Category: Jesus Christ

Permission

Sometimes I wait for permission to do something that would make me happy. Here is a superficial example. My favorite color is red, and I love interior design, but red has been “out of style” for a long time. So, dutifully, after Christmas, I have ushered out most of the red from my house. This year, someone gave me permission to keep some red things on the shelves in January. Four red plates and my seasonal red seat cushions are all it took to make me smile at my January kitchen.

The trends are mainly fueled by consumerism, so here is permission, if you need it, to put whatever you love on your shelves. To ignore the trends. To ignore the noise that tells us we are not stylish enough, sophisticated enough, or tidy enough.

On another level, here is permission to ignore some of the calls to listen to podcasts rather than seek our own revelation from God about life, faith, and joy. Our time is limited. Do we want a life diluted by noise?

There is a universe of possibilities within each of us. It’s a shame when we allow the world to dictate to us that we are inferior and the answer is to chase after relentlessly changing trends. Here is permission to follow the simpler and better way.

My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God. Let him know through your prayers and your actions that you are serious about overcoming the world. Ask him to enlighten your mind and send the help you need. Each day, record the thoughts that come to you as you pray, and follow through diligently. Spend more time in the temple and seek to understand how the temple teaches you to rise above this fallen world.

Russell M. Nelson

Connection with Heaven

We went with Tim and Queenie to Temple Square on Saturday. I was excited to see the new First Vision statue. I like the depiction of movement and life in this, and that heaven and earth are reaching for one another.

I think people spend a lot of time decorating and seeking musical and artistic experiences at Christmas time because we are all in search of that feeling of connection with heaven.

Favorite teachings about prayer

Meaningful prayer takes effort. My brain gets distracted, I get interrupted, and my lazy side recognizes that prayer is work. I try to improve, year after year. So, here is another post about prayer because I think about it a lot. Today, this post highlights the teachings of many people who have helped me to grow in my understanding and practice of prayer.

For instance, I like the tradition in our church to pray from the heart and begin with gratitude. I write down God’s tender mercies in a gratitude journal before I pray to remember who I am dealing with.

I like that my evangelical Christian friends and the patrons of the temple write down the names of people for whom they pray.

From the Lord’s prayer, I learn to praise and reverence Heavenly Father.

From David in the Psalms, I learn to lament and really pour out my soul.

I believe that when Christ said, “Thy will be done” it wasn’t just a statement of resignation, but an affirmation. When I express that I know that Heavenly Father’s perfect will is being done, this is a great way to reframe my experiences.

I learned from a Christian author Paul Miller to write down specific hopes for my children and to pray boldly for these things. I also learned from him to collect scriptures to remind me of God’s power and promises.

From C.S. Lewis, “I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them.”

I learned from President Nelson to pray with a pencil and paper ready, to write down thoughts and impressions, and then act on them.

I learned from Sister Becky Craven that those scattered, seemingly random thoughts that sometimes come during prayer are worth noting because the Spirit is communicating with us.

From Elder Richard G. Scott, “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of receiving further light.”

With these teachings in mind, I keep a prayer journal. It’s a tool that helps me focus, remember, and act. Currently, the format looks like this:

I keep my petitions on the left and answers and action items on the right. It’s also where I record inspiring words from scripture about God and prayer.

There are needs and dilemmas that carry over week after week, year after year. This prayer journal is evidence that I maintain hope for answers. This journal is also evidence that Heavenly Father is an involved, tender, steadfast, loving Parent.

I only use this prayer journal for one of my prayers each day. Other prayers I offer are more spontaneous and unstructured and often silent. All kinds of prayers are helpful for me.

Mark’s missionary plaque

I enjoy seeing these missionary plaques on display in the hallways of our church buildings. They are one of the cultural threads that make it seem like we are at home when we visit other Sunday services. These plaques are uniform in mood and size, but my mother heart sees them as representing precious children, loved and missed. I really like the scripture that Mark chose. I don’t think I have seen it on a missionary plaque before.

Thou Gracious God

Thou gracious God, whose mercy lends
The light of home, the smile of friends,
Our gathered flock thine arms enfold
As in the peaceful days of old.

Wilt thou not hear us while we raise
In sweet accord of solemn praise
The voices that have mingled long
In joyous flow of mirth and song?

For all the blessings life has brought,
For all the sorrowing hours have taught,
For all we mourn, for all we keep,
The hands we clasp, the loved that sleep.

The noontide sunshine of the past,
These brief, bright moments fading fast,
The stars that gild our darkening years,
The twilight ray from holier spheres.

We thank thee, Father; let thy grace
Our loving circle still embrace,
Thy mercy shed its heavenly store,
Thy peace be with us evermore.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

I can’t read these words (or hear them sung) without images from my life coming to mind to match the phrases. Perhaps it is the same for you.

Writing a blog means that I look at experiences with the thought, “How/when/should I share this?” I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner today. I wanted make a post to highlight some of the things for which I am thankful this year, and it would be so colorful and full of pictures. But preparations for the dinner and Christmas have taken my energy this week, and I realize that the blog is already a running list of gratitude. I’ve written more than 100 posts in 2024 and they showcase some of what Heavenly Father has done. Just some. Thank you for being my blog friend and reading along.

Scattered

“The Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty.”

-Russell M. Nelson

One paradox of gospel living is that if we want to be gatherers, we will need to scatter in some way.

This might look like spending time away from home, scattered about in service.

Elder Cook taught, “When we shine, we gather.” Abandoning old habits, scattering them in the wake of better choices and Christ’s grace, has an effect of making a person shine.

Our family may be scattered for now, but wherever we are, we can be gatherers. Each time we have sent a family member to serve a mission, I have felt the blessing of additional spiritual strength. This is another paradox of gospel living, that in feeling incomplete, I become more intact in Christ. Gathered.