What Hands Can Do

Holiness results from activity and not from passivity.

What It Means to Know Christ

Here are some beautiful thoughts by George W. Pace.

There is a great reason for being.

Let me share with you a way to imagine the Atonement that might make it more real for you. Suppose that you were to review your life with the Savior, the occasions where you broke the commandments. How would you feel? Just the idea would bother me greatly, because I feel so ashamed of my sins. Imagine how that guilt would be quickened by the presence of the Savior, how painful it would be to know that the Lord has really seen all of your weaknesses and your willful disobedience. What a heartbreaking experience! Particularly when you realize that there is no way for you to make amends for your sins.

Then, perhaps, your mind goes back to the account of the Lord in Gethsemane, of how he was so burdened with sorrow and the agony of suffering that drops of blood came from his pores. You realize that part of his suffering was to pay for your sins.

When I contemplate this, after repentance, something happens. I feel a new kind of joy and peace. I feel clean, changed. I find myself with a whole new nature. (See Alma 36:20–21.) I realize that this change is a result of his magnificent love and willingness to assume the pain and suffering caused by my disobedience. (See Mosiah 5:2.) And, oh, how I rejoice for that tremendous blessing!

The Lord is going to ask us to do things that are impossible to do—except through him! 

I believe he is saying he would like to put his arms around all of us and comfort and strengthen us. He would like to reach into our hearts, pull out the anxiety, sorrow, and concern, and instill in our hearts great peace, joy, and a realization that we are infinitely precious in his eyes.

Words to Live By

If we don't love someone as much as we should, it's probably because we haven't sacrificed enough for them.

Having a testimony is a privilege.     -Lorenzo Snow

The Spirit is there.  Promptings are present.    

The homemaker has the ultimate career.  All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.     -C.S. Lewis

Words of the Wise

Real influence is wielded quietly, one on one.     -Elder Nash

Not every grieving person is ready to be hopeful.     -Sister Applonie

It's okay to have clouds in life because they make the most beautiful sunsets.     -Josh Beuhner

There are no second class missions.     

Motivation follows action.     -Wendy Ulrich

A break is often as good as a change.     -Wendy Ulrich

Make sure your faith is in Jesus Christ and not the outcome.    -President Stratton

Sunday Quotes

Well, it's been an incredible journey.  I don't have the words to express what the mission means to me, and I think that's because it's all in my heart.  I will be eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father and Savior for this opportunity and to the Spirit for being there every step of the way.  What a joy it's been!

And now, it's on to another journey.  So far, it hasn't been quite as fulfilling as the mission, but this is part of Heavenly Father's plan for me too, so I'm sure it will get there.  I'm trying my best to do as President Monson advises and find joy in this journey, which is making a difference.  So today, I wanted to start a new tradition: Sunday quotes.

These quotes will be from the past couple of weeks.  They're things that have helped, reminded, consoled, and lifted.  Hopefully they do the same for you.

Truth exists beyond belief.   -President Uchtdorf

He who honors God, God honors.     -Chariots of Fire

Discipleship is not a spectator's sport.     -Sister Elaine S. Dalton

The purposes of God cannot be frustrated.     -Doctrine and Covenants 3:1

What we do will never measure up to what we need to be, but that's okay.  God has bridged the gap.     -Kristan Miller

It's not a coincidence that the word "quest" is in the word "question."     -Michael Wesch

Love is not an experience; it's a capacity.     -Michael Wesch

The Lord wants us to be made over - but in His image, not in the image of the world, by receiving His image in our countenances.     -Susan W. Tanner

Of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to deity, he has asked us to address Him as Father.     -Quorum of the Twelve

The Holy Ghost is within whispering distance.     -Elaine S. Dalton

Creation is ongoing.  It is not complete until we fulfill the measure of our creation.     -David Seely

He can lift us perfectly.

A Recipe for Beauty

The other day, I was with my good friend Bethany, and she reminded me of this recipe for beauty that I love.

For attractive lips,

Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,

Let a child run their fingers through it once a day.

For poise,

Walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, 

Have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;

Never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you need a helping hand,

You will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover

That you have two hands;

One for helping yourself,

And the other for helping others.

                                     -Audrey Hepburn

Farewell Talk

Today I gave my farewell talk.  

Even though I've had the topic for a few weeks, I chose to write it yesterday.  Good thing I've written a bajillion papers for school and that prayers for inspiration are answered, because the talk actually turned out to be not too shabby.

I even made them laugh.

Well, it was more a mass chuckle (NOT a sympathy laugh, it was real), but it was enough to keep me going.

My topic was "Sharing the Gospel through Word and Example" and of course right now I have a lot of thoughts on that topic, so it wasn't too hard to write, and I was able to speak without looking at my notes too much-something I always try to do.

So, favorite parts of my talk:

This story:
"I'm sure I'm not the only one to have seen this, but as I was sitting in the foyer one day, I noticed a little boy pushing on one of the glass doors with all of his strength, trying to get it open.  Quietly, his father came up behind him, and pushed above his son's head, where his son couldn't see him, and together they opened the door.  This little boy was ecstatic at his own strength and was too young to really notice the influence his father had had in his success, but the father knew, and I'm sure as this little boy grew older, his father continued to help him.
This is how it is with missionary work.  The glass doors represent barriers we have, but as we push against them, Heavenly Father will be pushing with us until we open them together."
(cool analogy, huh?)

And these quotes:

“At of the end of the year 2010, there were 52,225 missionaries serving in 340 missions throughout the world. Missionary work is the lifeblood of the kingdom.”    

-President Thomas S. Monson

“The study of doctrine will change behavior faster than the study of behavior will change behavior.”   

-Elder Boyd K. Packer

“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?”  

-Benjamin Franklin

My re-wording: "Hide not your testimony.  It is meant to be shared.  How will it guide even your own life if it's hidden away?"  

(Also, look for the symbolism in the sundial analogy.  It's awesome.)

"The sun never sets on righteous missionaries."

-Elder Neil L. Anderson

(Look for the symbolism in this too.  Sun=Son)

“Many of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish.  But people rarely have to be lists.” 

-Elder Lynn G. Robbins

“One of the greatest sermons ever pronounced on missionary work is this simple thought attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”  

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives.”

-President Thomas S. Monson

“Mediocricy will never do.  You are capable of something better.”

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

So there it is.  A very water-down version of my talk.  Hope you enjoyed it.

P.S. If you want a full copy, just comment that you do and I'll send one to you.

I Know It's Not Christmas

but I still love this quote.  

Two of my friends were lucky enough to receive a tile like this as a wedding present.  The best part is that it's homemade.  

Sunday Quotes

(In relation to visiting teaching.)


We are what we believe we are.
C.S. Lewis



Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don't fight back.
W.K. Hope



It's not our abilities that show what we truly are; it's our choices.
J.K. Rowling



A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.


Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.


Never, never, never give up.
Winston Churchill



Mediocracy will never do.  You are capable of something better.
President Hinckley

Power

Power is proportional to one's divine attributes.

John 17:2, John 19:10-11, Alma 12:15, 

"Knowledge brings power; purity brings power; love brings power.  The acquisition of each diving trait brings power.  Power and godhood are directly related."



I've always put a negative connotation with the word power, but realistically, God is omnipotent, or all-powerful, and God is good.  Power comes with divine attributes because the people who have those spiritual gifts should know how to use the power they receive.  Power is a gift, more than it's a prerogative.  Power is a good thing because it shows potential for leadership.  Ultimately it is a way to bring people to Christ.

Favorite Quotes of Late

"Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  

Life is about not knowing, having to change, 

taking the moment and making the best of it, 

without knowing what's going to happen next.  

Delicious ambiguity..."

-Gilda Radner

"The Holy Ghost is a foretaste of the eternal joy and promise of eternal life."

-Elder M. Russell Ballard

"I find television very educating.  

Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

-Groucho Marx

"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love.  It is a prerogative of the brave.

-Mohandas Gandhi

"The lesson was not lost on me."

-President Thomas S. Monson

Werido

This is what we called them when we were younger, and now we just call them nonconformists. 

Do any of you feel like you're a non-conformist?

I certainly do, in my own little world and own little ways. 

And I think there are quite a few people who feel, at least in some way, as if they don't conform.

So the real question is, what type of non-conformist are you?

Bill Vaughn said, "If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity."

After coming across this quote, it brought back quite a few memories of times when I very purposefully did not fit in, not even with the nonconformists.  These times date back to the good, old elementary school days.  I was sometimes given the label 'weirdo', but quickly learned to take it as a compliment.  It came to mean, "Man, you're smart," or "What an imagination you have!" or sometimes, "You're just plain weird." But weird always had a good connotation for me.  I was, after all, choosing to be weird, because in my head I knew what I had to do to be 'normal' and I just didn't want to be that way.  I think it might be human nature to want to be different from everyone else, and I embraced the fact that I was different at a fairly young age.

Junior high and high school were much the same.  But the label changed from 'weirdo' to 'Mormon', which I guess in a non-Mormon culture is the same thing.

But now, at BYU (or as a good friend said, "where everyone is clones"), I don't regularly feel like the great nonconformist that I once was.  It's definitely a different experience for me.  I usually feel...well...pretty normal.  Except for today, when I've had too much time to think about non-school related things and to convince myself that I'm still very much a weirdo.

Tail Pulling

Today I just wanted to post a profound quote by President Packer that I heard recently. He said, "When you pull the tail of the devil, he likes to spit a little fire." The visual in my head is almost funny, but I'll let you ponder on the deeper meaning. What a great quote.