There is no need for any of us to walk alone

love

'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.'

Mother Teresa

Gratitude

Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings.

Said one well-known author: "Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."

Finding Joy in the Journey

President Thomas S. Monson

Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life

Knowledge

Keep up on current events so the adversary won't sneak up on you. 

David Evans 9/28/2002

Perhaps it would be better yet to

Take heed of the counsel of Brother Eyring

Discover this promise: "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ;

for behold,

the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

Henry B. Eyring

 

 

Bliss

Of course, all in marriage is not bliss. Years ago I clipped these words from a column written by Jenkins Lloyd Jones:

"There seems to be a superstition among many thousands of our young who hold hands that marriage is a cottage surrounded by perpetual hollyhocks to which a perpetually young and handsome husband comes home to a perpetually young and ravishing wife. When the hollyhocks wither and boredom and bills appear the divorce courts are jammed. …

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed."

Stormy weather occasionally hits every household.

There must be a willingness to overlook small faults, to forgive, and then to forget.

There must be a holding of one's tongue. Temper is a vicious and corrosive thing that destroys affection and casts out love.

There must be self-discipline.

There must be the Spirit of God, invited and worked for, nurtured and strengthened.

There must be recognition of the fact that each is a child of God—father, mother, son, and daughter, each with a divine birthright—and also recognition of the fact that when we offend one of these, we offend our Father in Heaven.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

: tol·er·ance : \ˈtä-lə-rən(t)s, ˈtäl-rən(t)s\

1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship : endurance, fortitude, stamina
2 a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own b : the act of allowing something

Be Humble

God will have a humble people.  Either we can choose to be humble or

we can be compelled to be humble. 

Ezra Taft Benson

Charity

There is no way to overestimate the strength we can be to one another as our natures increase in charity.

Sheri Dew

Make a Decision

"Now may I make a recommendation? Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again.

You need only to decide some things once.

President Spencer W. Kimball:

Stand Strong and Immovable in Faith

Success

Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when one encounters challenges.

President James E. Faust

Integrity

Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect.

Thomas S. Monson

Prayer

"Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with 'Thy will be done'

Boyd K. Packer

Life is fragile handle with Prayer

"There is no need for any of us to walk alone. We can look up and reach out
for divine help."

Thomas S. Monson

Happiness held is a Seed

Happiness shared is the Flower

‘The Hand that steady’s the Flame’

'The Hand that steady's the Flame'

  

Was it yours . . .?

Was it mine . . .?

Was it ours . . .?

It was His

and with our hands in His it is US

'for such a time as this'

The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even touched they must be felt with the Heart.

Wisdom seek always, for by looking for one thing you will surely find another -- this is the path to wisdom.

Life at its best is a series of challenges.

A big enough challenge will bring out strengths

 and abilities you never knew you had.

Take on challenges and you will bring yourself to life.

The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.

"Accept that you have an eternally important destiny, a spiritual destiny. Read your patriarchal blessing. As was said of Queen Esther of old, 'Thou art come … for such a time as this' (Esther 4:14). Believe it, and embrace it!"

Neil L. Andersen

 Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.

"We should learn to be patient with ourselves. Recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses, we should strive to use good judgment in all of our choices and decisions, make good use of every opportunity, and do our best in every task we undertake. We should not be unduly discouraged nor in despair at any time when we are doing the best we can. Rather, we should be satisfied with our progress even though it may come slowly at times."

Joseph B. Wirthlin

Challenges are what make life interesting,

overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance,

the wise grows it under his feet."

For success, attitude is equally as more important as  than ability.

  "Self-confidence is the memory of success"

Where there is great love there are always miracles

Where there is great love there are always miracles.

~

Courage is grace under pressure.

~

The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.

Tears are words the heart can't express.

~

Bad is never good until worse happens.
~

Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.

Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find.

~

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity.

~

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

~

Never look back unless you are planning to go that way

~

Don't be afraid to go out on a limb -- that's where the fruit is.

 

Big goals can create a fear of failure. Lack of goals guarantees it.

~

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
~

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards

When proof is possible, faith is impossible. 

~

The only thing worse than quitting is being  afraid to begin.

~

Fear is met and destroyed with courage.

We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly.

~

"Some of the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss,

and have found their way out.."

My Son

My Son

Deena Green

An upstate New York man was rich in almost every way. His estate was worth millions.

He owned houses, land, antiques, and cattle. But though on the outside he had it all,

 he was very unhappy on the inside. His wife was growing old, and the couple was childless.

 He had always wanted a little boy to carry on the family legacy.

Miraculously, his wife became pregnant in her latter years, and she gave birth to a little boy.

The boy was severely handicapped, but the man loved him with his whole heart.

When the boy was five, his mom died. The dad grew closer to his special son.

At age 13, the boy's birth defects cost him his life and the father died soon after from a broken heart.

The estate was auctioned before hundreds of bidders. The first item offered was a painting of the boy.

No one bid. They waited like vultures for the riches. Finally, the poor housemaid,

who helped raise the boy, offered $5 for the picture and easily took the bid.

To everyone's shock, the auctioneer ripped a hand written will from the back of the picture.

This is what it said: "To the person who thinks enough of my son to buy this painting,

to this person I give my entire estate."

The auction was over. The greedy crowd walked away in shock and dismay.

How many of us have sought after what we thought were true riches only to find out later that our Father was

prepared to give us his entire estate if we had only sought after His Son alone?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father ^aknoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 ^aBut ^bseek ye first the ^ckingdom of God, and his ^drighteousness; and all these ^ethings shall be ^fadded unto you.

Matthew 6:31-33

the angels cannot be restrained

Listening Hearts

The person that I used to be

What does my future hold?

What does Heavenly Father have in store for me?

Am I living the plan He intended for me?

Have I asked Him lately if I am on track?

Am I becoming who He knows I can be?

The person that I used to be,

That person no longer exists in me.

Wandering aimless, without direction,

Just hoping to find my way.

Back to the Bible I was led,

As I remembered what I had read.

Become as a child, come unto me.

Jesus my savior died for me.

Then I kneeled, and began to pray.

Father help me find my way.

Please forgive me of my sin.

Please dear Lord, let me in.

Please dear Lord, enter my heart.

Help me, give me a brand new start.

Father I beg you, won't you please,

Show me the way, I'm on my knees.

Then that still small voice within,

  

Whispered you're forgive all your sin.

They're forgiven, like they've never been.

My dear son where have you been?

I have watched you every day,

    

As you ran, and jumped, and played.

I smiled when your goodness shone.

When you sinned, my heart would groan.

In everything that you've been through,

I have never stopped loving you.

You are my child, can't you see.

 

You mean so very much to me.

The person that you used to be,

That person no longer exists in me.

That day you got down on your knees,

You were reborn, a brand new being.

A being of love, of truth, of light.

A brand new being in my sight.

Be ever faithful strong and fervent.

Always be my faithful servant.

Pray to me, one to one,

Pour out you heart my loving son.

Pray to me, morning and night

And I will aide your earthly fight.

Father I will be your faithful son.

I'll keep the commandments, every one.

I'll crawl upon your lap, and pray,

For your guidance, every day.

  

I love you father, and your Son.

For everything that you have done.

Thank you for this life so dear,

Now that you're so very near.

I'll keep you in my heart each day.

Thank you Lord. On thy path I'll stay.