A Website all About Gratitude

Because next week is Thanksgiving... I thought it would be appropriate to share this really cool website all about gratitude.
I think gratitude is one of the main keys to happiness.

...At least I know in my own life, when I'm in a slump it usually is because I am thinking about everything that is going wrong or everything that is difficult rather than thinking of what I have and all that is going right.

What am I grateful for??
I'm grateful to see there are good people everywhere you go who enrich and bless the lives of all around them.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

What is happiness?

I was reading another blog a few days ago. They asked, "What is happiness?" this blogger had posed a very good question with some very good arguments.

I have pondered on this question for several days. I have scribbled down some thoughts in an attempt to try and describe it. I think there is often a confusion between "fun" and "happiness." Sometimes we define them as meaning the same thing but they are not. Of course we can have both at times. ..But we must understand that fun and happiness are different. I have more thoughts on this but I won't go into the details today.

As I continued to ponder on this question I remembered a talk given to the women (but certainly can be applied to men as well) by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency. The following is taken directly from his talk. This is some very wise counsel.

May the Lord bless you all and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog, I hope it inspires you and lifts your life today and gives you hope for tomorrow.
- Alicia

Here is a link to a youtube video also collaborated from bits and pieces of his talk. It's less than 2 minutes so take a second and check it out and then come back to read the rest ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k


To All Who Are Weary
"Today I would like to speak to those who have ever felt inadequate, discouraged, or weary—in short, I would like to speak to all of us.

...We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow.

I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn’t a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial.

These things are not insignificant.

However, I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about God’s happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us.

Let me first pose a question: What do you suppose is the greatest kind of happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God’s happiness.

This leads to another question: What is our Heavenly Father’s happiness?

This may be impossible to answer because His ways are not our ways. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways higher than [our] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [our] thoughts.”1

Though we cannot understand “the meaning of all things,” we do “know that [God] loveth his children”2 because He has said, “Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”3

Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate."

The Work of Creation
"...The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. ...Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.

The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. "

Being Compassionate
"Being compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people. We are commanded to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”7 Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. Those who follow the Savior “mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”8

When we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing choice blessings to descend upon us. Surely our beloved Heavenly Father smiles upon those who care for the least of His children.

As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.”9
President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.”

These are profound words. As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.

President Lorenzo Snow expressed a similar thought: “When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.”10

In today’s world of pop psychology, junk TV, and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness."

Conclusion
My dear sisters [and brothers], I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together for your good.14 I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love.15 Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment.

As spirit daughters [and sons] of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage.

You are choice [children] of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin; walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you.

Of this I testify, and leave you my blessing as an Apostle of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Science and Religion

My husband is studying to be a scientist. Currently he is working toward a degree in physics and astronomy.

Also this year I am doing an online school with my kids. I don't make the curriculum but I get to teach it. (This is my first time trying an online school and I really enjoy it for the most part.) I've been teaching my first grader and third grader about the different phases of matter, about, molecules, elements, atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons etc.

As I teach these things, I can't help but be in awe of how science compliments religion and visa versa. Some may believe just the opposite of this but I truly believe God is a Scientist. It just makes sense that He would be. Therefore I believe when we understand our true nature, God's true nature and the eternal nature of matter and the elements then science and religion come together in a most beautiful fashion.

Some Things I Do Know With Certainty

There are many things I don't know nor do I have the answers to. But there are some things I do know with complete certainty.

I know there is a God. Before we came to earth, we lived with God. He is the Father of our spirit. Everyone who has ever lived or will live on this earth is a spirit son or daughter of God.

I know God is loving, kind, compassionate, merciful, just and true.

I know His work and His glory is to have His children return home to Him. But there are two things that separate us from being able to return to His presence. The first is sin. The second is death. Since we cannot cleanse ourselves from sin anymore than we can raise ourselves from the dead, we needed a Savior. A Savior is someone who does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

I know Jesus Christ was and is that Savior who makes it possible to return to our Father. Through His Atonment we can be cleansed from sin and live beyond the grave. Jesus is God's Son. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever beliveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I know Jesus came to redeem us and show us the true character of our Eternal Father. He said, "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."- John 5:30

I know that after our Savior's death; Jesus, the Risen Lord, appeared to many that He loved in life and also ministered to the "other sheep" (John 10:16) in ancient America. (We have this record.) God has spoken to prophets anciently and He speaks through living prophets today.

I know God lives, I know Christ is His Son and our Savior, I know we are God's children and that He loves us. I know God wants us to come back home to Him and He has provided a way. I know this with all of my heart and with every fiber of my being.

I have hope in Christ. It is through Him that I am able to return to my Father in Heaven. I am so thankful for the gift of God's Son. I am so thankful for the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!

May God bless each and everyone of you!
Alicia

Anger and Ignorance

When I read the news and various comments from viewers I am saddened by so much anger. I don't care who is wrong or right in the conversation...... it makes me so sick to my stomach to see people lashing out at one another, accusing, scorning, mocking, name calling, swearing etc. Can't we all just get along!!! I see it among the Liberals, the Conservatives, religious, non-religious and among every race and color. There is no excuse to treat anyone (no matter who it is) there is no excuse to be so uncivilized whether online or in person!! And before we look around and point the finger we must first examine ourselves. There are times when I've reacted in anger or in sharp hurtful words and I'm not proud of it. I believe in forgiveness. I believe we can let go of perceived offences. I believe in redemption.

I just heard about the shooting in Fort Hood. This incident makes me very sad because the shooter was a so called "Muslim". Of course immediately following this news there are those who blame the religion of Islam for the shootings. But, Islam is not to blame for these violent acts. Ignorance and anger are to blame. These extremists are taught from a Koran that has been distorted, twisted and changed from it's original text thus in many cases excusing their violence in the name of God. They become fed a steady diet of lies that lead them far from the original teachings of Islam.

Terrorism isn't related to Muslims any more than it is to Christians. There are incidents where Christians have become ignorant to the doctrine of Christ and twisted His teachings to justify violence. Anyone is susceptible to causing terror.

On a smaller scale how often do we get in arguments with neighbors, family or friends when we don't have all the facts, when we jump to conclusions, when we gossip or twist words?

What does it do to us when we dwell on these injustices?

What does it do to us when we see only bad and close our eyes to any of the good around us?

This is where it starts.........If unchecked it leads to violence, misery and sorrow... destroying everything in it's path.

Last general conference our modern day Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson warned against anger.

He quoted the words of the hymn written by Elder Charles W. Penrose, who served in the Quorum of the Twelve and in the First Presidency during the early years of the 20th century:

School thy feelings, O my brother;

Train thy warm, impulsive soul.

Do not its emotions smother,

But let wisdom’s voice control.

School thy feelings; there is power

In the cool, collected mind.

Passion shatters reason’s tower,

Makes the clearest vision blind.

On another occasion he quoted this poem by, Bolton Hall:

'I looked at my brother through the microscope of criticism,

and I said, 'How coarse my brother is.'

Then I looked at my brother through the telescope of scorn,

and I said, 'How small my brother is.'

Then I looked into the mirror of truth and I said,

'How like me my brother is.

I pray for all of us, myself included, that we will

seek to understand more,

to get the facts,

to refrain from anger and cease idle words & gossip,

to find the good in our brothers and sisters

no matter what our political view, religious view, cultural background or however different we might me.

No one accomplishes anything by tearing down another human soul.

Let us build each other.

We are all brothers and sisters.

We are all children of the same God.

Let's be civil.

Let's be kind.

I pray for peace.

Oh how I pray for peace.

Just Thankful

I'm just thinking how thankful I am to have a living Prophet of God on the earth today and to have the Quorum of the 12 Apostles as well. I've been listening to the most recent conference address by these men.
http://lds.org/conference/languages/0,6353,310-1,00.html

I love to hear them speak! Every time I do, I feel a undeniable wittiness in my heart that they are called of God, I feel peace, I feel direction, I feel love, certainty and hope. When I hear these men speak I feel a greater desire to serve my neighbor, to love my family better, to pray harder, to listen to more of God's words, etc. In short I feel better and I live better when I follow their counsel. I am so thankful for Divine revelation, where God speaks to us through those in authority, through holy writ and through the Holy Spirit. I feel like shouting hallelujah! I have the greatest treasure on earth, a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I love to share it!

Black Mormons

Just the other day I found this really cool website. http://www.blacklds.org/ It's not a site that is owned by the lds church but it is one that some black members have put together by their own making. It includes their testimonies, stories, pictures and history. Truly an inspiring site to visit!!