Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Parable of the Sower and Alma 32



One of my favorite songs is from the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack , "The Call" by, Regina Spektor. Everytime I hear this song I can't help but think of Mathew 13:1-23 and Alma 32:28-43. This song keeps playing in my head today, I know the words but this is the first time I've put them down. Great song... even greater message!

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry
I'll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye
Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never
Been this way before
All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye
You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye
Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
'Til they're before your eyes
You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye
You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye
- The Call by, Regina Spektor

Friday, February 5, 2010

Of Mind and Heart

My husband and I were having a discussion the other night about education. And these are a couple of thoughts I had and I wanted to share them...





The finest education is not obtained in state universities but rather in the state of mind and heart.

With a formal education, one may achieve great positions of power, fame or wealth....but in all their fine schooling, if they fail to use this gift of knowledge for good, for the betterment of others, to share virtue and light, If their pursuit is for self and self alone then they have learned nothing and they are fools indeed.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that higher education is not important. It is vital to obtain all the learning one can and seek wisdom all the days of their life. But like all other gifts from God it must be used with wisdom and for worthy purposes and then it will be added unto them, like Jesus teaches in the parable of the talents. For in God is the "highest" education. :)

This makes me think of Prov. 4:7. “With all thy getting get understanding.

..........What are your thoughts?

Monday, February 1, 2010

Wisdom From Mother Teresa

Yesterday at church a sister spoke about charity and quoted this famous verse by Mother Teresa. It impressed me so much that I wanted to share it:


"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
- Mother Teresa


What a wonderful legacy of discipleship she left for us! I want to memorize this and live by this.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Heavy Laden

Painting by: Greg Olsen
I am so exhausted from this past week, I don't think I have much strength left to do any more. In between momhood, schooling, apartment managing, laundry, dishes and caring for some friends who are ill... I feel very, very "heavy laden."
I'm thankful for the comfort and peace I find in the scriptures and in the Spirit. I will cast my burden on the Lord and trust in the beautiful enabling power of His Grace. I don't need to be perfect I just need to follow Him who is perfect. I find hope knowing that He will make up the difference for all that I lack. I know that in His strength I can do all that He requires of me.


"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28


"Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls." - Alma 37:34


"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." - Galatians 6:9


"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." - Doctrine and Covenants 64:33

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Temples Around the World

This is a picture of the temple in Hong Kong:My friend lived in Hong Kong for a while and taught school there. Of all the sites to see around the world I suggest visiting a temple.

So why do we have all these temples and what is their purpose? Click here for the answer.
Melbourne Australia
Memphis Tennessee
Mérida México
Mesa Arizona
México City México
Monterrey México
Montevideo Uruguay
Monticello Utah
Montréal Québec
Mount Timpanogos Utah
Nashville Tennessee
Nauvoo Illinois
Newport Beach California
Nuku'alofa Tonga
Oakland California
Oaxaca México
Ogden Utah
Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Oquirrh Mountain Utah
Orlando Florida
Palmyra New York
Panamá City Panamá
Papeete Tahiti
Perth Australia
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Phoenix Arizona
Portland Oregon
Porto Alegre Brazil
Preston England
Provo Utah
Quetzaltenango Guatemala
Raleigh North Carolina
Recife Brazil
Redlands California
Regina Saskatchewan
Reno Nevada
Rexburg Idaho
Rome Italy
Sacramento California
St George Utah
St Louis Missouri
St Paul Minnesota
Salt Lake
San Antonio Texas
San Diego California
San José Costa Rica
San Salvador El Salvador
Santiago Chile
Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
São Paulo Brazil
Sapporo Japan
Seattle Washington
Seoul Korea
Snowflake Arizona
Spokane Washington
Stockholm Sweden
Suva Fiji
Sydney Australia
Taipei Taiwan
Tampico Mexico
Tegucigalpa Honduras
The Gila Valley Arizona
The Hague Netherlands
Tokyo Japan
Toronto Ontario
Trujillo Peru
Twin Falls Idaho
Vancouver British Columbia
Veracruz México
Vernal Utah
Villahermosa México
Washington D.C.
Winter Quarters Nebraska

Monday, January 18, 2010

To Honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Let's make this a day of service, a day of forgiving others, a day of kindness and pure Christian love toward all people. Let's show our honor for this great American by putting our differences behind us, letting go of hatred and losing ourselves in the service of our Lord as Martin Luther King Jr. examplified so beautifully throughout his life.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of God! He was a true Christian in every way, a great example for all of us to follow. We would all benefit by living by his inspired words.

"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values -- that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." - Martin Luther King Jr.


"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Prayer

I just love this video about the power of prayer. It happened in 2007. It's about a woman in New York who tells a beautiful story of how the Lord answered her prayer. This also includes the testimony of a living Prophet of God. This video is truly inspiring, and will brighten your day no matter what faith or religious backround you come from.

The truth is there is great power in prayer as we humbly and gratefully seek to know the will of the Lord and then do His will. I have a testimony that God is our Father, He is most merciful, most loving, most powerful and is anxious to communicate with His children.... and we are all His children.

I pray for blessings to be with all who might stumble upon this blog. I hope it gives you encouragement, strengthens your faith in God and inspires you to lift the lives of those around you.

Alicia