But If Not

What is your faith based on?

You might say, "I have faith that God will bless me if I follow the commandments." Or perhaps, "I have faith in good times to come," or, "I have faith that God will deliver me from my troubles."

Well, that sounds great. But what if you don't feel like you are being blessed? What if good times don't come? What if trials and tribulations follow you around your whole life, and no matter how hard you try, you can't be rid of them? 

What then? Is your faith going to disappear the moment your life takes a turn for the worst and you feel like God has stopped blessing you and answering your prayers?

Consider the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They were told that if they would not bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol, they would be thrown in the fire to die. They responded by saying:

17 - If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 - But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (Daniel 3)

What do you think these men based their faith on? Signs, miracles, and God-given perfect lives? Do you think they expected things of God like some people do today (and surely also did back then)? No, I think their faith was based on something higher - trust in God, His plan, and His timing. God would rescue them from the fire, but if not - if that wasn't His will - then they would worship and trust in Him still. 

Friends, life doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes we are asked to endure a very hard trial, and no matter how often or how hard we pray, sometimes things don't get any easier. 

Why? Well, sometimes we are asked to endure trials because they strengthen us. We learn to trust in God and we gain perspective when we experience challenges. That's how it should work, anyways, but some people don't let themselves be strengthened. They choose to give up on God and let go of their faith. 

Will this be you? Are you going to hold on to faith as long as things go your way - but let go as soon as God's will doesn't line up with yours? Or are you willing to trust that God is all-knowing, infinitely loving, and always has a plan? 

He does always have a plan. He is always looking out for you. He is forever waiting for you to stretch out your hand and commit to follow Him no matter what. 

I will choose to follow the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 

Because I know that God can take away my sorrow and heartache - but if not;

I know that God can give me a successful and full life - but if not;

I know that God will deliver me from financial woes - but if not;

I know that God will bless me with a healthy body - but if not;

If not, I will trust in Him still. I will not succumb, I will not let go of my faith. Because my faith isn't founded on a perfect life. It isn't founded on the belief that God will always fulfill my wishes. My faith is built on something higher. My faith is in God's will, God's plan, and God's timing, not my own.

Let us all choose to follow the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and have faith in God no matter what He has planned for us.

xoxo,

Haley

give it to GOD.

I had an interesting experience a couple weeks ago. I got to meet a woman that my dad knew while he was on his mission in Virginia.
We spent a while catching up with her and she mentioned how her daughter had had a baby unexpectedly a few years ago. No one knew she was pregnant, not even the daughter (how does this happen?!?!?).
Anyways, she said something that I really loved. Her daughter had just had a baby! Meaning she had had sexual relations with some man before she was married, something that our church frowns upon quite a lot.
So what did the mother do?
This was basically what she told me:
"I gave it to God. I didn't have to beat her upside the head for her decisions! It was too heavy of a burden for me to carry, so I gave it to God. He handled the whole thing for me. He's still handling it for me, I don't have to worry about it. I never had to worry about it."


I was so impressed. I was so impressed and am still impressed at her faith in God. She was willing to trust completely that God was over all. She explained that if she kept worrying and asking about her troubles, she was showing God that she didn't trust Him to handle it.

My friends, when you have troubles, give them to God! Give them to God and then let go of them. God can handle it. Christ already carried your burdens. He suffered for you already, so you don't have to keep carrying around regrets and burdens, worrying about whether or not they're taken care of.

Let go. Let go of the heartache, of the regret, of the guilt. Let go and let God take care of it.
TRUST that He can take care of it. He doesn't need you to keep reminding Him about troubles that you should have already let go of.
Don't let your past weigh you down. Surrender completely to God and His grace and trust that things are taken care of, that you can proceed with your life with a light heart and a bright smile.

Show God that you are willing to move on with your life and that you are thankful for the bright future He has given you.


She was such a neat lady and I really learned a lot from her. Join with me as I lay my trials before God and then let them go completely. Join with me and show God that you trust Him enough to let Him carry your burdens. Join with me in giving it to God and forgetting about it.

Haley

Trek 2014: A Gospel Worth Sacrificing For

Hello my dearest readers! It's been a few weeks since I last posted, but it's not because I've been neglectful, I've just been out of town like the whole time! But I'm back now! Yay! 

So a few weeks ago, I went on trek. I mentioned in a post that I was going, but I never blogged about it, so first thing's first. Let me tell you a little about trek! 

This was the youth in our ward right before we left. Trek ended up being postponed a day due to several inches of snow. I was super bummed at the time, but we still had a great experience.

But here's the thing about having a shorter trek: we were worked to the bone! We had to make up the miles, and it was incredibly taxing physically.

I was so so sore every night and I got so tired after walking for so many hours. It was brutal! Seriously though, so brutal!

But I'm so glad it was hard, and here's why:

It was hard for the pioneers. It was so much harder for the pioneers than it was for me. They walked for months at a time, and often in bad weather. They got sick. They got hungry. These were all things I didn't have to deal with.
And even despite the luxuries I had, like good hiking shoes and a good coat and as much water as I needed, it was still really hard for me. I was so spent that at times I doubted whether or not I could continue.
BUT I did. I continued. I made it the whole way. The women's pull was also really long and difficult, and at moments I wondered how we could ever do it. But guess what? We did.

Here's what I learned on trek: I can do hard things. We all can do hard things.

Even though I doubted myself sometimes, I somehow always made it from Point A to Point B.

This is such an important lesson to learn! Do you know why?
Sometimes we will be called upon to carry burdens that feel too heavy. Life is hard, and sometimes it feels like we can't carry on, like we can't endure. But we can. With the Lord's help, we always can.

If you aren't familiar with trek or with the women's pull, here's briefly what it is. All of the men and boys in all of the families get called away on missions, and the women have to stay behind and pull the handcarts alone, usually up a big hill. At the end, the men are able to walk beside us, watching for a few minutes, before stepping in to help with the handcarts.
This was such a neat experience and taught me so much. Again, about burdens. The men were called upon to leave and serve the Lord, and had to carry the burden of leaving their family behind. The women, then, were left with no choice but to continue to press forward, pulling the handcart.

In life, sometimes we are called upon to spend extensive time serving the Lord by fulfilling our callings. Sometimes other things come up in life, and we find that we have to change our plans. No one can get through life without carrying some burdens, is what I'm trying to say.

But what do we do? We press on. We move forward with the knowledge that God is over all and can make weak things become strong.

So that was the first lesson I learned on trek. I can do hard things. Whenever the Lord calls upon me to carry a burden, I can do it in His name and with His help.


Here's another lesson I learned on trek: the gospel is ALWAYS worth sacrificing for. I mean, why do you think the pioneers were able to keep moving every day? Why were they able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when they were freezing or filled with sorrow because loved ones were dying? How did they do it?

It's because they had something worth walking for. They were going to Zion. They were following the prophet, and in doing so were following God's commandments and gracefully working through this burden. They knew it would be worth it. They knew it would be worth it for their posterity who could live in peace, away from persecution. They knew it would be worth it to leave a heritage of hope and sacrifice, one that their descendants could be proud of. One that GOD could be proud of.

Friends, the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It was worth walking for. It's always worth sacrificing for. That's the only way the pioneers could have pressed forward every day. They knew they were sacrificing for a worthy cause.

How was I able to press forward every day? I remembered them. I remembered the pioneers and I thought of how much I love the gospel and how I am willing to do anything to keep it in my life and in the lives of my children and posterity. I leaned on their strength. I followed their examples. And I continued to have faith that the Lord would help me carry my burdens.


I know the gospel is true. I love it with all my heart, and I want everyone to know it. I want to be all in, willing to sacrifice and carry burdens to help the gospel to move forward. I know that following the commandments is always, always worth it.
Hard things come our way. They always will. I know that God is over all and that if He felt it was right, He would take my burdens. But sometimes He sees, in all His wisdom, that I need to endure certain trials.
Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is simply to trust and have faith and remember that things always work out.


I'm so grateful that I was able to go on trek and learn these truths, even if it was hard while I was enduring it. I truly never could possibly appreciate the pioneers as much as I do now if I hadn't carried that burden.
If you ever get the chance to go on trek, go go go!!


"We came through that experience with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities! 
"The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay."-Francis Webster of the Martin Company

Haley

dispelling doubts

Our simple human minds have so many flaws.
One of them is that we doubt. A lot.
Even when God has shown forth many signs and miracles, we still doubt our faith. We doubt our testimonies. We doubt that God is real.

"Did I really feel those feelings?" "Have I really had a witness?"

One of the greatest skills that you can learn is the ability to have faith even in times of doubt.
Because we all have times of doubt! Even those who have always been strong in the gospel, even those who have always had a testimony, everyone has moments where the devil puts doubts in their mind. And sometimes these doubts are hard to dismiss.

But the important thing is that you don't let these doubts into your heart. Remember the love that God has shown unto you throughout your life, and try and keep those grateful thoughts in your heart and in your mind so that your doubts will go away. Don't even give negative thoughts the time of day!

Sometimes we lose that conviction that we once held, usually because we have not nourished our testimonies well enough.
You guys, it happens. And it's okay. We aren't perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be. What's important is that you continue to show faith and trust in God, even if you are struggling to feel Him near you. The more you exercise your faith and do all that you can to believe, the more open you will be to feeling the Spirit, and that is how you can banish doubts from your mind.



Jake's Story from Milestone Creative on Vimeo.


"Even if I have to pretend I believe, maybe that's better than what I've been doing."


Doubts come. They come because Satan doesn't want you to feel loved or feel the joy that comes through the knowledge of Christ's Atonement.
But they can be dispelled. Heed President Uchtdorf's advice and "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." Hold strong to what you know, and exercise belief and hope in the things you aren't sure about.
Remember the counsel given in Doctrine and Covenants section six:

22 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
23 - Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?
When you doubt, consider the times you have felt the Spirit. Consider the times you have felt God's love. If you once knew for a surety that God exists and loves you, is that not still true now? 

Do all that you can to feel the Spirit close to you.
In the video, he said, "There was no book on Atheism that could make me feel that way. In an instant, I knew I was loved, I knew just how lost I had been, I knew I was saved, and I knew I was home."

The Spirit is really the one who can drive doubts away. Because the feeling you get when you learn of God and of the truthfulness of His gospel is unmistakeable.

Yes, doubts come. But the important thing is that we ignore them and that we continue to exercise hope and faith, even when times are hard. Show God that you are willing to trust that He is there, even if it is hard to believe it sometimes. I promise that as you open up your heart and come unto Christ, you will know through the power of the Spirit of the truthfulness of this gospel.

Have a great weekend, and keep the faith!

Haley.

abide

Let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God 

(1 Corinthians 7:24)

Sometimes we pray and we don't get an answer.

Sometimes we do all that we can to keep trying, keep moving forward, and keep trusting in God, and we fall anyways.

Sometimes we try to call upon the Spirit, we try to feel God near, and we just can't.

And sometimes we've repeated, "Everything happens for a reason" to ourselves so many times that it's simply impossible to believe it anymore.


Sometimes, folks, it really feels like God doesn't care. I can assure you that He does, but still, sometimes it doesn't feel like it.
Sometimes it is hard to feel close to Him, sometimes we can't feel Him reaching back when we stretch out our hand.

Despite all of this, please, please keep reaching out anyways.
Sometimes we have to wait upon the Lord for a long time before we get our answers.
But I promise you, everything the Lord does, every answer He waits to reveal, He does that for a reason.
It's important to show God that you are willing to stay by Him, you are willing to abide with Him even when times are hard, even when you are barely holding onto your faith and your trust, show Him that no matter what happens, you will abide with Him still.

It is important to make the Lord understand that you love Him and you want to build a relationship with Him, not just ask for blessings. When your prayers aren't answered right away, don't stop praying! If you give up and cease to pray and reach out, you are showing God that all you want is for your problems to be solved, you don't want to talk to Him and trust Him and love Him.

Does that make sense?

Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers right away.
Sometimes He doesn't answer them in the way we wanted Him to.

It doesn't matter. He hears you, He does. And he will answer your prayers in His own time and in His own way.

Until then, show Him you are willing to love and trust Him regardless.
Abide with Him and keep your hand stretched out always.


Haley.

no contradiction

*make the video full-screen. it's far superior that way. just sayin'.

It is so interesting to me that people think science and religion contradict. Look, I'm no genius, but I have a pretty basic knowledge of many aspects of science - biology, chemistry, and physics especially, since I have taken all three in the last couple years. (Chemistry is boss, am I right?! Loved it.) :)
And I feel exceedingly more learned in religion than in science. But I still have a lot to learn about both!

But one thing I DO know is that religion and science explain each other beautifully, and the more I learn about one, the more faith I have in the other.
Make sense?


My physics textbook says the COOLEST thing. I came across the neatest paragraph when reading through my textbook a while ago and took a picture of it so I wouldn't forget it (this was probably back on like the second day of school, because the first week of school was pretty much the only time I actually read more than five words at a time from that textbook).

Oh, and this is a college textbook... Conceptual Physics, the Weber State custom edition. I guess that detail doesn't really change anything, but for some reason it seems cooler to me that I was reading for a college physics class I'm taking at Weber State.

Okay. Are you ready to hear the actual paragraph??

"When we study the nature of light later in this book, we will treat light first as a wave and then as a particle. To the person who knows a little bit about science, waves and particles are contradictory; light can be only one or the other, and we have to choose between them. But to the enlightened person, waves and particles complement each other and provide a deeper understanding of light. In a similar way, it is mainly people who are either uninformed or misinformed about the deeper natures of both science and religion who feel that they must choose between believing in religion and believing in science. Unless one has a shallow understanding of either or both, there is no contradiction in being religious and being scientific in one's thinking."

Wow! Right?!

The book says a lot of other cool things about how it's okay to not know the answers to everything - the author even says that "an important message in science... is that uncertainty is acceptable."
Even scientists don't claim to have all the answers.
The gospel gives me answers! But still, some things we will never know or fully understand until we leave this life.
But you know what? We know a lot now! When we keep an open mind and have faith in God and the answers He gives us - we learn for ourselves that they are true.


When sitting down to write this post, I really didn't plan on having it all about science and religion, haha.

My point is that everything we have here on earth - all the knowledge you have ever learned, every experience you go through, every little thing that was created - works together.

"Art is about cosmic beauty. Science is about cosmic order. Religion is about cosmic purpose. " 

-Paul G. Hewitt

What an incredible thing creation is!
How amazing it is that God had so many factors in mind when he made the Plan of Salvation!

Everything is the way that it is because that's how it should be!

YOU are YOU because YOU are perfect!

We each have our own thread that, in the grand scheme of things, is interwoven with everyone else's to form a beautiful tapestry that blankets the earth.

God doesn't make mistakes. Just like a machine, the world has no extra parts.


As far as learning is concerned, it is up to you to discern between truth and error.
But in the end, never forget that two true things do not and can not contradict each other.

I believe in the atom! haha! I think the human body is amazing!
I also believe in God and His timing and His creation!

God is truly the greatest scientist of us all.

A truly knowledgeable person has a well-rounded understanding of many subjects and understands that all things work together for the good of the world.

And God is in charge of it all!

What a lovely existence - to be in the hands of a God who understands so much!

the lord i will obey...

Wow! Two in one day! Has that ever happened?

I feel kinda bad because I have been sooo busy.

I've realized I haven't been blogging much on weekdays...


But I work after school, come home, eat dinner, practice piano for an hour or two... (yes, that long. Piano is definitely contributing to my stress level at the moment... ha.) Then I do my homework for a couple/few more hours and then I shower and go to bed.

Or I read in bed.

Either way, same thing every day. And I have been getting six hours of sleep/night which so is not enough.


So blogging has been put off until weekends. It just takes me too long and requires me to think too much.

haha. I am definitely getting enough mental exercise with chemistry and piano - which are both a bit demanding at the moment.

And it doesn't help that I am easily distracted so things tend to drag out longer than they need to. ha.


Anyways. I owed two posts today. Definitely.


So the song I am sharing today has played on soft sunday sounds quite a bit lately...

And at first I liked it but didn't... let me explain.


The song is about Abraham and Isaac, and it really is a beautiful song.

It talks about how Abraham will obey the Lord when he is asked to sacrifice his only son.


As you and I know, Abraham did not sacrifice his son. An angel stopped him before he could. It was a test of his (and Isaac's!) faith.


Anyways. In this song, it doesn't tell the ending. It doesn't talk about Abraham being stopped.

It just kinda... ends.

And the first time I heard it, I was all what???? He didn't die!! 

But now I love it. So so much.

This song isn't about God stopping Abraham. It is about Abraham and how he was determined to obey the Lord no matter what was asked of him.


And I think it is the coolest song ever.

Anyways. without further adieu...


Holy is the Lord by Andrew Peterson, who is a non-LDS Christian singer with some awesome songs...

(Oh and I didn't put a video because I wanted you to read the lyrics, but I am kinda liking this video if you want to watch it. And it concludes the song a little more, too.)



Wake up little Isaac 
And rub your tired eyes 
Go and kiss your mama 
We’ll be gone a little while 
Come and walk beside me 
Come and hold your papa’s hand 
I go to make an altar 
And to offer up my lamb 

I waited on the Lord 
And in a waking dream He came 
Riding on a wind across the sand 
He spoke my name 
“Here I am”, I whispered 
And I waited in the dark 
The answer was a sword 
That came down hard upon my heart 

Holy is the Lord 
Holy is the Lord 
And the Lord I will obey 
Lord, help me I don’t know the way 

So take me to the mountain 
I will follow where You lead 
There I’ll lay the body 
Of the boy You gave to me 
And even though You take him 
Still I ever will obey 
But Maker of this mountain, please 
Make another way 

Holy is the Lord 
Holy is the Lord 
And the Lord I will obey 
Holy is the Lord 
Holy is the Lord 
And the Lord I will obey 
Lord, help me I don’t know the way



I wonder sometimes how obedient I would be if asked to do something super crazy and life-changing. 

I probably will be, someday.


I think back on the pioneers and how they left everything to follow the prophet. Lives were lost and people suffered more than you or I could ever imagine. 

I wonder if I could have done what they did. I honestly don't know. That's a lot to sacrifice.


I think someday the saints will be asked to leave everything and go to meet the Savior. I don't know if it will be in my lifetime or if it won't, but I want to make sure I am in the habit of being obedient. 

I think that when that day comes, you will be able to see who would truly sacrifice everything for the One who created the world. Where people's priorities lie. 


So I will obey. 

I will live the gospel every day of my life. 

I want the Lord to know that I am on his side. 

That I am loyal to him. 

"The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty." 

Elder Holland said that in our last General Conference.

I love the Lord, and I want him to know it. 

There is this really old Mormonad that explains that living the gospel is like brushing your teeth. You can't just pile on the toothpaste and brush one day and expect to be good for a week.

Church is a Sunday activity. Your religion - the gospel of Jesus Christ - should be a way of life. 

"Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord... And the Lord I will obey."

Always. No matter what.






P.S. Listen to this song too (by the same guy). It ends with the same phrase as the song you just listened to, which I think is kinda cool.

P.P.S. I am feeling really good right now. Y'all should start your own blogs like this. It makes you feel good and fills you up with the Spirit whenever you sit down to blog.

A Thing of the Spirit

“Pure religion is a thing of the Spirit and not of the intellect alone."
- Bruce R. McConkie 

     In this book, in the section written by Richard Bushman (a professor at Harvard), he talks about a time when he was being interviewed on the radio. The  conversation ended up being focused on religion, and he was asked, 

"How could an educated, well-informed, modern Mormon accept all the stories that go with Mormon belief?"

Well... what would you say?

Of course... he went on in his essay talking about his belief in the Mormon Church, but I think that the question he was asked is one that we should know how to straight-forward answer. 

     To some people who don't know a lot about our religion, our beliefs may seem a little different. 

     Some people... try to explain everything with science. If they can't have tangible proof of something happening... well, it didn't happen. I happen to know a couple of people that think that way...

Darn skeptical scientists. 

Well... here's an awesome quote from Einstein...

"Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
- Albert Einstein 


Isn't that an awesome quote? And it was said by someone that we consider scientifically/mathematically brilliant. 

     I suppose he got it...

You know... some things can be explained completely with science. I mean, leaves are green because that's the only color in the spectrum that they reflect back... okay, I can believe that. Sounds reasonable to me.

BUT... Everything cannot be perfectly described by science. Our earth... and everything in it... didn't just happen on its own. Life didn't happen on its own... especially intelligent life.

Like what Elder Russell M. Nelson said in the last General Conference...
Talking about our amazing physical bodies, he said,


"Yet some people erroneously think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere. Ask yourself, “Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary?” The likelihood is most remote. But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce its own newer editions!"


(Reminds me of this song)


You know what I think is interesting... some scientists/atheists say that their explanations just make more sense... that they're more practical.


Something cool about our gospel... not only do we have manifestations and believe in God... but all of our Church's teachings make perfect sense. If you think about it, the Gospel really explains everything we need to know... and it explains all of those things perfectly. 


It makes sense. And of course, we have the Spirit telling us that what we believe is true. 


That quote at the very top of this post... is one of my favorite quotes of all time. We just... can't always explain things so that they make sense to other people. We know God exists because we have faith. And after putting that faith to the test, we will find that God really is there. And He loves us.


And the Church is true. 

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Wait Upon the Lord

To read the whole talk, click here.

     There's another experiment that I would try...
     What if you told a four-year old child that you would come back to give them a second marshmallow in exactly ten minutes? You then gave them a stopwatch and explained that when it reached 00:00, you would return with their marshmallow.
     After the first experiment, come back and tell the same child that you will return with another marshmallow, but don't tell them when. Just let them know that if they wait patiently, it will come.

     I'd be willing to bet that less kids would be able to wait the second time... they will feel as though they have been waiting forever, and give in...

     When you know exactly when you will be done waiting, it makes the waiting so much easier. You can count down the minutes... the weeks... maybe even the years... but the whole time keeping in mind the exact date and time that your waiting will end...

     Unfortunately, life is not always like this. We have been promised certain blessings in our lives, but we do not know when these promises will be fulfilled... just never forget that at some point, they will be fulfilled...


Alma 37:17 - For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.

     Heavenly Father always keeps His promises, big or small... and even though it is hard to wait for what is sometimes a seemingly endless amount of time, it is worth it.

   Do not spend your time on this earth feeling like your promises are not being kept, because what you have to understand is that they are eternal promises.   In the grand scheme of things, you spend very little time on this earth... If you keep an eternal perspective, you will see that sometimes being asked to wait a little while for your blessings... it really isn't too much to ask.


D&C 98:
1 - Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;

 2 - Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

 3 - Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.


-----

"Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time—is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.

"Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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I Hope You Like Music, Because I Sure Do!

     I know that I have been sharing tons of songs on here recently (Or maybe it just seems like it to me), but Soft Sunday Songs never disappoints. I found two more today.

Names by Cherie Call

He's been known throughout time by so many names,

Creator of Worlds and Ruler of All

And I do not disagree with the ones I have heard

Like The First and The Last, and Wonderful

Eternal and Endless, Provider and King,

And His Majesty

But when I think of the hundreds of prayers that I've prayed

There are so many more that I'd add to these, like

Mathematician, Concert Musician, Master Physician

and Listening Friend

Who knows all about cars, and my fragile heart

So the best name would still have to be

Heavenly Father

When I'm helping a friend He has sharpened my mind

When I've asked that my lips could say all the right things

He can part the Red Sea and still keep me from shaking

When I've prayed that my hands could hit all the right strings

He has always been there to handle the big things

But He can still find a way

To help me with tricky equations and dark twisty highways

And children with fevers

I know I can pray to the

Mathematician, Concert Musician, Master Physician

and Listening Friend

Who knows all about cars, and my fragile heart

So the best name would still have to be

Heavenly Father

And isn't it just what a father would do

Helping His children with all that He knew

And then using His wisdom to step back sometimes

On some of the answers we're just meant to find for ourselves

So we can be mathematicians, concert musicians,

Mothers, physicians, and listening friends

And we can learn about cars, and we can heal broken hearts

With the love that we've learned first hand

From a Heavenly Father

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     We often think and talk about all of the big things that Christ has done - and can always do - for us. He can perform mighty miracles for everyday people if we exercise enough faith and trust in Him... Like the song says, "He has always been there to handle the big things."
     What I like about the song is that it points out that He helps with all of the little things too. Whenever we need help with homework, parenting, cars, or when we just need to know what to say... He helps with those things too.
Always.

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Okay... on to number two.

Blessings by Laura Story (Probably a little bit more well-known... I've heard it before today...)

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

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     Just something to remember... trials are blessings. NEVER forget that hard things now will give us perspective later.


My favorite line of this song...
"We know that pain reminds this heart 
That this is not, this is not our home."


     Our home is with God. And if it takes hard things to get us back there... then so be it.
  
     This song also reminds me that I need to recognize small things as blessings. We are blessed everyday with tender mercies. When you try to focus on all of the positive things, it makes you a more optimistic person that will live happier. When you focus on the good, you forget about the bad.


Psalms 25:2 - O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.


     Just trust in God always. I can promise you that everything will work out for your good if you just trust in God. 


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Okay. I promise. The next post will not be about music. 








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