A Perfect Morning

I went for a bike ride this morning, rode past an apple orchard and saw 10 deer. Excitedly, I circled around the orchard trying to see if I could find anymore. “What a fun way to start the day!” I thought.

Breathing deeply, I savored the moment of the morning’s cool, crisp air. As I rode away, off to the side of me, I could see a doe and 3 fawns running in my same direction. I tried to follow them as long as I could but of course they were much faster. One of the fawns frolicked as she ran. It was such a beautiful sight! I said a prayer in my heart to thank God for this awesome experience.

Because He First Loved Us

I had such a wonderful day at church yesterday. Our Stake Presidency visited and spoke to us about Charity, forgiveness and focusing on the good in all we say and do. It was so uplifting. President Christiansen focused a lot on God's love and how it works within us. He quoted the following:

“We think we have to change, grow and be good in order to be loved. But rather we are loved and we receive His grace so we can change, grow and be good.” - John Powell

Image by, Mark Mabry

It's true! In 1 John 4:19 it teaches "We love Him, because he first loved us." Grace is truly an enabling power. I pondered how often I extend grace to my fellow man or how often I only give love when I feel it's been "earned". What would happen if I gave love regardless of how others receive it? What miracles would happen, especially in my own heart?

I felt like yesterday was such a feast. I appreciated how humbling the messages were for me. I love meetings like that!

Tender Mercies

This past week, answers to prayers have been pouring down on me like refreshing rain. One of the miracles is something I've been praying for a very long time.

I feel like shouting hallelujah!!

In a recent post, I shared a story about a neighbor of mine that had been treating me very rudely for well over a year. Just last week I decided to do a neighborhood BBQ and I made a special invitation to her. I sincerely wanted her to come but didn't expect her to show up because she hadn't shown up to any previous invitations. But to my surprise she came.... not only did she come but we had a friendly conversation too! I felt so relieved. I don't know what exactly softened her heart towards me and I still don't know why she was so rude to me in the first place. I'm just so thankful that things are better now! I am so thankful for the healing that is taking place between us.

"I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us."- Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Beauty is...

When I was in my late teens my family had a wonderful couple for hometeachers, Brother and Sister Anderson. They were an older couple, probably in their late 70's. They always had a sparkle in their eyes and a smile on their face(I called it perma-grin). They were filled to the brim with gratitude for everyone and everything around them. I never heard a disparaging remark come out of their mouth. They spoke freely about God, His mercy and blessings. Their testimony of the Savior was not just in word but in the choices they made every day of their lives. They were a beautiful example of charity and oneness in marriage and of Christlike love for everyone. They shined so bright! I loved to be around them and glean from their wisdom.

About five years ago, I saw Brother Anderson in the temple...His physical health had declined for he needed to constantly be on oxygen and he carried a cane but he still had that strong and vibrant spirit... he hugged me and gave his regards to my family. His eyes shined as bright as ever and he still had that warmth of spirit that could soften any frozen heart.

I will never forget this wonderful couple! What an impression they made on me... they helped me see what true beauty is!

Worth of Souls

This scripture has been on my mind alot lately... maybe because it's taped to my computer :) heh heh

Anyway, I think it's important to share.... even more important to know.

"The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." -D&C 18:10

We lived with God as His spirit children before we came to earth. Jer. 1: 5

We are created in God's image. Gen. 1: 27 Acts 17: 28-29

He has a plan and a purpose for each of us.

He loves you!

Do we realize who we are?

"You are unique and you are not lost in the crowd. You are known and loved by your Father in Heaven." - (See Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76:24)

"Discover the beauty within. Real sparkle is not something you put on. It comes from the heart." - (See 1 Samuel 16:7)

"With the Lord's help, you are strong enough." (See Joshua 1:9)

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

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!

Strength and Hope in the Midst of Trial

We sang this song in Church today and I cried all through it... the words are what I needed at this time. I have been struggling with an illness that the Dr.'s are still trying to figure out. I have anxiety over the "unknown" sometimes and it's baggage that I really don't need to carry. A wise person once said, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future." I just need to remember "peace be still" and know that it's all in God's hands.

I am so thankful for the power of prayer, for God's tender mercies, for the power of His word, the power of music and the comforting influence of the Spirit of the Lord.

"Master, the tempest is raging!The billows are tossing high!The sky is o'ershadow with blackness,No shelter or help is nigh;Carest Thou not that we perish?How canst Thou lie asleep,When each moment so madly is threateningA grave in the angry deep?

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,Peace, be still!Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,Or demons or men, or whatever it beNo waters can swallow the ship where liesThe Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,Peace, be still! Peace, be still!They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,Peace, peace, be still!

Master, with anguish of spiritI bow in my grief today;The depths of my sad heart are troubledOh, waken and save, I pray!Torrents of sin and of anguishSweep o’er my sinking soul;And I perish! I perish! dear MasterOh, hasten, and take control.

Master, the terror is over,The elements sweetly rest;Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,And heaven’s within my breast;Linger, O blessèd Redeemer!Leave me alone no more;And with joy I shall make the blest harbor,And rest on the blissful shore."

- Words by Mary A. Baker

He never gives up on us.

I was listening to some talks from last conference today and I really like this part. This is very comforting for me when I have had a day or days where I feel like such a crappy mom.

"There are some who believe that because they have made mistakes, they can no longer fully partake of the blessings of the gospel. How little they understand the purposes of the Lord. One of the great blessings of living the gospel is that it refines us and helps us learn from our mistakes. We “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,”11 yet the Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole when we repent."
- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency

“Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

“We [might] see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. . . .

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.”- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Watch Out!!

On memorial day my two little boys discovered that the cars driving around the grounds of the cemetery were driving extremely slow. Traffic was almost at a standstill, mostly because of the crowds there that day.

My two boys began to play a game of holding up their hands, signaling for the slow moving cars to stop and then cross to the other side. They were amused at their strength to "stop them".

At first I thought it was cute but soon my protective instinct set in. "You guys.. this really isn't a good game to play, you could get hurt... I know the cars are going very, very slowly but please just stay on the grass."......

Later that day, we went up to the canyons with a group of friends for lunch. I had forgotten about the game my boys were playing with the cars. The traffic along the canyon road was critically faster than that at the cemetery and there were blinding curves coupled with steep slopes. Most cars were going about 50 mph. It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect. We were sitting in the shade enjoying our lunch when I looked up....

To my horror... there was my little 4yr. old boy standing in the middle of the canyon road with his hands in the air waiting for the cars to come so he could "stop them." I had only a split second to rescue him. If a car came at that moment it would certainly be going fast enough to kill him and if the driver saw him they certainly wouldn't have been able to stop in time because of the steep, blinding curves. I yelled out his name as I ran to him and pulled him out of the road just in time... for only seconds later there passed a speeding car. He was angry at me because he couldn't see the danger. To him, I had spoiled his fun and ruined his game.



.... I have thought about this situation with the cars many times since and have thought how God must feel sometimes when his children insist on having dangerous "fun" and how we as His children get angry at Him because His commandments are too "restricting."



This little experience helped to solidify that God gives us commandments because He loves us and to protect us, they are there to prevent unnecessary hurt and spiritual death to our souls.

Someone once said, "God made us free and He gives us commandments to keep us free." I testify that this is true! He sees the bigger picture. I know He loves us and wants so much for us to be happy, to be free... but we must understand that "His ways are not our ways." I testify that it is only His way that sets us free.

I am thankful for the experience I had that Memorial day... for it taught me a valuable lesson.

God bless you,
Alicia

A Living Prayer

I love this song by Alison Krauss! It gives me chills.

I found this song on an amazing blog by this increadible musician who has such inspiring faith in the midst increadible trials.

http://mytricuspidatresia.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-brother-and-irony-of-life.html


"In this world I walk alone
With no place to call my home
But there's one who holds my hand
The rugged road through barren lands
The way is dark, the road is steep
But He's become my eyes to see
The strength to climb, my griefs to bear
The Savior lives inside me there
In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee
In these trials of life I find
Another voice inside my mind
He comforts me and bids me live
Inside the love the Father gives
In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee"

"A Living Prayer" by, Alison Krauss

Had a hard day...

This is a new video just made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz41YxNiHEg&feature=channel_page
I watched it with my husband today.... and it brought tears to our eyes. I know we have a loving Father in Heaven who hears and answers our prayers.

President Ditier F. Uchtdorf said last year at womens conference... "In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."

"Do you pray to Allah?"

I help watch my friend Meher's little girl almost every day. Every time before we eat we always say a prayer. One day my little friend, Lamis said, "I don't pray like you, I pray to Allah." (Her family practices Islam.) I said, "It's ok Lamis you don't have to pray with us." I could see the question in her eyes..."Who do you pray to?" .......I answered, "Lamis I know we don't pray in the exact same way but we do pray to the same God, so I guess you could say we pray to Allah too."

That was pretty much all I said to her but I have since thought about that situation....

Allah means "One true God." God is the Father of all our spirits, He is also the Father Who Jesus Christ prayed to. Now when we pray we don't address Him as "Allah", we say "Father in Heaven". And we close our prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ," His Son. But we pray to our Father, the one true Father of us all.

Our first article of faith is, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost."

Jesus prayed to our Father in Heaven: "O Father, glorify thou me… with the glory which I had with thee before the world was… That the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me… For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:5, 23–24.

He prayed:

“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these [the disciples] have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:25–26. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” John 17:24.

As He took upon Himself the sins and sorrows of this world Christ prayed:

“Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Elder Robert D. Hales said of this sacred moment, "He was not talking to Himself or relying on His own strength. He was calling upon His Father, God Omnipotent, to sustain Him and allow Him to do His Father’s will; and His Father sent an angel “from heaven, strengthening him.”Luke 22:43.

Jesus testified all throughout His mission that He was about His "Father's business". Upon the cross when He was crucified, He said, "It is finished,”John 19:30 and “cried with a loud voice, … Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:46

After Christ rose again from the grave and appeared to Mary Magdalene He said "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." John 20:10–18 Later Jesus appeared to Stephen standing next to Heavenly Father. He also appeared to Joseph Smith standing next to His Father.

Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are one in purpose, one in heart and one in mind, as we should be with them.... But they are separate, distinct and individual beings.

I know that we have an Eternal Heavenly Father. He is the Father of all of us. He is loving, He is powerful, He is merciful, He is Omnipotent, He is Eternal and it is to Him that we pray. Jesus Christ is His Son. Our Heavenly Father so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. I know that it is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we are made free from sin and death and able to return to God.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 14-16

As sure as I know we have a loving Heavenly Father Who hears and answers our prayers. I know we have a Savior, the Son of God. Who willingly submitted to the Father and "laid Himself on the alter" for our sakes, to pay our price. And because of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, we can return to God. What a wonderful message, it gives me so much hope. I know this to be true!!

"They do much good"

I was just listening to some conference talks from this most recent conference. And I really liked this part from Elder Quentin L. Cook Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, entitled, "Our Father’s Plan—Big Enough for All His Children"

"Notwithstanding the significance of our doctrinal differences with other faiths, our attitude toward other churches has been to refrain from criticism. They do much good. They bless mankind. Many help their members learn of the Savior and His teachings.

A reporter for the Washington Post visited one of our Church meetings in Nigeria. The reporter interviewed one new member and told of his conversion. The reporter states:

“[He] said . . . he jumped off a city bus and walked into the [LDS Church building]. . . . He immediately liked what he heard inside [the chapel], especially that no one preached that people of other faiths were going to hell.” This echoes the feeling of numerous converts to the Church since its organization.

Our leaders have consistently counseled us “to live with respect and appreciation for those not of our faith. There is so great a need for civility and mutual respect among those of differing beliefs and philosophies.”

It is equally important that we be loving and kind to members of our own faith, regardless of their level of commitment or activity. The Savior has made it clear that we are not to judge each other. This is especially true of members of our own families. Our obligation is to love and teach and never give up. The Lord has made salvation “free for all men” but has “commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.”- Elder Quentin L. Cook Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Life's Ironies

Go read this post today. It's very thought provoking. This post is so good!!

The Irony in Life
Paul is waiting for a heart transplant and he inspires me so much!! Pray for him.

God's Love

"God knows and loves us all. We are, every one of us, his daughters and his sons, and whatever life's lessons may have brought us, the promise is still true: 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upraideth not; and it shall be given him.' (James 1:5)" - Howard W. Hunter

"In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues 'from grace to grace' (D&C 93:13). "- James E. Faust