child," the person asked, "Why did you want to come to Me before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it anymore." "But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me, because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?" "My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a different one?" "I can do that?"

He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet.
"You may try any of these." All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a name.

"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken. "Let me try that one."How difficult could her burden be? I thought. The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank to my knees beneath its weight.

"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"

"Look inside," the Lord replied. I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak. "Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..." I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer. "I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord.

But she's always smiling and helping others.

I didn't realize..." "Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly. I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.

"They're all too heavy, Lord," I said. "Give back my own." As I lifted the familiar load once again, it seemed much lighter than the others."Let's look inside" He said. I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said. "Why?" "There's a lot of junk in there." "Let Me see." The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. opened my burden. He pulled out a brick. "Tell me about this one." "Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."

"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight." Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked. "Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...." "My child," He said, "if you trust Me, I will renew your strength, If you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."

Then He took some pebbles from my burden. "Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!" "My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight."

My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now" I said. "There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick." "Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it." "My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound. "But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so.....Lord! What happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars -- as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh. "Lord," I whispered."What happened to You?"

His loving eyes reached into my soul. "My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought it.""How?" "With My blood." "But why, Lord?" "Because I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Give it to Me."

I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented me. He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple. "Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you cannot imagine now." "Yes, Lord, I will call on You." I reached to pick up my burden. "You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's.....

When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you.

Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is light." As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." A peace flooded my soul.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my

burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

When life's challenges seem overwhelming, on those days when we may wonder if Heavenly Father has forgotten us, we have the assurance that each of His servants will receive "the light of the countenance of their Lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season. And although it may not be our hour now, He will come because He is aware of us, He knows our needs, and He will bless us.

Cherish every day and those you love,

Treasure the gift of our mortality, and to turn to the Lord in all our trials

The Lord needs you here.....

When we put our problems in God’s hands he puts his peace in our Hearts

As my husband - a non member of and recently investigating the Church - and I were talking about what we should include in our fast, we decided that the most important thing to work towards was a testimony, and a closer relationship with the Holy Ghost.

So we fasted and prayed, and my husband very reverently poured out his heart to God and said "I am a very stubborn and slow kind of man, and I need for Thee to speak to me in a way so that I will understand. I need to know and feel the presence of The Holy Ghost."

We didn't tell any of the other members what we were fasting for, but later found out that the Sister missionaries were fasting for the exact same thing.

As the Sacrament meeting ended, one of the members, a very somber and strict man, sitting behind us, rose and tapped my husband on the shoulder. He asked if he could speak with us for a moment. We said yes and followed him as he slowly walked outside.

As he turned to face us, I saw that there were tears streaming down his cheeks. His voice trembled as he spoke the words I will hopefully never forget.

He looked straight at my husband and said. "The Lord needs you here, I can feel it very strongly. The Lord needs you here in His Church. You need to be here. Don't be afraid." I started crying...

...My husband was silent.

As we left from Church, I felt the urge to pray, to communicate with God what we had just experienced. As we sat down in the car to drive away, my husband turned and looked at me, his voice almost weak with emotion.

"I understand now. I've been praying about this the whole day, and now the Lord has answered me. It's the Holy Ghost, telling me what to do, reassuring me, letting me know I'm on the right path. I would indeed be a fool if I ignored this most powerful answer and wasn't baptized."

So, the next day he told the Sister missionaries of his experience, and we began organizing his baptism. Two days after God had answered his prayers, my husband was baptized by my brother-in-law.

The Lord answers our prayers, and He does indeed speak "unto men according to their language.." (2Ne31:3)