A great one from Stake Conference today.
“I doubt there will be very many people in the celestial kingdom who aren’t kind.”
-Elder Marlin K. Jensen
I love Spring! It showcases a beautiful world coming to life again. I planted some new varieties of flowers in our front yard this year. When I checked on everything after our trip to Arizona I noticed something peculiar. Two flower plants are growing right next to each other. One is growing well and blooming brightly; the other is still struggling to take root in the soil. I paused to reflect on what makes the difference. I prepared the soil just the same and both get the same amount of water and sunlight, yet one struggles and one thrives. I reflected on my children and how they are like those flowers. Sometimes they thrive and other times we face daily, weekly, and sometimes never-ending struggles with them. They are great kids, and yet each one has a unique set of challenges–mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They are each different and, like the flowers, one “right” way may not be what each of them needs to thrive. That makes parenting the greatest challenge and adventure ever! I can’t make the struggling flower thrive any more than I can make a child get over whatever he or she struggles with. I can seek to understand why and nurture though. Nurturing–it is a glorious mix of gentle words, loving touch, unhurried time, and individualized prayer. Isn’t it funny that as I looked at the plant I realized I needed to pray more specifically for my children? I felt the sudden impression that my Father in Heaven is just waiting to lead me, guide me, walk beside me, and help me nurture my little ones in their unique needs. There’s a reason most gardening is done on our knees!
May
12
Women’s Conference–Sacred, Selfless Service
Filed Under Personal Light, Scriptures, Written by Emily
A conference about coming unto Christ could not be complete without messages about service. Service is the lifeblood of His example to us and the ministry to which we all are called. This class was a wonderful reminder of those principles. I am grateful for the quiet voice of the Spirit that spoke to me during this class about a specific thing I can do to serve my family more selflessly and a specific thing we can do as a family to serve in our community. I know that if you seek to know through the Spirit what He would have you do to serve more like the Savior, He will enlighten you too! Read more
Thanks to my sister Crystal for passing on this link. Great gospel-centered parenting ideas about teaching being more important than correcting. Check it out!
http://www.arbinger.com/downloads/parenting_pyramid.pdf
May
8
Women’s Conference–Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn
Filed Under Personal Light, Written by Emily
I needed this one! It was interesting that the two speakers took very different approaches to the topic. The first spoke on listening to the Spirit in our lives and the second spoke about listening to our own inner voice. Read more
May
6
Women’s Conference–Loving the Praise of God More Than the Praise of Man
Filed Under Family, Personal Light, Written by Emily
This is one of the concurrent sessions I went to. Three amazing women partnered to address this topic. Once again, these are just the highlights that touched my heart. Read more
May
5
Women’s Conference–Sleeping Giants (by Sheri Dew)
Filed Under Personal Light, Scriptures, Written by Emily
More great stuff from Women’s Conference! Sheri Dew was the speaker for the Thursday morning general session. As usual, she did amazing and was so inspiring! It seemed like everything she said was a “golden nugget” that I felt I needed to hear. These are some of the things that stood out to me. Read more
May
4
Women’s Conference–Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
Filed Under Personal Light, Written by Emily
It was a remarkable experience to listen to a Prophet’s voice on Friday. Read more
Have you ever been in sun so bright that it hurt your eyes? My spirit feels like that tonight! I have spent the past two days at Women’s Conference at BYU being fed by the Spirit and by the messages and testimonies of many amazing men and women. My heart is so full…full to overflowing. It’s overflowing out my eyes in fact. Every time tonight I have related to Todd an experience from Women’s Conference I have had to fight back the tears. Happy tears. 3 Nephi 4:33 begins, “And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God.” God is indeed Good! I look forward to sharing many of those experiences and the many wonderful messages I heard there. I plan on posting daily for the next while to pass on all the wonderful rays of Light. Tonight I just wanted to share my testimony. The Light is bright. It penetrates our souls. The Light of Jesus Christ can reach into every corner of our pain-filled, aching, confused, lonely, tired, dark, sad, hurt souls and fill us with a beauty and warmth and love that is so amazing and so powerful that it almost hurts! I have many questions and worries and pains in my own soul, and in the past two days His Light has filled me and very specifically addressed each of those issues. They aren’t gone. They aren’t magically transformed into flowers and chocolates, but they are changed. Why? Because I know now that God knows they are there and that He is working on them with me. He has begun to show me that He is the answer to all of the issues, though they seem so varied–from callings to health concerns and home school to strained relationships–the answer is Him. The theme of Women’s Conference was , “Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Him” (Moroni 10:31-32). I feel like that is just what has happened. I have awoken to a bright, amazing sunrise–a Son-rise. I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He knows us and loves us, and because of the goodness of God and His incomprehensible grace, we can be filled with His Light and find peace and comfort and healing in Him!
“The Savior isn’t our last chance; He is our only chance. Our only chance to overcome self-doubt and catch a vision of who we may become. Our only chance to repent and have our sins washed clean. Our only chance to purify our hearts, subdue our weaknesses, and avoid the adversary. Our only chance to obtain redemption and exaltation. Our only chance to find peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come…The Lord knows the way because He is the way and is the only chance for successfully negotiating mortality. His Atonement makes available all of the power, peace, light, and strength that we need to deal with life’s challenges–those ranging from our own mistakes and sins to trials over which we have no control but we still feel pain.”
–Sheri Dew
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