Of Hearing What You Need to Hear

Every once in a while, church speakers say exactly what I need to hear. I'm sure they do every single week, but trying to keep four kids quiet makes it slightly impossible to truly focus every week.

But today, I NEEDED to hear. Not just listen, but to HEAR what he was saying. We had a returned missionary speak. I'm sure half of my notes are more my thoughts than what he actually said, but he gave an amazing talk. Here are a few of my notes:

- David & Goliath
- this church is true. What am I going to give up for it? (He talked about a couple converts giving things up simply because the Church is true, and they knew that.)
- we need to impress the Lord and no one else
- it's easy to lose focus when people aren't watching
     - do what's hard
     - integrity
- look to the future - make every day the highlight of my life
- we can all move mountains, with the Lord's help and with the faith to do it. But we have to "take our pick and shovel and start moving that mountain."
- family is the most important thing -- family is everything
- love is the essence of the Gospel
     - if we lose that love, WE need to take a step back and make a change

It was the perfect talk for me. Exactly what I needed to hear. :)

Of Balance

Last week's scripture was one of my favorites - Mosiah 4:27:

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

I love the wisdom of this scripture. Everything we do has a purpose. But we need to be careful to not "run faster than [we have] strength." It reminds me of that "perfect" Molly Mormon. You know the one. She bakes homemade rolls, sews a quilt for every new baby in the ward, gives a perfect Relief Society lesson (with a beautiful table display), and does it all while homeschooling her 11 children.

That person doesn't exist, just so you know!

If we try to be that person, we'll get burned out pretty quickly! However, there's a second part to this scripture: "it is expedient that he should be diligent." Just because we can't be that perfect person (and don't really want to be!) doesn't mean we can just give up and say, "Oh well, this is who I am." We have to be diligent in becoming better. Every day is a new chance to be a little better. And if it doesn't work out, we always have tomorrow to start again. "... that thereby [we] might win the prize." When we do all things "in order" - the way Heavenly Father will guide us to do them - we'll be able to create a balance in our lives that will lead us to Him.

Of Self-Reflection

I have a testimony of self-reflection. To me, that means stopping "life" for a short amount of time and really thinking about my life. It means focusing on things that I could improve in my life, just by changing little things.

I noticed a lot of self-evaluation-type questions in Conference this time. I thought it would be interesting to collect them all into one spot. Maybe I can focus on one or two each time I write in my journal.

Wixom:
I am a child of God ... Therefore, what?
What will I do to live my life as a child of God?
How can I develop the divine nature that is within me?

Reeves:
What helps or tools have we been given to help us stay clean and virtuous?
What does Heavenly Father want me to do?
What will it matter what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior?

Uchtdorf:
Is the Gospel Working for You?
Does my life have meaning?
Do I believe in God?
Do I believe that God knows and loves me?
Do I believe that God hears and answers my prayers?
Am I truly happy?
Are my efforts leading me to the highest spiritual goals and values in life?
Is my experience in the Church working for me? Is it bringing me closer to Christ? Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the gospel?
Are we making our discipleship too complicated?
How is being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints working for you?

Ballard:
What will you become through the Atonement of Christ?

Marriott:
How do we, a modern, busy, competitive people, become yielded and still?
How do we make the Lord’s ways our ways?
I have found that after I pray for forgiveness of sins, it is instructive for me to ask Heavenly Father, “Father, is there more?”
True worship begins when our hearts are right before the Father and the Son. What is our heart condition today?
Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?

Lawrence:
What do I need to change?
How can I improve?
What weakness needs strengthening?
What lack I yet?
What is keeping me from progressing?
What do I need to change?
What can I do to improve my life?

Hales:
If I make this choice, what is the worst thing that could happen?
Will we let ourselves be led? Will we hear His voice and the voice of His servants?
What areas of my life do I want to strengthen so that I can strengthen others?
Where do I want to be a year from now? two years from now? What choices do I need to make to get there?

Foster:
As we look at our children and our grandchildren today, what does the Savior want us to see in them?
Do we recognize that our children are the largest group of investigators of the Church?
What must we do to bring about their lasting conversion?

Stanfill:
Is it wise to place our eternal well-being in the hands of strangers?

Martino:
“Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?"
"What greater witness can you have than from God?"
Am I as close to living like Christ now as I was before?

Andersen:
How does the Savior see my faith?
When was the last time that you read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover?

Uchtdorf:
Are we like Daniel?
Do we stand loyal to God?
Do we practice what we preach, or are we Sunday Christians only?
Do our daily actions reflect clearly what we claim to believe?
Do we help “the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted”?
Do we just talk the talk, or do we enthusiastically walk the walk?

Nelson:
Do you realize the breadth and scope of your influence when you speak those things that come to your heart and mind as directed by the Spirit?

Durrant:
How might your family benefit as you continually strive to fill your mind with God’s words?
Will you ponderize a verse of scripture each week for the rest of this month? this year? longer?
Is there something you need to be doing today to prepare yourself spiritually for future opportunities to teach and bless your family and others?

Of Inspired Leaders

Today, Elder Bednar spoke at Education Week (you can watch or read it here). We truly have inspired leaders! His entire message was on how we can utilize social media in spreading the Gospel. I highly recommend watching it!

One of my favorite lines in his devotional was something like, "Social media needs to be our servant - not our master." That's definitely not a direct quote, but that's the message I heard. And I must admit that it has been my master way too many times! I'm ready to take over and show it who's boss! :)

I'm so grateful for the leaders of our Church. They truly are inspired to share with us what we need to hear on that very day!

Of Calmness

In this digital age that we're living in, it's easy to be distracted ALL the time. I see so many (including me) get sucked in to their smart phone while life happens around them. I have a testimony of calmness. That means that I believe we ALL need more CALM in our lives. More pondering. Even more meditating. I know that the Spirit can't speak to us when we're always distracted. He wants to speak to us and teach us, but He's not going to be pushy. We have to do our part. We have to put all those screens down. Put them away. Shut them off. Silence them. Because we're missing some precious truths every time we get sucked into them.

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

Psalm 46:10

Recent Videos from the Church

Recently, the Church has put out some really excellent videos on YouTube. I appreciate the time they take to make these videos. You can't help but feel the Spirit as you watch them.

Voice of the Spirit - I remember when Pres. Faust gave this talk. It's an excellent reminder about how to shift our lives so that our priorities are where they need to be.

Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth - This video reminds me that I need to be mentally present when I'm with my children. So many times, I'm thinking about other things. I need to just be there for them. I have a quote taped to my computer screen that says, "The best thing to spend on your children is your time." (Louis Hart) How true that is!

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light - This man taught me that I need to forgive, no matter how big the offense.

No Regrets - I loved this video, because I, too, have a testimony of seminary. I think that's where I really became converted to the Gospel. I've been a member my whole life, but seminary opened my eyes to things I hadn't before realized. It taught me the ways of the Spirit.

Two Brothers Apart: The 5,000 Day Project - This video really affected me, mostly because I see glimpses of my daughters' relationship in the relationship between these two brothers - some of the good and some of the bad. It gives me hope that all the bickering will soon disappear, and my girls will be best friends all the time, not just some of the time.

Happy Mother's Day

Your beauty doesn't lie in what you wear or how you look. It lies within. This video of Stephanie Nielson reaffirms that fact. She's truly a beautiful woman.

I love what she says about motherhood. Motherhood really is a synonym for beauty.

Perspective

The Spirit of Christmas

What Matters Most